Archive for the ‘Systems Strategy’ Category

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Can you really make a “Brick & Mortar” business successful on the web?

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Get ready.. This is going to be one of my famous rants..

I took some time this weekend to thumb through the paper and take a look at the local companies who advertise there. I ran across a couple of companies (names withheld to protect the guilty) that run sizable ads – like quarter page or larger – that had previously contacted me saying they weren’t seeing the results they wanted from the web and wanted to know how we could improve their site.

What I think is funny is that in each case, the costs of everything I proposed to them (including an AdWords budget) would have cost less than $1,000 with me completely guaranteeing the results. In both cases, I was told no because of budgetary reasons, or that they didn’t feel the plan I proposed would work for “their business”.

It totally bewilders me how somebody who could spend hundreds, perhaps even thousands of dollars for an advertisement that runs one day, but won’t even give a second though to investing a few bucks into improving their website so that it targets their ideal client, weeds out unqualified or undesirable clients, and compels a direct response from the visitors, which generates leads and sales at virtually no cost.

Guess what, mystery companies Y & Z: You’re about to start hearing from me a lot more.. and here’s why: You are my perfect client. It isn’t because I think you have a bad website (actually, one of them is VERY nice).. It’s simply because you appear to have never seen success from your sites.

Experience is a great teacher, and it has taught me that even though many times I have to drag the customer kicking and screaming, once they actually start receiving results from their website their entire outlook changes. Not just their outlook, but their bottom line as well. We don’t get in there and try to recommend technology just for the sake of recommending technology. We focus on your goals and what it takes to get there.

We also teach you how to measure your results. Most of the time, this is the one thing that our competition leaves out. Sure you can have a great looking web site, but do people buy? Do they sign up for more info? If you are advertising online, what ads are they clicking on?

If you don’t know the answers to those questions. Don’t worry, you will. Don’t get caught up in the mindset where you think that your business is somehow different. We can work with every business and every industry and I guarantee you, we will find a way to make your website more profitable.

As for companies Y & Z.. I have a strange feeling you will see their success stories here soon.

Thanks for your time!

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Posted in Rants & Raves, Systems Strategy, Web Development | No Comments »

Ability is not easy

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Just a short entry to share something funny that happened to me today. I got a taste of my own medicine.

If you have been reading this for any length of time, you know that I always talk about how much better it is to hire an expert to help with your information systems strategy. My big argument is usually that many people don’t realize that the value in what I do. It definitely isn’t a commodity, and while raw talent has a little to do with it, my real strength is a combination of loving what I do, a lot practice and the embarrassment of a few failures along the way to give me solid experience.

One of my hobbies is playing the guitar. I am not very good at it, but I enjoy trying. I was in Guitar Center today to buy some strings and for some reason decided to wander into the little room where they have all the real expensive guitars. I saw a guy in there just whaling away on a guitar. I sat there for a few minutes and watched in awe as I was trying to think of what kind of guitar it had to be to sound that good.

When he finished I talked to him for a couple of minutes and found out a couple of things that shocked me. The guitar he was playing was a $149 Yamaha model and the song he was playing that had me so hooked was an original. 

Meaning it as a compliment, I told him I would give half my life to play like that. Without blinking he looked up at me and said “Yeah, well that’s pretty much what it took, dude.”

What an excellent way to put it. I hope I get a chance to use that line in the future with regard to my profession.

That’s it for today. Just wanted to share this. Thanks for your time.

Posted in Database Development, Systems Strategy | No Comments »

Let’s talk about listening..

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

I write about this a lot – and rightfully so – I believe it is one of the most fundamental things that a business can do to increase sales, customer satisfaction, ROI, TCO, IRR or whatever acronym or metric you want to use. Why do I believe this? Because I have proven it.

The topic: LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS!

Your customers will tell you what they want – but most of the time they won’t make you listen to them. One of the things that I always try to help my clients do is find ways to measure the wants and needs of their customers. Not just the customers you like and maybe have a chummy relationship with, but even those that you might feel are a little more of a pain to deal with. Have you ever given thought to why they might be a pain in the first place? Usually they will tell you.

In his book The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz tells us that Big people monopolize the listening and small people monopolize the talking. In all of my reading, I have found listening to your customer to be one of the most common qualities that all marjor business success stories have in common.

