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It’s Your Business. Stay Involved.

It’s Your Business. Stay Involved.

08.03.2010

An organization should not rely on a designer to determine its communications strategy. This message may sound like we're shooting ourselves in the foot, being in the business of web design as we are. Luckily, the Hype Lab has years of experience not only with design but also with coordinating marketing and communications programs.

Even so, we also have learned that the best way to work with clients on such strategies is by listening to the ideas of the client first. They understand their own audience often better than we ever could. They have first-hand feedback from their constituents and know their own sales figures and market share. Most of the time, the clients who come to us are reaching the right people, they just want to reach the right people even more. The client also knows best what they have time for on a daily, weekly or monthly basis and where they want to go with their business -- which goals they want to achieve.

Enter the role of a design firm like the Hype Lab.

We understand that our job is to listen to the clients' wants and needs; to enhance what works against what isn't working; and to run with what clients have identified as some of the things they would like to improve about their marketing strategy.

We know the technology, we know the web design world, and we often know better than a client what kind of design and imagery would boost their brand just enough to move them up to that next notch.

Many clients suffer by working with agencies who employ designer superstars, individuals who don't listen, whose ego is bigger than it deserves to be, and who insist in trying things you have no intention of using.

We have experienced ourselves how difficult it is to market your own business. Knowing how to market someone else is easier, because you aren't as close to the subject. So what it comes down to, in the end, is combining your knowledge of the playing field and what you're willing and able to undertake with the designer's talents so that you are working together towards that combined goal.

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New Brand, Brand New Site

New Brand, Brand New Site

07.30.2010

New Brand, Brand New Site

The Hype Lab is very happy to have a brand new brand and website to present to the world: our own!

We felt that as the marketing and communications world grows, so should ours. We have re-synthesized our brand with a new logo to represent who we are these days: creative thinkers that don't shy away from problems, but embrace them, empowering us to make bold brands and bold designs.

As for the site, well, where do we start? The design is all new, but, under the hood, it is completely different. We are now using Expression Engine 2.0 Content Management System. This is a big upgrade, and of course we are offering it to all of our clients as well. What does it do? It gives users the ability to add, edit and create content for their site without the need for a webmaster or being an expert in html. We could go on for hours with all the techie geek goodness of Expression Engine, so go on over and check it out for yourself.

Screenshot

We aren't quite done either. We are planning on rolling out a client area of the Hype Lab. Clients will be able to login, view comps, review billing and estimates and share files and content with us directly.

Let us know what you think!

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No Neutral Ground

No Neutral Ground

07.19.2010

Websites are one place where I've seen a lack of understanding for how to appeal to customers. A business might make a great impression on Twitter, or in print and tv ads, but their site could say something else entirely. Their site's image, the design and way they present themselves, don't match the quality of those other media. If you want to be taken seriously on the web, you had better back it up with some "evidence."

Some ways you can ensure your site offers the value you claim it does (based on this site's tips):

Make sure each page has something valuable to offer and has compelling content urging the visitor to take an action
Don't distract your visitor with blinking items, scrolling text, animated gifs, or sounds
Always keep your reader's interest in mind, so keep ads and distractions at a minimum, for example avoid pop up windows
Don't use background images that scream "amateur" or "low quality"
Make it easy to find stuff, put some thought into the site's organization
Minimize the amount of clicking, scrolling or reading your visitor has to go through to make their search quick and successful
Give them an easy way to get back home or select from the main menu by using breadcrumbs and having the menu appear on each page
Don't bog the site down with flash or slow loading graphics
Make it readable, keeping text columns narrow, fonts large enough, and using a color behind the text to make it easy to read
Make links obvious with a consistent style and explain what you're linking to using descriptive text

If any of these tips are overlooked, you can run the risk of losing good clients who would otherwise have been happy to buy your product or service. But when visiting a site, you have barely a minute to make a good impression. If potential clients are frustrated and can't find value in your site, they will leave and that may effect their overall opinion of you.

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Be Yourself. Stay Yourself.

Be Yourself. Stay Yourself.

07.13.2010

This lesson is a good one, because now a days there are so many ways to share your message or brand with the world. It's easy to do it online, on social networking sites, at Meetup events, through emails, etc. Almost free and with little effort.

Dan uses the example of American Express which claims it wants to be known as the card for everyday purchases, not just for that great big yacht you want, but some of its advertising is still touting the old message: you can use it to buy more than vintage bubbly. Why mention the vintage bubbly if you want people's minds off that expensive stuff?

Some businesses certainly evolve and change who they target or what they want to be known for. But even if that's the case, their new marketing strategy had better permeate all areas of outreach. If they change their print materials and advertising, touting this new direction, but don't change their website, they are giving mixed messages. When rebranding or launching a new campaign, it's important that the website is one of the items included. Very often, it could be the first thing a customer sees.

Outdated sites are a sure sign that a company has not put its best foot forward when making an effort to remain in the customer's mind. A site rebrand, along with all its other marketing and branded materials is essential in keeping yourself in a positive light when it comes to your customers.

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Say What You Need To, How They Want to Hear It

Say What You Need To, How They Want to Hear It

07.09.2010

Based on the article posted in the Harvard Business Review by Dan Pallotta, I was inspired to write in more detail about what my take is on the 5 points Dan made in his post.

The first lesson is that unless you say what you wanted to say, the message falls flat. Whether you're using video, photos, or copy to say it, they must all be in service to the communication, the actual message.

Is this similar to the adage "content is king?" It is in a way. When people say "content is king" they are often referring to the fact that regardless of the medium (web, television, movie, book, magazine, etc) it's the content that really matters. Everything else is irrelevant.

According to some, however, this idea is no longer true. The communications media have proven to be more important and profitable than the actual content so it's more true that connectivity matters, according to that argument.

But going down that road is wandering a bit off the subject of ensuring you're saying what you really want to say and matching everything else up to it.

Successful communication is simply a message that your targeted audience will enjoy or find useful, with the goal being that you generate interest in the topic. You see a need and you try to fill it. One way to do this is to visit online communities and see what others are talking about. This is where Web 2.0 comes into play.

Quality is important, too, of course. If your communication has content with spelling errors, poor picture resolution, a weak design and bad audio, then you're not communicating effectively. However, some people communicate very effectively on Twitter where spelling errors are overlooked. I think this clearly illustrates the point that as long as the communication is good, the rest falls in line.

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Lessons in marketing and communications

Lessons in marketing and communications

07.07.2010

I want to share a blog article on the Harvard Business Review I came across about effective communication and how important it is to marketing. Some businesses might think that marketing IS communication, but that is not the case. As the author states, if you try to get the word out about your business and you blow the communication, it's all over.

Five things this article goes over:

Communication is king (know what are you really trying to say).
Determine your image and stick to it (don't make the mistake of putting an image out there that you don't want clients to focus on).
Everything matters (don't forget that all your efforts combined should work together and contribute to the same message and goal).
Graphic designers are not marketing departments (make sure you have your own business and communications strategy before you have the designer put your ideas into images).
Distinguish yourself (don't use the same types of images and copy your competitors are using, be authentic).

In future articles for our blog, I will break out these five important lessons into more details. Thanks, Dan Pallotta for the food for thought!

Image: Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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New Site: Boreal Renewable Energy Development

New Site: Boreal Renewable Energy Development

06.17.2010

Designed around the colors blue and yellow to represent the sun, wind and water, both the new logo and the new website for Boreal offer a clean design and nature-friendly image.

The easy to navigate site allows the company, who works on renewable energy projects, to showcase their work using rich imagery and concise text.

The website features photos of a recent wind turbine installation on Cape Cod and other projects, include consulting for federal agencies and a solar panel array for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Putting things in perspective

Putting things in perspective

06.09.2010

perspective

We all get distracted by day to day life, and lose sight of the reality of the planet we share with everything and everyone we know. One of the most important things we can do, is to take a step back to see what an incredible planet we all have, and that taking care of it and each other is not something you volunteer for. So, each day, try to think about this, and do something good for someone or the environment around you. Whether it be playing with your kids, your pets, spending time with family and friends, speaking out for what is right, picking up trash, helping a stranger or just making someone close a good meal, just do it. As Mr. Sagan says, "Earth is where we make our stand".

I grew up inspired by Carl Sagan. He brought science and reality to the masses, and left us with some very important messages. Like this one:

"Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."

"The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand."

Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

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The Right Customer

The Right Customer

05.27.2010

As business owners we come across all kinds of customers. Some customers are a breeze, they come, shop, and leave happy, then spread word of your company to other customers. These are the ideal customers. They make us look good, they validate why we're in business in the first place, and we can feel proud of what we were able to accomplish with them.

