We are neck deep here at Camarès in developing a new framework designed to future proof web development investment. Future proofing is becoming mission critical as the web changes at a faster pace daily and the demand for rich media content is becoming ever more voracious.

With the advent of low cost development solutions it is possible to both build a comprehensive web business model AND address future needs simultaneously WITHOUT breaking the bank.

The key is in upfront planning and the way in which you structure your approach to your site design. By design I mean well beyond look and feel, digging deep into site architecture and programming.

Oddly enough, the process is almost a reverse build that examines customer demands for high production value content as well as impending competitive market pressures, before even considering what you want to tell the world and more importantly how you want to engage with it.

Future proofing your web channel demands an intimate understanding of current Internet meta trends. If you think the publishing and music industry has it bad now, that is nothing compared to what retail will be going through as its margins are cut onion skin thick. The Internet has trained even the most value driven consumers never, ever to pay full price for anything. Promo codes abound. For online retail it is a race to the bottom. And that’s just retail, other industries will be on the ropes as well.

Future proofing your web presence most probably means re-examining the relative sustainability of your business model and that, for many in business, takes a very special kind of courage. Future proofing is not for the lily livered, rather for the shrewd among us who have a powerful entrepreneurial heartbeat.