BlogBlog:2010-07-30T12:41:11ZCopyright (c) 2010, thehypelabExpressionEnginetag:thehypelab.com,2010:07:30New Brand, Brand New Sitetag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.2732010-07-30T01:32:09Z2010-07-30T12:41:11Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
The Hype Lab is very happy to have a brand new brand and website to present to the world: our own!
We felt that as the marketing and communications world grows, so should ours. We have re-synthesized our brand with a new logo to represent who we are these days: creative thinkers that don't shy away from problems, but embrace them, empowering us to make bold brands and bold designs.
As for the site, well, where do we start? The design is all new, but, under the hood, it is completely different. We are now using Expression Engine 2.0 Content Management System. This is a big upgrade, and of course we are offering it to all of our clients as well. What does it do? It gives users the ability to add, edit and create content for their site without the need for a webmaster or being an expert in html. We could go on for hours with all the techie geek goodness of Expression Engine, so go on over and check it out for yourself.
We aren't quite done either. We are planning on rolling out a client area of the Hype Lab. Clients will be able to login, view comps, review billing and estimates and share files and content with us directly.
Let us know what you think!
]]>Lesson in Communication #3tag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1962010-07-18T19:59:23Z2010-07-29T21:05:24Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
Websites are one place where I've seen a lack of understanding for how to appeal to customers. A business might make a great impression on Twitter, or in print and tv ads, but their site could say something else entirely. Their site's image, the design and way they present themselves, don't match the quality of those other media. If you want to be taken seriously on the web, you had better back it up with some "evidence."
Make sure each page has something valuable to offer and has compelling content urging the visitor to take an action
Don't distract your visitor with blinking items, scrolling text, animated gifs, or sounds
Always keep your reader's interest in mind, so keep ads and distractions at a minimum, for example avoid pop up windows
Don't use background images that scream "amateur" or "low quality"
Make it easy to find stuff, put some thought into the site's organization
Minimize the amount of clicking, scrolling or reading your visitor has to go through to make their search quick and successful
Give them an easy way to get back home or select from the main menu by using breadcrumbs and having the menu appear on each page
Don't bog the site down with flash or slow loading graphics
Make it readable, keeping text columns narrow, fonts large enough, and using a color behind the text to make it easy to read
Make links obvious with a consistent style and explain what you're linking to using descriptive text
If any of these tips are overlooked, you can run the risk of losing good clients who would otherwise have been happy to buy your product or service. But when visiting a site, you have barely a minute to make a good impression. If potential clients are frustrated and can't find value in your site, they will leave and that may effect their overall opinion of you.
]]>Lesson in Communication #2tag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1952010-07-12T18:00:15Z2010-07-25T09:45:17Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
This lesson is a good one, because now a days there are so many ways to share your message or brand with the world. It's easy to do it online, on social networking sites, at Meetup events, through emails, etc. Almost free and with little effort.
Dan uses the example of American Express which claims it wants to be known as the card for everyday purchases, not just for that great big yacht you want, but some of its advertising is still touting the old message: you can use it to buy more than vintage bubbly. Why mention the vintage bubbly if you want people's minds off that expensive stuff?
Some businesses certainly evolve and change who they target or what they want to be known for. But even if that's the case, their new marketing strategy had better permeate all areas of outreach. If they change their print materials and advertising, touting this new direction, but don't change their website, they are giving mixed messages. When rebranding or launching a new campaign, it's important that the website is one of the items included. Very often, it could be the first thing a customer sees.
Outdated sites are a sure sign that a company has not put its best foot forward when making an effort to remain in the customer's mind. A site rebrand, along with all its other marketing and branded materials is essential in keeping yourself in a positive light when it comes to your customers.
]]>Lesson in Communication #1tag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1942010-07-09T17:59:59Z2010-07-27T18:53:01Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
Based on the article posted in the Harvard Business Review by Dan Pallotta, I was inspired to write in more detail about what my take is on the 5 points Dan made in his post.
The first lesson is that unless you say what you wanted to say, the message falls flat. Whether you're using video, photos, or copy to say it, they must all be in service to the communication, the actual message.
Is this similar to the adage "content is king?" It is in a way. When people say "content is king" they are often referring to the fact that regardless of the medium (web, television, movie, book, magazine, etc) it's the content that really matters. Everything else is irrelevant.
