Posts filed under 'Web Usability'
Podcast Number 70 – November 2011
In this podcast Glenn and Tom review strategies and recommendations on meeting the needs of Website visitors who may not understand your Website or come from various market segments. Can a Website be everything for everyone? Or should it focus strictly on its target market?
Should Websites be expected to meet the needs or even be understood of all Web visitors?
- Remember the Seinfeld Soup Nazi?
- You don’t want your Website to follow that role.
- Look at the upside risk versus the downside risk.
- As a rule of thumb, keep the site understood by as many visitors as possible.
- Follow the 10-out-of-10 rule.
- Don’t assume any Website visitors “get it” just because you do!
- What if Bill Gates visits your home page?
How does a Website go about communicating with a broad ranges of users?
- Keep it simple and use direct, easily understood concrete terms.
- Landing pages should be easily understood.
- More detailed and market specific content should be in place on interior pages.
- Keep in mind the reading level of your visitors.
Is there a risk that the actual target market may be alienated?
- If you upset a segment with content, then buy a separate domain name because you will need multiple Websites.
- Research and talk to your target market and referral sources.
Where should Websites find a middle ground in these area?
- The best and most popular Websites have wide segments.
- The best Websites communicate broadly, even in niche areas.
Here are the action items from the Podcast:
- Analyze your market segments and understand each’s hot buttons and triggers.
- Understand and know how referral sources work on the Web.
- Use this to develop a messaging strategy and Website segmentation approach.
- Track your data and do user testing on broad segments and niches.
- We all tend to be focused too much on how we perceive the world, the Web forces to get out of this bubble or vacuum and better communicate to new and current target markets and referral sources.
Websites Discussed in the Podcast:
November 28th, 2011
In this podcast Glenn and Tom talk about strategies to avoid clutter on a Website and the importance of simplicity and ease of use. Here is an outline of their discussion.
How do we avoid a busy Website?
- Understand the most important needs of your Website users.
- Focus on only those items.
- It takes courage and smart marketing strategies to make this work.
- The best Websites implement these strategies.
Here are the Websites reviewed in this podcast:
We end each podcast with an action item plan. What are the key action items for the listener?
- Go back to your business marketing or strategic plan and determine three things you do really well.
- Develop a tagline that works.
- Simplify the design around your brand tagline.
- Fight the urge to add more stuff on your site!
This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast. For more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.
November 24th, 2010
In this podcast Glenn and Tom review and critique the Website MastersDegree.com. Hear their discussion and learn practical ideas on how to improve and market a Website on the Internet.
Visit www.MastersDegree.com and review the site as you listen to the podcast. Here is an outline of their discussion.
There are several questions to consider for this Website:
- What is the strategy of this Website?
- Do taglines describe the benefits of the company?
- How does the Website generate revenue?
- Who is the target market?
- How does the design meet the needs of the target market?
- Is the navigation easy to use and intuitive?
- How should content be structured on the Website?
- Is the Website SEO friendly?
- What are conversion points on the site?
- Much of the hard work on this site is done!
We end each podcast with an action item plan. What are the key action items for the listener?
- Start with a Web marketing plan and clear strategy
- Define how the site will produce revenue
- Develop traffic generation strategies
- Drive traffic to schools from the site
- Use intuitive search functions based on Web stats
- Develop an interactive questionnaire and degree profile
- Establish clearly defined conversion points
- Research AdSense, ShareASale, or other affiliate networks that may be an option
This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast. For more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.
November 24th, 2010
This is podcast number 50 for Intuitive Websites. In this podcast Tom and Glenn discuss podcasting in general and take a look back at four years of Web marketing podcasts.
Why do 50 free podcasts?
- We started doing podcasts in Feb. 2006.
- Our company focus is on training.
- People can multi-task as they listen.
- We want to help people understand the Web, most don’t.
- Some hire us to implement, but most just listen to the podcasts.
- Provides us with credibility and a chance to show that we know this field.
What have been a few of the key learning points from the podcasts?
- The comprehensive nature of the podcasts and Web marketing.
- The four step processes is covered in detail.
- Much information in a complex area of Web marketing.
More questions: Do Intuitive Websites’ clients do podcasting?
Why or why not?
What are future plans for the podcasts?
We end each podcast with an action item plan. What are the key action items for the listener?
- Go listen to our podcasts and take notes.
- You can find the podcasts on iTunes and our Websites.
- Start your own podcast channel and blog.
- Contact us with topics for future podcasts.
This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast. For more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.
March 15th, 2010
What are Website demographics?
Web professionals should know marketing terms:
- Demographics – Objective and measurable data on the user.
- Geographic – Location and what their location means.
- Psychographics – Approaches, opinions and thoughts that are not measurable.
Understand where your users fit in these areas and then tailor the Website to meet what is important to them. The better the site hits the bulls eye, the better the results.
What is important to know about Website demographics?
- They drive the brand, conversions, ROI and the overall success of the Website
- This data can be found in Web stats and through market research with users.
- The better aligned with your demographics, the better your overall Web results.
- Position the site to push hot buttons and drive conversions.
How do you go about understanding these marketing areas?
- You may need additional marketing training.
- Most Website developers have no understanding of how marketing and branding works.
- Marketing is not a hobby or something learned by instinct.
- In a tough economy, businesses with poor marketing suffer the worst.
Every part of your Website can impact these three demographic areas
- Every photo, color, font and tagline and every other part of your Website communicates to your demographic.
- The better this is understood the better your return or Web marketing ROI.
- Also, how well does your site target the user through design and usability?
Key action items
- Look at your stats and conduct user testing to research your demographics.
- Consult a brand expert and usability consultant to make sure you are on track.
- Set-up your Website design and messaging to meet those specific demographic needs.
- Study marketing and branding fundamentals and apply them to your Website.
This has been the Intuitive Websites Internet Marketing Podcast. For more information and to see all the available podcasts and much more, visit IntuitiveWebsites.com.
February 10th, 2010
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