We have a Web site, and that's our strategy

Why do US companies waste millions of dollars every year on Web projects that never had a strategy to begin with?

I'm writing this while flying Chicago to Dallas on a Southwest 737. Everything around me has been designed and tested to meet the needs of humans in flight: The cabin, the lighting, the tray tables, the seats, the doors. The cockpit instruments meet the critical needs of the pilots. The soft-drink glasses stand securely and don't leak. Why do we fail to bring this sort of thinking to the Web?

Many of our potential clients come to us saying there's no time of budget for strategy and planning. Please take note: You *must* make time to plan Web presence. If you do not, the end product, and your brand, will suffer. At best, you will miss opportunities.

Our process for Web strategy is simple in concept, difficult in execution: Get all the stakeholders in a room, and get them to consensus. You may (and should) cringe at the thought of doing this at your company. But it must be done. That's why companies hire people like us - to take the sting out of hard questions, while ensuring we get to an answer.

If your company has not developed a defined Web strategy based on business goals, it's not getting the most from digital media. We guarantee that.