Like any effective strategy, the first step is to diagnose the problem. And that’s true for digital transformation.
Emote Digital are pioneers in the space of digital transformations — the process where your company fully embraces the power of digital to implement strategies that revolutionise your operation.
It’s not just a new website or defining a target audience, it’s about prescribing the antidote for clunkiness. It’s fixing root causes with more than just a bandaid. It’s problem-solving.
There’s a reason why you need to seek out an agency to help you execute your digital transformation and why it can’t come from within. But we’ll get to that.
First, let’s take a look at what makes an effective digital transformation and how to know your brand needs one.
What Makes for an Effective Strategy
An effective strategy not only solves the known existing problems but also finds solutions for future endeavours.
You can recognise an effective strategy by how much it future-proofs your business and streamlines your process.
A strong, reliable digital presence has the ability to unlock new potential and grow existing customers, allowing you to increase market share and drive business growth. Basically, a truly effective strategy will have a significant dollar value return. It’s an investment.
Concrete deliverables are important for an effective strategy. That’s why Emote Digital has set outcomes that they’ve outlined you can expect when you engage them for a digital transformation.
- Initial strategic alignment workshop
- Audits across digital assets, marketing and brand
- Comprehensive overall strategy and plan
- Technical documentation around required projects
- Detailed scope of work including projected budgets and out of scope considerations
- Outline of timelines, dependencies and responsible persons
Plans are necessary for flawless execution. That’s why every digital transformation has one.
5 Signs You Need a Digital Transformation Strategy
There are many reasons your business might need a digital transformation. In fact, there aren’t many brands that wouldn’t benefit significantly.
Here are the top 5 signs that you need a digital transformation strategy.
- You don’t have an online presence. This one’s easy — if you’re not already online, you’re losing out on a massive opportunity. If you don’t have a website, you’re basically asking your competition to beat you.
- You have an online presence, but it’s not impressive. You realise the importance of being online, but you’re not making enough of an impact. You’re scared that you’ll fade away into obscurity considering the vast size of the internet.
- There are internal stakeholders that need convincing. Oftentimes it can take a lot of debating and explaining to convey the importance of being digital in this day and age. If you have stubborn dinosaurs that don’t see the point of going digital, they soon will after a session with Emote.
- Your competitors are beating you. They’re doing something you’re not, ranking higher, selling more and innovating. It’s not a matter of them simply being better, it’s a matter of needing to transform your approach.
- You’re an innovator. You have a knack for jumping on things early and can smell success from a mile away. You want a digital transformation because it excites you.
Sound like you? Don’t be surprised. Almost any business falls into at least one of the above categories.
But if you know you need a digital transformation, why can’t you just do it by yourself? That’s a very good question.
Why You Can’t Do It Alone
You can’t do your own internal digital transformation for the same reason you can’t do your own haircut.
Well, you could. It just wouldn’t be very good and you’d definitely miss important bits.
The truth is, it’s hard to see yourself clearly. This is true for both personal growth and development as well as interrogating a business operation. As a director, owner, employee or stakeholder, you’re simply too involved to give credible insight.
It often takes an outsider looking in to accurately diagnose problems and find solutions. An outsider is not tied to bureaucracy or allegiances and can be impartial and objective. Not only that, often simply because the opinion is from an outsider it is taken more seriously and acted upon within the business.
Let’s not forget the most important reason why you can’t do it alone: you’re most likely not an expert.
Expertise in digital transformation requires knowledge across websites, UX, design, social media marketing, search engine advertising, SEO, copywriting and digital strategy. Having these areas work cohesively together is key to achieving success.
Working with experts like Emote Digital ensures you’re getting a reliable and trustworthy opinion from people who have done this many times before.
You want an agency that has hands-on experience bringing large, well-known brands into the digital age with style and strategy.
Effective Digital Transformation Examples
A digital transformation can come in many different shapes and sizes.
Take Suzuki Motorcycles. Emote was able to diagnose the challenges of selling motorbikes online in a declining market while also supporting dealerships.
They solved this by implementing a Build Your Bike function for the website, streamlining the customer experience and ensuring customers stayed on the site once they got there.
Another example is Bakers Delight. Emote brought this iconic Aussie brand into the 21st century with impact.
For a brand that does so well in their physical stores already, the drawcard for investing online had to be worth it. Through innovating how digital sales could benefit them massively and thinking outside the box for additional opportunities, Bakers Delight was converted.
For a more in-depth look at how Emote Digital approached these specific brands, check out our blog on 3 Successful Digital Transformation Examples.
The key takeaway to remember is that you don’t know what you don’t know. The extent to how much of an impact a digital transformation could make is a mystery until you ask.
Seek out expert opinions and you’ll be surprised by just how much a digital transformation can positively affect your business.
If you think you’re ready (and by now you’ve probably realised that you are) then reach out to the friendly folks at Emote Digital and start your digital transformation today.
