There was a problem. HTML structured the page but didn’t fill it with copy or images. Each time I learned one skill two more that needed learning popped up. Web development challenge in these early days centered on finding people willing to help for a reasonable amount of money or learning how to DIY (do it yourself). We’ve come a way since 1999, but some things don’t change. Anyone can have a website only a few will understand how to make money online.

You Get What You Pay For And Web Development Costs Are Going Up
In 1999 presence was the challenge. In 2012 presence is assumed. Once everyone has an Internet marketing presence competition moves from presence and engineering to the battle for hearts, minds and advocacy.

Fighting for hearts, minds and advocacy requires different skills. Internet marketing may be the most engineering-like marketing thanks to a sea of behavior and heuristic information, but cutting clutter to make strangers love your company, brand or product is as much business therapy as business.

As web development business therapist we see common mistakes such as:

• Search For Silver Bullets
• Know Thyself To Know Others
• Barking Dog Marketing
• Cathedral vs. Bazaar

Stop Silver Bullet Search
We believe in the quick fix even when life teaches otherwise. The search for silver bullets is distracting and bleeds our most valuable asset – TIME. Reject quick fixes and instant millions. People do win the lottery, but their winning never improves your odds. “Win the lottery” isn’t an effective Internet marketing plan. Anyone who tries to sell you a silver bullet or lottery ticket should be avoided. Creating greatness is HARD and requires sweat, tears and treasure.

Know Thyself To Know Others
Thinking Like An Internet Marketer values the web for what it can and can not accomplish. No web site makes a company’s communication more organized or clear. The web is a huge guassian blur making pointed and sharp ideas, potentially dull and confusing. How would you rate your knowledge of your company’s character on a ten point scale? If you answer anything below a 8 then you have introspective work to do. If your company, brand or product is blowing from pillar to post then, as Gertrude Stein famously said of Oakland, “There is no there, there.” Know yourself BEFORE you create any site, blog, social media or email campaign. Compare each effort in some meaningful and measurable way to your company’s core values.

Barking Dog Marketing
Do you walk toward or run away from a barking dog? Barking at visitors has the same impact. Greatness, transparency and honesty are more sustainable and profitable than any short term bark. Barking may improve sales or conversions for a short time, but damage to brand, positioning and long term profits and advocacy may be significant and long lasting. Every day and action matters in the battle for hearts, minds and advocacy. Read Dov Seidman’s great book HOW: Why we do anything means everything. Seidman explains why values and processes are the only things any business truly own.

Cathedrals vs. Bazaars
Internet marketers build sand castles. Whatever we create will be gone soon. Building sand castles requires different attributes than constructing Renaissance cathedrals meant to last a hundred years. Thinking like an Internet marketer means organizing work around:

• Speed
• Data
• Creative Use Of Convention (don’t recreate what visitors expect)
• Team
•  The Magic 11% (see 1:10:89 Rule)
• Listening and Leading

Speed, passion and wrecking what needs ruination means errors, bumps and mistakes happen. If mistakes drive you crazy don’t become an Internet marketer. Mistakes are a part of the cost of being relevant in a constantly shifting space such as Internet marketing. Perfection isn’t a sustainable Internet marketing strategy. Speed, being data-centric and listening more than you talk work better. Understanding the difference between creating sand castles and accepting input from the bazaar instead of laying stones to live for a hundred years is why “Thinking Like An Internet Marketer” requires a paradigm shift. Perfectionism is too expensive for sand castle builders working in the world’s largest bazaar dodging silver bullets and barking dogs.

Great Job By David Tonight!
Fantastic job by David Rose from MagneTVideo.com tonight at our Internet Marketing Meetup on video marketing.

Video Secrets Meeting Summary on ScentTrail

Summary of  tonight’s MEETUP at Atlantic BT is on ScentTrail. Will post a link to David’s presentation.

Martin’s Story
Imagine you are on a beach. Suddenly water moves swiftly away. Fish flop and dance naked in early morning sun. “Tsunami,” we think involuntarily. We live online, via CNN and in a global village so we know a big wave is coming. Internet marketers stand on just such a beach. We face a coming web video marketing Tsunami.

“This is better,” I thought before testing a 3 minute video on the home page of the $6M site I managed as a Director of Ecommerce (before joining Atlantic BT as Director Marketing). “Run it,” I said watching our metrics nervously. Never test in production without a B option you can easily roll back too. Good news this day was I’d learned the “rollback” lesson. In four hours site conversions tanked by a full point (about $3K). “Kill it,” was my next command before the site walked into a end of summer weekend with such a conversion train wreck.

“What happened,” my boss asked me. Ever wish you could jump in a time machine and go back a few years traveling with the knowledge you have now to just such a moment? Here is what I know now that would have helped then:

• Read vs. Video = VIDEO
• 3 Minutes is an eternity online (1 minute or less now).
• Video on the home page is TOUGH (lots of views but converting traffic can easily be lost never to be heard from or converted again)
• Too polished doesn’t work well online – rough edges establish immediacy, authenticity and authority (strangely enough)
• Videos create VERY HOT spots immediately below them, so include a Call To Action (CTA) in the video that mirrors a CTA immediately below the video (or, if video is on product page keep it far enough away from the MAGIC BUY button as to NOT create confusion)
• Videos are EMOTIONAL and that is a good thing
• Videos “SEO” well, pop nice on YouTube, can spring legs and walk around the web (via embed codes) and are easier to get top listing on than text (LOTS EASIER but getting harder as I write this)

This list could get longer, but you get the idea. A quick note about video and SEO. Spiders can’t “see” video so tagging, linking and surrounding text can be very important. I learned another video SEO secret today from David but won’t spoil his January 24th presentation. Want to know a very cool video SEO secret that is EASY and POWERFUL you will need to join us for pizza in a few weeks.

What I know without any doubt is VIDEO is a powerful Internet marketing tool. Powerful enough Atlantic BT is working with David Rose and MagneTVideo.com to learn how to provide video marketing services. The end of my story is we finally figured out a winning video formula (less than 2 minutes, on the product page, make the product the hero and pull in wisdom of crowds reviews). Pays to have a good team, a patient and trusting boss and a B option.

The net of our tests was conversions on product pages with videos quadrupled. New products already on a roll set new records. Older products starting to wane got a new lease on life. How many failures before finding the winning formula? My team created about ten different videos before we found the winner. Who has that kind of time confronted with social search, the real time web and Internet marketing as we know it today? A: No one, thus asking David and MagneTVideo to share “inside baseball” secrets so Atlantic BT can offer easy to buy, effective web video marketing.

There are many great video marketing providers including friends at Atlantic Creative, Big Fat Film and RHEDPixel (they did the work mentioned here). I also have a good friend who runs a cool company called mailVU in Charlotte. We are working with David and MagneTVideo to combine Atlantic BT’s web development and Internet marketing power, learn cool video marketing secrets to share with customers and potential customers and surf the monster video marketing wave coming in the web’s direction.

Hope you can join us for our monthly Internet Marketing Relativity Meetup on Tuesday, January 24 (Join Raleigh Internet Marketing Meetup Here).

Martin

PS. Lifted image at the top from an excellent article “Why Use Video Marketing” by Sneh on Buzzom.com.

Interviewing Now

How, we were wondering, could we give back?

How can someone learn how to become an Internet Marketer?

Internet Marketing moves so fast it can’t be taught in a college classroom, dorm rooms maybe. Atlantic Business Technologies in Raleigh located in the Atlantic BT Center, 4509 Creedmoor, wants to help students or people who want to transition into Internet Marketing learn by doing.

2 (unpaid) Internet Marketing Internships to be filled immediately:

Social Media Marketing Intern
The Atlantic BT Social Media Marketing Intern is about understanding the rapidly evolving world of social media marketing and its cousin SEO (search engine optimization). Responsible for developing content strategy for the Atlantic BT blog, Facebook, Twitter and Mobile platforms. The Social Marketing Intern will evaluate new social media tools such as Scoop.it, Share.it, Hunch.com and Quora making recommendations for partnerships and working new tools into Atlantic BT’s social media marketing mix. Assist in the creation of marketing personas and archetypes to guide campaign creation, offers, site heuristics and taxonomy. Social Media Marketing Intern will also work with metrics to create social ROI reports and understand reporting tools such as Argyle Social, Spring Metrics and Google Analytics.

Requirements:
Strong writing, analysis and creativity skills. Knowledge of Photoshop and Dreamweaver a plus. Some knowledge or experience with analytics a definite plus.

Internet Marketing Campaign Coordinator Intern
The Atlantic BT Campaign Coordinator Internship is about bridging the gap between the art and science of Internet marketing. Starting with brainstorming, planning and then working with creative to produce Internet marketing campaigns, the Internet Marketing Campaign Coordinator will be knee deep in understanding client needs, translating needs into marketing campaigns, testing assumptions and reporting results. The Internet Marketing Campaign Coordinator Intern helps organize, champion and test macro and micro Internet marketing concepts around topics such as gamification, social capital and email marketing.

Requirements:
Knowledge of Photoshop and Dreamweaver required. Ability to think creativity. Some knowledge or experience with analytics a definite plus. Strong keyword writing skills a definite plus.

How to apply:

Email:
Send Resume and short essay (300 words or less) on why you should be one of the two Atlantic BT Internet Marketing Interns to…

Martin.Smith(at)AtlanticBT(dot)com

Twitter @Atlanticbt :
Tweet links to your online resume and blog with short essay on why you should be one of Atlantic BT’s Internet Marketing Interns using #ABTintern .

Wednesday Night November 30 Interviews
If you can turn around an application by attending our Raleigh Internet Marketing Meetup on Wednesday November 30th at 6:30 we will be interviewing from 4:30 to 6:30. Tweet the time you would like to interview to @atlanticbt using #ABTintern.

It was my first big test. Having created a crude territory management system on a very expensive and not very powerful PC purchased with a loan from Marine Midland bank I’d been promoted to do something similar across the world of M&M’s. Holding one after another variable constant I watched the regression of the now dependant variables such as sales, profit per shelf facing or distribution point. Nothing made sense. I was lost in the data.

I’d been selected to be an M&M’s taste tester and trust me this sounds much more fun than it actually is since sitting in a room for hours eating and then spitting out the new Twix turned out to be painful. Coming back to my noisy desk in M&M/Mars large open national office, no one has an office at Mars, Incorporated, I decided to introduce taste panel data into my analysis.

I was young, stupid and oblivious to the dangers of mixing church and state. Introducing and then regressing the taste panel the conclusion was clear. Royals wasn’t very good, or more accurately a little Royals went a long way. I was asked to determine why 16 ounces of Royales were sitting on shelves. Our sales force was the biggest buyer of Royales. When the product hit its freshness date we would issue a credit and destroy the product so consumers didn’t eat stale Royales.

Consumers weren’t eating Royales because a few after dinner was great, a 16-ounce bag was death by mint M&M’s. Creating a five-page report I called a meeting (first mistake). Expecting applause, accolades and a big biscuit I finished my report, looked up (this is well before computer aided presentations) to see angry, cold silence. No one spoke for what seemed an eternity. Sometimes you know instantly you’ve been a fool despite your ability to predict it before hand and this was one of those moments.

The two most senior managers left the room without a word. Alone with my boss and mentors Charlie Purdy and Wolfgang Pfeiffer I learned of my faux pas. You didn’t tell senior Mars Brand Managers their products were so significantly flawed. It simply wasn’t done. Charlie and Wolfgang would help me understand the ropes well enough to climb them instead of hang myself over the next few years. The future couldn’t be turned back even by uber-powerful, freshly minted Wharton MBA Brand Managers.

Royales died an unmerciful death and some tough conversations took place well above my pay grade. I’d just experienced my first example of an important internet marketing rule (even though there wasn’t a Internet then) – the math always wins. Will share more contemporary examples of why the math always wins soon. In the meantime, if you have any Royales please throw them out as they are well past their freshness date .

Martin

—
Martin.Smith(at)Atlanticbt(dot)com
Director of Marketing

Nancy Jin, a co-worker of mine, and I attended the Start Up Weekend.  Over the weekend, participants met the challenge created by the Start Up Weekend committee and outputted prototype Facebook applications, Mobile applications and websites that encapsulated an idea that was created and pitched by a participant.

Here is a quick summarization of Nancy Jin’s experience at Start Up Weekend:

Friday night, out of over 100 participants (evangelists and hackers – basically marketing specialists and developers), 54 people each had 60 seconds to pitch an idea. We then voted and picked which ones we wanted to work on. I landed a team of 2 other designers, two ruby developers, and three marketing specialists, with an idea of urban farming. We were then up till midnight figuring out what our plan was the next day.

8:30am – 12pm Saturday was spent surveying real people, defining problems, coming up with a solution and a base model for the business. Wireframing started at 2:00pm. By 4:00pm we had a logo and by 6:00pm we had a homepage. By 8:00pm we had a working site where people could log in and sign up, and by 11:00pm the rest of the pages were designed, functioning, and the homepage sliced out. Then I went and got some sleep.

The website was completed at 1:00pm the next day, and we had 5 minutes to pitch the idea against 17 other teams in front of everyone including a panel of judges.

We won.

Here’s the site: yardsprout.heroku.com

We addressed that local food is important for economic, environmental, and health reasons. Urban farming is important because we are utilizing fertile spaces that are otherwisewasted. People can grow their own gardens but for most people the toughest part is getting started. We wanted to first establish a business model where novices can seek master farmers to help them plant something,  to eventually have the company provide people with gardening kits, which is where yardsprout could team up with brands like Lowes and Home Depot.

Some other cool stuff I got to do was working with github, some ruby on rails (it was like what? I think where I’m sticking my HTML makes sense), and a lot of SASS (my first time).

Here is a quick summarization of my experience at Start Up Weekend:

Friday – I did not plan on making a pitch but one of the hosts came by everyone’s tables and urged us to make a pitch, so I motivated myself to bounce ideas off of random people around me.  I decided to pow wow with two random students from NCSU about business concepts.  First one that we came up with was struck down by our very own Nancy Jin who saved me the embarassment of pitching a product that pretty much existed in the wild.

I considered the 5-10 minute pow wow over a great idea and being shown the thriving product by my coworker next to me my first “failure” of the night.

I considered the pitch my second “failure” of the night.

“Pivoting” is when you change a fundamental part of the business model. It can be as simple as recognizing that your product was priced incorrectly. It can be more complex if you find the your target customer or users need to change or the feature set is wrong or you need to “repackage” a monolithic product into a family of products or you chose the wrong sales channel or your customer acquisition programs were ineffective.

(source: http://venturebeat.com/2010/04/14/business-plan-not-working-time-to-pivot/)

Therefore, I considered not winning my third “failure” of the night.

What I learned and did over the weekend:

• Deals along the way (think Groupon deals for long point to point trips)
• Concert and Sporting Events (which led to more focused growth strategies by my teammates)

• Work with TicketMaster, StubHub & Political Campaign managers to push individuals to Carpool to events.

This most recent study comes on the back of an earlier survey E&Y carried out between between August and October 2010 found that 76 per cent of UK businesses questioned believe urgent and decisive action is needed or the UK will fall behind other countries that are prioritising cleantech as a sector of national strategic importance.

(source: http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/alternative-energy-analysis/by-technology-kb/energy-efficiency-kb/confidence-in-uk-cleantech-policy-ebbs.html)

The survey I created was this:

It was definitely a memorable weekend and I plan on attending this event again next year.

Apple iPad (source: Apple)

It may not have the best name, but the Apple iPad has generated some intense buzz lately. Mobile Internet traffic on the iPad has surged so fast that it has already jumped ahead of Blackberry and Android in Internet usage (source: Net Applications). Games, apps, and even books are being bought at a rapid pace. I have had my iPad for awhile now and have had the chance to mess with all of its features. It’s hard not to like the iPad. By no means is it perfect, but if we take a step back and look at it from a global perspective, the iPad could truly impact mass media as we know it.

Everything is going digital these days. Thanks to devices such as Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook, books and publications are the latest to convert to a digital format. I will briefly explain how the iPad handles media from five different industries and more importantly, how it may potentially impact these industries for the future.

