Are you clear about how social networking can deliver value and reduce cost for your organisation? If not, you may not be benefiting to the full.

Having a customer service strategy is something that most customer-facing organisations accept as a necessity - but how far does it go in terms of specifically identifying the role of the web, the role of social networking, and taking account of access from smartphones? Currently few councils address these issues either in their strategies or in the practical reality of their websites.

For a number of years, the strong message coming from the Better Connected studies has been that getting the website right is fundamental to achieving major savings for the public sector.

The second of our two briefings on ‘Digital by default’, (July 2011) focused on the need to get the supply side right by optimising the online customer experience. This Briefing focuses on the demand side. Encouraging takeup of the online offering has, in turn, two aspects: ensuring that people have access to public services online and persuading people to use them.

‘Digital by default’ is public policy and a key response to the need for austerity. More and more service users expect it, but it requires two conditions for a successful implementation. First: get the supply side right. In other words, optimise the online customer experience. Second: tackle the demand side – promote and encourage the use of the online offering. This Briefing focuses on the first part of the equation.

We have well-developed frameworks to help you to develop a vision for how the website will help the council and its partners achieve their objectives, and to develop a strategy for the web. Based on a 20-point checklist, it takes you through a rigorous process for defining the web strategy in such a way as to ensure its alignment with the corporate vision and priorities, and with other key corporate strategies - the customer service strategy, information management strategy, ICT strategy, property and accommodation strategy.

We have the skills and the tools to help you achieve a website that delivers for your council - that is a website that gives real value in terms of the services it delivers to your customers and the savings it makes for the council. We cover all that is needed, summarised below:

The customer is deliberately placed at the centre of our approach to an effective website. Everything about the website needs to be focused on the customer's needs and on meeting these in the most cost-efficient way.

For a step by step guide, click on the diagram to see more detail

Creating an effective website for your council is not easy - and certainly isn't something you can leave to the IT service, or to corporate communications section to deliver for you. Creating a website that delivers real value to the organisation, and real savings in cost takes a corporate effort and requires the following essential elements:

Understanding your customers' needs, and indeed, knowing who your customers are, are both vital to a successful service delivery strategy.

Socitm Consulting has a range of tools and approaches that can help you with these.

Current volumes of transactions

Knowing how many transactions you are currently dealing with is a good starting point - this helps to identify: