This article continues our series on the presentations made as a part of our Lifeblue University program. This week we discuss LB designer Justin Miller’s take on the “signatures” agencies place on the websites they design.

These signatures can take several forms; you may have seen a “site created by” stamp in the bottom corner of a site’s homepage or perhaps even a mention of the agency in the page’s footer. Sometimes credit will be given on a separate page placed in the site’s “About” section (referred to as a “colophon”), or it could be hidden in the page’s code, viewable only by examining the page source material. Other times search as you may, you might not even be able to find who created a site because this information is nowhere to be found.

All of these methods, along with a few others, are currently used to allow agencies to leave their mark on their work in a literal manner. In the world of web design, this kind of clear labeling can be in a lot of ways necessary. To make this point in his presentation, Justin started out by warming up the LB team with a game of “Match the Work with the Creator.” While most everyone had little trouble identifying the art of Van Gogh and Michelangelo, a prototype by BMW and Coca-Cola’s iconic bottle design, the team had a much harder time naming the agencies behind the websites Justin showed next.

In last week’s LB University presentation, Jonathan explained how the “group auteur” theory could generate a synergistic dynamic among a team to create work with a recognizable style, but this idea applies more to a consistency in quality rather than appearance. The websites in an agency’s portfolio—unless all created to look extremely similar—rarely achieve the instant identification that other products are able to. And in this industry of serving diverse clients in different categories with unique needs, agencies would be wise to strive to make it to where each site is not similar in appearance to another before it. But then how, you ask, can an agency brand its quality and style in a way that ties back to its name? This is how a signature can help.

Those who oppose the use of signatures claim that this practice is a sign of a less established agency that is not “professional enough” to forgo clearly displaying its name in order to attain credit. Another common argument against the practice is the fact that any mistakes made in the management of the site following the launch of the agency’s initial design could be reflected upon the agency, whether or not it is actually at fault for the error.

However, the support for signatures is much stronger. Most hold the belief that the name and contact information of the agency responsible for a site’s design is desired by the user often enough to make it readily available. A signature gives credit where it’s due and has the ability to drive business to the agency when prospective clients likes what they see on a site that that agency has designed. Lifeblue has seen first hand how some of its own signatures directly influence interested prospects to contact the company.

Signatures hold intrinsic value for designers by giving due credit and providing referral opportunities. This value evidently holds a lot of worth considering that the use of signatures has become a common practice in the industry.

In most cases, agencies will attach some form of a signature to the sites they create, but most will agree that there are right and wrong ways to do it. “Black hat” methods that involve attaching a signature to every page of a site or displaying it in a distracting manner are generally frowned upon and can even be counterproductive by generating negative feelings towards an agency’s brand for being so uncouth. Most will agree that these kinds of practices should definitely be avoided.

Some of the more favorable methods of displaying a signature that were noted earlier have proven to be more positive and successful ways for an agency to leave its mark on a site. Each of these methods possesses unique benefits.

A “site created by”-type stamp is a quick and noticeable enough way to put your agency in the spotlight for a job well done. This also provides the opportunity for prospective clients or interested users to click through to your agency’s website for further inquiry and information on how to contact you. A mention in a page’s footer serves the same purpose but should be used sparingly to not become seemingly overbearing.

As mentioned earlier, a colophon is a separate, but easy to locate page that supplies ample space to list information on the creation of the site. Think of it like the page in a book that displays the facts like its copyright, publication, editing, etc. A colophon acts in the same way by providing the opportunity to give credit to all involved and to include all relevant information on the site, like the code it incorporates, the type of computer on which it was created or the programs used to design and manage it.

Another form of leaving a signature involves placing it within a page’s code. While it will be mostly the computer-savvy that will come across this mark, it is one of the least intrusive methods. Code-implanted signatures also allow for increased creativity in display since it will not be a visible distraction on the website itself.

Some agencies prefer to have a standard protocol concerning the format in which it displays its signatures, but again, each client’s needs are unique and each site different, so handling this issue on a case-by-case basis can allow for more flexibility. No matter how it’s done, it’s critical to ensure that most importantly it’s done right. As with anything, always refer to the best practices and further your agency’s business in a manner that is consistent with its brand message and better serves its clients.

