Quality Content Still Matters

Google has seriously been shaking up the world of search engine marketing, but 2012 is bound to get even crazier. Since the introduction of Google Panda that aimed to reward sites with rich and high-quality content rather than those stuffed with keywords, the updates to the Caffeine ranking algorithm that was said to impact 35% of searches to produce more up-to-date and relevant results, and the new SSL rules in Google Analytics that doesn’t allow the entrance keyword to be captured if the user is logged in to his or her account, web marketers have had to find better ways to capture data, measure results, and refine their strategies. However, if Google keeps smacking us upside the head with changes that blow our tried and tested methodologies out of the water, at least we can count on one thing to increase our chances of success: good quality content.

According to Kuno Creative, it is hard to maximize organic search visibility without good quality content. No more are the days in which websites can be stuffed with keywords or links to bump up their Google rank and claim the prize of being the top result on the search results page. Since the introduction of Panda, bloated websites like this don’t stand a chance. Website owners must consistently update their websites with fresh content to “keep the Panda happy” and to maintain their prime real estate. For many web marketers, this opened doors to yet another opportunity to optimize: content marketing.

Content marketing, in a nutshell, is one of the most important strategies to have in place right now. Along with social media, it is what keeps your content relevant in Google’s ranking index and increases organic traffic. To maximize results, establish a plan to update certain content areas of your website on a weekly or monthly basis. Whether that means dusting off your blog and utilizing your best writers to create top-notch content or keeping your portfolio up-to-date with case studies, videos of client testimonials, or digital e-books, your target audience is waiting for you to create meaningful and insightful content.

One of the most important things I have learned while creating content is that if you want to blog, you should blog because you want to. You should write genuinely and honestly to your target audience. Remember that every word is a direct reflection of not only your brand, but yourself. By producing content that is real, it will speak to users. It will get them to act. It will inspire you to create more, and in return, it will attract more listeners. It sounds easy, doesn’t it?

To web marketers, it will always be a challenge to set the right content marketing strategy in motion. There is not a “one size fits all” approach to content marketing that guarantees a safe spot in Google’s search engine indexing system. It will be a continuous cycle of measuring and refining to find the strategy that not only works well with your overall marketing plan, but also increases your brand’s online visibility and influence.

Other Game-Changers?

2012 will surely be a year in which everyone can agree that content – whether it is Tweets, videos, or blog articles – truly matters. I look forward to seeing what trends and technologies will emerge in fast-paced world of web and search engine marketing this year. What do you think will be a game-changer in 2012?

In case you missed it, here are my game-changers for 2012:

• Part I: Social Integrates with Search
• Part II: Video Content Explodes
• Part III: Quality Content Still Matters

If you are like me, I took this to mean that the customer wanted potatoes. When the order came up, the customer replied, “Oh, I asked for the fruit cup.” Since overhearing the original order take place, I began to think about what exactly the customer asked for because I’m in the business of gathering requirements from clients so this was all too familiar to me.

Original Requirement: “I’d like to substitute the fruit cup for the potatoes.”

Now this requirement could have been interpreted two ways:

1. Customer wants fruit instead of the potatoes.
2. Customer wants potatoes instead of fruit.

The waiter had a 50/50 chance, in this case, to get the client’s expectations correct. However, the waiter (and I) assumed incorrectly. This could have been easily corrected by just repeating back to the customer, in the waiter’s own words, what the customer wanted: “You would like to have a side of potatoes?” The customer could have corrected the waiter during this point versus having to wait until the order was delivered to only find out it was wrong.

This can happen all too often in any industry, but we experience it a lot in the software development field. You may have seen the infamous comic strip of the “tree swing”, as shown below:

There’s always a small chance for error when acquiring and understanding requirements from clients. Hey, we’re all human, right? But you can help ensure you get them 99% right just by using the following three tips:

• Repeat the request using your own words. Try not to use technical terms. Clients can have a different definition than you or may not admit they don’t know what you mean.
• Draw a picture. A picture speaks a thousand words.
• Ask the question a different way and see if you get a different answer.

Remember, you never know when the client might want fruit and you give them potatoes.

