Archive for January, 2008

In what’s becoming a crowded space (though don’t get me wrong, there is still much seating and standing room), social networking websites in mass have “officially” arrived. Sure, the industry powerhouses have been around for some time now, but over the last couple of years it’s feeling like “Star Wars — Attack of the Clones” with all of the social networking websites cropping up around this niche and that specialty and those demographics. It’s similar to the domain name explosion or the rise of e-commerce; more often than not if you can think it, chances are there’s a social network around it.

So what’s my point, you ask? The point is, if you’re going to build a successful social networking website and you want a vibrant community (as no matter what your goals are with the website, community will be critical), you must avoid the idea of simple cloning what’s already out there. Sure, the up-and-coming social networking platforms (like Ning and Pringo Networks) can put the power of deploying a social networking website in the hands of anyone. And, for many, this approach will work extremely well (we’ve launched 5 or 6 Ning networks ourselves!), but sometimes a mass-market solution is only a solution to a mass-market problem. And with the mass-markets being heavily drooled over by the likes of Facebook and mySpace, the smaller markets are becoming king. Small IS the new big when it comes to social networking, apparently, and therefore it matters what platform you use and how many others use the same.

But it’s not just about a more custom social networking site, though. This certainly won’t ensure growth… you can get a social network created free via Ning or you can spend $250k on developing a completely custom monster, but at the end of the day the money you spent doesn’t mean piddly if the rest of the recipe is out-of-wack. In fact, it can’t be narrowed down to your design, your innovative functionalities, or your clever branding either.

It’s: a passionate topic/niche + a vibrant community + an innovative spin on integrating social networking functionalities = a solid platform to build from. Disappointed? If you’re were hoping for the “make it big in social networking” winning formula, I’m sorry to let you down! It’s that same thinking, though, that you MUST fight. There is NO standard formula or method for social networking success. And the problem is, too many are trying to find or build sites using just that kind of thinking!

So… back to reality: how can you build on that solid social networking platform you have? To start:

• Write (or have written) better copy (or different or cooler or sexier or more entertaining)
• Ask different (or more intuitive or funny) profile questions
• Use innovative spins on traditional methods and technology (e.g. a new spin on user dashboards or a new way of searching profiles, etc…)
• Employ unique ways of showing boring data (can stats, rankings, points, stars, levels, thresholds be expanded into remarkable visuals?)
• Be proactive (just because you don’t have to do something doesn’t mean it won’t help in 6 months)
• Make it viral (viruses don’t spread without a method of transmission, neither will your social network)
• Pat them on the back (give your users incentives, rewards, titles, roles, or whatever it will take to pat them on the back and make them feel good about themselves… it’s simple, but it works every time!)

Want more ideas on how you can set apart your social networking website? Then check out the following:

• Social Networking Differentiation
• Ideas for Differentiating a Social Networking Application

Excellent tools (this may change the way we vote forever!):

• www.glassbooth.org
• www.votehelp.org

“A meme constitutes a theoretical unit of cultural information, the building block of culture or cultural evolution which spreads through diffusion propagating from one mind to another analogously to the way in which a gene propagates from one organism to another as a unit of genetic information and of biological evolution.”

Evolution of Technology
“Like genes, memes are in competition with each other. While genes compete for representation in the genepool, memes compete for representation in the memepool — the huge collection of ideas that are currently circulating the world. Human minds have limited room, so only the best memes manage to implant themselves. Memes that are good at replicating tend to leave more copies of themselves in minds and in other mediums such as books. Memes that are not so good at replicating tend to die out. There is a gigantic history of extinct memes, but since they are extinct we do not know what they were.”

It’s All in the Memes
“Once memes may have traveled at steady rate, taking hold with pernicious stealth. Now contagious ideas can be delivered direct to millions through newsgroups, mailing lists and websites. Dancing hamsters and Mahir do not hold the meme monopoly. It seems that just about any daft idea will do.”

Applied to the Internet today, a meme (or internet meme) “…is a neologism used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads in a faddish way from person to person via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, but is used loosely to refer to things that are not necessarily memes in a technical sense, although they may become memes when they replicate.” -Wikipedia

Applying various available online technologies allows anyone to easily follow the spread and evolution (sometimes into extinction) of a meme:

How to Find the Weirdest Stuff on the Internet
“…a demonstration of how you can use a handful of different applications together to automate the discovery of the content that’s most worth your time in any niche - whether you’re looking for weird stuff or anything else..”

In addition to the De.licio.us, Reddit and Digg trinity, some of my favorite memetrackers include:

“Wikio is a personalized page of news, including a news search engine that searches media sites, blogs and member publications.”

“Megite is the social news aggregrator for anyone interested in what’s happening right now by intelligently uncovering the most relevant items from auto discovered news sites and weblogs.”

Tailrank finds “the hottest stories by tracking conversations between blogs” and has a plethora of additional tools for meme junkies.

Now convert them into RSS feeds and track away!

Bonus:
Six Creative Uses for RSS: “The following are six uncommon, yet effective, creative uses for RSS, in no particular order of importance.”

The political positions of Ron Paul aka Dr No has been the cause of endless grief to his fellow Congressmen and to his party. They also have prevented him from getting any kind of fair mainstream media coverage and even got him shut out of a debate by FoxNews.

What started as a stand for libertarian principles has now turned into a revolution. This nobody has beat Rudi Guilanni again and again (and it certainly looks like he’s going to do it again even though he’s endorsed by Johnny Damon) and even took 2nd place in Nevada.

He’s got the authenticity factor going for him too (he’s more truthful than John McCain, or the Honorable Mayor and maybe even my other hero, the Obamanator).

His online notables include 2007 “Dark Horse of the Year“, most popular online candidate, the most popular search term in 2007, and his website was voted to the Top 25% of sites (by the design community at CommandShift3).

Apparently, the massive fundraising campaign of the recent past is still going strong.

In true underdog fashion, he’s shaking up the status quo like a bull in a china shop and he’s going to keep plugging away since there’s absolutely no reason to let up.

I’m just waiting for the case for a 3rd party candidature to pick up.

More:

• User Generated Ron Paul Ads
• The Unofficial Ron Paul Library (online of course)
• Ron Paul on the issues
• Ultimate Ron Paul
• A real time feed of Ron Paul’s online campaign donations

“…And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring - when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children - black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics - will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Those were the closing words to Martin Luther King Jr’s passionate “I Have A Dream” speech, delivered at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.

The march mounted further pressure on the government to seriously face the civil rights crisis at hand, ultimately culminating in the passing of the Voters Right Act in 1965.

Just three years after the passage of the Voters Right Act, on April 4th, 1968, the civil rights movement would lose its most influential and inspiring leader to a still unknown assassin’s bullet.

Today the whole nation pauses every 3rd Monday of each January to pay tribute to this man and reflect on the values he so passionately lived and spoke for: the dignity and equality of man and peaceful coexistence and nonviolent resistance.

Although we still have not quiet achieved King’s dream of a completely color-blind world, we’ve come a long way and there are indications all around us that every day brings us yet closer.

He lived what he preached with an authentic commitment paralleled by precious few in our nation’s short history.

Like MLK, we hold strongly to a code of ethics and regardless of the circumstances, there are certain things that are nonnegotiable: constantly learning from mistakes, staying focused, and innovating.

Like most things that are truly valuable and worthwhile, the list is short and attainable; scaling the summit however, is a lot easier said than done (thankfully, the journey truly is the reward).

What values do you advocate? What values is your company supposed to be committed to? Are you really committed to these values? Do you live what you preach?

It’s the easiest yet hardest way to have success in business. It’s called “authenticity.”

In an age of spam, advertising inundation, and fast food, our senses are being vied for seemingly every minute of everyday. In order to get through the junk, businesses oftentimes resort to the quick and easy way of dealing with the problem by simply making it bigger with more clutter and more junk! Instead of the hard approach of doing something remarkable, most do something adequate and simply make it appear to be remarkable. The bad news is, this rarely works and when it does it works for only so long. It’s true: lies often have a way of getting found out!

If you want to build a remarkable company, sell an awesome service, create an amazing product, or simply get the word out about your offering, you need to “get real.” Stop looking for shortcuts or incorporating misleading ad copy or trying to reach your audience by simply using a bigger megaphone. Stop marketing your products or services as better than they actually are and stop backing policies only designed to “look good” and not designed to actually help your customers.

Get real by fully standing behind what you provide. Get real by doing the legwork it takes to actually provide more real value to your customers. Get real by not thinking “how can I increase revenue” or “how can I make customer service cheaper” and thinking instead “how can I be the absolute best in my niche” and “how can I improve the lives of my customers.” Instead of resorting to typical advertising or spamming your audience, why not try and start a two-way conversation with your audience? Why not do work that is so good that people simply have no choice but to talk about it?

I’m not going to say it’s easy, because usually it’s not. Being authentic and building an authentic business that adds value and communicates that value in a real way is no easy chore. But the payoff? The payoff is worth it and I’m not simply talking in terms of revenue or profit or an IPO. I’m talking about going to sleep every night knowing that you and your business is making an impact on people’s lives. Chances are, the money will come if it’s not first and foremost what you’re after.

If you’re still lacking in motivation, check out Seth Godin’s books The Purple Cow and All Marketers Are Liars for a nice shot of adrenaline.

-RB

If you’re a small business, the odds are stacked high against you.

Your competition is bigger, better funded and has an established brand image. They also don’t have to worry about raising funds or attracting new talent.

You on the other hand, have no brand image, are constantly plagued with cash flow problems, and might even have faced the possibility of not receiving a salary next month. Other times,  sheer luck is the only way you’re able to open shop on Monday.

More icing on the cake: you’re never really sure if you’re making the right decisions, you’re constantly plagued by doubt and you’re not taken very seriously because, “You’re too small.”

In other words, welcome to the world of the underdog.

Thankfully,  it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog that matters.

Google began as a research project, Richard Branson is dyslexic, and we’ve been flying faster than the speed of sound for over 50 years. Fortunately for you, it turns out that every major player, every monopoly, every powerhouse brand started just like you, as an underdog.  Overdogs beware: the thing about the underdog story is that the good* guy eventually wins.  Big companies more often than not grew to massive size because of a remarkable philosophy, product, service, etc…  And more often than not this flare can eventually be lost. So the Fortune 500 may have more economies of scale, but they may not have the same passion as you do either.  And this is good news for every underdog out there doing business.

Underdogs of Note

Underdogs from History

• The Patriots of the American Revolution
• David
• Gandhi and Indian Independence
• The Unknown Rebel
• Nelson Mandela and the Anti-Apartheid Movement

Dark Horses

• Jesse Ventura in 1998
• Ron Paul
• Winston Churchill
• Abraham Lincoln
• Barack Obama

Cinderellas

• Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson  video here
• Liverpool FC’s 2005 European Championship League Final video here
• 2004 Boston Red Sox vs. Yankees
• Rulon Gardner  video here
• Miracle on Ice

Business

• Apple
• 37Signals
• Google
• Microsoft
• Amazon

Honorary Mentions: William Wallace, All The Kings Men, and Rocky

In your opinion, who/what is the ultimate underdog of all time?  

*good = anything so remarkably well done, you have no choice but to talk about it 

Then check out this great read on planning and documenting your web design/web development project the right way (and here you go all you Kindle readers)!

“Most discussion about Web design seems to focus on the creative process, yet turning concept into reality requires a strong set of deliverables—the documentation (concept model, site maps, usability reports, and more) that serves as the primary communication tool between designers and customers. Here at last is a guide devoted to just that topic. Combining quick tips for improving deliverables with in-depth discussions of presentation and risk mitigation techniques, author Dan Brown shows you how to make the documentation you’re required to provide into the most efficient communications tool possible. He begins with an introductory section about deliverables and their place in the overall process, and then delves into to the different types of deliverables. From usability reports to project plans, content maps, flow charts, wireframes, site maps, and more, each chapter includes a contents checklist, presentation strategy, maintenance strategy, a description of the development process and the deliverable’s impact on the project, and more.”

The eye is an amazing piece of work, both from an aesthetic and functional point of view. The way that it interprets color is one of the more fascinating things I’ve ever come across.The difference between what someone with normal vision would see and what someone who was color deficient would see while looking at the same website is striking and, I hope, gives us a greater appreciation of the colors we’re surrounded by (this link will allow you see any website like a color blind person would).

The way the human mind perceives color adds some interesting points of observation to the mix. Colors have cultural meaning, can cause a physical reaction, and are even of philosophical interest.

All of this to say that colors are important. They are ever present and are an integral part of our lives (unfortunately, they are also under-appreciated and very often overlooked).

If you want your website to be a smashing success, why don’t you pay attention to the colors of your website? If color can be used as a defense mechanism in animals and blue can suppress your appetite, what effect does the color of your website have on people?

Extra tip:
The Internet has a wide variety of resources on colors and the best ways to use them for the web. There are websites dedicated to the use of color in design, color theory and there’s even a tool that will blend a color. You can also generate a color scheme, convert a color to its web-safe alternative and experiment with the color wheel.

So stop feeling blue about your lack of an eye for colors and start seeing green by taking advantage of the numerous free tools and resources out there to help you in making better use of colors in your design and marketing pieces!

News Alert: 2008 Color of the Year Chosen By Pantone — can you incorporate this calming color of 2008?

It’s 2008 and by now the majority of people know what a blog is and many people have even adopted “really simple syndication” or “RSS” as a valuable tool whereas just a few years ago, these terms were relatively unknown by most (now, a Google search for “blogging” returns 55.6+ million results).

With the rise in popularity and the spread of blogging, more people and businesses are using blogs to communicate and accomplish Internet objectives than ever before. As a result, the clutter is building and the number of “junk blogs” is growing. More and more people are starting blogs and then abandoning them or starting blogs that simply pale in comparison to quality, useful, and fresh blog content.

Despite the increasing number of blogs in cyberspace, there is still only an estimated 5% of small businesses (less than 100 employees) that are blogging. There is also a growing uprising of blog readers that are looking for valuable content written by experts and passionate fans rather than from people trying to simply make a buck or sell a product. If you own a small business or work for one, you already have the “expert qualifier”! If you have a strong business web presence, build in a blog and let your business lend credibility to your blog, just as the reverse is true.

To help you get started, check out these great resources:

• The Blogging Starter Checklist (an excellent Squidoo Lens)
• How to Leverage the Power of Social Media to Market Your Blog
• ProBlogger.net (an excellent blogging resource)
• 15 Powerful Ways to Differentiate Your Blog from the Crowd
• 4 Tips for Making 2008 Your Blog’s Best Year Yet
• Exposed! 10 Secret Habits of Top Bloggers

Here’s a great video with advice on business blogging.

And here’s a great video on using WordPress (one of the most popular open source blog applications and the blog software that we use for this blog).

The house my parents currently live in was designed and built many years ago when I was a kid.  I remember sitting down with the architect as a family and we made a list of all the cool things we wanted the house to have. We made a list of everything; from the necessary things like how many rooms to the seemingly insignificant (like the hole in the wall my sister wanted instead of a bedside table). It was a long and tedious process, but it was also exciting and my fascination kept me intrigued.

The architect then drew up a blueprint based on our conversations and as we went over it, we gradually adjusted the list of features we wanted the house to have. Some of the things we started with were abandoned and others we hadn’t thought off were added. In the end, we had a blueprint mapping out the layout of the eventual house.

Based on the blueprint, the architect built model/prototype of the house  (my sister eventually converted it to a doll house). My siblings and I spent hours looking at it and imagining what life would be like after the house was finished. Again, we spent time going over the features of the house and rearranging things until we were sure it was perfect.

Many years later (or so it seemed to me at the time), our house was finally ready.

I often feel like that architect whenever I start out on a new web design/development project because it turns out the only difference between our jobs is that I build websites and he builds houses (granted it’s a pretty big difference, but the methods are strikingly alike).

Just like with the house, the beginning of a project is spent learning about it, the clients and their goals, etc… We discuss your project and list any features you’d like, colors, etc… until we eventually settle down on a final list of features and how we would like them to work. This is often the most tedious part but doing a good job at this stage exponentially increases the chances of a smooth project experience.

This is also a good time to develop the content for your website and compile any additional files that will also be used throughout the website (images, PDFs, documents, etc…).

