Sometimes What You THINK Just Doesn’t Matter

Posted by alastair under Online Marketing
From http://www.sitestreamseo.com 4918 days ago
Made Hot by: ofirafromjobshuk on November 2, 2010 10:47 am

People have all kinds of opinions about the Internet and their business. Some positive, some not. But the Internet provides you with data. With data, your opinions (and mine) just don’t count for much. We don't need to make decisions in the dark because we can test. And our business will benefit.

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Comments

Written by m4bmarketing
4917 days ago

Hi Alastair,

Good advice and for me it is never a case of one size fits all for business, whether it a solo one one or large corporation. The only other point about testing unless you set it up properly you can get misleading results.

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Written by alastair
4916 days ago

Thanks Susan. That's a very important point. Poor setup or misinterpretation can get people in real trouble.

I'd say that we speak to one or more people daily (certainly more than one a week) that are doing their best to make an improvement but have jumped to an entirely wrong conclusion on the basis of the information they think they have.

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Written by ShawnHessinger
4917 days ago

Alastair,

Great post. I sometimes think we've suddenly discovered the idea of testing with the coming of the Internet, but, of course, testing ideas, especially "expert" advice, conventional wisdom and prejudice, have always been part of entrepreneurship...and any kind of innovation. I love to hear people say, "But we've never done it that way before." It's the most honest explanation of why innovation hasn't happened instead of dressing it up with some anecdote about how something bad happened once when you deviated from the accepted procedure. Never tried it that way before? Great. Let's test it. We'll know soon enough if this is, in fact, a bad idea or an unexploited opportunity.

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Written by JackieP
4917 days ago

Hi Alastair, Great Post

Just as important as trying new things is not to lock yourself in to one way only. Too many people think that they can hang their businss on the whole Social media thing. Dangerous.

Listening Posts, that's all they are. A way to keep your finger on the pulse and use the feedback to improve your business.

Jackie

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Written by alastair
4917 days ago

Good point Jackie. I'd have to say that Social Media is probably the most misunderstood and overblown element in Online marketing today. It's still useful but it needs a bit of perspective. That's probably a subject for a different post though.

As you say, locking yourself into one way is a huge potential mistake. Especially if you picked that one way based on no good evidence.

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Written by alastair
4918 days ago

:) I don't do business in the Pub. I talk too much as it is, beer would not help.

The pub is definitely my prefered venue for "networking" with friends though. If people want to update me in 140 characters or less, and they thought about it. It probably wasn't that interesting.

I won't 'dis' social media though. I find it useful in business. I probably spend more time with my switch set to either Broadcast or Receive and not a lot on Converse. I just don't connect much via social media. The guru's would say I am doing it all wrong.

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Written by yoni67
4918 days ago

Alastair,

Love the pub reference. My standard business meeting usually takes place over a pint of Guinness. If the bar doesn't have Guinness I go elsewhere.

The Internet is a crappy alternative.

Great post!

Yoni

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