Print Publishers Moving Online

The popularity of the internet has posed both opportunities and challenges for traditional print publishers. The opportunities, like the challenges, are numerous, and all are worth discussing. This entry will highlight a few key issues - more may be explored in future posts.

By now, print publishers have realized the web can be leveraged as a means to generate incremental revenue from existing and new advertisers. Compounded by the fact that most consumers expect an online presence for any brands they interact with, the pressure to offer an online experience is high. Some publishers have rushed to create a web destination, only to realize the tremendous learning curve that exists. Many errors have been made by many publishers along the way. As a result, this industry continues to tweak and rebuild their websites in an effort to find a viable, feasible and effective online model.

It's not an easy task to increase readership while avoiding cannibalizing the existing print audience. If print readers begin to abandon the hard copy for the web version, sales will drop and advertisers will begin to notice. Publishers must leverage the web as an extension of print, offering exclusive, interactive and unique content online, so that they print and web versions are distinct, each boasting their own value propositions. Replicating the entire print publication online is a sure-fire way to decrease print sales, given how ubiquitous and accessible the web has become.

Any publication that has attempted to leverage the existing print sales team to push online ad sales will know what a challenge this can be. Print and web sales require a different lexicon, a different sales pitch, and a true recognition of the value of online advertising in order to execute sales for both entities effectively. In most cases, the print sales team will continue to only sell print ads, despite a different mandate - it is what they are good at and what they understand. Some publishers have determined that introducing a dedicated web sales force is a more effective approach. Again, the goal is to drive incremental sales - not to split existing sales between print and online. Remember, the sales team must continually reinforce the distinct value of the website. This means that ad space online can never be offered as a bonus for purchasing print ads - the website will require it's own rate card and product offering for advertisers.

It's only a matter of time until a print publication masters the online space - the opportunities for business growth and revenue are endless if you employ the right people and bring creativity and tenacity to the challenges presented. The secret lies in an iterative approach where a website is launched and monitored, and then optimized over time to maximize relevance and ROI.

The CMS Debate - How to Counsel Your Clients - Part 2

This is a continuation of the previous entry. Here is another crucial consideration when determining if a CMS is the right solution for your client.

Client resources: While a CMS is intended to simplify the ongoing content management process, this work still represents a time commitment. Often, when a client team intends on assuming this responsibility, the resource requirements are underestimated. In these cases, the results can be disappointing, since the primary goal of a CMS is client self-sufficiency. There have been countless CMS implementations that end up with the CMS never even being utilized - let's call it 'CMS abandonment'. The websites become outdated and the initial investment is essentially lost. Knowing this is a possibility, there are some measures the agency can take to try and prevent, or at least mitigate, these issues. First, any agency implementing a CMS must include client training as part of the solution. If the client team doesn't feel comfortable with the application, it will be very hard to convert them to users - and remember, the more the client uses the CMS, the greater chance that the entire initiative will be viewed as a success. Even after training is provided, expect the client to require support from time to time. To properly manage this, the agency should recommend a maintenance bank of hours to support the client - even if it's simply a back-up plan.

In the end, the onus for preventing CMS abandonment falls largely on the agency - all the risks and issues described in this and the previous entry need to be raised with the client during the planning stages of a project, so that the entire team is aware of the issues associated with the solution, and the steps that can be taken to make the implementation effective long-term.

The CMS Debate - How to Counsel Your Clients - Part 1

At one point or another, every interactive Project Manager will be asked if implementing a Content Management System (CMS) is a good idea. For those who aren't familiar with the terminology, a CMS is just what the name suggests - an application that allows the content of a website (including images and sometimes even navigation) to be added, updated or removed using an interface which doesn't usually require any HTML or technical knowledge. The common objective of implementing a CMS is generally self-sufficiency on the client's end, as well as decreased external maintenance costs. The response to the question regarding a CMS has to carefully weigh many factors. Two primary considerations are broken out below. This entry will be continued with more considerations tomorrow.

Budget: A simple approach to determining whether a CMS is a viable solution is cost. Typically, a CMS implementation will represent a greater up-front cost, which should be off-set by reduced external maintenance costs long-term. It's important to note that although the client may save on vendor fees, the internal time which will now be allocated to website updates still represents an investment, and potentially a drain on resources as well.

