Archive for the ‘implementation’ Category

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How to write a great web developer brief

Monday, June 1st, 2009

Whether your web project is multi-millions or barely into four figures (I’ve done both kinds!) I believe the key to success is investing the time in a really thorough brief for your developer.  It forces you to consider exactly what it is you want from your new or relaunched web-site.  You can also use a good web brief to help you decide which developer to use, and it can be enlightening getting several possible solutions to the proposed “problem”.   I often liken web projects to building projects; if you are creating a house from scratch or extending an existing house, you need to spend time working out what you want to do in which room and how you want the whole building to feel, and enlist a good designer or architect to help you create the plans.  You don’t just engage a builder recommended by your neighbour and give them instructions as you go along!  So here is my essential check-list for a great web developer brief: (more…)

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Posted in SME digital marketing, implementation

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How to get the best work from a web developer

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

Business people usually expect web developers to work miracles - to read their mind, know about all current web developments and to create the perfect site in days.  Life of course isn’t quite like that.  The key to creating or updating your web site without tears is to spend time on the upfront planning.  Here’s my own tips on making it a smooth process - I have applied these to large-scale corporate roll-outs and also new sites for SMEs: (more…)

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Posted in business strategy, implementation

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Grow your ad yields with video and audio

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

A year ago, online publishers could still achieve good yields from traditional banner-style inventory for their core clients, to access a targeted and responsive audience: £15-20 CPM was not unknown.  However, the ad market is now flooded with inventory and the growth of behavioural targeting means that the lifestyle sites can offer tighter targeting, but at far lower CPMs.  So how can the niche online publisher achive higher yields?  With the growth in editorial video and audio, there are now opportunities to create more interactive, engaging ad formats.  I recently met with one company, Adswizz, who offer a range of video and audio adserving technology that can integrate directly into publishers’ existing video serving and ad serving systems, so you don’t need to change your supplier.  Here are some examples of the formats they have developed for other online publishers: (more…)

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Posted in advertising, implementation, news

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How to save on your manufacturing, paper and print costs

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

Publishers who are prepared to think laterally about how their product is created and consumed by its readers have the opportunity to make savings on their manufacturing costs.  After a short meeting with David Foakes, print and production consultant, I had plenty of ideas on how publishers can take advantage of the opportunities available in the market, and transform their cost base. (more…)

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Posted in b2b, consumer, implementation

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Making the multi-platform editorial team a reality

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Creating an editorial team that works across print, video and web is now not just a long term aspiration, it’s a requirement for survival.  See my recent blog on the Guardian’s web strategy for their take on integrated edit teams.  Many media companies are still being held back by not knowing how to make this change, and how to avoid the pitfalls. I’ve provided some basic hints and tips in this earlier blog.

Simon Penson , a former editor at Emap, has lived this challenge for the last four years. Below he outlines some of his key learnings: (more…)

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Posted in content, implementation, people and culture

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Tips on soft launching a new website

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

Whether your site is brand new or a relaunch, it is best to have a soft launch period before you start to set high expectations for it.  Here are some tips on making the soft launch as successful as possible, learnt the hard way from my exposure to launching and relaunching sites…. (more…)

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Posted in implementation, news

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Issues for publishers considering e-commerce

Saturday, January 17th, 2009

With advertising revenues stagnating, many publishers are turning to e-commerce.  Beware the risk of price competition, and take care to work out what non-price USP you can develop.  Here’s some issues to consider before you step onto the dark side… (more…)

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Posted in advertising, business strategy, commerce, consumer, implementation

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Five questions to ask before you relaunch your magazine website

Saturday, January 10th, 2009

Not happy with your magazine website? Want a refresh for the new year? Before you rush to your developer and get distracted by the details of design take the time to ask yourself the following five questions - and answer them honestly. (more…)

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Posted in advertising, consumer, content, implementation, marketing, people and culture

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Tips for success on a web project

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

It’s always tempting to build a bespoke site - and equally tempting to over-spec it and become frustrated when timescales and budgets over-run. Here are some tips for success based on my experiences in project managing nine web launches for a major publisher…. (more…)

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Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, implementation

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