Customer Service / Online Marketing &#8211; One Rock at a Time

I have rarely been disappointed when I have looked for certain qualities in new hires.

Passionate – Without passion no job gets done right, or well, or with enthusiasm, or right every time.

Intellectual curiosity - Anyone can follow directions, but only those who are truly curious will find a better way to do almost anything.

Appreciation of other cultures through travel – I seriously believe that every student should be given $1,000 and an airline ticket out of the US and told to “go wander” for 6 months after they graduate high school, and then come back and write about it as part of their job interview.
It doesn’t surprise me that candidates who have experienced more than their backyard and state, have a greater awareness of the infinite possibilities life (and work) throws at them.
Having job applicants that actually understand how the world works would probably cut down on almost every workplace concern, because these young employees would actually get it – that the world is far bigger than them and to survive you’ve got to seize and appreciate every day and opportunity.

I can dream.

Until then… if you ‘re looking for some employment at a great company, contact me... but only if you meet the 3 criteria above.

547

8

Apr

The 1% vs. the 99%

by Grant

The math is simple. There is always going to be 1% on top and 99% on the bottom.

The goal shouldn’t be to vilify the 1%, it should be to inspire the 99% so they aspire to be the 50% at the top.

Simple math.

545

1

Mar

Less Tired Customer Service

by Grant

My 2008 Prius needed new tires. At least that’s what somebody with a little knowledge and a penny told me.

SoCal weather doesn’t really give you too many clues into slips, skids or tire wear and tear, it kind of keeps throwing sunshine and dry roads at you in the hope you buckle and eventually cave in to the Sears ads in the Sunday newspaper.

Not knowing too much about tires I did what I do best and fired up Google and did a few searches for either “Prius tires” or my favorite “best tires for Prius.”

There were some consistently ranking sites, like Tire Rack and Discount Tire, but I was looking for a local installer and Discount Tire wasn’t close, and Tire Rack appears to have no local presence (or at least no one I would want to leave my kids with.)

I did find one unbiased site TiresInformation.com, that didn’t have any affiliations or any way of purchasing, but it did have some solid information on my little hybrid and a recommendation to use “low rolling resistance” tires. The good news is that my Prius has no problems with rolling, in fact it often rolls silently in car parks under electric power. The silent predator of parking spaces (and shoppers too slow to get out of the way!)

So armed with this knowledge I used the Google Places listing to find a local installer, Woodley Tires in Santa Monica… a place that was more appealing due to it’s “60 years in business” than any pricing (I couldn’t find too much information on their tire pricing) – plus the nice folks on Yelp said how wonderful, quick and friendly these guys were. 10 people can’t be wrong!!

Fast forward to a less busy morning where I ended up visiting Woodley Tire, a small rough and tumble installer that spends more on toilet paper than the decor, outside paint job, or customer waiting area. (Not knocking soft TP - in fact I’m starting a website to address that very – soft – spot).

End result?

4 new tires, installed quickly and, although I did have to wait unceremoniously outside on a bench that felt like it came from the original olympic stadium, a competitive price – done right!

The guy behind the desk was as nice of a mechanic as I’ve met (which is a low bar he easily vaulted).

So thank you to my new found tire resources, and thanks to the nice folks at Woodleywho really do provide a less tired customer service experience!

541

11

Feb

Great Marketing Books You Shouldn’t Be Without

by Grant

A link to Amazon list o’ great marketing books probably my top 10, updated annually.

Enjoy!

539

14

Jan

Happy Nude Year! (Because 2011 is so last year)

by Grant

Please don’t rip your clothes off… but please do consider the irony of a new years resolutions and the celebrations thereof.

Most companies (who follow calendar financial years) start afresh on January 1st, rather like a baby (with a bit of baggage in the nappy).

While those companies focus on the next 12 months, may I suggest they spend a little time learning from the last 12?

Many companies have weathered the bad economy, some have withered (which is like weathering, only worst), and some have survived and dare I say thrived?

The challenge is, at what cost?

If the last 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that at the end of the day “it’s the people stupid“, not the stupid people (present government excepted).

Companies that are still around owe a tremendous thanks to their employees, the people who have done more with less and (mostly) come out of it unscathed. Because… some management haven’t felt the same tightening of belts and fear of unemployment.

Case in point… at the movie theater today the customer service manager was downright rude to a couple of patrons who felt they hadn’t been forewarned that their membership card had expired.

Rather than thank his lucky stars that he has a position of power, he began to wield his power is a decidedly unservice-like manner.

Management everywhere need to look back and thank those that have allowed them to survive, the employees and customers who have come to work everyday, or bought whatever product or service they’re offering.

At the end of the day, a “nude” year should be a time to rip away all the facades of protection and face the next 12 months with humility, gratitude and bare skin to the night breeze, because we are lucky to still have food on the table, a paycheck, and the ability to spend time with those we love.

A nude new year is more than celebration of a new (nude) beginning, it’s a chance to be reborn with a better attitude and mindset of gracious thanks.

Thank you for reading this. It’s appreciated. Seriously.

535

6

Nov

Google’s “Quality Deserves Freshness” Ranking Factor

by Grant

Just as old food deserves the garbage can, old content loses some of its appeal (at least in Google’s search results).

I took a light-hearted (but serious) look at the various factors and best practices in keeping your website content fresh, and posted an article over at The Search Agents blog to explain the basics of good content strategy.

Bottom line on content development and deployment, it doesn’t have to be a multiple times a day endeavor, but it should focus on content that engages and encourages sharing.

Neither of these are new concepts, I’ve wrote many times that unique and relevant content has a great chance of ranking as it should naturally attract visits, engagement and sharing.

There’s a few caveats to this, such as a test project I built out a few years ago with scraped content and lots of onsite issues. The Music Genres List site is an example of horrible (non existent) design and development, yet ranks because of exact match domain and a true connection of “Intent to Content” – it’s exactly what people expect, a list of music genres.

“Only Google Knows” how it’s ranking algorithm works, but freshness of content, together with relevance to users are two factors that will contribute to good, consistent rankings and your site’s success.

527

22

Sep

Never be out of stock, and other retail nightmares.

by Grant

Over at The Search Agents’ blog, I discuss the setting of expectations (or lack of) and the steps online retailers should take to mitigate.

Although I don’t promise a new Mercedes, I wouldn’t mind one of my readers sending one over… so if you’d like… read about eTailing mistakes.

537

12

Apr

I Risk My Knighthood on a Whim – Dissing the Royal Wedding Prep

by Grant

I can’t imagine the Royal Wedding didn’t have it’s naysayers, and although I was happy with the blessed event, I was a little miffed that “nothing is left to chance” was the quote of the day on ABC 7 News.

As Search Agents, “nothing is left to chance (or the search engines)” is a mantra you’ll hear a few times a day at The Search Agency.

Anticipating the unknown not only offers opportunity, it saves royalty (or the client) from ever having to worry about the “what if”

My article covering the Royal Wedding possible gaffs and Search Marketing superiority gained little interaction but maybe pissed off a few Royals.

524

27

Feb

Panda vs. Chicken Little SEO Scaredy-cats

by Grant

I took some time out to comment on Google’s Panda update at The Search AGent’s blog, in the hope of dispelling some of the “Chicken Little” sentiment around the web.

The takeaways:

Rule #1: Create unique, valuable content. Period.
Rule #2: In case you haven’t in the past… Follow rule #1.

Simple and hopefully calming news to the SEO crowd currently standing underway doorways or wiping their bottoms.

The more things in SEO change… the more they remain the same.

Happy plucking!

521

24

Jun

Microsoft’s Soft Strategy and Lack of Solid Focus

by Grant

Over at The Search Agents’ blog, I comment (rather sarcastically I might add) on Bing’s foray into various verticals in an attempt (and a bad one at that) of differentiating itself from Google’s simplicity (which it does very well by confusing the hell out of the user)

Check it out and please add your comments if you agree or disagree.

517

19

May

Rainy days and sundaes always bring me down

by Grant

Excuse the play on title words, that have a very (very) loose tie in to ice cream in any shape or form. Though Ben & Jerry’s features on the periphery of this blog post, I am discussing rainy day wins and fails, specific to my day at Universal Studios Hollywood.

To quote another song badly, to say “It never rains in California” is an obvious misnomer… because rain it did during a recent day out in Hollywood. But it wasn’t a complete failure because Universal got it right!

In my continuing search for “living” customer service (not just talking about it) – I found the epitome at Universal where they have a ‘rainy day’ policy whereby there’s a hot chocolate table set up in the park giving free hot chocolate to errant tourists like myself who decide to brave the LA drizzle.

I never complain about free… it was a really nice (and unexpected) touch—customer service wins are all about the unexpected.

Small fail and big win... Although it was raining, rain ponchos were only available as a paid item. I’m not complaining given many of the other considerations, but what about giving a poncho “free” at the park entrance?

BIG WIN (capitalized because Universal definitely gets it) – as I’m leaving, the gate keeper hands me a rainy day pass. Free one day admission to the park within the next 30 days! Wow.

Now thinking about the economics… my family and I’s day out – aside from park admission – probably $120.

For Universal – Incremental revenue, good will, and happy customers, priceless!

Nice to have a great customer services story. Well done Universal Studios Hollywood!

customer service, hollywood, theme park, universal studios

486

11

Apr

Senior Moments in Social Media

by Grant

Explaining social networks to seniors should never been taken lightly.

Managed to have a senior moment myself, when referencing Facebook to one of the seniors in my life.

Read about the epiphany on Social Media mainstreaming over at The Search Agents

510

22

Mar

Yahoo lives (at least a few more days)

by Grant

Yahoo updated it’s algorithm, as noted in their recent announcement.

I caught the news and immediately did what any search geek would do… authored a post over at my company blog, The Search Agents.

Read why I think Yahoo is a missed opportunity for many, and will continue to play an important role in search as BingHoo becomes a reality.

502

17

Mar

Google’s image search looking good!

by Grant

Google’s image search has always been a good place to scavenge for images, graphics and the occasional old girl friend… however it now appears to be the newest revenue channel for the search giant!

Notice and posted on the appearance of sponsored images in search.. nice idea, nice execution.

504

1

Mar

Four score and seven years ago, I committed to blogging more and…

by Grant

How quickly time flies and blogging become an afterthought. Wow.

This weekend I was reviewing a work sheet I’ve been noodling over for a client, specific to SEO / online PR scheduling and the importance of consistent communication, updates and site ‘tweaks,’ when I realized it had been 5 months since my last post…

“Hi, I’m Grant, and I’m a work-a-holic. It’s been 5 months since my last post” — APPLAUSE

So.

Post to follow.

Does this one count as a post, if you post to say you’re going to post?

Reminds me of my blog post over at The Search Agents

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Backdated a few posts to my Search Agents prose. Fact… I will never be prolific, I may be persistent.

Cheers

484

22

Feb

Twitter trends – High street focus on microblogging

by Grant

Geo-targeting tweets inspired me to pen a post over at The Search Agents.. check out my thoughts on what this means for local businesses and local search.

500

2

Feb

SEO Hacking – Google’s Matt Cutts Stresses Importance of ?

by Grant

Blog post over at The Search Agents where I call out Google’s Matt Cutts on the search landscape 2010.

Although Matt didn’t seem to read the post (or if he did he didn’t respond), a lot of what I anticipated has in fact come true, a lot of what he predicted… Matt?

Hey Google! Need a new spokesperson?

🙂

496

22

Nov

A Bit of William Shakespeare in Search

by Grant

To read or not to read, that is the question.

A recent blog at The Search Agents has me quoting (or misquoting) old Will to illustrate the point that brands are winning the search game due to Google relevancy assignment and the average Internet users’ simplistic behavior.

Read less about William S. and more on why brands are even more important online.

492

29

Oct

Always turn to Winston Churchill when you’re lost for words!

by Grant

I know I do… in fact, I push for every client presentation to have a relevant quote from folks smarter than myself 🙂

“If you travel the earth, you will find it is largely divided into two classes of people-people who say “I wonder why such and such is not done” and people who say “Now who is going to prevent me from doing that thing?”” – Winston Churchill

Are you the preventor or the prevented? (Or the guy that won’t let either label stop him?)

480

2

Oct

How strong is your SEO? Tips to measure success.

by Grant

Over at The Search Agents blog, and following the thread at iMedia Connection, there’s an article I published as a 101 of SEO success measurement.

Doesn’t go into extreme detail, but does give some insight into metrics I look at when ‘telling a story’ to clients.

Get some SEO bench pressing in your schedule!

489

22

Sep

Are you a social wallflower or the life of the party?

by Grant

Take note social lounge lizards

Many companies are looking at social media as just another marketing opportunity to be dealt with by an overworked, stressed and totally unprepared marketing department.

In a post over at The Search Agent’s blog I note some of the questions companies should ask before they put on the snake-skin shoes, smoking jacket, fedora, and join the party…

life of the party, social butterfly, social media

475

9

Aug

Don’t let Twitter go down on you…

by Grant

Yes, I tried to be funny with the title. Twitter went down on me but it wasn’t fun. Withdrawal. Lack of communication. And time on my hands.

For those wondering… read about what I did, the day Twitter decided to dump me.

472

7

Aug

Website usability and the big red fez.

by Grant

I’m a big believer in usability being key to a website’s success.

A conversation with a co worker gave me the opportunity to mix “business with belief” and create a post for The Search Agents blog.

For those wondering about the obtuse mention of monkeys and headgear, I recommend you read Seth Godin’s excellent book on “making the banana easy to find.”

Mentioned in the post, it really is a quick, easy to read overview on what makes a website work! Enjoy.

470

30

Jul

My take on Bing adoption, and Google’s grasp on the marketplace

by Grant

While folks at the office were calculating, researching, whiteboarding, slide ruling (I put that in there, not certain they would know what to do with one) and discussing indepth the “Bing effect”, I was Googling away without a care in the world.

