As technology has evolved, how have you made your Web site more user friendly for customers to do business with you?
Our goal in the development of our new web site was to capture the attention of our diverse target audiences from the moment they arrived. To do so, we worked with Pita Communications to create a feature that would demonstrate our knowledge of the top issues facing our clients while showcasing our ability to address and solve those issues. We created a dynamic web site with an interactive, engaging feature – a Pert “Magic 8 Ball” that defined the most common client questions and immediately answered them. This Pert Ball also functioned as navigation, directing visitors to the sections of the site on which they could learn more about the issue. How has Web-based communications changed the way you communicate with your employees?
We have a number of different locations so the use of web-based communications is critically important. We have developed a robust and continuously updated Intranet to provide a central location for our staff to find important information. Our project management software allows for scheduling and managing projects across time zones as well as continents. Lastly, web-based meetings have become the norm and leveraging webex software has significantly enhanced our ability to conduct virtual training sessions.
What is the Web technology level of expectation of your customers or clients and how have you met them?
As a fact-based consulting firm, the availability of real time reporting is absolutely essential. We make available to all our clients real-time, interactive reports on survey data that can be customized to address their business issue. We also create web-based scorecards, dashboards and scenario planning tools to help our clients communicate their metrics and make business decisions. With our qualitative work, we often conduct online focus groups and ethnography sessions, frequently utilizing video streaming.
Is e-advertising something you presently use for your business or see your company using in the future?
We are believers in e-media to tell our story. We have used pay per click advertising in the past and will continue to assess the value this can add to our business. We conduct online advertising on association sites such as the American Marketing Association and the Business Marketer’s Association. We are increasing SEO initiatives.
Do you use any social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) presently, and do you see any useful business applications for your company?
With the explosion in popularity of social networking we are rapidly developing a formal business strategy for the company to capitalize on this trend. LinkedIn as well as Plaxo are very useful for networking and keeping track of colleagues, and virtual association/chats for specific industry topics are encouraged for our employees.
Company name: The Pert Group
Industry: Market Research and Consulting
Website: www.thepertgroup.com
