High and Low (or "How to love members... shall I count the ways?")

Filed under: AOL, Business, Weblogs, Inc.

We're up, we're down... we gotta keep getting better. Fankly, this is very simple: we must worship our users. We have to love them more than Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft.

How do you show love in our world? Let me count the ways:

More disk space
Better screen real estate
Faster servers
Better editorial
More features
More support
Better design
Less ads
Less annoying ads
Less obnoxious ads
More targeted ads
Take that which is paid and make it free
Anticipate members needs and fill them
Surprise members with fun, new experiences
Communicate with members open and freely
Listen to members--then listen to them some more
Treat members how you would like to be treated
Be honest with members--always
Don't do anything sneaky because a) members are smart and will bust you, b) life is so short--why would you want to be a sneak?, and c) this is a long-term business, the short term is meaningless.
Respect your members wishes above all else. If they don't love you any more that is their choice, and it's an opportunity for you to reflect on why they don't love you (consider it a free focus group)
Let people consume your product on their terms with their software, browser, device, hardware or operating system (this is also known as the "don't be Microsoft rule").

Tags: aol, google, love, netscape, weblogs inc, WeblogsInc, yahoo

Jul 2nd 2006 2:17AM
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1. Nice list. Saving this one...

Now that its made though, can you fix number seven?

Your design has a good start, in terms of layout, but its way to dark and there are too many quirks.

Here are two images I made that show a few changes you guys could make to improve Netscape. As for a redesign, I don't really know what approach you could go without being called "Digg" copiers.

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8990/fixnetscape9vm.png

and

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6204/fixnetscape21ju.png

Hope things keep looking good!

Posted at 3:23PM on Jul 2nd 2006 by Chris

2. Great list. A perfect example of something that needs to be fixed are the "annoying" and "obnoxious" banner ads running across the top of paying AOL members' blogs. In one fell swoop, the addition of these ads -- touting everything from "low, low mortgages" to miracle "wrinkle cream" -- alienated countless members and siphoned credibility from the product itself. Why not listen to your members and move these ads to a more subtle location on the page? Otherwise, one gets the impression that AOL is more interested in monetizing its members than in listening to them.

Posted at 4:44PM on Jul 2nd 2006 by Marty

3. I think the "don't be Microsoft rule" makes a ton of sense for a content company, which AOL is. For a software company, I'm not sure its as valid. Microsoft is not trying to be a content company so clearly needs to follow different rules.

Disclosure- I work for MS.

Posted at 5:51PM on Jul 2nd 2006 by Randy H.

4. Jason-

They should let you run AOL. It's clear that a lot of your fellow AOL execs don't get these rules, at least not yet.

I also get a feeling that certain old AOL philosophies are being forced on your new Netscape project, much to your chagrin.

One of the clearest examples of how AOL does not get these rules is in regards to their webmail. Why should a paying AOL member (which I'm not) have to see ads in their webmail? If you pay Yahoo!, you don't see ads. If you pay MSN, you don't see ads. Ads are okay for their free AIM mail, but totally unacceptable for paying members.

Keep working to change the attitudes at AOL. There is a lot of good content within AOL; the current execs have just made it a pain to enjoy and that's why users are going elsewhere.

Posted at 4:23AM on Jul 3rd 2006 by Scott-O-Rama

5. An excelleant list and quite similar to the one that many of us at AOL keep top-of-mind as we fight hard everyday to force change on the company.

I would note to readers here that there are a number of AOL-execs who "get it" and are leading this fight for change both apart from and alongside Jason.

Posted at 7:58AM on Jul 3rd 2006 by Brooklyn

6. how about

22. a better colour scheme
23. move the pictures to the other side of the story

# Less ads
# Less annoying ads
# Less obnoxious ads

thats true but ad placement is more importnt than all of them

also you should offer members who consistantly sumbit popular stories a job as anchor - something tha would attract the big digg submiters

Posted at 8:24AM on Jul 3rd 2006 by noah

7. Just curious -- after raising your fixed costs in #1 and #3 and then implementing #8 and #12 -- how do you make money?

Posted at 8:40AM on Jul 3rd 2006 by WT Lewis

8. As mentioned by others above, I believe AOL has violated these rules by doing the following:

* Ads are inserted in emails for AOL members. AOL shouldn't do it in general (even for AIM accounts) because it makes the email address look cheap. AOL needs a differentiator with the competitors, and saying "we don't mess with your emails" seems like a nice one. More importantly, they turned this on without notifying the members. Not cool at all.

* The banner ads above the blogs. If they are going to do that, at least allow the blog author a percentage of revenue, and it should be opt-in. For those that don't opt in, just put an RSS feed of *text* information for neat articles on aol.com or something.

* The gigantic, animated ads the user sees while reading email messages (in webmail and AOL client). It would be nice to give the user the option of an RSS feed of *text* information for other neat things on aol.com. Drive more usage that way instead of annoying ads around personal communication.

Posted at 4:50PM on Jul 3rd 2006 by James

9. Lots to learn here. My publisher insisted I have a blog. Now, six months later, it's one very large magazine. http://digitalartphotographyfordummies.blogspot.com/

Posted at 2:36AM on Jul 4th 2006 by Matt

10. I think rule 21 should actually be the "don't be Apple" rule. I can still use Windows media software in a much feer manner than I could Apple's hardware/software.

Oh, and rule #1 should be: STOP SENDING THOSE STUPID DISC MAILERS.

Posted at 12:18PM on Jul 4th 2006 by Michael Martine

11. Does #19 apply to the cancellation process, which has recently shun a poor light on the service? I think an overhaul could do wonders. I have cancelled several times over the years and each time was a nightmare.

Posted at 9:17AM on Jul 5th 2006 by Spike

12. Wow, you really seem to be ONE person at AOL that gets it. Lets hope you get to be in a position to make these happen! You could save the company.

Posted at 10:34AM on Jul 5th 2006 by Scott

13. Personally, I'm happy that Mac users are finally getting a little more love from AOL Radio. The downloadable client is now allowing those who have AIM/unpaid accounts to login and listen at dialup speeds. It's nice to be able to check out a station I read about on a radio message board, for example. Dialup speed isn't offering me fantastic quality on my DSL connection, but it's still pretty good, since AOL Radio does use a nice codec (AACplus, AFAIK, plus some extra Dolby magic?).

Why can't AOL put a collection of their freeware on each disc they send out? It would truly be a gift to the public at large. Stick a copy of Winamp, Netscape, AOL Radio, AIM; anything else you offer for free, and please, include distributions for as many platforms as possible. No need to offer support for any of it, beyond the web-based community forums provided now. There's plenty of space on these CDs, from what I can tell; I always wished it could be put to use. Maybe you could even include some music videos or at least some MP3s (since AOL Music does now provide legal MP3s)? I think this would at least get people to insert the disk and look at the contents, rather than immediately trash it or add it to a coaster pile.

Maybe even some freeware could be included, like Firefox and Thunderbird. AOL could write it off as an in-kind donation to Mozilla Foundation.

Posted at 1:23AM on Jul 17th 2006 by Johnathan

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