The Palin Effect

It used to be called the 'Peter Principal'. Coined by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull, it means promoting a person beyond there capabilities. The most resent example was thrusting the governor of a small, by population, state into the world of national politics. The effect is disaster all around and is completely unfair to the person being put in that position.

The Palin Effect also applies to business.

There are thousands of article on the Internet telling small business owners they to can be 'national' or 'international' players. And, it is true, your website gives you a global audience.

However, before taking that step, evaluated your businesses capabilities. Make sure your business is ready to deliver in a national or international market. Wait until your business is ready before moving to the next level.

Don't let your business become a victim of the Palin Effect.

A Visit to Walmart

I went into Walmart yesterday for a pair of socks.

I must admit I usually don't frequent Walmart stores. But, all I wanted was a pair of work socks. A quick in and out operation - nothing fancy - I don't care what colour my work socks are.

Well - it wasn't that simple.

First you can't buy a pair of work socks at Walmart (or any where else as far as that goes) -- You can buy two, three or five pairs -- but you can't buy a single pair.

I have gotten used to this over the years. Things that I once could buy as single items from gum to socks - now come in 'bundles'. They are not bundled because the consumer wants that - they are bundle to save on handling for the retailer. Even my local grocery store will give me a discount if I buy 6 tins of a product over the 1 tin I wanted in the first place.

So I reach for a pack of three pairs of work socks. There is nothing in the sock aisle to indicated the size - so I check the package -- sizes 7-11.

Too small -- So I start searching for a larger size. No luck. All the socks are sizes 7-11. Or as I call them "One size fits nobody!"

Now the average male shoe size in North America is 10.5. And, while my feet are just slightly larger than average, lets consider the average person. A sock small enough to fit a size 7 foot which is 9.8 inches is going to stretch over 1.5 inches to fit a size 11 at just over 11.5 inches. For the average male the sock still must stretch over 1.25 inches.

The result was I went down the street to Mark's Work Wearhouse (A Canadian retail chain specializing in work clothes.) I still couldn't buy a single pair of work socks - but at least they had my size. And, the price was only marginally more than what Walmart wanted for the smaller size.

As businesses struggle through this
recession, there are HUGE opportunities in just giving your customers what they want. It sounds simple - but even the biggest retailer in the world can't do it for everyone.

Reaching Your Un-Customers

Maybe you have never heard of un-customers.

I first heard the term in Peter Drucker's "Management Challenges for the 21st Century". It refers to 99.99% of the world population who have never heard of your product.

If you are relying on Search Engine Marketing to reach these potential customers you are in trouble. These customers are not searching for your product.

There is, of course, a few people who will find your product while searching for something else. The 'long tail' effect. This is a way to augment your normal marketing, but in itself is not a viable marketing strategy.

Broadcast media is a vital part of any marketing strategy. It reaches the un-customer.

However, the concept of broadcast media has changed. Targeted broadcasts include online banner and PPC advertising. Advertising for TV, radio and print can be both general and targeted. And, as the competition for advertising dollars increases, the cost of all broadcast advertising is coming down.

Take Business Email Seriously

Email has been in the news recently for more than just SPAM.

The biggest news item was VP candidate Sarah Palin's use of Yahoo Mail for government business. Apparently, the email account was not breached by any high level hacker attack, but by a weakness in the Yahoo Password Reset.

The other, not a well know, was at the media agency Carat. In that case a private email intended for senior managers was sent to all employees. The email detailed layoffs and 'talking points' of how to deal with clients.

Both these cases high light problems with human side of email. In the first case, Palin either chose to ignore, or wasn't aware of, rules for use of email for government business. And, like most people, wasn't fully aware of how insecure email is.

In the second case, it appears structures were not in place to prevent this type of error. While the HR VP is taking the heat for the error, clearly the IT department deserves some of the blame for not disabling the "Reply All" option.

Email is, in many respects like sending a digital postcard. Any server handling the email can read, copy or scan (thats the NSA for you conspiracy buffs) your email. Your server mailbox is like your post office mailbox, anyone with the key can access it. Except, online, they can keep trying keys until the find one that fits. Or, as is suspected in Sarah Palin's case, have a new key sent to them.

