Marketing – Page 2 – Todd Chambers

April 14, 2015 — No Comments

Decisions, Decisions.

Wednesday may be hump day but Monday is Decision Day!

Ya see, a few weeks ago I came to a crossroad. I had been putting off making some decisions. At first it was only a few, select choices. Big ones. The kind of decisions that honestly do require thought, reflection, research and deliberation. But it wasn't long before I realized I was also passing on opportunities to make smaller decisions too. Simple stuff really, like whether or not to reseed the lawn, or if I should work on side project A or B. I had found myself in a funk. I had found myself staring straight ahead into the blinding light of the dreaded analysis paralysis. Too dramatic, yeah maybe. But nonetheless, it was clear the time had come to be proactive and stop passing the buck. So, I came up with the idea of Decision Day. Every Monday come hail or high water I was going to select one of the big decisions I had been putting off and I would commit to finalizing any review or research I was pursuing and I would make a decision. I would, as my dad always said, fish or cut bait.

So what did I decide today? I decided to up my blog game. To get off the fence and post something at least once a week. No more collecting thoughts and sitting on them. Gone are the days of hoarding links and staring at my stack of Post It notes and saying; "soon, soon I'll carve out the time to get those thought into writing. So, it's official. I've decided to post content once a week for 2 months. Now, I know what you may be thinking; "wow, another so-and-so committing to publishing more content. Isn't that what all bloggers say?" Well, I suppose you'd be right. I'm certainly not alone, but ya see, that's the beauty of having made the decision. I'm not gonna be taken off task because I'm not the originator of the idea, or because others may think the endeavor underwhelming or even because I begin second guessing the time commitment. Nope. I decided to do it, so now all that's left is to embrace the decision.

Since I've begun focusing my attention on the decision-making process I've found myself relying on some tools to help keep me on track. Good tools of course deserve to be shared so here are a few that you might also find useful.

I've got The Decision Book on my short list. I haven't read it yet but did see it on my bosses desk. Hum, something says it's worth picking up.
Here's a Google Doc version of an editorial calendar from the fine folks over at Crackerjack Marketing. I'll be using this to help direct my blogging and other social media outreach decisions.
And here's a post from The Daily Egg that highlights a few more editorial calendars should you need them.
And of course my favorite mathematical formula for boosting decision-making prowess; the Pareto Principal (or 80-20 Rule).
I found this (sometimes) helpful blog idea generator from HubSpot. Give it a go, it's entertaining and really does help jumpstart those brainwaves.

Now, for good measure and a bit of inspiration (for myself as much as anyone) I'll summarize with a quote from a gentlemen I find myself referring to often President, Theodore Roosevelt:

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

Cheers! Now, go decide something.

Published by Todd Chambers in Creative Process, Marketing, Personal

November 6, 2014 — No Comments

10POINT Optimization – Make it Usable

I bet you're a lot like me – you've probably visited a truck-ton of websites over the years – and more than likely most of them left little or no lasting impression. Don't worry, it's not your fault, your memory's not failing, most websites just aren't that good. There, I said it. Most websites are lackluster attempts at mediocre marketing. As of this writing there were 1,107,074,500 websites live online. Yep, that's over a billion, and currently the number grows at the rate of about 600 per minute.

Let's face it, these days it takes a great deal of effort to design a website that breaks through the clutter and gets your brand noticed. And, brace for it, it takes even more to satisfy the customer once they've found you. But that's exactly what you're gonna have to do if you want to make it in todays digital marketplace. So let's embrace the challenge and determine to be a cut above the rest. In my last post I introduced the idea of the 10POINT optimization plan. This week we're gonna take a quick look at the first of those 10 points, Usability.

Now let's not kid ourselves, usability is not a single blog post kind of topic. Many folks have spent their entire careers trying to crack this nut. Volumes of books, dissertations, white papers and marketing plans have been devoted to the subject. But while we can't do such a topic justice in short order, burying our heads in the sand in hopes it takes care of itself won't get us very far either. What I'll attempt to do here is to lay some actionable ground work and point you in the right direction for more information so you can approach your own project well armed.

