Four Forces Affecting Web Communication
Developing and utilizing an Internet communications effort does not happen in a vacuum. As with any project, a number of forces from within an organization and outside it will affect the project. As we have discussed, the Internet communications options are numerous and can replace and enhance almost any information flow, at any level, between any participants in any relationship.
But Internet communications will be affected by four different forces acting on the effort simultaneously: strategy/vision, needs/use, tactics, and economics (i.e., cost and ROI). These four forces will affect the justification of this communications model from a business standpoint and will lead to either effective implementation or stagnant acceptance of the efforts inside and outside an organization.
The first force, strategy, should be the initial driving force behind the effort. The strategy or vision for use of the Internet should be developed as the best possible options for using technology to enhance relationships via communication. The use of the Internet to increase customer satisfaction through better customer service using desired information presentations could be a sample strategy. This strategy should be realistic while creating a best case scenario. Completely shifting customer service communication to the Internet in its first three months of use is an unrealistic vision for its use.
The second force affecting Internet communication can be defined as need/use. This concept describes both the needs that can be fulfilled for audiences using the Internet and the use of the communications methods by these audiences. The communications efforts must fulfill wants, needs, and desires. Providing appropriate customer service information will fulfill the needs of a customer audience.
At the same time, use of the communications by the appropriate audience will dictate the success, failure, adjustment, and expansion of these efforts. If the effort does not supply appropriate information, for example, it won't be used. And a Web site that is not used is difficult to justify and fund in any organization.
The third factor affecting a Web communication effort is the tactics used in the effort. While a strategy/vision describes where you would like to go over the longer term, tactics are the things you do to execute a strategy. Building a Web interface to appropriate databases of information is a tactic used as part of a strategy to better serve the audience's customer service needs. The primary differences between strategies and tactics are scope and the dimension of the undertaking. The strategy is the war while tactics are the individual battles.
The fourth force affecting Internet communication involves economics. This is the strongest of these factors and will define the others. Increasing customer service through Internet communication is a good strategy because it is a justifiable expense. (Justifiable expenses will be discussed in detail in the next lab.) But if audience needs are not met because incorrect tactics are applied, then the expense is not justified and the effort will fail due to internal economic pressures. Let's say the strategy is to increase customer service using the Web. But a database-driven system is not built and a static system is used instead as a tactic. This system does not fulfill needs and doesn't get used. It is hard to continue to fund a project that is not being used.
From another perspective, while a strategy may be realistic and fulfill needs, a lack of economic support will limit or prevent any tactics from being utilized. In the preceding example, if the database system is not funded, then that tactic can't be used even though it is the correct one. The solution here would be to use a tactic that can be funded and that will serve some needs. The use of this tactic by the correct audience and a partial success of the strategy could lead to increased economic support and the use of more expensive tactics to meet more needs.
These four factors strike a delicate balance and are interdependent. It's important to understand strategy, tactics, needs/use, and economics when developing Internet communication efforts because they will affect those efforts in the short and long term.
Exercises
Determine Strategy/Vision, Needs/Use, Tactics, and Economics
These four factors come into play in almost any buying decision. For this exercise let's utilize a personal example. The purchase of a vehicle is a major buying decision for most people. Let's assume you need to purchase a new vehicle.
| a) | If you were to purchase a new vehicle that was generally within your means, what car would you purchase to fit your personal needs? |
| b) | Why did you pick this particular car model? |
| c) | What would this purchase cost? |
| d) | What car would or did you recently purchase based on your current financial situation? |
| e) | Generally speaking, why will or did you make this purchase? How will/did the vehicle fit your needs? |
| f) | How did you research, arrange, and finance this purchase? |
| g) | Can you afford this purchase? |
Understand the Business Application of These Four Issues
Using these same four factors, let's apply them to a general discussion of Web communication in your company or organization. If you aren't affiliated with a company or organization, consider one you are familiar with.
| a) | What is your overall Internet communication strategy? |
| b) | Using the Internet to communicate in these ways fulfills what audience needs? |
| c) | What tactics would make this effort happen? |
| d) | Would all the people you communicate with use these Internet communication methods? |
| e) | How do economics affect your current situation or envisioned strategy? |
| f) | If you are currently utilizing the Web in some way, how do the actual effort's needs, usage, tactics, and economic factors reflect your envisioned strategy? |
Exercise Answers
Answers
These four factors come into play in almost any buying decision. For this exercise let's utilize a personal example. The purchase of a vehicle is a major buying decision for most people. Let's assume you need to purchase a new vehicle.
