After55:

James Surowieckiof The New Yorker Magazine writes Philips Electronics reports that half of all returned products have nothing wrong with them, but that consumers simply can’t figure out how to use them. I know I don’t use all the features on my cellphone, digital camera, or MacBook. I enjoy each of them, but would like to be able to use all the cool features. I think it would be great to have a choice of learning styles for each product. Instead of only written instructions, many only available on the internet, I think having an instructional video also available would be an effective sales tool. Apple does a great job of having videos on their website. The current one explaining the use and features of the iPhone is excellent. After watching the video it makes it much easier to think about spending $500-600 for that awesome looking phone.

I just lost nearly two days because my Entourage program lost all my contact management information! I spent otherwise very productive time trying to recreate contact lists and find other sources for important information I had stored in my email folders. Mac guru Jeff at Lapin Systems found all my lost folders, but the lost time and the subsequent clean up were very time consuming.

Clear, easy to follow instructions will increase the loyalty of our customer. Everyone’s frustration level seems to be at a high, so clarity could be considered a new facet of customer service! What are your thoughts about dealing with confusing technology? Have you ever returned a product because you couldn’t figure out how to make it do what you expected? What does this confusion do to your productivity?

With all the excitement in the last week over the much anticipate launch of the iPhone, I suddenly see more ads for Jitterbug — the cell phone that is a cell phone. Their marketing message is no bells, no whistles, no camera, no games just a cell phone that makes and receives calls. Revolutionary!

This really got me to thinking about what my core business is and what I really want it to be. I challenge you to do the same.  What business are you in?  What business do you want to be in? Are you offering what your customers want or what you think your customers want? Great questions to think about over the long hot summer.

I am really surprised at the statistics about the number of After 55s that are using social networking.  It turns out we are the second largest group on these sites — and the 12-18 year olds, who I would have thought were the prime users, are the smallest group!  I wonder who all these people are.  Nearly everyone I know who is After 55 says that they have never been on the sites, don’t understand what they are for, and don’t have time for them. It is hugely important to keep our eyes on technology to make the most of it for our businesses.  After reading the article with this statistic, I have made it my business to learn about pinging and sites that raise search engine visibility.  If you don’t already know about these check in with your tech advisor or let me know.  I’m on my way to expert status!!

The statistics are pouring in about the After 55 market’s high degree of usage of internet. Much to everyone’s surprise, the usage rate is the highest of any subset demographic in terms of amount of time on the web. Another set of statistics report the huge increase in social networking across all strata of users. I am not yet convinced that these two statistics fit neatly together. So far, my unscientific research indicates that the After 55 entrepreneurs are not a significant percentage of sites such as YouTube and Second Life. I am facinated by the popularity of social networking sites. Even more so, Second Life where you can make a fantasy life for yourself and market your products, try out products in the market place, make new friends, go on adventures and on and on. I am wondering if these sites have any interest for the After 55 woman. Do we have time to go to these sites? Have we grasped their essential appeal for our marketplace? Or are we still standing at the dock and the ship left several months ago? What do you think?