How do you strike the right balance between visionary and tangible in your web strategy?
This is indeed a difficult balance according to many web managers. Here a list of a few “danger signals” which are likely indicators that you are heading too far in either direction:
Danger signals indicating that your web strategy will be abstract and vague
- Your strategy statement is to “launch the new website”
- You don’t know how to get started with implementing the strategy
- You have a hard time using the strategy objectives to prioritize
Danger signals indicating that your web strategy is too operational
- You are looking at technology platforms, their feature sets and entering into discussions with vendors before having defined your goals
- You are drafting project roadmaps before you have defined business objectives
So how do you avoid drafting an abstract strategy that no one in your organisation can relate to and that will be cumbersome to implement? As a start, you could
- Define how your strategic web objectives relate to the overall business strategy
- Define measurable criteria for success, typically increased revenue or cost savings, but perhaps some softer ones might work well. Another example could be increased customer satisfaction
Simultaneously, to avoid a technology-driven project, you could
- Make an effort to understand business and user needs
- Identify risks and opportunities for the organisation
How are you steering clear of danger in your web strategy?
You can learn more about creating a successful web strategy in our newly released research on Best Practices for Creating a Web Strategy: What Web Managers Need to Know.
