My father passed away this week. While I am a bit sad and I have shed some tears, I am truly not devastated. He lived to be 81 years old, he saw a grandchild get married, he visited nearly every continent and he lived with a serious cancer diagnosis for six years longer than we expected.
As I reflect back on his life, or at least my life with him, I thought it would be cathartic to write down three of my favorite stories about my relationship with my dad.
Childhood
There are so many wild and wonderful stories that I could tell, but one stands out. I am not sure that I actually remember this, or if I have just heard it so many times that it has become part of my childhood memories.
When I was three, we moved into the house that we would have for over 20 years – 523 Bonhomme Forest. I am the youngest of four and there is a 6 ½ year age gap between me and my closest sibling. Therefore, I was the only young child in the house for several years. When my dad would come home from work, he would walk in the back door to the kitchen and he would stomp his feet loudly. That was my cue that he was home and wherever I was playing in the house, I would bolt to the kitchen and run and jump into his arms. This became our ritual and I treasured it.
The story about this ritual goes something like this: One night, as soon as Dad walked into the kitchen, he had to take a telephone call (from a wall phone – no cell phones or portables in those days.) I came downstairs and was surprised and disappointed that he hadn’t stomped and then caught me as I jumped in his arms. Legend has it that I reached up and tugged on his jacket. He told the caller to hold on and turned to me and I said “if you look down, you will see a small child who needs a hug.” As any great father would do, he set the phone down and scooped me into his arms. Honestly, most of my childhood was filled with precious moments such as this.
Adulthood
Again, there are many stories to choose from as I moved through college and started my career, but one particularly funny one stands out.
When I was 29 years old, I was invited to interview for a big promotion with my current employer. The position was in Austin, TX where my father just happened to live. When he heard that I was flying in for an interview, he was thrilled. He picked me up at the airport the night before and took me to dinner. He had mapped out the best route to get to the site of my interview and had test-driven it that morning to make sure we allowed adequate time for rush hour traffic. I arrived at my interview with plenty of time, kissed my dad and promised to call when I was through.
The man that was the hiring manager held an influential position and was warm, compassionate and very smart. I had actually met him years early, as I graduated from high school with his son. In my professional naivety, I assumed he would remember that and referenced that we had met before, through his son. He seemed shocked to realize that I was the same age as his child, and here I was interviewing with him for a fairly strategic position. He was definitely taken back by my age, but continued the interview with the utmost professionalism. When the day was complete, he came to see me off and thank me for coming to Austin. He asked if his secretary should call a taxi cab for me and I blurted out “that’s okay, my dad is on his way to pick me up,” like I am a teenager at the mall, not a candidate for a promotion in a large company. It was quite embarrassing, but the happy footnote is that I got the job, moved to Austin, met Tim Runyan and the rest is history.
As a grandfather
My dad was very involved in the lives of my daughters and he even pitched in when we were desperate for a baby-sitter. As they grew to be toddlers, my dad’s passion for shopping at ‘Big Lots’ took on a new purpose. He would buy crayons and water balloons and plastic ponies and dress up outfits and a million other worthless, cheap things that would delight our girls. Tim tried to keep some order in our house and jokingly chastised my dad about the clutter he brought with him whenever he visited. This led my dad to keep all of his ‘Big Lots’ treasures in a box that he would take with him when he left. Therefore, when Grampy arrived, much time and excitement was spent looking at the new items in his box. Tim and I began to refer to this as the ‘box of crap’.
The girls spend their pre-school years in a wonderful, loving daycare run by Ms. Soraya. She was a lovely woman and was very religious. She provided our girls with a tender atmosphere to play and grow, firmly rooted in religious teachings. At one of her many open houses, my father joined us, as he often did. One of the girls introduced him with great animation and said “this is my Grampy. When he comes to our house, he always brings the box of crap.” Ms. Soraya was immediately taken back and assumed she had misheard because one of her precious babies would certainly not utter a curse word. My quick-thinking husband saved the day when he said “box of crafts, sweetie. It’s a box of crafts.” Whew. We might have been expelled if she had known the truth.
In closing
I could go on for pages and pages with funny and heart-warming stories about Grampy. He was as complex of a character as most of us are and there were times when I would get frustrated with him, but those were certainly the exceptions. I am lucky that I was so loved by a great man and that my children have benefitted by knowing and remembering their Grampy who cared for them so deeply. Rest in peace, Grampy.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
New Job with an Open Position
I am very excited to have accepted a new position at CDS Global in Des Moines, IA. As I am getting settled into my new role (VP of Product Management), we are assessing the organization and we have identified an area of potential opportunity. Portions of the job description are included below. If you know of a qualified candidate, please leave a comment. This is a new industry and a new town for me, so I am reaching out through all means avaiable.
Functional Title: Senior Product Manager - Order Management & Fulfillment
Reports To: Vice President
SUMMARY
Responsible for all Product Management activities relating to Order Management and Fulfillment for CDS Global. Responsible for managing product throughout the product lifecycle, including product planning and marketing. Will drive a corporate initiative to evaluate current technology in CDS Global’s core and most profitable business and ensure that we have what we need to create new solutions that support the company’s existing customers and redefines the company’s market position as a leader in Order Management and Fulfillment solutions. Directs and manages Product Management staff.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Maintains confidentiality of CDS Global and its clients’ proprietary information.
• Responsible for all Product Management activities, including product planning and marketing, and managing the product throughout the product lifecycle.
• Defines the product vision and development strategy.
• Builds internal and external product roadmaps, including Feature and Technology roadmaps. Communicates to internal and external constituencies on roadmap progress.
• Identifies new products candidates and advocates for them both internally and externally.
• Writes and delivers Marketing, Product, Customer and Technical Requirements documents with prioritized features and corresponding justification.
• Responsible for establishing realistic time frames which will likely include making feature, schedule and cost tradeoffs as needed.
• Conducts market research and analyzes findings, including: Market Analysis, Business Case and Profit & Loss (P&L) Investigation, Customer and Market Research, Competitive Analysis, and technology trends.
• Responsible for the Return on Investment (ROI), Profit & Loss (P&L) and success of products from concept to launch through sunset, including incremental enhancements
• Sets pricing to meet revenue and profitability goals.
• Prepares and communicates budgets, revenue forecast and projections.
• Develops core positioning and messaging for the product, including points of differentiation.
• Assists with development of sales enablement tools and training.
• Directs and manages the hiring, training, and evaluation of Product Management staff. Monitors staff performance to ensure that goals are met.
• Collaborates and coordinates with sales, marketing, IT and support staff to support product development and management and to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction goals are met.
• Works with external third parties to assess partnerships and licensing opportunities.
