Uba Kontrovasie

Good usability cannot be found behind a login screen

The recent launch of Google Website Optimiser probably got a lot of web-masters thinking “Great! a free, off the shelf solution to usability”, just like Google Analytics was a free, off the shelf equivalent to all the big names such as Omniture, Nedstad and Hitbox.

Multivariate testing can provide insight into effective landing page rotations and web analytics can provide insight into navigation paths, dwell times and user journeys. Whilst these snippets of information are useful, I believe they cannot replace the expertise delivered by UE creatives and IA’s.

Working with UE creatives has made me realise that their day-to-day work involves:

- Detailed qualitative and quantitive research
- Defining typical user personas and user journeys
- Accessibility auditing and consulting
- Information architecture design
- User interface design and optimisation
- Content consulting and landing page design
- User testing

In addition to their practices and output, they have an understanding of web technologies, web design, consumer psychology and many of them come from backgrounds in design, web-design or product design.

User centered design has never been so important and even when I speak to clients about the design of basic things such as blogs, I always reiterate the importance of taking UI design and overall usability into consideration.

Good usability increases dwell times, lowers bounce rates, increases repeat visitors and most importantly helps the end user achieve their goal or purpose for using your website.

Whilst the mentioned benefits seem fairly straight forward, people often overlook the benefits that user centered design has on Natural Search Optimisation. Approaches adopted to improve usability and accessibility often simultaneously facilitate more efficient search engine crawling and indexing too.

In an economic and digital climate where the customer really has become King and every penny really does count, ensuring your website is user friendly is essential for maximising efficiencies and gaining the most value from website traffic.

Tags: analytics, efficiency optimisation, multivariate testing

Anti-drugs

I’m a massive supporter of any anti-drugs campaigning, however, above the line anti-drugs adverts have always lacked a degree of “cred”.

Finally the new FRANK ad has changed this. It’s just damn clever!

Tags: above the line, anti-drugs, frank, tv, tv advertising

Tweet with caution!

I was out partying not to so long ago and having access to twitter via mobile, whilst you’re drunk is not a good idea.

I must have tweeted about how drunk I was, why? I don’t quite know, I suppose using twitter has become akin to using the phone. You often call people whilst you’re drunk and I suppose tweeting whilst you’re drunk is the next step after using twitter becomes second nature.

Anyway a friend of mine Googled my name and guess what got indexed? My drunken tweet! Not a very good example of “personal reputation management”.

I found the whole thing quite hilarious, hope you guys do too.

Tags: faux pas, funny, Lifestreaming, Micro Blogging, Twitter

The value of listening

I always notice that when people start talking about Social Media they often refer to it as a new method of talking to audiences, customers and people with shared interests.

I suppose none of this is untrue, however, I rarely hear people refer to Social Media as an alternative method of LISTENING to audiences, customers and people with shared interests.

I always tell clients; if you’re using social media effectively, anything in between 50-60% of your time should be spent on listening to people.

Forums, blogs, Facebook groups and even microblogs hold so many answers in regards to how people feel about a brand and its offerings. For this reason I believe Social Media should be perceived as a valuable quantitative and qualitative research base.

Information derived from social environments can and should be used to influence product development, CRM/after-sales strategy and even marketing and advertising for traditional channels.

Should every brand be utilising Social Media?

Yes! With so many social platforms available to the public, every brand should be utilising Social Media in order to listen to relevant online communities and key influences at the very least.

For years brand owners have spent millions of pounds on product and market research. Whilst these processes are all still necessary, it is also important to realise that the foundations for these types of research can be laid with insight from social spaces and assessment of online conversations.

Tags: listening, research, social media, social media measurement

Zazzling Zoom

I was surfing the web for t-shirts today, just looking and not buying. I want to print my own, there are so many Banksy tee’s available but no Binoy Varghese tee’s or any of the artists that I like.

Anyway I stumbled upon Zazzle.Com, which at first looked like any other t-shirt website, however, after some exploring I discovered the neat product zoom feature on their home page.

I haven’t seen it anywhere before, but I think it’s pretty dang cool because it eliminates the need to leave the product gallery in order to zoom in on products. I didn’t delve into how they’ve done it, probably some ajaxery at play.

Tags: ajax, art, Design, e-shop, ecommerce, fashion, online shop, tee shirts, usability, web design

A train, some raisins and childhood memories

I’ve been busy recently, what have I been up to?

Errmm…doing site audits, working on pitches and taking trains to Manchester.

Manchester is cool, lots of construction work under way and old boarded up buildings, which were full of character and plastered with graffiti.

On the way back to London I bought a packet of chocolate covered Sun Maid Raisins, I’d never seen these anywhere before.

If you were a child of the 80’s like moi, you’ll probably remember The California Raisins ad’s, TV show and songs.

How cool were they? All the kids at school use to watch the show and munch on the raisins, not because they tasted fantastic (without chocolate), but because raisins were cool.

That show and the ad’s were pioneering examples of brand entertainment, contentainment or whatever you want to call it. I don’t know about you guys, but thanks to those ad’s I’ve always subconsciously associated Marvin Gaye with dried fruit.

Tags: animation, brand entertainment