Then there are customers who are very hard work. They want to argue about everything you offer, they give you a hard time about your products and services, they don't give you the kind of respect you expected, and they do not go away happy, no matter what you try.

We've heard the saying: "The customer is always right." But this kind of attitude doesn't get us the right kind of customer, does it? If we let difficult customers walk all over us and make us work unnecessarily hard for the least amount of reward, then why do business with such people?

You can set up your website to reach the right kind of customer. If you want difficult customers, then make it difficult for them to find information and products on your site. If you want customers to go away unhappy, then don't give them what they're looking for. If you want customers who give you a hard time about your products or services, then don't offer alternatives or ways to make it up to them. Can they return products easily? Do you have a search bar for finding the product they're looking for? Is there a feedback form or contact email listed? Are you targeting your SEO, advertising and social media at the right kind of audience?

If you're a business owner, you should decide what kind of customer you want. Then tailor your website as though it were your store front or front office. You will likely never see someone earning a minimum wage come into a luxury car showroom looking for a car and demanding satisfaction. The same situation applies to websites. Design it so it appeals to the right customer and the right customer will come to it with expectations in line with what you offer.

Image: djcodrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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New Project: The Regent Theatre

New Project: The Regent Theatre

05.18.2010

The Hype Lab and the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA will be working on a redesign and improved functionality of their website. We look forward to working with Leland Stein, and the entire team at The Regent.

With its rich history and art deco facade, the theatre has a wonderful potential for showcasing its features in an interestingly visual way. The current site is practical but does little to show off the beautiful interior of the theatre or the vast range of events and programs it has to offer the public. Offering concerts, movies and family events, the theatre looks to the Hype Lab to improve its current online presence.

Expect a fresh new design, and many new features for both visitors and for the theatre's team. The new site should be ready to launch this summer!

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New Site: Visible Results

New Site: Visible Results

05.11.2010

Visible Results

The newly designed site for Visible Results has gone live. The new site is wrapped around the Expression Engine CMS, so content can be edited or added easily by the client. Improvements to the site over the old one: a clean and professional-looking layout, an easy to use navigation, and the sharing of information such as blogs, events and video podcasts.

Anne: “After years of struggling with maintaining my own web site and hating every marketing chore, I hired Paul Yeaton of the Hype Lab right here in Arlington to redesign my site and develop an internet marketing plan. He was a pleasure to work with - he listened to me very well, was responsive and creative through the process of trying out ideas, and came up with a web site that is perfect for me. We’re now working together on email marketing. I think it will prove to be one of my best business investments, and I highly recommend him to any of you small businesses who want a professional approach to web-based marketing.”

What do you think of the design? Leave us a comment.

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New Site: Bradford Hill

New Site: Bradford Hill

05.05.2010

Bradford Hill

The new website for Bradford Hill Associates has been sent live. The redesign was built around our favored CMS, Expression Engine.

The Hype Lab worked with Gregory Michaud of Bradford Hill to build a multi-purpose, corporate design with which Bradford Hill can showcase their Human Resource strategies.

As a new small business, Bradford Hill started out with the basics: a professional and consistent look to its business materials, and a website to match, with high-impact search engine optimization. The Hype Lab designed their logo and the site's look and layout.

Built on the Expression Engine platform, content can now be added or edited easily, with no knowledge of html/css.

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Economy Bad, Online Sales Good

Economy Bad, Online Sales Good

05.01.2010

In spite of the slow economy, statistics are showing that online sales are steadily increasing. There is not a better time to expand or start your business online.

According to the US Census Bureau Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales Report from 4th Quarter 2009, US retail e-commerce sales saw an increase of 4.5% from the third quarter in 2009, for a total of $35.9 billion in sales. It was a 14.4% increase compared to the 4th quarter in 2008 while total retail sales only increased 2.2% in the same period. Total e-commerce sales in 2009 increased 2% from 2008, while total retail sales in 2009 decreased 7%.

This is good news for online retail sites. Web simply doesn't conform to the traditional retail scenario.

For example: Setting up a new business location in the bricks and mortar world would cost a lot of cash to buy real estate, get new staff, set up the store's interior, etc. With an online store, you just have the cost of the site's design, coding, content development and web hosting.

So if you're determined to make money in these hard times, and are prepared for something new, then Internet business is a great option to try out. And if you are already running a small business in the brick and mortar world, it is high time you started selling online too, based on the projected numbers for the future of e-commerce.

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An Example of Connecting

An Example of Connecting

04.28.2010

The Webby Awards People's Voice features the "who's who" of Internet publishing. The public can pick its favorites nominees from categories such as Television, Branded Content, Web Applications & Services, Best Visual Design Aesthetic, and Best Use of Photography.

As of today, Twitter is in 1st place with 25% of votes and Hulu is a close second with 24%. This got me thinking about the state of the Internet today. At one time, websites were almost all primarily used as either content dumps or marketing tools for businesses. Now they have grown to include all kinds of interactive forums for news, postings, videos and TV shows. The sites that seem to generate the most enthusiasm are the ones where we can share our voice, contribute, and connect with one another.

The Webby Awards site is itself a good example of this new way of using the Internet. Last year nearly half a million votes were cast and commenters showed an unrivaled passion for their favorite nominees.

How can you get your clients to get enthusiastic about things you care about? Do you have a place for clients to connect with you, with other customers, to post information, share experiences, or read others' experiences? Think about what would make you excited to come back to a site or stay there long enough to contribute something. Then build it and watch them come.

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You Get What You Pay For

You Get What You Pay For

04.24.2010

In this post, I plan on discussing (ranting about) client/vendor relationships, pricing and final products. I am sure we have all had customers that want something done for next to nothing. Some businesses get this attitude from their clients more than others. Being a design shop, we get it a lot.

Before I begin with specifics, watch this video.

Good video right? Kind of nails it. So, here is a little story for you that some of us can relate to. Last year, I was approached by a business partner to do a site for a client. The partner said that this client had a small budget and wanted a brochure site. Sounding like an easy job, I drew up an estimate. Our partner and their client agreed on the price and we set up a discovery meeting. The day before the meeting, I received a scope of work from our partner that outlined what the needs were for the site. Here are a few:

Video greeting from the CEO to be filmed within my estimated budget
Content management system
Salesforce CRM integration
E-Commerce

Needless to say, my jaw dropped. This is far from a brochure site. This is an enterprise level website, which we would have been thrilled with. BUT, they had us estimate a job that we were told was one thing, only to have it be a completely different beast.

When I discussed this with our partner, she was shocked, and even confrontational about the reality of what the client was looking for. Not understanding the scope the client provided, she automatically assumed that a site is a site and should cost a certain amount. Just to get you into the ballpark in pricing, the video the client was requesting would have torn through the entire estimate in a few hours of filming and editing, not to mention the rest of the website would have cost thousands of dollars more.

Well, lesson learned. We have not worked with this partner since. Why? Well, doing great work for our clients is what we thrive on. We really enjoy working with our clients and helping them grow their business. However, we work better with clients who understand what they're asking for, what it costs for a web marketing shop to provide these services and products, and what they can expect from the budget they are able to spend.

Like any small business, we need to generate income. Time is money and designs and marketing plans take time. There are a whole list of issues that can come up from printing costs to software to website development. Would anyone go to a BMW dealership and ask for a car for $100 because that is what THEY want to pay? No.

We want to hear from you on this. So, please, chime in in our comments section and let us know how your business deals with customers that are unreasonable when it comes to paying for your products.

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The Printed Magazine Model

The Printed Magazine Model

04.20.2010

What is a website, really? Is it an online store front, a communications tool, or just advertising for your business? How about not limiting your thinking about sites to one of these? In essence a business website is all three and maybe more.

The best description I've heard of a website came from a conversation Paul and I were having a little while ago. He was leafing through a magazine and told me he thinks the same way about sites as he does about good printed magazines.

1. A magazine's cover tells you instantly what kind of magazine it is.

Regardless of the type of magazine it is, it will "flavor" its cover to attract the right kind of customer. It knows who it is targeting and, with that in mind, its editors carefully choose the font type, the layout and the images and words. They also make sure you don't mistake their magazine for ones they're competing with. Cosmopolitan differentiates itself from Glamour in various ways and will always stay on brand. Your website's home page can change its content frequently and refresh its images, but if you move away from your brand and goals, you will confuse customers and lose them. You also want to stay unique, don't just do what everyone else is doing.

