Blog posts by Mark Everard

Blog posts by Mark Everard2024-10-20T14:30:26.0000000Zhttps://world.optimizely.com/blogs/Mark-Everard/ Optimizely World Using Optimizely with modern micro front end architectures.Optimizely products have now evolved so that the full Optimizely One suite can be used within cutting edge modern composable architectures to provide significant agility, scale and speed improvements to online experiences.2024-10-20T14:30:26.0000000Z

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The composable consulting model our industry needs<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4ce36686f8a8461f8931cab216862bdd.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4ce36686f8a8461f8931cab216862bdd.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> The architecture of a modern consulting business is ‘composable’. Certainly, we think of ourselves a composable consulting business and have done since we started. That means we assemble teams of freelancers and subcontractors for projects only when needed and never pass on the hidden cost of a heavy bench to you - because we don't have one. The benefits are clear. You get expertly cast teams. Work gets done faster, to higher standards and you pay less for the privilege. Sounds good? It gets better. Because we’re dedicated to Optimizely - and have been for decades - we have access to the best in the business. Deeply experienced players. Everything just clicks because we all speak the same language, so to speak. Making onboarding a breeze. So, keep paying for the superficial frills of big agencies and their laden operating models, if that works for you. Or, let's get down to business. Make your budgets go further and ship the work that needs to be done, finally. </div></div>2024-09-12T04:48:02.0000000Z

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Onederful!Opticon 2024 Stockholm has finished and my journey back to Yorkshire from Onederland (via Oslo) has given me space to reflect.2024-09-11T14:30:26.0000000Z

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#Onederful!<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ea7860_8b1dcac440e543fc86422eaae1f7491a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_628,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ea7860_8b1dcac440e543fc86422eaae1f7491a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_628,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> Opticon Stockholm has finished and my journey back to Yorkshire from #Onederland (via Oslo) has given me space to reflect. Here are the Top (or should I say 'First') Three Things I think you need to know. Personalization The showcase announcement was of a new product. Personalization. A standalone composable SaaS tool allowing you to bring high-performance personalized experiences to your existing digital platforms, whether using other Optimizely products or not. A new product, but not all new capability. Optimizely has offered personalization functionality across its products for over 10 years. This represents a consolidated packaging of that functionality, also improved along the way, now utilising the proven infrastructure and approach of their class leading experimentation tooling and data platform. It becomes a further clear entry point into the Optimizely One suite, in an area that is still a priority for the CMO. It allows Optimizely to be compared more directly with competitor products knowing they have the additional strength and breadth of the Optimizely One platform to offer marketing teams. I’m interested to see what the analysts, the market and our clients make of the product, but it initially feels a clever, sensible and well executed move. More hands-on thoughts soon. The execution of the connected platform Two year ago after San Diego I wrote about Optimizely’s vision for their connected marketing platform (Optimizely One) and it’s clear to see how far they’ve come. Simple, expected elements such as single sign-on, consistent navigation and look and feel are well in place, along with Optimizely Graph acting as a central interface to data for each element of the platform. When considering DXP capability ease of use for end users is a primary consideration for IT buyers. Adopting and composing your own DXP using multiple integrated vendor systems adds friction to everyday user tasks. Multiple logins, different interfaces, opposing terminology and non-aligned data. For large teams this friction is a real and often hidden efficiency cost that must be considered against the total cost of ownership (TCO). The “suite” will always win* Optimizely One’s coherence is perhaps best illustrated by my first question at each product demo. “Exactly what product is this?” Even as an expert user and MVP I had to ask. AI A new feature that further ties the Optimizely One suite together is the emergence of Optimizely’s AI Copilot named Opal. Sitting alongside key interfaces, ready and available to assist. It’s early days. To the trained eye it’s current form is just a thin contextualised wrapper over ChatGPT. However, the vision again is clear. <ol> <li>Bring your own AI (BYOAI) - you can plug in different and specific AI models, such as partner vendor models or custom models trained on your data. A good example here is a model trained on a marketing team’s ‘tone of voice’ guidelines, able to generate copy in their house style.</li> </ol> <ol> <li>Greater context - Optimizely trained models using your data securely from across the platform. A simple demo was shown allowing Opal to search through content in a SaaS CMS but imagine having access to a colleague(s) with encyclopaedic</li> <li> knowledge of your current and past content, campaigns, customer data and optimisation efforts, who is able to connect the dots and provide insight about the next best thing to do.</li> </ol> AI is and will be the technology battleground for the next decade and Optimizely are forging a clear path (also I’ve heard rumours of more to come). Finally, Opticon always provides a great opportunity to catch up with other partners, customers and friends to share stories, generate ideas and to celebrate success. It is of course always gratifying to see work you’ve contributed to be presented and held up as best example in a closing keynote. Truly #Onederful </div></div>2024-09-11T12:21:37.0000000Z