In all this talk about listening, I keep talking about your customers. I’m not talking about just your current customers, although that’s a good start. You should also look into capturing the opinions of customers that decide not to do business with you. Even better, find out what happened to those customers who have done business with you before but don’t anymore. You might think you know the answer already, but ask anyway. I have found that many times people are surprised at what they find!

Another strategy is to talk to the folks that are on the front lines with the customer like your delivery driver, customer service rep or salesperson – find out what they think – get their opinion on how you’re doing as well. Make it anonymous if you want – you are looking for honesty not praise here. Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart once flew his aircraft to Mt. Pleasant, Texas and parked it with instructions to the copilot to meet him 100 or so miles down the road. He then flagged down a Wal-Mart semi-truck and rode the rest of the way to “chat with the driver.” When asked about it, he said that it “seemed like so much fun” and that he had learned much. 

In business today, you have the ability to collect and process an enormous amount of information. Perhaps I should rephrase that – you have always had the ability to collect the information – but through a strong systems strategy, you have the ability to store, organize, search and act upon the information you collect. Customer feedback is a crucial part of this cycle. Why do you think that just about any time you buy something online these days you get a questionairre in your email a few days later? 

Think about it.

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How important is your job?

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

I read a story the other day that as usual, inspired some ideas for this blog post. I don’t mean this as a totally shameless plug, but one of the things that makes my company so unique is that we have a very balanced view of the solutions that we implement.

What I mean by “balanced view” is that we always look at the problem or business need and build the solution, not just to fix the problem or address the need, but to seamlessly “flow” into the other activities of the business. I know, it sounds like a lot of marketing crap, so let me try to recite the story for you:

A man was walking past a building site when he saw a couple of workers breaking granite. He walked over to them and asked one worker, “What are you doing?” and the guy replied “I’m trying to break this granite.” So he goes to the other one and asks the same question. The second guy, however replied “I’m on a team of people and we’re building a cathedral.”

The point I am trying to make is that to the common development firm, technology solutions are a commodity. It’s a couple dozen lines of code spit out that accomplishes the task they are given. In other words, they’re just breaking the granite – without any regard to how the granite fits into the overall plan for the cathedral.

Is that they guy you want creating your solution? One that can’t see past the task at hand? Maybe you would – but personally, I like the idea of the second guy. He has the bigger picture in mind. He’s a team member – not a consultant, not a vendor – but a true partner. He’s an expert that looks at the overall plans of the cathedral and not only breaks the granite for you – but will also help you decide whether you need Biotite-granite, Hornblende-granite or Tourmaline-granite. He will explain to you the diffences in composition and color and match them up with the colors you’re putting on your walls, etc. You get the idea.

Just as hiring a granite expert gives you the perfect granite for your construction job, a good solution architect will look at your overall systems strategy (and if you don’t have one, will recommend you get one!) and develop the solution that is best for your business – over and above the task at hand. Besides, what good is a system that you have to go out of your way to use? How satisfied do you think you will be with a “solution” that automates one function but creates 3 more manual processes in it’s wake?

I know, a lot of people don’t think about that kind of stuff. Fortunately for you though, I do. Don’t get me wrong – I didn’t always – Believe me, I have learned plenty from that school of hard knocks – that’s why experience so important in this field.

As usual, thanks for your time.

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What is innovation?

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

Innovation means doing what your competition does – only better.

When a lot of people think of innovation, they think of people like Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb, or the Wright brothers who first flew an airplane, or Alexander Graham Bell and the telephone.

These are all great inventions, but when I think of innovation, I think of people like Henry Ford. Henry didn’t invent anything. What he did is simply put a system in place to improve the way it was being done. 

Technology, especially in today’s business climate of the internet, plays a key role in innovation. No, let me rephrase that. Technology ENABLES innovation. True innovation still has to start with an idea or solution to a problem.

So, where does Technology come in? Only on the internet can your store look just as polished, just as stocked and just as big as your most well-capitalized competitor. In fact, you can be a one-person operation and compete against billion dollar companies – successfully I might add – by simply creating an efficient system – or way of doing business – and then contracting with a good graphic designer and web development company to furnish the technology that enables the system to run on autopilot.

As you’ve probably noticed, I like to keep this blog as information rich as possible, but I don’t think a shameless plug is too much once in a while.. So here goes: Mosier Information Services is your partner in online commerce. We have the best graphic artists and developers. Not to mention the experience in business to know that the technology is only a part of the equation. We help you integrate it into your business.

Thanks for your time.

