Internet

Are Web Sites Becoming Passe?

By Mark Evans in Social Media 5 Comments Tags: , , ,

In the past week, I’ve come across two though-provoking articles about the future of Web sites.

In AdAge, Pete Blackshaw asks whether we still need Web sites given the growing corporate use of Twitter, Facebook and “cool” applications.

Jay Baer, one of the most thought-provoking people in social media, suggests Facebook is killing Web sites. He declares that:

“Like print newspapers, basketball players under 6 feet tall, and the McRib sandwich, the website as we know it will soon be a thing of the past – a quaint reminder of the original Internet era.”

So, the question is whether Web sites are doing the way of the dinosaur? With social media becoming a way for companies to engage with existing and potential customers, do Web sites have a strong role to play?

While Baer may disagree, I believe Web sites will remain a vibrant corporate tool. But, like Blackshaw, I believe how Web sites are created and used will change to complement social media. Blackshaw talks about how Web sites will need to be agile, flexible and easy for people to leave feedback. He believes Web sites need to become a solid foundation upon which social media, e-commerce and mobile services leverage and support.

From the work I’m doing with clients, the evolution of Web sites is already happening. Rather than simply being places to get information about what a company offers or makes, Web sites need to engage, entertain and educate. A compelling Web site should encourage people to do something – ask for more information, watch a video, subscribe to a blog, “like” a Facebook Page, follow a Twitter account, or even purchase a product or service.

The messaging for Web sites (something I’ll post on later this week) needs to quickly and clearly capture the visitor’s attention, and tell them why they should stick around (aka What’s in it for me?). If a Web site fails to immediately deliver a company’s mission statement and value propositions, time-strapped and multi-tasking visitors will move on without thinking twice.

The reality for many companies is their Web sites will need to be overhauled or built from scratch. Before the global economy swooned, many companies didn’t think twice about their Web sites other than making minor changes. After all, there was little incentive to make changes when sales and profits were booming.

Today, however, the emergence of social media is prompting more companies to re-examine their Web sites, which have become tired, outdated and uninspiring.

It’s not that Web sites are going to disappear; it’s more that Web sites are going to need more than a fresh coat of paint to stay viable. Companies will think to re-think what they want their Web sites to do, and how they are going to be aligned with their social media efforts.

So, long live the Web (Site) 2.0!

Is Canada Falling Behind Online?

By Mark Evans in Google, Social Media No Comments Tags: , ,

http://www.techvibes.com/blog/head-of-google-canada-urges-countrys-businesses-to-up-the-ante-on-being-web-savvy

Despite having some of the highest digital literacy rates and highest internet usage rates in the world, Canadian consumers don’t have much to take advantage of: Country director of Google Canada, Chris O’Neill, says Canadian companies aren’t putting enough of their businesses online for consumers to utilize.
And it’s true—there are monster stores, like the centuries-old Hudson Bay, who not only lack an e-commerce shop-online platform, but consumers can barely view images of the majority of the products.
“Canada is one of the most wired countries in the world … there’s a great opportunity for businesses to think differently about digital and the web in general,” Chris said recently in a news piece with CBC. “The internet is where things are going to be if they’re not there already, and Canadian businesses need to anticipate that and get there. It does take a while to really embrace the internet and really figure out how you can use it to transform your business.”
He and others believe Canadian consumers are just itching for more opportunities to spend their money online, and that it’s a necessary adaption for today’s businesses to create a full-fledged presence online.
“To be a relevant company today, you really need to have digital capabilities and really understand what the internet means, because that’s where your customers are,” Chris says. “You could take the word ‘Google’ away but that message still stands up.”

The End of the Internet as We Know It

By Mark Evans in Google, ILEC News, Analysis 2 Comments Tags: , , ,

For the past 15 years, the Internet has been the Wild West with little regulation. This has created a landscape in which innovation has thrived – most of it good, some of it (spam, malware, etc.) not so good.

For companies and consumers, it has been an amazing smorgasbord with lots of selection and few rules of what to “eat”. In other words, we’ve had a it good as governments have, for the most part, stood on the sidelines.

There are growing signs, however, that the Internet as we know it is poised to disappear. Every day, there is more evidence that governments are going to attempt to regulate the Internet. In the Middle East, for example, Research in Motion is being pressured to change its encryption technology so governments can see the e-mail of BlackBerry users.

