They've got me under their skins

For the longest time, I've been a big fan of skins; no, not the kind of which you're thinking. I'm referring to GUIs (i.e., graphical user interfaces, which create the look and feel of a computer desktop or application). Skinning is becoming very popular. I, like many PC owners out there, are bored with that same old Windows look and feel. (Mac users are surely not excluded.)

So I use an application package called Object Desktop by the folks at StarDock (see http://www.stardock.com/). Its GUI replacement application specifically is called WindowBlinds (see http://www.windowblinds.net/), which was recently featured on both CNN and ZDNet. (By the way, I also use a shell alternative, to replace Microsoft's Explorer -- the standard Windows shell -- called LiteStep, which simulates the Unix shell based on X-Windows. For more, see http://www.litestep.net/ or http://www.shellcity.net/.)

The advent of Linux, the new open source movement and Microsoft's many legal challenges notwithstanding, it's no wonder that GUI replacement is becoming popular. Today, almost every major, newly launched application offers users the possibility to "skin" the application the way one likes.

Many popular programs such as WinAmp, ICQ (with ICQ Plus), RealJukeBox and many others are featured on the popular http://www.skinz.org/. Even Windows jumped on the bandwagon by releasing their new, "skinnable" Media Player 7.0 (see http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/) -- and AOL did the same with Netscape 6.0's prerelease. (For more, a primer on skinning is at http://www.stardock.net/media/skinprimer.html.)

According to StarDock's Brad Wardell, in his article "The GUI Revolution," Brad says: "[Microsoft] designed the Windows GUI [as] an interface that was simple to learn and easy to use. The only problem is that as with any one size fits all, people who use computers day in and day out begin to feel limited by some of the choices that were made to make it easier for new users to use Windows. This demand has begun to be filled by programs that give the user the ability to change the look and feel, to match their tastes and their usage."

As Internet marketers, we do work on computers more than the norm. Many of us feel a growing need for some kind of flexibility in terms of how we interact with our computers. The interesting thing in all of this is the fact that StarDock provides an excellent model for web marketers too. They not only follow some of the most basic rules in successful marketing but also go the extra mile in many cases on some of the things we Internet marketers take for granted.

1) Community

StarDock has its own news (NNTP) server. I participate regularly in their forums and I can tell you that their support staff has been nothing short of exceptional. If I wanted to read about the latest update, trend, skin, bug fix or industry gossip, I scanned the groups. If I had a question about something I did not understand, I posted my question to which instant replies were given. Granted, not all businesses have the capacity to host their own news servers. But the success of this model dictates: Start your own online community.

From a simple, single, free remotely hosted discussion board (like one from http://www.ezboard.com/, http://mycomputer.com/ or http://bravenet.com/), to multiple discussion forums managed in a moderated and even private (i.e., password protected) environment (such as those offered for free by http://www.intranets.com/, http://www.communityzero.com/ or http://www.everyone.net/), managing your own virtual community is strong website glue.

That's not all. StarDock offers links to a chat room, related newsgroups, a newsletter, an IRC channel, support email addresses and numerous FAQ pages. Their primary software manager (called "Component Manager") is a subscription-based application that updates registered users immediately, while connected to the web, on any upgrades, news or software releases. Of course, they also have a very strong privacy policy. Nevertheless, is there a lesson in there for us Internet marketers? You bet:

Stay in touch with your customers.

2) Usability

StarDock's website is nothing over which to do cartwheels. But its power lies in its simplicity, usability and user-friendliness (not only in terms of design but also of content). If a person knew absolutely nothing about how GUIs work let alone skins in general, everything's right there at the click of a mouse. But there are at least three things I've noticed that they do, which to me are impressive. Let's take a look at each one.

a) Pictures

As I often mention in my articles, "Texts tell but pictures sell." On the web, the lack of touch and feel imposes upon online marketers the necessity to give something visitors can appreciate. Beyond good copy, graphics do that quite well. StarDock's website is replete with screenshots -- you instantly get a sense of what you're buying and, ultimately, what you're getting.

There's no guessing.

If you're selling a tangible product on your site, it is best to provide a picture of how it looks like (thumbnailed of course for quicker downloads). If intangible, use a logo or an image that communicates the core benefit of the service. As my friend Dr. Ralph Wilson once noted in a recent issue of Web Commerce Today (see http://www.wilsonweb.com/), "I don't really care what purists say, photos sell products and color sells better than black and white."

(Incidentally, Dr. Wilson's comment centered on the topic of HTML email, which is also being contemplated at the Internet Marketing Chronicles, the ezine of which I am the chief editor at http://SuccessDoctor.com/partners/imc/. Soon, we will be offering our subscribers the option to subscribe to either the HTML version or the plain text one -- like Internet.com has been doing with its ezine, Internet Day at http://www.InternetDay.com/, for the longest time.)

b) News

Like most developer sites, StarDock offers a news section on their front pages that informs visitors about what's going on in their firm or with their products. (And I say developer sites because, if you visit http://www.betanews.com/, http://www.customize.org/ or http://www.desktopian.org/, you'll notice that they look like virtual newsdesks -- you know what's going on all the time.)

This kind of transparency is often attributed to the open source movement and particularly software developer sites. But I believe that implementing such a process on any website, the ecommerce kind especially, can not only make a site stickier but also provide a great level of interactivity. Obviously, the issue here is credibility. If people learn about a website, that's fine. But if they can learn about the people and the events behind it, credibility is instantaneous.

To paraphrase my good friend Jim Daniels of http://www.bizweb2000.com/, "You must tell people that there's a living, breathing human being behind that electronic veil of yours." In fact, the funniest thing is that sites like those mentioned above are for engineers, programmers and the like. They are probably the "geekiest," most techno-driven people online. But their sites are proof that they are also the ones that make the Internet the most human.

(For many, this may seem paradoxical. However, the reason is that these types of sites rely heavily on other people. For example, they need people to download and beta-test their products. They need to maintain contact with developers -- like StarDock's many skin authors. More important, they rely heavily on constant feedback. Unfortunately, most non-technical, commercial sites are primarily focused on their products and not their customers.)

c) FAQ

StarDock knows that the large part of their customer base does not consist primarily of programmers. That's why their website has an extensive FAQ (i.e., frequently asked questions page). There you'll find anything you need to know, from installing, operating to uninstalling WindowBlinds. In short, StarDock is truly an excellent example of outstanding, online customer support.

The owners understand the primary objective of an ecommerce website (or of any business, for that matter). It's to sell products. Period. And they do so by first accommodating their target market as best they can -- repeat and referral sales are their bread and butter. Sadly however, too many sites are designed with the designer or marketer in mind, often communicating in a language that only they understand. But FAQs however provide the necessary leverage a customer needs in making a choice about buying what a website offers.

But that's not all. StarDock also publishes press releases, numerous articles and a newsletter, which they highlight and to which they link on their front pages -- such as articles they have written in their area expertise and on skinning in general. Like all successful Internet marketers, writing articles about one's industry or product, submitting them to the media or other publishers (or at least posting them) and publishing an ezine are excellent ways for maintaining constant contact with the people that matter most:

Customers.

In the end, skinning is probably one of the least important marketing activities online, if it is at all. My goal was not to mention it as one. (It's mere eye candy.) But it deserved a mention because its exploding popularity offers a number of powerful insights on successful Internet marketing from which we all can learn.

As the face of the web changes, we too must look at how we can change and better our practices and particularly our websites. In fact, Internet marketers may also be in need of a new, shall we say, "skin"?