What is the “stuff” of Digital Strategy? Before thinking strategy and tactics, it is wise to consider the tools of the trade and the tools of the end users. There are a good many “gotta have” items, so making a shopping list might be wise. This theme of this issue is “the stuff you gotta have” issue, so here goes, from the Digital Strategy perspective. This will cover the hardware as well as that which should be outsourced or dealt with via vendors and consultants.
It is critical that all user-side elements of digital presence are tested.
The wise and most practical move is to conduct in-house testing. Do this midway through projects before going live. Better to go with a safe, pre-launch tested, reviewed and functional app and/or site, then to suffer the rude shock of awakening to a memo, call, text or angry email that something went wrong.
Let’s discuss what is needed and why, and create shopping list for that in-house Digital Strategy Lab Equipment.
There are the obvious basic tools. One might think to start at the desktop, in front of the monitor. But a PC or a Mac is not actually the first step. A PC and a Mac, best side by side, is the way to start. And a mobile device? No, not just one. Mobile devices, plural.
End users, be they your customers, target audience, consumers, buyers, prospects, or the general public at large, use a wide variety of devices. Android phones, iPhones, iPads and Android tablets are all necessities. And let’s be real about this: do your testing on some Blackberries. Among hipsters and the Digirati it is chic to dismiss Blackberry as yesteryear’s mobile technology. But the truth of the matter is that countless businesses have fleets of Blackberries in use. Neither the iPhone nor any Android device offers the security and surety of email and Exchange content. Blackberries may not be chic, but they are from extinct. And the Kindle Fire, more than just an e-reader, a bona fide tablet, is also on the list.
In most cases it is wise to set up mock user and online accounts to preview and pre-test for errors.
How to set up a private, mock account? Simple! Create a username and email address, such as [email protected]. It is best to use your own company email, to keep it as internal as possible. Avoid public email providers (gmail, yahoomail) to keep all access and activity within your own grasp and control.
The “Stuff” of Digital Strategy