Leveraging Technology

Leveraging Technology

Internet Marketing Plan

Red Hare Consulting
Christopher Ferry
Allan Johnson
David Koster
Chukwuma Morah
Myneco Taylor

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY
Internet Marketing Plan

Dear Leveraging Technology,

The Red Hare Consulting Group would like to extend its appreciation to Leveraging
Technology for its time and cooperation in our didactic endeavors. Working with your firm has
allowed us to synchronize our educational efforts in the marketing field while gaining exposure to
the software and “implementation” consulting industry.

As Leveraging Technology moves forward in this challenging market, we hope our analysis
and suggestions will offer valuable assistance in the advancement of your firm’s mission and reach.
Thank you again and we wish you well!

Sincerely,

Red Hare Consulting
Leveraging Technology | Red Hare Consulting

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
• Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
• Privacy Policy ……………………………………………………………………………………................. 6
• Team Purpose & Profiles . ………………………………………………………………………………… 7
• Team Code of Conduct . …………………………………………………………………………………… 9
• Previous Client Interactions . ……………………………………………………………………………. 10
• Assumptions …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11

Section 1 – Where are we now?
• Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
• Company Profile ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
o Current Business Model ………………………………………………………………………. 14
• Target Market ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14
• Customer Value Proposition …………………………………………………………………………….. 15
o Perception …………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
• Current Website Experience Map …………………………………………………………………….. 16
o Brochure Model …………………………………………………………………………………… 16
• Buyer Behavior Process ……………………………………………………………………………………. 17
• McKinsey’s 7S Model ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 18
• 7 C’s of Web Design & Quality ………………………………………………………………………….. 20
• Industry Audit ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 21
o Competition ………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
• SWOT Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 23
o Applying SWOT To Overall Strategies ………………………………………………….. 24
• Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25

Section 2 – Where do we want to be?
• Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 27
• Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27

• Desired Web Experience Map ………………………………………………………………………….. 28
• Customer Satisfaction Heuristic ……………………………………………………………………….. 29
• Overall Strategies (Themes) ……………………………………………………………………………… 30
• Gap Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
o Ratings Defined …………………………………………………………………………………… 31
o Evaluating Strategies by Ratings …………………………………………………….…… 32
• Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 33

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Section 3 – How might we get there?
• Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
• Description of Tactics ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
o Google Analytics ………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
o Promotional Video ………………………………………………………………………………. 35
o Blog ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 36
o Testimonials ………………………………………………………………………………………… 36
o Web Polls …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36
o “Need Help” Tab ………………………………………………………………………………….. 36
o Employee Profiles ……………………………………………………………………………….. 37
o Newsletter …………………………………………………………………………………………… 37
o Chamber of Commerce ……………………………………………………………………….. 38
o Legal Notices ……………………………………………………………………………............ 38
o Registration Process …………………………………………………………………………… 38
o Twitter ………………………………………………………………………..……………………… 39
o Search Engine Optimization …………………………………………………………………. 40
o Social Networking ………………………………………………………………………………. 40
o Second Life ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 41
o Website Revamp …………………………………………………………………………………. 41
o Intern …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 42
• Choice Criteria Chart ………………………………………………………………………………………… 43
• Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 43

Section 4 – Which way is best?
• Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45
• Tactic Selection Rubric …………………………………………………………………………………….. 45
o Expected ROI ………………………………………………………………………………………. 45
o Implementation Time & Ease …………………………………………………………….. 45
o Implementer Interest ………………………………………………………………………… 46
o Ease of Maintenance .………………………………………………………………………… 46
o Risk Exposure ……………………………………………………………………………………… 46
o Useful Lifetime …………………………………………………………………………………… 46
o Dissolution Cost ………………………………………………………………………………….. 46

o Relative Simplicity ………………………………………………………………………………. 47
• Rubric Applied to Tactics …………………………………………………………………………………. 47
o Ranking Scale ……………………………………………………………………………………… 47
o Google Analytics ………………………………………………………………………………… 48
o Promotional Video …………………………………………………………………………….. 49
o Employee Profiles ……………………………………………………………………………… 50
o Blog ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 51
o Web Polls …………………………………………………………………………………………… 52
o Testimonials ………………………………………………………………………………………. 53
o Social Networking ……………………………………………………………………………… 54
o Registration Processes ………………………………………………………………………. 55
o Newsletter ………………………………………………………………………………………… 56
• Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 57

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Section 5 – How Do We Ensure Safe Arrival?
• Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 59
• Performance Standards Metric ……………………………………………………………………….. 60
o Google Analytics ………………………………………………………………………………….. 61
o Promotional Video ………………………………………………………………………………. 62
o Registration Process ……………………………………………………………………………. 62
o Testimonials ………………………………………………………………………………………… 62
o Newsletter ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 63
o Blog ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 63
o Website Revamp …………………………………………………………………………………. 63
o Social Networking ……………………………………………………………………………….. 63
o Employee Profiles ……………………………………………………………………………….. 63
• Objective Timeline …………………………………………………………………………………………… 64
o 2009 Timeline ……………………………………………………………………………………… 65
o 2010 Timeline ……………………………………………………………………………………… 66
• Schedule of Implementation …………………………………………………………………………… 67
• Feedback Channels ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 69
• Return on Investment …………………………………………………………………………………….. 70
• Payback Period …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 71
• 7S Model ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 72
• Contingency Plan ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 72
• Limitations ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 73
• Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 74

Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 75

Appendices
• Appendix A – Further Reading ………………………………………………………………………….. 77
• Appendix B – References ………………………………………………………………………………….. 78
• Appendix C – Competitor Website Layouts ……………………………………………………… 79
• Appendix D – Competitor Registration Process ……………………………………………….. 81
• Appendix E – Successful Company Twitter Accounts ……………………………………….. 82
• Appendix F – Successful Newsletters ………………………………………………………………. 84

• Appendix G – LinkedIn Examples …………………………………………………………………….. 86
• Appendix H – Successful Blogs …………………………………………………………………………. 90
• Appendix I – Documentation from Client Meetings ……………………………………….. 92
• Appendix J – Glossary ………………………………………………………………………………………. 93

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report is structured around five questions:

1. Where are we now?
2. Where do we want to be?
3. How might we get there?
4. Which way(s) is/are best?
5. How do we ensure safe arrival?

“Where are we now?” analyzes the current state of the organization, including its strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This information is used to take a snapshot of
Leveraging Technology’s current business structure and position.

“Where do we want to be?” describes the organizations objectives, reflecting the desired
direction and positions. Objectives discussed throughout this analysis indicate Leveraging
Technology’s current status and their desired status.

“How might we get there?” lists the different tactics that are suggested for the organization.
These tactics are discussed in detail and all relate to the objectives that were set in question
two. At the end of the section is a choice criteria chart which explains the tactics best suited for
Leveraging Technology according to the developed selection rubric.

“Which way(s) is/are best?” describes each of the tactics according to their appropriateness and
attractiveness according to the tactic selection rubric in response to the selected metrics
selected for the choice criteria chart and discussed in at the end of question three. This section
highlights recommended suggestions for the organization and explores possible steps that could
be taken and some examples of each (discussed further in the appendix).

“How do we ensure safe arrival?” explores the process the organization might use to ensure that

tactics are implemented properly, pertain to the overall objectives of the report, and are
benchmarked according to a timeline. The timelines and schedules provide a measurement that
the objectives are being met.

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PRIVACY POLICY
The information contained in this report is for general guidance on matters of interest only. The
application and impact of laws can vary widely based on the specific facts involved. Given the changing
nature of laws, rules and regulations, there may be omissions or inaccuracies in information contained
in this site. Accordingly, the information in this report is provided with the understanding that the
authors and publishers are not herein engaged in rendering legal, accounting, tax, or other professional
advice and services. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional
accounting, tax, legal or other competent advisers.

While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this report has
been obtained from reliable sources, Red Hare Consulting is not responsible for any errors or omissions,
or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information in this report is provided "as
is", with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of
this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to
warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Red
Hare Consulting, its related partnerships or corporations, or the partners, agents or employees thereof
be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in
this report or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such
damages.

Certain links in this report connect to other Websites maintained by third parties over whom
Red Hare Consulting has no control. Red Hare Consulting makes no representations as to the accuracy or
any other aspect of information contained in these Websites.


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TEAM PURPOSE & PROFILES
The aim of Red Hare Consulting is to produce an advisory document containing a market
analysis and critically filtered recommendations for Leveraging Technology. These suggestions are
intended to enhance Leveraging Technology’s Internet marketing approach, focusing on more effective,
efficient, and measurable results.

Allan Johnson
Marketing
axj4965@rit.edu
LinkedIn.com/in/AllanJ
(585) 889-8099

Allan is a senior Marketing major with a focus in entrepreneurship. Allan hopes to grow and
contribute his abilities in communication, networking, and business development within private
education, foreign business development, and/or business-to-business selling in the future.

Christopher Ferry
Marketing
cgf7746@rit.edu
(585) 820-3477

Chris is a junior Marketing major who has a strong interest in Advertising. After college he would
like to become a Marketing consultant and eventually run his own firm. His hobbies include, lacrosse,
snowboarding, and mountain biking.

Chukwuma Morah
Industrial & Systems Engineering
chukwumamorah@gmail.com
(585) 301-0494
Twitter: ChuBoi // LinkedIn: Chukwuma Morah // www.chuboi.com

Although “Chu” is enjoying his last year in college as an Industrial Engineer, his interests lie in
the fields of marketing and advertising. His goal is to become a marketing executive for well-known
company in the entertainment or video game industry.

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David Koster
New Media Marketing
dbk4253@rit.edu
(631) 576-7219
Twitter: davekoster

David is a junior New Media Marketing major who is passionate about his field. His interests lie
not only in marketing, but design and advertising as well. He hopes that his cross-departmental skills will
allow him to become a brand manager at a major technology firm.

Myneco Taylor
Information Technology
mxt2340@rit.edu
(312) 404-1041
Twitter: mytaylor

Myneco is a 5th year Information Technology student focusing in human factors with a
concentration in psychology. Myneco is excited to study abroad in Germany during the summer of 2009
and return to pursue a career in Project Management.


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CODE OF CONDUCT
The team agrees to adhere to the following standards:

• PERFORMANCE_____________________________________________________________
Team members agree to maintain a professional work ethic that guarantees both diligence and
timeliness. Each person is expected to attend meetings well prepared, completing work based
on strict deadlines. These assignments must be carefully reviewed to ensure the utmost quality
and acceptance by all members of the group. Socially, all members will treat one-another with
respect. No manner of personal attacks is acceptable at any time.

• ATTENDANCE_______________________________________________________________
All meetings require mandatory attendance from all members. Commitments to weekly times
have been made and they are expected to be kept. Exceptions will only be made in severe cases.
Being absent requires that the member in question still submit his/her work through other
means so as not to negatively impact the group schedule. Other team members must be sure to
provide a detailed report of anything that may have been missed by absentees.

• ACCEPTANCE OF CRITICISM_____________________________________________________
Members must understand that work is being done for professional purposes and thus criticism
is a reflection only on the project itself and not personal integrity. Complete honesty on all
matters is expected at all times, be it harsh or supportive, as long as it remains constructive.
Opinions must both be contributed and listened to by all parties. One person’s voice will never
become more important than another.

• REGULAR CONTACT TIME AND DAYS_______________________________________________
Meetings will take place weekly, on Wednesdays, at 6:00PM. Contact amongst members
must remain constant, but reasonable. Communication should be kept to typical
business hours, not extending into the deep night and early morning. Contact during
normal hours is encouraged to be by meeting or telephone. If contact must be made
during extreme hours, e-mail is preferred.

Signed,

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________
Christopher Ferry Allan Johnson David Koster

_____________________ _____________________
Chukwuma Morah Myneco Taylor

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PREVIOUS CLIENT INTERACTIONS
1st Meeting – December 16, 2008 7:30am
During the first, meeting Leveraging Technology gave a detailed description of the firm’s current state
and vision for the future. Red Hare Consulting provided Leveraging Technology with a list of benefits in
allowing us to develop the marketing plan and our individual areas of expertise. Leveraging Technology
continued by explaining their method of obtaining customers through seminars and their IBM
partnership. While gathering the information on past methods used to attain Leveraging Technology’s
goals, we all brainstormed innovative ideas that may achieve those goals.