2. Magazines have compelling images on the cover.

The design of a magazine's cover is deliberate. It is intended to draw a casual shopper's eye with intriguing images that make them stop and pick it up. Similar to a book cover, a magazine cover is the first thing a reader or shopper sees. This is how we should also think about a website's home page. What would compel a shopper to stop in and stay a while, leaf through the pages, see if it offers anything interesting?

3. Magazines put "teasers" on the cover.

In addition to nice images, a magazine always offers some content on its cover that gives the reader a flavor of what they can expect if they decide to open it. Most magazines use words like "sexy," "the best tips for…," "check out the new…," "how to…." you fill in the blanks. Potential readers will know that the articles will give them information they've hopefully not known before. A business site can provide the same compelling content using short phrases and a reason to click deeper.

4. Magazines deliver on their cover's promise.

A site is only as valuable as the information, services or products it provides. In magazines these all reside in the interior pages, similar to a website. A magazine has multiple purposes: to advertise products, recruit subscribers, and offer valuable information. A business website often has all three of these purposes and more. Ultimately the goal is the gain followers and make money. How a site does that depends on the type of business it is. But if a site fails to deliver on the promise of its home page's initial promise, then it will not retain the customers it was trying to reach. Your site should give your customers exactly what they want (and it wouldn't hurt to throw in a bonus).

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Walking in a Customer’s Shoes

Walking in a Customer’s Shoes

04.12.2010

You might have purchased a good web analytics tool (like Omniture) or you are using one of the free ones (like Google Analytics). You might check the numbers regularly to see how the site is doing and how many visitors you're getting, where they're going on the site, and how many visitors become customers.

But all the effort you put in, and all the time and money you spend could change nothing for your company. Why? Because you're not getting true insight into your site just by analyzing numbers.

Avinash Kaushik is a web consultant who is an expert on doing business online. Below are some tips I found on his blog Occam's Razor.

Why web analytics numbers aren't enough:

You don't visit your site.

How frequently do you go to your website? Is the content being updated on a regular basis? Are there any typos in the content? Are photos looking outdated? Are you refreshing your services and/or products based on recent changes within the company?

You don't search for your company.

Have you googled your services or products to see what comes up in results? Do you know how your site ranks compared to others who offer the same products and services? Have you taken a look at the paid and organic results to find broken things?

You haven't signed up for your own email campaigns.

Do you read your email campaigns? Do you test them to see if they're going to the right landing pages? Do you like the design of the emails, the content, the general message? Do you check to see how frequently they are sent out to make sure customers aren't being deluged with email requests? Are email lists filtered so that the right emails go to the right customers?

You've never bought anything off your site.

Have you gone through the process of purchasing a product off your company's site? How many steps does it take to get the order completed? Are the steps easy to follow? Can you sign in and save your information so that you can come back to purchase again and not have to go through as many steps? Can you check on the status of your order? Are all the products you wanted to buy in stock? Did you find what you were looking for?

You've never returned something your purchased via your site.

Have you tried to return an item via your site after you purchased it? Is the customer service information easy to find? Does the site allow you to return the item with a full refund? Is there encouraging language on the site to ensure customers don't feel bad for returning the item?

You don't visit competitor sites.

Do your competitor sites have better ways of doing the same things your site tries to do? Are their sites more terrible than your site? Do those sites have advantages over your site?

You don't do an online usability study.

A small group study that looks at your site's usability could tell you how visitors walk through your site. Why they do what they do when they land there. At $20/person, why aren't you doing this kind of study on a regular basis?

At the Hype Lab we agree that just building a site and thinking that's enough is wrong. If you're going to bother to spend money to build a beautiful and useful site, and spend time (or have others spend time) filling it with content and adding all kinds of features, why would you sit back and let the analytics reports take over all the work of telling you whether what you're doing is working?

You can only prioritize, find fixes and opportunities if you immerse yourself in what you are supposed to analyze. Walk in the customer's shoes so you'll understand why your site doesn't work. Email or talk to customers who have placed orders. Answer tech questions for a day.

Remember, your goal is to make customers happy. Not just today but tomorrow too.

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Overworked With No Time to Write

Overworked With No Time to Write

03.31.2010

At the Hype Lab we have been feeling the squeeze of too much time spent working and not enough time engaging with our potential customers. It is one of the challenges of owning your own business: when you are the sole person responsible for taking care of the clients' requests, and those requests increase, the last thing you want to do is spend valuable time writing blog stories, tweeting and conversing on Facebook.

So what can you do to keep on top of the communications? The best strategy is to develop a communications plan. Is the work involved with developing a plan worth it? Absolutely, because a written communication plan will:

Give your day-to-day work a focus
Help you to set priorities
Provide you with a sense of order and control
Help get the rest of the staff (if there is any) to support your program
Protect you against last-minute, seat-of-the-pants demands
Prevent you from feeling overwhelmed, and instead offer peace of mind.

Here are some tips I quickly found online when I googled "communication plan." The best time to develop the plan is when you're doing your annual budgeting and business plan. But if you're just starting out with thinking about communications, then do it when you have a few hours of down-time. Believe me, it's well worth it, even if it means staying up late a few days a week to get it done!

So what is it? A communication plan is a written document that describes:

What you want to accomplish with your business communications (your objectives)
Ways in which those objectives can be accomplished (your goals)
To whom your communications will be addressed (your audience)
How you will accomplish your objectives (the tools and time table)
How you will measure the results (evaluation)

Communications include all written, spoken and electronic interaction with your audience such as publications, online content, customer resource and marketing materials, internal procedure documentation, speeches, and blog and news articles.

To develop the plan, first do a needs assessment. Evaluate your current communications and how effective each activity or piece of communication is. If you have time, survey clients or host focus groups and communicate with your staff. Then go through each of the bullets listed above that describe what the plan is and fill in the blanks. Plan on three to four days to develop this plan. Once in place, the plan will smooth your job all year long and bring a semblance of order and consistency to your communication efforts.

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New Project: The Divine Heart Center Website

New Project: The Divine Heart Center Website

03.31.2010

The Divine Heart Center is a place where meditation and energy management come together and provide a community of seekers a place for spiritual healing and holistic happiness. The center’s manager, Shailesh, has approached The Hype Lab to take on the challenging task of redesigning the site and working with Drupal developers to improve the site’s look, organization, accessibility, visibility, and content management.

The site is primarily a large communications forum, containing blog articles, feedback from the community, a store of spiritual energy products, and a place for seekers to come learn about the offerings and wisdom of the center’s techniques and teachings.

So while the site has a very practical use, it must also convey the energy and spirituality of its teachings and approach to life in a busy society. Peace, strength, energy and happiness are some of the key take-aways Shailesh wants to provide for visitors to the website.

The site has a scheduled launch date of this Spring. We are excited to see what this collaboration of technical, spiritual and creative wizards turns out.

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Presentation: Web Marketing for Small Business

Presentation: Web Marketing for Small Business

03.11.2010

Last night, The Hype Lab partnered with Arlington Entrepreneurs for a presentation focusing on Web Marketing for Small Business. A great success!

So, we have posted the presentation online for those who missed last night's event, and also for those that were there.

Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments.

Web Marketing for Small Business

View more presentations from Paul Yeaton.

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A Word of Advice

A Word of Advice

03.07.2010

Hype Lab Sick

It has been a while since I have updated the blog. We have been very busy in the last month here at the Lab. Lots of new work, and preparations for an event at Robbins Library here in Arlington. So, we haven’t had much time.

But after this past week, I learned a VERY important lesson. A lesson that I want to pass on. Starting last weekend, I began to feel slow, tired and weak. By the time Monday rolled around, I had a full blown flu. You know, one of the wintery delights that we get to experience here in the cold climates. Ache, sniffles, fever, the whole works. Each day this week, I got out of bed, sat in front of the computer and tried to force work to get done. Well, it didn’t happen. I struggled all week with getting anything done. And each time I tried, I just got sicker.

This was a culmination of many months of working 12-16 hour days, lack of real rest and lack of any sort of relaxation.

So, my advice to you if you run a small business, is to take a step back for a while, get rested, and come back with a vengeance. So, Monique and I have decided to go on vacation to rest up, feel better, and most importantly, come back ready to go!

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New Project: Online Presence for Bradford Hill

New Project: Online Presence for Bradford Hill

02.09.2010

Gregory from Bradford Hill Associates, a human resources consulting firm in North Andover MA, contacted the Hype Lab for a new website and branding project. As a new small business, Bradford Hill is starting out with the basics: a professional and consistent look to its business materials, and a website to match, with high-impact search engine optimization. Later upgrades to the site will include blogging and e-commerce features.

