How Mobile and Tablet Devices Are Changing Web Video Experiences

I have been thinking lately about how the rapid growth of mobile and tablet usage is impacting the video viewing experience on the Web. I put together the presentation below to go over the changes we have been experiencing in the recent years, and to urge companies to produce video content with mobile and tablet users in mind.

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Impact of Mobile and Tablet Usage on Web Video Experiences

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Writing Content for Usability

Designers and developers, who are not trained as copywriters, are often tasked with writing content for their websites. As the saying goes, everyone is a publisher thanks to the Internet.

Regardless, writing content can seem like a daunting task and can be downright stressful. Thankfully, the Internet can help you with that!

I just listened to a podcast from UIE Brain Sparks channel called “Writing Content for Usability”, originally aired on 4/20/2012. You can listen to it on this link.

The show host Adam Churchill interviews Steph Hay, a prominent writer and content strategist in D.C. In this podcast, Hay provides practical tips on how anyone can write compelling content on their website.

Here are the 7 Things I Learned from it:

1. Answer below two questions before my website project begins:

• What do we want our users to KNOW? – This will help me immediately identify my audience and what I must express to them to care about what I am saying.
• What do we want our users to DO? – Once I answer the first question, is then the ultimate conversion point. It will give me an idea of what actions I want my visitors to take on my website.

2. Take the below four steps to writing compelling content for web and mobile experiences:

    Step 1. Focus on audience, medium and network.

• Audience: Imagine that my user is the person sitting across the table from me, versus a wide demographic of folks from age 18 to 35. Being able to focus on a single person eases the writing process because it will help me vividly imagine the user’s experience.
• Medium: Think about which medium of communication will be best. Is it a homepage, a website, or on Twitter or blog? Then, use additional media to enhance my message.  For example, email can help tell a story and compliment my message. This can take some of the pressure off of me having to write everything.
• Network: Consider the folks who will help influence my message to my target audience.
• It’s important to have this brainstorming process before I write a single word of content!

Step 2. Write the content.

• Ensure that my content displays these four characteristics: helpful, meaningful, result-oriented, and confident.
• Content that has above four characteristics helps a user to take an action.

Step 3. Review for consistency.

• It is critical to go back and make sure everything that I wrote is consistent in voice, structure and tone.

Step 4. Intrigue the user to do something next!

• Compelling content intrigues the user to take an action. Make sure my content encourages people take the next action and be very clear about where I want them to go next.

3. Learn the difference between ‘Marketing Content’ and ‘Usable Content’:

• ‘Marketing content’ is the content creation and testing proces itself.
• ‘Usable content’ is the outcome of the above process.
• ‘Marketing content’ and ‘Usable content’ do not describe where content shows up. It is much deeper.
  Example 1. It is not exactly correct to think that “marketing” is your home page content and “usability” means button content or call to action.
  Example 2. Marketing content is not just the headline on a home page or about page content. Usable content isn’t just a button nomenclature or call to action in the side bar.
• ‘Marketing content’ is really any content that is written for a user. ‘Usable content’ is the outcome of effective marketing content because more users take action and the right action that I want them to take.

4. Understand how uncompelling content is created (unmeanigful, unhelpful, no result-oriented, and not confident).

• Most marketing content is written by someone who hasn’t actually spoken to the typical end user.
• That person writes blindly based on what she considers to be interesting rather than by using the kind of language and the end user seeks.
• When users read marketing content that is well written – users appreciate it because they think you get them. This is the core of usable content!

5. Memorize this wonderful quote by Dr. Flint McLauglin, “When you’re thinking about marketing copy versus content, CLARITY always trumps PERSUASION.”

6. Bring every deliverable back to the audience outcomes and goals. Who am I speaking to, what awesome things do I promise to the users that our competitors do not, and what do we want our users to do?

7. Remember that my content must help the user to make a decision.

References

For more tips on web site and product usability, I highly recommend that you bookmark UIE’s website www.uie.com.

Really Old Apple Websites

As part of my web design history study, I wanted to know what Apple’s website looked like before and after his comeback as CEO in 1997. Through an awesome tool called Internet Way Back Machine, I am able to see the staggering differences between Apple’s 1996 and 1998 websites:

Apple’s 1996 website – a year before Steve Jobs comeback as CEO

Apple’s 1998 website – a year after Jobs took control and saved the company from near bankruptcy

Even with the limited web design tools and technologies available in the late 1990s, you can see that Jobs was all over design and simplicity.

Furthermore, you can see a striking resemblance of today’s Apple website from what it looked like back in 2000:

I am once again amazed by  the late Jobs’ creativity and his commitment to making everything simple, usable and beautiful.

Web Start-Ups Pitching Their Companies

I just watched a video of web start-up companies pitch their business ideas. I thought this was a very intriguing and a REAL way to see how other businesses get started, and again a great reminder that if you want a successful business you must know how to present it right!

This video is part of Future of Web Apps London 2008, where five start up companies pitch their ideas for sixty seconds each in front of a panel of judges. Each presenter then gets scored and a winner is congratulated at the end.

