As people who work on the web we tend to get mostly tactical assignments, such as development of specific features, content, or visuals. How can thinking strategically lead to better success with web projects?

1. BETTER WEB PROJECTS THROUGH
STRATEGY

2. PRESENTED AT
HIGHEDWEB 2013

3. @DougGapinski

4. mStoner.com

5. SHARE
#heweb13
#wrk6

6. STEAL
slideshare.net/thedougco

7. The Plan and the Pattern
Five Strategic Questions for Better Web Work
Strategy Exercise

8. Analytics
Prototyping
Design
Content
TACTICAL
Online Advertising
User Testing
Social Media
Development

9. Analytics
Prototyping
Design
Content
TACTICAL
Online Advertising
User Testing
Social Media
Development

10. Strategy = Winning

11. Strategy ≠ Managing

12. STRATEGY
IS
A PLAN

13. “Strategy is the creation of a
unique and valuable position.”
– Michael E. Porter,
Harvard Business School
Source: hbr.org

14. In higher education, a strategic web project
strengthens the position of your institution.

15. trincoll.edu/urbanglobal

16. futurity.org

17. itap.purdue.edu/studio

18. STRATEGY IS A PATTERN

19. “An emergent strategy is a pattern of action
that develops over time in an organization...
despite a mission and goals.”
– Henry Mintzberg, McGill University
Source: http://bit.ly/1cijx6O

20. If you built your site with:
responsive web design,
accessibility compliance,
speed optimization,
and configured site search
...

21. ... you have an emergent web strategy.

22. The emergent web strategy is to serve
content to everyone from any device.

23. Emergent strategies exist
even if they go unobserved.

24. Building on patterns that already work
means a higher chance of success.

25. FIVE STRATEGIC QUESTIONS
(for better web projects)

26. 1
How does your web project relate to your
organization’s mission and financial goals?

27. MISSION
FINANCIAL GOALS
YOUR PROJECT

28. MISSION + RECRUITMENT
“We are more urban
and global than other
liberal arts colleges.”
trincoll.edu/urbanglobal

29. MISSION + RESEARCH
“We are one of the
world’s top research
universities.”
futurity.org

30. MISSION + CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE
“Our teaching
combines locationbased and online
learning.”
itap.purdue.edu/studio

31. 2
Who is the primary audience
for your project?

32. THE TYRANNY OF .EDU AUDIENCES
Traditional Age Students
Transfer Students
International Students
Graduate Students
Continuing Ed Students
Noncredit Students
Parents
Current Students
Alumni
Faculty
Staff
Businesses
Peer Institutions
Job Seekers

33. We’re about to look at a degree page example.
Real names have been replaced with
emoji cat heads to protect the innocent.

35. LET’S DO IT AGAIN.

36. = PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
= CURRENT STUDENTS

38. Source: xkcd.com

39. THINGS THAT STRENGTHEN THE POSITION OF A UNIVERSITY
WITH PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
A modified version of: xkcd.com/773

40. THAT’S
WEB STRATEGY
( LOVINGLY SET IN COMIC SANS)

41. 3
How can your project make a
bigger statement beyond the web?

42. ampersandbox.wm.edu

43. capitol.edu

44. augustana.edu/goodfit

45. 4
When can you get feedback
from your audience?

46. Knowing who ≠ knowing what they want

48. Primary audience:
Brown University fanatics
Primary purpose:
a place for them celebrate, share, and explore

49. We conducted interviews before prototyping,
in person at the Brown University campus.

50. We conducted user tests on prototypes
(using gotomeeting.com).

51. We performed task-based usability tests with
both Chalkmark and usertesting.com.

52. The Brown team will monitor analytics, social
activity and content submissions post-launch.

53. 5
How can you sustain the
content needs of your web site?

54. The content is the ecosystem.
Without it, all you have is a landscape.

56. Beyond a broad strategy,
you’re going to need a content strategy ...

57. ... and dedicated time for content
creation and curation.

58. Luckily, @radiofreegeorgy is here
to talk about content strategy next.

59. THE
EXERCISE

60. For a project in flight, or one you’ve
completed, answer the five questions.

61. How does your web project relate to your
organization’s mission and financial goals?
Who is the primary audience for your project?
How does (or how could) your project make
a bigger statement beyond the web?
When did (or could) you get feedback from your audience?
How do (or will) you sustain the content needs of your site?

62. THANKS
@DougGapinski