A logo for the business has already been agreed upon. Come back in a few weeks to see the end result of this collaboration.

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Scared of Twitter?

Scared of Twitter?

02.04.2010

Twitter

So, you want to pass up using Twitter as a marketing tool because it is too confusing or time consuming to type 140 characters (this includes spaces)?

Twitter offers you a free marketing channel to millions of users each day. Here are some numbers for you:

2008 : 6 million (3.8% of all adult internet users)
2009 : 18 million (11.1%)
2010 : 26 million (15.5%)

Still think that typing 140 characters, sharing your message with millions of people a day, for free, is too much effort and confusing?

Try reading this great article from The New York Times and see what you think.

Resources for learning:

Don't let your fears of using Twitter get in the way of using it as a fantastic and FREE marketing tool!

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Email Marketing For Visible Results

Email Marketing For Visible Results

02.01.2010

The Hype Lab has been called in by Anne from Visible Results to add an email sign-up form to her new site (one of our favorite site designs so far) and to design an email newsletter template. Anne wants to reach out to the many visitors to her site to keep them informed about the events she holds on home organization and to share with them any latest tips or news about her business.

How has she found the new site working out so far?

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Small Business Incentives

Small Business Incentives

02.01.2010

Small business incentives

Pres. Obama stated in the State of the Union address that he wants to help small business and entrepreneurs to generate new jobs. The MSNBC video linked below shows an interview with Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and Keith Ashmus, chair of the National Small Business Association. They talk about whether these proposals may be cause of optimism for small business.

See the MSNBC video here.

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DIY Design - Bad idea

DIY Design - Bad idea

01.27.2010

DIY Design

Do it yourself (DIY) web site design always sounds good for small business. Set up an account with a site builder such as MS Office Live, or goDaddy's site builder, and go at it! Drop in some pretty pictures, use the fonts you like, and presto! Done.....right?

NO.

DIY design is a very slippery slope. Here are some questions to ask yourself before going ahead with a DIY site.

Are you a designer?
Do you understand usability?
Is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) a need for your business?

If you answered no to even one of these, then you really need to consult a design shop, and here's why.

Considering that your web site is your 24/7 marketing tool, it is of utmost importance that you make your site shine. Yes, your business' personality and brand need to show through, and they will. BUT, your individual personality does not need to be on display. This is not about displaying that you love the font comic sans, or want the navigation menu at the bottom of the page. This is about engaging your customers and keeping them on your site to learn about your business and its services. Site builders offer what sounds great. Cheap, "easy to use" and easily designed.

The Results of DIY:

Take a look at this terrible example of web design.

This site is badly designed to illustrate the usual mistakes people make when “designing” a web site. Wow! It has music! I bet you reached for your volume knob to turn that off immediately. The colors are terrible, the text is hard to read and you have no idea what to do and where to navigate to. Sure, it might have what you consider "bells and whistles", but these are not bells and whistles. Take a look at these other examples of bad web site design and ask yourself, would you want to do business with any of these people? Then take a look at some of these amazing examples of well designed web sites, and do the comparison. I think you will see my point.

SEO? DOA.

Using a site builder, you will receive little to no SEO. Site builders like to keep the content of your site hidden in the source code, making it impossible for search engines to find you and your business. In this day and age, that is nothing short of a mistake. Making it easy to find your business online gives you an advantage over your competition and improves your business. The term "googling" isn't a household word for no reason, right? This is a sign of the times. Read it and adapt, or lose out on important customers.

Alternatives?

Look at some other options like WordPress. With WordPress you can update your site yourself, there are tons of free or inexpensive templates that can fit for any business. However, using templated web sites can dilute your brand. You will not be the only business with that design. But all is not lost. Hire a designer to modify the template to express your brand clearly. This is would be inexpensive compared to building an entire site, and will give you much more value than site builders. Less headache as well.

And now to sum it up...

Many small business web sites are more of a detriment than a useful tool. A badly designed web site will push people away and a well designed site will keep them there learning what makes you the person they want to do business with. All detriments make you lose out on new business, from not being able to find the information relevant to the user, to not knowing how to navigate your site. Remember, if you want to look like an expert in your line of business, then wear a suit.

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The Breakup

The Breakup

01.19.2010

This is one of the best videos that demonstrates the current relationship between marketers and consumers. Take lots of notes!

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Why You Should Blog

Why You Should Blog

01.18.2010

Why You Should Blog

The benefits of blogging can largely outweigh the drawbacks of the time it takes coming up with things to write about and then writing them. If you're not a writer or don't have a writer working for you, blogging can seem like a daunting task.

But for anyone who is blogging, there are many reasons to keep going. As listed in the article "10 Great Strategic Benefits of Blogging", blogs are excellent communication and marketing tools that can:

give you an increased presence on major search engines
provide a way to speak directly, openly and honestly with your customer
promote your brand and company
set you apart from your competition
build personal, long-lasting relationships with your customers
help you fill your particular industry niche
be excellent PR tools
articulate your viewpoints, knowledge and expertise on matters pertaining to your industry
manage your online reputation
be inexpensive to set up, operate and maintain.

Maintaining a blog can be difficult. But I have found that the more you blog, the easier it becomes. You eventually do find your voice, and topic ideas start flowing as you interact with the Internet and search on other similar subject matter.

Some places to find good advice about blogging:

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Net Neutrality & You

Net Neutrality & You

01.16.2010

Net Neutrality

What is Net Neutrality?

“Net Neutrality is the guiding principle that preserves the free and open Internet. Net Neutrality simply means no discrimination. Net Neutrality prevents Internet providers from blocking, speeding up or slowing down Web content based on its source, ownership or destination. Net Neutrality is the reason the Internet has driven economic innovation, democratic participation and free speech online. It protects the consumer's right to use any equipment, content, application or service without interference from the network provider. With Net Neutrality, the network's only job is to move data -- not to choose which data to privilege with higher quality service.”

Courtesy of Save the Internet

Net neutrality drives innovation. There would be no Facebook, Twitter, Mint etc.... without a level playing field. Innovation is what this country is all about.

The internet has turned into the new Main Street. Where single individuals can compete against giant corporations. Where else can small businesses do business side by side with big corporations? However, the ISP’s (internet service providers) like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast want to make a tiered internet. So, you want fast service to your small online business? You will need to pay a toll for that. A toll that would be so expensive that small businesses would not be able to pay, and would lose large amounts of business due to slow loading times. Many small business owners are not aware of what is going on with this. Simply put, the ISP’s are trying to prevent customers from accessing your business. I think I got your attention now!

So, to learn more about this, and to do something positive for your small business and other small businesses across the country, take action by going to Save the Internet and make your voice heard!

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The Elevator Pitch

The Elevator Pitch

01.15.2010

Elevator Pitch

With social media getting so much attention these days, the question on many a business owner's mind is how to convert such online engagement into qualified leads.

Lilia Shirman of the Shirman Group moderated a discussion recently about the use of social media for generating B2B leads. Conclusion, it boils down to quality content and lots of it.

Chances are, your audience is extremely busy. Just like you, they have too many things to do and too little time to get them done. They must constantly and quickly decide what to pay attention to and what to ignore.

What we're trying to do by using social media is have a meaningful conversation that will produce the right result: a new customer. Equating the use of social media to the delivery of an elevator pitch, during those few seconds of having the audience's attention, you need to convince them to respond in a way that benefits both of you. In short, your pitch should make them understand what you're talking about and why they should care.

Per Chris O'Leary, author of Elevator Pitch Essentials: "An elevator pitch is an overview of an idea, product, service, project, person, or other solution and is designed to just get a conversation started."

When using social media, keep this idea of the Elevator Pitch in mind. Never bore your audience, test for what creates the greatest response, and give people a next step. When you're done with the Pitch, don't stop there: use analytics to see if your strategy leads to engagement, integrate social media with other tactics, and always follow up with your respondents.

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Google is Watching

Google is Watching

01.12.2010

Google is Watching

If you write on Twitter, Facebook or MySpace, do your prospective customers see it? Unless they "follow" you or become a "fan," chances are they don't. Google only recently announced that it will be adding social media content to its search engines results.

Yahoo and Bing are already doing this to some degree. Mobile searches and Real Time search are just some of the new ways search engines are finding online content.

What does this mean for businesses and their marketing efforts? More people will see what you write and post online because this content can show up when someone Googles you. Potentially this can have some very positive impact. Your tweet about a product or company could outrank some very strong websites in the Google results.

The flip side is that your harmless tweet about a person or company could backfire for you. Be more aware of what you say. Use this new powerful feature of the Internet for generating positive feedback, rather than for slamming a company or venting.