• Maintains a comprehensive knowledge of the CDS Global business units, the fulfillment industry and competitors.
• Travels as required.
• Interacts in cooperative and professional manner, with all levels of employees, vendors and/or clients, in team environment.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Assumes additional responsibilities as requested (or required).
EDUCATION AND/OR CERTIFICATION, SKILLS AND LICENSING
• Bachelor’s degree. MBA preferred. Equivalent education and/or experience may be substituted for the minimum education requirement.
• Seven or more years of progressively complex experience in Product Marketing or Product Management.
• Strong Order Management and Fulfillment experience including experience with high volume order transactions and multiple media for order capture – web, handheld devices, etc.
• Experience in Requirements development and ownership, Product Lifecycle Management and Brand management.
• Experience in creating, maintaining and communication Product Road Maps
• Demonstrated success defining, launching and growing excellent products in new and established markets.
• Experience working with a technology group in large, complex product development.
• Excellent teamwork and negotiation skills with proven success in influencing cross-functional teams.
• Strong convictions to withstand pressure from numerous opinionated stakeholders.
• Advanced PC knowledge and skills to use electronic mail and Internet for research. Advanced Microsoft Excel or Word skills (or related software).
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Excellent presentation skills.
• Advanced math skills.
• Access to transportation requiring a valid driver’s license, proof of safe driving record, and active insurance.
Functional Title: Senior Product Manager - Order Management & Fulfillment
Reports To: Vice President
SUMMARY
Responsible for all Product Management activities relating to Order Management and Fulfillment for CDS Global. Responsible for managing product throughout the product lifecycle, including product planning and marketing. Will drive a corporate initiative to evaluate current technology in CDS Global’s core and most profitable business and ensure that we have what we need to create new solutions that support the company’s existing customers and redefines the company’s market position as a leader in Order Management and Fulfillment solutions. Directs and manages Product Management staff.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Maintains confidentiality of CDS Global and its clients’ proprietary information.
• Responsible for all Product Management activities, including product planning and marketing, and managing the product throughout the product lifecycle.
• Defines the product vision and development strategy.
• Builds internal and external product roadmaps, including Feature and Technology roadmaps. Communicates to internal and external constituencies on roadmap progress.
• Identifies new products candidates and advocates for them both internally and externally.
• Writes and delivers Marketing, Product, Customer and Technical Requirements documents with prioritized features and corresponding justification.
• Responsible for establishing realistic time frames which will likely include making feature, schedule and cost tradeoffs as needed.
• Conducts market research and analyzes findings, including: Market Analysis, Business Case and Profit & Loss (P&L) Investigation, Customer and Market Research, Competitive Analysis, and technology trends.
• Responsible for the Return on Investment (ROI), Profit & Loss (P&L) and success of products from concept to launch through sunset, including incremental enhancements
• Sets pricing to meet revenue and profitability goals.
• Prepares and communicates budgets, revenue forecast and projections.
• Develops core positioning and messaging for the product, including points of differentiation.
• Assists with development of sales enablement tools and training.
• Directs and manages the hiring, training, and evaluation of Product Management staff. Monitors staff performance to ensure that goals are met.
• Collaborates and coordinates with sales, marketing, IT and support staff to support product development and management and to ensure revenue and customer satisfaction goals are met.
• Works with external third parties to assess partnerships and licensing opportunities.
• Maintains a comprehensive knowledge of the CDS Global business units, the fulfillment industry and competitors.
• Travels as required.
• Interacts in cooperative and professional manner, with all levels of employees, vendors and/or clients, in team environment.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Assumes additional responsibilities as requested (or required).
EDUCATION AND/OR CERTIFICATION, SKILLS AND LICENSING
• Bachelor’s degree. MBA preferred. Equivalent education and/or experience may be substituted for the minimum education requirement.
• Seven or more years of progressively complex experience in Product Marketing or Product Management.
• Strong Order Management and Fulfillment experience including experience with high volume order transactions and multiple media for order capture – web, handheld devices, etc.
• Experience in Requirements development and ownership, Product Lifecycle Management and Brand management.
• Experience in creating, maintaining and communication Product Road Maps
• Demonstrated success defining, launching and growing excellent products in new and established markets.
• Experience working with a technology group in large, complex product development.
• Excellent teamwork and negotiation skills with proven success in influencing cross-functional teams.
• Strong convictions to withstand pressure from numerous opinionated stakeholders.
• Advanced PC knowledge and skills to use electronic mail and Internet for research. Advanced Microsoft Excel or Word skills (or related software).
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Excellent presentation skills.
• Advanced math skills.
• Access to transportation requiring a valid driver’s license, proof of safe driving record, and active insurance.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Building a Web Content Management Business Case Part 3 of 3
One of the questions that we are often asked by our prospects is ‘how do I build a business case to support the purchase of a Web Content Management system?’ Here is a three part series on one method that could be employed. The first metric that we looked at was Revenue. The second metric evaluated was cost savings. In this final installment, we will look at the Strategic Value of a Web Content Management system and what that means to your business.
Admittedly, the strategic components will tend to be the ‘softest’ and it is often hard to attribute firm numbers to them. But these items can be the difference that leads to business case approval. The strategic components have the highest emotional attachment and they get to the heart of your company and its values. That can be very compelling for an Executive management team to consider. Mind you, if the revenue and the cost savings are not significant, then the strategic components cannot carry the business case. But if the choices are ‘doing nothing’ or ‘wait another quarter,’ the strategic items can push the decision makers to a green light.
Take a step back and consider what is important to your company. What separates you from your competition? What do you want customers and prospects to say about you? How would you like analysts and the press to portray your company?
For Open Text, we have the following strategic benefits that we are pursuing.
1. A better site will facilitate an improved customer experience which will result in increased revenue, customer satisfaction and maintenance renewal rates
2. A better site will enhance our ability to respond to the needs of the business and the latest Web 2.0 functionality as the technology will be an asset, not a liability
3. A better infrastructure will allow us to create a dynamic site that can easily change with industry trends.
These are all noble goals and hard to argue with. The problem is quantifying them to provide validity.
An improved customer experience is something that every company is seeking. How would you measure your success? One objective data point to review is what improvements other companies have seen through implementing new web content management software. Your vendor may have Customer Success Stories that provide details of a customer’s problem and the results they achieved by implementing the software. Or you can study a heat map of your current site and detail the number of clicks that it will take a visitor to get from the home page to the desired information. If you can reduce the number of clicks with a new system and smarter design, then you will have improved the customer experience. You can associate a value to the number of clicks or the visitor’s time to get a numerical value.