The first month of the year is drawing to a close, but we are still curious to hear what others are saying about the state of the web in 2012. While technology may seem like it moves at the speed of light, we can count on Internet sales and marketing to adapt as needed. As search engine marketing experts are supercharging visitor engagement though social media and content marketing, website owners are taking note and making big changes. This is the year in which quality content is necessary for not only search engine optimization, but visitor engagement, conversion, and retention as well.

Keyword-Stuffing No Longer Works

A few years ago, it was quite easy for your website to secure a top ranking in search engines and drive a lot of traffic just by writing content loaded with keywords. Website content authors took advantage of this and would seize every opportunity to insert a keyword here and there to ensure prime real estate in Google’s search results. However, instead of finding the answer or solution to your search query, oftentimes what was returned to you was empty, meaningless content.

Take, for example, the following sentence: “We are an Indianapolis company located in Indianapolis, which is in the central part of Indiana, which is where many other Indianapolis companies reside.”

Although this is a bit of an exaggeration, it is obvious that this sentence was written to merely drive traffic and rank high in search results. Many websites might have performed well with this optimization trickery, but it has proven to be an ineffective and insincere method. Now that our search engines have gotten smarter and have upgraded their algorithms to sniff out lousy websites, website content authors can no longer rely on keywords.

Don’t get me wrong, though: keywords still are an important factor in the SEO equation. You still need to focus on strong keywords and terms to acquire new visitors to your website. However, now you really need to strategize about how your website content is going to engage, convert, and retain these visitors.

Engage Your Visitors

Your content should speak to the needs of your target audience and present solutions to their problems. Likewise, it should also entice your visitor to want to learn more about your company, products, and services. To take your engagement to the next level, set up a social media and email marketing strategy that will allow you to interact with your visitors on a more authentic level.

Convert Your Prospects

If you write content without regard to what it is your visitors are looking for, then what’s the point? It’s like throwing bait into a lake without putting it on a hook. By focusing on quality content, you create more opportunities to engage and earn the respect, trust, and (hopefully) the desire of those who visit your website. And when you have the respect, trust, and desire of your visitors, you are more likely to turn that opportunity into a golden one and, more importantly, that prospect into a loyal customer.

Retain Your Customers

It is important to plan to update your website content accordingly to keep it fresh and relevant not only in the search engines’ indexes, but in your visitors’ minds as well. By getting your visitor to come back to your website on a consistent basis, you know that your company will come to mind whenever they have a need for your products or services, regardless of search engine rank. Likewise, make sure the social media and email marketing strategies you have in place engage all of your visitors.

How will you engage, convert, and retain your website visitors this year? Please share your thoughts with us – we welcome the discussion!

Video Content Explodes

Did you know that videos account for 50% of all online traffic as of January 2012? Did you also know that 85% of Americans watch 1.3 billion videos a day? These statistics may seem surprising at first, but in reality, they make perfect sense. With websites like YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, and Netflix, it has become increasingly easy for users to access high-quality video content either for free or at the cost of a fast food lunch at Arby’s.

How many times have you researched a product online to only find that there are no video demonstrations or tutorials to aid you in your final decision? According to GoMo News, users who are exposed to videos are 437% more likely to engage with your brand. This number is significant and speaks to the importance of video content. I know that as a consumer, I am more likely to make an online purchase if I see a video that shares more detail and offers me a solution to my problem.

As a user of these aforementioned online video services, it does not surprise me that video usage is skyrocketing. After all, people are visual creatures. We are more influenced by brands that engage us with color, texture, sound, and stunning theatrics that speak to our needs. Likewise, we are often charmed by companies that can offer us a solution by showing us a story with real characters and real problems.

This does not mean, however, that a video must be produced to fit Hollywood’s standards or be on par with an Oscar-worthy plot line. A simple 1- to 2-minute video usually tells a better story than three paragraphs of incredibly descriptive sentences that would make even Virginia Woolf cringe.

Not sure where to start or what your first online video should be about? Here’s a couple of questions to get you started:

• Who are you?
• What do you believe in?
• What is your culture like?

If you remember from a previous article, it was once said that your culture is your brand. If this still doesn’t click or ignite a quick response from you or a co-worker, then now is the perfect opportunity to rethink your marketing strategy for the new year. You should really think long and hard about this before jumping onto the video bandwagon.

