Programming For the People
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/14 at 11:39 AM |
Lee LeFever brings up an interesting point about the growth of online communities. The two factors that contributed to this are:
1. Lowering of Technical Barriers (hardware, connectivity, skill, interest)
2. Increased Understanding/ Positive Perceptions.
I think these factors have actually contributed to the growth of everything online. Years ago just using email was a feat, trust me, I had my share of embarrassing blunders. But now everything and anything possible has moved online. From online learning, ecommerce, banking, entertainment...it is becoming commonplace to find a way to accomplish tasks online.
Also because of this growth (prompted by the increase of users), developers are focusing more on building functionality around the user. They understand the importance of making it easy to use and intuitive. After all, you don’t just build a site for yourself; it is for other people to use.
So, this all benefits the user. It’s with all of these “positive” experiences with technology that the user then becomes more confident in their own technical abilities (with the aid of user oriented programmers). This encourages the user to try new things like joining an online community or taking steps to create their own blog. For some it may be baby steps but there is progress.
40 Faces
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/11 at 02:09 PM |
Yea! You will now see our pretty little faces on http://www.fortyfaces.com/. It’s a really cute idea seeing everyone’s faces on there and also seeing how often they post. Wow, I should post more often....I will dominate every square on that site! Not that I'm vain! :)
Blog Mining
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/10 at 03:33 PM |
Steve Rubel commented about a BusinessWeek article reporting that the use of focus groups is dead to marketers. Focus groups just aren’t as effective (or popular) as they once used to be. Plus, now that there are so many other options for collecting consumer information, blog mining…why not?
But could you imagine all the junk you would have to filter through? People’s personal blogs ranting and raving about who knows what… I’m sure it will be a challenge to try and find good blogs that are considered worthwhile.
NBC Nightly News Netcast
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/08 at 10:02 AM |
Http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/ is the home of The Daily Nightly’s blog. You can see that Brian Williams and other reporters have been regularly posting to the blog for some time now. Williams’ most recent post announced that the NBC Nightly News Netcast has been launched. The Netcast will “offer the half-hour nightly news program in its entirety". This post brings out the motivation behind the move:
News divisions at all three major networks recognize that broadband is fast becoming a necessary tool for reaching viewers who have grown accustomed to getting much of their news from the Internet. As a result, each of the networks and cable news stations like CNN and Fox News are focusing more attention on their online properties.
Consumers are now expecting to have the convenience of timely and accurate news on their schedules. We need to think about what we’re putting on our own websites and if we’re answering to the demand for fresh content.
Email Marketing Still Reigns
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/03 at 11:53 AM |
I read this article today about why email marketing is still so effective. With the number of SPAM I get everyday I can see why many people see email marketing as futile – just another email getting lost in a sea of junk email. Well, here are some reasons why this internet marketing strategy is so valuable to companies:
- the majority of people check their email every day
- there is a significant savings in time and money
- millions of people subscribe to get information that they are interested in
- increases customer loyalty because of frequent contacts
- email builds your brand
When you weigh this out and compare the costs to traditional marketing, you will see why it’s important to not forget the capabilities of email marketing.
Happy World Usability Day!
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/03 at 09:12 AM |
Today is the first annual World Usability Day. It is a day to reflect and ponder on how to make things easier for people. From everyday objects like my espresso maker at home that makes a tasty latte in 13 steps (I hate that thing, for the number of times I’ve used it, each latte has cost me $37) to e-Commerce websites. There are some great usability stories about basic website usability and how to simplify everyone's life.
To Web-ify or Not to Web-ify…
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/02 at 11:25 AM |
Many of our clients have gone through the hardships of getting their Web site content together. It is a difficult task in deciding on what should or shouldn’t go on their website. It may be tempting to take an existing marketing piece like a brochure, and try to “web-ify” it.
But please, please don’t do that. Yes, I totally agree that a company’s message should be consistent. You will need to understand that Online content reads differently than print content. Online content should be more concise and easy to read. The message can still be powerful -- it just needs to be edited with the web visitor in mind.
