Strategy is focus. You have too much to do with too few resources; you therefore focus on specific target markets, on your most important products or services, and on your most productive sales and marketing activities. Much like the artist squinting to improve his vision, you need to see the high points and main priorities only, or the important points get lost in the details.
Strategies that aren't focused won't work. When people have more than three or four priorities to deal with, the priorities get lost. When you have 20 strategic objectives in a plan you won't accomplish any.
Developing Your Web Strategy
Like business strategy in general, Web strategy is essentially focus:
- Focus on selected target markets.
- Focus on selected target market needs and selected website offerings.
- Focus on your company's or your website's strengths. Play toward your strengths and away from your weaknesses, and take advantage of the opportunities ahead.
When to Say No
I don't know the secret to success, but the secret to failure is trying to please everybody. --Bill Cosby
Management is knowing when to say no. --Hector Saldana
Notice how strategy fits into this general description. Our diagram of Market Segmentation, for example, selects target segments and rules out others:
Our explanation of website positioning is also a matter of focusing on certain portions of the possibilities and ruling out others.
