WebWise Solutions

Should your company invest in a community? You're probably already thinking - that we're thinking - the answer is likely "yes." This article explores some of the compelling reasons for having a thriving user community associated with your company.

When I first saw the new WebWise Solutions page, I was impressed. (OK, I'm an employee of WebWise - I'm supposed to be impressed!) But it goes beyond the nice look and feel of the site and the cool collection of tools and articles. There is a certain collective power in the community, from the moment you log on and see the number of users grow, and watch the content flow.

If you've been wondering how a community might benefit your company, here are a few points to ponder. These Community Reasons are not listed in any order of importance - you'll likely create your own priority list as you read ...

Top Ten Reasons for a Community

1 - Disaster Avoidance

Articles contributed in a community sometimes go beyond the interesting and useful - occasionally they are a life raft in our personal technical tidal wave. Key tech articles can help users avoid disasters and save time and money. For example, one grateful reader of a community article commented: "Best advice I've ever followed ... we were back up and running with 100% recovery in 6 hours. When the users came in Wednesday morning, they couldn't tell the server had ever been down. Your article is clear, correct, and kick a... errr, that is, outstanding."

2 - Product Awareness

A community is an ideal place to raise awareness about your products, in and out of your company. It's more of a grass-roots approach - users can mention, debate, and discuss products (sowing the seeds) without being subjected to a diet of heavy marketing.

In turn, this environment spurs one of the most powerful marketing assets - word of mouth. If the word on the street is less than stellar, you'll know. And if it's a thumbs- up, you'll know why.

3 - Pulse on Opinions

Are you tapping the community-user resource? In addition to the comments and ideas spawned in a community, surveys offer another avenue of feedback. Providing timely surveys to the right audience can influence key decisions in your company and keep you in touch with customers.

Remember that a negative can quickly turn into a positive. If users feel comfortable venting their opinions about certain product issues, and they see a real response from the company to address those issues, life suddenly gets a lot better for everyone.

4 - Creative Problem-Solving

As we all know, but often forget, there are a lot of smart people out there. A community spurs ingenious thinking and problem-solving regarding industry issues and your products. Leave it to users - they will often ...

• Read your documentation in a totally "new" way
• Make your products do things you never imagined possible (or probable)
• Find usability problems that escape your best testers

While some of these ideas from readers deserve a thank-you and are better left on the shelf, others can truly transform your product usage and future direction. And there are many "in between" ideas that will brighten our day and make life a little easier.

5 - Interactive Online Communication Tools

Blogs, wikis, articles, forums, newsletters, RSS feeds, etc., etc. ... it's amazing what's now at our disposal to communicate with users. The WebWise site offers - and will continue to offer - a wealth of articles, tips, and blogs on using cutting-edge online communication tools. And because these tools evolve and change over time, a community makes sense as the means for keeping everyone up to date on the latest developments.

6 - Advertising Opportunities for Others

Ah yes, there's also that "money thing" ... A community draws partners to your company with advertising opportunities. This adds weight to your online presence as it adds a few dollars to your bottom line. As you bring in advertising spots, remember that users must continue to feel that it's all about the community, not about being overwhelmed with ads.

7 - Sharing of Tools, Tips, and Tricks

"Locked your keys in the car? Don't worry - I have a spare key." Wouldn't that be nice to hear from a friend, the next time you're locked out! Finding just the right tip or solution to get you past a problem can be about as satisfying.

A community is an ideal way to share tools, tips, and tricks that range from "convenient" to "life-saving." And those who contribute helpful items can benefit from community feedback on how to improve them or adapt them to meet new challenges.

8 - A Place to Belong

Face it - the tech world can seem pretty cold and heartless at times, and we human beings could use a little nurturing and reassurance once in a while. Belonging to a community helps us keeps our chins above water as we fight our daily battles. Friendships, alliances, and appreciations can all thrive and grow in the community environment.

9 - Your Company Cares

It's one thing for a potential customer to see only a stream of advertising from your company, and it's quite another for them to see how your company cares about issues. When you sponsor an open, thriving community, you further the image of a caring, involved company - and that's worth its weight in marketing gold.

10 - It's the Wave

OK, there's always the age-old peer pressure thing - more of your competitors are thinking "community," and some of them have already started building them. Of course, they need to be effective communities, and that's where WebWise can help.

Conclusion

We're all in this together! We welcome your feedback, and we're happy to share more about how we can help your company develop a successful and vibrant community.