Maybe You Don't Need Social Media

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
We recommend social media to many of our clients. It's a great way to discover what your customers want, to interact with them in a place where they are comfortable, to generate search engine rankings, and so much more. But it's not right for everyone. If you're not prepared to do it right, it might not be the right strategy for you. Ask yourself these four questions to see if you're ready for it:

1. Could my business benefit from hearing what people are saying about us? If you already know exactly how people talk about your business, you might not need social media. On the other hand, if you're not tracking your word of mouth reputation, you may not be able to afford not to participate in social media.
2. Could we benefit from learning more about our target customers? If you think you know exactly what it is that makes your customer tick, maybe you don't need social media. Maybe your sales are great, and finding more effective or efficient ways to serve your customer just isn't a priority. 'Nuff said. Social media might not be in the cards for you.
3. Would it be useful to meet and talk to industry influencers? If you're the kind of business who leads the pack (y'know, like google), then maybe you don't need to worry about social media. You influence the influencers, and your business leadership is regarded as the gold standard. That's great! The connections you can make on social media probably won't turn into any valuable insight or influence.
4. Are we willing to commit to using social media?  Having a half-hearted social media presence is like having a lousy TV commercial – it can annoy people and do more harm than good. If you set up Facebook and Twitter accounts but don't have the time to follow up when people ask you questions, you're going to have some disappointed customers. Should you decide to enter the social media scene, make sure you are prepared to update your pages regularly and interact with customers punctually so your followers and fans feel the love.

Who Doesn't Like Free Stuff?

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
Some people actually spend a lot of time scoping the internet for free stuff.  And there's plenty of it out there. With its coupons and free samples and freeware, the internet can provide hours of entertainment for people looking for complimentary goodies.

Everybody Else is Doing It...

One way to increase traffic to your site and make your email list grow is to join the crowd and offer something for free. If it's something super cool, the freebie alone might be enough to lure people to your site. A really cool screensaver or some wallpaper, for instance, can attract a party if it's unique enough.

If you can't come up with something earth-shattering, there's nothing wrong with something tried and true. Good content packaged in a list or an e-book might not cause a mad rush to your website, but it may help you to collect the email addresses of people who do visit. If you have information and visitors to your site need it, volunteering their email addresses is usually no big deal. (Just make sure not to collect that email address as part of a complicated 28-question form...you want them to get what they want without feeling hassled.)

Look at it this way...people go to the trouble of taking cars and cabs and buses to go places that offer free stuff or even discounts...and they can visit websites that do the same without even leaving the comfort of their homes.  If you were doing some online browsing, wouldn't you appreciate getting something for free?

Meet Your Audience's Expectations

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
I'm hungry. Let's talk about restaurants.

Everyone likes going out to eat. And when we go to restaurants, we tend to have certain expectations about how the experience will play out. We assume, for instance, that there will be a menu. And that there will be an opportunity to place an order. And that after we've ordered, someone will cook the food for us and serve us. It's not lack of creativity that makes most restaurants follow these norms; they are rules that work, and restaurant patrons are most comfortable when this pattern is followed.

If you entered an unfamiliar restaurant and discovered that it did not have a menu, for instance, chances are good that you'd feel a little uneasy. All legitimate restaurants you've been to before have had menus, so you'd be likely to question what type of establishment you had entered. And even if you got to order whatever you wanted and the food was delicious and you enjoyed your experience, you'd probably leave there thinking, Well, that was kind of weird.

Following the Unwritten Rules

This idea applies just as well to web design.  When we enter a new website, there are certain patterns we expect it to follow. For example, we expect that the elements that will help us navigate from page to page will be located on the top or side of the screen. There's no reason why a web designer couldn't make a diagonal row of navigation buttons that extends from one corner of the page to the other. But instead, web designers stick to the unwritten rules of web design because they want to follow their audience's expectations and help them stay comfortable as they browse.

So while IntelliSites is on the cutting edge of creativity when it comes to web design, don't worry, we do believe in keeping some things conventional. We realize that meeting your audience's expectations helps you to earn their trust, and we want people to leave your website thinking happy thoughts about your company rather than thinking, Huh?

All right. It's really time to eat.  I'm off to a regular, restaurantly restaurant with a menu, a cook, plenty of food, and no surprises.

Fewer Choices for More Usability

Original Article from IntelliSites, the smart choice for web design (and SEO!)
I overheard some people talking about “Hick's Law” at a party the other day. (I really must stop attending such WILD social functions.) Anyway, sounds like the gist of Hick's Law is the idea that it takes people more time to make a decision when there are many options to pick from. In other words, it takes much longer to decide between three options than it does to decide between two, and it takes significantly longer to decide between four options than it does to decide between three. And so on and so forth, until apparently it levels off. (At that point in the conversation, people started talking about logarithms, so I made a beeline for the buffet.)

Using This Idea for Web Design

Although they may not know that this idea is called Hick's Law, good web designers take this concept into consideration every time they design a website. As a business owner, you don't want people to come to your page and stare at it blankly while they try to decide where to click.  You want those visitors to explore, interact with your page, and stay interested. In order to make this happen, good web designers don't crowd your page with a boat load of options; they keep it simple and easy to navigate.

Even complex websites that do involve lots of options tend to make the decision process easier by organizing the choices. It's rare to visit a website and see fifty links right on the front page.  Instead, a website that has fifty pages to offer tends to organize these choices into categories and present them in drop-down menus. This breaks the decision making into smaller chunks and avoids wasting the website visitors' time.

So Keep It Simple, Got It?

So there you go. I've been a fan of dynamic yet straightforward websites for years, and now I've got a law backing me up.  Get rid of clutter and unnecessary choices, and your customers will find your website easy to use and fun to visit. (Much more fun than, say, that party.)