With the list of features in mind, a layout of the finished website is designed. Much like the blueprint of a house, the layout simply gives us a visual overview of the website’s structure and concentrates on placing each feature in the right place. In fact, the website layout is often called a blueprint in some circles (wire frame is another term also commonly used).

That layout then serves as the platform the mockup (the model) is built on. Basically, a mockup is a picture of what your website will look like after it’s been completed and its features have been implemented. It maintains the structure from the blueprint but now the color scheme is added, buttons designed, etc…

It’s never quite right the first time around so several revisions are designed, colors experimented with, features are moved around, etc… until the “Eureka!” moment arrives (this is hands down the best part of a project).

This is where you (the client) goes to Mexico, the production team work their magic with code and another remarkable website goes online.

-FT

Special thanks to Eric of Floorsnet for allowing me to use his project as an example 

“If companies understand the true cost of environmental factors to their bottom line, they are more likely to do something about it on their own.” - Janet Ranganathan, World Resources Institute

As promised, I’ll be posting responses over the next few weeks to each of the 2008 trends I previously posted and how you can take advantage of each trend in the context of your business. I’m going to start with “The Green Life” trend.With the rise of popularity in “going green” NOW is the time to build-in environmentally and socially responsible policies for your company. The costs associated with going green have long been a significant barrier, but 2008 marks a time when costs have significantly shrunk and going green is more affordable and more admired than ever.So, you’ve heard the hype and you’ve seen even the Fortune 500s jump on the bandwagon. If you’re committed to making this year the year that your company gains a foothold in environmental responsibility, the following tips will help point you in the right direction (and don’t worry, no tree-hugging required!).Tips for decreasing your environmental impact while lowering your expenses:

• Recycle your office paper (approx. 70% of office waste is high-grade white paper)
• Review and adjust (if necessary) you and your employee’s transportation arrangements (go Hybrid for the company car, carpool, get a closer office location, use public transportation, work from home for all or part of the week, etc…)
• Recycle your printer ink
• Turn off/place in sleep mode computers, printers, copiers, etc… when gone
• Lower the thermostat and put on a sweatshirt (added benefit: a cooler environment means more alert and less sleepy employees)
• Use energy efficient light bulbs
• Buy energy efficient office equipment

Tips on how you can tell the world about your newfound “greenness”

• Give green gifts to clients, partners, vendors, etc… (check out The Green Office and CNNMoney’s Picks)
• Seek out eco-labels (e.g. GreenGuard, Green Seal, Energy Star, Scientific Certification Systems, Forest Stewardship Council, etc…)
• Adjust your company literature and marketing materials to reflect your new green policies

Finally, if you’ve gotten really excited about going green, you just may decide that starting a green business may be the only way to satisfy you!

Here are the final five of a list of ten current trends that will affect how 2008 shapes up. I will continue this thread by writing a multi-part segment on how you can take advantage of each trend this year.

The World Continues To Flatten
In 2008, the trend of globalization will continue to garnish more than clever book titles.  Every day that passes, more and more communication barriers are eliminated and more and more tools are created that make going multinational or outsourcing labor easier.  It’s now possible for a start-up company with two employees in a basement in a small town in Iowa to pick up a supplier in China and market to Europe. As governments, businesses, organizations, and individuals continue adopting and adjusting their “global paradigm” look for continued “flattening” of the world as 2008 brings more people together across boundaries than ever before.

Group Think Is In
In a time where Americans are overwhelmed with national and local issues that need attention, we will band together in 2008 to speak up and take action on our issues.  Websites and traditional mediums will be used to speak up about issues as Americans find they can relate to one another better than ever when their neighbors down the street are losing their home equity too.  My prediction is social networks and websites like Squidoo will only make it easier for people to connect on an issue, discuss it, and then take action as a group.  With each day that passes, the voices of Americans have the potential to carry farther and farther with the power of the Internet.

The Green Life
In 2008, going green will continue to be as trendy as ever, but individuals will take a step back from the hype to determine how they really feel about the environment and what impact/difference they personally want to make.  This year, what started out as an impersonal movement of the masses will become something closer to home as individuals take the environment more personally.  The good news is it’s not just individuals that will be committed to the green life.  Companies will continue pushing for anything green and the barriers to entry will continue melting away as it becomes more and more affordable to make the change.  Look for more and more companies and websites to form around “going green” as what started with An Inconvenient Truth grows up into a full-scale personal movement.

