Virtual marketing has real virtue

Last weekend I had several painful reminders of my advancing years.

While helping my god-daughter move in to university – my unstylish but capacious car had sudden merit – I was forced to recall my own experiences, several decades ago.

Apart from the common themes of fear and trepidation and the occasional tears – and that’s just from the dads – there were more differences than similarities. And most of these were technology-based.

The most hi-tech piece of equipment in my study bedroom was a kettle, ‘rented’ for the princely annual sum of £10 and which had to be polished to a mirror-like finish if you wanted your deposit back at the end of the year.

It’s probably some explanation as to why university fees are so high now that my god-daughter’s accommodation, as well as the en suite shower room, is equipped with a telephone, a TV point and broadband. ‘Sadly’, according to the residential adviser (they didn’t have those in my day, either), it doesn’t have wi-fi – but you can get that at the beach!

She apparently has no need for a clock, alarm or otherwise, because her Blackberry is permanently welded to her person. She can tell the time in Sydney, let alone Brighton, at the press of a few buttons.

She apparently has no need of a dictionary or thesaurus either, despite reading English, because she can find the correct spellings, antonyms and synonyms and heaven knows what else on the internet at a mouse click.

Or, at least, she can if she can get the internet to work. I surprised myself and everyone else in the room by setting up the internet connection and linking printer to laptop, but either the ethernet cable or my Heath Robinson-ish approach to technology has since failed and she is web-less. It’s a trip to the IT department for her, if she can tear herself away from her new chums.

One thing’s for sure, whatever help I provided, it was pretty much the extent of my technological savvy. For me, web mastery remains a very dark art.

So I’m doubly impressed by the achievements of the finalists in our inaugural Website of the Year category in the TTJ Awards.

Without exception these companies are effectively promoting their brands, services and products via a “virtual” sales force and marketing team.

And, in the case of the winning website, that of the Howarth Timber Group, since its redesign, visitor numbers to its Online store have increased from an average of 526 a month to nearly 6,000 – and sales have followed suit. It’s been a spectacular success.

Another success is unfolding as I write. Timber Expo will shortly be closing its doors after a very positive two days. With companies rebooking for 2012 within an hour of the show opening yesterday, and the vibe among exhibitors wholly positive, I’d say the organisers are onto a winner.

Incidentally, in case you’re wondering, I’m donating the dictionary I had at university to said god-daughter – and yes, it does pre-date the word “internet”.