I recently helped a school publish an online orientation guide that included a listing of recommended books for this fall’s incoming class. The reading list was not a mandatory one, but rather a collection of favorite books offered up by faculty and staff. I thought the list was a good idea and added value to the guide. In creating the page I linked the book titles to Amazon.com. Offering this service seemed like a no-brainer, since Amazon.com is the first place I go when I want to learn more about a book. However, the links raised a red flag for administrators who did not want to appear to endorse Amazon.com as a preferred bookseller in place of the school bookstore or library. This was a valid concern made by people I respect—organizations should be mindful of who they appear to endorse—but I still tried to convince them to keep the links.
This is not an uncommon occurrence with higher education or business brand management. It’s a challenge to balance the message you want to convey with the needs of your visitors–it’s a matter of image versus service. Both are vital. My rationale for keeping the links did not discount the importance of brand management, it aimed to keep a balance. I felt by advising students to borrow the recommended books from the school library in the page introduction (with no mention of Amazon.com) it made the intentions clear while providing easy access to additional information. The school bookstore didn’t carry the titles because they were so specialize, so I couldn’t include them.
The original book list included titles and authors, but no links. Without them, visitors would be forced to copy and paste a book title in order to search for more information. I’m not suggesting this added step is the end of the world. However, I draw attention to it because it’s part of the larger matter of customer service, which must not be trivialized.
One of my favorite topics from the recent eduWeb Conference was: "Answer the questions people are asking." In other words, give people what they’re looking for. This should be a primary goal of a website. And, like the Content vs. SEO debate, the solution should not be either/or. You can accomplish both with careful planning.
What do you think? Are Amazon.com (or other bookseller) links inappropriate for a school website or can a balance be made managing brand image and maximizing customer service?
