Now that my awesome and totally reliable Saturn VUE is paid off, I realize there's no turning back -- I'm officially a financially responsible adult.

Ok, so I'm being melodramatic, but only to set up the premise for why I was checking out miniusa.com -- because I never had my, "that's financially stupid" moment all young people are supposed to have, (right?), such as buying a big-screen TV that doesn't fit in my house, or blowing every paycheck afforded by my first job out of college on some hot Audi that I treasure (while living on Ramen noodles and EasyMac as my sacrifice).

Anyway, I'm not about to jump on that stereotypical bandwagon, but I HAVE lately found my eye wandering to shiny new cars populating the beltway during my commutes. Particularly the European sporty numbers renowned for their handling and power. I imagine myself cruising in the mountains as the sun sets, windows down, wind whipping through my afro, and me feeling unusually free from my established adultness.

That all being said, I managed to find myself on miniusa.com, where I happened upon some crucial web writing that shouldn't go unnoticed.

Continue reading "MINI’s Website Makes Me Want a MINI"

Google just built a social media platform—and it’s not called Orkut.

By inserting a small snippet of code, Google’s new social media initiative, Friend Connect, will allow any web site to, "get social features up and running immediately without programming—picking and choosing from built-in functionality like user registration, invitations, members gallery, message posting, and reviews, as well as third-party applications built by the OpenSocial developer community."

The idea is to allow everyone, regardless of money or bandwidth, to integrate social interaction on their web site. I have a huge crush on Google.

In the words of Google’s director of engineering, David Galizer’s:

Google Friend Connect is about helping the ‘long tail’ of sites become more social. Many sites aren’t explicitly social and don’t necessarily want to be social networks, but they still benefit from letting their visitors interact with each other. That used to be hard. Fortunately, there’s an emerging wave of social standards—OpenID, OAuth, OpenSocial, and the data access APIs published by Facebook, Google, MySpace, and others. Google Friend Connect builds on these standards to let people easily connect with their friends, wherever they are on the web, making ‘any app, any site, any friends’ a reality.

Continue reading "Google to Unveil Friend Connect Tonight"

We’re all (too) familiar with the "This program has stopped responding" message when Windows decides to crash something. You know that little message that pops up after the error? The one that says "Report this bug?" What does Microsoft do with that information? Does it actually go anywhere? Does it suffer the same fate as Dwight’s complaints against Jim, stuck under Toby’s desk in a big trash bag? Or does that information actually help Microsoft debug and improve their OS/software?



The problem is, I have no idea what happens to that information. And that’s why I hardly, ever, hit "send." Why would I make the extra effort to contribute something if I have no idea if my contribution will matter? This, unfortunately, is an all too common error in customer service and marketing (which, I happen to think are one in the same). Companies, or inviduals for that matter, request user generated content with the promise that it will help "shape the future" or "make a difference," but what happens all those suggestions?

Continue reading "Liars! Why Talking to Your Customers Is So Important"

Tapping into your customers and your community to co-create content can be an excellent strategy for building engagement with your brand.

Let me emphasize the important word in that phrase: can.

Because sometimes, it just seems to go all wrong.

Like when Chevy invited customers to create their own Tahoe commercial, and people responded with taglines like, "$70 to fill up the tank, which will last less than 400 miles. Chevy Tahoe."

Unfortunately, CNN missed the lesson on how to appropriately work with communities to generate content with their new T-shirt generator that let’s fans create custom T-shirts out of real CNN headlines, or upload their "headline." CNN can now rest assured knowing that there are T-shirts in the wild proudly displaying the iconic CNN logo above the headline: "I prefer MSNBC."

Bonus points for the first person to submit a Viget headline to a CNN T-shirt.

[Update]

While there are plenty of great examples of excellent co-creation and customizing content, one of the newer entries to the field is Moleskine, who is offering customers an opportunity to upload their own design and have it laser engraved on their book. Perhaps altering the historic design of the Moleskine is an abomination to some, but others will no doubt find the personalization a wonderful enhancement to an already storied product. Great way to blend a strong brand with a personal touch.

DC has a strong buzz that’s fostering a growing tech environment in which Internet startups can thrive.  From the work and ideas being tossed around here at Viget, even at the micro level I am feeling the general buzz of new ideas, big wins, and an entrepreneurial spirit.* This morning’s panel discussion at Potomac TechWire hosted at the Ritz was exceptional commentary from some of the best in DC’s tech community. 

