To those of you who have been following this recent series on developing a Web strategy, I hope you have gained some valuable information to help you in formulating a strategy for your next Web development project.  This post will conclude our series on developing a Web strategy, but I hope that by no means you cease to continue following our blog.  We will be doing more series like this in the future and I think there will always be some good nuggets of value for you to obtain from the professionals here at BitWise Solutions.

Last week we talked about having clearly defined company goals, the purpose and value of objectives, and the roadmap of strategies.  This week we’ll get a little more granular into the tasks of how to achieve your goals and objectives.

1. Tasks are the “to-do” list.  Tasks are the components of a work plan of what we are to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis.  Be cautious not to intermingle tasks with strategies which can create shortsightedness on behalf of the implementation team.
2. Create the interwoven network of goals, objectives, and strategies.  Let’s revisit our fictitious corporate goal and two objectives from earlier and add some strategies to help define the network of how the strategic plan should work:
   
   (Goal) To be the go-to company for difficult engagements in our industry…
        -(obj) Increase the number of difficult vs. run-of-the-mill projects completed by 25%...
             (strategy) Create Web-based project scoring matrix to determine degree of difficulty;
             (strategy) Initiate re-branding effort to reposition our company to own newly created “difficult” market segment.
        -(obj) Differentiate ourselves from our competition…
             (strategy) Using scoring matrix from above, score and publish our engagements and those of competitors accordingly;
             (strategy) Create a public “clearinghouse” of known engagements where industry experts and prospects review the scoring matrix;
             (strategy) Rebuild portfolio of engagements on Web site, emphasizing project difficulties and video testimonials.
3. Make sure you have the right team.  When creating the roster of individuals who will be on your Web team prior to undertaking a new Website development project, it is important to ensure you have the right individuals on the team.  So, who are the right individuals?  For the most part, it’s the usual suspects: marketing, communications, a smattering of IT, executive leadership, etc.  Make certain that you don’t overlook someone (usually someone in a position of authority) who believes they “have a vote” on what is going to be developed.  This will help you avoid having the project wrecked by the “last minute executive.”
4. Every Web strategy must have an owner.  Every strategy you create in the course of planning must have an owner.  Strategies without a dedicated champion are destined to be orphaned.  If the strategy is worthy of time spent during the planning phase, then there must be one owner to see it to success.
5. Politics are always present during planning.  Office politics seem to swarm around every Website project and yours will be no different.  The classic argument of “who owns the Website” is often fought between marketing and IT.  This dialog is non-productive and should be refocused on delivering the goals, objectives, and strategies created in your planning work.  Be sure to take this into account when constructing your team.
   

A thoughtful and creative Web strategy can give you a competitive advantage in the marketplace.  Most often, people look to the Web first when evaluating potential vendors; your Website can either bring in your next big client or turn away every potential client.  Follow these guidelines to ensure you make the most out of your Web presence and garner the best return on your investment.

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…