My thoughts on why Google will continue to be number one.

466

3

Jul

Cultivating a “Club Med Culture” in a “Brooks Bros.” World

by Grant

20 years and a couple of lifetimes ago, I arrived in Cancun, Mexico with a couple of bags, boyish excitement and a bundle of energy.

I was a GO, Gentile Organizateur a hotel worker in Club Med, part teacher, part drinking buddy, part host, part companion. I had no clue.

I was recruited in New York, an English rebel, just off a summer working in Canada and 2 years before that going ‘walk-a-bout’ in Australia. The Club Med stint was recommended by a coworker in West Australia who said I would “love it.” So here I was.

I was far from the traditional British ‘stiff upper lip’ so approached the group of young, tanned and good-looking individuals and announced myself – “Grant, new sailing guy.”

They all started talking, chatting, pumping hands, laughing. There was only one word to describe it. “Family”

It was an amazing first day introduction, there was no ‘status dance’, no pretence, no anything but warmth, free speaking, respect and a common bond of employment.

20 years later, I still marvel at the enveloping culture of the Club Med GO team at that time. And the amazing thing is that it wasn’t unique to that venue. In the following 4 1/2 years I spent as a GO, every team, in every Village, in countries around the world had the same feeling, a culture of like-minded individuals with a common goal – giving the customers (GMs) the vacation of their lifetime.

And this, I’ve found, is the common thread of strong corporate cultures, a clear, understandable and achievable goal that employees can rally around and revel in the shared success.

Forget mission statements and empty positioning that can only make sense to the Chief Marketing Officer, a company’s culture needs to be simple enough to be measured against, whilst easy to communicate both inside and outside the organization.

When I started my own company in 2001, I wanted to provide a “Club Med” style experience to my clients. And this wasn’t about pareos and cocktails, this was more about an attitude of ‘yes’. Leveraging the power of “I can” as opposed to a culture of negativity, I managed to grow from one client, to over 140, including a fortune 500 list of industry leaders. I would never say I was the best at what I did, but my staff and I were enthusiastic, listened and got the job done. Our mantra was ‘size doesn’t matter’ – a dig at ourselves, a small company consulting with some industry giants, and also pushing the fact that any project can be successful with the right resources and execution. It was Club Med experience that taught me that… In the Club we really did do the impossible, and made it look effortless.

I tried exactly this at my last company, a large timeshare organization whose employees were wallowing in years of uncertainty, and management that had lost the desire to communicate honestly. I was VP of Brand Communications and was tasked (amongst other things) with creating an internal culture that would take this company to the next level of service and profitability. I created a ‘battle cry’ for the employees, “Delivering brilliant moments” that got down to the core of what we should be doing for our guests and played off the corporate branding. Employees loved it, top management thought it too simplistic, over-analyzed it and ended up publishing a 3-sentence mission statement that was launched with much pomp and ceremony, and died on everyone’s lips within a week. It lacked an important component of any successful corporate culture. Fun.

Fast forward to today, I’m fortunate to work at a progressive online agency that has the flexibility of size, stability of a great client portfolio, and resources of venture capital. We’re creating an environment and culture that empowers individuality whilst building team spirit. It’s unique, it’s in it’s infancy, it’s almost working.

We’re looking at industry leaders like Zappos, folks that have proven service is a differentiator, employee fun a retention tool, and the power of a corporate ‘family’ a tool in moving everyone in the same direction, onward to company success.

Zappos’ innovative employee induction process, cool work environment and willingness to share their secrets, makes them a company worth emulating.

At my current employ there’s still lots of work done to build a Zappos-like culture, we’re not thinking it’s a trivial task but, most importantly, we are having fun building it.

Before I’m accused of being naive in thinking beach bums can correlate to a Wall Street business environment, try substituting the traditional definition of ‘fun’ for something even the Brooks Bros. crowd can appreciate. “Good attitude”.

Try it! Even the guys in the suits will be amazed how far a little Club Med Culture can move an organization forward.

better service, corporate culture, customer service, online service, service, zappos, zappos insights

446

1

Jul

Took my white hat off for a second, to reminisce about the old days of SEO

by Grant

Enjoy SEO as it used to be!

Took a light hearted look at SEO that once was in a post entitled “Top 10 reasons you know your plumbers’ website is optimized to rank #1 (circa 1999 black hat SEO)” – whew.. bit of a mouthful 🙂

464

28

Jun

Is Bing singing in the rain? Friends’ Chandler? Or badda boom, badda bust?

by Grant

They say what’s in a name? For Microsoft’s new search engine decision engine, dubbed ‘Bing’, a lot (read millions of dollars) is riding on the name and the whole premise of spoon-feeding search results to the masses.

Bing promises to interpret your search and deliver exactly what you’re looking for in small, easy-sized bites of information. Bing is from a company that has promised for over 20 years to deliver an operating system that is impervious to viruses and doesn’t freeze up your PC. Hmmm.

The name itself, “Bing” is a marketers dream. Short. Easy to remember. The domain was available (for sale). And it rhymes with lots of things.

In fact ‘Bing’ actually rhymes with ‘thing’. Who’d have thunk?

And who’d have thought the leading online search company would be called ‘Google,’ dominating the market over a company called ‘Yahoo’? I didn’t.

I couldn’t predict a company named Amazon would become the world’s biggest bookstore either. Or that a tweet would be anything more than the sound a bird makes. And though my skills as a modern day Nostradamus may be somewhat limited, there is one thing I know;

Bing is a silly name for a product.

I Google, you Google, everyone Googles, but I can’t imagine anyone admitting that they ‘Bing’ to find something online.

“Dear… I’m just Binging for our vacation information”

“John, did you Bing that camera review?”

It just sounds silly.

And it’s not new or cool. It’s Bing Crosby (who was pretty cool) and Chandler Bing (the not cool one on Friends). It’s not unique. It’s not hip. And it just sounds silly. [Authors note: There is a very sexy model called Anine Bing]

I will be road-testing Bing when the beta launches on June 3rd, and I will be honest about how and how well it divines my every desire. (PG-13 desires, obviously)

I doubt that I will become a Bing believer. Bing booster or even a Billabong (which doesn’t have the word Bing in it, but sounds eerily similar.)

I will be following the adoption of Binging and will tweet my Bing experiences as they happen. Maybe I’ll be found on Bing. You never know.

And that, how they say in Little Italy New York, is “badda boom, badda bing.”

[updated] I’d like to thanks Seth Godin who noted that BING actually stands for “But Its Not Google” in his excellent shared viewpoint of Bing’s ultimate failure.

bing, decision engine, Google, microsoft, search engie, seo, Yahoo

420

26

Jun

Everyone has the right to be famous – not certain if it should be this easy!

by Grant

A drive down Ventura Blvd, a store sign, happy memories, beautiful people and a blog post is born!!

My thoughts on Andy Warhol’s “5 mins of Fame” pontification, and what it means in this connected-via-the-Internet / SEO kind of world.

462

19

Jun

Under the influence – my take on influencers @ The Search Agents blog

by Grant

There was a movement in the Force when Matt Cutts, SEO influencer and Googler said something perhaps he shouldn’t have.

My take on what that means to us average Joes – over at The Search Agents blog

459

27

May

When pigs fly. How social web spreads swine flu faster than a plane from Mexico

by Grant

I’m not insensitive. I don’t want people that handle pigs to die. They have enough problems.

I do want to highlight the effect social networks have on news. Hysteria. Paranoia.

*This* pig will fly. Social media gives you wiinnnngs!

Twitter, Facebook and tens of other social networks empower individuals to be newsmakers and story-breakers and armchair journalists.

And it’s truly changed the landscape of news media.

The problem with empowering millions to interpret the news through their own personal periscope is that you get millions of personal viewpoints.

You get news faster. (And you get more of it!) But you also get exaggeration, hyperbole and the occasional litotes to balance it out.

Whereas before I could pick my handful of newspapers, blogs or news sites to get the reporting I appreciate, now I need to filter reams of social opinion to garner a modicum of truth (amongst the panic).

They say news travels fast and bad news travels faster. I say pig flu flies.

pigs fly, social media, social pig, social web, swine flu

413

22

May

What happened to courtesy from California drivers? Politeness takes a holiday on the 405.

by Grant

Today the dark side of human nature reared it’s head and gave me the virtual finger three times.

Driving on the 405 freeway this morning in unusually dense traffic for 6.50am, three drivers chose to demonstrate ‘driver entitlement’.

It appears they believed they owned the road, all four lanes of it.

My only error, perhaps, was assuming people are inherently good when they’re driving a few tons of metal at 30 mph.

Point of the rant?

Consumers often have the same entitlement mentality in dealing with websites they visit.

They believe that every button, every graphic, every action should be exclusively for them.

And why not?

Online we have the ability to deliver a customized experience, unique to the user, specifically to address their needs.

Not every visitor to your website is entitled to four lanes of the information ‘super highway’ to themselves, but they are entitled to receive a simple and effective method to accomplish what you’d like them to do.

Don’t entertain, facilitate.

392

22

May

Blog post over at The Search Agents — Staying sane

by Grant

The Search Agents SEO blog

How to keep your busness mind on track to deliver (actual) results = sanity!

457

11

May

Quickie Tip #14 – You can’t always get what you want

by Grant

Marketing, One Rock at a Time, Strategy

Hopefully Mick Jagger and what’s left of The ‘Stones will forgive my hijacking of their song to illustrate a point.

Consumers often have expectations that are more than unreasonable.

Companies, retailers and manufacturers often expect a product to succeed beyond it’s marketplace opportunity.

The surest way of always getting what you want, is to set realistic expectations and goals.

Never set them too low. But be realistic in the success you hope to achieve.

In SEO this is particularly important in setting client expectations for success.

Be honest, be realistic and everyone ends up getting what they want.

As Mick sang “And if you try sometime you find, You get what you need”

expectations, get what you want, mick jagger, rolling stones

407

1

Apr

Government Stimulus Package; Freedom of Optimization legislation. What does this mean for SEO companies?

by Grant

For those of my readers ‘lucky’ enough to live in the Golden State of California, today marks a milestone in sales tax, when the CA state tax rate breaks the 10% ‘double digit’ boundary, to bring California near to the, or at the top of the ‘most taxed in the US’ list.

Part of the state revenue shortfall ‘rescue package’, the tax hike means many businesses in CA face more struggles in getting customers through their doors and spending money.

But all is not lost!

Some assistance is coming from a (relatively) small Federal government tax break affecting online marketing companies in the form of the Freedom of Optimization legislation contained within the Governments’ landmark stimulus package passed earlier this year.

In essence the legislation, introduced by Martin Dunlap, (R) IL, gives small businesses up to $20,000 in tax credit toward website optimization services – a boon for SEO companies everywhere.

According to the Kentucky Legislature sponsored Bill Watch site “promoting transparency in government“, the laws’ goals are 4-fold:

Help US small / medium business (SMB) compete in the global marketplace

Reduce load on Internet infrastructure – through better optimized sites

Healthcare savings – By giving US citizens more relevant results a Government research group estimated a 4.1% reduction in stress-related psychological issues.

Reduce energy consumption (Alliance to Save Energy study) by up to 24% – through less computer usage (less searches necessary to find results)

For SEO companies across the country this means a windfall at a time when many business organizations are cutting back on their marketing spends.

As a Search Engine Optimization proponent working in a medium sized business, I can only hope the tax breaks contained in the Freedom of Optimization legislation trickle down sooner than later. Not only will it mean more, and consistent business over the next 18 months (legislation earmarks 257 million dollars in tax breaks available until December 31st 2010) for our company, it also means that many of my business colleagues will finally have some justification for optimizing their sites “no more excuses!”

What does this mean to Google?

With a rise in spending and website optimization on the SEO side, I can imagine two scenarios.

A decrease in Search Engine Marketing / Adwords spend, as businesses replace paid ads with better and more quality organic traffic

An increase in SEM / Adwords spend, as companies struggle to compete with better optimized organic Search Engine Result Pages (SERP).

I don’t think Google is, or should be worried (in fact, they’re noted as one of the contributors to Representative Dunlaps’ campaign and lobby group.) More relevant results for search consumers is their ultimate goal and value, this legislation will certainly accomplish that.

Though a ‘small g government’ Libertarian, this time, I think Government got it right. Great news for SEO companies & Internet users everywhere!

More information is available at the Governments’ small business website www.business.gov

freedom of optimization legislation, Google, sem, seo, SMB, stimulus package, tax breaks, US government

401

13

Mar

I’m a Mac guy, so it’s hard to admit I like the “I’m a PC kid” commercials, but I do!

by Grant

Apple’s “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” commercials have been a staple of advertising kudos, parodies and copycats.

Microsoft has attempted to humanize and outgun the Apple commercials by recruiting cute kids in what certain seniors would believe are tough ‘social’ tasks; publishing photos, creating slideshows, building panoramic prints etc.

This is the first advertising campaign where I believe Microsoft finally “gets it”. The ads work (mostly).

There is a slight problem with “Adam”, however, it appears the cute little girls far out “cute” little boys in viewer opinion, but overall the commercials convey the fact that Windows is “simple enough for kids to use”.

The reason this is necessary at all (aren’t all computers supposed to be simple?), is that perception has always been that multimedia tasks involving images, video, photos = Macs are easy, Windows is hard. This commercial from the 80’s(?) actually drives the reality home; kids understand Macs are simpler!

Perception is a powerful brand differentiator. What can you do to dispel or support perception to your brand advantage?

BTW, Macs are still simpler to use 🙂

buy a mac, i'm a pc, mac simplicity, mac vs windows, power mac, windows, windows vs mac

394

11

Mar

Quickie Tip #12 – Knowledge finds you if you’re looking

by Grant

I subscribe to a number of blog RSS feeds and force myself to at least glance at them before they’re more than 24 hrs old.

