P&O comes top of travel website usability study
Cross-channel ferry operator P&O is one of the most usable travel websites in the UK, according to a study of 18 leading sites, while the wooden spoon goes to Eurotunnel.
The eDigital Research Travel Benchmark report (registration required) surveyed mystery shoppers to provide ratings for first impressions, search, the booking process, and customer service.
Thinking outside the box and other bad advice
Earlier this month I opened CREATE 2009, a forum for academics and practitioners to share creative and innovative ideas for human computer interaction (HCI).
The conference's theme was ‘Creative inventions and innovations for everyday HCI’ so to start things off I outlined my four step approach to help designers find more creative solutions to their problems.
Nowfly redesigns its flight search engine
Flight search aggregator Nowfly was launched at the end of last year, and the company has just launched a redesigned version of the site.
I reviewed the website in December shortly after it launched, and also interviewed CEO Dan Hart. I've been seeing what changes have been made to the Nowfly website.
Facebook Fan Box and what it means for brands
Facebook has just launched Fan Box, a new widget. This is great news for brands wanting to grow a Facebook fan page. But it's probably going to drive traffic in the wrong direction for most brands.
Is consumer trust online misplaced? Can brands do anything to change this?
We've all done it. In our decision making process to purchase something of fairly high value such as a holiday or fancy gadget; or when we think about a purchase that requires a long term commitment such as a mobile contract or gym membership; we ask trusted friends for their opinions and experiences.
It's human nature. We're doing our best to eliminate any risk, whether this be associated with cost or contract catches, anything really. We're after value for money and want to hear about any experiences, warts 'n' all. Based upon the information we gather from these trusted sources, we make what we feel is the best decision for ourselves.
Gaining equity in your site through improved user experience
One of the benefits of usability improvements is that they keep on delivering long after they are implemented, a compelling proposition for companies trying to make the most of their online traffic and conversions.
I regularly need to discuss the benefits of usability in the context of a specific company’s online business goals.
Are brands ignoring moms?
According to M2Moms, a report from the Market to Moms Coalition, 60% of moms feel marketers are ignoring their needs, and 73% feel advertisers don't really understand what it's like to be a mom. The challenge, says the report, is sensing her distinct, timely needs and responding in a way that truly resonates.
Q&A: Moneysupermarket.com founder Simon Nixon
Simon Nixon was one of the co-founders of Moneysupermarket.com, and recently stepped down as CEO of the company. He launched Simonseeks, a travel review site, last week.
I have been talking to Simon about the idea behind his latest online startup, as well as the price comparison market, and his tips for other entrepreneurs...
Did you ChaCha with "Angels and Demons"?
What's the appeal of entertaining mobile answer services? For example, were you one of the almost North American 500 mobile ChaCha text questioners wanting to know the running time for "Angels and Demons"? If so, why? Are we so busy that we would choose a movie based on its running time?
The nifty thing about ChaCha (tagline: ur mobile bff) is it isn't mobile-only. You can visit the website to query the types of questions submitted and read the responses. Following, are some of the more interesting queries about "Angels and Demons":
3 basic ingredients for an online social community to exist and thrive
It's still happening! Brands are doing their best to manufacture social communities using the social web with varying degrees of success. The majority of 'forced' online communities would appear to be made up of family, friends and those willing to give support...but not really going anywhere.
How many such company-originated Facebook groups have you seen that are genuinely thriving and active? Most don't really go anywhere, but on the rare occasion some really do take off.
I've tried to analyse why and I think there may be a need to go back to basics; your feedback is most welcome on these thoughts.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
