Stop Worrying About The Fold
There’s an old rule says all website content should be placed above a mysterious, invisible line. Never to be crossed, this line marks the zone below which nobody scrolls. If you’ve done web design, you’re familiar with this dreaded territory and clients’ requests to keep it all “above the fold.” Designers sometimes fear that calls-to-action and content located below the fold will go unseen on small screens. And clients ask for calls-to-action placed high up on the page, pushed right to the top. As if users won’t respond to anything they have to...
read moreFiguring Out AdWords
When you buy an app for your phone, you’re usually presented with a couple of options. The free version typically contains ads and fewer bells and whistles than the paid version. I always go for the free version first to make sure it’s an app I’ll use. The free version of Angry Birds is a perfect example. I got the free version thinking I’d play it once and delete it. Boy was I wrong. The game was so much fun and addictive, I blew through the levels available and got hooked enough I had to have the paid version. In the same way, Google offers businesses the option to...
read moreRecipe for Success
Think of your five favorite foods. Now imagine pouring them all into a bowl and mixing them up. Unless your favorite foods are ice cream, chocolate syrup and ice cream toppings, (or you happen to be Buddy the elf) this combination probably doesn’t sound appetizing anymore, does it? That’s because all those ingredients, while delicious on their own, don’t necessarily complement each other. This same idea can be applied to design. There are many different ingredients or styles and techniques to choose from, but trying to use them all in one place would be complete chaos. If...
read moreConfessions of a Social Networking Junkie
My addiction to social networks started like many addictions with casual use. I created profiles on Plaxo and LinkedIn and started connecting with friends. I slowly moved on to creating my own content on Squidoo and Blogger and sharing images on Flickr. I enjoyed the interaction, and with a profile on SmallerIndiana, I discovered how social and face-to-face networking worked together. I was hooked. Profiles on FriendFeed, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube followed in rapid succession. Just a few minutes a day to update or check in on each of these sites started to add up. Suddenly I realized...
read moreThere Is Always a Community
Rule 34 states that if a thing exists anywhere in the universe, there is a porn version of that thing. The necessary corollary, which we’ll call Rule 35 because why not, is that if a thing exists, there must be a community that is built around that thing. If you can find a way to tap into that community, you can make great marketing happen. Not sure what I’m talking about? Let me give you an example. I have a friend of a friend who is obsessed with multitools. While these tools are useful, I’ve never given them much thought. But she has. And so have a lot of other people....
read moreAt the Front of the Pack
It’s May, my favorite month in Indy. The temperature is perfect, the rain has stopped, the flowers are in bloom, and the cars are on the track. Yes, it is true, I am a race geek. I love the cars, the drivers, the back story and the history. I have a favorite spot high in turn one for qualifications, and there is nothing quite like the feeling when you hear Mari Hulman George squeak out, “ladies and gentleman start your engines!” Watching the race each year, one thing is obvious: winning teams can’t sit on their laurels. If Ganassi Racing assumed that since they won...
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