Music

Buying music on the iPad is no different from buying it on an iPhone, or even a personal computer for that matter. Thanks to the iPad’s larger screen, Apple is able to closely resemble the shopping experience that you would typically find on a desktop computer. More screen means more room to advertise and promote featured items.

Listening to music on the iPad is enjoyable with its ample quality speakers. Of course, don’t expect the iPad to replace your surround sound system anytime soon.

Verdict: The iPad’s storage limitations are a big downer, but the quality of the sound and the usability of the iTunes music store is a breeze with its larger screen. I wouldn’t expect the music industry to alter itself because of the iPad anytime soon.

Impact: Moderately Low

TV, Film & Video

Netflix streams videos to the iPad

I have to admit, I am a big fan of the DVR. However, there are times when I either forget or cannot record my shows and watch them whenever I feel like it. That is why I have been addicted to going online to watch them. Most networks publish their recent episodes within 24 hours, available in high resolution. The iPad certainly takes advantage of streaming your favorite TV and film videos. Apps such as Netflix and ABC make watching your favorites a breeze.

Browsing and purchasing videos through iTunes is just as easy as buying music on the iPad. But I’m putting my bets on free streaming video to be successful with the iPad.

Verdict: The high resolution screen and ample audio quality make watching videos enjoyable. The lack of Flash certainly restricts the amount of content available to users, but I think that limitation is will soon be non-existent. Expect the TV and Film industries to provide greater access and more intuitive, engaging ways for users to watch their content.

Impact: Extremely High

Web

One of the most popular features of the iPhone is the ability to browse the web with a similar experience to a desktop computer. The problem the iPhone had was that websites would get scaled down beyond the point of legibility. This not only used more bandwidth but also frustrated users. Websites either got optimized for the iPhone or ignored the problem entirely.

Nike optimized their flash-heavy site to HTML5 standards, specifically for the iPad (source: Apple)

The iPad’s larger screen reduces the amount of scaling that websites had to endure. This nearly eliminated the legibility issue that the iPhone had with most websites. Apple has made it clear that they will not allow support for Flash on the iPad. While there are plenty of websites that use flash, they will need to find alternatives if they want their content to display on the iPad.

The real question that comes to my mind is at what point do we [as web designers] allow the device to render websites as it sees fit? There were a great number of websites that were optimized for the iPhone. But should we ignore optimization since the iPad has that larger screen? Or should we take the opportunity and make it just as unique as every other device? Sites that have taken the time to get up to current standards for the iPad have been generously promoted on Apple’s website.

Consumers who are used to browsing the web on the iPhone will find no trouble doing the same on the iPad. For newbies, I think they will.

Verdict: The larger screen is greatly appreciated when browsing the web. Some will argue over the lack of Flash, but I find it outdated, too restricted, and sluggish to be beneficial on mobile devices. Fluid websites really take advantage of the two orientations that the iPad has available. The web industry will certainly have an opportunity – and in my recommendation should act upon – to provide a richer experience on the web with technologies such as HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript.

Impact: Moderately High

Books

Thanks to the Amazon Kindle, e-book readers have been populating the markets as of late. I can carry around all of my books in a single device. What the iPad does that other e-book readers don’t is display books in color. It will only be a matter of time before other devices like the Kindle and Nook release a color version, but for the time being the iPad shows books in their true form.

Some may argue that the iPad will cause eye strain due to the fact that it is backlit, whereas the Kindle and other e-book readers use e-ink technology. Other than the usual amount of eye strain I get from looking at monitors all day, I haven’t experienced any additional discomfort due to reading books on the iPad.

The iBook store is a breeze to find books and even download samples. For the most part, you’ll find discounts on e-books compared to their printed version. The iPad allows the books to be read in two orientations: 1 page at a time (portrait) or 2 page spread (landscape).

Book publishers will have a larger market to target to and they should be able to take some risks due to the lower costs associated with digital books distribution.

Verdict: The iBook store is visually impressive and I believe will be a big hit for those who read popular books. The current library is large, but not large enough. Once other publishers jump onboard (and trust me, they will), I think reading books on the iPad will become second nature. No more paperbacks! This could potentially be huge for higher education.

