Making an Impression on the Internet
There was a line once from a TV commercial that went, “If you want to capture someone’s attention, whisper.” Such a method may not work on the Internet. Save Forums I was curious to find where the new generation of search engine marketers and website designers are these days. I also wanted to know if the talented and skilled among the new folks were helping out the industry by passing along accurate information. I asked because this was how we used to do things. Chat...
Read MoreLooking for Talented, Driven Folks (Web Design/Marketing/Search)
I’m always looking for talented new people because I’m asked for referrals or people to implement recommendations from the site audits I do. It’s extremely rare to find multi-skilled folks or else they’re happily employed by some lucky companies. A. I’m looking for web site designers who can demonstrate expertise in combination user experience and search engine optimized web page design. This means they understand that the two practices work together and their...
Read MoreUsability 14-Point Checklist for Success is SEMMY Finalist
The article I wrote last year for Website Magazine made the SEMMY Finals in the Design and Usability category. It’s time now for readers to vote on the 4 articles chosen by judges. The article is Everyday Usability – 14-Point Checklist for Success User behaviors change and evolve and it’s up to website owners to adapt. Constant attention must be given to how users and search engines interact with your site to ensure that you not only attract visitors, but give them reasons to come...
Read MoreWeb Site Beauty is only Skin
I used to have a quote taped to my bathroom that read, “Beauty is only skin.” I knew that no matter what I did or said, I would first be judged by my skin. So are web sites. Position, color, font, style, and length of important elements on pages within a site benefit from standardization because each page then “looks familiar” and adds to the effects of mere exposure. The site visitor’s comfort that “I’ve been here before” has empirical value...
Read MoreA Quiet Historical Step for SES Chicago 2009
As I head into my 15 year (February 1995) of working in the web design, marketing and usability space, it has been this year that has been the most unique. What finally happened, after years and years of writing on the friendly relationship between SEO and Usability, is that the message is understood and gaining acceptance. I’ve been partnered with a select minority of forward thinking SEO’s for 6 or so years. It’s taken that long for the rest of the industry to catch on to...
Read MoreIntuit Web Site Setup Service Misleading
I would like to thank Intuit for their hard work in bringing me new clients. It came as quite a surprise that you support my web site usability and SEO services. Imagine my surprise when I flipped on the boob tube for several minutes while making tea from the comfort of my (very busy!) home office and there you were, all professional sounding like, with your (dare I say it?) sly and devious commercial to small biz web site owner hopefuls. For the mere fee of $4.99 (or some such pittance), new...
Read MorePoor Travel Site Usability for Mobile Browsing
I recently returned from a 10-day family excursion to Florida. Our last family vacation was 2 summers ago. Florida in the summer is not a logical choice, but I’m forced to squish in something between the end of baseball season, sacrificing some soccer and being back by the start of high school football camp. We also dragged along my college daughter, whose only moment of sanity was when we got to Sanibel Island. The plan was to visit friends and family in Kissimmee and Ft. Myers,...
Read MoreUsability Tip: Preparing to Build Your Web Site with Requirements Gathering
Before you begin to build your web site, let’s pause for a moment and think about your goals. When you first sat down to consider your plans, did you think about your business requirements? Why do you want a web site? What do you hope to accomplish? How will you do this? How do you know if you remembered to include everything you’ll need to do? What do you want your web site to do? Some example business requirements may be: 1. Increase the amount of qualified Search Engine...
Read MoreWhy I’m Not Comfortable with Web Site Clinics
At nearly every conference where web design is discussed, site clinics are offered. At larger conferences, it takes courage to stand up in front of a room of a few hundred people and ask “experts” to tell you “what’s wrong” with your site. It’s an approach I’ve never stood behind and strongly dislike. For starters, sitting on a panel and being asked to explain problems for a web site is like trying to figure out how big your mutt will grow when you...
Read MoreA Gift Idea for Web Designers – Web Design for ROI
I’m one of those persons that love books, bookstores, and stores like Office Max and Staples. I love the feel of a glossy paperback book cover, sight of rows of colorful pens, and am perfectly willing to spend 15 minutes figuring out the very best type of manila folders to buy. When I spoke on a Usability panel at SMX New York with Lance Loveday, I discovered he’d written a book called Web Design for ROI: Turning Browsers into Buyers & Prospects into Leads. Of course, I asked for a...
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