Having a commitment to review the ‘latest’ from a variety of sites is equivalent to reading a newspaper cover to cover in the ‘old’ days. This used to be a morning routine of mine.

Understanding we’re often too busy to fit everything we need to do into our days, why do I carve out 25 mins. of my day reading of 15-30 feeds?

The “gem”

At least once a week I find a nugget of knowledge that makes my life easier and (normally) saves me far more time than my reading schedule.

These gems improve my knowledge and by extension my value as an SEO resource.

As miners of yore know, you’ll never find a diamond if you’re not digging for it.

Knowledge gems are the same way. Make sure you’re looking, the gem will find you!

blog posts, knowledge gems, rss feeds, seo knowledge

389

24

Feb

Google is human after all (that’s not always a good thing)

by Grant

Gmail was down this morning, and the end of world is obviously near.

It’s good to finally have the “Gmasses” realize that Google is like any other company, prone to outages, failures as well as amazing success.

Interesting note on human nature.

People are protesting, tearing their hair out, and (as said in Australia) whinging over a FREE SERVICE.

Yep, you get what you pay for and if a free service doesn’t cut it, you pay for one with a little more fiscal accountability.

Hate to harp on the “you get what you pay for”, but Google can’t be taken to task for giving away something that breaks.

Google is human, after all.

Gmail, Google, offline, outage

382

22

Feb

Not enough time in the day

by Grant

A couple of years ago I built a campaign for the City of West Hollywood to highlight the non stop night life and daytime attractions. The campaign was called “24 hrs isn’t enough”

My blogging appears to be suffering from the same issue, with days (and early mornings and early evenings) being filled with work, a couple of hours of a commute, and evenings of ‘other projects’ including my auto body repair site Instant Estimator.

Seems most people (family, colleagues and friends) I know are also juggling available time with an excess of things to fill it with, so it’s no surprise that clients also appear to be suffering from the same issue, especially during these challenging economic times.

With workforce reductions, smaller budgets and increasing pressure to deliver, many clients are faced with more deliverables and less time, resources, money and internal expertise to deliver them.

Resetting client expectations isn’t always practical, especially when there’s internal pressure to deliver more.

Here’s a few thoughts on how individuals can do more with less.

1. Keep a ‘wish list’ – make notes on it as things happen of things you want, need or are asked to do.

2. Keep a ‘to do’ list - Only add to it two or three times a day. Use your wish list and filter everything for “does it really need to get done?” or “this definitely needs to be done” or “this is a whim I can live without being done”

3. Keep a calendar - Mark a date next to your “to do” and ensure that each day has a number of “to dos” to be done.

4. Prioritize – Really all the items above are about priority. Take a look at your calendar and shuffle things around based on need vs want vs desire. Need means it must get done. Want is it should be done at some time. Desire means it’s emotional as opposed to need or want – so if you find some time it may get done…

5. Delegate – Look at your prioritized list and honestly divide to dos amongst your available resources. Honesty is key here, and I tend to use “The Bus Rule”

The Bus Rule – If I got run down by a bus today, who would most likely be given this task to complete, who would it fall to without assignment, and who would do the best job at it as I’m laying under the rear tyre?

If there’s no one to delegate to, work to “The Entrepreneur Rule”

The Entrepreneur Rule – If this was my business, what would I need to get done to make or save me money today? If this is my business, what would a client need me to deliver to make or save them money today?

6. Hire - I know at least three companies that died because they had too much work. Yep, the worst thing any company can do is work its employees or owners into the ground. Before a company with too much business dies, hire someone to help. Interns are a good source of enthusiastic (good) work ethic – take some time to hire the good ones, ones who are going back to school or have big ideas of what and where they want to be. Be sensible, and if your business model allows, give all employees a small share in the business or commission, or both. having a dog in the fight can make all the difference.

7. Balance – Together with staying sane comes some advice I am the worst at following. Balance your work with “life”. At the end of the day, go home, work out, or paint or walk or play video games something that isn’t work. You’ll actually be amazed at how much more you can get done when you’re not doing it 24/7. Same goes for taking a lunch break or tea / coffee break. Generally, balancing work with “life” is better and more productive.

8. Know when to quit – This isn’t about leaving your job or running away from responsibility. It’s more about knowing your limits, knowing when you’re too tired to be your best, and knowing when someone else can get what needs to be done done. It doesn’t always have to be you at 3am finishing off the presentation (though sometimes it does!) and then being dead tired for the following day’s presentation (yes, the client knows when you feel like crap). Knowing when the impossible is just plain impossible is an important, life saving and sanity enhancing realization. For those that have been in the military (I spent a year in the reserves) – rest can be your greatest ally.

Although the eight points above apply to personal prioritization, organization and getting things done, the exact same criteria can be applied to projects, deliverables and business opportunities.

In my own field, prioritizing Search Engine Optimization tactics, realizing what’s possible and ‘keeping it real’ as far as expectations over time, are key to delivering great results in an organized and manageable way.

Key to success? Time is finite, work smart and smell the roses every now and then. Sanity is priceless!

getting things done, no time, prioritize, to do list, work ethic

370

14

Jan

How safe is safe? Online banking demands confidence

by Grant

I’m a Wells Fargo customer (as well as having other bank accounts) and I like their online banking because it’s obvious they put a lot of thought into the customer experience.

Usability is key to customer satisfaction, and in the case of online banking, key to customer confidence.

With all the offline ‘crap’ going on in the financial world, it’s nice when a company makes little gestures to reassure.

Wells Fargo adds this little message on login:

Wells Fargo "one moment please" messaging

Is it really necessary? Of course not. A blank screen would suffice from a technology standpoint. But incremental reassurances are good practice and good customer service.

My other bank, who shall remain anonymous, but rhymes with a killer whale at Seaworld, throws the customer right into their account (at least they did last time I checked) – same for my credit card company.

signoff

Wells Fargo even sends you to a sign out confirmation page when you’re done. With simple observation, you’re out… if you want back in you’re going to have to login again. And it gives you a link back to the sign on page.

Good usability. Good reassurance. Good bank.

customer experience, customer service, safe bank, security online, Wells Fargo

365

3

Jan

My bowl is half empty – the CPK soup experience

by Grant

My cup doth not runneth over… and neither did my bowl the other night at California Pizza Kitchen.

To my regular readers who may think I’ve turned all “culinary” due to some recent posts’ focus on food and cuisine – I offer no apologies, I am guided by experiences in real life, and we all need to eat, don’t we? (Don’t answer if you’re on one of those body-flushing binges of pureed slop and green tea enemas, I don’t want to know. Seriously.)

Any hoo… this happened last week here in beautiful downtown Encino, at the local CPK, a mixture of California cuisine (whatever that is) and Italian pizza house, with a distinct twist of “whatever we can get away with“.

I love their split pea and barley soup. It’s pea-y and has lumps of carrots and barley and is (normally) thick enough to be filling and hot enough to “warm the cockles of your soul” – it’s that good IMHO.

So I order it and it arrives.

As the waiter puts the bowl down on the table, I immediately see something is wrong.

Whereby in “normal” circumstances my “bowl runneth over“, in this particular case, the ‘soup line’ was a clear 1/4 inch below the rim of the bowl.

Being the loud-mouthed Englishman I am, I immediately said to the waiter “Are you guys cutting back on the soup, or what?”

To which… he laughed. He LAUGHED! He freakin’ laughed

As I’m used to misunderstandings and certain blank stares due to my accent, I passed it off as “he-didn’t-understand-I’m-pissed” and asked to talk to the manager.

Manager comes over, and I ask him if they’re offering smaller portions of soup, due to the economy, an unannounced pea shortage, or a smaller ladle...

He said “No, but make sure next time when you come in they fill it to the top.”

Now I must add, I had taken a few spoonfuls, but the ‘soup line’ was still obviously ‘volume challenged’ and this manager appeared to understand my English fine.

I was out for a quiet dinner with my mother-in-law, so didn’t want to make too much of a scene.

Ate my soup. Came home. Called CPK customer service.

The well-trained customer service rep was suitably aghast at my lack of soup fulfillment and promised to look into it and get back to me. I’ll update with any update or resolution.

Lesson of the day.

The best solution to good customer service is often the simplest. Fix the problem. Then and there.

Offering to fill my bowl, or give me another bowl would have saved my ire (though, arguably given me nothing to blog about).

Online, it’s not always easy to fix a problem as it happens. Most interactions are live but without life (human interaction). The next best thing is to offer a toll-free support number, and actually have someone there to answer the calls when they come in. After that, as far as email support, set an expectation and exceed it. i.e. post you respond within 2 business hours and get back to them in 1 OR call them back.

Let my soup experience be a learning experience for better customer experience.

Fix a problem as soon as you can. Don’t leave your customers high, dry and starved for soup!

4 Comments

Add new tag, better service, california pizza kitchen, cpk, customer experience, customer service, my cup runneth over, soup experience

360

27

Dec

How much does a hot chocolate at Christmas cost?

by Grant

I tend to write a lot about customer service because the web is inherently a faceless communications tool where customer service is often lacking, but can be enhanced through usability, simplicity and truly knowing your visitors.

Offline examples of good / bad service offer great learning opportunities. One such lesson occurred Christmas evening when my family went out for a dinner.

As you can imagine the choice is somewhat limited on Christmas and were expecting a little wait. We ended up at Jerry’s Deli in Encino, a popular and ‘famous’ (in their own words) traditional New York deli experience, with a bit of Encino attitude thrown into the mix.

Surprise (not) it was crowded. Actual surprise, there were about 50 people waiting for tables, the list about 20 party long “30-40 minute wait”

A few real surprises:

Every time the door opened, the ice cold wind blew in, arousing curses and complaints from the Encino crowd (not known for their patience). The hostess was shivering, dressed as she was. Not a great environment for a waiting area as we waited for the hostess to come down with pneumonia!

I walked into the restaurant area to find > 15 tables / booths open. Absolutely empty. When I asked the manager “What’s up?” she said that they didn’t want to “overwhelm” the kitchen. Yep. Much better to underwhelm the waiting customers.

I asked the manager if she could serve some hot chocolate to the crowd of cold, patient and ‘growing rapidly restless’ patrons. “That’s a great idea. We don’t do it. But it’s a great idea.” No. A great idea is one you implement and find out it’s even better than you expect it would be, to actually demonstrate true unexpected customer service! Surprise We care!

It didn’t get much better, as by the time we reached our table (50 mins after we arrived) the service was slow, the food cold (what was available as they were ‘out’ of lots of stuff) and the apologies of the waitress were lame as they provided little in the way of empathy, only excuses.

It doesn’t take much to exceed expectations. Seriously.

A cup of hot chocolate, a bit of holiday cheer, and hot food isn’t too much to ask, is it?

As it turns out, I think Jerry’s has finally lost us as customers, we’ll go to Fromin’s down the road, who at least welcomed us will a smile and excellent service this morning.

Cost of a mug of hot chocolate (bulk – one serving, including dishwasher) = 25c

Lifetime value of my patronage – $40×12 times / year x 10 years = $4,800

Online it doesn’t take much to meet or exceed expectations either. Offering something as a surprise or something unexpected (free upgrade on shipping? smoother checkout?) can often tip the balance, changing an online visit into an online experience.

Don’t think of the sale as a one time event, think of the customer experience as a lifetime relationship, one in which all parties involved profit.

Complimentary hot chocolate when you’re cold and waiting? That’s just one way to start a relationship.

4 Comments

christmas, customer service, Encino, hot chocolate, Jerry's Deli, online service

357

23

Dec

Quickie Tip #11 – When too much is not enough

by Grant

I admit it. I’m a 98% guy. I believe the extra 2% can take 98% of your time. I’m never certain that the extra effort delivers the equivalent reward.

There is one area, however, where I feel you can never do too much.

Participation.

Whether it’s a blog, social media site, Twitter, school or volunteering at the local non profit, participation can, and should, be considered as the best “return on effort” for any company or individual.

Whatever your goal; online, offline, business or personal, getting involved will always give back more than it takes.

It’s never enough to not participate more.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays.

content, participation, quickie, seo tip, too much

349

22

Dec

SEO for Dummies – not a book, a reality. Search engines are dumb.

by Grant

SEO is simple.

Be unique in what you say.

Search engines don’t care who you are, what you do, rather they care about how different you are from the eleventy billion other voices out there.

Search engines are dumb. They don’t have a thought of their own. They rely on others’ recommendations and opinions.

SEO depends on being unique and being found and being talked about.

Are you being unique? If not, why not?

2 Comments

345

19

Dec

“On yer bike!” and other things that don’t translate very well.

by Grant

Writing a blog, creating content for a website, or crafting an email requires little talent.

Anyone can write something interesting or of interest to themselves.

Writing, creating or crafting can only be considered effective if it is understood by the intended audience in the manner with which it was intended.

The phrase “on yer bike” would be quite effective, for example, when dealing with some of the wayward lads I went to school with, to essentially tell them to “leave”.

For americans, for whom the phrase is perhaps unknown, they may infer I was requesting they go off and perambulate on a two-wheeled vehicle.

Language is a funny animal. Success is not measure by the number or quality of the words written, rather by the connection it creates and maintains with an audience.

So though I could say “get on yer bike!” before I sign off, I’d like to add, for my american readership… “cheerio”

🙂

british, cockney, copywriting, target audience

343

12

Dec

ROI on the web isn’t about financial investment

by Grant

Marketing, One Rock at a Time, Strategy

Many businesses are looking at their marketing Return On Investment (ROI) as a key area of focus when considering cost cutting, cost savings and cost justification.

Whether justifying to management or shareholders – I tend to blur the line of accountability between the two – in tough times every line item in a marketing budget tends to get scrutinized for efficiency, economy and priority.