The improved ability to respond to the needs of the business will make your website an asset instead of a point of corporate frustration. This strategic benefit might be easy to measure. How many microsites have been spun up in the last year? More often than not, microsites are not created because they are truly necessary. They are created because a microsite can be turned up quicker than updating the www site. It is a sad but true fact for many corporate sites. If it is happening in your company, calculate the number of microsites and the cost for each one. You may have employed an external agency so you can track the invoices for solid cost metrics. Then assume that you would be able to manage all (or a portion) of the microsite requests within your new web content management system and you have yet another quantifiable metric.
The third metric will only apply to certain types of sites. There are companies who want to change their look and feel regularly to keep up with industry trends or just to stay ‘fresh’ and vibrant. For these companies, the ability to easily change templates but maintain the content and navigation will enable them to be more dynamic. To quantify this, you could calculate the number of hours spent on your current site to make a change to the look and feel to calculate your cost savings.
The numbers are definitely important, but each of these items has an emotional attachment. How much would your CEO like to brag about an exceptional customer experience or a dynamic site that is vibrant and ever-changing? These are the strategic benefits that a web content management system can provide and they are the talking points. These strategic items will be discussed around the water cooler. They will be the components celebrated at the launch party. So weave them into your business plan, quantify them as best as you can, and talk about them. Make the decision makers really want a new web content management system to take your company to the next level.
As Robert Fulghum said ““… dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience.” If you can appeal to the Executive hopes and dreams, you can leave the room with a “YES.” Or in keeping with the theme of this blog, a “You betcha!”
Admittedly, the strategic components will tend to be the ‘softest’ and it is often hard to attribute firm numbers to them. But these items can be the difference that leads to business case approval. The strategic components have the highest emotional attachment and they get to the heart of your company and its values. That can be very compelling for an Executive management team to consider. Mind you, if the revenue and the cost savings are not significant, then the strategic components cannot carry the business case. But if the choices are ‘doing nothing’ or ‘wait another quarter,’ the strategic items can push the decision makers to a green light.
Take a step back and consider what is important to your company. What separates you from your competition? What do you want customers and prospects to say about you? How would you like analysts and the press to portray your company?
For Open Text, we have the following strategic benefits that we are pursuing.
1. A better site will facilitate an improved customer experience which will result in increased revenue, customer satisfaction and maintenance renewal rates
2. A better site will enhance our ability to respond to the needs of the business and the latest Web 2.0 functionality as the technology will be an asset, not a liability
3. A better infrastructure will allow us to create a dynamic site that can easily change with industry trends.
These are all noble goals and hard to argue with. The problem is quantifying them to provide validity.
An improved customer experience is something that every company is seeking. How would you measure your success? One objective data point to review is what improvements other companies have seen through implementing new web content management software. Your vendor may have Customer Success Stories that provide details of a customer’s problem and the results they achieved by implementing the software. Or you can study a heat map of your current site and detail the number of clicks that it will take a visitor to get from the home page to the desired information. If you can reduce the number of clicks with a new system and smarter design, then you will have improved the customer experience. You can associate a value to the number of clicks or the visitor’s time to get a numerical value.
The improved ability to respond to the needs of the business will make your website an asset instead of a point of corporate frustration. This strategic benefit might be easy to measure. How many microsites have been spun up in the last year? More often than not, microsites are not created because they are truly necessary. They are created because a microsite can be turned up quicker than updating the www site. It is a sad but true fact for many corporate sites. If it is happening in your company, calculate the number of microsites and the cost for each one. You may have employed an external agency so you can track the invoices for solid cost metrics. Then assume that you would be able to manage all (or a portion) of the microsite requests within your new web content management system and you have yet another quantifiable metric.
The third metric will only apply to certain types of sites. There are companies who want to change their look and feel regularly to keep up with industry trends or just to stay ‘fresh’ and vibrant. For these companies, the ability to easily change templates but maintain the content and navigation will enable them to be more dynamic. To quantify this, you could calculate the number of hours spent on your current site to make a change to the look and feel to calculate your cost savings.
The numbers are definitely important, but each of these items has an emotional attachment. How much would your CEO like to brag about an exceptional customer experience or a dynamic site that is vibrant and ever-changing? These are the strategic benefits that a web content management system can provide and they are the talking points. These strategic items will be discussed around the water cooler. They will be the components celebrated at the launch party. So weave them into your business plan, quantify them as best as you can, and talk about them. Make the decision makers really want a new web content management system to take your company to the next level.
As Robert Fulghum said ““… dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience.” If you can appeal to the Executive hopes and dreams, you can leave the room with a “YES.” Or in keeping with the theme of this blog, a “You betcha!”
Monday, February 15, 2010
Building a Web Content Management Business Case Part 2 of 3
One of the questions that we are often asked by our prospects is ‘how do I build a business case to support the purchase of a Web Content Management system?’ Here is a three part series on one method that could be employed. The first metric that we looked at was Revenue. The second metric that logically follows is to evaluate Cost.
Cost, productivity and headcount savings are critical measures to include in a business case as they tend to be the highest valued metrics within the organization. Everyone loves revenue projections, but skeptical management, particularly with a background in IT, is naturally going to gravitate towards cost savings as a more reliable and achievable metric.
Will a new Web Content Management system result in cost savings? You betcha. Here are several easily quantifiable data points to consider:
1. A better site, operating in an infrastructure with a single stack will be less expensive because it will require fewer resources and less expensive resources to maintain. This measurement is relevant if you are operating today with many disparate systems that are cobbled together. You lose productivity because experts in one system may not be able to provide support in another, so you have to have more resources with different specialties. The more systems that are in use, the more complex the environment and therefore, the more expensive the IT resources that will be required to maintain it. A simple system with a single architecture will be less expensive. Period.
2. A better site will reduce costs in customer support because it will empower users with more customer self-service capabilities via the web site. This measurement speaks to the ability for customers and partners to be able to open, track, update and close trouble tickets via the web, as opposed to calling a call center and speaking to a customer support rep to log a ticket. This is just one example of how customer self-service can reduce costs and you may have other examples that make the metric even more compelling.
3. A better site will be less expensive because the time and brain-power to manage integration points with other software will be reduced due to a common platform. This measurement is very real and often overlooked when preparing a business case. If you have three content management systems and you purchase lead management software or a CRM system, you will need to integrate those purchases with each of your content management systems. That is expensive, time-consuming and can lead to costly mistakes. You don’t want to be the company who loses web leads because the integration point with your lead management platform broke down and took weeks to discover.