As mentioned, each pitch must be within 60 seconds, then a brief Q&A session is held by the judges. Afterwards, judges give scores on a scale from 1 to 10.

#1 – PhoneFromHere.com 

The first up is Tim from www.PhoneFromHere.com. I liked Tim’s casual persona, however, the pitch instantly became boring to me because there were no visuals. I wish he had some stats or talked more clearly about what problems he is trying to solve in the marketplace before explaining what the product does. What I understood is that PhoneFromHere is like having a 1 800 number for the web but I honestly could not understand what the product really does even after watching 2-3 times. The best I can understand is that the product generates revenue from pay-per-use where each recipient of the call pays for the call. PhoneFromHere scored an average of 4.25.

#2 – Raffle.it 

Next we hear from Pascal at http://www.Raffle.it. Pascal’s presentation started with great, powerful individuals and I wished he kept it going that way. The presenter jabbered a little too much that I did not get a clear understanding of what the product does. What I understood is that Raffle.it is a place where anyone can raffle valuable unwanted items. So kind of like eBay, but you purchase vouchers then place a bid. The fun part is that everyone is a winner because each ticket comes with reward vouchers from retailers. The business revenue comes mainly from ticket sales. I was intrigued by the idea but thought that the revenue would be too small with the vouchers, instead he should think about partnering with retailers and sell the user data that is generated from the website. Raffl.it receives an average score of 7.625.

#3 – TheiPlatform.com  

Next presenter is Josh March from www.theiplatform.com. I like his presentation style better than other two – he uses images that constantly keep my eyes interested. I understand this product as a social media aggregator that integrates social networks such as Facebook, Bebo and MySpace. The business model charges a free for the API and ongoing license fee. When I heard this I thought the idea sounded too familiar and I needed to hear more of what truly sets this company apart from others. The score for iPlatform? 5.875.

#4 – Diary.com 

I instantly liked the web address for this next company www.Diary.com! I was excited to hear for more. I thought the speech part of the presentation was well structured and prepared, but again I did not get an idea of what the product does. I wished that they took the time to demonstrate how the product works before talking about how successful they are. It was frustrating! Diary.com allows private conversations, file sharing, media sharing and link sharing with your friends. It is a subscription model though that charges fees to users with additional revenue from targeted ads, affiliates and virtual items. Without showing the audience what the product does, this pitch really did not work at all. Judges seem to agree with me, they all loved the website URL but criticized for not showing anything. Diary.com received a score of 4.75.

#5 – Erepublik Labs

The final pitch was done by Alexis from Erepublik Labs. He started out with a simple sentence explaining his product. I LOVED his approach in presentation where he showed his website and navigated through it. It is a beautiful website by the way! He had a great flow of energy and even made one of the judges laugh at one point. He used actual numbers to explain the growth of the website. His message was very certain and assuring. Erepublik is a totally web based strategy game. You can interact with friends, get a job, do invasions. Your imagination determines the outcome of your game. The business model is virtual currency where users purchase Erepublik gold in order to create, maintain and expand their virtual world. It was interesting to hear from one of the judges that virtual goods will take over subscription based web games. I thought the presentation was extremely well done and I wish I can speak like that! Erepublik earned the average score of 9.33.

And the WINNER is… 

In the end the scores were tallied and the 1^st place was Erepublik, 2^nd place was Raffle.it, and 3^rd place was iPlatform.com

Congratulations to all presenters – it takes great courage to stand up where you are!

What I don’t want to forget about this blog…

This is one of those “for my own record” type of thing. I have some ideas about the blog and I want to make sure I wrote them down somewhere so I wouldn’t forget… So here goes:

I am planning to use this blog as a special place to chronicle four most important roles in my life:

1. Marketer (My Profession)

2. Musician (My Avocation)

3. Mom (My Family)

4. Minister (My Spirituality)

The 4 roles above also reflect my lifelong MISSIONS.

Blog Idea #1 – Marketer

• Becoming a world-renowned marketer is my lifelong mission. I am going to use the blog to share interesting marketing information that I come across, especially what I am learning at Full Sail.
• I am currently working full-time at my company where my primarily responsibility is marketing. I can use this blog to share highlights and special events at my company.

Blog Idea #2 – Musician

• I am a classically trained musician (concert flutist) and I actively participate in local concerts, musicals and events. I can use the blog to promote these upcoming events and discuss my experiences.
• I strongly support fine arts education in all school levels due to my personal experience. I would have dropped out of high school if I was not involved in music. I can use the blog to share with others about my past experiences and voice my opinion about importance in fine arts ed.

Blog Idea #3 – Mom

• I am a brand new mom, and my twenty-one month old son (as of Jan 2012) teaches me new things every day! I can use this blog to share with others about new things I am learning as a new mom. I can already think about a few funny stories!
• Nowadays all moms are incredibly busy. I am one of them. Being a mom really has forced me to learn some discipline and think of some creative ways to ensure that the time I spend with my family is as fun as can be! I can use this blog to share some things that work for me (and failed miserably).

