We have met with a lot of people who feel the same. Vanessa Zainzinger (Digital Business Editor at Caspian Publishing) cites that 75% of CEO’s are worried about their digital talent. The answer? There are many; hiring in-house solutions, bringing in a consultant or approaching an agency. All of which hold their own pros and cons. With 110,000 unfilled jobs in the UK technology industry, it would appear that the anxiety is kicking in. Now is the time to act.
Whilst the digital world is fast progressing (coining yet more irritating abbreviations such as CRM, PPC, API, AR, QR, CLV, CPM, CPV, CPL, CSS, CTA, CRO, LTV, UAT, RTD, SEO, SLA, SMP, SSL) if you’re not willing to react digitally, you will find yourself falling behind.
It is the same with development platforms. As an SME business owner (alongside the general running of a business, HR, accounts, sourcing new business etc) how are you able to make educated decisions on whether your site needs CMS or SEO?
If it does, should you be using WordPress or Drupal? The same goes for e-commerce sites. Shopify, Magento or OpenCart? And that’s before you even start looking at live interaction with clients via social media. This list is truly endless. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are a must. But what about Instagram, Pinterest, Vine and Google +, all of which have started pulling their weight?
As an agency, what would we suggest? Firstly get some advice from someone you trust, don’t follow their every word but instead try and look at the big picture. Now it’s research time. 5 minutes with Google will open your eyes to a wealth of social media techniques whilst providing a general overview for each development platform, alongside their strengths and weaknesses.
Write a list of everything you wish to achieve online, then break it down into three areas:
1. What does your website do (is it a store, providing a service, or a brochure)?
2. What content do you want to promote online (videos, text, pictures, great service)?
3. Who do you want to interact with (B2B, B2C, C2C)?
From this list you will be notice commonalities between your research and your requirements. This will give you the ability to align your goals with platforms. If you’re offering fantastic customer service, show it by using Twitter to interact with your customers. If you’re selling artwork, promote it using Instagram and show the effort and development behind the work.
If you’re running an online magazine, look at how much content you will be uploading. If there isn’t much then maybe a WordPress site will suit you. If you want more sophisticated content and functions, Drupal may be your platform of choice. You want an all singing all dancing site? Time to visit a specialist agency.
How has CHC Digital bridged the digital gap for companies? The answer is simple; we offer support that spans the whole digital landscape. From developing marketing strategies and training existing in-house teams, to completely managing online businesses, online stores and social communities.
Above all else we empower businesses to be their own digital marketers. Supplying clients with detailed quantitative reports and analytics that highlight bottle necks and insights that continually improve online positioning.
The future is undeniably digital and. People want faster, smarter and more sophisticated digital interaction. The only question is how hands-on do you want to be with the digital side of your business? At CHC Digital, our mantra is simple. Let us build your digital foundations and help you take you business to the next level.