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Micro front-ends are massive for Optimizely One<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_13a64700398c42cdbc929c39b197ad35~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_13a64700398c42cdbc929c39b197ad35~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> Optimizely products have evolved. Their new generation of products changes the game. A multi-year journey for Optimizely. They have engineered cloud native solutions such as Optimizely Graph, improving their headless CMS and Commerce capabilities whilst maintaining their heritage of focus on the end user and of ease-of-use, with their new Visual Builder. Culminating in the release of their SaaS CMS. Now, Optimizely One can be used within cutting edge modern composable architectures (for example micro-front-end architectures) to provide significant agility, scale and speed improvements to online experiences. Which is exactly what FTT has been doing, working with one of the largest appliance manufacturing businesses in the world. <h2>Why choose a Micro-Front End (MFE) architecture?</h2> At a high level an MFE architecture offers 5 big benefits: <h3>1 Independent deployments </h3> Updates can be rolled out without a full deployment cycle, safe in the knowledge that a single MFE deployment cannot impact other MFEs, removing the risk of widespread outage or significant downtime. <h3>2 Resilience and fault isolation </h3> From an application perspective, MFEs are extremely fault tolerance. A failure in one MFE cannot cascade and impact the entire application. For instance, an issue with a payment micro front end would not prevent users adding to their cart, or completing their order via another payment method, whilst the original issue is resolved <h3>3 Improved development agility </h3> Traditional monolithic solutions can slow down development cycles due to their complexity and interdependencies. MFE’s foster an environment where multiple development teams can work concurrently on different features without fear (or the rework required) of conflicting change or regression bugs. <h3>4 Technology diversity and innovation</h3> MFEs allow teams to choose the most suitable technology stack for their specific needs. A team responsible for a recommendation engine might leverage the latest innovative machine learning libraries alongside user interface teams adopting their choice of latest front end frameworks. <h3>5 Focussed expertise and better maintainability</h3> Breaking down the front-end into smaller parts allows you to focus your development teams on specific functional areas, working with smaller applications, rather than learning a single giant enterprise application (which is often prohibitive). This isolation allows each team to apply its own coding and development standards appropriate to the functional area. Together these can reduce developer onboarding times and increase quality as the teams more quickly master their respective domains and functional areas. <h3>What are microfront-ends?</h3> Microfront-ends (MFEs) are an architectural pattern and approach which mimic the benefits of micro services for API’s but applies them to user interface elements, such as a web page or component. MFEs divide a user interface into isolated, small pieces of functionality, enabling them to be operated independently. This separation ensures that each MFE can be developed, deployed and scaled without impact on other MFEs or the rest of the application. For high-traffic e-commerce platforms, this translates to improved performance and stability as different parts of the website can be optimized and scaled according to their specific demands. For instance, product pages can be scaled to deal with increased load without scaling the checkout or user profile sections, or changes to the payment section can be deployed without impacting the rest of the checkout. Increasingly large e-commerce sites and global web platforms are choosing to build using an MFE approach, as at scale the operational and cost benefits can be significant. <h3>Word to the wise </h3> It is of course worthwhile noting that MFE architectures are inherently more complex than traditional application architectures, and so are most suited to more complex enterprise solutions with large development teams. If you’re operating at scale and interested in learning more about MFE architectures or how Optimizely can be used then please get in touch. </div></div>2024-09-09T06:21:03.0000000Z

