‘Us’ or ‘Them’ – how to tell the customer they are irrelevant on your website

This great little cartoon/graphic says it all and although looking at the subject of Universities, there is much that we can all learn

 

Here’s the Graphic.  If your website spends all its time talking about you, and no time talking about the customer, how do you think your customers (and prospective customers) feel?  I guess the question that might need to be asked is ‘what is the purpose of the website?’ which is a good question.  If your website (like many) exists for the core purpose of attracting possible customers, then surely THEY are the area to focus on?  If you say it is about promoting ‘Us’ then okay and what sort of ‘brand’ image does just talking about ‘you’ create?  When it comes to Universities few consider the end user’s needs, instead treating the website as an internal ego stroking mechanism.  One must of course wonder what type of organisation so desperately needs to always be stroking its own ego.  A great cartoon with the original weblink to it (and other cartoons) available here

The Future of…

Aug 1, 2012

Most everything. The various papers, presentations, radio interviews, magazine articles, books and newspaper references have been reformatted in alphabetical order for easier access. Click on the ‘Future Of…’ tab and find what you are looking for under the headings listed, with links to each relevant item.   You’ll find the future of Australia, food, technology,…

Read More >

The Continued Rise of ‘Enoughness’

Jul 14, 2012

I came up with the term Enoughness in late 2008, and early 2009 as a result of some research I was assessing looking at emerging consumer behaviour. The manufacturing companies I presented to at the South East Business Networks session on Managing a Diverse Workplace discovered, Enoughness was a very different approach to the idea…

Read More >

Need a Career Change? Here’s some roles to consider

Jul 9, 2012

Business Insider has a story today of 7 jobs you’ve never heard of and why they’re awesome which is delightfully amusing for two reasons: One – ‘Futurist’ makes the list at number 7; and Two – I’ve been employed in full time futures for over a decade (and part time for about ten years before…

Read More >

Our Disappearing World Languages

Jun 25, 2012

In this article on the LifeBoat Foundation’s website, Laurence Baines discusses the loss of languages around the world and the increasing shift toward the major five tongues. From a futures perspective we appreciate that a language often contains within it, a way of knowing that is missing in someone who may have learned to speak…

Read More >

Science Fiction writer Ray Bradbury has died aged 91

Jun 6, 2012

Few books (and a subsequent film) influenced my desire for knowledge in the way that Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 did. The black and white film adaptation still holds much in my memory almost 30 years later. As a youngster I’d sat up late and seen original The War of the Worlds on TV and a few…

Read More >

How Secure is your WiFi Usage?

May 29, 2012

Ah well, you’d be surprised at how easy it is for someone to steal a piece of you! This info-graphic from Veracode explains in more detail some of the actions you can take and things to be aware of when using WiFi   You can go stright to the InfoGraphic and

Read More >

The Future of Money

May 7, 2012

Have just spent a few hours discussing the Future of Money, hosted by James Bibby at Microsoft in Sydney and facilitated by Peter Vander Auwera from SWIFT/Innotribe. I’d like to flag that everyone understood that the session was way too short for such a big topic and everyone would agree that we just scratched the…

Read More >

Six Emerging Trends in Corporate Sustainability

May 1, 2012

Ernst & Young and GreenBiz have completed a survey of business executives looking at the development of Corporate Sustainability around the world. The report shows that there has been a clear rise in awareness; that employees are a core source driving sustainability actions; that reduction of costs is a core appeal and that return on…

Read More >

The Future of War

Apr 23, 2012

On the eve of ANZAC day here in Australia ABC Radio Darwin’s Vicki Kerrigan chats with futurist Marcus Barber on the future of war – what the future triggers of war might be and how war will be fought   Increasing technology or less technology?  Haves versus the have nots?  On a pretty serious topic…

Read More >

The Future of Workplace Design

Apr 17, 2012

In this chat with Vicki Kerrigan on ABC Radio Darwin, we chat about workplace design and the need to create functional workplaces – something the ‘open-plan’ model fails utterly at delivering. Click on the link below   Futurist Marcus Barber on ABC Radio Darwin discussing the future of workplace design and the challenges of dysfunctional workplaces…

Read More >