Great people? Check! Flawless process? Check! Ok, so you should be set, right? Maybe not. Think about the bigger picture for a minute. What is it you're trying to accomplish with your online presence? Not to be confused with presents, which are great (feel free to send us some, we're partial to chocolate and gadgets), but we're not talking about that here. If you put a lot of thought into selecting your people and establishing your process, this question should already be answered.

First thing to do, is think about your company's mission and goals. It's important that your presence is an extension of your current business, not it's own alien entity. The more confusing your message is, the more customers are likely to not trust the content. As with everything else, your presence doesn't need to be convoluted or dictated by a 100 page style guide, but something simple in writing is a great foundation.

Next, you want to outline your objectives for the site. Maybe you're trying to fund raise more effectively, build an online community, launch a new product, or just make the world a better place. The clearer your objectives, the easier it will be to map out your project and establish your plan. Once you've outlined the objectives for your presence, you can prioritize their importance.

Finally, it's time to find the best tools that will help you accomplish your objectives. If your main goal is improving customer service, focus on the user experience and implementing the tools needed to provide that service. Worrying about a blog probably isn't really relevant in this case. This is where working with a professional will go a long way. It's the consultant's job to be up to date on all the newest technologies and be able to recommend the best and most cost effective solutions for your project.

When it comes to your online presence, being consistent is key. Stay on track with your company's mission and goals. Spend some time at the beginning really mapping out where you want to be and what you're trying to accomplish. Don't be in a rush to just throw something up because you feel like you're missing out by not having a blog/twitter account or whatever that latest thing may be. Think carefully about the design, the user experience, and focus on infrastructure. In the end it will pay huge dividends, and make all the effort you put into the process and people worth it.

So now that you have the right people in place, you want to start thinking about your process.  One of the biggest complaints we hear from clients is, “We have a facebook page, but nobody ever updates it.”  From end users we hear, “I tweeted about ABC Widget company and they responded three weeks later!”  These tools are only useful when used consistently and correctly!  So establish a good process, one that is reasonable to follow, and get that great person on it.

Online marketing is the hot topic these days, with agencies shouting to tell you how they can get you set up with Twitter, Facebook, Four Square and the rest.  For some companies, the rush to keep up with the latest trends has them overlooking some of the basics that are crucial to successfully market your product or service.  Don’t get me wrong, it is important to integrate these trends into your overall strategy, but make sure that foundation is solid first. 

When people think about the iPad, one of two thoughts usually comes to mind… “This thing is a game changer” or “What’s the point?  Why do I need a supersized iPhone”.  Unfortunately I’ve been feeling a bit on the latter since the release.  The iPad is certainly interesting but I am yet to be convinced of how it can be used productively… until today. 

If you didn’t already guess it from the name, or the color scheme, we’re a little bit tree-huggerish over here.  Not the ‘chaining ourselves to the tree’ type, just the ‘eco-friendly, so we can sleep at night’ types.  So we put together a quick list of 7 ways we go green, without spending lots of green.  Try a few out if you like, and share any gems you have in the comments.  After all, who doesn’t like to feel good and save money?