The way a signature is presented on a site can prove to be just as important as the signature itself, so take the appropriate time to consider this practice and how your agency handles it. Play your cards right, and your success could one day have people asking for another kind of signature.

Who could have possibly foreseen the changes the online scene has undergone over the last few years? The Internet has become a sort of unpredictable force that is constantly changing and improving the user experience and the capabilities of online features. The new year will undoubtedly usher in a new landscape for the world of web, and we here at Lifeblue have put forth our hopes and expectations for the next chapter of the online evolution.

LB’s Digital Alchemist, Cristal Givens, believes that 2012 holds an increased use of augmented reality features. This means more apps incorporating socially populated data to create more relevant and useful mobile and web experiences for users. We’ve already seen the beginning stages of this phenomenon, so Cristal just may be right.

Piggybacking off another budding aspect of the Internet, LB’s Marketing MacGyver, Cindy Jones, expects to see continuing growth in web experiences like those created by the site Pinterest. “I think they are just on the beginning of an amazing journey to engage consumers in a way that will demand the attention of brands. The Pinterest model delivers a great way for brands to better understand the behaviors and motivations of their consumers, and I think it is just a matter of time before this social media engagement platform explodes.” Cindy could be on the right track, especially considering recent statistics on this site’s popularity and growth.

Cindy has also taken note of other trends that have yet to really take off, but hold great potential in further connecting people globally and making lives easier—features like mobile payments and an increase in mobile web strategy to complement the ever-changing capabilities of our smartphones. These kinds of advancements will demand an evolution in the usability and interface of smartphones as well as online.

Increased connection will also further affect our idea of globalization. No longer does time or distance serve as barriers in our ability to communicate. “The web, along with social and digital technology, will have infinite possibilities in the way we build engagement platforms on a global stage and connect brands to consumers on a larger landscape,” Cindy says.

LB’s Backboard, Russel Dubree, doesn’t foresee any huge advances in technology over the next year, as he believes that we have already seen a plateau in mobile and gaming enhancements. He does, however, predict an even more seamless integration of the web into our entertainment lives in 2012.

“Basically combining TV, Internet/web, gaming, movie streaming and mobile into one cloud-like platform that can be accessed from anywhere. I know it exists with a significant investment or technology installation, but essentially I’d like to see the advancements that would make this capability more accessible to the masses.”

LB’s Codebase Wrangler, Derek Odell, also focuses on entertainment trends and predicts that 2012 will be the year of 3D web, as this technology has swept to televisions after making a big comeback on movie screens. Jonathan Pacheco, LB’s own Front-end Auteur, views the web from the aspect of censorship, predicting that 2012 will bring in an increased level of censorship and protection; however, he also believes that by 2013, we will all be accepting of this fact.

Ben Tautfest, as LB’s Design Savant, focuses his thoughts of the future more on the visual presentation of the web. “From a visual design perspective, I think we will continue to see the use of lots of subtle textures, minimalist design will rule the school, and I also see a big movement towards modern vintage aesthetics as well.”

Ben also foresees typography design to continue to improve and take cues from traditional print, with more varied and sophisticated typeface choices, better use of space and cleaner blocks of copy. He also predicts the use of space in general layouts to become increasingly important in directing attention as the need to call attention quickly and clearly will expand. Ben believes animation will also play a bigger role in interactive design as well. “One more thing as a “wish” for what I’d like to see possible on the web is layer blending modes via CSS. It’s not going to happen in 2012… but a guy can wish.”

Amongst all of our expectations, predictions and wishes, it will be interesting to see what of our proposed advancements will actually be realized during the next year. What will be even more exciting to see will be those that we haven’t even fathomed? But regardless of our guesses about the future, one thing is for sure—the web will continue to evolve and enhance its capabilities. We intend on being ready. Are you?

Written by LB Wordsmith, Savannah Harper

Photo courtesy of WST WebSuccessTeam

This article marks the beginning of a new series on the weekly presentations made by Lifeblue’s team members as a part of our LB University program. LB University gives the members of Lifeblue the opportunity to practice their presentation skills by sharing their expert knowledge on a topic of their choice.