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Never Say Never

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

I met with an old co-worker for lunch the other day. I won’t say his name out of respect but if he’s reading this he’ll know who he is. The long and short of the discussion came down to my new “strategy” as a solution architect and he integration of information systems strategy and technology into the nuts-and-bolts of the business.

He told me I was nuts. He said people don’t want the kind of advice I am offering. They hate change. This idea would never work. He offered so many reasons why I should stick to just being a programming and IT services firm that simply does what they are told that I almost gave into it.

After lunch, on the drive home I got to thinking.. Maybe it’s just him that hates change. The reason that I have made this change in my business model is because it DOES work. I didn’t wake up one day and decide that everything was broken and I had to fix it… Mosier Information Services has evolved, and will continue to do so… Exactly like my clients do. The fact that over the last couple of years my clients have allowed me to grow in the role of a trusted partner says it all.

No one ever gets successful making problems into excuses. Colonel Sanders was “too old” to start a business. The Wright Brothers knew that no-one had ever flown. Henry Ford faced a “lack of demand” for his automobiles. David was too young, too unskilled and too poorly equipped to face Goliath. They didn’t let these things stop them from being successful. Neither will I. 

Plus, I forgot to mention one thing at lunch. My success is measured by the success of my clients, not by my annual sales or profits. You will never convince me that aligning my interests with that of my customer is wrong. It’s the strategy that has made several of my clients successful already and it’s the one that got Mosier Information Services where it is today.

In closing, to Mr. X – If you’re reading this – I will leave you with a quote from George Bernard Shaw: “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” I appreciate your opinion and hope that your upcoming venture is successful. As for me, I will keep evolving with my clients.

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Making yourself the easiest company to do business with

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007

OK, so I am back on my soapbox about how customer service and technology are interdependent. Indulge me for just a couple of minutes. I will make this blog entry short, I promise.

Those of you that know me know that I do a lot of reading. For some strange reason, even though I decided against college in my youth, I have never been able to turn off the learning switch in my brain. My library is filled with 99% non-fiction – a good portion of which are biographies and business profiles.

I read a story today that sums up my entire sermon on how taking care of the customer, through the use of information technology, will grow your business in ways you could never imagine. Without boring you with all the details, it boils down to this:

The story was about a guy named Jack Miller. Jack sold office supplies by direct mail, but with the rise in the popularity of the Internet he saw an opportunity. Already successful, he was willing to bet that he could attract even more customers by using the computer. So, he brought in a strategic partner and had a system developed to do this. Once complete, he went through the painful process of hooking up his 650,000 customers to an online ordering system where for only $14.95 they could use his specially designed software to order items in just thirty seconds. 

Jack was right. Sales immediately jumped and the system was said to have paid for itself in only a few months. He didn’t stop there though. As the internet became more popular, he kept adjusting his strategy to keep gaining market share until his company was eventually acquired by one of it’s largest competitors, netting him a small fortune in the process. 

Jack’s company? You will probably recognize it: Quill corporation. It’s now owned by Staples and is still a market leader.

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Business Secrets from the Real Estate Market

Tuesday, November 6th, 2007

To most of you that know me personally , you know that I have been involved, at some level, with Real Estate investing for the past few years. While I don’t see Real Estate ever replacing what I do as my primary business interest, it has opened my eyes to spotting innovative strategies that I can use and recommend to clients that I probably would have never noticed if I hadn’t been exposed to Real Estate.

One of those is creativity in doing business. For instance, as a Real Estate investor in today’s market with a house you want to sell, you’re facing a tough market. Unless, of course you think outside the box. Owner financing with straightforward terms and no bank qualifying can sell your house in days or weeks instead of months. 

The same is true for businesses that compete online. Think outside the box – or hire someone who can. The economies of doing business online – opening up your business to every person on the planet that has internet access – are hard to quantify. If you’re in a competitive industry, you may feel hesitant to compete against a perceived market leader – but sometimes all it takes is a little change in your marketing message and a better customer experience to win the customer.

Take the old story of the two merchants who set up shop across the street from each other. One had moved to his newly expanded location from an older and smaller site. When he opened his new store, he proudly hung up his sign that read “Murphy and Sons, Est. 1875.”

Seeing a good opportunity, his competitor across the street responded with a sign of his own: “Johnson and Company, No old merchandise”

Just as in real estate, a little creativity in the way you present yourself can make you more successful – online or offline.

