Atlantic Business Technologies, Inc.

Category: User Experience

  • UX: How Colleges Can Measure What Actually Matters

    It’s no secret that metrics and analytics are crucial to determine and measure the success of a site or web application. However, many organizations often track metrics that reveal little about their target objective—and higher education is no exception to the plague of inefficient UX metric tracking. In this blog, I want to explore the why and how behind effective user metrics in higher education.

    Why You Should Measure Higher Ed Pages

    First, the why. Essentially all universities want to know everything they can about prospective and current students in order to deliver an experience that aligns with university culture and values. This in mind, universities operate much like businesses by competing for customers (in this case, students). Tracking the right metrics to measure these users’ experiences and acting on those findings can aid any business (including universities) in engaging their ideal audience.

    Student studying too many books
    Without measuring the right data, your users and their motivations will be a mystery to you.

    So what are the right metrics? Among the different aspects of student interactions that universities and colleges would like to measure, one of the most important is the effectiveness of the institute’s site. This brings up a two-part question: What is the goal of this site, and how do we know when the site achieves this goal by reaching desired effectiveness levels?

    One of the main purposes of a university site is to provide information to prospective students (about institutional culture, values, campus life, etc.) and make sure that information is actually being viewed and processed by the target audience. Measure these factors, and you’ll know in detail how effective the website is.

    There are a number of metrics (as part of a greater measurement strategy) that can reveal details of how effective the website is at providing information to prospective students. The first step needed before deciding on specific metrics is identifying what information these students want/need. This is usually identified through discovery research and stakeholder interviews. Assuming these needs have already been identified, the next step is to create content that meets the students’ informational needs and then test how well this content works.

    How to Measure Effectiveness of Higher Ed Pages

    Now for the how: Testing and measuring your content. What we truly want to measure is if the students are reaching these content pages on the website and if those pages are efficiently delivering that information (content quality). In this case, no single metric will answer both. The first part (Are students reaching the page?) can be answered by tracking page views. The second part can be trickier since there are multiple metrics that can indicate efficiency but can also suggest contradictory conclusions.

    Measuring a sandwich
    Don’t waste time measuring the wrong things. Look at exit rate alongside time on page to determine how users access and consume your content.

    One of these metrics can be the exit rate of a page. A page’s exit rate tracks the percentage of visitors that ended their session on that page. In this particular case, a high exit rate can indicate both efficiency and inefficiency. We can assume one of two things about a user who exited a page: they either found what they were looking for and then left the site, or they couldn’t find what they were looking for and left the site. Quite the paradox.

    Because it’s hard to know which of these two assumptions actually caused the exit, we can take a better guess by looking at secondary metrics. One of these can be time on page. If there is a predictable average time on a page, we can assume that content was easily digestible. For example, if we predict that a piece of content takes about two minutes to consume, we expect that the average time on page will be around two minutes.

    However this does not account for users who may have walked away from their computer while the page was open, racking up time and skewing the average. Depending on the platform you are using for metrics, you may be able to remove outliers and not have them influence your average time on page. Although averages can be robust and not heavily influenced by outliers, their robustness is dependent on the size of population (number of pageviews in this case, as an increase in population size will lead to an increase in robustness). Be wary of low visitor numbers coupled with an unexpected average.

    By combining these two metrics, you can get a better picture of what’s going on in a user’s mind. Too much time spent on the page before exiting (“too much” will dependent on the length and depth of the content) can indicate your content is complex and difficult to understand. If this is the case, it would make sense to review your content and determine if it should be simplified or broken up into multiple pages. Too little time spent on the page can indicate a user did not end up at the content they were looking for and left the site. If this is the case, you might have a bigger problem as this can indicate a navigational issue that would not be as easy to fix as editing content.

    Measure Online Applications in Higher Ed

    Another objective that universities should track (if they don’t already) is anything to do with online applications. This is broad, so let’s zero-in on the more important ones. For higher ed institutions, applications are a direct path to tuition revenue and as such, this path (navigation) should be optimized to convert as many users as possible.

