Business features and thoughts

First, I will always ask about the problems your company is facing, the desires you want to fulfill, and the results you want to achieve.

Not all clients are knowledgeable about the internet or IT.
However, clients can talk about their own business or activities.
Without knowing the problems, challenges, or the client’s situation, the direction and framework of the project cannot be seen.
Projects that do not clearly understand the problems or challenges at the beginning will inevitably lose sight of their purpose.

When problems or challenges arise, people tend to rely on immediately available technology or know-how.
This is especially true in website and system development.

Technical aspects of website and system development can be figured out through online research.
However, how to solve problems or challenges cannot be found through internet searches.
We must think about problem-solving methods together with the client.

We clarify the challenges and desires, and explore strategies and solutions.
Depending on the nature of the problem or desire, the solution might not be a digital product.

When I am asked for proposals, I believe it is necessary to be able to respond with high accuracy.
If the client’s questions or requirements are vague, I will take steps to make them more specific.

In the construction of digital products, I always carry out the requirements definition process.

There are clients in the world who want to skip requirements definition.
Skipping requirements definition makes it difficult to consider and predict the estimated cost and construction schedule.
It’s impossible to know the cost or construction schedule without seeing the whole picture.
Project failures easily occur due to skipping requirements definition.

Requirements definition determines what to do and what not to do.
Clients have things that need to be done and things that don’t need to be done based on their current policies, budget, and time.
By deciding what not to do, prioritization becomes necessary for what to do.

For clients to produce results, it’s necessary to clarify the purpose and goals, and set target numbers.
Requirements definition is about deciding what milestones you want to reach periodically during operation.

There may be cases where I request the client to create a proposal request document,
I will take the time to conduct Q&A with the client, and I won’t hesitate to respond to questions with questions, after informing the client.

Even if a customer asks me to “implement this and that,” I will question the customer whether it’s really effective.

I try to eliminate customer ideas that are “extras” or “just good to have” without reason.

I believe that “results are everything.”
Without knowing the current results, there’s no way to discuss, verify, or critique the process so far.

I will never be a yes-man to the client.
If I believe that what the client is trying to do will not lead to achieving their purpose or goals, I will oppose the client.

I try not to say pretty words or things that sound good to the client as much as possible.
If the direction or response is wrong because of what I said, it could lead to unintended results for the client.

To produce results for the client, I don’t necessarily use the latest ideas or technologies. If there are useful classical methods, I will propose them to the client.

I don’t do things that I think are unnecessary for the client.
For the client to produce results, it’s necessary to consider and execute other necessary things or things with higher priority.

What’s Needed to Produce Results

• Continuing to act without giving up until the end. The determination to see it through to the end
• A large amount of action
• Always taking multiple breaks as stagnation will come

Even if a client expresses a desire to “renew the website,” I believe that “it’s not necessarily the right thing to do.”
If something that hasn’t been done before is effective, I may propose it to the client.
For example, if there are no customer testimonials, adding them as content.
If improvement is seen by the client taking on something they haven’t done before, that response is beneficial for the client.
Many clients don’t consider whether they can execute things they haven’t done before renewing.

In website renewal, we don’t always do a complete overhaul.
The criteria for partial or complete renewal may include the following:

Website

• When the client’s business target audience has changed
• When the client’s business model has changed
• When the client’s business philosophy has changed
• When the client’s business scale has changed compared to the past
• When the client’s strategy or tactics have changed
• When the client’s CI or VI has changed
• When the client’s management has changed
• When a corporate merger has occurred
• Changes in the user base
• When the current visual design has become outdated due to the passage of time

Web Systems, Web Applications, Web Services

• Obsolescence of programming or frameworks
• Changes in the user base
• Due to a review of user experience

In my experience with many projects, I’ve seen many clients who ultimately didn’t succeed.
Even if they were motivated at first, they either lose motivation midway or give up due to some factor, and eventually either close or abandon their website or web system.

I believe that “digital products that are just created and left have no value at all.”
Digital products should be considered as one of the functions within the client’s organization.
For clients to produce results, I believe it’s meaningless unless I make proposals that delve into the client’s work methods and thinking, and actually have the client act in practice.

Websites and web systems are not finished just because operation has started.
Many websites and web systems don’t have a “completed state.”
To capture as many customers as possible, it’s better to release to the market even with low completeness and upgrade later.
Waiting for a complete state before starting operation leads to missed opportunities.

