Technology Talks Port of London Authority

This month saw the Port of London Authority host another one of our successful Technology Talks at its HQ in Gravesend, Kent. We kept it a strictly mso affair this time around with Andrew Dixon (@aandrewdixon), our technical director kicking things off followed by Sarah Pooley (@Sarah__Pooley), account director.

We were fortunate to have a great turn out of attendees given the reports of bad traffic and it being a miserable night, weather-wise. It was also great to welcome back previous guests as well as new faces from a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines.

Andrew’s talk focused around the subject, ‘I have a website, now what?’. As he went on to disclose, so many website owners go live with a site and then, for whatever reason, stop revisiting and revising. It’s much easier to adapt an existing website (and Amazon was used as an example) than it is to enter the costly and time consuming process of creating a brand new website.

The presentation covered subjects such as content and the types and methods of distribution and whilst Andrew gave his talk from a technical aspect, the delivery was easy to understand and process (ideal for those of us who don’t come from a programming background). The presentation also gave attendees advice on best practice and the online tools that are available to shed light on website efficiency and user behaviour. What was clear, is that in order to gain a site maximum exposure, you have to look ‘under the bonnet’ to ensure that search engine robots find and index every website page.

After giving everyone a quick ten minutes to digest Andrew’s talk, we took our seats once more to hear Sarah guide us through ‘buyer persona marketing’. Whilst the terminology has been around for a couple of years, the subject is gaining momentum as many companies realise that by mapping user journeys and rating the experience at each stage of the buying cycle, they can successfully gain competitive advantage. Buyer persona marketing turns old marketing values upside down as we focus on understanding buyers’ needs and gauging how they feel about you as a company. Most people now do their own research and whilst in ‘stealth mode’ decide on a company’s ability to provide a product or service before the latter is even aware that they exist. The potential to get things wrong and lose out on potential revenue is a real threat to many.

Sarah gave us examples of the types of touchpoints users are likely to expect as they research and embark on their journey to buy. Interestingly, both online and offline examples were given and it is this holistic approach that ensures that brand identity is kept consistent and a familiar tone of voice maintained. Why should this matter? Having consistency across platforms reinforces trust, is likely to lead to engagement and a potential business relationship.

Sarah gave us examples of the types of touchpoints users are likely to expect as they research and embark on their journey to buy. Interestingly, both online and offline examples were given and it is this holistic approach that ensures that brand identity is kept consistent and a familiar tone of voice maintained. Why should this matter? Having consistency across platforms reinforces trust, is likely to lead to engagement and a potential business relationship.

‘I have a website now what?’

‘Mapping the user journey and buyer persona marketing’

Our next Tech Talks will be some time in the Spring so if you would like to know more, please email us and we’ll be sure to invite you to the next one.