DISCOVER: part of your web strategy

In the DISCOVER phase of Web Strategy, here are some of the questions you should be asking; and none of them have to do with your web site. Your web site doesn't stand alone. It's an extension of your church. So start by answering questions about your church, not your web site. 

• What does your church do well? What is the mission, vision and values you adhere to? What can you offer that can't be found anywhere else?
• What is your church brand? A brand is not what you think you are. It's what others think of the experience you offer; not  your logo or tag lines. Good brands are built through an authentic and consistent experience... it doesn't contradict itself. Is everything linked to your brand a good, consistent experience?
• Who is your church audience? Do you know what do they like, love, hate, do, wear and think?
• What is the information flow for your church? How do events get promoted? Is it a centralized process? Do you have a centralized calendar? Database?

It boils down to this...Fragmented identity equates to lost identity. Where's the purpose in that? Ask yourself, is there one common message and feeling that is present and consistent across everything that touches your audience? Truth is, everything that touches your audience contributes something; the key is to make sure it positively reinforces the message you want to send.

So... back to your web site. Don't get sloppy just because you're overwhelmed. If you can’t do it right, don't do it. Finish & straighten out all the information from the DISCOVER phase before you move to PROPOSE DEFINE.

Comments

[Steve Lavey]

Kem --
Even Wal Mart is seeing dynamic change in their brand...........First it was “Low Prices, Always”, then “Look Beyond the Basics”. Now, after a tumultuous year of experimentation, abrupt reversals and admissions of missteps, Wal-Mart Stores is finding its raison d’être in the middle of these two extremes: “Saving people money so they can live better lives.”

In their first interviews since a management shuffle last month, John Fleming, the new chief merchandising officer, and Stephen Quinn, the new chief marketing officer, said that after a year of intense research, the discount giant is seeing its 200 million customers as belonging to three groups.
There are “brand aspirationals” (people with low incomes who are obsessed with names like KitchenAid), “price-sensitive affluents” (wealthier shoppers who love deals), and “value-price shoppers” (who like low prices and cannot afford much more).