How Fast Do You Down?

Most of us know that the internet in the US is much slower than the rest of the world that has what we could call an equal amount of development.

Since the Telcos welched on their bargain to add those 200 billion (said with your pinky finger at the corner of your mouth) tax deferred dollars into the US infrastructure, we are behind most of the countries of similar status.

Here at the office I have a DSL by Qwest, it does OK and I regularly get about 2.5mbps down. This is not as good as the neighboring community who has a muni that offers 3 times that speed for a touch less than what I am paying.

So here's my question. What kind of internet do you have? Speed and ISP?

 

Gas Prices?

Here in my area gas is costing about $3.10 a gallon. My truck gets about 20 MPG if I am nice to it. Yes, I know I am not being the most ecologically sound individual but I really do need a truck. I haul a ton of stuff and the 4WD is almost a necessity here in Iowa, especially this year with all the snow we had.

So, here's what I want to know - What do you drive and how much is gas where you live?

And yes, I do want to hear from all you Europeans who lambasted me and the U.S. about our energy consumption in this post showcasing a luxury RV.

 

Weekend Posting.

As I was sitting here on this cold Sunday afternoon reading some blogs, I see that a lot of people post on the weekends. Normally I will post Monday through Friday and occasionally on Saturday. A fella does need some time off ,you know. So how many of you post at least 6 days per week? What about 7?

Just curious as to whether or not I should ramp up for weekend posting.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

 

How Fast Do You Type.

I was thinking about something last night. Regardless of why you blog or what you blog about, one irrefutable thing that all bloggers have in common is that they all type on a keyboard. Actually now that I think about it, some of you may use voice recognition software but I would surmise that percentage is pretty low.

Anyway, I am curious how fast you type. Myself, I am in the 45 to 50 wpm category. Not as fast as most but definitely better than your average, run-of-the-mill hunt and pecker.

Here's an online typing test that you can take. It measures accuracy and WPM. Let me know where are you at?

 

Viral Marketing Part 3

I "Stumbled Upon" this image somewhere out in cyberspace. How funny is this?

My recent posts Viral Marketing-Part 1 and Viral Marketing-Part 2 talk about the impact that this type of marketing has on the way information is spread. Then a report came out from Jupiter Research saying how viral marketing is not working anymore. So miserable were the reported results of targeted viral campaigns that "only 15% of viral campaigns in the past year achieved the goal of prompting consumers to promote the marketer's message."

The report laid out the demographics most likely to spread messages, the impact of social media, and a host of other factors that contribute to viral marketing and why it isn't working.

HOLD ON A MINUTE HERE!

This isn't what viral marketing is all about. Viral marketing happens all on it's own. You can't force it. Like Seth Godin says: "True viral marketing happens not when the marketer plans for it or targets bloggers or skateboarders or pirates with goatees, but when the item/service/event is worth talking about." AND, it's going to happen whether you want it to or not. South Carolina's Miss Teen contestant is a prime example with over 14 million views during the past several weeks. Given that kind of exposure, I'm sure she's wanting a "do-over." There was no marketing, no strategic planning, it just happened and people spread the message.

But these are the consequences of something that goes "viral." Those who know the story behind the "Star Wars Kid" understand what I am talking about.

Don't try and take shortcuts in marketing. Market to people that are listening and are fans of your product or service. Make you message extraordinary and people will listen. Identify what you do and your unique selling point and you will do more good than trying to force people to talk about you.

 

Ford Headlights

Driving to the office today, I saw a really nice Mustang. It looked like the owner had spent a lot of time customizing it. Then I saw the headlights. DOH!

Ever notice that Fords, regardless of model, seem to have problems with moisture getting into their headlights? This has been going on for about 20 years or so and is a really irritating thing for me. About 15 years ago, I had an 88 Tempo. The moisture in the headlights got to be so bad that it actually started blowing the bulb. Eventually I figured out where the leak was coming from and sealed it up.

This defective moisture seal is a huge topic on discussion boards. I don't understand why Ford can't figure this out and design some kind of new headlight. I believe that Ford has to know about it. Chevy and Dodge don't typically have this problem.

This is a prime example of a company not knowing or not caring about a problem. Ford, like the other auto manufacturers, sends out surveys to their customers. They should be asking a different question that covered something about leaking headlights.

So where am I trying to go with all of this? I am feebly trying to make a connection between your business and what your customers think. The best way to do that is to constantly ask their opinion on how you are doing with "Customer Service Surveys" on the web or in a hard format. Without this type of feedback device in use, you have no way of finding out about the unsatisfied customer. They simply will not tell you. However, the will tell other people. A happy customer will tell someone about you, an unhappy customer will tell 10 "someones" about you. The good is nice to get but the bad is what you need to get.

Everyone you do business with gets a survey, no one gets left out. We have designed countless customer retention programs and surveys for out clients. Here is the obviously shocking part, 100% of the time our clients get "need-to-know" information that ultimately helps their business grow. Take the time to measure yourself and see where you really are.