On Wednesday, the 26th of July, tech start-ups gathered for the second edition of “What Not To Web” in the Kirsch Auditorium of the MIT State Center. For the 60 start-up entrepreneurs that attended, this was a great way to collect tips and tricks and get free feedback from the experts on usability interface.
An Enterprise Forum for tech entrepreneurs
What Not To Web was one of the 70 events MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge held during the year. What the forum does and who it’s targeted to is exemplified on their website: .
The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge builds connections to technology entrepreneurs and to the communities in which they reside. Anyone interested in or involved with technology entrepreneurship is welcome to participate and join together to participate in the Forum community.
Tech companies can sign up and become a member of the forum. However non-members can join their events as well, but they needed to pay $45 for What Not To Web. Those on Twitter might have been able to get a free ticket from one of the panelists, like Richard Banfield founder of Fresh Tilled Soil (also sponsor of the event) and Jonathan Kay, branding guru and social ambassador of “Buzz” from Grasshopper.
Tips and tricks
Jonathan himself unfortunately wasn’t able to join the event. His colleague Stephanie Bullis from @grashopperbuzz gave very helpful tips on how to create more word-of-mouth around your brand and increase the number of visitors on your website. One of her eyeopeners concerned the personality of a brand. This doesn’t start online, but offline. People want to know the face and voice behind the company. So go to the events where your customers will be, be memorable and show them who you are. And if these people look up your website when they get home, the experience they had with you on the event, should match the experience they’ll get on your website.
After the panel discussion, Richard and Mike Scopino showed them makeovers of sites that were sent in before the event by attendees. The fact that those who wanted some feedback on their website design at the spot could just raise their hands and ask, made it very worthwhile.
More information:
- Host: Trish Fleming, Executive Director MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
- Social: What not to web on Twitter, Hashtag: #MITforum
- Venue: MIT Stata Center, Kirsch Auditorium, Cambridge
- Sponsors: Fresh Tilled Soil who paid for the networking reception afterwards
