For those of you who may be unfamiliar with BitWise Solutions, we are an Indianapolis based Web development firm specializing in complex Web solutions, specifically Websites and software applications that are meant to run on the Web.  What Ron has been blogging about the past few weeks sparked me to want to add a little about the strategy that is necessary for a good Website solution.

First, developing a new Website requires an investment; typically, it’s both a time and monetary investment.  A good investment should anticipate a return on that investment; without a return then it’s not an investment it’s a donation.  Assuming that you would like a return on your investment, then it is imperative to start with the overall goals and objectives you have for your business or organization.  If you are a for-profit business, then you are (or should be) looking at ways to grow top-line revenue and decrease costs; your goals and objectives are ways to accomplish either or both.  Some examples of objectives for growing revenue to name a few might include:

• Increase customer retention;
• Increase average order sizes;
• Increase the number of customers;
• Increase repeat sales;

Now we’ll dig a little deeper and work on some strategies for how your Website may be able to help achieve your goals and objectives.  Taking the previous examples we might come up with the following ways a Website might help accomplish the business objectives:

A good Web developer should help you work through specific strategies on how to introduce your products and services via the Web.  Many Web companies focus on the designs and user-interfaces which, don’t get me wrong, play a big part in the overall success of your Website, but the biggest thing to focus on is your business drivers and objectives and ensure that your Website and other online strategies are in line with accomplishing those things.  If it doesn’t help you achieve a goal or objective, then throw it out; it doesn’t need to be there and will only cost you more money in the long run.

Notice that I haven’t talked about your Website goals (yet), but your business goals.  Your business goals should always be the driving force behind what you do on your Website.  Once you have that figured out, then you can move on to your Website goals which should focus on helping you achieve your business goals.

That’s all I have for now, but if any of what I just said in the above paragraphs scares you, don’t worry!  We just happen to specialize in helping people determine their business and Web goals and strategies and then we can help implement those strategies so that you can begin raking in the dough in no time!  Remember, it’s all about the return on investment - make sure you’re getting yours!

Woah! Thirty days flew by. It seems like yesterday I was getting familiar with my “office space” and the Keurig coffee maker. At the same rate, however, I sit here in my slightly modified “office space” with a cup of instantly-made coffee, and I feel like a grizzled, BitWise veteran.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned at BitWise, it is that they expect each employee here to be fully-independent, free-thinking, decision-making, client-pleasing people… within the first week (I’m sure you can imagine Ron and Scott don’t hire dumb people).

I was thrown into the snake pit, but I asked to be thrown into it. So what is it I do here? Well, I’m the Client Relations Manager –the first one at BitWise. My first task was to analyze our internal process of working with clients, completing their projects and launching them. My second task was to make recommendations on how we can make that better. So I spent the first week and a half doing just this. I dove right in and I quickly understood what it is we do here. From an outsider’s view it really isn’t that difficult – we get signatures to complete projects, we complete them, and launch them; all the while keeping the client satisfied. From an insider’s perspective, however, there are about 50 steps in our process, with about 200 other small steps in between.

So I made recommendations on how we can make BitWise even more client-friendly and efficient and we are implementing a lot of those recommendations now. So after all that, what have I been doing? I’ve been learning and absorbing everything I can about what it is we do and what it is our clients do. My job, essentially, is to learn about and know our clients and be a main point of contact during and after their projects. I consult, recommend, listen, hold hands, get my hands dirty, make coffee, make phone calls, send e-mails, review analytics, create strategies, and about 100 other things, on behalf of our clients.

I’ve learned that BitWise is a great place to work with great people and it’s built an incredible reputation in Indiana. I’m proud to work here because I know the service we offer is superb. I’m excited to grow with this company.

As I look forward to the upcoming commemoration of our independence on the 4^th of July I begin to ponder and think about what qualities our founding fathers exhibited that laid the foundation for independence.  The qualities that come to mind are not trivial; they are the kind that inspire passion and drive people to action:  courage, creativity, perseverance, never-back-down-attitude, innovativeness, and pride, but not pride in their own abilities and circumstances, rather pride in something much greater than themselves.  The pride they held was in the unity of an independent and sovereign nation under God, free from oppression and tyranny. 

In a day and age where many of the values and character qualities of our founding fathers have all but been forgotten and the freedoms they fought, bled, and died for are challenged on a daily basis not just from other countries unsympathetic to America’s cause, but internally as well, we as Americans must go back to what made this country great.  Independence from foreign debt, independence from foreign resources, independence from foreign political ideologies, independence in business; these are the things that will make our country great once again. 

So what does any of this have to do with Web design or development?  Well, to be honest, nothing really.  I just wanted to take a moment to honor the people on whose back’s the foundation of this country was laid that made America a great nation.  As we celebrate this 4^th of July weekend I encourage everyone to think about where our country has been, where it is going, and where it will be in future generations and ask yourself if you are doing everything you can to preserve the foundations that allow the United States of America to stand strong in the face of adversity in all its forms.  Have a safe and happy 4^th of July!