Virtual First
Virtual First explainer paragraph that's probably a couple lines of text that doesn't go into too much detail because the real meat is found elsewhere on the page. The image above is just re-used from OctaneXpress and is more of a placeholder. All other sections of our web site include this hero image and header so it probably makes sense here too.
Break it Down
This is text that starts to really get into what Virtual First is all about. It can be a few paragraphs, maybe some graphs, and can even link out to pop-ups or more pages, if we feel we need them. After this section, which I would imagine would be quite sizeable, we can include auxiliary content, such as the relevant LinkedIn posts. What follows below are a few options for how we could represent that content.
This first section is leveraging Wix' native Blog functionality. The Blog posts each link out to their own page that show the content in its full glory. The blog posts usually have a title (I added a sample for the first post (POST 1), and in the format shown below, benefit greatly from a stock image to accompany it. The posts themselves can include additional images or graphics, if needed. I've left the default blog posts (2-4) to show more of the widget's potential. There are alternative layouts to blog entries but I think this one is the most attractive, if we can get a nice photo to accompany each one.
One potential downside to the blog format is that if a post is only a paragraph long, it may not be seen as worth a whole click, from the reader's perspective. That, of course, is a wholly subjective assessment. Additionally, we may wish to suppress certain metadata from each post, for simplicity's sake, as well as a desire to avoid the trap that corporate websites sometime fall into: Dated blog posts weekly for 6 weeks, then nothing for 7 years.
Huge Strips
For bolder content
We can include our content in these sprawling sections if we wish to opt for a more in-your-face aesthetic. There is plenty of room for content here on the right but the layout is a little more photo-centric so we would need to consider if we have something huge, relevant, and iteratively variable for each post.
Alternatively, we can use such sections to host the more meatier content (i.e., the main "Break it Down" section at the top to which our LinkedIn posts would theoretically link.
NOT AS HUGE STRIPS
Another pseudo-obnoxious way to convey our content, with less emphasis on imagery but still bold and attention-hogging. Images and illustrations can of course be layered on, as well. It's worth mentioning that we don't really utilize these strips on our site outside of headers (scroll all the way up to see what I mean) so a need for consistency may preclude their use.
This next section utilizes one of Wix' other widgets. Something like this might be more appropriate if we decide to keep our posts on the shorter side. This layout and formatting can be customized further than what is shown here, and can include inline images or graphics (the images shown were default from the widget). These blocks are not interactive but we can certainly link from them, if we wish.
POST ONE
Events in 2020 accelerated the shift to digital strategies. For most, it was a reactive approach, with temporary fixes. With the environment in a similar position as last year and the realization that virtual is here to stay – we are all realizing that it’s time to focus on taking a strategic approach to virtual training. We can help with that.
POST 3
With the shift to virtual interactions, your customers have changed the way they do things. You have to do the same. Octane’s Virtual First program is a process of (re)design and development focusing on the learner experience and how they will behave in their new environments. Virtual learning should be a primary experience, not a stopgap. Our Virtual First process:
POST 2
Do we need to shift future focus from in-person training to virtual training? In a word, YES!
Since COVID-19, the percentage of virtual trainings to in-person trainings have inverted compared to the percentages prior to COVID-19, with approximately 41% of companies switching to virtual trainings.
Some in-person training will start up again, but we are not going back. This was an acceleration of a disruption that had already started in training.
If you need help converting existing trainings to virtual or creating new ones, we have a methodology that takes a Virtual First approach.
POST 4
Coaching is an important aspect of every successful team. The best coaches were often players themselves, but now managers are expected to coach people in situations they have never experienced, like virtual or hybrid sales calls. That’s virtually different.
While coaching priorities and principles may remain the same, the virtual environment requires a different approach. This may mean adjusting expectations and identifying the appropriate competencies related to the virtual way of doing things, before trying to coach them.
Ask us how we can help you take a Virtual First approach to your training offerings!
This is another example of a Wix widget, also highly customizable. This (default) design lends itself to more writing-focused content but can also include illustrations or images, as needed. Again, titles help attract the user (I've added a placeholder for Post 5).
01/
Just In! Display Content In Repeating Layouts
Keep your visitors in the know. Want to make this content your own? Just add your images, text and links, or connect to data from your collection.
Post 5
Apart Together
People are certainly lacking social interaction and collaboration, more than ever before. Peer-to-peer collaboration is key for sharing best practices and learning from each other.
Just because we can’t be together in person, doesn’t mean we can’t safely share our experiences and knowledge. To ensure this is effective virtually, a strategic approach to training is a must.
Our methodology takes a Virtual First approach to training, allowing for synchronous and asynchronous training with built in collaboration touchpoints.
03/
Breaking News! You Can Click Here To Edit The Text
Keep your visitors in the know. Want to make this content your own? Just add your images, text and links, or connect to data from your collection.
04/
Trending! Connect Data From Your Collection
Keep your visitors in the know. Want to make this content your own? Just add your images, text and links, or connect to data from your collection.
Et Cetera
Wix has other widgets of this repeating-content type with different layouts that we can pick from and customize to our needs, should we choose. Many of them are more graphic-heavy, or are formatted for other purposes, such as "meet our team" or e-commerce "buy now" setups. It's worth mentioning that we can simply show our content in-line in paragraphs like this under headers and with added multimedia, should we opt for a more straight-forward approach.