Garvin Wu has had extensive experience in the computer industry over the past 15 years. Starting out with a Business & Marketing Degree, Garvin went to work in a marketing firm as a project coordinator. This position gave him some real insight into the corporate world as he coordinated projects with Apple and Sun Microsystems.

Following this position, Garvin worked in a number of business and technology companies, expanding his experience and knowledge of computers and the internet as well as working with many well known corporations.

In 2006, Garvin founded Rice Studios - a web development firm that helps businesses of all sizes to use emerging technologies to do their marketing. This business has flourished and Garvin, now Director, has continued to develop the business and its products so as to stay ahead of the crowded web development industry.

Why do you think that podcasts have taken off?

Podcasts are a great way to add another dimension to the user experience. Podcasts are cost-effective and offer a richer, more engaging experience to your target audience. They can be designed to provide an on-going conversation where there is a sense of speaking one-on-one with the audience. When you introduce podcasts into your marketing mix, the audio element provides a softer, information-focused tool to market with. Listeners can get a sense of the company behind the product or service, or testimonials from customers first-hand when they speak with passion about your products and services. If your viewers are on the go, podcasts can often be stored onto their portable digital players and then played back at a convenient time, in easy-to-digest snippets.

Another area that has taken off is the use of video. This can also be delivered in the same manner as podcasts, which are primarily audio only. Videos are great in helping to demonstrate how a product or service works. It’s often quicker and far more informative than a web page with text and a few pictures. Examples of podcasts and videos can be found in our portfolio at www.ricestudios.com.au.

What other means of effective communication are being produced for the internet?

What’s currently growing by leaps and bounds, is the rise of one-to-many messaging through social sites like Facebook, or Twitter and blogging. There is growing communication of Gen X’ers and Gen Y’ers through these channels, and recently, research has shown that even Babyboomers are starting to communicate through Facebook and MySpace. When you join services like Facebook, you are subsequently invited to join social networks of the people you communicate with, thus building a much wider personal network of communication that keeps growing. This reach of thousands of people within such a short timeframe is unheard of before the existence of such technology. Twitter allows you to send short messages out to anyone, sort of a message in a bottle. You can sit back and watch a constant public stream of chatter. Follow someone you think might have something interesting to say or try to build your own list of followers. The internet is constantly growing with these sorts of social communication, whether via a particular site, or through another service, but increasingly people are joining a social network of some sort. On the work front, sites like LinkedIn helps professionals of all industries connect with past and current colleagues and allows you to network with a business or career focus.

How has email marketing evolved since you began the business?

Over the past few years, spam has grown to be a major problem and this has caused email to become a less trusted medium. However, email is still the primary tool in online communication for businesses around the world. Seeing an Inbox filled with 200 unread new messages no longer causes one to be excited. Many busy individuals find coping with emails a stressful exercise and want to get through them quickly while tossing away the fluff. As an email marketer you need to relate to that and be precise in your message. Keep it timely, and never overload it with too much information. Save the glitz and glam for the web site, but keep the email simple. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes – wouldn’t you rather see a targeted email with a short but focused subject line, and content that gets to the point quickly?

What are your passions in the industry?

I’m passionate about constantly learning and understanding how new technologies can be used to improve and enhance our professional and personal day-to-day lives and how these technologies help us communicate and come together globally. I spend a lot of time understanding current and new technology trends and figuring out how they can possibly enhance/improve my clients’ businesses or address specific project needs. This is so I can ‘connect the dots’ for my clients when recommending them appropriate web solutions for their businesses.

What are Rice Studios’ specialties?

We are here to listen and to understand your business’ online objectives. As your web consultants, we help you identify and address where technology can streamline/enhance/grow your business, while helping you interpret “geek speak” to everyday business language. We specialize in creating the right online strategy that works for you and your business. From building a website that can be easily self-managed, to helping you get your message across in various digital media formats, like audio, video, email messaging and marketing, to custom web development solutions meeting specific business needs.

How do you think online marketing differs in importance compared to traditional marketing methods?

Online marketing is certainly more dynamic and ever-changing. Expect your strategy to evolve over time. What may be hot one day may start to die down in a few months time. That’s the nature of the internet, and the nature of the younger markets and as they grow older, understanding their online trend will become more important. It’s very important to know your audience, what they’re using to communicate, to research, to purchase, to share, etc. With online marketing, you may need to be an active participant, unlike traditional marketing in most cases. You may be required to comment back to your audience and enter into a dialogue online. The timeliness of your response may also be something to consider as well. Moving at internet speed is a must, as this is the expectation of an online audience. So you need to consider how much time you may need to put into your online efforts, such as maintaining a blog. Depending on the level you’re willing to commit to you may decide to only have a web site that you update from time to time, or get a Twitter account and make hourly updates.

 

Interviewed by Nicholas - entrepreneur and founder of Nimbler Website Design and Development

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Posted on April 16th, 2009 by Nicholas