Tom
Here is your NoSpin Debunker for October 12, 2005
This is the first in a series of 3 NoSpin Marketing web site critiques (as offered in my most recent newsletter). I sincerely appreciate the companies that have volunteered to go under the
NoSpin microscope (and am sorry that I can not do each of them). I hope that the
results are beneficial to the companies picked and others who are looking to enhance
their respective sites. Please keep in mind that portions of NoSpin “The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly” critiques are a bit tongue-and-cheek. I’m a believer that all business does not have to
be so dry and boring. Nor does my sidekick, Clint.
A couple caveats—I am not reading every word on every page but am attempting
to view each page on the site being analyzed and hit some highlights and lowlights.
Also, though some recommendations are implicit in the comments, this analyis is
not to be taken as a complete plan for a revamped or new site.
First on the firing line is NorthPoint, an IT software and services company.
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The Good
Company does own its company name url www.northpoint.com. A lot of companies, unbelievably, don’t or don’t care.
I like the Northpointer blurbs that change periodically—a nice touch.
Some nuggets of intriguing stuff scattered throughout the site. (the operable
word, though, being “scattered”—see “The Bad” below). Here is one piece of wisdom
(that even Clint signs off on) that is buried (Clint can’t even remember where
now) in the content:
“Built specifically for the IT industry, NorthPoint’s products use an analytical
approach to examine a company, its markets, strategy and operations, products,
alliances and acquisitions. The software incorporates "NorthPoint data" gained
from in-depth research of the performance of 350+ venture-backed investments,
enterprise projects and partnerships. NorthPoint’s research disclosed that technology
contributes no more than 15% of an IT initiative’s success – marketing is responsible
for 35+% and management factors contribute 50+%. KRVS quantifies risk by these segments and their interrelationships, consistently
and objectively measuring the risk it takes to achieve the promise of value and
plan variances over time.” Clint, though, wants to know MORE specifically about
this…show us!
And another gem in the rough: Principals of the organization have published a
book, “Smart Business” for IT Professionals. Looks pretty interesting, but it’s
at the very bottom of the homepage which one has to scroll multiple pages down
to even see). And the book cover print is then hard to read…and no excerpts? A
lost opportunity for credibility. And no link to purchase the book somewhere online
is another opportunity lost. Oops, sorry—we’re still in the “Good” section (wait
until we get to the “Bad”).
Indeed, if a soul could ever possibly get past the NorthPoint homepage (the most
important page on any site by a factor of ten), it becomes more evident that this
is a small but a pretty successful, established company that sells some very sophisticated
IT software/services. After going to several pages, Clint and I sort of get what
the company is about but still aren’t quite sure who needs to call them, when,
and for exactly what type of help. It’s far from crystal clear.
Yes, there is some indication (even on the homepage) who NorthPoint is attempting
to talk to: IT companies: Hardware, software and services company CEOs, CFO's,
CIOs, R&D, marketing, product managers, project managers, systems integrators,
marketing and business development managers, planners and investors. (But then
later on Clint gets a bit confused again: there are indications that the company
works for other types of organizations, e.g. a city government, etc…so what’s
the story there?)
A few OK testimonials (e.g. from the likes of IBM, etc—very impressive!), but
see the “Bad” below for the flip side of these blurbs.
Clint loves good FAQ’s (good ones are sort of Cliff’s notes for the site), and
a few of the NorthPoint FAQ’s are understandable and relevant and help straighten
things out—at least a little bit.
Clint and I try to have an open mind for the “Good” in every site, but just got
fed up clicking around trying to find something of real value. He’s saddled up
and moved on to a competitor site that looks a lot more promising.
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The Bad
NorthPoint is a nice corporate name, but there’s no tag line to help tell what
the heck the company is all about.
The www.northpoint.com site is irrefutable evidence that you can have a poor web site and still be
a successful company; that being said, I’m guessing that the current site discourages
more business than it ever generates. The company admits that it gets very little
traffic and virtually no contacts via its site—no big surprise there!
Even though you get the impression that the company is doing something unique
and important, the content is poorly organized, a lot is obviously ancient, and
some is just flat out impossible to decipher (and I’ve helped start some IT companies
myself and have worked with many others!). It’s like someone every 6-12 months
or so slops other pile of information somewhere into the site—without rhyme or
reason. One would think that a process-oriented, methodical software/consulting
firm in the IT space could at least organize and explain their own stuff online?
Some homepage “news” from March 17th…is that 1875 when Clint was gunning for bad guys or 2005? And even if it’s 2005,
that already 6 months old—showing that either a) nothing is going on at the company
(which is probably not correct) or b) the company is completely asleep at the
stick relative to its marketing messages and online marketing. Clint votes for
“B.”
Absolutely, one of the worst homepages that I’ve ever encountered from a content
and design point-of-view (see “Ugly” comments below as well). The first sentence
uses the word “leading” and “unique and successful” (perhaps, but pure hype until
you prove it to a web site reader!). And there’s the real crux of the problem
on the www.northpoint.com site. Where’s the beef? OK, there are some experienced executives, they’ve done
past work for IBM, etc, they’ve got some kind of big database that somehow makes
them "special"--but prove it to me and Clint and any other visitor that I should
take my time to read more or contact you. WHY?
