Rise of Socialism ...well online anyway

Quick, whats the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a corporate website?

10-1 you're thinking of something fancy, flash-based; big intros and big budgets, or maybe you're thinking of something basic, a logo, some general information, and some products to buy.  Those sites are dead.  If you have one, sorry, but you're already behind.

Think about it this way... You're website is the first place people are going to go to learn about your company. Do you want to just be the pretty face, distant and waving to the crowd from on-stage; or the celebrity, out and about, mingling with your fans?  Mystery is rarely a good thing in business.  Liquor companies know this. Why do you think they spend so much time and money, hiring attractive people to go to bars and hand out their products? Because, people want to interact with the pretty face, not just be waved at from a distance.  

The good news?  It's quick, easy, and inexpensive to catch up to the pack.  The tools are out there, and most are free.  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN - just to name a few.  So suck it up, jump onboard and ride the social networking wave.  So next time a client visits your site, get out there, shake their hand and use that charisma thats gotten your business this far.  Sure, it takes a little more work, but the payoff can be huge

...because Socialism is here to stay, and in this instance, that's actually a good thing.