Podcast Summary
Discover valuable business insights with Squarespace's analytics tool, Insights: Improve website performance and marketing strategies by tracking site visits, sales, and analyzing keywords, popular products, and content with Squarespace's Insights tool.
Squarespace offers valuable business insights to its users through its analytics tool, Insights. This feature allows business owners to track site visits, sales, and identify effective marketing channels. By analyzing top keywords, popular products, and content, users can improve their website and develop a successful marketing strategy. To try it out, visit squarespace.com/stuff for a free trial and use the offer code STUFF to save 10% on your first purchase. Additionally, the hosts discussed some changes to their content release, and now all content will be available in the main feed. They also shared an intriguing piece of internet history – the "I Smell" device from the late 90s and early 2000s. This peripheral device, which could be plugged into a computer, would release scents based on the type of website being browsed. Despite Apple's association with the concept, it couldn't be trademarked, and the idea has since been adopted by various companies.
Inspired by perfumes during a Miami Beach vacation, Digisense founders create a revolutionary lube device in the 1990s.: Digisense, founded in the 1990s, aimed to merge technology and personal care with their innovative Liquid Scent Marker, a perfume atomizer that allowed users to mark specific areas with scent.
The 1990s dot-com era saw a wave of investment in innovative internet-related ideas, including Digisense, a company founded by Joel Bellenson and Dexter Smith with $20 million in venture capital. They drew inspiration from their previous experience in genetics databases and the realization that organic matter like DNA could be coded. During their vacation in Miami Beach, they were inspired by the prevalence of perfumes and came up with an idea for a revolutionary lube device, which they named the "Liquid Scent Marker." Despite its innovative potential, opinions on the product were divided, with some seeing it as ahead of its time and others as ill-conceived. The Liquid Scent Marker, marketed through nappaautobarts.com, was a perfume atomizer that did not squirt oil onto the face, but rather allowed users to mark specific areas with scent. Although it faced criticism, it represented an early attempt to merge technology and personal care products.
Innovators DigiSense create world's first database of digitized odors: DigiSense innovators create a code for various odorants, develop a kid-friendly social media platform Zigazoo, and Squarespace's Fluid Engine enables custom websites, showcasing the power of innovation and digitalization.
A group of innovative thinkers named DigiSense recognized the potential of digitizing smell and created the world's first database of digitized odors. Using their expertise in genetics and digitalization, they were able to create a code for various odorants and recreate the smell digitally. This was the first step towards their goal of releasing a digitized smell. The second masterstroke was the development of a safe and kid-friendly social media platform, Zigazoo, which allows children to upload content, interact with friends, and explore trends without the risks of commenting, text messaging, or exposure to bots or trolls. Meanwhile, Squarespace's Fluid Engine enables anyone to create unique and customized websites with ease and flexibility. These three advancements showcase the power of innovation and the potential for digitalization to revolutionize various industries.
Considering consumer demand before implementing innovative technology: Innovation is essential, but it's crucial to prioritize consumer needs and preferences to ensure success.
Innovation and technology can bring unique experiences to new platforms, but it's crucial to consider consumer demand and preferences. The example of the "eye smell" device showcases this concept well. This gadget aimed to digitize scents and deliver them via the internet, but the creators overlooked asking if people truly wanted this feature. Despite its advanced technology and potential, the lack of consumer testing led to the product's downfall. In the realm of e-commerce, businesses can learn from this lesson and focus on offering products and experiences that cater to their customers' needs and desires. On a separate note, Squarespace offers a user-friendly solution for selling custom merchandise through your website, providing an asset library, flexible designs, and a free trial with a discount code. This platform simplifies the process of launching an online store and managing your content.
The Failure of Eye-Smell Technology: Innovative technologies may not always succeed, but their failures can teach valuable lessons. For instance, the eye-smell technology, despite its small size and efficiency, was a complete flop and cost its creators $20 million in funding.
Even the most innovative and efficient technologies can fail if they don't resonate with consumers. The "eye-smell" technology, which was introduced at the 2001 CES Consumer Electronics Show, is a prime example of this. Despite its small size and efficient design, which only took up two bytes of memory, the product was a complete flop. No one wanted it, and the company behind it ended up losing $20 million in venture capital funding. The technology was so forgotten that it made it onto PC World's list of the 25 worst tech products of all time in 2006. Despite the failure of the eye-smell technology, innovation continues to drive the tech industry forward. For parents concerned about their children's safety on social media, there are alternatives like Zigazoo, a social network for kids where they can post and share moderated videos without comments or messaging. It's important to remember that not every innovative technology will be a success, but the failures can still teach us valuable lessons. If you're interested in learning more about innovative technologies and their stories, be sure to check out the Stuff You Should Know podcast and visit their website at StuffYouShouldKnow.com. Additionally, if you're a traveler, consider the Capital One Venture X Card, which offers unlimited 2X miles on all purchases and premium travel benefits like airport lounge access and a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel.