2nd Meeting – January 14, 2009 12:00pm
During the second meeting we presented Leveraging Technology with a recap of the previous meeting
to assure accuracy of our analysis. Following was a list of recommendations for building an online
presence. Suggestions included tactics like implementing Google analytics or production/promotional
videos. Each suggestion was accompanied by how it could be beneficial to Leveraging Technology and
other companies that are using that exact tactic. Together, the tactics were narrowed down to most
effective for further exploration.

3rd Meeting – February 18, 2009 1:00pm
During the last official meeting a telephone conference call was held to ensure that the Marketing Plan
was on target with Leveraging Technology’s objectives for the project. Other preliminary questions
were revisited to guarantee that our proposed tactics and matrixes were still sustainable.

E-mail
Throughout the entire project there have been constant e-mails with Leveraging Technology to ensure
validly of our meeting minutes.


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ASSUMPTIONS
For the Internet marketing plan, Red Hare Consulting assumes:

• The budget to be $8,000 for the implementation of the Internet marketing plan.
• Leveraging Technology will take suggestions seriously and implement tactics to improve their
online presence.
• Change their focus to include both an online and offline presence.
• The client is going to follow the suggested timeline to implementation.
• Red Hare Consulting has made suggestions using strategies and tactics that are relevant to
Leveraging Technology.

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STEP: 1 2 3 4 5
Where are we now?


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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this section is to explore Leveraging Technology’s current status in their industry.
The various elements of this section provide critical feedback on the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and possible threats that concern their organization. It is essential that this question is
answered thoroughly in order to provide an appropriate analysis that can be used to structure the rest
of the internet marketing plan. By correctly identifying the firm’s current position, Red Hare Consulting
was able to formulate suggestions that will improve the current online status of Leveraging Technology.

The elements that are explored throughout this section are:

• A current company profile that explores the current business models being used by Leveraging
Technology.
• McKinsey’s 7 S model
• The 7 C’s of web design and quality
• Industry Audit
• An analysis of Leveraging Technology’s current competition
• Current website experience map
• SWOT Analysis

COMPANY PROFILE
Leveraging Technology, an IBM Premier Business Partner, is a technology consulting company
that is a proven leader in integration and design projects for a vast array of complex business issues and
a variety of clients. Experience in various technologies and understanding how to leverage clients for
business results continues to be the driving force behind their success, and more importantly, the
success of each of their clients. They are able to integrate the implementation of business critical

services and their use of IBM software to help their clients become more efficient. This is a direct result
to their knowledge and expertise in the rapidly changing field of technology. Leveraging Technology
prides themselves on working closely with their clients in order to build long lasting relationships that
turn many clients into repeat customers. With this mentality, they have been able to create many
positive relationships with their clients that have turned into successful results for both their clients and
Leveraging Technology.

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Current Business Models
Identifying Leveraging Technology’s current business models will allow for more effective and
customized suggestions through identification of revenue streams and value proposition assessment.

Broker
Leveraging Technology’s business model hinges on two approaches: the broker and
customization/consultancy models. The broker model is utilized in selling IBM software, which serves as
a platform to supply consulting services with the customization/consultancy model. Some revenue is
generated from the broker model in selling software; the greatest revenues are generated from
consulting services. Therefore, the customization/consultancy model serves as the primary model for
Leveraging Technology and the broker model is secondary.

Customization
When dealing with a large variety of clients, there is a high level of customization that takes
place with each project due to the different needs of each client. Customization enables each client to
feel as if they have a high level of importance to Leveraging Technology. By providing a consultancy
service to their clients, it is important that Leveraging Technology develop brand loyalty, and a strong
reputation in their industry so that clients are able to see the value gained by doing business with them.
This is evident with most of their clients who feel as if they are gaining added value by doing business
with Leveraging Technology.

Consultancy
Being that Leveraging Technology relies strongly on their partnership with IBM, the sales of
software opens the door for the implementation of consultancy. The sale of software allows Leveraging
Technology to form a relationship with the customer by helping the customer install the software and by
maintaining the software. This is where Leveraging Technology generates the majority of their revenue
because they then form a long-term relationship in which they perform many other tasks for the client.

TARGET MARKET
Leveraging Technology services mid to small size businesses in upstate NY, thus very large
business or those outside of the upstate NY area are not targeted. Since customer retention is so high,
the firm's customer base in generally growing slowly but steadily. Therefore, positioning for this target
market should include business organizations within the upstate NY region.

The small to mid-size businesses in upstate NY are considered Leveraging Technology’s primary
target. Their secondary target market would include those small to mid-size businesses outside of
upstate NY and larger businesses in upstate NY. The current market for small to mid-sized businesses in
New York is very large, which will allow for the expansion of Leveraging Technology’s current customer
base. The unmet needs for the current client base consists of, the inability to communicate with
Leveraging Technology on a consistent basis (i.e. feedback, blogging, and other networking devices),

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access to information through the internet is little to none, and unable to be quickly informed on new
forms of technology that can help their business become more efficient.

In order to make up for the clients unmet needs, Leveraging Technology has made an attempt to
create a high level of customer loyalty. Customer loyalty is important to Leveraging Technology because
the majority of their business is done with repeat customers. This is achieved through building strong
relationships with their customers. By building these relationships, their customers feel that Leveraging
Technology is concerned with the success of their business, which generally leads to the return of that
customer for other projects. Building strong relationships with their customers is something Leveraging
Technology prides itself on because it has become something that that has made a top priority to
accomplishes.

CUSTOMER VALUE PROPOSITION
Customer Value can be defined as the difference between what a customer gets from a product,
and what he or she has to give in order to get it. The value for Leveraging Technology's clients comes
from the implementation consulting they receive for IBM software available for purchase. The software
is valuable to customers because it allows them to operate more effectively, simply, and/or efficiently.
The consulting adds value through an understanding of the technologies and their useful functions and
features.

The relational and thorough manner of Leveraging Technology's highly competent consulting
serves as their main competitive advantage. This is reflected by their extremely high customer retention
rates. The competitive position can remain constant. However, the competitive position should be
communicated in the most effective manner possible to help attract clients with a proficient and
professional company image.

Perception
There are no organizational reviews conducted on Leveraging Technology as a business.

Websites such as vault.com, jobvent.com, glassdoor.com and salary.com are dedicated to providing
organizational information such as insider information on top employers and education programs, job
search advice, salary info, job listings, employee message boards and surveys. By providing information
to these websites, Leveraging Technology will be able to build better brand recognition and also a good
reputation that would come along with good reviews. Also, the upstate NY chamber of commerce, and
the better business bureau of upstate NY all have no record on Leveraging Technology.

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CURRENT WEBSITE EXPERIENCE MAP

Homepage

Consulting Support Software Sign-In

Overview

Services

Case Studies

Certifications

Training

Contact

The current Leveraging Technology website is very basic; it serves as an online brochure.
The home page is linked to four separate pages: “Consulting”, “Support”, “Software”, and “Sign-In”.
The Consulting page provides a brief overview of the company, the services they offer, links to
previous case studies, certifications, the company’s training services, and their contact information.

Leveraging Technology’s website currently uses the brochure model to inform consumers
Brochure Model

about their consulting and software services. Presently, this is limited in its breadth, providing only
a brief overview of each category and what they may entail. This does not include any sort of

extensive company profile, proof of accomplishments, or dynamic interaction points.

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BUYER BEHAVIOR PROCESS
The buyer behavior process consists of a five-step process that describes purchasing behavior of
customers. The steps that are included in the process are: need recognition, Information search,
evaluate alternatives, purchase of the product, and post purchase behavior. The need recognition that is
formed with Leveraging Technology’s clients comes from two main areas. The first is the attendance of
the different seminars that Leveraging Technology conducts. When customers are able to see what
technology is available for their businesses to become more efficient, they need to implement the
software arises. The other is through need recognition when business activities are not as efficient as
expected. This then leads to the need for outside help to increase the level of efficiency.

The next step is information search. This is the area where Leveraging Technology lacks the most
resources. When there is need recognition, where does the potential client go to find information? This
is where a revamped website that provides all necessary information will help clients begin to gain
answers to their questions. Rather than having to attend seminars, clients can search for information on
the website, and during the seminars Leveraging Technology is able to refer them to their website for
more information.

The evaluation of alternatives becomes important when clients are searching for services and
software because they want to get the most benefits for the least amount of money. Leveraging
Technology can differentiate themselves from the competition by offering preliminary suggestions to
clients on their website before contact is made. This will provide the client with the chance to see what
they will be getting for their money. Another useful tool is this stage is the use of case studies, which
show the prior services Leveraging Technology has performed for past clients.

When purchase of the product is made, Leveraging Technology must be able to fully understand
the needs of the client and meet those needs by implementing strategies that will benefit the client’s
current state. This will lead to developing a good reputation with clients who may refer services to other
businesses.

Post purchase behavior is probably the stage where Leveraging Technology is performing the
best. They are able to build long term relationships that generally bring clients back to be repeat
customers. However, there is much to be done, such as, the ability for clients to leave feedback for
suggestions, updated information on different technology advances that may help clients, and an
increase in post purchase communication, which may be done in the form of follow up emails and with
other communication devices such as Twitter or Blogs.

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MCKINSEY’S 7S MODEL1

F IGURE 1: T HE M C K INSEY ' S 7S M ODEL

McKinsey's 7S model is used to organize a company in an effective way. Management uses
this to determine the way in which the business operates. It is important to understand that each S
is independent, and that over time their importance could change depending on the situation. The
three S's along the top of the diagram (Strategy, Structure, and Systems) are also considered the
hard S's because they are the main focus of the organizations goals. The four S's that make up the
bottom of the diagram (Shared Values, Skills, Staff, and Style) are also considered the soft S's
because they relate more to the cultural environment of the organization and are generally less
focused upon overall.

The three S's along the top of the diagram (Strategy, Structure, and Systems) are also Leveraging Technology | Red Hare Consulting
considered the hard S's because they are the main focus of the organizations goals. The four S's that
make up the bottom of the diagram (Shared Values, Skills, Staff, and Style) are also considered the
soft S's because they relate more to the cultural environment of the organization and are generally
less focused upon overall.

1The 7S McKinsey Model. Building Brands.
http://www.buildingbrands.com/didyouknow/14_7s_mckinsey_model.php [Accessed 20
Feb 2009]

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Strategy is “the direction and scope of the company over the long term.” Leveraging
Technology’s Internet strategy is to display an image of the company to try and solidify their
•

company image to potential clients.

Structure is “the basic organization of the company, its departments, reporting lines, areas
of expertise, and responsibility, and how they inter-relate.” The firm’s online structure is
•

built according to the brochure model, based on the strategy of promoting Leveraging
Technology’s image.

Staff is “the company's people resources and how they are developed, trained, and
motivated.” A very capable staff serves as the primary source of value generation, since
•

consulting services, in the customization/consulting model, are the main source of
significant earnings.

Skills are “the capabilities and competencies that exist within the company.” Leveraging
Technology's skills allow for effective implementation assistance with customers within a
•

range of technological fields.

Shared Values are “the values and beliefs of the company.” Ultimately they guide
employees towards the same valued behavior. To provide long-term relationships by
•

helping customers solve technological problems and implement this improvements.

Style is “the leadership approach of top management and the company's overall operating
approach.” A clear, professional style is portrayed to communicate Leveraging Technology’s
•

goals and abilities.

Systems are “the formal and informal procedures that govern everyday activity, covering
everything from management information systems, through to the systems at the point of
•

contact with the customer.” Daily activities in the company systems include preparation and
presentation at seminars used to attract clients.

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7C’S OF WEB DESIGN & QUALITY
Context - Possessing a modern design that is simple and clean, the site is appealing to the
eye. The interface built into the main design is also simple, but subsections lack both
•

substance and clarity of navigation. Over-simplicity may be an issue due to the lack of
sections within a single page. This may cause either overflow of information in certain
sections or missing information entirely.

Content - Provided content is strictly informational and limited almost entirely to
description of services. There are brief sections dedicated to case studies and company
•

information, although all case studies are not written from the perspective of the customer
and thus lack impact, and the company information is strictly a list of accreditations and
limited contact information.

