Every business has expectations that need to be addressed when developing the original action agenda for transitioning an offline business into an online presence. If these are not addressed almost immediately, the relationship can suffer over time as their undiscovered objectives remain unfulfilled.
Careful evaluation and discussion of what the offline business can rationally expect to gain from a presence on the Internet is extremely important. Whether a written series of questions is asked in the original interview, or the information is developed through more informal means, it is important to get a feeling for the pulse of the business and what can be reasonably expected from the online effort.
If the business is faltering, and this is a last grasp at a lifeline, as an offline business consultant make sure you make no promises. More often, though, moving to the Internet is seen by an uninitiated outsider as an easy way to increase sales immediately and exponentially to gain online wealth. It may happen: there are many cases where Internet successes have been massive, but there are just as many where the results took much longer to develop than expected.
Either way, it is vital to the developing relationship to understand these expectations and make sure the store is given a realistic viewpoint of what your services can and will deliver. It is the classic case of under promising and strongly over delivering that should be a hallmark of any services you render.
During the initial evaluation phases, it is also a great time to determine what resources and advantages the client can bring to the table on their own behalf. Often there are many hidden gems of people who can provide a lot of unique expertise and benefits to the Internet community. Store specialties must be identified and exploited to full advantage in the online presence through Social Media and Web 2.0 structures. Every little edge that is exploited may spell the difference between a strong campaign and one that falls inexplicably short.
Many older store owners have years of expertise and knowledge in areas that can bring huge benefits to them and their followers/readers/fans if they become known as experts in their field. But this style of presentation requires dedication and commitment to an ongoing contribution. Many shopkeepers simply do not have the patience or writing skills to provide ongoing content. It is up to the consultant to recognize inherent talent and even more importantly, understand whether it can be relied upon in an ongoing fashion.
Be very careful about relying on employed talent. Employees have a way of suddenly leaving a business at the very worst possible time and taking their knowledge with them. It is unwise to devote an entire campaign, unless it is very short lived and transitory by nature, to the skills offered by an employee. It is a much better bet if you can count on an owner to perform since he/she would have a vested interest in the outcome.
Identifying and correcting, if needed, the expectations of the client in the very beginning leads to much less stress and disappointment as time goes by. An open and honest relationship is the foundation for many future collaborations. Making sure you understand what the business is willing to expend in time and effort also prevents many logistical mistakes. It is much better to know right away that all the work will fall on your shoulders, so that the fair compensation for the effort is understood right from the beginning.
