INTERNET CORNER
BY DAVID STEIN
Oh my! Have you been
watching what's going on with Internet technology and the stock
market?
Everyday you get to witness new highs, mega-mergers and a tote
board of companies that have not made a penny (actually they lose
millions), but are worth more on paper than AT&T.
We have come a long way! We now have hundreds of media rich sites to choose how we want our personalized information presented and delivered. Each is pulling out all the stops to humanize the technology and provide a positive "customer experience". But as they say, as much as things change they remain the same and recently I had dinner with the publisher or should I say maitre'd of a site that has not sold out to commercialism, chowhound.com. chowhound.com is a three year old message board that receives about 9,000 hits a day from cyber-savy food freaks. Chowhounds are in total control!
What is a chowhound? A chowhound is someone who is obsessed with food and is always going to the end of the earth to get the best eclectic foods. Food is an adventure. I am sure you know someone like this, for me it's my brother-in-law.
Our eating adventures around town have included Colombian, Brazilian, Cuban and Indian restaurants - you get the picture? He is a chowhound! I on the other hand just like to eat. I recommend red meat, no such thing as too much (and you thought it was easy for me to maintain my girlish figure). But chowhound.com has changed all that.
With its plain and simple format chowhounds get to write passionately about their pursuit of hitting "chowdirt". Chowhounds vigorously exchange opinions on ribs, bagels and pork stew - you name it, it's all there. The one thing you can say about chowhounds is they are to the point. And since chowhound.com is advertising free, no one has worry about hurting a restaurant's feelings or reputation.
Moderated by Jim Leff, a professional food writer, chowhound.com is easy to navigate entertainment. Once you get there you will love it. It is comfortable and the content is easy to digest, yes, pun intended. But if we push our plate away and dissect chowhound.com we'll find that it has incorporated many marketing basics that make for a successful web presence.
First, it recognizes that the Internet customer is the same as the traditional customer. So, chowhound.com puts the customer in control. Its segmented advice allows for convenient submission and retrieval of useful information. It is well maintained and its lack of graphics delivers content fast. Fast load time is critical. Studies have shown that most people don't stick around after 20 seconds.
The next step in optimizing a site, is to create knowledge about the customer and manage the relationship. This relationship is the platform that allows you to be able to build a seamless interface that weaves information and transactions. The easiest way to start a relationship is with a registration form. Remember, a relationship isn't about information, it's about interaction between you and your customer. By nurturing the relationship you will be able to anticipate needs and provide the customer things they didn't even know they wanted - and they will like it! After all, isn't generating leads and making sales why most of us created an on-line presence?
chowhound.com currently
has 9 message boards about all things culinary. Restaurant reviews
are devoted to the Tri-state area and Los Angeles. Given its phenomenal
growth and recent press it would not surprise me to see chowhound.com
in your neighborhood soon.