    Students sorting through stacks of books
    Tracking how students apply to your university can keep your user data from becoming an overwhelming mess.

    To begin assessing the performance of an application’s online presence, start by looking at conversion rates. This will be the percentage of users that fill out the application out of the total that opened it (filled out/total opens). An unexpectedly low conversion rate can reflect poor application design. It is important to track how users are reaching your application as it can provide opportunities for path optimization. For example, if your application only lives on your homepage but you find a significant number of users travel back to the homepage from a campus culture page to find the application, it will make sense to include a link to your application on that campus page.

    Another metric to track when looking at your application efficiency is click-through rate. This will let you know the percentage of users that clicked to the application from pages that contain the option. This will give you an understanding of which pages are more suitable to house the application.

    Measurement for Illumination, Not Support

    “He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts… for support rather than illumination.”

    –Andrew Lang, Scottish poet

    Digital measurement of student engagement can shed light on all kinds of opportunities to improve higher ed sites and web applications. However, any recommendations of change to a website (or another digital asset owned by a university) should not be solely based on metrics. Numbers will only give you one side of the equation (no pun intended) and the other side is more subjective understanding which requires an element of expertise in the industries and understanding of higher ed users.

    So as you apply an appropriate measurement strategy, always keep your university’s business objectives in mind. It is also important to cross-reference metrics whenever possible to avoid relying too heavily on one figure. Ultimately, you want to rely on digital measurement to inform your site strategy, then verify your new ideas through testing rather than rushing a big change.

    To read firsthand how to combine UX research and content strategy best practices for a higher ed client, take a look at our case study for Campbell University.

  • I’ll Trade You a Thousand Words: Choosing the Perfect Content Image

    After redesigning its homepage with Atlantic BT, Martin Marietta achieved a 50% increase in new users and reduced its site bounce rate by 30%. In addition, our specially-designed features better prepared Martin Marietta to close big deals with potential customers.

    However, you don’t care about any of that, because you’re wondering about the featured image of Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House of Representatives, kissing a fish.

    The image you choose for your content writing matters. Pick something irrelevant (like Paul Ryan kissing a fish) or generic (like “moms shopping”), and you could lose your audience before they read your first sentence. To nail your users’ attention and motivate them to read your content, your accompanying images need to be relevant, arresting, and (ideally) unique.

    Choosing a Relevant Image

    This point might seem like low-hanging fruit. After all, how hard is it to find an image that matches the title of your content? This is when it’s important to remember that relevant does not equal generic. Otherwise you’ll end up using the same “business people at a meeting using tablets” image as every other B2B blog on the internet.

    So how do you choose a relevant image that isn’t generic? One tactic is to simply use Google Image search to verify that your image isn’t already in use on several sites—this will protect you from going with an overused image. However, this practice won’t help you choose an image that visually echoes the big idea of your post.

    Better answer? Go deeper with your definition of “relevant.” If your content is focused on boosting the speed at which a business operates, focus on the word “speed” rather than “business.” This more abstract thinking guided our choice of image in a blog comparing the speed of different Content Delivery Networks; rather than using a run-of-the-mill graph of the different networks, we depicted several space ships racing around a planet to symbolize the different CDNs. This image was relevant to the blog without being generic, making it more likely to catch a reader’s eye.

    Choosing an Arresting Image

    When I was an undergrad assistant in the Duke University archives, I spent hours sorting through all manner of historical documents. Mostly these were family records of university faculty, the memos of NC politicians, and various items which weren’t of much interest to a college student. One day I was sorting through a stack of records from the American Socialist Party in the 1930s. I flipped through letters written by party leaders, news articles about rallies, and suddenly I saw a man bleeding out from a gunshot wound. This photograph chilled my blood. I flipped it over to learn more about it, and handwritten scrawl told me the story of a protester who was shot at a rally for being a suspected communist. In the midst of a dry day of skimming and sorting, my attention had been arrested by a single powerful image.

