Defining Web Strategy

Whether you know it or not, you have a web strategy. Newsflash: If you have a web site and you do not know what your web strategy is, that's not a good thing. So, what is "web strategy" and why should you have one? Those are great questions, thanks for asking. Here's how I think about web strategy: An organization's web strategy is an actionable plan devised to achieve measurable results on the web. "Measurable results" require a web proprietor to have a specific goal (or set of goals) in mind for their web presence. The actionable plan provides recommendations based on these goals by analyzing web presence and web data in relation to effectiveness with all web stakeholders. Let me boil it down a bit more simply: web strategy is your plan to achieve what you consider success on the web. I think it is important to note that web strategy is not the end game. It is not the goal, but rather the means to it. Typical organizational goals include selling more widgets, increasing membership/donations, or achieving greater awareness of brand and messaging. There is a silver lining. It is possible to turn the corner on a poorly executed or non-existent web strategy. A great place to start is to determine what's currently happening on your site by analyzing your web data. Check out our series surrounding this exact subject.