The Techno-geek challenge

Unfortunately many of us suffer under the delusion that the more technologically advanced our website or blog is, the greater our following will become.  We are lured into a belief that flash widgets, java implementation and other fancies somehow create greater readership.  Unfortunately, as you, I, and our friends fall prey to this belief, we often become so wrapped up in website design and widgetry that we overlook our core purpose and simply forget that sometimes simpler is better. 

Technology, especially in website design, can offer an aesthetic benefit, but at the same time can damage the navigability and user-friendliness of our sites.  Such an over-focus on technology, ultimately becomes self-defeating and creates frustration.
 

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the world of internet news.  Take for instance Foxnews.com and CNN.com.  Both sites employ the latest technology and go to great lengths to be more attractive to visitors.  Although the sites are great for finding breaking news and interactivity, have you ever tried to locate a story that is a week old? or 2, or 3 weeks old?  It's nearly impossible, especially if the particular story is a "hot one".  If you are looking for a particular quote or fact that was quoted within an older story, good luck.  Likewise, politically-driven news sources such HuffingtonPost.com have subscribed to this same techno-heavy, breaking news format; always focusing on that moments news and overlooking the basic need for easy navigation and information location. 

On the other hand, one politically-driven news site has remained nearly unchanged for the past decade.  The drudgereport.com remains a breaking news source, hot-linking to msm-articles, while maintaining the same format and appearance since its inception.  You would think that in today's techno-heavy society that such a format would be unattractive and that users would have long-ago abandoned use of such an unaesthetically pleasing site.  But Matt Drudge, unlike the techno-driven websites, has remained focused on his mission and audience.  He has created a format that is simple to use, works across every connection speed, is easy to navigate and search, and remains focused on its core mission. 

In the end, all four of these sites are very highly rated with even more similar reach.  The primary difference, however, is that the drudgereport.com maintains its reach at a much lower cost, meaning a greater income and more resources focusing on news discovery, rather than technology breakdowns.

As a marketer, or simply a for-fun blogger, remember to maintain focus on your core purpose and audience.  You don't have to be a techno-geek to be successful online.  Just ask the 7 billion users who visit the drudgereport.com every year.