The Changing Search Engine Interface Posted by John Assalian on June 18, 2008 Usability-wise, there are a couple simple facts about search engine usage that Viewstream uses as the basis of our search marketing and search engine optimization practice: Over 50% of users don’t read past the first results page (btw, interesting fact: men tend to go past the first couple of pages more than women). If you are not on the top of the results (paid or organic) there is limited value. There are some changing search engine interfaces that reinforce these two facts. Space Time has a cool product and is developing alternative methods of reviewing and selecting your webpage, photo, and video search results. By presenting the pages in 3-D, results are stacked in an open space to be shuffled and organized visually. The Economist had a good article about the changing trends in search engines. What we see happening in the future is a new segment of search, that is search as entertainment. We recommend our clients pay more and more attention to search optimization (with consideration for new search engines) as well as website design creative to truly stand out. Media-based design using video, vector and motion graphics has more and more value in this information as entertainment world. As always, the surfing patterns of your customers is what counts, so each situation needs to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Viewstream can help with your search marketing and search engine optimization in the ever changing world of search. Give us a shout!
Outdone by Gmail and Outlook? Posted by John Assalian on June 16, 2008 We have a couple employees who love Gmail and refuse to use Outlook. That’s cool, whatever tool works. The big problem is when you send mail from Gmail — it is impossible to hide the “gmail.com” label Google automatically adds the “on behalf of” copy in the send header. Check this out: The consensus is that it can’t be fixed, it’s just something Google did to spread branding. Oddly, Yahoo mail doesn’t do this.
In SEO, Don’t Forget the Details Posted by John Assalian on June 13, 2008 Most people understand the importance of SEO, the ability to find your site through search engines. As the price for paid search rises, organic optimization becomes more and more critical. One simple tip that we found on Web Designer Wall is good to remember as it impacts the copy and messaging phase of website development. Yes, it is important to place keywords throughout the site. If you are in the virtualization space, for example, you might want to mention data processing, networking, enterprise computing, etc. in your text. But don’t forget you can also place keywords in your design! So, for example, your site has navigation buttons to direct viewers to further information. The key is to say more than “Click Here” in the link anchor text. Try “Learn More About Desktop Virtualization.” Finally, don’t forget to use html copy for everything, including website buttons with simple code to make spiders find the copy.
Autodesk Screencast Release Posted by John Assalian on May 27, 2008 Viewstream just completed a lead generation project for Autodesk relating to their AutoCAD 2009 product launch. The project was a series of screencasts — and the results thus far have been very successful in terms of click through and requests for more information. You can check out the work here: http://www.adskmedia.com/autocad_2009/ http://www.adskmedia.com/autocad_lt/ Viewstream also helped out a lot with Autodesk’s Unisfair videos – creative and production work we’re involved. BTW, if you need help with your product demonstrations, website demos or flash presentations, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to help.
What Can The Wall Street Journal Do For You? Posted by John Assalian on May 23, 2008 When public eyes are on you, whether at an industry trade show, on your website, or on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, are you truly putting your best foot forward? Are you speaking directly to those individual sets of eyes, or are you generalizing for the masses? Many companies focus on PR tactics to carry the load of turning prospects to leads. But awareness is not enough to make that transition. Prospects may know who you are, but do they know what your solution can do for them? In a B2B environment, your best foot is one-to-one customer centric marketing. Product demos, tutorials, consultative information, and case studies all work together to drive sales. More than putting information out there, product and solution-focused material speaks directly to prospects, driving demand, improving sales cycles, and ultimately increasing revenues. While broad media attention is never bad, for the investment it often doesn’t necessarily translate into bottom line dollars. Customer-facing marketing tools, enhanced by high-level branding and positioning, directed media placement, and search engine optimization ensure your prospects get into the sales cycle. Unfortunately, we have seen many companies spend excessively on PR without getting sales. One client made the cover of the Wall Street Journal and received one single phone call. That’s not ROI.
Valant Medical Solutions Booth Posted by John Assalian on May 16, 2008 Viewstream recently helped out Valant Medical Solutions with their trade show booth. Valant is a great company, with a great solution. If you happen to be a psychiatrist and need an EMR solution, check out their website at Valantmed.com (Viewstream designed their logo, helped with application design and product demonstrations – but not their website)! Photos:
Pictures from Burma Benefit: Cyclone Relief Posted by John Assalian on May 15, 2008 Thanks to everybody who attended — many of our clients, friends and associates pledged money to benefit Cyclone victims — and despite the issues with aid getting through we know the money will go to good use with the Red Cross. Thanks to Gallery Lounge and Burma Youth Association and everybody who helped out. Amazing. And thanks to the photographer Dave Brown. View the Photos from the event here
Search Engine Expectations: A new study stating the obvious… Posted by John Assalian on May 8, 2008 …but a wake-up call nonetheless. Internet users are not willing to dig too deep to find what they are looking for. While searching online, people place high expectations on search engines to generate the desired content right away. Any why shouldn’t they? A new study funded by iProspect and conducted by JupiterResearch found that most users performing searches are going no further than the third page of search results to find results. In fact, almost half of users give up and change their search terms if they don’t find what they are looking for on the first page, and 91% give up by the third page.Vertical searches, like Scirus and Technorati, who tailor their entire engines to specific demographics/verticals, are becoming more prevalent, but have yet to present themselves as true alternatives to the giants (Google, Yahoo!, and MSN). Instead, Big Three users are clicking on specialized search result types when performing vertical searches. But the the value of community sites/social networks/forums (our beloved social media) will be the clear winner as the web moves forward for clicks that really return value. So what does all this that mean for your business? In a place where high search engine placement is one factor in industry leadership, it means everything. Search placement should be at the top of your list. One of the most effective ways to come out on top is through effective search marketing techniques, including keyword optimization and search analytics. Viewstream’s full suite of branding and search marketing and analytic services can position you at the top of the evolving search engine game. Your next qualified lead shouldn’t work too hard to find you. After all, if they can’t find you, they don’t find you, they won’t miss you.
Benefit for Burma: Getting Together for Cyclone Relief–This Friday Posted by John Assalian on May 7, 2008 The tragic cyclone disaster in Burma last week has devastated that tiny nation. And we want to help! And we are doing it the best way we know how- with good food, good entertainment (including Burmese Ethnic Dancers!), a raffle, happy hour prices and a lot of information and presentations about the crisis. We will provide attendees with information to donate through phone/email or you can donate through us at the event. Here’s the skinny: Benefit for Burma: Cyclone Relief Friday, May 9, 2008 6-9 pm Gallery Lounge on Brannan 510 Brannan St. San Francisco, CA 94107 More information is available here and here. We hope to see you there!
Photosynth: A Picture of Things to Come Posted by John Assalian on April 11, 2008 If you haven’t seen it, download the sample of Photosynth, Microsoft’s Interactive Visual Media Group‘s photograph-based image modeling application. The technology works by gathering miscellaneous photos of a location from conventional image sources (Flickr, etc.), finding key points within each image to match within multiple images, and using those relationships to construct a navigable 3-D image of the subject. To see this thing in action, watch this TED video demo from last year. The process is called photogammetry, and the end result is pretty stunning. The University of Washington’s virtual tourism project is pretty novel; imagine visiting the Seven Wonders of the World through your phone. The point is that across the board, people are expecting more out of their user experiences, whether searching through photos on Flickr or performing high-end modeling. Viewstream is at the cutting edge of new technologies, constantly adapting our services to this ever-changing environment. We’ve always seen emerging media tools as opportunities to meet our client’s needs. Are you keeping up?