So what is usability? The working definition reads: "The ease of use and learnability of a human-made object." Seems simple enough, right? But what does that really mean when it comes to evaluating your website design? How do you know if your site is usable? Over the course of the last decade I've performed more than my share of usability evaluations. And while many of them took the form of complicated spreadsheets, graphs, charts and PowerPoint decks, what I'm going to recommend here is a bit more direct. If you really want to get a good sense of your sites' state of usability, simply ask yourself these few basic questions:

Is my website easy for my customers to navigate? Can they get where they want to go without frustration?
Do my forms and purchase platforms operate seamlessly?
Am I providing the content my customers need and want in order to make a decision?
Do my customers recommend my site to others?

If you answered 'no', or even 'I'm not sure' to any of the above, then you're probably going to want to invest some more time digging into your site's details. Small things like broken links, dead-end pages, images that do not render, slow page load times and a dozen other seemingly small details easily derail customers from their online journeys. If you've determined that your site needs a little help and want to dig in and make changes, let me share with you a few resources that can help.

Usability Professional Association: Usability in the Real world
Nielsen Norman Group: Usability 101
UserEffect: 25-Point Website Usability Checklist
Design for Usability: Usability Basics

But what do ya' do if you're still not sure how their site's stacks up to their customer's expectations. Maybe you fall into that group. Truth be told I've worked with Fortune 500 CMOs who, if being honest, couldn't adequately answer the above questions. It's just the nature of the beast. Most folks are just too busy or focused on some other aspect of the business to have a real sense of how their website is performing. So, I'm going to offer another simple solution, One that is often overlooked or dismissed as being too costly or time-consuming (neither, by the way need be true). Ask your customers. That's it. Take the time to seek the opinion of those who matter most, the ones you're trying to serve.

Published by Todd Chambers in Creative Process, Marketing, Uncategorized, Usability, UX

October 29, 2014 — No Comments

10POINT – The Logo & the Optimization Plan

One of my coworkers recently asked if I could help lead an agency presentation on landing page best practices. Knowing that I tend to drone on about geeky stuff like optimal page load times, mobile use cases and the A/B testing of CTA copy, I suppose they figured I had a few tips I wouldn't mind sharing. During the early stages of outlining the content and searching for that perfect stock image to represent teamwork, I began to get that feeling of déjà vu. Sure enough, with a little digging I uncovered several PowerPoint decks on the subject (in various stages of completion) and even this handsome logo sketch I had begun crafting to represent the topic.

So with the most recent presentation in the rearview mirror (it went well, thanks for asking) and some time to reflect, I've decided it is the perfect time to further refine both the 10POINT logo and the landing page best practice list I've been working on. Just to let the cat out of the bag a bit early, my plan is to refine both the logo and the plan and offer consulting services based on the content specifically to hunting and fly fishing outfitters. I've had my eye on that particular market space for a while now and have come to realize two things. First, there are a plenty of fine guides and lodge owners out there that could use a professional hand taking their web properties from good to great, and second, I enjoy playing in the woods and water way more than my meager budget can support. Viola, a match made in heaven. No more peanut butter sandwiches and makeshift piggy banks, I'll barter my way to the field and stream. I'll report back soon on the specifics of how I plan to rollout this mastermind marketing idea.

But, in the meantime, just to jumpstart the venture here are the top 10 principles all landing pages should incorporate to better optimize conversions and create user experiences that turn visitors into trip-booking clients. Drum roll please ...

To ensure your website is living up to its trophy potential, make sure it's:

Usable

Findable

Accessible

Mobile

Delightful

Credible

Actionable

Readable

Testable

Sharable

Obviously there's a ton of stuff packed neatly in that list. So instead of attempting to give each point it's due here, I'll instead take each one in turn over the next handful of posts and unpack them more fully. I'll take the liberty of showcasing examples from the outdoor industry since I've already opened that can of worms, but I assure you the principles are valid across industry verticals and client types. As a matter of fact, the more time I spend crafting websites and digital assets for clients, the more convinced I become that approaching projects with best practice principles in tow will all but guarantee success. Obviously context matters – it matters a lot. And best practices are at times meant to be broken. But as Picasso reminded us with his exploration into Deconstructionism, It's always best to know the rules before you attempt to break them.

Oh, and the logo. I'll plan on updating that along with the new posts. It'll serve as a bit of a ride-along in the process of going from sketch to finished product. Yeah, this is gonna be fun.

