Build a Web Community!

If you are fluent with Web 2.0, an online community may not be out of your reach.
Here are a few tips for building and maintaining a powerful Web community:

• Work closely with your Web designer

• Take risks!

• Build relationships with your audience

• Study your competitors

• Make it convenient for your audience to communicate with you

• Stay current with new design trends

• Test regurlarly!


Reference

Binz, J. & Ireland, C. (2007). Building a web community. Circulation Management, 24. Retrieved October 25, 2007, from EBSCO.

An Online Culture Redefined

The shift to an online culture has made us all co-creators of the content we use. Web 2.0 has allowed us to write and publish content with a single click (Salz, 2006).

As a result of advanced technology, the online culture includes writers, photographers, and designers. These individuals no longer have to buy the content they want (Salz, 2006). They can use various tools (Wordpress, Flickr, YouTube) to build what they want for themselves.

While this newfound freedom of self-expression is both liberating and invigorating, we are only beginning to understand what we can achieve when we use technology to create a network of ourselves (Salz, 2006).


Reference

Salz, P.(2006, January). Creating a network of ourselves. EContent, 29(1), 15. Retrieved October 17, 2007, from EBSCO.

What Color is Your Audience?

When creating the look and feel of your Web site, it is important to choose your color scheme wisely.

Think about your target audience: What colors do they prefer? If you know this, your users will spend more time on your site.

Here is a quick guide to color on the Web:

Business
Web sites targeting business professionals use blue or green. Blue evokes trust, while green is the color of money.

Spas
Many spa sites use muted earth tones and blues to create a relaxed user experience.

Extreme Sports
Web sites geared toward skateboarders and snowboarders will often use neon colors and black for shock value.

Children
Web sites geared towards kids generally favor bright, bold, fun colors that young people love.

Retail
Web sites for retail establishments use red because it is associated with impulse shopping (2007).


Reference

(2007). Color your audience. Sales Leader, 13, 1. Retrieved October 11, 2007, from EBSCO.

Online Segmentation: It's For the User!

Web marketers are progressively using online segmentation to develop stronger relationships with their users. Although this can be complex, online segmentation can be very straightforward (Muntone, 2004).

Use these segmentation strategies to customize the user's online experience

• Establish a clear purpose for the site

• Provide engaging information for all audience segments

• Prompt the user for direct input with online registration and/or surveys

• Use CGI forms to gauge how successful the website content is organized

When using online segmentation, your company assumes the information presented is what the user wants to see (Muntone, 2004). Therefore, it’s imperative to ensure each user can find the necessary information to make important decisions.


Reference

Muntone, J. (2004). 8 tips to segment online. Pharmaceutical Executive. 114-116. Retrieved October 4, 2007, from EBSCO.

What Do Web Shoppers Really Want?

What influences the behavior of online shoppers?

Here are the facts: A frustrating online experience makes consumers less likely to return to the Web site or even shop at the retailer's physical store (2007). It also has a negative impact on their overall opinion of the brand.


So, What Do Web Shoppers Really Want?

• 74% are interested in clicking on an item to create a pop-up window for more product details

• 70% want to add items to their cart with one click without leaving the page they’re on

• 68% want improved photography and additional product descriptions


Reference

(2007). Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 108, 3, 14. Retrieved September 27, 2007, from EBSCO.

Syle Guide for Email Surveys

Designing your own email survey? Remember this five step style guide:

• Use URL embedded designs to enable simpler handling, completion, and transmission.

• Ensure anonymity and privacy

• Carefully target a sampling frame that exhibits interest in the topic to increase your response rates.

• Derive a sampling frame from your company’s database if the profile matches.

• Use incentives to encourage response rates, especially if the email
questionnaires are lengthy.


Reference

Dibb, S. & Michaelidou, N. (2006). Using email questionnaires for
research: good practice in tackling non-response. Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis for Marketing, 14, 4, 289–296. Retrieved September 18, 2007, from EBSCO.

A Few Minutes for Metrics

Just when you thought Web research couldn’t get any better, it fooled us all.

Total Minutes is the newest metric Nielsen/NetRatings' is reporting as a way to rank Web site audiences.

The industry thought the new metric would replace page views, but according to Nielsen, it won’t. A variety of metrics will still be reported including total audience, time spent, frequency of use, and page views.

Although the Web is a powerful marketing medium, it is also a platform for various media models. While some sites deliver quick hits of information, others strive to keep users viewing as many of its videos as possible (Klaassen, 2007).

Sites that will be affected by this new metric are utility sites where users head for information on the fly, such as google.com. The sites that will benefit from it are social-media and streaming-video sites.


Reference

Klaassen, A. (2007). Measuring the web just got more complex. Advertising Age, 78. Retrieved September 5, 2007, from EBSCO.