4. A better site will be less expensive due to automated content expiration and triggering updates via workflow, rather than manually auditing content (or not auditing at all). This measurement could be a ‘soft’ cost unless you have headcount dedicated to auditing your site. But the value is critical. With a web content management system, you can design workflow that alerts a business owner that their content is stale and due for a refresh. You can also establish business rules that ‘expire’ content automatically after an event or a certain time period has passed. The value of this can easily be under-stated because the cost of old, tired content reflects poorly on the whole customer experience.
5. A better infrastructure will allow users to create smaller content units that can be stored and re-used beyond the web site. This item speaks to the heart of the web content management value proposition. How many places do you save your key messaging? And when it is updated, how many places do you have to make that change to ensure it is reflected across the board? We have great customer stories where the re-use of content units is done remarkably well. Key messaging points are saved in the web content management platform and fed to the web site and data sheets and event descriptions from a single source. So when the messaging changes, with one update, so do all of the impacted assets. This too can be hard to quantify, but if you look at the hours and cost involved in creating collateral and you consider how much content re-use would reduce that time, you should be able to create a defensible cost savings number.
These five metrics will apply to most organizations, but there are other measures that might apply to your Web Content Management business case as well. If you are hosting the site externally, or paying a 3rd party to manage or monitor your site, or if you have out-sourced translations or localization issues, these costs can contribute as well. The best place to start is to review your P&L or your historical POs. Where are you spending money to support your web site? Could those costs be reduced with a web content management system that was easy to maintain, update, audit and integrate? My guess is that you will say “You betcha!” and be able to build a compelling business case based on significant cost savings.
Our final installation in this series will discuss the strategic goals and how to incorporate those into your business case. Stay tuned…
Cost, productivity and headcount savings are critical measures to include in a business case as they tend to be the highest valued metrics within the organization. Everyone loves revenue projections, but skeptical management, particularly with a background in IT, is naturally going to gravitate towards cost savings as a more reliable and achievable metric.
Will a new Web Content Management system result in cost savings? You betcha. Here are several easily quantifiable data points to consider:
1. A better site, operating in an infrastructure with a single stack will be less expensive because it will require fewer resources and less expensive resources to maintain. This measurement is relevant if you are operating today with many disparate systems that are cobbled together. You lose productivity because experts in one system may not be able to provide support in another, so you have to have more resources with different specialties. The more systems that are in use, the more complex the environment and therefore, the more expensive the IT resources that will be required to maintain it. A simple system with a single architecture will be less expensive. Period.
2. A better site will reduce costs in customer support because it will empower users with more customer self-service capabilities via the web site. This measurement speaks to the ability for customers and partners to be able to open, track, update and close trouble tickets via the web, as opposed to calling a call center and speaking to a customer support rep to log a ticket. This is just one example of how customer self-service can reduce costs and you may have other examples that make the metric even more compelling.
3. A better site will be less expensive because the time and brain-power to manage integration points with other software will be reduced due to a common platform. This measurement is very real and often overlooked when preparing a business case. If you have three content management systems and you purchase lead management software or a CRM system, you will need to integrate those purchases with each of your content management systems. That is expensive, time-consuming and can lead to costly mistakes. You don’t want to be the company who loses web leads because the integration point with your lead management platform broke down and took weeks to discover.
4. A better site will be less expensive due to automated content expiration and triggering updates via workflow, rather than manually auditing content (or not auditing at all). This measurement could be a ‘soft’ cost unless you have headcount dedicated to auditing your site. But the value is critical. With a web content management system, you can design workflow that alerts a business owner that their content is stale and due for a refresh. You can also establish business rules that ‘expire’ content automatically after an event or a certain time period has passed. The value of this can easily be under-stated because the cost of old, tired content reflects poorly on the whole customer experience.
5. A better infrastructure will allow users to create smaller content units that can be stored and re-used beyond the web site. This item speaks to the heart of the web content management value proposition. How many places do you save your key messaging? And when it is updated, how many places do you have to make that change to ensure it is reflected across the board? We have great customer stories where the re-use of content units is done remarkably well. Key messaging points are saved in the web content management platform and fed to the web site and data sheets and event descriptions from a single source. So when the messaging changes, with one update, so do all of the impacted assets. This too can be hard to quantify, but if you look at the hours and cost involved in creating collateral and you consider how much content re-use would reduce that time, you should be able to create a defensible cost savings number.
These five metrics will apply to most organizations, but there are other measures that might apply to your Web Content Management business case as well. If you are hosting the site externally, or paying a 3rd party to manage or monitor your site, or if you have out-sourced translations or localization issues, these costs can contribute as well. The best place to start is to review your P&L or your historical POs. Where are you spending money to support your web site? Could those costs be reduced with a web content management system that was easy to maintain, update, audit and integrate? My guess is that you will say “You betcha!” and be able to build a compelling business case based on significant cost savings.
Our final installation in this series will discuss the strategic goals and how to incorporate those into your business case. Stay tuned…
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Building a Web Content Management Business Case Part 1 of 3
One of the questions that we are often asked by our prospects is ‘how do I build a business case to support the purchase of a Web Content Management system?’ Here is a three part series on one method that could be employed. Obviously, business cases are unique to each company and the specific drivers that matter most to them but here is one approach.
First, one must look at Revenue. Revenue is that thing that funds all other things and that is why we love it so much. It pays our salaries, keeps the lights on and enables us to have blackberries to feed our ‘always on’ addiction. Revenue is good.
So will a new Web Content Management system drive an increase in revenue? You betcha! Of course, measuring that can get complicated and there are a myriad of parameters that could be considered, but here are a few:
1. A better site will produce more qualified leads through a better customer experience, easier to find information and clear calls to action.
2. A better site will facilitate the sale of some products end-to-end via the web.
3. The speed of deals through the sales cycle can be enhanced with a better site, as prospects will be able to do more thorough research on their own.
These particular items can be measure by metrics like: number of web leads, conversion rates, average deal size, length of sales cycle, etc. These are easily (relatively) quantifiable and data probably exists for you to benchmark against your particular industry. An easy way to capture the value of the revenue impact is to measure what you are currently doing, compare it to industry benchmarks and then set realistic targets with a new Content Management system.
There are other metrics that may impact revenue, depending on the type of site that you have.
1. Increasing time on site could be critical as people who stay longer have higher conversion rates.
2. Participation in a community, posting comments, reviews and rating can be great indicators of engagement and higher engagement equals higher conversion.
3. Adding rich media elements like video and flash demos can increase the conversion rates as buyers are more able to shop and compare.
4. Creating personalized content that can be delivered as you learn more about your visitors through their clicks says to a buyer that you ‘get’ them and that translates to sales.