Continue reading "Potomac Tech Wire Internet Outlook ‘08 Recap"

This morning when I opened my reader I had a few folders that had the nice little “1,000+” number next to the folder. How, depressing. I began to read through the posts one by one and marking them off as ‘read.’ One hour later I hadn’t made a dent in that annoying little “1,000+.” By the way, thanks for putting that number in fire engine red because I wasn’t already aware how out of control it is. Anyhow, in each of the folders where said number appeared, it’s usually just one blog that is the culprit and it got me thinking....is it possible to blog too much?

I decided to ask the Google machine. Well, turns out I’m not completely off my rocker because the first search result was a post by Seth Godin entitled, “The Noisy Tragedy of the Blog Commons.” In that post, Seth laments the Tragedy of the Commons in relation to blogging. In a slight twist on the definition of the commons, Godin asserts that we’re actually over saturating people because we can.

I want to subscribe to blogs that make me wish for more; not blogs that make me wish they’d stop writing. I want a blog that is selective in it’s content; not a blog that publishes everything it can get its hands on related to it’s industry. I mean honestly, who has time to read 100 posts a day from one blog alone? I know I can tag my information, I know I can just scan headlines; but why not do the tagging for me? Why not scan the headlines for me? Why not produce only the best of the best content, and leave the rest for the pageview & blood thirsty ego-blogger? Obviously there are some exceptions--take TechCrunch or AdAge for example....and there are your friends blogs that you read because you care about your friends. But my favorite blogs are still those that censor information for me and tell me what I need to know.

I think the Microhoo situation was a good example. That was the shot heard round the blogosphere. Everyone wrote a post (if not multiple posts) regarding the takeover, but I read very few blogs that actually had something good to say. Perhaps people felt the pressure to write about it so as not be deemed irrelevant.

But therein lies the rub for me…

Continue reading "Is it Possible to Blog Too Much?"

Robert Hof had a very interesting article in Business Week that took a look at the numbers over at Google; but didn’t account for the why.  The statement that clicks on paid ads have flatlined did not mention the changes in display URL policy which has had a dramatic impact across the paid-search marketing industry.  It is undeniable that Google is the leader in search marketing.  They have obtained this position by providing the most consistently relevant results to their customers, and they have the same dedication when it comes to sponsored results.  This dedication played out most recently with the crackdown on display URLs.  Now, for those who don’t run paid search ads, let me explain.

Continue reading "Google Isn’t Floundering"

I’m currently enjoying a book entitled Now is Gone by Geoff Livingston. In this book, Livingston articulately brings to life much of what has been in my head as of late--and something I’ve been talking about with my colleagues as well.

Particularly: I’ve been thinking that social media marketing is the future of marketing--or as I called it in the title: relational marketing. I know I could get in some hot water for such a dogmatic claim; but hear me out.

By “Social media” I mean more than simply the tools of social media such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc. Rather, I am referring to something similar to Livingston’s definition:

“Social media...is the democratization and socialization of information as well as the tools to facilitate online conversations. To put it another way, it is the shift from one-way to two-way conversations.”

Marketing has long been seen as information distribution to your target audiences. We gather info, we (gently) shove it down the customer’s throat, and then we ask them to say thank you and hope they want seconds. I understand that’s a bit hyperbolic; but it does have some truth in it. For better or worse (I happen to think for better), that way of marketing is quickly dying. Livingston speaks to this by distinguishing “audiences” from “communities.” It may sound like he’s splitting hairs; but it actually constitutes an entire paradigm shift.

Picture the last movie you saw in the theater (hopefully it wasn’t Vantage Point). As part of the audience, what did you do? You watched and listened; you didn’t interact--and hopefully you didn’t talk. Your opinion had no bearing on the movie’s content as the movie was already edited and produced. Accordingly, you’re only job was to take it all in and perhaps afterwards give it two thumbs up or down.

What do communities do? They engage in dialogue. People in community shape one another. Their opinions and ideas influence those of the others around them.

To return to the movie analogy; as an audience member you have no say over the finished product. However, as part of the community who made the movie, you had complete say. You influenced, shaped and created the movie (and hopefully, it wasn’t Vantage Point).

Marketers no longer have the option of treating people like audiences because people no longer have to sit around and respectfully listen to their message. People have choices. With the democratization and socialization of information, why would I accept a final product that doesn’t work for me when I can go elsewhere and help build one? Why would I continue to watch TV commercials when I have TiVo? Why would I stay on your web site if I don’t like it? Why would I buy your product when I know there are 10 other better options for less money? Why would I listen to a canned message when I can speak directly with the creator?

