maine web development, web design, internet marketing

Photo credit: woodleywonderworks

It has been a busy few days here at SXSW. There are thousands of people, representing thousands of companies. There are hundreds of sponsors and hundreds of sessions and panels. One thing that has contributed to who I can really connect with and who I am just meeting is their ability to show me why they (or their company) is doing it right.

Show vs. Tell

Anyone can tell you how great they are. Anyone can tell you how cool their business is. Anyone can tell you they have ridden an elephant, but can they show you?

As a business, it would be in your best interest to be able to show potential business partners and customers why they should do business with you.

3 ways to show people why they should do business with you

1. Numbers, numbers, numbers – Numbers are the only universal language. If you are the best at something or ran a successful promotion, be able to back it up with some data. The only way to back your story up with numbers is to be measuring as you go. For any project or campaign, decide the metric you are going to use to measure your success (or lack there of) before you start. Keep up with the data and have something to show for your efforts when you are done.
2. Testimonials and Referrals – Have a place on your website for client testimonials (real ones, not ones you make up) and keep it updated. One of the best ways to show someone how good your work is, is to let them hear it from someone else.
3. Experience – There is something to be said for a company that has been in business 5, 7, 10+ years. The last 10 years have been wild with the advances in technology, government, what people want, how they want it et al. Nothing against startups and entrepreneurs, but it is easy to create a business around the current big thing. It is hard to take your business and be able to change with the times while staying true to your values and putting out great products and services.

Of course you need to be able to talk the talk and tell people quickly what you do and why you do it well – but try to have some easy ways to show them too. Let them decide what is fact and what is propaganda. Make sure you can stand out from the other peacocks showing their feathers with some data, testimonials and experience.

Social Media has become quite the darling of the new marketing world. Truth is, social media is an excellent way to connect with your current and potential customers (even in the B2B world). The problem is, many businesses can’t sift through what is social media hype and what is practical, usable advice for their business.

Early adopters flocked to it, blogged about it, tweeted it from their iPhones, updated, Buzzed and sung about it. Skeptics were not so convinced and wanted hard data and social media ‘experts’ recanted with fairy tales about saving businesses with absolutely no cost to your organization. Who do you believe? How do you participate, without wasting your valuable time?

What is social media hype?

Social media hype is the excitement when there is a new toy for social media lovers to play with. When something new comes out, they will blog about it and give you the story on why you NEED to be a part of this new online community, app or tool. It is easy to get wrapped up in social media hype but try to remember when the next social media tool comes out, they will recommend that as well and when another one comes out, they will recommend that too.

Do you have time to be on 40 social media sites and participate in 20 apps? I definitely don’t. There are major repercussions to spreading yourself too thin. It is better to be a part of 2 (or even 1) active community that respects your work and participates with your content than being a part of 20 networks that offer you no return.

Reality is when that excitement wears off and you find yourself using a tool to achieve your goals. A big part of figuring out what your social media reality will be is by determining what your actual goals are. Some social media goals could be more website traffic, increasing brand awareness, getting more qualified leads, assisting customer service, reputation management, increase attendance at live events, et al.

Social media is constantly changing. New tools and toys are always being created. Just because something is new doesn’t mean you need to be using it for your business. I recommend keeping a watchful eye on new tools and trends and test them but you should be choosing the right tools for the job, not the shiniest tool in the toolbox. What is going to help you achieve your goals that you can work into your already busy schedule?

What is driving you?

Are you driven by marketing your company, building relationships and being held accountable for what you are going to say? Or are you driven by being a social media star? Sounds like a silly question, but it isn’t. Many people seem more driven by the number of Twitter followers they have over the amount of qualified leads they are getting. If you are using social media as a business tool you should be tracking how your efforts are affecting your business and not how your social media efforts are affecting your social media profiles.

Will using social media help you achieve your marketing goals? Not your neighbor’s goals, your competitor’s goals or some national big brand’s goals but does it help with your businesses goals? Are you motivated by the same social media case studies we hear all the time – or are you driven by the results you are seeing for yourself?