And there are many more that you can consider. The key to building a business case around revenue is to choose the impacts that drive the highest revenue, align with your strategy and will enhance the customer experience. Then find measurable analytics that you can apply to those revenue drivers. Be consistent and use the best data available. Benchmark against industry standards, if you can. And don’t artificially inflate the numbers. Nothing will kill a proposal faster than the appearance of impropriety in the numbers. And further, a solid business case truly should stand on its own.
Is there more to consider than revenue? You betcha! And we will talk about those next time.
First, one must look at Revenue. Revenue is that thing that funds all other things and that is why we love it so much. It pays our salaries, keeps the lights on and enables us to have blackberries to feed our ‘always on’ addiction. Revenue is good.
So will a new Web Content Management system drive an increase in revenue? You betcha! Of course, measuring that can get complicated and there are a myriad of parameters that could be considered, but here are a few:
1. A better site will produce more qualified leads through a better customer experience, easier to find information and clear calls to action.
2. A better site will facilitate the sale of some products end-to-end via the web.
3. The speed of deals through the sales cycle can be enhanced with a better site, as prospects will be able to do more thorough research on their own.
These particular items can be measure by metrics like: number of web leads, conversion rates, average deal size, length of sales cycle, etc. These are easily (relatively) quantifiable and data probably exists for you to benchmark against your particular industry. An easy way to capture the value of the revenue impact is to measure what you are currently doing, compare it to industry benchmarks and then set realistic targets with a new Content Management system.
There are other metrics that may impact revenue, depending on the type of site that you have.
1. Increasing time on site could be critical as people who stay longer have higher conversion rates.
2. Participation in a community, posting comments, reviews and rating can be great indicators of engagement and higher engagement equals higher conversion.
3. Adding rich media elements like video and flash demos can increase the conversion rates as buyers are more able to shop and compare.
4. Creating personalized content that can be delivered as you learn more about your visitors through their clicks says to a buyer that you ‘get’ them and that translates to sales.
And there are many more that you can consider. The key to building a business case around revenue is to choose the impacts that drive the highest revenue, align with your strategy and will enhance the customer experience. Then find measurable analytics that you can apply to those revenue drivers. Be consistent and use the best data available. Benchmark against industry standards, if you can. And don’t artificially inflate the numbers. Nothing will kill a proposal faster than the appearance of impropriety in the numbers. And further, a solid business case truly should stand on its own.
Is there more to consider than revenue? You betcha! And we will talk about those next time.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
What's in a word? (aka Why is Messaging so hard?)
I recently read a great (old) clip of Abbott and Costello buying a computer. It is hysterical. If you haven’t read it yet, you must check it out. And it got me thinking – why is it so hard to convey what we mean? Why is messaging so difficult? This is something that we are really struggling with at Open Text and I don’t think I am revealing some big corporate secret, because Messaging has been a challenge at every company and in every industry that I have worked in. Why is it so hard? Maybe our definition of who we are, as a company, hasn’t evolved with the same flexibility that applies in our personal life. Or maybe it’s that, as people, we are expected to be multi-dimensional with lots of different interests and corporations aren’t allowed the same latitude.
In any given day, I play many diverse roles. Wife, Mother, Sister, Daughter, Boss, Subordinate, Person venting, Person giving counsel to others venting, cheerleader, thought leader, mini-van driver, runner, dog owner, etc. So how would I describe myself? Well, it depends on the situation and what is required at that moment.
Why can’t that same philosophy apply to our corporate identities? We spend so much time and energy trying to distill our messaging down to a single catchphrase that encapsulates everything we do and everything we are. I understand the importance of Brand and I am not suggesting that having a clear brand identity is anything less than critical. But the layer beneath that can be more fluid. At Open Text, we are experts in web content, back-office operations, workflow, social media, storage, e-mail management and much more. Beyond the products that we offer, we aim to provide a holistic customer experience, a fulfilling sales cycle, quick and accurate installation, superior service after the sale, thought leadership with regards to future direction of the market place and, again, much more.
I think the real challenge is finding the link, or the messaging, that ties together the different pieces into a cohesive whole so it doesn’t just feel like a bunch of fragmented tangents with no commonality. It’s easier on a personal level because all of the aspects of me are just who I am. “I yam what I yam.” For a corporation, those lines of commonality needs to be more clearly drawn so customers, analysts, investors and the press can see a vision and the executives can articulate a strategy.
So we will keep working on our Messaging. And I have no doubt that we will solve it…and then it will age and we will have to define it again. Maybe that is the lesson here. I want to keep growing and changing so that my life is dynamic. And I want the company that I work for to keep growing and changing so that its life is dynamic. So I guess “Messaging” isn’t leaving my To Do list any time soon.
In any given day, I play many diverse roles. Wife, Mother, Sister, Daughter, Boss, Subordinate, Person venting, Person giving counsel to others venting, cheerleader, thought leader, mini-van driver, runner, dog owner, etc. So how would I describe myself? Well, it depends on the situation and what is required at that moment.
Why can’t that same philosophy apply to our corporate identities? We spend so much time and energy trying to distill our messaging down to a single catchphrase that encapsulates everything we do and everything we are. I understand the importance of Brand and I am not suggesting that having a clear brand identity is anything less than critical. But the layer beneath that can be more fluid. At Open Text, we are experts in web content, back-office operations, workflow, social media, storage, e-mail management and much more. Beyond the products that we offer, we aim to provide a holistic customer experience, a fulfilling sales cycle, quick and accurate installation, superior service after the sale, thought leadership with regards to future direction of the market place and, again, much more.
I think the real challenge is finding the link, or the messaging, that ties together the different pieces into a cohesive whole so it doesn’t just feel like a bunch of fragmented tangents with no commonality. It’s easier on a personal level because all of the aspects of me are just who I am. “I yam what I yam.” For a corporation, those lines of commonality needs to be more clearly drawn so customers, analysts, investors and the press can see a vision and the executives can articulate a strategy.
So we will keep working on our Messaging. And I have no doubt that we will solve it…and then it will age and we will have to define it again. Maybe that is the lesson here. I want to keep growing and changing so that my life is dynamic. And I want the company that I work for to keep growing and changing so that its life is dynamic. So I guess “Messaging” isn’t leaving my To Do list any time soon.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Minimalistic or Fewer Clicks?
We have a debate going on with our Web UI team about the benefits of a minimalistic approach to content versus a full page of content so data can be reached with the least number of clicks. Have you struggled with this? If so, I would love your advice or opinion.
On one hand, we have all been taught that data should be available with the fewest number of clicks. If we ask users to dig too deeply in our web sites, we have failed and we will lose them. I honestly get this and I agree.
