Archive for the ‘Online Strategy’ Category

QR Codes should delight you

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

I love using QR Codes for what I believe their intended purpose is — to transfer a short string of data to somebody’s smart phone. Specifically, a URL for a responsively designed web site. Single-purpose mobile optimized web pages are ok in some circumstances too, but that’s a topic for another post.

There is no more efficient way to get a person to open a specific web page on their smart phone from the physical world. In fact, nothing else comes close. Not augmented reality. Not Google Goggles Search. Nothing can touch QR Codes for sending a person to a specific web page on their smart phone from outside their smart phone.

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Misleading Analytics Sure Feel Good

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

According to Google Analytics, one of the websites I’m involved with has a 105,200.00% increase in visits. I imagine the meeting at Google went something like this:

Q: Should we just leave % Change blank until after 30 days of data?
A: Nah, it will make people feel good to see a really huge, albeit inaccurate number for the first month. (more…)

Let customers plan your path

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

You know those dirt paths worn through public green spaces? The ones that mark the passage of countless people who were too lazy to stick to the sidewalk? I love those dirt paths. I can even mathematically prove they save lots of steps (thank-you Pythagoras).  To me, those saved steps and all that dead grass means somebody missed what people really want.

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This new business is support

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Yesterday I got an email from a form on one of my web sites that usually means a new opportunity. In fact, when I see the subject/sender that is used by that form I often say to myself “here’s some new business”. This time it wasn’t. It was a current customer with a support request — and a classic case of users not following your intended work flow.

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