Microsoft doesn’t quite understand why Google is successful in search. Do you think the average surfer even knows how Google determines what order pages appear on your screen when you run a search? I can tell you right now that they don’t care and they don’t really want to know. So why do people choose Google over Microsoft if it isn’t about the technology?
It’s all about the experience. Google has a very clean homepage that is good for one thing – Search. That’s it. If you want to do anything else with them you have to go looking for it. Live Search by Microsoft is moving in the right direction but still doesn’t quite get there. The trick is to make it clear what users should use your site for – or your business – for.
How does this tie into your business? Keep your pitch simple. Don’t offer too many choices, don’t drop a menu on their lap and tell them to pick. Tell them what they need. Show them how you will help them. It’s an easy to duplicate formula at the end of the day.
The reason Google is successful is that they were able to take their one product offering – Search – and leverage it into a profitable advertising company. They now make money off of nearly every search. If you are a marketing company, remember to first assist companies with their marketing. If you are a distribution center, remember that distribution is the only end result that matters to your customers. Make it fast, make it effective, make it run well but always keep in mind your one singular core priority.