The importance of developing a Digital Plan or Strategy for your business.
Digital technology is moving at an incredible pace. Consider the timeline above. Remember when you first saw iPads in the market, and when you made a Skype video call for the first time? Fast forward five years and tablets and online video communications are common both in the workplace and in our home lives
However, these technologies are already ‘old’ in a fast paced digital world. This pace of change shows no sign of slowing as new services continue to be released, communications become even faster and our society becomes increasingly connected.
Technology is shaking the foundations of traditional business models with new digital services challenging what we normally do. Take for instance the arrival of Uber and how this is challenging the traditional method of ordering a taxi. Who would have thought this business model could be challenged? There are plenty more examples of disruptive technologies and innovation leaders who are maximising technology to provide consumers with alternatives.
Equally, there are changes that a business can make today to embrace technology and ensure that they future-proof their products and services. For example, they can ensure they have an online presence, with a website and communications that look amazing and can be read easily on a mobile device. They should also be looking to social media to advertise their products, seek consumer endorsement and attract new customers. Today, a wide range of cloud-based products can offer alternatives to running desktop software and provide new services, feature-rich at a low cost.
For many organisations, this is an exciting opportunity to revisit traditional business practices and determine how digital technology can play its part. For others, it is extremely daunting as they ask themselves: ‘where do I start?’, ‘what should I do first?’ and ‘how will it benefit my business?’
A great starting point is to create a digital strategy or plan for your business.
Not a monolithic paperweight of a strategy, but a simple one-or two-page document that outlines what your business wants to achieve from technology and the internet. Make sure this is a document that you keep up to date and review at least annually (we’ve already seen how fast things can change in five years).
How do you write a digital strategy? There is help.
The Digital Journey assessment tool has been developed to help New Zealand businesses maximise their use of the internet. It’s a free tool that can be accessed at https://www.digitaljourney.nz. The assessment takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete and it asks questions around four themes: Marketing, Tools, People, and Website.
After completing the assessment you will receive a tailored Action Plan, which explains the steps you can take to improve your use of the internet as business tool. It will help you determine your priorities and where you can go to for additional help. Use this information to develop your digital strategy. Have a look through the action plan and decide which activities will best enable your business’ strategy. These, along with your other goals and actions, will provide you with a clear, pragmatic plan for the year ahead.
But will it be worth the effort?
Check out this case study https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDjtJeJf4NY for a business that followed the Digital Journey action plan and created a Digital Strategy. A year on from completing their assessment they have seen positive improvements in customer engagement, increased sales and better resilience in their business systems. They have also increased staff numbers by 23% - a great result for a short space of time.
Check out an example of a social media publishing schedule below to point you in the right direction.
Finally, we're here to help. Check out our free Digital Resources site or get in touch to hear how Digital Journey can help your business.