Meanwhile, Google and Verizon are apparently hold secret talks about creating a new system in which content providers could get access to faster Internet “roads” if they paid fees to ISPs. This ideas is contrary to the concept of Net Neutrality, which has been a huge issue over the past few years.

Regardless of what happens in the Middle East or the Google-Verizon talks, the sad reality is the Internet is going to change, and maybe not in a good way. Just as the Wild West was tamed, so too will be the Internet. It was good while it lasted.

Google Here, Google Everywhere

By Mark Evans in Google No Comments Tags: , , ,

I started using Google Chrome recently. Although it’s an extension-free version, it’s very good – fast and with a cool search feature that also doubles as the place where URL addresses appear. It’s yet another Google tool with my digital toolbox, along with search (regular, blog and image), GMail, Google Reader, Google Maps and YouTube.

As much as you may want to resist, it’s difficult to not be part of the ever-expanding Google empire. Most of their services work really well, and they’re free. Before you know it, your digital world is dominated by Google.

One of the questions it raises is whether there’s a limit to the size of Google’s empire, and whether are any markets that it is not prepared to enter. This week, for example, Google’s strategic “diary” included:

- The launch of Google Buzz, an attempt to establish a foothold in the fast-growing social media universe
- The purchase Aardvark, an online Q&A service, for $50-million.
- An ambitious plan to build a high-speed fiber network.

Whether it’s new services, acquisitions and major projects, Google is the Roman Empire of the 21st Century. Its reach, dominance and portfolio of services is amazing and, at the same time, somewhat troubling. At the end of the day, the question is whether is Google is good for the Internet? Does its dominance and strategic ambitious allow for a vibrant and innovative Internet that features a healthy ecosystem with a variety of players in each marketplace?

Maybe it’s not a question that can be answered right now but it’s a subject worth spending more time on. As much as Google’s products and services are great, there’s a price to be paid even though they’re free.

Wow, An Internet-Friendly Airport!

By Mark Evans in Wireless 1 Comment Tags: , , ,

When you fly these days, it’s the little things that make things a less aggravating – the check-in person who’s happy and efficient, decent coffee, a flight that leaves on time, and an in-flight entertainment system with movies that don’t suck.

Coming back from Finland today, I was pleasantly surprised – no, make that very surprised – to discover how Helsinki International Airport has enthusiastically embraced the idea of offering free Internet access to passengers.

On top of that, there are designated places with power outlets to use a laptop. It’s a far cry from North American airports where Boingo is happy to give you access for $9.95/day, and power outlets are few and far between.

IMG_1397

Review: The Rocket Stick Rocks

By Mark Evans in Wireless 15 Comments Tags: , , ,

The upside of running your own one-man/woman business is, in theory, there is lots of flexibility to work when and where you want. The downside is when you’re not working, there’s no one back at the home office to take care of business.

As a result, I wanted to stay connected while taking two weeks of vacation at a cottage outside Haliburton, Ont. Yeah, I know a vacation shouldn’t mean being connected but it was a necessary evil.

If you listen to the radio, it’s pretty much impossible to not know about Rogers’ Rocket Mobile Internet service that features a USB modem that uses Rogers 3.5G wireless network. So, I reached out to Rogers to see if I could take the Rocket up north for a rural test run.

All in all, the service is excellent. For the most part, the service is similar in terms of speed to Rogers’ residential high-speed service, although there were some interruptions when watching videos.

Getting the service set up was straightforward – the process, which includes an auto-install of the software, took 10 minutes. Getting on the Internet is easy, and the service supported not only Web browsing but Twitter, e-mail and blog publishing.

If you agree to a three-year contract, Rogers gives you the modem for free. Without a contract, the modem costs $199.

Data plans range from $30/month (500MB) to $85 for 5GB, which makes it pretty good value for anyone looking for mobile high-speed access. (Note: If you use a lot of data, including streaming video, 5GB can disappear in a hurry. It would be great to see an all-you-can package.)

In an ideal world, it would be great to see Rogers provide an integrated package that would include mobile and residential high-speed service – giving computer users home and away coverage.

More: This is the second in a series of product/service reviews I’ll be doing over the next couple of weeks. The first review on TweetCapz (an iPhone photo caption application) ran last week.

Thanks to everyone for offering me the opportunity to try out a bunch of products and services.


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