Speed to launch: The CMS market is saturated with product options. Each product will vary, and an exhaustive (and often daunting) audit will be required to identify the appropriate solution. Factors such as up-front and ongoing costs, technology constraints, usability, product support and even language capabilities all need to be considered. Narrowing your search to meet the criteria can take many weeks, and securing stakeholder approval on a final decision before purchase needs to be factored into your timeline as well. In addition to the CMS selection process, there may also be a learning curve for the implementation team. Your technical resources, and perhaps even your designers, will need to learn how to develop within the CMS prior to commencing production. When all is said and done, a client's expected timeline may not allow for such a lengthy process leading up to development.

That's enough for now - more on the CMS debate tomorrow...

Analytics 101

I recently attended a two-day course in web analytics, held by June Li. Analytics is a word that is often misused, generally when describing reporting, which is very different from actually analyzing the numbers in context to transactional or behavioral goals. While the future of web analytics is very bright, it's still early on in the life cycle of this service. As valuable as analytics can be, they are still seen as optional and not a requirement, despite how analytics can be used to ultimately optimize ROI.

Analytics recommendations will differ for each client, depending on the technology employed (server logs or page tags), overall online objectives, individual campaign goals, and the investment allocated to analysis. With this in mind, there are still some core basics that will be common to any analytics initiative. Below are some very high-level descriptions of a few simpler concepts for beginners.

Defining 'events': At the onset of planning for an analytics program, you must work with your client to define online events. An event could be directly related to acquisition, conversion, loyalty or any primary objective the client may have. As long as an event is defined in this context, you have a something to measure. An example of an event might be a visit for an acquisition program, or an email sign-up for a conversion program. This needs to be clearly defined with your client.

Identifying KPI's: A KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is a measurement used to evaluate performance. Relevant KPI's are also dependent on the initial objectives. In other words, a KPI for an acquisition program may be different from a KPI for a retention program. An example of a KPI might be length of visit, number of downloads, or number of new visitors. KPI results should be assessed to determine if your online program requires tweaking.

The world of analytics can be very complex. Beginning with the basics is not only a good way of introducing concepts and demonstrating value to your clients, it is also a means to understanding analytics yourself. Eventually, analytics will be considered a mandatory element of any online initiative. Until that time, agencies must continue to educate themselves as well as their clients on the value and potential of this very powerful and insightful tool.

Internet Project Management in 2007

In the late nineties, when many interactive Project Managers were beginning to find a place in the online world, the job requirements for success were very different. It was enough to have a handle on work process and technology - add some time management and organizational skills, and you were fairly certain you'd get through any given day. As the entire industry has evolved, so has the role of the interactive Project Manager.

With a much more savvy internet audience and better-versed clients, it is becoming increasingly important that a Project Manager is able to not only understand the components of development and execution, but the objectives, challenges and trends faced by each client and each business vertical they work within. In other words, a modern day interactive Project Manager must be able to offer strategic value to their internal and client teams. The ability to execute from production through to launch is a given. What separates the great Project Managers from the mediocre is the capacity to understand their client's business and offer solutions that achieve specific online goals. This requires adaptability and a broad base of business knowledge you may not learn at school. This type of know-how will come from on the job experience, for which there is simply no replacement.

The longer you work as a Project Manager, the more historical knowledge you will carry with you, which you will often be able to leverage from one client to the next. This will ensure your clients see you as a true subject matter expert who is able to offer value beyond a timeline and project plan. In no way does this minimize the importance of execution, but it draws a definitive line between the basics and the soft skills that can push a career in project management to the next level.

Here I Go...

At long last, I'm publishing my first blog entry. After endless recommendations to others about how a blog can help build a personal profile and point of view, I've taken my own advice to explore this digital domain. My objective will never be to focus my blog entries on a singular concept or theme, but to forge upwards and sideways in an attempt to cast the widest net possible over all topics related to online marketing and communications. If an idea is relevant, interesting, valuable, or even puzzling, I may write about it here.