JK Planning Now for a Futuristic Web
There are some amazing developments exploding on this social Web that are pointing to an increasingly human experience. Right now the buzz is about real-time search and location-based services. The only certainty is that these developments will be followed by others.
You can try to predict what is coming next, or you can just accept the fact that the inevitable will happen. As a small business owner and user of this technology, I believe the smart thing to do is to assume that the Web will continue to evolve into an experience that enhances, extends, and in many ways, mirrors our everyday human experiences. And then plan for that.
Shouldn't we be working now with an eye on the inevitable Web that will become reality in 10, 20, or even 50 years into the future? If you have been on this planet for a while, you know the future seems to arrive much more quickly than you would have otherwise imagined, so you may as well start planning for it.
The Past
The early days of modern marketing in the '50's and '60's gave us an imagined experience. Products and services were marketed to make us feel younger, run faster and jump higher, and otherwise live a Utopian life of eternal youth. And surprisingly, we believed it all.
The Near Past
Then the '70's and '80's came along and we discovered some truths about people, companies, and governments. We realized that the party just couldn't last.
The Present
The '90's and early years of this century brought us down to earth as globalization became reality. Not only is our world not perfect, there are quite a few problems that demand our attention - both locally and across the globe.
What If
Imagine what social media would have been like during these periods. It would have mirrored the times, just as blogging and the social media network mirror where we are at today.
Social media reflects what is going on in the world today. It captures and records everything. And that data is then analyzed, although not necessarily very well at this time. Though the day of accurate measurement, analysis, and feedback will come. You can count on it.
The Future - Here and Now
Knowing this, you have to now consider how you will use the Web of the future. That's right, you can choose how to use the Web, or you can sit back passively and wait for it to use you, which of course is what is already happening.
The Web is indexing information with amazing speed and accuracy, and that trend is sure to continue. Knowing that, it is wise to consider what a world will be like where there is a perfect Web, one with nearly perfect information that mirrors your every move, and those of everyone else. How will you respond?
As small business owners, how will you shape your business to adapt your company to the inevitable future of marketing? One thing I'm sure of is it will not at all resemble what we have seen in the past. Some of my ideas are to imagine complete knowledge of competitive pricing, reputation, quality, and customer experience, to name just a few.
I believe in 30 years we will laugh at how we do things today. I believe we will be surrounded by solutions that were either out of our reach, or that we had to work extremely hard for.
Human Solutions
If there was ever a time to consider the future by thinking beyond what you considered to be normal or possible, especially as it involves the human aspects of your business, this is that time. It's time to think about what is possible when you seamlessly connect millions of people in ways that are unimaginable, because the unimaginable will indeed arrive soon enough.
Some Ideas to Consider
What if you knew exactly what was on your customers minds? What if you knew their every thought concerning your product and service? How would you use this information to deliver a better experience - not just better overall, but optimized for each and every customer.
Is this possible? You bet it is. And we should all start preparing for that possibility.
In a future post I'll share one amazing technology that gives a glimpse into these possibilities. The great thing about amazing possibilities is you don't have to predict them.
You just have to be ready.
