I received an advanced review copy of Word of Mouse: 101+ Trends in How we Buy, Sell, Live, Learn, Work and Play by Marc Ostrofsky a while ago, but held off reviewing it until its release. I did this because I didn’t want you to have to wait to get your own copy, because you’re going to want one after I finish telling you about this book.
A Small Business Owner’s Digital Survival Guide
With nearly 90% of all consumers preferring online shopping and roughly 67% of all local businesses not offering an eCommerce option, it’s time for small business owners to wake up and start cashing in on a large and untapped revenue opportunity.
That’s the real purpose behind Word of Mouse. Ostrofsky doesn’t pull any punches, he’s written this book in a rather urgent tone because he knows that combining the power of small business and entrepreneurship with that of the internet can increase the likelihood that more small businesses will succeed and grow. And he is desperate to spread the word to as many small business owners as he can.
Short and Powerful Case Studies Prove Out Ecommerce Strategies
There are lots of wonderful, practical and relatable case studies in the book. But my favorite one isn’t a case study at all, it’s Ostrofsky’s personal example that he shares in the preface of the book.
He starts the preface by sharing a real life experience he had when visiting his favorite golf store; he walks into the store and is greeted with signs telling him that the store has lost its lease and is moving. Jim, the owner, requested that folks leave their email address so that he can notify them of the updated location.
The sheer idea that poor Jim didn’t have his customers’ emails was shocking to Ostrofsky. Even more shocking was the realization that Jim represented so many other small business owners who were so focused on running a local business - that they were literally leaving big dollars on the digital table.
If this example resonated with you like it did with me, then you’ll want to read more.
Inside Word of Mouse - Recommendations, Tips and Strategies
There are so many reasons why I really liked this book.
Let me begin with the fact that it’s written in simple and plain language. It’s not written for the author (to showcase his smarts) it’s written for the audience, to help you understand how important online commerce is to the success of your business. This is immediately clear in the way the book is organized: How we learn, how we buy, how we sell, how we work and how we play.   Ostrofsky embraces the spillover between our work lives and our personal live and how companies are using the Internet to increase sales without being intrusive.
There is an empowering context to Word of Mouse. You have to read the introduction to get it and if you do, it will color your entire experience of the book:
This book is all about understanding the opportunities in the world today and finding which tools are out there to help you get ahead personally and professionally.
While Arnold Palmer wasn’t fast enough to make the track team, once he got his hands on a golf club - he was unstoppable. So just think about the possible tools out there and which ones will make you unstoppable.
Are You Missing Out?
When I first saw how many people make online purchases and how many local small business owners think that because they are a brick and mortar local business and don’t need an online presence - I got a real whack on the side of the head.
If you are running one of these local businesses or an industrial business where you like to tell yourself that “your customers aren’t online†- then this is an absolute must-read book for you.
If you’re currently working inside of an organization that doesn’t have much of an online presence and you’ve been wondering how to get the message across, Word of Mouse will get that job done for you.
Overall Ostrofsky does the job of giving small businesses who haven’t gotten a good solid online shake great resources and advice to get the job done.
