Is the purpose of your Web site to brand and position your company online? Do you want to impress customers with fancy design and flash? Do you want Internet users to call you or visit your physical store? Or do you want to generate high revenue with shortest sales cycle possible -- à la pure e-commerce?

Sadly, in executing e-commerce Web design, many of these goals have been conflated, misunderstood or poorly prioritized, in turn jeopardizing the overarching sales objectives of a business Web site. In other words, when developing an e-commerce Web site, it's customer acquisition (read: revenue stream) that should remain your top design priority. That means a sharp distinction needs to be drawn between the art of Web design and the art of designing a marketing-driven e-commerce Web site.

Three Web Design Anchors for Smart E-Commerce

To efficiently reach e-commerce goals, a marketing-driven Web site is going to be your vehicle. That means planning your Web site -- and orienting your Web design -- around three guiding "design anchors."

Design Anchor No. 1: Your "Value Proposition"
What's your unique selling proposition? What benefits do you offer that differentiate your business? What features or services do you offer that unequivocally build value while giving you a definitive edge over the competition? Distilling your unique value proposition and communicating it quickly and clearly on your Web site is the first element of profitable e-commerce Web design.

Design Anchor No. 2: "Your Target Audience"
Understanding your market -- and defining the needs of your target demographic -- is an essential part of any business enterprise. Online it's no different: Design not for yourself, but for you target audience. Articulate meaningful benefits and situate your style and content in the context of your customers' immediate needs and desires.

Design Anchor No. 3: Task-Analysis -- Achieving a Defined Objective
Once your value proposition is being communicated to your target customer, you need a clear, focused sales process. Here, analyze the components of your sales channels, provide the necessary educational steps and requisite product information, and design a Web site that optimizes action while eliminating distraction. Make it easy for customers to buy from you.

Designing for the 'One Second Principle'

On the Internet, you only have one second. One second to make a powerful impression. One second to establish your professionalism and start building trust. One second to generate the interest of your target audience. One second to begin downloading your value proposition and to initiate a compelling sales overture.

The three design guidelines above serve the one-second principle well and provide a blueprint for effective Web site marketing and sales flow. Most online shoppers have little time to waste on brand-building Flash, sluggish multimedia plug-ins, overindulgent mission statements or content that serves no end. As Gartner research suggests, convenience, usability and marketing clarity are so important they rank even higher in importance than price for online shoppers.

Given these survey results, successful Web design means having a tactical rationale for the placement of every graphic, every image and every word. And that means knowing your customers, anticipating the needs of your customers and answering their questions before questions are even asked.

While more abstract issues like branding are not entirely inconsequential online, the process of "building a brand" should come only as an after-impression, a coefficient of a powerful sales platform. Customer acquisition should remain the primary goal, and nothing -- neither Flash nor corporate branding -- should interfere with your marketing and sales agenda.