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From the monthly archives:

July 2006

T Order allegra Without A Prescription, oday I'm going to talk about the holy grail of design, the one element that you absolutely must nail if you want your Web site to be effective and useful for your readers. By the time you finish reading this post, you'll know what the most important element of design really is, and you'll also know how to determine the efficacy of any Web site thanks to your keen expertise.

What, then, is the most important element of design, and how can you become an expert after reading just a few paragraphs.

The most important element of design

Design 101Fancy graphics, a complementary color scheme, and artistic flair are great, but at the end of the day, they're not the most effective means of improving the experience of your Web site's visitors. The information architecture (IA), though, can make or break a user's experience. More specifically, the layout of your site is the most important element of the overall design, and anything you can add that facilitates or improves the user's experience is simply a bonus, Order allegra Without A Prescription.

Essentially, the elements that we typically associate with design:


  • graphics

  • logos

  • bells

  • whistles

are all secondary. Contrary to (what I think is) the prevailing school of thought, these elements should all be viewed as facilitators. The layout and the architecture should beget the "design," not the other way around. Buy vasotec C.O.D, Saying that you'll "just throw this in over here because it fits the design" is a bad answer at best.

An Order allegra Without A Prescription, intelligent, meaningful design process (and the only one worth paying for!) looks like this:


  1. Decide what the important elements of the site are

  2. Decide where these elements need to go

  3. Design an "exoskeleton" that accommodates these elements and provides visual clues that enhance the usability of the site

You're the expert, and I'm betting you didn't even know it

When a potential client emails me about conducting a re-design, they are generally asking me to work within a framework where the cart has been placed miles ahead of the horse. The bad news here is that nobody wants to be told that they're not really going about things the right way. The good news is that I'm freely giving up some solid tips on how you can help yourself, without having to rely on an "expert" who you likely think is charging an arm and a leg for some nebulous crap that probably won't help your bottom line anyway.

Sound familiar.

The Problem

You want to increase sales/conversions/traffic/effectiveness/whatever. Things have gone reasonably well for you despite the fact that you've never really given an ounce of thought to your out-of-the-box informational structure, and now you're ready to hit the big time with a new design, Order allegra Without A Prescription.

The WRONG Answer

Naturally, the first thing you do is approach a designer whose portfolio is stunning from an artistic standpoint. "She really knows her stuff," you think. After exchanging a couple of emails, you're off and running. Two weeks later, you've got a drop-dead gorgeous new site that is based on the same IA that was driving your old design. Order allegra Without A Prescription, Your site has a great new look, but your bottom line hasn't changed at all. Your visitors have given you some excellent verbal tips on the design (kudos, if you will), but anyone who's worked in the service industry will tell you that verbal tips never paid the first bill. You've invested in a look, but you haven't made any effective changes for the user beyond that initial "wow" factor.

The RIGHT Answer

Instead of approaching a designer to get that makeover, you need to spend some time wearing the "project manager" hat. Put some serious thought into items 1 and 2 from the intelligent design list, and look at things from the perspective of the user, Buy vasotec Online. Prioritize your content based on value, and construct the framework for your new design by offering value to your readers in a clear, logical manner, Order allegra Without A Prescription.

This is the most important step of any design process. An artsy makeover gives something to the user for a split second on their first visit, but a well-constructed information architecture provides value on visits 1, 2, and 10. Oh, and did I mention that it also raises the likelihood that there will even be a 10th visit.

Once you've covered the important bases, then it's time to hire that designer to put a good face on your master plan.

An example: think like a user

Order allegra Without A Prescription, To illustrate, let's look at what you're doing right now. You're reading/scanning/browsing my Web site, and you're looking for information that offers you some value. You're looking for that personal reward for the time you spend here, and once you've either derived a satisfactory amount of value or decided that there's simply none to be had, you'll probably leave.

And hey, that's ok by me. I won't take it personally :)

Based on this information, then, it stands to reason that the less you force users to hunt for value on your site, the higher the likelihood that they'll actually find some. If you're running an online business, this means that users will be more apt to buy whatever you're selling, Order allegra Without A Prescription. If you're a consultant, Cheapest atarax, then you'll probably come off as more of an expert than the next guy. If you're running a blog, then you'll probably see an increase in page views, comments, and even traffic.

