Article Your Content’s Qualitative Value published on July 16, 2010 My last couple of posts looked at several quantitative ways you can assess your content's value. But in some cases, and for some kinds of content in particular, the full story of value can go beyond just the numbers. This post focuses on a few more qualitative indicators of what your content is accomplishing: commenting, sharing via social media, and other forms of feedback from individuals. In the process, I also pause to talk a little more about what "value" for your content actually means. Read Now About
Webinar Web Strategy for Designers Hosted by Mark O’Brien This webinar will be a review of some of the elements of web development that designers often wish they knew more about. We'll be covering the basics of SEO, Information Architecture, Mobile site development, and site conversions and tracking. Access Now About
Article What’s Lost (and Gained) From Print to Web to Tablet by Christopher Butler on July 13, 2010 In this month's newsletter, I made a few passing references to how a simplified user interface can enable better concentration on written content. I've been thinking a lot about how reading and writing are being shaped by technology Read Now About
Event REBRAND 2011 Jury published on July 12, 2010 Chris Butler was named one of the judges for the 2011 REBRAND 100 awards... Read Now About
Article Beyond Bounce Rate: Exits and Time on Page published on July 12, 2010 In my last post, I talked about how you can figure out what's really going on with the bounce rate for specific pages on your site. But bounce rate isn't the only indicator of a page's value; there are other factors that provide just as much insight into its overall health. In this post, I'll look at two of those beyond-bounce-rate metrics: exit rate and time on page. The key difference here is that, unlike bounce rate, these metrics are not equally useful for all types of pages; you'll need to decide case-by-case how much they matter for each individual piece of content. Here are some thoughts on when exit rate and time on page matter and how to look at them. Read Now About
Article Prospect Experience Design User Interfaces That Supplement Storytelling published on July 9, 2010 After reading Chris Butler's latest newsletter, I had a few questions I wanted to answer: Are popular websites reducing the amount of design and clutter in their user interaces, allowing the user to focus on the story? Are they using well-placed calls to action in their user interfaces that encourage engagement without causing distraction? Read Now About
Article Prospect Experience Design The Dark Ages of Website Planning: Site Maps and Wireframes by Mark O’Brien on July 8, 2010 Many agencies try to communicate with their clients about what kind of website they are planning to build using absolutely any means possible other than the web. Your power in the client relationship relies completely upon your confidence in your ability to get the job done right the first time, and that won Read Now About
Article Prospect Experience Design Cool HTML5 Design Features by Justin Kerr on July 8, 2010 When I design a site, I often look for ways to do something new or different. One of the obstacles to this is the limit of my own knowledge. Thankfully, my fellow Newfanglers suggest sites and articles to aid in my enlightenment. I've been reading lately about some of the very cool features built into HTML5... Read Now About
Article Information is Only as Good as it is Interpretable by Christopher Butler on July 6, 2010 Information is only as good as it is interpretable. I think this is pretty much a common-sense notion, but it is made that much more clear through the story told by ancient artifacts. While browsing the British Museum during a recent visit to London, I was first awestruck by the artifacts themselves. The carvings in stone were of such high fidelity, it looked almost as if some had been laser-etched rather than carved with tools. The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Sumer, Babylon and others had likely mastered the craft--in a way that we are not likely to match today--because of the high value they placed on long-term thinking and communication... Read Now About
Article Prospect Experience Design Storytelling is the Future of the Web by Christopher Butler on June 30, 2010 Most of the successful marketing campaigns that stand out in my memory all revolve around characters. Some of them are simply charismatic spokespeople, like Geico's gecko, Nationwide's "Greatest Spokesperson in the World," or, I suppose, Burger King's creepy king. Others keenly represent the intended customer—think way back to Wendy's "where's the beef?" lady, or more recently to Apple's mac and PC guys. In all of these cases, it was decided that a more compelling message could be created by using characters to tell a story, rather than putting the product itself front and center... Read Now About