We all use email every day in our business. And, in most cases we don't understand the technology behind it. It is up to each company to develop their rules for the use of email. They must also clearly explain the reason for these rules if they expect people to follow them.

They Are Not Looking

Launching a new website is always an exciting event. Finally, all the effort any planning of the last few months is going to start paying off.

Launching a site for our first major client was even more exciting. Our budding reputation was riding on this site. We wanted everything to be perfect. And, we thought it was. The client, a local resort, was happy, the site looked great, even the transfer to the new site went smooth.

The client had spread the word about th new site to her friends and suppliers and we were anxiously waiting for feedback. To our surprise the first comment we got back was "How do I book a room?".

We checked the site - there was "BOOK NOW" graphic in the top left corner. We checked the link and it was working. What was wrong.

We now know, thanks to studies by Enquiro that some graphics can act as a barrier. "Blending your conversion trigger into that graphic makes it invisible." In our case, the "BOOK NOW" graphic was overlaid on the main header graphic.

The solution was quick and simple. We added a "BOOK NOW" link into the menu. Later we did our own study we confirmed - no one was clicking on the graphic.

Fortunately, the client is still ith us -- only the graphic is gone.

Test - Test and Test Again

We just finished a presentation for potential client. They wanted to upgrade their existing website.

As part of the preparation we checked out everything on their existing sites. Among the items we checked was their contact form.

At the presentation I remarked that they needed to improve their 'back end' since after 5 days, I still hadn't received a reply to the contact form I submitted. This, of course got the attention of the Marketing Director. She went to the person who handles the replies to the contact forms and she said she had replied to my contact.

It could have all ended right there. They would have thought I didn't know what I was talking about. And, I would have wondered why I never heard from them again.

But it didn't end there. It turns out the person handling the email contacts is very conscientious and pretty smart. She sent me a follow up email using her personal account.

By doing so we found the email account used to respond to online contacts wasn't working. And, I looked like a hero. (albeit a small one)

Two things that every business MUST remember.

First - Never assume your site is working properly just because you don't get any error reports. Test - test and test again.

Second - Always get good staff.

CUIL - Don't Go There

I just tried the cuil.com search engine.

BIG PROBLEM

First I did a search for TIMR - our company name. Lots of listings for forum entries by TimR but nothing to our site. Also, every page had a listing of alternate spellings. Not very helpful.

Then I did a search for our full name "TIMR Web Services". The top listing was for 'spammy' looking site that had "Seattle Web Services" in the heading and "TIMR Web Services" in the text -- that is not us. When I went to their site I got hit with a virus.

Fortunately, I run Linux and FireFox just gave a 'hicup' and asked my what to do next.

If you are trying the CUIL search engine - BE CAREFUL. Not only are the results ranked poorly, but they don't appear to be blocking malicious sites.

USP Not UPS

Your Unique Selling Position or USP, is your most important marketing feature.

If you have a product that is truly unique in the market place - your product is your USP. Take advantage of it while you can. I won't last.

Most of us, whether we provide a service or a physical product, have competitors. Our USP is what differentiates us from our competition. It is the reason a consumer will choose our product over other similar products.

For some, price is their USP. This is a dangerous position. It targets the segment of the population that by only on price. The problem with this position is it is hard to remain at the bottom. There will always be someone who is willing to go lower. Low margins and increasing costs make this a poor USP.

Adding features is another way of generating a USP. These are features that you can add directly to the product, or accessories that you can include in the sale. While this is a reasonable strategy because it increases your 'perceived value', it must be done carefully. Adding too many features will discourage this who are looking for a 'plain' version of the product.

Quality and service are, by far, the best USP's. There are a number of problems with this strategy.

• The buyer may not feel they can afford your product.
• It takes time to build a reputation for quality and service
  
• You MUST be able to deliver the quality and service you promise.

However, the benefits from this USP are huge. People buying on price or 'add ons' are not loyal. They will go to whoever offers them the 'best deal'. Customers buying on quality and service are the repeat customers we all want.

Branding With The Favicon

I get a wide variety of news letters. Many contain links to articles posted on other sites. It was one of these links that sent me to an article on CiO Zone.

