[Wylug-discuss] Webtraffiker

[mikeb at gbdirect.co.uk]

>
> Thanks Dave, and Felix,
>
> I am beginning to understand. This is more complicated than I thought.
> The bit I struggle with is why marketing should be necessary at all, if
> the playing field were levelled so that unbiased information could speak
> for itself. Isn't that one of the benefits of standards-compliant web
> design?
>
> Best wishes,
> Mark

Marketing is (in a broader sense) an important area of study and research,
commonly also embracing the sales process. Many highly talented, honest
and decent people work hard in these areas.

A lot of technical people have a jaundiced view of sales, typically only encountering
third and fourth-rate sales people in the high street, whereas GOOD marketing
and sales support seeks to get the right product to the right people, meeting
the needs of seller and buyer alike, hopefully leading to a situation of trust
and respect on both sides, a buyer happy to make repeat purchases at the price
offered and at which the producer is able to survive and innovate.

Any business that simply puts statements of fact on its website and hopes that
the world will beat a path to its door will starve in short order.

Marketing is about working very, very hard to ensure that the right people hear
about your product. For example, if you produce a fabulous product, vastly better
than the one currently in use in the marketplace but nobody ever hears that it exists,
they will never try it. Sometimes you have thrust it under their nose and work hard
to demonstrate to them that they, the customer, creature of habit, can obtain the
benefits of the wonder-product BUT they have to change habits, working practices or
whatever in order to do so. That involves persuasion and visibility of your new, better
way. You may have to try dozens of different ways of getting the message across in a
way that resonates with each segment of your market: older people may view your product
in a totally different way from younger ones for example (market segmentation). Some people
don't read well and respond better to pictures or verbal messages.  Some will
value after-sales support, others will value price/performance. It's endless.
Honest marketing is a huge discipline!

The study of marketing is an important part of a business degree and they aren't
all charlatans.


Mike