TGIF – Week’s End Links – Happy Birthday, Facebook!
By: Michelle Pierce | February 5th, 2010
First off, happy birthday to Facebook! The social juggernaut turned six on Thursday, which makes them squarely middle-aged online. I started my own Facebook account in 2005, back when they were only open to colleges and you had to have a university email address to open an account. (In fact, I didn’t delete my “ou.edu” address from my Facebook account until late 2009, after said address had been defunct for about two and a half years.)
And while Facebook and I have had our differences over the years, I have to say “thank you.”
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Tags: Facebook, links, Netflix, semicolon, Seth Godin, TGIF
Posted in: TGIF
Get the Facts on Facebook: 22 Tips & Statistics
By: Jessica Cox | February 2nd, 2010
Facebook has become a powerhouse platform for businesses looking to connect with their customers and prospects online. With over 350 million users interacting online, it’s easy to see the appeal of getting face time on this popular social network.
Facebook user statistics:
- Facebook claims more than 350 million active users.
- Fifty percent of active users log on to Facebook in any given day.
- The average user spends more than 55 minutes per day on Facebook.
That’s a lot of people spending quite a bit of time in one place online. Do you have a stake in that game?
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Tags: Facebook, marketing, social media, tribes
Posted in: Marketing Alchemy
Benjamin Franklin – Design Inspiration
By: sean | January 29th, 2010
There’s a reason Franklin’s cherubic face adorns the $100 bill. No one can deny that Washington, Lincoln or Jefferson made some serious contributions to America. However, Ben owns the top spot.
A designer from the word “go,” Ben understood concept. It’s why he preferred the moral fortitude of the turkey over the eagle on our Great Seal. He also understood the importance of being supportive once a design decision was made, which is why we still eat turkey instead of sporting them on our coinage.
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Tags: Benjamin Franklin, creativity, design, graphic design
Posted in: Design Inspiration
14 Web Design & Marketing Tips from Paul Newman, Pt. 2
By: Jessica Cox | January 26th, 2010
8. “I’ve been accused of being aloof. I’m not. I’m just wary.”
With an ongoing recession, betrayals in the financial sector, and general corporate misconduct, buyers are extremely careful about who they choose to do business with.
Do everything in your power to reassure them. Post privacy policies alongside your newsletter signup. Include all relevant association badges to let them know you’re well-respected in your industry. For e-commerce sites, include security badges and security notifications to let shoppers know their money is in good hands.
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Tags: Internet marketing, Paul Newman, website design
Posted in: Marketing Alchemy
14 Web Design & Marketing Tips from Paul Newman, Pt. 1
By: Jessica Cox | January 25th, 2010
As an actor, entrepreneur and humanitarian, Newman found numerous ways to dazzle an audience, from the silver screen to the kitchen table. Before his rise to stardom, those baby blues overlooked a lifetime of hard work.
After working his family’s sports store, Newman served as a radio operator in WWII, and sold encyclopedias in between visiting agents. From these humble beginnings, he went on to donate hundreds of millions in profits from his “Newman’s Own” company to numerous charities.
A man of many talents, Newman’s old-school advice rings true through the world of web design and Internet marketing.
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Tags: marketing, Paul Newman, web design
Posted in: Marketing Alchemy
The Three Acts of Website Magic
By: Jonathan Cox | January 20th, 2010
How is a good website like a magic trick?
I saw The Prestige recently, and I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to draw the comparison between my craft and magic. Everyone knows we techies are wizards, anyway, right? So here we go. Are you watching closely?
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Tags: illusion, magic, prestige, website design
Posted in: Eureka!
Three Quick Website Maintenance Tips
By: Michelle Pierce | January 15th, 2010
As the AVC editor-in-chief and word ninja, it’s my job to take care of all the little details.
Here are three quick tips that can 1) improve user experience and 2) will make it easier for search engines to read your site.
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Tags: proofread, tips, usability, website maintenance
Posted in: Naked Writing
Seven Unbreakable Website Usability Rules
By: Michelle Pierce | January 12th, 2010
1. Thou shalt forgo happy talk and splash pages.
Happy talk is any text on your site that fills up space without actually saying anything. For example, “Welcome to our site! We’re so glad to have you.”
Splash pages are another archaic leftover from the early days of the web. These pages feature little more than a “click here to enter” button, and, like happy talk, they do little more than take up space.
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Tags: clarity, communication, design, website usability
Posted in: Naked Writing
Online Marketing: Google Adding Click to Call in Mobile Ads
By: Jessica Cox | January 8th, 2010
The wildly successful PPC giant Google AdWords unveils yet another addition to their arsenal of online advertising options.
In Google’s words:
“We’re pleased to announce that beginning in January, your location-specific business phone number will display alongside your destination URL in ads that appear on high-end mobile devices.”
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Tags: advertising, marketing, mobile, ppc
Posted in: Marketing Alchemy
Aqua Vita Creative Featured on Web Design Ledger
By: Jessica Cox | January 6th, 2010
Hope you get a chance to read our article at Web Design Ledger today.
I’ve put together a personal cross-browser optimization cheat sheet/tool list we use at Aqua Vita Creative in our web development projects. This is the perfect starting place for a savvy business owner, or marketing director to engage customers or prospects on their website.
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Tags: tips, tools, web design, web development
Posted in: Aqua Vita News, Marketing Alchemy
