What's Your Website's Real Job - Christopher Michael

"Your website needs to be about me (the visitor), not you." "Is authenticity marketing an oxymoron?" Christopher Michael, the founder of PXLPod Web Strategy, has been on the show a couple of times. He updated Mark and Patrick on his current thinking about the web, and it's misperceptions. Christopher and Mark met in 2010 while working on TEDxAmericanRiviera. He's now the CTO for TEDxSantaBarbara and works in close collaboration with Mark on various projects, making sure Mark stays out of his own way when it comes to the web. This wide-ranging conversation covered a lot of ground including: What's the real job of your website? -- To welcome the visitor and appeal to them -- To provide the visitor with something with which they can RELATE -- The site needs to communicate that you can heal the visitor's pain or problem -- The visitor needs to feel inspired that they've found a real solution -- The visitor needs to feel confident that you are the person who can successfully apply that solution -- The site needs to build trust and relatedness How important your website has become and how much has changed on the web Why you should look at your site with new eyes The Salesperson and the Conversation ... we talked a lot about the 'conversation' you start on the web with a prospect What's the job of your business card? Your Facebook page? Your Twitter account? We continued to talk about the Tone of Voice of the site - it's all about the visitor - not about YOU Christopher's Common Mistakes people make when putting their web presence together -- Not understanding the process of a sales pipeline -- Failing to realize that people need to be assured. We all need to fee food about solving the problems that get in our way. -- Expecting your site to sell for you. -- Hiding behind WE - Gotta be REAL with people. It's endearing, and people nowadays can smell subterfuge a mile away. -- Trust Trust Trust Trust. There's the filter with which everything needs to be processed. "Would I trust ME, given how I've presented myself on my site?" Why Christophers' motto is, "Give a shit. No really." Is authenticity marketing an oxymoron? Parting advice: "The more myself I can be - the more like-minded customers I can attract." We didn't have time to talk a lot about one of the people he looks to for inspiration. Take a look at Paul Jarvis for that. We also will ask Christopher to come back and talk about his passion for photography. If you'd like to see Santa Barbara, and other locations from a different point of view, check out his site, Misha Media and his most current work on Facebook.