Tag Archives: Blog

What do people type in the address bar?

Earlier this year, I added a feature to URL Fixer (a browser add-on that fixes errors in URLs that you type in the address bar) that collects anonymous usage stats from users who opt in in order to help improve the ways that URL Fixer corrects typos; the collected data includes domains that are typed in the URL bar as well as the locale (language/country) of the user who typed them. I now have six months of data, and I’ve run some statistical analysis on it in order to share some interesting stats with you. (If I were more creative, I would make an infographic out of this information.)Note that this data does not include bookmarked links or links that users click on in websites. It is strictly domains … Continue reading →

The difference (and relationship) between usability and user experience

  After web site accessibility, “user experience” (abbreviated as UX) is probably the phrase that most people tend to confuse usability with. Whilst this topic has been discussed by various experts in the respective fields, I feel the need to write about it for two main reasons. The first reason is that several posts I have encountered emphasize the distinction between these two terms, yet they fail to highlight the relationship that exists between usability and user experience. The second reason is that whilst most of the posts are similar in nature, I have found some minor, albeit very valid points scattered in various posts I have read. Therefore, the objective of this post is to discuss these two terms, whilst highlighting their differences and more importantly the relationship … Continue reading →

Ultimate blogger’s guide to search engine optimization

In the competitive world of search engine optimization (SEO), your business blog is a critical tool for your success. Why is blogging so important to your search engine visibility? Because search engines serve up web pages—not websites—when people ask a question. And here’s the important part: Every blog post is a new web page and every web page is another opportunity to rank well for another search term. Read more By Rich Brooks for Social Media Examiner, 08 June 2011.

World stores – searching for retail success

Sometimes this blog is accused of an obsession with Silicon Valley, at the expense of home grown technology businesses. It’s true that the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter make plenty of news – but when I come across an interesting British start-up I’m keen to let you know about it. And WorldStores, a business based in Twickenham, has a fascinating tale to tell – it appears to have found the secret to successful online retailing. In just a couple of years the firm has launched 76 niche retail sites, mainly selling large items for the home and garden. And that at a time when selling those kind of products on the high street has been the way to lose money in a hurry. So why is this business … Continue reading →

5 excellent small business blogs to learn from

A company blog is a useful tool for small businesses hoping to give others a glimpse into the company while also promoting the company’s products and services. While it’s never a good idea to spam readers with irrelevant promotional messages, there are plenty of ways to provide valuable information and resources to existing and potential customers. Here are five small businesses that are using a blog to reach local communities and showcase the company’s experience and expertise. We’ve outlined exactly what they’re doing right as a guide for other small businesses to improve their own blogging activities. Read more By Erica Swallow, 25 March 2011 for openforum.com  

Kids and social media

I thought I was pretty handy at understanding social media, its uses and its relevance to brands, but compared to my own kids, I officially know nothing. I was watching my daughter the other day and she was tapping away at her phone. I asked what she was doing and it turned out that she was negotiating via Twitter with the CEO of BooHoo.com to get him to supply her a t-shirt for her to use in another of her projects. Read More By John Lyle for John Lyle’s new brand thinking, 28 Feb 2011.

How to integrate a blog into your content strategy

Physically setting up a blog is not that difficult. A little while back, I wrote a post for small business owners onwhy start a blog and 25 tips to make it work. It was so popular — got more than 350 bookmarks on Delicious at the time — that I also packaged it as afree eBook for portability. Read More By Valeria Maltoni for Conversation Agent.

Where do bad ideas come from?

There’s been a lot of buzz about Steven Johnson’s book Where Good Ideas Come From. An article in Foreign Policy by Stephen Walt addresses the opposite question: Where Do Bad Ideas Come From? He is talking about bad ideas in foreign policy, such as the domino effect, which have been used to justify policy but which have failed to be supported by actual facts or events. In part, Walt thinks that bad ideas result from an inability to learn from error: Read More By Tim Kastelle for Innovation Leadership Network, 09 Feb 2011.

Prototype of an open web app ecosystem

The open Web is a great platform for rich applications. It would be even better if it had additional capabilities to ease discovery, acquisition, installation and use of apps, while also enabling monetization for developers. We designed and built a prototype of a system for open Web apps: Apps built using HTML/CSS/JavaScript that work both on computers and mobile phones, have many of the characteristics that users find compelling about native apps and provide developers with open and flexible distribution options. Read More By J Sullivan for Mozilla Blog, 10 Nov 2010.