Inside Marketing

Beware of Innovation

The word that is.  Recently I went on a printer's web site that claimed innovative service.  Well said, but was it believable?  Not if you looked at the rest of the web site surrounding the words. 

• The copy had been written for a long shelf life and had not been updated in a few years or months. 
• The pictures were pale (innovation would imply vibrancy to me), and the photos showed presses. Perhaps they were innovative presses, but from the customer's perspective, who can say?
• There were no innovative aps -- pages flipping, audio files, video.
• There was no interactivity -- not even one form to fill out, or "contact us" button -- and those aren't really very interactive.

In short, the web site was nothing more than words on the screen, reflecting the printers penchant for putting words on paper, but little else.

So here's the question:  Who are you marketing to anyway?

If it's a potential customer (as one would hope), the word "innovative" has to reflect what it means in customers' minds and has to have some teeth behind it. Before you claim to be innovative, it would be nice to know exactly how the customer defines it, but you don't have any more time to wait. Start getting info from customers, but meanwhile -- tomorrow -- start updating your web site.  It's hard to claim "innovative" anything if you don't even have an innovative "skin", or web site.  It's a basic just like having a modern building with running water.  And, it doesn't have to cost you a small fortune.  Just like flat screen TVs, iPhones and all other technically wizardry, web programming and design has also become more affordable. Go get you some -- technical wizardry that is.

~ Rhona Bronson

Getting Found

Today I saw a banner ad on a web site that was borderline profound.  It said " Be Found Before They Start to Search," or something close to that. The message was simple.  The challenge is not about being found. It's about having customers who never look for anyone else but you.

Once customers start to search, the gig is up.  You're already a commodity.  One of many competitors who need to stand out to attract a customer. A better game plan is to be so solidly entrenched with a customer that he or she would never fathom to look around for anyone else. 

In the web 2.0 world, you constantly hearing about search optimization.  It's true that customers more and more use the web to find vendors, but it's also true that great partners, vendors and suppliers are not a commodity and are not searched for as if the customer were looking for a local plumber or lawn care service.  Once they are looking for you on Google, you have been relegated to lawn service status. 

Bottom line:  Graphic arts and printing companies are more special than that.  Let's be found long before a customer starts searching.

~ Rhona Bronson