Moving e-fficiently into e-commerce

Editor's note: This is the first of two columns dealing with major communications projects undertaken recently by Blue Diamond Growers, a California-based almond cooperative. In this issue, the focus is on development of the co-op's new Web site. The author is the CEO of Jel Productions, a web development firm. In an upcoming issue, the focus will switch to how the co-op produced a new book tracing the history of Blue Diamond.

The Internet is an excellent medium for a cooperative or other business seeking to save money, reduce the amount of time required to market its product or service and strengthen its position in an industry. However, in today's economy, gone are the days when an Internet project can go online simply by a CEO boldly proclaiming, "Make it happen!" without first asking, "Can it be done in less time and with less money?" Blue Diamond Growers, an almond grower-owned cooperative, recently built an exceptional Web site in record time. But it didn't happen by accident.

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Any project, online or off, can be broken into four phases: Discovery, Design, Development and Deployment (the four Ds). Removing any one of the four phases is not a viable means to reduce costs. Indeed, adhering closely to the goals of each phase avoids cost over-runs and scope creep (the process by which costly add-ons are tacked on to a project mid-stream).

In the Discovery phase, the project team (determined by scope and budget) meets to answer the basic questions of Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. A vital step in producing the "road map" for the project, this phase is time and resource intensive as it requires representation from the major divisions of your co-op.

(1) Blue Diamond assigned an internal project manager, Joe Potts, manager of information and technical services, to the project. This gave Jel a central point of contact for all project decisions, avoiding unnecessary delays when management and other co-op decisionmakers were unavailable. Having an internal project manager also creates a sense of ownership and accountability for client-specific deliverables.

It's surprising the number of times we've been told that the target audience is "everybody." Instead, a business must get to (2) know its audience and identify their spending habits, income brackets, behaviors and motivations. It is essential to be honest about your product or service and its ability to meet the audience's needs.

Ryan Thompson and Craig Rolfe of Jel worked with Potts to determine the Blue Diamond strengths to be emphasized in the Web site and the obstacles to overcome. "We broke their audiences into four categories and assigned a priority to each. Then we asked what services or products could be made available online to serve each audience," Thompson says.

Most importantly, (3) do the research before hiring a development firm. Spend time on the Internet visiting the sites of competitors or other businesses in the same industry. Visit nationally branded sites to become familiar with what is standard in a site and what functionality might need to be included. Read up on new technologies for online ventures.

"We researched our industry, reviewed client feedback and performed a department-by-department needs analysis prior to the redevelopment of our corporate Web site," says Potts. As a result, Blue Diamond asked Jel to perform a complete redesign and development of its corporate Web site, including the addition of e-commerce capabilities. Because Blue Diamond had performed preliminary research, the discovery process was more productive and the solutions and services provided to it resulted in a higher return on investment.

Building from the Discovery phase, the Design phase tackles the structure of the site (primary, secondary and tertiary navigation) as well as the more complex functions and application design. In others words, chosen technologies need to meet objectives.

To get a headstart, (4) draw a diagram or flowchart of the desired site and pinpoint what information will be needed for each section of the site. A lot of time can be chewed up deciding what to label the primary navigation tools. Instead, decide these elements before signing with a development firm.

Tell your development firm what you want, (5) and be specific. Blue Diamond outlined the business logic behind the desired application. To support its new online store, Blue Diamond's customer service needed an administrative application that would change orders, perform refunds, take phone orders and update inventory. Jel programmed and deployed an easy-to-use administrative application for order tracking in less than one month.

The design phase is comprehensive in scope, tackling everything from content and design to functionality and user interface. Rather than launching and waiting to hear how the target audiences react, spend some time on (6) usability testing prior to launch. This is an invaluable tool that can save time and money, not to mention face. Blue Diamond tested the new site with users of all skill levels. The feedback assisted in refining the entire site.

(7) Begin the content gathering, writing and editing process as early as the discovery phase. Content is the No. 1 cause of project delays.

"It can be difficult to ask busy managers and directors to participate when they are focused on other priorities. YOU must provide these professionals plenty of lead time," Potts said.

The Development phase is when the Web firm rolls up its sleeves and produces the site. From static HTML coding to dynamic, online applications, the site is produced, integrated and put through a series of quality assurance tests. Improvements are catalogued and scheduled. At the end of this phase, a series of "beta" tests are conducted in a secure environment, allowing the client to preview the product prior to launch.

We advise that the team be held accountable for delays. Throughout the timeline, Blue Diamond was asked to review, sign and turn over deliverables to the development firm and to review designs, pages or applications.

(8) Stick to the schedule. Delays on the client side can impact production schedules and create project conflicts for the development firm. Rush fees, cost creep and delays can be avoided by sticking to the schedule. The Blue Diamond site was a challenging project under tight deadlines, but all concerned were pleased that the final result met all project criteria within eight weeks. Last-minute changes, adding new functions or changes in client personnel can hinder the project.

(9) Avoid surprises by taking extra time in the discovery and design phases. This can eliminate "Oh, I've got a great idea!" change orders that can affect project costs and launch date. The development phase is notoriously non-client related. At this point in the project, the development firm should have all the answers and deliverables it needs. It may check in with project status and last-minute corrections, but for the most part this phase requires less client interaction.

This is an advantageous time to (10) prepare for launch. Work on the marketing plan for announcing your new site, upgrade internal processes to handle online product sales or train customer service staff on how to handle Internet customers. Blue Diamond trained each department on the procedures for updating the new site, as well as the e-mail communication assignments, prior to launch.

Deployment is the exciting phase, when the switch is turned on and the site is live. Training and documentation are provided if needed and a maintenance plan generated for the upkeep of the site. (11) Review the documentation produced in the discovery phase. Has anything been left out? Were decisions made along the way that affected the end product negatively? Are project goals and objectives fulfilled by the finished site? These are questions that should be asked throughout the project, but most importantly prior to launch.

And remember that no matter how beautifully designed or easy to use, your site will never succeed if your audiences don't know it exists. (12) Promote it, update it, change it often to keep it fresh. Blue Diamond launched a banner campaign to announce the launch of its new online store. Blue Diamond also initiated a press campaign announcing the launch of the new corporate site, www.bluediamond.com. And, to continue the growth of online product sales, Blue Diamond frequently provides online product discounts.

Following these simple steps, corners can be cut without jeopardizing the project.

RELATED ARTICLE: About Blue Diamond: Growers

Blue Diamond Growers is the world's largest tree nut processor and marketer. Headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., 4,000 California almond growers deliver more than one-third of the state's almonds annually to their cooperative. The crop is marketed to all 50 states and more than 90 foreign countries. Almonds are California's No. 1 food export, and the sixth largest U.S. food export, based on value. The California crop is valued annually at about $1 billion. Blue Diamond's sales average about $500 million annually.

R. Jon Lee, CEO, Jel

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