ROI (Return On Investment) is a great metric – and buzzword – for bean counters. For project managers and marketers like myself a much better, and more fitting, interpretation would be Return On Implementation.

This is based on my “un-patented but all mine” success equation:

effort + smarts + implementation + follow-up = success

The term “investment” makes me think of one-off effort, the term “implementation” references a definitive and deliberate process to distinct and measurable goals.

What’s your ROI?

efficiency, online marketing success, roi, success equation

333

7

Dec

Making the most of a captive audience – lessons of LA traffic

by Grant

You would have thought the commute through Los Angeles traffic is enough to bring most drivers to their knees, but observation would show you a plethora of commuters humming, singing, attentively listening and *enjoying* LA radio stations*.

This is the definition of ‘captive audience’ – a metal shell one must endure for 30-90 minutes every week day, with little to do but listen.

Whilst many people take advantage of a captive audience – talk radio soapbox, food stands at Disneyland, bar at the opera, teacher in class, loudmouth at cocktail party, popcorn at the movie – what most people tend to forget is that most captive audiences have a choice.

Choice allows people to change stations, bring their own food & drink, drop out of school or leave the room.

Choice liberates, empowers and mobilizes the consumer.

Choice means the provider of entertainment, information, consumables and / or education must understand the competitive nature of consumer capture.

Choice must drive providers to “broadcast” value, interest and relevance.

Imagine the typical scenario of a channel surfer flipping through TV channels, taking a couple of seconds to gauge their interest in a program or subject matter. A few times I’ve ended up watch Discovery Channel, Sci-Fi Channel or CNN programming just because something caught my eye on a ‘flip’.

Online, the exact same principles apply.

On arrival at your site, for a moment you have a captive audience.

Within a second or two, that audience has decided whether to stick around or move on.

Help them decide (in your favor)... provide immediate and obvious value, interest and relevance and they’ll stick around, recommend and return.

(*Note: this does not include those on their cell phones, typing on their Blackberries, playing “Bejeweled 2” on their iPhones or craning their necks to watch the video screen in the back seat)

captive audience, consumer choice, la traffic, los angeles, online, relevance, stickiness, traffic

318

6

Dec

Do you have the time to blog? Good excuses are no excuse.

by Grant

Please excuse the erratic (read non-existent) blog posts this week.

I started a new job that required enough attention to give me a weak excuse not to write or post.

Doesn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about it 🙂

Clarity that came to me during the self-serving excuse process.

Time is a scare resource

Time is a finite commodity

Time is valuable

Procrastination does not always mean laziness, sometimes it boils down to prioritization and the simple fact of 24 hours in a day.

There’s no excuse necessary when there simply isn’t enough time to get things done. What is important is being able to recognize and prioritize based on finite resource allocation – such at time – to deliver the best bang for the buck, best return on investment, or best decision for a balanced life (work or personal).

No excuse for no blogs posts this week.

We now return to our normal blogging schedule.

time management

321

30

Nov

Your competition isn’t lazy, complacent, dumb or indifferent.

by Grant

With Thanksgiving over it’s time to kick myself back into gear.

I’ve been lazy over the past few days and sleeping in this morning put me behind the 8-ball on a couple of projects.

I’m certain many of you are experiencing the same “it’s Monday tomorrow already” syndrome, and trying to get yourselves into a frame of mind for a full work week.

I’m motivating myself with the thought that my competition didn’t rest, they worked Wednesday and Thursday sandwiching Thanksgiving with 10 hours days because they want to beat me.

My competition isn’t lamenting about a poor economy or the high cost of materials. They aren’t cutting back on smart advertising or changing their focus on ROI-driven campaigns.

My competition is looking around for growth opportunities and better strategies to gain market share and new customers.

I’m not being lazy, because my competition is out to get me. Every day.

Are you ready for Monday?

3 Comments

competition, motivation

316

26

Nov

Quickie tip #10 – Keeping it familiar keeps it ‘real’

by Grant

When people arrive at your site, whether it’s for the first time or the 100th time they should know exactly how to meet their needs.

Directions should be clear, navigation should be consistent, layouts should be ‘clean’ and follow accepted standards.

Don’t make your visitors think to much to get the information, product or service they’re looking for.

Real world example: When you go to a restaurant and order your meal, do you want the waiter/tress to tap dance before they give you the menu?

Make is simple. People will thank you and return

clean layout, clear, consistent design, don't make me think, keep it simple, website layout

312

25

Nov

Boiling down to the barista – Starbucks, Peets, Coffee Bean

by Grant

Coffee shop brands are arguably more susceptible to passionate followers than most other high street brands.

As a regular Coffee Bean (CB) customer I will pass a few Starbucks (SB) on my search for a CB store and – horror of horrors – settle on SB if a convenient CB store cannot be found on my quest for the perfect cuppa tea.

Although my thirst and caffeine cravings may be quenched by either stores’ offerings (or Peets, Seattle Best, Einsteins, Dunkin’ Donuts, any other coffee shop) I tend to feel less satisfied if I don’t get to buy from my Coffee Bean brand. I curse Coffee Bean for not being more convenient, I lament the proliferation of Starbucks and I begrudgingly drink my SB cup of tea with slight disappointment.

Fast forward to today. I’m in Westwood (home of UCLA “fight, fight, fight!”) and I pop into a convenient SB near Wilshire and join the long line to order my ‘cuppa’.

The time in line gives me the opportunity to observe the 6 baristas behind the counter moving ensemble; greeting, fulfilling and serving the continuous stream of customers.

It’s awesome to watch!

No matter what the brand, or what my brand preference, one has to admire the seamless and confident way this team handled a hectic and potentially toxic workflow. Toxic? Not in the poisonous sense, rather the potential for upset, irate and / or dissatisfaction is high. One busy executive getting the wrong concoction, one tired student unhappy with their brew…

What impressed me about this workflow is how closely it mirrors a website experience.

Presentation: As I walked in, the level of excitement and energy was palatable… it made the first impression comfortable and welcoming.

Environment: The music, the subtle cross-sell, the display of food items (except for the breakfast sandwiches!), the economical use of space, contributed to the perception of a smooth passage of time as opposed to the 7 minutes wait it was.

Efficiency / usability: The ‘order taker’ baristas made certain what I said was repeated (to ensure it was correct), was exact (what I wanted), and was relayed to the fulfillment side of the business efficiently, and all this with a smile. No conveyor belt salutations or canned responses “have a nice day” was notably absent (thank you!). The process was simple and almost fun.

Delivery: Quick, efficient and correct. It’s not brain surgery to meet a customers’ expectations. Many businesses fail, simply because they complicate the process. Welcome – ask – confirm – produce – deliver. Easy.

Experience: All these facets of seamless and seemingly effortless service contributed to a great experience.

At the end of the day, no matter the product, customers seek an experience that meets or exceeds their expectations in delivering a product, service, or information that satisfies their needs.

A Starbucks may be a great offline example due to its focused product, consistent environment, brand messaging and solid in-store programs, but these elements are easy to duplicate online to create an exceptional and consistent online experience.

Stop into your local coffee shop and see how aligning an exceptional experience with your online goals can create the kind of experience your site visitors expect.

An orange spice with one equal for me, please.

4 Comments

Coffee Bean, customer service, Peets, Starbucks

310

24

Nov

GM, Ford & Chrysler, oh my. Why quality can replace a Fed bailout.

by Grant

Is good quality bad?

According to the economist on the panel addressing the Senate Committee, quality is a double-edged sword that leads to less cars being bought, primarily because they simply last longer.

Is this a bad thing?

Not for consumers!

On the web, should a website be constantly updated if quality is not an issue?

Should site updates be driven by necessity or by an arbitrary schedule?

Rhetorical questions!

Updates should be relevant, driven by users to some degree, and on a schedule as defined by business need, not decided by throwing runes or looking into crystal balls!

A site does not need to make significant updates unless it increases the quality, defined (by me) as:

(actual value / perceived value) * satisfaction——————————————————————(competition * actual defects)

Value is a factor of “what’s in it for me?”, “what do I need?” and “do you have it for me?”

To have actual value a site needs to provide what visitors need and allow them to easily and painlessly get it! Note: This could be information, a product, a service a connection etc.

Satisfaction, is the ability to deliver at or above user expectations.

Competition is a factor of uniqueness.

Defect is a factor of not delivering to expectations through issues or actions that could be resolved given insight, resources or technology.

Quality is a necessity. Quality attracts customers. Quality is good for business.

Online, website quality is a necessary goal.

Now will someone please get out there and tell the Big 3 Automakers to make better quality cars that people want and let a willing audience come to them! (And let me keep my tax dollars!)

One Rock at a Time, Tactics

auto maker bail out, Chrysler, efficiency, Ford, GM, quality

298

22

Nov

Experience trumps design – why websites are more than eye candy.

by Grant

Creating cool designs that provide ‘neat’ eye candy and little substance appear to be the norm for many creative agencies. Flash design is somewhat passé and almost certainly viewed as an obstruction by many users seeking their holy grail; information.

Usability has been a buzzword mostly centered on design elements, their colors, placement, size, shape and repetition. Fortunately, a few designers, strategists and thought leaders on the forward edge of the development curve have come to the realization that usability is as much about (or even more about) experience rather than design.

Expectations need to be met. Interactions need to have a purpose. Steps and pathways need to be meaningful. And most important, the experience needs to be intuitive, sometimes entertaining, relevant, fulfilling, and deliver to the needs of the user.

When looking at the naissance of a web presence, plan using experience as your guide by looking at interactions, goals, relevance, and delivery to, or above, expectation.

Once that plan is in place then consider how the design and usability can support and enhance the ‘experiential process.’

I love reviewing good design and then moving on. Good experience I’ll stick around for.

content, conversions, eye candy, optimization, usability, user experience, website design

291

20

Nov

Cheap gas, priceless traffic – Why is cheap gas so bad for the Internet?

by Grant

My 8-year old son asked me one of his ‘out of the blue’ questions this week as we drove to his school in Las Vegas.

“Why are there so many gas stations?”

I put on my marketing cap and told him that more places to buy gas, gives us more choice and competition gives us lower prices. (Supply and demand theory coupled with some branding concepts.)

I felt quite proud of my response until he asked “Why is there the same gas station on two opposite sidesof the street then?”

The obvious answer was “easier for people driving in different directions.” And this is in fact the case for both gas stations and Starbucks coffee houses. They sometimes place them close together (on opposite sides of intersections) due to traffic patterns and drivers inherent laziness!

‘Nuff said, but it got me thinking about the same scenario on the Internet.

There’s no apparent ‘closeness’ of websites in cyberspace. Sites, offering similar content, similar tools, or similar products may be located on servers on the other side of the world.

Where their worlds touch are on the search results pages where their relevance (as viewed by the search engines) is seen as similar or close to the search terms used.

Whether a user clicks on one link or another isn’t affected by laziness or traffic patterns, at that point the user is solely interested in finding information that is relevant to them and their needs. Search engines have done a great job of lining up all gas stations along our side of the road and letting us stop and fill up at any one of them. So what do we choose?

Gas stations pitch brand and price. I’ll stop at a Rebel or Arco station that’s cheap, rather than a brand that is more expensive. I am price driven (gas is gas, unless someone can tell me different).

Online the title and ‘snippet’ (at least on Google) may be all the user sees and makes their ‘click decision’ on.

Brand-driven decisions can be the result of including a brand name in your web page title. Cost-driven decisions can be the result of including the words ‘cheap’, ‘low cost’ or ‘economical’. Whatever the motivation may be, you have some control over what appears by creating solid content and by following basic on-page SEO techniques.

Attracting and converting ‘traffic’ depends on providing information of interest, following SEO best-practices, writing for your audience and then being able to make conversion paths easy to find and follow to goals (fill up the tank).

Constructing titles, descriptions and logical URL links makes sense in accurately describing what people should expect when they click.

Gas stations may be just about everywhere in Vegas, but your site only exists in search results pages that fit searchers’ queries. Make sure your provide enough to get the click, then the right octane gas to fill the tank and get those users to stop by again.

The current price of gas may be falling rapidly, but your information, products, tools? Priceless.

converting, gas prices, Google, search engine results page, seo, traffic

286

17

Nov

You say tom-ate-toe, and I say tom-art-toe

by Grant

Understanding your audience means making yourself understood in language at their level of comprehension or allowing users to self-select pathways they understand.

Although you may not have to worry too much about the tom – art – toe English crowd needing assistance or translation, you should worry about the non-geek audience who may not understand your scientific or technical references.

Cater to all audiences by providing alternate content or explanation, links to external resources for clarification, or provide clarity as to whom your site or site content is tailored too, then let the audience self-select their preferred destination (or exit).

Never leave a prospect or customer feeling as if they are unimportant or feeling confused. Even if content is technical in nature, provide some simplification of the who, what, why and where so the site visitor *at least* knows whether they should be interested in sticking around (or not!).

Tom-ate-toe or tom-art-toe, all visitors have value whether as customers, word of mouth vehicles or eyeballs on ads.

Same goes for the ban-nar-nah crowd

🙂

280

14

Nov

The Death of Search Engines

by Grant

Search engines are no more!

As the algorithms and personalization through technology improves, “search engines” is no longer a term one can use to adequately explain what feeds our quest for information and content.

As of today (make a note in your calendars) I hereby announce the death of search engines as we know it. From now on Google, Live, Ask, Yahoo and the slew of other ‘information funnels’ shall be known as “Found Engines”

After all, it’s not the search that’s important, it’s what’s found and presented that is key to their success and our (as seekers of knowledge) satisfaction.

Ask, found engine, Google, Live, MSN, search engine, sem, seo, Yahoo

277

10

Nov

(Analytical) garbage in, (Digital) garbage out

by Grant

From my agency days springs the expression “Garbage in, garbage out” used in video and audio production meaning essentially, the best (audio / video product) quality comes from the best quality source material.