If you’ve exhausted your brainstorming sessions and are still scrambling to create a video that aligns with your company’s marketing goals and overall message, then click here to check out some basic video ideas that will work well with any brand or industry.

Stay tuned for part III of III!

The Internet landscape is constantly sprouting successful ideas, innovations, and technologies and growing despite a less than stellar economy. This gives us reason to look ahead to what the new year will bring. If you’re anything like me, you look forward to the surge of predictions for how the next 365 days will pan out. Not only does it give us an idea of where the web is heading, but it also gives us room to prepare.

The year 2012 will be an exciting and interesting year for web marketers, SEO experts, content creators, analytics gurus, and the like. While we cannot predict how the year will turn out exactly, we can anticipate and start to plan for the impact of Google’s social search, the explosion of video content, and the emphasis on meaningful content.

Social Integrates With Search

Last week, Google introduced a little something to the web that got most web marketers in an uproar. The update, also known as Google Search, Plus Your World, was introduced as a way for Google to continue its transformation of the search engine into something more. According to Google, the transformation will not only allow the world’s most popular search engine to not only understand content, but also people and relationships as well.

The reason why most web marketers have spoken up about this is because it affects the way that Google search results are displayed. Instead of the standard list of top-relevant websites, it will now filter in content from you, a friend, or someone you may know. Likewise, you will now see relevant Google+ pages and profiles while searching for a topic or area of interest. While this may not seem like a big deal to the average web user, it is a note-worthy move on Google’s end that will indefinitely change the way we search for information.

Google Search, Plus Your World may not have been welcomed with open arms by the web marketing community, but it is the start of something significant. We still have work to do to build a social web that is easy, intuitive, and smart, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the year 2012 will give us the tools we need to refine the way we socialize and communicate on the Internet. Likewise, it will encourage businesses to invest in a sound social strategy to help them connect to not only current customers, but potential ones as well.

If you are not utilizing social media or have not setup your Google+ page, now it a great opportunity to do so to increase your visibility to Google users. If you are still unsure of what Google+ has to offer or how to set one up, here’s a great article to help you through the process.

What do you think of this new search feature? Will you use it?

Stay tuned for part II of III!

When we last discussed this particular project at hand, I ran up against a predicament to deliver a solution that did not allow for the development of a fully-customized software solution due to time and budget restrictions. As a project manager, I needed to figure out how to deliver an end result that was considerate of both the client’s expectations and the project’s restraints. Because the budget was tight and the clock was ticking, I had to trust not only our research, but also my instincts, to finally select a third-party vendor that would satisfy the project requirements and deliver the right solution.

Choosing “The One”

If you recall during the discovery phase of the project, we had spent a good amount of time researching third-party sources, creating detailed documentation, and presenting options to our client. After we had narrowed our list of possible vendors from six to three, it had finally gotten to the point where an informed decision needed to be made in order to stay on schedule. There was only one that could be “the one”, so I had to bite the bullet and select a vendor.

I was able to find “the one” after disqualifying the other third-party candidates either due to lack of responsiveness or fulfillment of project requirements. After performing more research and creating more documentation, we presented the final choice to the client in a way in which we felt confident. Because the vendor we selected was an overseas company, we knew it was crucial to include in our research the differences between our company and the third party in regards to work ethic. Likewise, it was important for us to confirm this information with the third-party vendor to ensure there would be no surprises.

Fortunately, our research paid off, because not only was the client satisfied with the decision that was made, but we were able to smoothly transition into the development phase. As a project manager, it is a great feat when the discovery phase can conclude on an optimistic note.

Beginning the Development Phase

Now that we had all the building blocks in place, I felt confident that we could proceed into the development phase of the project on the same positive note, irrespective of the known challenges and unforeseen obstacles. After all, proactively maintaining a positive attitude is a key step in instilling lasting confidence in each project stakeholder. However, as any project manager can come to expect, obstacles are bound to present themselves in every phase of a project.

So far the greatest obstacles I have encountered during the development phase are simply due to the fact that (1) the deadline is close, (2) the development team is far away, and (3) the software development approach is agile. To quickly and efficiently overcome these three obstacles, I have been depending on communication, accountability, and adaptability to see me through to the end.