But (there is always a but, isn’t there?) I have also learned from numerous sources and publications about the benefits of having a single “call to action” on a page and leading users to their recommended content based on the path they choose. We have created a new flow for a specific section of our site that encourages visitors to self-select their organization – Marketing, IT or Knowledge Management. I know that self-selection is not optimal and ideally you would know your visitors and guide them to the right content, but we are going to try this self-selection idea and test our feedback.
After they self-select their organization, we present them with business problems common to that organization and then we provide practical, tested solutions to those problems. Thus, there are definitely three clicks to get to the answer – Choose your department (click #1), choose your Business Problem (click #2) and get some answers (click #3). The page designs are very simple, light on text with strong visuals that guide users to the Call to Action for each page. We reviewed the design with several teams and gathered positive feedback.
However, the designs were not well-received with the UI team. They felt that more data per page was necessary to give users multiple options and one-click access to a variety of content. To me, the page was cluttered and confusing but I cannot argue with the fact that the ‘busier’ design definitely has fewer clicks.
I need your advice. What do you think? Do you like the Google-like home page with a minimalistic design? Or do you prefer something like the Yahoo! Homepage with a plethora of content paths to take? What factors should we consider when making this decision? I know it depends on the particular message that you are trying to convey, but I would love to hear your opinions and experience.
On one hand, we have all been taught that data should be available with the fewest number of clicks. If we ask users to dig too deeply in our web sites, we have failed and we will lose them. I honestly get this and I agree.
But (there is always a but, isn’t there?) I have also learned from numerous sources and publications about the benefits of having a single “call to action” on a page and leading users to their recommended content based on the path they choose. We have created a new flow for a specific section of our site that encourages visitors to self-select their organization – Marketing, IT or Knowledge Management. I know that self-selection is not optimal and ideally you would know your visitors and guide them to the right content, but we are going to try this self-selection idea and test our feedback.
After they self-select their organization, we present them with business problems common to that organization and then we provide practical, tested solutions to those problems. Thus, there are definitely three clicks to get to the answer – Choose your department (click #1), choose your Business Problem (click #2) and get some answers (click #3). The page designs are very simple, light on text with strong visuals that guide users to the Call to Action for each page. We reviewed the design with several teams and gathered positive feedback.
However, the designs were not well-received with the UI team. They felt that more data per page was necessary to give users multiple options and one-click access to a variety of content. To me, the page was cluttered and confusing but I cannot argue with the fact that the ‘busier’ design definitely has fewer clicks.
I need your advice. What do you think? Do you like the Google-like home page with a minimalistic design? Or do you prefer something like the Yahoo! Homepage with a plethora of content paths to take? What factors should we consider when making this decision? I know it depends on the particular message that you are trying to convey, but I would love to hear your opinions and experience.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Virtual Events
In all of the hubbub last week (see blog titled Project Break-through), I failed to write about an event we had last Tuesday. It was Virtual Content World and it was a ‘virtual event’ attended by roughly 1100 Open Text customers. We had staff members manning the virtual booths and customers were invited to chat about what was on their mind. If a customer had a specific issue, the chat could be conducted privately, or if there was a more universal question, the entire group could see the dialogue. There was an Exhibit Floor, an Auditorium for the keynote speakers and a Lounge for more casual interactions.
Have you ever attended or hosted a virtual event? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts on how it went.
Here are some observations on how I think we could improve ours.
1. We used a recording from our live event (Content World) for our Chairman of the Board as our kick-off keynote. I would recommend against that in the future. Because the talk was recorded, our Chairman referred to things that weren’t relevant to the virtual event – upcoming speakers, demo-pods, etc. Plus the timing wasn’t exactly right so his talk ran over by 3 minutes, making everyone late to the next speaker.
2. We had several different ‘rooms’. The Exhibit Hall had a number of booths and the lounge had several folks ‘manning’ it and I had trouble figuring out where the subject matter experts would be. I am interested in your feedback – should virtual events have virtual walls, to simulate the brick and mortar environment? Or should we rethink the space in virtual events?
3. The screen wasn’t intuitively sized. The chat ran off the page for me and there was no way to scroll. I checked my screen resolutions (1024 x 768) and I couldn’t find anything in the FAQs for how to fix it. After contacting support, I learned that you could drag and drop the chat anywhere on the page and that worked. But it would have been more user-friendly to size the screen such that the chat appeared without issue.
All in all, I thought it was a great event. The interaction was superb, the technology appeared solid and the agenda topics were well received.
What is your experience with virtual events? I would love to compare notes.
Have you ever attended or hosted a virtual event? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts on how it went.
Here are some observations on how I think we could improve ours.
1. We used a recording from our live event (Content World) for our Chairman of the Board as our kick-off keynote. I would recommend against that in the future. Because the talk was recorded, our Chairman referred to things that weren’t relevant to the virtual event – upcoming speakers, demo-pods, etc. Plus the timing wasn’t exactly right so his talk ran over by 3 minutes, making everyone late to the next speaker.
2. We had several different ‘rooms’. The Exhibit Hall had a number of booths and the lounge had several folks ‘manning’ it and I had trouble figuring out where the subject matter experts would be. I am interested in your feedback – should virtual events have virtual walls, to simulate the brick and mortar environment? Or should we rethink the space in virtual events?
3. The screen wasn’t intuitively sized. The chat ran off the page for me and there was no way to scroll. I checked my screen resolutions (1024 x 768) and I couldn’t find anything in the FAQs for how to fix it. After contacting support, I learned that you could drag and drop the chat anywhere on the page and that worked. But it would have been more user-friendly to size the screen such that the chat appeared without issue.
All in all, I thought it was a great event. The interaction was superb, the technology appeared solid and the agenda topics were well received.
What is your experience with virtual events? I would love to compare notes.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Project Break-through
I am working on a number of projects at Open Text but none are as challenging as our attempt to revolutionize the customer experience. What does that mean? It’s about providing the right content to the right person at the right time. What does that mean? It’s the blueprint for holistic, engaging customer experiences that weave people, process, and content together in a way that fosters a true partnership with our customers. What does that mean?
Ah, you are starting to understand my problem. This is a great project that will change the way we interact with customers, partners, prospects, etc. but it is hard to define and since we are still lacking concrete deliverables to point people to (though more are being produced every day), it is hard to get everyone behind a common rallying cry.
And for this project, this week was definitely filled with some highs and lows. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say, we had a hard fought meeting on Wednesday where we tried to gain consensus from a very large group about our action plan. Following the meeting, there was a fair bit of dissension and we were forced to re-examine what we were trying to accomplish and how we could get there.
