As business
managers, entrepreneurs, and Webmasters, we strive for unobtainable
perfection. Why do I say unobtainable? Because when we focus on perfection
in one area, we forego attention elsewhere. Limited money and time mean
you must choose from the endless parade of advice and recommendations.
This creates a dilemma. How do you choose which to embrace and which
to pass up?
Consultants,
specialists, and/or other departments within your company will eagerly
give advice from their viewpoints. You will hear the benefits of focusing
on "___" (fill in the blank with appropriate specialty). This
is not a bad thing; it is their job to sell you on the advantages of
their specialties. It is *your* job to probe for the downsides and tradeoffs.
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Different Perspectives
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Back in
my brand management days, it was sometimes frustrating when individual
departments could not grasp The Big Picture. The graphics department
and the outside ad agency wanted to get artsy when artsy wasn't the
best strategy. Manufacturing was only worried about throughput and efficiency
- never mind what the customer wanted. Each department was doing what
it could to optimize its own function, but this did not always work
in The Big Picture. If all functions were "optimized", it
could be to the detriment of the project. When resources are spread
too thin and timelines expand, implementation suffers.
In the
virtual world the same Big Picture problems occur. Search Engine Optimization
(SEO) firms focus on page optimization and submission. Copywriters tout
the best way to write content. PR firms tell you how to send press releases.
Marketing gurus sell proven programs. Yes, 95% of the advice makes sense
in theory. Toss in a dose of reality, however, and you may have an unmanageable
mess.
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The Big Picture
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When reality
hits, you find it is simply impossible to optimize all areas of your
business. You cannot grind everything to a halt while you try for detailed
perfection. God may be in the details, but profit is in the implementation.
As manager or "chief cook and bottle washer", it is your job
to bundle the advice into a profitable package and make it work.
Once you
accept that some areas are going to be initially less than perfect (providing
you with opportunity over time to improve.), the challenge is to figure
out what makes sense for your business and site. When is it critical
to optimize and when is less than
perfect acceptable?
When considering
specialist's advice, ask yourself these five questions:
1) Does
it solve a problem?
One of
the best ways to comprehend the importance of an action is to relate
it to a problem. If you think strategically - first identifying your
major problems, then designing solutions to solve those problems - your
business is more likely to thrive.
2) What
are my alternatives?
There is
always more than one solution to a problem. If you evaluate different
approaches, you will ultimately make better decisions.
3) What
are the downsides?
Perfection
and optimization are in the eyes of the beholder. What you see as a
disadvantage may seem trivial to the specialists. Ask questions and
do some research on your own to uncover the downsides.
4) Is
it likely to be profitable *for me*?
It is a
cruel fact that larger companies can afford programs that smaller companies
and individuals cannot. If you have to go into debt or dramatically
reduce other critical activities to implement a program, your cost increases
dramatically. In these cases, carefully weigh the resources required
against the potential gain.
5) What
happens if I do not do this?
Some activities
are "niceties" and some are necessities. Know the difference.
If you are losing customers to other sites or businesses, for example,
taking action is critical. Some activities - those you *want* to do
but do not help solve a significant problem - can be pushed to the back
burner.
Incorporating
The Big Picture into your decision-making is critical. When you ask
yourself these five questions, you are in a better position to make
the right decision. Your business depends on it.
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About the Author
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Bobette
Kyle has over 10 years experience in Corporate Marketing; Brand and
Product Marketing; Field Marketing and Sales; and Management. Through
her newsletter, site, and marketing services she helps businesses integrate
traditional and Internet marketing strategies.
http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com
For a step-by-step
guide to strategic marketing, read Bobette's book "How Much For
Just the Spider? Strategic Web Site Marketing for Small-Budget Businesses",
http://www.booklocker.com/books/711.html
Copyright
2002 Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.
Please
note: The opinions stated in this article are not necessarily the opinions
of the eMA.