@walkergv
Glenn Walker - @walkergv
Tiko Digital is a digital marketing agency.
Web design is one of the things we do.
We use websites to promote companies online.
The website is generally the foundation of our Internet marketing campaigns.
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WHY ARE YOU HERE?
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April 2002
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April 2002 – Industry Day at ITI in Vancouver
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@walkergv
Since 2002
Travelled a fair bit.
Got Married.
Expecting a kid!
Did lots of stuff of fun stuff but worked and struggled along the way.
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December 2012
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WHY DO WE WORK?
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WORK IS A TRADE
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BALANCE IS DIFFICULT
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PROCESS EVENS THE BALANCE
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WHAT IS A PROCESS – REALLY?
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@walkergv
Process Defines
Tasks
Sequence of tasks
Resources needed
Know what you need to do and how to do it.
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@walkergv
Process Defines
Design (make pretty), code (build) and release
Design first, code second, release third
Photoshop, text editor and web server
If every project was that easy?
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@walkergv
Process Discovers.
The environment
The client’s goals
These define what the customer truly values.
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@walkergv
Process Discovers
Our customers are heavy mobile phone users.
We want to take mobile payments.
Ruh-roh Shaggy, looks like we missed something.
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LIFE IS NOT FAIR
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“Almighty tells me
he can get me out
of this mess, but
he's pretty sure
you're f**ked.”
- Steven (Braveheart)
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@walkergv
Goal One: Make Mistakes
Early = Good
Late = Bad
Mistakes made a part of a discovery process are good mistakes.
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@walkergv
Goal Two: Add Value
Discover what creates maximum value for clients.
Exit to valuable services (i.e. Search Marketing)
It’s the client’s customer’s experience that generally are the true measure of value
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@walkergv
Sales is about trust.
Dress nicely.
Ask don’t tell.
Listen more than you talk.
There is a reason why you have two ears and one mouth.
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@walkergv
Everything's negotiable.
A proposal is about providing options.
An estimate is an agreement.
Finding mutually beneficial agreement feels good.
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@walkergv
Questionnaires
Efficient way to get information.
Kill questions that don’t get answers.
Add questions you feel you missed.
You will never get a perfect questionnaire but you can always improve it.
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@walkergv
What we learned.
Client really wanted responsive.
Early they told us they wanted to be hip and edgy.
Turns out professional was more appropriate.
Clients will tell you what they want but often not directly.
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@walkergv
Copee iz kee
No madder how preddy a site,
no madder how well co-dead,
bad copee makez bad websightz.
Mk frends with copeewriterz
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@walkergv
Copy is Key
No matter how pretty a site,
no matter how well coded,
bad copy makes bad websites.
Make friends with copywriters.
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@walkergv
Sharpen your tools.
Clients don’t pay for learning time.
Learn the tools on your own time.
Make your living on the tools you know.
Just because it’s on popular blogs doesn’t mean you have to use it.
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@walkergv
Fact. Fact. FACT!
If your client doesn’t know you are doing it.
You are doing nothing.
Communication Tip for Freelancing
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@walkergv
Internet Explorer
You don’t use Internet Explorer.
Half the desktop users use IE 7 or 8.
Browser test for it. Don’t skip this.
Pretty in Chrome or Safari. Client opens it IE. Client thinks you make garbage.
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@walkergv
Mom is your best tester.
Look at your mom’s computer.
Watch your mom use the site.
Mom’s are good at picking nits.
Your mom is often closer to the target audience.
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@walkergv
Important pre-release checks.
Did you make a backup of old site?
Did you change password from password?
Did you have someone else check for typos?
Despite how you feel client’s always see it as a big issue. Typos are embarrassing.
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@walkergv
Feedback is valuable.
Restaurant was slowing down at 8:30pm. Now diners feel they can arrive at 9:30pm.
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@walkergv
Internal Site Search
You can track users searches using Google Analytics.
IN this case nearly half of all search terms contained term form.
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@walkergv
Internal Site Search
Change page to provide better usability. Less phone calls to support. Better customer service.
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@walkergv
Create value.
Improvements created real value for clients.
We were paid for additional work.
Everyone loves a win-win situation because…
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Balance feels good.
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“The moment there is
suspicion about someone’s
motives everything
becomes tainted…”
Gandhi
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“If I’d asked my
customers what they
wanted, they’d have
said a faster horse”
Henry Ford
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“In preparing for
battle I have always
found that plans are
useless, but planning
is indispensable”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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“Early to bed, early
to rise, work like
hell, and advertise.”
Ted Turner