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Case study: AI driven site search for Eason, an iconic Irish retailer At a glance… Intuitive, easy to use site search makes all the difference for customers. Easy to find means more likely to buy. That’s...2024-08-30T12:34:27.0000000Z

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Case study: AI driven site search for Eason, an iconic Irish retailer<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d6312a3bd05c4a96a7bea9e2cff99d78~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d6312a3bd05c4a96a7bea9e2cff99d78~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> <h3>At a glance… </h3> Intuitive, easy to use site search makes all the difference for customers. Easy to find means more likely to buy. That’s why for retailers site search has become a commercial priority. <a href="http://Easons.com" target="_blank">Easons.com</a> is built with Optimizely CMS and Commerce on top of Microsoft Dynamics. It handles hundreds of thousands of products, each with complex data attributes. Eason chose Algolia AI Search (the market leader in site search) and we worked closely with their teams to design the right solution and manage its effective delivery which included smoothly decommissioning the legacy search technology without disruption for customers. <h3>What Eason say…</h3> “We believe that Algolia AI Search will help our customers find what they need easier than ever on our website. This project has been one of the biggest technical changes we’ve ever made to <a href="http://Easons.com" target="_blank">Easons.com</a> and FTT played a vital role in meeting an absolutely unmissable deadline. We look forward to continuing to evolve the search experience for our customers, building on this strategic investment in a world-class solution.” Lori Ryan, Digital Technical Manager <h3>Success metrics</h3> As you’d expect, relevance (i.e. the AI can understand what I mean and return what I want) and speed (i.e. results appear with each keystroke) were the two main goals of the project. But also, user-friendliness, analytics and future-proofing were part of the brief. <ul> <li>User-friendliness<ul> <li>It’s now easy for editors to operate, test, optimise and merchandise products in search results</li> <li>No developer intervention necessary for BAU tasks</li> </ul> </li> <li>Analytics (customer behaviour data)<ul> <li>It’s now easy for editors to view customer search reports and track revenue generated from search</li> </ul> </li> <li>Future proofing<ul> <li>Eason now have scope for rich UI design enhancements as required</li> <li>Algolia’s SaaS model provides continuous product improvements</li> </ul></li> </ul> <h3>About our solution</h3> Search and product discovery are the technical foundation of <a href="http://easons.com" target="_blank">easons.com</a>. We designed our solution to be delivered in a carefully considered waterfall of stages, done so in parallel with the other ongoing maintenance tasks. This allowed Eason to iteratively test the quality of, first, the product data migration, then the customer event data, then the search engine functionality and finally the decommissioning of legacy code. It also meant that system integrations and search indexing could be tested with live production data, pre-go-live, critical for business confidence. In addition, search could be optimised from day one because live customer behaviour data had already been captured and injected into Algolia throughout the process. Perhaps crucially, the new search interfaces could be incrementally rolled out. No big bang release. So, these complex changes felt seamless. This project was done at pace, and successful, in part because we used Algolia's search interface library (InstantSearch.js) as well as our proprietary Algolia x Optimizely Commerce Connector. <h3>About Eason</h3> Eason is an iconic Irish retail business, established 1819 with turnover in excess of €220 million and 64 stores across the island of Ireland. <a href="http://Easons.com" target="_blank">Easons.com</a> is their primary eCommerce platform and supports a product inventory of more than half a million SKUs.</div></div>2024-08-30T12:34:27.0000000Z

