Today we are more interconnected with other humans than ever before in the history of the world. We have email, text messaging, social networks, instant messaging, blogging, forums and a host of other ways to communicate with others.
While these technologies all make our lives a lot simpler in some ways…in others they make our lives more complicated.
Let’s take social networking as an example. Have you ever been asked to join someone’s network or be their “friend” on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn or any of the other myriad of social networking sites? What happens when that invite comes from someone you really don’t want to be connected to? It’s easy if it is someone you really don’t know… you just say no. But what if it is someone you work with every day or see on a regular basis. You know if you decline their invite they will take it personally and may even ask you why you rejected them. Talk about awkward! I’ve talked with a number of friends who have had this same situation come up and my advice is simple. Just say no! People need to learn to not take things personally. My network on LinkedIn for example is all about my business life. I have networks on other sites that are for my personal interests. We are complex individuals and just because I say no to your invite doesn’t mean you are a bad person or even that I don’t like you it’s just that you don’t fit in my network. So if you ask someone to be a part of your network and they “Just say no” don’t take it personally. And if someone you really don’t want to be connected to asks to join yours…just listen to Mr. T.
Even though it is over 30 years old, Powers of Ten still offers a fascinating look at the relative scale of the universe. The short film, by Charles and Ray Eames, utilizes a single camera shot to go from the view of a man in a Chicago park to the outer limits of the universe and then back down into the microscopic world contained in the man’s hand.
In his blog post “The Client That Matters Most,” Robert Hoekman talks about a company who intentionally maintains a bad user experience on its commerce website. The idea is that customers will be driven to make a phone call to the company’s customer support, where the customer is then pressured with add-ons and up-sells.
But, what if the customer never makes it that far.
If a customer has a frustrating experience with your website, they will likely associate that negative experience with not only your website, but also your company. This could mean that the customer gives up on your product/service, or your company altogether based on their bad experience.
Even if they don’t immediately give up, the damage is done and is difficult to reverse. People will be wary of communicating with you when the need arises again, they will start scoping out your competition, and they will let everyone know about their frustrations.
That’s why its imperative that we do all we can to design and maintain a positive user experience and not force people down a difficult or unnavigable path. Think about your website in terms of the needs of the users, not the other way around.
Now I don’t know if this young lady has a problem with her arm and if she does I wish her well.
The point is a link to this photo has been picked up or perhaps placed by H&R Block on some of the most popular social bookmarking sites on the internet such as Digg.com and Reddit.com. The links go to the H&R Block May newsletter. Do you see where I am going? H&R Block is getting a TON of traffic to their online newsletter today because of that photo. Will anyone following the link to see the photo actually engage H&R Block for their services? Who can really say? But eyeballs that have never seen their newsletter before are there today. Just keep in mind that there are tools out there like this for you to experiment with when you are looking to go outside the box with your marketing efforts.
Big Ahha can help you find out more about these and other ways to drive traffic to your site.
The other night I was watching the popular NBC show Deal or No Deal.
If you haven’t seen it, contestants pick one case from 26 cases held by 26 lovely ladies. They then choose other cases trying to eliminate low amounts so that a “banker” will offer large amounts of money to buy the case they chose at the beginning of the round. There is a million dollars at stake and the drama starts when contestants get greedy and say “No Deal” in the hopes that they can continue on. The problem is most of the time greed takes over and they end up going home with very little.
The game made me think about all of the options available for businesses looking for help with their web initiatives. Read the rest of this entry
It’s not uncommon for a business caught up in the “day job” to lose sight of what is really important to the success of their company. I was reminded of this recently when consulting with someone about their online message for their business.
Think about what it is like when you have a face to face meeting with someone to discuss how your company might be able to help them. What formalities are generally present? How you greet someone, shake their hand and engage in small talk generally all before getting down to business. Body language, tone of voice and questions based on comments all lend themselves to a decision being made about whether or not to do business with one another before you ever get to talking about price for product or service. Read the rest of this entry
When it comes to designing, building, and writing for a website, findability is often an afterthought to things like search engine optimization and usability. Instead, findability should be a core concern throughout every step of the website development process.
A website that ignores findability is whispering into the wind, hoping that someone passing by might catch a hint of its message.
Ok so I’m not a big fan of baseball. It’s only logical then that I am really not a big fan of baseball movies. Add commercials to a baseball movie and I am calling my dentist to see if he has an opening because I would rather be spending my time in his chair than on the couch watching this errrr stuff. But when the flu has you down its amazing what you will sit through and not even try to lift the remote.
I watched a baseball movie with commercials on TV last night and I am glad I did. So glad in fact that I started watching it a second time when it was replayed immediately following the first showing. It’s not that I was overly impressed with the movie, its actors, the music or the cinematography. It was the simple underlying message that was the foundation for the story. Follow your dreams.
I’m not going to tell you about the movie because I am over the flu today and you already know how I feel about baseball movies.
What I do want to talk about though are the Ahha moments we have in life and how you must follow your dreams. Sometimes Ahha moments are fleeting thoughts like a tiny spark that never really had a chance to become a true flame. Other times they are lingering like a candle or a match fighting to stay lit. Read the rest of this entry
Choosing the right name for a new product, service, or company can be very difficult, frustrating, and time consuming. Choose the right name and people may immediately be interested and identify with what you are offering. Choose the wrong name and your customers may not ever find you, or if they do, they might not even give your product or service a chance. Read the rest of this entry
I often use this phrase when working with clients. I use it when talking about Big Ahha and what type of company we try to be everyday. I use it to talk about the way they should think about their site visitors, their customers, the business partners they work with and most importantly their employees.
I didn’t make up the “Don’t be evil” phrase. Many people know this as the motto espoused by the leaders at Google. But not many know where it came from. Here is an excerpt from the Don’t be evil - Wikipedia page. Read the rest of this entry
Big Ahha is small web design, development, and consulting firm with experience in leading online innovation at both large media companies and small, working with a wide range of clients and client needs. We have experience in building websites, developing brands, creating online communities, utilizing online advertising, and integrating e-commerce.
