Comments on: How to Build a Consumer Platform: Lessons from Sonos http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/ Sat, 25 May 2013 16:05:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Why the Future of Hardware Is Services: Tech News and Analysis « http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-609845 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:01:02 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-609845 [...] Sonos is finding growing demand for its S5 music system, thanks to the ability to not only play the music you own, but also get music from a variety of streaming music services such as Spotify. (Read: How to build a consumer platform, lessons from Sonos.) [...]

]]> By: Yes! Control Your Sonos With an Android Phone.: Mobile Technology News « http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-589673 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:00:46 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-589673 [...] lying around the house. But it proves several things I covered in a story last month on the lessons a business could learn from Sonos. Sonos listens to its customers, isn’t afraid to cannibalize its business and is continuing [...]

]]> By: XM Radio Online Comes To Sonos! http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-587020 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:29:20 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-587020 [...] Everybody’s favorite connected audio solution got a little bit better this week. Heck, from where you’re sitting, the latest Sonos music service might even represent a dramatic upgrade… as I know XM Radio Online has been one of their most requested channels. While Sonos has streamed Sirius forever, XM Online just never made an appearance – as a solo entity or as part of the merged Sirius XM. So I’m glad to see my badgering finally paid off (and hopefully Slacker and Android are next in line). [...]

]]> By: Stacey Higginbotham http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-577923 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:29:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-577923 I agree with you. When I was trying to buy my Sonos system I was really confused about what I needed and what I didn’t. I did manage to figure it out between a trip to Best Buy and Amazon, but it did take effort.

]]> By: Stacey Higginbotham http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-577921 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 01:25:08 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-577921 Thanks. I do love my Sonos, but the story here is pretty sweet, especially given how hard it is to build a gadget company.

]]> By: r00fus http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-577884 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:11:45 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-577884 How will Sonos keep up with cheaper Airplay-enabled units right around the corner?

Has Sonos adopted Airplay?

]]> By: pgattocpa http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-577824 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:50:44 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-577824 Lesson #5: Don’t forget about the usability of the website. Perhaps it’s just me, but with a technology and product line such as Sonos’, at least one page that compares the products would be nice. As it is, you have to jump around from page to page, see which product “does what”, write down the features, go to the next product page and compare.

A comparison of benefits would also be nice. Selling 101: sell benefits, not features. Selling 102: start with the benefits of your top product so the consumer can see what the lower products are missing. A comparison page on a website would do this.

I presume they want to do most of the selling at the specialty retail level (I’m including Magnolia at Best Buy here), but I would appreciate a better user experience at the website level.

Thirty years ago when I sold electronics I was very much into the latest thing in computers and audio / video. (I was the poster child for Reaganomics.)

Now that I’m in my 50s I do not want to spend the time, although I will spend the money (albeit more discretely) for a great quality product. However, I do want to have a satisfying web experience website that I can get some information before I go to the retailer.

]]> By: Michael Wolf http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-577265 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 22:22:54 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-577265 I met with John McFarlane just as the 2008 financial crisis was unfolding, and asked him how the high-end of CE would hold up as consumers got scared. He said there was some potential exposure as consumers wallets shut tight, but ultimately what I think you saw was the company kept innovating during the downturn and that sustained them: The iPhone app controller came out just around that time and created overall higher demand despite potential cannibalization of their controller, and then the S5 came out and that’s become their biggest seller. Now their well-positioned as consumer confidence comes back after a big trough.

]]> By: John Dito http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-577110 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:15:09 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-577110 I would love to buy a Sonos but I will not until they support Android. Seriously this should be a no-brainer.

]]> By: Mo Kilma http://gigaom.com/2011/01/17/how-to-build-a-consumer-platform-lessons-from-sonos/#comment-576869 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 07:58:44 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=279196#comment-576869 What a wonderful article. I have not previously considered buying a Sonos product but after reading this I am going to do some research into the S5. I will make sure you get the commission Stacey :)

]]>