At Cool Blue Interactive, we believe that before we can be innovative, we must be thorough. And that means first talking with you to gain a full understanding of your company, your online objectives and the needs of your target audience – before we start talking design.
That’s why our Discovery & Planning Strategy – characterized by high stakeholder participation and proactive project management – is the first and most critical step to success. From identifying your objectives through initial stakeholder interviews to examining your technology requirements so you can accurately budget your project, planning helps us refine your vision of success so we can build the right online experience that makes it happen, time and time again.
Consultation
Our initial consultation creates the foundation of our Discovery & Planning Strategy. During the kick-off meeting, we’ll gather detailed information about you and your target audience so we can understand your unique goals, challenges and requirements:
Business Requirements:
How does the web fit into your overall strategic plan?
Creative Requirements:
Will the website extend or enhance your brand?Technical Requirements:
What functionality will the site feature?Marketing Requirements:
How will you drive users to the website?
By leveraging our thorough understanding of your business model, target audience, messaging and online objectives, we can transform your website into a dynamic business tool that’s effective and efficient – and ensures maximum return from your investment.
Project Planning
Cool Blue Interactive’s disciplined project management approach comes into play during our Project Planning phase; after we’ve gained a full understanding of your objectives and your end-user, we’ll develop a methodical, measurable plan of action. This includes:
- Creating a Project Charter, which summarizes the project objectives, scope, success measurements and considerations
- Determining your new website’s structure, design, content and technical capabilities
- Estimating your project costs
- Establishing a detailed timeline with milestones
- Identifying the reporting structure
- Assigning a Project Manager as single point-of-contact to manage scheduling, progress, budgets and expectations.
Analysis
During the discovery process, we dig deep to find the most compelling reasons that drive your website goals. But we don’t stop at one meeting. We also conduct:
- Stakeholder Interviews – In-depth conversations with your key employees and users
- S.W.O.T. Assessments – A detailed analysis of your existing website’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
- Peer/Competitor Reviews – A thorough review of your top competitor websites and recommendations for gaining the online advantage
- Existing Data/Metrics Reviews – An analysis of your website’s performance by tracking and assessing your visitor’s behavior
- Site Audits – Benchmark reviews that assess how effectively your existing website drives your web strategy via usability, search engine optimization, competitiveness, security, browser compatibility and visually-impaired accessibility
Audience Development
At Cool Blue Interactive, we don’t just talk about website usability – we apply the industry’s best practices in user experience and design to build the right web experience that attracts, converts and retains your customers. That means we first must get as much information about your target audience as possible:
User Interviews
During user interviews, we find out how users rate your website in terms of usability, navigation, informational elements and overall look and feel. We also ask about their needs and what they’d like to see on the site.
Persona Development
We also rely on the user interviews to create Persona Development documents, which are complete user profiles that give us a real-world view of the target audience.
By working to fully understand the needs, challenges and expectations of your user, we can deliver an exceptional web experience that your audience will understand, respond to, and return to again and again.
