Back in February, I wrote a blog post for Valentine's Day about some of the things I loved about the Internet. At the end of that post I said there were many things that are still harder to do online than they should be, and I suggested that might make a good Labor Day post.

Well, here we are. Where the heck did the spring and summer go?

With Labor Day just around the corner, here's a list of a few things I'm still working too hard for. In no particular order...

- By default, make all thumbnail preview images clickable to the larger view. Even if you include a text link to click to the full image, for gosh sake, make the photo clickable as well. That should just be Web law. Moving that mouse around more than I need to makes me tired.

- I may be the only person on the planet who feels this way, but the Flickr.com interface should be simpler. The site has some very nice features, but I feel like I'm always clicking on one thing expecting something else will happen. I could provide specific examples to illustrate my point, but it would take too much effort to do that.

- Don't use false or misleading claims to get me to buy anything. Period. Last week I downloaded a demo version of some software I needed, and after testing it out I decided to buy it. The order form clearly stated "Access Code Emailed Instantly", which was cool because I needed the full working version, well... instantly. But did I get an access code emailed instantly? No. Upon completing the transaction, I received a confirmation email stating the access code would be emailed within a couple hours. I did get the access code in about 30 minutes, but by that time I had already written and sent an email pointing out the error of their ways. And writing that email made me work entirely too hard.

- I'm happy to see some of the improved functionality in LinkedIn.com groups, but the whole pre-approval process and sending out invitations could be streamlined. Do I really need to open a separate email program to send invites? Time is money, people. I need 12 hours of sleep and a bowl of Wheaties just thinking about it.

- Stop creating spiffy Flash animations with navigation elements that move away when I want to click on them. You all know what I'm talking about. When I'm in the mood for hide and seek I'll have my people call my kids' people. Enough said.

- Don't even think about catching my attention with an online ad and then pulling a generic home page dump-off on me, especially if the ad doesn't relate directly to something on that home page. This is like stopping by Victoria's Secret at the mall because I saw sexy nighties (hubba-hubba) in a commercial and the sales associate directs me to the mall entrance. Sorry, I'm interested, but not THAT interested.

- Don't make me sign up for one of YOUR email accounts for the privilege of using YOUR service. I understand why Yahoo, Google, etc. does this, but I still find it annoying. I'll sign up for additional email accounts when I want them, thank you. Simplify. Simplify.

- Stop using underlines to emphasize words or as a typographic style choice. Sorry, but they still look like text links. I know, this sounds like a rant from 1998, but old habits die hard.

- Kudos to Nintendo for the backwards compatibility of the Wii, the resourcefulness of the "Wii Shop" channel, and their very social implementation of the "Everybody Votes" and "Check Mii Out" channels. I'm not much of a gamer -- so correct me if I missed something -- but is there any reason I can't connect to the same site(s) from a regular old computer? Do I always have to go through the Wii? Shouldn't I be able to log in to my Nintendo.com account through the Web and do the same things?

- Don't get me all hyped up about your Internet startup, jumping on the bus along with hundreds of thousands of other hopefuls, only to find out your operation is under-capitalized and doesn't have the technical infrastructure to support even a modest level of success. I'm working wicked too hard if while using your service, I have to sit waiting for your servers to respond and, even then, getting an "over capacity" error message.

Well, that's it -- in honor of Labor Day, a handful of things I shouldn't have to work so hard at (and neither should you) on the Internet. I could go on, but that would require more effort than I'm willing to expend. If you have any other pet peeves, feel free to pile on. I'd enjoy hearing from you, and I'll even make an effort to respond.

Technorati Tags: digiknow, internet, john katila, labor day, pet peeves, usability, web

I realized as I finished reading Predictably Irrational (Dan Ariely) that it's has been a long time since I've shared a book review on this blog.  It isn't that I've stopped reading, more that I've gotten lazy in sharing.  Some great books I've read recently and would recommend are: How Now Shall We Live? [Chuck Colson], I Am America (And So Can You!) [Stephen Colbert] and Super Crunchers [Ian Ayres].  These are more tied to my personal interests, but they are all a great read. 

Predictably Irrational kept coming up on some blog/podcasts that I read/listen to so I figured I better grab it and check it out for myself.  The book is an amazing set of studies and research diving into the fact that we make a lot of decisions in an illogical fashion, but somehow we are extremely regular in our bad decision making.

It is hard to pick a favorite example of this, but one of the most obvious is the concept of "free".  We all know that people love free stuff, but the extent to which this is true is amazing.  In their experiment, they offered a Hershey kiss (so-so chocolate) for free and a Lindt truffle (quality chocolate) for $0.14.   69% of the participants went for the free item, even though the truffle was a much greater discount/value.  (Of course read the book for the full experiment and analysis).

While this is interesting, the crazy part for me is that even though I just read the book explaining how irrational our decision-making can be, when I got a coupon for a free pop at the local gas station, I took it with full intention to use it.  Then even after I talked to my wife about this book and the fact that there is no way I'd stop if they were offering me $0.69 in cash (the value of the coupon), I still will probably stop to get my free pop.  Completely irrational!!

How can we use this as marketers?  Just remember that traditional economics and pure supply & demand doesn't cover this kind of irrational behavior.  We all make illogical decisions on impulse or as part of larger patters and marketers need to be on the front end of these decisions to connect and keep our predictably irrational customers using our products over the competition.

