Don't come up with it - copy it!

Many of you would have seen TV adverts for catalogue company Argos over the last few months. They end with the phrase - 'Don't shop for it, Argos it'. They have long running advertising campaign pushing the fact that when it comes to buying things, it is easier to use the Argos services, rather than spend your time touring your local shopping centre. Nothing unique in the message that Argos are trying to portray, they have been offering an alternative to the Saturday afternoon high street scrum for decades, but it is the way that they have done it which interests me.

For those who may remember, a few years ago Google caused a bit of fuss in the blogging world by saying that they didn't like it when people said 'Google it' instead of 'search for it' as it infringed on their trademark. Google went to the press twice about this issue, once in 2003, and then again in 2006. They claimed that the use of the Google brand name in this way was a trademark violation and that people who referred to 'Googling' shouldn't do so; they even sent out letters to people to ask them to stop/change references to using Google as a verb.

For many marketers, having a brand name or company name synonymous with an activity or industry would be the holy grail. Some companies have already achieved this, here are just some examples I can think of;

'I didn't watch it last night, I sky plus'd it' or

'Do you want a copy? I'll xerox one off now'.

I'm still pretty sure that when Google came out saying that they didn't want people to use Google with reference to search it was a massive double bluff. Why wouldn't they want their name to become so strongly tied to one of the fastest growing industries on the Internet, especially when competing against one of the biggest companies in the world?

Regardless if Google did or didn't want people to use their name with reference to searching, it certainly hasn't done them any harm. Google is now the most powerful brand name in the UK. They have even overtaken Microsoft in the world of brands as well as search.

It's not surprising then that other companies have tried to borrow ideas from the best brand in the UK to try and build their market share and brand profile. It always pays to 'borrow' from the best doesn't it!?

In this case, Argos, in my opinion, have tried to 'do a Google' and make their brand synonymous with brochure shopping. A smart move given that other companies exist, and are entering into, their market space.

Maybe it's me putting two and two together and getting five (Google started complaining about their infringements in 2003 and Argos started their campaign in 2005) but it seems that this is just another example of where the online world and online brands have had impact in the offline world and established companies.

FREE seminars to improve your website traffic

Building on the feedback and success of recent series of free Internet events in Dorset and Hampshire, Adido have arranged three more seminars to help you take your website and online presence to the next level! The events will include an informative seminar by Director Andy Headington, introducing you to strategies and skills that are vital in any business.

How to make the most of Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising
Are you running a Pay Per Click or Google Adwords campaign? Do you want to know how to get better results and increase enquires and sales? This seminar will cover everything you need to know in order to get the best results from your PPC budget.
Date: Monday 15th September 2008

How to improve your search engine ranking
This event will look at how to improve your website ranking in the ‘free’ listings using a technique called Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Getting SEO right can greatly increase the number of visitors that come to your website and give you great Return On Investment.
Date: Monday 13th October 2008

How to increase your website visits using the latest online marketing techniques.
Blogging, e-newsletters, email signatures, online press releases and viral marketing are some of the latest online marketing techniques that will be discussed in the seminar to help you increase your website traffic.
Date: Monday 10th November 2008

During the event there will be an opportunity to network with local, like-minded business people with the added bonus of having the Adido team around to answer any questions or queries you might have! Free light refreshments will be provided.

Venue: Holiday Inn, Farnborough,GU14 6AZ
Time: 6pm arrive, 6.30pm seminar starts, networking until 8pm.
Price: FREE

To book your place click here for the online booking form, email networking@adido-solutions.com or call Alex Tucker on 0845 260 2343

Mind the Gap – How short term compromise can lead to long term losses

Often clients will compromise on design or development due to budget restraints. While this is reasonable (none of us have bottomless wallets), it can often lead to long term costs that will have client and developer alike banging their heads in frustration.

Early on, the cost of creating a website can seem intimidating. You take a look at your budget and decide to compromise on quality in the short term. You can always fix it later, right? Wrong. You should always strive for the website you want rather than the website you can afford.

Ok so you can’t just make money appear out of thin air. Sometimes your budget is stubborn – you just can’t budge it. But if you can, you should seriously consider it. Don’t design twice when you can get it right the first time. Aside from the cost of having a site redesigned, you have the change of corporate image to consider. Your corporate image is an ever evolving beast, and is determined by, among many other things, the look and feel of your website. You don’t control your image directly – it is the sum of your marketing efforts.

So if you change that website, it will change how people perceive your business. And that should always be the primary motivation for redesigning your piece of the internet – change because you want to, not because you can afford to. And if you want to, why settle for less the first time round?

Of course, it’s all well and good to say “don’t compromise on quality”, but what does that actually mean? Well there are several ways this can happen, from accepting the first design given to you (even if it isn’t really right for you) to designing the site yourself. The latter may seem like a great way to cut costs. After all, who knows what you want better than you?

But if web design was that easy, then we wouldn’t have web designers, just web developers. Often when a client does all of their own design work, one of two extremes occurs: either the site looks bland and uninteresting, or it looks overcrowded and complex. And often the pitfalls of designing your own work have nothing to do with ability or lack thereof. It often comes down to objectivity. Something which a third party has, but you don’t. A full time web designer is used to designing quickly and not attaching too much sentiment to their work. They spend their career observing the strengths and weaknesses of every website they see, and you’d be a fool not to take advantage of that depth of knowledge.

Just remember that while it may seem like a short step to improve on your website later, that short step can quickly become a gaping hole that will swallow up your budget. Better to plug the gap early on and avoid long term costs.