Some suggestions for not drowning in social media hype

• If you feel like you are forcing it, you probably are. What were you doing before the dawn of social media and what made your company unique? Social media is just new tools to do the same things we were doing before. Learning new technology can be a bit tricky but the esscence of your social media landscape should be an extension on aspects of your business you were already doing.
• Listen to a few qualified business professionals. Instead of following all the social media mavens, choose a few that you trust and share common business goals with and let them guide you on trends that are worth trying out, like having an internet marketing travel agent.
• Forget the social media experts, find great businesses that know how to use social media. The world doesn’t need social media ‘experts’ as much as it needs real businesses using social media well. You will probably find more value in the practical use of social media over the suggestions from a social media expert who may just be regurgitating information they read in a book or blog. Just because someone declares themselves as a social media expert doesn’t mean they have any experience making actual successful business campaigns.
• Know what you are trying to achieve first. Have a business strategy for what you want to use social media for. Then decide the tools that will help you achieve those goals. The most basic elements of a strategy is figuring out where to play and how you are going to win. For business we rely heavily on LinkedIn for market research, keeping up with trends in our industry and building our online network. We use Twitter and Facebook to help get our content out and interact with our customers, experts and peers. Some smaller social media networks and new apps are being tested by individual staff members but we still haven’t integrated them into our company marketing because we don’t have a place for them yet and that is OK.

Social media is exciting. It does level the playing field for some small businesses. It can be a great lead generation and relationship building tool. How you use social media tools is up to you and your business. Try to spend more time using what works for your company and less time following the social media hype.

photo credit: Dave_B_

I am a movie buff; to me there is nothing better than watching a movie that just pulls you in along for the ride. While watching the Oscars last night I got to thinking about all the pieces that come together to make a fantastic movie. Content for your website should be viewed in the same way; it is not something you throw on your website and hope people like it. For your website to win over an audience your content needs to be top in multiple categories.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

The award winning screenplay writer of “The Hurt Locker” was a reporter in Iraq who came back with the idea of writing about the men on the frontline of the war. He was able to tell a compelling, timely story using just a couple of hours of film time. When you are writing original content for your website keep in mind that not all content is king. To win in this category you need to go past the mediocre content and write something that is compelling and interests your audience. You have an even shorter time to engage your web audience than a screenplay writer has, so remember to always put quality above quantity.

Directing

Without a director to take control of a film, the full vision can never be realized. Someone needs to take charge to pull everything together. A director, like Kathryn Bigelow with “The Hurt Locker,” is involved with all aspects of a film. Having someone who is in the loop with all of your web content is important as well. You need to have a person who is always checking what goes on the site to make sure content is relevant, valuable, and consistent with the overall vision of the company.

Film Editing

“The Hurt Locker” swept at the Oscars not just because of the excellent screenplay and direction but also because of the quality film editing. Each scene in a film gets scrutinized in the post-production stage as editors pull everything together by deciding what to cut, where to put music, etc. With your website you should always be reviewing your content. If something is no longer relevant then cut it out. Any spelling mistakes or areas where you have incorrect information needs to be edited or it will bring down the professionalism of your company.

Visual Effects

One of the main reasons I went to see the award winning “Avatar” was because I heard the 3-D effects were absolutely stunning. While you should not be enticing viewers to visit your website just to look at pretty graphics and flash, you should include relevant photos, charts, and illustrations that benefit what you are saying in your content. If it is appropriate, video can also help you connect with your audience and keep them engaged with your website.

Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role

Supporting roles are as equally important to a film as the leading roles. The stellar performances of Christoph Waltz and Mo’Nique helped bring their movies to life. Optimizing your content over different supporting channels, such as email and social networks, gives your website the final push it needs to come out on top.

Actor/Actress in a Leading Role

The stars of a movie are what really make it shine. Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock brought their roles to life and made a unique connection with the story they were telling. On your website, connect to your audience by using content that shows your personality and authentic voice. This will create more long term relationships and dependable consumers.

And the Winner for Best Picture Is… Your Content Driven Website!

“The Hurt Locker” came away with the grand prize last night and your website can be a winner too as long as it provides great, compelling content that wins over your audience. Visitors to your site want to be helped, and if they find value in your content they will be more likely to come back when they have money to spend or a decision to make. You won’t have a shiny Oscar to show for all your hard work, but you can have a strong web presence along with a loyal audience!

photo credit: Express Monorail

After graduating from college I had the opportunity to move to Orlando, Florida and work at Walt Disney World Resorts as part of their College Program. Shortly after being hired to work for “the mouse”, you are required to attend a top secret orientation. This is when you learn the ins and outs of the Disney culture and you truly get a sense of why Disney is one of the best brands in the world.

