What do you measure?

It is a digital measurement hysteria out there. Everything can be measured of course. But some people have some serious ‘connecting errors’ in their heads while establishing what to measure and how to define “success!

 

People establish metrics to define effect out of all kinds of things. It’s called SEO, SEM, Scorecard, Conversion Rate, ROI and I do not know what! Measurement has many names. The worst part is: It’s important! But …

For example, you want to measure how much time a user spend on your website. But is it necessarily great to spend a lot of time there? What if the users get their problems / meet their needs quickly? Is that a negative outcome? Measurements will only be of value if you know what you are going to use the answer you get for.

“If you do not know what to use the answers you get for – do not ask!”

Digital security

Today we have the pleasure of Kai Roer (bio below) guest blogging on the subject of digital security.
2012 is almost over. Pickpockets ruin the x-mas shopping experience for those unfortunate enough two have not yet learned where two keep their wallets when in town.

 
Hoax ‘keep fooling people into spreading false information Wed. their social media profiles. Bank accounts are emptied – by yourself and by the criminals. Credit card companies makes fortunes, and hackers play around for Your Computer.
– They Thank God you do not know how to spot them!

Everything is as usual. And soon the candles are burning, gifts unwrapped and new possesions possessed. Like you, criminals enjoy this time of year too. Just like you, they know you will want to be a little more kind and a tiny bit more giving. Unlike you, they also know that your guard is down this time a year. And they are birds of prey. You are the prey.
New tools are around too.
Everything was better before, when the criminals were criminals, and they had to come around your house to burglar you. You knew immediately something were wrong when you saw someone lurking in the dark, spotting a victim.
Not so easy today.
When you log onto your online bank, who knows who are watching your every move – from within your computer. Waiting to whale you, moving all your savings two somewhere outside your reach, and well within theirs. And then your phone rings. Unknown number, some foreign country code. Could it be old aunt Olga? You answer, not realizing you are in for a huge phone bill due to the automatic call-back function.
Something never changes.
As you enjoy your meal, you smile when you imagine that young boy down in a third-world country, the one who can eat thanks to your monthly donations through the global aid-organization located in Nigeria. Everything seems legitimate, but would not it feel better if you checked it a little bit closer? Perhaps asked around a bit, or just googled two see if it really was for real? No, of course there is nothing wrong, and the payments are so small anyway. Besides, you have done this now for 12 months, what could possibly be wrong?

We are all Easily fooled. Not you, of course. The rest of us are.
If I had a list of 20,000 credit card numbers, I would not empty them. I would charge a few dollars Wed each card only. Enough two make a difference, and little enough to go unnoticed by the card holder. You may consider there be two check your bank and credit card statements a little extra during the holiday season. If there are discrepancies, my bet is some criminal have access to your banking details, I find it highly unlikely Santa Claus does.

Call your bank, sort it out.
While you are at it, you could also scan your computer for malware. But use the real scanners, not those fake ones.

Bio:
Kai Roer is an information security practitioner with a special skill for people. He is found and the senior partner of The Roer Group, serving clients around the world. He is a much sought after speaker and trainer, as well as a bestselling author of several books.
The post is an excerpt of his next book, to be launch in 2013. He Maintain a security blog that http://roer.com

 

Do you have the best business model online?

Maybe your business was established before the internet existed?

It may not be the best model for a digital environment.

Its years back since you could define a business model and relax for a decade.

 

Perhaps it is wise to provide various products and services in different channels? Maybe you can reduce cost by changing distribution channels? Another way of charging for your services may increase your revenues, or enable you to grow faster?  If you lower prices would that increase sales volume? What options exist for added sales? How would partnerships increase your access to new markets?

When did you last do a evaluation of your business?  Business modeling canvas [http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com ] is a great and flexible tool for most kind of businesses. The development of network economy (digital economy) now happens so fast that it is crucial to continuously observant and make sure your business models are the most attractive one’s for you customers.

“You need to be quick in thoughts and even quicker in action”

People are tired of “Corporate Design”

There are millions of boring websites with the stereotypes of visual imagery.  The visual content is more important than text content!

Increase your expectations from the professionals who help you and ask them to surprise you.

The web is important, but remember: “Mobile first” is vital for 2013. Mobile and tablet solutions have a long way to go before the design and user experience (UX) is fully explored.  Dare to play and explore – But remember, be relevant!

Do not remove attention from the core business.

“A picture tells more than a thousand words!”

The collective flow of money is in crowd funding!