Now that I’ve scared you with this daunting reality, think about this. You don’t have to stress over the content because it’s online. It’s not a book with permanent ink imprinted on the paper; you can rewrite and edit as many times as you like. Try out the text you want to use and be consistent in updating and refreshing it, your visitors will notice.
RSS Earns its Wings
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 11/01 at 11:30 AM |
Not just for news updates but for something that is just as important…price updates! It is so frustrating trying to buy plane tickets when you see how much the price fluctuates over time. If I wait another 15 minutes, will the price drop? But wait, if I don’t buy it now, will it go up?!? It’s so stressful.
I love that Travelocity created the RSS feed for plane tickets because it eliminates the need for me to compulsively check the Web site over and over again in hopes of finding a deal. It is a great use of RSS and one of the most useful ones I’ve run into so far.
Adventures.Yahoo.Com
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 10/25 at 05:23 PM |
Now how cool is this? Yahoo has a new site adventures.yahoo.com. It’s a blog, it’s a documentary, it has video clips, it has photo galleries, it has online games, all in one place! It’s an online entertainment extravaganza – and it’s done well. I’m so impressed on how this all came together. The technologies used are so seamless and natural and it pulls the user in.
I watch a lot of TV and when I first heard that Yahoo was in the market for this sort of entertainment, I didn't think that it would be possible for them to replace good 'ol TV watching. If this is one of their first attempts into this entertainment arena, I’m excited to see what’s next.
Blogs Are Getting Ripe
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 10/25 at 02:05 PM |
Just like a sun riped black cherry, if you go to Technorati today, you’ll notice that they have officially passed the point to sweet, mature, delicious fruit. They have exceeded the 20 million mark! I can officially tell myself that blogs are not just a fad…they have a sugary future to look forward to.
What's Black and White and on a Web Site?
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 10/18 at 08:13 AM |
A long time ago a friend sent me this link when Mei Xiang (mama panda) was about to give birth. Since then, I’ve checked back on the family every so often. By the way, the zoo did an online poll to vote for your favorite panda name and the results came in yesterday. Its official, the baby panda’s name is Tai Shan.
This is the only web cam I regularly visit. I generally don’t care for web cams since I usually see it monitoring boring things like traffic or weather conditions. But this….this is a great web cam. With every repeat visit, I can see what Tai Shan is eating for lunch and what he looks like when he’s dreaming. I have grown very attached to the little guy. I love this web cam!
On another return visit, I noticed some strategically place online donation links. First they reel you in with the panda cuteness factor and then “bam”, there’s the online donation form. Very nicely planned and executed.
In my opinion, this website appropriately and effectively uses technologies like online forms, online polls, and web cams. With every visit I notice another area of the site and it continues to amaze me. And isn’t that exactly the goal of the zoo and most other Web sites? Repeat visitors.
Don’t be a Browser-Hater
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 10/13 at 03:26 PM |
How important is it to make sure that Web sites are cross browser compatible? Jim Rapoza wrote of browser struggles Katrina victims were facing while trying to fill out their FEMA forms. It must be aggravating to deal with such issues while trying to process applications online.
Well, this is an issue that every developer deals with. Before beginning a project it’s important to identify browser requirements. Considering the demographics may push the requirements a bit either direction but it is important to at least keep a certain level of standards. Accessibility is expected and required from a Web site and this includes working in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Macs. I can’t tell you how quickly I dismiss a site when I notice rendering issues. I say skip any unnecessary bells and whistles and just make sure your website works… for everyone. You don’t want these issues to interfere with your Web site’s message.
SEO + Design = B.F.F.
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 10/12 at 11:50 AM |
Over the years, we’ve begun focusing more and more on the importance of internal design and pre-production meetings. This article is a great read about the importance of balancing SEO, site architecture, and design.
Having every detail of the Web site planned out before any code is written has helped us to identify many potential functionality issues before we’re too deep into a project. It is also another opportunity for clients to take time to think through all of their goals and make sure that the project is achieving them.
