Web Analytics
Introduction
In the current economic downturn, having an effective online presence is now more critical than it has ever been. Many smaller organisations, through lack of resources or know how, however continue to think about their website almost as an add on tool for marketing rather than being integral to their overall business strategy.
In terms of communicating with potential and existing customers / supporters your website is very likely to be the single most important tool in your marketing arsenal. Your website in itself should however form only part of your overall online strategy - albeit the most important one. Having a well designed website is fantastic but if no-one ever finds it then its highly unlikely that it will ever achieve much. Similarly, a site that does attract traffic but that is hard to navigate or that introduces barriers to people doing what you want them to (e.g. by having to make a donation or purchase offline) can equally hinder your organisation from achieving its online objectives.
Why is an overall Internet Strategy so important?
Put simply - if you haven't properly thought out what you want to achieve online and how to go about it you are unlikely to achieve much. Many companies launch head first into developing a website without first considering what they want it to achieve. A common mistake is also to list a series of objectives for a site but then have no strategy on how to implement these. The result often can be that you have a poorly performing website that needs to be unpicked or in some cases even redeveloped from scratch with obvious cost implications. This is where consultancy - even a few days worth - can help make a big difference.
For both charities and commercial organisations there is little point in investing in something if there is unlikely to ever either be a return on the initial investment or at least an eventual payback period. If your organisation is considering investing in a new site then its important to take into account not only what you want it to achieve but as importantly given your resources what it's likely to achieve.
Developing a clear set of goals that you can measure over time and being realistic about what you are likely to achieve form the foundation of any successful online strategy. You need to think broadly about the potential audience of your site - for example if you are a charity your site might not only attract potential donors but also potential volunteers, advocates, trusts performing their own research or visitors wanting to gain a better understanding of the issues your organisation deals with. How will you deal with each of these effectively?
Having come up with a list of objectives for your site you then need to consider what strategies are required to achieve them. These may encompass a wide range of tactics from email marketing, social networking, search engine optimisation, online marketing and tools to engage your audience once they reach your site.
Why engaging a consultant can help
An experienced consultant can walk you through the issues you need to consider in a structured and cost effective way. The requirements unique to your business can properly be taken into account and solutions recommended that not only will help achieve your objectives but also take into resource issues, budgets any other constraints particular to your organisation. Having a consultant with both broad and specific experience of industry trends within your sector can also help you identify techniques, tools or ideas that you may not have considered.
A strategy review needn't cost the earth either! For many organisations a simple one day review can help identify key issues and develop a strategy for your company. It is then up to you whether this is something you wish to pursue yourself, with another web company or with me!
Services Overview
I specialise in both the development and implementation of online strategies for charities and the commercial sector. You can read more about my experience, qualifications and other clients in other sections of this site. In addition please refer to the links to the right of the screen to find out more about the range of services offered.