Cell Phones (and how they’re used) Evolve
Most of us know that 2007 was the year of the iPhone.  The iPhone came to us as a beacon of light in the realm of boring business/productivity cell phones.  The shelves have been stocked with bulky, outdated phones and with the arrival of the iPhone the stakes are now much higher.  Cell phone companies are now finally improving their products and 2008 will enjoy an upcoming batch of business/productivity cell phones and corresponding mobile web and software improvements that are focused on providing power and a comprehensive feature set while being simple and sexy to boot.

Marketing Gets More Creative
According to Advertising Age, 2008 marks a year where making an impact on consumers through advertising will be as difficult as ever.  Individual disposable income continues to shrink as housing problems, the weak dollar, high gas prices, and tight credit continue gripping the pocket book of American consumers.  Consumers are also more distracted than ever, with media vying for our attention from every screen in our homes.  As a result, marketers and advertisers will strive to be as creative as ever in their ads, their mediums, and the ways in which they reach their audience.  The Internet will grow, but new mediums and ways of reaching audiences will be uncovered as a result of a need for effective, measurable, and affordable advertising continues.

Here are the first five of a list of ten current trends that will affect how 2008 shapes up.  After posting the final five trends, I will write a multi-part segment on how you can take advantage of each trend this year.

Growth In The Interactive Marketing Segment
Interactive marketing, which includes search engine marketing, e-mail marketing, online content and video ads, mobile marketing, and social media marketing, is consistently growing as a key advertising category.  Over the next few years, spending on interactive marketing will more than triple, reaching $61 billion USD by 2012 according to Forrester Research.  Interactive marketing currently makes up just 8% of all advertising spending and with the growth trend this percentage should increase to 18% by 2012.

Traditional to Alternative Media
Advertising in traditional media, like newspapers and magazines, will continue to be a key part of advertising campaigns, but more and more advertisers will experiment with or allocate portions of their budget to new, alternative media.  Many marketers and advertisers are realizing better and more measurable ROI and each day the shift to new media will continue with alternative advertising spending being estimated to increase more than 21% from 2006 to 2011 while traditional advertising’s compound growth rate will stall at roughly 1% per year, according to a communications industry forecast published by Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

Blogging: Everyone Isn’t An Expert
Over the past several years, it seems like everybody and their Mom has started a blog.  The word “blog” has moved from web jargon to a household term.  When there are too many options and too much supply, demand usually wanes.  I don’t think there are or can be “too many” blogs, but in 2008, people will narrow down their RSS feeds and will look for experts.  With more bloggers out there than at any other time, people are beginning to realize they have many options on many topics when it comes to valuable and original content.  Also, many individuals and companies that started blogs and joined the blogging bandwagon have let their blogs fall to the wayside or haven’t had much success, so I predict a natural correction is taking place as the committed and original bloggers are separated from bloggers simply looking to join the bandwagon or make more money by pitching their products/services on a blog.

Social Networking: Expansion, Explosion, and Older Age Groups
Sure, every teenager and most twenty-somethings are fully immersed in the social networking realm, utilizing websites like Facebook and mySpace to manage their friendships, pictures, etc…  In 2008, social networking will expand and explode with niche social networking websites cropping up around every topic imaginable.  Tools like Ning makes this more possible than ever.    Social networking will also be utilized by older age groups as Mom and Dad and Grandpa and Grandma begin using social networking websites to make more efficient use of their time, stay connected with love ones, and share their media.

Small IS The New Big
Is a “multinational microbusiness” a contradiction or the future norm?  In 2008, small continues to dominate as small businesses are further enabled to be more nimble, more global, and more innovative via technology improvements.  With web 2.0, social networking, and more web applications than you can handle, it will become easier and easier to brainstorm an idea, deploy a business, and follow-through without being GE or having Warren Buffet as your financial backer.

Part Two Teaser: The World Continues To Flatten, Group Think Is In, The Green Life, Cell Phones (and how they’re used) Evolve, and Marketing Gets More Creative