Ecommerce
Web customer rejects silo mentalityNovember 19, 2007: Organizations have an overwhelming desire to own and control. Even within organizations, each unit/department is constantly trying to prove that it is important. More
What tourists really want on the Web
October 30, 2006:What customers want from a Caribbean tourism website is a great package deal. Alternatively, they want to get a hotel at a good price, and get a 'best of' for the destination. More
Task marketing brings you web success
June 05, 2006: The best websites know that customers are ready for action. They help customers complete common tasks quickly and easily. More
Are websites judged in the blink of an eye?
January 30, 2006: People can get a strong impression of your website within one twentieth of a second, according to a new study. But it may not be a lasting impression. More
Ryanair success has strong web lessons
November 11, 2005: Despite record fuel prices, Ryanair makes record profits. Its no-frills website has helped this no-frills airline achieve such phenomenal success. More
Web branding is more than skin deep
July 04, 2005: Web branding is much more about function than image. Great websites put substance before flash. This reflects a knowledge society that has become more rational in how it makes decisions. More
Your website needs a call to action
May 16, 2005: The Web is task focused. The best websites get to the point. They ruthlessly eliminate waffle and happy talk. They focus on helping people complete key tasks as quickly as possible. More
Number one skill for managing a website
April 25, 2005: Having a deep understanding of the gut instinct of your customer is the number one skill of managing a website. That involves getting face to face with them. More
Do you make the most common mistake in content management?
January 31, 2005: The biggest mistake in content management is writing for the organization and not for the reader. It is one of the hardest mistakes to correct, but there are ways to ensure that you don’t make it. More
Internet marketing motto: be useful
November 29, 2004: E-marketing is about substance over show, logic over emotion, and text over graphics. Good web marketers follow the Google motto: be useful. More
Secrets of great web headings and summaries
November 01, 2004 : Your website success will increase the better you write headings and summaries. People are very impatient, so the heading and summary really needs to be compelling. Here are some key tips for writing better headings and summaries. More
Support is where brands are won and lost
July 26, 2004: If brand loyalty is best measured by gut feeling then there are few better ways to test its strength than when a customer requires support, because that’s when feelings are high. Today, most organizations pretty much wash their hands of the customer after they’ve sold them the product. This is a shot-sighted strategy. More
The three core principles of great web design
April 12, 2004: The essence of a website is self-service. There are three core things that self-service needs to get right: convenience, speed, and price. Convenience means task achievement with minimum effort. Speed means that you get in and out of a website as quickly as possible. People are cheap on the Web. More
How to tell people what else you do on your website
March 22, 2004: People come to your website on a mission. They want to do something specific. They are tunnel readers. Telling them what else you do—without annoying them—is a major challenge. Doing it well is about relevance and context. It’s about presenting the right content at the right time. More
How to make links work for your website
March 08, 2004: Quality links from external websites will help get more of the right people to your website. Well written links within your website will ensure your readers can act in a way you want them to. Linking is about driving action. It's about getting the right people to the right content as quickly as possible. More
Do you have a smiling face on your website?
February 16, 2004: If you think it’s great to have a smiling face on your website, join the crowd. It’s hard to find a website these days that doesn’t have a happy face. Unfortunately, the happy face syndrome is often a reflection of lack of focus. When everyone is smiling, where’s the differentiation? More
Why Google is such a great brand
February 09, 2004: Google has clarity and focus. Google knows that great brands serve a purpose. They are useful. Google genuinely believes in the motto: the searcher is king. It demonstrates that you can put the customer first and make a profit. Google keeps it simple and wins. More
Words come before looks in web design
January 26, 2004: Advertising agencies tend to design awful websites because they are obsessed with getting attention. When people come to your website, you have already got their attention. They want to do something. They want detail. They want facts. The thing they value most is their time. So don’t waste it. More
Web design: never let an ad agency near your website
January 19, 2004: The average advertising agency fundamentally doesn’t get the Web. Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO Worldwide, J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy are great advertising agencies. When it comes to managing their own websites, however, they are rank amateurs. They bring their print and TV thinking to the Web with embarrassing results. More