. . .

Obstacles in the Development Phase

A Close Deadline

This project was not only tethered to a strict schedule, but it also had a hard launch date, which simply meant that a date had been selected in which the final product would go live. In other words, the project must be absolutely completed by a certain date – no ands, ifs, or buts allowed. Once we jumped into the development phase, there was no longer any room to make mistakes or ponder if we made the right decision. This hard launch date was approaching quickly and our team had work to do.

Anyone who has ever been involved with a group project knows that communication is the key to success. When the development phase of the project began, I knew that I would need to increase the communication between myself and the project team. We relied on daily email messages and phone conferences to discuss the status of the project and to ensure each deliverable was being met on time. Despite the physical distance, this method proved effective as long as it occurred frequently. Not only did the constant communication between the team and I allow us to identify and resolve problems quickly, but it also kept everyone proactively aware of the approaching deadline. When the hard launch date hits, I am sure we will be able to say that we met our deadline gracefully.

A Remote Team

When we made the decision select a third-party vendor to handle the development, we made sure that we identified the benefits and drawbacks involved with managing an overseas company. One of the greatest drawbacks should be obvious: the physical distance. Face-to-face communication is often an easier avenue to discuss and resolve issues, because both parties are able to see and understand the project’s physical documentation, collateral, and so forth. However, these conveniences were not readily available to the project team and we had to learn to work together remotely.

From my experiences as a project manager, it is important to claim ownership of managing all of the resources involved in a project. This should be an assumed responsibility, but sometimes it can get lost in the process and can therefore result in an unfortunate round of the “blame game”. Clients do not want to manage third-party vendors – they want a solution to their problem. The client understands that I am managing all of the third parties involved and that they do not have to worry about a single thing. By assuming accountability for this task, I become the primary contact for all communications related to the project and am therefore able to manage my remote team more effectively.

Despite the physical distance, my remote team and I were able to communicate and document issues that occurred during the development process by utilizing case management software. This software allowed me to assign each project requirement to a use case, which I was then able to view its progress to help me gauge if the deliverable was to meet its target completion date. Also, this software served as a great collaboration tool for us. I was able to ask questions to the developers and have them respond quickly and provide feedback, which definitely ensured that the project stayed on track all parties were held accountable for their tasks.

An Agile Approach

Software development can be approached in different ways, one of which is referred to as agile software development. The agile approach is an iterative and incremental methodology that relies on rapid releases and a collaborative environment to produce an end result in a timely and cost-effective manner. To put it simply, the agile approach does not require that all of the project requirements be defined before the design or development (or any other phase of the project) phase can begin. The phases of the project overlap and will be revisited several times throughout the project’s lifecycle. From a project manager’s perspective, this can be an overwhelming task when you are already managing a risky project that cannot compromise on time or cost.

I did what any good project manager would do: I adapted. I had no choice but to make do with the situation and approach it like any other software development project. The discovery phase is crucial to any project’s success, which meant that I did not neglect the necessary deliverables (use cases, wireframes, etc.) required to define the project requirements. The only difference is that not all the project requirements were defined during the discovery phase. Likewise, whenever the client wanted to change a requirement, I had to reiterate the fact that once development began, any new requirement would have to be included in the next release of the software. It was also important to consider each new requirement against the project’s timeline and budget; if it did not agree, then we both knew that it was not a “must have”, but more of a “nice to have” feature.

. . .

Part III: Ending the Development Phase

This project has been a welcoming challenge from the very beginning. I was given a project that was not only outside my comfort zone, but it was also one that carried high risk, a tight budget, and a strict schedule. I greatly look forward to seeing the launch of the final product and exceeding the client’s expectations that were set forth at the beginning. Likewise, I look forward to reflecting on the valuable lessons that this experience taught me as a project manager.

Stayed tuned for Part III of the series in which Crissy discusses how the project turned out, including if and how it met its target hard launch date without going over budget. She will also reflect on how she overcame the challenges of the project and the lessons she learned through this unique experience as a project manager.

Every project manager knows that one of the most important aspects of his or her role is to be able to communicate effectively and transparently to all those involved with a project. A project manager must not only be able to convey insightful and meaningful information to project stakeholders, but he or she must also be able to establish a consistent and timely vehicle for communication that can be consumed by all those involved in the project.