LB’s newest team member, Derek Odell, recently took us through the world of geolocation in a presentation he called “Geolocation and You.” As someone who uses geolocation features often via iPhone applications like Facebook Places, Google Maps and Runmeter, I realized that I knew very little about this program that has become a part of my daily life. But Derek’s lecture provided a thorough explanation of how this extremely useful feature operates to power apps like the ones I and many others use to make our lives simpler.

Geolocation is defined by Derek to be a device that provides “the identification of a real-world geographic location of an object” and determines “where it is in the world.” As of right now, only the United States and Russia have launched satellites that support fully operational geolocation systems, but China does have an operational system that’s very antiquated. The Chinese are currently launching their updated satellites and were recently in the news for getting their first new generation satellite into orbit and online. Other countries like India and those of the European Union are working to embark on their own systems for the near future.

Microchips that work under these systems can be found in everything from cell phones to automobiles to missiles. Essentially, geolocation technology is becoming extremely omnipresent in all we do. Optional equipment used to support geolocation includes assisted GPS and local positioning systems.

Assisted GPS uses a network to ask a server to interpret limited location information, so that it doesn’t have to process the info itself, while local positioning systems use known, fixed positions such as cell towers, radio towers or wifi hotspots to determine location.

Google is responsible for the first popular geolocation system, which it placed under the name Google Gears. While Google Gears achieved the objectives, it was feared that this would cause software makers to create separate and incompatible geolocation systems for their products, thus what had already been created for Google Gears went towards the development of the W3C’s Geolocation API, the version that is used today. The W3C’s Geolocation API is device agnostic and compatible with everything. Now the de facto standard, the Geolocation API can operate with a very small, single line of code, or complex multi-file algorithms.

The common person uses geolocation often via applications like Yelp, Urbanspoon and Foursquare. With its unique ability to pinpoint the user’s location, this feature creates new opportunities to connect with users on a whole other level, whether it is through providing navigation and information on locations and events nearby or by helping users meet up and connect with each other. Geolocation is an undoubtedly useful feature when it comes to enhancing the value of user’s online experience.

It also provides an interesting view into the future of how brands will market to and reach new and existing consumers. Predictive analytics that could be used as a result of geolocation based information and other data could make things like “Siri” even more powerful. Imagine the idea of your phone and it’s “personality” being able to take historical geolocation based information and develop algorithms based on past information and calculations and then cross-reference with something like weather data (as an example).

Imagine if you will…you live in Manhattan in a high rise, every day as you leave the building for work you “check-in” to the lobby at around 8:15AM and again at the subway entrance at 8:30AM, except on the days it is raining…on those days you ring XYZ cab company. With predictive analytics and geolocation based information and technology, your friend “Siri” could have that cab waiting for you at 8:16AM without any interaction from you, keep track of the awards program that the cab company offers and allow you to pay via your mobile wallet as you exit the cab. Too invasive? Or super cool? Either way, this technology has the power to change the way we all do business.

Next time you pull out your phone to fine directions to the nearest Chinese restaurant or look for deals online in your area, give geolocation some credit for making searches like these possible and keep in mind how cool the future of these services could become.

Where in the world is Derek?

Photo courtesy of ars technica.

As we approach the much-anticipated countdown, the exchanges of good cheer at midnight and the traditional caroling of “Auld Lang Syne” to make the transformation complete, we wake up the next day expecting change to accompany the calendar’s new date. The number of gym memberships will skyrocket as cigarette sales slump, but we propose a resolution of a different sort: to improve the web experience. This is a broad goal that can be achieved through adopting a few simple resolutions. Change doesn’t occur overnight; instead it takes initiative and action to happen. The world’s eyes are upon the online scene, anxious to see where it will go next. Let’s give ‘em something to talk about. Let’s be the change we all wish to see and resolve to create better, more engaging online experiences. Here’s a few resolutions to consider:

1. Resolve to know your audience.

If you’ve been slacking on this critical step, there’s no better time than now to improve your focus. “User experience” literally starts with just that—the user. First, identify who this person is and why. Who uses your brand and your site? Who do you want to use it? Get to know these people better than you know yourself. Understand how they use, why they use and what they want out of the experience, and apply this information to create a site that delivers and keeps them coming back.

