Click. Connect. Communicate.

Is the iPad REALLY going to change everything?

by Ron Daly 

A few weeks ago, we were talking iPhone apps. Now we need to make an amendment and change "iPhone" to "iPad". 

Apple's new innovation debuted to much fanfare a week ago, with people immediately responding with either exuberant delight or a loud "ho-hum". Is it the latest, greatest thing since sliced bread and a surefire change to the world of computing, or is it a giant iPod Touch that plays movies? If I know anything about Apple - and I don't claim to be an expert, but I DO own an iPhone - it's that Apple will be releasing a "Version Two" shortly thereafter with everything re-done. Advice from me to you? Wait a generation or two.

Something that's been striking me as kind of odd is the anti-Flash sentiment. Flash used to be THE thing that every site designer bragged about - we can do a Flash cartoon! We've got a streaming video player! Flash buttons! A Flash splash page, or even a whole website! 

The iPad, like the iPod Touch and iPhone, doesn't do Flash. And Apple is dead set against making plugins for their new wonder-toys. 

This has touched off the powder on a war between Flash developers/supporters and Apple devotees. Steve Jobs, head of Apple, is saying that Adobe (the people behind Flash) are being lazy. He blames most of the crashes that happen on your Mac-based browsers on Flash and says that HTML 5 is going to be the new way forward. 

Nations vs. 'Net - Online Diplomacy

by Ron Daly 

Let's say, for just a moment, that Google was a country. It's not so crazy - they're already dabbling in alternative energy. So let's say for just a moment that Googlevania comes to pass. 

Chief export? Search Advertising. 

National Security? Constantly upgraded! 

Taxes? You can live for free, but you can live BETTER if you upgrade. 

Seems like it works for them now, and how can you not like a country with the motto, "non exsisto malum" (that's Latin for "Don't Be Evil"). 

I bring it up because of recent events in which national governments are getting into squabbles with the titans of the computer age. Sure, back in '98, the Browser Wars were raging and then-Attorney General Janet Reno took on Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows 98. Twelve years later, Microsoft is being vilified not here at home, but in France and Germany. French and German officials are insisting that people stay away from Internet Explorer as their browser, citing security issues with the most popular browser on the market. Clearly, Microsoft is upset about this. From the BBC article: 

Mr Cluley said that switching away from IE could create other problems, particularly for companies. 

"Some web-based applications may not work at all if you're not using Internet Explorer." 

Microsoft is currently working on a patch for the problem, but a spokesperson said it could not commit to a timeframe.

This comes on the heels of news that Google (not Googlevania, just regular Google) would pull out of China if the Chinese government continued to upset the delivery of emails, via Gmail, to Chinese activists. This would deal a major blow to the "Great Firewall of China", the network of blackouts and blocks placed on content by the Chinese government that prevents certain information from being accessed by chinese citizens. 

France and Germany insisting users ditch IE8? Google pulling out of China over conflicts of interest? That means that Microsoft and Google are major factors in the national security and human rights policies of these countries. To what degree does "Laissez faire" apply anymore? And are these considered "international incidents", as they involve American corporations? Are they "trade disputes"?

Give us your thoughts in the comment section.

Is there an App for you?

by Ron Daly

I was linked a story about iPhone apps from the CES in Vegas. The big idea from this year's conference? 

Have an App or hang it up.

Not just an iPhone App (though one panelist in the article says that's square one for your company), but apps for Blackberry, the Palm Pre, Google's Android platform, and any other app-supporting mobile phone. Why? 

For one, more is being done on handhelds these days. More email, more video, more music, everything. Data from August of last year shows smartphone sales have jumped 27% over the previous year. More phone companies are rolling out new smartphone models just as more tech companies are rolling out new platforms. Google just debuted the Nexus One, their own phone running their own platform. The Internet is going to be around all the time - in your pocket or at your desk. 