    The term “arresting” isn’t often found in content marketing guides (which is one reason I chose it). An arresting image is one that grabs the reader’s attention by stopping them in their tracks; it breaks up the monotony of browsing a web page or brochure of printed documents with a picture that seizes the viewer by the curiosity and refuses to let go. Done right, anyone who sees this image will respond with “Wait, what is this?” and immediately open the article to find out.

    As you choose arresting images, it’s important than your provocative visual grabs attention for the right reasons. After all, violent or pornographic imagery is certainly arresting, but it isn’t going to attract relevant traffic to your content. Instead of simply equating “arresting” with “shocking,” it’s better to think of your arresting image as an exciting opening to a story you’re getting ready to tell. Take our recent post about a major security update needed for Magento-based eCommerce stores. The image here depicts a businessman so focused on money that he’s blind to the enormous rock threatening to crush him and his newfound earnings. The inherent drama of this image tells an arresting story—something really bad is threatening this person, and we need to find out what it is if we also don’t want to get hurt. 

    Creating a Unique Image

    After the last two points, the requirements for an effective image might seem daunting—how are you going to find an image that is relevant to your content, not generic, AND arresting enough to grab a reader’s attention? There are two answers, and both are going to require some effort.

    First, don’t look for your unique image on the same stock photo sites as your competitors. While these sites are a solid way to find images relevant to a business context, you’re practically guaranteed to pick an image that’s already being used elsewhere. To find a more unique image, steer clear of realistic stock photography and browse more abstract image sites. One of our favorite sources at Atlantic BT is Pop Ink by CSA; these images bring a unique energy to our blog by combining a distinct and fun art style that also can be searched by subject matter or theme.

    The second way to choose a truly unique image for your content is to design the image yourself. If you have a designer or digital artist on staff, give this person some thematic ideas of what your content is about, then set them loose to create a specialized image to fit. That was how we approached the blog image for our annual Pumpkin Chunkin event at Atlantic BT. We planned this year’s theme, The Pumpkin Aeronautics Initiative, with one of our on-staff designers and asked her to create an image that combined tongue-in-cheek scientific inquiry with pumpkins hitting the pavement. The result was a truly unique image that helped drive record attendance to this year’s pumpkin-launching party.

    Worth a Thousand Words (and Extra Effort)

    If you believe the old adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” then you believe that an image can speak more powerfully to the minds and hearts of your audience than a hefty dose of the right words. This means it’s worth the extra time and energy to find the perfect visual accompaniment to your written content.

    Ultimately, you want the image you choose to be a powerful visual representation of the content story you’re telling—not just a photograph that looks nice. By pairing your content with relevant, arresting, and unique imagery, you do more than stand out from the internet crowd. You offer your reader an invitation into a meaningful digital story well-worth their undivided attention.

    Now you just need a riveting content story to match. Why not start with an engaging opening?

  • What Your Website Really Wants for the Holidays

    You’re not going to believe this, but the holiday season has arrived! Yes, it’s true: bells are jingling, lights are aglow, and the air carries a permanent whiff of snow and cookies. I’m sure you’re feeling festive, perhaps wearing an excessive amount of red or spinning a dreidel. You probably have a list of loved ones that you’re buying gifts for. I was just curious…did you include me? Me. Your website. I was wondering if I could get in on this.

    Don’t freak out if you haven’t gotten me anything yet. It’s OK! I put together a list for you. It’s just some ideas I had as I was reminiscing about all of the moments we’ve shared together and what the new year might bring. No, this isn’t some weird Black Mirror twist. I simply want to help you help me help you.

    Your Site’s Holiday Wish #1 – A Dependable Platform

    xmas tree falling over

    I’ve been doing a lot of internal searching lately and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not as grounded as I’d like to be. Sure, I’d be grateful for a copy of Eat, Pray, Love but what I’d really like is a new platform to work with.

