Imaginary Landscape
RSS FeedAs a company, Imaginary Landscape has had great success aligning ourselves with industry verticals such as hospitals and associations and financial institutions. Although we have been deeply involved with the technology side, most clients - quite frankly - couldn't care less about the technology. They want their Web site to do certain things and look a certain way. Whether that means a SQL or Access database didn't matter. Open source or Microsoft...whatever, just make sure the site does what it's supposed to do. For most clients, the purchase decision for Web comes from marketing and their focus is more on the ends than the means.
Recently, we have increased our visibility on the technology side. For the past two years, we have sponsored PyCon - the largest conference dedicated to the programming language we use to create Web sites - Python. This year, we are sponsoring DjangoCon, dedicated to the popular Python-based framework that focuses on Web development.
Our goals in sponsoring were three-fold. One was to demonstrate our continued support of the open source community. Second was to search for talent. Third was to experiment using tech-to-tech as a marketing strategy.
The tech-to-tech marketing strategy was a bit of a stretch, but we believe the decision and evaluation pendulum is swinging back towards technology and we wanted to see how best to occupy that space. So, our message at the past two PyCons was:
"Because it's better when your Web site speaks your language."
During the events themselves, this message was met with indifference. But slowly, we began to get inquiries about our Python and Django expertise. I layered on an AdWords program and we got some more. Many were kicking tires, but in the past 6 months we have signed two large and one small client based solely on this platform of technology.
It's not a watershed, but it is worthy of strong consideration. How might we position ourselves within this technology market as a go-to organization? What is the best scenario for this book of services? Who is the buyer? What do they need?
As DjangoCon 2009 comes to a close, we are beginning to assemble a market profile for a new Imaginary practice area based upon the Django/Python technology stack. The profile is encouraging and includes the following parameters:
- Organizations that are currently using Django/Python are philosophically similar to us in that they are strongly open source.
- They have an established IT department with strong technical leadership.
- Much as they might want their own staff to work on new development, they have their hands full with the day-to-day.
- They have considered - possibly even contracted with - a freelancer and have been concerned about response, quality or timeliness.
As our latest group of clients has demonstrated, there is need for an organization like ours to supplement and extend the technology already in place. How large that market may be is yet to be determined. But with the increasing popularity of Django and Python, it is growing.
Hey, even NASA is using it. [insert rocket scientist joke here]
Updated 07/14/10 @ 10:44AM CDT by brian
Categories: Technology Web News
