Why ‘wow factor’ is such a dread

As a digital marketing expert you might hear such a statement from your client. If you try to probe in with a few question you will get evasive and generic answers. There is no clarity on the data and the source. Questions about content is also met with the same response. At the end, the client always emphasises the wow factor part.

What is the meaning of ‘wow factor’

After getting the required details from the client, you try to sit back and plan for the content. But the ‘wow factor’ demand of the client is still at the back of your mind. As you try to plan a strategy to bring in the wow factor in the client account, you will feel as if being pushed into an abyss.

At this point do not make the mistake of getting back to the client. Because the client does not have any idea of the meaning of wow. It is just a catchy word, easy to sound and speak. The word in itself means a lot to the client but is meaningless to you. How will you understand the wow part when the client themselves do not have any idea.

Wow factor is an excuse

The truth is that clients who ask for wow factors do not intent to put in any effort in their brand. Many brand owners create an enterprise because they have got bored with mundane life. Owners neither have the commitment nor the capability of running a brand. But today anyone can start a small business. It is only after quite a while when people realise that the brand is not build for the long haul.

Brand building is hard work. Content planning and presentation requires lots of effort. No shortcuts here. But what will the digital marketing expert do when there is no involvement from the client side. Many clients will frustrate you without providing any specific inputs on content. They will keep delaying deadlines so that they escape from the hard work. Finally when you plan the content and post, the client will reject it citing lack of wow factor. You will end up doing all the hard work on behalf of the client and will not get any appreciation in return.

Where are the leads

After stalling on the content and planning, the client moves over to the next thing on agenda, leads. Now the situation these days is that original and well researched content is loved by the audience. Content with wow factor has a huge entertainment value. But it fails to get genuine leads from customers. People are happy watching wow content and then they more to the next post. When people are looking for solutions to specific problems, the social media platforms only serve them informative posts.

In the dilemma between understanding the client and serving wow content the brand suffers and lead generation becomes difficult. All this while the client keeps pressing for the wow factor.

Nothing wrong with me, you are the problem

The final stage of this drama is where the client starts placing blame on everything else except the wow plan. At this point the client cites various problems with the posts, content, posting, sharing and almost everything that you are doing. If you have still not disconnect with this client, do it now. Because from here on the client is convinced that you are the person who has been doing damage from the beginning.

Remedial action

By this time it is too late to react but you need to follow some ground rules set right from the beginning.

Lay down the terms and conditions in clear and specific terms. Even if you note them down, chances are the client will retract or deny that these terms were agreed upon. So making an agreement just on phone call will not suffice. You need to put things in writing.

Close down all avenues of the blame. Your client will try to find some way to pin it on you. A possible way is to create a WhatsApp group or record all progress in a Google Document. Keep things clear at all times.

Keep a regularly updated progress report. Once a month is fine but ensure that all targets laid down by the client are met. If targets need revision get back to the client in time.

Brand owners have one thing in mind, customers. Whatever the content, it has to be aimed at getting more enquiries for your client. Very few clients are appreciative of your work, rest are looking for an excuse to point out problems in your work. Your content plan and presentation has to be aimed at partial lead generation too. Good content is a sure contender to get enquiries.

Selection of domain name and hosting

Hosting a multipage WordPress website is technically challenging. Blogging began with tech bloggers because of their ease and familiarity with technical terms. Then came the age of travel and lifestyle bloggers. Influencers only came on the scene when social media arrived. Curating content for a website is the next biggest challenge. These points were made clear to the client during the first interaction.

During first interaction we explained about website hosting and went through various hosting packages offered by websites in India. Due to budget constraints, client requested use of our shared hosting to temporarily host the website. However we strongly urged the owner to buy their own hosting to have complete control over their digital assets. We compared various hosting providers in India and explained the packages and various plans on offer. One point to remember is that every hosting company offers 50% discount on first purchase. Look for a hosting plan which is at maximum duration so that you get the best rebate. Once the duration is over, you can migrate to a different host. At that time, we strongly urged her to have her own hosting too so that she has total control over her website as well as hosting.

To know more about how to choose a hosting DM us at https://www.instagram.com/jisotdotcom/

A new account was opened on Hostgator in the name of the client for registering the domain name. Sukaone has a shared hosting account with BlueHost which we use for single page websites. An add-on domain was created and new instance of WordPress installed using Softaculous.

Website was completed by the month end. After the website work was done, the client took login credentials from us and changed them. From that point onwards, the website remained on hosting account of Sukaone.

The website changed hands a number of times and few modifications done over the next two years. First it was a known relative, later some IT expert who did not even login once. For these two years, the client believed that she can find someone who can manage the website for free.

