A few months ago I went to a business networking event that
I found online and I thought I would check it out. When I got there I was surprised to find
about 50 people and the person that greeted me asked me what my business did.
“I run a strategic branding website design firm” I told him.
“Well, please go and speak to that woman over there and tell
her, to see if it is OK for you to speak because I think she also does web
stuff”- he tells me.
So I go to the woman.
I introduce myself and tell her that the guy suggested I check with her.
“Yes, I do web design.-She tells me- but my primary thing is
marketing. So just go ahead and introduce yourself and not mention that you do
web design.”
OK, I thought. This
is not my show so I am happy to respect that.
Before I leave the event, she runs to me to give me her business
card (which is very ugly and shows nothing to do with either marketing or web
design) and tells me that it would be great to meet with me to see how she can
help my clients with marketing needs. I
thank her and go my merry way.
So when I get back to the office (out of pure curiosity) I
go to her site to figure out what the world she does… and there it is, right
before my eyes: THE WEBSITE FROM HELL.
Just at a glance, it was painful to the eyes. Easily the ugliest website I have seen in a
long time and it was so bad that I knew not even a template could make this
mess. I have no clue how she did that, what
she used to create this thing, or how out of touch one must be to use this
thing. Let’s see what the content is-I
thought. Since I was now even more
curious as to what she did.
Well, somewhere in the content it mentioned that she creates
and implements successful marketing programs and campaigns for her clients and
in one line somewhere on a page she talks about designing websites.
What?
What?
All I could think of was that I had found the perfect
example of what NOT to do. And even
right now I am wondering if I can find a way to remove all info that may
identify her or her business so I can show you.
I want to use that thing on one of my classes! But I am not into humiliating people.
So I put the card on my recycling can and I thought one day when
I have a few moments I would share the experience-then forgot!
BUT. I run into her a
couple of days ago at another event and she comes to me: “let’s meet to see how
we can work together”.
Here is another preview into my mind:
Are you crazy? Do you
think I would ever refer a client of mine to a person who is so “all over the
place that one can’t even figure out what she does”? What’s your definition of “marketing”?
Maybe I am on my own world here… but to me, marketing has to
do with branding the right message to the right audience. I must be wrong because the only message I
got from her website and business card is:
RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Maria Ryan
No comments:
Post a Comment