Post on 20-Feb-2017
Integrate, consolidate, or silo?Managing website channels for a coherent visitor experience
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com 2
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Blog disconnected
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Effortspenthere
Butthatdoesn’thelppeoplewhostartonthispage
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Center islands
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Soifavisitorhappens tostartonapagewithinacenter(whentheymaynotspecificallybeinterestedinthecenter),thenclicksfromtheretrapthemonthatisland
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Let’s say someone already knew me and is interested in my IA Summit 2016 workshop
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This one looks promising….
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@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Yes that’s David
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@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
But no way to directly click to the workshop
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Huh? Why do I need to search again?
http://bit.ly/hobbs-types-near
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
oops
14http://bit.ly/hobbs-types-near
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
The many problems of a disjointed digital presence• Site visitor bouncing from site even when you
have resources they would be interested in• Site visitor getting frustrated when they know
you have information that they cannot find• Site visitor having to do work that the site
should be doing for them • Problem duplication• Inconsistent branding• Poor search• Inefficiency (can’t leverage common tools, etc)
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@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com 16http://bit.ly/hobbs-coherent
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Consistent
http://bit.ly/hobbs-coherent
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Connected
http://bit.ly/hobbs-coherent
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Fixing a disjointed site
Stop digging yourself into a deeper hole
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Make stronger big changes
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Not digging yourself into a deeper hole• Streamlining the right
things• The right kind of
standardizing• Good responses to
day-to-day requests• Stop microsites
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Making stronger big changes• Start early strategy
before talking with implementors• Getting
organizational buy-in to break silos• Reframing problems
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Examples of problem behaviors that lead to a more disjointed site• One-offs and microsites• Exceptions to standards• Publishing too much or poor quality• Reacting too quickly to things that should take
time
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Use a ”Should we implement this microsite?” checklist
http://hobbs.link/report-microsite-checklist
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Create a standing approach to better deal with change (and give yourself a buffer)
23http://bit.ly/hobbs-change-flowchart
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http://bit.ly/le
murs-lions
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@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Thebackendoptions
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• Integrate• Consolidate• Stay silo’d
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Examplesofthingsthatcouldbeintegrated• Properties
• Blog• Corporate site• Department, center, group, division site• Product sites• Topic / sector• Campaign sites
• Systems• Document management• Projects database• Products database• (Multiple) CMS• Custom apps and mobile apps
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@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Incoherence (for site visitor)
Difficulty tokeep in sync with non-web biz processes
One-time implementation effort (to move from silo’d)
Ongoing maintenanceeffort
Integrate Medium to low
Low Medium High
Consolidate Low High High Low
Stay silo’d High High None Medium
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@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Incoherence (for site visitor)
Difficulty tokeep in sync with non-web biz processes
One-time implementation effort (to move from silo’d)
Ongoing maintenanceeffort
Integrate Medium to low
Low Medium High
Consolidate Low High High Low
Stay silo’d High High None Medium
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Integratingwithexistingdocumentmanagementsystem
Mergingblogintomainsite’splatform
KeepingtheresellersitetotallyseparatefromtheB2Csite
@jdavidhobbs · https://davidhobbsconsulting.com
Think bigger!
Key take-aways
• Consider the broad view of your digital presence• Don’t dig yourself
into deeper incoherence• Make more
effective big changes
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Read more
• “How to deal with that change request” flowchart• Microsite checklist• Vision checklist• Website Product
Management