How can a project manager establish this vehicle for communication? The answer is simple: by creating and distributing a project status report. This piece of documentation allows project managers to communicate the progress of the project while managing expectations. To ensure that the project stakeholders do not get lost in the details of the status report, I greatly recommend keeping it simple by adhering to the best practices outlined below.

Best Practices for Creating a Status Report

For a status report to measure up to best practices standards, it must be clear and concise. Likewise, it must provide valuable information that clearly illustrates the current state of the project with respect to the project’s scope, schedule, financial position, and risk position.

Divide Sections by Task Type

I’ve found that in order to keep the status report simple and to ensure that it provides enough insight for the project team and sponsors, the project status report should only contain a few sections divided by task type. The types of tasks include completed tasks, current tasks, planned tasks, current issues and risks, and late tasks.

• Completed Tasks: Outline the tasks, deliverables, and milestones that were met during the reporting period.
• Current Tasks: Describe the work that is currently in progress. It is important here to identify work being completed by the project team, as well as information and deliverables that are needed for the project team to effectively begin the planned tasks.
• Planned Tasks: Describe the tasks that are to be completed in the subsequent reporting period according to the project schedule.
• Current Issues and Risks: Identify the issues and risks that affect the project’s scope, schedule, and cost.
• Late Tasks: Identify tasks that are late and include ownership of that task. It is important to acknowledge whether the project team is late or whether the delays are being introduced by factors beyond the control of the project team. The intent is not to place blame, but simply to provide sufficient information to escalate the issue for effective resolution.

Include the Right Amount of Detail

As a project manager, you need to determine the appropriate level of detail to include in the status report. The status report should provide enough detail to be valuable to the project team and stakeholders, but not too much detail that it becomes overwhelming to middle and upper management. Always be aware that the management team has many priorities and is typically impressed by reports that provide information on what is critical to the success of the project. I’ve learned through trial and error that the more efficient you are in presenting the status of the project, the better impression you make.

Align It with the Project Schedule

For a status report to be effective, it must be aligned with the project schedule. We construct our project schedule based on tasks that are no more than 40 hours. Using this rule to dictate task duration, we can make a general assumption that everyone on the project team should have at least one task per week that that should be completed. In addition, this rule of thumb for scheduling allows us to track tasks by resource, which allows us to gauge whether an individual resource is ahead or behind the project schedule. Using this scheduling philosophy, we can easily report the status of tasks that are completed, active, and planned based on the project schedule.

Most Importantly, Keep It Simple

I’ve found that a generally good length for a status report is 1 to 2 pages, ensuring that the highlights of the project are covered. Status reports that are too long will likely not be read completely by all those involved in the project, which will unfortunately waste your efforts. In other words, the key is to keep the status report simple so that all those involved with the project can quickly and easily understand its status.

Why do I aim for simplicity? It is understood that executives are typically on a time crunch and just want a snapshot of the status of the project. The project manager and team, however, usually demand much more detail to fully understand where the project stands. An effective status report should accommodate both of these needs.

To do so, a status report should incorporate an executive summary with a color coded dashboard to visually show the status of the project. Both features give executives a quick update at a glance. Likewise, the status report can easily transition into weekly status meetings with the project team so they have the necessary specifics to discuss the project, make changes, and plan for the next steps.

The Goal of the Status Report

Ultimately, the goal of the project status report is to keep everyone involved and on the same page. This allows the project to proceed as smoothly and efficiently as possible. As a project manager, you will want to make sure there is no confusion about the current status of the project. Likewise, you want to ensure that all of the issues and risks that affect the project’s scope, schedule, and cost are rightfully addressed.

My fifteen+ years of project management experience has taught me a great deal about being an effective and transparent communicator. A good project manager promotes communication by not only understanding his or her project stakeholders, but also by adhering to a proven and consistent methodology when it comes to creating and distributing project status reports. A great project manager, however, knows how to sift through the details to identify and communicate what is most important. In other words, a great project manager knows how to keep it simple.

So obviously there are plenty of people that still need to know why they need one. Below are some of the most common reasons that businesses do not have websites and why those reasons don’t hold up under further scrutiny.

