In case you weren't able to read last week’s blog post, I’m writing a series of blog posts on how developing a Web strategy and this week I’ll be discussing several additional things you should know about crafting strategy for your next Web development project.

1. Clearly defined company goals.  Strategy starts with a concise definition of your company’s goals and is at the chief end of corporate planning.  They represent the “macro” targets to which we aim all planning.  For example, a typical corporate goal might be: “To be the go-to company for difficult engagements in our industry…”  This statement is somewhat intangible and optimistic but that’s okay…goals should challenge you.  Now, goals are difficult to measure and quantify, but objectives will help with this.
2. Objectives outline “what” we are seeking to accomplish.  Objectives are quantifiable, measureable, and tangible supporting statements that give foundation to corporate goals.  Typically in practice we see approximately 3 to 5 objectives per goal.  These are the concrete things to be accomplished by a certain date.  It is through objectives that we are able to measure our progress or success towards a goal.  In staying with the same example above, we might have the following two objectives: 1) “Increase the number of difficult vs. run-of-the-mill projects completed by 25%”  2) “Differentiate ourselves from our competition through marketing and public relations…”  Again, objectives are the “what” we are seeking to accomplish, but they are targeted toward a given goal.  Strategies help us understand how we are going to accomplish a given objective.
3. Strategies are the “how” and “when” of planning.  Strategies give us the road map to be used to accomplish a given objective.  Strategies should always be owned by a team member with the authority to see it to success, less the y be simply forgotten over time.  Strategies are the tactical steps (the “how”) with concrete timelines (the “when”) we are to execute in the course of delivering our Web strategy.  Typically you can expect to have 1 to 3 strategies per objective.  Be careful not to get too granular in defining your strategies.  Tasks help with accomplishing the details and specifics of each strategy.

To be continued…

Does the following sound like a familiar situation?  You are at a planning meeting for the next Web development project your company is working on.  As is often the case with Website or Web application development, this project is very large, very complex and is taking longer than your team expected.  Because the project is stressful, your team starts to compromise, starts to make excuses why it is taking so long, or why it is so hard.  At the same rate, throughout the project, many new features and functions have been added to the scope of the project.  It seems this development project is taking forever!

Then, there is a pivotal point when a team member – usually someone with high-ranking status – says, “I think these (insert tasks and functions here) can wait until Phase 2.”  YES!  Although no one wants to physically show a sigh of relief, you can almost sense one.  Small smirks start to form on your team members’ faces.  Whew!  

We hear the term Phase 2 a lot at BitWise Solutions in relation to Website development projects and especially in relation to Web application projects.  We are working on very complex Web solutions and a lot of times our clients don’t have the resources to complete all the phases of development at once because of their timeline or budget.  So, in turn, someone will say, “Phase 2” and no one will dispute it.  Of course this helps us focus on key elements of the project; but I argue, is it better to do it all at once?  Is it better to spend the extra time, effort and money to get it right the first time?

If we wait until Phase 2 won’t we end up spending more time, effort, and money?  When we start phase 2, we will have to restart, reengage and spend more time managing.  Instead, it seems like if we did it all at once, we could have saved time and effort by keeping the momentum.  If we have more phases, won’t we spend more time than is necessary in quality assurance after the Website or application has been launched?  Wouldn’t it be better to spend that time looking ahead to see what might be coming and then innovate on the product with minor adjustments instead of entering costly additional phases?

No one wants to dispute Phase 2.  People think that by breaking projects into phases, it will enable the team to focus on the most critical parts of a project and we will complete those tasks so we have something to show.  But I argue, let’s not wait for Phase 2, or 3 or 4.  Let’s get it done all at once.  Let’s spend the extra time, money and effort getting it right the first time.  In my opinion, it will result in a savings at the end.   

With Internet usage up by almost 133% in North America since the dawn of the new millennium and almost three quarters of all Americans using the internet on a regular basis it is no doubt that the Web has come to be a mainstay of how we conduct life and business.  With the way Websites and Internet based applications have exploded over the last decade and a half, the world has not seen advancement in the wealth and ease of access to information like ever before.  There also seems to be nothing that indicates that the Internet will digress from its current growth patterns.  Its impact on businesses will continue to be greater than anything we have seen, certainly since, if not surpassing the Industrial Revolution.

What is most interesting is how the internet has and will affect businesses and organizations.  It already has greatly impacted the way we do business on a daily basis.  For instance, this morning the internet at our office was down for about an hour and we all sat there at our desks wondering what we were going to do to keep busy!  We even made comments about what people did before the Internet as if nothing was ever accomplished before it!

Our businesses depend on it; our social lives thrive on it; even our governments and infrastructure depend on the ability to transfer information and data rapidly.  The real question lies in what the Internet will bring in the future.  How will Web technology affect hospitals 10 years from now?  How will manufacturing companies be using Web applications to improve production or increase efficiencies within their processes?

I read an article the other day in Inc. Magazine that talked about a whole new wave of businesses that will emerge from the development of electric vehicles.  Many of the needs surrounding the facilitation of such will require Web based applications to make it practical if not even feasible.  They talked about a vast ecosystem of “connected cars.”  Don’t think the Internet will have a huge part to play in that?  Think again.  As we become more and more dependent on technology, our reliance on Web applications will become increasingly relevant. 

We have decided to base our business model around the growth and proliferation of Web based applications and database driven Website development because we believe that the Internet will continue to make an ever growing impact on the way the world does business.  We are more than just a Web design and development company; we want to take Websites to a whole new level with rich, data-driven applications.

My question for you is, “How will the Internet affect your business and what are you doing to prepare for that now?”  Don’t get caught behind the 8-ball; you must begin thinking, planning, and strategizing around Web technology today – the success of your business and livelihood will depend on it!