Top tips for 2009

Our take on the things you need to do to get through the downturn.

Cut the waste, don't just trim

Print less. Travel less. Buy less advertising. Buy better, buy smarter. Demand a return on your investment and live without for a while. Sack the agencies that aren't giving you up to the minute advice or are still selling proprietary systems.

Focus on customers

Internal or external, get to know what people want, need or can contribute to your business. Understand that open collaboration is the spirit of the age and a business strategy in itself.

Focus on content

You will hear it more and more over the coming year, so get ahead of the competition - produce better content. Content built around user interests, and sites built around content are the ones that will survive and thrive.

Sort out the user experience

Unless you are the only business in your field you are in competition. User experience is binary so if you don't give your site visitors what they want they will go elsewhere. And they won't come back. Take this opportunity to fix the things that annoy you and your customers.

Measure everything

Take control of your ROI. Spend money and effort where you get the best return. Stop doing things that send budget and resources down a black hole. If it's not working, change it.

Take advice

Unless your job is to keep on top of the changing media, communications and business landscape, chances are you won't have time to fit this in. This is a full time job. In fact it's many full time jobs. Hire the right people to advise you on User Insight, Online Marketing, User Experience Design, User Experience Branding, Web Development, Online PR and Social Media Strategy.

Cut the waste, don't just trim

Print less. Travel less. Buy less advertising. Buy better, buy smarter. Demand a return on your investment and live without for a while. Sack the agencies that aren't giving you up to the minute advice or are still selling proprietary systems.

Focus on customers

Internal or external, get to know what people want, need or can contribute to your business. Understand that open collaboration is the spirit of the age and a business strategy in itself.

Focus on content

You will hear it more and more over the coming year, so get ahead of the competition - produce better content. Content built around user interests, and sites built around content are the ones that will survive and thrive.

Sort out the user experience

Unless you are the only business in your field you are in competition. User experience is binary so if you don't give your site visitors what they want they will go elsewhere. And they won't come back. Take this opportunity to fix the things that annoy you and your customers.

Measure everything

Take control of your ROI. Spend money and effort where you get the best return. Stop doing things that send budget and resources down a black hole. If it's not working, change it.

Take advice

Unless your job is to keep on top of the changing media, communications and business landscape, chances are you won't have time to fit this in. This is a full time job. In fact it's many full time jobs. Hire the right people to advise you on User Insight, Online Marketing, User Experience Design, User Experience Branding, Web Development, Online PR and Social Media Strategy.

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