A fascinating study by Canadian researchers published in the latest issue of Behavior and Information Technology revealed that aesthetic judgements made within 1/20th of a second determine whether a web user remains on a website or leaves immediately.

Source: Reuters News (http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyid=2006-01-17T203950Z_01_N17291661_RTRUKOC_0_US-SCIENCE-CANADA-WEBSITES.xml&rpc=22).

In less time than it takes to blink, a person will instinctively respond to the visual design of a web page. But what I found really significant about this study is that researchers were unable to identify any common criteria which determined people's responses.

In the interview with Reuters (quoted above), Professor Lindgaard at the University of Carleton, Ottawa stated:

"When we looked at the web sites that we tested, there is really nothing there that tells us what leads to dislike or to like."

"If design were reducible to a set of principles, wouldn't we find an awful lot of similar houses, gardens, cars, rooms?" said Lindgaard. "You'd have no variety."

Internet marketers are, for good reason, obsessed with identifying what makes a successful website. Advanced web analytics and tracking technology have enabled web visitor behaviour to be translated into a set of web design principles - often packaged up and sold to businesses as the 'holy grail' for achieving Internet wealth.

The aggressive promotion of these so-called 'insider secrets' of Internet marketing have indeed led to the equivalent of the explosion of anonymous, impersonal, mass housing of the 50's and 60's. Literally hundreds of thousands of e-commerce sites have been created based upon a handful of Internet marketing gurus' marketing systems.

Such an approach to website design can only ever be short-sighted. I know from talking to many people that I am not alone in feeling thoroughly tired of landing on a website for the first time and being sold the same tired, cheap marketing patter that I've seen a thousand times on other websites. I may still purchase from the site if they sell the product I want at the right price, but this is in spite of their sales pitch rather that because of it.

Designing a website according to some kind of universal set of principles is a scientific approach to design. If that isn't a contradiction in terms, the recent research supports my view that it is in fact bad science.

If I attempt to reduce my understanding of human behaviour to a 'formula for success' the result is all too often that I create a website that fails to communicate an original, authentic message. At its very worst, such websites become a manipulative, impersonal and divisive exercise in getting you to part with your credit card details. In short, they lack soul and fail to communicate the personality and values of the company or organisation.

I am not suggesting that we ignore statistics and our understanding of psychology when designing a website. A common sense approach to web design is required. But neither should we be tricked into believing that there is some universal web marketing system that will guarantee success, no matter what product or service you sell.

Instead, a realistic, long-term web marketing strategy requires addressing each business and its website's visitors as being unique. No two businesses are the same and neither are its customers. Developing an on-line marketing strategy and website for any business requires creative thinking, strategic planning and a deep understanding of the business itself. This is why I developed what I call e-Mentoring - an approach to web marketing that involves working in depth and intensively with a company in order to co-create a tailor-made on-line strategy.

The science within such an approach is to analyse and interpret the behaviour, needs and aspirations of a company's unique website audience and customers. Such an approach requires a lot of testing, customer surveys, and constant optimisation of the website.

What works for one site has often proven to be ineffective for another, so I am constantly required to keep an open mind when designing a new on-line marketing strategy and must refuse the temptation to follow some kind of 'paint by numbers' approach.

This is, by necessity, a more time-consuming approach and adopts a more long-term, sustainable approach than the fast-buck Internet marketing culture that we've experienced over the past 10 years.

Simon Bowen, fluidstate.com

Posted by Simon Bowen at 10:37 AM | Permalink

Ethical, principle-based business practices which put people before profit are becoming the founding principles for many progressive business leaders. It puzzles me therefore that comparatively little attention is yet to be given to ethical Internet business practices - especially since the ‘Net is perceived by many people as an extremely low-trust environment.

I recently discovered Shel Horowitz’s project called Principle Profit (http://www.principledprofit.com) which includes a pledge which business leaders can sign up to. I’ll check this out in greater detail and report my findings in a future post.

Reading Shel’s pledge led me to consider the following question…

What are the core principles which would constitute ethical business practices specifically for e-Businesses?

Here are the basic ethical principles upon which I consider Internet businesses need to operate:

WRITE HONEST SALES PITCH
Avoid using manipulative, untruthful and/or deceitful sales copy. A big subject that I will also cover in future posts!

