Virtual Bricks and Mortar

Nix to Offices
At the beginning of 2004 my business partner and I designed our new consultancy, Te Kaihau. We both intended to work from home, for a number of reasons. Admittedly we had some concern as to the ?appearance? this would give, but we refused to buy into the expense of something we felt ought to be unnecessary for our image. Deb wasn?t convinced we needed a website either. She now says she didn?t realise when I wanted a website that what I meant was a WEBSITE!?

I envisaged a site that would help lend enormous weight to a sense of presence for Te Kaihau in its market. Within a few months of our site going live in April, the feedback on our site and its appearance and content has been more than satisfying. Most significant have been the comments from other consultants we?ve worked with that the site gives the appearance Te Kaihau has been going for several years.

Recently I calculated that to create this sense of permanence and reliability would otherwise have cost about quarter of a million dollars in office space, staff, furniture and equipment ? thus, virtual bricks & mortar!

Global Credibility
A similar issue came up recently. Te Kaihau won a bid for $80,000 from NZ Trade & Enterprise to develop an international undergraduate business contest. By the time the announcement came from T&E, semester and exam period timing meant we had a very tight window of opportunity to make the contest a happening thing, otherwise we would have to put our planning back six months. Again I insisted on a website, and we have been fortunate in having timely support from Spiral to get the site live in a short space of time. Thus an idea involving thousands of students worldwide has gone from vision to reality via, among other things, a global web presence with all the credibility and authenticity that that provides.

Making your site known
Of course that?s all well and good but if people don?t know your site?s there then, hey, what a waste of effort? We put the Te Kaihau site at the centre of all our marketing and networking efforts. ?Have a look at our website? we say, all the time, or: ?We have an interesting article about just that issue on our website?. And if we?ve sent material to clients before we meet them we?re often pleased to hear: ?Yes, I looked at your site ? it was very informative?. And so on?

Whatever works ?
Look, you?ve really got to give a lot of thought to what your site?s all about. Are you wanting to hook clients in or just provide information to the market, or both; those are different but complementary roles for a site. Te Kaihau?s site has gone through three or four quite significant re-workings until we?ve now got it how we want it. You need to be prepared to faff about with your site for a while ? a bit like changing the furniture around in the living room, which is a bit of a chick thing I know, but then that?s what we are and it?s worked really well so far!

Sue Fitzmaurice ? Te Kaihau
sue@windeaters.co.nz

www.windeaters.co.nz
www.geebiz.org
www.kenex.co.nz