2. Resolve to keep it simple.

Simplicity is a beautiful thing and an aspect that is extremely attractive to users. Don’t overcomplicate things. Make navigation easy and the next step obvious. Use design elements to enhance this process and create an atmosphere that makes the user feel confident in their use. It’s that simple.

3. Resolve to learn from others.

It’s always good to look around and check out what others are doing. There’s a lot that can be learned from examining a good website and determining what makes it so great. It’s okay to adopt practices you admire and integrate these successful elements into your own design. As much as one can take away from a good site, almost more can be learned from a bad one. Understand why it fails and what could be done to avoid the problems if your site is suffering similar pitfalls. Make sure that your site isn’t making the same mistakes that others have. Learn from these sites and use your acquired knowledge to take yours to the next level.

4. Resolve to generate better content.

In 2012, content is still king. If you haven’t been giving it the appropriate amount of attention, make this your New Year’s resolution. Whatever it is you are putting out to the world, make it interesting and engaging. It’s a wonderful time we live in; online interface gives us the opportunity to have real-time two-way conversations with our users, but it is often up to the administrator to start the process. So get ‘em talking, and make it good.

5. Resolve to be engaging.

Again, we are all in the interactive business now. To get users to interact with you, you must engage them. This goes back to knowing your audience—provide them with what they need and want. Appeal to them in a way that attracts them to your brand and makes them want to get involved.

6. Resolve to thoroughly test.

Many of a website’s issues can be caught and correctly early on testing—if you give the right amount of attention to this step of the process. A website abound with errors, broken links and malfunctioning features is a huge turnoff to users and can give a negative connotation to your brand. Unlike much in business, this is something that you can control. Dominate in testing your site so it’s in top form when it’s presented to the world.

7. Resolve to listen.

Everyone has a voice now, and it would be foolish not to listen to what’s being said. Monitor the conversation going on about your brand—it’s right in front of you—and respond to the feedback. Address problems, make improvements where needed and build strong relationships with your users. You can learn a lot from their comments, so be mindful of your brand’s response.

8. Resolve to update regularly.

The beauty of an online presence is that it’s current—so keep it that way. Maintaining an up-to-date website fosters a positive perception of your brand as being modern. Establish a web presence that is responsive and timely, both to the changes of the business world and the commentary of users. Create an atmosphere in which you appear to actively participate.

9. Resolve to cover new platforms.

The Digital Age has provided us with multiple platforms from which brands can present information and interact with consumers. Not all will be relevant to your brand, but it’s wise to make use of the ones that can expand your brand’s presence and touch consumers in new and different ways. Always be on the look out for new programs and networks that allow you to reach your users and connect with them.

10. Resolve to be media-friendly.

Continuing on with the point made in Resolution #9, for a brand to reach heightened success in today’s day and age, it must take advantage of the media available and those that will be developed over the coming year. Ensure that your brand is not left out of this growing phenomenon and cover all appropriate bases. Have your brand be there in the way its users need and want it to be. Update your brand’s profile on these forums frequently and use them to gain further insight into your business and your consumers. Being media-friendly builds better relationships within the industry and with users. Come on, everyone else is doing it. You should be, too.

2012 is sure to hold even more changes for the business landscape, which makes it imperative to resolve to be ready. If you feel that you are already exercising these practices, do it even better than before. There is always room for improvement, and if you need the start of a new year to motivate you, now is the time.

Let’s all resolve to grow and create a bigger and better online scene than the world has yet to see.

Here is to a Happy New Year.

source: digby.com

In a world of ever-increasing competition, branding has become critical for any company to prove successful. The idea of branding transcends simple elements like logos, colors or taglines; instead, it represents a compilation of the attitudes and feelings that consumers attach to your company and its products or services. While a company can control the messages it puts out and the quality of its products and services, it does not have control over how its efforts are perceived by the public. Creating a brand consistent with the company’s category and culture with every element in harmony with each other is something that takes time and attention, but if done correctly can yield great rewards.

