I have been struggling with the fact that I don’t have a formal, polished website. As a marketing expert who has spent years implementing integrated marketing channels for my clients, I know I lose credibility in my marketing consulting practice because I DON’T have a website for my company, Marketing Independence. I have done my site architecture and I have even developed the pages in Dreamweaver. But I have not posted anything.
Why?
Because I have struggled with what my website will be – or more specifically, I don’t like the static nature of a web poster hung up to say “open for business.” I DON’T WANT A CORPORATE, WEB 1.0, INFORMATIONAL SITE. For my business, the website is just a corporate statement of facts alongside some polished images of work packaged as case studies. That is certainly useful for conversion, if not required, but it’s a poor reflection of what I want to project for my company.
I want a dynamic, fluid, two-way, interactive engagement site. I want more of a narrative; a way to tell a story that develops, evolves, adapts. In lieu of maintaining a website, I am choosing to maintain a blog. A true web log is the ideal medium for storytelling and that is really my business expertise – helping businesses craft compelling stories that will engage their target customers. Contrary to Marshall McLuhan’s idea that the “medium is the message,” I think the narrative that a brand can create and weave through as many different, relevant mediums is what makes consumers interested, engaged and ultimately active participants or users of any product or service. However, for my small business, I only have time to focus on one medium.
While the website vs. Blog debate rages on, the truth is simple: businesses must choose their tactics strategically and ensure they can support their choices with dedicated resources in order to maximize the effectiveness of the medium.
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