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Farewell Sitecore. Hello Optimizely<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_4ce89caf4dcf4d6faa78de7aa1b2eb64~mv2_d_3984_2240_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_4ce89caf4dcf4d6faa78de7aa1b2eb64~mv2_d_3984_2240_s_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> In our upcoming Masterclass with Optimizely, we describe how to migrate smart from Sitecore to Optimizely. Here in this blog post (as a teaser) we explore the underlying business context which drives the decision to make such a dramatic IT change. Important to understand. Yet, often overlooked by systems integrators. <h3>Why are you leaving?</h3> When a customer takes the decision to leave Sitecore, it’s done with a very heavy heart. No IT director wants to change anything unless there’s a pretty good reason. As they consider their options, it’s safe to assume the following things weigh on their mind: <ul> <li>They have invested years into the platform. Probably millions too. They know there’s very little re-use in the future state. Ouch! </li> </ul> <ul> <li>They know switching is expensive and complicated. They’ll be building a new platform while maintaining the current one, splitting resources, doubling up costs. And it means learning new systems as well as teaching the business how to use them. Double ouch! </li> <li>Big change is risky. We were promised so much. How can we be sure we won’t be burned again? Groan...</li> </ul> In other words, the current solution has failed. We’re done. No more good money after bad. A technical platform migration is a ‘distress purchase’, and this shouldn’t be forgotten. As good consultants, it’s wise we empathise with our customers, but especially in this context. Understanding the cumulative pain that led to this point, points us toward the best solution. And those pain-points? They’re old friends: <ul> <li>Publishing content is too complicated. The sales and marketing team is getting really frustrated or, have given up. They know about Wix, Squarespace and Shopify. They have no idea why it takes weeks to spin up a campaign landing page. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Planning deployments and the total cost of support has become too high. To the point where the budget has been throttled back to just ‘keeping the lights on’, and not much else. </li> <li>The cool features promised (and paid for) have never been used. And this makes everyone feel pretty sceptical about the sales pitch for the next solution. </li> </ul> Invariably, all of the above has been caused by short-sighted architecture decisions compounded by hurried implementation and weak development standards (not withstanding poor roadmap choices). This sounds all too familiar, doesn’t it? But we mustn’t sneer or snark. We’re all culpable. So, starting the project with a degree of humility, and a sympathetic bed-side manner is appropriate. <h3>What do you want now?</h3> If we reflect honestly on the ‘why’, is it any wonder that an MVP-style lift-and-shift approach exists only as a theoretical concept - one that will rarely see the light of day. The years of handwringing that have led to this point have incubated a great deal of pent-up demand for change. Especially now, in 2024, with all the leaps made in the last five years. The idea of a like-for-like, lift-and-shift makes no business sense. It won’t get funded. Leaving a burning platform is an opportunity to catch up on lost time. It’s not a 'migration'. It’s a re-design project. The scope of the re-design is a variable. The implementation of a fresh Optimizely installation and the migration of legacy data, a facet of the project. An important distinction. <h3>Learning from lessons learned </h3> Of course, when we start scoping, we lean on our experience. We factor the mistakes we’ve made in the past. Another way of thinking about lessons learned is as assumptions proven false. False assumptions are born three ways: error of judgement, lack of experience and hopeful optimism. Let’s set aside the first two - assumed irrelevant ;o) - and focus on the third, hopeful optimism. Common here are two interlinked issues: <ul> <li>We over-estimate the role of automation</li> </ul> <ul> <li>We under-estimate the time and effort required for manual publishing and testing</li> </ul> So a word to the wise - as we plan and scope the project, whatever assumptions we make about these common activities, make sure there is a robust justification for them. In our Masterclass session, we’ll talk in detail about the Sitecore Data Model and how they map to Optimizely’s along with several other important planning considerations. We hope you'll find it useful. Stay tuned.</div></div>2024-07-27T08:07:33.0000000Z

