- Original Poster
- #1
So, I usually have 40 concurrent visitors on my website in normal day/evening.
Armed with this info, I have taken who's on (the programme I use to check live, who is on the website) and hacked it (with the who's on software owner CEO Stephen Parker's permission).
Yesterday I had the breakthrough. I can now generate live XML of who is on my website. This means, I can create a "mirror" in the sense of a mirror you look in, by beginning to code a webpage of the programme, so that everyone can see who is on my website (just as you can see other customers milling around in Marks and Spencer as you walk around their real shop).
I am not sure where this is going, but there are 2 sides to it. Bear in mind I can sensibly and comprehensively log all this info, as if every visitor wears a GPS tracker in my giant car showroom website.
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For use by all visitors
1. I can make a page showing (fairly generic) info of visitor stats showing what they are doing currently and where they have been on their current visit. If you think of my site as a car showroom with 500 cars, it will then be possible to show a "crowd" looking at one particular car. Interactivity will be possible, using not popups (often blocked) but <div> elements which can pop up in a personal way. This does not have to be clumsy, for example, I could have a basic speaking avatar of me, or a dalek or something and people could interact. If they show interest in A, then I could cross sell or chat about B. This will be web 2.0 stuff. They will see others in the website looking, chatting, picking their noses. I just have to code it into a GUI. Ideas???
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For use internally
2. As soon as I identify anyone (using a variety of methods) and take their name (eg they propose/order a car, apply noodles, fill in a form, etc, or a combination of small clues pieced together, maybe from different visits) then I ID them via IP. Most people keep same/similar IPs these days of broadband. When they come back I know it. This could also use a cookie as a double bubble and check stuff like browser/version to make sure I have the same person by probability. Now, imagine a giant 60" plasma TV screen on the wall in my office, and a PC with voice software on it (Microsoft is already on).
Now... say a customer Fred Bloggs arrives. Fred is having a car. The TV displays the list of people (in big text so everyone in the office can see) and the voice announces/shouts out "Fred Bloggs, Nissan Qashqai, Signed Order, is here!". Flash flash. Horn!!! Siren!!! This is like he has walked into my shop again. I can now pedal like mad to contact supplier and find out what is new for Fred. Within a minute, I should be able to communicate with Fred and start to chat about what is going on in his life, the weather in Bolton, if it is his birthday I give him fireworks, and tell him new stuff about his car, LIVE. "your car arrived at the dealer today" or something. "It is having PDI". There are dozens of things. Bear in mind I know his job, address, all that stuff.
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I am missing stuff here, and am just scratching the surface. But, to have a website where real humans interact when you arrive is quite unique (so much more than a boring "live chat" button.
This is the next stage for websites, true interactivity, and no-one is doing it. Everyone loves this forum when posts come thick and fast because it seems like a real conversation. That is how I want my customers to feel. I will "give" them loads of stuff - "Fred, just watch this vid about taking delivery" and while he is 1 minute watching that, in the office we are scrabbling to get the extra info that makes things special for him.
The word of mouth from this experience will be crazily good. Wait till some news/PR pick up on it.
Don't give me loads of privacy guff, but does anyone have more creative (mad) ideas that I can use it for??? What would be REALLY good, what am I missing. I need emotion in the website, sticky, cream cakes, surprises and delight.
Ideas???
Armed with this info, I have taken who's on (the programme I use to check live, who is on the website) and hacked it (with the who's on software owner CEO Stephen Parker's permission).
Yesterday I had the breakthrough. I can now generate live XML of who is on my website. This means, I can create a "mirror" in the sense of a mirror you look in, by beginning to code a webpage of the programme, so that everyone can see who is on my website (just as you can see other customers milling around in Marks and Spencer as you walk around their real shop).
I am not sure where this is going, but there are 2 sides to it. Bear in mind I can sensibly and comprehensively log all this info, as if every visitor wears a GPS tracker in my giant car showroom website.
------
For use by all visitors
1. I can make a page showing (fairly generic) info of visitor stats showing what they are doing currently and where they have been on their current visit. If you think of my site as a car showroom with 500 cars, it will then be possible to show a "crowd" looking at one particular car. Interactivity will be possible, using not popups (often blocked) but <div> elements which can pop up in a personal way. This does not have to be clumsy, for example, I could have a basic speaking avatar of me, or a dalek or something and people could interact. If they show interest in A, then I could cross sell or chat about B. This will be web 2.0 stuff. They will see others in the website looking, chatting, picking their noses. I just have to code it into a GUI. Ideas???
------
For use internally
2. As soon as I identify anyone (using a variety of methods) and take their name (eg they propose/order a car, apply noodles, fill in a form, etc, or a combination of small clues pieced together, maybe from different visits) then I ID them via IP. Most people keep same/similar IPs these days of broadband. When they come back I know it. This could also use a cookie as a double bubble and check stuff like browser/version to make sure I have the same person by probability. Now, imagine a giant 60" plasma TV screen on the wall in my office, and a PC with voice software on it (Microsoft is already on).
Now... say a customer Fred Bloggs arrives. Fred is having a car. The TV displays the list of people (in big text so everyone in the office can see) and the voice announces/shouts out "Fred Bloggs, Nissan Qashqai, Signed Order, is here!". Flash flash. Horn!!! Siren!!! This is like he has walked into my shop again. I can now pedal like mad to contact supplier and find out what is new for Fred. Within a minute, I should be able to communicate with Fred and start to chat about what is going on in his life, the weather in Bolton, if it is his birthday I give him fireworks, and tell him new stuff about his car, LIVE. "your car arrived at the dealer today" or something. "It is having PDI". There are dozens of things. Bear in mind I know his job, address, all that stuff.
-------
I am missing stuff here, and am just scratching the surface. But, to have a website where real humans interact when you arrive is quite unique (so much more than a boring "live chat" button.
This is the next stage for websites, true interactivity, and no-one is doing it. Everyone loves this forum when posts come thick and fast because it seems like a real conversation. That is how I want my customers to feel. I will "give" them loads of stuff - "Fred, just watch this vid about taking delivery" and while he is 1 minute watching that, in the office we are scrabbling to get the extra info that makes things special for him.
The word of mouth from this experience will be crazily good. Wait till some news/PR pick up on it.
Don't give me loads of privacy guff, but does anyone have more creative (mad) ideas that I can use it for??? What would be REALLY good, what am I missing. I need emotion in the website, sticky, cream cakes, surprises and delight.
Ideas???
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