I have published 9 roles so far, with a few more to come in the next few days. All roles are available by searching for Digital at the EDF Energy Careers site.

The first 9 roles are listed below. Please feel free to get in touch on Twitter (@rhortal) or by email with any questions, and to share this post with all your friends.

Good luck – and welcome to the team!

• eCommerce Manager
• eMarketing Manager
• Digital Propositions Manager
• Senior Search Executive (Manager)
• Senior Display and Affiliates Executive (Manager)
• Senior Social Media Executive (Manager)
• Senior Email Executive
• Web Front End Developer
• Digital Analyst

2012 will be a very different year in Digital

The browser wars may be over but 2011 saw an exponential explosion in the number and diversity of devices and locations in which people access eCommerce sites. Mobiles, tablets and computers, in and out of the house are used individually or combined by the same individual during a single research and purchasing process. Tracking cookies are both illegal and becoming largely irrelevant as people use more and more browsers. And as customer habits and expectations evolve ever quicker in a complex device and social ecosystem and a tight economic environment, the ability to generate and apply customer insight will be the key factor influencing an online business’ ability to succeed in 2012.

Social Media will continue to rapidly evolve

Facebook is evolving from a Destination Website to a Social Ecosystem. Facebook’s population is 13 times higher than that of the UK (only India and China are larger than Facebook) and people are spending most of their time on social networks. In 2012, Social Networking platforms start significantly encroaching into the role of other Internet services such as Search and Email, and with it the nature of the Internet itself may change – from loose a network of independent sites and services to a tightly vertically integrated Facebook Walled Garden, via the API-enabled Social Ecosystem it will be in 2012.

Mobile will become ever more ubiquitous

The pace of adoption of mobile devices will continue to increase, as may also do the refresh cycle (not necessarily driven by new hardware adoption but rather by software updates and associated device resets). The user experience will become fragmented and disjointed as user behaviour overtakes best UX Design practice -currently oriented to single-device scenarios. It will take a while, most likely beyond 2013, for design, technology and its application to catch up with the multi-device, always on users of 2012.

The Economy will prove ever more challenging

The impact of a further economic slowdown is very difficult to predict. So I won’t try to. But it is clear that any developments in the global economic landscape will have a great impact on our customers, and therefore on us.

As I think about next year’s demanding commercial and technical environment, these are some of the areas I think will determine who will win in Digital and who will not. What do you think? Please let me know in the comments, and Merry Christmas!

I often hear that the concept of the marketing mix isn’t so useful any longer in this era of customer-first. But I believe it is still highly relevant today as a framework to develop digital marketing strategies. In my guest post at Smart Insights post I take a look at situations where I have found it useful to develop and refine customer propositions.

I am very interested in hearing your thoughts about applying long-standing Marketing constructs in the Digital space. Please use the comments!

The Web Application fallacy

Nothing could be further from the truth. For a start, accessibility is mandatory in the UK and Europe, with the threat of unlimited compensation payments imposed on sites that don’t comply with the Equality Act’s requirements. Accessibility is mandatory by law (usability is not) and therefore must trump any other considerations that influence the way you design your sites.

Furthermore, the argument about older browsers’ relative population size doesn’t stand to scrutiny either. The numbers may be small but the 2 constituencies it represents are very important: your boss/colleagues and people at work. a lot of people working in medium to large organisations are stuck with Windows XP and IE 6. No matter how bad they’d like to use their Mac or Windows 7 they just have no control on the IT kit provided to them. We know people like to research and shop online from their work PC. Do you really want to close the door to all those bored office workers with a credit card and time to waste? Furthermore, you design a site that doesn’t render and work well on your boss’ PC at your peril.

At the root of all this is the idea that somehow websites and Web Apps are 2 distinct categories, and that all new developments featuring even minimal interactivity should firmly fall in the latter. This is a fallacy: Web Apps are a not a complementary set with no intersecting elements but a subset of the Website category. All Web Apps are websites, and must abide by the rules that apply to websites. A very small number of Web Apps’ functionality can only be provided on modern browsers (such as a very high fidelity office suite) but most Web Apps are basic collect – calculate – display affairs and have no excuse not supporting the whole of the internet population.

Why is this important?

Apart from the fact that building an inaccessible design you’re risking an unlimited penalty that could be the end of a business of any size, there are good commercial reasons not to fall for the Web Application fallacy.

• IE6 still makes up at least 2% of Internet traffic to your site. Remember IE6 is highly represented at work, so account for multiple visits when evaluating its weight – it can easily represent 3% or more of actual visitors. Would you be willing to make a decision that would sacrifice 3% of your business in any other realm?
• 14% of the UK population are registered disabled. when considering the amount of people who may get a suboptimal user experience due to Ajax, are you aware of this very large group?

Progressive enhancement

At its core, the issue is one of choosing Progressive Enhancement over Graceful Degradation. Progressive Enhancement ensures the building of a robust, fully functional, accessible system that can be enhanced by the addition of layers of functionality that will improve the user experience of subsets of users. Starting from a lowest common denominator ensures universal accessibility and 100% commercial reach.

Not falling for the Web App fallacy you’re making sure everyone who wants to can buy from you. Sounds like a sound business decision to me!

In front of me lies a wonderful green field lush with possibility. My first week on the job behind me, it’s perhaps time to gather my thoughts: I’ve joined an organisation that is ambitious about its future and enlightened about the role that Digital should play in it. At its core, an amazing group of people who nurture and develop the still young company. People who work really hard yet manage to create a welcoming, open work environment that is a real joy to be a part of. People with strong values: they’re the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity, because they care about more than just the bottom line. My kind of people!

Ahead of me lies an enormous challenge. Expectations could not be greater and the task at hand won’t be easy, quick nor straightforward. But I am energised by this new chapter in a way that I haven’t been for some time. Energy is definitely in the air.

Time to switch on!