Online advertisements can be very effective, but only if they are done tastefully and tailored to the right audience. I was considering this recently as I was spending time on a social networking site. I provide a limited amount of information about myself on my page, some of which includes my age (late 20s), that I am married and that I enjoy running. I’ve noticed that the online ads on the sidebars are tailored to those facts and interests. While some I just shake my head at (divorce counseling services already?), some I actually click on (an upcoming 5K in my area, clever t-shirts with funny puns). Now this is remarkable for someone like me considering I have rarely ever clicked on an online ad anywhere else, and I do not generally buy products and services online. And what good is an online ad if people don’t click on it?
Before I got married, I had selected that I was engaged on my social network site. The ads appeared for wedding photographers in my area, floral arrangement services and whatnot. Clever. None of these would likely interest a divorcee in her 50s. And T-shirts with clever puns on them are probably not of much interest to a social networker in his 60s. However, 20-somethings generally eat that stuff up. I find the whole process of tailoring ads to a target audience fascinating and very worthwhile to advertisers.
While tailoring an ad to a target audience is by far the most effective way to get an online ad noticed, not every site has the capability of collecting the sort of specific information that the social networks do, nor do all businesses have market research teams to collect that information. Therefore, they will need to rely on established principles of good Web ad design to draw people to click on them.
I found a useful, albeit old, article today on a site called iMedia Connection called How to Get Noticed Online, which lists seven principles of effective online ads. Paraphrased, they include the following:
- Be visually aggressive
- Avoid exaggerated cartoons
- Emotion (a.k.a. sex) still sells
- Create a flow to your focal point
- Sell the benefits (of a product or service) first
- Keep it simple
- Brand early and often (don’t be afraid to have the brand name of the product clearly displayed)
The point is, the principles of effective visual communication that work in print ads often still work in Web ads. I would add an eighth principle, however: Tell the viewer what to do. If you want them to "click here" or "explore the Caribbean," don’t be afraid to tell them so.
In what one Facebook spokesperson is calling a "frivolous" suit, a New York web designer is suing the online social networking giant Facebook, Inc., claiming that he has 84 percent ownership of the wildly successful company, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The suit stems from a 2003 contract between designer Paul D. Ceglia and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg which allegedly says that Ceglia would pay $1,000 to develop and design a website and eventually receive a 50 percent stake in the product, plus an additional 1 percent interest in the business for every day after Jan. 1, 2004, until the project was completed, the Journal reported.
While it might seem on the surface to be frivolous after all this time has passed, the fact that New York Judge Thomas Brown issued a temporary restraining order that prohibits the transfer of assets from Facebook, Inc. is making folks take this lawsuit a bit more seriously. Ceglia is seeking to reclaim that aforementioned ownership, as well as monetary damages, the article reports.
A Facebook spokesperson released a statement and is quoted in the article as saying the lawsuit was "completely frivolous and we will fight it vigorously."
The Journal quotes part of the contract as saying the website Ceglia was to create was for a project Zuckerberg had already initiated that was "designed to offer the students of Harvard University access to a website similar to a live functioning yearbook with the working title of ‘The Face Book.’" The fact that the social network site was only intended for Harvard at the time may yet play a role in how the lawsuit shapes up. It is also unclear if and how the suit may be affected by the fact that Zuckerberg didn’t register the domain thefacebook.com until January 2004, the article pointed out. More likely is that New York’s six-year statute of limitations would eventually block the suit.
An expert quoted in the article said he expected Facebook would deal with the suit quickly. With more than 500 million users from all over the world helping to make it the largest social network on the planet, Facebook certainly has enough revenue to take care of this matter out of court. However, this is not the first time the company has grappled with challenges over its early ownership and origins, the article points out. So who actually is the legal and rightful owner of the lion’s share of Facebook? The world may never know.
If you’ve ever worked in retail or any sort of service industry, you’ve probably heard the annoying saying that the customer is always right. Of course, in reality, this is definitely not true. But when it comes to web design and function, it’s truer than you think. Most web design teams and webmasters can benefit greatly from taking constructive feedback from a site’s regular visitors and casual users as to what would make the site more functional, navigable, user-friendly and even more aesthetically pleasing.
First of all, realize that it’s a big deal when someone actually gives you feedback. The majority of people are too lazy and/or busy to let you know what they think of your website. Secondly, realize that most people will only write when they are irritated or upset about something, and are less likely to write about how great certain Web features are. So keep a thick skin, strain out the personal attacks and useless suggestions, and pay special attention to useful, workable suggestions.
A recent article on Internet Retailer, titled "Customer Feedback Helps Steer Site Design at Mercedes Benz-USA," explains how those involved with re-designing the branded website for this luxury car company used a survey tool to gather feedback from the site’s visitors. They used this feedback to in turn create a better experience on the site for its visitors.
The whole idea is giving people what they want. It is a great service to give your client or employer what they want when you build and maintain a website for them; it is an even better service when you give your client what they want and give their client’s clients what they want as well.
On a separate but related note, one of the most successful ad campaigns includes the one done for Domino’s Pizza. After customer feedback came in from certain test subjects that the pizza was tasteless and boring, they made a huge show of scrapping their old way of making pizzas and creating a new and "better-tasting" pizza. The commercials said Domino’s created a new recipe for the sauce, crust, and everything else. Then the commercials made a show of chasing down the people who denigrated the pizza and making them change their minds. In a way, when a web designer takes and uses visitor feedback, they are doing the same thing — creating a better product that more people will enjoy.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had an app on our iPhones that would make the bed for us? A recent piece in the New York Times discussed people’s dream apps, as well as more realistic and workable ones, that people wish existed. To me, the article made me think that somewhere out there, real people are conceptualizing smart phone applications, making them happen and getting paid for it. After all, someone has to be the creative force behind those thousands of options in the iPhone app store. Not only does the article remind me how much time people spend toying around with these mostly pointless but occasionally useful apps, but it also brings to light how the creative side of app programming for smart phones has truly become an in-demand niche career.
Turns out the writer of the Times piece had used his Twitter account to ask his followers what apps they wish existed. One of the responses in the article that I find most humorous is a wish for an app that "adds background noise (airport, party…) during my calls, so people don’t think I’m a nerd sitting at my computer all day." Kind of pathetic, but perhaps worthwhile in an age where we often tailor our social network pages to make us appear cooler than we really are.
Another one that piqued my interest was an app for malls and department stores so that you don’t have to search out one of those ever-elusive mall directory maps. A second was an app for tourists triggered by a phone’s GPS system that would give you a head’s up when you are nearing a significant landmark with a nifty little text-and-audio description. My personal favorite app idea was something dubbed the "Rejuvenator"—a dream app where you could take a picture of yourself and the app would take 10 or 15 years off your age!
Now I don’t know if I have the creative brainpower to come with app ideas such as these. Mine would be more in the realm of impossibility, such as an app that performs full-out home maid services. But there are people who have the creativity and technical know-how within them to make most of the above-mentioned apps a reality. So if you are an ideas person with programming skills (or just know how to use App Inventor Software), you may be able to make a career out of it. Definitely worth looking into!
New iPhone 4 Copes with Bad Reception Blues
The new iPhone 4, the latest in Apple’s ever-popular line of smartphones was released to much fanfare this summer. However, upon its release, consumers everywhere complained about the reception. The ensuing Apple response, in which Steve Jobs simply told consumers to hold the phone differently to ensure better reception, caused a storm of controversy.
The official Apple statement about the reception problem was released to press outlets only upon request. The statement noted:
"Gripping any phone will result in some attenuation of its antenna performance with certain places being worse than others depending on the placement of the antennas. This is a fact of life for every wireless phone. If you ever experience this on your Phone 4, avoid gripping it in the lower left corner in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band, or simply use one of many available cases."
To make matters worse, Consumer Reports, a publication that reviews and recommends various products, refused to give the phone a recommendation after testing three of the phones in its radio frequency isolation room. Consumer Reports verified what consumers suspected–the iPhone 4 has some serious antennae design flaws which inhibit reception, causing the phone to drop an inordinate amount of calls.
What to do about the problem? Apple has offered a "bumper" accessory that is said to mitigate the phone’s reception woes. Priced at $29, the bumper essentially eliminates the problem spot in the phone’s design by covering it, effectively prohibiting human contact. So for iPhone 4 enthusiasts, it’s either buy the bumper or hold the phone as Jobs has directed. Some consumers have offered their own solutions, which have ranged from using duct tape to painting clear nail polish over the problem spot.
Now, reports have surfaced that Apple knew about the problem long before the iPhone 4′s much anticipated June 24 release. According to one report, Apple’s senior antennae expert warned Jobs as far back as last year that the product design could hurt reception. Apple thus far has declined to comment on these developments, but has promised a press conference on Friday July 16.
Despite Apple’s PR disaster, in all likelihood, the controversy will do little to hurt the Apple powerhouse, which has released wave upon wave of best-selling personal technology products, including the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Only time will tell how the controversy itself pans out.
