Many years ago now (and we are talking back in the 20th century here) I started doing web design. I learnt HTML, Javascript, ASP and every other acronym you could possibly imagine before even the dot com crash. Back then it was the most forward thinking industry to be involved in and back then I really loved it.
Roll forward ten years. Websites are now as essential (and as prevalent) as business cards. The days of being one of the ‘select’ who could build a website (in Notepad no less) are long gone – children learn how to do it at school, you can download free templates and buy sites for pocket change. However, even more interesting is not the fact that websites have become a commodity, but the actual impact of such websites.
Back in the late 1990’s, what a company said on their website was gospel. The company site was the choice of destination for anyone who wanted to find out about the company. The ‘News’ page (if it was kept up to date…) gave the latest on what was happening, and the About Us page told you all you needed to know about how good the company was and how revolutionary their widgets were. Although I no longer am involved in web design or creation, friends and colleagues of mine who still are lament over the fact that they deal with companies today, in 2008, who haven’t really moved on from the turn of the century ethos.
Do people pay attention to websites any more?
If you look at some of the statistics that Andy Beal discusses, there is a fairly obvious trend. 80% of adults are more likely to buy on recommendation from friends or family, 52% prefer to get their information from someone like them and 90% of consumers trust recommendations from others. Essentially, what is happening is a loss of trust in the direct word of the seller, and a decisive shift towards third party trust. However, aside from some rudimentary testimonials (which, more often than not nowadays are viewed as being fabricated), a company website doesn’t offer that kind of information.
It is because of this shift that people are looking at other sources to help them make choices. Blogs, which really do offer latest news are eclipsing company news pages. Review sites or third party blogs have made the testimonial page almost redundant. And what people say about a company within their network, either to their face or via social media, says more to the potential customer than what the company says about themselves.
Are design, Flash animation or static pages worth the investment?
As such, spending vast sums of money on a Flash website with an intricate design and beautifully crafted pages of text may end up being money washed away. Because if a search for your company brings up 10 results which are from third parties (which are regarded as inherently more trustworthy than you are) and all of those results say that it really isn’t worth buying your widgets due to bad personal experiences with your organisation, many people won’t even bother looking at your fantastic Flash animation. And even if they do, chances are it probably isn’t going to convince them, especially if what you say on your website is completely incongruent to what the recommendations (or lack thereof) say.
Can we dispense with the company site altogether?
So where does that leave the good old company website? Is it going to be relegated to the past along with cassettes and video tapes, discussed over a beer with a laugh and a ‘I remember when…?’ Well, no. I don’t think it is as dire as that. There is no doubt that every company needs some kind of web presence, even if it be a site to provide contact details and all the necessary details that people will want after they have read the fantastic reviews about you. The thing that has changed, however, is that your website is no longer an end unto itself. There is no way you can think that just by plopping a site on a server somewhere, you’ve adequately tipped your hat to the internet and you don’t have to do any more. Suddenly, the goal posts have shifted – a lot. You are better off investing a little more time and money in ensuring that your reputation is the best it can be, and the recommendations are glowing, than you are commissioning and flashy animated introduction.
Of course, do feel free to disagree with me…
Thank you to Toshio for the image
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Tags: Online Reputation