If you don’t think branding is important, just take a second to consider the price difference between a Lexus and a Kia, a MacBook and an Acer, or any brand and its generic. For me, it’s Aquafresh toothpaste. I buy no other toothpaste, regardless of any sales or promotions on other brands. In fact, I am so devoted to the Aquafresh name that I take it everywhere with me to ensure that I don’t have to use anything else. It’s that important to me. You want your brand to be to consumers what Aquafresh is to me. So the question becomes how to achieve this kind of consumer loyalty.

First, it’s critical to decide what exactly it is you want your brand to stand for. To be successful in branding, all of your efforts must be focused, and to for your efforts to be focused, you must have a unifying message. You want to develop a brand message that is unique, something that hasn’t been done before. Not only will this differentiate your brand from competitors in a distinct way, it will prevent any confusion among consumers. You want them to instantly connect the desired feelings and attitudes to your brand and not anyone else’s.

Once you have your message, you need to enforce it. Reiterate this message with every advertisement, social media post and promotional event. Everything your company puts out should be instantly accredited to your brand. It’s important to maintain a consistent look and tone that unifies these messages to be unmistakably identified as that of your brand.

While a consistent appearance of elements related to your brand helps consumers to make the connections, this doesn’t necessarily mean that everything your brand puts out needs to “match.” Instead, developing a general look with a consistent color palette and font selection and maintaining a harmonious tone for all messages will effectively achieve consumer brand recognition. This also allows for creative freedom to present messages in new and fresh ways in the future. This is a key point considering that in order to continue to build your brand in a constructive and favorable manner, you must periodically alter its presentation to stay current and relevant to consumers.

Branding is what truly separates otherwise similar products. You want your brand to be highly regarded and top-of-mind—the kind of brand that people will go out of their way to get. By building relationships with your consumers, you make emotional connections that are stronger than any other incentive.

So take some time, find out what exactly it is with which you want your brand to become synonymous, then develop your company and its communication to reinforce this message and drive the point home to consumers. Give your brand meaning. If your brand doesn’t stand for something, it will surely fall.

So stand strong!

- Savannah Harper, LB Wordsmith

About a week into November, Internet giant Google added a feature to it’s recently developed Google Plus social network—Google Plus Business Pages—that it projects to be one of the most valuable online marketing tools for companies yet. David Amerland described it in his article on Technorati.com as having the intention of allowing “businesses and brands to create the same close, personal connection with their potential customers as individuals who have been using the social network, since it opened, have done with each other.”

This certainly does sound exciting, but just as many were hesitant to invest the time to create a personal profile for yet another social network, many businesses are asking what the unique benefit is to taking advantage of this new service. After some online research, it seems that the majority of the blogosphere is optimistic that the added options for businesses will add value to marketing efforts. But the question remains—how? Here’s what we found:

Google Plus Business Pages is often compared to Facebook Pages, but it seems that their names are the most similar element of these two services. While marketing over Facebook and Twitter have revolutionized online marketing, it falls short in the fact that efforts via these vehicles only reach those to whom they are already connected. In other words, only those who “like” a page for “follow” an account will receive a company’s message disseminated over these networks. Amerland claims that Google Plus Business Pages differs in that it “can shorten the path [to a company’s site] by quite a bit, creating a winning proposition for brands which want to attract more customers, businesses which want to be found locally and marketers who want to help their clients succeed.”

With Google Plus Business Pages, business can be sought out by online consumers and engage in conversation with these potential customers. They can then be directed to the company’s page where they are provided with more information and the option to add a badge and receive updates. Any +1 activity can be extended to positively affect Google search results. Considering Google is the largest, most popular search engine used today, it’s not a bad idea to team up with this winner. Generating excitement for your brand on the Google Plus Business forum is rewarded with improvements in SEO. Not a bad deal.

With Google Plus Business Pages, companies can share breaking news, updates, promotions and more with the different people interested in their products or services. Brands can also promote their business with the +1 service all across the Web. And like everything Google does, the results can be measured with analytics provided by the service to help monitor a page’s progress and effectiveness.

While the true value of Google Plus Business Pages has yet to be seen, under a name like Google, it’s likely that this could just be the next big thing. The marketing landscape has undergone drastic changes in the past five years, but this evolution is far from over. Don’t be left behind as the rest of the world enters the next stage. Check out Google Plus Business Pages and decide for yourself if it could help your company reach the next level.

