RSS Feeds

“Not only that, a small business owner will have to either invest the time or find someone to invest the time for them (i.e. an IT person, which a lot of small business can’t/don’t want to afford) to find an RSS feed reader, configure it, show the owner how it works, probably provide additional support on top of that, and so on and so on. The costs and trouble outweigh any benefit for a non-IT-related business owner.”

Invest time to find a RSS reader and configure it? Huh? Well if you can’t do that, then don’t even be online to begin with. If you’re not willing to learn and work with the components that make the web what it is then forget about all together. Keep yourself in a box far, far away from technology.

Dealing with RSS lets users get information sent to them in a friendly format that saves you the time of visiting blogs and websites. Not sure what the point is here.

Blogs

“Now…before everyone who owns a blog decides to tear a strip off me and talk about all the wonderful benefits of it and how it can generate so much traffic and blah blah
blah yadda yadda, consider also the amount of maintenance you’ve put into your blog.”

Once again I have to keep coming back to why your online in the first place. If a small business has a website (and most all should, that is a separate argument if you don’t think you should have one) then you should form some sort of communication with your visitors. Sure back in 1999 the web was more one-way broadcasting of information/content, but it is surely not that way any longer. Visitors to all websites want to be able to do more than just email the owner/webmaster of the website.

Search Engine Optimization

“but where the hell is the average small business owner supposed to find the one good SEO in a room full of 100 blackhats? “

OK now I obviously don’t agree here. Should we all stop buying cars since there are a lot of shysters in that business? No. Gene and Adam are so far off the mark here. People spent over 29 billion online this past holiday season. Up nearly 20% from last year. Search spend is expected to reach nearly $8.1 billion in 2007. You think all these dollars are all going to waste????

CRM

“CRM software (and no, Jaan, Outlook doesn’t count) is too expensive for any of the benefits that it can provide. Hell, I know people that use Excel for a CRM…and it works for them.”

Yeah I know Adam, just saying I don’t need or want anything to do with CRM software. I agree it is a waste of money to me.

AdWords/PPC Advertising, Online Video

“But does the average small business owner have either the time or the $5,000 or more to experiment with Google or Yahoo! or MSN or (insert PPC ad provider here) to find the combination that works, if at all possible for their business?”

I love how it is so easy put up road blocks for improvements. Saying things are too hard or to expensive should not be in any small business vocabulary that wants to grow. Do you think world class athletes stay at the top of their sport by complaining how long it takes to train? Do you think some of the biggest companies in the world got to where they were at by complaining on how hard it was to adapt to be successful in the ever changing business environment they work in? If you don’t want new technology that is fine. But don’t complain when your competitors pounce on it and take over your market share.

Web 2.0

“Gene Marks absolutely nailed this issue and more importantly nailed a much deeper issue with IT in general; the technology, the explanations of the technology, and the benefits of the technology are beyond the grasp of the average non-IT business owner.”

Hard to debate this one, since I agree Web 2.0 means so many different things to so many different people. As I tried to define it in my last posting: “I personally feel Web 2.0 has to do with more user generated content and making the web more of community for each and every website rather than websites simply broadcasting their message.”

In conclusion I see what Adam is talking about to a point, but I can’t help feeling like if you’re not willing to invest time into what makes the web go around then yes forget about doing anything from Gene Marks article at all. Stay far away from the internet and keep yourself in old hat brick and mortar commerce.

I don’t know maybe this is nothing more than link bait Adam Senour? Seems to be the only reason for Gene Marks to post such garbage.

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Tech ‘Solutions’ Your Small Biz Can’t Use

Another Idiotic Mainstream Media Article…and his title is very appropriate. Well Gene Marks is pretty much an idiot. Gene lists 10 things your small business DON’T need in any particular order:

1. RSS Feeds
2. Spam Filters
3. Antivirus Software
4. Blogs
5. Search Engine Optimization
6. Mobile Applications
7. Customer Relationship Management Software
8. AdWords
9. Online Video
10. Web 2.0

Here is a rundown one by one of all of Gene’s points with my responses back:

1. RSS Feeds

I love how Gene starts the list of with this one:

“Instead, he was “fed” an endless stream of meaningless items displayed in an overly large browser window that winds up distracting more than informing”. Well duh Gene it is the users responsibility to subscribe to RSS fees that are useful. If they prove not to be then simply delete it. To say RSS is useless is completely illogical. Gene in what way do you propose would be easier to keep track of updates on blogs and websites?

2. Spam Filters and 3. Antivirus Software

LOL, so spam filters and antivirus is not a good thing for companies to use, LOL. No comment.

4. Blogs

Now this is simply laughable. Probably the worst recommendation in this long list of crap. One of the easiest and cheapest ways for small business to get off the ground if through a blog. Blogs are easily picked up by everyone in the world, easy to advertise on and simply a way for the small guys voice to be heard. Whether your a company of 1 or 500, having a blog is smart thing to do. Creating this type of customer interaction is necessary in today’s web. If you don’t believe me look at the top companies performing online. Do most all of them have blogs? Yup

5. Search Engine Optimization

Ok so all business can simply forget about ranking in search engines right? Gene the crap you pointed out was buying from spammers. If you did a hour of research into this matter you would see thousands and thousands of companies are spending more and more each year on this type of marketing. Why? Because it works.

6. Mobile Applications

As mobile devices like LG Voyager and Apple’s iPhone allow for a more adequate browsers interface, you bet your life more people will be accessing the web and using web based mobile applications more. Just look at the growth of podcasting in the last few years.

7. Customer Relationship Management Software

I use Outlook and I am fine with that.

8. AdWords

Sure I can live without AdWords, but it doesn’t mean other businesses can. To make such a broad based sweeping recommendation is ludicrous Some companies survive on AdWords alone. Hey Gene ever hear of conversion analysis? Check it out sometime.

9. Online Video

Online video is fast becoming one of the best ways to market your business online. Video integration into your website is pretty much key no matter what service or product your offering online. Your saying you need Time Warner’s budget to maintain and create great video content? Hardly. Just look at the most viewed videos that are on YouTube weekly.

10. Web 2.0

Do you even know what Web 2.0 is? Do I? Does anyone. How can you expect someone to come along and define it. I personally feel Web 2.0 has to do with more user generated content and making the web more of community for each and every website rather than websites simply broadcasting their message. Why don’t you try and define it instead of simply saying no one can.

Wow, what a list huh? How off based can you be? I am sure Gene is just trying to help here, but once again this is one mans simple opinion and should not be construed with what is actually going on in the world. Is their even an editor at MSNBC. Nice job buddy.

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