Sure, you could hide the occasional aircraft noise in a perfect 20 minute interview, but you couldn’t get pristine out of an interview at Grand Central Station with system announcements every 3 minutes.

Problems in post production were almost always solvable by exact and precise preparation before a shoot or audio session.

Same goes for web analytics.

Using Google Analytics as an example, having distinct goals and pathways defined to measure success will always give better and more actionable results than poorly planned goal implementation (or not doing it at all!)

Clients without transactional (i.e. purchase) goals on their sites often omit goal setting as they only believe the relevance is to dollars and cents results. Goals can be as simple as ensuring certain content is reviewed, or comment is left, or a click through is obtained (it could be between pages or sites or specific exit points.)

Data is the most valuable aspect of web analytics, setting real and relevant goals is a necessity in any search engine optimization campaign.

Dirty data in = dirty data out = waste (garbage or rubbish) of time.

Take out the garbage and benefit from the clean, fresh (and valuable) data!

3 Comments

clean data, garbage in, Google, sem, seo

269

6

Nov

Lesson learned – Obama wins with perfect (marketing) precision

by Grant

I wanted to comment on history and give my thoughts to Obama’s online dominance as being a major factor in his victory.

Full disclosure, I didn’t vote… I couldn’t vote.

Currently stepping through the citizenship process, with the hope of voting in 2012.

This is the best country in the world to live in. I am grateful for the opportunity.

Learning from Obama’s online marketing & branding initiatives

Keep it simple.

One message, one brand (subtly tweaked for different audiences / constituents), one simple word “change”

Leverage technology

Online and offline, Obama’s campaign utilized a full gamut of tools and mediums that touched many constituents in both active and passive ways – “get involved” or “experience the brand”

The power of many with one goal

Social media, mob mentality or ‘tribe’ behavior, without a doubt empowering and powering many behind a common cause, with the tools to connect, contribute and communicate meant viral distribution and crowd frenzy ignited the Obama vote

Consistency

The brand and message stayed the same from start to finish (can anyone remember McCain’s first message??) - it incorporated ‘experience’

Connection with the (target) demographic

Obama connected with his key constituents at many levels, primarily on emotional levels but also through ubiquitous technology junction points – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace etc. which captured and ignited the young and previously indifferent vote. Obama’s message was simple and easy to understand and consistent (see above and below)

Great article on the one-sided battle for the social media audience can be found here

Relevance

The message of change encompassed all woes, connected emotionally and was perceived as relevant to all potential voters… change in economy, change in war commitments, change in policies, change in taxation… everyone had something they wanted to have changed… it became a relevant battle cry people could (and did) rally around.

Continuity, Commitment

The Obama online campaign didn’t waiver or deviate based on polls or public opinion – it had a well planned strategy and timeline that it followed to the letter. I’m certain there was some flexibility and ‘tweaks’ that happened, but with no prior roadmap or campaign precedent to learn from they leveraged non-political ‘real world’ experience and success to plan a multi channel branding & marketing campaign as if they were launching a new cereal or auto brand. Note: Underscoring their continued online savvy, they just launched change.gov to inform constituents during and after the transition.

A new way of pitching politics and politicians

Treating the Presidential Candidate as a consumer product, carefully packaged and promoted (and at the right price to make the sale easier), the Obama campaign stepped out of the ‘normal’ mold of big smiles, big promises and baby-kissing. Obama, as an eloquent and effective ‘brand ambassador’ was able to deliver and embody the brand message with a high degree of success (what greater change than a string of white to black?) – there’s a great visual here.

Final thought

Bill Clinton was known as the ‘First Black President’ by many, due to his support from the black community.

Obama has easily earned the title of the ‘First Internet President’ due to his mastery and ability to create an online tribe that both supported and drove his brands victory.

Thoughts?

obama campaign, obama marketing, obama win, president race obama

258

4

Nov

The Best Analytics Program in the World

by Grant

The Best Analytics Program in the World is

Your ears.

Talk to your customers, elicit input, provide mechanism for feedback, test vigorously, beta updates to internal and external audiences, listen.

Analytics isn’t just about seeing who visits your site, it’s about ensuring the experience when someone arrives exceeds their expectations.

By consistently polling your customers, site visitors and prospects, you’ll have much of the information you’ll need to support your online success.

analytics, customer experience, customer service, ears

256

2

Nov

Oreo Rewards – Customer Service Winner

by Grant

My son and I were at the local Port O’ Subs today.

He ordered a medium size sandwich, which weighs in about the same as his 8 year old frame, much to the astonishment of the lady in line behind him, and the ‘sandwich-barista’ behind the counter. The counter clerk went as far as to question him twice (I let him order his own sandwich) “Are you sure you don’t want a small?”

Known for his ‘hollow legs’ (as we say in England), he promptly finished the medium sandwich, down to the last piece of salami.

The counter clerk took the time to come to our table and admitted to my son with a smile, “I was wrong, I apologize for doubting a boy like you could eat the medium size” and then gave him an Oreo cookie for dessert by way of apology.

It doesn’t take much to make an 8 year old happy, just as it doesn’t take much to say “thank you“, “I was wrong”, or “you were right“, to a customer.

Any unexpected gesture that shows a customer or client you value them, their business and their loyalty is welcome and a long-term strategy for success.

Online, it’s often difficult to bring the same level of personal service, but there are ways of saying thank you with special, and most importantly, GENUINE, ‘insider’ offers, rewards, shipping discounts, money-saving tips, coupons or personalization to make them feel “Oreo Special”

Sometimes, it a cookie moment that can make all the difference.

customer appreciation, oreo, port o subs, service, thank you

252

1

Nov

I am on the list but not on the list

by Grant

customer service, madagascar 2 escape from africa, penguins, the a-list

My son and I just got back from a prescreening of the Dreamworks Pictures movie, “Madagascar 2 : Escape from Africa” a fair flick, rated 71/2 out of 10 by both my son and I… “We like to move it, move it” 🙂

This was a press / focus group event at the Rave Motion Pictures in Town Square Las Vegas (nice venue) my son and I won through the local radio station.

Ticket said to “arrive early” so we got there at 8:45am for a 10am show – side note: this is the day after Halloween and it was obvious most kids and adults were suffering from a sugar-induced crash.

We were about 10th in line, and after about 30 mins the line had doubled, people were being herded and a few of the ‘wranglers’ arrived to give out theater entry tickets.

Some folks in front on us (and some folks behind us) were pulled out of the line and taken into the theater, so I asked one of the 20’s something wrangler why they got to go in (and we were still waiting), “Oh,” she said, “They’re on the list.”

Being the kind of customer-focused guys I am, I decided to pursue this (it’s fun too)...

Me: “Um, but we were on a list too”

Her: “Yes, but, they were on the other list”

This gets more interesting..

Me: “So how can I tell the difference between my list, and their list”

I swear to you, with a straight face, she said, “Because their list gets in first.”

Okay, I didn’t pay for these tickets, but I was just made to feel like a second class citizen, and then supplied with an explanation that was based on ‘fuzzy logic’ to say the least.

Are you treating your online customers the same way without realizing it?

Don’t assume that users / visitors know what they should and shouldn’t be doing and what they should and shouldn’t be entitled too in your model, make it clear and obvious and at best understandable by a 4th grader.

And if you do have a subscription model with different tiers, let users / visitors “peek behind the curtain” with trials or tours to show them what they could get if they paid / upgrade i.e. free 14-day offer

Treat everyone equal at the start of the goals tunnel, and you’ll find more will be with you at the end = conversions and loyalty.

And Madagascar 2? Go see it for the penguin and monkeys negotiating, if nothing else…

2 Comments

249

29

Oct

Quickie tip #9 – Everything I learned about business I learned from Dilbert book titles

by Grant

Always Postpone Meetings With Time Wasting Morons

This Is the Part Where You Pretend to Add Value

Try Rebooting Yourself

Words You Don’t Want to Hear During Your Annual Review

Don’t Step In The Leadership

What Would Wally Do?

I’m Not Anti-Business, I’m Anti-Idiot

Thriving on Vague Objectives

When Body Language Goes Bad

Random Acts of Management

It’s Not Funny If I Have to Explain It

Don’t Stand Where The Comet Is Assumed To Strike Oil

Excuse Me While I Wag

When Did Ignorance Become A Point Of View

The Fluorescent Light Glistens Off Your Head

The Joy of Work: A Guide to Finding Happiness at the Expense of Your Co-Workers

Freedom Is Just Another Word for People Finding Out You’re Useless

Yes… Scott Adams is a genius.

business information, dilbert, learn about business, scott adams

247

27

Oct

I never knew SEO was so easy!

by Grant

Strategy, Tactics

I saw this article on a well-trafficked blog in regards to achieving high Google rankings.

————————

It’s a simple two-step process

Getting high rankings on Google is a simple two-step process:

You must optimize your web page contents so that Google can find out what your website is about. Optimize your web pages for your keywords so that Google knows that your website is relevant to these keywords and your topic.

Other websites must confirm that your website is about that topic. That’s what inbound links are for.

It’s as simple as that. If your website passes Google’s analysis of all ranking factors, it will get a top 10 ranking.

————————
The key here are the simplicity of the steps (I don’t think anyone experienced with SEO will say the process or expertise required makes them “simple” to execute) and the simplicity of the results “If your website passes Google’s analysis of all ranking factors, it will get a top 10 ranking.” (emphasis added by me)

I equate this simplistic statement of the simplicity of SEO as like me saying, “Winning the Indy Car championship requires two simple steps”

1. Get in

2. Put your foot on the gas

If you follow these steps you can win the Indy Car championship!

< Oh... and by the way, everyone else has to crash and burn for this to actually happen. >
————————
See, the problem is, is that SEO isn’t in a vacuum. There’s other smart people out there trying to optimize content, on page, off page factors and not everyone can get “top 10 ranking” – it’s logistically impossible and unrealistic to expect.

I would recommend everyone add to the top of their SEO list.

#1 Be unique, create unique content, be a subject expert.

It does make the other “simple two-steps” at least have some basis in reality.

crash and burn, indy championship, on page, simple indy car racing, simple seo, simple two-step SEO

245

25

Oct

Fanatical, evangelists champion their own agendas

by Grant

I’m sitting in Borders trying not to discuss politics with a loud guy next to me.

I wish people would realize that evangelizing to me won’t affect my political leaning, in fact it infuriates me when I give my opinion and it’s completely ignored, mainly because they are opinionated to the point of exclusion of all other opinion.

I feel exactly the same with loud and singularly focused websites, emails and non targeted marketing communications.

Seth Godin calls it “interrupting marketing” I call it annoying.

If you want me as a discussion partner or customer, first understand my motivation, listen, then target your message to me.

You’ll have a better chance of me listening, acting and converting.

Make me feel special… I might even buy something from you.

interruption marketing, seth godin, special

242

23

Oct

Niches of Niches (micro marketing)

by Grant

What make a hobby into a business?

Is it the size of the market, the penetration of the market segment, or both?

I’m a big believer in the long tail of marketing, selling less to more – you can read more about it here or stick around for my thoughts 🙂

Although economies of scale help Amazon thrive as a long tail retailer (can I coin the phrase longtailer?) a smaller business needs focus and enough of a marketplace (or marketplaces) to be profitable.

This is where a good online marketing strategy can level the playing field and help find profitable fish without wasting too much ‘bait’ – in this case bait = $$$.

Creating custom landing pages or microsites is relatively inexpensive, it takes good copy / content and either distinct URLs or subdomains that target specific niches that may be close, but not exactly the same.

I’ll stress the obvious… content is king. In fact, content is king, queen, jack of hearts and every other picture card you can think of. I’m the first to admit it’s not easy to create niche and differentiated content. Copywriting is an art, and writing copy for the web that satisfies users and search engines (which is pretty much the same thing) is a Leonardo DaVinci kind of skill. The good news is, is that content doesn’t have to be perfect to be ideal.

Unique is key to niche marketing copy. Marketing to the niche of niches requires a good understanding of the subject, and a perceived or real expertise, opinion or concept that is unique within that subject.

For example, if you want to have a niche on the best bait for catching trout, can you provide expertise on the correct bait for trout? Can you provide a special kind of trout bait that no-one else has, or the insider knowledge to help people cultivate / build / capture / ferment their own?

BTW: Do I sound as if I know nothing about bait? The only time I went fishing was on the Canadian side of Lake Huron, didn’t catch a thing, and drank beaucoup beer we sneaked across the US/Canada border… I digress.

Once you have the content, building a strategy around ‘getting it out there’ is much easier, and something that has systematic (and fairly consistent) steps to follow.

Landing pages, microsites, Pay per Click, linking, on page / off page SEO, they’re all processes that build traffic, but without great, unique and valuable content, you’re leading that traffic up a dead end street.

Looking for niche profit? Find the content within, then get it out there.

Author is a better online marketeer than fisherman. No trout were harmed in the writing of this blog.

long tail, niche marketing, trout bait

233

21

Oct

3rd Grade Marketing for the 2020 Election

by Grant

Lost my attempt to stay away from politics, as we approach the US elections, when I picked my son up from school this week.

I’m a big L Libertarian who believes the best government is a small government, so I follow elections with the hope that one or another of the candidates will actually deliver small to do big things. I remain hopeful.

Back to School

My son, who’s an apolitical 3rd grader, has been all abuzz with the elections. As it should, his class is learning about how the political process works (the “ideal” scenario!) and as part of their research they sent letters to both candidates for President with their comments in regards to the future of America, American education and American economy. These questions were simplistic in nature and each letter closed with wishing the candidates good luck.

None of these kids are of voting age. Yet. So the value of a response from either candidate couldn’t be perceived as being driven by immediate rewards (i.e. vote for me!).

This week my son came home proudly displaying his Obama button, and directed me to a letter his class had received from Obama himself (I’m not discounting or naive - relaying perception of the letter, personalized and signed by Obama.)

