...definitely bad etiquette having any sort of media start automatically. A glittery animation makes sense and will draw the eye to the rich content.
In terms of having a tag cloud- I do recommend these. Not only can you optimise more keywords, but most people don't perform searches in search boxes (unless they're conducting a search on Google or Yahoo) because most people lack trust in the internal search to propagate the content they're after (mostly because of semantics- you say tomato I say tamato). A tag cloud negates semantics and helps a user by serving up more ideas for items to look for.
If it comes down to needing to eliminate elements - the main rule of thumb is the bottom line "will this end in a sale?" - content for the sake of content is not more important then merchandise.
Also, in 4-6 months you'll likely want to make a few changes and modify certain elements. The canvas is never complete- there will be plenty of opportunities to make adjustments and refinements. The best way to determine what to keep and what to get rid of is the analytics from user behaviour- we can make all kinds of assumptions about what will have the most impact now, but the best director is consumer behaviour.
Letter to a Client: eCommerce Design Tips
The following is an extract from an email I sent to a client today - I seem to share the same advise over and over, so why not post it with my readers?
Metrics, Analytics & Goals
"You can’t improve what you don’t understand.” – Avinash Kaushik
I've been reading a fantastic book this week that I highly recommend to anyone working within digital media analysis. Web Analytics 2.0, by Avinash Kaushik is a must-read for all online marketing professionals and business analysts.
Here's what I've taken away from my reading thus far:
Data is the anatomy of digital media. Within the structure of web platforms and online content is a wealth of information. It provides everything necessary to evaluate the sustainability of an online product. The challenge is not collecting data; but rather, in its evaluation and analysis. How and when decisions are made requires the right data at the right time. Timing is critical for proactive enhancements. By understanding the structure of digital media it is possible to improve the life of the product and the duration of its effectiveness.
The test and measure philosophy for success provides the awareness that no project is ever complete. It is crucial to acquire data that is actionable, and to discard data that is unhelpful or irrelevant. This principle seems simple, but assessing ‘good’ data from ‘bad’ data is unique to every web application, platform, and piece of content. Determining the KPIs (key performance indicators) requires trial and error.
Each individual within an organisation will have their own expectation for reporting based on their role and responsibilities. The role of the individual distributing these reports and evaluating them is determined by the company's corporate culture.
An administrator produces reports and distributes them to the individuals responsible for decision making. These managers evaluate the data and implement strategies based on the insights they extract. This causes delays and is not ideal for a start-up. A reporting system is better suited to a micro-management style of checks and balances, which slows down the decision making process.
The alternative is to employ an analyst who extracts insights based on their experience and industry knowledge. An analyst cuts down the time required for multiple individuals to reach a conclusion from the data. An analyst is suited to an agile development team that is trying to launch a new product. The difference is the speed in which decisions take place within the organisation. This report outlines the role of the analyst while detailing the necessary metrics to be collected and analysed.
Step 1: Customer Intent
This form of reporting is simple and standard with most analytics software. Essentially a few lines of code are added to each page; which is automatically generated by the analytics tool. This code will produce reports on general site-wide information, such as: page views and bounce rate. The core metrics listed above will be the basis for assessing the customer intent.
Step 2: Configure Settings
In order to asses “good” data from “bad” data the various conversion funnels will need to be stored within the analytics tool. These goals will allow us to determine how often a user performs specific actions that lead to positive outcomes; such as: completed registrations, subscribing to the newsletter, creating an ad, placing a bid, and even performing an internal search.
We need to capture the specific actions performed by each user in order to enhance and improve the sales funnel. Only through test and measurement of the online flows can processes be improved. If the majority of users are performing the same searches there may need to be a quick link provided upon point of entry to enhance the experience and serve relevant information directly.
Another important consideration is that not all actions will occur on the website. Thanks to open API's most users will be able to take action through external webpages and devices. Essentially, what the report needs to determine is how users are interacting with the platform (*think platform not website).
Step 3: Campaign Tracking
In order to accurately assess the ROI for online advertising and promotion it is critical that each and every Ad has a unique code associated with it. This includes emails, banners, referral links, and directory listings. The tag needs to include the location, source, and any other parameters surrounding the online marketing strategy for that particular promotion.
This requires time and a designated body assessing that the code is accurate and reports are verified. There are tools to help with the manual entry associated with campaign tracking, but it will require a person to manage and perform data entry.
It is very important to know where traffic is coming from and which referring websites are producing regular flows of traffic. The more relevant a promotion the higher the conversion rate which means a good return on investment. It’s important to determine which websites refer traffic based on internal search terms and top tags.
Step 4: Tracking Revenue & Intelligence
Additional JavaScript code will need to be embedded onto each page in order to extract data out of the page. The code will provide instructions for the script to know what data needs to be collected. Due to the fact that this data is personal and user generated it is important that all privacy measures have been taken into consideration. Legal evaluation of the data being collected is required; not only because of the user’s right to privacy, but because company data will be exported into an external tool and then processed into a report.