1. My business doesn’t need a website.

Nothing could be further from the truth. I’m not saying that there aren’t some exceptions to the rule, but I can hardly think of a single type of business that wouldn’t, in some way, benefit from having an online presence. According to InternetWorldStats.com, in North America alone, there are about 270 million internet users. That’s roughly 80% of the population. And if your customers are global, that’s only 13% of the world’s internet users. Let those numbers sink in for bit. To choose to not advertise to that many people is unthinkable.

Even if your company doesn’t exactly sell something online or provide a service that uses the web, you’d be surprised still at how many people will seek information about you from the internet first, before any other means.

2. It’s too expensive.

I have two thoughts on this one; the first one being is that it isn’t as expensive as you think. It really depends on what you want your website to do. A static, brochure type of website will cost a lot less than having your own Facebook. Its important to first find out what your needs are as far as an online presence. If you find that you need a large and complicated site, odds are that this article doesn’t concern you anyway because you already know that you need a website. Static brochure websites aren’t expensive at all compared to other forms of marketing. With the right planning and forethought, the entire process can be streamlined into a very inexpensive and cost effective project.

My other thought on this is that, while the goal is to not spend too much on a website, you also don’t want to spend too little. Sure, your teenage nephew might be able to make a website, but I’d be highly dubious of how professional and effective that website would be when it’s completed. A website is your online business card. To many customers, it will be their first impression. You don’t want that impression to be that you are unprofessional and unwilling to put effort into your own website.

3. It takes too much time.

On the contrary, having a website can actually save you a great deal of time. The time involvement is front loaded. It may require extra time while creating the site, but once it’s done, it’s done. Adding additional content is, in most cases, relatively quick and easy. And again, the time a website will save you in the end in invaluable.

For instance, simply making a well thought out Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to your website can not only save you time from having to repeatedly answer the same questions and concerns, but it will also save your customers time as well. Putting some photographs of the product or service on your site will ease customer concerns and keep you from having to explain things that can be said with images.

That is just one example that will open up large amounts of time for your business. I could probably write an entire post of the time-saving benefits of a website, but I’m sure you get the idea.

4. It’s too complicated.

If you are trying to create a website yourself and you don’t know a thing about web technology, then yes, it will most certainly be complicated. However, if you are having a website created for you, then no, it’s not complicated at all. As I said in the previous section, once your website is done, it’s done. Adding and updating content is relatively easy at that point, especially if you have a good Content Management System (CMS) to make things even simpler for you.

Once again, giving the proper forethought on what you want your website to do will be what you spend most of your time thinking about. The process of making your website live can be handled by most web development companies. This makes the process of having an online presence much less complicated and painful than many people think.

So as you can see, there aren’t many compelling reasons to not have a website for your business in today’s world. By not having one you are missing out on, literally, millions of potential customers. You are opting out of one of the most cost effective forms of marketing. You are more than likely using up your valuable time doing tasks that your website could be doing for you. And you are not utilizing one very simple and powerful tool to promote your company, vision, and ideas.

On Tuesday, October 18th, 2011, I had the warm opportunity to attend a luncheon sponsored by the American Marketing Association to listen to Jeb Banner, the CEO of SmallBox, discuss the future of search engine optimization in the ever-changing, fast-paced world of web marketing.

As someone who understands its increasing importance and value, it was not surprising for me to hear that companies are currently in the middle of a big shift. More and more companies are losing control of their brands while more and more customers are holding the reigns that drive the ideas behind these brands. In other words, companies are no longer the leaders; instead, they are now the ones being led. How did this happen?

The Past and Present

A long, long time ago in the ancient days of the World Wide Web, marketing followed a top-down branding called the shotgun approach. This worked well for its time, but it was quite difficult for companies to measure effectiveness due to a lack of data and metrics. In today’s world, however, companies are implementing a targeted-sniper approach. This approach relies on Google’s search engine rankings to drive data and metrics, which are being aggressively used to measure effectiveness. However, the reliance on Google’s search algorithm had paved the way to an uneven playing field.