Of course I asked if a letter had been received from John McCain, the answer was ‘no’, so I asked again, “Why do you think that is?” – My 8 year old son replied, “I don’t know, but I think he’s mean for not writing back.”

What cost a letter and stamp?

It’s a documented fact that the Democrats have more campaign fund dollars than the Republicans as of October… BUT, realistically, what kind of time and money does it take to respond to a letter?

From a marketing standpoint, the Democrats have, from the start, taken a commanding position in everything from web to TV, to social media to print. My question is, why for the price of a stamp and 15 minutes of an aides time would they not respond to a letter?

My conclusion is they are focused on the immediate vote, not the long term mindset.

As kids, many of our brand favorites are indelibly etched into our memories and our preferences, for life.

I remember eating my Dads preferred brand of peanut butter far into my 30’s and listening to music preferred by my mum long after her parental influence had waned.

So whilst the Obama campaign is building mindshare and support for the Democrats’ 2020 election, the Republicans are losing potential voters by not making the emotional and physical connection.

What about 2008?

If we take this one step further and focus on the net affect for this election, it’s hard to imagine any downside to a written response to this group of 3rd graders (apart from the time and effort to do it.)

Obama’s letter was clearly posted on the wall. Parents saw. Parents discussed. And parents commented.

If my kid is saying McCain is rude (because he didn’t write back), I hear. It resonates. It’s an incremental brand message.

I hope McCain / Palin and all politicians hear and understand what has happened here.

Constituents have been ignored. A brand has been tarnished (whilst another has soared).

15 mins and a stamp could cost the Republicans an election in 2020

Now apply this same logic and missed opportunity to your business. Especially in tough economic times.

Is there something you can do, to reach out or respond to customers or prospects? Something that takes little more than 15 mins and the cost of a postage stamp (or a cheaper email!), but something that could endear your brand for a future sale?

Market for 2020 and you may just find profits in 2008

3rd grade, democrats, education, election, obama letter, palin, republicans, school

229

19

Oct

How banks react online to offline faux pas (oopsie)

by Grant

Banks are supposed to be safe. They even have a safe in them.

They look after my money, so they better often superior service to my ceramic piggy bank and mattress ’hiding spot’

And when they don’t. Oops!

All of a sudden, banks are scrambling, dealing with tarnished reputations and in some cases going out of business.

For those banks that remain, the quickest reaction they have, has been to reassure and reflect with online reputation management, mostly consisting of a couple of paragraphs of text recounting their strength and history.

Here in Nevada, banks aren’t immune from either the cause, problem and reputation solution.

But is it enough?

My recommendation would be to create a clearing house of information, supported by a regional initiative – a web presence – that puts competition aside and reassures consumers that (in this case) Nevada banks are safe.

Having that kind of niche, with a strong, focused message should ensure that folks looking for information on their local banks’ situation could find exactly that. (Isn’t that what search engine marketing is all about, finding information?)

Add to this a social component with user generated content such as ‘my bank’ ratings and comments on how the bank has been a part of their lives, work, play, support and growth.

Then add to this a future looking product that reinforces a forward facing belief in the strength and longevity of the institution, and suddenly reputation, trust, and (hopefully) business is created.

In the world of bank faux pas, those that actively communicate their strength and vision will be the ones that retain and attract customers – an online effort is key to survival and success.

bank reaction, banks online, best Nevada banks, economic crisis

225

17

Oct

Are your customers passionate to promote?

by Grant

In case any of you live in the middle of nowhere, with no television, radio, newspapers or, come to think of it, any people, there’s the run up to an election going on.

Republican, Democrat, Green or Independent, supporters of political parties are easy to spot.

The passion of politics drives bumper stickers, buttons, hats, stuffed animals, websites, videos, TV commentary and many other visual and aural communication. Although the actual items or mediums may cost money, the publicity given and passionate following is actually free.

When people are passionate they yell and scream in support (or recommend more quietly).

Online… support can take the form of a link to your site, a positive blog comment on your service, or independent site specifically developed to evangelize your product or service. (to name a few)

This type of promotion can grow organically if and when you deliver your product, service or promise.

Credibility, trust, value and hopefully longevity comes to brands that gain a passionate following.

Encourage it, support it and amplify it where possible.

Peter Blackshaw wrote a great book, ”Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000” – well worth a read.

With some poetic license I’d like to tweak and add to it.

“Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000, Passionate Customers Yell to Whoever, Whenever, Wherever and However.”

Ensure your customers are empowered and passionate to promote.

210

15

Oct

Quickie Tip #8 – Google is a big slice of apple pie

by Grant

Before you spend too much time, effort, energy and money (after all time is money) on optimizing and search engine marketing for every search engine out there, ask yourself a few questions.

1) Do I have the time, effort, energy and money to submit to all the major search engines (Ask.com,, MSN, Yahoo)?

2) Should I focus effort on one or two niche search engines or directories specific to my market?

3) Should I just focus on Google and get exposure to over 60% of the searches conducted online?

For most campaign efforts, I recommend door #3 – it’s a big, valuable piece of the pie and normally more than most people can finish in one sitting.

Understanding and optimizing for your users and for Google is a tasty proposition (and a 5 course meal in itself!) Bon apetit!

google focus, google market share, sem tip, seo tip

226

13

Oct

Are your customers cheering? Dissecting the Club Med ‘clap-o-meter’

by Grant

Okay, I admit it. I’m an XGO!

What?

An ex Club Med “Gentil Organisateur” – a hospitable organizer of Club Med vacation memories.

In my almost 5 years with “The Club” I (and others) developed personal brands with various degrees of success. There were corporate metrics to measure how effective these branding initiatives were, which were part science, part human-dynamics and part ’clap-o-meter‘.

For those who remember the 80’s or have been to a Club Med resort, the clap-o-meter was a device that “measured” an audiences’ response with a Christmas tree of lights that progressively rose as the clapping, cheering or jeering increased in volume.

Of course the magic of the clap-o-meter was the little man at the back flicking switches based on how loud the clapping was. I’m certain more scientific methodologies could be used, but this was low budget, high return stuff!

Effective personal branding in Club Med was easily measured by applause, whether it was voting on an act (in the case of the ‘talent’ shows) or at shows’ end when GO’s were introduced.

This immediate feedback – how loud the audience cheered – demonstrated the visibility and popularity of the particular GO. This feedback over the course of a ‘season’ was a major contributing factor in determining a GOs worth, status, hierarchy and “perks” – whether it was a choice of resorts for the following season or choice of dinner date for that night 🙂

Your virtual clap-o-meter

Think about how you can improve interactivity and social mechanisms on (and off) your site, and allow people to cheer for your products or services. With many mediums to choose from, blogs, forums, video, review sites etc. there’s opportunity to give your customers a voice and platform to demonstrate why you deserve their (and other prospects’) trust and business.

What kind of clap-o-meter are you using in your website?

Can users give immediate feedback?

Can other users see, feel, experience that feedback?

Is there an opportunity to show your popularity and visibility?

And most importantly, is your audience cheering for you?

Leveraging your customers cheers may not lead to a romantic dinner on the beach in Cancun, but it’ll certainly drive more business and site conversions, and these day, that’s about as romantic as eCommerce gets!

audience feedback, clap-o-meter, clapometer, club med, social mechanism, social medium

215

11

Oct

The Virtual Sky isn’t Falling (yet)

by Grant

Catching up on many blogs, comments and news from this week. Crazy days.

Doom and gloom hitting global markets. Local vendors going out of business. Dow Jones down.

Yep, financial armageddon appears to have begun.

Looking at some online statistics, one thing hasn’t appeared to have changed over the past week from financial hell. Site visits to many of the websites I own or monitor have held steady. Interesting.

Imagine if this scenario was taken offline. Doom, gloom, unemployment, the R-word… yet still people are out on the streets “looking” for something. Information? Opportunity? Something to buy?

I won’t be an Internet Chicken Little until I see a significant drop in business service searches and traffic to sites that offer business focused or consumer good for sale.

So I’m not kicking back, just lazing around, tweaking some sites and hoping to convert a few more to take up some slack of those that aren’t spending as much.

The virtual sky’s still looking pretty clear.

doom and gloom, financial armageddon, internet chicken little, internet traffic, r-word, virtual sky

203

9

Oct

Organic Food for Thought

by Grant

Organic’s good for you, right?

In the veggie isles at the market, organic is (now) easily available. And it’s good for you! Online, search engine optimization has always strived to position a site high in the organic results. And that’s good for you too, right?

Fact: There is no quick hit in getting good, consistent organic listings in Google Search Engine Results Pages (SERP).

Over the past 2 years I have seen the value of organic listings (the ‘non sponsored’ part of the Search Engine Results Pages – for those grasshoppers out there) rise relative to the value of Pay Per Click (PPC) listings simply because educated consumers are clicking on them more frequently, whilst at the same time PPC costs have skyrocketed.

One recent example; I conducted a heatmap analysis using the excellent tools at Crazy Egg that showed one of my clients (who’s paying $2,500+ a month on Google PPC) as getting over 65% of their Google traffic from their organic listings.

Does this mean reigning in some of their (or your) PPC spend? It certainly could, but the truth in any competitive environment is sometimes you “have to be there” from a branding or positioning standpoint.

Fact: Competing for sponsored placing isn’t always the smart business option for Return on Investment but it is sometimes a necessity.

As searchers become more sophisticated in their understanding of value (greater relevance) of organic results over “sponsored” listings, I expect to see even less clicks on PPC ads.

To support ongoing business and growth, I anticipate Google allowing more or better differentiation of Adword ads (more copy?), integration of organic and sponsored into one list (with flags) and / or more stringent quality standards for paid ads (it’s already happening) to ensure less of a difference between the relevance – read value – of paid over organic results.

As long as there are trust issues with sponsored results, expect organic results and expertise in the ‘how to get great organic’ results to win the day.

After all, if organic better for your body, it’s got to be better for a healthy business.

🙂

195

7

Oct

Content is (still) king

by Grant

Quickly… what’s the most important component of Search Engine Optimization.

psst. look in the post title while Alex Trebek isn’t looking!

Answer… content!

I just wrote a 9 page detailed site analysis report only to throw it away and draw up a one page recommendation. In fact it only had four sentences.

“To improve your search engine rankings I recommend you first empty your site of all content. Next, I recommend you find out what makes you special, your ‘secret sauce’. Next, I recommend you find a damn good copywriter to put it into words that educate and inspire. Finally, call me.”

Now this may seem a little harsh, I want the business after all, and to be 100% honest, I sent this cover note with the 9 page report attached (I’m not that crazy!)

The point I was making (and actually made – the prospect called me back) is that search engine optimization is not about putting lipstick on a pig and calling it Paris Hilton (although the resemblance is quite close), you have to communicate your message, your focus and your reason I, as a user, should care.

Content will always be king, not just for the search engines, but most importantly for your users, prospects and customers.

Remember not to build a virtual castle on virtual quicksand by spending time and money on something that will never work.

Finally… remember that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a pig with makeup.

Did I make my point?

content, lipstick on an SEO pig, location, SEM works, SEO works

188

6

Oct

Quickie Tip #7 – Choose your (SEO) words carefully

by Grant

Checking my referrer logs I found a Google referral from a somewhat strange (to me) search term.

“paint a vivid word picture disney ads”

The power of Google is that you can be found even if there’s no apparent relevance, at least initially – the listing has since dropped from Google’s #1 SERP (Search Engine Results Page).

[note: “painting a vivid picture” and “Disney” and “ads” were mentioned in two separate posts]

Remember everything you write and post out to the blogosphere has the potential to drive traffic (whether you want that traffic or not) so picking the right words to say is key – a better mousetrap for the mouse you want to catch.

Write well, write unique and write often… choose your words carefully… they count!

choose your words, google results, seo google, serp

184

3

Oct

The Long Long Tale of Marketing

by Grant

Tale, not tail. Though this has a lot to do with tails. The tale of tails.

I saw Beverly Hills Chihuahua with my kids yesterday. I knew how good it was going to be before I went. How you ask?

The long, long tale.

Movies are tested, just like package goods, websites and tag lines etc. should be, before they are released to the public. Sometimes the feedback during testing doesn’t go too well and the product needs to be refined or redefined. Sometimes the product tests so poorly that it gets thrown out. And sometimes… sometimes a decision is made where marketing becomes the flip of the coin for success (or return of some investment).

In the case of movies and / or TV shows, where a lot of money is invested in production (and development) marketing often takes the front seat to create demand for a series or film release. Generally, the worst the product has tested the more promotion and the longer out the promotion begins. The long tale.

In the case of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, the ‘teasers’ began 4 months ago, with cute, dancing, pyramid leaping chihuahuas (a clip that doesn’t appear in the movie.)

The long, long tale was augmented by a series of TV and pre movie ads, in cinema displays and Disney publication ads that generated enough interest for my kids to want (more like demand!) to see the movie.

My thought is that word of mouth will kill this movie within 4 weeks, but by that time Disney will have recouped a large part of production and marketing costs.

The moral to this story (if anyone needs one), is that marketing isn’t the cure for the common product.

A product (in this case a movie) needs to have an essence of remarkable to generate positive word of mouth, longevity and profitability.

In the case of a website, traditional marketing campaign, or online campaign, having a unique and valuable product is key to both short and long term success.

Forget the long, long tale… a compelling story supporting a differentiated and focused product is (mostly) all you need.

< tail wagging >

177

1

Oct

I’m a Twit

by Grant

I admit it. I’m a twit.

Rather I’m a tweep or tweeper or something else that wasn’t a word when I was young.

The vernacular of “Twitter” a micro-blogging platform for people who have outgrown Facebook, yet still yearn for communication with a mix of international “tweeps” who appear to have way too much time on their hands.