Ok, let me throw in a disclaimer before I move on with this blog. I’m not a fan of FarmVille. There, now I’ve said it. But that doesn’t mean the people who conceptualized and designed it and other games like it aren’t making decent money. Game developing for social networks is one of those niche side-careers you might find yourself in after starting out working in web design and development. And because of its current popularity and significant anticipated growth, chances are people who are skilled at developing games and applications for social networks and smart phones will continue to make good money well into the future.
This in mind, I was still shocked at all the marketing implications of a game like FarmVille. I learned a lot from this recent tech article in the New York Times called "For Farmville Players, a Crop from a Real Organic Farm." The first thing I learned was that about 20 million people play FarmVille. I knew the game was popular, but not 20-million-strong popular. That’s a huge captive audience ripe for advertising. Then I learned that FarmVille players are able to spend real money — their hard-earned American greenbacks — to buy virtual goods and services on FarmVille (which is otherwise free to play). You may have seen a similar capability on Facebook. People use Facebook for free, but on people’s birthdays or "just because," you can send them a virtual "gift" for a low price. While I personally think this is lame (because I’d rather receive a real gift), if even a fraction of Facebook’s millions of users bought one every now and then, some serious cash is being made.
But check this out. Now FarmVille is actually allowing real-life companies to embed their brand on its make-believe produce. The Times article goes on to say that this month FarmVille will allow its players to plant "an organic blueberry crop from Cascadian Farm, a subsidiary of General Mills." So not only are they promoting education on organic farming to FarmVille users, but Cascadian Farm is also getting exposure. (I’m sure whoever produces FarmVille is making a pretty penny off providing that exposure, too). Cascadian Farm execs said in the article that they hope the company can "expand its food niche and make itself better known by increasing awareness among FarmVille’s audience."
Now who would have thought a simple game application like FarmVille could generate money in so many other ways besides sideline web advertising? It boggles the mind.
Technology experts, designers and the average consumer have long anticipated the arrival of the newest installation to the iPhone family, number four. iPhone 4 has made impressive improvements to previous iPhone models while at the same time experiencing several design shortcomings. Below are a few examples of both for you to decide for yourself whether the iPhone 4 is a flop or a success.
It is evident that Apple wanted to make a splash with their new smart phone, as it boasts improvements to the operating system, camera, battery, memory and display. One of the most impressive improvements is a feature called Face Time, which allows for video chatting between two iPhone 4 users. Whether away on business, at the office or across the world, Apple has taken our ability to stay connected to the next level. Unfortunately for iPhone 4 users, this feature is only available when both participants are connected to Wi-Fi, making it very limiting. There are rumors that AT&T, the exclusive cellular provider of iPhone, will open their 3G network up for use with Face Time, but until this happens, users will have to find free wireless internet access if they hope to video chat with friends.
Another change made to the smart phone involves new body styling and material. Previous iPhones were backed with metal that scratched and dented easily. The 4 is totally manufactured in hard glass, like the screens of the previous editions and Apple believes that this glass body will resist damage more easily than metal or alloy. Unfortunately, many technology experts and designers believe this phone has serious potential to shatter if dropped on hard surfaces and warn users to purchase phone cases for protection. The 4 also boasts a larger battery that provides a longer life for the phone, and more memory for applications, photos and pictures. Even the operating system got a boost, now allowing for multitasking capabilities which was lacking from the previous iPhones.
One of the greatest concerns of the new smart phone involves its poor reception, which renowned magazine Consumer Report believes is caused by poor antennae placement. After testing the phone, the magazine cites the reception problem is caused when hands or fingers cover the ill placed wireless antennae located on the lower left side of the phone. Even as users are complaining of dropped calls and lost internet connections, Apple has yet to successfully address the issue.
So with strides in video chatting, operating systems, battery life and memory and shortfalls in reception and design features, Apple users are not sure whether they love or hate their newest smart phones.
While web design tip-toes on the line between art and computer science, most artists in the field have found it to be a fascinating new form of modern art that incorporates modernity and creativity. Web design involves more than just designing websites, and also involves more than just the HTML background of computer science. It combines these two aspects and degree programs help students grasp the understanding of both realms. Web design schools cater to different levels of expertise in both realms, seeking out both the computer-savvy and the artistic as potential web designers.
Students who have been trained in sculpture or painting obviously have a strong background in art, but web design schools must take this early training and incorporate it into a more manageable livelihood in web design. These students know how to extend their creativity to new heights, and as a result do not need to be taught new methods of expressing creativity through web design. Therefore, students that have similar backgrounds in the arts must be put into specific web design classes that focus more on the technical elements of computer programming so that they will be able to combine both art and technology!
