Internet Strategy, Technology

A Whole of Government Information Sharing Space July 26th, 2010

I’m impressed by the Obama administration’s efforts to improve government information sharing as discussed in the Politico article Bringing Government Up to Data. However, I would like to see more focus placed on developing a platform-as-service model for the government rather than on data management or application development. Individual government agencies and offices have resources tied up in an IT infrastructure and information classification systems that are based on policies and legacy applications that are becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Information Architecture, Internet Strategy, User Experience Design, Visual Design

BBC Discusses Changes to Its New Look July 19th, 2010

The BBC’s news Web site got a new look this month. They started discussing the changes at the beginning of July before they started rolling them out. They continued in mid-July when the changes went live. And since then, they have blogged about the feedback and the questions they’ve been receiving about the new design here and here.

Insight Article, Internet Strategy, Social Networking, User Research

Improving the Health of the Healthcare Web July 12th, 2010

Healthcare organizations today face many challenges on both the mission and margin side of the house.  While grappling with the implications of the new healthcare legislation, many healthcare providers are trying to understand “meaningful-use” directives regarding Electronic Health Records (EHR) while simultaneously seeking systems that will streamline hospital-physician interactions and promote physician alignment and loyalty. Of course, ever-present are the demands for increasing customer acquisition and revenue generation, along with driving reductions in operating expenses, while providing enhanced levels of service to patients, families, and all levels of caregivers.

While many of the early visions of a fully digital healthcare economy are still to be realized, some health organizations are finding success in pursuing a small set of focused, tactical objectives rather than attempting more comprehensive and ambitious strategies sometimes characterized as “boil the ocean” approaches. The best results seem to follow when new Web-based applications / functionality are deployed carefully and incrementally in phases that are closely tied to the individual organization’s ability to metabolize such change.  This approach will certainly leave some important aspirations pushed out till much later on the timeline. However, it does streamline the crucial process of internal socialization necessary for adequate funding and broad-based institutional acceptance.

There are three Web tactics we see driving significant ROI for healthcare organizations. The first is focusing on demand-generation, or using the Web platform as a customer acquisition tool. The second tactic is focusing on patient retention through access to quality information and self-service convenience tools. And the third tactic focuses on using the Web as a platform to promote physician alignment and loyalty. If the appetite and urgency is sufficiently high, some healthcare organizations will move forward simultaneously with aspects of all three tactics.

Internet Strategy, Usability, User Experience Design

A New Model for News From Yahoo July 7th, 2010

Yahoo is taking user-centric content to a whole new level.

Search is more often associated with “how to” topics than with news. Yahoo has always used its software to track search terms.  It will now begin to collect and provide that data to their staff in order to create news-related content.

Internet Strategy, Social Networking, User Experience Design

How to Get Familiar with the Principles of Web Design June 29th, 2010

Tune into Federal Tech Talk on 1500 AM radio at 11:00 AM EST, for an interview of Leo Mullen, CEO of NavigationArts, by host, John Gilroy. The topic is “How to Get Familiar with the Principles of Web Design.” Leo speaks to how the Web can be leveraged to engage citizens. The conversation also addresses the primary steps in building a Web site, the importance of user experience, social media, the power of mobile, search, and more.

Some highlights from the segment:

Internet Strategy, Social Networking

Own Your Social Presence June 15th, 2010

NavigationArts is sponsoring the HealthCare New Media conference in Chicago this week.  One of the major concerns faced by Healthcare marketers is getting their organizations to embrace (or even allow) a social media presence.  I am a huge proponent of asking the question “Why?” when thinking about social media.  Defining an appropriate strategy with measurable goals that meet business objectives is the key to success.  However, if you are a large organization such as a hospital, you already have a social media presence whether or not you know it or control it.

Application Development, Internet Strategy, Technology, Web Content Management, Dynamic URLs, SEO, Sitecore

SEO-friendly URLs in Sitecore June 1st, 2010

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical feature of any Web site. One aspect of SEO is the URL itself – there are certain best practices to follow when it comes to URLs so that they can be best interpreted by search engines, and are built in the best way possible to increase their rankings. When your site is being run by a CMS, you have to make sure that it’s creating SEO-friendly URLs for you.

