What’s Your ONE Thing?
What’s Your ONE Thing?
More than just a book, or a speech, The1Thing.com embodies a movement. The concept wraps everything Gary Keller does into a singular brand statement.
Author, Speaker and business professional, Gary Keller has distilled the vast number of elements of a digital marketing strategy. More than  just a book, or a speech, the site embodies a movement. The concept wraps everything his team at The1Thing.com  does into a singular brand statement. I visited the site recently to confirm a quotation. I stayed because their approach is unique for an Author/Speaker web presence. Personal brands evolve over time. Brands based on a concept endure. I encourage you to visit the site. You'll need to pay close attention. Like most sites they use the typical image slider, YouTube Video , eCommerce shop, gated user community. What makes them unique is not their technology, it's their focus and approach. Although the site includes a full length photo of the author, it's very small and placed in the footer. The logo touting the concept is huge in comparison. As you navigate the site, check out the following points:
  • It's all about The ONE Thing movement. Whether the focus is the book, consulting, speaking or products, is all about the movement. Their brand is a reflection of the followers, not a thought-leader.
  • The slides within the homepage slider share a single theme instead of separate slides with links heading off in separate directions. It's a very simply but elegant animation. Each slide builds on the next (part of The ONE Thing concept).
  • They have minimized the social follow icons choosing instead to promote social sharing. If you want to see their social stream, you stay on the site instead of wandering off to Facebook. The1Thing.com/bookbuzz.
  • The home page has one mission, sell books. It's refreshing to see a brand that doesn't cram everything onto the home page.
  • The best way to connect with your community is to meet them where they are. Increasingly that means a mobile. The1Thing.com has developed a Community of Practice (COP) named MyONEThing (http://app.the1thing.com/ ). Compare the view from a  notebook screen to a mobile viewport and you'll see a unique display, not smaller, different. The mobile display shares only the most essential elements required by mobile users.
  • The About | Book page, uses short blocks of copy within a tabbed region to present Product Details, Reviews and Testimonials all without leaving the page where customers can purchase the book.
The folks at the1thing.com have indeed mastered the art of connecting with those they serve best. They have defined their online platform as more than a web site. It's a complete web presence where all paths of engagement lead to purchasing the book. It's inspiring to see how the design group took familiar technology and created a unique statement. Based on Gary Keller's example, what recommendations do you have for the owners of similar sites? Use the comment section below or share with your followers.