According to some, however, this idea is no longer true.
The communications media have proven to be more important and profitable than the actual content so it's more true that connectivity matters, according to that argument.
But going down that road is wandering a bit off the subject of ensuring you're saying what you really want to say and matching everything else up to it.
Successful communication is simply a message that your targeted audience will enjoy or find useful, with the goal being that you generate interest in the topic. You see a need and you try to fill it. One way to do this is to visit online communities and see what others are talking about. This is where Web 2.0 comes into play.
Quality is important, too, of course. If your communication has content with spelling errors, poor picture resolution, a weak design and bad audio, then you're not communicating effectively. However, some people communicate very effectively on Twitter where spelling errors are overlooked. I think this clearly illustrates the point that as long as the communication is good, the rest falls in line.
]]>Lessons in marketing and communicationstag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1822010-07-07T11:07:19Z2010-07-25T09:54:21Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
I want to share a blog article on the Harvard Business Review I came across about effective communication and how important it is to marketing. Some businesses might think that marketing IS communication, but that is not the case. As the author states, if you try to get the word out about your business and you blow the communication, it's all over.
Five things this article goes over:
Communication is king (know what are you really trying to say).
Determine your image and stick to it (don't make the mistake of putting an image out there that you don't want clients to focus on).
Everything matters (don't forget that all your efforts combined should work together and contribute to the same message and goal).
Graphic designers are not marketing departments (make sure you have your own business and communications strategy before you have the designer put your ideas into images).
Distinguish yourself (don't use the same types of images and copy your competitors are using, be authentic).
In future articles for our blog, I will break out these five important lessons into more details. Thanks, Dan Pallotta for the food for thought!
]]>New Site: Boreal Renewable Energy Developmenttag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1872010-06-17T17:08:11Z2010-07-25T09:53:13Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
Designed around the colors blue and yellow to represent the sun, wind and water, both the new logo and the new website for Boreal offer a clean design and nature-friendly image.
The easy to navigate site allows the company, who works on renewable energy projects, to showcase their work using rich imagery and concise text.
The website features photos of a recent wind turbine installation on Cape Cod and other projects, include consulting for federal agencies and a solar panel array for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
]]>Putting things in perspectivetag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1812010-06-09T04:36:59Z2010-07-25T11:56:00Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
We all get distracted by day to day life, and lose sight of the reality of the planet we share with everything and everyone we know. One of the most important things we can do, is to take a step back to see what an incredible planet we all have, and that taking care of it and each other is not something you volunteer for. So, each day, try to think about this, and do something good for someone or the environment around you. Whether it be playing with your kids, your pets, spending time with family and friends, speaking out for what is right, picking up trash, helping a stranger or just making someone close a good meal, just do it. As Mr. Sagan says, "Earth is where we make our stand".
I grew up inspired by Carl Sagan. He brought science and reality to the masses, and left us with some very important messages. Like this one:
"Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."
"The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand."
Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot
]]>The Right Customertag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1802010-05-27T10:00:04Z2010-07-25T09:59:06Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
As business owners we come across all kinds of customers. Some customers are a breeze, they come, shop, and leave happy, then spread word of your company to other customers. These are the ideal customers. They make us look good, they validate why we're in business in the first place, and we can feel proud of what we were able to accomplish with them.
Then there are customers who are very hard work. They want to argue about everything you offer, they give you a hard time about your products and services, they don't give you the kind of respect you expected, and they do not go away happy, no matter what you try.
We've heard the saying: "The customer is always right." But this kind of attitude doesn't get us the right kind of customer, does it? If we let difficult customers walk all over us and make us work unnecessarily hard for the least amount of reward, then why do business with such people?
You can set up your website to reach the right kind of customer. If you want difficult customers, then make it difficult for them to find information and products on your site. If you want customers to go away unhappy, then don't give them what they're looking for. If you want customers who give you a hard time about your products or services, then don't offer alternatives or ways to make it up to them. Can they return products easily? Do you have a search bar for finding the product they're looking for? Is there a feedback form or contact email listed? Are you targeting your SEO, advertising and social media at the right kind of audience?