Operating systems like Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS are prime examples.
It’s the same concept of introducing a semi-complete digital product to the market, capturing customers, and constantly upgrading.

Websites and web systems need to be upgraded as long as the operator continues the business, so they need to be nurtured from a long-term perspective.
In my dealings with many clients, I’ve felt the difference in enthusiasm towards websites and systems.
Truly serious clients think about strategies and points for improvement, trying to do something about it.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and there are almost no projects that succeed immediately.
In business, results are ultimately demanded and often judged by results.
Unless you see it through to the end and produce some kind of result, even if you take temporary breaks along the way, you won’t get a certain evaluation.
Because I want the client to produce results no matter what, I work together with the client and advise and propose ideas and experiences I have.

If the client doesn’t have the system or knowledge to operate a website or web system, I will take time to accompany the client and carefully build the foundation.
I don’t tell someone with no muscle or stamina to “Complete a full marathon!” from the start.

In terms of content, design, and functionality, I aim to eliminate waste as much as possible and strive for simplicity.
Unless there are specific requests or requirements from the client, I don’t propose investing a lot from the beginning.
I suggest not implementing meaningless things or functions and communicate that only truly necessary things or functions should be realized.

Website and system operators or users often want to add this and that because they want to do various things.
The more content, design, and functions there are, the more confusing it becomes for both operators and users.

As a result, the content becomes bloated, functions and information whose purpose is unclear remain, and it becomes unmanageable for anyone.
When it becomes unclear what you want to do or what the purpose is, users stop using it.
Dead websites or systems become a burden for operators and sooner or later become unsustainable to operate or maintain.
It’s clear that this is the worst-case scenario for clients.

Clear strategies or policies and simple websites or systems make it easier for clients to plan ahead.
When you want to reflect user requests and opinions or changes in the business environment, it becomes easier to identify areas that should be added or changed on the website or system.

It’s always challenging to compose content, design, and functionality that work with the minimum.
We always need to consider which is more constructive: providing complex and confusing content, design, and functionality, or how to create a win-win relationship between operators and users.

I provide advice and responses tailored to the situation for clients, from the start of new construction or renewal, throughout continuous efforts.

I believe there’s a difference between building better things and building the best thing.
If you just build the best thing and stop there, you can’t respond to changing situations, and sooner or later, the website or system will end.
Websites and systems are not finished once they’re built; they need to be operated as long as possible.
Of course, the surrounding environment changes daily during operation.
As you continue to operate, it’s important to observe changing situations and think about how to improve and what’s needed for improvement.

If it’s a new launch for the client, there’s no information about track record, customer preferences, or customer trends.
As a client, you’re required to explore the direction of the business and customer trends.
If you can use what you’ve learned in this exploration for the next plan or development, the client’s business moves forward.
At this time, all reactions, lessons, and opinions obtained during operation become especially valuable.
If you can build better websites or systems based on these, you can move forward.

Websites and systems that produce results are the result of long-term trial and error, invisible steady efforts, and responses.

Clients often want to see the actual product as soon as possible.
In many cases, clients can’t make decisions without seeing the actual product.

Considering this tendency of clients, I thoroughly implement prototype development.
The completion level of the first prototype is low, and by creating and showing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to the client, I prevent misunderstandings between the client and myself.

I don’t develop things that don’t work in browsers, can’t be realized, or can’t be expressed.
If a client looks at a static visual design that may or may not be realized, and it ends up not being exactly like that later, it becomes meaningless to have shown that static image in the first place.

If a client requests a sample of the website’s visual design, I create and submit a mockup using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

I don’t aim for perfection from the start.
It’s almost impossible for things to go perfectly well if you aim for 100% right from the beginning.
Some modifications or changes are inevitable.

I make repeated modifications and improve the completion level later through intensive work.
There may be many rounds of modifications, but I resolve differences in understanding with the client and proceed steadily.

It’s the worst to let time pass without doing anything, no matter how much you worry.
I believe it’s important to have a hypothesis, quickly develop an MVP even if it’s not perfect, release it to society or within the organization, and observe users’ reactions.
Even if users’ reactions to the website, web system, or web application released to society or within the organization are the worst, you often gain insights that you couldn’t get during development or things you didn’t anticipate.

To succeed, you need to experience many failures.