Real Estate, Marketing, Software

I’m throwing a social networking house-party on my website and you’re all invited.  It’s going to be a blast!  There will be lots of interesting people to have conversations with, plenty of tasty content to snack on, and all of your favorite music (DRM-free of course) on demand. 

I only ask that you mind the house rules: no spamming other guests, wear an appropriate avatar, and of course no trashing my site!   There is nothing worse than having to clean up after a party gets out of hand – especially when our nosy neighbors on the web and any passing consumers can see everything.

I guess what I am trying to get at with this extended analogy is that your website is essentially your home online. All the shiny “web 2.0” tools (comments, user created content, etc) that facilitate two-way interaction are the things that keep the party hopping.  Social networking outlets assist in attracting guests, but at the end of the day – is your ”home” going to be trashed because of it? 

In 2010, your personal website is the one of the last things that is totally controlled by you.  You design it, you personalize it, and you choose what is displayed and what isn’t – could adding too many pieces of interaction be a bad thing?  Well, let’s look at couple of case studies on other sites.

I remember when Myspace was the rage, back in the internet stone age of 2005-6.  I devoted every ounce of my time building the perfect space – and conducted most of my personal communication through the now (essentially) defunct service.  Then, real communication started to dwindle, and it became a spamming free-for-all since there was no mechanism to moderate/block comments or messages.  My inbox became bombarded with nothing but automated messages, group invites, applications – whether I wanted to see them or not.  Now, I haven’t logged in to my account in months.  It’s less of a ‘my’ space, and more of a robo-space. 

The same is beginning to happen with Facebook.  I still use it to chat with friends, but the amount of real communication taking place is steadily declining as Facebook drags its heels on limiting unsolicited marketing messages (both direct and in-direct) which may be the exact opposite of what your brand is trying to project.  How many times have you seen a photo comment or a wall post that you just know the original author probably doesn’t want associated with their content?  I know I’m not the only one. 

While we’re on the topic, I also don’t want a zombie hug, and I don’t care if this pickle can sell more homes than such-and-such real estate agent, or find out who was voted braver than me?  That’s okay; I think I know the real truth.  And for the last time – stop poking me!

Call me a cynic or a purist but I believe social networking applications should be kept real.  When you go to conferences and tradeshows for ‘networking’, you don’t network with applications and play a round of Farmville – you interact with real people.  Considering the amount of time is now spent in the world online – can we keep communication real?

Buyers look for real communication.  They come to your website for contact with you, that is why it is important to keep your website relevant, personalized, and accessible – without being too freeform – less you run the risk of things getting out of hand, just like Myspace or Facebook.  Here are a few tips for adding social content to your site:

• If users are given access to site files (such as downloadable pdfs) make sure they do not have access to alter or delete the files in question.
• If you have access to an instant chat or click-to-call application, make sure that it does not show you as available when aren’t (aka in the middle of the night).
• It is best practice to make sure that any sort of audio or video on a page does not auto play by default.  There is nothing worse than going to website with audio and not realizing your speakers are at full blast!
• Make sure all forms have some sort of CAPTCHA form (such as reCAPTCHA) less you become swamped by spam.
• Make sure any commenting application has a moderation process.  In addition, make sure you have a commenting policy readily available to refer people to.

Now, if you’ll excuse me…I have a party to attend.