WebWord

10,000 RFID tags in Tokyo (Computer World) — “For example, bringing the terminal close to an RFID tag on a street lamp will pinpoint the user’s location and enable the system to guide the user to the nearest railway station; walking past a radio beacon in front of a shop might bring up details of current special offers or a menu for a restaurant.”

Interesting usability implications, above and beyond security and technica and privacy questions, don’t you think?

Senior Usability Consultant, Auckland and Wellington — “We are a small and tightly knit team of experts passionate about a human centered approach to high tech design and development.”

Usability heuristics for web development teams (SitePoint) — “I believe there are a whole lot of things that haven’t been considered in these lists. If we’re going to take a best practice, user centred, holistic, may the force be with you approach to web development, surely there should be a broader focus; and one that incorporates as many areas of front end development into an heuristic review as possible.”

“This year, rather than avoid the Internet fads, including social networking and wikis, intranet design teams applied them in restrained ways that emphasized useful information. The result was the addition of sophisticated intranet features that expressed each company’s culture and served the needs of individual employees better than ever before.”

Why? Because the features and functions are actually useful for users! 

Surprise, surprise…

(Or not. We’ve known this for ages now.)

“Nearly half of online shoppers would abandon their shopping trolley if confronted by ‘hidden’ charges during the checkout process, according to a survey from Webcredible.”

Keep reading about poor usability and online shopping

From Andy Edmonds — “Try modeling different types of drop-out within your e-commerce site. You’ll be amazed how much improving conversion by a 1% at any step in the process can affect the bottom line.”

Transactional Website Conversion Explorer

As expected, several people have asked me how I set up the web audio on my Cat Quote Book web site. When you visit that site, you’ll quickly see that there are a couple of audio recordings available. They are warm and personal, and they add significant value to the web page.

Regular WebWord readers know that I am often frustrated by technology. If something is too hard to use, I simply will not use it. And, I’ll actually post something on WebWord about the poor usability and the frustrations involved. 

I went looking for a very simple web audio tool. I found several tools that met my requirements but there were three problems. First, they did too much! That’s right. Several web audio tools offer too much functionality; too many features. I just want to record my voice and quickly move it on to my web site. The second problem was the price. Most web audio tools cost at least $67 but usually closer to $100. And finally, many of these audio tools are hosted solutions. That means paying a fee every month. Blah! 

By chance, I found Impact Web Audio. Honestly, I don’t really remember how I found it, but boy, I’m glad that I did. It perfectly meets my requirements. I record my voice, make some simple choices, and upload a couple of files to my web site. It took me about 25-30 minutes, start to finish, to get The Cat Quote Book site up and running with audio. 

Impact Web Audio is also a desktop (Windows) application. I run it on my own system and bam! I never have to pay again. I can use it as much and as often as I like. No hosting fees. No subscription. It’s a beautiful thing. 

And finally, it is extremely affordable. Web audio at my fingertips for a great price! I bought my copy for under $50, although I’ll tell you, it’s worth closer to $100 due to meeting my requirements and being dead simple to use. 

There was also a little “secret” built into my purchase. I’m going to share the secret with you and you’re going to benefit, big time. Here’s how it goes…

When I bought Impact Web Audio, I was given Master Resale Rights. In simple terms this means that I can sell Impact Web Audio. This made my jaw drop, but it was true. Furthermore, because I own the rights, I can set my own price. Wow. 

So, here’s what I did. I set up a web site to sell Impact Web Audio following their advice. It was a snap. But, I did something unthinkable. Rather than set the price at the suggested retail of $47, which virtually everyone does (it’s really worth it), I’m offering you the opportunity to download Impact Web Audio for only $27.  

I’m doing this to give back to WebWord readers. You’ve given me so much and for once, I’m able to pay you back with a smashing good offer. I’m honestly not sure if I’ll keep this awesome audio tool up for sale or if I’ll increase the price. It’s hard to say at this point. But for now, do yourself a favor. If you’re thinking about adding audio to your web site, give Impact Web Audio a try. You won’t be disappointed. And if you are… 

Well, I understand. Not all tools are perfect for everyone, although I think Impact Web Audio is pretty close. So, if you’re not absolutely, 100% satisfied, I’ll give you your money back. I might ask you why so I have a clue about how the product isn’t “perfect” but you will get your money back. That’s my word. 

What are you waiting for? Take a virtual tour of Impact Web Audio… 

p.s. If you know of other folks who would benefit from web audio on their site, feel free to pass this product review along. Any friend of WebWord is a friend of mine. Share the love.

p.p.s. Here’s a page about adding web audio to your site using Impact Web Audio.

The Open-Source Solution (MIT Technology Review)

“As the code slowly grows in complexity as well as capability, usability suffers, not only because new functions add to the user interface but because such additions are ad hoc and implemented case by case.”

…and…

“Open source may be superior in producing robust, reliable code. It can hold its own in providing functionality. But its weakness remains usability, which increasingly is the battle­ground for competing programs.”

Read the article…

I’m going to tell you the story behind The Cat Quote Book.

In 2006 I talked a lot about the blending of marketing and usability. Obviously I’ve been keeping WebWord updated. I also wrote articles outside of WebWord. For example, Working with a Usability Specialist as well the articles I’ve written for Apogee.

To understand marketing, I’ve been working on Pet Comfort Products.  I published over 25 issues of the newsletter and over 65 articles. As you can see, it has commanded a lot of my attention. But, it’s been a great investment. I’ve learned a ton about the pet industry, as well as marketing.

Back to The Cat Quote Book…

I decided that I would work with my wife to put together a cat quote book. We found out that a lot of people use quotes for scrapbooking, arts, crafts and much more. So, we created a unique cat quote product, specific for this audience.

Well, I really wanted this cat quote book to be great. So, I poured my heart into it. So did my wife. The Cat Quote Book web site includes some really amazing graphics, sales copy, and even audio. It is a totally self-contained web site for the sole purpose of providing cat quotes to a targeted audience.

(I’ll tell you about the Cat Quote Book audio technology in another posting. It is a wonderful story and I can even offer you direct help. More to follow soon…)

In any event, I worked extremely hard to make the Cat Quote Book site very simple and easy to understand. Although it is a sales web site, I applied usability as many ways as possible. For example, I used an easy to read font. The graphics are bright and easy on the eyes. (They are, collectively, too big which is an issue. I know.) The ebook itself includes pages numbers and sports a large font too. There are so many more large and small usability factors.

I’ll have more to say about this web site in the future. As I said, it took a lot and I know I have more to learn. But, it’s really helped me view the world as a marketer. That can only be good news for WebWord readers as I share marketing “secrets” from time to time.

If you have a moment, take a look at The Cat Quote Book site. I’d love to know what you think. If you are interested in cat quotes, definitely pick up a copy.