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Targeting Your Customers

Targeting Your Customers

01.08.2010

Targeting Your Customers

According to a recent survey by VerticalResponse, over two-thirds of 831 small business respondents said they plan to increase their use of both email marketing and social media in 2010.

Let's face it, even if you do have a Web site, the chances are that it's competing with hundreds of thousands of other sites to get your prospective customer's attention. Rather than trying to pull readers to your information, push the information out to them. Do this through an email newsletter.

Email marketing is an effective method of keeping customers updated on events, specials, and new services you provide. You can also use it in the same way you would a blog: providing industry information, interesting facts, or links to content you've published online.

It's also a great way to build your social media lists. Ask the recipients to follow you on Twitter or Facebook by providing the links.

The bottom line on what users like about email newsletters: convenience. Once they are delivered straight to the subscriber, they require no further action beyond a simple click.

Keep in mind: Your email blasts can do many things, but always make sure they are informative, are published spaced out over the year, give your clients a reason to come back to you, and don't sell them anything they're not willing to consider. All email newsletters should have an easy to use unsubscribe option.

To see how well your email blasts are working, make sure you use software that gives you statistics on open rates, click rates, and bounces.

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Fresh Look, New Approach

Fresh Look, New Approach

01.05.2010

Fresh Look

How long has it been since you've updated your Web site? This is not about changing a word or image or two or even adding a new paragraph here or there. If it's been three years since your site's been updated, it's time to take a good look.

Determine if the design still meets your business objectives and matches your other marketing pieces. Maybe you've recently had new business cards or letterhead designed and they look nothing like your site. This might cause a disconnect for some people. Or maybe the colors, fonts, and images you selected for your site no longer represent where the company is at today.

If the site was built when you had a much smaller budget, it's likely it was done without any plan on how it could be improved or added to. Now that your business has grown or been slightly modified, you might want to add other features and services to the site.

Do a quick survey, or ask people whose opinion you trust if the design of your site still has its "edge." Also, can they find what they're looking for? Check site analytics. The numbers might tell you if the site is still pulling in the casual visitor, how long they stay there, and where they go next.

Technology is changing so rapidly, chances are there's now a different way of doing the things you began doing three years ago. Do you have a blog? If so, is it integrated into your site and its design? Are your social media campaigns feeding your site, pulling information from your event registration site, Facebook or Twitter page?

A site redesign need not take a lot of time or money. A good marketing and communications expert can develop a project that matches your budget and expectations. More on how to go about a site redesign will be included in upcoming blog entries.

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New Online Portfolio: Muggle Photography

New Online Portfolio: Muggle Photography

12.30.2009

Muggle Photography

As a multi-talented photographer (amazing work!), William from Muggle Photography needed a site that would show off a lot of his work while still maintaining a compact design. He also needed a way to quickly and easily update the site with the latest photos in his portfolio using a content management system.

Well, the Lab listened, and we provided him with a slick and clean design that showcases the photos, with an organizational structure that reflects the diversity of his work through clear navigation. Built on Expression Engine, the site is easy to update and manage. The CMS provides a strong pull for SEO. Throw it under the microsope!

What does Muggle have to say about the project? “Paul from ‘The Hype Lab’ is a website marvel, and has been a pleasure to work with. He is extremely professional and always accessible. I’ve already recommended him to friends and colleagues, and plan to continue to recommend him as a superior website designer.”

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Social Media Strategy

Social Media Strategy

12.28.2009

social media strategy

Do you blog, have a Facebook page for your business, or use a Twitter account to update your customers? You do? Good. Now, ask yourself these two questions:

1. Why?

2. Is it working?

Many of us just dive into social media because it's the newest thing and everyone is doing it. We're all experimenting to see what these platforms can do.

In 2010 stop experimenting and start strategizing.

If it's your goal to deliver news to your audience faster and more efficiently, writing frequently enough could make this well worth your time. Formulate the messages you write in a way that matches your audience's expectations. Most importantly, do not patronize them. Remember, Social Media Marketing grew organically, and to be effective, you must be genuine in your tone.
If your goal is to generate conversation, writing provocative blog articles or posting interesting Facebook updates will draw in the right customers.
If your goal is to drive more people to your site, making the postings you write visible will increase that likelihood.

So think about your business objectives. Then research the social media platforms and decide if and how the time you put into them is worth it. Use marketing efforts that pack the most punch, rather than trying all of them and only partially meeting your goals.

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If Not Now, When?

If Not Now, When?

12.22.2009

If not now when

It's time to plan your marketing budget for 2010 but the economy is making this a challenge for small businesses. You can't afford those savvy design agencies that large corporations have no problem hiring. The amount of time you can spend on marketing is also limited because you already spend so much of it on keeping your business running each day.

But if you don't focus on marketing now, you'll regret it later. As soon as the economy picks up, those with a strategic plan will be the ones who benefit the most. Consumers are more likely to purchase a service or a product from a company or professional who has already earned their trust.

Marketing your company, generating leads, and keeping in touch with existing clients need not be as difficult as you imagine with all the new technology out there. As the bulk of marketing moves from the expensive print medium to the Web, you can easily build a rapport with your clients through simple tactics that are of minimal or moderate cost and don't take a lot of effort. Just planning. To make some sense of it, contact us. We'll be happy to answer any questions.

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Branding Small Business

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Branding Small Business

Branding Small Business

12.16.2009

Branding Small Business

Question: What is a Brand?

Answer: Your brand is much more than your logo. It is the consumer’s perception of your company, product or service. Your brand differentiates you from your competition. Your brand is the promise of what your consumer will get from you. You can achieve a strong brand by using consistent imagery and messaging, consistent positive interaction with your company, the quality of the product or service you offer, and of course, your logo.

Understanding what your brand should be doing is the first step to setting you apart from your competition.

Let’s use Apple as a case study. They have one of the most successful brands in history. People wait in lines for days to purchase a mobile phone or computer from Apple. They must be doing something right.

Apple uses consistent tone and imagery in their messaging across print, web and retail, as well as their iTunes store. Their brand makes them unique, and clearly separates them from their foe, Microsoft. Apple has created brand buzz by consistently designing innovative products that work well, have a design style that is hip and cool and that have a reputation as being reliable. Obviously, this works well for them. Look at the iPod line. They sell more in a quarter than Microsoft’s Zune sells in a year. Right or wrong, the consumer’s perception of Apple’s products is obviously positive enough for them to compete against and beat the giant Microsoft in the consumer PC market. That is a bit of inspiration to keep in mind when thinking of upgrading your brand.

A lot of people focus on their logo as their brand. This is completely wrong. A brand is the experience of the consumer interacting with your company. This not only includes your logo, but your website, business collateral, store fronts, products and customer service just to name a few. The entire experience that the consumer has interacting with you and your company. Strong brands win whether or not they represent a large or small business. Apple, compared to Microsoft is very small. But, they win in the consumer markets by having this kind of positive brand experience.

How should you brand your small business?

Research, research, research. Learn about the experiences that your customers have had with you. See what you do right and wrong. This is not expensive by any means. Many online companies offer surveys that customers can fill out. Using a service like Vertical Response allows you to send an email to a customer that has purchased your product or service to prompt them to give their feedback on their experience with your business. This can cost around fifty cents per customer.

Next is to understand that your brand is actually your consumers. Building a brand is NOT about using graphics and imagery that YOU like. It is NOT at all like redecorating your living room with colors, paintings, furniture that YOU like. So many small businesses make this mistake, and it is a big mistake to make. Your brand perception needs to speak to your consumers, not you. Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple disliked the name iMac. But, eventually, he saw the advantage that Apple would have by using the name iMac, that ended up being so iPopular, that most iProducts Apple offers use the “i” prefix. You need to let go, and realize that you are not branding yourself for you, but sending a message to your consumers that will create hype for your product or service, and create sales. Plain and simple. Start synthesizing a strong brand for the new year.

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Web Design Today

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Web Design Today

Web Design Today

11.30.2009

Web Design Today

Here at The Hype Lab we really take pride in our design and development skills. Keeping up with trends is part of this. The web world changes almost daily. Technology changes constantly, and to keep up, sometimes we need to focus more on the technology than the design of a site. In this post, we will stray a bit, and make this an editorial about the state of the web design world.

Design is all about clearly communicating the business' or product's message. Creating excitement around a product or service, and differentiating it from the competition.

Then

Let's go back in time to 1995. Back then, web was a newborn, and wasn't exactly full of features. The technology we have now wasn't there at the time. Print ruled in those days. In print, there is only so much technology that can be used. It's printed on paper. So, the design was always the focus.