One of the most interesting tidbits shared was the details of how some companies were implementing shady SEO practices to increase their Google ranking. One company in particular found a way to increase traffic to its website by giving its customers lousy service. This resulted in an increased number of written reviews (which were obviously negative) that helped to bump up their rank. Suffice to say, this company is no longer in business. It makes one wonder, how does Google circumvent this unethical behavior to ensure that deserving brands are awarded with prime real estate?

Introducing Google Panda

Google responded to this behavior by introducing Panda, a change to their algorithm, to the Internet world in February 2011. This change not allows Google to identify and flag low-quality pages on the Internet, but it also allows them to factor in a new criterion to the ranking methodology: the user experience. Since Google now has the authority to weed out the weak, companies can no longer depend on a bucket list of successful keywords to drive traffic to their website.

So, what is the goal behind Panda? Google has made it pretty clear that they are seeking to reward the deserving brands behind these high-quality websites. This is great news for companies who wish to push their web marketing efforts to the next level. Whether that is a pursing a website redesign, completing a content overhaul, or launching a social media campaign, it is important to understand that at the root of all these efforts – your culture – is what matters the most.

Your Culture is Your Brand

The most important idea I took away from the presentation is that your brand is a reflection of your company’s culture. In order to vocalize your company’s brand effectively, you must start by identifying your culture. It is greatly important to understand what your core values and mission are in order to uncover your brand’s voice. A quote by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, was shared during the discussion, which I believe rings true to my previous sentiments: “Your brand is a lagging indicator of your culture.” If brand and culture are two sides of the same coin, then they need to be treated like so.

To ensure that your customers are leading your brand down the right path, it is critical to invest in your team and culture. Likewise, it is equally important to build, enforce, and nurture a strong and healthy marketing foundation. A healthy foundation can be achieved through a number of measures, including (but not limited to) creating meaningful content, interacting with your audience, and measuring your influence.

Create Meaningful Content

Even if you develop a stunning website that follows every “best user experience” guideline, if you disregard the creation of meaningful content, your website will lack in quality and will face the wrath of Google Panda’s flagging system. It is becoming increasingly vital for companies to develop content that is not only diverse and consistent, but valuable as well. Storytelling is at an absolute premium right now, so now is the time to share your story and connect with your customers. To ensure that you are opening the doors to conversation, your content should give customers something to talk about, that “something” being whatever engages their brains and/or hearts.

Interact with Your Audience

Have you ever noticed that the best conversations typically occur in the kitchen at parties and get-togethers? You are not the only one to notice this. This observation of the social web was brought up during Mr. Banner’s presentation to emphasize the fact that we need to “go to the kitchens on Internet”. This may mean doing research to discover where the conversation is and what exactly it is about. An effective way to join the conversation is to simply share your content with your audience. Engaging in meaningful conversations through online communities, social media, and hotspot blogs is just one way to develop long-lasting relationships and increase awareness of your brand.

Measure Your Influence

The targeted-sniper approach to web marketing allows you to measure the effectiveness of your efforts through a variety of online tools. Tools such as Klout and Bit.ly allow you to measure online influence, social media metrics, real-time traffic, and analytics data. Even if you are utilizing the best practices for web marketing, it is still important to continually measure and refine the process. If your brand’s voice is not being heard loud and clear by your customers, then now is the perfect opportunity to get them to listen.

The Future: Keeping the Panda Happy

When Google instituted the change in their algorithm, it was understood that the world of search engine optimization would be forever changed. Previously, we had relied on the tricks of the trade to drive the traffic and rank, but now we see that in order to be successful in Google’s world in both the present and future, we need to use and understand the right tools and methods.

Meaningful content, relationships, and data increases the overall quality and experience of your website, which not only makes your customers happy, but Google Panda happy as well. And when Google Panda is happy, your brand will surely be rewarded.

Every project manager knows that with any project that falls outside his or her comfort zone, it induces a level of unavoidable risk. Some project managers thrive on this risk and are able to haphazardly proceed with flying colors. On the other hand, some project managers buckle under the pressure and are not able to deliver a sound solution to the client. There are some project managers, however, who are able to navigate through this risk and achieve a balance that allows them to understand, accept, and manage this risk.

As the senior project manager at Galvin, I identify with the latter pool of project managers. I do not mind the risk that comes with uncharted territory; it keeps me on my toes and pushes me to think critically and creatively in bigger and better ways. However, it is important for me to understand what it is exactly it is I am getting into before any decisions are made.