Crowd funding is still ‘hype’ for most industries, but you will hear lots about it next year, experts around the world tells us.

It started out with the music industry and according to this article from Wikipedia  it dates back to ca.1997. I’ll remind you that typical “donate option” at free software websites has been common for years and is also a kind of “retro perspective crowd funding”

Till now crowd funding has been used mostly for creative projects (music, independent film, fine arts). We see that “new journalism / citizen journalism project have stated using this kind of funding.

Internet start-ups and other entrepreneurs are increasingly using crowd funding as a financial source. Even the US President Barack Obama embrace crowd funding by the “JOBS Act” that allows accredited investors to invest in equity crowd funding campaigns.

The skeptics will also tell us that crowd sourcing is risky, as criminals will use this phenomenon for creating frauds. I’m certain that is correct. Criminals have always used every possible way to cheat. Read THIS  from TIME magazine about the subject.

Not all kinds of project are suitable for crowd funding. The most obvious areas is project that is non-profit (charity), or where the profit motif is absence (arts) or that the project is somehow perceived as great for mankind.

That means that e.g. environmental- , citizen rights movements, job creating projects and so forth will be able to meet a collective support where crowd funding is a great opportunity to fund a project.

I believe that also more traditional businesses will attract  crowds for financial support, maybe even as a contra- reaction against  what is perceived as “cynical and greedy finance acrobats”.

“Look out for the crowd – there is power in the voice of the masses!”

What about “crowd sourcing”?

Last year Crowd sourcing was a ‘hip’ word. This year it starts making sense. But what is crowd sourcing and how does it work?

There is plenty of literature, speeches and opinions on the subject to find on the net.

 

To ask your users or other crowds is a great way to get feedback, to help improve your services and products.

And it is really something people want to do: To help you!

Crowd sourcing can provide tremendous value for you, because you have access to potentially a lot of, very motivated and talented people.

Brainstorming and specific proposals can be produced in large numbers and very quickly. Problems can be resolved quickly and you have greater accuracy in terms of being ‘spot on’ market needs.

Innovation, research, entrepreneurial companies are just a few examples of who / how to use crowd sourcing for improving your business or other activities.

One pitfall is if people feel “used” by you instead of happy for being able to help out. My advice is to do your homework before you make your next project a crowd sourcing project.

It’s extremely important to  give proper feedback to all who contribute! Crowd sourcing project is all about you delivering more value to those who helped you, than the effort they gave you!

“The more you give, the more you get back”

Innovation: A stunt or a process?

A few years ago a business could develop a business strategy, print it and live by it for a decade? That is not an option in today’s world.

During our ongoing digital revolution the ability to innovate may be a “win or get lost” scenario. Yet, few businesses in Norway have established a structured innovative environment within their organization. Yes, “Innovation” has become a buzzword, but that is not enough.

However Innovation is not one thing! You should ask what kind of innovation and by that methodology you need to implement: Do you need a system that embraces continuous improvements, or does your business demand radical changes to survive the future? Is it in the product line or is it service innovation you need the most?

Most likely your organization  possess the skills, the ability and the will to produce the desired results of innovation processes. External expertise, support and coaching may help to exploit and fulfill the maximal potential.

“Innovation is not about to reinvent the wheel, it’s about using it in the right way, the right place and the right time”

Did you attend to a Workshop lately? – Or was it a “cover-up” for yet a meeting?

What is the difference between a meeting and a Workshop? One could argue that a effective meeting is about making decisions between known facts, whereas a workshop is to sort out what is the best options between many yet unknown.

I’m not at all sure if this is a precise enough distinction, you maybe have thought about this.

Workshop methodology is not about the “sticky notes”. There is nothing wrong with  Post It , but there are many more appropriate tools and techniques to bring out creative ideas and possible solutions to problems.

I’ve listed some workshop methods / techniques / exercises I have worked with (Far from  complete as a list, but to inspiration for some of you?)

• Out of the box–  thinking ,moving viewpoint, discover new opportunities

• Brainstorming workshop – get the diversity of ideas up on the table

• Business process reengineering – finding alternative ways to deliver added value

• Kaizen – building lasting change

• Six Thinking Hats – challenge established thought patterns

• SWOT – Analytical approach to a problem put in context

• Benchmarking – comparisons and choices  in a “landscape”

• Scenario Workshop – part of strategy development, where alternative routes are enabled

• “The War Room” workshop – creating artificial crises to promote new decision opportunities

• Incentive workshop – positive involvement and “carrot” principle to produce solutions

• Lego Serious Play – depth understanding and complex problem solving

Taking a course in workshop management is a very good idea, because it is not a mechanical exercise to facilitate workshops. It requires pedagogical skills and that you love to help groups and diverse personalities. One needs to be able to reduce own ego and strengthen others self-esteem and confidence.