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Lift and shift, a clean slate to start building the future<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_4def749e8fd1486c81d72516f48249d0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_4def749e8fd1486c81d72516f48249d0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> Sitting on an aging Sitecore platform and seriously tempted by Optimizely? You should be. Remember . . . The website is not your CMS. It’s connected by data. Throw out the bathwater, keep the baby. The cost of migration spins out of control when you sign up to a fancy design ‘Discovery’ process - which can add chunky 6-figure bills to your project. But, not only that, ‘Discovery’ invariably adds expensive scope bloat. Just do a lift and shift. Be composable. Be iterative. Adopt a product mindset, not a project one. Reconcile all your templates and blocks. You have too many, I promise. Lift and shift means you can completely redesign the look and feel of the site. You can apply your new brand. Templates and blocks can be visually transformed by style sheet modification. It's amazing how much the creative can change with relatively little effort. Focus ruthlessly on best-practice feature enablement with the least possible code customisation. Focus ruthlessly on simplifying the editor experience. This gives you the best ROI and lowest TCO. Keep CapEx low. Go fast as possible. Then, iterate. What are you waiting for? Watch Optimizely's <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAvjnHIBRwdY75JyT9ojJOLLfVGjH7PajGY" target="_blank">Nicola Ayan</a> explain the why and the how. <a href="https://lnkd.in/eMkx8-7a" target="_blank">https://lnkd.in/eMkx8-7a</a></div></div>2024-07-18T18:55:43.0000000Z

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How I use ChatGPT as an Optimizely solutions architect<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1d5689280c6462ea92b06c169b00597.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f1d5689280c6462ea92b06c169b00597.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> Big Tech knows AI radically transforms productivity. With huge roadmaps of work, AI propels them faster than ever. It's noteworthy that these same companies are driving the future of AI too. They call it 'dogfooding'. Using their own tech to test and iterate. It's easy to see how exponential this is all becoming. For me, AI for productivity is always on my mind. How can we help our clients go faster? Get more done? Offer best possible value? <h3>Meet my assistant developer </h3> I've been using ChatGPT 4o as my assistant developer for a while now. 'She' helps me scaffold individual components of my code. In seconds. It's amazing. For example, if I need to integrate with an external API, I provide ChatGPT with the API specification and describe the technology stack plus some project context. Done. My role then shifts to cleaning up the code so it integrates nicely with the rest of my solution. This lets me move from handling individual API details to working at a higher technical level, integrating the code in a way that meets all the requirements. It's ideal when adding new features or integrating with third-party APIs - literally days of developer time, done in hours. 'She' is fast becoming my favourite colleague. </div></div>2024-07-13T07:21:38.0000000Z

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How to write a knock-out value proposition<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/88c260fe2a2f49748a8f55515601c53f.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_803,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/88c260fe2a2f49748a8f55515601c53f.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_803,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> A value proposition tells the world why you exist. But they ain't easy to write. Here's a framework I use to help me. Think of your value proposition as the sum of four parts: <ol> <li>A simple, plain English statement </li> <li>What do you stand for? </li> <li>Your mission statement </li> <li>Your vision statement </li> </ol> <h3>A simple, plain English statement</h3> Wipe your brain of any sales and marketing speak and remove all jargon from your vocabulary. Now start to answer the following questions using the simplest language you can manage: <ul> <li>What are the top benefits of your product or service?</li> <li>What are the most important features of your product or service?</li> <li>What kind of experience can your customers expect? Self service, set-and-forget, attentive account management, luxury concierge service? </li> <li>Who is your absolute ideal customer?</li> <li>What do they want?</li> <li>What do they fear?</li> <li>If they don't choose you, what’s their alternative?</li> </ul> <h3>What do you stand for? </h3> For some reason, I think it's far easier to think about brand values in terms of, 'what do we stand for?'. What are the top 3 three things you stand for? Is it creativity? Is it a specific expertise? A certain standard? Is it a particular customer experience? List them out. Now gather examples of evidence that support each of these priority values. This could be certificates, IP, testimonials, awards. You get the idea. But, know this, if you can't find any evidence to support the values you lay claim to, it's probably wise to think again. <h3>Mission statement </h3> What is a mission statement? Well it depends on who you ask. But for me, it's a statement of your ambition, based on where you are today. This should be the easiest part to write, I also think its the most crucial. Construct it by answering these 3 questions: <ul> <li>What problem do we solve? </li> <li>How do we solve it? </li> <li>What do our customers get as a result? </li> </ul> <h3>Vision statement </h3> And so it follows, our vision statement describes our desire for the future - it serves to inspire us to execute the mission. Draft your vision statement by answering these 3 questions: <ul> <li>What do we hope for?</li> <li>How will we get there?</li> <li>What will our customers get when we get there? </li> </ul> <h3>And finally. . . </h3> Having completed these 4 jobs, we're ready to bring it together into a headline statement followed by a short paragraph that (in effect) becomes your elevator pitch. Now, anyone unfamiliar with your work can scan your value proposition and immediately understand the problem you solve, for whom, how you do it, and why you are the obvious choice. Simple, eh? </div></div>2024-07-11T10:46:02.0000000Z

