About John
Web Consultant
John helps organisations with their digital presence, specialising in content management system selection and implementation, enterprise search, website development, digital marketing strategy and project implementation.
This can include requirements gathering, web analytics analysis and reporting, user analysis, information architecture, prototyping and wire-framing, usability testing and best practice, interface design, and digital presence management. Current clients include the NHS.
John Sharkey – My Story
After completing university and getting a MBA (Masters in Business Administration) in Florida, John went to work for several companies with web-related technologies.
Since arriving in the UK in summer 2011, John has done contract work for Webtrends as an optimisation consultant, with Aviva Health as a digital project manager, and worked for Web Results Direct – a UK agency dedicated to helping businesses get more website traffic and conversions. John now works as a freelance consultant, with clients having included NHS England, the University of Oxford, London Metropolitan University, and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
John is former Director of Web Strategy for Rollins College, the leading university in the Southeast U.S. In his 3 1/2 years at Rollins, John provided the vision and leadership for the creative and strategic use of the university’s website and digital technologies in advancing institution-wide marketing, communications, and branding efforts.
At Rollins he led projects such as:
Campus Web Rebuild
The aim was to strengthen and make consistent the brand by moving all public websites into a central content management system (CMS). He directed the CMS selection process and related Web architecture, content, and technology strategies. His team moved and redesigned over 100 college websites into the new CMS, and redesigned the main Rollins.edu website and created and developed a campus intranet.
Web Analytics
John setup all websites in a Web analytics system to generate baseline data for website effectiveness in growing online revenue, lead generation, and site engagement metrics. For this complex web presence he enabled a solution for having both top-level site reporting and reporting for individual micro-sites across many departments. He also worked with clients to help them understand and develop analytics goals, reports and tracking.
Mobile Websites
John led the project to establish the mobile web presence for the university. The goal was to be one of the few university websites targeted to prospective students that was fully mobile. The success of the project led to an accepted presentation at EduWeb international conference on lessons learned implementing a campus mobile Web strategy.
Automated eNewsletter
Using cloud based technologies, John integrated a centralized events calendar with an email newsletter system to produce an automated daily enewsletter. The Good Morning Rollins eNewsletter goes out to all students and employees, keeping everyone informed on what is happening on campus.
“I have absolutely no reservations recommending John as a consultant for any digital project, he was a real asset to our team and we will miss working with him.“
Why Work With Me?
As a web generalist, I can handle all aspects of your project needs and find and work with the appropriate supplier where needed. In many cases I can deliver the needed services myself, but if not can help source suppliers and manage the entire process.
John is former Webmaster and Assistant Director of Web Services for the University of Central Florida, the U.S.’s largest public university. He worked at UCF for eight years, gaining valuable experience on complex Web applications in leading a large team of software engineers, digital media designers and video programmers.
He enjoys managing teams, and has been trained in the Gallup’s strengths-based development, and was also trained in the Holacracy agile practice of managing and governing.
John has presented at international conferences on web technologies, user-centered design approaches and IT management.