ChaosScenario

The Rebirth of the 30-Second Spot

If you had 30 seconds to say anything you wanted to a prospect, what would you say?

While you're thinking about it, keep in mind that they're using this time to selectively size you up. You're saying something about "value," and "features," and all they hear is "blah blah blah" as they decide whether that tie you're wearing is suitable for the occasion, and if it's for sale. 

30 Seconds and Your Home Page

This is sort of like the process one goes through when visiting a home page for the very first time. According to this interview with Jakob Nielsen, they stay there for about 30 seconds, and they don't want to listen to your elevator pitch -- or any other kind of pitch.

They want to know where they can find the answer to their question or the place they need to go in order to fulfill the purpose of their visit.

But first, you have to quickly assure them that they CAN find what they came here for and that your company DOES make the process of finding it fairly easy.

Give them something to scan

You have to understand that, in most cases, they are not interested in hanging on every word you say. They have a busy life, and if they can't find an answer to their question easily here (or if they aren't reasonably assured that they can find one here), they will reformulate their search in Google before they give you the time of day.

What is scanable?

• Headline - All <H> tags. (e.g., <H1>, <H2>, <H3>, etc.)  Says "This is what the content underneath here is about. I can also help you form i a mental model of the hierarchy of information.
• Form field - Says "Interact with me. There's something to do here." The context surrounding the form field or fields communicate its purpose.
• Button - Says, "Not only am I clickable, but I'm also almost sure to be universally important."
• Pictures - Pictures, icons and any visual aid can say a number of things. They're important because they can be used to establish a tone and personality of the site, provide an understanding of what the site is about, and they can give the eye a break when scanning or reading a page.
• Bullets - Say "Here's a high-level overview of what you can expect here, relative to the context surrounding the bullets."
• Boldface - Says "Here's something worth reading."

Also, don't dismiss the value of a good Web tagline at the top of every page on your site.

These are specific tactics that, when used properly, may aid in homepage usability. However, it's important to note that, as with anything, when used improperly, they can decrease homepage usability.

If you remember that the tactics you use cannot replace the user research and business priorities of the site, you should be okay. - Cam Beck

Apologies to Joseph Jaffe. :)

Measurement of social media and advertising

Everyone's all tingly about social media. Seems like everyone is a social media expert. Every brand needs to be on social networks, a presence on YouTube and Facebook and their own Twitter channel.

Measurement of these channels is still in it's infancy. It's very difficult to prove, in most cases, that these investments have a positive ROI. There are some great examples of where it has worked but I'd suggest these are few and far between. Don't mis-understand me, I think proving ROI, true quantitative ROI on most advertising, is extremely difficult to prove. It doesn't mean it's not having an impact, it's just hard to quantify it. We can know it' having a positive impact by the number of friends, followers, page views, interactions etc. but we don't know what impact it's really having on the bottom line sales.

Ironically this is no different than advertising has been from the very beginning. Anyone who can tell you they can quantitatively measure the impact of a television or print advertising isn't telling you the whole truth. Sure, they can tell you it's having an impact through complicated equations that no one really understands. Truth is, there's no way to tie it back.

On-line media can be measured in many more ways that offline media. Engagement rates, interaction rates, page views, click-throughs, all these things have fueled the growth of on-line marketing over the last ten years. At the risk of biting the hand that feeds me however, they aren't able to truly isolate a decision.

Our decisions are influenced by so many factors that it's nearly impossible to understand which factor has the impact to make us choose one direction or another. As a discipline, marketing attempts to control chaos. Other business disciplines like accounting and operations are able to control or even understand inputs and therefore predict outcomes. Marketing is mostly about the customer who isn't controlled but influenced. Marketing, as a professor once told me, is the discipline most focused on increasing revenue rather than controlling costs. Only so much can be done to control costs. Revenue increases are about potential and possibilities and the life blood of any business.

- Paul Herring

Related Posts:

Is paid search getting too much credit?

Mike Rowe for President

If there's anything that can make you appreciate the people who create the illusion of civilized life, it's Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs. I caught Rowe's TED presentation when I chanced upon this post at slide:ology. (Hat tip to David Armano). If you haven't seen it yet, take 20 minutes to watch it. Unless you cured cancer or some such thing (and in 20 minutes, no less), it may be the best 20 minutes of your week (though if you're a PETA member, it may make you a bit squeamish).

His delivery is flawless, but his point is profound and memorable. We have, he says, declared war against work. We marginalize it at best and quite often attack it outright with overly stringent regulations.

He makes the point more effectively than I can, so please watch the video and visit his new initiative, MikeRoweWORKS.com, including this brilliant, down-to-earth commentary about the AIG bonuses. - Cam Beck

Related posts:
Competence of Heroic Proportions
The World Is Just Awesome

Empower Your Employees to Pleasantly Surprise Your Customers

This morning I walked into a particular suped-up convenience store/gas station for the first time and marveled at what I saw. I hadn't been into one for a long while (about 12 years), but this one was much nicer than I remembered. I had to ask an employee where the coffee was, and he drew me a map on scented paper.

Kidding! Kidding! But he did point me to where I needed to go, being sure to address me as "my friend."

I was lucky enough to have enough time this morning to evaluate my options. There were a lot of them. While making my selection, I made a mental note about which one I would have to try next time.

I went to check out, and the same attendant was there to ring up my order.

"Is this the first time you've been in [one of our stores], my friend?"

