New Media Requires New Ideas

A few days ago I was surfing the net, doing research for a client that I'll soon be working with, and in that time I became frustrated with the sites that I found. One of the things that I talk about when discussing the proper use of new media is how back in the mid-to-late nineties, companies would build websites and walk away. This assumption that a website was a billboard was so prevalent that few spoke out in outrage. Very few actually "got it" when it came to a digital platform to engage a worldwide audience. Those that got it updated their site regularly and provided fresh content that users would find interesting, keeping them returning for the latest updates.

More recently, while browsing my Twitter stream, I was reminded that some of the sites I had recently searched were still stuck in 'billboard mode." At what point did they not get the message? Who thought it would be a good idea to assume that online audiences would keep coming back to a site that remained static throughout it's life?

Here's a piece of advice for all those designing websites, no matter the reason. What worked in the mid-to-late nineties does not work today. Remaining static and unchanging makes you irrelevant. Despite what you think, your audience will not come back, they were not engaged, and their lives were not enriched by the experience. You stand to be quickly forgotten and your competition, if doing this differently, stands to gain greatly by your lack of effort.

Suggestion. Look at your web presence. Make your company interesting, engaging, and interactive. Websites, social profiles, blogs are not billboards, they can be living, breathing pieces of marketing with huge benefits to your company.

Photo Credit mediaboytodd