The Amtower B2G Market Report

The Amtower B2G Market Report
Volume 3, #41, October 25, 2004

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In this issue…
1) Amtower Off-Center Observations
2) The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: Web Customer Service
3) Events Worth Attending
4) One Minute Marketing Clinic: Good Email vs Silly Email

AMTOWER OFF-CENTER OBSERVATIONS

Item: Attention Manufacturers, Hardware and Software Companies: I have been pushing the B2G Catalog Summit to direct mailers for several weeks, but it has been brought to my attention (thanks John!) that this is NOT just for catalogers and direct mailers. Companies that partner with catalogers will be attending to see if they are working with the right catalogs, to make certain they are getting enough bang for the buck, and to meet and network with other catalogs. So if you partner with companies that use catalogs, perhaps you should consider spending some time with us in Chicago, November 11. See events, below.

Item: Stuart McClure, co-author of Hacking Exposed and a leading computer security authority, will be featured at a McAfee seminar on October 28. See events, below.

Item: A few weeks back, I wrote about the Trump reality show. I know where the researchers came up with the “you’re fired” idea. See Off-White Paper 17, http://www.federaldirect.net/offwhite17.html.

Item: In Off-White Paper #24, I imply that Alan Bechara of PC Mall spent extra money on a slightly larger banner. He simply re-used his previous banner, which happened to be slightly larger.

Item: Speaking of Off-White Paper 24, reaction has been swift – and largely favorable, though a few event producers have taken umbrage. Umbrage is something several people take with me on a regular basis – it goes with the turf. Several people have also written or called to tell me what their favorite part was – usually the part where they agree me. Off-White Paper 24 is already one of the most visited pages at www.FederalDirect.net. It has also renewed interest in Off-White Paper 21 – “FOSE and the Battle of the Bags”, as well as some of the other Off White Papers. Some of these will be reprinted with a few Off-Center Observations in the upcoming book version of “Government Marketing Best Practices”. My friend and PR advisor Fern Krauss is proofing the first draft. The final draft should not take long, then we’re off to the printer. The book will be self-published, reasonably priced, and may include some actual opinions. The book is not guaranteed to be politically correct or socially acceptable, and it will not be a “coffee table” tome. It is guaranteed to amuse, irritate, cause cogitation, and possibly indigestion. And hopefully make me enough for an evening out with my wife. Stay tuned….

Not that I have an opinion.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY: WEB CUSTOMER SERVICE

McAfee and Symantec share a problem: me. Over a year ago I wrote about the bad online customer service Symantec had (has?), which caused me to switch to McAfee. A year later, here I am trying to update my VirusScan online (not the entire suite), and regardless of how I fill out the order form, it puts in the entire suite – a difference of over $100. I tried three times.

The shopping cart function is critical to several things, but most important is the customer shopping experience. People with bad online experiences talk more about these experiences than people who have good online experiences.

McAfee, and others with bad shopping carts, need to track the abandoned carts. Web sites with downloads almost always crowd the download page with up-sell information. This makes it difficult for many people to figure out how to download what they just purchased. Invariably these pages are designed by techies with little or no feedback from average customers who must navigate the minefield of stuff.

I experienced the same problem with Equifax. I received a renewal notice, followed the links, and could not figure out how to renew because there was too much crap on the page I was directed to.

Queensboro, where I buy my logoware (shirts, canvas totes, etc, www.queensboro.com), has a relatively easy site to use, and they send out order confirmations they actually use and respond to so they could make certain I was getting what I wanted. This is a great site for small business, as they can handle orders of six pieces (shirts with your logo), including helping you design a logo. They can handle larger orders, too. Online and offline customer service exist at Queensboro.

If you want to drive buyers to the web, you have to keep the shopping experience simple. The object of the game is to satisfy the customer, not irritate them during the purchasing and downloading process. Many online vendors could learn valuable lessons from Amazon, or Queensboro. You do not have to be huge to be good. Amazon continues to grow not because they offer great prices, but because the online customer experience is extraordinary.

Seller beware: the winners on the web will be those who create online customer apostles.

EVENTS WORTH ATTENDING

Beware of the schlock vendors, producing “black hole” events, events that eat your money with no significant return! If you want Government Marketing Best Practices in your city in the spring of 2005, vote at www.FederalDirect.net. Voting so far has Vienna (Virginia) leading, and Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia and Atlanta tied for second.

October 26-28: Federal Information Assurance Conference (FIAC) 2004, University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center, Adelphi, MD. Keynote is Karen Evans, Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government and Information Technology (IT) www.fbcinc.com/fiac

November 11, THIRD ANNUAL B2G CATALOG SUMMIT, Rosemont Doubletree O’Hare (Chicago).
www.FederalDirect.net. Our speakers include web diva Amy Africa on the latest web innovations, Richard Mackey on GSA, Mark Del Franco of Catalog Age leading a town hall style session with three catalog veterans, and Bill Singleton of Singleton Marketing on profitably mining your data. I will be doing the keynote and the wrap-up session, which will provide catalog “best B2G practices”. For those who use direct mail, especially catalogs, as a primary marketing tool, the third annual B2G Catalog Summit is a “must attend”. It is a one-day event filled with ideas you can take back to the office for immediate use. The event is in a hotel less than 10 minutes from O’Hare, and there will be limited seating (maximum of 75 attenders), so sign up now at www.FederalDirect.net/b2gsummit.html.

December 8-9, 2004, Web Content Management Clinic, George Washington University, Washington, DC (Foggy Bottom Metro Stop) www.digitalgovernment.com

2 NSA events coming up in early December, on site at NSA. www.fbcinc.com

INTELCON National Intelligence Conference and Exposition, February 8-10, 2005 Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Alexandria, VA. www.fbcinc.com

ONE MINUTE MARKETING CLINIC: GOOD EMAIL vs SILLY EMAIL

The Digital Government Institute sends e-invites for its meetings that contain the what, when where information in line one. Wow, what a concept: instant value. This is followed by a brief description of the content and speakers, who was on the planning committee (in this case, five very impressive people involved in the content area) and FOUR ways to register! All of this information prints on a single page. This is very simple, very clean, and very effective. There are more details at the web site, but certainly enough here to get many people to register. For those who want more information, there should be a button that links direct to the “more information” page at the web site. That is the sole weak spot of this email.

Homeland Defense Journal still sends out emails that runs literally pages (when printed) and still contain a phone number (not even toll free) if you want to get their web address. Emails like this remind me of Ed McMahon and American Family Publishers – when you open the envelope, you are confronted with ten pieces of paper comprising a maze, through which you must pass to see if there is a goal.

The difference is night and day. You can lead a horse to water, but if you picket it 20 feet from the water, it cannot drink. Those who receive the Digital Government emails drink their fill, while those who get the Homeland Defense emails remain parched.

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As always, your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks
Mark Amtower

The Amtower B2G Market Report is published by Amtower & Company, and is written for companies targeting the government marketplace. The opinions expressed are those of Mark Amtower unless otherwise noted. Contact us at Amtower & Company, PO Box 314, Highland, MD 20777-0314 (301-924-0058). This material is copyrighted and may not be duplicated, reprinted or otherwise replicated without written permission of the publisher. Email subscriptions are free by request: sign up at www.FederalDirect.net


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