IA and Marketing Sneezers (was Re: [Sigia-l] Site registration

[Listera]

Donna Timara:

> That is a great advocacy for consumer's perspective.
How about
> thinking from business perspective, say, Financial
Controller of this
> newspaper, whose valuation (because of loss of
sale) is steadily going
> south?



I *am* thinking of the business interests of the content provider. But I'd
be unwilling to cut my nose despite my face. The register-or-get-lost policy
is not marketing-savvy, it doesn't invite, it doesn't allow for kicking the
tires, it doesn't create potential relationships, etc. Neither is it
mandatory for targeted marketing. It's an answer in search of a problem.
How's that good business?

We have untold number of companies that chose the expediency of short-term
"customer" count over longer-term business development and are in trouble.
One of the most celebrated cases is that of Real Networks. They have spent
many years trying to jack up their quarterly download/customer count by
nefarious means, outright deception at their site, poor technical quality,
atrocious user experience, etc. Even as they have cleaned up their UI and UX
as of late, now they find it extremely hard to convince people to use their
products and their financial position as a has-been clearly reflects it.
They'll never outlive that adverse reputation.

> ...in a short run they have to do what they
have to do?

Frankly, that's just bad business advice, however you slice it. Print-based
pubs have some serious issues making the transition to the digital realm,
register-or-get-lost is not one of the solutions.

For example, Craigslist.org gets more than 4 million classified ads, one
million posts and one billion page views each month, growing at more than
100% per year. Craig's List doesn't even charge fees for posting (except for
a very few forums in three cities). Yet it took away from newspapers over
$50 million per year in revenues from employment ads alone in a single
market, the Bay Area. In NYC last year, for example, Craig's List was first
in "Most Demographically Focused Shopping Sites" for 25-34 year-olds,
beating Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy, Gap, Ikea, etc. How many national
newspapers, let alone local ones, can match Craig's List market valuation if
it were to be sold today?

Not surprisingly a study last year found that many newspaper executives were
unaware of when or if Craig's List began operating in their own local
market. (Incidentally, Craig's List is rumored to be putting together a news
operation of a different kind.) Do you want to bet if Craig's List has a
register-or-get-lost policy? :-)

Ziya
Nullius in Verba