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Today's Tools Are
Tomorrow's Touchstones
by Michel Fortin
In a world divided by computer
screens, human interaction is probably the most lacked element of the
Internet. Of course there are chat programs and discussion lists. But when
a customer wants to buy a product, there is no live person upon whom the
customer can rely in order to get immediate answers to specific questions,
especially a person who will pay exclusive attention to that customer's
unique set of individual needs, preferences and wants.
Pundits claim that this Tsunami we call the Internet, which is now
sweeping across the entire marketplace, will eventually destroy the
brick-and-mortar retail environment. Others predict that shopping malls,
obtrusive retail clerks and clogged mall parking lots will become extinct.
This is not entirely true.
We are edging toward the "high-tech/high-touch," according to futurist
John Naisbitt's book "Megatrends."
In other words, the more the buying experience will become automated the
more people will crave human interaction. Renowned psychologist Abraham
Maeslow illustrates this core, fundamental desire all too well with his
pyramid of human needs.
Maslow states that the foundation of all human needs consists of first and
foremost survival needs, followed by safety needs. Once the need for food,
oxygen and water is filled, then comes the need for clothing, lodging and
security. However, next in line is the need for social interaction --
e.g., love, affection and belonging (http://www.connect.net/georgen/20maslow.htm).
Like it or not, we are social animals -- and the web can never change
that.
While the ebusiness may reduce costs and
automate the buying experience, the need for individual attention and
interaction will always remain a driving force in commerce. In his book "Hyper
Wars: 11 Strategies for Survival and Profit in the era of Online Business,"
Bruce Judson spells out this basic human need clearly (http://www.growyourprofits.com)
for business owners, while at the same time offering an important warning.
Judson claims that, while the web will not overthrow the retail
establishment completely, offline retail outlets most likely to suffer the
wrath of the Tsunami are those that currently do not offer a personalized
shopping experience. In other words, webless brick-and-mortar businesses
that transact without the need for some kind of human intervention will be
the ones at risk of becoming extinct. However, ebusinesses are not
excluded.
Obviously, the Internet simplifies both business and buying processes. In
addition to cost savings and profit potential, the decreased need for
employees makes ecommerce terribly attractive. But one thing remains: The
social animal begs for attention. And it is likely that, as time goes on,
those ebusinesses that will suffer the same fate as their brick-and-mortar
gemini will be those that forget the customer in the buying experience.
Relationship marketing, ezine publishing and personalization are a few of
the many business tools that are growing in popularity. Why? Because
cyberspace is cold and faceless. And based on Naibitt's prediction the
need to develop solid relationships with customers and at the same time to
become more interactive with them will also continue to increase.
Therefore, the use of such tools will parallel that of business automation
technologies.
Granted, personalization is not entirely
essential now. But if current trends are any indication (such as the
continual increase in online population and competition, and the
overwhelming nature of information on the web), personalization will thus
give the ebusiness more than a simple winning edge -- it will inevitably
become a weapon in the survival of the web's fittest.
An example of this growing tendency is the fact that web sites using
opt-in mailing lists, CGI or ASP scripts, databases and cascading style
sheets (for content personalization) are fast becoming industry standards.
Consequently, sites consisting of plain, static HTML code will be crushed
by those now taking advantage of such tools. In fact, another example is
the recent emergence of personalization products and services, such as:
http://www.arialsoftware.com
Dylan Tweney at
http://www.tweney.com, author of the popular column "Net Prophet,"
takes a thorough look at personalization technologies and their much
needed role in today's lagging online customer service. Commenting on the
pitfalls of stereotyping on the web, Tweney states: "On the Internet, it's
possible to know each customer individually -- or at least to give the
appearance of doing so -- through the use of personalization
technologies."
A recent Business Week article, "How
Personalization Keeps Online Buyers Coming Back," explains:
"Personalization techniques have matured beyond the basic collection and
analysis of consumer data, from pages that users customize themselves to
creating sites that give users a unique, personal experience and level of
service that can't be mirrored in local malls" (read it at
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/july1999/nf90720a.htm).
The folks at Andromedia and Sun Microsystems seem to agree. Along with iXL
and statistics giant Jupiter Communications, they've recently put together
a free cross-American seminar, entitled "Personalize or Perish." According
to a recent ad for the event (see
http://www.andromedia.com/personalize/), they claim that, "Within
a year, ninety percent of all ecommerce sites will use personalization to
increase online sales."
In the end, it is fair to conclude that personalization and its role (if
not its importance) still remains the subject of much debate. But without
some of the most basic Internet marketing tools, such as ezines, scripts
and even simple, good customer service, static web sites that fail to be
interactive with their users will eventually fall the way of the
dinosaurs.
About the Author
Michel Fortin, of
http://SuccessDoctor.com/,
is a marketing professor and a highly sought-after consultant whose advice
has helped countless clients earn millions in record time. His latest
book, "Power Positioning Dot Com," reveals how to keep your business or
product indelibly carved into your prospects' uppermost consciousness at
all times -- see
http://successdoctor.com/pp/. |
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