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  1. Top tips for a Successful Digital Project

    Top tips for a Successful Digital Project

    The triple P threat: Perfect Plans Perform!

    The phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day” should always come to mind when planning a digital project. The meaning behind the phrase is that all things take time to create and we shouldn’t expect to accomplish something or achieve success immediately.

    Investing time in the planning stage of a digital project will guarantee successful ROI in the long term. In some cases, deadlines are unavoidable – an iPad app that is required for an upcoming exhibition, for example. However in most cases, the urgency to see the end deliverables can often result in the planning stage being sacrificed.

    When initiating a digital project, there is one key thing to remember: The perfect plan will always perform.

    Rather than rushing into developing an iPhone App, spend time researching your market. We often find that clients who want an app would benefit more from developing a mobile version of their website, as only a small percentage of their customers own an iPhone.

    Although the initial idea may come from the Marketing Manager, the perfect plan will never be created by just one individual.  The biggest and most successful digital projects have been planned by a team of dedicated specialists who fully understand the objectives of the task in hand.

    A properly planned digital project will have contributions from Information Architects, Usability Experts, Art Directors, Market Researchers, Marketing Specialists, Technical Strategists, Development Engineers, Conceptual Planners, Account Directors and Project Managers all working together to create the initial project plan before a single piece of development work is even started.

    When looking to plan a digital project, here are my top five tips to help you define your requirements:

    1. Know your Market

    ‘Digital’, ‘iPhone App’, ‘Mobile-friendly’, ‘Banner Add’, ‘E-mail campaign’, ‘Responsive’, ‘Integrated campaigns’, ‘Social Media Strategy’ – they’re all buzzwords that most people panic into thinking they need. Until you can really define the audience you need to talk to and why, investing in a digital project will not give you the results you need.

    Don’t follow the herd – Provide for your flock!

    2. Manage your Stakeholders

    When commissioning a digital project, the corporate stakeholder’s objectives must be clearly defined from the beginning. Months of planning can create the greatest idea in the world, but if it doesn’t meet the needs or motives of the necessary stakeholders, then the project will be doomed before it’s even had a chance to start.

    Manage the Board – Achieve More!

    3. Agree achievable ROI targets

    If you present to the Board that your target is to gain 2 million likes on Facebook with a marketing budget of £100, then your results may be questionable at your next Board meeting!

    However, investing £100 on a Facebook campaign with a realistic target of gaining 20 new customers who spend £200 on your products within the first month would give you 100% ROI – equalling a gold star for you in the next Board meeting.

    Be Realistic – Not Optimistic!

    4. Eliminate Risk

    Integrating digital into your corporate strategy can be a risky business. All new development projects will be the result of a change in market trends. As with all changes, they each come with their own risk which could affect your brand strategy. We’ve all seen the ‘Tweets gone wrong’ threads – when an employee uses social media to show the world how NOT to deliver customer service. Alongside this, system failures, data losses and cyber-attacks are all risks we see in the news on a frequent basis.

    Don’t be caught out. Regular risk assessments should be implemented and results discussed as a team to ensure a strong, working, united front.

    Stay aware. Be prepared. Communicate!

    5. Set Strategic Goals

    Before a project has even been agreed, strategic goals need to be set. Many corporate goals are set without digital trends in mind – big mistake. Are your corporate goals up to date? With digital trends changing at an unprecedented rate, can you be certain that yours are market leading?

    Until your updated strategic goals are in place, it will be near impossible to communicate them to your project team. Without defined goals, the overall project, results, responsibilities and final decision may be made upon wrong information from the offset.

    Get Ready, Set…. GOAL!

    In short, always remember: The triple P threat: Perfect Plans Perform!

    @EmmaEstill

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