10:00am, Sun 09 May 2010 : Strategy and swirls, content and CMS
|
What colour's your tractor? 
Primitive iPad 
A cosmos to conquer 
Internet strategy = business success
|
In recent weeks one of my community roles has become active in my area of interest. The organisation's web site is moving forward. The process has included platform considerations, a variety of options for direction, reference site disliked for swirls in the artwork and long discussions about the validity of Facebook.
At the same time another client talks favourably about having a great CMS (content management system) as though it is an “end”.
So often excessive time is spent on CMS and web site appearance when in reality these two things are the least of concerns. As businesses big and small continues to awaken to the importance of web sites, those with the advantage are those with strategy underpinned by commitment to content. Indulge me further:
Strategy
The most successful modern organisations and businesses will always be operating along a strategic path. Plans and medium term goals will be written down and often thus simply achieved. I put it that the modern organisation will similarly need plans and medium term goals as part of their Internet strategy. This strategy will not speak about web site art work or even specifically refer to need for a CMS, but lay out guidance across the various Internet disciplines. The disciplines range from search engines to gross margins for online sales, visit online advertising spend, social media, content and function along the way to real outcomes.
You may feel a little daunted at this point, cause frankly, I am too. The Internet continues to expand in six or more dimensions. Not only does it continue it's spread of “access” to every corner of the planet, but also by means of access ( this report was drafted on an iPhone, a relatively new “device” that continues it's march to ubiquity). Another dimension is function of key sites. Facebook is a "planet" of it's own in a universe who's commercial “big bang” was just 18 years ago. Social function continues to innovate as we now consider sharing "location" beyond the blogged thoughts, funny photos, friendship links and slightly embarrassing videos of being tipsy last Friday night.
The long and short of it is that even Doctor Who would find it difficult to navigate this cosmic minefield, let alone make a dollar along the way.
In lieu of a good map of this expanding cosmos, a strategy is the best means of guiding the path forward among the planets. Note some of the subheadings. Search engine position. Paid ads. Social media, Home Page, Navigation System ... The list goes on.
Commitment to content.
All to often I have seen business and organisation spend 110% of their Internet budget on a Content Management System as part of a web site redesign. Smacking their hands together it's announced that the job is done.
As a member of the computer industry for twenty years I have seen the same announcement over and over after a network upgrade, contact management database or latest version of Microsoft Office is rolled out. Does a farmer buy a new tractor and park it in shed? Not ever. For him ( or her ) it's now time to plough the field, sow the seeds, tend the crops and harvest... And as for those bedazzling home page designs... Does the it matter the colour of the tractor? Not one bit.
So if you head a company, organsiation or run the Internet outcomes for either, don't expect your job to get easier... I don't.
John Nayler is the proprietor of eCentral, and Internet Consultancy that has been around since the early days. Along the way eCentral has lead some big projects and lots of little ones with a single minded determination toward client bottom line. For more information, www.ecentral.com.au or 0407 15 13 11.
|
|
Related Stories and video features
Finding that extra click...
|
|
29 Jul 2010: With over a trillion web pages indexed by Google, and the vacuum of Facebook committing people's time, one wonders how you can get more people onto your web site and thinking about purchasing your product.
The long tail
Pursuit of “long tail” search results is just one of the mu [more...]
|
Beat spam - simple - change your email address
|
|
02 Jul 2010: You might be impressed that I live my life virtually spam free without the use of anti-virus or anti-spam software. Meanwhile there is no “real” messages lost to spam filters and those precious communications and channelwhitsundays.com broadcasts make it to the In-box every time.