Over the past 15 years, websites have grown from single page sites to robust marketing applications.  With that evolution, the processes needed and the people involved to create a successful website have grown tremendously.  In part one of this series, I reviewed the people involved in building a website.  Today I'll review the processes typically encountered when working with an interactive agency to develop a website.

Building a successful website requires planning and preparation before development begins.  While the exact steps will vary between agencies, the overall approach and general deliverables should be based on industry best practices and business needs.  In addition to development of the website itself, an interactive agency will help guide drive traffic to it and create a more comprehensive digital presence for them including search, banner ads, rich media, social marketing etc?

Setting a Vision
The first step in developing a proper website is reviewing and solidifying the purpose of your online presence.  When working with an agency, this process starts with interviews of the key stakeholders, both internal and external.  During and after the interview period, analysis on the successes and challenges on the current website should be analyzed.  This happens through website analytics, focus group testing plus general content and structure analysis.  The final step in the discovery process is market research, identifying the company’s position in the online space through surveys, focus groups and market position comparisons.  The work done in this discovery phase is run by the analysts with support from other team members.
With the discovery process complete, strategies and recommendations can be set.  In the visioning stage, the strategies are developed ranging from operational needs to audience engagement plans.  These strategies are technology independent allowing them to be used to drive the current project, but also establishing guiding principles for future growth and development.  Goals and objectives along with the website’s target audience profiles are used to drive the features and functionality needed to achieve the goals.  This strategic roadmap is developed by analysts and key client contacts.

Planning the Details
With a long-term and project-specific vision established, the detailing process can now begin.  Detailed planning starts with the analyst, user interface designer and client, working together to establish a site map for the pages and components that will be used to construct the website.  Using this architecture, the project manager supported by the analyst, can begin to develop the detailed business documentation, the Functional Specifications document.  This document outlines the user experience, including processes and assumptions, and drives the development of wireframes by the user interface designer.  Systems engineers along with the application developers and database administrators develop the technical documentation to drive custom development, software selection and application integration.  Throughout the planning process, the account executive keeps the client updated and reviews progress regularly. The planning process also covers solutions to drive traffic and create a more comprehensive digital presence including search, online advertising and social marketing.

Executing the Plan
Once detailed plans are completed, development begins.  Driven by the documentation and led by the project manager, the project team comes together to construct the solution to a client’s online needs.  The graphic designer and CSS specialist work together to design and optimize templates pages including the home page and other key site pages.  In a parallel path, application developers and database administrators begin to develop the framework for the website’s code-base.  The designs, custom coding and third-party applications are integrated into the site by the CSS specialists and developers.  During the process, the quality assurance specialist tests individual components, and as the site nears completion, it is moved to a staging server for robust testing.  When testing is complete and client sign-off has been received, the site is moved to the production server for use by the public.

Over the past 15 years, websites have grown from single page sites to robust marketing applications.  With that evolution, the processes needed and the people involved to create a successful website have grown tremendously.  In this two part series, I'll review the people and the processes typically encountered when working with an interactive agency to develop a website.

While the individual titles and roles in any organization will vary, the skills required to develop a website are universal.  Because projects vary in size, multiple roles may be held by a single person, but for a robust website development, all the roles are represented.

Analyst - The analyst approaches a development project from the highest level.  With years of experience in the online world, the analyst looks at the overall situation and helps to develop a comprehensive strategy for the website and any related applications or marketing efforts.  Other common terms for an analyst are consultant or architect.

Account Executive (AE) - The account executive is the primary contact point between the agency and the client.  The AE brings the project team and the client together, identifying business needs and project goals, leading to a solution that can be developed into a new online application or website.  Account executives are frequently supported by account coordinators (AC).  Another common term for an account executive is account manager (AM). 

Project Manager (PM) - The project manager is responsible for the day-to-day details of the project development.  A PM builds the detailed project plans, and then oversees the execution of the plan, coordinating the activities of the project team, monitoring the project timeline and tracking expenses against the project budget.

User Interface Designer - The user interface designer develops the skeletal structure of a website to best facilitate user interaction and encourage desirable user behavior.  The user interface designer works in close collaboration with the client, graphic designers and application developers to deliver a solution that meets client objectives while satisfying user expectations.  Another common term for a user interface designer is user experience designer.

Graphic Designer - A graphic designer creates the look and feel of a website, taking into consideration the branding and marketing needs, along with accessibility considerations. Another common term for a graphic designer is interactive designer.

CSS Specialist - A CSS specialist takes the completed designs produced by the graphic designer and optimizes them for use on the web through XHTML and CSS.  These pages serve as the templates for all public facing pages on a website.  Other common terms for a CSS specialist are front-end developer, html producer, production developer and content developer.

Systems Engineer - A systems engineer develops the technical documentation for a project and oversees the detailed execution of the technical plans.  Other common terms for an application developer are technical project manager and systems analyst.
Database Administrator (DBA) - The database administrator designs the architecture of the website’s database and builds the procedures that are used to create, update and retrieve data from the database.

Application Developer - An application developer programs the code that connects the database to the front-end templates.  Developers handle custom development of new solutions and integration between off-the-shelf solutions and the designed page templates.  Other common terms for an application developer are programmer and software engineer.

Quality Assurance Specialist - A quality assurance (QA) specialist is responsible for reviewing the project’s documentation and testing of all website components for errors and inconsistencies.  These tests range from usability to code validation.

Many other roles such as copywriting, multimedia development or media buying may also be involved in some projects.  The list above focuses on the core requirements of any project.

In part 2, I'll review the typical process from planning through execution.