Marketing and branding is the key to success of any internet company. While Allen posted this yesterday, I thought I’d chime in a few thoughts.
He did nail the head on the first strike. He hit it dead on. Ask.com needs to get out of their offices and see some of the world. I am in agreement as I see people every single day that have no clue what this internet is all about.
Outside of girls in the elevators talking about blogging on MySpace, and the occasional overheard conversation of eBay, people do not know the internet. To them it’s about MySpace, Google, Yahoo, eBay, CNN, IM/chatting, and the weather!
Seriously, if you want to have your finger on the pulse of America, you need to travel outside for a minute or five. Go to a local diner or travel to the outskirts of the cities. Stop in a local hardware store. Yes, go even to the middle of nowhere. Travel out into the countryside.
Casually ask someone what they think of Ask.com algorithm versus how Google does things. I can bet you will get a blank stare right back at you. They might smile and feign that they know what you are saying. For the most part you may as well be speaking Chinese. They will nod their head and go, “Oh, I think Google is great!”
Marketing and branding. Advertising down to the masses is what Ask.com needs to accomplish. If your goal is to further the distance between Ask.com and the average person, just go ahead with your statements about algorithm. This will enable your company to only further the gap distance.
The average person who does have internet access isn’t concerned about algorithm. When they type in a search online, they want to find a cool MySpace code to snazzy up their pages. They want to find a dating site that is for real. They want to find an address or phone number. They want to map something. They want to find out if it’s going to rain. They go to Google and Yahoo to do that.
Technically Speaking, it is something that can be overcome. I wish Ask.com the best of luck, but really think about how effective your marketing would be on say someone that lives in Potosi, MO as an example.
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