MBO Spotlight: James Paden of Vibrant Solutions

Posted in Online Marketing
by Clay Mabbitt on October 19, 2009

We continue our series interviewing the experts of Masters of Business Online with James Paden of Vibrant Solutions.

SS: What will online business look like in 5 years?
JP: Obviously, more and more businesses are moving online. For the first time, what I am seeing is that the internet is getting really crowded. In search engine rankings, for example, Google has started putting greater emphasis on company’s with large establish brands and websites that have a long online history. Both of these elements reward businesses that started sooner. I see this trend continuing over the next five years. The internet will become increasingly crowded and busy. It will be harder for businesses to gain attention and attract traffic. Local-based websites and search will help, but within five years they will be just as crowded. NOW is the time businesses need to get online (actually, it was yesterday, but better now than tomorrow). I don’t believe any business can wait a single day to create a website and begin marketing online.

SS: Why do you think social media has become so popular?
JP: I think social media is simply an extension of what we do offline. It simultaneously gives marketers more influence/power and removes some risks (while adding others). However, I don’t believe social media is for every business. I think it’s a tool that will be extremely effective for some businesses, but not others.

SS: What website do you spend the most time at?
JP: Definitely Google, and not just for the searching. I spend a lot of time in Google Analytics. I moved all my e-mail into one Gmail account and started using Google Calendar and Tasks. I probably spend 40% of my online time on a Google-owned website.

SS: Who is doing things right online?
JP: My former employer, Affordable Style, is doing a great job marketing online. They market in every area from PPC, SEO, email, social media and even a little offline. Unlike most organizations, their focus is both wide and deep. They understand that online marketing is measurable and therefore are not afraid to experiment with new tactics and campaigns. Their ROI is relatively simple to calculate and if a new campaign isn’t work, they simply cancel it.

James Paden - Founder, Vibrant Solutions
Topic: Optimizing Your eCommerce Platform