The Challenge

Most recently, I ran up against this unfortunate predicament: our client needed a solution in which the time and budget did not allow for us to be able to utilize the best of our internal resources to develop a fully-customized software solution. Thus began my challenge to discover how to deliver an end result that would be able to exceed the client’s expectations while being considerate of a strict timeline and budget. To ensure that I am leading the client down the right path, I rely on the following four tips, which have proven to be useful in such challenging situations.

Stay Positive and Confident

When faced with a project that forces you out of your comfort zone, it is especially important to remember to stay positive. The fear that stems from the unknown, especially in projects where it is hard to visualize the end result, is understandable. It is also natural to feel anxious in these fearful situations, but a project manager must be able to push all of this aside. Instead of catering to fear, the project manager needs to actively maintain a positive attitude that instills confidence in all the project stakeholders. If you believe it can be done, it will be done. Sometimes it is a matter of simply saying, “Yes, we will deliver the right solution.” Say it a few times and suddenly, the project seems easier to tackle.

Realign Client Expectations

Your first interaction with the client after the project has been signed off is absolutely critical. I always take this moment to realign the client’s expectations, especially in cases such as this where the risk is high, the budget is tight, and the schedule is strict. Although the client is dead-set on a certain solution, sometimes there are requirements that were not initially identified that need to be discussed. Likewise, sometimes there are requirements that need to be carefully reviewed to ensure that each one can be properly met. If I am up against requirements that just will not work, then this is the time in which I employ the art of compromise. From my experiences as a project manager, I believe that compromise is necessary in order to swim outside the box to find the buried treasure. Not only does it show the client that you understand what it is they need, but it also enforces the message that they are in good hands.

Research, Research, Research

A project of high-risk cannot be delivered successfully without doing a fair amount of research and development. To find a solution that would fit within the restricted budget and timeline, I needed to look beyond our internal resources and to third-party sources. Based on the client’s expectations and project requirements, I researched viable options and then was able to created informative documentation to present to the client. Not only did the presentation generate valuable feedback, but it allowed me to narrow my selection of 5 to 6 solutions down to 3 and 4. Although it does feel encouraging knowing that we are on track to finding “the one”, there is still that nagging feeling that I need to make the best decision, the one that will give the client a bigger bang for their buck. However, I remain positive that our understanding of the project’s requirements will allow us to make the most educated decision that will deliver a solution that generously exceeds the client’s expectations.

Keep Your Salesman Close

Last but not least, I make sure to keep my salesman – the one who approached the client with a solution in mind– as close as I can. As a project manager, it is important to do so for several reasons. If you cannot realign the expectations with the client during your first interaction, then it is time to call on your salesman to redefine the client’s expectations and project’s requirements. Likewise, if the solutions you have presented are not what the client wanted or expected, then it is necessary to call on that relationship between Sales and The Client to determine how to proceed. I trust that this relationship will encourage the client to compromise and accept a solution that I know will not only meet their needs, but I know that we can (and will) deliver.

The Next Step

Now that the client has narrowed the solutions down to 3 and 4, I am preparing to present a more detailed overview of these options to show how each one satisfies the project’s requirements. Because of the timeline and budget, soon I will need to go ahead and pull the trigger. In other words, I will need to make an informed decision to proceed with a third-party solution so we can begin the development process. Even though making this decision has proven difficult, I know that the worst is still not over; there is a timeline and budget that my team and I will need to be deeply considerate of until the very end.

Despite the fact that this particular project fell outside my comfort zone as a project manager, I welcomed the opportunity to learn and think more critically and creatively during the discovery process. Likewise, I appreciate the experience of this challenge, which I know will serve as valuable knowledge when similar projects fall under the umbrella of my management in the future. I have the utmost confidence that I am leading the client down the right path and that we will deliver the right solution on time and within budget, as promised.

Stayed tuned for Part II: The Challenges of the Development Process and Managing a Remote Team, in which Crissy discusses how “the one” solution was finally selected, how the team proceeded into the development phase, and how she handled the challenges of managing the project and its external resources, tight budget, and strict schedule.