
Why we don’t sell websites, but goals
The last digital project took quite a long time and ended up being far too expensive. Can this also be avoided? And if so, how?
Not every briefing immediately reveals that a client has serious intentions with their digital project. Often, it seems that the website, the integration of digital services, or the social media project is merely a tedious exercise with no apparent added value. The effectiveness of digital communication and sales tools is still not clear to many people today.
Digital is hard to sell internally
The website is “outdated,” the design is “no longer up-to-date.” One wishes to examine whether integrating social media share buttons on the homepage is advisable and how to comply with European data protection laws. The website must be responsive so that it also functions on mobile devices. Furthermore, one learns various details about the target audience and what IT has to say about the requirements. It quickly becomes apparent: The website often has a self-serving purpose and thus has a hard time against sales and management.
A business website is tuned like a Formula 1 car
When the ADAC guy says “It’s running!”, the client is satisfied
It often seems that many companies are left stranded with their website, much like a private person with their car at the roadside. They then call an internet agency as if it were the ADAC to get the car running again. The mechanic fiddles here and there, and in the end, he presses the start button and, with a stoic expression, declares: It’s running again. We then breathe a sigh of relief and say, “I don’t know what I would have done without you. Thank you!” Then we finally continue – only, apart from ourselves, no one else is interested.
Those who work professionally with their digital project do not wait for the ADAC and are not content just that the engine is running. They tune their racing machine like in Formula 1 for specific goals. For maximum acceleration on short sprints instead of constant top speed, for example, a chassis for quick load changes in many very tight corners instead of the most stable steering behavior when driving straight on the highway. But these strategic considerations are individual – perhaps your Formula 1 is off-road, and you need, above all, plenty of torque, indestructible tires, and high ground clearance.
Why it helps to think in terms of goals
The goal is the path – not the other way around
The digital world appears in a completely different light and much less mysterious once it comes to pursuing concrete goals. Surprisingly, among the many abstract concepts in the initial briefings, the simple yet clear demand for more sales rarely appears. Instead, many people think directly in terms of actions. By doing so, they put the path ahead, but the goal in the background.
Some people get it right from the start. For example, one of our clients literally named the goal of the new digital strategy: “Leads, leads, leads.” And that’s exactly what he got. Now he has the task of implementing this strategy for the entire company group.
Goals are flexible
Speed is crucial
Thinking in terms of goals is a dynamic process. Goals move. And in the digital age, they move quickly. A goal set a year ago can today already be irrelevant, unnecessary, or even risky. A meaningful digital strategy cannot be applied to rigid, monolithic “Elbphilharmonie projects.” It must be able to respond to complex conditions with agility and a new, quickly implementable plan.
The conditions for this are only met if your digital agency has internalized the appropriate working methods and the technologies used allow for high-speed operations.
From thinking in terms of goals, you can also expect something else: tangible results, measurable in metrics, performance indicators, or KPIs. After all, no one drives around the Nürburgring just going in circles. All drivers have only one goal – to be the first to cross the finish line. Suspension and engine tuning, pit stops, tire changes, and team coordination are all parts of a highly flexible strategy that must be adjusted immediately when it starts to rain or the sun blazes.
Onward to the checkered flag – to the finish line!