    Remember that one time when we had a user trying to find content on a specific topic, but he couldn’t because we had buried it in a crevice of irrelevance and he was cursing and I was helpless and you cried a little? Or the time when I was hoping for a simple update but it was impossible to get the process going and you contemplated burning the whole place to the ground? OR that time when you wanted to design a page that didn’t fit in the template, and you had to call in three different IT guys, your cousin studying computer science, and a priest?

    All Our Troubles Will Be Miles Away

    As your website, I do the best that I can but I could be better if I was functioning on a platform like WordPress. No, it’s not just because all of the cool sites are doing it (although it is the most popular CMS out there and 99% SEO friendly). I just want to be prepared for every user that stops by for a visit, and that includes you!  

    An open-source platform like WordPress provides flexibility for all of us. It grants everyone at our company the autonomy to throw in any content you need me to have, while allowing governance that can determine if that content is actually something you want me to display. That’s called balance. Which is a great thing to have when you’re trying to manage content and create a positive, consistent UX for your consumers.    

    WordPress is also easy to use, maintain, and update. As your website, I could use that help to make my interactions with users significantly less stressful. It would be so nice to be called user-friendly because I feel I’m really friendly. I want that to be evident in what I have to offer.

    Holiday Wish #2 – A Bodyguard

    Thief watching Xmas tree

    I’m only afraid of three things; pop up ads, the Reddit Hug of Death, and hackers. I have the power to block the ads, and WordPress can be my can of spinach, but hackers still have me anxious. I’m always wondering if there is a guy in a New Jersey basement planning to bust me open and steal my data.

    We both value the trust our consumers place in us when they share sensitive data in exchange for our services. Keeping that information safe is imperative. But I can’t just say ‘Swiper, no swiping’ and keep a hacker at bay. I need to be savvy.

    Merry Christmas, Ya Filthy Animal

    For my second holiday gift, I would like a strong analysis that exposes any vulnerabilities I may have. My therapist says this is key to the healing process and will allow me to be more confident in the face of future dangers. Once we know which of my areas need the most protection, we can integrate security solutions right into my design.

    We could also add another layer of resistance by monitoring my applications regularly and establishing back-up plans should there be a breach. When Kevin McCallister from Home Alone courageously defended his home from thieves, he didn’t just lay traps at the entrances. He used every tool that he had to ensure the entire house was protected to the max. That’s inspirational.  That’s the mindset I’d like to see in action next year.     

    Holiday Wish #3 – Organization

    office celebration xmas

    There are those who say ‘not all those who wander are lost’ and then there are those who say ‘#$&% this piece of $@#^ stupid website’ as they throw their computer across the room. I know this because I have been the cause of such rage. Gee golly, I’d love for that to change.

    Smart information architecture is the perfect companion gift to my aforementioned new site platform. Once your content is easier to manage and publish, don’t you want it to end up in the best location so it can be found? I do because I just can’t handle the users screaming anymore.

    Visions of Sugar Plums

    Every journey deserves to be productive and pleasant. Imagine me, the ideal guide for any user, whether they’re browsing or searching for something specific. What if I had the power to anticipate the user’s needs and provide a logical path that leads them to their desired location? I want to solve their problem before they even know how to articulate it. I want the illusion of omnipresence!

    Thoughtful research can determine the habits of the average visiter and inform the ideal utilization of my structure. The information architecture can then play to my strengths which would do wonders for my self-esteem, as well as for your mental health. Everything would have a proper home. Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?     

    Holiday Wish #4 – Peace on Earth

    elf spinning door xmas

    Above all, I wish for happiness and joy for all people.  

    Just kidding. I only want that for the users who visit me. Everyone else can fa la la la la outta here.

    For anyone who comes searching for your services, I wish for them a UX that is productive and enjoyable. A strong CMS, expert security, intelligent information architecture, and a unique design can all come together to do some good for those who need it. I want you and your clients to know you can count on me just as surely as you can count on your opinionated uncle to ruin Thanksgiving.

    Good Tidings We Bring

    In order to make the UX a glorious time for all of us, I need to be ready for any scenario. The odds of a user first encountering me on their mobile device rather than a desktop computer are ever in our favor. My design needs to be mobile-friendly, maintaining my clear, useful, super good looking self for the small screen. Siri and Alexa and I can be a squad. Mobile capabilities are crucial to keeping my head above water and can’t be overlooked.  

