Zappos: Much more than shoes
July 13, 2009
Zappos, a company originally known for its shoe collection, has implemented a blog that shows it has much more to offer. The blog posts have a seemingly limitless range of topics; from employee happy hours, to celebrity interviews, and even the introduction of friendship tees. There is promise for this blog with its laid back approach, its easy conversational presentation and the various discussion topics. The site shows a successful evolution to building and maintaining customer involvement. It has become more than just a site for shoes; but a site for its consumers.
Q: Who are the bloggers?
A: There are numerous blog authors for the many different blog titles: Inside Zappos, Fashion Culture, Couture, Parents, Etc. The Zappos CEO and CFO-COO are also two of the blog authors with their own section on the Blog’s homepage: CEO and COO Blog
Q: How involved do the customers seem?
A: In regard to the amount of comments posted by customers on the main page, it seems they are not as involved. However, it should also be noted that this does not take into account those consumers who may not necessarily post but do visit the site frequently. More importantly, there are many comments posted by consumers on the CEO and COO blog page. This seems appropriate as the content of this page is more relevant to the company and possibility requires further explanation or questioning. An even more likely reason for why this page has more comments/questions than the main blog page, could be due to the credibility of a CEO when viewed by a consumer. When a more valid and thorough answer is sought, the head of the company should know the complete, most accurate response. This possible assumption generally speaks well for Zappos. In a time when the economy is down and most reputations of CEO’s are being viewed negatively and with distrust, Zappos maintains at least some credibility.
Q: How effective does the CEO and COO blog seem?
A: Each post made in this section of the site is very elaborate and intuitive and obviously very time consuming. However, the amount of posts done are far less than the homepage blog. The last post created was nearly six months ago. Not staying up-to-date with the blog makes a statement about the CEO and the COO. If the two were not going to be able to post regularly and often, as it is a crucial time commitment, implementing this section on the site at all should have been reconsidered.
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