Design / Usability

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How to Hire an Information Architect to Plan Your Website - with Shari Thurow (8:40)
If you're redesigning your website, says SEO expert Shari Thurow, you'll need an information architecture to create and test a blueprint for your website, to make it meet the needs of your customers. Thurow offers several tips to be able to identify who you're looking for - and who you're not! Jan 24, 2012

Mobile Sites. Part 2. Design Best Practices
In this article, Internet marketing expert Lorrie Thomas Ross explains the three most important design guidelines for mobile-specific sites, designed exclusively for mobile devices. A mobile-specific site can be just a few pages, she says. Dec 20, 2011

Where to Put Your Website's Unique Value Proposition
Most marketers know that a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is vital to successful web marketing, but few know how to weave it into a website in actual practice. In this article, conversion expert Jeff Sexton explains how the UVP works like a song refrain to unify your site and increase sales. Dec 13, 2011

How to Streamline Your Overloaded Homepage
Everybody in your company wants something on your homepage -- to the point that it no longer works to accomplish its goals for anyone. In this article, conversion expert Tim Ash explains what to do to get your homepage cleaned up, with its priorities in the right place. Oct 25, 2011

Introduction to Mobile-Friendly Websites. Part 1
In this article, Internet marketing expert Lorrie Thomas Ross explains why current websites will need some updating to look good with mobile phones, increasingly used to access the Web. She describes the website options and benefits of being mobile-ready. Oct 11, 2011

How to Conduct a Simple Usability Test - with Kim Krause Berg (6:39)
In this video interview, usability expert Kim Krause Berg explains how any small business person can conduct a useful and revealing usability test. It involves sitting a subject from your target audience in front of a computer, giving them a task, and watching what they do -- with your mouth shut. Berg explains the details. Oct 4, 2011

4 Bad habits to avoid when writing web content
'There's lazy content and there's quality content,' says Nick Usborne, an expert on writing for the Web. In the post-Panda era average content has been hurt by Google's search algorithm. Usborne explains how to write quality content. Aug 9, 2011

How to Become Objective So You Can Remedy Lagging Sales
You're too familiar with your own site to see its problems, says usability expert Todd Follansbee. He explains typical site problems and then outlines the remedy for site-blindness: direct user testing with 5 to 8 subjects. With insight from them, you'll be able to spot problems that are killing your sales. Jul 12, 2011

Focus Your Marketing on Educating Customers
In this article, Internet marketing expert Lorrie Thomas Ross explains the power of educational marketing, seeking to serve and support your customers rather than high-power sales techniques they might resent. Lots of examples.
May 24, 2011

Brains Agree: The Case for Website Usability Guidelines
This fascinating article by usability expert Todd Follansbee first describes how the brain processes information. From this he explains why carefully designed usability guidelines can boost your conversion rate by reducing 'noise' that distracts your customers from buying. Apr 12, 2011