Internet Strategy, User Experience Design

Sell the Experience May 20th, 2010

This morning I came across an excellent summary of the value proposition for effective positioning of products to customers. Selling experiences instead of products is a way to provided added value, and in turn achieve increased margins.

Information Architecture, Insight Article, Internet Strategy, Social Networking, Technology, Usability, Web Content Management

Digital Consolidation : Growing Urgency to Rationalize the Business Web May 3rd, 2010

When I pose the question “What’s keeping you up at night?” anywhere in the C-Suite these days, the conversation inevitably turns to issues of measuring and managing their extended Web enterprise.  In all sectors of business, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies, the Web has rapidly and thoroughly become the undisputed platform for communications, commerce, and community building.  But while many execs celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that has blossomed in their respective organizations around the Web, the proliferation of sites, applications, microsites, tools, widgets, and social media connections has confounded many user segments and placed growing strain on the ability of organizations to manage this distended organism.  Of course, it has also greatly complicated the challenge of extracting meaningful performance metrics from this platform which could indicate how cost effectively (or not) the organization’s business needs are being supported online.

As we dive into the depths of some of these large enterprises, we see symptoms of unplanned and unconstrained organic growth.  The benefits of time-to-market advantage are obvious, but the risks less so. I’m reminded of a comment made to me by Dr. Max Coppes, Head of Oncology at Children’s National Medical Center; he said, “Growth for the sake of growth is the philosophy of a cancer cell.”  That’s hardly the analog we’d hope for when inventorying a business Web enterprise.  But in many offices the idea still prevails that “If I can build it, I should build it.”  So as we watch organizations innovate, add new product lines, and expand their global markets, we see their technologies and business processes proliferate, and any vestiges of coherent discipline seem to vanish in that euphoria of growth.

Internet Strategy, Social Networking, Video

It’s Time. You Can’t Ignore the Power of Online Video Any Longer. April 8th, 2010

Owl Image: An example of a successful online campaign, requesting users to create and upload a music video for the artist, Moby. Please watch and vote for a fellow NavigationArts' contractor!

The Power of Online Video

I’ve been repeating this mantra for the past 2 years with ever increasing strength: “Video. Video. Video.” If your organization is looking for a better way to communicate a message, reach a broader audience, increase relevancy to a brand, or simply update your Web site with modern content, video can help.

Not yet convinced? Let me share some stats.

Internet Strategy, User Experience Design, Video, Visual Design, Web Development

Learn More About the NavigationArts’ Team January 19th, 2010

Leo Mullen:

“Our strategy practices is designed to help our customers look around the corner a little bit and understand what’s coming and help them to prepare for that.”

Internet Strategy, Video

Founding NavigationArts January 18th, 2010

“We founded NavigationArts in 2001 and we did that after conducting a great deal of research in the market. And it was research that was done at the C level. We went out and spoke with senior executives at businesses, in healthcare organizations, in associations.”

“NavigationArts was conceived as an organization that would be an advocate for the user. We try to understand the major issues that businesses and organizations were having around the Web.”

Internet Strategy, Social Networking, Online Content

To Pay or Not to Pay for Content Online January 15th, 2010

There seems to be a constant struggle for any one producing intellectual property — whether the content should be available for free or users should have to pay for it. In fact I am currently working on a project where we are recommending that our client give away some of their content for free. In the midst of studying how others are handling this issue, I came across  “Should You Pay to Read This?”

Application Development, Interaction Design, Internet Strategy, Usability

Jared Spool’s Favorite Articles From 2009 January 13th, 2010

The usability guru picks his favorite articles published by his organization, User Interface Engineering, for the year. I quite enjoyed “A Recession Strategy for Web Apps” article.

Internet Strategy, Video

Era of the Website Redesign is Over January 11th, 2010

“I tell customers today that the era of the website redesign, for all intents and purposes, is over. And what I mean is that in 2010 if you’re thinking about redesigning your website, chances are you have not put in place the kind of platform necessary to allow your site to just chronically evolve forward.”

