Well, you passed the first test, which was whether you would delete my posts, Darn !

*kicks dog*

But, more to the point about ‘blogging’.

The issue at hand relative to ‘marketing’  and ‘advertising’ utilizing ‘blogs’  more about guts and the ability to fundamentally change industry business models.

For example, the RIAA and the MPAA and all the various corporations that support these two organizations are being dragged kicking and screaming into this ‘new media’ (interactive) and in the process alienating the very core customer base that they are attempting to sell to.

Why ? Because they are not willing to let go of a business model. Not only are they not listening to the desires of their customers (well produced product, high quality, non DRM) they are actively suing and prosecuting grandmothers, children and college students.

It is not about CEOs blogging, or even CFOs, but about using the blog as a platform to listen to real world feedback of customers. The problem is, if you invite that feedback using a blog, you have to not only respond, but make changes. Creating a contract like that with the consumer strike fear deep into the heart of the spine of many C-level executives.

Dell has made a foray into the Wild West of the Blogging Web with it’s new blog: http://direct2dell.com/one2one/default.aspx And the result is that they are hearing what people want and responding.

That is the real issue here. Can the marketing community get their very masters to take a leap of faith and make the change

This estimate is based on content (images / text / prices) that is ready to be transferred from existing website as well as new products that have already been photographed and ready to sell. The concept behind this website is to make available to Jewelz (you) a tool set that can be used to put new content onto the site on a daily and /or weekly basis.

My primary focus on re-doing your website is something called search engine marketing(SEM), both paid (SEM) and natural (SEO). The attitude is to get found by Google, in the short run from paid search (Google Adwords) and the long run from Natural search (SEO).

The site will be built using Apache, MySQL, PHP, CSS and XML. We will either be using an open source product called Joomla, or WordPress, both referred to as CMS software. (Content management systems) depending on how many products you anticipate having on your site at any given time.

In addition I will be optimizing the site to get found by Google and Yahoo, MSN, Ask, etc. In order to drive search for the short term (the next 12 months or so) we need to build out a Google Adwords account.

As we discussed, this (Google Adwords) will enable you and your site to compete head to head, (depending on keyword competition and bidding) with some of the biggest players on the web. That being said, your site landing pages are going to be crafted to focus on products relative to the keywords being bid on in paid search. This means our primary focus in building your site centers around the idea of short attention span and the minimum mouse clicks from clicking on and Adwords text ad and the relevant products. (ie: Bracelets lands on a page of bracelets)

From our discussion I came away with the idea you understand that the interactivity of the new site should be built out starting from the landing pages first. This way we can focus on the primary use of your site, which is to give the customer a choice of relevant jewelry as soon as they hit the site.

As we discussed with Kim and yourself, the design for the look and feel of the site will closely follow what you have created with Kim. (Deep Red and Warm Gold) Where we diverge from your existing design will be the navigation and menu structure. Please send some links to sites where you respond to the interactivity / menu structure so that we have a common language going forward.

If we can agree on this as a starting point going forward it will help focus our efforts to get an effective sales and marketing tool for your beautiful products.

After this tasks have been finished and the site is live and integrated including 5 hours of tutorial time the job will be considered completed as defined by this estimate. After that time you have the choice to take over these tasks or engage us on a per hour fee ($50).

As we discussed the tools on the back end, or admin of the site are fairly simple to use with some orientation and practice. But I will be happy to do whatever is needed to help you keep your site updated going forward if this would be required.

I am excited for the opportunity to work with you and Kim on this project. A great deal of work has been done to get your site up and running the way it looks now, and using that look and feel will mean we have a solid starting point as to how you like you business to be perceived on the Internet.

Best

Kit Latham

Jim Stengel is one sharp man who is really on point. The guy gets it ! He seems to have a deep understanding of the future of advertising and marketing on the web.

Having been through several high profile high paying job interviews down in New York City over the last few months I can safely say the the advertising industry (folks like the humongous holding company WPP) is adrift. There are many reasons for this, some of them I have touched on here, put the bottom line on this is that the Ad Agencies simply do not have the spine to tell their clients that the traditional world of advertising and marketing is being turned on it’s head.

I can’t image being a creative director or an account executive having the back bone to read their client the riot act, telling them that it is time to listen to the needs and desires of the customers an adapting their entire attitude to adapt. I would imagine that that is a very quick way to loose a high paying client. But this fact in nothing new, it has being evolving for a while, I personally have winced at seeing and industry (Advertising) that use to have creative, funny and compelling products become reduced to selling with baton twirling majorettes, elephants and streaming confetti.

I call this: Fear Based Creatives = No Creativity.

I have begun to note some changes in the air. Computer World recently reported on Dell finally listening to it’s customer base (rejecting bundled Vista) with their new Ideas in Action Blog as well as creating an entierly new attitude towards offering Ubuntu Linux.

Detroit’s Big Three might be starting to figure it out now that their bottom line is dropping through the floor, Toyota now being number 1. Maybe it is time to listen to what the customer wants. Do you think ?

She said: “I don’t do computers, that is why I am calling you !”

I replied: “Well, do you spend any time on the Internet ?”

“I told you, I don’t do computers”

“You mean by ‘computers’ the Internet”

“Yes, that is what I mean. Computers !”

“Madam, computers are a thing that is a box with a monitor and a keyboard, computers are not the Internet”

The phone conversation went downhill from there. She felt insulted that I would try and suggest that she delve into the Internet herself to get a feel for her market, what people were doing, what they liked, what they were looking for.

Her response ?

“Please don’t give me business advice, I have two Harvard MBA’s to do that for me.”

I said: “Well, whether or not they went to Harvard is really beside the point. This is what I do, I delve into the online market space to get a handle on your individual ‘market sphere’. The design and functionality of your website hinges on what it is you are trying to do on the web.”

“I am not doing anything on the web !”

“Then why do you have a website ?”

“My website is for credibility. I have no desire to interact with anyone through the web. I advertise in newspapers and people call me…”

I won’t go any further with the transcript of the dialogue after that, Needless to say, I declined the job. I am getting a bit exhausted with the continual education rap I have had to go through and I am done with explaining why effective search engine marketing is not only important, but essential in todays world.

I have made a decision to only work with clients who ‘get it’, or at least willing to take the plunge and learn.