Now, as I think about web strategy on a daily basis, I have noticed that I apply a lot of what I learned from working at The Hollywood Studios Theme Park to the way I think about websites. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you everything I know about Disney, but I’m sure some of what I can disclose you may have never noticed before.

Here are some things that I learned while working at Disney that I have applied to web strategy.

Personalization

At Disney, cast members are told that whenever they get a chance to talk to a guest, to use their first name. You know those Mickey ears that all the kids wear while they are on their Disney vacation? Well, most parents embroider their children’s names on the back, unknowingly giving cast members an opportunity to personalize an experience for the child. “Hi Johnny, are you having a fun day today? What was your favorite ride so far?”

Personalization can go a long way, but it isn’t just about saying someone’s name, it’s about thinking about how you can reach out and create something specific to an individual or small group of people. Landing pages are a great chance to personalize an experience for your user. Offering specified content, possibly based on a keyword a person has typed into a search engine or a campaign you are running, allows you to gear certain parts of your website to specific people or groups.

Keep it Clean

Have you ever noticed that you can’t buy gum anywhere on Disney property? Do you know why? It’s because gum is messy and people tend to spit it on the ground or stick it under a table when it loses its flavor. There are also trash cans within about 25 feet of each other. It’s a joint effort in keeping the park clean; all cast members are required to learn and participate in the “Disney scoop.” This means, if there is trash on the ground you are to walk past it and discreetly bend down and pick it up. Guests don’t tend to notice how clean the park is, but you also don’t hear any complaints about how much trash is on the ground either. The same goes with websites, users may not ever leave your site saying, “That was a clean, glitch-free site” but they will notice poor site design and issues they have with usability.

Flow & Navigation

With so many people traveling through the park on a daily basis, the flow of traffic is extremely important. Maps are available at multiple places on the property, signs and arrows are used to direct traffic, and the parks use information boards to inform guests about wait times as to not clog traffic. Whenever you go to a show at any Disney Theme Park a cast member will signal to you which way they want you to enter and exit.

Navigation and controlling flow is vital to usability on a website; users need to be able to easily get to the information they are seeking. Plus, if designed properly, you can do some of the directing yourself by funneling users to specific places you’d like them to visit using calls to action on your website.

photo credit: hz536n

Bus? Boat? Monorail?

At each of the theme parks there are multiple points of entry. All guests are not driving their car and parking for the day, they are coming at different times from a variety of places. These different modes of transportation throughout the park encourage guests to visit more than one park in a day. Make it easy for users to find your site by offering multiple points of entry to your website. Use links within your email newsletter, Facebook page, and Twitter tweets to lead people back to your site. Optimize your website for search engines so that users are easily led to your website to find the resources they are seeking.

“The Happiest Place on Earth”

It’s no doubt that Walt Disney World is known for being one of the best places to spend a family vacation. However, that idea didn’t happen overnight, it took years of consistently going above and beyond people’s expectations to earn that reputation. The same goes for your website, you need to consistently offer great content to your visitors packed with relevant keywords for your website. If you do that, over time, both visitors and search engines will deem your site as reputable.

A mouse’s work is never done…

Sometimes when you’re visiting Disney, you may notice that certain rides or events are “Closed for Refurbishment.” That’s because Disney understands that there is always room for improvement. Many upgrades stem from feedback and even complaints from guests.  However, Disney always takes an active approach in enhancing guest experience by assessing what works and what doesn’t work for guests and making proper adjustments. Your website shouldn’t just sit on the web to become stale, it should evolve over time. You should consistently evaluate where you are in relation to the goals you’ve set for your website and make modifications to better meet the needs of your users.

There are many other examples I can think of where I have applied what I learned at Disney to the way I think about web strategy. The most important point I can make is that Disney puts emphasis on guest experience. In all decisions made, whether it is to refurbish a ride or add a new sign, Disney does so for the best interest of the guest. That is the way your web strategy needs to be approached. Ask yourself – Does the user need this? How will it benefit them? What content will be of value to them? How can I make my website fit the needs of my clients? You may not be creating magic like Disney does, but you are creating an experience for your web users and you want to leave them with the best impression possible.