Community - As it stands, the Leveraging Technology website lacks any sense of
community entirely. There are no interactive sections to be found, and the only provided
•

contact points are a single phone number and email address. Further, there are no external
sources of community associated with Leveraging Technology via sites like Facebook,
LinkedIn, or YouTube.

Customization - Leveraging Technology's website is static in nature and will not adapt to
the user currently viewing it. This can be contributed to lacking a protocol that can identify
•

different users in the first place such as a registration or Google Analytics.

Communication - The website does not convey any sort of message well, if at all.
Considering the lacking interface and limited content, there is no unified vision that is
•

apparent from every page.

Connection - Leveraging Technology's website unfortunately stands alone in terms of its
Internet presence. There is no sort of associated social network or association that
•

customers can become a part of to strengthen their bond with either Leveraging Technology
as a company or its employees.

Commerce - While the website lists software products and services that Leveraging
Technology provides, there is no means to purchase them online. This, however, may be
•

irrelevant due to the personal interaction that is required for each transaction, whether it
be consulting or software.

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INDUSTRY AUDIT
Consulting clients demand information system implementation assistance along with high-level
business advice in order to make their business more efficient. Organizations such as Leveraging
Technology provide assistance with the implementation of software and new technology to help clients
become more efficient. As the consulting business model has adapted over the years, which now offers
both business strategy consulting and IT consulting expertise to private sector and government clients,
these consultancy organizations must also adapt to meet the standards that are set by the rapidly
developing technological environment. Moreover, software firms have moved into the consulting field
to capture some of the enormous new demand for design, implementation and management of all sorts
of technology-based business information. Leveraging Technology merges both the software and
technology consultancy together in order to meet the technological needs of many businesses.

Competition:
The competition that exists for Leveraging Technology falls under two categories, software and
services. These competitors are leaders in the field of technology and all mostly represent where
Leveraging Technology would like to eventually be. Below, each competitor’s website is broken down
into the strengths and weaknesses. These can then be evaluated to choose the appropriate solutions for

Software:
the Leveraging Technology website.

CDW
Strengths - The CDW website allows users to select different options that best represent their
status, such as; home office, small business, medium to large business, and other sectors of business.
This then breaks down the information on the site to better fit the needs of the user. The site is also
filled with information on new technology and software that has recently been released, and also allows
users to sign in to an account in which they are able to access information that pertains to the user, and
also allows them to buy software online. There is a tab that lists everything they offer the customer, and
under each category, there is an in depth description of each service offered.

Weaknesses - CDW’s website is very cluttered. Although they have a lot of information to offer,
the presentation of the information is scattered. The home page contains so much material that it could
cause the user to feel overwhelmed.

Dell
Strengths - Dell is an award winner in their industry. Their website allows users to select a path
that customizes the information displayed. The website is also updated frequently with new information
that entices users to return for updates on the latest news. The information displayed is very easy to
read, so that everyone is able to understand it. Dell’s website also provides explanations for things that
may be confusing to certain users; such as when talking about different software that they sell, Dell
simplifies the description so that it is not confusing to anyone.

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Weaknesses - There appears to be only a couple weaknesses when exploring the website. The
most obvious weakness is the feedback tab that is not clearly placed for people to find. This is important
because people generally like to leave feedback when they are satisfied or unsatisfied and therefore
causing frustration when they are unable to.

Sirius
Strengths - Sirius’ website is very well put together. They offer a lot of accessible information
right on their homepage, and it is clearly labeled, which makes it easy to read. They offer the chance to
sign up to receive their online newsletter. This is a way for them to receive information about the
website users, which allows them to profile their clients. Other noticeable strengths include, “Did You
Know?” tabs and a recent news tab which allows them to draw attention to certain topics and increase
the time spent on the website. The last strength is that they have links to all their other forms of
contact, such as, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace.

Weaknesses - The noticeable weaknesses on the website are that there is no access to user
feedback, and there does not appear to be recent updates to the page. By creating a Blog or weekly
updates, users are able to feel that there is actually someone communicating with them and that the
website is more than an informative brochure.

Services:
IBM

Strengths - IBM is a world leader in their business solutions. The first thing that stands out on
their website is the home page’s the catchy headlines. They provide information on the latest
technology that is making many businesses more efficient. This is a way for new clients to see what IBM
is doing with their current clients. Leveraging Technology is able to do this with their current use of
technology and would potentially lead to the conversion of more clients.

Weaknesses - There does not appear to be any noticeable weaknesses to their website. The only
thing that appears to be missing is the use of Twitter and other social network links on their website.

Prolifics

Strengths - Prolifics lists their case studies right on their home page. This is useful for search
engine optimization, which enables users to get information quickly without having to search. They also
list upcoming seminars on their home page, with the information on what is going to be talked about at
the seminar. Both of these tactics create interest in users and therefore add to increased time on the
site. Customer testimonials are listed at the bottom of the page for another feedback resource.

Weaknesses - The page takes a long time to load. There is too much flash therefore causing
loading time to increase.

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SWOT ANALYSIS

The purpose of a SWOT Analysis is to identify the company’s strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities in the current market, and threats that might prevent the company from achieving their
goals. The SWOT analysis helps the Red Hare team construct ways for the Leveraging Technology to use
their strengths to overcome their weaknesses, take advantage of their opportunities, and minimize the
effect of external threats.

Strengths
Aside from offering unique solutions to make businesses run more efficiently, Leveraging
Technology’s true strength lies in their customer service. Their customer retention rate is very
impressive and most clients are more than willing to acquire their services more than once. The services
they offer are personalized for each client, which helps build a friendly relationship between the two
parties. The members of the LT team are considered experts in their respective fields based on their skill
sets.

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Weaknesses
The company’s main weakness is its ineffective website, which lacks detail and does not
properly convey the full potential of the Leveraging Technology brand. The LT brand itself is not
optimized for search engines and isn’t easily recognized on the Internet. The LT team is unaware of any
direct competitors in their current market, which could lead to a false sense of security. Lastly, the firm’s
client base is relatively small; they interact with only 2-3 clients each year. Therefore, losing a single
client can have a severe effect on the firm’s revenue stream

Opportunities
In order to improve brand awareness the company can utilize online social networks to attract
new customers and keep current clients coming back to their website. A redesigned website that
integrates breakthrough technology and different types of social media (i.e. blogs and flash video) can
also achieve similar results.

Threats
An unexpected threat to Leveraging Technology is the supplier of its software solutions, IBM.
Since Leveraging Technology was initially unaware of direct competitors they were vulnerable to
unsuspected competition in the market. During the current unhealthy economic climate companies are
cutting down on costs. Therefore potential customers might not be able to afford Leveraging
Technology’s services.

Applying SWOT to Overall Strategies
Web Presence – Leveraging Technology has an incredible brand that represents smart and
thorough work with a personal touch. The company is confident in their ability to reinvent their clients
through proven expertise, and while this claim may be bold, it is entirely justified by their incredible
customer satisfaction and retention rates. LT already possesses the tools necessary to create a striking
value proposition; they merely need to transition their real world practices onto the web.

Customer Feedback – As highlighted by LT’s exceptional retention rates, the company has
created a proven formula for customer satisfaction. The most core component of this satisfaction is
their ability as consultants to work with the customer, not for them. Consulting from Leveraging
Technology is typically only the start of a very long sales cycle that the customers themselves are heavily
engrained in. To transition this type of experience onto the internet requires extensive feedback
channels that allow both existing and potential customers to learn more about Leveraging Technology
and its employees.

Customer Conversion – The main purpose of any business is to make money. Leveraging
Technology will gain the most benefit from a new web presence when they can use it to convert random
consumers into paying customers. Relying on consistent customer retention, while proven successful, is

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inherently a weakness due to how large of an effect that a single lost client can make. Therefore, for
Leveraging Technology to grow in an increasingly digital age means they must use their website as a new
channel for finding customers.

Web Quality – What remains the grounding reminder when developing a new web presence
such as this is how difficult it can be to ensure execution goes smoothly and each piece of the solution
does as it is intended. If the tools necessary for providing a quality web experience do not function as
intended then everything else is virtually pointless. Because of Leveraging Technology’s inexperience
with web based initiatives and their general unawareness of competitors and target markets it will be
naturally difficult to know what will work as intended. Thus it is imperative that each piece of the new
web experience is extensively evaluated on an ongoing basis. If one piece is not functioning as intended,
it may need to be revamped or removed entirely. The experience as a whole must be monitored
regularly to ensure it is providing the extension of the Leveraging Technology brand that the company
expected.

CONCLUSION
The information that has been collected throughout this section is used to structure the other
four questions: Where do we want to be? How might we get there? Which way is best?, and How do we
ensure safe arrival?

The snapshot that is taken with the use of “Where are we now?” will allow Leveraging
Technology to see how the tactics explored in further sections will be used to move them into where the
want to be by illustrating the transitions that need to be taken into account.

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STEP: 1 2 3 4 5
Where do we want to be?


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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this section is to determine desirable positions for Leveraging Technology within
its market. This will help us answer the question, "Where do we want to be?” Objectives meeting the
"SMART" criteria (Specific, Measurable, Agreeable, Realistic, and Time-specific) can then be derived and
benchmarked for future effectiveness assessment.

OBJECTIVES
• Gain 2 new consulting clients via online connections by December 2010.
Since clients have traditionally been located through seminars and other in-person channels, gaining
2 new clients through online portals will break the ice for Leveraging Technology's online strategy. In
the future, many (if not most) clients could be located through these online channels since
businesses are increasingly utilizing online sources to find and create connections for their business
networks. A large portion of the target market could be missed if such channels are not established
and the competence of the technology implementation consulting team would appear less capable
(since web presences reflect technological ability).

• Increase weekly web traffic by 50% within the first 6 months of site redesign and 5% each year
after that time.
Increasing the rate of web traffic could greatly increase Leveraging Technology's chances of
attracting and servicing new clients who are searching for consultants in the upstate NY region. This
traffic could also come from customers leaving feedback and making comments (a vital aspect of a
virtual presence). This would help Leveraging Technology pin-point areas of their services which
clients feel are lacking. In identifying these lacking elements, services could be greatly improved to

meet the needs and wants of both present and future clients, and this improvement of quality
would result in greater customer satisfaction; the foundation for Leveraging Technology's strategy
with long-term customer relationships.

• Establish online feedback channels with at least 100 connections to unique clients by the end of
2009.
These online feedback channels would allow Leveraging Technology to keep closer relationships
with clients. Trends and opinions could be more quickly detected. This would allow Leveraging
Technology make more informed, timely, and effective decisions for their clients and even allow for
first-mover advantages in some instances. This would also improve the quality of services delivered
and customer satisfaction as a result.

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• Receive 20 unique pieces of written feedback (at least 100 words each) different clients by the end
of 2009.
This initial gathering of feedback would serve as the starting point for Leveraging Technology to build
a well-functioning feedback system. Testimonials (positive reviews) could also be displayed to
improve the company's image and attract new clients and build confidence with existing customers.

DESIRED WEB EXPERIENCE MAP
Homepage

Company
Twitter Feed
Overview

Need Help Tab Log-In Tab

Consulting Software Community About Us

Overview Overview Blog Company Profile Employee Profiles Contact

Registration Sign-
Accomplishments Products Promotional Video Telephone
up

Testimonials Services Certifications Email

LinkedIn Profile

Twitter Feed

This site map suggests a general navigation system for the finished website upon Leveraging Technology | Red Hare Consulting
implementation of suggested strategies and tactics. It expands on the existing brochure model by adding
more pertinent information plus dynamic interaction points. This adds to the homepage to create a
more fluid interface and personal design. Further, there is more relationship driven information such as
employee profiles, an expanded contact list, and a blog that is tied to registration system.

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CUSTOMER SATISFACTION HEURISTIC
Customer
Loyalty

Customer
Satisfaction

Website Feeling of
Quality Community

System Quality Intuitive Relevent Registration Consistent 3rd Party
Reliability Content Design Information Security Updates Contact Points

Informative Customer Complete Trust in
LinkedIn
Content Sensitive Content Experience

Reliabale
Twitter
Testimonials

Employee
Credentials

Company
Certification

Establishing customer satisfaction through a brochure model based website must rely primarily
on content. This includes both traditional and interactive content.

