Archive for May, 2008

Email as Website Customer’s Service Tool

May 30, 2008 in Information

One of the most effective website tools for increasing customer service as well as raising customer’s trust and confidence in your site is the email. Their confirmation messages assure the users that their message had been brought to the intended recipient. They reach out to customers rather than wait for users to come and approach them as with the circumstances with websites. Email messages must be designed for its most advantageous purpose, using an interface that acts in the perspective of a busy inbox and the user’s excited approach to reading mail. Email writing is a user interface design activity even though their messages are mainly text.

Reading Web Content

May 23, 2008 in Information

Users most often read web pages in an F-shaped pattern, F meaning fast. The readers’ eyes move at an astonishing speed across the words found in your website, that is completely different from the reading pattern taught in school. Content is read horizontally around the upper portion of the content area then moving a bit down the page continues reading the next in a horizontal movement again but covering a shorter course. Lastly, the left side is scanned vertically and this forms the stem. This pattern only shows that users don’t read web pages word for word and that in-depth reading is uncommon.

Blogging and the Net

May 16, 2008 in Information

Currently, the best way to market on the net is through blogging, they are similar to regular websites but are easier to create and less expensive. Here are a few reasons why you should try blogging:

• Being web based, blogs are published every time you post giving you an intake of current issues.
• They are spontaneous therefore more informal and conversational. Readers can get a glimpse of the blogger’s personality.
• They can link to other blogs and websites helping you to create a marketing system.
• They create archives of posts automatically so you can access them anytime.
• Readers are allowed to post comments establishing rapport with them.

Small Business Websites

May 13, 2008 in Information

A website is essential for a small business. Websites are the first point of reference that a customer explores when looking for a business. They are viewed as the company portfolio, presenting what they can do for customers. However they differ from portfolios in the sense that customers can start viewing from any point in the site, so it is imperative that every page is designed creatively to attract attention and portray your message. It must contain links to navigate users to anywhere within the site. A good website should be able to foresee what customers want as well as making them reachable. Make your site simple and navigable because complicated websites can turn customers away.

Web Page Heatmap

May 08, 2008 in Information

The Web page heatmap is a visual representation of visitor activity or the graphical illustration of how visitors act on a web page. The heatmaps use varied colors to register this activity – red indicates areas and sections with the highest visitor interest. These maps can help in building a web page layout or quantifying the success of an existing one. Different types of heatmaps can be made based on visitor activity: following visitor eye movements to determine how they view a web page; or mouse clicks can establish the page sections that generate the maximum activity. However, these 2 activities may not be translated in one map.

Smileys ;-)

May 05, 2008 in Information

The “emotional icons” that we often use for email as well as text messaging are emoticons. In common user language they are referred to as “smileys”, and they are used to add feeling and design to email and text messages Emoticons can bring about the nuances of spoken tone, facial expression, and body language to a written note. Creating or writing an emoticon is relatively simple and easy – just type plain keyboard typescript and most of these shapes can be interpreted by looking at them sideways. It is remarkably useful when the underlying message of your written note could be misinterpreted.