If you're a business owner, you should decide what kind of customer you want. Then tailor your website as though it were your store front or front office. You will likely never see someone earning a minimum wage come into a luxury car showroom looking for a car and demanding satisfaction. The same situation applies to websites. Design it so it appeals to the right customer and the right customer will come to it with expectations in line with what you offer.
]]>New Project: The Regent Theatretag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1792010-05-19T02:12:28Z2010-07-25T10:00:29Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.comThe Hype Lab and the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA will be working on a redesign and improved functionality of their website. We look forward to working with Leland Stein, and the entire team at The Regent.
With its rich history and art deco facade, the theatre has a wonderful potential for showcasing its features in an interestingly visual way. The current site is practical but does little to show off the beautiful interior of the theatre or the vast range of events and programs it has to offer the public. Offering concerts, movies and family events, the theatre looks to the Hype Lab to improve its current online presence.
Expect a fresh new design, and many new features for both visitors and for the theatre's team. The new site should be ready to launch this summer!
The newly designed site for Visible Results has gone live. The new site is wrapped around the Expression Engine CMS, so content can be edited or added easily by the client. Improvements to the site over the old one: a clean and professional-looking layout, an easy to use navigation, and the sharing of information such as blogs, events and video podcasts.
Anne: “After years of struggling with maintaining my own web site and hating every marketing chore, I hired Paul Yeaton of the Hype Lab right here in Arlington to redesign my site and develop an internet marketing plan. He was a pleasure to work with - he listened to me very well, was responsive and creative through the process of trying out ideas, and came up with a web site that is perfect for me. We’re now working together on email marketing. I think it will prove to be one of my best business investments, and I highly recommend him to any of you small businesses who want a professional approach to web-based marketing.”
What do you think of the design? Leave us a comment.
The Hype Lab worked with Gregory Michaud of Bradford Hill to build a multi-purpose, corporate design with which Bradford Hill can showcase their Human Resource strategies.
As a new small business, Bradford Hill started out with the basics: a professional and consistent look to its business materials, and a website to match, with high-impact search engine optimization. The Hype Lab designed their logo and the site's look and layout.
Built on the Expression Engine platform, content can now be added or edited easily, with no knowledge of html/css.
In spite of the slow economy, statistics are showing that online sales are steadily increasing. There is not a better time to expand or start your business online.
According to the US Census Bureau Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales Report from 4th Quarter 2009, US retail e-commerce sales saw an increase of 4.5% from the third quarter in 2009, for a total of $35.9 billion in sales. It was a 14.4% increase compared to the 4th quarter in 2008 while total retail sales only increased 2.2% in the same period. Total e-commerce sales in 2009 increased 2% from 2008, while total retail sales in 2009 decreased 7%.
This is good news for online retail sites. Web simply doesn't conform to the traditional retail scenario.
For example: Setting up a new business location in the bricks and mortar world would cost a lot of cash to buy real estate, get new staff, set up the store's interior, etc. With an online store, you just have the cost of the site's design, coding, content development and web hosting.
So if you're determined to make money in these hard times, and are prepared for something new, then Internet business is a great option to try out. And if you are already running a small business in the brick and mortar world, it is high time you started selling online too, based on the projected numbers for the future of e-commerce.
]]>An Example of Connectingtag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1732010-04-28T18:07:27Z2010-07-25T10:15:29Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
The Webby Awards People's Voice features the "who's who" of Internet publishing. The public can pick its favorites nominees from categories such as Television, Branded Content, Web Applications & Services, Best Visual Design Aesthetic, and Best Use of Photography.
As of today, Twitter is in 1st place with 25% of votes and Hulu is a close second with 24%. This got me thinking about the state of the Internet today. At one time, websites were almost all primarily used as either content dumps or marketing tools for businesses. Now they have grown to include all kinds of interactive forums for news, postings, videos and TV shows. The sites that seem to generate the most enthusiasm are the ones where we can share our voice, contribute, and connect with one another.
The Webby Awards site is itself a good example of this new way of using the Internet. Last year nearly half a million votes were cast and commenters showed an unrivaled passion for their favorite nominees.
How can you get your clients to get enthusiastic about things you care about? Do you have a place for clients to connect with you, with other customers, to post information, share experiences, or read others' experiences? Think about what would make you excited to come back to a site or stay there long enough to contribute something. Then build it and watch them come.
