Provide Information Customers Want

Like you, customers have their own objectives when they visit your website. It could be to find a product, find a service, learn about you or even, to only get your contact details.

But, what if you had too much trouble finding the information or understanding it?

Will you refer your colleagues or friends this website? Maybe. Probably. Possibly. Well, stop it.

Start providing information your customers want and can find easily in your website. Start a sitemap.

You’re halfway to design a website made for users.

Free Publicity Staring In Your Face

Recently to spruce up my articles, I’ve been nitpicking stock photos most relevant to my content. And the one stock photo source which I love to use, even for my website design mockups is from iStockPhoto. They’ve a large variety of user-contributed photos from amateurs to professionals.

Keeping a standard of professionalism, I contacted their relations to ask:

Am I allowed to use your watermarked stock photos in my blog articles?

Honestly, I was really looking forward to the team granting me permission to do so. But, their reply was:

No, you cannot use watermarked images in this way as you will need to obtain a license for the images in order to use them on your blog.

The after-feeling drove me to write this article about free publicity, laying right there. Seriously, isn’t a blogger using the watermarked images free publicity staring back?

Image credit: SXC

Not because I’m an exceptional blogger but because I’m willing to advertise the provider’s photos here by using their watermarked stock photos. If one of the terms requested were to always end my posts with a backlink, I would. Heck, I’d even happily give backlinks to each photo I used directly to its author’s page.

Anyway, since I can no longer use these lovely images, I’ll resort back to free stock photo libraries or hand-sketches (eek!). Unless some other stock photo library like Corbis, Inmagine, Getty Images or other willing library would happily permit me to use their stock photos.

Facebook’s Unobtrusive Advertising is Good User Experience

The Facebook sponsored event is a good idea if not brilliant. Like how Facebook promotes their pages or groups, it would tell you of the other friends who’ve joined it. For their sponsored event, not only does it do that but it also allows you to RSVP instantly in the panel.

To me, this is a really good unobtrusive advertising method for events. If you’re not interested, mark you’re not attending and you’re done.

The user experience (UX) designer in Facebook either must be having a hard time coming up with all this or is having the time of his life!

The Malaysia PC Fair or Malaysia Babe Fair?

As wrong as it sounds, I’m not speaking about how you can buy a babe like how you could buy a friend on Facebook. I’m writing this because my recent visitor statistics have been very interesting. Thanks to the ongoing Malaysia PC Fair; which sadly I couldn’t attend this round.

So, why were the statistics interesting? Have a read at the phrases which came to my blog.

• pc fair picture
• pc fair 2009 malaysia babe
• pc fair december 2009 babe
• pc fair + babes
• pc fair babes
• pc fair december 2009 girl

6 out of 7 results above were people looking for the PC Fair babes or girls or ambassadors! And dare I say, most of the people who searched this would’ve been males. LOL!

From a serious standpoint, do all ICT fairs evolve into this? Does the Chinese Taipei ICT fair; Computex, face a similar trend during the exhibition period? Is it all about the promoters, babes, girls or ambassadors?

Will you purchase an item because a PC Fair ambassador asked you to buy it? Especially if you’re a photographer and you hadn’t planned or needed to purchase anything at the PC Fair.

3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Online Brand Experience

A brand may be the logo designed for your company. But, branding is about sharing your brand philosophy and vision with your customer. Well, that’s my take of it.

In the words of a branding consultant; Scratchdisk Creative, their description of branding in 140 characters via Twitter:

Actually in all simplicity, branding is how people perceive and experience you. That’s it!

By the way, Scratchdisk Creative is a member of Level5 Creative. So is, Simpleet Solutions.

How consistent is your branding?

As the question says. Where have you applied your branding? And I’m not talking about only business cards, brochures or any other offline marketing collaterals. What about your online branding?

Here’s a brand which isn’t only inspiring but has many other brands under its network. I really liked how they’ve brought their branding experience online although it may be subtle. So, let’s have a look at Envato.

Envato website

Envato Twitter

Notice the subtle branding. Yes, what Envato did was bring forth their background across the website and Twitter. Unfortunately, I emailed Envato if I could have an image reference of their business cards but I didn’t get a reply. So, all we could do is assume it carries the same subtle branding.

Benefits of a consistent branding strategy

From the article, you could tell I’m looking at branding from not only an online point of view, but offline too. And based on my observations, I’ve found myself believing a consistent branding strategy:

Increases credibility

You are who you say are from the moment you passed your business card to a potential customer. They’re immediately attached to the branding experience you’re sharing with them.

Increases professionalism

Consistent branding tells customers you’re serious about your brand. There’s something so important in the brand which you want to be carried to all channels and platforms.

Increases brand experience

With an increase in credibility and professionalism, it’s obvious even your brand experience will get a boost from a consistent branding strategy.

At the end of the day, it goes to show, it’s a damn good brand!

So, what are the 3 simple ways to improve your online branding experience?

You can start with your website, blog (if any), Twitter (if any) or if you’re not active in social media then look towards your offline marketing collaterals – business cards, brochures and etc.

By the way, what other examples of a consistent branding strategy have you found?