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Internal technology matters too

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

I do a lot of client interviews for various reasons. Historically, it’s been to brainstorm with the client on their web strategy or design a custom database solution. More and more now, I find I’m being called in to help determine an overall information system strategy.

One of the first things that I always look for are the jobs everyone seems to complain about. In most companies, especially the smaller companies that tend to be my clients, I often find that these “ugly” tasks aren’t needed at all. In fact, most of the time, they are only there in the first place because that’s the way it was done years ago and no-one ever changed it.

Now even though I am an advocate of change, I rarely recommend a change to a process that works. I just see if there is a way to make it more efficient. Sometimes all that takes is asking the person who does it what would make it better.

Henry Ford often said that when he had a time-consuming and unpleasant task to do, he would assign the “laziest man I can find” to do the job. He observed, “Within a day or two, he will come up with a quick, easy way to do it”

Interestingly enough, most companies don’t need a consultant to come in and explain to them how they can do better. What does a consultant know about your business anyway? After all, if the consultant was so good at your line of work he would be doing it himself, right?

What does this consultant-bashing blog entry have to do with technology? Everything. 

When I talk about information systems strategy, I often talk about things from the perspective of customer service. Equally as important is the internal aspects of information management. Making sure that your employees are well informed and have the proper tools for doing their job goes a long way. Even if you’re a small company – say 10 to 15 people, you can still benefit from things like shared calendars, an intranet (basically an internal bulletin board) and even remote access to email and computers in your office.

If you have all the technology on the outside facing the customer but your internal processes are a mess with no organization or strategy then your customers will eventually be dissatisfied because there is no way you can keep up with your promises and the expectations you are setting for yourself. 

Information Systems can help – but only when you decide to integrate them into your overall business strategy. For many companies it is an ugly process to go through but it is one that is absolutely essential if you expect to sustain any long-term success. Having a strong partner in this area is one way that you can control the process – in terms of time and money – without having to have an expert on staff. “Wouldn’t I want an expert on staff?” you might ask. The answer is no. A properly designed system can be run by the experts you already have on staff – the ones that do the work day to day.

It’s hard to put my insight into strategy into the constraints of a blog entry, so if you would like more information or would like to talk about this or anything you see on this site, please give us a call. We’re happy to talk to you.

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Is your business information rich?

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

I am seeing some really neat changes in our business climate. Mom and pop operations are going global selling niche products online. Voice and data are converging and are making the management of communications almost as easy as the management of information. It’s exciting and scary at the same time?

Why is it scary? While as a technology consultant I rarely advocate being out there on the bleeding edge, I firmly believe that you should keep up with standards. Now let’s drop the technology part and just leave consultant for a minute. 

The way we all do business is evolving – not too fast, mind you – but at a steady, predictable pace. The most important thing that I feel any small business can do at this point is to look at the changes that are taking place and look at how they affect your business. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of things and ignore what’s going on around you, so if you don’t have the time, I would strongly consider hiring someone to do it for you. Someone who will come in, look at the way you operate and help you define an information-centric way to compete in the upcoming years.

Have you ever heard of Royal and Underwood typewriters? Maybe not. They no longer exist because they refused to recognize that electricity was coming to typewriters. Stetson ignored the changing needs of their customers and are now history as well. Not every company that ignores change ends in failure. Singer sewing machine company, which later became known as only “Singer”, is alive and well today, but no longer makes sewing machines. 

What special talent did Bob Hope have that enabled him to have success in the toughest business for an unheard of 50-years? He started out in vaudeville, moved on to Broadway, then movies, radio and finally into television – mastering each medium along the way. He was able to recognize the changes taking place around him. He saw the industry changing and tailored his style of performing accordingly. That’s what the small business today has to do. Change to fit the way your customers want your product or service. A sound information-based systems strategy is a key component to being able to recognize the changes are even going on. 

Did you know, if you drop a frog in a pan of hot water, he will immediately react by jumping out of the pan. But, if you carefully place the same frog in a pan of comfortably cold to lukewarm water, then slowly raise the temperature of the water a degree at a time, the frog will accept the change, perhaps not even noticing it, and stay in the water until the heat kills it. 

The point is that we all run the risk of getting cooked if we don’t notice the small, slow changes going on around us. The small changes, like a sunrise, often bring about bigger changes as dramatic as night and day. The easiest and least expensive way to stay on top of your business and the changes that are happening is a sound strategy for the collection, storage, analysis and use of information. If you’re a small company – having a good partner to help you with this task makes perfect sense.

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