White Knight

The concept of user experience, and the consideration of ideas that lend toward the optimization of that concept, have created a field of interest and study that is growing as a concrete and primary business model regarding the online world. The focus on user experience is defined through standards that involve multiple dynamics. A paramount is placed upon not only the user’s perception of a web site, but also the sites ability to efficiently serve the user’s needs while simultaneously reflecting the business operatives sought after by the owner of the site.

There are many standard sets, such as The Stanford Guidelines, which relate to the functional aspects of a web site, referring to credibility, updates, and other performance based deals. However, evaluating and applying user experience principles involves a more complex and multifaceted mindset. When dealing with UX, (user experience) a web designer or programmer must incorporate concepts that exist independently, but also blend smoothly and work efficiently.

User experience is more than just building a website

One common misconception surrounding UX is that it is the responsibility of the professional web design company to create an effective reflection of one’s business. In reality, all areas of development of a website are critical, especially the content as it contains the philosophy of your business and is the key in sharing this philosophy with your users. Along with effective content organization, marketing techniques and add to the overall effectiveness of a web-site, by understanding what your visitors are looking for when they visit your site.

The discipline of UX is complicated, and in many aspects, still being mastered. Many debate whether the topic is even a distinct area of study. Louis Rosenfeld, an author and publisher who focuses on web information architecture claims of UX that, “At best, it’s a common awareness, a thread that ties together people from different disciplines who care about good design.” While this may be true in many aspects, the discipline albeit still forming, is commanding extensive attention via statistical research methods throughout the online arena.

The Specific Set Of Concepts To Follow

The UX Honeycomb Model, designed by information architect Peter Morville, lays out a specific set of Concepts to be systematically applied when designing a site. Like models focus on functional aspects, such as usability, while involving emotional design principles, which strictly apply to the user’s comfort and attraction to a given website.

This supports the fact that all facets of custom web design and consultation come into play when analysing how a user will feel and react when they visit your site. Perhaps the most key aspect to consider when thinking about UX is how to actually apply its principles. UX is a complex entity which cannot be generally applied through blanket methods. The identity and purpose of each site reflects a unique desired user experience. Therefore, attempting to apply standard methods in order to copy a set formula of another site with a different set of values can be not only detrimental, but also wasteful.

User Experience Must Be Unique For Every Site

Every project engaging UX principles call for a custom outline predicated on the business or non-profit’s available resources, abilities, timeline, finances, and a plethora of realistic factors.

Additionally, because the concept of UX is based on users or people, a detailed paradigm of interpersonal qualities in many ways define the effectiveness of user experience initiatives. Therefore, attempting to broadly and forcefully incorporate a devotion to UX, rather delicately fuse it with existing business principles, would be an ineffective strategy. Steve Baty, principal and user experience strategist at Meld Consulting, concludes that, “People cling to things like personas, user research, drawing comics, etc…In reality the best designers have a toolbox of options, picking and choosing methods for each project what makes sense for that particular project.”

In the world of online efficiency, user experience models and principles are in many ways the logistic DNA of a site as it relates to its audience. In effect, the result of that blueprint proves to be the signature or fingerprint that separates a simply conducive web site from an engaging, capturing, and truly optimal site that rewards the user, developer, and company in a similarly gratifying manner.

Have you noticed how often people are replacing the term “I looked it up on the internet” with “I Googled it”? Today Google has become one of the world’s most recognised trademarks to the extent where the term ‘Googled’ is referenced in online resources including Dictionary.com as a commonly used verb.

This recognition is largely attributed to the explosive and continuing growth of Google as the World’s most used Search Engine. In January 2009, Nielsen Online Research reported that Google experienced a 40% year on year growth and today holds over 62% of the Global market share.

Google’s mission is “To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”

Google aims at creating a better internet experience for the end user and as such are consistently looking at ways to provide their users with the most relevant content.

To achieve this goal, Google follows a series of processes which determine whether your website is contributing towards their mission statement for all types of websites including  custom web design. These processes aim to identify what Google considers to be ‘Good Quality Websites’.

So what does this mean to the average website owner?

To put it simply - as Google continues to expand, website owners must adapt to Google’s philosophies and guidelines. In particular, there are two key factors the search engine considers when adding a website - the first is Quality.

A series of  Quality Guidelines have been developed that determine whether your site will be added to their search engine. By following these guidelines, you are ensuring that your website is complying with Google’s basic principles and provide the end users with a better internet experience.