After venting and perhaps dropping a few curse words (not me!?!), I went for a run to clear my head. And, as always, I am amazed at the clarity that can be gained by banging your feet on the pavement. We came up with a new plan. We presented it to the CMO and got a thumbs-up. Then I started the calling campaign. I called all of the key stakeholders to get their buy-in for the new plan before I issued a note to the larger team. I felt like that was important because (1) I truly valued their input and I wanted to make sure our new plan was feasible and (2) I didn’t want a stakeholder to be caught off-guard by an e-mail to a larger group about something this significant. Always better to spend a ½ day socializing something than to have your key partners surprised.
Then we rolled out the new idea (which is much better than the original plan, by the way).
Late Friday night, I got an e-mail from one of the key stakeholders. She was writing to tell me that she likes the new plan and (to quote her exactly) “it has got me rethinking how we deliver product … assets.” OMG. There are no words to describe how much that e-mail meant. This project has been so challenging. So many people just don’t “get it” and I have been really struggling to explain it in terms that resonate. We aren’t there yet, and we still need to produce tangible assets to truly show people what we are driving towards, but one of our key stakeholders gets it. And she is going to re-think the way she approaches her deliverables! That is great! It might not change the world, but the small victories are worth celebrating. So I am doing a Happy Dance and I am re-energized to take on the next sticky meeting.
Ah, you are starting to understand my problem. This is a great project that will change the way we interact with customers, partners, prospects, etc. but it is hard to define and since we are still lacking concrete deliverables to point people to (though more are being produced every day), it is hard to get everyone behind a common rallying cry.
And for this project, this week was definitely filled with some highs and lows. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say, we had a hard fought meeting on Wednesday where we tried to gain consensus from a very large group about our action plan. Following the meeting, there was a fair bit of dissension and we were forced to re-examine what we were trying to accomplish and how we could get there.
After venting and perhaps dropping a few curse words (not me!?!), I went for a run to clear my head. And, as always, I am amazed at the clarity that can be gained by banging your feet on the pavement. We came up with a new plan. We presented it to the CMO and got a thumbs-up. Then I started the calling campaign. I called all of the key stakeholders to get their buy-in for the new plan before I issued a note to the larger team. I felt like that was important because (1) I truly valued their input and I wanted to make sure our new plan was feasible and (2) I didn’t want a stakeholder to be caught off-guard by an e-mail to a larger group about something this significant. Always better to spend a ½ day socializing something than to have your key partners surprised.
Then we rolled out the new idea (which is much better than the original plan, by the way).
Late Friday night, I got an e-mail from one of the key stakeholders. She was writing to tell me that she likes the new plan and (to quote her exactly) “it has got me rethinking how we deliver product … assets.” OMG. There are no words to describe how much that e-mail meant. This project has been so challenging. So many people just don’t “get it” and I have been really struggling to explain it in terms that resonate. We aren’t there yet, and we still need to produce tangible assets to truly show people what we are driving towards, but one of our key stakeholders gets it. And she is going to re-think the way she approaches her deliverables! That is great! It might not change the world, but the small victories are worth celebrating. So I am doing a Happy Dance and I am re-energized to take on the next sticky meeting.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Afraid of Twitter
Okay, I will admit it. I am afraid of Twitter. I have never Tweeted or Retweeted or taken a Twitpic. I am not even sure I am using the terminology right. But I have to jump on the bandwagon. If I am going to work for a company that sells Social Media software, I need to be a user. So I am in the process of getting my Twitter account sorted out (I signed up ages ago and have now forgotten all of my login information.)
Here is why I am afraid of Twitter.
1. I am not that interesting. Lance Armstrong has a tremendous following on Twitter and he is an interesting guy. Cancer survivor, Tour de France winner, Advocate – he has done cool things and does more cool things every day. He meets with Senators and Cancer Researchers and Celebrities. Me – not so much.
2. If I do have something to say, I doubt I can get it out in 140 characters. I am loud (sometimes obnoxious) and I talk a lot. I am not witty and succinct. I prefer long winded and funny.
3. My followers will be disappointed. If random person, or heaven forbid an industry peer or analyst, wants to follow me, I am afraid that after a week, they will say “BOORRRRIIINNGG” to my tweets. Although I did find a stat on Wikipedia that says that 40.55% of tweets are ‘pointless babble’ so at least I will be in good company.
But the most serious reason why I am afraid of Twitter is that I won’t represent the brand effectively – either the Open Text brand or my personal ‘Kristin Runyan’ brand. Then again, no one ever learned by sitting on the sidelines. I am jumping in. Tomorrow – or as soon as the Twitter Support desk fixes my account. By the end of the week, at the latest. No really, I mean it.
Here is why I am afraid of Twitter.
1. I am not that interesting. Lance Armstrong has a tremendous following on Twitter and he is an interesting guy. Cancer survivor, Tour de France winner, Advocate – he has done cool things and does more cool things every day. He meets with Senators and Cancer Researchers and Celebrities. Me – not so much.
2. If I do have something to say, I doubt I can get it out in 140 characters. I am loud (sometimes obnoxious) and I talk a lot. I am not witty and succinct. I prefer long winded and funny.
3. My followers will be disappointed. If random person, or heaven forbid an industry peer or analyst, wants to follow me, I am afraid that after a week, they will say “BOORRRRIIINNGG” to my tweets. Although I did find a stat on Wikipedia that says that 40.55% of tweets are ‘pointless babble’ so at least I will be in good company.
But the most serious reason why I am afraid of Twitter is that I won’t represent the brand effectively – either the Open Text brand or my personal ‘Kristin Runyan’ brand. Then again, no one ever learned by sitting on the sidelines. I am jumping in. Tomorrow – or as soon as the Twitter Support desk fixes my account. By the end of the week, at the latest. No really, I mean it.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Stelter Success - Using Social Media to help your customers
Social Media is a bit like the Pet Rock of the 70s. Everyone wants one, but few know quite what to do with it. We have an example of a customer who has found the perfect niche for their social media application and they have created a podcast detailing their story.
The Stelter Company has found a way to empower their customers with Social Media. They serve a non-profit audience, which is typically very thinly staffed with challenging and noble goals. Through a partnership with Open Text, Stelter provides their customers with a forum for sharing best practices, research and fresh ideas.
Stelter has achieved what so many companies are looking for – a way to use social media to help their customers be more effective. And that kind of karma always comes back to you.
Listen to the podcast to learn more.
The Stelter Company has found a way to empower their customers with Social Media. They serve a non-profit audience, which is typically very thinly staffed with challenging and noble goals. Through a partnership with Open Text, Stelter provides their customers with a forum for sharing best practices, research and fresh ideas.
