Recently, The Coastal Family newspaper (Savannah, GA) ran a "Cute Kids" contest. At the time we were their web designer and internet service provider (since gone in-house), we were involved in receiving and passing on the 100s of Email votes to the Editor of the newspaper. Both of us were overwhelmed with the respond to this contest not only from mail-in votes but from users of the internet. We received votes from all over the United States and even one vote from Australia. Thanks Aussie!
There were several lessons learned and key points that we drew from promoting this contest on the internet. The first was, we should have created an interactive database to record all of the votes. We could have done this but we forgot one of the basic rules of publishing on the Internet "Be prepared for the unlikely". Second, we learned that people are interested in having fun and joining-in, especially when the visitor to a web site sees something of value. I asked the publisher of the Coastal Family, "now what do you do to keep the people who visited the web site to come back and have some more fun?" I am sure they will come up something really cool.
As I think about kids and the internet, I am reminded that my 3 grandsons and granddaughter who are able to navigate around the internet with a little help from their parents. They like to be entertained and have fun. Since their reading skills are still maturing, they are drawn to the web sites that offer lots of pictures and easily navigated buttons. My local grandson, who I see often can recognize one of his favorite games on Disney by a simple picture of "Goofy". While he cannot fully comprehend the words he looks at the pictures and the ads that pop-up. Like all children, his comment is "I want that". No wonder we spend so much money for birthdays and Christmas presents. Our Internet educated little ones know exactly what they want. For those of us in the business of the Internet and for those of you who are on the net or thinking about it, there is a powerful message...sell to the kids and the parents will buy. When I was teaching at the university level, 1 taught a class called "36 ways to close a sale". One of my favorite sales closures was "the puppy dog close". Parents and kids go the pet store to buy a gold fish and the sales person who greets them is carrying an adorable puppy and hands the puppy to one of the little ones. Immediately the child proclaims that the puppy must be taken home and often it is. So much for the fish!
As more computers are bought for home use, the number of children using them for homework and entertainment will grow proportionally. The internet is part of their daily routine and it is not just sending email to their pen pal in Two Peaks, Arizona or joining a kids chartroom but they are looking for things to buy...SHOPPING! A recent study by The National Academic Press show that more than 76 percent of kids said they had used the Internet in the week before being interviewed, with an overall average use rate of three to four times a week. The time spent online was an hour or less for 61 percent of the kids interviewed, with another 26 percent spending one to two hours online on a typical day.
While Internet safety is a major issue for parents and everyone "professionally" connected to the internet, there still is adequate evidence to show that kids are buying on the internet with (hopefully) parental supervision. The numbers are impressive and again the internet offers an opportunity to increase sales.
Let's use a local business as an example of ' 'kids marketing". We designed and host a Savannah inn web site. When we were talking about general design and content with the General Manager for the inn, we talked about "what to do with the kids after 5PM". We suggested that we add a "local attractions" page to his web site. Local attractions would highlight fun things to do and places to take the kids. Since he added "Things for the Kids", he is averaging over 50 paying guests per month who visited his site on the Internet. Notwithstanding, that the inn is a great place to stay, but he provides a reason to stay by providing information that parents can use to entertain their children. All of these activities are available to the potential guest prior to making a reservation.
Most of you who sell services or products should strongly consider the "kid marketing" strategy when you design or update your web site. Think about it and you will realize how simple it is to add this to your web-marketing plan. Here are some examples:
Tour companies: Historic and Beautiful Sites and Kid stuff (parks, beaches, playgrounds, and baby sitting services).
Restaurants: Great food and a kids menu.
Accommodations: Great value and kid stuff: swimming pool, near putt-putt course, kids playground.
Travel Agents: Cruises that offer kid programs and baby sitting services.
Real Estate Agents: Homes that are near schools, parks and other family activities.
A short note of caution before you leap into building any kind of interaction that might include information about young visitors because of the provisions contained in "The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act". There are specific legal requirements involved and must be considered in developing a "kids web site". However, the addition of great content directed to the kids such as "local attractions" and other information is a worthwhile addition to any web site.
