Offline vs Online – Be careful about comparisons…

One of the greatest dangers, and the cause of some of the biggest problems, is drawing faulty comparisons between Offline and Online…

I just saw a good example on a forum today and I thought that I would post my thoughts on it here…

Let me start by saying that I have the utmost respect for the member who I am about to disagree with… and I certainly respect and defend his right to make the decisions he feels are best for his business… having said this, I am going to use his post as an example because it illustrates so well the issue as I see it…

Also… yes, I am taking this example out of context to make my point. ;-)

The question that came up was whether or not to set a video or audio to autoplay (start the sound as soon as the page is opened) or whether that web visitor should be given control…

This opinion was given:
*QUOTE*

Not having it auto-start would be like doing a cold call, handing them a brochure and then waiting for the prospect to say “speak!”.

*END QUOTE*

This parallel made me smile… it is the kind of example that I like to give myself… but in this case, I suggest that the example given is actually a faulty one… the situations are not as similar as would seem at first glance.

In point of fact, if you are making a sales call, even a cold call as suggested, you are there physically taking cues from the person you have approached and the physical environment you are both in… this is not possible online.

In point of fact, you ARE waiting for the prospect to say *speak* , in that you can tell whether it is appropriate to begin your presentation, or wait for the prospect to finish a phone call, or conduct you to an office, or even just move to the back of the room.

You would not hand them the brochure and then start screaming your presentation at the top of your lungs, totally ignoring what is going on at the time. ;-)

Unfortunately, a video or audio presentation set on autoplay is not able to evaluate the situation in the office where the computer…

As I mentioned in the other thread…I had one client who added a slide show w/music to her retail site (NOTE: I was NOT involved in any part of this debacle! TG!). The music was on autoplay…

Her sales DROPPED 70% from the same month of the previous year. I don’t think that the autoplay was completely to blame, but I do think that it was a major factor…

So… what is the point of this post/lecture?

When translating an offline scenario into an online situation, be careful that it is an accurate parallel. Most often I find that I run into problems because I haven’t taken the translation far enough…

Sharing the road to success!

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