We are excited to see what other features they will have to offer and will keep you updated on what’s to come.

Here is the link to the full post:

http://analytics.blogspot.com/2011/03/looking-towards-future-of-google.html#links

 ”The app is split into three sections; each features four scenes to interact with. It’s a good showcase but not a useful shopping tool.”

The free app is designed to showcase the new 2011 spring collection in a fun, interactive manner. The problem is it does nothing to entice the shopper to buy and  will unlikely be any sort of revenue driver.

“It feels like a showcase, though, rather than a genuinely useful shopping tool. Tap on the shop button, and you’re simply sent to the RLX section of Ralph Lauren’s website, rather than the  specific item of clothing that you’ve been looking at.”

Small usability problems like this negatively affect sales. If a potential customer sees something they like, they should be able to get to that outfit easily so they can buy it. Sadly, these are the types of features that we see many companies focusing their time and limited resources on, since they are visually stimulating and “fun” to implement. These apps and new technologies are so new, that companies are exploring the boundaries and testing the waters.

But, do these fun gimmicks really make a difference to the bottom line? Probably not. People will not keep coming back to your site and be a lifelong customer just because you have a clever game on your site that incorporates some of your products. Of course, Ralph Lauren will be fine shoveling out the money that went into building this little app. But, what about the small to mid-sized companies that want to keep up with the times? We see these companies spending thousands (or tens-of-thousands) on nifty virtual try-ons,  24 hour video streaming, and flash  introductions which bring no additional sales to the website, and in some cases can actually hurt business by taking focus off of making the sale.

Be aware of what is entertaining and fun for you vs. what is actually going to set you apart from your competitors in the e-Commerce world. Websites need proper SEO and SEM implementation to bring in qualified customers. Customers need simple ways to shop via correct website/app. usability practices. And,  businesses need to bring in the sales. Make sure these fancy new devices and exciting technologies don’t drive business down. Simplifying is sometimes the best way to stand out. 

See the Full Article Here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2011/feb/28/ralph-lauren-app-review

1.  Present the information to the user in a clear and concise way.
2. To give the correct choices to the users, in a very obvious way.
3. To remove any ambiguity regarding the consequences of an action e.g. clicking on delete/remove/purchase.
4. Put the most important thing in the right place on a web page or a web application.

As you can see, website usability involves a variety of integral disciplines including layout and design, content and navigation. As a copywriter, I was surprised to learn how critical content writing was to good website usability.

I discovered several misconceptions when I first began writing for the web. Each day I will review a new misconception in hopes of helping others avoid making the same mistakes.

Today we explore whether getting ranked on the first page of Google is really all it’s cracked up to be. Read on for the second in our series of three SEO misconceptions.

Misconception #2: If you’re on the first page of Google, you’ve done a good job with your SEO efforts.

When I began listening to the SEO conversation, there was a lot of talk about getting onto the first page of Google. So, naturally I assumed that if I typed in a specific keyword and the website magically appeared on the first page of Google, SEO efforts for that business or topic were successful.

What I’ve learned: Most any business can land on the first page of Google. That is not a measure of successful SEO efforts. Appearing in the SERP’s for keywords that drive incremental revenue, that’s what is important.

For example, if I type in the business name “Tallahassee Tim’s Tire Shop”, guess what pops up on the first page of Google? Tallahassee Tim’s Tire Shop. That’s great, but obviously, this user had already heard of this particular tire shop.

When someone searches directly for the name of a specific business, that business will most likely appear on page one of the search engine results pages (SERPS). The real test is whether that same shop appears when a person looking for a tire shop in Tallahassee types in the phrase “tire shops Tallahasee” and discovers your business. It’s the difference between searching for a generic product or service, and searching for a brand.

I have seen many business owners make the same mistake in one of two ways. They either believe that getting on the first page of Google under their exact business name means success; or they are lured into the illusion that being ranked under certain terms necessarily helps their business gain exposure.

What they don’t consider is if that effort in getting ranked actually helps profitability. As a business, it’s important to be ranked under keywords or phrases that help sell the most profitable products or services. Often businesses are lured by companies that get them ranked under obscure terms or terms that just have no search volume, so the ranking doesn’t improve visibility or sales and defeats the purpose.

The SEO series continues tomorrow with our final SEO misconception. Learn what it takes to create a keyword list that gets results.

This series will touch on the main elements of digital marketing and discuss the common misconceptions of each discipline and the lessons I’ve learned through my own personal experience. We begin with SEO and its definition as defined by Advertising Age’s supplement, 2008 Search Marketing Fact Pack:

SEO is the practice of using a range of techniques , including augmenting HTML code, web-page copy editing, site navigation, linking campaigns and more, in order to improve how well a site or page gets listed in search engines for particular search topics.

Misconception #1: SEO work is something anybody can do.

Yep. It wasn’t too long ago when I launched my own freelance business and thought about adding SEO to my list of services. I went to my local bookstore and thumbed through the latest SEO for Dummies book to get a quick handle on the subject. Google also offers a load of free tools for SEO keywords and phrases so, naturally, I thought that anybody can jump on the SEO bandwagon.

Not to mention, many of the graphic designers I’ve worked with in the past “claim” to do SEO for clients and, not knowing much about the subject, I just assumed they were really delivering on that promise. Let’s also not forget the myriad of companies that “claim” to do the same thing for an exorbitant amount of money.

What I’ve learned: SEO is a discipline that requires time, dedication and loads of experience so not everyone can do it well.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that SEO is not an easy add-on to a list of services that most graphic design, marketing and advertising agencies provide. It’s a discipline all its own.

I laugh now, remembering my trip to the bookstore and my naiveté that I could jump into the SEO game. SEO is a discipline that requires constant vigilance and study. It’s a moving target, so to speak, that is constantly evolving. And it’s not for everyone.

In fact, if you have no background experience, you may be harming the chances of your site( or your client’s site) getting ranked or helping SEO efforts.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post and find out whether being ranked on the first page of Google is really all it’s cracked up to be?