How are companies using Web 2.0?
Since 2007, thousands of executives from around the world, across a wide range of industries and functional areas, have responded to a survey by McKinsey asking how their organizations are using Web 2.0 technologies. In 2009, McKinsey created a fascinating interactive tool that links the data from survey results and charts it interactively.
This interactive tool focuses on several of the survey’s core questions, from the technologies and tools companies view as most important to what kind of investments, if any, they plan to make in in the future. The survey examines the business use of 12 technologies and tools: blogs, mash-ups (a Web application that combines multiple sources of data into a single tool), microblogging, peer to peer, podcasts, prediction markets, rating, RSS (Really Simple Syndication), social networking, tagging, video sharing, and wikis.
Using the interactive presentation, you can track the performance of each technology through the years or customize the view to compare particular technologies side by side. It also contains an audio guide. Take a look and a listen.
Should you base prices on cost or value?
I just read a great post on Entrepreneur.com by Mark Stiving. ”I continually find business owners price their products or services based on what they cost, versus what their customers are willing to pay. Even worse, I find businesses that base prices simply on what their competitors are able to get away with.” His advice:
- Listen to your customers.
- Know your competition.
- Be honest and fair in your self-evaluation.
- Recognize that customers are different from others.
Live strong. Laugh often. Never give up.
Many thanks to Lary Coppola (mayor, publisher, car guy and grandfather par excellence) for posting this on Facebook.
Ken Sethney [marketing coach]
Build your personal board of directors.
Do you have a mentor? If so, that’s great. A one-to-one relationship with a more experienced business person can be very helpful. Now, imagine what it would be like to have a group of people, a personal board of directors, willing to help when you have to make tough decisions. Nurture relationships with people whose perspectives you respect and call them for advice when you need it. Just remember, the decisions are yours, but you can improve results with input from people who’ve been there, done that.