"It is," I somewhat regretfully replied, now realizing what I had been missing.

With one graceful movement, he tore a coupon from a book he had at his station, good for one free coffee.

"Please come back soon."

"I will," I assured him, and I left with a smile.

A free coffee is such a small gesture. But this establishment was committed to getting me to return, so they empowered their employees to not only encourage my return, but nearly guarantee that I will.

Some companies would be nervous about letting their front-line employees give away free stuff. Perhaps the opportunities for doing so seem somewhat limited. Whatever they decide to do, I advise them to find a way to, as Drew McLellan recommends, pleasantly surprise their customers -- especially the ones coming in for the first time. - Cam Beck

When to improve usability by destroying it

Fitts' Law says that the bigger something is, the easier it is to point to it, and the closer it is, the faster you can point to it. This has enormous implications for designing any interactive product, including websites.

(This Wikipedia article defines Fitts' Law in more abstract, science-like terms, but if you remember the above, I think you'll be okay.)

How can you advantageously use this principle to destroy usability? When does that, in so doing, actually improve the user experience?

Let's take a look at a couple of fictitious examples.

This has enormous implications for design, but only when you reflect that design is more than "look and feel." It is operations. It is interactions. And yes, it is relationships -- and the models we use to manage them. - Cam Beck

Google Voice?

It seems that Google is getting into everything. Even after recently discontinuing Google Print Ads, they're announcing Google Voice, based off of GrandCentral a company they purchased a while ago. 

You have to love Google's willingness to experiment. Their willing to dive into things and try it out. What's also interesting is that, if you look closely, there is minimal investment. Often times their applying a technology or solution that they've already developed. For example, Google Print Ads leveraged Google Ad Words technology. 

Cool but I'm not sure where Google Voice is going. First of all, I can't port a number. So that means I have to take one of their numbers and then inform everyone of my new number in order to really get the benefit of it's impressive features list.

Eventually they have to start making money off of this. Does that mean I'm going to have to listen to a commercial or get text messages from companies I haven't given permission? Worse yet, what if people who are calling me have to listen to that?

Can't port my number, may get unwanted advertising. I'm going to have to say no for right now.

 - Paul Herring

Good design isn't just pretty, it's beautifully useful

Here's a video of Dan Willis' address at this year's SXSW in Austin, TX. If you're in any way involved in design of websites in particular or problem solving in general, watch it. Be sure to let us know what you think.

- Cam Beck

Apple's Difficulties With Convergence

To those who watched the evolution of the iPod to the the iPod photo to the iPod video to the iPhone, it may not be surprising that one would sync and manage the iPhone, its apps, videos, songs, and photos through iTunes, the application that started as a way to purchase and manage music. However, this interaction is by no means intuitive to those who didn't care to follow this evolution. As a convergence device, the iPhone still needs some work.

Bruce Tognazzini, principal with the Nielsen Norman Group, recently critiqued the current Apple design aesthetic for both Macintosh computers and  some of their peripheral devices (like the iPhone and iPod) at his blog, Ask Tog.

He makes some interesting points, and Apple would be wise to take heed from their former employee and the founder of the Apple Human Interface Group.

Apple's apparent design strategy is definitely in vogue right now: Strip down interfaces to their bare essentials. The problem is that, though this may aid beginning users,it can frustrate advanced or power users.

(Conversations I've had with developers, though anecdotal, support this judgment)

The kind of trap Apple has fallen into can be particularly destructive. It's important for designers, when approaching new revisions, to reexplore who your various user populations are and what their unique needs are. Apple's singular focus on new users, correct at a distant time, is now threatening the very existence of external developers, as well as limiting positive word-of-mouth about Apple products, critical to future sales.

It is possible to increase the satisfaction of advanced users, Tog says, without impugning on the satisfaction of beginners. Hopefully they'll get it worked out soon. - Cam Beck

P.S. I saw this on Usability Notes by Chris Baker and hoped you would find it as funny as I did.

Bucking the Funny High Horses (with or without Jay Leno)

Recently, in a magnanimous gesture, comedian Jay Leno announced he would stage a free performance to people struggling in this economy. He called it a "Comedy Stimulus Package." On Monday, he expressed shock and indignation that people lowered themselves to accept the free tickets... and then charge for them on eBay. He demanded eBay take the tickets down.

Radio host Rush Limbaugh picked up on the story and had a few things to say about it.

Here's my take:

I respect and applaud Leno for trying to bring some measure of joy to people he perceives to be in misery. However, I have to question his decision to force others to define "joy" in the same way he does.

Is "joy" stand-up-induced laughter only?  Or can "joy" be $500 increase in capital one can use to pay for a heating bill for another month or two? Does it even matter if that $500 were used to buy a new computer, an iPhone, or a year's supply of Girl Scout Cookies?

Make up your mind, Jay. Are you trying to increase joy or promote yourself?

Either one is fine by me, but at least have the courage to admit and face the consequences of the restrictions you're placing on how your "beneficiaries" (the market) can use your "gift." - Cam Beck

Related Post:
Nothing is free. Not even this headline.

The Ostrich Approach to Interface Design

I saw this Dilbert comic over the weekend. I looked it up today to print it out and hang at my desk and noticed that dilbert.com actually allows people to embed the image in their websites.

I was so impressed by this venture into distributable content when others seem to be looking for ways to lock down their content or charge for it, I thought I'd share it here.

Way to go, Dilbert! - Cam Beck