Author Archives:
Toolbox: Usability Engineering with a Card Sort
If you’ve ever done the card sort exercise, you will be interested in this idea: websort.net which uses Flash to create virtual cards and lets users perform the requisite task online.
Interesting idea. Great demonstration of using flash for good rather than evil.
My tip: instructions are sparse – hit the forum for the most helpful information.
Research: Collection and Recall of Information
Recently, seeking tangible research on user behavior on the collection and recall of information I encountered an article by Harry Bruce of the University of Washington titled Personal, anticipated information need*.
Two recommendations here… The first is to read his article. The second is to read others in the journal that published him: Information Research. The journal isn’t [...]
Eye Tracking Study: How 3 Retail Sites Compare
This research from Mark Russell at Wichita State University will give you a first hand look at an eye tracking study. This is not a full-blown study with conclusions, but does give you a view of 3 different store approaches to one product type and shows exactly where the user’s eyes were drawn and the duration [...]
Toolbox: Finding Competitive Intelligence Online
Want to know which sites your visitors are also visiting?
http://www.alexa.com
Who is linking to your competitor’s site, but not to yours?
http://www.linktree.info/
What is the overall visibility measure for your site?
http://www.marketleap.com/publinkpop/
Want all the gory details on a URL?
http://www.faganfinder.com/urlinfo/
Research: Search and Shopping Behavior Notes
CUSTOMERS RESEARCH ONLINE, BUT BUY OFFLINE
Roughly half (46 percent) of consumers say they research items online before they buy them offline. Another 29 percent say they occasionally do so, while 25 percent say they never do online research before making a purchase.
Source: BIGresearch
Consumers are actively shopping in store, online and catalog channels. Store shoppers also [...]
How to Speak SEO Geek: Two URLs for Marketers
I was recently updating a resource list for an upcoming talk on Search Marketing, and came across these two links. Both are good resources for people just learning about SEO and trying to grasp just how this search thing works. I am a big fan of starting with the basics – the terminology and technology [...]
10 1/2 Tips on Getting The Most From Your Designer
Whether you’re hiring a designer, trying to inspire your own team or struggling to make magic with your existing creative relationships, here are some tips on getting the most from those relationships.
1. What are you trying to say?
The best designs come from a solid understanding of what needs to be said. Design is not just [...]
The CPA of CPC: How The Cost of Acquisition and Cost Per Click Work Together
A few quick notes on creating keyword campaigns
Cost-Per-Click (CPC) ads on Google and Overture are nothing new, but perhaps thinking about them in terms of cost per acquisition rather than per click is new to you. To review, CPC works like this:
You find a keyword that will bring you traffic.
You bid on that keyword.
People click [...]
Research: Put Things Where Users Are Looking For Them
Where do users expect to find the shopping cart? This diagram shows the most popular answers (the darkest blue areas).
This diagram comes from a research study by Michael Bernard which many of you will find interesting.
Michael studied various components of web sites and where users expected to find them. From search boxes to merchandise links, [...]
Challenge: Wait 30 Seconds Before Saying No
Sometimes new ideas are met with a barrage of naysaying. Saw this poster (PDF) from What A Great Idea with the challenge to be curious first – for at least 30 seconds – before naysaying a new idea. You may be surprised at the results!