Entries from June 2009

Smart marketers know that website content is the backbone of a company’s web presence. It defines the first interaction between the user and the company and sets a tone for further communication. What many don’t realize is that the forces of search engines have changed expectations for effective website content. Only two years ago, we sent out an article highlighting that the keys to good website content were concise writing, easy scanning, objectivity, and credibility. While all these things are still true, the prevalence of search engines as a marketing channel has brought more considerations into the mix. So how do you write content that is effective for both the user and the search engines? Here are five keys to keep in mind:

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Logo’s are everywhere! They can be so simple and yet tell everything about the brand of the company. As you drive to work everyday you will pass over 5,000 logos, from delivery trucks to morning coffee cups; they are everywhere that you look. They can take a second to recognize and years for a designer to create. The logo is the identity of the company, the voice of who they are and what they are about. They can be symbols, letters, words, and can be almost anything. But did you ever stop to really look at them?

It’s hard to tell how effective visual cues really are; it is safe to say that the vast majority of people couldn’t care less about the thousands of visual aids and furthermore are unlikely ever to care because unless they want or need something, there’s no reason to do so.

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Tomorrow is the launch date for the famous iPhone 3Gs – Apple’s latest, fastest, and most powerful iPhone. Along with all the hype surrounding the iPhone, and the recent shift towards the new “mobile marketing” field, we have been fielding questions frequently regarding websites that “work” on mobile phones.  But the real question should be “Do mobile-friendly websites really matter?”

The fact of the matter is, if a website is well-designed, it will “work” on the iPhone. Getting it to work on the Blackberry, Palm Pre, or whatever other mobile device is the tricky part. But before you start to plan a mobile website redesign, make sure that you are approaching the project for the right reasons. Be specific about what tangible objectives you hope to attain, and how much value it will bring to your audience.

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I was struck recently by an observation that in retrospect seems self-evident, but is often overlooked as I judged a variety of web applications for the MITX Technology Awards (disclaimer:  I am the co-chair of this event).  Specifically, the effective use of visual design, messaging and information presentation can take very similar products (speaking at the technological level) and radically alter the users’ assessment of a product.  Read On

Due to an overwhelming response rate for last month’s newsletter, I thought I’d share a synopsis of the article “Twitter: Should I Bother?”.

There is no denying the incredible buzz around Twitter, the micro-blogging platform that has everyone from celebrities to CEOs singing (or tweeting) its praises. But what is still being decided is its relevancy to an organization’s marketing initiatives. Is this just another trend or can it be used as an effective marketing tool? Read On