Impact: Moderately High

Magazines & Newspapers

Wired Magazine will set the standard for e-publications (source: Wired.com)

I will admit, one of the reasons that I decided to even look at the iPad in the store was the demo that Wired Magazine posted online awhile back on their app for the iPad. They took their printed publication (which is amazing in itself) and created an iPad app that not only showed their publications, but showed them in an interactive way that will, in my opinion, revolutionize digital publications.

Newspapers, such as The New York Times and USA Today, have shown that the news can be interesting and interactive! The large screen size of the iPad allows publications to use a more traditional print layout, but at the same time give it interactivity.

Verdict: Depending on how publishers approach the iPad will determine if this media is ready to go digital mainstream. Some of the magazines are charging premiums for their digital editions, which may sway people elsewhere. Early apps show promise of what could be to come in the future. It may be too early to tell, but there is a huge demand for this media to go digital.

Impact: Extremely High

So What Do You Think?

Okay, so I’ve given my thoughts on how the iPad could potentially impact mass media. What are your thoughts on the iPad? Is it setting the standard for digital media? I’d like to hear from you.

1. Users Have No Patience

Regardless of what the product is, users will get frustrated easily if they have to wait a long time for a response to an action. Nobody likes a loading screen in a video game. While loading screens can be minimized in multiple ways, it is hard to eliminate them altogether since they use disc-based media. Developers try to keep the user entertained by playing background music, customizing the loading icon/progress bar, or displaying information such as history or facts during the load time. EA Sports FIFA 09′s loading screen has the user play against the goalie in a practice environment while the game loads.

For Web usability, this means that new pages must display within 1 second for users to feel like they’re navigating freely; any slower and they feel held back by the computer and don’t click as readily.

Jakob Nielsen – Alertbox, October 5, 2009

On the web, loading screens are most associated with Flash. Flash applications almost always have loading screens. If something takes more than 1 second to react, most users will get frustrated and leave. Even the simplest of things such as a hover element should not have a delay. Bandwidth is becoming less of an issue these days and websites should be able to make the user feel as if they are in total control.

2. It’s All About the Experience

Even the elderly could not resist the Nintendo Wii (source: BBC)

Why do people play video games? Simple: They want to have fun and enjoy the action, however that is defined. Modern games increasingly try to engage the user by making the games contain a strong storyline and mirror elements you would find in the cinema, such as recent popular games like Grand Theft Auto 4 and Uncharted 2. Since these games are attempting to be more realistic, it is no surprise that the video game industry is overtaking the movie industry. Instead of watching great movies, you get to feel like you are in one, with full control of the characters. The creative interaction is the key rather than just eye candy. The Nintendo Wii became popular among traditional and non-traditional gamers due to its unique interaction, even though its graphics were inferior to other gaming consoles.

On the web, the experience is what keeps users coming back. E-commerce websites are particularly focused on the experience because they want potential customers to feel like they are shopping safely and securely. Users browse the web for information. It is how the website presents this information and, more importantly, how it gets the user to that information that makes the experience worthwhile. Amazon and eBay have been pioneers in the e-commerce world and their strong returning customer base proves that they know what they are doing.

3. Progressive Enhancement is Good

This generation of video games are now available with HD audio and video. If you own a system capable of high definition like Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, you can take advantage of high quality graphics and sound. Not only can games look more crisp and realistic with vibrant colors, they can also produce uncompressed multiple channel audio that makes you feel like you are in the game – literally! For those who don’t have an HDTV or a modern surround sound system these systems will simply downgrade those features and play the game as normal. The games will always function the same and sound the same – it’ll just be in a lower resolution and with only 2 channels of audio. No harm done to them. Progressive enhancement in action.

Websites are starting to show progressive enhancement as well with the use of CSS. Web designers try to reward users who browse with modern browsers (i.e. Firefox and Safari) with a beneficial experience that users of IE cannot have, without detracting from the functionality. Designers are using RGBa values, which allow them to include an added alpha channel to the element. This is a powerful tool to have in your designer toolbox because it allows you flexibility and control in overlaying graphic elements and to incorporate opacity variances into the design.