Impossible in th [more...]
|
Where has everyone gone? The greatest challenge to advertising ever...
|
|
10 Jun 2010: 1979, any given Tuesday night: I was eleven at the time and scantly remember sitting cross-legged on the lounge room floor to watch the TV news with a lamb chop dinner, boiled potatoes and beans. I never did eat the beans and later worked out that mum could have saved $1000+ on greens during my chil [more...]
|
Another reason to have an online video advertisement: mywhitsunday.com
|
|
10 May 2010: ChannelWhitsundays.com produced our first online video advertisement over 3 years ago and today those videos are top of search results on the worlds 2nd most popular search engine, Youtube.com. As the online world makes further demands for video based presentation, www.mywhitsunday.com have recently [more...]
|
Changing your web site address or domain name
|
|
|
16 Apr 2010: I frequently get asked by people about migrating their web site to a different address or domain. People are concerned about the impact that it will have on marketing efforts or more importantly on search engine placement.
I can happily report that a carefully structured approach allows a number [more...]
|
Look no further, your netbook has arrived.
|
|
13 Jan 2010: A frequent question asked of me is what computer to buy. For a number of years the trusty 2nd hand Toshiba's were my recommendation, but today, the power contained in the lightweight low priced "Netbooks" are my suggestion.
Asus were first to market when when they released their eeePC. These amaz [more...]
|
iPhone optimised web pages from ChannelWhitsunday.com
|
|
09 Jan 2010: There is no secret that surging sales of Apple and iPhones and iTouches are putting the Internet at the finger tips of more people than ever before.
Apples intuitive interface and embedded Safari web browser make it easy for people to access the Internet most anywhere. Throughout the world and A [more...]
|
Leading edge online promotion: ChannelWhitsunday.com destination videos.
|
|
05 Jan 2010: ChannelWhitsundays.com are offering you the unique opportunity to appear in destination video presentations for Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays. Targeting 10,000 views on Youtube.com in a 12 month period, your business can benefit by being part of 10 minute presentations for each of:
- Airlie Beac [more...]
|
Sonry XR500 the choice for ChannelWhitsundays.com
|
|
01 Jan 2010: ChannelWhitsunday.com has, for a long time, been served well by the Sony HDR-SR1. The majority of video reports have been shot on these pro-am High Def cameras. They are big for a handy-cam, but still don't impress the pro's. Irrespective, despite a beating, the cameras still work. One has lost its [more...]
|
Why you should not use Flash in your website
|
|
31 Dec 2009: For a long time websites budgets have blown out at the expense of Flash. The ability to bring home pages to life, add motion, sound or even just an photo slide show has sucked in the marketing bucks big time. It seems that that the "Flash in the pan" web design companies are all [more...]
|
Search Engine Optimisation - The hold grail of Internet consulting.
|
|
|
23 Dec 2009: I am frequently questioned by people about the intricacies of getting on the first page of results for Google or other search engines. "Search Engine Optimisation", or "SEO" is the name given to the art and the industry dedicated to getting the top position.
With out giving away too much commerci [more...]
|
Announcing LINKcentre - An SEO opportunity for your web site.
|
|
|
22 Dec 2009: If you have read my article about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) fundamentals, or have an education in this area, you would know that SEO and Google have a great respect for inter-site linking.
Clients in the eCentral portfolio enjoy being part of LINKcentre. This new hi-tech SEO feature links [more...]
|
Google adwords for dummies: Instruction video
|
|
27 Nov 2009: My Internet consulting clients know that I am a big fan of targeted use of Google Adwords.
There are a couple of traps with Adwords that are simply avoided, and some great ways to make the most of Google paid advertising as a part of the success model for your online efforts.
As compared with [more...]
|
What on earth is SEO?
|
|
01 Nov 2009: Recently, Whitsunday businesses seem to have become more aware of their need for an effective Internet strategy... and by strategy I mean more than a funky looking web site. Too often during my career I have been engaged to produce a web site only to find the job conclude once the site is online, t [more...]
|
|
|
|
|
Please Register.
If you love the Whitsundays, you'll love
ChannelWhitsunday.com
Register to stay
informed about local events, news and much much more. |
 Remove
Me |
|
|
