The 25 factors behind brilliant brand / domain names
Last night I calculated that I have spent somewhere in the region of three days brainstorming a domain name for a new web venture. It shouldn’t be this difficult, but it feels like it is something approaching rocket science!
There are two major reasons for this.
Firstly, there is a scarcity of ‘good’ domain names that are available. This typically reduces all of your obvious / immediate options, and leads you into a world of pain.
Secondly, and even more importantly, the domain name is also the brand name (or should be) and as such there are plenty of other considerations to factor in.
So what I’ve done, partly to restore some sanity to the situation (I’m still undecided on my final choices) is to create a checklist of factors that should be taken into account.
A social media smorgasbord: 40 common elements for community-focused websites
Social media websites try to combine two things: people and content. When these two things work in harmony a website becomes a buzzing, viral experience, where users do the hard work and feel a bond to the brand / platform.
In the past few days I have started planning and wireframing a new community-focused website, to try to develop and launch a useful platform.
Creating such a platform should be reasonably straightforward in this day and age, since there are so many fabulous sites out there that are already doing this well.
Indeed, I found it relatively straightforward to add the kind of tools and functionality I thought a social media site should offer to users. Many of these elements are second nature to us, since we use them everyday (on sites like Twitter, Last.fm, Facebook, Flickr, et al...).
So what are the common elements used by social media websites?
MySQL 5.4 looks hot
MySQL is the most widely-used open-source database in the world. Many popular open-source applications, from WordPress to SugarCRM to Joomla!, use it. And popular websites like Facebook and Twitter rely on it as well.
The popular database system is offered by MySQL AB, which was purchased by Sun Microsystems in 2008. Sun Microsystems, of course, was just purchased for $7.4bn by database and enterprise software giant Oracle.
If you're still using the old Google Analytics code, you're not alone
In late 2007, Google upgraded the tracking code script for Analytics. The new script, ga.js, offered a number of significant improvements over the old script, urchin.js. If that didn't convince you, it also offered some assurance: Google would be maintaining ga.js going forward but urchin.js support would end at some point within 12-18 months.
Given how important web analytics are to online publishers, one might have expected websites to switch over to the new code pronto, especially major websites.
Unemployed? Learn to Flex your skills on Adobe's dime
If you're an unemployed developer looking to build up your skill set while you sit on the sidelines, Adobe has a deal for you.
If you can vouch for your unemployment, it's offering up a $699 software application absolutely free.
20 things to think about when choosing an agency
Supplier selection is a key determining factor as to whether or not your e-commerce or web project will ultimately prove to be successful or not. While you may not be hugely knowledgeable in this space, you still need to adopt the same level of due diligence you would were you appointing a supplier to help with any other part of your business.
We recently published a guide for internet professionals called 'Delivering Successful E-commerce Projects', authored by Martin Newman, and he listed 20 recommendations to help choose an agency or technology vendor.
Many of these tips are relevant for all kinds of internet projects, and not just e-commerce sites, and they're well worth a read whether you work on the client-side or agency-side, to figure out what to look for. Try asking yourself these questions next time you're hunting around for a new supplier...
What’s your favourite Wordpress plugin?
People love Wordpress because it is so extensible and can be used to power a wide range of websites.
It can be customised with relative ease, and there are more than 4,000 plugins available to enhance the back and front end of Wordpress, adding functionality for administrators and visitors.
Facebook's new design a flop - so far
Facebook recently rolled out a new design that, in the eyes of some, represents a fundamental shift for the world's largest social network.
The new design places an emphasis on showing Facebook users real-time updates of their friends' latest online activities. Some suggest this is Facebook's response to the growing popularity of Twitter.
Q&A: Steve Gardam on the National Museums Online Learning Project
Nine of the UK's biggest museums have recently launched an online project which aims to make greater use of their websites, as well as providing educational and social resources for students and the general public.
The £1.5m government funded project also involves the British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Portrait Gallery, the Tate, Natural History Museum, the Wallace Collection, Royal Armouries, Sir John Soane's Museum and Imperial War Museum.
Webquests is an online educational tool for students and teachers which pulls together content from the various museums to create projects and teach research skills, while Creative Spaces is a social application that enables users to search across the museums' content and create groups around their interests.
Five keys to social media launch planning
Companies planning a social media launch, upgrade, or even adjustment have a lot to live up to. Innovation has been impressive so far this year, and results have kept brands focused on making their own imprint.
Like most areas of internet marketing best practices are evident for social media, but rules are unwritten. As planning for the fourth quarter gets underway, many companies are starting their first social media initiative, or rethinking their entire strategy. Before you hit "send" on that meeting request or book the WebEx URL, five points to consider:
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