Some key factors which lessen the quality of your website include:

Content that tricks Search Engines

This includes various forms of ‘Cloaking’ techniques (different content is presented to the search engines than to users) or tricks intended to improve your search rankings. This may include use of hidden text, hidden links and use of duplicate websites designed only for the Search Engines.

Instead, your website should be transparent. In Google’s eyes, the sole purpose of a website is to offer accurate and worthy information to its users.

Link schemes designed to promote your websites ranking

These include schemes designed to manipulate the PageRank such as: linking to ‘Bad Neighbourhoods’ or to web spammers, trading links that bypass PageRanks, the use of excessive reciprocal links and participating in excessive link exchanging.

Instead, ensure that your website only contains relevant and quality links. This can be achieved through the use of unique, relevant and accurate content. The number of links pointing to your website is as equally important as the quality and relevance of those links. The more informative your website is, the more likely other sites of relevance will want to link with you.

Excessive keyword stuffing

Some forms of keyword stuffing may include: Content or hidden text containing lists and paragraphs of keywords or keywords excessively placed throughout the site. Use of irrelevant keywords can be detrimental to your website as it creates a poor user experience and as such is frowned upon by Google.

Becoming an Authority

The second key factor of a ‘Good Quality Website’ is Authority. When applying the techniques mentioned above, combined with quality content you are creating a website that is an Authority within your industry.

With this in mind it is important to use and implement whatever information is available to ensure you are building what is considered to be ‘Quality Content’. The result (in combination with the use of several other factors) is the difference between the search engines embracing you as an authority or ignoring your site.

Any professional web design company should be aware of Google’s Quality Guidelines and be able to explain how these are used within their methodology of building websites. In other words, they must build sites that are ‘Search Engine Friendly’. This will ensure they’re setting up a solid foundation on which your site can be built
upon.

Current trends indicate Search Engines and Directories will continue to develop new technologies and stricter guidelines with the end user in mind. Google leads the way in Search Engines and will continue to do so for some time to come.

By getting the quality component of your websites right, you will not only be on your way to achieving higher sales of your products and services, but also give Google what they want.

As many small to medium sized businesses look for ways to become cost efficient and profitable, an increasingly popular method is arising called SaaS (Software as a Solution). The result is an affordable, all encompassing solution for a business’s computer and information technology needs.

What is SaaS and how can it benefit my business? As mentioned in Dynamic Business, “SaaS is an on-demand, scalable software solution that provides applications via a private network (or the internet) for a monthly subscription fee”.  Today, companies that outsource their IT operations receive a more cost effective, simplified computer troubleshooting model. Tailor made Packages are available that include website management and maintenance, Broadband or Wireless Internet Connectivity, Networking Maintenance and many other options of computer technology and its peripherals.

As more and more businesses discover the many benefits of SaaS, an interesting trend is forming that shows companies are moving away from the traditional model (that includes on site IT department and its associated personnel) in favour of an outside agency to handle all aspects of their computer needs.  In fact, Springboard Research forecasts an expected growth of 65% per annum in Australia and New Zealand alone.

The time saving benefits of outsourcing IT

A recent article released in the All Covered Learning Center, outsourcing a company’s IT operations uses “. . . non-company resources to complete internal business tasks”. This translates to mean onerous and time consuming components of managing a company’s IT requirement can be lifted from the shoulders of existing personnel, allowing them to use their valuable time to perform tasks that more directly benefit the company’s success.

Many companies have a resident IT ‘guru of sorts’, who runs from cubicle to cubicle performing routine maintenance and troubleshooting problems. He or she may also be responsible for running the business’s website or its ecommerce site. However, this same individual often has a regular, separate, full time job to do.

Rather than burden an existing employee with the task of performing ecommerce design or other forms of computer maintenance, many companies are opting to outsource these functions altogether. Doing so is a definite time saver, and allows existing employees to focus on excelling in the job that they are actually there to do - a real win-win for business owners.

How businesses can afford to outsource their IT operations

Out sourcing IT operations has come a long way since it’s inception when it was only available to large businesses. If you’d ever dream of implementing it within small to medium business you have to take out a loan just to afford the maintenance costs.

As with any technology as businesses and individuals embrace it, the overall cost goes down.  This is now fed through to SaaS technologies. Small to midsized businesses can now afford to outsource the bulk of their IT operations to outside agencies, and adopt SaaS techniques. More than ever before, the traditional model of onsite IT personnel is being influenced by the massive list of affordable options available to many businesses.