The other reason this seems to be worth paying attention to is the data from this infographic from GigaOM.com on the "App Store Economy". The graphic is worth a look, but some of the highlights: 

• Average price paid for an iPhone app - $2.70
• The App Store raked in $250 Million in revenues in December alone
• App store users downloaded about 4.8 apps each on average

That folks are willing spend almost $3 each on applications for their phone is mind blowing, but they must be doing it to fill some gap in their phone's functionality or just make things they do in the day-to-day easier. What gaps could your company be filling? 

What's your App? What does it do? How does it help? What gap does it fill? 

Sounds like we'd all better figure that out fast, if we're going off the desk and into people's hands.

Where is "The Fold"?

by Greg Crandell

Back when newspapers were as simple as "Really Simple" syndication got, being "above the fold" or "below the fold" was something that mattered to editors and advertisers. Being above the fold means better visibility and a greater likelihood of response and recognition. While fewer folks are reading papers these days, ads and articles that are above the fold are still regarded as more important and more desirable. 

This concept has translated to web design to some degree. It's led most folks who design websites to post all the "good content" just under the site header, or anywhere within the bounds of the "first scroll". More and more these days, web designers and usability experts are questioning whether or not "the fold" exists on the web. 

This article from Clockwork Active Media Systems starts shooting some holes in the conventional wisdom. Better information architecture, says the article, is much more important than where things are relative to the fold. Some resources from the article that might be helpful to your design team/web managers: 

• http://browsersize.googlelabs.com/ - this link will show you browser sizes and percentages, indicating how many people have their browser windows open to a specific size. How many people, on average, are seeing your actionable content? Do they have any way to contact you? Do they see content worth seeing within a specific size range? Type in your own URL at the top to use the overlay.
• http://www.thereisnopagefold.com/ - Get used to websites such as these - with URLs being easier to register these days, "single serving" websites like this will become more prevalent. Have only ONE thing to say? You need a single serving site, just like this one. If this is a little technologically advanced for you, let me give you a hint: scroll down. The folks behind the "There is no page fold" movement want to get away from this above/below fold mindset. If users see anything interesting on your website, they'll scroll; if they don't, they'll bolt. Simple, right? 

I'm not an expert on where people look/how they behave online, but I will say that I'm more inclined to read through a page that's linked to me. If I've got a few minutes and I need to find something on a given website, I'll browse around and hunt for the information I want. Going back to the design argument, if something is clearly defined or demonstrated on a website, scrolling to find it won't bother you. Better to have information that's easy to understand than information that's easy to find, but better still to have both. 

Season's Greetings from DigitalMailer's Family of Blogs

Thanks to all our loyal readers for another GREAT year of blogging. We've covered industry news, met some great people and learned a lot about our clients, friends, and fellow bloggers. 

Please take some time in the next few weeks to browse our archives. We'll be out of office/offline until after the new year. We hope everyone out there has a safe and happy holiday and that 2010 is a great year for everyone out there.

Thanks again, and we'll see you in '10! 

How Big Is The Internet? A Visual Guide

by Jimmy Marks

Came across this diagram of "A day in the Internet", a visual representation of all the information that gets processed, added, and moved through the Internet every day.

The diagram is 500 pixels wide and 1600 or so pixels long, so putting it here is tough, but here's a clip of it that links to the full image. 

A lot of interesting information shared here. Some thoughts this generated for me: 

- We get one Guyana's-worth of new Facebook users every day. Theoretically, everyone could connect with anyone else. I just wonder why there aren't as many people "follow-spamming" me there as on Twitter. Maybe it's because Facebook has actions other than type/follow/unfollow?

- We send enough data across the mobile phone carrier infrastructure every day to fill 1.7 million blu-ray discs? That's bananas. I'm starting to wonder if, in the next few years, you'll be able to call phones "phones" anymore. They're just tiny computers these days, getting your email, playing games, taking pictures - calls are one slice of a great big functionality pie.

