Ignatius Ackermann

The Future

Since 2018, I have been doing extensive research, testing and implementation of a number of exciting marketing and development techniques. I pride myself in thinking into the future and it is clear that we will not be doing Websites and Development this way in 2024.

The biggest shift is that websites as we know it, is fast becoming outdated. It is now all about “Online Business Development”

Your website now has to make money, directly or indirectly (E-Commerce or Lead Generation.)

Online Business Development (SMART Website)

The SMART Website is looking into the future and is the driving force behind the Social Media Content. From the SMART Website the Content gets pushed and shared. Your website is the heart and soul of your online business.

Your MODERN website is becoming more important than ever. In recent times everybody’s attention moved to Social Media, and the website was almost forgotten. The Website acts like a magnet and attracts all the Social Media leads. It is here where visitors get spoiled and entertained, and prospects captured.

This modern approach means that the website is the engine that drives the Social Media Content, but once the content has been pushed across Social Media, it captures potential clients and leads them back to the website to convert them to clients. This seamless process is almost unnoticed by the client.

Some New Marketing Techniques implemented are

• Artificial Intelligence.
  Marketers are using AI to automate and optimize their marketing.


• Lead Management.
  Lead Management is the process of acquiring and managing leads.


• Voice Assistant Marketing.
  Digital assistants are fundamentally changing the way we live, and therefore, the way brands engage with consumers.


• Blockchain Marketing.
  Marketing is a risky business. We’re always looking for new ways and means for capturing an audience, to enthral our clientele in ways they’ve never seen before. marketers are constantly fighting tooth and nail to get an edge. For many, blockchain is that edge.
  Blockchain has great Marketing Potential.


• PWA (Progressive Web Apps)
  PWA (Progressive Web Apps) is one of the most talked-about technology shifts in the web and has gained unparalleled momentum. PWA is an instant APP Deployment Platform.


• Push Notification
  We have all seen “Push Notification” in action. When you open your phone, they pop up on your phone’s home screen, from Facebook, your bank, other installed Apps and some SMS’s, and now, your website’s message could be there as well.


• Social Media Automation
  Social Media Automation is using software to accomplish specific tasks on social media platforms without human intervention. This frees up valuable time to spend on more important tasks.


• E-Mail Marketing
  E-Mail Marketing needs no introduction and has been around since the early days. So what’s New? Almost everyone receives their emails on their phones. Your promotional email now ends up in the potential customer’s hands.

2. My Web Development Skills:

As an Interactive Web Developer, Designer, I can quickly build advanced, responsive and feature-rich sites. With a minimal amount of training, I can empower my clients to easily manage and maintain their own sites. With my extensive experience in the Web Development, I am able to implement advance CMS Features, Components and Plugins, resulting in savings in Software Development Costs and Time for my clients. The CMS Components and Plugins have undergone extensive testing in both reliability and security, ensuring high quality and feature-rich products.

2.1 I am able to:

• Customizing Website Templates and Themes.
• Upgrade Websites.
• Clone WebSites.
• Maintain and Modify Sites.
• Backing up sites.
• Convert HTML Sites to a CMS.
• Convert CMS Sites to HTML sites.
• Search Engine Optimise Sites.
• Website and Online Business Marketing.
• Setting up and Maintaining of social Media profiles.
• Payment Gateway and Recurring Payment Integration.

2.2 NEW Tecniques:

• Implement Push Notifications.
• Smart BOT Design.
• Customer Support Desk Setup.
• WhatsApp Business Setup.
• WhatsApp Support Desk Setup.
• “Google My Business” Setup.
• “Google Maps” Setup.
• Marketing Funnel Plan, Design and Setup.
• Landing Page Design.
• Mobile APP Design (PWA).
• Web Development Project Management.
• Add Voice Activation to Website.

2.3 I can comfortably develop the following type of web sites.

• E-Commerce Sites.
• Online Business Sites.
• Membership Sites.
• Integrate Website with CRM Solutions.
• Accommodation Sites, with online booking and reservation engine.
  
• Corporate Sites.
• Car Rental Sites.
• Business Listing Sites (Online Yellow Pages).
• Small Business Sites.
• Blog Web site setup.
• The possibilities are almost endless.
  

2.4 Other related web development skills are

• SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
• My SEO skills include Both on-page and off-page optimisation
• Online Marketing (Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Google Adwords Campaign)
• Keyword research, Keyword competition, keyword optimisation.
• Google Analytics.
• Online Product Launches.

3. About Me:

3.1 Objective

Working in unison within the Traditional Marketing Department of a given company, who require the services of someone who has extensive experience in Web Development/Marketing, I am able to improve the visual presentations and standards of their products or service on the internet, giving full attention to brand awareness and in turn maximizing product interest and sales.

3.2 Skills.

By interacting with customers throughout of my career, my sense of loyalty and dedication towards both clients and colleagues has grown from strength to strength; moulding me into the committed responsible person I am today, an asset to the workplace.

I have extensive visual experience originally within the retail industry, both as a Visual coordinator and Merchandiser with some of the major retail companies in South Africa, and since 2002 as a web developer.

• I had a good rapport with my colleagues who looked at me for support and guidance with much respect.
• Strict self-discipline brought me to the exciting world of internet incorporating web and graphic designing,
• I am able to create professional-looking web sites.
• I am constantly eager to explore new challenges. This has developed me into a more confident and focused individual in these fast-evolving and changing times.

