10. June 2010 by Frank Goad.

No one can do it all.

The title says it all. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about getting everyone on earth to come and peruse your site. The bad news is that you do have get the people who spend money with you to come to it, and that takes money. Sounds like you’re still at square one, doesn’t it? Let’s talk about this for a minute.

Remember this: The Internet isn’t free if you’re trying to get customers. If you are a customer looking to buy, then it costs less – yes, your customers pay, too. They have to pay for access (cable, wireless, etc.), buy a computer, pay for anti-virus software (you don’t need it if you don’t connect) and, above all, they “spend” their most precious commodity - time - looking for information, products and services. If you want them to visit your site, make it worth their time and money whenever they “stop by.” Always remember that a website is not a brochure and it needs updating often to offer real value.

The Internet is an advertising medium and advertising costs money. In the beginning it was a communications tool for computer scientists and geeky folk. Now it’s the backbone of international commerce and consumer choice. Just as you pay for brochures and magazine ads, you have to pay for Internet advertising. How so? Google AdWords, site construction, consulting on building traffic, and so on, all cost time and money. Even if you do it yourself, it’s not free. What do you make per hour? Every bit of time you spend building a website is an hour you’re not earning money.

Like any advertising, there are ways to keep the costs down, but you still pay and that’s the real point: Not investing properly in your Internet “properties” shows a poor return on whatever you spend. Consider these two scenarios:

A. Let’s say you spend $5,000 to get a really cool website built by your hotshot nephew. He’s been to tech school and can make it do some amazing stuff. Your site looks like a playground in a monitor. You launch it and, by using free Google Webmaster Tools, you find out hardly anyone is coming to it, and those who do barely hang around. There can be many reasons but, for this story, let’s go with the assumption your nephew is not trained in graphic design or visual communication techniques and knows less about advertising copy writing. Your website is the equivalent of a child’s picture book that’s really interesting at first, but soon loses its appeal. A major function of your site is to be an advertisement (and usually a cash register, too), and if function follows form or technique, you’ll likely be disappointed.

B. Let’s say you spend $500 to get a site built and, even though “it ain’t pretty,” the traffic is good … at first. You check the Google tools and see that you are way off your peak visits and dropping. You remember that you haven’t put any new content up since you posted the site. People have seen it and have moved on. Fresh content keeps them coming back. That’s why the major networks like CBS, CNN, The New York Times and myriad other sites do well - they keep fresh content coming. Even if it’s just a new weekly coupon, your loyal customers will keep checking.

These days, there are four groups that you really need to consider if you’re creating a new site or getting ready to revamp your current site:

1. Coders: Technical folks who build your site and make it work and connect. Websites are programs that display their results graphically.

2. Designers: If they’re good they guide visitor’s eyes where you want them to go. From my (long and sometimes bloody) experience, many designers aren’t good coders and vice versa (I’m going to get hate mail on that - sorry, but it’s true). A designer is trained in visual communication that’s art and graphics based, an important skill that isn’t inherent to web coding.

3. Search engine optimization (SEO) experts: Most coders say they know SEO, and some do, but it’s a sophisticated discipline that’s more like statistical research and psychological profiling. It’s darn near a black art at times, but there’s a real craft to doing it well and a marketing background is a real plus.

4. Content providers: You still need folks to write persuasive copy and figure out what people want. Your site is a lot like a magazine in that you want folks to read what’s there, look at the pictures and come back every “issue” through subscriptions. You might say, “We do videos.” Who writes your script? Whether read or spoken, it requires special skills to be compelling.

Are there people who do all these well? Sure, but they’re rare and their rates make many folks gasp. My strong suits are numbers two (design), and four (content creation). I provide content including advertising copy, strategy, graphic/art direction, feedback measurement systems and creative campaigns. I also am very well versed in visual communication, meaning I know how to guide the eye around the page to make sure they “get” the most important things.

