Growing Customers With Content

In a recent article on UX Matters, Colleen Jones discussed the pivotal role content plays in audience and customer growing online. She goes as far as to suggest that a site redesign might now be necessary if businesses and brands utilize content in more forward-thinking ways.

Now, some sites suffer from stagnant consumer bases because there are interface problems with their site that prevent the users they already have from experiencing the site in the best possible way. At one job I’ve had, there was no way content could save the consumer — the problem was with the site itself not providing what users needed. Simply put, there was content, and lots of it, but it was difficult to find and hard to relate to because of its connection to the rest of the site. No amount of content pushing could save a situation like that.

Barring structural, server and usability restrictions, Jones’ advice is solid, and she clearly understand that for a company or brand to jump into the Web 2.0 world with their customers, they need to take things step by step before they land in a Facebook group or start tweeting. This is another compulsion I’ve experienced on jobs. Management wants to use social networking sites but their core voice (the mothership, the loaf where all crumbs fall from, the main Web site) isn’t up to snuff. She advises, “I recognize the importance of considering user-generated content and social media in customer relationships, but many companies first need to improve their core communications with customers.”

In other words, don’t start scrambling Web 2.0 eggs until the hen house is clean and organized, sending a complete and singular message to users. Jumping into social media without first organizing the content and message on the home site is a huge mistake, and ends up confusing your brand.

The rest of the article is definitely worth your time if you work at all with brands and customers online. She goes on to discuss actual ways (using many examples) you can use your brand’s site to compel users to care more about what you to, simultaneously helping them feel like your brand works for them. Honestly, this kind of material is so good, it’s probably required reading for anyone with a product or brand that needs to reignite their relationship with their users.

Surprise, Patrick Wolf’s Bachelor Is One of the Greatest of ‘09

Not that big of a surprise, as he’s consistently wonderful, but “Hard Times” is more than wonderful. It’s brilliant. He’ll be at Antone’s here in Austin on July 1.

Austinist: New Release Tuesday With George Harrison

Sadly, the Dark Horse still hasn’t received a proper collection of his work. This album (one of a string of half-hearted EMI releases) includes a handful of songs considered by many to be some of his greatest, but offers them as “2009 digitally remastered” versions that either a) poop on the Spector-produced originals or b) poop on the Harrison-produced versions. Pulling mainly from his epic inaugural solo effort All Things Must Pass, Let It Roll sloppily churns out lackluster remasters of hits “What Is Life”, “Isn’t It a Pity” and “My Sweet Lord”, throwing in gratuitous live versions of Beatles tunes and — naturally — opening track “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You.”

Read the rest @ Austinist.

And Just to Demonstrate That I Don’t Hate All Soft Rock

… Go get this awesome mixtape (California On My Mind) from When You Awake

Continue reading…

Snooze-Folk Super Group

I know this won’t be a very popular opinion, and I realize it’s news for sites that cover music, but the very thought of this album bores me to tears. Reading about it bores me to tears. Wondering if Jenny Lewis will also surprise! appear on it bores me to tears … the whole thing is just so goddamn sad.

It’s like the Traveling Wilburys only not as badass.