The value of this data is high and crucial for assessing gaps and accuracy of online forms, the payment gateway, and internal processes for user management. It is also required for measuring the payments being processed through your web platform.
Metrics to be collected include:
- Daily Payments
- Daily Fees Collected
Evaluating the effectiveness of rich media is paramount for any web 2.0 platform. Monitoring user interactions with content such as: videos, widgets, apps, audio, and any other user generated content. Developers will need to create and embed code into each piece of rich media content in order to track behaviour.
Reporting can include:
- How often a video is played.
- Viral distribution of content (sent via which aggregator)
- How often a user opens an app
- How often a user interacts via mobile device
- Action via Widgets and Gadgets
Analytics Resources:
Google Analytics Glossary
Occam’s Razor by Avinah Kaushik
Hitwise
comScore
“Let data, not opinions, drive decisions.” – Avinash Kaushik
How to Create an Online Network
“A great city is that which has the greatest men and women.” – Walt WhitmanExperts in social media warn against creating a community with no purpose or specific intent. A thriving community needs a purpose and a positive, encouraging leader to evoke a sense of pride in participation. The greatest asset of a community is its members.
Community input offers marketers an intimate — and continuous — understanding of information important to consumers, but only if they’re willing to listen closely to what members have to say. You can use feedback to uncover what consumers really want or to design new enhancements, products and marketing programs. The key is to get the entire team to focus on what's important in a sea of open-ended responses: insights that matter to the business and marketing plans.
Listen, Don’t Control
It will be vital to conduct extensive market research prior to the launch of the community. Within the initial stage internal research and analysis will occur in conjunction with external research. Then decisions will be made as to the appropriate objectives to pursue, whether to keep membership restricted or open, and whether to recruit customers or prospects as moderators or external staff.
The community manager will be the host of the community. This role will require a person who is able to rally online members to take action, complete their profile information, create their own content, and review other members’ content. The goal is not for the community manager to control member behaviour, but to teach them how to use the platforms functionality.
Collecting feedback and observing how the members interact is vital for future enhancements and improvements to the functionality. The majority of testing will occur during the testing stage in order to trial the platform using a wide range of members in real-world scenarios.
Another aspect of the community manager’s role is to conduct real-time surveys by asking members questions about their experience using Meemeep. The aim is for members to take initiative in submitting feedback, but because the need for feedback is so high during the pilot the community manager will solicit feedback on a regular basis. Surveys will also be conducted using SurveyMonkey and Google Documents.
Selling Stuff Online
Recently a client came to us and asked how she could sell yoga DVDs online. We reviewed the category and looked at the competition and told our client that we could help her create a network in order to talk to people online about her style of yoga and the DVDs she produced.
The client wasn’t too thrilled initially, in fact, she downright hated the idea, but we held our ground. The thing of it is there is millions of yoga DVDs and differentiating one yoga DVD from the next is a hard nut to crack. I’ve tried a few yoga DVDs in my time, and I usually try the ones with the highest ratings on Amazon or whatever is being endorsed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow or Madonna. Years ago I bought the NYC Ballet Company fitness DVD because Sarah Jessica Parker swore by it.
Lame as it might be, word of mouth is how most consumers make their buying decisions. Even if the recommendation comes from a total stranger it’s better than nothing. At least a rating and review provides some form of context. I also like being able to try before I buy. Video samples and video podcasts are a brilliant way to give potential customers a digital taste.
Anyway, during this time I was browsing through Mashable, and noticed a banner for a CMS platform called SocialGo. On the SocialGo website I found a case study for a site called Earthlings.
There are a lot of online communities out there, and I think it’s a mistake for any company to think their online community is going to rival Facebook or Twitter – I can guarantee you that a corporate or brand community will never, ever surpass a community based on real-life connections.
Anyway, the goal is to integrate into existing communities and start a dialogue about something you’re passionate about. For my client, it was yoga and living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. This is the perfect kind of conversational fodder, and I imagined she’d take to it like a yogi to a mat. But I was wrong. My client followed my directions and created her own network on SocialGo, and created profiles on Facebook and Twitter. We had custom backgrounds made and showed her how to communicate with people. As a few months passed she arrived at my house looking glum and defeated. When I asked her what was going on she told me that she felt disappointed that no one had bought a DVD and no one on her SocialGo network was interacting.
I was shocked. It never occurred to me that I needed to explain that setting everything up was only the first step. The web is not a field of dreams – there is no “build it and they will come” mantra happening in the background.
First you need to interrupt someone, get their attention by offering them something they’re interested in or looking for, and then provide them that ‘thing’. Once you’ve got the ability to communicate with them and they feel satisfied that you delivered what they were looking for you can then start communicating with them about the next thing they want. Then you deliver that next thing, and so on. This goes on for awhile, and then one day you tell them about something new you’ve got before they even have to ask- why do you do this? Because you’ve developed a relationship, and you aren’t offering them something random- but something relevant and right up their alley.
