netspeed_article

Branding@NetSpeed™

The second in a series of articles on using the Internet as a brand positioning and management tool.

Is Your Internet Site A Brand Positioning/Management Tool Or A Corporate Data Dump?

You don’t know me, but since I fit the description of your target market, you can make an educated guess about my;

Age,
Willingness to adopt new technology early,
Familiarity with the internet,
Socio/economic level,
Education level, and
Comfortability with purchasing goods and services through the Internet.

If you’re good, and your company has done your homework, you also know the;

Major factors that play into my decision to buy a product in your category, and
How your products or services compare to the competition – from my perspective (as your target customer).

As a result, you have enough information to determine how your product or service represents value to me – the potential customer, even if you don’t know my name.

You may not know that I just came into the market for your product or service, yesterday. Something in my life or career created a need only I know about.

Targeting me with direct mail is out of the question. I don’t show up on the right mailing list anywhere (regardless of what the list-broker says). Radio and television are too expensive to run in my market for your product.

Any P-R done pro-actively in advance, and your new weapon---the Internet—may be your only solutions to reaching me, now, while I’m in the buying cycle. This cycle may well set you up to be my provider of choice over time in this category ----the brand that deserves my loyalty --- if you manage this new relationship well.

Something else: Customers in your target want answers now. They need solutions immediately, if not sooner. At times even e-mail is too slow.

How can you respond, if at all, when you don’t know me, or how to reach me?
How can you represent your brand and move me from interest, to purchase, to loyalty?
How can you build a branded relationship with an individual customer who’s name you don’t even know?

Today, most companies have embraced the Internet, but few of them have given serious thought (or effort) to its brand management power. Ironically, many of these companies don’t even effectively use the Internet as a marketing tool at all. Instead, it has become the company data dump! Managing the brand through the Internet is more important today than any other single medium.

As the targeted new customer, I’m looking for information. I know the Internet is vast. And I know I’ll have to search some to find the answers. But once I locate your site, what will you do to manage the flow of that information, and streamline my navigation to the information that will help me the most.

When I get to your site, I want the answers to be

Fast, Focussed, Flexible, & Fun.

Fast.My time is at a premium. I’m not willing to drill down 37-levels to reach a paragraph about one aspect of your product program or service. I want to move quickly to a section that addresses all of the key drivers that I will consider in my purchase decision. I expect the company to provide a wealth of information in those key BrandFactors™ that will steer my decision. Anything less will be frustrating and negative.

Focussed. I’m looking for a path of least confusion to arrive at my information destination. I don’t want read a site map to discover how to get there. In fact, I expect that as experts in providing this product or service, you will give it enough prominence on your site to be highlighted. I want the information focussed on what I’ll need to know to compare, not confused with content overload on aspects that are meaningless to my decision. (Remember, if the company has done the homework, they know the difference.)

Flexible. Even though I want the information focussed, I may want to consider it from several different angles. In some cases, I may want the option to configure a solution on my own, to arrive at the best conclusion. I may also value he option to gather different pieces of this information into a final document that will serve my purposes as I represent this potential purchase to an internal group at my own company.

Fun. Increasingly I begrudge the time requirements of the Internet even though I agree it also saves me time. But increasingly I spend far too much time in front of the screen. Can you manage that part of my experience? I’m not looking for the diversion of a video game, or a 20-question pop-quiz. I don’t have time to take part in your survey….at least not now. Fun may be as simple as how you name certain parts of your site, the visual appeal of your graphics, and the choices (keep them within reason) that you allow me to make AFTER I find what I came to retrieve.

My requests are simple, but my mission is critical.

When I’m gone again, how will your organization answer these ten questions about managing the brand experience through your website;

Were we easy to find?
Were we quick to navigate?
Did we provide the information most critical to the target market’s buying decisions?
Was this information deep and complete?
Could the customer simulate anything about the future experience with us?
Was the experience enjoyable or fun……or was it BOOOOOORING!!!!!!!!?
Did we manage the next step in the purchasing cycle
If they ever decide to come back, will it be possible (or likely) without saving the site address to a favorites list on the users computer?
Is our site geared toward providing information pertinent to key stakeholders, or have we created a corporate data dump?
Are we managing the key BrandFactors™, or simply trying to be all things to all people/ Is our site serving anyone really well? Is your website a brand positioning/management tool or corporate data dump?

While you may not be allowing the customer to make a direct purchase from your website, you are always directing the ultimate purchase decision. Your website is contributing to the customer’s database about you and your products, programs or services. Yes, even when you don’t know the customer’s name.

D. Wendal Attig
Phone: 727/468-9440