"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that" [said the red queen] ..... Lewis Carroll, Through the looking glass.
Is your organization a Red Queen? Are you using the web channel effectively to gain a competitive advantage over your peers? Does your web strategy complement your overall strategy or is it at least aligned with your overall strategy? What business processes do you need to put in place to gain an edge from your intra/internet site?
Spinnaker Edge is a full service Web Strategy firm dedicated to giving organizations an edge, through creating effective web assets for our customers.
So what does “Effective” mean for you? That is what we help you figure out. Here’s how we go about deciding what Effective means –
Effective is:
Linking web strategy to business strategy. Leveraging the web as a channel to conquer new markets. On the web, geography is not destiny. How can you use the web to expand your customer base on the one hand and to service your current customers better on the other?
Understanding your audience. Not the generic “User” but actual customers, donors, students, employees, curiosity seekers … even your Mom. Who are these individuals? What are they looking for? Why should they come to your site? Why should they keep coming back?
Understanding your voice. What is it that you want to tell your visitors? How is your website an extension of your brand, your core competencies? How can you communicate your unique value proposition using tools like blogging, pod-casting and content syndication?
Efficient Business Processes. You may be asking yourself, “so how is the work going to get done?” Who is going to answer the e-mails? How are you going to integrate web content with your other data sources to minimize duplication? Are your current business processes supporting your internet content efficient? Do we need to design new workflows and processes to reflect today’s reality?
Clean Design. It is not necessary to clutter your web-site with whiz-bangs just because they are available and seemingly high-tech. Efficient web-sites follow the motto “Less is more”.
Clear navigation and site traversal. Do you ever wonder how people visiting your site know where to go to find what they need? Have you ever wondered who decides how navigation on your site should flow? Effective websites tie web traversal to the web-site’s audience. Helping a student traverse your web-site might be quite different than helping your mom find what she needs.
Defining and Measuring metrics. Not simply web usage. The metrics we track include those that probably motivated you to re-assess your web strategy in the first place. They could range from ‘employee retention rates’ and ‘web-based product sales’, to ‘increased giving from a social network of stakeholders’.
Interesting Content. Your content needs to educate, excite and most importantly motivate your audience. We help you answer the questions - why should people come to your site? why should they come back?
Using the latest Web 2.0 tools, we create dynamic, user driven sites that engage and inspire.
Effective is not:
- Brochureware – a static site that merely serves as a place holder;
- Having to coax and cajole a developer to make even minor changes to your site. ;
- Dull, uninspired and long-winded text;
- Out-dated and/ or inaccurate information;
- Row upon Row of Pdf attachments (see above);
- Web gizmos that provide little actual value;
- Pop up ads – we hate them as much as anyone else
Our combination of soft and hard skills, designers and developers, makes Spinnaker Edge unique. You get a complete solution – whether you want to kick-start your current web presence or launch something completely new.