    We also need to ensure that anyone can access the content and services we offer. I want to be able to provide for all users, be it through properly spelled captions on video content or accurate and perhaps sassy descriptions of images. Design is in the details. Specific accessibility standards are now law but most importantly, it’s the right thing to do. If we can’t do the right thing during the holiday season, then what kind of monsters are we?

    Providing a UX that is both engaging and helpful is what I’m really here for. I’m not a placeholder on the internet. I’m a (potentially) sharp, intelligent, and fantastic looking tool at your disposal. Nothing makes me happier than providing a positive interaction between you and your client before you even meet. It gives my life meaning. Knowing my own purpose is the most precious gift of all. (cue snow and music, sponsored by Hallmark)

    holiday band celebration

    There you have it! These are the gifts I’ve had my eye on for some time. Remember, it’s not about me, it’s about you and my desire to make your life merry and bright. Happy holidays, friends!

  • How to Convince Clients to Like Your Creative Ideas

    [pull_quote]Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy, both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me. -Michael Scott [/pull_quote]

    Creativity in the tech world is an interesting beast. Everyone wants to use it and claims to love it. But it also causes a great deal of fear, leaving creative employees struggling to be heard. If you are that person, this post, by an experienced marketing writer, will speak to you. 

    When I first decided I wanted to be a writer, I imagined the hardest part would be coming up with good ideas. Back then, creating a new idea meant summoning elegant words, phrases, and story out of nothing more than my daydreams and boredom. Where did the really great creative writers get their ideas? It all seemed like an impossible mystery—which didn’t stop me from wanting to try.

    Times are different now. For one, I’m a marketing writer by profession, so I mostly write for hire. Two, finding ideas worth writing about is easy. There is a tsunami of shared information on social media to mine from. Plus, I’m lucky enough to have knowledgeable colleagues and clients. They always have something interesting to discuss. Then there is the remarkable surplus of quality marketing websites available. And three, I no longer imagine great ideas simply appear out of nowhere. They show up from making connections between people’s wants, fears, and every sticking point between.

    Then there’s the fourth thing that I know now. The hardest thing about being a successful writer for hire is not coming up with a good idea. It’s not even executing on that good idea to make a quality product (though that does take time, effort, and practice). No, if I had to name the hardest thing about writing for hire, it’s getting your client to like your idea and pay you to produce it.

    The Trouble with Good Ideas: Risk

    You know how the pitch process goes. You enter the room with the perfect concept for a client’s new project or campaign—it’s inventive, compelling, and will drive lots of sales. All you need to do is convince the client this idea is worth their investment—which can be really, really hard.

    Why? If you like the idea enough to champion it, shouldn’t that alone speak to its quality? If it inspires you enough, then it’s likely creative, different, and promises to actually be fun to carry out. The trouble is, words like “new”, “creative”, and “different” are all dangerous trigger words to most clients. These words all suggest that the idea lacks a proven track record. Clients may also not immediately recognize the idea. This is most likely intentional on your part. You designed the idea to not be like what the client or their competitors did in the past.

    Here’s the dilemma: you’re proposing something risky, and your client has been trained for years to avoid risk unless it’s proven to be minimal. If you want to sell a client on your idea, you need to prove your potentially risky idea is not that risky after all.

    So, how do you do that? Here are my favorite strategies for how to present your good idea and win your client’s approval so you can actually execute on it.

    How to Pitch Your Ideas So Clients Will Actually Listen

    1. Connect your idea to your client’s brand

    It’s amazing how often creative workers come up with imaginative, unique ideas without thinking about the client’s brand. They present the work with little regard for how well it actually matches the client’s style and voice. The simple truth is that not all great ideas are great fits for any client. Consider a cybersecurity company that prides itself on being no-nonsense, cover-all-the-bases, serious experts. They won’t be happy with a snarky campaign that uses a lot of funny one-liners. On the flip side, a slick 3D animation that never shows a person’s face is not going to work for a brand that focuses on personality.