Other students who have a background in computer programming will need to be taught how to explore web pages through web design schools. It is difficult to combine these two largely separate aspects of liberal arts and computer science, but it can be done, and the end product is well worth it. Most computer programmers are not known for their creative side, but web design degree programs throughout the country help students determine how to create a website that best suits their clients’ needs while still being original. This is a tough lesson to learn, but one of the most practical life lessons at the same time! Combining these two distinct specialties will make you a hot commodity within the web design industry and able to easily find a job after completing your degree.
While not all web designers have to be skillful in both areas of the field, it has become a more helpful quality to have when you are on the job market. Brining any additional skills to the table is a sure way to attract a potential employer’s potential and making yourself stand out is the way to land a job in the field. Most web design schools continue to take students of all backgrounds and mold them into new web designers by the time they finish their courses.
Forty percent of adults in America use their cells phones to access the Internet, e-mail, or instant messaging, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. And while it is not yet the majority, it is a significant increase from the 32 percent of adults who used their cells phones this way in 2009.
In May 2010, 38 percent of people used their cell phones to access the Internet compared to 23 percent in April 2009. More people, 34 percent, are also using their cell phones to send or receive e-mail, increasing from 25 percent in April 2009. Using cell phones to send or receive instant messages increased by 10 percent in May 2010, up from 20 percent a year earlier.
While using cell phones to access the Internet has increased in general, it is more popular among some groups than others. The most active users of the mobile Web are African-Americans and English-speaking Latinos with cell phone ownership being higher among both races than among whites. Minority cell phone users also take advantage of more of their phones’ features, such as Internet access, compared with whites. But the most likely group to utilize the mobile Web are young adults ages 18 to 29, with 65 percent of them accessing the Web on their cell phones, 48 percent accessing social networking sites, and 33 percent having posted photos or videos online from their phones. In addition, 52 percent of young adults have used their phone to send or receive email and 46 percent have used instant message.
But young adults are not the only ones who are cell phone savvy. Other age groups are quickly catching on. Forty-three percent of cell phone owners in the 30 to 49 age group use their phone to access the Internet, compared to 18 percent in the 50 to 64 age group, and 10 percent in the 65 and older group. When it comes to posting photos or videos online, 15 percent of those in the 30 to 49 age group use their phones to do this, while only 5 percent in the 50 to 64 age group do. One of the most popular cell phone activities for these older age groups is the sending and receiving of e-mail, with 37 percent of those in the 30 to 49 age group utilizing this technology, 22 percent in the 50 to 64 age group, and 11 percent in the 65 and older age group.
There once was a time when web design was open to amateurs looking to claim their own little space on the World Wide Web. Of course, those opportunities for amateurs still exist today, but back when GeoCities reigned supreme, web design for newbies was a force to content with. New personal websites cropped up every day, some filled with simple text layouts and others packed to the hilt with enough neon fonts, glittery graphics, and blinking cursors to make your pupils involuntarily dilate. Sadly (or not so much, depending on your personal fondness for glittering backgrounds), GeoCities has since shuttered its doors.
Founded by David Bohnett and John Rezner in 1994, GeoCities was created to host web pages for new and experienced web designers alike. It was formatted to function like a neighborhood directory, allowing users to pick which electronic "neighborhood" they would like to belong to. For example, users could pick either to build their website in the GeoCities version of Colosseum, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, Sunset Strip, Wall Street, or West Hollywood. Later on, as the site gained popularity with excited web page designers looking to try their hand in Java Script and HTML coding, the site added several more neighborhoods for users to join. The neighborhoods allowed for other webmasters within the neighborhood to easily search for one another’s pages, which helped to build online communities. In addition, the neighborhood name provided part of the web site’s unique web address.
Success came quickly and by 1998, many big companies were heavily invested in GeoCities, including search engine giant Yahoo! In fact, Yahoo! was so interested in GeoCities that it purchased the company – and subsequently all of the websites associated with it – in early 1999. However, the acquisition came at an ill-timed moment. The dot-com bubble – a time when many popular online companies went bankrupt and closed – burst and GeoCities began losing members and money. Yahoo! was forced to begin offering better free hosting services to draw in new users and lower prices for premium services. Still, after the Yahoo! acquisition, the popularity and heyday of GeoCities began dwindling.
However, the online hosting company tenaciously hung on for another ten years before Yahoo! finally decided to shut it down in 2009. After the closure, millions of web pages containing everything from random musings to family photographs to educational resources were wiped from the Web. Webmasters across the country mourned the end of an era, though some were undoubtedly glad to see the famously tacky web pages go. But it is undoubtedly true that many current web designers enjoyed their first foray into the field as curious newbies in GeoCities.