Such cases are very common today with influencers and reel makers becoming tech experts. Wrong advice from friends and family and always end up with an egg on face. Over our two years existence serving customers we have come to realise that every year hundreds of students graduate as computer engineers from various colleges all over the country. If they do not get a job in the IT sector, they work as free lancers. For relatives, they will work for free. These are the ones who create the maximum ruckus with a brand. 

The incident of 2021

In June 2021, our shared hosting with Bluehost was getting over. We had decided to move to another hosting provider to get the benefit of 50% discount. After migrating all websites we were still left with website of Lekhnee Academy was still residing on our hosting account. We contacted the client and asked her login access for changing of DNS server names. Her reply was that it is not needed as she has already migrated the website to her own hosting. She also emphasised that her hosting and domain are both now managed professionally by an IT expert. We once again asked her to check back with this IT expert as to whether the website has been migrated or not. As far as we knew, the DNS servers were sill pointed to our hosting. Her confirmation call came after 10 minutes and she gave us the go ahead to delete the website from our hosting account.

We could not even take a backup as the login details were not shared with us. However we could take a backup of the installation using Softaculous which we accessed from our cpanel. We downloaded the installation zip file on the hosting server and our PC too and then deleted the website. As soon as we deleted the WordPress installation file from our hosting account, the website went offline. Even after the website went offline, both the client and IT expert did not respond. On the third day, we got her frantic call asking us to restore the website. We had to tell her that the hosting account itself has expired and that the website can no longer go live from the same account. Further since we did not have access to her hosting account, we cannot make changes to the DNS servers.

Then she contacted the IT Expert once again to realise that he did not have her login details either and even though he was supposed to do regular updates and backup, he never logged in. We had a long talk with the IT Expert and came to know that the person actually was not knowing much about IT leave alone website and hosting. He was kinda helping people with social media accounts and computer work. Brand owners shun a legitimate integrator with the right credentials and experience for some self-professed IT expert, all to save a few rupees. 

Solution

Since the website was deleted without any current backup, the only option available was restoring the Softaculous backup. While all backup and migration plugins of WordPress work smoothly, Softaculous is very temperamental. Using softacuolous for migration between hosting providers almost never goes smoothly.

Our personal favourite is WP All in One migration plugin. Though the plugin itself if free, one of the most important extension, unlimited uploads is paid, But it is worth the money, every paise of it. This plugin can be used for regular backups as well as migration. 

First the softaculous backup was uploaded to a new hosting account. There it was extracted to the public html folder. A new database was created and installation restored. We still did not have access to the website since the login credentials were lost. We generated a request for password reset via WordPress. Once in, we created a backup using All in One Migration plugin. With the backup ready, we now started with the process of website migration.

Next task was changing DNS server settings. This account was with the owner who had forgotten the login details. We had to send a password reset request. The new password required an upper case, special character and number which the owner was having difficulty setting. While she was not aware that the password was not getting changed, she kept giving us the incorrect password. We were not able to login the hosting account for days together. Finally we requested access to her email account. She had also forgotten the password to her email account. So first we reset that and then moved on to reset the hosting account. Once we were able to change the DNS server names, the website went live.

Lessons  

Sukaone has two plans for clients, Digital Assistant and Dedicated Accounts Manager. Once we assess the IT awareness level of a client, we strongly suggest the use of Digital Assistant. For a reasonable fee we are available a phone call away to take care of all your technical needs. Such kind of service is unmatched. Today the online world is a complex maze. People with advanced IT skills find the social media daunting. So hiring a digital assistant is a good deal. Why we charge for tech advise is simply because anything which comes for free is assumed to be un-valuable. 

PS

We later apologised to the IT Expert because we had used some harsh words with him. Later we realised that he was just extending a helping hand. Even the client too is not at fault. Today is the world of extreme cost cutting and intense competition. Margins are extremely tight. In such a scenario it becomes difficult to hire a digital assistant by paying a monthly fee. Our digital assistant plans are part of all plans which means they basically come for free as an add on.

About Mool Cycle Works

Mool Cycles Works is a bicycle sales and service shop in Sadar Bazar, Delhi Cantt. It is run by two brothers Sonu and Jatin. Bicycles or cycles as they are popularly known are a hit among children in India and are a prized possession. Once a few Google Maps representatives approached them and got their shop location listed on Google Maps. They got the location registered through Google My Business. The owners had no clue what was being done on their smartphone by the reps. Obviously the app and process is not so DIY. Anyways, the entry was wrong and they had no idea how to move ahead after that. To aggravate the problem another team came and created another entry with a slightly different name. Here is a screenshot of both business names.