Traditional content consists of any information that is intended to educate the customer of
company services, benefits, and relevant assets. This must include not only an explanation as to how the
services work, but why they are beneficial to customers. Benefits can be proven by use of previous
customer testimonials and introducing the staff and their qualifications. Ultimately these benefits must

help convince the customer to trust the company.

Interactive content consists of community based, dynamic information that speaks not only to
the customer’s mind, but also to their emotions. Examples include mediums that generally possess two-
way communication features such as a blog, or social network. This type of content is ever evolving and
must be consistently updated to remain relevant. Further, this information is often customer specific
and requires a registration process which demands secure systems to manage all of it.

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OVERALL STRATEGIES (THEMES)
The present themes within these objectives reflect their underlying strategies. There are four
primary strategies or themes around which these objectives are constructed:

Web Quality
Leveraging Technology's web quality should reflect the firm's professional expertise and leave a
favorable impression with viewers. Web quality will greatly increase the number of unique (SEO) and
returning visitors, thus tying to the increased web traffic objective

Web Presence
A distinctly progressive and professional web body/presence would help capture and retail customer
mind-share while establishing online access to a diverse group of contacts. This strategy is also linked to
the increased web traffic objective as well as the unique links objective.

Feedback Channels
A thorough and comprehensive understanding of the customer base's wants and needs will help
Leveraging Technology to customize and improve their value propositions accordingly. Effective
feedback channels play a vital role in this process and correlate with the objective for gleaning pieces of
feedback.

Customer Conversion
Successful conversion of "lookers" (who are exposed to Leveraging Technology's online presence), into
"bookers" (who actually pay for the firm's services) is an essential function of a complete web marketing
strategy. This strategy correlates to the successful online customer conversion objective.


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GAP ANALYSIS
Gap Analysis

Themes 1 2 3 4

Web
Presence • X
Feedback
Channels • X
Customer
Conversion • X
Website
Quality • X

The purpose of a gap analysis is to compare the current performance of the website to the
desired performance that Red Hare Consulting wishes to achieve. The scale ranges from 1 to 4, 1 being
‘ineffective’ and 4 being ‘very effective’. The major functions of the website are being evaluated,
including web presence, feedback channels, converting website visitors into customers, and website
quality. Those aspects with the widest gap are the aspects that Leveraging Technology should pay the
most attention to, as the wider a gap is, the more a function is not providing its expected returns.

Ratings Defined
1 – Ineffective. A rating of 1 or “ineffective” suggests that there is no return being seen from the
perspective of major functions whatsoever. Core processes are either being executed ineffectively or
the processes are entirely nonexistent.

2 – Somewhat Effective. A rating of 2 or “somewhat effective” suggests that returns are being seen, but
they are minimal at best. Processes are likely being implemented poorly or they are not appropriately
tailored to the desired major functions of the website.

3 – Effective. A rating of 3 or “effective” suggests that major functions of the website are being well-
executed and sufficient returns are being seen. This, however, means there will be room for
improvement and that processes are not effective as they could be.

4 – Very Effective. A rating of 4 or “very effective” suggests that major functions are almost perfectly
executed and related processes are providing the largest return possible. Improvements beyond this
point are almost entirely maintenance related.

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Evaluating Strategies by Ratings – “Where are we now?”
Web presence – Leveraging Technology’s website lacks any sort of substantive message that can
generate any sort of significant awareness on the web. The company is not capturing mindshare
because it fails to provide any value to both existing and potential customers. Further, there is no eco-
system that surrounds the website by which customers can become familiar with the brand in the first
place, either through third party experiences or the website itself.

Feedback channels – Leveraging Technology’s website currently only allows information to flow
in a single direction. Customers have no means by which to express their satisfaction or dissatisfaction
with the company’s web presence. As a consulting firm, working with the customer, not just for them, is
an important part of the long-term sales nature of the business.

Customer conversion – Leveraging Technology’s website provides no means for random
consumers to become paying customers. Processes must be put in place to create cause for the
customer to contact the company and learn more about what Leveraging Technology can do for them.

Website Quality – Leveraging Technology’s website, from a purely technical standpoint, is
lacking severely. While the aesthetic design is simple and appealing, the function of the website is
unclear and its navigation is confusing. A lack of quality content is the major cause of this.

Evaluating Strategies by Ratings – “Where do we want to be?”
Web Presence – For Leveraging Technology to succeed with any sort of Internet based strategy;
it must capture mindshare and create brand awareness. Creating significant customer value and a
message that relays how they can receive that value through Leveraging Technology can only do this. On
the Internet, “Rochester Technology Consulting” and Leveraging Technology should be almost
synonymous. Channels that reach customers looking for this type of service must be tapped and by
proxy convey the Leveraging Technology value proposition at all possible occurrences.

Feedback Channels – The nature of business consultation requires a long-term sales cycle that
creates a mutually beneficial relationship. This cannot be achieved if information is only flowing in one
direction. Customers should feel they can express their opinion on Leveraging Technology at any given
moment, and should thus be able to do so through always on, Internet enabled mediums to satisfy their
needs. Not unlike the real world, the firm and the customer must work together to reach their desired
results, and the Leveraging Technology website should exemplify this through a mix of channels that

include interactive and social media.

Customer Conversion – Leveraging Technology, after establishing a web presence, should be
able convince customers to learn more about what the company can do for them by promoting contact
points. Be it through social network or a traditional phone call, random consumers, should they find
Leveraging Technology’s value proposition appealing, must be able to start the processes of establishing
themselves as a client. Every piece of the website should encourage a sense of urgency, persuading the
customer that not only can they do more with their business, but Leveraging Technology is the firm that
can help make it happen.

Website Quality – In order to establish a worthwhile web presence that consumers are
interested in exploring at all, it must first be technically capable of bringing in those consumers in the
first place. The website should be easily found by means of search engine optimization and social
networks, and upon arriving at the website it should be clear as to how a consumer should navigate it. If

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the website itself is technically lacking then consumers will not consider listening to a value proposition.
The website must be enjoyable to interact with, while at the same time providing all the functions
consumers would expect to receive from it.

CONCLUSION
In order to move Leveraging Technology from its current position within their industry to the
desired positions, plausible tactics must be explored and scrutinized. The following sections explore and
discriminate between possible tactics that could be executed to move Leveraging Technology across the
gap from current to desired positions.

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STEP: 1 2 3 4 5
How might we get there?


34


INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this section is to explore possible tactics for accomplishing the goals expressed in
Section 2. Each of these tactics is a result of brainstorming and research conducted to find links, portals,
and infomediaries that could connect Leveraging Technology with its desired positions. The advantages
and disadvantages of each tactic and a brief exploration of the potential usefulness of each is then
given.

DESCRIPTION OF TACTICS
Google Analytics
The benefits of implementing Google Analytics are that it tracks website visitors from start to
finish (including Google Adwords campaigns, email campaigns, referral links, banner ads, and other
advertising campaigns). Not only is this tactic simple to use and easy to implement, it is also free to
implementers. Google Analytics is by far one of the most useful cost-free applications on the web. By
placing it on the web page, Leveraging Technology will be able to see where their web traffic is coming
from, how long they spend on each page, and what they search for in order to get to the page. All of
these will enable Leveraging Technology to structure their website around the feedback they receive
from the Google Analytics results.

In terms of return on investment, there are no monetary disadvantages to Google Analytics.
Because it is free, fairly easy to install, and can offer a large amount of valuable data, there are no
perceived disadvantages in implementing Google Analytics.

Promotional Video
Leveraging Technology’s promotional video would seek to accomplish 3 goals: portray
the vision, focus, and specialties of the firm, display the competence and expertise of the firm, and

lastly, increase web presence with memorable content. This video should include a conveyance of the
company mission and general services from leading members of the business as well as compelling
testimonials that portray the firm’s value-adding activities. Live segments for both business-minded and
technologically inclined individuals should be included to appeal to both groups of viewers within
potential client groups. Personal verbal segments accompanied by solid, convincing ROI and value-
adding portrayals will result in a compelling presentation. The video could be posted as a YouTube flash
video (which could then be displayed on the company website) or other promotional channels.

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Blog
There are many important reasons why a web log (or “blog”) can be a successful online tool in
order to expand a company’s online presence. The first benefit of implementing a blog is that Leveraging
Technology will be able to increase their Search Engine Optimization (also known as SEO). As the
amount of blog content starts to increase more terms recognized by search engine trackers will increase
as well. The cross-linking between different blog posts and other information throughout the website
will drive traffic to the other more important pages. The benefit of doing this for Leveraging Technology
is that as the content in their blogs increases, more traffic will be drawn to their site due to Google
searches and the generated interest created by the blog.
Another reason why a blog will increase traffic on the Leveraging Technology website is to keep
clients frequently updated. By writing about interesting topics, clients will be able to quickly access
important information that Leveraging Technology has to offer and can respond via comment or
through the “Need Help” tab that is listed on the site. By posting relevant articles, Leveraging
Technology will be able to inform clients of new technology, staff activity, and recommendations that
they feel are important to their clients. Sharing information through a blog allows clients to harvest a
more personal relationship with the company. This builds upon the current relationship by providing a
form of two-way communication in which clients and Leveraging Technology can interact.
The last benefit of implementing a blog is an increase in office cohesiveness. By allowing employees
to maintain their own blogs, other employees at Leveraging Technology are able to interact with each
other. This provides a community within the office in which there is a fun atmosphere for employees to
discuss topics that interest them and impact the company.

Testimonials
Testimonials from previous clients would help solidify the company’s image in the eyes of
potential clients. Emphasis should be placed on communicating Leveraging Technology’s capabilities,
integrity, effectiveness, quality, helpfulness, loyalty, and other valuable aspects of the firm. A list of
desirable touch-points should be compiled and highlighted in various portions of gathered testimonials.
This will help portray the desired company image through the opinions of previous clients. These
segments could be displayed on the website, the promotional video, and other promotional materials.

Web Polls
Web polls are an effective way for organizations to gain quick information on their website
viewers. By asking simple questions with a choice for an answer, Leveraging Technology will get a better
understanding of what their users feel are important topics, and what they feel are unimportant. This
will allow them to structure the rest of the website around these topics to increase web traffic.

“Need Help” Tab
A “Need Help” tab will allow clients and the website viewers the ability to ask simple questions
to Leveraging Technology by filling out a brief form. Leveraging Technology will then post common help
topics and respond to concerns by email to try and help users with their problems. This is often used as
a gateway to acquiring new clients.

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Employee Profiles
Employee profiles are useful for many reasons. They allow clients the chance to see whom they
are working with, provide a list of each employee’s strengths, and help create a culture for the
organization. Employers are able to uncover hidden talents of their employees by allowing them to
create an employee profile. This will enable the organization to compliment the strengths and
weaknesses of their employees to create a more efficient workplace.

Clients that are able to see the qualifications for different employees are more likely to trust the
work that these employees are doing for them. This creates a better relationship that generally leads to
gaining repeat customers.

Newsletter
A monthly newsletter could help keep interested clients informed about new releases and
helpful features. This would increase product awareness and serve as a reminder of Leveraging
Technology’s services. It could also help entice potential and existing customers to register on the
company’s website (in order to gain access to the feature).

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Rochester/Syracuse/Buffalo Chambers of
Commerce Membership (online profile created)
With profiles on the Chambers of Commerce in Rochester, Buffalo, and Syracuse Leveraging
Technology would increase their online presence by multiplying the number of customer portals that
potential clients can search for their services. Many Chambers of Commerce in various regions have
a directory on their websites. Local businesses often search these directories when seeking a
particular type of business partner, such as a technology and implementation consulting firm.
Creating profiles with these chambers would allow Leveraging Technology to reach new potential
customers. Also it is free of charge.

Legal Notices
There should be a legal notice posted somewhere on the page that discusses the rights and laws
that concern the users of the website. This will protect Leveraging Technology against any liabilities with
the use of their website. It is important operate within the law and to make sure that every aspect of the
website is maintained in an ethical manner.

