Archive for August 2009

The Problem With Proposals

Posted by Jeb
Aug
28
2009

12
Comments

Filed Under: Everything Else

I do not like writing proposals. Until late last night I really couldn’t have articulated why I have so much trouble with proposals. Even though they are what drives revenue for the company I find it very difficult to focus and finish out proposals without a lot of internal bribery (if you do this proposal you can go take a walk! etc)

Then it hit me. The reason I have trouble with proposals is that there is a disconnect between the company and the proposal. We are Web company, right? Our proposals look like they were kicked out by a traditional media company. They are flat, bullet pointed things. There is little story telling and no Web element to it. Why are we only giving customers a PDF for a proposal? Are we going to design and build a PDF for their company?! I understand that a PDF needs to be a component but really it should just be a part of a presentation that is in sync with who we are as a company, a Web company.

So what to do? We are looking to experiment with some new approaches. Sending a client a link to a landing page with a screencast of what we want to do, links to relevant work and a demo of our Content Management System and yes, a PDF take away document.

I think this is going to help us sell our services more effectively as well as ensure that the original vision the client buys into can survive intact through the duration of the project.

What do you think? Any proposal ideas or suggestions?

I Bet You Won’t Read This

Posted by ed
Aug
27
2009

3
Comments

Filed Under: Design

Let me preface this by saying how strange it is to write about not reading. With all the arguments about e-books and the sanctity of the well-bound durability of the traditional page turner, the death of the newspaper and what will become of library; I don’t worry. I like reading books and newspapers at libraries. But you probably didn’t even read this paragraph, because…

People Don’t Read on the Web.

They scan menus, headings, lists, icons, images and labels looking for the juicy little bits of text that will lead them to the few words that communicate the information they want, need and were looking for all along.

Everybody’s writing about it.

Jakob Nielsen , Usability Guru, has done the research.

“79 percent of our test users always scanned…16 percent read word-by-word.”

“The introductory paragraph(s)… is what I call blah-blah text… such as “Welcome to our site, we…”

“On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely.”

.

Carsonified , Experts on Web Design, offer this equation.

.

Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think, suggests a dull knife.

“Get rid of half your text and then get rid of half of what’s left.”

Conclusion: Write for the user, not for yourself.

.

Your Website as a Broadcast Platform

Posted by Jeb
Aug
26
2009

2
Comments

Filed Under: Social Media

I started to hit on this idea in my last blog about how much to pay for a website and it seems to resonate with some people so I wanted to pull the idea out and expand on it here.

In our experience most companies have starter websites- basically a brochure on the web. It’s a destination. Maybe you find it via a search for the company name but not much else. All the visitors know something about the company or they wouldn’t be there. A “preaching to the choir” website. A website that exists only because you “have” to have a website.

The problem is that this kind web presence is almost worthless and will do nothing to grow your company. In fact it may be hurting it.

The few that find their way there wonder how legitimate your company is if you don’t have a “real” website.

So what is a “real” website?

A real website is a broadcast platform. Here’s some of the characteristics of broadcasting website:

Social Media- when you add a blog it automagically updates your company’s Twitter account, and other services, with a link to that blog.
RSS- your site’s RSS feed is being pulled in by other blogs and services like Google Reader.
Google loves you- a search engine friendly site will rank for many competitive keyword searches.
You site is easy to update- so you look forward to adding new pages and content which only brings more traffic. (don’t get me started on the importance of a good Content Management System!)
Your site listens- lets users leave feedback, comments and generally interact in a playful way.

The function of a website is changing. If “content is king” then a website’s job is to broadcast that content across the web’s many platforms.

The companies that invest in content broadcasting sites will win search, traffic and eventually the customer.

How Much Should A Website Cost?

Posted by Jeb
Aug
20
2009

2
Comments

Filed Under: Design Marketing

http://www.thedigeratilife.com/images/money-questions.jpg
Determining what to budget for a new website can be difficult. Many times a company has a “brochure” site from 5 or even 10 years ago and is now ready to build a “real” website. In my experience companies choose a number based on their current cash flow or what they paid the first time around. “If we paid X dollars then we should pay 2 times X this time”. I can understand that way of thinking but I think there is a better way of determining the correct budget for a best-in-class website.

First off the Web and media has changed substantially since that “brochure” site was launched. In the late 1990s and early 2000s it didn’t do much harm for a company to have a brochure style website. But now companies need to see their websites more like broadcast platforms. Often times their website’s content will be accessed as much from third party sites and services (Google Local or Maps, Search Engines, RSS feeds, Social Media etc).

Companies need to think of websites as being similar to radio or TV stations that are broadcasting their content 24/7. Websites are no longer just destinations. They are channels that flow out and across the web in various formats. At least that is what a modern website does. So before you think about what to spend think about how this is not the Web of the late 90s or early 2000s. Heck this isn’t even the web c.2006!

So how much should you spend on a modern website that acts as a broadcast platform?

I recommend looking at your media budget and determining a percentage to invest in the Web . I would recommend at least 50% since it’s pretty clear from all the data that the Web has the best and most demonstrable ROI of any marketing effort. The take that amount and extend it to 3-5 years. If you spend $2000 a month on marketing then allocate $1000 a month to the web times 36 to 60 months.

The beautiful thing about the Web is that you can test and see what works, tweak and repeat until you are seeing a phenomenal return. Every investment takes time to bring a return but with the Web you will be able to see it more clearly and usually more quickly.

Don’t fall for the Social Media panic!

Posted by Jeb
Aug
4
2009

4
Comments

Filed Under: Social Media


When I go out and talk to business owners I often notice a sense of panic about Social Media. They are afraid they are being left behind. Often this panic leads to creating numerous accounts on various Social Media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIN, Twitter, etc. That’s fine, no reason not to set up accounts in order to secure your company’s name on that site. But it’s ok if you don’t jump in and engage on every Social Media site and service that comes along.

I encourage business owners to be patient. The Web is moving quickly, more quickly than most of population, and your customers, can keep up with. Only 30-40% of all new users to Twitter actually use the service a month later. That means 60-70% of all Twitter users abandon the site/service almost immediately! Twitter is a great format for business conversations, creating leads, etc. but remember it is still a small player compared to search engines in terms of driving business growth.

So don’t panic, focus on what is working and only expand into the Social Media waters as you have the time and interest to make that investment. The reality is that the business on the Web is still being driven by Search Engines. Although Twitter is moving into the search arena, see its new home page, it is still a long ways off from competing with Google or even Yahoo and Bing in that arena.

The best way to grow your business is by using search engines to drive traffic to your website. It has the best ROI hands down. If you have a website that is easy to find (search engines), easy to use (usability/conversion) and easy to manage (content management system) then you will have the right foundation for growth. Once that is established you can start dabbling in the Social Media waters.