Where Do You Even Start?

A lot of business owners and organization leaders know they need to have some sort of digital presence to stay afloat. There are always exceptions, but having a digital presence is one of the most needed things in today's business landscape. Almost every consumer or individual uses technology to answer their questions and provide them with recommendations. Where does that leave you if you aren’t even sure what your organization is telling people?

That leads into the next conundrum. A smart organization leader knows that a budget is needed for these things, that they are necessary. What do they do? They carve out a little time from their already busy schedule, try to quickly identify the thing that should be most focused on or feels most neglected, and try to throw money at it. Yes, there are definitely things that need fixing, and yes those fixes will require a budget, BUT, you should not take action until you actually know exactly what is causing friction. 

This is a common problem with many of the leaders I meet. They feel overwhelmed and disappointed they don’t have a finger on their digital pulse & messaging. Instead of trying to compensate and tackle it themselves, they allow us to give them a clear picture of their digital web. We listen to their goals, what they want the organization to represent, and where they see it in the coming years. From there, we compare all their systems against their goals and give clear recommendations on where to start, what is working well, what all needs to be tackled, and in which order. When you’re managing an organization with a lot of moving parts, it can be difficult to step back and see the whole picture. An outside perspective can help you question assumptions before committing more time and money.

So how do you decide what comes first? A website can look great and still leave people unsure of what the organization actually does. In that case, the messaging may need attention before the design. If visitors understand the organization but struggle to make an inquiry or donation, the website experience may be the more immediate problem. If the message is clear and the site works well, but the right people aren’t finding it through search, SEO may deserve more attention. These aren’t steps every organization needs to follow in the same order. They’re different situations that call for different priorities.

At the end of the day, there is no single answer to what every organization should fix first. Without taking an in depth look at what you currently have, and comparing that against your mission and goals for the organization, you will likely place money and time in the wrong places. I like to compare it to a checkup at the doctors. You don’t have to be sick to go to the doctor, and your business doesn’t have to be struggling to benefit from a fresh look. Sometimes everything is functioning, but a few changes can help it work a whole lot better. Not sure what deserves attention first? That’s exactly the question we help organizations answer.