Why Do Small Business Services Sometimes Lack Sophistication?
Collaboration services targeted for the small business market often seem more like software suites than web-based services with deep linking capabilities and tag-based environments.
For example, the new offering from HyperOffice focuses on features that are fundamental to small business operations but lacks the advanced capabilities that we see from a number of Enterprise 2.0 services.
Is this a good thing? Is this due to the domination of document-based systems that have traditionally been such a part of the small business world?
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We are torn on this one. We see a number of companies offering services such as real-time collaboration environments. Still, the portal mindset seems to have such a hold on the small business market.
HyperOffice looks like it is providing a service that has value for the small business. But like others we have seen, HyperOffice feels monolithic. It provides the capability to create personal and group environments but extensions to the web are limited. In some respects this may be just the right approach. HyperOffice users may not want the capability to build data mashups and tie into services like Twitter.
The company points out that the market is flooded with Web 2.0 style point tools. The HyperOffice platform is a one-stop shop. This may be smart as the company is targeting Microsoft Sharepoint and Lotus Notes users. A SaaS like HyperOffice may be enticing, perhaps even more because it has similar functionality to the offerings from the big players in the market.
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Tue Dec 15, 2009 19:10 pm
Google Wants Your Help to Reduce Webspam
If you have any suggestions for Google's webspam team, now is the time to make them. Google's Matt Cutts, who leads the team, has called for suggestions for webspam projects for the year in a post on his personal blog.
"About a year and a half ago, I asked for suggestions for webspam projects for 2009," says Cutts. "The feedback that we got was extremely helpful. It’s almost exactly the middle of 2010, so it seemed like a good time to ask again: what projects do you think webspam should work on in 2010 and beyond?"
Cutts is taking suggestions in the comments section of that blog post. From the sound of things, this could really make an impact on Google's approach, so if you have any good ideas, don't be shy about sharing them.
Last year Matt got over 300 suggestions, and I'd expect a similar number this time, which is all the more reason to make yours stand out by offering some thoughtful insight.
Cutts does note that he doesn't want people to call out individual sites or much discussion in the comments - just your idea of what Google should work on to decrease webspam.
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Wed Jun 30, 2010 09:35 am
10 BtoB Marketers Predictions for 2010
Around this time last year I wrote about some Predictions for 2009 and while I would say 8 out of 10 have already materialized and the other 2 are on their way, it has become clear that this year was the year we past the point of no return on Social Media. Recession or not Social Media was on a roll ignited by the visibility of events like Obama’s win and Iran’s election protests.
So that begs the question – what’s on the horizon specifically for BtoB for marketers next year? Here are 10 concrete ways I think the environment in which BtoB Marketers operate will evolve in 2010. Enjoy!
- Facebook Advertising will take off – This year Facebook saw their advertiser base triple! Facebook ads today remind me of Google AdWords in 2001 with low CPC’s on topics and segments many marketers will want to reach. I believe Facebook Ads will become the close “cousin” of Google AdWords – just with a more targeted and behavioral way to dial in your ads. BtoB Marketers should try it out for recruiting or even brand advertising – also don’t forget my book Facebook Marketing for Dummies comes with a credit for $50 Free Facebook ads (/> [...]
Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:40 pm
How do you post to your blog every day?
Image by churl via Flickr
One of my colleagues calls me "committed." Others think I should be committed. But one way or the other, I post an entry to my blog every work day. How do I do it? Often, it's a labor of love, but sometimes it feels like a chore. I find something I think is worth saying every day, but I admit that it is not always easy. Today, it was easy, because I can tell you all of the things that I do to post every day.
First, I cheat by asking other people to post to my blog. It might strike you as the easiest way to fill the days, and in some ways it is. We have a great staff of Biznology bloggers, ranging Chris Angus, who posted his first one yesterday to Frank Reed, our most prolific blogger, posting each Friday. But it tooka few years to create a popular enough blog for others to want to contribute. And I still must be constantly talking to bloggers and getting new ones or cajoling veterans for another post. It's important, but it isn't always easy.
Despite these great contributions from others, I still write more of the posts than anyone, and people want to know how I pull that off. I have a few methods that keep those posts coming, some obvious, but I hope a few are new to you:
- Save ideas. Keep a running list of every idea that occurs to you that might be /> [...]
Thu Apr 01, 2010 04:30 am