Stelter has achieved what so many companies are looking for – a way to use social media to help their customers be more effective. And that kind of karma always comes back to you.
Listen to the podcast to learn more.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Why Marketing Drives IT Crazy
I have been in Marketing nearly my whole career, but in a past life, I am certain that I suffered in IT because I definitely have a soft spot for those “1s and 0s” guys.
In most organizations, Marketing approaches projects like a letter to Santa. “I want this and that and oooo, one of those too.” “And I want it black, no blue, no red.” “And can you add a racing stripe?” “I don’t care how it works, just make it fly…and sail…and run…and swim.” Unfortunately IT does not have an uber-efficient magical workshop filled with elves and free from any time and budget limitations.
This is where I tend to enter the scene. For the fourth consecutive company, I am the go-between for Marketing and IT. I try (to varying degrees of success) to prioritize the massive number of requests coming into IT in a logical, reasonable (and revenue generating) order. And, in doing so, I endear myself to IT and become viewed as a roadblock in Marketing. But I am okay with that and I will tell you why.
In the absence of someone like me, one of two things usually happens - Someone has to prioritize so if the business users don’t do it, IT will. And they may not prioritize using the same criteria that the business would – Operational Efficiency projects move up, Brand projects move down and if there is a cool technology that a developer is dying to play with, that trumps all. Mind you, they are not trying to slow progress, quite to the contrary. But in the absence of direction, people will work on what they want to work on.
The second scenario that occurs when IT is provided no prioritization is that lots of things get done but only half way. Suzi needs a micro-site, throw that up. Bill wants an e-commerce application, just link to an open source app and move on. Jim wants lead qualification software, just turn it up but don’t integrate it. So you end up with boxes marked ‘complete’ on a flow chart but nothing works together and your infrastructure is a patchwork of point activities that cannot be stitched together.
Sound familiar? We Marketers love to dream and we want our great ideas implemented tomorrow. That’s who we are and we shouldn’t be ashamed. Just like all good sales people have a bit of ADD, all Marketers should dream and dream big. Just make sure you assign an elf that looks at the wish list before you enter the workshop. We do not want to create anything that end up in the land of misfit toys.
In most organizations, Marketing approaches projects like a letter to Santa. “I want this and that and oooo, one of those too.” “And I want it black, no blue, no red.” “And can you add a racing stripe?” “I don’t care how it works, just make it fly…and sail…and run…and swim.” Unfortunately IT does not have an uber-efficient magical workshop filled with elves and free from any time and budget limitations.
This is where I tend to enter the scene. For the fourth consecutive company, I am the go-between for Marketing and IT. I try (to varying degrees of success) to prioritize the massive number of requests coming into IT in a logical, reasonable (and revenue generating) order. And, in doing so, I endear myself to IT and become viewed as a roadblock in Marketing. But I am okay with that and I will tell you why.
In the absence of someone like me, one of two things usually happens - Someone has to prioritize so if the business users don’t do it, IT will. And they may not prioritize using the same criteria that the business would – Operational Efficiency projects move up, Brand projects move down and if there is a cool technology that a developer is dying to play with, that trumps all. Mind you, they are not trying to slow progress, quite to the contrary. But in the absence of direction, people will work on what they want to work on.
The second scenario that occurs when IT is provided no prioritization is that lots of things get done but only half way. Suzi needs a micro-site, throw that up. Bill wants an e-commerce application, just link to an open source app and move on. Jim wants lead qualification software, just turn it up but don’t integrate it. So you end up with boxes marked ‘complete’ on a flow chart but nothing works together and your infrastructure is a patchwork of point activities that cannot be stitched together.
Sound familiar? We Marketers love to dream and we want our great ideas implemented tomorrow. That’s who we are and we shouldn’t be ashamed. Just like all good sales people have a bit of ADD, all Marketers should dream and dream big. Just make sure you assign an elf that looks at the wish list before you enter the workshop. We do not want to create anything that end up in the land of misfit toys.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Web Marketing - New Years Resolutions
It’s that time again – time to make New Year’s Resolutions. You know - those promises that you make to yourself to kick a bad habit or start a healthy habit. Sometimes these are life-changing proclamations, but more often, they are forgotten by February.
I joke that my New Years Resolution is to not start smoking. I don’t smoke now and the evidence is pretty compelling against starting, so I feel like that is a safe promise. I am very confident I will succeed. But that isn’t really capturing the spirit of the Resolution. It is really about using the changing of the calendar as a catalyst to be better. And that is noble.
So what can we do better on our web sites? The list is probably so long that it is overwhelming. I am going to commit, via this public blog, to 3 initiatives and associated deadlines. I want you to keep me honest and I will report back on status.
1. I will commit to writing 104 blogs in 2010. That is 2 per week, but there might be weeks when I can only do one and weeks where I do three so the total number is what I am going for.
2. We have identified 3 sections on our website to be revised. I want them to be live in two week intervals, starting 2/1/2010, 2/15/2010 and 3/1/2010. We are hoping that the section revisions will unlock a formula for over-hauling our content, so I will update you on that progress as well.
3. Delivering a Community Site strategy to the business. We have communities run-amok, which will be the topic of a future blog post and I want to help the organization by defining a structure for our communities. If it is successful, I will share it with this audience as well.
Those are my commitments. Do you want to share yours? I would love to hear what you are trying to tackle in the coming months. And please, don’t start smoking. I hear it’s a hard habit to kick.
I joke that my New Years Resolution is to not start smoking. I don’t smoke now and the evidence is pretty compelling against starting, so I feel like that is a safe promise. I am very confident I will succeed. But that isn’t really capturing the spirit of the Resolution. It is really about using the changing of the calendar as a catalyst to be better. And that is noble.
So what can we do better on our web sites? The list is probably so long that it is overwhelming. I am going to commit, via this public blog, to 3 initiatives and associated deadlines. I want you to keep me honest and I will report back on status.
1. I will commit to writing 104 blogs in 2010. That is 2 per week, but there might be weeks when I can only do one and weeks where I do three so the total number is what I am going for.
2. We have identified 3 sections on our website to be revised. I want them to be live in two week intervals, starting 2/1/2010, 2/15/2010 and 3/1/2010. We are hoping that the section revisions will unlock a formula for over-hauling our content, so I will update you on that progress as well.
3. Delivering a Community Site strategy to the business. We have communities run-amok, which will be the topic of a future blog post and I want to help the organization by defining a structure for our communities. If it is successful, I will share it with this audience as well.
Those are my commitments. Do you want to share yours? I would love to hear what you are trying to tackle in the coming months. And please, don’t start smoking. I hear it’s a hard habit to kick.
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