It has to be Good

I was talking to a client the other day about the complexity of building a compelling web presence. I was explaining that it was not just about design of the web page itself (which has to be good) or about the quality of the content (which has to be good), or the way it is promoted with blogs, articles wikis and other social media links (which has to be good), or the strategy which is followed (which has to be good). It isn’t just about the Search Engine optimization (which has to be good) or the management of the Pay Per Click advertising campaigns (which has to be good) or the keyword density and design of landing pages (which have to be good). Or even the way in which the various elements are stitched together in a coherent whole with a clear message (which has to be good).

It is all of those things and more, and they all have to be good. “But that’s not fair” she said, “…how is a small business supposed to do all of those things and do them well?”

I explained that that is the new Web 2.0 paradigm. Having a snappy web site is not enough. The old idea of your web site being a sort of electronic brochure is long gone. Today you must not only be visible on the web but your presence has to compete with the very best and come out on top (i.e. at the top of page 1 for any given search). And what is more, having achieved the no.1 slot you then have to have the mechanisms to convert enquires to sales before you even know that the prospective customer is in the market. This requires a whole new sales approach and methodology.

Another acquaintance of mine has been resisting the idea of having a web site because his business is very much about a very specialized, personal service. I had to explain to him that the brutal reality is that not having a site was actually suspicious and that it was as much a business pre-requisite as a phone or a supply of paperclips.

Today you are competing on a global scale even if you are a one man micro business. It is not just the competitors you have always known who are threatening you. It is the big boys in your industry who have the wherewithal to construct a compelling proposition to two words typed into a Google search performed by one of your target customers. Just think back to the last bit of information you needed about a product or service. Did you phone around, go a directory or look for an advert in your local paper or trade magazine? Of course not. You typed 2 – 5 key words into Google and made your decision from there.

That is the way of the future.

Is it fair? No.

Will your customers make allowances because you haven’t got the resources of a mega corporation? No.

Can you stick with the old way of doing things and hope to get by? No. Sorry.

If Monks get it...

As a general rule, I am not a big fan of monks. No doubt they are kind, gentle and holy men. For me though, you have to be out in the world not cloistered. But from this monastery, there is a serious lesson to be learned. These guys have posted their plainchant on the internet. They even have a clip on You Tube. They run their activities using email and text and have a great web site. I heard about them after they recorded an album (with the same label as Amy Winehouse! - no kidding) and they were interviewed by the BBC.

OK their Website needs some work. They really need a bit of SEO on the layout, and the content needs some organization - but you know what - they have a mission to get their message out into the world - and by using a large collection of media, they have become world famous, completely accidentally.

Now if a bunch of Cistercian monks can do it, you have to wonder why most Businesses can't. The reason this has been so successful is that they have (unintentionally) used as many channels as they could and it has been astonishingly successful. Focus, application and a little story can do wonders. Just imagine what would happen if they applied themselves and REALLY wanted to make money!

It's a shame that I can't direct you to the interview (although you can read about it here) with Father Karl. Unfortunately the BBC only keep it live for a week- but trust me - a true saint and a brilliant communicator. Hat off to him and his brothers!

Gordon Brown goes Web 2.0 (or tries to at least)

After having been on You Tube for a year and posted 185 infomercials, Downing Street has finally got Gordon brown to dip his water into Web 2.0. As Ann Ann Treneman in The Times says, its just not convincing.

There is more to Web 2.0 than stringing together a collection of sound bites and uploading them to your web site. And if you are selling a message this is doubly true. Web 2.0 strategy has to be coherent, planned and properly targeted. OK, so Gordon has had 10,000 hits, but I seriously wonder how many have bought his message.

Web 2.0 where you least expect it

I was chatting to a close friend of mine yesterday. He was bemoaning the fact that he is standing in a communal election but that people were indicating that they wouldn't be turning out to vote. The constitution requires that members turn up in person between 7.30 and 9.00PM to vote.

Of course they won't turn out! Today people expect to be able to vote by text, online and by email. Turn out in person - how very "last century"! The world has changed - constitutions have to change too or don't be surprised if the only people who turn out are in their 60's.

Web 2.0 Survey report

Although I had intended to have this report completed by 1st May, pressure of work got in the way. But it is finished now and makes very interesting reading

The response was phenomenal so it has taken quite a long time to collate and analyse the results but the key findings are:

Key Findings
1. Companies are still running their internet presence as a passive marketing exercise with little or no regard for the strategic repercussions implied by the advent of Web 2.0.
2. Many businesses are unaware of Web 2.0 and its implications.
3. The majority of businesses have no plans to update their strategy to accommodate Web 2.0.
4. Half of the respondents attributed no observable change in business performance from the web.
5. 65% of respondents reported that they had an internet browser open all the time.
6. 95% of the respondents confirmed that the Internet was indispensable to their work.
7. 97% of respondents agreed completely or to an extent that the internet was their primary research tool.
8. 60% of respondents reported that their main mode of written communication was by email.
9. Only 64% of Chief executives had come across the term “Web 2.0”.
10. The Wikipedia definition of Web 2.0 was originally an accurate and reliable source of information.
11. Almost half of companies relied on a design consultant or an employee with additional responsibilities.
12. Few businesses had embraced online selling.
13. Only 4% of our sample had commissioned an outside specialist to manage their SEO.
14. Just over half of businesses use the web to distribute sales, marketing & communication collateral.
15. There is a remarkable disregard for the importance of web site optimization.
16. Less than a fifth of businesses have implemented a keyword strategy.
17. Less than a quarter have taken action to ensure that they are “number 1” for their chosen search terms.

The findings reaffirm my view that all businesses need to think very carefully about their web presence and ensure that they have adapted their business model to Web 2.0 or they will find themselves seriously left behind.

You can download the full report here