Information Architecture, Internet Strategy, Social Networking, twitter

Twitter in 2010 January 8th, 2010

I must admit I was amongst the skeptics who wondered about the usefulness of the 140 word microblog post. As one of my colleagues often says – “Why do I care to know if someone is headed to the bathroom?”

And then I read this recent article in the New York Times Why Twitter Will Endure that made me reconsider my thinking.

Internet Strategy, Video

Business Transformation Through the Web January 4th, 2010

“Business transformation through the Web is much more difficult than it appears and it has almost nothing to do with the technology and it has everything to do with the issues of culture, issues of ownership, issues of policy, issues of governance within organizations.”

Information Architecture, Internet Strategy

Designing for Change December 14th, 2009

Because the implementation of a new Web site is a large endeavor, it’s easy to overlook some aspects of the launch while you’re dashing across the finish line.

Before the button is pushed to launch the product, a Web team should choose a launch strategy that’s appropriate for their Web site. These strategies can help ease the transition and also maximize the impact of the launch.

Application Development, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Internet Strategy, Social Networking, User Experience Design, personas, prototype, scenarios, smithsonian, strategy

Smithsonian Commons: Vast, Findable, Shareable, Free December 3rd, 2009

Have you visited a Smithsonian website lately? Probably not. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Even those we interviewed on the National Mall in Washington DC at a physical Smithsonian museum hadn’t considered using a Smithsonian website. It’s a shame, considering the rich education available on their numerous affiliated websites. Few also realize the tradition of excellent and influential research conducted by the Smithsonian. What a lost opportunity to learn from one of the nation’s greatest collections of history, culture, art and science.

Internet Strategy, PowerPoint, presentation

Bye Bye Powerpoint November 24th, 2009

How many of us cringe when we’re stuck in yet another meeting with a Powerpoint (PPT) deck of text-heavy slides? Yes, I must admit, I’ve seen some presentations that kicked PPT up a notch, but they are few and far between. Many of us crank out the status quo PPT for many reasons – it’s easy, it’s familiar, it’s faster. Stop with the excuses! Let’s move the bar a little higher. After all, do you want to engage your audience and better sell your story?

Application Development, Information Architecture, Internet Strategy, Social Networking, Visual Design, Web Content Management, Web Development, Video

Professional Video Services for Businesses November 11th, 2009

An unlikely source for cutting edge technology news of course, but USA Today has an interesting article discussing the future of online video for businesses. They point out that video has a huge and critical future for most everyone doing business online these days, and there’s several major players coming in that exceed the offerings by such commonly known entities from YouTube and Vimeo.

Specifically, pay services targeted for businesses include:

Information Architecture, Internet Strategy, User Experience Design, Business Decisions, Web Redesign

Does Your Web site Need a Redesign? November 9th, 2009

Choosing whether to redesign your Web site can be a difficult decision to make, especially when many organizations are cutting costs in the midst of the current economic downtown. A Web site redesign project usually requires a cross-functional team with members from multiple departments and strong internal leadership. The resources required for a redesign can be considerable, particularly for organizations which already have a lot of Web content or have multiple third-party systems integrated with their Web sites.

Information Architecture, Insight Article, Internet Strategy, Usability, User Experience Design, User Research, Visual Design, Web Content Management, Healthcare

7 Principles for Designing a Successful Hospital Web Site August 1st, 2009

With health information Web sites like WebMD setting the standard, hospital Web sites must at a minimum meet basic user expectations. Your hospital Web site is a direct extension of your brand and a poorly designed or outdated Web site will translate in the public’s perception to a poorly run hospital with outdated services.

What are the keys to developing a successful hospital Web site? All of the principles outlined below are rooted in the practice of user-centered design.

Internet Strategy, Social Networking, Internet Strategy, Social Networking, Web Content Mavens

Web Content Mavens October 23rd, 2008

Reggie Henry (CTO of ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership) led a terrific discussion at last night’s Web Content Mavens. The topic for the evening was how to sell social networking to senior executives.  I’ve listed the most valuable nuggets from the presentation and ensuing discussion.  Hopefully there’s something in this list that will help to shape your thinking around social networking as part of a web strategy.