Localizing a User's Web Experience - Scenario Two & Benefits

Localizing your website simply adds to the users experience.  This is now recognized by many of the largest consumer product companies and retailers.  There are still many companies that don't recognize the opportunity of localization.  This is the second in series of Localization Scenarios (click here to read 'Scenario One').

Let's expand on the biggest benefit of Localization, in my opinion - the ability to partner with community businesses.

We will again use Hardware / Home Improvement chains in our example as their opportunities are easiest to for everyone to understand IMO.

As mentioned in "Scenario One", partnering with local contractors / professionals is already done through these stores at the "Contractor's Desk".  Let's take that same concept and transfer it to the website.  Use Lowe's as an example; on the lumber pages 'partner' (feature) companies that build decks, local carpenters and/or handymen; on the plumbing page, feature plumbers; or on the electrical components page feature electricians.  This adds to the localization of the Lowe's and demonstrates greater partnership with the community.  Best of all, it's a chargeable service (advertising) to the partners (give it away if you want).  The incremental revenue opportunity is huge (think of ALL THE LOCALS - EVERYWHERE). 

• Gardening Pages: Landscapers, Gardening Architects and Lawn Maintenance
• Insect Control: Pest Control Companies
• Plumbing: Plumbers
• Kitchen Renovation: Renovation Contractors
• Shingles and gutters: Roofers, Guttering Companies.

Use your imagination here - opportunities are limitless. and collaboration creates winners. If you do not get it, call me; if you do, feel free to steal it and make the local Internet world a better place - Net Better.

And Remember:

Clicks Cost Customers

See The Following Articles in this Series
Pre

Localizing a User's Web Experience - Scenario One & Benefits

Post

Localizing a User's Web Experience - Utopia or Just the Future

Consulting Online Localization

Bob Leonard561-371-4113 (Call My Cell)
512-593-8830 (in Austin)

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Localizing a User's Web Experience - Scenario One & Benefits

Localizing your website simply adds to the users experience.  This is now recognized by many of the largest consumer product companies and retailers.  There are still many companies that don't recognize the opportunity of localization.  This is the first in series of Localization Scenarios.

Localization Champion

Scenario One:

I like to use ACE Hardware in my examples as they are the epitome of "Saving Local" in the hardware business (in my opinion).  This scenario works with all the major players in hardware (Lowe's, Home Depot and True Value) as they have all Localized built into there website - but they could all do better - they all bought localization, but no one told them what they could do with it.


The most obvious benefit of Localization is identifying where the local store is located.  This feature should be located on every page of the website for every product.  Google does this for you if you search "ACE Hardware" before you even get to AceHardware.com, but what if they were searching "Lawn Mower"?  I have now found the lawn mower I was looking for, but now, where is the store?  Location information and the phone numbers should be there - without clicking away or back - because Clicks Cost Customers.

Product placement is a huge benefit of Localization.  There is no reason to sell snow blowers in Florida or lawn mowers in Minnesota in in January.  There is a bit of opportunity to get creative here.  Don't waste the users time clicking - Clicks Cost Customers.

The biggest benefit of Localization, in my opinion, comes from the ability to partner with community businesses.  Carpenters, landscapers, plumbers and more; it is already done behind the service desk - move this to the website -  it is a chargeable service!  Imagine the opportunity of listing landscapers on the gardening pages for each of the local franchisees - image the benefit to the website user - imagine the benefits through local business partnerships - Imagine the revenue potential - I want to be there!

See The Following Add-on Articles

Localizing a User's Web Experience - Scenario Two & Benefits

Localizing a User's Web Experience - Utopia or Just the Future

Consulting Online Localization
Bob Leonard @LightsOn Ventures
561-371-4113

Never Send Your Local Customer, or Even a Local Warm Lead, to Your Website - Even if They are Not Local

Never send your customer, or even a warm lead, to your website - Why?  Let's set the stage first.

Do you ever get the feeling the "Internet" is spying on you as it knows exactly what you are doing, even offline?

Maybe you have been doing some home improvement or some car maintenance in the last few days; maybe you have been doing a little research on how-to.  Then, all-of-a-sudden, it seems like every web page you visit has very specific ads for items you have searched; maybe an air filter or a circular saw - the very one you were researching or searching for - scary...

You need to understand - Websites do know what you are doing and it is not scary.  When you are are researching a product or a service, "cookies" (small bits of data and information) are planted on your computer. They are not harmful and there is nothing you need to do (or can do about it). Cookies are designed to improve and enhance the user's Internet experience (your experience).

Let's get to why you should not be sending your customers and warm leads (or any referral) to your website.  Very simply put, the same Internet spying that happens to you, happens to them.  Let's say you are the local Sherwin Williams paint store and you get a phone call (warm lead) asking, "Do you carry "X-Quality Paint" and rather than answering them immediately, and potentially writing up an order, you send them to your website, after they look at your website, that warm lead will likely be exposed to ads from other websites that will not only be specific to the product they wanted to ask you about, but  even more specific ("X-Quality Passion Blue at Lowe's").  It's gets even worse if you email the answer to a public mail service like GMail - the ads are email specific - all these ads pop up IN YOUR EMAIL that say"ME TOO - WE HAVE X-QUALITY PASSION BLUE TOO".  This is called Intelligent Ad Delivery.  Obviously I am embellishing my point here, but the question still is, who wants to expose their customers to the competition.

Why does the Internet work like this?  Very simply put, it is the Internet companies that have an interest in you buying there.  Advertisers bombard us with information because they have identified us as A BUYER.  Whats even worse, the Local Sherwin Williams Paint Store, can't profitably compete there, even if it knew how.

Sometimes we need an analogy - It's like sending a caller (warm lead) back to the phone book to see the list of colors you carry.  Think about how dumb that sounds.

This situation seems so obvious if you understand all the ingredients, but so few of us do.

Make your website is a one way path - from your website to you.  That is its purpose - to make your phone ring. If people are calling, they want to talk to you and get questions answered - answer them and take their order.  Your website did its job.

So what inspired this article?  I called a local HVAC company who I knew carried the AprilAire air filter I needed (high-tech air filter not available at Home Depot or Lowe's).  Instead of giving me the information over the phone (I was a buyer), he told me he would immediately email me if I gave him my Gmail address (collecting email addresses).  He did immediately email me the pricing information as well as pricing for removal of the old filter and installation of the new filter.  Up popped ads with similar pricing and detailed removal/installation instructions - stupid-is-as-stupid-does - convenient local instantly became very inconvenient.  Don't repeat his mistake.

Lesson Learned.  You have zero privacy anyway . . . . Get over it."  ~ Scott McNealy

Bob Leonard