SaaS is a great example of this phenomenon at work. As succinctly noted on the  sales force website, in the past “companies were required to buy, build, and maintain their IT infrastructures despite exponential costs.” Indeed, one of the biggest hurdles for many companies attempting to catch up with modern technology is the cost of setting everything up in house.

Through SaaS outsourcing solutions, everything can be managed remotely, outside of the actual physical building where a company is housed. The maintenance and running of all manner of computer services including security functions are ably handled through SaaS alternatives, making it a very affordable option.

The savings associated with outsourcing IT operations

Keeping one or more full time employees to take care of IT operations can be an expensive proposition. IT staff tend to experience stretches of time without very much to do - whilst the businesses continues to pay their full time salaries. It is no surprise then, as noted in Outsourcing.com, 64% of business executives who were polled about why they chose outsourcing as a solution, named saving money as their top consideration. After all, in business the bottom line is critical.

Outsourcing IT operations for things like custom web design and all other manner of a company’s computer needs is a very savvy way to cut costs. The business that uses outsourcing only calls upon the IT company on a need to need basis, avoiding the need to pay a full time salary and associated benefits.

Businesses that make the change often feel that their money is better spent on outsourced IT operations, since it isn’t being wasted by long periods of little to no activity. After all, why pay a person full time wages when their expertise is only needed occasionally or invest massive amounts of capital to set up your own infrastructure?

Outsourced IT solutions are now an affordable option for small to medium business the take care of these issues quite handily and free up businesses money to invest in strategies that offer a higher return.

It is very interesting to note just how quickly the face of the World Wide Web is advancing. We only have to take a look at the past twenty years to realise just how much the internet has impacted our day to day lives and the way we conduct business. This advancement is quite amazing considering that internet only introduced to Australian universities in 1989.

Today, you only have to turn on your television or open a newspaper to notice the Australian government and the communication networks are in a race to create superior quality networks specifically designed to enhance the way we use the web. Likewise, there is a major shift in designs of hardware, software technologies and increased development of eCommerce Design in an attempt to maximize a businesses profits and reduce overheads.

Opportunities for Small Businesses

It is quite clear that today consumers (in particular small business owners) are looking at ways of streamlining their current practices through the use of portable devices such as laptops, mini-notebooks and wireless data devices such as the iPhone and BlackBerry. According to the research conducted by Gartner, sales of mini-notebooks in Asia Pacific increased by a massive 82% in 2008 and are predicted to continue through 2010 and 2011.

Hardware limitations of these devices are cleverly substituted though the development of online applications. Some of these include: a wide range of Online Office Suites, virtual meeting rooms such as GoToMeeting, online faxing services such as  faxmate and accounting and invoicing packages such as Freshbooks just to name a few.

The Internet makes business online a reality

The introduction of the 3G Mobile networks and the common use of WiFi technology have recently enabled business owners to alter and streamline the way they conduct business through this new range of online products, allowing them to operate their businesses from just about anywhere.

This major shift is also supported by professional web design firms, in particular through the use of cleverly developed ecommerce sites automating the ordering, dispatching and accounting processes.

Why smart business owners are embracing online applications

Online applications are becoming more frequently used as they offer business owners a large range of benefits including:

• Minimal hardware requirements – all that is required to run online applications is a basic computer, a web browser and a reliable internet connection. Simple and portable devices such as mini-notebooks can now be
  used in place of large and expensive hardware solutions.
• Platform independent – with online applications, users are no longer limited to specific operating systems such as Windows or Mac OS.
• Users can access the applications from any computer that is connected to the internet - there is no need to purchase additional licences. Users can access documents saved on the server from any computer connected to the internet. This can present a massive saving to small businesses with multi licence requirements.
• There is no need to download or install software - all software upgrades are applied to the server. Users will automatically be able to access the updated version of the application net time they log in.
• Documents are stored in a secure online location – this prevents loss of valuable information if the computer experiences hardware failure, is lost or stolen.

The Future of online applications

The only limitation to effectively utilising online applications is access to the internet. This minor hick-up is however diminishing day by day as Telco’s continue rolling out state of the art technologies. As an example Telstra exclusively offer a new range of Next G Data Cards capable of 21 Mbps downlink speeds accessible to 98.8% of Australian population, whilst K-Rudd is well and truly on the way to build a world class high speed broadband network.

Moving forward, it is important for business owners to consider and embrace some of the available solutions emerging today. Online applications are fast becoming part of our day to day lives and most certainly are already affecting the way we conduct business. Just think, the internet only became available to the Australian public 20 years ago.

At our current rate of advancement, what are the potential consequences for those that don’t embrace this type of technology and use it to their advantage?