Have you heard of those great Web sites, so called “Personalized Start Pages”, which will make life so much easier? There was a big hype starting in 2005, and almost all the big portals and news providers jumped on the band wagon - now we can see more failures.

The idea behind the concept sounds tempting at a first glance:
Personalized start pages allow their users to get all of their favorite websites, blogs, news, weather, maps, events, address books, to do lists, email accounts, social networks, search engines, video and photo networks - you name it - in one place, and users then can share the page with their friends.

What are the flaws
Have a look at the screenshot below: E-Mail, Flickr, Youtube, maps, etc.
Now consider the following scenarios and the users’ needs:

1. He wants to check his E-Mail: Where does he go?
   His start page or his E-Mail account?
2. He wants to check out the news on Youtube: Where does he go?
   His start page or Youtube?
3. He wants to upload some images to Flickr: Where does he go?
   His start page or Flickr?
4. He needs directions: Start page or Google maps?

You get the pattern.

So what are the benefits?
That is the big question. Users will fulfil their needs directly. The obstacles of configuring the start page and the loss of time do not match the benefits. A simple start page where a user can assemble all his favorite RSS feeds can offer a quick overview of all the sites’ news, and weather info is a feature many users appreciate. However, most features offered on those sites only mean a click more for the user, and therefore the user would rather go directly to the desired target such as Youtube, the E-Mail account or Flickr.

This is also why Flickr, Youtube, delicious, Facebook and many others got sold or received substantial venture capital. Despite the fact that several Personalized start pages got impressive media coverage, there is little business hype heard.

Lessons learned:
One of the most important factors for being successful is creating a business strategy that fulfils a concrete user need.
And yes, I am still wondering about the business models of today’s personalized start pages.

Who are the players?

Live

Let’s assume business is going well and it is time for expansion. So, let’s simply translate our Web site and go live. This approach might seem logical and the most cost-effective.

However, deciding about which content should go on a site should not only be a matter of translation. Content also needs to meet your customers’ expectations, and those vary from culture to culture. Below is an example for companies which offer services.

Let’s do some stereotyping:

Germany
In a typical business meeting, you’d expect fast and efficient presentation of facts and figures followed by negotiations and then closing the deal. Your language should be formal; using the first name is only appropriate in some business fields. Then, in case precious time allows, you might go for a beer together.

England
You first get offered some tea, you talk about last weekend, your kids, sports, etc. You laugh and take your time. These days almost everybody addresses each other on first name basis. No Sir or Madam. Then you talk about business.

These cultural differences are reflected in the use of language and content on most websites:

Germany

• Language: Often you find a rather abstract list of: We do X, Y, Z and optimize A, B, C. The facts. Straightforward.
• Content: Factual and detailed presentation of content, whitepapers, references
• Establishing trust: Presentation of know-how and skills

England

• Language: A quite generous use of the imperative can be found: Improve X, Y, Z and you will benefit from A, B, C. The text is much more commonly written in the form of a dialogue with the (potential) customer
• Content: More engaging content, proof of satisfied clients and customers
• Establishing trust: Listing of testimonials of previous customers. This happens to a much further degree than on German sites. Some sites even include video interviews with their customers about their satisfaction of the services provided (for example: www.lcm.co.uk). Referrals are also important.

One example of “Establishing trust”: Xing versus LinkedIn
Cultural subleties are also visible in the business network communities of the two countries. While in England LinkedIn is the predominant site, XING is the commonly used one in Germany. Certainly the two sites’ business strategies are not exactly the same, and labelling is another topic in itself. Nevertheless, I found these differences to be a good example of the cultural subtleties.

————————————————————————————

XING
In XING users introduce one another (see upper right-hand side),
and the main profile navigation points are:
Business Details | Confirmed Contacts | About me | Guestbook

————————————————————————————

LinkedIn
In LinkedIn the first navigation point is “recommend“ (see upper right-hand side.),
and the main profile navigation points are:
Profile | Q&A | Recommendations | Connections

Subtitle: How to bridge the distance between business strategy and design.

This is one of my all-time favourites. Why? It’s a fantastic, quick read packed with insights and full of wisdom on what branding is all about. I think it’s a great read for anybody involved in selling a service, product or idea.

Marty explains in a very descriptive and in easy-to-understand language how to keep any brand on track and why brand consistency will pay off. He defines 5 disciplines on how you can build a sustainable brand and which obstacles to look out for. And it is often exactly those obstacles why even big brands are struggling.

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Here is a condensed version of his book in PDF format - enjoy:
Powerpoint version of “The Brand Gap” by Marty Neumeier (PDF 3.5 MB)

I am not sure if the following is still valid, but if you need books for your branding team:
Bulk discounts on the THE BRAND GAP are
available for educational and corporate groups.
Contact STEPHANIE.WALL@NEWRIDERS.COM.