On the Lighter Side - Google Goof

Google has such a great reputation that we can't help but notice when they goof up.

The last big goof was the strawberry used on Valentine's day. It looked like the "l" was missing and there was quite a bit of talk about whether it was supposed to be the stem of the strawberry.

Well even bigger than that, it looks like Google can't spell! As reported by CNN's "The Browser" the business card of a Google top executive turned up ... with spelling errors. (Chairman was spelled "Chariman")

"The Browser was minding its own business, flipping through Gmail most likely, when The Card showed up in an unmarked envelope. It came from MK, one of our most deeply embedded and amusing sources. Naturally, we had our lab run all the necessary tests to verify its authenticity, and then we asked MK for his analysis."

The reasons given for this possible guffaw were funny so check out the article linked above.

Non-Assumption Selling

Approaching potential customers on the internet can be challenging. You aren't face to face, you don't have the advantage of gaining information about your visitors. There is no way to qualify your visitors... or is there?

Whether selling a product or service you undoubtedly ask questions to determine which products and services best fit the potential customer. Translating that skill to a website, without face to face contact can be tricky - but it can be done!

When writing for websites bear in mind that not every visitor needs everything you have to offer. The copy must be written to sell your products and services from the customer's viewpoint. You can't assume anything.

Real estate websites offer a good example. There are several reasons a searcher will visit a real estate website: buying a home, selling a home, looking for an agent etc. How do you make sure your copy hits the mark with each visitor? After all, one home does not fit all - how do you guide visitors to the what they want?

One way would be to have obvious indicators of actions: Click here to sell your home! View our list of homes for sale here! Our realtors are tops, view the realtor bios here! These could also be relayed with the use of photos.

Each of the actions listed can point visitors to the specific areas of the website that best meets their needs. The key is to give visitors a few choices and entice them to click to increase visitor conversions. Don't assume that they'll find their way around the site.

Common sense right? Try looking through some of your favorite websites. How many actually employ this logical approach to prospecting? Even better, have someone outside of your organization take a fresh look at your company site. The feedback that can be gained from outsiders is invaluable.

Still not sure if your site is hitting the mark or not seeing conversions? Try installing a site survey and ask visitors for feedback.

Wide World of Web Analysis

The web is full of tools to measure everything from traffic to top content and beyond. If you haven't looked at your website traffic logs lately, you should. If you wish you had more info than you are getting, it's out there!

For companies that are currently using some type of in depth analytics programs here are a few things you should be looking at on the surface:

1. How many visits am I getting. This should be easily seen on the front page or dashboard.
2. How many pages are viewed on average by each visitor? The higher the better of course.
3. What is the bounce rate? How many visitors came to the first page then left without going further? The lower the number the better.
4. Where is my traffic coming from? While this is especially important if you are paying any company for links or click traffic, it also helps to know what search engines are working well for you.

Dig a little deeper and you should be able to find out what information is most important to your visitors. By honing in on key areas you'll be able to "market smarter" and focus your company efforts towards possibly unseen "hot buttons" of your visitors. You'll also be able to discover additional opportunities within the site, possible areas of improvement.

As more companies use web analysis (and people who know what to do with the info) there will be an increasing demand for ROWA - Return on Web Analysis - the need to know if all the analysis is translating into dollars saved or dollars earned by the company. This is an important question on the horizon and it will be interesting to see how companies react.

Super Bowl Ads

So the great anticipation of Super Bowl ads has been revealed. Which one was your favorite?

According to the AOL Super Bowl Ad Poll the Blockbuster ad with the Mouse was the best. No surprise!

But the real question is... did this ad actually improve brand recognition for Blockbuster? Seriously, in 2 weeks... will you remember the ad but not the company? That's the big question that ad execs all over are asking themselves everytime Super Bowl rolls around.

One good example is the "Man Law" beer commercial. Quick - name the beer. The company represented in the ad (no I'm not going to tell you!) quickly found that while the commercials were cute and funny, the public didn't remember the brand so the commercials failed.

So what has this got to do with marketing online? The trick is to make your site memorable in more ways than one. Everything from a catchy domain name to ease of use can contribute to the "stickiness" of your website. Think about it...