As Livingston points out, marketers no longer have the option of not engaging in community dialogue. Dialogue is happening whether we like it or not. We can either close our eyes hope they’re saying good things about our products & company; or we can help shape the conversation through our participation--and in turn be shaped ourselves.

Mashable always seems to bring out the DC-area’s best social media crowd, and last night’s Mashmeet DC Remix was no exception. Hosted by Ogilvy’s 360 Digital Influence team and partnering with The Social Times, the event lived up to its remix name by throwing in a new programming twist from their previous networking events by showcasing several presentations in addition to the steady stream of business-card sharing and networking.

Streamed live online by JanMedia, Mashmeet gave Searchles, Voxant, Mixx, Lumifi, and Kluster an opportunity for lightning-round demos of their products and services. However, it was Kluster—fresh off their much-publicized demo at TED—that got the crowd talking. Kluster puts the “wisdom of the crowds” on steroids, allowing companies of all sizes to tap the masses for ideas on just about anything from logo design to problem solving, and then compensates with appropriate cash rewards for participants. As the web rapidly enables companies to better interact with their customers, look for these crowdsourcing services to really take off. In the meantime, Kluster’s creative approach and slick UI sets them ahead of the pack.

Despite audio issues with some of the presentations, and a few that could have benefited from some “gentle reminders” to keep it within their five-minute limit, the remix format was a welcome change to the standard networking event. The DC-area has some incredible up-and-coming talent, and I hope that the next Mashmeet DC focuses on showcasing more of the local emerging technology and entrepreneur leaders.

Did you know that you can essentially get free advertising on Google just by registering your business on Local Business Center? By doing so, your business may rank for local (and relevant) queries on Google via Google Maps.

But that is not all.

Google just rolled out a new feature that allows local businesses to be reviewed too. So, now client X or patron B might throw their two cents about your company into an easily accessible review linked off of Google.com.

That might scare you, encourage you to do better, or be fine because you are sure that people are happy with your business.

Think about it though, would you choose the business with outstanding reviews or the one with nothing to validate it? Similar to soliciting offline customer feedback, Google Map reviews are going to be key for any local business.

In sad news, my favorite Chinese food place in Falls Church - New Dynasty (previously on speed dial) - recently shut down. I wonder what would have happened if it had some reviews?

Even the most experienced web gurus are likely not “gurus” when it comes to some part of the web.  Ryan Carson, Director of Carson Systems, is a well-known web entrepreneur. His company has built such apps as DropSend and Amigo. Yet, it was only recently that he had an epiphany based on some friend’s advice about how to successfully market one of them online (DropSend).

Ryan’s situation is not uncommon. The web is complex enough that you can’t be an expert at everything. That’s why we have a staff of individuals who focus in one of the four areas we consider to be key to any web solution (strategy, design, development, and marketing).  They even specialize within those core areas.

For example, while our developers are not ignorant when it comes to design, we don’t ask them to create design compositions. They are not selecting color gradients and fonts or laying out page elements. They are good at writing code and that is what they do.

The take home for you is simple:  if you do hire a web agency or individual, make sure they can provide you with the expertise you need. Their response shouldn’t be, “Oh, sure, we can do that too.” Ensure that they actually have a specialist to help with your specific request. Ask questions about the backgrounds of their team members and other projects where they’ve done similar work.

There are lots of web folks who can do it all but, particularly as successful web strategies become more complex, only a few who can do it all well. Hiring by specialization will mitigate your risk of failure and provide you with more predictable (and positive) results.

Interesting to see the top 20 domains according to Compete.com, all with 20 million+ unique visitors in October:

As Richard at Read/WriteWeb points out, techie-slanted Alexa tells a different story:

1. yahoo.com
2. google.com
3. myspace.com
4. msn.com
5. ebay.com
6. amazon.com
7. youtube.com
8. craigslist.org
9. wikipedia.org
10. cnn.com
11. facebook.com
12. go.com
13. live.com
14. blogger.com
15. aol.com
16. microsoft.com
17. comcast.net
18. imdb.com
19. digg.com
20. flickr.com

In this FAQ, Compete explains why their data—based on 2 million users—is more accurate than Alexa’s.

Why doesn’t everyone just use Google Analytics so we can all share and compare the same data?