At BitWise, we pride ourselves in being the premier web development firm in Indiana.  We don't build all of our Websites with a Content Management System, but only when the client's needs require one. 

Last year we began developing Websites, when necessary, with a content management system platform built by internationally recognizable Kentico CMS for ASP.NET. We have tried many different content management systems over the years and this one has proven in a short amount of time to be one of the best out there.  It's very easy to use for the end-user, our clients, and is relatively painless to work with for our Web developers from a coding standpoint.

We recently launched a new Website for The Farmers Bank using the Kentico CMS platform and the Website ranked in the Top 10 Kentico Websites developed in February!  This is a great honor to receive for only having been developing Websites with the Kentico CMS for less than a year. 

We are proud to receive this status for our Web development efforts here in Indianapolis and it just goes to show that Indiana is producing more than just corn and soybeans.  There are numerous companies based in Central Indiana that are receiving awards left and right for technological advancements and forward thinking. 

Even if our "Top 10" award seems like no big deal, it is a big deal to those of us around the BitWise offices...it reaffirms to us that the work product we are delivering is still top quality and it gives us the satisfaction of knowing that our client is going to benefit greatly from the Website or application we developed for them. 

Of course we like to think our deliverables are quality but it's always better to know that other people think it's good too - other people's opinions matter way more than our own.  Thank you Kentico and thank you Farmers Bank!

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…

Web strategy was the buzz in the late 1990’s through 2001 as everyone was seeking to carve out their own little niche of the market by implementing fresh, disruptive and innovative ideas.  Fast forward to today: Because markets are so competitive, Web strategy is a crucial part of any Web development project; competition is significantly broader as geographic boundaries have been lifted.  The Web is considered fully main stream as a business conduit today, thus the importance of Web strategy.

Web strategy simply changes the lens through which you create strategy, namely the Web.  Think specifically about your strengths and weaknesses relative to your Web presence, the consistency of your Web site with your offline strategy, the story told by your Web site content, the architecture of your hosting environment, marketplace constraints (i.e. privacy, simplicity, security, etc.), and of course, consideration for how your targeted audience uses the Web.  In essence, consider the additional variables with which to contend as you develop Web strategy.

Over the next few weeks I will be writing a series of blog posts that focus on Web strategy and helping you develop your own Web strategy.  The central focus of this discussion will revolve around 10 key things you should know about creating Web strategy.  Today, we’ll start with the first two:

1. Consistent Terminology.  It is essential to have common terminology amongst your Web team before any planning work is started.  The framework provided within this chapter uses common terms and definitions typically found in planning efforts.  Do not feel constrained to use these exact terms if your organization is accustomed to some variation of the same.
2. Creative and Inventive.  The term strategic planning is often shorthand for a comprehensive and interwoven network of goals, objectives, and strategies.  The use of strategic in this term sets the tone that our planning is to be creative, inventive, forward looking, etc.  It should not be confused with the label of strategy as it is defined in the context of this document.

To be continued…