CHECK THE EFFICACY OF WHAT YOU SELL
Sell only products and services that are not harmful to people, animals or the environment, including the supply and manufacturing process.

SAFEGUARD YOUR VISITORS’ PRIVACY
Protect your visitors’ privacy and make sure their data is transmitted and stored securely. This includes the correct use of secure server certificates, payment gateways and cookies.

PUBLISH YOUR COMPANY VALUES
Allow your visitors to read about your company’s ethics policy, values and mission statement. Let them decide for themselves if they want to do business with you.

DO NOT SPAM
Do not resort to spamming of any kind. Comply with the CANSPAM Act of 2003 even if it is not enforced within your country.

PUBLISH PROPER LEGAL STATEMENTS
Publish proper terms and conditions, privacy statements and other legal material that ensure that your visitors and customers are aware of their rights and the terms under which they will do business with you. Have this material checked over by a qualified lawyer.

PROVIDE QUALITY SUPPORT
This means having a physical address, e-mail, phone and fax number where people can reach you and being available to support for your customers.

USE ETHICAL SEO TECHNIQUES
Use ‘white hat’ search engine optimisation techniques. This will be covered in greater detail in future posts. For now, here’s a link to a useful blog post called ‘Ethical Search Engine Optimization’ by James Archer http://www.returnofdesign.com/81/ethical-seach-engine-optimization.html

AVOID HIDDEN CHARGES
Make your prices transparent and fair. That means no hidden shipping charges, unexplained handling fees or deceitful pricing practices.

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHO YOU LINK TO
If you operate a link directory or have banners or other ads on your website check that the companies that you link to are also abiding by the same ethical code as you.

BE A RESPONSIBLE EMPLOYER AND CONTRACTOR
If you employ staff or use sub-contractors make sure that you provide fair pay and working conditions that conform to at least the minimum statutory requirements in your country. Use proper legal contracts, pay your bills on time and treat everyone with whom you do business with respect and fairness.

USE ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND PRACTICES
This includes conserving energy in your workplace (heating, lighting, computers), minimising on paper waste, recycling wherever possible (paper, computers, ink cartridges, etc) and avoiding unnecessary packaging (especially plastic) when packing orders.

GIVE SOMETHING BACK
Tithe at least 10% of your profits to charity. If you prefer, or if your profit levels won’t allow for it, donate your time and skills instead by supporting a project that is worthwhile.

Simon Bowen, fluidstate.com

Posted by Simon Bowen at 03:56 PM | Permalink

On-line consumers want to do business with companies that have a solid reputation -- companies they can trust and who have proven themselves by delivering on their promises. This is reinforced when a company has a bricks-and-mortar presence and a human face to the business.

Here's the evidence...

According to research firm Hitwise (http://www.hitwise.com) the following sites comprise the Top 10 on-line retailers in the UK in December 2005:

1. eBay UK 32.38%
2. Amazon UK 6.27%
3. Argos 2.03%
4. Play.com 1.62%
5. Tesco.com 1.39%
6. Kelkoo United Kingdom 1.33%
7. Dell Europe 0.90%
8. Amazon.com 0.83%
9. Comet UK 0.64%
10. Currys 0.63%

Source: Hitwise.com, posted on http://www.netimperative.com/2005/12/21/Top_20_shopping

4 out of the 10 top Internet retailers in the UK have capitalised on their bricks and mortar presence in high streets. Companies such as Argos, Currys, Comet and Tescos established their credibility through traditional retailing - long before the Internet was even heard of. They have successfully shifted to e-commerce, building upon their household name and the reassurance offered to shoppers who know they can also receive personal, face to face service in their local store whilst having the convenience of being able to order on-line.

Demonstrating that you are a bona-fide company who people can trust is vital for your on-line success. You may not be able to take on the big-guns, but there is still plenty of money to be made and success to be enjoyed.

If your business has a bricks and mortar presence, consider how you can strengthen the ties between this and your website. You need to reassure your web visitors that you are a real business with real people.

One of my most successful small business clients, Kolbjørn Borseth of Aromantic (http://www.aromantic.co.uk), has built a solid reputation in the UK as one of the leading natural skin care experts. Aromantic's headquarters is an ex-undertakers building in a side street in the town of Forres in the far north of Scotland. Not exactly a major high street presence! However, their website is set to exceed £270,000 in sales this year and pays testimony to Kolbjørn's commitment in appearing at trade shows and exhibitions across the UK, as well as the many courses that he runs.