| a) | If you were to purchase a new vehicle that was generally within your means, what car would you purchase to fit your personal needs? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary. My choice of a vehicle, if I were to get a new one, would be a Volkswagon Passat station wagon. For this discussion this is my vision, the thing I'd like to achieve. Owning this vehicle is a goal of mine and a significant part of my personal transportation strategy. Though this may not be a very glamorous vision for some, it is a vehicle that suits my needs exactly and is eventually achievable. These are two important parts of any strategy. A strategy is an overall goal encompassing many smaller aspects. But this strategy must be achievable and fulfill your needs. |
| b) | Why did you pick this particular car model? |
| Answer: | Again your answers will vary widely, but I picked this particular car for several reasons, all having to do with my use of the vehicle. I commute 80 miles a day and am dependent on my vehicle to get to my office. Since I am in the car so much, comfort and consistent reliability are important. This brand of cars is comfortable and reliable. As I commute and drive a lot otherwise, I need a vehicle that will handle high mileage over time without needing replacement. These vehicles are known to have long lifetimes and can travel many, many miles. But why a station wagon? Because sea kayaking and other pursuits involve a lot of gear, which this vehicle can carry. Why not get a truck? Comfort and gas mileage, which this vehicle provides and which address the commuting issue. All these reasons are based on my use of this car to suit my needs. Needs exist in the future as well. I would need to be able to maintain this car myself, and the reliability and inexpensive maintenance over time add to the suitability of this car for my personal use. A similar situation exists in the use of the Internet for communication. Need drives the use of this technology. If Internet communication can fill a need, it will be used within an organization. A vision or strategy can be developed that fills needs. But doing so requires knowledge of needs. |
| c) | What would this purchase cost? |
| Answer: | Again, your answer will vary. A brand new Volkswagon Passat Wagon costs about $25,000. Though I'd eventually like to own this vehicle, I could not meet the financial need it required at the time I purchased my most recent car. Enter economics, the other major factor in any business or organizational situation. Though my strategy is solid for meeting my needs and use, it is affected by the economics of my life. |
| d) | What car would or did you recently purchase based on your current financial situation? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary and if you haven't purchased a car, that's OK too. My most recent car purchase was a used Subaru Legacy Wagon. Your answer to the first question in this exercise may be the same as this one. If that is the case then your strategy, usage needs, and economics are all in line with each other. |
| e) | Generally speaking, why will or did you make this purchase? How will/did the vehicle fit your needs? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary, but mine are based on the same set of circumstances discussed in the previous discussion about my vision for a vehicle. I need a reliable, fuel-efficient car that can handle high mileage and carry a lot of stuff. This vehicle fit all these needs. Again, if your answers are the same for both questions, then your strategy solved your usage needs and you could afford the appropriate vehicle to complete the strategy. You have demonstrated a successful and coordinated vehicle ownership. |
| f) | How did you research, arrange, and finance this purchase? |
| Answer: | Your answers will again vary, but if you purchased a vehicle you may have shared some of these experiences. I first decided generally what I wanted. My strategy, based on my needs, was to find a used station wagon. I then spent many hours looking at classifieds listings, visiting dealerships, talking with salespeople, and calling around looking for a car that matched my vision and that I could afford. Regarding finances, my strategy was to fund this purchase with my savings account. These efforts were all tactics that helped me complete my goal. Tactics are actions that lead to or complete a strategy. In a general analogy, my personal mission or strategy was to purchase a vehicle that fit my needs. The actions I took, including research, traveling around town, test driving vehicles, and checking prices, were the tactics I used to achieve that goal. |
| g) | Can you afford this purchase? |
| Answer: | If you made a purchase, we can assume you could afford it. In my case I found a vehicle that fit my needs and that I could afford. I was able to buy it in cash using my savings at the time. I did not want to finance this purchase as I was entering graduate school at the time. I wanted the Volkswagon but settled for the Subaru based solely on economics. Any buying situation is affected by many factors at once. In this case my strategy was affected by economic factors. Use of the vehicle and its ability to fulfill my needs led to the original strategy. Tactics were utilized to complete the strategy and balance economic factors with use and needs. |
Answers
Using these same four factors, let's apply them to a general discussion of Web communication in your company or organization.