Funny thing is, as I’ve got deeper into the “Twitterverse” I’ve discovered the group I’ve interacted and ‘conversed’ with includes CEOs and Industry innovators, top-notch brand leaders and successful marketing gurus.

Twitter actually seems to have real value in information and camaraderie.

Without espousing too much, Twitter is so much more than just posting small snippets of your thoughts and life. I’ve come to understand that it’s more of a social experiment in “NOW” – what you’re doing and what you’re thinking at a specific point in time.

It’s interesting, it’s amusing and, most importantly, 99% of the time it’s REAL.

If you haven’t tried it… sign up. If you want to learn more about it, here’s an excellent overview of Twitter from the smart folks at Commoncraft, in an easy to understand video format, watch below.

An 8 point lexicon

Fun with Tw words

Urban definition “Tweep” (not as endearing as I’d like)

One last thing… Follow me! @simmonet

micro blog, micro blogging, tweep, twit, twitter

171

29

Sep

Internet + Astronaut = Internaut

by Grant

I just came across the term “Internaut” and thought it so encapsulates the pioneers of online information technology and exploration that it should be a more standardly used buzz word (in fact I’m mandating it’s use from now on).

The suffix naut originates from the Greek language. It is a derivation of the Greek term nautes which means sailor when translated into English as in nautical. Thus this word is used in connection with the act of sailing. An astronaut is thus a person who sails space and a cosmonaut is a person who is the sailor of the cosmos. Thus this suffix is a term that is closely related to travel. attributed

What else epitomizes the spirit of discovery and innovation more than ‘sailors in space’ (in this case cyberspace)?

Word of the week: Internaut

166

29

Sep

What I did Before the Internet – A Story to My Son

by Grant

“Daddy?” Big 8-year old brown eyes accompany an innocent question, “What did you do before the Internet?”

How do you answer such a straight forward question?

Personally I lived, breathed, worked and generally did most of what I do now, with one big difference… far more of my day 15 years ago was spent in research; library, dictionary, newspapers, books, the Yellow Pages – mediums and information resources that I used on a daily basis in the early 90’s at the Agency where I worked have become relics as the Internet – with Google leading the charge – replaces most ‘non digital’ ways of research.

For those with internet-savvy children, try explaining why it’s better to use a paper dictionary to look up a word as opposed to www.dictionary.com where the word is pronounced for you, and one click away from synonyms, rhymes, etc.

Daunting.

Another key difference between then and now is where the availability of information is found.

Whereas research in the ‘old days’ meant a trip to the library, a meeting / event or being tied to your desk flipping through books or catalogs, the availability of portable handhelds or kiosk devices in many different venues gives research more of a relevance to location, situation and need. e.g. we were discussing Greek Gods at dinner last night and could instantly search for and review a website on an iPhone to compare Greek vs Roman gods (who knew that Cupid was actually a god!)

This kind of relevance to purpose at the point of need means capable users can research quicker and in more depth to gain information and opinion that much easier, with far less expertise than days of yore.

So when my son asks me again, “Dad, what did you do before the Internet?”, I’ll probably answer;

“Hold on a minute, son… I’ll have to look that up on Google!”

before Internet, eCommerce, Google, past times

161

27

Sep

Where’s the Content?

by Grant

In planning any web presence, a lot of focus goes on design, technology and usability (we hope!)

In pulling together a proposal for a prospective client this week the only thing that appeared to be missing from their plan was the actual content for the site!!

In many projects I’ve been asked to take over, often, a ‘cart before the horse’ approach has left a website structure and platform waiting for the actual, final content (or a rewrite of content in hand because the realization is that it won’t work as is.)

Whoa there partner!!

Content (as mentioned) is king! Content is such an integral part of most development that it can (and does) drive site maps, wireframes, page layouts and even the resources needed to maintain and serve the site.

One of the first items on any development agenda is a cataloging of available content, identification of necessary content, review of content management options and discussion of a content acquisition strategy (all of which can affect timelines and deliverables.)

If you want to ensure timely delivery and less headache in web project management, ask the right question(s) at the outset.

Specifically you can take some poetic license with the Burger King classic commercial and ask “Where’s the content?”

content is king, wheres the beef

157

26

Sep

Quickie Tip #6 – The answer is 42

by Grant

For those fans of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy the answer to the “ultimate question of life, the universe and everything” is finally revealed as being 42, which begins the much more time-consuming task of finding the question!

Recently, many businesses I’ve consulted with appear to face the same predicament. They have arrived at the answer – “success is online”, without having a firm grasp of the question, justification, process, or support needed to make it a profitable, practical or sustainable reality.

Grantism #89 – Answers are easy. Question everything. Including this.

🙂

153

25

Sep

One-ply Customer Service

by Grant

I am the most important person in the world!

At least I should be to any business where I spend a buck. I am a customer and I should be treated as if their business depends upon my satisfaction because ultimately, it does!

So here I am in a particular today and nature calls. Actually nature yells and I answer her with a quick trot to the mens room. (Note, this is probably too much information, but I’m painting a vivid picture, I hope.)

This particular establishment perhaps encourage dalliance with advertising and marketing posters in the little boys room (great brand association??), and after skimming over their messages I reach out and gingerly feel the bathroom tissue. With my eyes closed, it could be mistaken for medium sandpaper and, after a quick shudder, it got me thinking about what this roll of one-ply brand messaging says about customer appreciation and service.

I won’t bore you with the details of what happened next but afterwards, at home, I looked up the relative cost of one-ply vs two-ply bulk purchase;

one-ply = 0.114c per sheet

two-ply = 0.144c per sheet

[source: http://www.bettymills.com]

Doing the math… net 0.03c per sheet savings by using the one-ply variety.

Let’s say this equates to an approximate net savings of 2-3 cents per customer per “visit”

Net pain in the butt (figuratively) experience for customer, a helluva lot more.

I’m certain an accountant somewhere is adding up these pennies and rubbing their hands gleefully, but at what price?

When I spend a penny at a place when I spend my bucks, I’d like to be treated like royalty from top to bottom (pun intended) and at every customer touch point (still going with the puns).

Before you attempt to save pennies with one-ply customer service, think of the net effect and spend the extra time, energy and possibly money to deliver a two-ply experience.

Customers appreciate the little ‘extras’, and that’s sure to help your bottom line! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist it!)

bathroom tissue, customer experience, one-ply, two-ply

144

24

Sep

eProblem – or “What’s Your Problem and Why Should I Care?”

by Grant

A few years ago, I presented a series of workshops that hoped to educate and entertain called “What’s your problem?”

The ultimate goal was to get business owners to look at their business goods or services and match them up with their clients’ and prospects’ problems, and answer the question; “Why the hell would I want to buy your product or service X if it doesn’t solve my problem Y?”

More often or not businesses approach their product development, offerings and marketing around features and benefits – one necessary component of marketing – rather than look at customer issues, and the potential to solve them, as core marketing strategy.

With online business opportunities, this becomes even more relevant as prospects are often searching specifically for their problem or a solution to their problem:

“Hair salon Las Vegas” “Watch repair New York” “Cheap wedding coordinator San Diego”

For businesses online, the opportunity is obvious. By optimizing their efforts to specific problems, issues and specialties (and keyword research to see if these are areas of need) online marketing becomes less of an eProblem and more of business funnel of targeted customers who found you!

So when people ask you “What’s your problem?”, tell ‘em, then focus on providing your eSolution!

business online, eproblem, optimization, seo

135

23

Sep

Reinvent the Wheel

by Grant

Heard of the phrase / advice / direction “Don’t reinvent the wheel”?

I agree most of the time, especially when it concerns time and cost (and money you – or the clients – don’t have). But what’s wrong with thinking out of the box and reinventing a wheel every now and then?

Nothing. It’s called innovation. Reinvent… reinnovate something today.

innovate, invent the wheel, reinnovate

132

23

Sep

Building the Perfect Community

by Grant

I’d like to apologize in advance for the deception in the title. Even though Plymouth, MN comes close (it just won best place to live in America) there is no ‘perfect’ community either on or offline. But there are certain similarities in almost perfect communities that contribute to their success that we can look at as components to include in our “community building for success 101” projects 🙂

The Cornerstones of Community Building

#1 Empowerment

The community is the people and the people are the community. A community must give citizens the ability to define how the community operates and evolves.

#2 Relevance

The community must attract citizens by providing interest and an environment of relevance to their own needs. A community must be unique for them, yet allow many of the same to feel uniqueness through personalization and adaption.

#3 Discovery

The community must allow people to explore, discover and connect with each other, and themselves, through identification and leveraging of similarities, differences, interests and human nature.

#4 Participation

The community must illicit, encourage and support involvement so that citizens understand that they are the integral part of the community, the “raison d’etre” for the community’s existence, and to realize that without their participation the community potentially withers and dies.

Looking to build the next Facebook or LinkedIn?

Integrating these four components may not guarantee 5 million users overnight (you’ll have to invade a small country for that!), but they will lay a solid foundation for community building and increase your chances of success.

Welcome thoughts and comments!

community building

111

20

Sep

Quickie Tip #5 – The Devil’s in the Details

by Grant

It doesn’t matter how simple a project appears to be, it’s always the small things that can potentially end up disrupting the flow and impacting the final timeline, deliverables and success.

Before I start on any project, whether it’s a six-figure branding event or a digital marketing campaign for a local organization, I grab a note pad and write down everything that can potentially go wrong, then back track to what may cause the meltdown and finalize a list of those “little things” I never would have thought of otherwise.

Grantism #88 : By anticipating failure, one can avoid it.

104

19

Sep

The Six C’s of eCommerce Clarity

by Grant

First, apologies to diamond lovers everywhere.

A recent engagement as VP of Global eCommerce at a company with ‘diamond’ in it’s name had me looking for an easy way to describe the roles and goals of the department whilst tying into the name and brand of the company.

For those in the know, the traditional 4 c’s of consumer evaluation of diamonds are:

• color
• carat
• cut
• clarity

and a few “we want to be different” folks have thrown in a fifth, either cost, confidence, corrupt etc.

So… without further ado, I present

The 6 C’s of eCommerce clarity!
Digital marketing efforts should introduce, improve or enhance:

• Connectivity
• Community
• Collaboration
• Commerce
• Credibility
• Competitive advantage

Different projects / clients have different needs, so there’s a sliding scale on priorities / order of the above, plus overlap in some cases… but I’ve found that measuring against these goals leads to great results!

—Have anymore c’s to add to the mix?

99

18

Sep

I’m a Victim of Pre Tween Peer Pressure

by Grant

I admit it. I’m a victim (or rather my wife is)

This summer we bought my 8 year old son a back pack for the new school he’s attending.

It’s not his first school so we bought him a cool Jansport backpack with army motif and straps that look like they’d support a Sherman Tank (should he every need to lug one of those to school.)

Day 1: Wife arrives at new school and is amazed by sea of colorful and multihued wheeling backpacks from Zuca. Heard of these guys? Maybe I’m not “hip”, “cool”, or “with it” (my kids say I’m not anyway), but I had never seen or heard of this brand until my wife comes home that day.

Wife “ALL the kids have these Zuca bags, they wheel them around, they’re cool, our son should be cool, he needs to have one too, I don’t want him to feel left out”

Me “How much”

Wife “Well they’re kind of expensive, they’re used for ice hockey and stuff”

Me “We live in Las Vegas, I doubt if ice hockey is going to be a popular outdoor sport this winter, does he really need a bag to carry ice skates? How much?”

Wife “Well they start at $150”

Me I have fainted.

Day 2: I take my son to school and trip over about 350 Zuca bags like a minefield of multi-rainbow cubes

I ask a parent if the bags are practical and worth mortgaging the house to buy.

Random parent “Well everyone has them”

Day 3: Pick my son up from school

Son “Dad, can I have a Zuca? Can I? Can I? Can I?”

This “Can I?” tirade continues relentlessly on the 3 minute walk to the car, that actually takes about 5 mins because I trip over 3 Zucas on the way.

Day 4: Wife comes home with Zuca and lighter wallet.

Day 5: My son beams as he drags a colorful cube with a handle to school, struggling to pull it up the curb, with the little LED lights flashing with every roll.

It’s so nice to see my 8 year old grow up into an easily influenced consumer. Makes a marketer happy to know we can catch them earlier and earlier.

What does this mean to you?: Have a product aimed at pre tweens? Give it away to 10 and see if another 90 (or nine thousand) coming knocking at your door… the viral power of youthful youth is more infectious than a sniffle at recess.

94

17

Sep

What’s a million dollar idea worth?

by Grant

“If I had a million dollars for every time…” – sound familiar?

I’ve had the privilege to work with very smart people, in clients, colleagues and folks that snuck in the back whilst I wasn’t looking. Often in brainstorming sessions or over a cuppa, someone says something that leaves mouths agape and eyes wide open. You can almost hear the cogs of brains turning.

It’s the “million dollar idea!”

As this has happened to me, occasionally when I’ve been consulting with multi-million dollar clients, I woke last night wondering what the true value of these flash of genius might be.

Early this morning I wrote on the note pad I keep beside the bed (a pad of million dollar ideas folks!);

“A million dollar idea is worthless or priceless”

Before my avid readers tune out with confusion, let me explain.

Million dollar ideas have zero value if not acted upon, but purely by bringing them to light there is inherent value (I hope so, because clients keep paying me to come up with them!)

By the same token, a million dollar idea could be worth multiple millions if realized, nurtured, guided and given the resources, opportunity and sometimes necessary luck to grow.

For all those folks out there with an ‘ah ha’ moment, write it down, look at it two days later, and see if you can pull together the 3Ts: time, tools and talent to make it happen.

As for my next million dollar idea? Screen hoods for Toyota Prius navigation / info panel.