Know-how of workshop methodologies and expertise in facilitation of such is important in the context of digital strategy because digitization of most businesses is all about change.

“Several people create more together, than one by one”

When everything has become commodity, what’s next?

When your products or services no longer have a competitive advantage it has become “commodity.” What will make your business is viable then?

This issue becomes very relevant in a digital world, because everything gets easier to get hold of, to compare and to copy by your competitors. How to stay “unique”?

One idea is to find out what you can do that others cannot easily copy. Its maybe not what  you provide, but how you do it that makes you shine?

“Deliver top quality and establish close relationships”

 

Nobody trust what the CEO says

When the boss is the only public face and the one that inform, comment and answer all kinds of topics concerning the firm, there might be a problem.

Research shows that the general public doesn’t trust the CEO’s all that much.

If you want customers, partners or the general public for that matter to listen to you, you should maybe let the experts within your firm be the one fronting the subject?

They know their profession better than anyone else in your company. They are also more likely to be enthusiastic and trustworthy about the job they know so well, in dialogue with others.

CEO’s should, of course be active and ‘walk the walk’, but a tip is to keep to subjects where the CEO is the expert –namely running the company!

“The digital reality is a transparent one, do as the market does: Trust your employees, dear CEO!”

The Web will not solve all your problems

Often, when talking about digital strategy, we think of the Internet and the Web. Front-end and “surface” gets a lot of attention. It’s a bit like judging a car by its body alone.

It is the technology that makes a car move and the driver’s decisions that determine where and how the journey ends. In the digital world it’s the same thing.

Behind any successful digital strategy business management, organizational management and development and implementations of correct technology is key.

E.g. when the public sector offer self-service solutions and application portals, they also have made changes in the organization and workflows. With a great interface and design ‘on top’ citizens experience a simplified contact with the officials.  The government on its side achieves a more efficient disposal of public funds.

Also, when, telecom companies heavily invest in infrastructure in a nation and by that enable all citizen equal opportunities to communicate, to do business, and get access to information and expertise it increases our society’s ability to compete in an international business world.

Yet another aspect; by using digital opportunities at the maximum, businesses can offer employees flexible working methods and attract expertise that was not previously possible.

“No one would think of putting a rubber band engine into a Ferrari!’

What the *** are you doing on facebook?

Social media is still “hot” but you know what you are doing there? Or are you there because people like me told you to?

In social media, you have to follow the rules, many of them unwritten. Social media is about relationships and dialogue. It is about taking conversations seriously. But in the end of the day you need to keep core of your business as guideline for  what and why you participate.

Various social media channels are good at different things. Make your priorities about where to participate wisely.

We are becoming used to be participants in social media; and not something special anymore. Personally I also believe that t is important to be integer, open and yourself, just like in all other relationships.

If you are new to using  social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, flickr, wordpress (and many others) you could benefit by listening to experienced people like ‘digital people’, not just consultants and suppliers, but also others who run businesses. They have made ​​mistakes your business does not need to repeat. They have more successes and you can learn from.

“Do not be one today, or yesterday, and something else in a year. Whatever you are, be it fully and completely, and not just partly and divided. “Ibsen

Mobile first strategies

Trend reports have told us for a couple of years now that the use of smart phones increases so dramatically that many businesses need to rethink their strategies.

I believe that the lap top and the web is no longer the first choice. We want to perform actions and do shopping via our phones. The mobile phone has become a multi- tool used for many things, and it is first and foremost a very “personal” tool.

Think about it, I can happily lend the lap top for a moment; but let other people handle my phone? Hummm…

Mobile first is not just about mobile phones, it’s also about tablets. These are two different “gadgets”. Even if both are handy and you can bring them with you – they have different patterns of usage.

However, the mobile solutions greatest advantages are that they are geared towards individual needs. The needs are situational. I choose widget and channel, based on situation – it’s mostly not a shared experience.

“Meet me where I am, in the tool I’m using,  with a solution to the problem I have! »

Simplicity wins every time

It is really difficult to communicate complex messages in an easy and clear manner.

 

In any event – do just that!

 

 

Keep It Simple Stupid! K.I.S.S.

