Information Sheets > E-Consultants

Marketing online – size isn’t everything in e-business consultancy

Keen to participate in the potentially lucrative, yet intimidating new e-business marketplace, organisations are in need of guidance, and in this climate, business and technology consultancy is thriving. However, choosing the right consultant can be a minefield in itself, especially when every technology or business consultancy has begun to try its hand at providing e-business solutions, and even hardware and software firms have jumped aboard the e-consultancy bandwagon.

A strong information management strategy is crucial, but is often overlooked in the rush to get online. Many e-business wannabes set up a flashy front end and hope for the best, rather than evaluating how the web can be effectively harnessed to attract new customers. Consultants can help businesses avoid the pitfalls and capitalise on the considerable benefits of online trading, but inevitably, some are better equipped to serve their clients than others. As a client, it is worth doing your homework. Ask for recommendations and do not be afraid to make the consultants prove that they have relevant, up-to-date business and technical experience.

In a crowded marketplace, uncertainty often leads organisations to look for a name they know, and for this reason, many end up working with "big name" consultants. While these established consultancies have many large companies on their books, a big name doesn’t necessarily guarantee the best results – particularly where smaller companies are concerned.

Clients say that they have encountered problems when working with big consultancies. Often, they do not understand the needs of smaller organisations, but worse than that, they seem unwilling to invest time in accurately assessing their very specific needs. Many consultancies tend to offer "off the shelf" solutions to smaller businesses.

Some larger consultancies simply do not understand the needs of small companies, do not offer them bespoke solutions, and therefore do not give them the best service. Those that do offer bespoke services do not offer them at small company prices.

Another complaint levelled at large consultancies is that they tend to have few of the relevant IT implementation skills available in-house and often out-source the operation to third parties. This approach can add costs, delays and conflicts, which are passed on to the client. At the other end of the scale, a large number of individual consultants have sprung up, claiming to offer a range of e-business services. Often they are graphic designers with some web design experience. Having recognised a new market for their skills, they re-label themselves "web designers" and charge the earth for delivering a site with gimmicky bells and whistles but without any real business functionality.

The right consultancy will work with a business to establish what it hopes to achieve by going online. It should then tailor a complete solution which enables that business to reap the rewards of online trading at every level – from streamlining supply-chain management to attracting and building long term relationships with customers. It is clear that choosing the right consultancy is a crucial business decision.