Congratulations, you're an expert

It seems ridiculously simple, and it is. As with most user-centric topics, the very best answers all involve copious amounts of common sense. Order allegra Without A Prescription, In the case of effective Web sites, users are in the habit of quickly scanning your site while looking for anything that is of interest to them. If you haven't arranged your content in such a way that they can find it easily, then you're probably not going to make a sale, score a reader, or generate a work request.

Finally, a quick word on value as it relates to your site

Let's look at this site for a quick example on value and how it relates to the user. In my archives, I have series of posts on specific topics like entrepreneurship, site improvement, and marketing. I also have some content that is basically useless, but it comes with the added bonus of a cheap laugh or two.

So, let's say I have four types of content that may interest prospective users:


  • entrepreneurship

  • Web site improvement

  • marketing

  • humor

Based on my topics, I've constrained my "interest" audience to only the subjects listed above, Order allegra Without A Prescription. Yes, Order diamox, my market is limited by these constraints, but you've got to be realistic here - the scope of that market is huge. If you could cater to the entire audience in even one of those subjects, you would be ridiculously wealthy.

The good news here is that I've taken the first step towards targeting my users and really driving home value for people who come to my site looking for anything related to my listed topics.

The lesson here is simply to define what you have to offer your visitors, and then construct a design around those offerings.

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26 comments1 retweets

W Order zoloft Overnight Delivery, hen designing or re-designing a Web site, I can't help but examine the Information Architecture (IA) of the site that's on the chopping block. Typically, I make a few fundamental changes to the way information is displayed, and one thing I've noticed is that I trend towards bringing the newest content to the forefront. I'm sure some of you are reading this and thinking "well, duh," but I'm actually writing this today to suggest that it may not be quite as duh as you might think...

An engineering blueprintThanks to the widespread growth of RSS as a means of content propagation, blog developers need to start thinking outside the traditional architectural box, which usually consists of uploading a CMS and not giving it much more thought. At this point in time, the widespread solution for blog IA is content-centric; however, as we begin to adapt to changing standards, I believe that we'll learn to present content in ways that are far more user-centric.

The default structure and why it blows

Darn near every blog is the same, and this is thanks to the fact that just about every Content Management System (CMS) on the planet has the same default IA structure for blogs, Order zoloft Overnight Delivery. Generally speaking, blogs are presented in reverse chronological order - that is, the newest, Buy zanaflex C.O.D, freshest content is presented first.

Unfortunately, this setup is speeding towards antiquity. It works for news sites, but unless your site falls under this heading, then I'm going to suggest that this is likely not the best setup for you. With that in mind, what's the problem here.

The redundancy issue

Order zoloft Overnight Delivery, By default, RSS feeds pick up and spit out content in reverse chronological order. This bit of information is incredibly important for your site, though, because it's actually the catalyst behind this movement towards widespread IA makeovers.

Everywhere your content is replicated on the web (see Technorati, Bloglines, or any other feed-based aggregator), your "fresh" articles get all the face time. Moreover, if you're running a blog that's been around for any length of time, then it's likely that most of your visitors are coming to you via their preferred feed aggregator, celebrex Pill. Need proof. Look at my referral stats from June 2006.., Order zoloft Overnight Delivery.

June 2006 referrals for Pearsonified.com - note that the top 6 referrals are from feed aggregators!

The important thing to note here is that my top 6 referral agents were feed aggregators. Additionally, other less popular aggregators also made my top 20 referral list.

So, what does this all mean in terms of the Informational Architecture of your site.

For starters, those who've just come to your site via a feed reader have already seen the latest entries that your site has to offer. Order zoloft Overnight Delivery, If you're the least bit concerned about retaining that person who has just arrived at your site, then, do you really think it's in your best interest to present them with an identical list of reverse-chronological content once they've arrived at your site.

Thanks to RSS, the default method of content presentation on blogs has become, in my opinion, unnecessarily redundant.