Nothing lasts forever, not even in ” cloud “

When you are using Facebook, other social media, or one of the many cloud services, it is important to remember that nothing will last forever.

For a company It is extremely important to maintain ownership of content, knowledge from user interactions, services and products.

There are no “free lunch”!  Facebook may be a place worth while for your business to be. You maybe decided to use an online CRM solution because it’s easy, affordable and quick? But you really should weight advantages against the possible disadvantages. Too many companies are using cloud services and social media platforms and only effect is to make them richer.

You should also remember that one day many of the popular social media platforms may vanish. It could be services such as: WordPress, blogg.no, or Google, Facebook and Twitter that will no longer be among us, believe it or not!

I hope you never will read the message:  “You are no longer able to make use of this service, “ not without you having a copy of all content, and a back- log of the users interactions you have had.

Already, speculation about “the free internet” and index search have to be “sacrificed” in favor of new solutions and more proprietary business solution that will replace Google as we know it. Even the biggest companies could end up changing radically to your disadvantage.

Please: Do not make yourself vulnerable lose control over your own business.

“Eternally owned, is only what is lost” H. Ibsen

Advertising just in time

We are “bombarded by messages.” It’s said that we are exposed for 3,500 messages every day. The overload makes us filter out more than 90%. Adverts are messages that are quickly filtered out.

Yet, how great would it be to get the ad you need, just when you need it? Imagine that the sweet deal is there right in time!

In our digital world it becomes more and more possible to formulate messages targeting only those who have a need, where they are and when they want an offer.

Ads can be placed contextual. Commercial messages may be directed to singular users, based upon their behavior. The value of segmentation can easily be increased by geo- location services.

Amazon.com began to do such things long ago. Google and Facebook are also working on this and it is no coincidence that commercials on Facebook is bases on the search terms you have made in Google, and that the ads are tailored to your page profile. They are based on who you are, who your friends are, your interests and what you have done on your PC, or mobile. But all this is still in its infancy.

How much of these techniques are you ready to implement in your company? If your company focuses even more on the information you have about your customers,their actions (“big data”) and utilize this knowledge, you can pinpoint your message to those who want it, to those who are in a specific situation or in a given geographic place.

“Be in the right place with the right offer to the right person”

How do you interact with your online customers?

It may be painful when customers tell you what they think of your company or service. But is it really bad for you? When your customers complain, they are committed and will really like to help you – if you let them!

Feedback is a gift and of great value for your business. Do you let that value go to waste? You may turn negative feedback into: New and better products / services, improved customer service, improved communication, better visibility on the web, adjust what activities you focus on  in various  channels etc. All of this is very complicated and expensive for your business to find out by other means.

Invite and participate in dialogues in all the digital channels your customers are active on.

Make use of what you learn and establish internal systems that pick up knowledge, refine it and take action.

Be grateful for criticism and be thankful towards your customers for the help they give you.

What to pay?

Tell your customers what the prices for your products / services are. It may be cost, time or effort.

You are the only one selling something; the rest of us are buying. A purchase has to be of higher value for the customer than the asking price. Remember to tell the customer what the benefits are. And tell it in simple words.

Focus on the value your customer get, rather than the price tag you set.  

…did you read the tip of 1. and second of December below?

How do I get it?

Your customers needs to find the products / services you offer – do they? Do they understand how to purchase?  Where and whom to contact for more information?

Do you have a map to the store / office shown the opening hours, address, telephone and e mail? Do you have a connector to twitter / facebook pages, etc. visible on the front / landing pages?

Is on- line shopping/ ordering/ reservations/ subscriptions installed on your web  – or even better – via tablet or mobile phone – if not: just do it!

Before you hurry over to the web department: Who is responsible for online sales in your corporation?  Sales are, aren’t they? – including digital channels I presume? If not, why do you expect sales in those channels to happen?

Keep it simple: Provide as many options to buy, order, pay and get in touch with you as possible. Let People choose how, when to interact with your business.

What do you offer your customer?

What is the message  you have for your customers?

First tell your customer what you have to offer them. What problems can you solve for them, what needs you meet.

Do so in short and simple sentences. It is surprising to see so many websites anno 2012 (daily) that doesn’t. To be “fresh” one could suspect digital businesses to be a crowd of narcissists. Why do they talk about themselves?

People prefer a company that not only wants to increase their own profit, but that will do nothing good for you / others / society.

Tell me if you have digital activity that met this demand in a great way.