Using Digital Strategy to Achieve Your Goals

At Vervology, we specialize in digital strategy. We are firm believers in the power of intentional planning to reach your online goals as a business. Still, a digital strategy can seem like an abstract concept, especially in a world where technology is constantly changing and developing. It can be hard to plan for these sorts of advancements.

This is why we are going to be sharing some guidance on how to take on building your digital strategy. And although there is no doubt about changes coming in the future, it will help provide a solid foundation for you to build on as the years go by.

Setting Goals

Before getting started, it’s important to know where specifically you want to go. You may know that you need an e-commerce website to satisfy customers’ needs, but don’t be afraid to get more specific than that. Usually, you want to go about setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). So, put in exact numbers that you think are realistic for your business.

An example of this might be: “By May 1, I will have an e-commerce website that will bring in $8,500 per month in sales.”

From there, you would start to break down exactly what you need to do to reach these goals. For example, you could hire a third party company to build the website and begin marketing it to customers.

Building a Digital Strategy

In its essence, a digital strategy should answer the following questions: why (the purpose)? What (your business and goals)? Where (which platforms)? And when (your timeframe)? If you can bring an answer for all of these, you’ll put yourself in good shape to proceed.

The challenge comes when trying to plan for the long term. What comes next? With digital technology rapidly changing all around us, a digital strategy requires a certain amount of flexibility. For example, how you are posting on Instagram now may not be the same in a year or even six months.

Simply put, be open to changing with the world. Staying in the same rigid schedule or posting style could make your brand look inflexible or out of touch. As you open yourself up to the changes, you will open your business to new customers and opportunities.

Digital Strategy Goals

As a small business owner, you probably already have several goals in mind that you are hoping to reach with a digital strategy. That’s great! However, if there is any confusion about what a digital strategy can do for you, here are a couple of goals that Vervology typically assists small businesses with:

Improving an Existing Platform

“Improve” is a broad term and can mean different things for each individual case. Typically, it refers to one of the following:

• Revamping design to match the current brand

• Improving user experience to engage customers

• Revisiting content to ensure accuracy and relevancy

• Updating pictures so that they are high-res and properly portray the brand

• Checking functionality to ensure each page and button is working properly

• Optimizing for accessibility

Creating a New Platform

This is an important goal if you are hoping to engage customers in an online space and get the word out about your products and services. If one of your SMART goals is to increase awareness of your brand and bring in new customers from outside of the local sphere, this is the way to go.

Increasing Your Reach and Presence on Social Media

A digital strategy can help a ton when building social media. It will give you direction as you discover where your audience spends their time and how to get their attention.

Whatever you may be trying to achieve with your online presence, a digital strategy can serve as your guiding principle when you navigate through the plan itself. It will help keep your priorities in line and give you a sense of direction as you navigate your digital transformation.

Vervology’s focus is to help small businesses as they craft their own digital strategies. If you’re interested in having a partner as you navigate through these tumultuous times, please feel free to schedule a consultation. We’re always eager to help.