Web-based content sharing platform implementation
After developing a strategy for the Telstra Nowwearetalking.com site, aimed at meeting some of Telstra's business challenges, Immersive was engaged by Telstra to implement this revitalised strategy. We created an online collaboration platform that is a more powerful means for Telstra to engage with its stakeholders and energise public opinion and debate. This is enabled by the best technology the web has to offer.
Business solution
Based around the comprehensive new business strategy that we developed for Telstra, the revitalised Nowwearetalking site is aimed at delivering the following outcomes for Telstra:
- Encouraging people to think about important telecommunications issues
- Hosting the conversations that need to happen to move the public debate forward
- Encouraging a direct exchange of views via new forms of Web 2.0 interaction
- Providing visitors with a range of opinions and a better chance to be informed
- Offering visitors direct access to what Telstra has to say on these issues
The new site Nowwearetalking takes a much more open and transparent approach to communication. It is not one-sided, and not all of the user-generated content is always supportive of Telstra, because the aim is to encourage two-way communication. People are encouraged to post their opinions on the Nowwearetalking site. And if they are concerned about an issue, they have the opportunity to take specific action such as supporting Telstra’s stance on broadband through backtelstra.com.
Much of the strategy for Nowwearetalking centres around providing stakeholders with opportunities to learn online about how telecommunications affects us all. So to deliver this, we focussed on visitors’ needs, and improving their online experience. After developing a strategy for Telstra, we constructed user scenarios to map out the needs of the key user groups. For visitors, navigation on the new site is much simpler, and they find what they need quickly. This improved user experience has encouraged growing numbers of people to visit the site.
Technology implementation
The technology behind the new site is complex, yet the system is easy to use and takes full advantage of Web 2.0 technology. The site offers a more personalised experience, with a new user interface that is highly customisable to suit individual’s needs.
Content management and workflow
We implemented an enhanced Content Management System (CMS). Telstra and Immersive jointly made the decision to use the .NET 2.0 framework because it allowed us to achieve greater speed to market with a finer product than Telstra could have internally.
Telstra already had another CMS supplier arrangement in place, so for licensing and system specification reasons, the decision was made for Immersive to develop a separate custom CMS. This aspect of the project consumed the most developer hours, but the outcome was a system that is fine-tuned to suit the requirements of the Nowwearetalking project.
We introduced a proper model for how content is managed and built on the site, incorporating full version control. This included:
- A content tree management-type CMS component: content is now stored in categories such as news articles, feature articles, opinion articles, and blog postings.
- Separate to that, a news, blog and article management component, based on a three-level hierarchy of article library, article, and comment.
We developed a news and article system, and to support that we, incorporate enhanced blog and forum functionality.
Membership system
To join in the conversation on the Nowwearetalking site, visitors need to first register. Registered members are able to contribute comments, opinions and questions using interactive tools on the site. They can also access the latest news via email or RSS subscriptions.
The Nowwearetalking site contains a great deal of news, information and discussion, but now, instead of being bombarded with information they may not need, members can use a customisation page to change how Nowwearetalking appears in their browser. This allows them to switch on a filter so that they only see information relevant to their needs. For example, Telstra shareholders can opt to see just see news and information relevant to shareholders. This will restructure the left-hand menu and the options available in the news, switching off everything that they don’t need to see.
By doing this members can have quicker and easier access to information that is important to them. It is also easy for them to tag and track topics of interest, using the ‘Your tags’ and ‘Your articles’ tools. This helps to engage members’ interest and encourages them to become more active in supporting Nowwearetalking campaigns.
Interactive media (digital media)
We built the CMS in parallel with interactive functionality for the Nowwearetalking site. The site is now centred around a news article, forum and blogging system, and commenting has been enabled so that visitors are able to leave their opinions and questions about almost anything on the site.
Besides conventional written articles, visitors can choose from a range of social media (new media) options. These include blogs, downloadable audio and streaming video. It is easy to track items of interest and keep up to date by subscribing to RSS feeds.
We have also improved the forum systems, adding in the functionality that visitors usually expect from an online forum, and incorporating features that make it easier for Telstra to manage the forums.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
We implemented up-to-date SEO measures, including features such as management of metadata in URL processing.
Business outcome
Results so far have been good: it took 18 months for Nowwearetalking to reach one million unique visitors, earlier this year, which is a significant achievement for a corporate site. But the site is on track to reach the two million visit milestone in less than half that time. In an article on the Nowwearetalking site that celebrates the one million unique visitors milestone, Telstra’s manager for public policy and communications Tania Elliott says, “With Nowwearetalking, we've adopted a much more open and transparent approach to communication and it’s one of the main reasons for the website’s success.”
“There’s little doubt that the consumer appetite for interactive forms of media is growing. People also want informed debate and Nowwearetalking has a crucial role to play in providing information and opinion to complement traditional forms of media such as newspapers and TV.”
According to Telstra, some of the most popular sections of Nowwearetalking are the conversation-based discussion forums and blogs. The forums stimulate online dialogue about emerging issues, and the blogs offer personalised views and opinions from Telstra staff, many of them leaders in their fields.
No other telecommunications company in Australia has what Telstra now has: a completely new content sharing platform, enabled by Web 2.0 technology, that is effectively:
- Hosting discussions with shareholders, media and consumers
- Allowing Telstra stakeholders to share opinions and experiences
- Providing easy access to the latest news affecting the telecommunications industry