It’s a fantastic time for John Hillman, the 2010 ENR Award of Excellence winner. His patented Hybrid Composite Beam finally hit a big wave of industry coverage and attention – earned media – which is beyond comparison with regards to gaining credibility from potential clients and colleagues.
His 14 year journey definitely got my attention. The ENR article describes his trials and tribulations and makes it sound like he’s finally going to come out on top, with a well-revered and much needed new product.
I came across his story first in the McGraw-Hill Construction newsletter, clicked through to the ENR article, but then what? My next reaction was to go to his website and check out how he has chronicled the development process, how he markets the product and to whom, etc.
Unfortunately, that’s where my search stopped. He does have a website, but it isn’t much of one. I was a little disappointed to see that though. The best possible situation after a large amount of media attention is a high traffic volume to your website and of course, phone calls for new work.
I can’t help but fall back to many of my earlier posts and so many discussions that I have had with clients and potential clients alike. Did his website get him this award? Obviously not. But his lack of a marketing presence may in fact prevent him from getting many of the calls and follow up leads that he would have gotten.
His online presence doesn’t say “ENR Award of Excellence winner,” it says “struggling start-up that may or may not still be in business.”
I mean no negativity in this post. I think it’s fantastic that Mr. Hillman’s passion and determination are beginning to pay off. I just wonder if more savvy marketing, or just more attention to marketing period, could have positioned him to win this award sooner or at least make a significant difference for him after this point.
I’d love to ask any readers’ opinions on the subject! Does HC Bridge Company’s website matter? Is the product so technical that marketing presence as a whole isn’t really that important? I know what I think…how about you?
I completely agree with the conclusions of this article. While a website isn't the end-all and be-all of marketing…it certainly can't be ignored. Probably 95% of my inquiries into new products, companies, and people involve a web search. It amazes me how often this simple way of communicating and sparking greater curiosity is left un-tapped.
Pushing the dialogue further…with more and more mobile platforms coming into vogue (iPhone, Android, iPad, Windows Phone 7, etc.) I find that my browsing happens "on the go." Unfortunately, if your site is built in flash…I can't see it. Critical information is unavailable. The result…if I can access your competitors site easier than yours, then I'm probably calling them instead of you.
Great points! Maybe well-known people/firms feel they don't need to market themselves as hard as the rest of us, but even setting aside the argument as to whether it's the right way of thinking or not, I think of it as having a clean shirt on – the idea is to have a professional, respectable and respectful public-facing image. It shouldn't be just about *needing* a better brand image/website/any other form of communication, it should be about *wanting* it. Like you, I feel disappointed when I look at a website of a person, or a company, which I know is doing great world-changing things, but their image does not reflect that same level of greatness.
Thanks Milo and Ida for the comments!