A brand marketer friend recently asked the question, "has the marketing value of a website diminished?" He was attempting to take stock of all of his marketing efforts, assessing the brand value of each. Many marketers would not pay credence to the aforementioned question, passing it off as a superfluous inquiry regarding the obvious. Websites are extremely valuable to all brands, right?
On the surface it's true; brand websites are important. Still, if you are among those of us who question the prominent suppositions of the day, you will have no problem joining me on a pedantic, but essential journey; a glorious expedition into the depths of the cavernous heart of the marketing body in order to answer the vital question, "Has human-computer interaction altered so much over the last five years that the traditional notion of the website is no longer as valuable to brand marketers as it once was?" As an eCommerce engine, the importance of a website in incontestable, but how valuable is the traditional website as a branding vehicle?
In the early days of the internet, brands questioned the need for a website. Today it is an imperative. As we enter the "post Web 2.0 era," brands without a social presence are looked down upon by the marketing intelligentsia. To complicate matters further, ample presence on mobile devices has also become an expectation for brands, further deemphasizing the importance placed on the traditional website. Finally, new technologies are blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds, confusing the whole matter!
If the notion of the website has in fact changed, what is the correct approach for marketers who seek to conquer the new web order? Over the next few pages I will take you on an electrifying journey overflowing with joyfulness and wonderment. Okay, maybe that is a bit excessive, but I do recommend you stick around.
A URL with a face
The first stop on our expedition brings us to a playful, social land. Down the middle of this land mass you will find a glorious stream of friends talking about everything from broken toilet bowls to shared pictures of their pet iguana. Please keep your hands and feet in the boat at all times!
At the ripe old age of 33, I fondly remember the days when a television-to-web call-to-action included a prompt to search for a given keyword on AOL. Better still, I remember the days when ads like the following were held responsible for driving consumers to the web:
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