Anyone with the 3T’s, I only want 5% of net sales, now that would be a million dollar idea I can take to the bank

🙂

90

14

Sep

Quickie Tip #4 – Being different is “okay”

by Grant

At the risk of repeating myself, the world is full of followers (not the Twitter kind)
Following has little risk, and less of a chance of higher returns.
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of businesses who look to their competition for solutions as opposed to looking for solutions unique to themselves.
Grantism #87 “Only by being different will you stand out. Only by standing out will you succeed.”

16

12

Sep

People are looking. Are you hiding?

by Grant

It still amazes me that some companies (large and small) don’t have a consistent and cohesive online strategy for attracting and / or informing prospects and clients.

Would you give someone a blank business card? (Might be making a point if you do!)

Often when I’m researching a company, concept or idea I discover a URL that is essentially bereft of any signs of life (Monty Python sketch springs to mind). I am stunned in this connected era that someone at the company involved hasn’t looked at some kind of website that will at a bare minimum let a visitor know a little about the company they’ve found. At bare bare minimum, put a contact number or email address. At bare bare bare minimum put your company logo there with one sentence about what you do.

It may not be the “consistent and cohesive online strategy” I alluded to, but neither is marketing effective when you give out blank business cards (though I did do exactly that at a meeting once to make a point!!)

For those of you “hiding” out there… get something in place for your (possible) visitors (TODAY please!)

74

11

Sep

One minute of silence isn’t enough

by Grant

Serious today, and rightfully so.

It’s been 7 years since that day and I believe people are forgetting.

It’s my parental responsibility and social duty to remind everyone today, especially my kids who are too young to remember, that we should never forget what happened 9/11/01

My recommendation? Every year we should add one minute to our respectful observance of over 3000 innocent people who died that day.

I took my 7 minutes out today to remember. Will you?

88

10

Sep

The (SEO) World is not Flat

by Grant

My world is not flat, your world is not flat, and I’m certain based on the speeches I’ve heard over the past two weeks neither Obama or McCain is part of the flat earth society.

So why do clients want to focus on one aspect of online marketing – SEO - when there are so many other effective methods and madness to promoting an online presence for success?

A quick wake up to these folks… when promoting an offline business do you try one thing e.g. a postcard campaign, then sit back and wait for the clients to come rolling in? Maybe some folks do, but a multipronged attack is always better because:

a) I like saying “multipronged” 😉

b) you may not reach all of your desired demographics with one medium or concept

c) prospects are fickle and you need to touch them in different ways (nicely)

d) my mum told me not to put all my eggs in one basket (and your mum probably told you the same thing!)

There are many ways to drive traffic (qualified, focused traffic) to a website, relying just on one method doesn’t leave much room for error, and certainly doesn’t guarantee a higher possiblility for success.

Listen to your mum, won’t you?

76

8

Sep

Simplicity is intrinsically simple

by Grant

Yep.. I’m stating the obvious, but I just got off a 2 hour conference call that had me tearing my hair out. Why? (grasshopper, are you back in town?). Because the most simple of issues were handled like the future of mankind depended on the right answer – when there was no ‘right answer’.

The whole point (pun intended) of “One Rock at a Time” is that everything is inherently simple, at least if you break it down into logical elements. A pricing model can depend on marketplace, consumer buying patterns, availability, uniqueness, brand awareness etc. Packaging may depend on the item, shelf considerations, FDA requirements etc. Each can be addressed to create a full picture of strategy and necessity. Nowhere does it mention, in any book I’ve read, that one needs to solve the big problem without solving the little problems. It would be like trying to build a house without having a supplier of bricks or wood identified.

One of the biggest mistakes I observe is macro-management of big project issues with ignorance of the foundation that supports the project itself. In a nutshell, time spent on groundwork and research pays off in the long term with better outcomes.

A “One Rock at a Time” approach can move the project mountain. Patience grasshopper.

17

6

Sep

The importance of being famous

by Grant

Or ernest.

A friend and old client of mine is seeking riches (who isn’t!).

He’s in a rock band of celebrities (he’s not a celebrity BTW) and is glad when a little of their fame rubs off to get him some PR for his business.

So is that important? The old adage any press is good press obviously doesn’t always hold true (talk to Enron), but for a small business where knowledge is the main product the “Guru Effect” is often the only differentiator between landing a project and the “Dear John” letter some companies seem obliged to send out – please, don’t get me started on that, if you’re not going to give me the business, at least have the common decency to call me in person.

Being perceived as a Guru, the “all knowing sage” of your specialty, certainly helps so any press that can underscore that point also helps.

A little thought of ‘bonus’ in this age of connectivity and Internet, is that often these articles also end up online and spidered by the search engines. articles, press releases and/or forum posts all help in helping people find you, and with eleventy billion (thanks Lee) searches a day, someone is looking for you and what you do, so make the most of it.

Being famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but if it adds to the bottom line, count me in!

14

4

Sep

Common Brand Promise = Common Brand?

by Grant

I was talking to a successful friend of mine today who was inferring that to be successful in business all one has to do is deliver perfection, (or better than anyone else) on time.

I agree to an extent, this is, after all a brand promise – “We deliver great product, within your timeframe” – a great brand promise that if achieved should keep customers happy.

I hear Grasshopper in the back saying “but what about price, isn’t that important too?” – sure, but price (in the ideal world for the businessman) should never be a deciding factor – note, I said in an ideal business world.

Now we come to my slant, and it has nothing to do with price. A good brand promise means nothing without good brand marketing. And good brand marketing is nothing without good brand comparison.

Grasshopper: “What do you mean? And are you saying price doesn’t matter?” – Author {Grasshopper has been known to have a one track mind!}

First, a brand promise is all about positioning, and postioning is all about finding out where you fit in the marketplace, and finding that fit is about identifying & exploiting your strengths or differentiating your competitors weaknesses. And that’s brand comparison. Phew, glad that’s out. And price is one of those comparisons, but not the only, or most important. If it were, what car do you think everyone would be driving? That’s right… Hyundai. (Or one of those little Chinese things that is made the same size as a coffin on purpose – especially on Los Angeles Freeways).

So my contention is, getting back to the premise of this piece, is that “Delivering perfect product, on time” is for naught if that is not communicated effectively or is not different (or different enough) from anything that the competition is doing or delivering. (In the world of the blind, the one-eyed man is king!)

Grasshopper rolls over in confused daze, “So it’s not about price?”

No Grasshopper, and BTW your Geely is double-parked.

3

2

Sep

Marketing makes me smile :-)

by Grant

For a ‘marketeer’ nothing feels so good as when the result exceeds the clients’ expectations.
A client of Simmonet called me this week and said a big thank you for turning around his company from two years wallowing in the ‘marketing mud’ to a renewed brand and message that has thus far closed a number of meetings with key clients.

For any company that relies on results to prove the point, and for referrals to fuel the pipeline, this kind of non solicited “thanks” is just what the Doctor ordered. For those grass hoppers out there, remember that a phone thanks makes you feel good, but getting a testimonial on your website, in your literature and in writing (and actually asking for referrals) goes a lot further in self marketing to new and existing clients.

I’m smiling 🙂

13

1

Sep

Quickie Tip #3 – Anyone under the age of 21 is not “experienced”

by Grant

Every day we compete with kids. No I’m not talking about AYSO or school events, and I’m definitely not talking about those brainiacs that compete in the national spelling bee. I’m talking about the competition in mine (and maybe your) marketplace.

As a marketing strategist with 20+ years of experience, I shouldn’t be competing with kids right out of school, but often a client will receive a competitive bid from “my friend’s son, who is really handy with a computer”. For those snickering, this has happened more than once, from companies who’s revenues exceed the high 6 figures. I’ve met some of these kids and most of them try to grow a goatee to look 20-something.

So what’s the point? The point is that some of these individuals (your friend’s son included) may be talented (some are). But it takes far more than raw talent to create, produce and drive an offline or online marketing strategy that gets results (and has some longevity).

So before you hire todays’ youth to do a grownups job, think about the value you get from experience (or the lack of it you may pay for in the long run!) – experience is worth paying for!

And yes, I do feel old sometimes 🙂

12

31

Aug

“My, people come and go so fast around here”

by Grant

Made famous by Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I decided to take some poetic license and change it to “My, clients come and go so fast around here”, because it’s been kind of crazy over the last few weeks as I’m in job search mode and filling in with some consulting gigs – 4 in the past month.

What does this say to me?

1) The economy is good enough (not great) so that people feel they have a) the need to market b) the means to market c) the desire to start a new company
2) People want to grow their business
3) The economy is bad enough so that people feel they have a) to market b) to survive c) change their company

Notice how 1) & 3) are somewhat contrary? The bane of my existence!

The optimist in me is telling me that #1 is winning over, and my experience backs that up. Most people incorrectly don’t market their businesses when they’re not doing well, they tend to prioritize their resources into a survival mode as opposed to an intelligent survival strategy.

So how does this tie in to the Wizard of Oz? As well as Dorothy’s observation as witches and munchkins appear and disappear around her, the Wizard of Oz is a terrific study on business strategy. (“Businesses come and go so fast around here!”)

(i) The scarecrow strategy – If I only had a brain – trying to plan survival or growth requires a defined plan. Only a scarecrow would proceed without something in writing to guide and measure against. Or lose their head trying 🙂 Have a plan.
(ii) The lion strategy – Bluffing one’s way to success rarely works, neither does pretending you have strengths, playing to those assumed strengths, and then failing because those strengths either don’t exist, or aren’t a differentiator – a lion is a lion is a lion or in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king! Have a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.
(iii) The tin man strategy – Being ‘half-assed’, not having your heart in it. Without putting 100% into your business, you can’t expect to succeed. (Prove me wrong). 100% means sacrificing a little in the short term, for long-term results. I can’t tell you how many business owners I talk to who “umm” and “arr” over a marketing investment because in the short term it might hurt to commit those funds. You have to believe in your business and yourself. Be passionate.

Hopefully we all find our way home (riches and job satisfaction!) but we also have to walk a lot (follow the yellow brick road), fight a few enemies (flying monkeys!), and commit ourselves to a plan (the Wizard will help). Along the way, just as our quartet of storybook characters did, we may even find our strategic plan, strengths, passion and ultimately realize that “there’s no place like home”.

Enjoy the journey.

7

30

Aug

What does business have to do with choosing a boat?

by Grant

I was at a birthday party today (yes, Im on that circuit), and another dad and I were chatting about sailing (one of my passions) and boats. He was a ‘stink pot’ afficianado, and I prefer the thrill of the wind in my hair and the wind in the sails.

So after some friendly ribbing on the merits of wind vs power he asks me if I have a boat.
“Nope” says I. “Well if you were to buy one,” he asked, “what size would you get?”

My answer took him a moment to digest, as if I was talking a foreign language (apart from my Cockney accent). So what was my surprising (at least to him) answer?

“As big as I could afford!”

So what does that have to do with business and marketing? A lot.

Many business decisions are made on perceived impact and cost (think Super Bowl half time ads, or that guy in Marina del Rey with the 60ft yacht, rather than the actual value and Return on Investment.

In marketing and life, no outlay of money should be undertaken without the proper analysis and process. In business more is not always more (and less is not always less, but sometimes less is more!), one needs to consider a longer term strategy, like how are you going to pay for the next ad, Super Bowl or not.

In life, the 60ft yacht looks good, but the old adage that a sailboat is a “big black hole that you throw your money into” holds true… the bigger the boat, the bigger the hole.

In business, the wrong decision on the wrong marketing (in most cases big spread thin, isn’t as good as small and focused) with the big price tag does more than waste money, it could be the slippery slope from which your business never recovers.

So choose the boat you can afford, make sure it has sails 🙂 and enjoy the fair ocean breezes.

4

29

Aug

Quickie Tip #2 – Change is not a necessary evil

by Grant

Client of ours wanted to change his website because “It’s been a while”

Funny thing is, the website has great search engine placement, effectively drives customers and has delivered (and continues to deliver) a great return on investment.

Websites need updated content, but they do not need an updated look and feel every year – unless the marketplace demands it.

Refreshing content is a must. Refreshing layout can sometime be confusing for existing clients and a waste of money, unless change is specifically made to deliver better results (call, clicks, sales).

The dynamic nature of websites means it’s pretty easy to change (more-so than print material), but that shouldn’t be taken as a challenge to change for change’s sake. Keep what’s effective, concentrate on content updates with timely and valuable information.

Change isn’t evil, it’s just that wholesale change is not the necessity you may think.

10

28

Aug

Apple does it right. Apple does it wrong.

by Grant

As far as marketing, few companies do more and / or do it better than Apple.
I have an iPod. I have 3 iPods, but who’s counting 🙂

When Apple launches products, they do it with flair and showmanship, they produce products that people desire not necessarily need.

So when an Apple Store opened nearby, I walked – actually ran – to it and was not disappointed by the wide open space filled with bright iMac, Mac Book and Mac Pro LCDs. Apple does it all right. Hands on. Spacious. Alluring. Simplicity. Focus on the products. Encouraged interactivity.

So where am I saying they’re not doing it best?

People. No amount of presentation or ‘cool factor’ is going to maximize sales without the personal touch. Customer service is key when getting a question answered correctly could mean the difference between a $100 sales and a $1000 sale. “Joe” who helped me, didn’t know what he was talking about. “Joe” didn’t know how the payment system worked (or their new-fangled handheld money grabbers that “Paul” demonstrated to me – “It’s pretty difficult to login”). “Joe” didn’t live up to the experience the environment demanded.

So how can this example help your marketing and ultimately your sales?

Remember that no matter how effective you are at capturing your customers’ attention, if the buying experience doesn’t measure up, you won’t make the sale. Making it easier for people to buy, both online and off, means informing, educating, hand holding and effortlessly guiding the customer, money in hand, to the place when you can process that payment. All the glitz in the world is useless if it doesn’t assist in that process. And people can make the difference, customer service and sales are the grease in the commerce wheel. Don’t let your sales grind to a halt by ignoring the most obvious.