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5 signs its time to migrate to Optimizely<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c8701250ad100e7148a3230bd45cf770.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_696,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c8701250ad100e7148a3230bd45cf770.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_696,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> If you’re responsible for your company website, there will be times you’ll question whether the software you’re using is right for you. Here are the 5 signs things need to change. <h3>1. TCO a little too spicy </h3> If the total cost of ownership, including licensing, hosting, maintenance, and support is becoming, or has become, a pain-point. This is the first signal you should start looking at the market. Especially if you have an on-premises monolithic stack, it's definitely time to explore a cloud-first, micro-services product suite, like Optimizely. <h3>2. Technical debt, a mill-stone around your neck</h3> If your development velocity is clearly slowing down. If your solution relies on seemingly heavy-handed customisations of ‘out-the-box’ features or your systems integrations (CRM, ERP, etc.) feel unsupported or excessively complex. Both can cause your backlog to grow - which is depressing. Optimizely’s 'One' product suite and extensive integration options might be a better fit. <h3>3. Performance and scalability keep you awake at night</h3> If you have to manually monitor performance during critical peaks. If your implementation is struggling with performance issues, slow response times, or just can't scale to meet demand. Optimizely is designed specifically for high performance and scalability. <h3>4. The CMO is on your back</h3> If your current implementation is not meeting your marketing team's needs for personalised experiences, split testing, customer data and (often the kicker) easy to use visual in-line editing tools - Optimizely’s a proven market leader here. <h3>5. The CEO is (also) on your back</h3> If all of the above is true, let’s be honest - you won’t place much stock in your software vendor’s product roadmap. But despite the fact that your priority may be 'keeping the lights on', your business must eye the future. Optimizely’s innovation and product roadmap is pretty exciting. Especially if AI-driven efficiency is on your CEO’s mind, which it is. Check it out. <a href="https://www.optimizely.com/product-updates/" target="_blank">https://www.optimizely.com/product-updates/</a> Remember, migration is really about moving to a climate that suits you better. The journey is demanding but realistically, what's the alternative - accepting the status quo? I didn't think so. </div></div>2024-06-27T09:44:37.0000000Z

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The secret to a successful business? Trust, respect and inspiration<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_9fe966298d0c4a4ebc6757e92506ead3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_9fe966298d0c4a4ebc6757e92506ead3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> When we started early in 2023 we didn’t have any clients. To be honest, we didn't really have a business plan. Hope was our strategy. LOLs. Since then we’ve been fortunate enough to work with: a global consumer brand, a market leading retailer, a global law firm and a tech category leader. And we've started to grow our team, with the best possible people we can find. When we started, all we knew was, we knew our stuff. Web, eCommerce and marketing technology on Optimizely. We also knew we could offer much better value for money than our competitors. Competence and value for money shouldn’t be differentiators in such a crowded marketplace. But, they definitely are. There's so much entrepreneurial advice on the internet, but we now know that working with people you trust, respect and feel inspired by is (ultimately) at the heart of everything. This is our story so far... We'll keep sticking to our original First Three Things mission. Focus on quality. Listen carefully to the customer. And remember, nothing is ever quite as complicated as it first seems. </div></div>2024-06-19T07:37:44.0000000Z

