One of the challenges many businesses have is how to view the Internet
– and yet in many respects there is much to be learnt from the real world and applied to Internet activity.
Real World Learning No.1 – Your Website IS Your ‘Store’
We are often asked by clients to ‘fix’ their Pay Per Click campaign, or to get more traffic to their website and yet when we visit the site, it’s clear that the site needs attention first.
Why Put the Site First?
You can read the full ruling from Google here, but finally a triumph of sense over solicitors.
For most, the above page is a dull footnote in the ocean of Google blog posts, but for those using Adwords, this is exactly what we were expecting (and hoping) for.
What Was the Problem
A few years ago, brand owners threatened Google by arguing that they were using their trademarks unlawfully by allowing businesses to use their brands in keywords and adverts.
Just like the instant version of coffee, Google Instant has ‘freeze dried’ the flavour of search and reformed it in a more immediate format. But, just like instant coffee, what you get is a poor imitation of the ‘real thing’.
‘It’s even better and it saves you time’ goes the Google Inc. mantra, yet we’re not convinced. Not really that sure at all.
Continue reading “Google Instant ‘Coffee’”
Even if you don’t work in digital circles, you cannot fail to have noticed one of the big corporate spats from recent times kick off in ‘The Flash Wars’.
If you don’t know what we’re referring to, let me get you up to speed: Flash, a software owned by Adobe, is responsible for most of the attractive moving graphics on the web including adverts and games. This software is free to download and use, but whoever uses Flash to design needs to buy licensed software to create Flash applications.
We think it must have happened sometime this year… a sudden realisation that after all the unnecessary wastage of effort (and marketing spend) on WAP and Apps – yes, you know who you are and are probably still feel the hurt – there is now a compelling case for looking at your site on the move.
We don’t mean looking at the screen whilst running around it, but thinking about mobile devices.
Continue reading “The Case for Thinking Smart… Phones”
The problem with computers is that they’re black and white. No, not their actual colour, but it’s either a 1 or a 0. You can’t say to a computer that a 0.5 means either / or… or even that it should alternate. It just gives up: “give me a 1 or a 0, I’m not playing your game!”
If only people were that predictable… sadly even in the larger and better resourced of businesses there still exists people who don’t play by the rules and therefore suffer the consequences.
Case 1: Diaspora – the Social Network for the Private (eh?!)
Continue reading “The Uncertainty Problem and How it Affects Success”
Few businesses really spend enough time on user experience. They think they do, but they don’t – they normally put their needs first and then are surprised when the response is different to what they expected.
For smaller businesses much of what they do has to involve some educated guesswork, but it is encouraging that the bigger fish, with all their access to focus groups, beta tests, online research and user feedback, also make mistakes.
The ‘art’ of SEO is discussed a lot… but the main issue that is often avoided, which is: ‘is it worth it?’ In this article we tackle this question and offer up the five biggest mistakes you can make when thinking about SEO.
1. YOU NEED HELP GETTING TOP FOR YOUR BRAND NAME
As long as your domain name has your brand name in it (and most of the time, even if it doesn’t) and your brand name isn’t completely generic (i.e. all the words in it are commonly used) then you will rank top or in the top 2-3 for it pretty quickly and stay there.
You don’t need anyone’s help to achieve this (nor should you give credit for it).
2. PPC = EXPENSIVE; SEO = CHEAP
Yes, it’s another horrible made-up word… ‘Gamification’ which already has a Wikipedia page, and is likely, in due course to enter one or more English language dictionaries.
Why all the fuss?
Well, it’s the use of gaming mechanics to make boring bits of life more interesting (to paraphrase the 1,000+ words on Wikipedia). So, if like 99% of the population, you don’t like writing task lists, let alone actually doing the tasks – so, why not get EpicWin on your iPhone? Your tasks are now quests, and you win points and level up your Avatar as you complete tasks.
Ah, But Will it Catch On?
A passive site is a website which doesn’t work in the content of the site to develop new opportunities for business growth. It lacks offers, calls to action, links and marketing messages and, as a result, gives visitors every opportunity just to walk away.
Here are five quick tests you can take to find out if your website is passive or active:
If a visitor cannot navigate through the website and end up at the destination you’d like them to get to (sale, enquiry or whatever your main revenue aim is) then your site is passive.
Ideally, website visitors should not need to use the main menu at all. It’s a fallback, not a critical path.