Registration Process
A registration process could be used to create and maintain closer relationships with existing
and potential clients. Visitors could be encouraged to register to gain access to Leveraging Technology’s
newsletter or other features. This would also help gather information for the customer database that
might prove useful later on when more specific segmentation and pointed propositions could be
extended.


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Twitter
Twitter is considered the first major medium for people to communicate through “micro-
blogging”. Blogging usually entails a previously thought-out, detailed story that adds perspective
through the words of the blogger, while Twitter’s limit of 140 characters per “tweet” creates an entirely
different experience. Twittering is used to share information quickly and easily, such as an interesting
link or a brief update on a major project.

Websites will typically add a Twitter “feed” on their homepage showing the most recent few
updates. This creates two major benefits for the site; a consistently fresh homepage and new content
for customers to explore. By implementing a Twitter feed, visitors of the website will be able to see
when the last tweet was made, showing them that the site does not remain stagnant and is in fact
dynamic. This lets the visitors know that the website is being taken care of consistently and that it is not
a simple brochure. Additionally, the added content creates incentive to visit the site on a more regular
basis.

Lastly, Twitter can add incredible value to Leveraging Technology because of its “following”
features. This lets Leveraging Technology know exactly who is reading their information regularly and
identify potential customers. At the same time, these other Twitter-ers can be followed themselves,
allowing the company to keep current on the activities of their clients.

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Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process by which a web entity makes itself more visible, or
more easily found on the Internet. In order to be successful, bringing more visitors to the website should
be top priority of any Internet marketing strategy. These visitors are not necessarily current customers
that can simply be referred to the website; they should also be entirely new customers who may not
have even heard of Leveraging Technology before. Many if not all of these new customers find the
website through search engines such as Google or Yahoo! by using descriptive terms that describe the
services they require. Using Leveraging Technology as an example, potential customers should be able
to find the homepage by searching using terms such as "Rochester Technology Consultant" or "Improve
Business through Technology". Leveraging Technology should not simply appear on this list, it must be at
the top of the list.

This can be done in two ways, the first being to pay for it. Google, for example, will list
"sponsored links" above normal search results for those who have paid a certain fee. This will provide
instant results and enormous exposure, allowing Leveraging Technology to jump-start its new web-
presence before other SEO tactics begin to provide a return on investment. Unfortunately this tactic will
only work for as long as the firm chooses to pay for it, and even further there will be other results that
appear on the same page that did not have to pay, which is the optimal SEO implementation.

To create an optimal SEO experience, paying for it simply isn't enough. Search engines must be
considered when designing the very core components of one's website. Search engines as a mechanism
will rate content through algorithms to determine the relevance of a website as compared to a person's
entered search terms. This is done through a series of keywords found through the website's content.
Relevant or chosen keywords must be within the actual body text of the website as much as possible.
Two obvious examples for Leveraging Technology are "Technology" and "Consulting". Content that is
visible on the website is only the first step, however, as meta-content must also be considered. Meta-
data is essentially content within content. An image, for example, has a file name, so a search engine
can index keywords that are embedded into the file itself. The same principle applies to video content,
or even the base code of the site itself. Individual pages should have relevant titles that appear at the
top of the page, and their file names should be as closely associated to major keywords as possible. It is

only through a culmination of all these variables that search engines will quantify how relevant a
website is to a person's search. The more the search engine finds these keywords throughout both
regular content and meta-data the higher the probability of a respectable ranking.

Social Networking
Being a technology-consulting firm, it is important that Leveraging Technology be on the forefront
of technological changes. This shows their clients that they too are implementing the latest technology
to help make their business more efficient. The use of social networking has become one of the most
desirable additions that businesses are adding within the past few years. The benefits include being able
to expand brand awareness through the expansion of different online communities, the ability to
update these networks with fresh content fast and easily, and it being a free way to advertise the
business.

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I. Facebook
The phrase “Everyone’s on Facebook” is becoming extremely common. That’s because
it’s almost true. As of January 2009, over 42 million people have created a Facebook account
in the United States alone 2. With the ability to connect to millions of people for free, this
tool allows users to expand their online community. Leveraging Technology can use
Facebook to increase brand awareness and also expand their online community. The
introduction of new technology can be talked about through Facebook to spark interest in
many new clients. Facebook will provide them with the tools to increase their online
presence.

II. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a social networking site that allows users to create profiles to build a
professional network in a business environment. By creating a profile, users are able to
become friends with one another and employers are able to post current job openings. This
is an effective tool because it will expand the network for Leveraging Technology and will
also provide them access to talented individuals that may help with the expansion of the
organization.

Second Life
The use of Second Life will allow Leveraging Technology to expand their ideas into a virtual
world. The latest technology that the company uses in order to provide support for their clients can be
shown through Second Life in order to give new clients a first hand view of the technology working in
Second Life.

Website Revamp
Ultimately, the online body of Leveraging Technology should communicate a favorable message
about the abilities and tech-savvy nature of the firm. This web presence would be the primary portal
and all other web presences and extensions would lead to this main location.

Leveraging Technology’s current website (as portrayed above under section 1) lacks in-depth

involvement opportunities and content for visitors to look at. The home page should present a clear
group of options for visitors to click on depending on what they’re looking for. Some visitors will be
coming directly from a Chamber of Commerce website and will be looking for information about the
firm and its functions/capabilities. Others will be directed through search engine results (after the site is
optimized for these channels), and will be looking for location, rates, and other pertinent information.
Another group of visitors might be previous clients who hope to read up on the latest activities of

2 Corbett, P., 5 Jan 2009. 2009 Facebook Demographics and Statistics Report: 276% Growth
in 35-54 Year Old Users. istrategylabs. http://www.istrategylabs.com/2009-facebook-
demographics-and-statistics-report-276-growth-in-35-54-year-old-users/ [Accessed 23
Feb 2009]

41


Leveraging Technology (on the company blog and newsletter feeds which would also be available on the
website).

Legal notices for privacy and information should also be included at appropriate locations on the
site to comply with Federal and NY state regulations.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should increase the searchability of Leveraging Technology’s
website by including key words and phrases at multiple locations. This will draw users looking for
consulting or technology on various search engines (primarily Google).

The home page should include a few images relevant to the firm and pleasing to look at with
blog/twitter and newsletter feeds in the corner. The promotional video could also be streamed from the
home page for an introduction to the firm and its capabilities (as discussed in the “Promotional Video”
section of this report).

A “Need Help” tab could provide a quick click-point for businesses seeking consulting and should
lead the visitor into the section with the promotional video (including testimonials) and contact
information.

An online registration process would allow members to view these feeds and keep current with
Leveraging Technology’s activities (a good deal of repeat business could be derived from this source).
Employee profiles could provide a more personal touch to the confidence being built behind the
Leveraging Technology brand and provide contact points for specific inquiries. Familiarity with
Leveraging Technology’s staff would also allow potential clients to see the expertise and success of each
individual within the firm’s workforce. This could help build confidence and further strengthen the
company’s image. This would prompt many first-time visitors to contact Leveraging Technology,
increasing the demand for Leveraging Technology’s services (and as a result, the number of offers each
year). This increase in demand would result in greater leverage when it comes to price quotes,
Leveraging Technology the opportunity to charge higher rates for their services and screen out
undesirable offers.

Testimonials would also reinforce the company image and could be included in an “About Us”

section. User-generated content (such as the reviews from other clients) tends to be highly convincing
for potential customers.

Intern
An intern from a nearby college could serve as a helpful assistant for implementing these
suggestions. He/she could help design and implement the new website, contact clients to make the
customer database and gather testimonials, establish and maintain various networking links, analyze
data gathered from Google analytics and customize site features according to flow and popular sections,
or even help create the promotional video. Leveraging Technology could select a student with any range
of skills to assist with any of these projects at a relatively low cost. This intern could also offer invaluable
perspective on current trends and new media conditions on various networking sites. This low-cost
option might greatly improve the implementation of any of these tactics.

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CHOICE CRITERIA CHART

Testimonials

Registration
Networking

Newsletter
CHOICE

Web Polls
Employee
Analytics

Twitter/
Profiles
Google

Promo

Social
Video

Blog
CRITERIA
Expected ROI 10 8 6 2 4 10 2 8 8 1 = low
(Value Added) 10 = high
Cost of 10 4 10 10 8 6 10 8 10 1 = expensive
Implementation 10 = cheap
Time of 10 4 8 10 8 6 6 8 6 1 = long
Implementation 10 = quick
Ease of 10 4 8 10 8 6 8 8 6 1 = hard
Implementation 10 = easy
Interest of 10 10 6 2 4 10 2 8 8 1 = low
Client 10 = high
Ease of 10 8 8 2 6 10 4 8 4 1 = hard
Maintenance 10 = easy
Simplicity of 10 4 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 1 = hard
Method 10 = simple
Useful 10 5 8 10 4 10 9 10 9 1 = short
Lifetime 10 = long
Risk 10 9 7 7 9 10 7 10 9 1 = extremely
Exposure 10 = none
Dissolution 10 9 10 8 10 10 9 10 7 1 = expensive
Cost 10 = cheap
Totals: 100 65 79 69 69 86 65 86 75

This tactic selection rubric shows the numerical designation of each tactic relative to each
criterion. The totals show the overall attractiveness (according to the criteria) of each tactic based on
ROI.

CONCLUSION
In order to distinguish between highly desirable tactics and less profitable tactics, we must
derive choice criteria consistent with and reflective of the 4 themes of web quality, web presence,
customer conversion, and feedback channels. This will help to highlight the level of usefulness of each
tactic relative to Leveraging Technology's desired market position.

43


STEP: 1 2 3 4 5
Which way is best?


44


INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this section is to assess each of the potential approaches to meeting the SMART
objectives set for Leveraging Technology. A tactic selection rubric is utilized to ascertain the respective
value and attractiveness of each method within the context of the 4 themes: web presence, feedback
channels, customer conversion, and web quality. Each of the values assigned to each tactic according to
the selection rubric is then discussed and explained.

TACTIC SELECTION RUBRIC
A tactic selection rubric can be used to determine which of the considered tactics would be
most beneficial and profitable for Leveraging Technology to implement given the firm’s current and
desired market position. The following tactic selection rubric intends to prioritize the proposed tactics in
terms of overall benefit relative to aggregate costs.

Expected ROI (value added):
“How much money will this tactic generate relative to its cost?”

All businesses are essentially grounded in their ability to generate profitable revenues, and Leveraging
Technology is no exception. Therefore, the estimated short and long-term return on investment (ROI) is
the greatest consideration when selecting appropriate and desirable tactics.

Implementation Time & Ease:
“How much time and effort will this tactic require to implement?”

The cost, time, and ease of implementation are highly important factors as well because these weigh
into the overall ROI. While a given tactic may have a very favorable ROI in terms of the direct costs and
benefits, the indirect costs (such as time and effort) may heavily influence the level of benefit a given
tactic might provide Leveraging Technology because of the firm’s fluctuations in market activity,
available capacity, and relative opportunities for a tactic.

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Implementer Interest:
“How much interest do the involved parties have in this tactic?”

While Leveraging Technology’s interest in any given tactic will ultimately determine which tactics are
utilized, the interest level of implementers will tend to have an effect on the thoroughness, expediency,
and overall success of a tactic’s execution.

Ease of Maintenance:
“How much time, effort, and cost will this tactic incur in the future?”

The future time, effort, and cost of maintaining each tactic should also be taken into account since these
long-run implications can weigh heavily on the usefulness and ROI of a given tactic.

Risk Exposure:
“What risks must we take to implement this tactic?”

It is important to note the assumed risks of an endeavor and to compare these risks with the estimated
ROI to gain an understanding of how bold a proposed tactic would be. The risk level of pursued tactics
should be consistent with the firm’s strategies, preferences, and overall mission.

Useful Lifetime:
“How long will this tactic remain beneficial?”

The longevity of proposed tactics could heavily influence the usefulness of a given tactic over a given
period of time.

Dissolution Cost:
“How much, if anything, would this tactic cost to discontinue?”

Generally, there is no cost for discontinuing a tactic since by the time it is being considered for
termination, it is no longer worth its total costs to the user. However, fixed costs associated with some
long-term tactics (generally contractual in nature) can have an effect on the tactic’s risk-level relative to
its useful lifetime.