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The case against big agencyThe bigger the digital agency, the more expensive they are to work with. Makes sense, right? They’ve got hundreds, maybe thousands of...2024-04-15T09:58:52.0000000Z

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The case against big agency<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8e7b3b1a985b49ea8ef7a98324b9067c.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8e7b3b1a985b49ea8ef7a98324b9067c.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> The bigger the digital agency, the more expensive they are to work with. Makes sense, right? They’ve got hundreds, maybe thousands of salaries to pay each month. ‘Mouths to feed’, as they say. Truth is, it doesn’t make sense for an agency to have a big payroll. The idea of ‘agency’ ought to be ‘agility’. Intellectual as well as operational, now, more than ever. With a big payroll, billable utilisation is the top priority. When you have mouths to feed, it becomes increasingly difficult to offer unbiased recommendations. Every proposal is implicitly designed to keep bums off the bench. In order to be truly, deeply client-centric a modern digital consulting business has to be nimble and most importantly, free of the often intense commercial pressure of a big headcount. We should be able build specialist project teams quickly through a trusted network and disband them just as easily too. Not carry the burden. Own the outcome, not the people who help deliver it. Because that delivers the most impartial, agnostic and focussed value to clients. Because that reveals the most rewarding work. Because that’s the true spirit of ‘agency’. Big is best is an old fashioned idea. Let's get used to small is beautiful. </div></div>2024-04-15T09:58:52.0000000Z

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Asking better questions<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_8660787ae9634b12a7d8841ea99d7561~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_8660787ae9634b12a7d8841ea99d7561~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> I always thought to be a good Account Manager meant being a good listener. I still think that’s true, but I’ve come to realise being a good listener is what makes a person likeable - which is pretty important in any job or walk of life. So, I’ve upgraded my thinking on this topic. I now think the key is asking good questions. A good question is evidence this ain’t our first rodeo. A good question builds confidence far faster than any showy creds deck or slick jargon flourish. A good question is a mark of intelligence. A good question is a cleave into the most interesting client problems. I’ve been managing accounts for 20 years plus. This past year I’ve been thinking hard about whether there could be a repeatable formula for developing good questions. A teachable formula that could help consulting businesses scale in new and exciting ways. Initially I was inspired by the idea of training an AI. Now I’m motivated by the opportunity to give juniors credibility beyond their lived experience. It’s a work in progress, I guess it always will be. But we hope to productise this year. I’m looking forward to sharing with anyone who may be interested in beta testing with us.</div></div>2024-03-11T18:22:41.0000000Z