Blog Idea #4 – Minister 

• I am a born-again Christian and I have begun a new relationship with God in a whole different way after I nearly lost myself from a severe depression.
• I can use the blog to chronicle my new life as a born-again Christian which may prove helpful others who are struggling and are looking for some encouraging words on the Internet.
• I am also actively involved in several ministries at my church that I can share with others.

Tips for Visiting Full Sail Campus as Online Students

In my previous post, I shared a few pictures of my visit to Full Sail campus on a rainy January day.

Just to give you a little background info, I am currently enrolled in the Internet Marketing program at Full Sail, which is one of the online bachelor’s degree programs. For a complete list of programs and degrees offered at my school, visit  http://online.fullsail.edu/degrees.

I live in Orange County, California and visiting Full Sail was a rare opportunity that sure did not disappoint. It quickly became one of our family’s top highlights in our weeklong vacation in Florida.

I thought it’d be nice to reflect on my visit and give some tips to my fellow online students if they get a chance to visit Full Sail.

1. Get a FREE parking pass good for 12 hours

Last time I visited Full Sail was more than ten years ago. Since then this place has expanded quite a bit.  If you’re driving, park your car in the Visiting Parking in front of the Admissions building. Go up to the receptionist and ask for a temporary parking pass. Done!

2. Take the Daily Campus Tour

Full Sail offers daily campus tours. I am unsure about the school’s position regarding current online students taking advantage of the campus tour… I had a special scenario because my husband is interested in becoming a student. I told the receptionist that I was an online student and asked if I could take the tour as well, and she had no problem.

Heather, our campus guide, did a fantastic job showing us the campus. In addition to checking out some of the classrooms and backlots, we got to go inside recording studios, sound stages, ESPN Sports Lab, and Full Sail Live Auditorium… Places I would have felt uneasy going in. What was really nice was that Heather explained the histories for each of the places as we visited.

To schedule a campus tour, call 800.226.7625 and say that you’d like to schedule a Daily Tour. Please note that this is different from their Behind-The-Scenes Tour, which happens only once a month.

3. Get your student ID

If you haven’t got your ID yet, now is your chance to get it. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to the Security and Operations office (located in the Admissions building), and tell them you’re an online student and would like to get an ID. They will ask for your name and student ID, and will “enter” you in their system.
Step 2: They will send you to The HangR, which is the souvenir shop right next door, so that you can make the payment for your ID. The cost is $10. Just a word of caution, be careful when you go to the shop… it’s hard not to buy something!
Step 3: After payment, go back to the Security and Operations, and SMILE BIG! Congrats, now you have your official Full Sail Student ID.

Since my visit was so short, I didn’t really get to “use” the ID but it supposably lets you around the campus with a full student access.

4. Grab a cappuccino at the Cafe, find your little spot, and proudly open your MacBook Pro.

Okay, admit it. We’re so proud of our MacBook Pros. I thought it was a really nice treat to actually get some studying done at school while being amongst fellow Full Sail students, all with their beautiful MacBooks. There is a chic, open space in the Entertainment Business Center that offers plenty of comfortable seating. Now study!

*Note: Images of Full Sail campus are taken from the school website’s Campus Explorer. To view the entire gallery of campus pictures, please visit  http://www.fullsail.edu/our-campus#campusExplorer

Making it to Full Sail… on foot!

I had the privilege to visit my school today as part of our family vacation to Florida. We experienced it in true Orlando style with a HEAVY rainfall during our visit! Let me say, I heart rain! The rain came shortly after our campus tour but I really wouldn’t have minded getting soaked – well, I think hubby and son would have said otherwise. Last time I visited Full Sail was exactly ten years ago and oh boy this place has grown! I am so proud to call Full Sail my school and would like to visit again, this time a little longer so I can really soak in the awesome culture here.

Here are some (not-so-great) pictures from the visit:

Inside the Full Sail Live… I definitely need to come back here for graduation ceremony!

There is an actual outdoor movie set for film and digital cinematography students. And not a dinky one.. pretty impressive scale. WOW!

Beautiful and edgy classrooms…

Inside Sound Stage… Did not know they have a live production studio including CG… Not ours though 😦

Son Oliver enjoying his perfect snack at the school cafe

Oh, and I splurged a little bit at the HangR, which is the school’s souvenir shop… A new MacBook case and a water bottle for me, ceramic mug for mom, T-shirt and hat for hubby,  travel mug for dad, pins, notebooks, pens, stickers… all with FS logos, you name it… I probably walked out with half the store merchandise… Couldn’t help it!

For more information about my school Full Sail University, please visit its site at www.fullsail.edu. Also, a very special thanks to Heather for such a personable tour!

Off to Disney World Parks tomorrow to wrap up our Orlando visit, then heading down to Ft. Lauderdale. Looking forward!

At last!

Wow finally I have a blog!

Thanks to the wonderful education at my college Full Sail University, I finally have my personal blog. I intend to turn this blog as a special place to chronicle the four most important roles I have in my life: marketer (my profession), musician (my avocation), mom (my family), and minister (my spirituality). These four roles are also my lifelong missions and motivators. I am striving to be the best I can be in these roles.

I hope that this blog will provide some helpful insight to those who stumble across my blog. Here is to wonderful blogging!