]]>You Get What You Pay Fortag:thehypelab.com,2010:/3.1702010-04-24T15:15:55Z2010-07-25T10:26:56Zthehypelabinfo@thehypelab.com
In this post, I plan on discussing (ranting about) client/vendor relationships, pricing and final products. I am sure we have all had customers that want something done for next to nothing. Some businesses get this attitude from their clients more than others. Being a design shop, we get it a lot.
Before I begin with specifics, watch this video.
Good video right? Kind of nails it. So, here is a little story for you that some of us can relate to. Last year, I was approached by a business partner to do a site for a client. The partner said that this client had a small budget and wanted a brochure site. Sounding like an easy job, I drew up an estimate. Our partner and their client agreed on the price and we set up a discovery meeting. The day before the meeting, I received a scope of work from our partner that outlined what the needs were for the site. Here are a few:
Video greeting from the CEO to be filmed within my estimated budget
Needless to say, my jaw dropped. This is far from a brochure site. This is an enterprise level website, which we would have been thrilled with. BUT, they had us estimate a job that we were told was one thing, only to have it be a completely different beast.
When I discussed this with our partner, she was shocked, and even confrontational about the reality of what the client was looking for. Not understanding the scope the client provided, she automatically assumed that a site is a site and should cost a certain amount. Just to get you into the ballpark in pricing, the video the client was requesting would have torn through the entire estimate in a few hours of filming and editing, not to mention the rest of the website would have cost thousands of dollars more.
Well, lesson learned. We have not worked with this partner since. Why? Well, doing great work for our clients is what we thrive on. We really enjoy working with our clients and helping them grow their business. However, we work better with clients who understand what they're asking for, what it costs for a web marketing shop to provide these services and products, and what they can expect from the budget they are able to spend.
Like any small business, we need to generate income. Time is money and designs and marketing plans take time. There are a whole list of issues that can come up from printing costs to software to website development. Would anyone go to a BMW dealership and ask for a car for $100 because that is what THEY want to pay? No.
We want to hear from you on this. So, please, chime in in our comments section and let us know how your business deals with customers that are unreasonable when it comes to paying for your products.
What is a website, really? Is it an online store front, a communications tool, or just advertising for your business? How about not limiting your thinking about sites to one of these? In essence a business website is all three and maybe more.
The best description I've heard of a website came from a conversation Paul and I were having a little while ago. He was leafing through a magazine and told me he thinks the same way about sites as he does about good printed magazines.
1. A magazine's cover tells you instantly what kind of magazine it is.
Regardless of the type of magazine it is, it will "flavor" its cover to attract the right kind of customer. It knows who it is targeting and, with that in mind, its editors carefully choose the font type, the layout and the images and words. They also make sure you don't mistake their magazine for ones they're competing with. Cosmopolitan differentiates itself from Glamour in various ways and will always stay on brand. Your website's home page can change its content frequently and refresh its images, but if you move away from your brand and goals, you will confuse customers and lose them. You also want to stay unique, don't just do what everyone else is doing.
2. Magazines have compelling images on the cover.
The design of a magazine's cover is deliberate. It is intended to draw a casual shopper's eye with intriguing images that make them stop and pick it up. Similar to a book cover, a magazine cover is the first thing a reader or shopper sees. This is how we should also think about a website's home page. What would compel a shopper to stop in and stay a while, leaf through the pages, see if it offers anything interesting?
3. Magazines put "teasers" on the cover.
In addition to nice images, a magazine always offers some content on its cover that gives the reader a flavor of what they can expect if they decide to open it. Most magazines use words like "sexy," "the best tips for…," "check out the new…," "how to…." you fill in the blanks. Potential readers will know that the articles will give them information they've hopefully not known before. A business site can provide the same compelling content using short phrases and a reason to click deeper.
4. Magazines deliver on their cover's promise.
A site is only as valuable as the information, services or products it provides. In magazines these all reside in the interior pages, similar to a website. A magazine has multiple purposes: to advertise products, recruit subscribers, and offer valuable information. A business website often has all three of these purposes and more. Ultimately the goal is the gain followers and make money. How a site does that depends on the type of business it is. But if a site fails to deliver on the promise of its home page's initial promise, then it will not retain the customers it was trying to reach. Your site should give your customers exactly what they want (and it wouldn't hurt to throw in a bonus).
