Pamper Your Visitors
When is the last time a website made you feel special? If a site made an effort to make you feel really special to them, would you appreciate it? If you’re anything like me, the answer would be a definite yes, and in fact, might even turn you into a brand evangelist.
Today was my birthday, and although I hardly ever go to the home page of google.com (I usually just search from the address bar), I went to the home page today because I wanted to use my microphone to search by voice instead of typing my query. (My hands were full).
Here’s what I saw when I went to google.com today.
Aside: Sorry for the poor image quality. I couldn’t easily capture the tooltip that popped up when I hovered over the logo – the one that said Happy Birthday, Donna – via screen capture, so I just snapped a pic of the screen with my cell phone camera. Hey, don’t judge me. It was easy and it worked!
Anyway, back to the point… Right there on the home page was a special logo wishing me a happy birthday, and the logo links directly to my Google+ profile page. How cool is that! Actually, I believe they’ve been doing the birthday logo thing for a while now, but I didn’t remember about it, so it was a total surprise when I saw it. Granted, the link to my profile is kind of a waste, because it’s not like anyone but me would ever see either the logo or the link to my profile, but it’s the “feel good effect” that matters.
Sure, the entire process is automated, and Google didn’t have to do anything “special” to make me feel special, but the effect is the same no matter how much or how little effort went into it. I’ll continue to harass Google any time I think they are being boneheaded about something, but they’ve earned some serious brownie points from me today, just because they bothered to show me a special logo on my birthday.
As my brother recently reminded me, “it’s the little things that matter”. I felt pampered by Google today, and they’ll earn some brand loyalty in the future from me for that. Now, not all of us have departments filled with programmers to create these “feel good” website components for us, but we should strive to pass along some feel-good pampering to our visitors when we can. I know I’m often too busy to reach out to every visitor. I don’t always take the time to respond to every single comment here for instance. I should. I don’t, but I should. I can’t promise I’ll respond any more often in the future than I already do. But I’ll try to occasionally pamper my visitors more than I have before.
I think you should consider pampering your visitors a little more too. I know first hand now how good it feels to have that little bit of automated luv thrown my way, and if you can throw some at your visitors, they’ll appreciate you more, I bet.
Just thought I’d pass that along. 
| Pamper Your Visitors | |
 | When is the last time a website made you feel special? If a site made an effort to make you feel really special to them, would you appreciate it? If you’re anything like me, the answer would be a definite yes, and in fact, might even turn you into a brand evangelist. Today was my [...] |
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I am very much into getting pampering out to my visitors because without them my blog is nothing. Thanks for the ideas.
Mark recently posted..Commission Siphon X Review–STUPID BUY?- By Eddy Croft
I hope you come back sometime, Mark, and let us know what you did to pamper them. We’d be interested in hearing about it.
Donna recently posted..One Simple Tactic To Increase Conversions
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Hi Donna,
Personalizing every single experience I can, within the realm of being humanly possible, is a secret of my success.
Make someone feel special and you have a friend for life. This applies to offline relationships, online business relationships, any relationships. I respond to all comments and I returned to my old strategy of RTing or FB sharing each commenter’s latest post, or latest social shares.
For some folks this is not humanly possible, which is OK, too. Just make sure to respond to at least a few, and use names…it makes THE difference.
It takes a moment of mindfulness. That’s it. But the returns from this type of mindfulness, are mind boggling, really. My network is quite massive, and growing exponentially, quickly, because I focus all my energies on connecting with each person I interact with.
I make sure to always use first names when interacting with someone. Makes such a difference in a world of mental hurry, where most are rushing ahead to get 10 more backlinks, or to meet 10 more people.
I focus on the human being I am interacting with in the moment. Right now that’s you Donna
Thanks for sharing your insight with us Donna. Happy New Year
RB
Ryan Biddulph recently posted..Home Based Opportunity Tip | Start 24 Hours Early
Wow Ryan, that’s a huge focus on pampering that you’ve got going there, and I am impressed. I know I won’t be able to live up to your level of personalization, but I do intend to ratchet it up somewhat at least. And yes, I agree, using names matters. Happy New Year to you too!
Donna recently posted..Organized Desk, Organized Mind – Tips for the Home Business Owner
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
WOW! You know, if it’s your birthday and someone even just say ‘Happy Birthday to you’ (without any gift)that’s an awesome feeling and make that moment special. There, you got a surprise by none other than Google! (Though it’s automated and only seen to you).
My birthday is coming this January (12) and I’ll surely check the Google Homepage. I hope, I’ll be wished.
Justinn recently posted..PasturesOfOpportunity.Com – Lowe’s Gift Card Contest
Make sure you’re logged in to your google account when you visit the google.com home page on your birthday, Justinn!
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
i often do the same thing, only search from the address bar of google chrome, i will remember to check this on my birthday this year
okay, just a little off topic talk. You’re right, Donna, it’s the smallest things that matter, just small things but show that you care about other people make them happy enough. But most people didnt notice this, and i am one of them, sadly to say. Thank you for sharing us this.
Hope you remember to check on your birthday. It’s a fun little thing to see.
Donna recently posted..Pamper Your Visitors
Twitter: DonnaFontenot
Indeed, pampering helps a lot. It is an inherent human tendency you can use to benefit your business. Very useful post. Hoping to read more posts like this.
Anita Richard recently posted..Review of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
very interesting
but in my opinion, just having interesting content is enough to be nice to visitors, or just having a simple site, not overloaded with adds and small subsections everywhere
but still…
thanks heaps
james
james recently posted..What do you think?
Hi Donna,
That’s true, when the guest was satisfied on her first visit, the tendency is to go back again and thus the relationship develops. First impression last.
Isn’t it great how the art of being a good blogger mimics what’s important in life. Take your time, practice patience, work hard, be kind and generous spirited and make people feel good, answer their questions, help resolve and find solutions to their problems and the result- happiness and success. Google’s idea is brilliant, but it has merely automated what we should all be doing everyday, as a matter of course. Happy Birthday Donna!
Rebecca Watkins recently posted..Winter In Natural Mothers Garden
That’s a great idea. A little pampering & Nurturing 2 keep all us growing in our Social NetWorking Business.
Thanks Again Donna
Kevin Struz recently posted..Creating A Highly Successful Newsletter – What All Creators Must Figure Out