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I Predict A Riot<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a46da8ebe05f9eda25860a0e18b37384.jpg/v1/fit/w_425,h_616,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a46da8ebe05f9eda25860a0e18b37384.jpg/v1/fit/w_425,h_616,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> Self-publishing predictions for the future based on little more than gut feel is the very definition of hubris, if not a personality disorder. Ready? OK, here we go. There used to be an appealing fantasy that with enough determination anyone could make it to the top. They used to say, ‘work your way up from the mail room’. Didn’t they? But there is no mail room any more, is there? In fact, think of any entry level admin job, it’s easy to imagine these types of first-rung-of-the-ladder roles disappearing all together in the next decade. I think about this every time I self-scan chicken thighs in my local Sainsburys Local. Secretaries were replaced by Personal Assistants who are being replaced by Virtual Assistants, who’ll soon be made obsolete by apps inside our spatial computing visors. It won’t be too long before my Copilot will talk to yours and they’ll find time in our diary, make lunch reservations, summarise actions and book our Uber back home, that’s if the whole darn thing doesn’t take place in a wholly convincing visual simulation. The technology will outpace our ability to learn. And worse, it will rub our noses in it without even the faintest hint of shame or sympathy. The vacuum of humanity will take our breath away. Corporations will cheer. After all, no other endeavour better represents the absence of humanity than an S&P 500. Why would a corporation (whose motive is sustaining growth, profit and shareholder value) invest in training young humans who’ll take years to learn what these new bastard robot machines can master immediately? Having a management job will be like home ownership, out of reach for many, unless gifted by a kind elder. In this cheery context it’s my prediction that career paths will diverge in two fundamental ways: <ul> <li>Those that reward us because they are inherently rewarding. For example any job that offers direct useful service to others (care workers, teachers, coaches, nurses, clergy, cooks) because it is in service to others that we find fulfilment and for which it’s hard to imagine there will ever be a convincing synthetic equivalent. Fulfilment will become, in a sense, its own currency.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>And innovation. Innovation in the sectors that attend to our universal need for: health, education, transportation, entertainment, the built and natural environment.</li> </ul> The next generation of general AI will give superpowers to the most curious intellectuals of our time, affording them endless possibilities to explore their creativity regardless of their background, resources and connections. Finally, a democratisation of natural talent. In that sense, a future that forces us to choose between authentic fulfilment or boundless creative invention, feels dazzling to me. But, I could be wrong.</div></div>2024-02-20T20:59:23.0000000Z

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Six eCommerce capabilities you need now<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d116ec4b04774e50aec9e1077122c85a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d116ec4b04774e50aec9e1077122c85a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> If you run an e-commerce platform, these are the 6 things you should expect, now: <ul> <li>Edit / Publish. I can create beautiful branded web pages in-house. </li> <li>Site Search. I can merchandise site search to suit campaigns and boost best selling products. </li> <li>Product Recommendations.<a href="http://recommendations.website" target="_blank"> </a>I can automatically display product recommendations based on the user’s buying and browsing profile. </li> <li>Personalisation. I can automatically send smart marketing emails, personalised by buying history or by stage of the customer lifecycle. </li> <li>Funnel Optimisation. My analytics dashboard makes it easy to see where I need to improve the customer experience. </li> <li>High Performance. My website runs fast and smooth even during peak trading periods. </li> </ul> If you need advice, we can help. Just ask for a free consultation. </div></div>2024-02-18T09:46:00.0000000Z

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Wise clients do this<div><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_4e00b1cf6d0c47e39213d3456b182d2c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" style="width: 100%;" /><div> <figure><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_4e00b1cf6d0c47e39213d3456b182d2c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" /></figure> I’ve been working in digital agencies for 20 years. In my experience, consistently, the biggest causes of client frustration are: <ul> <li>Over-promising during pre-sales, and then... </li> <li>Descoping or cutting corners during the project, often leading to egregious tit-for-tat confrontations.</li> </ul> It’s easy to see how one begets the other. And it happens more often than it should. I get the sense experienced clients are wising up to it. What’s the answer? Well, if I were a client I’d consider 3 things: <ol> <li>I’d make sure the principal consultant proves to me they understand what a successful outcome truly means and commits to delivering that, not just a list of abstract ‘deliverables’ from a dry SoW. If the objective is to reduce TCO, How? By how much? Will any compromises need to be made? If it’s to increase ROI, same thing - gain consensus. Get commitment. </li> <li>I’d avoid hiring any agency with large ‘onshore’ production teams. There’s always an exception, but as a rule, I can’t think of a good reason to pay 50 to 100% more for designers and developers just because they live near London or a similar city. </li> <li>I’d hire the right size of agency. If my budget is less than 10% of their revenue, I probably won’t be a priority. That might be ok, but it’s certainly pause for thought.</li> </ol> If this makes sense to you, maybe we should start talking. </div></div>2024-02-18T09:03:26.0000000Z

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