The site defines itself as a social networking site for IT professionals. As the page finished loading - even before I read the article this -> <- caught my eye. It is the Joomla favicon. Instantly the site lost all credibility. A site that claims to be for IT professionals does not tell potential hackers what content management system it is using.

The favicon is displayed in the address bar on all browsers and in the tabs on browsers that support tabbed browsing. It identifies who you are and is associated with your brand.

Your favicon should be unique and, if possible, reflect your business name, product or service. It acts as a visual link between the page being displayed and your brand.

While small in size, only 16x16 pixels, the favicon is one of the many small things you can do to brand your site.

See my article on online branding for more information.

Target Display Advertising

There is a general trend to more targeted online marketing. This is something we have said all along. Particularly for display ads - which tend to be the most expensive form of online advertising.

As a small business owner with a limited marketing budget, you should use display ads sparingly. Display ads work best when they are shown to a highly targeted market. General interest websites and web portals are not the place for your display ads.

Focus on both the ad and the target market. Define your target market, create an ad that targets that market and then select a site that targets that market.

The chances of finding a niche site that caters to the product you are marketing are very good. Increasingly, there are sites and blogs on just about every topic you can imagine.

Check the site out before you put your ad on the site. And, initially do a short run to judge the effectiveness of the ad.

While getting good organic search results are still the best place to put you online marketing dollars, targeted display ads can be effective.

You Get What You Need

Mick Jagger studied at the London School of Economics. Which probably explains why he still owns the right to his songs. And is one of the biggest players in the music industry.

Of course that doesn't explain why I turn to the 'Stones' when ever I need some to do solve a particularly irksome problem. There is something about the music and the lyrics that lets my mind play 'connect-the-dots'.

One of the reoccurring problems every web developer faces is the customer who wants to tell you how their site should be built.

We all want client input. They pay the bills after all. But, when the client moves from giving input to taking on the design role the poor web developer is in a bind. They can give the client what they want and be blamed when the site looks like cr.. Or, they can risk losing the contract and give the client what they need.

I have a proposal to get ready for a potential client. The client wants the site to be similar to their competitor's. The competitor's sites a very elegant with lots of eye candy. Their marketing is focused on the lifestyle and experience that come with the product.

The client has a more practical version of the product. Useful and utilitarian. Their potential customers want product information.

Do I give the client what they want - or do I try and convince them we have a better idea.

Which is of course where Jagger comes in:

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, ah yes...

Ah Yes . . .

Luck Trumps Oversite

I have you ever wondered why similar posts appear on different blogs at almost the same time. In this case it is because of Brendon Sinclair'seditorial in Sitepoint's Tribune newsletter. In the editorial he describes how a client lost her domain name registration. Which got me thinking of one of our client's brush with domain name expiration.

Fortunately, she got lucky.

It started when the client decided to protect her brand name by registering the .ca version of their domain name. (A really good idea.) We don't do domain name registration - so she decided to do it herself.

And, that is were she got lucky.

The company she chose to register the domain name talked her into transferring the registration of the main site to them. However, due to an error in the "whois" database, they were unable to complete the transfer. The email name in the database was incorrect so the client asked us to fix it. Which is when we found the domain name registration was about to expire.

If the client hadn't decided to register the new domain name or if the company hadn't talked her into moving from their present registration service, the site would have gone down.

While we do offer website maintenance, checking registration dates was not something we normally did for clients. And, we still don't list it as one of our services. However, we now routinely check expiry dates for new clients.

This is something every website owner should do. All you need to do is enter your domain name into "Whois" service such as www.whois.sc/. Check that the contact information is up to date and check the expiry date.

You might not be as lucky as our client.

Is Your Site A Good Closer?

Your online form is your sales closer. And, as any good sales person will tell you, closing the deal is what it is all about. Closing is so important, some businesses have a person who comes in just to close the deal. Your online form is that person. Whether the form is to sell your product or to request information - you need a good closer.

Look at your online form as if it were the first time you had ever seen it. Check the following:

• Is the requested information is in a logical order?


• Is the same information being requested twice?
  (This is a problem for businesses using third party services - such a PayPal.)


