digital Aim FAQs
In many ways the current state of the nation is best described by the I.A.B. so I've left it to their fine words on new digital consumers - "With such a choice of media at their finger-tips, marketers and brand managers have never had it better. It can however, be more of a challenge to keep up with consumers expectations. It is not a question of reinventing your entire marketing plan, but rather recognising how your internet marketing strategy can help you Unthink your Brand and liberate your communications. There is no doubt that the rapid growth of broadband has radically changed media consumption and consumer behaviour overall. The internet has produced a network of empowered consumers. They can track down information with a click of a mouse; share opinions and seek answers with fellow users and access price-comparison sites. Why should they take your word about your product and brand when they can find out for themselves? Your internet marketing strategy should reflect that it is now the consumer, not the product or the advertising, that is the focus." (Source: Internet Advertising Bureau)
Within this section we have tried to offer some guidance on many of the basics of web development and online marketing as well offering some clarification as to the types of guidance that digitalAim can offer your business:
◦ Q: Don't my agency give me what you offer?
◦ A: A client recently said to me that the Full Service Agency does not exist. On their pitch roster they placed an Ad agency, a BTL design agency and a PR agency (all of whom called themselves Full service). In response to this new product launch brief, each agency came back with proposals centered on their core specialisms. Digital Agencies are no different. A rich media agency will offer you a heavily Flash animation Microsoft Silverlight based solution while a Microsoft development partner will offer a .Net programmed solution on a Windows hosting environment. DigitalAim offers an independent view of your approach to selecting a pitch roster, planning the strategy, writing the brief and assessing the quality of the responses.
◦ Q: How do I know whether and which Open Source CMS systems are right for my brand?
◦ A: This can be a hard one. Every agency will say that their CMS system is the best. Cost, quality and most importantly issues of business continuity can vary greatly. We help clients answer this question confidently from looking at the likes of budget, relationship assessment with current agency, length of time expected from an investment and your business and IT investment culture.
◦ Q: I know how much traffic the site gets, what else do I need?
◦ A: That depends on who your site is talking to and what its objectives are as a response mechanism. If no-one is responding to your site and you don't know why then you are not using the data and interactive opportunities that the media offers your business. The internet can offer real-time research data at a fraction of the cost of traditional customer research. How much you use is up to you.
◦ Q: Can you save my business money?
◦ A: Yes. We define your web strategy prior to briefing your agency and in writing concise defined briefs, defining the creative and technical requirements of the project. As a result, you will receive a more detailed and accurate project response from your agency, thus reducing their project management time and saving you money. In a pitch, you will be able to accurately compare the costs of one response over another.
◦ Q: My website does the basics well, saves us money on the volume of brochures we printed a few years ago. Do I need it to do any more?
◦ A: This recession has accelerated the volumes of customers researching purchase decisions online,. Current stock market investors considering share purchases now dominate through online brokering. All top flight graduates researching their career options will use your website to assess the dynamism of your organisation. Having a competitive edge within your approach to web communications can impact on how your business is perceived by your most important stakeholders.
◦ Q: Why do we need help running a pitch? We have that expertise in house.
◦ A: We would never tell anyone how to judge the fit of agency to client. What we offer is the chance to ensure you choose the best agency shortlist. Digital agencies that specialise in meeting your brief. If a rich media creative agency pitches against a technical developer, then you are left comparing butcher and baker. digital Aim can help clients avoid this, thus enabling you to get the most from the pitch process. If you want an impartial view on which short listed digital agency is most hungry for your web design or online marketing business - then we can do that for you too.
◦ Q: Do you recommend web design agencies or digital media buyers?
◦ A: No. digitalAim is both independent and impartial. We focus on alignment of a client's brief to types of agencies and types of required work.