46


Relative Simplicity:
“Is this tactic the simplest method for accomplishing the desired goal?”

Since the best way to get from point A to point B is a straight line, the simplest and most convenient
tactic for bridging a strategical gap is preferable.

RUBRIC APPLIED TO TACTICS
Each of these selection criteria can now be applied to the discussed tactics in order to determine
which would be most favorable for implementation given the expected ROI, time/cost/ease of
implementation and maintenance, tactic simplicity, useful life, risk exposure, and any dissolution costs.
Tactics with the highest ratings are more recommended for Leveraging Technology to implement (refer
to the tactic selection rubric diagram to compare tactic recommendations and ratings).

Ranking Scale
Each criteria is applied on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being extremely unfavorable and 10 being
highly favorable. This favorable/unfavorable rating scale is applied relative to each criteria’s
consideration. For example, “Cost of Implementation” would be ranked from 1 (extremely expensive) to
10 (free). This will assist the discrimination amongst tactics.

47


Google Analytics – (Overall Rating: 100 out of 100)
Google Analytics will greatly increase Leveraging Technology’s ability to observe usage patterns
which will help the firm format their website in a fashion that best suits customer conversion (as did
Agency.com which increased its conversion rates by 25% using Google Analytics -
http://www.google.com/analytics/case_study_agency.html). Knowing where customers visit, how long
they spend, and other such facts will help Leveraging Technology recognize what portions of the site are
of greatest interest to viewers.

There are not costs in implementing Google Analytics and the revenue it would help generate
(by more effectively directing and converting potential customers) would render the ROI of this tactic a
10. The American Cancer Society has experienced highly favorable ROI results using Google Analytics
on its website. Alexander Negash, Manager or Web Analytics and User Experience for the ACS, noted
that Google Analytics assists the firm in spending its dollars more wisely towards its mission by providing
“a holistic view of all of our marketing campaigns." Since its implementation in 2005, the ACS has
increased their CTR (Click Through Rate) by 908.22%, with ROI in various segments of the site increasing
from 116-600%. The ACS used Google Analytics to analyze user traffic and determine where it had been
generated from and which searches had lead customers to the site
(http://www.google.com/analytics/case_study_acs.html). More information and case studies can be
seen at google.com/analytics. Google Analytics would be quick and easy to implement on the site (just
pasting the html code into the site’s code). This would be relatively simple, easy to maintain, and have
an extremely long lifetime (as long as the internet is around). The only risk assumed through this tactic
would be minimal since it is also the risk of Google’s database getting hacked, and considering the
company’s size and internet market dominance, the chances of this are slim to none. There would be no
dissolution costs in truncating usage of Google Analytics. Given these applications of the choice criteria,
we can conclude that Google Analytics is a high priority tactic.

Google Analytics
Unfavorable Favroable

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Expected ROI (Value Added)
Cost of Implementation
Time of Implementation
Ease of Implementation
Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance
Simplicity of Method
Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

48


Promotional Video – (Overall Rating: 65 out of 100)
A promotional video would help promote a memorable, competent, and compelling company
image. This would greatly increase mind-share among current and potential clients (which would result
in greater customer retention and conversion).

Creating the promotional video could cost anywhere between $100 and $1,500 and take
anywhere from one week to six months, depending on how the video is created (either professional
film-maker or a student making it for a film project). People remember only 20% of what they see (like
testimonials on the website) versus 45% of what they both see and hear (like with the promotional
video). Potential clients could watch this video with both stimuli at their own pace and convenience,
which would contribute in customer retention/acquisition. This combined with the uniquely progressive
image the promotional video would portray (since very few technology consultants have created their
own promotional video, and this would put Leveraging Technology ahead of the pack in terms of web
marketing) would result in a favorable return on investment
(http://www.houstonpromotionalvideo.com/html/promotional_video_benefits.htm). It would also be
relatively simple and standardized for each client, making it easy to maintain. The video could include
customer testimonials and segments where employees and company leaders tell viewers about the
mission, expertise, and successful history of Leveraging Technology. This would help solidify the
company’s image. The useful lifetime of the video would only be a year or so, at which point a new
video could be created to keep the firm’s information current. There might be some losses in dissolution
of this tactic if the video was abandoned midway through creation. The only risk assumed by this project
would be the publishing of non-current or sensitive information. However, attention to specific details
could help avoid any potential problems in this capacity.

Promo Video
Unfavorable Favorable
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance
Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

49


Employee Profiles – (Overall Rating: 79 out of 100)
Creating profiles for each of the employees at Leveraging Technology would help gain some
mind share (for those remember specific individuals) and increase confidence (contributing to customer
conversion). The quality of the website would also be enhanced with more specific information about
the competence of consultants.

The expected ROI would be moderately favorable, since the profiles would take little time and
effort to create, but would satisfy the curiosity of clients. The simplicity of the method would lend to
maintaining it in the future. Individual employees could periodically update their profiles and add
information about projects they have been working on (to stimulate interest in potential clients).
Profiles can be as simple or extravagant as Leveraging Technology desires, creating basic textual
biographies with credentials or including pictures, blog feeds, personal websites, etc. This method could
be used throughout the company’s lifetime. There would be no costs involved with dissolution of this
tactic. The only risk with employee profiles would be that of employee privacy, the effect of which
would vary from employee to employee.

Employee Profiles
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance

Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

50


Blog – (Overall Rating: 77 out of 100)
Blog feeds would help clients to keep current on the company’s activities. This would help
increase mind share (with periodic publishing of activity), open a channel for feedback, improve the
quality of the website, and also increase the probability of customer conversion by eliciting potential
customer interaction.

Several blogging and micro-blogging sites (like Wordpress and Twitter) are available for quick,
easy, simple, and free access to blogging tools. And these tools are highly useful for promoting business
activities and informing current and potential clients. Sarah Lacy of BusinessWeek notes that “Blogging
has moved far beyond a hobbyist phenomenon and proved itself a legitimate news force and shaper of
opinion” (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2008/tc20080923_460488.htm).
However, maintenance of this feature would be highly-involved and require a great attention to the
information-exposure of posted content (these feeds are legally binding). Dissolution costs, in the form
of customer opinions, could affect Leveraging Technology if an active blog was discontinued, causing
suspicion, confusion, and frustration over the disappearance of the online presence (this could be
avoided if a formal explanation was posted in the event that the blog was discontinued). This tactic
could be used as long as desirable. However, risks would arise from users who might post disagreeable,
inappropriate, and/or sensitive content on the blog. Competitors might also follow Leveraging
Technology’s feeds, increasing the risks of exposing sensitive or competitive information.

Blog
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance
Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

51


Web Polls – (Overall Rating: 69 out of 100)
Web polls could be used to collect data about visitors to the Leveraging Technology website.
These polls would help Leveraging Technology glean customer feedback and potentially improve the
quality of the website.

The ROI of these web polls would be somewhat low despite the simplicity and low time/cost
involved in implementation. This is because the benefit of such polls would be fairly low, since few
clients are predicted to visit the website and even fewer would actually complete the questionnaire
without getting frustrated (and this would work against the company’s image/impression). The
usefulness of the information would also be limited because many of the questions would be covered in
post-service interviews and/or the customer database. This tactic would be fairly simple and would have
an arbitrary useful life, determined by the user. While there would be no risk assumed in this tactic and
no dissolution costs, it simply doesn’t have a great ROI.

Web Polls
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance
Useful Lifetime

Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

52


Testimonials – (Overall Rating: 86 out of 100)
Acquiring and displaying testimonials of satisfied customers would help solidify confidence in
Leveraging Technology’s abilities and effectiveness. This would help improve customer opinions (mind
share), increase the quality of the website (with interesting and relevant content), and help convert
customers.

The ROI of this tactic would be very difficult to measure, but the highly favorable impact on the
company’s image would be invaluable. And since these testimonials would be somewhat easy to collect
(using selected portions from client interviews), the ROI would be extremely favorable. A good deal of
time would be involved in soliciting clients, conducting interviews, and shaping the final testimonials. It
could also be fairly difficult to establish an overall format for these comments in both the visual and
textual formats. It would, however, be relatively simple to accomplish each step of this process (with
clearly defined objectives) and would be very easy to maintain (periodically gathering new testimonials).
This tactic would also be necessary to complete a compelling promotional video.

Testimonials
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance

Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

53


Social Networking – (Overall Rating: 65 out of 100)
Social networking on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook would help Leveraging Technology
establish a web present reaching farther than their own website. This would greatly increase mind-share
through customer interaction (and resulting feedback channels) while increasing web quality.

There would be no monetary cost in creating and maintaining social networking profiles.
However, these social networking presences would require a good deal of time and effort for
implementation and maintenance (greater than that of the blog). This would be a fairly simple tactic to
implement (but complicated to maintain) and would involve some risk exposure since a good portion of
the content on these profiles would be user-generated. Therefore, risks would arise from users who
might post disagreeable, inappropriate, and/or sensitive content. Like the blog, dissolution costs, in the
form of customer opinions, could affect Leveraging Technology if social networking profiles are
discontinued (causing suspicion, confusion, and frustration over the disappearance of the online
presence; this could be avoided if a formal explanation was posted in the event that the blog was
discontinued). This tactic could be used as long as desirable. The ROI of this tactic could vary according
to the nature of this tactic’s implementation and relevance to clients (how many of Leveraging
Technology’s clients use each of these networks?).

Social Networking
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10


Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance
Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

54


Registration – (Overall Rating: 86 out of 100)
A registration process before or after service is administered could be used to compile a
customer information database. Direct feedback and recommendations for the company website might
be gleaned through this tactic.

The cost, ease, and time of implementation and maintenance involved with a registration
process would be fairly minimal and would give Leveraging Technology access to highly desirable
information. A registration process would be very simple, have an indefinite useful life, involve no
dissolution costs, and require no significant exposure to risk. Altogether, the ROI of this tactic would be
highly favorable, given the low level of monetary and non-monetary costs involved and the high level of
usefulness to Leveraging Technology.

Registration
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Interest of Client
Ease of Maintenance
Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

55


Newsletter – (Overall Rating: 75 out of 100)
A monthly newsletter would allow Leveraging Technology to increase mind-share (with constant
reminders and updates for readers) as well as the quality of the website (with the newsletter content).

The newsletter would be fairly low-cost to create and publish every month (since most or all of
the content would be posted on the website and blog, as opposed to mailing out hard copies). The time
and effort required for maintenance, however, would be significantly higher since content would need
to be compiled, filtered (for security and relevance), and distributed every month. This would very easily
translate into several hours of work each week. This tactic would be simple in concept (though complex
in creation), have an arbitrarily indefinite useful life, and involve negligible levels of risk exposure.
Dissolution costs, however, would (like the blog and social network profiles) be incurred from any
unfavorable effects on general customer opinions. Unlike blogging and social networks, the newsletter
content could be more formal and refined to avoid undesirable exposure (which would be more likely
with raw, unchecked blog feeds). This newsletter could be used as incentive for customers to register in
the company’s customer database and could integrate feeds from news services (like
lockheedmartin.com) or other sources as desired.

Newsletter
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Interest of Client

Ease of Maintenance
Useful Lifetime
Risk Exposure
Dissolution Cost

56


CONCLUSION
Red Hare consulting therefore recommends Leveraging Technology utilize the highest rated tactics
according to the selection rubric. These tactics should help Leveraging Technology in improving the
firm's web presence, feedback channels, customer conversion, and web quality. In order to measure and
control the effectiveness of each tactic's implementation and use, performance metrics and benchmarks
should be set for future reference. The following section explores these considerations and presents
possible metrics, benchmarks, and control considerations for successful implementation

57

Section 5 – How do we ensure safe arrival?

STEP: 1 2 3 4 5
How do we ensure safe arrival?


58


INTRODUCTION
This section provides matrices for each suggested tactic that was evaluated in the previous
section. Measuring the effectiveness of a recently implemented system is usually overlooked, and this
leads to uncertainty in what worked best and why. The causes of success or failure might also be
overlooked without an effective measurement and control system. This section is significant in providing
the exact procedure of executing each tactic to obtain its objective.