Now

Let's move ahead to the present. Web now rules the roost. It gives businesses a 24/7 marketing tool that also has so many great features like analytics, communication and positioning, instant communication and that's just the website itself. There are tons of other ways to use the web for businesses (email marketing, social media, etc...), but let us focus on just websites.

What the issue is...

Websites, and the technology that can be used to build them has gotten incredibly reliable and useful. However, with the advent of the web, designers are pulled a million different directions. You need to think about so many things when designing for the web. How do we incorporate useful technology into a site, how are we going to make it happen, how are we going to troubleshoot it? Etc. In print, you only consider the design. For the web, well, as I have mentioned, it can be overwhelming. This takes the focus of the web designer from designing a clean, clear communication, to implementation of design, technology, browser compatibility issues, and all that jazz. The demand of technology on the design process can really muddle the message.

Web Design Trends

There are many places where web designers go online to get news and inspiration. Smashing Magazine is one, but there are a ton out there. These sites are great to get inspiration, stay up on technology and listen to the web design community. The problem however, is that these sites lock designers into adhering to these trends on a massive scale. These sites publish articles about upcoming trends, and before you know it, you see the same thing everywhere. All this does is muddle the message. How does the same look and feel differentiate one business from the other? Since web designers are already stretched thin by having to do the design, coding, javascript implementation and all the other things that go into a website, something is going to suffer. And that is usually the design. Web designers can act like lemmings. They all grab hold of a trend, and start designing site after site that is the same thing, different package. Does anyone remember the Web 2.0 fad? Logos, websites, graphics all loaded with reflection, gloss, shadows etc... EVERYONE did it.

What is the Answer?

What are we doing here at the lab to curb the influence of trends? Well, the methodology we have implemented is to avoid these sites, listen to the client, and design Design DESIGN. And design using our design skills, not other's. Sure, it is one thing to get some inspiration from looking at web site design galleries like siteinspire. But what designers really need to do when designing a website, is to stay far far away from web design trends. Step one in any design process, is to build the design. This is where you need to think to yourself, "What is the client trying to do? What are they trying to communicate? Who is my client, and what is their brand image?", and go from there. When you try to slap a trend on a businesses brand, you dilute it. We are not saying we have not jumped on trends either. But, you can catch yourself getting immersed in the web world, and stray from solid design principles.

Summary

Websites need to clearly communicate not only content, but brand positioning. When all brands begin to fall victim to design trends, they dilute themselves, and other brands. Everything becomes similar, and bland. To designers, I only have to say, use your skills to design! Think about the design before implementing it. To businesses, be wary of your designers. Get out there and look at website galleries and make informed decisions about the style of your website. Does it stand apart? Does it contain your brand image? Design has come a long way, and the web world is only the latest challenge. But, before we try to save time by incorporating trends into our designs, try to remember that design is just that. Get fired up to make the new hot trend yourself rather than sitting on your hands and following the masses.

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7 tips for small biz sites

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7 tips for small biz sites

7 tips for small biz sites

11.10.2009

7 tips for small business sites

Well folks, ever hear the term "measure twice, cut once"? Proper planning is very important when you build anything. Especially your 24/7/365 marketing tool. Your website.

So, here are 7 things to think about when formulating your vision:

1. Domain names - This is where it all begins. Naming your domain, or your website is step one for having an effective website. Register your name for a few years. Also, try to get your line of work in the domain name as well. If your companies' name is "Smith's bath and tile", try getting "www.smithsbathandtile.com" not just "smiths.com". This can help you rank higher on search engines. But don't get a url that is too long. People will not remember it, and may cause them to have too many typos and then end up going elsewhere for the service you are offering.

2. Hosting - This goes hand in hand with domain name. DO NOT shop by price. You get what you pay for. If you are having any problems on your site or have any questions, it is important that you have excellent customer service. And that is what the few extra bucks will get you. And when the day comes that you are having issues, you will be glad you did.

3. Design - Small business does not often equal big budget. Here at the Lab, we understand this. We are a small business ourselves. But, the biggest tip I can give is "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME". Here's why:

Your website is your forward-facing, 24-hour marketing tool. You want this to be well designed, easy to use and easy to read. I have seen so many small business websites that do more harm to a business than good. You don't show up for a client meeting in sweatpants and an old T-shirt do you? Then take the time and money to hire a designer/firm that is budget conscious, listens to your needs, and has experience (that would be us here at The Hype Lab). Your cousins first nephew doesn't count. Sorry Billy.
Templated websites such as MS Office Live, or any templated site builder, hides the content of your site. Why is this a big deal? Well, if Google can't see it, then your potential customers won't. Not to mention, these sites usually look similar to each other, and bring no real advantage. You will lose business off a templated site.
In this down economy, when you have a small budget, put it towards a redesign, or get a small and simple website. You will see results almost immediately. By putting the money and effort in now, while times are hard, you get a leg up on your competition who does nothing and waits for times to get better. This is a big boost to your business, you come out ahead now and in the future. A well designed, and browser compatible website with SEO built into it will do that. Leave your competition behind!

4. Content - Try to remember that attention spans are short these days. Keep the writing on your site to condensed, engaging copy that works well with your company's brand. Keeping your content short and engaging can also be a big help for SEO. Something to always keep in mind.

5. Social Media - If you use social media like Twitter, have it feed to your site. This lets visitors to your site see that you are using Twitter, it can drive people from Twitter to your site, and is yet another way to gain new business. If you use any social media, add links to your site for people to join your network. This is a great way of expanding your network, and keep your business in front of people.

6. E-Commerce - If you already have an online store, you should always have a well designed and laid out main site to go along with it. This adds a level of legitimacy to your business, and lets people know who they are buying from. We all feel safe buying from Amazon these days, but, there are still a lot of folks out there that are skeptical about online shopping. Reassure them by making sure they know who you are, and how they can contact you.

7. Usability - This is extremely important. Usability on a website is about making it easy for people to find their way around your site to get the information they need. Navigation, information architecture, ease of contact and clean, easy to read copy are just some of the things to keep in mind when considering updating, or creating a website. We recently posted an article about Usability. Click here to read it.

These are just a few tips on topics to look into when getting your business started. The best piece of advice I have to give, would be to at the very least, consult a professional on giving you proper advice on how to go about it. Or, call us, and we would be happy to work with you, within your budget, and build your online marketing efforts the right way.

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Usability and Design

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Usability and Design

Usability and Design

10.28.2009

usability

OK. I can hear you saying, "Hmmmmmm what is usability? Another mumbo-jumbo designer-y term". Well, yeah, it is. BUT, this is the most important aspect of designing a website.

Usability covers how users will navigate your site, view your content, and access each page of your site. All of this can influence a user to do business with you, or not. I am sure we have all been on websites that are not clear on how to contact, make a purchase, or access relevant information buried within it. Well, most of us will click out of a site that is disorganized and presents too much information up front. Please view the wiki post on website usability and see for yourself.

The first thing to think of when preparing to design your site is making sure that the interface is clean, simple, and familiar to the user. Meaning, let's keep the navigation where people are used to navigating a website. This is usually on the top of your page, or to the left. Trying to make a splash by doing funky navigation placement, or making the navigation hard to read or understand, is a going to get people clicking out of your site faster than the speed of light.

The next part of website usability you should think of is what do you want to tell the user in the first three seconds that they are on your site? Who you are? What you do? What are your featured products? This is easy. Keep a large area on your homepage, that would contain enticing graphics, and a small amount of text that would tell people who you are, what kind of products you sell, etc.... This is where you need to make the most of the short amount of time you have to hook the user. Take a look at this great example. You have enticing graphics, a short bulleted section that tells you what the product is. Plain, simple and effective communication.

When designing a site, especially your homepage, less is more. The purpose of your homepage is to give a quick overview of your business, and get people to stick around. The last thing that makes an effective homepage would be to fill this space with every product you have, your life story, every blog post you have ever written, etc...... You need to tell the user in a short, concise manner what makes you better, and how you will solve their problems. You don't need to tell them your life story, or that you named your business after your cat. Keep in mind, you are not designing your website for you, you are designing it for customers coming to your website that want to do business with someone in your industry. Do not use terms like "welcome to our website". What does this say about you? Nothing at all. Use that space to create compelling copy in conjunction with subtle graphics to tell them who you are and what you do.

Another thing to keep in mind is that through the massive usage of the web in the past 10 or so years, people (and their eyes) are trained to look for things in certain places. Take a look at this pic.

google eye tracking

This pic shows how eyes navigate throughout a google search results page. As you can see, that upper left area is the hottest area. Well, this is why logos are usually placed there, with nav to the right of that. You also have an opportunity to showcase services, products, or relevant and concise information under that.