I didn't know if I had to post this but for those of you who may not know:
B.F.F (Best Friends Forever)
Nomadic Blogging
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 10/05 at 01:41 PM |
This post from Digital Web Magazine led me to TheWorldIsNotFlat.com. I quickly fell in love with this couple who started documenting their Round The World trip in their blog. This couple has personalized this blog to be specifically about this trip and has invited us into the whole process. Lee LeFever, the owner of the blog wrote this of its purpose:
We're really trying to keep it simple and focused on the trip. We aren't trying to build a travel "community" - we won't have time for that. We just want to collect information. We want the site to be an example of some of the new things the web offers. This includes RSS integration, easy content management, a focus on user-generated content and a strong blogging focus. Because we'll be traveling, the site will also become an example of nomadic and/or mobile blogging.
Having the same dream of a Round The World trip, I’m sticking with them (they are in the planning process) and can’t wait to see where their travels lead them. I hope that I can have some tips to contribute soon!
Asians just wanna have fun! Yeah-ah Asians just wanna have fun.
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 10/03 at 02:37 PM |
Have you ever compared Asian versions of websites to US versions? One example is Yahoo.
Here is the US version: http://www.yahoo.com
Chinese version: http://cn.yahoo.com/
Korean version: http://kr.yahoo.com/
What about MSN?
US version: http://www.msn.com/
Korean version: http://www.msn.co.kr/
Is it just me or do the Asian countries like to have more fun? The content is similar, shopping news, new cell phones, business news…but it’s presented in a different way than what we’re used to in America. There’s so much color and there are things moving everywhere. It’s Flash and animated gifs gone mad! Why does that work over there? Would Americans be open to this style?
In case you were wondering…being Asian American, I find myself slightly attracted to it. Pretty colors everywhere!
LoJack Me
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 09/29 at 09:01 AM |
I read this article today about these radio frequency identification chips that morgues are using for the Katrina victims. These VeriChips are implanted under the skin of the shoulder and can be used to monitor the location and identity of the bodies. This is the same type of microchip that is used on cats and dogs – but this is the first time I’ve heard this technology being used on humans.
The thought of implanting something like this into people opens up a whole lot of opportunities that can enhance our lives. No more missing Alzheimer patients, parents can track down their kids, and I don’t have to carry a purse anymore (except for the girly essentials like lip gloss). I wonder how long it will be until we start seeing these chips used for more mainstream purposes?
This can all be so great…unless it gets out of control and we get all Minority Report on everyone. I swear I didn’t do it!
Fantasy Shopper
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 09/27 at 10:07 AM |
This past Sunday I was forced to go to a friend’s house and be subjected to hours of football. It was a combination of Direct TV’s NFL Ticket and Yahoo’s Fantasy Football – the most evil combination ever imagined by football fanatics. I watched a row of grown men sitting in front of multiple TVs each showing different games and each with their own laptop with their FF team updating scores and points live in front of them. Although I don’t know the first thing about football, I was pretty impressed to see how this whole live updating worked. Each person was fully aware of every point they were racking up without even watching that particular game.
Then I had a genius idea. I like to think I’m a bargain shopper. Being a bargain shopper is very time consuming because I have to go around to different stores to see what is on sale and what I want to buy. I think Yahoo should create a Fantasy Shopper Alert program. I could personalize my stores I’m interested in and what type of products I want to buy. I should be informed when that skirt at Macy’s go on sale for 20% off. I should also be informed of when there is only 1 left so I can book it to the store and buy my skirt. Will someone please make this happen?
Commerical RSS = $$$
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Posted By Jennifer Springer on 09/27 at 07:48 AM |
I had my first experience with a client requesting RSS. The client was looking for the top financial news headlines to appear on the bottom corner of their website. Many of the RSS feeds available have a ton of small print at the bottom of the agreement…and I had to read all of it (CNN's version). Basically, if it’s personal use, it’s free. But if it’s for commercial use, get ready to shell out some money. I contacted a number of companies and was shocked to find out that their base prices start anywhere from $5K - $7K a month for the RSS in XML format (which we can then customize ourselves).
The client decided not to go for it. I guess there is a cost to writing the news but considering the price, how many people are commercially using RSS?