Published by Todd Chambers in Art, Content, Creative Process, Fly Fishing, Marketing, Outdoors, UX

Tags: Design, Fly Fishing, Hunting, Logo, Outdoors

October 22, 2014 — No Comments

Content Audit Resources Worth Sharing

Recently a content audit proposal crossed my desk. It had been a few months since I had focused solely on an audit and wondered what might have changed in the space since my last rodeo. A quick look around the web assured me that the basics were still the basics, and I was immediately reminded of just how many smart folk there are working in this space. Not only smart, many of these guys are crazy generous as well. After several hours of catching up, downloading templates and comparing example audits it dawned on me that these resources and by extension their authors deserved sharing. Whether your about to perform you first audit or gearing up for number next, you'll be sure to find some valuable tips from these pros. So without further ado, here's direct access to some content audit awesomeness you and your teams will no doubt benefit from. Enjoy.

The Content Inventory is Your Friend by Kristina Halvorson remains a great primer.
Looking for a great book on the subject? Check out this Content Strategy for the Web from Kristina Halvorson and Melissa Rach. Bonus tip: while you're there download a free chapter of their book.
Coleen Jones and her team over at Content Science are offering some great workshop for 2015.
The gang from UX Mastery have a great how-to article on performing a content audit and even offer a sample spreadsheet to give ya a kickstart.
Ngen Works has allowed access to their UX workflow and process wiki which includes some real nuggets. Check it out, these guys are the real deal.
Just the facts ma'am. If you're new to this kinda thing and are looking for the basics, Usability.gov has some starter info for ya. Here's another one from them.

Clearly there are loads of good intel out there to help get you started on your next content audit. And while I'm admittedly a big fan of standing on the shoulders of giants (the view is quite nice), I'm also an advocate of rolling up sleeves and sluggin' it out old school. Yep, I'm talking about biting the bullet, opening that XL spreadsheet and jumping in with both feet. Content audits may not be the sexiest deliverable in our UX toolkit, but they're also not rocket science. With a fair dose of patience, a little guidance from those who've gone before and maybe some crunchy new tunes pulsing through your ear buds you're a shoe-in for this kind of thing.

So, go on, get after it. Your customers will be glad you did. And when you've got the audit in the can, drop me a line and let me know what you learned along the way.

Published by Todd Chambers in Content, Creative Process, Marketing, Uncategorized, UX

September 21, 2014 — No Comments

What I’m Reading – September 2014

I just finished reading On Web Typography, the most recent offering from the fine folks over at A Book Apart. As is usually the case with books from this publisher, the material is presented in a brief, accessible and delightful format. And of course, I'm happy to pass along the recommendation.

The author, Jason Santa Maria does an excellent job of bringing the reader to a slow boil. He takes the necessary time setting the stage, reminding us of the important role history plays in the development of typography as a discipline. And then, with the backdrop properly in place he begins unpacking the nitty-gritty details we designers really dig. He explores the mechanics of how we read. He looks at the role typography plays in cognition. And finally he shares valuable insight on the current state of typography in the digital age.

Jason's work is full of actionable advise and he is quick to point the reader toward valuable resources we can leverage to create better products. But most importantly, Jason manifesto serves as a needed reminder of the critical role typography plays in the crafting of quality customer experiences. As web designers we can often take for granted the type we're designing with. We can, if not careful, fall into the trap of designing around the copy and forgetting that it is integral to the design dynamic. This book acts as a good reset to combat that kind of foolishness.

Having come through a recent redesign over at the company dotcom, I'm painfully aware of how big a chore getting your type right can be. Trust me, we spent no small amount of time working, reworking and finally settling on a type design ecosystem that would successfully carry our message and our brand across multiple channels. And to be honest, after reading this, there are several things I'm gonna want to revisit.

Here's a quick takeaway quote that sums up nicely the author's philosophy on typography.:

[box type="shadow"]All of typography is based upon a reflexive relationship: the small things inform the big things, and the big things inform the small things. The sum of this give and take means the difference between beautiful and forgettable.[/box]

If you're interested in learning more about typography or just want some tips on how to take your type skills to the next level, give Jason's book a read. A summary article and exerpt from chapter 1 can be accessed over at A list Apart.

Published by Todd Chambers in Art, Creative Process, Marketing, UX

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