What this really shows is that there is a formula for presenting your business online. As cool and interesting as it might be to play with this formula, it will not give easy functionality, and will prevent the user from consuming your content. When it comes to the web, less is much much more.

Some things to consider:

Keep your copy to a minimum
Do not use busy graphics
Keep your homepage easily to scan
Keep content readable (use bold and italic fonts sparingly)
Include your tagline on your homepage
Make your homepage simple and "digestible" in 5 seconds
Contacting you should be easy
Nav should be simple, consistent and easy to find
Make every page consistent

This is just a small overview of usability. I could carry on for hours about this. BUT, that's NOT good usability.

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Designing a logo

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Designing a logo

08.30.2009

The Hype Lab is working with a client to update their logo and brand.

Being a company that identifies itself with computer technology, forensics and intellectual property laws, this client is looking for a brand that will show both their serious side as well as their cutting-edge work.

Going through a logo design process can be inspiring and frustrating. It is a very organic development, often driven by unleashed imagination that is reigned in by the practicality of what makes a good logo.

As per SmashingMagazine's recent article about logo design, "a good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic and simple in form and it conveys the owner's intended message... A great logo essentially boils down to two things: great concept and great execution."

So what are the elements of a logo? Men With Pens lists these:

Branding
Memorability
Aesthetically Appealing
Usability
Timelessness

Take a very famous logo, Pepsi, for instance (above). How many times has their logo changed and yet kept its distinctive look?

The most dramatic change was in 1950 when the logo moved from just using the name Pepsi-Cola with its classic stylized font to a bottle cap showing the red, white and blue swatches that the company had adopted for its packaging during America's war effort. The above image shows that for almost 60 years, Pepsi has remained true to its brand: an American company, utilizing a more youthful image than its competitor Coca-Cola, and stripped down to an easy to recognize image. It is an effective logo, even today:

A strong brand is a strong identity. It states in clear terms what kind of work the company does, it stands out from the rest, and it has personality that draws the client in. When designers work with companies on a brand or logo, it is not so much about marketing -- trying to be appealing to everyone -- as it is about knowing who you as a company are. Once that has been figured out, the next step is brand strategy: determining how you are currently positioned in the market place. What makes you unique, who are your clients, who are the competitors, what are you promising, what is your slogan?

A few sites to check out for logo design and branding:

I also recommend these books:

"The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding" by Al Ries & Laura Ries
"Logo Savvy" by Perry Chua & Dann Ilicic
"Logo Lounge" by Catharine Fishel & Bill Gardner

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Twitter, and your business

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Twitter, and your business

08.01.2009

twitter for small business

With Twitter being the top social networking site of the day, the common question from those who haven't signed up for Twitter.com yet is: what good is Twitter?

Before I get to that, let's look at the statistics. There's no doubt that Twitter is a popular site. A Nielsen rating showed in February 2009 that Twitter's growth ranks at number 1 compared to other social networking sites, with an annual growth of 1382% versus Facebook's growth of 228% during the same period.

A blog post from Nielsen claims that Twitter (which counts the 35 to 49 age demographic as its biggest) may be growing faster than its number say. According to the Nielsen post, the ability to use Twitter via a mobile phone -- whether through the mobile Web (735,000 unique visitors in January 2009) or via text message -- is a driving factor in the social network's success. The average unique visitor went to Twitter.com 14 times during the month and spent an average of seven minutes on the site.

A Source of News and Information for Some

After the post-election upheaval in Iran, a transcript of the State Department's daily press briefing made it clear that it had recognized the "importance of new social media as a vital tool for citizens' empowerment and as a way for people to get their message out."

According to Caroline McCarthy, a CNET news staff writer, "Social media tools like Twitter and Facebook have already emerged as sources of raw news in disasters and political crises before -- from the Hudson River emergency plane landing to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. But this was the first time they've been highlighted as vital information channels in Iran -- both for protesters trying to spread information and for government authorities trying to gather it."

A Marketing Tool for Others

Boston.com posted this article recently to highlight how Twitter can be used as a marketing tool.

For restaurants, Twitter has become a free and easy marketing and advertising space. Visitors will post tweets about their dining experience, while restaurant owners will post new menu items, ask questions about particular ingredients or invite people to attend a particular event they're hosting.

To illustrate the effect, we were in a restaurant in Somerville with a group of people a few weeks ago. Tom O'Keefe of BostonTweet was with us and a couple from a table next to ours came over to meet him. "Are you BostonTweet?" the woman asked. She was very excited. "I follow BostonTweet, was just tweeting about this restaurant, and heard you'd be here. This is great!"

Several of us at the table looked at her like she was a bit crazy, but the frequent users of Twitter amongst our group were not surprised at all. This is what they were doing it for. To connect with others about the things they care about and to help local businesses at the same time. It seemed like their efforts were paying off. They were heros to the restaurant staff and suddenly popular amongst some of the customers.

If this is how Twitter is being used for restaurants, imagine what it could do for other products and services that consumers feel passionate about. Skeptics may say that Twitter postings are too ethereal and you can't collect the data or get statistics from the information posted there. Remember, these are the same folks who brought you "the internet thingie isnt going to be a success". But this is not any different from other viral marketing sources, such as word of mouth. How do you quantify those types of sources? Marketing firms are going to have to think of using social media tools in a different way from how they've used other types of marketing research. It's also still very much in its infancy, so the sky's the limit!

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Form vs. function

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Form vs. function

07.06.2009

form vs function

I thought I would start this article off by giving you the answer. The answer is a resounding YES to both. Both of these aspects are of equal importance. You need to always remember, that your website is a stand-alone marketing device that represents you or your business. And, if you want to push one of the aspects over the other, you will find that you are losing customers on your site, and not gaining or retaining them. Let’s outline the considerations beginning with function.

The function of a website would be anything from the way a website works, to the speed with which it loads, to ease of navigation, to its effectiveness of delivering the promised product or service. So, let’s start by looking at functionality.

A website needs to be available and consistently functioning. Functionality of a website is just that: it functions. I don’t know about you, but, going to a website where I get error 404 messages or long wait times between clicking and receiving the query results give me the urge to move on to another website. Losing customers has never been easier with the web. A person’s attention span is incredibly reduced when it comes to the web. You need to make an impact with the functionality of your website immediately to draw the user in. The design and usability of your site is extremely important way to engage the user and keep them there….therefore selling your product and looking like a pro at what you do. This builds a level of confidence with the consumer of your product.

Functionality is also about what the visitor is looking for from a website. Is the function of the site to sell books, give information, provide social networks etc…? Think about the core function of your site. Does it work in a manner in which the user will be able to easily navigate and get their desired results? Or does it only make sense to you? Think of a potential user of your website, and how they will view it before going ahead and creating an online application only to find that it is unusable due to confusion and frustration on the user’s end.

So, apparently now, you think that functionality takes the cake, and all one needs to do to have a strong online presence is to have a website that works and is easy to use. Be careful: you do not want to find out the hard way that having a website that works great, but is esthetically weak has been driving customers away.

Think of it in these terms: No matter how well they were engineered, if Porsches looked like 1988 Ford Escorts, Porsche would not get $50k for their vehicles.

Form needs to communicate your brand, product, or service clearly and immediately. The esthetic look of your website is just as important as the way it works. This is your name that is being broadcast to the world, and the thought put into the design of the site previous to going live is extremely important. The design is what shows the personality of who you are as a company and the relevance of your product or service.

Form needs to take into account the type of customer that would visit the site or that you’re trying to reach. You need to know who you are marketing your online product or service to, and gear the design towards them. You will find that content styled to the demographic that would find your product or service appealing is much more effective than trying to please everyone. How you might ask? You need to know your customer. Learn what their average age is, their gender, their location, their interests, etc. Your design needs to speak to them. There are many many ways to mine this kind of demographic data, but, that is for a future post.

Form needs to be clean, meaning matching the functionality of the site so that users can find what they are looking for. Form includes images, fonts, and colors that keep the “brand” or feel of the company intact. For example, the Apple site markets to the young and innovative, creative demographic. Apple’s online presence does nothing less than strengthen their brand, which is built around simplicity, innovation and ease of use. Their website is clean, and easy to navigate and keeps the customer engaged.