I guess my point here is that while it's not bad to present content in that manner, it's just not going to gain you anything extra, either. Therefore, Generic tylenol, instead of letting a retention opportunity go by the wayside, wouldn't it be smarter to push your very best content to the forefront instead.

Don't you think your readers (especially new ones!) would be more interested in your best work instead of your most recent work.

Don't blogs provide a killer feedback system that helps you determine what your best work really is, at least from a global acceptance standpoint, Order zoloft Overnight Delivery.

Don't you think you could use some of this knowledge to your advantage.

The solution

I'm certainly not coming to you claiming infallibility - even this blog is fundamentally flawed according to what I've established above. Here's what I think should be changed:


  • Blast the notion of presenting the freshest content in the most important area of the page

  • Instead, place links to what you think is your very best content in areas that have the highest visibility (Where are those areas. Find out here.)

  • Personally, I'm in favor of highlighting your best content in the actual posting area itself, and I think your best work should take precedence over your most recent work. Again, the goal is to eliminate some of that content replication redundancy that is becoming more and more apparent as the use of RSS grows.

  • Before showing the newest content to the readers, afford them a chance to browse your site however they'd prefer - via search, via topic, or even by resource. Once you've given the user a chance to do something that they couldn't do via your feed, then you can give them a chance to take a look at your latest work.

For another fresh perspective on this topic, head on over to problogger to see what Merlin Mann of 43 folders thinks, flagyl C.O.D.

Oh, and please keep in mind that if you run a news site, then reverse chronological order is a good thing for your content. However, if you fall into the vast majority who are running a site of a different nature, then maybe it's time to re-think your strategy.

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67 comments7 retweets

My babies will miss me. At least that's what I keep telling myself...It's late. It's 1:34 am - the twilight of a Sunday morning here in Kentucky - and I really have no business being up. Problem is, I'm heading down to Orlando on a flight at 7:00 am, and I'm trying to finish up all the crap that I didn't do today. Apparently I was too busy playing Tiger Woods 2006 on the XBOX 360, but we don't have to go telling people that now, do we. Oh, and did I mention the bit of schizophrenia I develop in the wee hours of the morn, nolvadex C.O.D.

Anyway, I thought you all might get a kick out of this letter I left my housesitter, so without further ado, lotrisone Dosage, here's my thoughts on how to get results while you're out of town...

A letter to my house sitter

Lyndsay,

Thanks in advance for watching the house and taking care of our babies for us :)

This week, Liddi B will need some special attention, mostly because he had another seizure on Thursday. He’s now on three different medications which I’ll need you to give him while we’re gone. While they’re all critical, one is SUPREMELY IMPORTANT. Nolvadex C.O.D, He takes Phenylbarbitol for seizures. There are two blue bottles of the pills in the cabinet to the right of the microwave. He gets ½ a pill in the morning and another ½ in the evening. Discount diflucan Without Prescription, Theoretically, the doses are supposed to occur at 12 hour intervals, but I understand how that plays out in reality. Just do the best you can.

He also gets ½ of the cough suppressant and ½ of the antibiotic in the morning and in the evening, nolvadex C.O.D. So, all told, he gets three total pills per day, ½ of each administered in the morning, and then the other ½ administered in the evening.

What I do is cut the pills in half and then stick them inside a gob of peanut butter. B goes ape shit over the peanut butter, so he doesn’t even know he’s taking meds, Cheap dilantin. Just be certain that he gets ALL the peanut butter and therefore all of the meds. Nolvadex C.O.D, PLEASE MAKE SURE HE GETS HIS PHENYLBARBITOL. WITHOUT IT, HE COULD SUFFER AN EXTREMELY SEVERE AND HARMFUL SEIZURE.

Even if the house burns down, make sure he gets his phenylbarbitol. I don’t care if you save anything else. Not even the TV.

But god help me, you better save Deuce, too.

I will be calling you to check up constantly – not because I think you’ll be screwing up, Seroquel No Rr, but mostly because I’m a neurotic freak. On top of that, I’m worried about Liddi B, and I want you to pay attention to his cough (if it persists).

Thanks again,

Chris.

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