| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 29/05/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 18 |
| Copyright: Other |
the net result
this week: going for goal
Every fortnight, Karen Gee from eDreams.com helps agents and operators to get the most out of the InternetAccording to a recent worldwide Internet survey, an unbelievable 99% of Web sites fail to turn visitors into customers.
How disappointed all those companies must be having dedicated so much personal time and invested so much money in the development phase, only to discover that those efforts haven’t resulted in the desired revenues.
Flexing your site to deliver real results is becoming increasingly important. It is no longer acceptable for a commercial organisation to simply have a site that gives out information when real financial targets and revenue objectives are at the core of the organisation.
Clearly there might be many reasons why this is the case. It may be that the learning curve of this new media means that success can be elusive at first.
However, I believe that one of the most common reasons is that the objectives and goals of the site are unclear. From time to time I see sites where the real function or purpose is ambiguous and I’m unsure what I’m supposed to be getting out of it. They look as if they have been developed at speed, without a clear brief and with little in the way of business strategy.
If you think you’ve got a Web site because you felt obliged to but aren’t really sure what it’s expected to achieve, then this edition of The Net Result is for you. Goal setting is important because it forces us to look carefully at what we’ve actually been doing against what we were originally aiming to achieve.
It gives us direction and focus, which can be very helpful where perspective and direction is lost.
As with most things, form follows function and this is especially true of a Web site. The architecture of a site, the way that information is laid out and signposted directly affects how easily your customers engage with you and find their way to what they are interested in what you want them to do.
One very common problem is that where the objectives of the site change or when new functionality needs to be introduced, this can only be accommodated without too much effort where the original structure of the site was built to allow this development work.
That’s why it’s so important to consider both current and potential requirements in the design phase. Although Web sites are ultimately flexible and can be updated as often as you like, a complete change of direction can sometimes involve a complete redesign which is expensive and time consuming. Avoid this at all costs.
The most important thing is to set specific goals for your e-business. Take some time out from the day-to-day running of the business and look at exactly what you want to achieve versus what you are actually achieving.
One of the easiest ways of doing this is starting with what you’re good at, considering your core competencies, the things you already do that you excel in and building from there. Is it enough to sustain a business on? Does it add value for your customers?
If the answers are yes, you should be looking at how to transform it into a bigger concern and maximise results. If the answers are no, you need to consider whether the changes you need to make are worth the financial and manpower investment. Is the organisational change going to be worth it?
Identifying your competitive advantage is one of the easiest ways to start the goal-setting process.
Try to step outside the internal perspective and look at things as a customer would. A differentiated strategy is one of the fastest ways to success.
Try to pitch for a strongly differentiated positioning that also fills a gap in the market where you can reasonably demonstrate existing demand.
Compare it with the strategy and positioning of your nearest competitors and examine the similarities and differences. If there are more similarities than differences, you will need to flex your plan until it’s truly your own instead of partly someone else’s.
Review your goals and your progress in achieving them regularly, ideally on set dates. Adjust them where you need to but always be focused on exactly what’s required and how it will be achieved.
The more specific and realistic you are in your goal setting, the faster they will be achieved.
Take aim: set yourself frequent and realistic targets
e-business goals
n COLDLIGHTOFDAY ANALYSIS: take a piece of paper and write down exactly what the site’s objectives are both from a content and commerce perspective. Next ask someone impartial in your organisation to go through the site and write down everything that the site can be used for. Take a deep breath and compare the lists.
n Gap analysis: where gaps exist between the desired and actual functionality, identify how each one has arisen andbrainstorm different ways of delivering each missing element. Look at different options based on different budget levels and on different delivery timescales. Decide what’s best for your business.
n FINANCIAL TARGETING: set targets for your e-business with specific dates by when you think they ought to have been achieved. For example, become a profit centre within 18 months, increase sales by 50% within a certain timeframe.
n NON-FINANCIALTARGETing: non-financial targets areequally important as financial ones. Increasing your page views and adding to your customer database.
n review dates: put specific dates in your diary to repeat this exercise again. Twice a year is good. Quarterly is better.
n smart measurements: By using SMART measurements for your goals and objectives – specific, measurable,action-orientated, realistic and time focused – they’ll be more effective.