    As any good writer knows, it’s vital you consider your audience when pitching an idea. Show them how your idea honors their work. Make it clear that it captures their company’s tone, history, and style. This helps your bold new plan seem less like a departure. It now looks like a natural extension of what your client is already saying and doing. In fact, bonus points if you can point to a past campaign of your client’s that links to your idea.

    2. Support your idea by linking it to good ideas that have come before

    This point can seem like compromising your creative vision. After all, what’s less imaginative than pushing an idea based on something another company is already doing? My advice is not to copy someone else’s approach but rather support your idea by showing how it might perform. To mitigate risk in the mind of your client, you need to show how your idea not only will work, but that it has already worked in other situations.

    Before you present your idea, look for examples you want to use from similar brands or industries. While you’re unlikely to find a campaign or ad exactly like your brilliant idea (if you do, your idea might not be as original as you thought), it’s not too hard to show examples that match the tone or style of your big idea. If your client likes your examples, they’re that much closer to agreeing to your creative pitch of a related idea.

    3. Show how you will verify this idea is successful

    If the first two points are about mitigating risk, this tactic is about proving your idea works. In the age of big data, it’s essential you can describe how you will analyze and measure the success of your approach. Provide details about the assets you propose to make, the way you will monitor user engagement, and how you will adjust or alter your approach based on how your client’s customers respond.

    Volumes of blogs and guides have chimed in about how to digitally measure success. However, as you decide between click-through-rates or downloads or new sessions to verify success, keep this in mind: the metrics that most matter to your client are how many leads and sales your campaign generates. You might not be able to directly prove your big idea drove sales without an actual consumer survey about your campaign, but you need to be confident your idea will improve the client’s bottom line.

    4. Emphasize how your idea will stand out—positively

    Consider this a counterpoint to linking your big idea to past successes. If your idea begins to feel too similar to other campaigns, you will need to describe details that set your idea apart. The best way to do this is by doubling down on how you link the client’s brand to your approach. Your client will want to feel like you’ve crafted a custom campaign that’s tailored to their company, so be specific about how your idea will represent their brand well.

    5. Demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to your idea

    As the creator of your big idea, it is up to you to be passionate about your vision and make that passion infectious. Tell the story of how you came up with the idea. Share the reactions from your teammates. Paint a picture of what this successful campaign will look like. This is the kind of enthusiasm that’s essential to creating truly memorable and effective campaigns—and the same kind of enthusiasm you should present in your pitch and elicit in your client.

    More importantly, you need to communicate to your client that you are invested in this idea’s success. No one wants to partner with “an ideas guy” who proposes grandiose schemes then becomes suspiciously absent when tough challenges arise or the idea needs rework. After all your research, data, and imagination, you must show your client they can count on you to own your big idea and put in the work to help it succeed.

    It’s not risky, it’s just new

    Let this be your underlying mantra as you present your ideas. While these tactics aren’t guaranteed to win your client over, each one represents a different tool to show your client that your potentially risky idea isn’t that risky after all.

    If you want to hear more about the power of creative ideas and how they can best serve you, we have plenty to share. If you have a plethora of creative content you’re struggling to get out into the world, we’ve got your back.

  • 4 Reasons For You to Redesign Your Site

    When cleaning my house, I tend to apply the “good enough” method. Sure, there is a pile of junk crammed into the closet, but the floor is cleared. True, the drawers are stuffed with balls of clothing, but at least I can say that the laundry is done. OK, something clearly smells amiss in the bathroom, but that’s why we have Febreze. The house is still presentable. However, if the house isn’t clean, I’m reluctant to invite guests to my home. It can be hard to even relax in my own environment. If I can see the problems, I know that others can see them as well. I’m aware that I am not presenting my best self. It’s good enough, but nowhere close to what it should be—and too many websites are the same way. 

