A free ITWeb Executive Forum, in partnership with EPiServer, will assist companies of all sizes to better understand the impact the Internet can have on their business.
The Forum, being held on 18 November at the Southern Sun Grayston Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, will focus on Web 2.0 and the topic of the 'Engaged Web'. It will explore how Web 2.0 and establishing a Web presence will impact the success of an organisation, as the Internet and its business applications change and grow.
The keynote address will be given by Dave Duarte, a digital media and marketing educator, who will delve deeper into aspects of the engaged Web. His address aims to assist attendees in establishing how engaged their respective companies are, and how to move forward.
Says Duarte: “The way people engage with digital media is vastly different to how they engage with so-called 'traditional media' like print and TV; yet even today the full potential of the Web isn't being realised by many South African companies.”
Duarte says his keynote presentation will look at consumer preferences online, as well as what South African companies need to do to get the most out of their online budgets.
“The Web should be used to not only to provide information and drive sales, but to create and nurture profitable relationships with customers,” he adds.
Social savvy
Social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Blogger and Twitter are dominating South African online traffic, says Duarte. He notes that according to Alexa, a Web traffic monitoring service, six out of the top 10 Web sites are user-generated content sites - social media or Web 2.0.
“It's important to understand that social media is a trend that is going to affect your business whether you're investing in it directly or not,” Duarte stresses.
The forum will also address some of the best ways to ensure that businesses are represented well beyond their company Web sites.
According to Duarte, there are many trends shaping the way people engage with customers online. “What is common among them is that the most successful companies are those working the hardest to understand and meet the needs of their customers online. Design and usability is becoming simpler, search engine marketing is becoming more complex, and user experiences are becoming more personalised,” he says.
“Savvy companies will start preparing now for the shift to the engaged Web, where each click serves to enhance a commercial relationship.”
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