59


PERFORMANCE STANDARDS METRIC
Objective Tactic Metric Control
Increase by 50% (first Visit the website
6 moths) reminders
Web traffic

Increase by 5% Increase locations of
(annually) URL

Increase search terms Reuse successful
Search Terms
that target users terms

100 unique links by Place URL after each
External Links
December 2009 comment
Google Analytics

Appear on first page
Google Rating of search engine by Increase key terms
December 2009

Minimum of 4 pages Suggest next page on
Pages Visited
per visit each web page

5 minutes per visit 6
Place promotional
Length of Visit months after website
video on home page
revamp

Increase places
20 views/month by
Promotional Video where video’s URL
December 2009
appear

60% registered by Send customer
Registration
December 2010 appreciation letters

Marketing
Effectiveness
Send customer
Testimonials 2 by December 2009
appreciation letters

Divide content of
Newsletter Monthly
each newsletter

20 unique written
Expand on popular
Blog feedbacks by
topics
December 2009

Complete by August Assess realistic time
Website Revamp
2009 table for completion

100 unique Delegate individual
Web Networking connections by responsible for web
December 2009 activities

Employee Profile for Add 1 profile per
Employee Profiles
each employee week

60


The Performance Standards Metric graph is an illustration of the tactics and metrics
used to achieve stated objectives. The objective, marketing effectiveness, includes strategies to
gain client feedback, develop web presence, increase customer conversion, and increase the
quality of website for Leveraging Technology. Web presence for current clients, employees,
and other stakeholders includes available online availability and awareness relevant to
Leveraging Technology’s online presence.

In order to obtain the objective (marketing effectiveness through the four strategies) 9
tactics were suggested: Google Analytics, a promotional video, a website registration, client
testimonials, newsletter, a Blog, a redesign of Leveraging Technology’s website, web
networking, and employee profiles. Each tactic is accompanied by a metric to measure the
process of achieving that tactic and ensuring its success. The control column provides a
suggestion of what Leveraging Technology can do if the metric has not been successfully met.

Tactic 1: Google Analytics
Google Analytics provides a large amount of valuable information for websites;
Leveraging Technology will focus on the statistics of web traffic, most frequent terms used for
searching Leveraging Technology’s website, links that users click to arrive at
www.leveragingtechnology.com, the website’s rank in search engines, the number of pages
each user visits, and the length of time each user spends on a unique visit to the website.

With the tactics suggested in question 4, Red Hare Consulting believes Leveraging
Technology will be able to experience a 50% increase in web traffic within the first 6 months of
revamping the website, and a 5% increase each following year. If after 6 months web traffic has
not increased, Leveraging Technology is encouraged to send out quick e-mail reminders to their
clients to visit their newly remodeled website or to increase the disbursement of the URL; for
example, placing the URL on each business card, after each e-mail signature, after each Blog
post, on social networking websites, and on each brochure or any other promotional materials.

With the proper placement of the website’s URL and tactics used to promote the newly
designed website, Leveraging Technology should receive visitors who have clicked on 100
unique links by December 2009.

When local businesses use search engines to seek out a Rochester-based, technology
consulting company, Leveraging Technology’s website should appear within the first page of
the search results. Google Analytics identifies the search terms that are most effective in
enabling the website to appear. Increasing the amount of key terms identified by Google
Analytics increases the efforts of ensuring that the company’s website will appear on the first
page of search engines by the end of 2009.

61


After users begin utilizing the newly revamped website, each user should click on at
least four (4) pages per visit and spend at least 5 minutes on the website on each visit. If
Analytics displays that users are hitting less than 4 pages per visit after 6 months, Leveraging
Technology can counter this by suggesting pages for users to visit after viewing a previous page.
For example, at the bottom of the “About Us” page the company can display a hyperlink stating
“Check out our experts”. To increase the amount of time spent on the website the promotional
video can be placed on the homepage and the web polls can change more frequently. This will
lead users to other pages and increase customer knowledge of Leveraging Technology.

Tactic 2: Promotional Video
Production of the promotional video will coincide with redesign of the website. After
December 2009 the promotional video should receive 20 views per month. If Leveraging
Technology notices that each month, after December 2009, the video is only being viewed 15
times per month there a few control methods that may aid in reaching the goal: 1. Increase the
number of locations that the video’s URL appear. 2. Send a friendly message to clients asking
them to watch the new video. 3. Create a Blog about the production of the video and link to it.
4. Create a Twitter asking users to view the new video.

Tactic 3: Registration Process
Leveraging Technology is encouraged to begin efforts in recruit clients to register on
their website before it is fully revamped. This will cause excitement and anticipation among
clients who are unsure of all the benefits that come with being a registered member. By
December 2010, 60% of clients should be registered through the website. To guarantee this
percentage, friendly e-mail reminders of registration initiation can be sent out to clients, or
customer appreciation letters can be mailed out encouraging customers to register. Registered
customers can be titled “Elite clients” or “Partner clients” to cultivate pride in registering.

Tactic 4: Testimonials
With the increasing concern of client privacy, Leveraging Technology isn’t expected or
capable of providing testimonials from all of their clients. However, having client testimonials
will be very beneficial in exhibiting Leveraging Technology’s aptitude. Efforts should begin now
in gaining client approval for complete testimonials and two (2) testimonials should be viewable
by the end of December 2009. An effort to gain the two (2) testimonials may include sending a
client appreciation letter valuing the completed projects done together and asking participation
in sharing that experience. It is expected that the testimonials will also contribute to an
increase in customer conversion through the conveyed competence.

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Tactic 5: Newsletter
At least one (1) fresh newsletter should reach clients once a month. The newsletter is a
tactic aimed at increasing web presence and increasing client knowledge. If it becomes difficult
to distribute an extensive newsletter monthly, then the content of each newsletter can be
divided so one-half of a story comes out one month and the follow-up section continues during
the following months. The creation and perfecting of the newsletter can be shared among more
employees.

Tactic 6: Blog
The purpose of the Blog is to increase web presence and primarily develop client
feedback. A new Blog topic is encouraged weekly, but responses to Blogs are encouraged daily.
The amount of time invested in presenting attention-grabbing topic will increase the probability
of gaining responses. By the end of December 2009 each Blog should generate 20 unique
written responses, including ones from Leveraging Technology. To increase the chance of
success of feedback following Blogs should expand on previously popular Blogs.

Tactic 7: Website Revamp
The website revamp is intended to improve the quality of Leveraging Technology’s web
presence and will include most of the proposed tactics. It is encouraged that the website is
completely revamped by August 2009, exactly six (6) months after the presentation of this
marketing plan. Six (6) months allots time for a co-op student of intern to complete the project.
If the website revamp cannot be completed in six (6) months Leveraging Technology can
internally determine a suitable period.

Tactic 8: Social Networking
After five (5) months of the website revamp it is expected to gain at least 100 unique
connections through LinkedIn, Twitter, and Blogging. These connections will create feedback

channels and presumably increase web presence, customer conversion, and web quality. If 100
unique connections are not made after five (5) months of access then more time should be
allocated to using each site and different individuals can be delegated to one particular site.

Tactic 9: Employee Profile
Employee profiles will make leveragingtechnology.com a more personable website
resulting to an increase in web quality. Leveraging Technology has approximately 14
employees with specialized expertise that should be shown off to clients and users. Certain
users may not know what technology is needed to resolve an issue but they may be aware of
the category of skills required. Employee profiles create trust in by assuming clients that
Leveraging Technology employs experts.

63


OBJECTIVE TIMELINE
The 2009 and 2010, timelines are included to serve as a monthly guideline for
completing tactics. The timelines also illustrate the month to measure the success or failure of
a tactic. Not every month is included in the timelines, so the efforts of the previous month
should be continued within absent months.

Understanding the timeline example:
• Tactic: Web traffic
• Metric: Increase by 50% after first 6 months of revamped website
• Control: Send reminders to visit the website

In the 2009 timeline under August 2009 is the metric “Completion of website design”.
Under January 2010 is the metric “weekly web traffic up by 50%” for the above tactic.


64

Examine Marketing Plan
March and delegate tactics to
individuals

Call Red Hare consulting.
2009 Timeline May
We want to hear from
you!

Begin production on
June
promotional video

Completion of Website
August
redesign

Active Blog

September Active Newsletter

2009

Active promotional video

Evaluation of successful
key terms for search
engines

November

20 promotional video
views

100 unique links

Appear on first page of
Search engines

December 2 testimonials on website

20 unique responses to
the Blog

65 20 video views


2010 Timeline

Weekly web
January
Traffic up by 50%

Continue efforts
February to increase Client
Registration

Ensure that all
March web material is
still relevant

2010 Evaluate
April registration
process

Customer
August appreciation
letter

60% of clients Leveraging Technology | Red Hare Consulting

registered on
website
December
2 new consulting
clients

66


SCHEDULE OF IMPLEMENTATION
The schedule of implementation is a layout of tactic implementation to ensure the
success of the objectives. The schedule does not include every tactic or replace currently used
tactics. Instead, it simply functions as a reminder. Example, under Annually: Leveraging
Technology has tactics that will gain 2 new clients annually, and Leveraging Technology should
personally contact each client by sending out a customer appreciation letter. What is not
included is Leveraging Technology’s previous tactic of holding seminars that usually result in
new contacts.

67


Schedule Graph

Respond to Blog posts

Daily

Respond to E-mails

New Blog post

Weekly Social Network activity

Web Polls

Schedule

New Newsletter

Monthly Analyze Google Analytics

Should have: 5%
increase in web traffic
and 20 promotional
video views

2 new clients

Annually

Customer appreciation
letter

68


FEEDBACK CHANNELS
Feedback channels are open terminals that allow clients to communicate with
Leveraging Technology. The chart below was formed to demonstrate the amount of
information that is potentially being lost due to limited feedback channels.

Current Channels Suggested Channels

 Telephone  Web Polls
 E-mail  Blog
 In person  LinkedIn
 Seminars  Twitter
 Testimonials
 Promotional Video
Responses
 Newsletter Responses
 Registration
comments

69


RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Return on investment is used to measure the effectiveness of an investment.
Calculating Leveraging Technology’s return of investment was difficult because the tactics,
minus the promotional video, require time and not money. The ROI chart displays the tactics
and their total cost. Red Hare Consulting suggests Leveraging Technology hires an intern/co-op
student for implementation of the tactics.

Tactics Cost of Implementation

Google Analytics 0
Website Revamp
• Intern/co-op $4000

• Promotional Video/ $500
Equipment

• Blog 0

• Newsletter 0

• Web polls 0

• Employee profile 0

• Testimonials 0

Social Networks 0

Total: $4500

Google Analytics, Testimonials, social networking, newsletter, Blog, and employee Leveraging Technology | Red Hare Consulting
profiles will not require monetary investments. Red Hare Consulting suggests a 3-month co-
op/intern at $10 an hour for 40 hours a week equaling $4000. The intern/co-op student will be
responsible for revamping the website and creating the promotional video. Along with the
promotional video an estimated cost of $500 is applied for video equipment. The $4000 for the
intern/co-op + the $500 for equipment total $4500. The tactics are created to gain 2 new
clients per year. Over a lifetime each client generates revenue of $400,000. For the ROI
equations: The gain from investment = number of new clients per year + average lifetime
revenue from a single client. Cost of Investment = Salary for intern/co-op student +
promotional video equipment.

70


= 176.77 x 100 = 17,677% ROI

The calculation of return on investment illustrates that a one time investment of $4500
will result in a return of 17,677%.

PBP (PAYBACK PERIOD)
During the first year of implementation, Leveraging Technology will see an estimated
return on investment of $4,500. This tentative return could easily be surpassed if tactics
complement each other.

71


7S MODEL
As described in question 1, McKinsey’s 7S Model is used by Management to determine
how the business operates. Again, strategy is “the direction and scope of the company over the
long term.” Systems are “the formal and informal procedures that govern everyday activity,
covering everything from management information systems, through to the systems at the
point of contact with the customer.” After complete implementation of this marketing plan,
Leveraging Technology will see a change in their strategy and systems. The strategy will include
a web presence that will mature as the company grows. The systems that Leverage Technology
uses will now include social networks, Blogs, newsletters, and production videos. If Leveraging
Technology’s strategy and systems have not changed the plan has not been properly executed.