    The website for your company is its home. Customers come and visit when they want to know more about what you have to offer. It is the best presentation of who you are as a company and as a service provider. Is your website in need of more attention and care? Have you realized that you’ve been settling for ‘good enough’? If the answer is a grimaced ‘maybe’ while your eyes dart nervously around the room, odds are your site would benefit from a deep clean or redesign.

    There are many clues to look for when deciding if a redesigned site is right for you. The ‘good enough’ mentality can easily sweep these clues under the rug, delaying the change necessary for your site to truly thrive. Let’s take a deep breath and look under that rug, shall we?

    Clue #1 – Your visitor traffic is plateauing or declining.

    Growth rarely comes from routine. As consumers receive information from an ever-widening variety of platforms, it can be harder to grab and/or maintain their attention. If the numbers show that users are indifferent to your site or not passing the word around about their experience, odds are your site has become old news.

    “How can that be?” you may ask. “We add new content regularly and promote our site where all of the cool kids hang out online.” While these efforts are not bad ideas, they can’t make up for a site design that fails to engage your users. Your stellar new content can’t be appreciated by someone who has already decided that the site isn’t worth their time.

    The solution is a new effort to make your digital home more welcoming and engaging. Use Google Analytics to see how visitors enter your site, where they spend time, and which pages drive them to leave. While monitoring your site’s traffic, pay specific attention to visits via mobile devices. The number of people who will first encounter your site on their small screens increases every year. Retaining these customers is crucial to growth. Design a responsive site that meets these needs. 

    Clue #2 – Your site makes customers and employees sad.

    • “I tried to use your website and I felt like I was lost in a labyrinth”
    • “While waiting for your page to load, I was able to read all of ‘War and Peace’”
    • “When I look at your site’s design, my eyes hurt and I need to visit eyebleach to wash away the pain.”

    Are you regularly receiving feedback of this nature? If your website is only inspiring agony and gloom, it’s time for a redesign. Our homes can be a physical indicator of who we are personally. Like a home, your website gives customers a preview of what to expect from working with you.

    Accessibility is also vital to the success of your company and you want your website to be welcoming to everyone. It should also be a priority. Section 508 regulations have been in effect since January 2018. That means a specific level of accessibility functionality is now the law. Failure to comply could lead to significant lawsuits. What do we mean when we talk about these kinds of updates? Common accessibility features include meta descriptions for images, captions for videos, and other user-friendly design additions. These features are helpful for anyone visiting your site. 

    When considering your site redesign, focus on what users complain about most and use this as a guide. Is the look off-putting? Are users struggling to navigate their way through the site? Is the general experience tedious? These issues could be caused by a variety of culprits. Poorly-optimized images, clunky coding, and slow loading can all be detriments to your site. One of the best ways to boost your site’s performance is by implementing a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This will cache your content and images ahead of time.  

    Clue #3 – The technical foundation of your site is old.

    New, sharper programming is being created daily, providing better platforms for websites to be built on. If your software is outdated, it will inevitably cause your site to be slower, less professional, and vulnerable to cyberattacks.

    Adobe Flash is an excellent example of ‘good enough’ web technology. While Flash may be keeping your website afloat, this technology is dated and will eventually leave you in the lurch as new browsers (including Safari and Chrome) stop supporting Flash. Websites still depending on Flash can also be unsafe for both the company and consumers. Flash’s programming has already proved itself a high security and performance risk.

    Dated software can be a turn off, aesthetically, for potential visitors. If the interface of your web applications still looks like Windows XP, your site is begging to be updated (something that even Clippy, the talking paper clip, could tell you). Consumers will be less likely to engage with a site that comes across as amateurish or neglected.

    Clue #4 – Your website design has not changed in a good long while.

    Like it or not, we live in a fast-paced culture of change that is consistently adjusting and growing. There is no better representation of this culture than the internet. Of all the mediums at our disposal, the internet remains the most fluid. Unlike print or video, internet ideas and trends constantly reinvent and update themselves from week to week.