-Written by Savannah Harper, LB Wordsmith

By now almost everyone has felt the effects of the economic downturn that has taken place over recent years. In the wake of a global recession, numbers have been crunched, companies have become leaner and many independent business owners have been forced to close their doors. This last point is especially unfortunate considering that many economists believe small businesses to be the driving force of our country’s economy. The growth of small businesses generates new capital and offers job opportunities to an increasingly unemployed nation.

November 26 marks the second year that American Express will celebrate an event it’s calling “Small Business Saturday.” On this day, which falls during one of the nation’s busiest shopping weekends of the year, the company encourages the millions of American shoppers who will be out to “Shop Small” and support their “favorite local stores and help fuel the economy.” This noble effort is not only a call to action for consumers but also provides opportunities for small businesses to create offers, initiate Facebook communities and receive e-marketing materials to promote their businesses online.

Lifeblue understands that there are challenges that face any of the hopeful individuals out there who start out with nothing but a dream and a plan. In our five years of operation, LB has not only survived, but thrived, and while much of this success is attributed to providing a quality service, much of it can also be credited to the company’s use of cost-effective marketing tools now available to just about anyone with an Internet connection. Below we have outlined some of the ways that these services can help a small business become a success.

Company Website
As a company that designs and builds websites, we firmly believe in the power of an effective and engaging online experience. In this day and age, much of a business’ consumer traffic is generated by an interest that is sparked long before that person is in the vicinity of your store, but instead miles away in front of his computer. Create a good, user-friendly website that allows consumers to research your company and its products and services. As more and more people turn to mobile for all of their online needs, having a working mobile site is also in your best interest. Just make sure your site is in shape; it’s the window into your store.

Review Sites
Review sites, such as Yelp, and reviews found on Google Maps can also prove important in developing your business. The Digital Age allows for customers to have their say and spread word-of-mouth endorsements—or defamation—to a global audience. While you can’t necessarily control what gets said about your business, you can regulate how you react to it. Respond to negative comments. This can help you discover how to improve and gives you the opportunity to right your wrong and turn an unsatisfied customer into a very happy one. Use review resources to know exactly what’s being said about your company. These comments can provide insight on how to improve and reveal opportunities to capitalize on something that works.

Social Media
The rise of social media platforms like Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter and Foursquare have provided any company with an inexpensive method of customer engagement. These vehicles allow for user interaction and build on consumer relationships by providing a forum that fosters the two-way conversation between company and customer. Create an offer on FourSquare that brings in business, or use a Facebook page to advertise promotions to consumers that will build loyalty. Take advantage of the location features on these programs that allow consumers to publicize their visit to your establishment. One of the best parts about social media is that it can generate something money can’t buy: word-of-mouth endorsements with the potential of worldwide reach.

Online Video
While paid commercials are expensive, publishing videos to your own YouTube channel is not. The video site YouTube gives anyone the opportunity to create and share video worldwide, and as a small business, it could be just what you need to get your message out. Viral videos have been shown to possess great influential power and can even be more effective than a commercial. Create one and post it on your website and social media profiles to gain exposure. The great thing about creating your own online video is that there are no time restrictions, and it allows for more artistic freedom in crafting your message.

SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) can also help get your business out there. Starting out, your business’ site will not be at the forefront of an organic search simply because of its newness. Good SEO practices can help guide consumers to your site when they are searching for a product or service your company provides. Look into using programs like Google AdWords, where you can purchase keywords that will bring up your site in a relevant search. Most of these programs provide analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of your paid placement, and you can then decide whether or not this tactic is working for you and adjust accordingly.

This is an exciting time to be taking the plunge and investing in your own business. With a variety of tools available online, it has never been easier to reach millions with your message. Advertising can be expensive, but online marketing costs very little and can be just as effective.

Today you have the chance to build personal relationships with consumers around the world and engage them with media that is interactive and dynamic.

Small businesses are extremely important to the American economy. When you think about it, every large, successful business today started out as a small business itself. Use these tools to find the mix that works for your company, and let the business start booming.

-Savannah Harper, LB Wordsmith