The story so far

Last year I was the first to admit that Word And Mouth wasn’t going anywhere.

As the guy responsible for making Word And Mouth work, I’d spent most of my time devoted to The Podcast Guy, showcasing the many benefits of web radio to a mostly uninterested audience.

I became so wrapped up in the magic of podcasting that I couldn’t see the wood for the trees. Despite the magnificent prose, the deft how-tos and the inspirational ideas people could plug into their podcasts, I was bewildered by the inertia of those who occasionally visited the site.

I now realise the error of my ways. Not only did I not

• treat The Podcast Guy as a business
• understand the podcasting was just one slice of the content pie

I also completely ignored the fundamental elements of what makes a website compelling, engaging and repeat-visitable.

Forgive me the ‘doesn’t actually exist as a word’-ness of that last element: It would surely be worse if I hadn’t recognised that fact, right?!

Almost 18 months ago I’d coined the idea of the 3d blogger – one that yields maximum advantage from their passion by expressing it in text, audio and video.

The Podcast Guy could never really exist as a rock-solid business service provider because podcasting is one side of a three-sided coin. You have to convey your message in whichever way your community needs and wants to receive it – and as some like to read, others love to listen, and yet more enjoy consuming moving pictures.

It was late December, during my hibernate-cum-create month, when I got a call from a client asking for a revamp of a website that I’d created for them nearly two years earlier. I’d been badgering them to evolve the site, with or without my assistance, for some weeks and evidently I’d either worn their defences down, or inspired them.

The opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time.

I’ve never been more fortified by the capability of content to move and captivate people. The fact there’s more information out there than ever before is, to me, a benefit to the chief content officer.

But more about that, and the absolute power of curation, later.

First things first. That site.

Until today, that website has been primarily involved in supplying news to and about the shared holiday ownership industry. We’re talking timeshare and fractional ownership, of huge organisations such as Hilton and Holiday Inn.

But this site hasn’t yielded the true power of the situation. Behind it all is a company called RCI, which possesses some of the brightest minds in hospitality. The vast majority of other visionaries in this sector belong to Wyndham Worldwide, which also happens to be the parent company of RCI.

Are you seeing the sheer potential of this website?

I’m writing this kicking myself that we haven’t unleashed the genius of that incredible knowledge pool, yet. If you’ve ever tried rubbing your belly and patting your head simultaneously, and multiply that by me being an under-capable multitasker (synonym for man), you’ll understand what a herculean task I’m undertaking momentarily.

The shared holiday ownership industry offers huge opportunities to the hotel, whole ownership and investor communities, for many different reasons, respectively. It is our job to support the business development teams by providing exactly the information and response that their clients and contacts need to make the right decision and enter that industry.

That, my fine friends, is the story so far. It’s but January 4. The night is but young, and the music may take a different course. But right now I’m ready to dance.

Why are you here?

By year’s end I’m striving to have created a website that wins awards not only for that peerless content, but equally for a user interface that is both effective and simplicity itself.

I’m not in this for design kudos. I don’t yet have so much as a GCSE in Art. But at Word And Mouth I’m about learning the ropes, and this year will be all about that.

I want to talk to the brightest minds, be inspired by some of the world’s most usable and engaging websites, and start getting together the essential guide to creating the kind of websites that customers crave in 2013 – because I don’t believe this masterclass will be done until the end of this year.

It’s an experiment, a voyage into the unknown, and I want you here with me. You’re an essential part of the experience, and all your comments are richly sought.

Tell me the sites you love and linger upon, and why they leave you spellbound. Share with us your ‘wow’ moments on the web.

And let’s make 2012 the year we all start creating websites that rock this planet. Anything is possible.

It’s not ‘I can’t’. It’s ‘can’t I?’…