| a) | What is your overall Internet communication strategy? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary widely, but don't be concerned about setting unrealistic goals. We are initially discussing vision and strategy. Economics will always play a role but shouldn't act as an initial damper to communication planning. In my case, I direct a training program and I would use the Internet to communicate any and all information from the program with all interested parties. I would communicate program descriptions, requirements, class listings, schedules, grades, financial information, and everything else over the Web. I would capture questions, registrations, and student contact information in a similar Web interface. I would also like eventually to develop a Web-based delivery method for the program's classes, and this is being currently developed for this publication. I would use e-mail to communicate directly with students, instructors, vendors, and prospects. Though all of this communication may not all be feasible immediately, these elements make up an overall vision for Internet communication. A strategy for development of this communication has been created. |
| b) | Using the Internet to communicate in these ways fulfills what audience needs? |
| Answer: | Your answers will again vary but should discuss your needs and how the Internet can be used to fulfill those needs. Here's my answer: Running a training program involves publishing a lot of detailed general information for all interested students (e.g., class schedules), capturing individual registration and financial information from students (e.g., student registrations), and publishing individual-specific information (e.g., class lists for instructors or student grades). All of these things are now done using paper-based systems with forms, receipts, lists, and letters But it could all be done using the Web. This would fulfill the needs of the students and instructors who want this type of information on a regular basis. It would make it easier for them to get what they need at their convenience, and it would positively impact the needs of myself and the departmental support staff, who must now process all of this paper to supply information and make the program operate. Using e-mail is also easier and more efficient for all parties due to it asynchronous nature. Web-based delivery is more complicated, technology speaking, but would greatly increase student and instructor satisfaction by eliminating travel, traffic, and time pressure. It would also increase the program's marketability because geography would not be important in the training process. In my own case, an Internet communication strategy fulfills the needs of all parties involved with the program in a number of ways. Your answers should also build a strategy by fulfilling needs. |
| c) | What tactics would make this effort happen? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary but should involve a short discussion of tactics you can use to develop the strategy based on the preceding questions. Review mine as an example. The tactics I could utilize could involve several efforts. I could develop and publish a Web site that contains all of the information traditionally included in program catalogs. As courses are changed or added, this information can be updated. In addition, schedules can be published dynamically using the Web. Prospective students can request information fulfillment as well. I use a customized database system to operate my training program. It contains and manipulates almost all of the information I use, including student records, class registrations, instructor information, and financial data. Building a secure Web interface for individual student and instructor access to this database would fulfill a majority of the needs and desires of students and staff. Just moving my registration process into an on-line model would simplify that process and cut down on paper-based problems. Shifting individual communication to e-mail is another tactic that uses the Internet in a successful fashion. Developing a Web-based delivery method is a more involved process but could be accomplished by partnering with a technology partner or vendor that could facilitate this process. |
| d) | Would all the people you communicate with use these Internet communication methods? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary but should discuss the use of Internet communication after development and availability. Again, here is my answer. In my field, all of the parties involved with my program are adept at Internet communication and have Internet access at home or work. I have always communicated directly with my instructor audience via e-mail. I have worked to move student communication into e-mail, but some situations, including new prospects and conflict resolutions, require communicating via telephone. In other audiences and markets, the Internet may not be as highly used and accepted. The usage of the Internet will be impacted by the audiences it is intended to reach. Consider both initial and long-term usage potential as part of a communication strategy. This is difficult since usage will change over time and can't be measured until Internet communication is attempted. But usage can and should be involved in justification and measurement of communication efforts. In my case, many students want hard copy course catalogs for reference purposes and require hard copy documents for records and processing needs. Additionally, a Web-based delivery option may be good for a specific audience, but the students who attend classes now are doing so because they want an instructor-led classroom environment-something they can't get on the Web at this point. In these cases traditional communication methods can't be completely replaced by Web communication because the traditional methods are being used successfully to fulfill current usage needs. Though Internet communication is generally better for all parties that use it, it may not be used initially by all parties involved. Usage can and should affect Internet communication strategy before and after the strategy is implemented. |
| e) | How do economics affect your current situation or envisioned strategy? |
| Answer: | Your answers will vary according to your current involvement levels. This question is hard to answer if you aren't working at using the Internet to communicate, but some general points can be made. Most important, economics will always affect your strategy and use of Internet communication, either positively or negatively. Though Internet generally makes communication less expensive, development costs will be incurred. These economic factors will impact your implementation of Internet communication strategy. Economics will always be involved when discussing usage of any effort. In my case, the development of an on-line catalog with schedules, information, and contact options was very inexpensive and easy to accomplish using student and instructor expertise. I was also able to piggyback my efforts onto the Web site already developed and funded by the college where I operate. In addition, I have an e-mail system that was developed and funded by the college's Information Systems (IS) department. Building a customized Web-based interface for my program is not possible due to economic factors. I am not budgeted for this expense, even though almost every student and other party would probably use the system if it were developed. The same is true for a Web-based delivery system at my school. Though it would probably be successful as well, it is not being funded at this time. Economics are constraining my program's Internet communications strategy. |
| f) | If you are currently utilizing the Web in some way, how do the actual effort's needs, usage, tactics, and economic factors reflect your envisioned strategy? |
| Answer: | Again, your answers will vary based on your current activity level. In my case, portions of the Internet communications strategy have been developed using a number of tactics. I have developed a Web site that serves as an on-line catalog. It has attracted and informed prospective students who use its contact options. Current students access schedules as well. A majority of direct communication between myself, students, and instructors has been shifted from telephone to e-mail. These tactics fulfill the needs of the audiences they are targeted to reach and are used by them. Other parts of the strategy have not happened due to economic factors. Development of direct, individual information exchanges for students and instructors and Web-based delivery have not been developed. Regardless of your current use of Internet communication, these four issues will affect an Internet communications effort. The strategy's vision should encapsulate the best possible, yet generally feasible, situation. It should fulfill the wants, needs, and desires of audiences. This strategy will be affected by the usage of the communications effort after it is deployed. Most important, the communications effort will always be limited by the economic factors of the situation. As usage increases, economic justification can be increased. Tactics can also be employed over time to fulfill needs, match usage, and meet economic needs in stages. |
Self-Review Questions
In order to test your progress, you should be able to answer the following questions:
| 1) | Searching the classifieds for the car you want is a
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| 2) | Which of the four factors will always drive the other three?
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| 3) | After the development of an Internet communications effort the factor that will be used to justify economics and influence strategy is use.
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| 4) | Given that economics will play a role, tactics should be applied in Internet communication to
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