Think again. The epic failure of Kraft’s new iSpread 2.0 is the perfect example of the way the Internet has changed the way we communicate which in turn has changed the way we need to run and promote our businesses.

Don’t believe me? After running a nationwide competition to name their new Vegemite and cheese spread Kraft announced the new name, iSnack 2.0, on Saturday at the AFL Grand Final. The name was met with resounding horror. And so the conversation began. The Internet became abuzz with people Tweeting, blogging and even creating Facebook hate pages. People hated the name and were not afraid to say so. So much so that Kraft are now rethinking the name. Epic failure indeed.

There are some valuable lessons that can be taken from this example. In 1999 Chris Locke, Doc Searls, David Weinberger and Rick Levine wrote “The Cluetrain Manifesto”. Apart from the attention grabbing line on the cover “the end of business as usual” it’s ideas turned the idea of business on it’s head. In summary they state that customers talk and the Internet finally gives these customers a powerful medium to talk on. If businesses want to do well in the future they need to become part of this conversation. It was not a conversation they could control and one where “marketing hype” and “corporate speak” are detected with alarming speed. Not only did they need to be part of the conversation they needed to talk to their customers authentically. And they needed to listen to their customers and their conversations. If customers didn’t like the service or thought a product was crap they could speak out and thousands, if not millions of people heard.

Back to iSnack 2.0. The customer has spoken. They hate the name and they aren’t afraid to say so. And Kraft have finally listened. Not 5 days after the announcement of the name they have canned it and gone back to the drawing board. It’s a good decision and great to see that they have listened to their customers but one wonders why they didn’t start the conversation earlier. It would have saved a lot of time and money. And face.

I’m often asked whether email addresses should match website addresses. Many businesses seem to to have their website address as businessname.com.au but their email address is email@isp.com.au. My response: they most definitely should match and here’s why:

I’ve been on a bit of a de-cluttering spree recently. One of the areas I de-cluttered was my skincare and make-up. I then did some research and went and bought a whole lot of new items suitable for my (more mature) skin. Pretty much everything was ordered online and in one of the parcels I was given a gift of an eye shadow. During the checkout I was able to select from 3 colours so I picked as best I could.

All my products have arrived and I really love them all. Yes I know I’m a trite anal but I do appreciate good packaging and lovely products. In fact my husband laughs at me because I often keep product boxes. Anyway the eye shadow arrived and it’s a good brand and a nice product. But I don’t wear that colour. Ever. So it sits there. And I constantly move it as it’s in my way and I can see it’s becoming clutter. Sure it was nice of the company to give me a free gift but truly I don’t value it. It’s become a weight around my neck (ok perhaps that’s a bit dramatic but you get what I mean).

So I’ve made the decision to turf it. And it’s made me wonder how much we really do value free. After the initial excitement has worn off do we still perceive the product or service the same way? I suspect not.

I am often asked what it takes to build a successful website. Of course web design, usability, search marketing and the like are vital but the most important element is teamwork. Teamwork between the web designer and the client. If this teamwork is not there it doesn’t matter how good the site looks, or how usable it is, it probably won’t be successful.

So how do you acheive this teamwork? Start by understanding that as the client you will need to spend time on the project. Yes you are hiring a web designer to build your website but you need to be able to educate them on your business, your products and services and your site goals.

It is also important to define who has what role from the beginning. For most parts of the site it should be pretty clear but one area that crops up again and again is the website copy or text. It is vital that you and your web designer clarify this at the beginning. If it is you, the client, who will be providing this, talk to your web designer about what they expect and the format it should be in. If the web designer will be writing your copy understand that you will still need to provide them with information and some of your time so they have a foundation to work with.

I guess what I am trying to say is the more you are able to work with your web designer the more successful the outcome of your project will be. If you lack time or resources talk to them in the beginning so you can come up with a plan that will work for you both.

I’ve blogged before about how important it is to use professional photographs on your website. In fact I can’t emphasise enough how strongly I feel about this. That said the photographs must accurately reflect what you are selling. If your products are crappy then perhaps you should do something about them instead of just putting gorgeous photos online.

Unfortunately I’m talking about this from experience. I recently bought something for my son online. The product photographs looked great so I ordered with confidence only to be bitterly disappointed when the package arrived. They had obviously used a professional photographer, which was great, but the product was nothing like the photographs.

Having your products or service photographed professionally is the best way to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward but whatever you do take a step back and make sure what you’re selling is as good as what we’re seeing.