Moving Beyond Conversion Rates: Part 1: Avoid Ratios for Metrics Part 2: Not All Visitors Make Great Customers Part 3: Visitors Are Not All The Same Part 4: Campaigns Are Where Conversion Rates Shine Part 5: Measuring Money Left On The Table (this) Thanks to Marco Dini for translating this post to Italian. As you [...]

I always thought this request was a myth: “Can we make that logo bigger?” Yet there I was at the table and the stakeholder, with no sense of irony, said those very words. Out loud. I was stunned. “We paid a lot of money for that logo,” he continued, “and we need it to establish [...]

Moving Beyond Conversion Rates: Editors note: You can read this in Italian thanks to Marco Dini. Part 1: Avoid Ratios for Metrics Part 2: Not All Visitors Make Great Customers Part 3: Visitors Are Not All The Same Part 4: Campaigns Are Where Conversion Rates Shine (this) Part 5: Measuring Money Left On The Table [...]

Ratings and reviews can generate quite a lot of money. Who hasn’t asked a friend, peer, or family member their opinion on products or services, especially on something you’re about to purchase? A simple, “it did the job” or “it’s worth the money” is enough to convince most people to complete their purchase. How these [...]

[This is part 2 of a two-part post. For this article to make sense, you probably want to read part 1. This article was originally published on JohnnyHolland.org.] In the last installment, we talked about the distinction between Hands contractors and Brains consultants. Hands are brought in by the team as an extra resource to [...]

[This article originally appeared at Johnny Holland.] What’s the difference between contracting and consulting? One major difference comes down to whether the job is handwork or brainwork. Whether you’re an “innie” or an “outie,” this is applicable. Innies are UX professionals who work inside an organization. Even though they are part of the company, they [...]

John Gruber has it partially right: When companies release these futuristic videos (like Microsoft and RIM), they are doing it for PR. And I agree with Gruber that if those companies don’t have a current experience that matches the awesomeness of the videos, then they are sending mixed messages. However, where I think Mr. Gruber [...]

UX professionals have made a lot of progress in large organizations. Companies realize the importance of connecting with their users more and more. User research is becoming firmly rooted in many organizations as companies try to produce better products and services for their users. But user research itself can be narrow in focus and full of biases. Lou Rosenfeld of Rosenfeld Media, suggests that by breaking down the silos that exist between other research practices, we can create a complementary research experience. This will produce even better analysis and therefore, better products as a whole.

[Update: MSNBC picked up on this story and reminded me that I wrote an article deconstructing the Knowledge Navigator a while back.] Back in 1987, Apple (under the direction of John Sculley, not Steve Jobs), released a video of what Apple products could be like in the future. Called the Knowledge Navigator, it showed a [...]

A good starting point is crucial. It sets the tone for everything that comes after. All too often, projects are unsuccessful or labor through growing pains because the importance of this starting point was overlooked. When done right, the kickoff to a project will leave the team energized, inspired, and engaged. Kevin discusses that kickoff meetings are the time to identify business strategy as well as company culture. It’s also important to assess any risks associated with the project.