Growing your business with Smart Technology : Part IV
March 18th, 2008The Internet is still an adolescent in terms of years, but it seems to be growing up faster and faster every week. The rise of social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Linkedin & Bebo are proving that people want to connect to each other for all sorts of reasons.
You may have heard of the sites above. The reality is that these sites have been around for many years and have recently gotten into the mainstream press. Other, newer services, such as Twitter, Yahoo! Pipes, Google Android, OpenSocial, Ribbit are still in their ascendency within the technology sector and have not as yet crossed over to the mainstream like the others - but they do offer a glimpse of what is coming our way. Especially when you look at the hype and phenomenal success of mobile phone / PDA’s such a the Apple iPhone.
So what is coming our way and what should we be thinking about 2-3 years out?
The Web is currently whats in its 2nd stage of life - often called “Web 2.0″ and it represents the social / networking nature of the web. ie. You can find out just about any information on any product available for sale today. Not only that but you can actually read literally thousands of reviews on each of those products from people all over the world. We are no longer limited to what the marketing department of that product manufacturer wants us to know but are able to hear from real users.
Businesses too are being subjected to this peer review model. If a famous high street chain launches a product / service which isnt up to scratch them in a short period of time - people usually get to hear about it. You only have to take a look at the comments / reviews on Amazon to see where this is heading for all types of products & services going forward.
That means than any business anywhere in the world is soon going to be under the spotlight with regard to customer reviews. This is great news for businesses which really do mean “The customer is always right” or “Always put the customer first” but for those customers who continually look at the bottom line and cut corners in intangible areas such as customer service are going to be in for a rude awakening as revenue starts to dry up.
The next phase of the Internet (which you would expect to be called “Web 3.0″ but is actually being bounded around as the “Semantic Web” in technology circles) is all about the computer understanding what you want and showing the relevant information only. eg. If you are a consumer looking for “a quality chauffeur or coach operator” then it needs to understand what makes up “quality” and why you would be interested in certain reviews pertaining to poor or great service from previous consumers.
So what should you be doing?
First and foremost, you should be aware of where these trends are going?
Then you need to ensure that your web presence and customer relationship processes are locked down and are continually being improved. Make sure your website is professional (as in created by a professional and not timmy from the end of the road). Make sure you have all of your contact information easily and readily available.
By focusing on delivering a quality product / service at a decent price, revenue and profitability will undoubtedly look after itself.
We at TravelManager, understand the Internet and where it is going. If you want to take advantage of our knowledge simply sign up for an account or contact us for how best to ensure that you are ready for the next phase of the Internets growth.
Regards
Mike
