January 2008
As we get into the start of yet another year, it’s a good time to set our goals, our ‘resolutions’ for 2008.
Why not make this the year you start making the most of the web and digital technologies so your business can start fully reaping the benefits of the digital age. Most businesses know there’s more they should be doing. And most are aware there are big rewards on offer for those that make the effort.
Most of us now use the web in our daily lives. Whether it’s booking a flight or a holiday, buying books or music, looking for directions or information, the first place we turn is the web.
And organisations that have shifted more of their emphasis towards the web are reaping the rewards.
So, here are a few suggestions for your 2008 resolutions.
audit your current website
Do a thorough scan around most sites on the web and you’ll find many with:
• out of date content
• broken links
• ‘news’ that’s more like ‘olds’
• typos
• ‘under construction’ pages (that have been ‘under construction’ for years)
• etc, etc
Start the year by auditing your website and setting a plan to get it up to date and in shape for the year ahead.
To find out how you can conduct an audit of your website, take a look at the icemedia guide, 'how to conduct a website audit' [pdf 479Kb].
review your digital strategy
Given the rapid rise in the role the web plays in all our lives, maybe it’s time to review your current digital strategy.
• There may be new technologies and opportunities you are not aware of. There may be better ways of interacting with your customers.
Kick the year off by getting your key people together and running a digital planning workshop.
For some hints on how to plan your workshop, get the icemedia guide 'how to run a digital strategy workshop' [pdf 378Kb].
review and update your web content regularly
Make this the year you schedule regular maintenance and updates to your website and make them happen.
This should not be an IT-driven activity. It should be the responsibility of the marketing department. Your website is the public face of your organisation.
A well maintained website will attract more visitors and keep them there longer. And this in turn should lead to more sales.
To find out how to keep your website ‘fresh’, download a copy of the icemedia guide 'staying fresh on the web' [pdf 307Kb].
get your customer database in order
A well maintained customer database can significantly improve the effectiveness of your marketing activities.
As traditional media fragments and audiences disengage, your marketing database may play an increasingly important role in helping you reach customers in the future.
If you haven’t started to integrate your customer database into your marketing activities, then maybe it’s time to rethink how you’re doing things. To find out more, take a look at icemedia’s '10 tips to get your database in order' [pdf 300Kb].
integrate digital throughout your business
A web strategy is not just about having a website for your business or brand. It’s about better, smarter, more effective ways of doing business using digital technologies.
Start 2008 by reviewing all aspects of your business and considering ways you could improve things across your organisation:
• connecting with your staff
o Establish or look for new ways to use your intranet or extranet
• giving e-commerce a greater role in your business
o Move sales online, or via mobile phone pay options
• opportunities at POS
o Capture info at POS to better measure your marketing activities and build your customer profiles
find out more about emerging opportunities
Put some time aside this year for you and your key people to attend workshops, seminars, conferences and exhibitions on emerging trends in the digital world.
Or for regular updates on the digital world, look out for icemedia’s regular subzero emails