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It really is surprising how major companies deriving most of their income from Internet-related activities do not really understand the Internet. The Internet is about communicating and making contact. Marketing is about dialogue with prospects and customers. Unless that dialogue takes place, you do not make the sale. The Internet is the place for that dialogue, yet some of the most surprising companies do not realize that.

For example Bell Canada is an Internet service provider. Who better than they should understand the Internet? Yet they killed off one of the hottest online properties where one could meet Frank and Gordon, the Bell Canada beavers, after being online for only 12 months. Today almost two years later, the Bell beavers are being buried without trace. What a waste.

Another surprising example is PayPal, now part of the eBay empire. Very many people have been upset at PayPal’s performance over the last three weeks. They could not log in or could not bill customers through the service. Calling the Help Line, if you could get through, gave very little comfort. Apparently the system was being upgraded but no estimate could be given of how long this might take.

There was no information on line and the PayPal blog gives no information about any problems. Since the Internet is about communication, the silence is even more upsetting. Only on eBay Chatter if you were persistent could you find information on Changes to the Resolution Center and Dispute Console

… a huge upgrade to the PayPal Resolution Center, which is the hub on PayPal where buyers and sellers can work out all their transaction and account problems. The new redesign has updated the Center and optimized everything in line with how we’ve learned people use it.

Paypal clearly understands the way the Internet is evolving, since it is now offering PayPal Mobile

Try PayPal Mobile today!
Text home to 729725 (PAYPAL), and we’ll send you a link to our mobile website.*
If you have trouble following the link, just type mobile.paypal.com into your phone’s browser.
Talk back
How can we make PayPal Mobile even better? Tell us what you think.

How can it not realize that the Internet is all about two-way communication?

Thankfully some companies get it. Many individuals now use Twitter to stay in touch and occasionally air their grievances about service frustrations. Frank Eliason is comcastcares on Twitter and he searches for those Comcast needs to be in touch with. When I checked, his last tweak was
@mhnguy Can I help? 18 minutes ago
Now there’s a company with an Internet Mindset.

Related: Do You Have An Internet Mindset?

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 1st, 2008 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Internet, Marketing, Mobile. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.