I’m okay at search engine optimization issues but don’t hesitate to get help because it is critical to getting a great return on your investment and eyeballs on your site. How am I at coding and actually constructing a website? Lousy and I have no desire to do it because, well, I do other things much better.

Can you do all these things? Probably not, so be honest with yourself, move some money around in your advertising budget and get folks who know how to do these things. Remember that it’s an investment, not an expense. Given that around 97% of people go the Internet first to find products and services, it’s just smart business to do it right and ensure that they think of your site as a reliable place to go.

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8. June 2010 by Frank Goad.

They go at a bit of a premium over most other felt-tipped pens, but they’re selling well. I’ve seen their display pegs in stores empty many times. Why? I’m convinced it’s the brand more than the pen. Don’t get me wrong – I like them and think they’re worth the money.

The “creatives” I mentioned have had a long love affair with Sharpie permanent markers. Many use the permanent markers like the rest of us use any pen. Despite bleeding through pages, they faithfully keep one around. Is the rest of the world as enamored? Don’t know, but I do know artists who buy them by the box.

In a crowded market already filled with products that are just as good, and with many being cheaper, they jumped in and captured a healthy segment of pen sales, and THAT’S the power of branding.

The manufacturer has a good track record and has marketed the brand well. From collections of colors in varying point sizes to mini-markers for your key chain to highlighters, they’ve done great at imprinting a recognizable name on a variety of creatively conceived and well-made products.

Go to their website, (www.sharpie.com) and you’ll see special offers, news on their racing events, and art galleries of things folks have created with their markers. A cool one is a collection of mugs at a coffee shop all decorated with Sharpies. They’re doing the right things to keep the brand vibrant and continually build loyalty. Their website is fun and attractive to keep us coming back for new stuff. They even have a program to “upcycle” your used markers. 

Back to the Sharpie pen: First they introduced a black fine point version, then blue, then a pack with red, green, blue and black, and then a retractable Sharpie click pen. Now they’re introducing one with a metal cap that is close to half the body’s length and a grippy rubber “clutch” surface. One-by-one, they’ve introduced new product variations while emphasizing the brand’s art and doodling personality.

This demonstrates that customers own the brand because they:

• Play to their customer’s loyalties
• Understand how they use their products
• Engage them by exhibiting customer works
• Understand customer demographics, uses and feelings
• Create products based on expanding customer demands
• Continually find ways to promote the brand
• Most importantly, they never lose the playful attitude

They know what their customers like and channel their attitudes, perceptions and desires into products they’ll buy. If Sharpie wanted to attack the high end pen market that Mont Blanc, Waterman and Cartier occupy, credibility would take time in that prestige market, but they could do it.

Imagine this ad: A picture of a 24K gold Sharpie pen, cap on the end and the point exposed. It’s lying on a highly polished antique cherry desk replete with mother of pearl inlay. In the edges of the light are silver and gold accessories. The picture murmurs, “Rich people own this.” The pen lies on a glossy photo of a high-fashion model in an expensive Dior dress with the point aimed straight at the model’s face. Looking at the picture, we see … a mustache drawn on her lip. Whimsy, irreverence, luxury and doodling - they could pull it off.

They could blast into that territory with Waterman as a partner and have instant credibility. I think many folks would buy a prestige pen with Sharpie guts. You might say, “That’s like Rolex announcing, ‘We created a lower-cost line with Seiko movements.’” Sharpie has enough brand loyalty to make people giggle with delight every time they doodle a daisy during a stuffy meeting with a $100 pen; I don’t think Seiko has the same loyalty.

In the end, you must talk to your customers … a lot. Ask them simple questions like, “When you think of our store (company, etc.), what do you think of?” or, “What do you like best about us?” What products sell best? What gets the most inquiries and least returns?

Since they own your brand, find out what they think of it. Knowing that lets you serve up exactly what they want and create new products and services they’ll like, and that’s sharp business.

Posted in Branding, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, business relationships, relationships, Advertising, Frank, PR, The Long Tail, Marketing | Print | No Comments »