- Rob once remarked that there was "signal to noise ratio" to consider when reading/digesting information online. Sometimes it's helpful and interesting, sometimes it's a list of things someone ate for breakfast. If each day, bloggers write the equivalent of 19 years of newspaper - the New York Times, no less - how much of that is recycled? Or worth the time it takes to read?

Hopefully, this is some food for thought for you, too! Talk to us about it in the comments section.

 (image, story from Gizmodo)

The Decoy, The Bait, and the Smarter Twitter User

by Jimmy Marks

Growing up in a rural community, you get used to hunting and fishing terms and techniques. Two such techniques I've seen used to great success are decoys and bait. 

The decoy is a preferred method of staying out of the sight of waterfowl. Lulling them into a false sense of safety with fake ducks or geese and getting them to draw closer so you can fire is a skill that many successful hunters learn early. Bait, obviously, is a key part of the fishing equation - without tempting bait, it's tough to draw a fish's attention. While these methods are important to hunters, they're even more important to Spammers. Regrettably, they're just as effective online as they are in the outdoors.

A number of credit union and finance Twitter accounts have been compromised lately. Our own Twitter account, twitter.com/DMI_CUSoapbox, received a number of direct messages from our followers/friends imploring us to click links and enter our personal information. Thankfully, we ignored most of these links and paid attention to the Twitter explosion that followed.

"Accounts hacked!" followers exclaimed. 

"Do NOT click the link," others noted. 

And from one or two Twitter accounts being compromised came three or four. And from all that hubbub came a stinging reminder: 

SPAM will always be around to ruin the party. 

Should Online Acquaintance Be Forgot? We Think So.

by Ron Daly 

I came across this story the other day from Usability Post which asks "Is it time to make 'Remember Me' the default for password protected websites?" This question comes as the result of a few articles about password memory, one which asks if it's time to do away with the option of "Remember Me" and go with automatic login. Another article by web-genius Jakob Nielsen suggests we get rid of the "dots" in the password field (i.e., "Password: ******"), because doing so would increase confidence in those who have trouble with passwords and save them the trouble of copy-pasting passwords. 

What do I think? No. To all of the above, I say no. No, no, no. 

Maybe I'm a little kooky about auto-login and password protection standards. I have to be, it's part of my business. DigitalMailer has lots of clients to manage and those clients all fall under the heading of "information too important to compromise". So we don't use "auto-fill" here, we don't use "save password/remember me" fields, we don't have "oops, I forgot" lists for passwords - none of that. We don't do those things because we value our client's safety. I don't know that it's such a great idea to do with your OWN information, either. 

When Flu Flies : Softening the Blow to your Business

by Ron Daly

A handshake. A friendly hug. The doorknobs and handles inside your business. The faucets in the bathroom. The water fountain. All could be places where viruses are resting, waiting to strike and take down your business. Most recently, the big concern is around H1N1 or "Swine Flu", an illness that sprang up early this year and just won't disappear. 

What do you do when one of your employees is diagnosed as having H1N1? What if you work in a business or market that requires a lot of personal interaction or travel? How do you manage when your workforce is bedridden? 

Bizbox, a blog started by Slate, wrote a good "common sense" article about managing during an Influenza outbreak. From their post: 

Basically, for an employer "preparedness" is actually two-pronged: most obviously, for the sake of your business and the general public, you don't want anyone in your office who happens to contract H1N1 to spread it to others; and you want to be ready for the prospect of, yes, several people in your office contracting H1N1 and thereby being unavailable for a time, at the same time.

They also offered a link to Flu.gov, a Health and Human Services site that's PACKED with resources on preparedness and prevention. 

Sounding the Alarm, Sounding the All-Clear

For our industry, the credit union/finance industry, personal interaction and high volumes of foot traffic are highly sought-after in terms of sales and a real concern when it comes to the spread of disease. The best way to keep everyone aware of their personal health and the best interest and welfare of their co-workers and member-owners is to communicate, communicate, communicate. 

