We all know that achieving success online is about more than just having a great website.

Now, more than ever, taking a holistic user centric approach to online activity means that we can create effective, joined-up communications, and an integrated online strategy.

It’s difficult to focus on one specific online tool in isolation; you can’t think about the website without thinking about how to maximise your SEO and PPC advertising. And once you’ve got people hitting your site, what tools are available for them to interact with it, and also engage with you without needing to come back? RSS feeds, blogs, social engagement and online communities all spring to mind. So how do we decide where to begin?

You probably already have a clear idea of what your objectives as an organisation are, so a good place to start in figuring out your best approach towards achieving those objectives is to concentrate fully on understanding your target audience and how they want to be communicated with. Without doing this you will have little chance of building a relationship with them that will benefit both parties.

So put your customer hat on! A user-centric approach makes your content, communications and online functions focus on the needs and desires of your audience, helping you to:

• Reach out to your audience and engage with them, wherever they may be  
• Pull them into your site or online portals
• Get them to interact with you
• Keep them connected to you in a way that’s easy for them
  

One great example we have been involved with that epitomises this thinking is the innovative 'Challenge' site we created for Diabetes UK. It's a great example because it puts users (supporters and fundraisers) at its heart.

People who use the Challenge site are able to connect their supporter profiles to their online social networks, making the user experience easier, while extending the reach of the Diabetes UK brand further.

Did you know, for instance, that on average Facebook users have about 150 friends? Every time someone posts an update from Diabetes Challenge through Facebook Connect, that message is multiplied to their friends.

And very importantly this site does not work in isolation from Diabetes’ other online presences. For example, it communicates in real-time to their CRM system, helping Diabetes UK achieve a 360 degree view of their audience members, and allowing the charity to communicate with its supporters in a more tailored fashion.

At the concept stage of the Challenge site, we worked strategically with Diabetes UK’s to consider who their audience was and how best to target them. This strategic slant is essential for any agency to work effectively. If you don't let agencies into your strategy or at least your key objectives, start now!

The results of Challenge have been extremely good, exceeding expectations, and the site is a major success. Amanda Neylon, Digital Media Manager at Diabetes UK, will be telling the story of how the Challenge site evolved at our next seminar on 22 April, so to hear more about it, please do sign up to come along...