eLearning: Many Non-Profits Sit On The Fence

By E. Brown

I have talked with numerous Not-For-Profit (NFP) organizations about online learning and knowledge management. Almost all are interested in the subjects and would like to distribute their content online for learning and training. Yet, they are all sitting on the fence when it comes to execution.

I was reminded of this again while at breakfast the other day. I ran into an acquaintance who knew of a VC that wanted to invest in online learning to reach an international audience. His issues were the same. All the NFP’s he had met with were waffling when it came to “doing the deal” and taking the eLearning plunge.

Why?

Getting In The Game
I witnessed this same attitude when the Web bubble started to grow in the early 90’s. Many NFP’s watched from the sidelines. I made three observations as to why this attitude prevailed:

1. They didn’t understand the technology and were intimidated by change
2. Many were simply waiting for “critical mass” before jumping onboard
3. Most had not planned on the cost of the technology infrastructure or outsourcing

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SEO: The Elusive Target

Everybody wants to be number one. No, I am not talking about sports teams, but Web site rankings on Search Engines. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO as it it known today, is a discipline (and lucrative job if you’re well versed) that has been around since the first Search engines hit the Web. Early on, SEO was used in a desire to get your site listed at the top of search listings. Being amongst the first listings, data showed that the greater the chance you had of being clicked on. More clicks, more traffic. More traffic, more money, And so it went for early engines such as Inktomi, AltaVista, Yahoo!, and others.

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Has Your Web Site Got Attention Deficit?

By E. Brown

The two boys slowly crept up toward the mouth of the ancient cave, unaware of the danger that lurked within….

Have I got your attention?

Authors Thomas Davenport and John Beck of the Accenture Institute for Strategic Change say the economy of the future will be one based on attention. Acquiring, maintaining, and managing attention will be key to the business paradigm of the future.

This certainly has interesting implications on how we might strategize business for the years ahead. Yet today, capturing the eyes of Web surfers and then keeping them is a goal no one with a Web site will refute. We, as content developers and sellers, need to be the most concerned about this because we have businesses to grow and bottom lines to keep.

What are ways by which we can hold the long-term attention of our online visitors and customers? Davenport and Beck suggest some of the following Attention Structures that promote “stickiness”…

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Is Your Content Going Global?

By E. Brown

“Going Global” can be the Midas touch or death touch of any organization. Understanding the unique aspects of language and culture is time consuming to say the least. In an effort to “get to market” quickly, many companies and non-profits overlook (and sometimes hop over) the requirements for a successful launch into other countries.

For those leveraging the Web, content is a primary source for positioning in the global market. Translating the content is a must and good translation is tantamount to establishing a successful worldwide brand.

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