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Luxury Car Marketing Lessons, Job Hunting Trends, and Unveiling Ancient Scrolls

Yesterday I was in a coffee shop and had one of those serendipitous encounters that ended with me asking for a fellow’s business card. He handed to it me with the comment I hear all too often:

“Uhh…my website is…umm…not quite up to date. Please just email me.”

I’ve done it, too.

(And then I’ve wasted so much time and money trying to update it to speak to all people and fit any situation. Rookie mistake.)

Why is this so common? I suspect some combination of the Cobbler’s Children problem, the horror show that is the agency space, or simple lack of clarity and alignment on the purpose of the website within your business model.

If you’re in this situation, what is it for you?

After that encounter and because it’s top of mind in some client projects—and often top of “funnel” in your customer journey—here’s a quick PSA on showing up like a pro on your website:

  • You have 3 seconds to capture attention…and you’re competing with Instagram crack, overflowing inboxes, and 14 app notifications.

  • Don’t mess it up. Your site doesn’t create clients or prospects (this is not Field of Dreams), but it can make them disappear.

  • Your color scheme and logo matter…with consistency mattering most of all.

    • Color schemes are free: check out http://colormind.io/bootstrap/ among many others.

    • Perfectly serviceable logos for less than $100. (I’ve use Looka.com in 7-figure projects…no one cares that the logo cost 50 bucks.)

  • Invest in a real website, not squarespace or wix. Focus on UX and a simple workflow. Build it for now but on a foundation that will serve you later (otherwise, plan to do it all over again in 12ish months).

  • Don’t do it yourself. You probably could because you’re smart. Which is exactly why it’s not the best use of your time.

  • You should not pay more than $5k unless the website is the product. If your site sells your services, keep it simple, on solid infrastructure you can use and grow. (It’s possible to get it done well for much, much less).

  • Avoid freelancers and marketplaces like Upwork. Like the plague. You will either have to micromanage the project, be ghosted, or left with some technical monstrosity that no one in future will want to touch. In the end it costs you much more, but at least it’s a miserable experience.

If you’re stuck on the website part, hit reply and I’ll point you in the right direction. I’ve done the trial and error. I don’t recommend it.

Websites are just one (very) small part of the larger problem…

There is far more information than attention in the world. It’s a problem for everyone as consumer. It’s an urgent problem for you (and me) as service provider.

Our job is to build trust. And that’s more and more difficult in a world where information drowns attention (and often precludes insight).

This week’s roundup has some links with useful tactics for winning attention, some links that illustrate the absurd result of so much information, and some links that make me pine for the days when information was a scarce and valuable thing.

— Ian
Founder, The Pro Solo

Business strategy

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As she's grown dumber (her words!) relative to her peers, the author has compensated by dialing up her agency. "Radical agency" is about finding real edges that others aren't willing to do. Ask for things that feel unreasonable, to make sure your intuitions about what’s reasonable are accurate.

The economy: Well, which is it, son?

The Penta-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index (ESI) decreased 0.9 points to 36.8. Four of the five of the ESI indicators decreased over the past two weeks. Confidence in personal finances and buying a new home fell the most.

40% of U.S. adults say it’s at least ‘somewhat’ likely they will be job hunting within a year, up from 37% in September. Most people looking for a new job prefer to use the online site Indeed to browse the latest job postings (56%) LinkedIn (33%) and Google for Jobs (16%) are second and third preference.

Principles vs. tactics

The luxury car market is a world with a delicate balance of heritage, performance, and an aura of unattainable prestige. reaching high-net-worth individuals who crave these car masterpieces requires a marketing strategy as meticulously crafted as the vehicles themselves. Brands that embrace authenticity and forge deeper connections will be the ones to navigate the evolving luxury landscape.

An oxymoron? Usually. This listicle tells you what and (sort of) how to build trust (the core purpose of marketing) with your digital efforts.

Beauty

Vesuvius Challenge 2023 Grand Prize awarded: we can read the first scroll. The 2000-year-old scroll discusses music, food, and how to enjoy life’s pleasures. This looks at how they did it, what the scrolls say, and what comes next.

The Secret Life Of Machines Home Page CLASSIC. This site from the once glorious internet is designed as a companion to the TV series 'The Secret Life Of Machines' written by Tim Hunkin and presented by Rex Garrod. Just how does a video recorder work? And how about fax machines, cars, washing machines, electric light, telephones, vacuum cleaners, and refrigerators?