The Front Page

While talking with Chris Mander last night, he gave me a great quote:

“A wesbite is not about the front page“

It’s about every page. This is because “search” changed everything. People simply don’t go through the front door anymore. We get sent to the exact room, which solves our exact need. We can go through back doors, or any door for that matter.

So then why are we constantly devoting 90% of our resources designing and cleanest, coolest, front page that only 10% of people will enter through?

Startup blog says – All web pages ought be created equal.

Why authenticity works

Any disciple of the new marketing world order will tell you ‘be authentic’. And startup blog couldn’t agree more.

Here’s why: It’s refreshing.

It is so refreshing to hear a person, group of people or a small company tell the truth for once without a hidden agenda. It’s the opposite of what we’ve had for most of the past 50 years. It’s the opposite of what we expect, and usually get.

Net result is a relationship of trust is built. When this new paradigm arrives all sort of cool things can happen.

Like removing the need to advertise.

Like a loyal consumer base.

Like brand evangelists.

Like all the good stuff most large companies dream of having.

Internet Marketing

It’s easy to forget our websites need to be designed for people who haven’t, don’t or rarely use computers and the internet. Our interface must be simple – so simple. When our people can’t navigate our site, or find stuff. It’s our fault, every time.

Bill Gates understood this – which is why he was for a long time the worlds richest person.

Unless we market directly to the ‘digirati’ or have a website about websites (which many web 2.0 sites seem to be), we must design for the most ‘inept’ user.

Remember that usability wins, not technology.

Internet speed

Fact: When Saddam Hussein was executed in December 2006 it took less than 2 minutes for the Wikipedia page on him to be updated.

Startups - your customers know more than you on your brand, category or industry. And they usually know all this stuff before you do.

Embrace their knowledge, and never be arrogant enough to claim to know it all.

Four n twenty – Authenticity Facilitates Radvertising

For non Australian readers Four n twenty is a brand of meat pie, which is very Australian. A brand people know and love.

We also know that meat pies really have no place in the push for health and wellness. Pies are not a ‘healthy’ food. And quite frankly, who cares? All foods can be part of a healthy diet and trying to change your product because people can’t control themselves, does not a strategy make. It’s high time food marketers started to realise this. The so called ‘obseity crisis’ is not their issue.

Under the control of Multinational Food Giant Simplot, Four n twenty lost the ‘plot’. They started launching pathetic line extensions like ‘Low Fat Pies’ – which clearly would never change the perception of a meat pie, let alone get a non pie eater to start eating them. It’s fake and just damages the brand.

Recently the Four n twenty brand was divested from Simplot, to new owners Patties. These guys – who just play in the pastry and pie market have really shown they get it, when it comes to engaging their core target market.

Four n twenty make no apologies for what they are, the product the sell, and who they make it for. It’s authentic marketing. And their authenticity facilitated a great piece of communication.

This spot is Gold. Clearly it is radvertising.

Kudos Four n Twenty.

Quirky fact

Fact: The average youtube video only gets watched for 6 seconds.

The average Youtube video lasts for 5 minutes. It’s a rare event indeed for a video to get watched until the end. That’s why most view counts are so low, only those watched until completion count.

With almost 90 million videos on the site;

Start up blog says: Review your Youtube videos. Make it clear what they’re getting in first few seconds, or they wont have the patience to ever find out.

Your call

(read in digital voice)

Hello, (pause)

Your call is important to us. We are unable to take you call at this time. (what?)

If you wish to change your account details press 1

If you’d like to listen to your account balance press 2

If you’d like to make a payment press 3

If you’d like to hear these options again press 4

If you wish to talk to an operator press 0 – the expected wait time is: 17 minutes…..

I hang up. My call is not important to them.

What surprises me is that companies spend millions on TV advertising attempting to create an interaction with potential customers who aren’t listening. Then when people try to interact with the same company, they get given the machine – the finger.

Most companies invest in the wrong area.  Automation is only a benefit when it increases interactions with people. When it facilitates the conversation, not circumvents it. It’s a classic case of balance sheet marketing.

Everything big companies do here is wrong.

Start ups: Talk to your people. Give them a real phone number to ring with a real person at the end of the line. Be there when they call. Have a conversation. Make it personal. Over invest in this area.

Steven Wright – Comedian or Marketer?

Here’s a great quote / gag from Steven Wright:

“I went to the general store, but I couldn’t find anything specific!”

Very funny stuff. Mainly because we never, ever by anything general. We buy something we want – a specific item, or see something we like and buy ‘it’ on impulse.

Start ups – Be specific.

Mother & Coke – update

An adendum which further solidifies startup blogs view on the Mother re-launch being a dud:

The claim “Twice as much energy” is only due to it being twice the size as Red Bull, which comes in a 500ml can.

Great Quote – Straight from the TweetDeck

From Ross Hill – Cyberguru

26 very important words.