3.3 Fully Interactive Office.

I have a "Fully Interactive" office set up with a 20 Mbps FIBRE Line as well as "SKYPE". This enables me to interact remotely with customers where-ever they might be.

I build my websites online, and the client can monitor the progress hourly or daily. This also enables the client to comment more regularly. Using this system I was able to reduce the hours spent on a project substantially.

Having a “Fully Interactive Office” set up allows me to be a productive and effective member of a team, although I am remotely based.

4. Strengths.

4.1 My Purpose:

Is to visually enhance the online browsing and shopping experience of the customer, and to develop web sites that are Search Engine Optimised. I do realize that the web site and web page search engine optimisation is only the first step of the online marketing process. Once the site is complete the social media marketing process has to be set in motion. It is for this reason of critical importance that I build lasting relationships with my customers.

In the past customers only followed up with us when changes or updates were required. Now, with modern web sites, the growing importance of Google, and the constant race to be in the TOP 10 of a Google search, as well as the importance of “social media” in this race, this customer relationship has changed. We now have to follow up with our customers on a monthly basis, reporting back on the web site and site visitor statistics, as well as the successes of the social media marketing, and other forms of marketing.

4.2 My Values.

Honesty, passion, commitment, caring and health.

• Honesty: I will always maintain this character trait to the people around me and those whom I may encounter throughout my life.
• Passion: The energy that keeps the wheels turning. The heartfelt will to do what I do, to the best I can, and love doing it.
• Commitment: Keeping to promises I make, and meeting the project deadlines, as required by the client.
• Caring: Really listening, showing interest and making the people that I relate to feeling special.
• Health: Without this huge blessing all the above are meaningless. This gift is one we all should cherish.

Employment History.

2020: FREELANCE WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.

From April 2020, I was concentrating on Freelance Web Development work, and was involved in a number of exciting projects.

2013 – 2020: Contracted to Overflow Business Holding Pty(LTD).

I joined Overflow in July 2013 on a month to month contractual agreement. Overflow, primarily a Call Centre, needed websites and Apps to support and promote a large number of products they are promoting and marketing. I was with Overflow till April 2020.

2010 – 2013: Contracted to Southern Circle Tours and Safaris.

With the 2010 Soccer World Cup coming up we needed to rebuild the web site, as well as set up a solid marketing program and social media presence. This contract continued on a month to month basis up to June 2013.

2008 – 2009: Contracted to Nyko Manufacturing.

An industrial Shrink Wrap Machine Manufacturer. I was commissioned to develop their web site as well as ensuring that they are found on Google. Nyko Manufacturing can be found in the top 5 searches of www.google.co.za for the following Machine types,
Shrink Wrap Machine (2)
Blister Pack Machine (3)
Skin Pack Machine (1)

2005 – 2007: Freelance Web Design and Development.

During this time I developed a number of tourism, information, corporate and E-Commerce sites.

2004: Web Development and Content Management Systems.

Due to numerous requests and feedback from my clients, as well as recommendations from people in the IT Industry, I realised that the demand for a user-friendly "Content Management System" was growing fast.

During the last few months of 2004, I combined all my attention and effort to master Content Management Systems, that would serve my clients needs. CMS’s offered a range of features that could put me in the forefront of Web Development. It offers a range of advanced features such as Shopping Carts with all the required extras, Employment sites, Classifieds and Auction Sites as well as a range of basic features to enhance normal "business" and "info" Sites. Back in 2004/5, these advanced features were only available to PHP and ASP programmers.

2003 / 2004: HTML Web Site Development.

I developed a number of successful HTML web sites focusing mainly on the tourism industry, which achieved reasonable success and attracted a good traffic flow and replies. I’ve also developed some Information sites.

2002: Study Web Designing.

Realizing that finding re-employment in the then-struggling retail industry was going to be a challenge, I focused on studying computers, and in particular "Web Designing". Here I could combine all my previous experiences, Graphic Design, Visual Display Artist and Merchandiser, and mould it together in a pleasant, fresh, fast loading and customer friendly web site.

2001: John Craig Clothing Store.

Sadly, by the end of 2001, John Craig had to restructure and closed certain stores. KwaZulu Natal was only left with 4 stores and my position became initially part-time and later redundant.

During 2002 I was kept on a contract basis to maintain the balance of the stores.

1995 – 2001: Visual Co-Coordinator, John Craig, Durban.

I snapped up this opportunity to work with this fast-growing company, supplying men’s clothing to the up-market and trendy black market. A change of environment with fresh new ideas seemed extremely exciting, and the opportunity to maintain a total of 12 stores were very exciting. South Africa just had their first democratic election, and with “Black Empowerment (BEE) on everybody’s lips, it just seemed the right career decision at the time.

Important business discussions were shared with my superiors and my input was greatly valued. I became actively involved in stock movements, improving sell-off rates and profits, as well as maintaining the freshness and visual standards of each store concerned. Working closely with my area manager, assisting in stock- takes and various other responsibilities, opened doors to a side of retail I had not previously been exposed to.

I also attended numerous training workshops and motivational seminars in Johannesburg.

• 1992 – 1995: Visual Coordinator, Miladys.
  
• 1985 – 1992: Professional Musician.
• 1982 – 1985: Foschinis Clothing Stores – Visual Co-ordinator.
• 1979, 1980 and 1981: Study at Pretoria Technikon, Graphic and Interior Design.
• 1977 and 1978: 2 years of compulsory Military Services.
• 1976: Matriculated – Afrikaans Hoer Seunskool, Pretoria.