CSS Document
.element {
     color: #fff;
     color: rgba(255,255,255,.5) /* for modern browsers */
}

The example above declares a standard CSS rule for the text color. Older browsers who do not support CSS 3 will only recognize the first line and ignore the rest. The more modern browsers, however, will read the second rule and therefore ignore the first rule. The same concept applies to the CSS 3 border radius property and the CSS 3 opacity property (alpha channel on the entire box element). Andy Clarke uses transitioning properties on his website that are only functional in Safari. These properties, which make the DVD and disc animate on hover, can provide some unique design interactions. Taking these concepts and applying them into websites gives users a unique experience and at the same time doesn’t take away the essence of the design entirely for those who use, well… IE.

4. Minimize Learning Curve by Including Tutorials

Instruction booklets are becoming less used these days for video games. Developers are now putting tutorials into the game and having the user learn as they progress. Most typical games will have the first level or so of the game be the learning grounds for the rest of the game. This is becoming a de facto standard in the industry. During this time, users will be prompted with basic controls and developers will design the level to make sure the the controls are used properly before permitting users to continue the game. These learning tools help minimize frustration and also get the user prepared. What better way to learn than to actually try. Reading instructions is not as effective.

Websites need to be careful about introducing new objects or applications to the user. If you suspect a user will have to think about how to use a particular part of your website, you will have a problem. Users will need assistance with it – whether it is simple instructions or a video tutorial.

5. Keep the Interface as Simple as Possible

In-game menu. Better watch your back! (source: Game Trailers)

Interfaces are extremely important in grabbing the user’s attention. Video games are coming up with some creative ways of designing their interface. While being creative, they still function the same and are easy to navigate. Nobody wants to be confused about where they are or how to get out of the location they are in. Navigation should be carefully thought out. Dead Space uses an intuitive in-game menu where your menu pops up in front of you while you are playing the game. There is no interruption from action as you still have control of your character. Madden NFL 10 uses a simple menu system that zooms to different parts of the stadium in the background based on the navigation section you have chosen.

Websites must remain simple to use, or users will get frustrated and leave. The UI needs to make sense and be engaging at all times. Breadcrumbs are important for sites that are large, preventing users from feeling lost.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.

Hans Hofmann

6. Don’t Rely on Graphics Alone

Great graphics, but unusable controls, make this game hard to recommend

Those who remember Grand Theft Auto 3 can agree that it was not the most beautiful looking game around at the time of it’s launch. That said, they will also agree that it was the best game to play at the time and it was a huge hit. Graphics can’t do it alone. The experience also needs to be great. GTA3 was impressive because it had an engaging storyline, incredible controls, and was a blast to play. A game with pure eye candy and no functionality will not last long in this industry.

On the web, functionality needs to be priority over design. Once a site functions properly, then you can apply the interface to it. Just like a chair, it needs to function before it looks great, otherwise it is useless. Plan out your websites carefully and make sure that you are considering all aspects exhaustively. Just like video games, a website can be popular if it functions and is enjoyable but will be useless if it’s just eye candy.

So, what are your thoughts on video games and web usability? Do you have any other comparisons? We’d like to hear from you!

According to news:

“Islam is getting a little help from Britain’s Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism, which says it plans to train government-approved groups to “flood the Internet” with “positive” interpretations of that religion in an online fight against radicalization.”

Now is certainly the time to start fighting back against terrorism using unconventional methods.  After the slew of attacks that have taken place over the last 10 years, it’s clear something new, something better needs to happen.  Perhaps this is exactly what is needed.  So exactly how are they planning on utilizing the power of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to fight back against terrorism?  Glad you asked.  They plan, according to reports:

“..to coach moderate Islamic groups on how to manipulate the Google rankings of their Web sites in order to boost the online profile of moderate voices in the Muslim community, reports The Register, a British online investigative newspaper…It is widely understood that terrorists use the Web to radicalize and recruit the vulnerable and disaffected; search engine optimization, or SEO, training is part of the campaign to counter this…”

Many believe this whole thing might not work at all, but personally, I feel that doing this is a much better idea, and much better alternative to blocking or removing content all together.  You can’t pretend things don’t exist, but you can do your best to out rank the bad, with the good.  Our fingers are crossed for a great result.  Stay tuned to this one…