Steps to resolve the issue

Till Sep 2021, the owners did not have any idea how to resolve the problem. They were stuck with wrong address marked on Google Maps and just two reviews which averaged to 3.0 in reviews.

Re-install Google My Business App

Every shop owner must install this app and claim ownership. Quite a few business model do not need anything to do with Google Maps. Like a grocery shop in India, the owner will just not be bothered if anyone gets directions on Google Maps. This is because customers are already crowding in the store. But for the rest of small business owner a correct Google Maps listing is paramount.

Same was the case with this bicycle shop because there was a bigger competitor right next door.

Main owner had the mobile number listed so the Google My Business App was reinstalled on his smart phone. Apparently he had an old handset which had the app installed but after he changed the handset, the app was never installed again. This was because, the owner was not aware about this app and its necessity.

Here is the link for the app in Play Store.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.vega&hl=en_IN&gl=US

Once the app was installed, the business listing was visible in the app as owner. There were pending edits and few other issues listed below.

Phone number under review

Despite being a verified profile there are numerous cases where the phone number of a business establishment remains under review for more than a year. There are shops and restaurants whose phone numbers have not been verified by Google and they are losing business.

This is a very popular restaurant in Tezpur but the phone number is still under review for more than a year. The restaurant manager keeps requesting customers to suggest the phone number.

Same issue was faced by Mool Cycle Works. We have mailed Google My Business support team and this was their response.

The problem is that if they are short on staff, they can hire more people. But working with a skeleton staff and using COVID as an excuse is a far fetched idea.

This picture is as clear as it gets as far as presence of establishment is concerned. No idea what more Google is checking.

Address and Location under review

Wrongly marked address was corrected and edited. Thankfully that process went smooth and was reviewed almost immediately. Many times when the owner inputs the address in Google My Business they forget the location of the map marker. If placed incorrectly, it remains at the wrong place.

Pro Tip – For all field showing under review, contact Google Support

Use this link to contact support and amplify the issue. Google might ask you for additional details like registration or photographs.

https://support.google.com/business/gethelp

The only way to contact Google My Business support team is by Email. There is no phone number or any way to talk to them.

Solution for duplicate entry

Step One – Claim ownership. If there is any other entry by same or similar sounding name check if the ownership can be claimed. But be careful since verified profiles also show the option of Claiming business.

There are various ways that Google uses to verify. In case of Mool Cycle Work, which was a duplicate entry, it was OTP based on the mobile number shown on the profile. Luckily it was the same mobile number as the owner and could be verified for ownership.

Step Two – Mark as permanently closed. This is the next best option. A duplicate map entry will almost surely be inactive. So if anyone marks it as permanently closed, Google accepts the suggestion.

Step Three – Mark as duplicate of another place. Google provides a wonderful interface to provide edits where users can mark a business as duplicate.

Finally if all the above is not working then the only option left is ask customers and friends to report the entry on map.

Reviews and Testimonials for Mool Cycle Works

Once the entry is ready, the first thing the brand or business owner has to do is ask customers for review. Owners keep phone numbers of clients saved. Owner of Mool Cycle Works shared the review link with his customers. Within two weeks the review count has gone up to 13 and all are five star reviews. That goes to show the popularity of this shop and sales and service quality.

A word of caution to all owners – The definition of a five star review system is not clear to most Indians. We tend to equate a five star rating to a five star hotel or resort. So anything which has opulence, glitz and glamour becomes five stars.

But the five star rating systems works differently. If everything is ok with the business and service or product, then it should be rated five star. One star less means that there is something lacking in either the product or the service promised but not provided. But in India we give a four star rating and still write in the review that everything was good and perfect.

Pictures speak a thousand words

Ask your customers to upload pictures of the product. Also as an owner try to push maximum pictures and videos to Google Maps. Using the Google My Business app is easy and intuitive. It helps upload pictures easily to your business.

Take pictures of shop front, products, customers buying, your team, logo, posters and anything relevant to business. In case of Mool Cycle Works, it has to be sale and service of bicycles.

More than a picture, post an update

After the limited success of Orkut and Google Plus, the next attempt is Google Maps. It is now completely user input driven.

For business owners a post is in the form of an offer, update, event or product. Each category permits pictures, text and a link. That is a lot of flexibility and information support. As of for now, the owners of Mool Cycle Works are shy to put their various models along with the pricing. But subsequently they might agree to post offers there.

About Mekod

Mekod is about real people and their business stories. They are case studies in a descriptive manner. If your online presence is facing any issues you can contact us.