Strategy

Systems

CONTINGENCY PLAN
A contingency Plan is developed as a secondary option for a specific situation as a buffer
against unexpected changes and/or failures (i.e. Plan B). This contingency plan will serve as a
guide in the event that results are unfavorable to Leveraging Technology. In this case,
unfavorable results are not necessarily unfavorable, but they might not allow for the gaining of
two new clients per year or gaining more than two new clients per year. In other cases gaining
more clients than expected is viewed as positive, however, for the present moment, Leveraging
Technology works most effective with an average of obtaining two new clients per year.

72


As agreed, this marketing plan and any of its components can be implemented by the
choice of Leveraging Technology. All of the tactics, metrics, and controls are suggested to
achieve the overall objectives. Omitting any of the tactics may cause difficulty in achieving
certain objectives.

The metrics are more subjective. After viewing the tactics and metrics, Leveraging
Technology can modify the metrics to more desirable to realistic results based on their
capability at the time. Most of the metrics were created as a length guideline. For instance, a
50% increase in web traffic 6 months after the website revamp. If the website revamp isn’t
fully completed until December 2009, instead of the suggested date of August 2009, then the
50% increase in web traffic is expected to be seen by June 2010 instead of January 2010.

Overall, all of the suggestions are based on the tactics that fit best with the objectives.
Any of the controls can we reserved to decrease the result of certain actions. Likewise, any of
the tactics can be eliminated if they cause conflict with other successful methods.

LIMITATIONS
This section is included to explain Leveraging Technology and this marketing plan’s
limitations. Not only are tactics evaluated by the choice criteria listed in question 3 (and the
tactic selection rubric explained in question 4), but also on both parties’ limitations in the short-
term.

Limitations
 Resources - Human Capital
 Budget

 Time

Leveraging Technology’s main limitation includes their recourse of employees. Few
employees currently have free time to strictly dedicate their time to the proposed tactics.
Some of the suggested tactics require a great deal of invested time but will sustain without
requiring a lot of time on maintenance.

Red Hare Consulting’s limitations for developing this marketing plan include budget
restrictions and time. Although budget restriction is a limitation, all of the objectives and
tactics were developed before knowledge of the budget. As a result, Red Hare Consulting was
able to select tactics strictly on the bases of effectiveness without trying to exhaust the budget.

73


Once Red Hare Consulting received the budget, the tactics were reexamined to guarantee they
fit into the budget.

Time has become the primary limitation for Red Hare Consulting. However, the objectives
are intended to increase mind share and accomplish Leveraging Technology’s desired goals.
Due to time limits Red Hare Consulting is unable to measure the effectives of mind share on
Leveraging Technology’s clients in a more comprehensive manner. However, none of the
limitations have caused enough intricacy to obscure the completion of this marketing plan as a
whole.

CONCLUSION
Question 5, “How do we ensure safe arrival?”, provides a list of metrics for evaluating
the success of each proposed tactic. The proposed tactics have been established to achieve the
overall objectives with increased customer feedback, web presence, customer conversion, and
web quality. Each metric includes a method for controlling the reach of that tactic. Due to
current and unforeseen limitations, a contingency plan has been developed advising Leveraging
Technology to expand timelines suitable to arising conditions.


74


SUMMARY
Question 1, “Where are we now?” provides collected information used to structure the
following questions: “Where do we want to be?”, “How might we get there?”, “Which way is best?”,
and, “How do we ensure safe arrival?” Question 1 allows Leveraging Technology to examine their
current market position to see how the suggested tactics could advance the firm to desired positions.

Question 2, “Where do we want to be?” evaluates the desirable position Leveraging
Technology seeks within their industry. In order to achieve this shift, plausible tactics are
explored and scrutinized. The following questions explored and discriminated between possible
tactics could be executed to move Leveraging Technology across the gap from current to
desired positions.

Question 3, “How might we get there?” lists all of the tactics considered to reflect the 4
themes of web quality, web presence, customer conversion, and feedback channels. Lastly
question 3 provided a choice criteria chart that measures the effectiveness of each tactic. The
choice criteria chart helps to highlight the level of usefulness of each tactic relative to
Leveraging Technology's desired market position.

Question 4, “Which way is best?” recommends Leveraging Technology to utilize the highest
rated tactics according to the selection rubric. These tactics should help Leveraging Technology in
improving the firm's web presence, feedback channels, customer conversion, and web quality. In order
to measure and control the effectiveness of each tactic's implementation and use, performance metrics
and benchmarks are introduced in the next question.

Question 5, “How do we ensure safe arrival?” explores metrics for evaluating the
success of each proposed tactic. Each metric includes a method for controlling the reach of a
given tactic and projects a reasonable timeline for implementation and effectiveness.
Contingency plans and limitations of suggested tactics are included to encourage Leveraging

Technology to continue exploring internet marketing options.

75

Appendices
Appendices

76

Appendices

APPENDICES
Appendix A - Further Reading

The following books and online articles serve as guides to get a better understanding of
Further Reading

social networks.

Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk With
Wordpress

Customers by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel.

Visual Quickstart Guide: Wordpress 2 by Maria Langer and Miraz Jordan.

• LinkedIn and Twitter Profile Optimization
LinkedIn

http://www.anvilmediainc.com/linkedin-twitter-profile-optimization-article.htm

Search Engine Optimization

DigiMarketing: The Essential Guide to New Media Marketing by Kent Wertime & Ian
Fenwick
•

Search Marketing Strategies: A Marketer’s Guide to Objective-Driven Success from Search
Engines by James Colborn.
•

Twitter

A Guide to Twitter: What It Is, How to Use It, and Twitter Tools
http://www.lostartofblogging.com/twitter-guide

•

An Introduction to Twitter Hashtags
http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/archive/2008/03/11/an-introduction-to-
•

twitter-hashtags.aspx
Appendix B - References

Colborn, J., 2006. Search Marketing Strategies: A Marketer’s Guide to Objective-Driven Success from
Search Engines. Bodmin: Elsevier.

Corbett, P., 5 Jan 2009. 2009 Facebook Demographics and Statistics Report: 276% Growth in 35-54
Year Old Users. istrategylabs. http://www.istrategylabs.com/2009-facebook-demographics-and-

77

Appendices

statistics-report-276-growth-in-35-54-year-old-users/ [Accessed 23 Feb 2009].

Langer, M., and Jordan, J., 2006. Visual Quickstart Guide: Wordpress 2. Berkeley: Peachpit Press.

Leaman, R., 11 March 2008. An Introduction to Twitter Hashtags. Wild Apricot Blog.
http://www.wildapricot.com/blogs/newsblog/archive/2008/03/11/an-introduction-to-twitter-
hashtags.aspx [Accessed 20 Feb 2009].

Puiu, T., 7 April 2009. Twitter: Why It’s So Great and How to Effectively Use It. Lost Art of Blogging.
http://www.lostartofblogging.com/twitter-guide [Accessed 23 Feb 2009].

Scoble, R., and Israel, S., 2006. Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses
Talk With Customers. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

The 7S McKinsey Model. Building Brands.
http://www.buildingbrands.com/didyouknow/14_7s_mckinsey_model.php [Accessed 20 Feb
2009].

Wertime, K. and Fenwick, I., 2008. DigiMarketing: The Essential Guide to New Media & Digital
Marketing. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons.


78

Appendices

IBM
Appendix C - Competitor Website Layouts

F IGURE 2 - S OURCE : HTTP :// WWW . IBM . COM

CDW

F IGURE 3 - S OURCE : HTTP :// WWW . CDW . COM

79

Appendices

SIRIUS Computer Solutions

F IGURE 4 - S OURCE : HTTP :// WWW . SCSINET . COM

Prolifics


F IGURE 5 - S OURCE : HTTP :// WWW . PROLIFICS . COM

80

Appendices

Appendix D - Competitor Registration Process

Sirius Computer Solutions

Figure 6 - Source: http://www.mysiriuszone.com/

81

Appendices

Appendix E - Successful Company Twitter Accounts

Barack Obama – official Twitter for the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
http://twitter.com/Barack Obama
• Updated frequently
• Responds directly to followers
• Follows a majority of its own followers
• Frequently links to Obama official website and other marketing

F IGURE 7: SOURCE - HTTP :// WWW . TWITTER . COM /B ARACK O BAMA


82

Appendices

Infinity Ward – Creator of Call of Duty 4, the best-selling video game of 2007.
http://www.twitter.com/infinity ward

Strengths
• Follows a majority of it’s own followers
• Posts latest news regarding the company
• Utilizes “hashtags” (See Further Readings appendix for more information)
• Links to Twitter accounts of employees
• Posts job openings

F IGURE 8: SOURCE - HTTP :// WWW . TWITTER . COM / INFINITYWARD

83

Appendices

Appendix F - Successful Newsletters

Apple iTunes New Video Spotlight
http://www.apple.com


Strengths

Showcases latest news and releases
Aesthetically pleasing
•

Links to official website
•

Showcases latest prices from official store
•
•

84

Appendices

Manchester United redview
http://www.manutd.com

Strengths

Offers latest news regarding British soccer team Manchester United
Aesthetically pleasing
•

Profiles team members and staff
•

Posts discussion topics
•

Links to official website and other social networking sites
•

Stimulates customer interaction via polls
•
•

85

Appendices

Appendix G – LinkedIn Examples

LinkedIn can be used to locate and connect with potential future employees and promote
job openings. This could help in the future as Leveraging Technology expands its operations.


86

Appendices

A group can be created on LinkedIn for specific entities or organizations (like the E. Philip
Saunders College of Business at RIT). Leveraging Technology can create such groups for business
partners, associate consultants, and departments. As you can see, discussions, updates, news, and
more can be displayed within these groups on LinkedIn.

87

Appendices

When searching for “Technology Consulting” companies, IBM (Leveraging Technology’s main
software supplier) appears third in the listing. This means if Leveraging Technology links to IBM on their
network, connections with thousands of potential clients can be created (and maybe exploited).


88

Appendices

IBM’s LinkedIn profile is a premium example of a well-structured and developed approach within this
infomediary. Leveraging Technology can learn a good deal from and customize their web presence
according to the LinkedIn profiles of IBM and the multitude of other consulting firms on LinkedIn.

89

Appendices

Appendix H – Successful Blogs

Gizmodo.com – The Gadget Guide
http://www.gizmodo.com

Strengths

• Simplistic layout
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Quick links to popular posts

• Organized advertising space

90

Appendices

Joystiq
http://www.joystiq.com

Strengths

• Spatial website layout
• Quick links to popular posts and feature stories
• High percentage of visual content

91

Appendices

Appendix I – Documentation from Client Meetings

Preliminary questions for client:

Must know:
• What is your existing business model?
• What are your existing marketing initiatives?
• How large is your company?
• What is your primary source of revenue?
• How much revenue is put toward marketing?

Should know:
• What is your mission statement?
• What existing clients do you currently have?
• What are your annual goals?
• Quarterly goals?

Would like to know:
• How large is your total staff?
• How large is your marketing staff?
• What success have you had? What did you learn?
• What failures have you had? What did you learn?

Tell us if you’ve time:
• What are your core business philosophies?
• Why did you get into this business?
• How did the business get started?


92

Appendices

Appendix J – Glossary

7S - McKinsey 7S (Structure, Systems, Style, Strategy, Skills, Shared values, and Staff)
Framework is a tool that analysis’s organizations and their effectiveness.

Blog - A website maintained by a singe individual who routinely updates the pages with content
of self-interest to share with views.

Blogger – Author of a blog

CTR – Click-through ratio. The number of clicks n a website that result to a sale.

Facebook – A free social networking website that connects users across the world to each other
through networks, pictures, videos, comments, IM messages, e-mails, and more.

Feed- stream of frequently updated information

LinkedIn – A free business orientated social network intended to connect individuals to their
professional network.

ROI – Return on Investment. A percentage calculated by total gain from investment minus total
invested divided by total invested.

SEO - Search engine optimization. Process of increasing the amount of web traffic from search
engines through search tools.

SWOT – A basic model that directs the development of a marketing plan. SWOT is an
acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Tweet – a single post on a Twitter profile.

Twitter – A free micro-blogging system used to connect to users in real time.
Wordpress? – An open source project that serves as a platform for setting up weblogs.

93

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