Do I need usability testing?

Reading time: 1 – 2 minutes

We get asked this question a lot, especially when we suggest that a client needs to run some usability testing to make sure the solution we’re proposing works for their target market.
The reason we get the question
“I’m paying you to design and build the right website for my target market. [...]

Video: Me at a roundtable at UKFast

Reading time: < 1 minute

A few weeks ago I attended a UKFast roundtable talking about the marketing mix and how it’s changing especially with more and more digital marketing channels opening up. Check out the video below to see me rambling on with a few other clever Manchester people.
Get the latest Flash Player to see [...]

Agency structure vs Client structure

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes

This week I attended one of the Marketing Industry Network events in Manchester which discussed the future of the independent digital agency. The panel including agencies like Cool Pink, Code Computerlove and Chapter8 and come question time I asked whether the change within the industry is been driven by clients [...]

Do you just collect data? Or do you analyse?

Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

Most companies are collecting data for no reason. Far too often we’re coming across companies that have some form of analytics but no idea why. They have had it put in (mainly because it’s free) and someone has normally shown them how to log in and told them what some [...]

Make sure you know your clients stats

Reading time: 1 – 2 minutes

Lots of commentry on the web today about Firefox 3.5 being the most popular browser. Really, when you add up Internet Explorer, it’s still IE at 55.4% and Firefox at 32.1%. See graph below. There’s a problem though

This is not what you’re clients stats are like. See below two of [...]

Online budget vs Online time

Reading time: < 1 minute

“Current spend from advertisers is between 12% and 13% of total budget. However, the time spent onlone by consumers is approaching 20%. Clients need to address this shortfall” – Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP
Great quote and a very simple gap that needs to be filled. If advertisers continue this trend they will [...]

7 must do things when starting a web project

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

This is a follow on from the ‘7 deadly sins of beginning a web project‘ which I posted last month, this post deals with what to do, as opposed to not doing.
1) Assign a website champion
This is crucial. There needs to be someone inside an organisation that is running the [...]

Virgin Money usability fail

Reading time: < 1 minute

Run of negative posts recently but some things send me nuts. Below is a screenshot of Virgin Money’s login screen. This error message would be all well and good, except for the fact that all the characters I entered were valid, it was just the wrong password! Talk about a confusing [...]

Rant: Webfusion’s awful customer service

Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

Back in the day when Webfusion weren’t owned by Pipex, they were pretty good. Good customer service, competitive prices and good technical support. Times, indeed, have changed. Since Pipex took over their technical support in particular but also their general service has become one giant failure.
Poor refund system
Yesterday, at Blueleaf, [...]

DADI Awards – Success for Blueleaf!

Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

On friday night (the 13th I might add), Blueleaf were nominated for our work with Laura Ashley for the best ecommerce site at the DADI awards. The DADIs are digital indutry awards and so highly focused on websites as a whole. I’m please to say that we won!
It was a [...]