Kolbjørn is the friendly, human face behind his business. He is accessible to his customers. Visitors to Aromantic.co.uk call the office and are often able to get a direct line to his desk. Having on many occasions attempted to convince Kolbjørn that he needs to be less accessible to his customers, I have now learned that his accessibility is a key USP of Aromantic.

I am a firm believer that good people - people whom Stephen Covey (see "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People") would describe as embodying Character Ethic - make good business people. People implicitly trust them, and as anyone involved in marketing knows - establishing trust is at least 50% of the battle won.

Consider where your Character Ethic exists within your company. Who are your key staff who customers trust and like to talk to? Who is the friendly face of your company?

Now look at the following 8 ways that you can build trust by revealing the human face of your business via your website:

1. ADDRESS YOUR WEBSITE AUDIENCE IN THE FIRST-PERSON

Write your website copy in the first person, penned from the hand of the person who represents the friendly face of your business. If they are not talented at copy writing have this ghost written by a professional copy writer, but make sure it is authentic and reflects their voice and values. Authenticate your copy by including a scan of the person's signature at the end of each page.

2. BE SEEN & HEARD

Include photographs of your key staff and your premises. Consider making a short 'talking heads' video or audio of you introducing your website. Set up some on-line seminars or discussions and invite a small number of guest participants. Use the latest version of Skype (http://www.skype.com) in conjunction with a software tool called Pamela (http://www.pamela-systems.com/) to record these calls as MP3s which can then be turned into podcasts as well as being accessible from your website.

3. BE REACHABLE

Allow your customers to reach you. If your schedule is tight, set up a monthly on-line chat appearance or tele-conference (see 2). Set aside time each month to personally contact important customers. If possible allow each team member to have a direct line and email address. If you have limited time for taking calls consider setting aside a regular time slot when people can reach you and publish these times on your website's contact page.

4. SET UP A BLOG

Blogging is a great way for your customers to get to know you better. Posting regularly (at least once a week) will give your website audience the feeling that you are 'in touch' with them. Keep your business blog professional but also warm and friendly. Make sure that your blog is integrated into your main website. I recommend using Movable Type (http://www.sixapart.com/) because of the design flexibility.

5. USE TEAM PROFILES

Consider including a 'meet the team' section on your website where readers can find out more about the people who are behind your business. Give your audience the chance to get to know who you are.

6. CONVEY YOUR MISSION STATEMENT AND VALUES

If you have a clear set of core values and mission/vision statement consider publishing these on your website. Embody your company's core values within every aspect of your communication strategy. Make sure that you do not contradict these values anywhere within your sales process and marketing strategy. Walk your talk!

7. USE INTERVIEWS

Ask one of your best customers to interview you and your staff. Run a short survey on your website and ask your audience what questions they would like answered. Be friendly, approachable and honest when being interviewed. Use this as an opportunity for people to get to know you and your company better. If you can be interviewed by the press, TV or radio seek permission to publish this material on your website.

8. GET OUT THERE

Take up any opportunities to attend conferences, speak at events and to be seen in the real world. Publish photos, videos and audio clips of these events on your website. Even if the majority of your website audience will not be able to attend these events you will have enhanced your credibility by having demonstrated that you engage in such real world activities.

Regards,

Simon Bowen, fluidstate.com

Posted by Simon Bowen at 12:34 PM | Permalink

Welcome to a brand New Year... and to a brand new blog!

The posts you’ll read in this blog at http://www.fluidstate.com are my offering for furthering an understanding of how Internet marketers and on-line business owners can employ highly successful on-line marketing strategies -- without resorting to what I call low trust tactics.

Marketing with integrity, using 'white hat' rather than 'black hat' techniques and being honest and ethical need not compromise your success. In fact it makes sound business sense. Furthermore, I predict that an emerging trend in e-commerce in 2006 and beyond will actually require that Internet marketers raise their game and exercise far greater integrity in the way they operate.

On-line businesses large and small need to understand that building a successful, sustainable on-line business means building trust and long-term relationships with website visitors and customers.

