The idea that a web site is the start to a conversation, that it is a stepping-stone process to get the user/prospect/customer to follow a path and take the actions you want them to, is right on the money.
Seth Godin, is offering his ebook, Knock Knock, as a free PDF download. It's a quick read and makes a lot of sense to anyone who's managing or building a web site.
Just to whet your appetite, here are a few of the other pithy things he has to say:
"A Web site must do at least one of two things, but probably both:
- Turn a stranger into a friend, and a friend into a customer.
- Talk in a tone of voice that persuades people to believe the story you're telling"
This is a fantastic way to summarize what online marketing interactions are all about. You see, company's that build Web sites that only push information to users, like a brochure, have no prayer of accomplishing either of those things. That's why interactive tools are key. In order to persuade someone to believe the story you're telling, you need to build a relationship with them.
He also makes a really key distinction about online experiences: "All of the cues people rely on to make decisions are muted online. There's no smell or touch or location. There's very little sound." He concludes his observation by stating, "It's hard to overestimate just how much these things matter."
Therefore, it's really key to determine how to replace those sensory experience with interactive tools and great messaging that evokes the feelings and responses you're trying to encourage. he also suggests choosing a tone that exceeds the tone of successful competitors. Huge concept. It's the words, the interactions. Okay, I'm repeating myself, but are you getting it?
Seth shares a lot of great insights in Knock Knock. Go download it now. Next week I'll talk about some of the tools that can deliver on the concepts he raises in the book. Cool stuff.