I'll be blogging about this client adventure more over the next few weeks. Please add a comment or send an email if you have any questions or want to share your own experience with selling products online.
The client wasn’t too thrilled initially, in fact, she downright hated the idea, but we held our ground. The thing of it is there is millions of yoga DVDs and differentiating one yoga DVD from the next is a hard nut to crack. I’ve tried a few yoga DVDs in my time, and I usually try the ones with the highest ratings on Amazon or whatever is being endorsed by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow or Madonna. Years ago I bought the NYC Ballet Company fitness DVD because Sarah Jessica Parker swore by it.
Lame as it might be, word of mouth is how most consumers make their buying decisions. Even if the recommendation comes from a total stranger it’s better than nothing. At least a rating and review provides some form of context. I also like being able to try before I buy. Video samples and video podcasts are a brilliant way to give potential customers a digital taste.
Anyway, during this time I was browsing through Mashable, and noticed a banner for a CMS platform called SocialGo. On the SocialGo website I found a case study for a site called Earthlings.
When the owners of Earthlings started their SocialGO network, they weren’t yet ready to sell their baby clothing products. Even so, they persevered and built a healthy, online community so that when they were ready to sell, they had constant access to a specifically targeted consumer base. “We thought, why not start a community? We can have the ball rolling even before we get our products online,” says Hannah Shone, Co-Owner of Earthlings.
There are a lot of online communities out there, and I think it’s a mistake for any company to think their online community is going to rival Facebook or Twitter – I can guarantee you that a corporate or brand community will never, ever surpass a community based on real-life connections.
Anyway, the goal is to integrate into existing communities and start a dialogue about something you’re passionate about. For my client, it was yoga and living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. This is the perfect kind of conversational fodder, and I imagined she’d take to it like a yogi to a mat. But I was wrong. My client followed my directions and created her own network on SocialGo, and created profiles on Facebook and Twitter. We had custom backgrounds made and showed her how to communicate with people. As a few months passed she arrived at my house looking glum and defeated. When I asked her what was going on she told me that she felt disappointed that no one had bought a DVD and no one on her SocialGo network was interacting.
I was shocked. It never occurred to me that I needed to explain that setting everything up was only the first step. The web is not a field of dreams – there is no “build it and they will come” mantra happening in the background.
First you need to interrupt someone, get their attention by offering them something they’re interested in or looking for, and then provide them that ‘thing’. Once you’ve got the ability to communicate with them and they feel satisfied that you delivered what they were looking for you can then start communicating with them about the next thing they want. Then you deliver that next thing, and so on. This goes on for awhile, and then one day you tell them about something new you’ve got before they even have to ask- why do you do this? Because you’ve developed a relationship, and you aren’t offering them something random- but something relevant and right up their alley.
I'll be blogging about this client adventure more over the next few weeks. Please add a comment or send an email if you have any questions or want to share your own experience with selling products online.
A Giggle of Amusement
Reading through Wired's cutting story of Facebook's business direction to create a public community out of it's private community is a funny little twist.
Beside the scathing critic of Facebook's choice to sell information to third party businesses is a Wired Fan Page - 91, 712 fans and counting (I just added myself).
I personally believe that the inclusion of brands and advertising are a natural addition to Facebook. I really never thought it was THAT special and intimate. I kinda always felt it was the opposite of private- if I needed to be private I would not be using Facebook. Let's get real here, most people have about 200+ friends on Facebook- raise of hands how many actually communicate with the majority of their 'friends' on a regular basis.
As much as everyone wants to be too cool for advertising, the reality is that we are living in a consumer culture. Buying stuff is what we do. Last time I looked everyone wasn't turning their own crops or making thier own clothes (aside from the community selling their gear on Etsy). Wired wants to sell magazines -just like every other business wants to make a deal with an interested buyer. Businesses use Facebook is engage with people and find out more about them. I'd rather Facebook sell data then carry on with the Company Fan Page mania- truly, Fan Pages are rarely fun or interesting.
If Facebook is able to figure out a way for brands and advertising to become personalised and relevant to me - I say bring it on. Right now the best they're able to pull off is celebrity weight loss and underwear ads.
What evil will come from a local merchant letting me know that the boots I crave are in my price range and down the street from my pilates class?
I might be a loner on this one, but I really don't think my random, lame, witty funny, stupid remarks on Facebook is going to lead anyone anywhere close to harming me. I don't think my 'cultural norms' are disrupted at all by the new privacy position. I just don't think I'm special enough to be watched all that closely.
If anything, I don't think Facebook is going far enough. I'd like to be able to be paid for my interactions with businesses. I'd like to be rewarded more often and given discounts at local stores. Instead of every shop having its own rewards program- I'd like to have one massive rewards program that allows me to manage all of the brands and brands I choose to engage with.
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