The question we all should ask ourselves, and one of the first questions that I pose to any potential new client is:

Are you committed to the long-haul, building a solid, sustainable business from the ground up?

For many small business owners with limited budgets, the idea of the 'long haul’ may sound daunting. There is a risk of having to run on empty for too long before decent profits start to be generated. Many so-called Internet marketing gurus pray on this anxiety, selling e-books, courses and software tools that promise incredible results, in next to no time and with little effort.

A few websites built around such big promises may still be generating decent profits - but they are the exception rather than the rule. And are the handful of successful websites likely to survive the shift towards a more mature Internet marketplace where consumers demand ever higher levels of security, integrity and customer service?

To follow are some underlying themes which will be vital to the long-term success of any on-line business in 2006 and beyond:

1. FIND YOUR UNIQUE VOICE

The average Internet shopper doesn’t want to be funnelled into a 'quick buck’ paint-by-numbers on-line marketing system. They expect a business to have its own unique identity, in keeping with its philosophy, principles and personality. What are your company's core values? Make sure that all aspects of your communication embody these values and reflect who you are and what you stand for.

2. BE CUSTOMER-FOCUSED

One of the great myths that the gurus have peddled over the past years is that we can all own on-line businesses that can be run almost entirely on auto-pilot. But for most business models, providing quality customer service and sales assistance has become a priority. Why? Because customers expect it! If you don't currently offer adequate support and sales assistance to your customers, put in place a plan to make improvements now.

3. UNDERSTAND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Some of the most high profile US based Internet marketing gurus have been responsible for teaching strategies that are culturally inappropriate for audiences outside of North America. The mix of 'buddy-style’ sales copy with hard-sell tactics is for example, mostly inappropriate for a UK, Japanese or European audience.

4. ACT WITH INTEGRITY

Integrity can be described as "Doing the right thing, even when nobody is looking". Avoid any techniques that undermine you and your company's good character. I'll cover this subject in greater detail in future posts. For now, just ask yourself honestly if every part of your current marketing strategy is completely ethical and honest. Make it a New Year's resolution to ditch any underhand or suspect techniques and replace them with more principle-based marketing methods.

5. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Here I am referring not only to your relationship with your customers and prospects, but also with your peers, business community and even your competitors. Few businesses flourish in isolation, so make it part of your agenda in 2006 to network, make connections and build up a base of trust and respect that will stand you in good stead in the future. Unexpected business opportunities will be sure to follow!

6. BE A REAL BUSINESS

People are understandably sceptical of websites which do not publish a real address or phone number. If you are running a virtual business, do what you can to make your business more legitimate. Register as a limited company, publish your company address on your website and have a real phone number where your customers can reach you. If you are on the road, use a YAC number (http://www.yac.com) or SkypeIN (http://www.skype.com/products/skypein/) to remain reachable.

7. OFFER ONLY WHAT IS OF TRUE VALUE

Don't sell anything you wouldn't buy yourself. Believe in the products or services you offer. Consider what you can offer that is truly unique and potentially valuable to your website visitors and customers. Instead of selling someone else's eBook on a commission basis, consider writing and publishing your own. Commit to clearing all that 3rd party junk and affiliate links from your website and base your income streams around selling authentic, original products and services.

8. RAISE YOUR STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE

Make a commitment to improve the quality of every aspect of your on-line strategy. Perhaps 2006 is the time for re-writing your sales copy, re-designing your logo and moving to a more reliable shopping cart system. Take more care and pride in each and every thing that you do.

9. GO THE EXTRA MILE TO SERVE YOUR CUSTOMERS

Where can you make that extra effort to serve your customers and distinguish yourself from the competition? Consider calling your best customers and wishing them a happy New Year. Say 'thank you' for their business by offering a discount on their next order. Practice random acts of kindness and caring. It's sound business practice and it will also make you and your customers feel good!

10. DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK

Last, but by no means least... ASK! If you don't know how to improve your service, set up an on-line survey and ask your visitors how you could improve your website (remember to offer an incentive!). Talk to your customers. Ask your staff if they have any ideas for how to make improvements and reward them if they are implemented. Don't be shy in asking for advice and support from those who may be able to help you.

Wishing you a successful, prosperous 2006 and beyond!

Simon Bowen, fluidstate.com

Posted by Simon Bowen at 02:17 PM | Permalink