    Your customer base is familiar with this kind of rapid change. They will not be put off by the release of a new website design— they expect it. In fact, an unchanged website could inadvertently communicate the company’s perceived lack of interest in keeping up with the modern state of the internet. A site redesign demonstrates your ability and desire to meet the evolving needs of your users.

    Make Your Website a Happy Home

    Your website can be better than ‘good enough’. When all of the clues point to some much-needed deep cleaning, take the plunge and begin planning your redesign. The process may seem daunting, but with the right team and a strong vision, your internet home can become a place to take pride in, and a welcoming open door for everyone. If you need inspiration, feel free to browse some of our favorite redesigns and we will be happy to tell you how we created them.

  • 4 Questions That Matter for the Mobile App You Want the Most

    Mobile apps are all the rage in the digital marketing world. At this moment, you are most likely rolling your eyes at such an obvious statement. But there’s a good reason apps have only increased in popularity. They help businesses make direct connections with their audience. There are mobile apps that help you do everything. You can manage your social media presence, book a hotel room, or even place an order at a restaurant. But how much do you actually know about mobile apps? Have you been pondering creating an app for your business? Is that the right call?

    What Do We Know About Mobile Users?

    Smartphones and tablets are seemingly everywhere. Since 2011, smartphone ownership has risen 35%. Now, 77% of the American population uses a smartphone. When it comes to apps, the numbers are intense. The average smartphone user has 80 apps downloaded on their phone and accesses at least 40 of them a month.

    It is not too much of a stretch to say that Americans are tightly connected to their smartphones, as users spend about 3.5 hours a day on them. So, it looks like you have a ready-made audience for your mobile app idea. But hold on. There are a few questions you need to ask before you begin building your mobile app.

    4 Critical Questions to Ask Before Building Your First Mobile App

    At Atlantic BT, we’ve had the good fortune of working with clients in a wide variety of fields, helping solve both marketing and IT challenges. Lately, many of our conversations with clients have been focused on the creation of mobile apps. We’ve noticed several recurring questions needed to define the scope of the project. To help you develop the best app possible, and do it quickly and efficiently, we’ve gathered these insights for you.

    1. Should You Build a Mobile App or a Mobile Friendly/Responsive Web Site?

    Sometimes, you don’t need a mobile app. Instead, a mobile friendly version of your site (or a responsive website) will do just fine. Mobile friendly and responsive sites are great options if you simply want to optimize the display of your existing web content on mobile devices. By contrast, mobile apps work best for specific, targeted actions you want your audience to take (i.e. make a reservation at a local restaurant). Mobile apps also take advantage of functions on your phone, such as the GPS, camera, microphone, and more. Knowing what you want your users to accomplish is an important question to answer before you jump into building a mobile app.

    2. Android, iOS, or Both?

    For mobile apps, there are two leading platforms: iOS (Apple) and Android. In today’s mobile environment, you need to develop apps for both platforms. Only developing for iOS is a sure-fire way to tick off your Android audience. Then, you’ll be stuck saying over and over again “Yes, we are currently working on an Android version and hope to release it soon.”

    3. What Will Your Users Do With the App?

    The most successful mobile apps are focused on helping users solve a specific problem. Your app should be no different. Ask yourself what kinds of problems you want to solve for your users. Then build your app to solve that problem. Applications that attempt to do too many things are often not as well received as highly focused apps. A good user experience (UX) process will help you identify the core needs of your mobile app and ensure that those needs are addressed during the building process.

    4. How Will You Update Content in Your Mobile App?

    Mobile app development isn’t a one-time activity. You will need to keep your content up-to-date and make improvements in the app as the platforms grow and change. Build apps on open content management systems using technical frameworks that can adapt over time. Anything less puts you at risk for a dead app as conditions change.

    Get Started with Mobile App Development

    There are many factors to consider when creating a mobile app. At Atlantic BT, we’ve helped companies create innovative and engaging mobile apps that benefited both them and their customers. Our team of consultants, UX strategists, mobile developers and marketers will work with you to help you build the mobile app of your dreams.