Two resources that will help with managing communication during an outbreak or possible outbreak:

1) CreditUnions.com's upcoming webinar 

"The 2nd Wave of Swine Flu – What your Credit Union Should Do Now"

On September 24th at 2:00 PM EST, this webinar will walk through social distancing, member communication and employee awareness and how each are critical to continued operations. Featuring Don Stewart, Master Business Continuity Planner from Ongoing Operations, and CreditUnions.com's own Alix Patterson, the webinar is still accepting attendees. Click here to visit and sign up now.

2) Exigent911

DigitalMailer's Crisis Management Notification System (CMNS) has evolved into the Exigent911 emergency notification system. Send emails, text messages and voice messages - in any combination or all at once. Visit the new website (www.exigent911.com) to see more. 

Don't let your business suffer a halt because of poor health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - start making preparations now to avoid a greater disruption down the line. 

How to Find Us

by Ron Daly 

I've been thinking a lot about what Jimmy said in our previous post about search engine optimization. About how the sheer size of the Internet is daunting when you're trying to get noticed. But there are a few more tips I think are worth sharing when it comes to SEO. I don't know as much as, say, the people at Google do about SEO, but I've found a few good resources and gleaned from said resources several worthwhile pieces of advice. 

How Domains Relate to SEO, from shayhowe.com (click here for the full article)

One of the things I learned from this article was that keywords are important - and in more places than just your "keywords" meta-tag. If you have a page that's only pricing information, why not name the root for that sub-section "pricing"? So, if your URL is: 

http://www.example.com

You'd make your pricing page URL something like

http://www.example.com/pricing/

Or, if it's only about a page worth, go with the basic

http://www.example.com/pricing.html 

"Keep it simple" is the name of the game. Google and other search engines, according to Shay Howe, pay attention to paths and file names as well as whatever other information you cram into the meta data. 

Another take-away that I think is important, where your content sits in terms of your root folder (where your website's top level sits) and your sub folders. Sure, you're going to have to tuck certain content into a sub folder, but make sure it can be found. 

And, as with email, make sure that IP address is sparkling. What does that have to do with whether or not you're found online? It's the same reason that, if you send out a bunch of bum emails, the ISP of the people you're sending to will keep you from reaching said people. If your IP starts getting a lot of complaints about crummy behavior or SPAM-site-esque operating procedures, you're not going to curry favor with the search engines. 

How to Integrate SEO Into Your Business, from SEOmozBlog (click here for the full article)

A great article from a blog that has a lot to offer your SEO strategy. According to the article, SEO's place in our world is so important that it affects the overall strategy of product promotion. Some key tips: 

• Be aware that the way you brand/promote your products will need to reflect what the product is (assuming it's something someone purchases) or where to find or use the product (assuming it's a local resource or business). Keep that in mind when coming up with the product names and descriptions. 
• Don't be afraid to ask for a link-over from the website of your facilities provider/manager. So if you have a store/branch in the "Willow Oak Grove" shopping center, see if you can get a link from http://www.willowoakgroveshoppingcenter.com
• If you're generating a lot of content (blogs, video sites, etc.), compel your content producers to greater output by relating your page-views and traffic to performance. 

There's plenty of great links in this article and more information on how to weave SEO best practices into your business. This blog is a great read and always comes up with new ideas about SEO. Go subscribe now!

Linking, linking, linking!

Why ignore the best way to drive up your referrals and traffic? You need other sites linking to you and vice versa. Now, this doesn't mean an entire page of blanket links that lead to SPAM pages (obviously), but rather a set of references to your strategic partners, your promoters, your sponsors, and your sister sites. All the better to "build a strong reference stream" between yourself and the sites most critical to your success.

It's time. Today's the day. Don't sit on your hands when it comes to your SEO anymore. Start getting found! Use these resources and make it happen today.