All of this is really about something called “usability”. Usability is the cross-breeding of form and function. Function works on its own yes, and a well-designed site works on its own too. But, the two need to work together for an effective user experience and to close the deal. No one is going to spend their hard earned money on a product or service that they feel cannot be trusted. Trust comes from both form and function. Would you drop down your credit card information on a site that looks like it was designed by a 6 year old or a site that frustrated you with its difficult navigation or slow loading time? Make the effort to make both form and function work for you, and you will find you have a website that delivers your product or service to a happy customer, visually communicates your brand message clearly, and builds repeat user and word of mouth marketing.

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How our life has changed

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How our life has changed

06.11.2009

life changer

I just got the iphone and am blown away. I'm now a mobile totin', gadget lovin', tweetin', and cloud app usin' techno geek.

I got us an MobileMe account, which contains our photo library and lives somewhere in cyberspace. Everything there is synched between my computer, phone and MobileMe account. I can take pictures while out on Castle Island, and while on the phone with a friend, upload the photo immediately to MobileMe from the phone, and show her the photo almost instantly. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

We're now doing all our accounting online with a FreshBooks account, tracking our taxes and business expenses. All of this can be linked to our online bank account and to our mint.com account. All of these are on the internet and work together. We're using all kinds of project management tools online too, like goPlan, keeping track of our projects and to do lists that sync up with our calendars and email accounts. If working with a developer who is located 10 miles away, I use goPlan to delegate tasks to him; it will send him an email reminder, or it will pop up on his iphone through the iphone app.

This is a far cry from what was happening a few years ago when browsers were crashing several times a day, and online work spaces were so undependable. So think of what can happen if we start moving entire suites of applications online! It's better for application developers. They don't have to print packaging, burn disks, and supply intrusive software that takes up gigs of space on a computer's hard drive. It also solves the problem of people distributing the software illegally. The consumer will (hopefully) see a cut in price for the apps, because they're living online and are much cheaper to maintain. Plus, if you have troubleshooting needs, the company, for example Adobe, can take care of it. It lives on their server, right? So, as a consumer, you would go to say adobe.com, sign up, pay and then log in to your application. Pretty soon we won't have to install apps on our computers, just log in to a site and use it online through the browser. Amazing!

Things are going to be changing even faster in the world of technology in the next year or two. As long as the telecom companies keep their greedy hands off and stick to what they do best. Stealing money for terrible service and paying congress folks (see "Tubes" Stevens).

Cloud applications can change the way we do things, interact with our friends (already has with things like facebook, twitter, friend feed etc...) and colleagues.

How does this affect small business you might ask? Well, take for instance the Google Docs. This is basically an online version of MS Office. However, it is free. Just with choosing Google Docs over MS Office, saves a small business around $380 per purchase. Plus, it works. Also, take a look at this article! Basically, this does nothing less than describe how the small business or startups are taking on companies like MS and leaving them behind. Remember, you are small, sleek, built for speed and maneuverability, while MS is like navigating a hummer in the North End. You have the ability to beat the big boys. This can pertain to selling locally grown produce, to clothing, to whatever product or line of work you are in. Just listen to what your consumers are demanding, and you will beat the big guys.

So, take a look around you and embrace what is happening in the tech world. Trust me, it is good for you.

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Content is king

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Content is king

06.07.2009

content is king

As a writer, communications developer, and lover of books, writing, and anything that has to do with the written word, I try to keep up with the latest trends in effective use of content, especially in this age of the Web and short attention spans.

Here are some folks who really get it:

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Social media is leveling the playing field

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Social media is leveling the playing field

06.06.2009

social media is leveling the playing field

You're a small to medium sized business and you've heard that embracing some form of social media is beneficial to your marketing efforts, but you don't know exactly how. Don't worry, you are not the only one faced with the daunting task of figuring out how to use these new technologies to your best advantage.

Believe social media is over-hyped, and doesn't have the impact fans are claiming? Or that it's just a passing fad? You might be skeptical and are not sure if your customers are using these tools enough for your efforts to have an impact. Realize that it's not that these tools have the magical touch needed to create a buzz around your products or services; it's that if used correctly, these tools can build your brand in a way that other marketing efforts can't.

One advantage of social media tools is that they're free advertising spaces for "word of mouth" or viral marketing. As the top 3rd most trusted source of information about a company or product, rating higher than corporate advertising or news/radio reports, word of mouth advertising provides all of us with a level playing field. You can now compete with the "big guys" because it's no longer a matter of who has the most money.

Don't be concerned if you don't understand the technology behind these platforms either. You just need to put them in "real life" terms. Many of these forums are simply virtual versions of real world situations. For example, some communications experts explain Twitter and similar blog-like or posting sites like this: think of posting in the same terms you would being at a cocktail party. You're at a gathering of people you might not know and you're trying to gain the attention of everyone in the room. Do you become all "salesy" and start preaching about how great your product is? Or do you try to "work the room?" Try connecting to the people there by introducing yourself, finding interest in what others have to say, and get them interested in you on a human level. Once you connect by finding something in common, and you understand your customer, it's much easier to use that familiarity to leverage your services and products.

Another way Twitter or similar sites can benefit your company is if others are already talking about your product or talking about products similar to yours. Get in on the conversation and share your point of view. Or have your friends, business associates, and acquaintances do it for you.

You're probably thinking to yourself "that's all well and good but what about all the other tools out there? How do I decide which ones to use?" Tumblr, Flickr, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc, are only a few of the many ways groups come together to share information. At first, pick two or three of them. Begin watching these spaces, seeing who shows up there, what they're saying, how they're saying it, and join in on the conversation. Be professional in your comments and replies, but be approachable, personable, likable. Remember to be authentic, because if you're fake, others will be able to sniff that out a mile away. Begin "following" conversations or people, become a fan, and stay engaged, visiting at least once a day.

It can be scary putting your brand out there and opening it up to criticism and feedback. But it can also be extremely beneficial. Find out what is liked or not liked about it. Google "i hate xxx," or "xxx sucks" replacing xxx with your product or type of service to see what others don't like about it. Take the risk and be the catalyst to the brand. Live it with others. Share!

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Moving your lazy butt

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Moving your lazy butt

Moving your lazy butt

06.02.2009

lazy

I'm a procrastinator. There, I admitted it. I do not find time management easy at all. Isn't the issue always a lack of time? But I recently learned that time management is not about managing time, it's about managing ourselves effectively with the time that we have.

The best way to start becoming better at managing time is by having a goal. To reach the goal, it needs to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and have a deadline.

A goal is a statement of intention. A marketing goal could therefore be something like this: Have 5 new clients by the end of the month.

In order to determine if this goal is achievable and realistic, think about your current situation. Do you have the resources to do this? If advertising is one of the ways you'll try to reach the goal, do you have an ad designer or agency and the money to pay them? Or if you plan to do a lot of networking, public speaking, or directly contacting clients, do you have the time on your calendar without jeopardizing your current clients and work?

If you set unrealistic goals, then you are setting yourself up to fail. Set smaller goals at first, then if you were successful, make them bigger next time.

After you set a goal, think about the ingredients needed to make the goal happen. The ingredients are the projects you'll focus on to reach the goal. So with the goal of making 5 new clients in the next month, one ingredient might be to set up a blog and fill it with articles about topics you think your clients are interested in.

After you set a goal, think about the ingredients needed to make the goal happen.

With each project, there will be smaller, baby steps to complete. For the blog it would be:

Set the blog up online and link it to your website
Come up with relevant topics
Write an article each day and post it
Tell others about the blog
Post links to the blog on other websites

Another of my enemies besides procrastination is distractions. Keeping a focus on the tasks at hand is hard work and takes determination and will-power. If you're like me, someone who easily veers off course because the alternative action looks more attractive (you can just call me lazy!), then you need a way to keep distractions at a minimum. But don't burn yourself out only focusing on the work at hand. Take a break and remember to reward yourself when you've achieved something you find challenging. I think the best way I've handled this is to give myself certain blocks of time to focus on the task. Then I give myself either a change of pace to do something else or take a break for relaxing and go back to the task later.

Setting goals can seem challenging and a lot of work, but by setting realistic goals, breaking them down into projects and tasks, eliminating distractions and rewarding achievements, you will be able to see your good intentions pay off with success. And you won't feel so lazy anymore!

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New Brand, Brand New Site

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No Neutral Ground

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Be Yourself. Stay Yourself.

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Say What You Need To, How They Want to Hear It

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Lessons in marketing and communications

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New Site: Boreal Renewable Energy Development

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Putting things in perspective

"The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand."

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The Right Customer

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New Project: The Regent Theatre

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New Site: Visible Results

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New Site: Bradford Hill

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Economy Bad, Online Sales Good

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An Example of Connecting