• Are you asking for unnecessary information?
  (If you have the postal code -- you don't need to ask for the city or province.)


• Do you automatically format the input or do you force the customer to use your format?
  (People enter phone numbers in many different ways.)


• Do you validate the fields before the customer submits the form?
  (Yes, fields CAN be validated before the form is submitted.)

Once you have those problems fixed - look at the page layout. Like the disheveled sales person a cluttered form will drive customers away. If necessary beak the form up into a number of pages.

Making your online form a 'good closer' is all about making things easier for you customers. It may take some time - but the results are worth it.

Are You Being Served?

You may remember the phrase 'Are You Being Served?' as the title of an old British comedy series that pops up on the public TV channels. It was a parody of everything that was wrong with British stores in the 50's and 60's. However, the phrase itself is still relevant.

The concept of service still gets a lot of lip service. Food stores advertise 'customer service' while making us bag our own groceries. Banks tout 'customer service' but limit the number of tellers forcing us to do our own banking online, or at an ATM. It may be convenient, but it is not 'customer service'.

'Customer service' means just that -- serving the customer. It does not mean forcing the customer to do things the way you want. Every customer is an individual. Customers need to be able to decide how and when they will interact with your company. The customer, not the manager, decides what 'customer service' means to them.

How does that apply online?

It means designing a site where information can be easily found; where every page has at least one method on contacting you; and where the customer, not the designer, decides if they want to view a video or flash.

It means testing your site with real people to see how they use the site; having a site that is accessible to customers with screen readers; and being W3C compliant.

Customer service, means what your customers say it means. Open a dialog with your customers. Ask the question - "Are you being served?"

Too Good Not to Share

I don't usually pass along links. But, every now and then one comes along that is so good you just have to share it.

Finding a new way to get your message out is never easy. It becomes more of a challenge when that message is considered "geeky". And there aren't too many things more "geeky" than web standards - but check it out!

5 Text Based Mistakes

It seems to be coming 'de rigueur' to have some sort of a list on your blog. So here is my list of the top five website text errors.

1. Lack of white space. White space breaks up the page and makes it easier to read.
2. Centered text. I know it is hard to believe but there are millions of lines of centered text. Centered text is OK for titles and headings. And, even there it should b used sparingly. English text is either left justified or fully justified text.
3. Columns that are too wide. Did you ever see a newspaper where the text was the full width of the page? Most magazines use two or more columns. Only books use the full page width. The width of the column is determined by the font size. A 'rule of thumb' is making the column between 40 and 50 characters wide. Also, don't write to the edge of the page - allow a 5 character wide gutter.
4. Font that is too small. OK - the users can alway override your font settings. But why should they have to bother. Having the user reset the font size is going to screw up that nice layout.
5. Dark on dark or light on light font colours. Unless the purpose of the page is to cloak the text from the user, use standard colours for your text and background.
   

Talking Urinals, Willy Sutton & Google Search

What do a 'talking urinal' deodorant, called Wizmark, and the famous bank robber Willy Sutton have in common?

Sutton is best remembered on this quip. On being asked why he robbed banks, Sutton is supposed to have replied "Because that is where the money is,".

To paraphrase Sutton, we have a talking urinal deodorant - "Beacause that is where the people are." In this case, the targeted demographic was men who frequent bars. And, as any beer drinker will tell you, there is one place in the bar all men are going to visit at least once. With a captive audience, the Wizmark has been used in numerous anti-drunk driving campaigns. Like Sutton going to the banks for money, Wizmark goes to the urinal for an audience.

Putting the message where people will see or hear it, is the focus of all advertising campaigns. In particularly, putting the message in front of the target audience, is paramount. The only thing that beats that, is having the target audience actively look for your advertising.

Getting your message where people are looking is the focus of online marketing. For the online marketer, the top of the Serach Engine Results Page (SERP), is the best place to be. Google's local search appears at, or near the top of the SERP for web and map searches. So why are so many businesses failing to use it?

All you need is a free Google account, a few minutes of your time and you are finished. The exact position of your business in the listing depends on the address the user is searching for. For example a search for 'florist seattle', yeilds a number of florists in the downtown area. While a search for florist SW Hinds St Seattle, places the two local florists at the top of the list.

