There were a few news items recently about self serve platforms (Yahoo, Outside.in) for online advertising and publishing, and I thought I would share my pov on this subject. I have been building self serve ad platforms for the past several years, and here are some of my thoughts:
1. It's hard to change user behavior.
If an advertiser is accustomed to buying ads (or anything) in a certain way, there needs to be something compelling to get them to change their behavior. And convenience isn't enough. Google (and GoTo/Overture/Yahoo) was able to pull it off with their search product because the utlity was so great, the ad creation was so easy, and the effect on revenue was so obvious. I doubt there will ever be another self serve ad product that does this - so no other self serve ad product should ever expect this sort of adoption. For everyone else, it will be MUCH slower.
2. Customer service is key.
Just because you have a self serve user interface doesn't mean you can turn off the lights and grab a beer. Client support is crucial when rolling out a self serve platform. And client support means everything from a detailed FAQ and searchable db of help topics - to account managers that work directly with your clients and even do the work for them. For everyone other than Google (and I am just talking about Google's search product), there will be a long adoption curve, and expecting most of your clients (especially the ones who are used to having things done for them - which are usually the ones who spend the most) to utilize your self serve product without any assistance is a mistake.
3. Just because it's hard, doesnt mean it isn't worth doing.
Creating a self serve product accomplishes a lot. It requires a detailed workflow of how someone buys and uses your product, and also requires that you boil down the process in the most efficient way. Making the product easy to buy is important to self serve clients as well as to your account managers, customer support, etc. who provide full service. And it creates a transparency in the sales process that ultimately every customer of every industry will require.
So embrace the future of "sales" and build a "self serve" product. But recognize that it isn't going to be easy...
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Great points, especially #2 - there is no 'turning off the lights and grabbing a beer.' Self service doesn't mean the customer handles everything. Like a salad bar where you can serve yourself (in exchange for more control over selection and proportion), the provider still needs to understand what veggies should be available, how many to chop, and how to keep them fresh. In fact, it requires much deeper understanding than, say, listing that garden and cobb salad on the menu.
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