Be Thankful by Holly Janion
Part of my daily routine means having to offer support, via
telephone or email, to users of our property listing
software. However, the support required is often far beyond
simply explaining the system. And I must confess, I used to
find this extremely frustrating.
But now I am thankful.
I am thankful that I know the difference between an email
address and a web site address.
I am thankful that when I receive an email containing a
hyperlink, I know to click it whilst open on my computer and
not print it and click the paper link with my mouse (this
genuinely happened - received a support call from a user
complaining the link didn't work and whilst exploring the
problem, discovered they were clicking the link from the
page they had printed).
I am thankful that I know opening more than one window in my
browser will not double or triple my internet costs.
I am thankful that when I see a product on a web site with a
price underneath and a click here link, that I know that is
the price of the product and not the fee I will be charged
for clicking the link.
I am thankful that I know to send and receive email I have
to be connected to the internet.
I am thankful that I can read and follow simple instructions
and can navigate a web site successfully.
I am thankful that a sense of humour has kept me sane!
But most of all I am thankful for the wisdom and
understanding that has finally made me realize how far I
have come. It is only by listening to the "internet
clueless" that I have realized how even the most basic
skills for using the internet are not enjoyed by all.
Most of us are so busy building our sites, fighting for
search engine rankings, and exploring new internet marketing
methods that the most basic skills that helped us advance
are taken for granted. We assume that most people have the
basic skillset, after all, so many of these people are in
our target markets. Perhaps many of us need to be reminded
to keep it simple and remember when marketing our services
and products that there are thousands of potential buyers
and subscribers that haven't a clue, and with this thought
in mind, adapting some of our strategies could be extremely
fruitful.
And finally, I am thankful for this great network that has
allowed me to work anywhere at any hour, this great network
and its skilled users who have taught me so much, and for
the opportunity of "meeting" people that without the
internet would never have been possible.
Thank you all!
Holly Janion is the search engine specialist at Web Active in South Africa, a leading web design and internet business solutions provider. For more information on the services Web Active provide, please visit
http://www.web-active.co.za or email Holly at holly@web-active.co.za.