Here is the kicker - you don't even need a web site. All you need to do to access this free service is to create your account. Google will contact you to confirm the registration and that is it.

The Internet is replacing the Yellow Pages as the number one method of finding goods and services. Yet, many small businesses, are failing to register with Google's local search. They are turning their backs on a target audience, that wants their product. This might be understandable if Google was charging for the service -- but it is free, easy to do and, did I mention - IT IS FREE.

Put your business where the people are - setup you Google Local Search.

Marketing With White Papers

One of our services at TIMR is custom programming. Recently I was asked to write a simple auto responder that would send a link to download a White Paper on a clients product. Fairly, straight forward until I asked the obvious question, "How will you be storing the email addresses?". To my surprise the answer was "We aren't storing that information."

Since we were only sub-contracting the programming I didn't pursue this any further.

White Papers and other download-able material are great ideas for a number of reasons. Since they involve a "Call to Action" they can be used test the effectiveness of a page. Set up a split run, ( Show visitors different versions of the page.) to test things such as copy, link placement, colours, etc. This information can be used to improve the pages conversion rate. (How many visitors actually download the item.)

Sending a link to the download-able material adds a whole new level of value.

It gives you that all important contact information. The visitor has moved from a 'cold' to 'warm' contact. This is someone who is interested in your product. Information gathering begins when they request a link to download the information. At this point you should be capturing not only their email address, but also their location.

Capturing their location can either be done in software for general location. Or, by asking for a zip code or postal code for more detailed information.

Your contact form should include a check box that lets the user 'opt-in' to receive more information. Don't be overly aggressive. Some sites will block the download if the visitor doesn't 'opt-in'. That tends to drive away potential clients.

Finally, the link that you send to the visitor should include a tracking code. This will let you see if the person actually completes the transaction.

White Papers and download-able brochures are great ways of retaining contact with potential customers. Using them properly can greatly improve your sites value.

Don't Dis SEO

Amex's online magazine "OPEN for Business" offers information on many aspects of running a business. However, the latest issues advice on setting up an online business leaves me wondering how much their information can be trusted?

The article contains some useful information on setting up a business website. However, after detailing how important search engine ranking has become it offers this sage advice "Finally, don’t waste money on so-called Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.) specialists." It then goes on to say some SEO practices can get your site penalized in the search engines.

This is, in fact true. Aptly named 'Black Hat' SEO practices can cause you problems. However, following Amex's logic we should also say:

• Don't waste your money on a mechanic to fix your car.


• Don't waste your money on a carpenter to build your house.


• Don't waste your money on a doctor to treat you when you are sick.

Every profession has a few members who are either dishonest, incompetent, or lazy. To characterize an industry by these few individual's is WRONG.

As with hiring any professional - you need to do your home work. There are a number of articles online about hiring a SEO service. They will help you avoid the few 'Black Hat' services that plague our industry.

Getting SEO right can help you get the top search engines positions. Getting it wrong can cost you your business. Do you want to bet your business that you can do SEO better than a professional?

Google Analytics - Benchmarking

Google Analytics is beta testing a new tools. It will benchmark your site against industry averages. This is a Win-Win situation for both the business owner and the web developer.

I like Google Analytics for small businesses. (see Google Analytics - Are They Right for You?) They are easy to use 'right out of the box' and with a little tweaking are a very powerful online tool.

How will this new tool benefit small business owner?

It will, possibly for the first time, give the business owner an in-site into how well their site is preforming. By being able to compare their site to equal size sites, in the same industry, across the country, business owner's can force web developers and marketers to deliver the results they are paying for.

For business, such ours, that do web development and online marketing, there is now an unbiased tool that lets us go to potential clients and show them how our sites compare with the industry average. It will move web development and online marketing out of the dark - into the light of verifiable results.

For web developers and online marketers - this is the marketing tool they have been waiting for. It may not have been designed with us in mind, but it certainly fulfills an industry need.

SWOT

If you don't know what SWOT is read this post.

If you do know what SWOT is read this post.

SEO SWOT Analysis

Inform - Entertain - Sell

The business website has three functions. Inform - Entertain - Sell. All three require that you have a dialogue with your customer. (Did you notice Sell is the last function?)

