Digital strategy is the new way of doing business, and the information you need to grow is closer than you may think. 

You may have used the term yourself or have heard it used in conversation. For years 'digital strategy' has become a buzz word and finds itself used in conversations about achieving ambiguous goals, saving on costs or improving outdated plans to innovate with the current times.

You might even have a digital strategy in place without even realising it, in this insight article we aim to help you realise and think through what you’re currently achieving, and how to take your plans to the next level in achieving your ideal digital change.

The digital environment or ‘digital world’ presents an abundance of opportunities, is ever changing and even slightly intimidating. Don’t let that stop you, building a powerful digital strategy protects you from risks, helps you claim new territory and reach new milestones. 


Perth Zoo took their organisation to the next level with their digital strategy.
 

What is a digital strategy?

The term ‘digital strategy’ refers to a planned organisational change through the use of digital technology and business models, designed to improve performance. Businesses and organisations must transform their digital experiences in order to meet the rising expectations of their target market.  Find out more about all things digital strategy here.

Start your digital strategy journey by first identifying your organisation’s goals.

A great place to start is getting a good understanding of your organisation’s goals on different levels. Include multiple levels of stakeholders and staff members through a series of internal workshops, take the time to really dig deep. A strong digital strategy will be in-line with your organisation’s goals. Here are some tips on areas you would want to understand:

• What are overall business priorities?  Break this down to include department or team goals to keep a holistic but relevant viewpoint.
• What are your sales and marketing goals? There should be overlap or complementary goals that can later help you approach a digital plan that leverages and incorporates these priorities.
• Are you undergoing organisational change now? Find out what other changes may be occurring in your organisation, you don’t want to clash or double up and perhaps you can use the opportunity to save on costs
• Who are you trying to target or help? Are you looking to impact certain user types or new clients, existing clients or your internal staff (a specific department)? It’s not a trick question, it could be all of these.

Know the people your digital change will impact.

Once you understand the direction your organisation wants to take, you will start to discover and better understand the audience your digital strategy should or could impact. This includes the ways in which users interact with your business or how staff are accessing and using internal systems. A great approach is to build user profiles, conduct process mapping exercises to understand specific customer/user journeys. From here you will be building a great foundation for your digital strategy.

Create growth by leveraging modern technology in your strategy.

It is important to assess your current tools and resources you are already using. These will be the weapons you use in carrying out your digital strategy and you’ll then want to check you are equipped with the right tools before marching forwards. 

"Technology is at the heart of much of the changing landscape because it is so engrained in every element of our businesses. Technology influences the way we communicate, the way we market, it drives our business systems, it shapes product development and manufacturing, and, for many organisations, it defines how we interact with our customers." ⁽¹⁾

When conducting a review of our client’s digital landscape and resources, we look at all the areas that could be formed, shaped or rebuilt to make everyday activity more efficient - referred to pain points. As part of this process our specialists check and assess if there is something already built on the market that can help or whether we can build a custom integration or tool to better satisfy the requirements, with the aim of creating the maximum return on investment for the client.

Assess the engine room and include your staff.

In reviewing your digital tools and resources it is imperative to include your team. The objective is to discover what tools are frustrating, inefficient, or simply aren’t doing what they should be anymore. Assessing what your team needs can be quick, but the discrepancy comes from how to best fix the problem. The better the understanding of the problem, the better equipped you are to find a solution, dig in deep and uncover as much as you can.

Here are some examples of areas you will want to think through:
 

• Are your resources ready to support your organisation's future goals?
• Would you consider your tools and processes efficient?
• Are there potential integrations that can enhance your current systems?
• What is the plan for your website, intranet or apps, are they manageable and ready for growth?
• What are the current risks if things stay the same (security, versioning, remote access, slow speed, lack of integrations, one staff member with all knowledge, locked into a 3rd party).

Use your website to unlock new efficiencies.

A website is a powerful tool that will be playing a large role in supporting your digital strategy. Websites are the wildcard for many organisations as they have varied levels of ability to impact your teams and customers. This includes intranets and extranets. A website is a cloud-based tool that is device friendly (anyone with a browser can access it). It can do what modern software does, but take things to a new ‘future of digital’ level. Here are some questions to ask about your website.

• Is it easy to manage and update?
• What integrations can help with your daily work processes?
• Has automation been incorporated?
• Does it leverage a powerful user journey and user experience?
• Is it mobile responsive and ready for use on multiple devices?
• Is your data secure?
• Can it replace software currently used on local computers?

Don't be afraid of change.

A healthy digital strategy will lead your organisation down a path of on-going digital transformation, so give yourself room to grow and develop your plans. Your strategy should be well researched, and data driven, keep an open mind and be flexible to the opportunities that await.

"...in a globalized market that’s continually changing, adaptation is a strategic advantage and the key to long-term business success."
https://medium.com/@DennyRoyal/lesson-2-adaptation-not-strength-is-key-to-long-term-success-29eacf38df3e> ⁽²⁾

Your organisation's ability to implement, review and adapt is a key element to achieving your success.

"Those that thrive are quick to read and act on signals of change. They have worked out how to experiment rapidly, frequently, and economically—not only with products and services but also with business models, processes, and strategies." ⁽³⁾

Get a digital strategy consultant in Perth to work with you.

If you are at this point with more questions than answers, that would be normal. Here are some of the things our team can help you with.

• Refine your digital experiences using websites, intranets, portals, mobile apps, eCRM systems and social media channels.
• Conduct business analysis, research, data analytics and testing to understand and optimise digital experiences.
• Create a communication and marketing channel shift to increase usage and uptake of online services or resources.
• Deliver powerful strategy and technology consulting around a holistic digital transformation for your organisation.
• Plan for the future of digital and the workplace.

Our digital strategy approach is simple but effective

Throughout the planning phase of your digital strategy we will identify your corporate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We define your business goals to determine what metrics to use to achieve success. Our team then outline the strategies required to address your goals, tactics needed and tools best suited to execute your digital strategy.

We are digital strategy experts in Perth who can:

• Partner with you to find long term solutions to your challenges.
• Explain simply how you can embrace the digital future.
• Work to save you time and make your workplace more efficient.
• Provide on the spot feedback, and how we have solved similar issues.

We believe in being able to poke, prod and dissect a digital strategy. Our team are a group of proven experts who think laterally, listen in order to analyse and can build tailored solutions. We have been doing this for years and are well known for our service and excellence. Check out some of the clients we have worked with.

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