Why the emphasis on NorthPoint’s Business Model? No one cares what your business
model is unless you’re a new venture seeking capital or seeking others investors
yourself (which, I guess could be the case but doesn’t look that way). Visitors
care about what Northpoint can do for them.
Where are the pain points for Northpoint prospects—why do they really need these
services? Still pretty fuzzy to Clint and me. What tangible benefits?
No “compelling” content to get an interested visitor to take action: fill out
a contact form, make a call to the company etc—no interesting snippets from all
the research, useful tools, etc.—give us a peak or two behind the covers and show
something that really provides a reader something of value.
The few testimonials (from some prominent companies) are hard to find, appear
dated, and very academically oriented and theoretical versus beneficial to the
real world of business. Why put the Academic one first? And there is no client
list on the site (especially when we'd guess that the list is impressive)? Or
maybe we just couldn't find it.
Sample information (from their extensive database) is virtually unreadable—and
really, what the heck is it? It sounds like it could be interesting but who could
possibly tell.
What are the Mentor and Town Hall sections all about…? Major navigation sections
should be self explanatory, and these aren’t. They aren’t even when one clicks
into them.
There is a half hearted attempt to get people to fill out contact information
to get NorthPoint to send them the Company Overview and Product Line in the “Mentor”
section. Doesn’t sound like very compelling content but maybe it’s a lot better
than the other junk on the site? If so, it should be on there.
The site is virtually invisible on the web—Clint wonders if they are trying to
hide from the law online. Why then have a web site at all? Just to say that you
have a site up? That’s a bad reason:
Some attempts at press releases…but how old are those anyway—no dates indicate
they are probably old
No search site function
And those are just a few of the Bad things with www.northpoint.com
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The Ugly
(the look, feel, and usability)
NorthPoint’s breaks the cardinal rule of web sites: minimally try to make your
site appear online at least as successful as your company is. Clint is tempted
to string them up himself….
The company could simply care less about how it looks online. As mentioned above,
possibly one of the ugliest and worst designed homepages that I’ve ever encountered—at
first glance gives the immediate impression of “mom and pop” versus high tech
software/services sophistication.
No Contact button as part of the main navigation or top of all pages—almost incredible
in this day and age!
A little bit of scrolling down a homepage is OK, but pleeeze, this one requires
a ridiculous amount of scrolling. Clint’s trigger finger got tired just trying
to scroll down to the bottom of the homepage.
What’s with the waving American flag…? Clint loves a patriotic American, but
let’s keep flags on the front of your home or our office if you want--not on your
homepage. Looks like you haven’t changed your site since 9/11 when those flags
got trendy on some sites.
Could do with a complete change in corporate color(s). Clint’s not exactly an
“artiste”, but concurs that the green and quasi-gold/brown colors are plain yuk,
pure and simple.
No artwork or design at all on the site—words are definitely more important on
sites than content--and it’s hard to actually illustrate such services and products
concretely—but Clint chimed in that there’s no excuse to make the site butt-ugly
and so uninteresting looking.
Some of the items on various lists that appear to be links aren’t, and others
are—we’re just supposed to guess what’s a link an what isn’t when we attempt to
scroll over them?
Even though, Clint’s always been a wandering type, he enjoys kicking off his
boots at home. But on this site it’s darn near impossible to navigate from one
place to another or then get back to the homepage without getting lost…again and
again; and the ”Home” button is in a terrible spot.
Plus numerous other atrocities that “designer” types would simply retch over.
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Overall Grade: D-
This site is truly in the sales prevention mode--versus sales generation. With
enough gumption and intestinal fortitude, one can plod through and sort of figure
out what NorthPoint does (and few folks would bother after encountering the homepage),
but the site is hardly something to point prospective customers toward. The good
news, is though, it’s incredibly hard to find on the web. But it appears that
NorthPoint competitors that play in the same space online are trying to be found
(via pay-per-click)—hence opportunity online. NorthPoint has absolutely nothing
compelling on the site to get anyone to take a next action (fill out a contact
form, send an email, make a phone call) ; the company may have such information
elsewhere, but it’s certainly not on its web site.
IT professionals (NorthPoint targets) are generally sophisticated, high use web
users, and any IT company that does not have a decent web site deserves to be
shot—at least that’s Clint’s take on it. This is a company that also professes
to have a lot of IT marketing acumen but hopefully is not trying to give advice
to any other companies about their web sites because NorthPoint sets such a bad
example at least right now. Worst case, the company should make its site a current,
accurate, interesting “brochure” so as not to scare off new prospects. But it
genuinely looks like there is a lot of potential to create a true information
commerce site that is also a lead generator for the company.
AS close to an F grade as one could get, but since there are some scattered snippets
of content that could have potential, we felt generous and only gave it a D minus.
My sidekick Clint says, “Blow it away and start all over!” NorthPoint should
develop a brand new site that is a positive marketing asset for their company,
a help versus hindrance to sales, a generator of new prospects, and a shining example
for clients.
Next week—another web site will be on the NoSpin Marketing firing line.
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1723 Stillwater
Circle | Brentwood, TN 37027 | 615.661.6042
tom.ranseen@NoSpinMarketing.com
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