The first thing your website must do is inform potential customers about your product. Explain the benefits of your product in terms they can understand. Don't say "It meets IEEE 802.3ae standards" when what they really mean is "It faster than what you using now.".

Keep it interesting.

Entertain doesn't mean flashing images, it means don't bore your customer.

• Use bullet statements to highlight important points.
• Tell them how other people are using your product.
• Explain how your product benefit them.

Anecdote - I was asked to evaluate a small business site for a friend of a friend. Four pages on who they were and how they started their business. Nothing-- well almost nothing, about the product.

ABOVE ALL - Tell people how your product will benefit them.

Finally, have a call to action. If you run a store, tell them where you are located. Have maps, phone numbers, FAX numbers, and email addresses -- make it as easy as possible for them to find you. If you are selling online, have easy to use order forms that actually work.

Pet Peeve - Stupid order forms. As soon as I enter your site - you know I am from Canada. Why must I scroll through most of countries of the world on some dumb order form to enter the country name. Do you really have more customers in Albania that you have in the US or Canada?

Respect Your Customers

Saturday at 11:30 is time for "The Age of Persuasion" on CBC radio.

If you haven't been following the series, hosted by Terry O'Reilly, you are missing an entertaining and informative series on adevertising and marketing. Fortunately, the series is now available on streaming audio.

This week the topic was "23 things I’d Like to Change About Advertising". As usual the presentation was entertaining and informative. However, like a number of O'Reilly's, presentation it can be boiled down to one phrase - respect your customers.

In "23 Things . . . ", O'Reilley covers many of the complaints we all have with adveristing. Everyone from telemarketers to loud business owners doing their own cheap commercial make his hit list. Absent, however, are the many ways that the Internet has come up with to disrespect the customer.

Forget spam - even spam websites. Real businesses, with real websites have found new and innovative ways to disrespect the customer.

Here is my top ten hit list:

1. "Under Construction" pages. If the page isn't ready don't link to it.
   
2. Broken links - why are you wasting my time with a broken link - remove it!
3. IE only sites. Yes - they do exist. What other business model turns away 20% of its potential clients.
4. Closely related are sites that are not cross browser compatible. They look good with one browser, usually IEx, but fail to display properly on others.
5. Splash pages - again, you are wasting my time.
   
6. Flash only pages. Pity the person on a dialup who has to wait while some moron features his graphics designer - not his product.
7. Pages that load the whole image instead of a thumbnail.
   
8. Broken Javascript. If your page relies on Javascript make sure it works.
9. Animated images the endlessly repeat. Show it once then STOP!
10. Tiny fonts. Yes I know how to change the font size - but not everyone does. Either use a bigger font, or let the user select a larger font size.

Welcome to Vancouver Island SEO

Confused about the logo?

It is all about marketing on the Internet.

TIMR Web Services has been marketing its brand name locally, but as we grew we wanted to establish a more regional presence. Hence the name Vancouver Island SEO. An Internet presence that reflects what we do - not who we are.

Before the Internet brand promotion was fairly straight forward, you slapped your name on just about everything you could think of. To the point where your brand name almost became synonymous with the product. (What is the first name you think of when you hear the word ketchup?) Marketing was all about branding.

Brand marketing does have its draw backs. If you have ever Xeroxed a document instead of photo copying it, or reached for a Kleenex instead of a tissue you know how brand names can replace the product. This is a problem for the brand owners. Albeit, one that denotes their success, not failure.

However, the Internet is challenging the primacy of the brand name - particularly for small businesses. Search engine marketing (SEM) is based more on what you do, rather than who you are. The brand name is important - but so is the product or service.

It is doubtful anyone is going to pick a ketchup based on an Internet search, but, lets say they did. Heinz is not their only choice. Nor is Heinz number one on the search engine results page (SERP). Depending on the data center, a search for ketchup puts Heinz as low as number 6 and no higher than third. And, the all important first SERP also features two other ketchup varieties.

The Internet has made it possible for smaller, regional companies to get the same exposure as large multinationals, based on searches for a product or service, not brand name. Getting noticed on the Internet is as much about what you do as who you are.