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A Walk Around the Blog




Promowear Magazine, May/June 2005.

A recent survey indicates that an estimated 8 million Internet users have created an online journal, diary or blog, and 27% of Internet users are frequent readers of blogs. 27% of 817,447,147 amounts to something like 220,710,729 people. So why the blurb about blogging? I feel like it presents someone a valuable tool for marketing and customer relations, and in this months column I provide you with the details as to why.

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Where Is Your Web Site?




Yesterday felt like a comfortable 120 degrees outside and my recently broken ankle felt great, so I started bright and early on some much needed TLC for the Suburban, and got out that long task list that had built up over the year so I could finally get that out of the way.

By mid morning I had the truck cleaned out and suck-a-luxed (that had not been done since before Christmas last year) and washed it regardless of the rain coming through today.

Getting under the hood for some way overdue maintenance I realized I needed to make an auto parts store run for fluids, B12 (for the carb and the curious wasp insisting on helping me) and some summer cleaning supplies.

Household tip: B12 carb cleaner kills wasps on contact, and is cheaper than wasp and hornet spray.

Armed with my "stocking stuffer Auto Zone gift card" my nephews gave me last year I decided to go there. I quit going there for actual parts though. Their parts counter makes me nuts. (I should'nt have to tell you the size of my motor, specs on the air conditioning and whether or not it's two or four wheel drive in order to purchase a friggin' headlight!)

While waiting in line at Auto Zone I overheard a gentleman telling an employee how nice it was to be able to source the part he needed on their web site before heading out to get it. It saved him the time and trouble of possibly visiting several auto parts locations to find one particular thing.

My next stop was Home Depot for a huge list of things I needed for the house, lawn, projects in progress etc... Standing next to a gentleman and his son in the power tool section, I overheard them discussing the cordless drill features in comparison to each other that they had researched on the web site before deciding on which one they might purchase. They had arrived with an educated guess, again saving time and trouble.

Having the HD run out of the way I hit Best Buy to see about getting a new scrolling mouse. Normally I would go next door to the computer store but once again I have a few gift cards in the console of my truck I keep forgetting to use. Once more I overheard someone mentioning the fact that they had been on their web site to check on a new CD release and its availability. Before driving 20 miles to another location, they found this location closer and easier to get to.

On the way out of the lot I noticed Car Toys wasn't too busy so I dropped in to talk car audio with a tech. I have a speaker project in mind for the summer where I will be teaching myself how to do fiberglass, so I thought someone might give me a few pointers. I hear the man at the checkout counter telling the clerk he had never seen the store because its storefront and signage points away from the Interstate and side streets. He was pleased to have found their web site and was ready to do business there.

Returning to my humid 150 degree truck and slightly burning my hand on the seat belt I realized I had missed a couple of phone calls. Cooking and talking on the phone being no fun at all I decided to hit my hang out for a bucket of lemonade and some air conditioning, order a pizza for dinner and return some calls.

After dinner while waiting on my tab the bar maid answers an incoming call, asks them to hold and asks the restaurant owner "Theres someone on the phone that wants to know if we have a web site. Do we have one?" The owner and most of the patrons know I build web sites so they all turned to me at the same time - as if I had dropped the ball. I just shook my head as the owner let out a big sigh and said "no". I guess the site we discussed building last football season might be working its way back into consideration.

I had to reflect on how my entire day evolved around people using the web to make their plans, find directions, find businesses and more. To me it is a sign that being on the web is just as important as any other form of advertising and marketing.

So, where is your web site?