Mobile phones are becoming increasingly important as a source of visitor traffic and many websites are failing to cater properly. There are varying degrees of failure in this regard — some sites don't work at all, while others work but show the wrong content. So how do you get it right and what do people really want to see when they visit your site from their phone?

All too often, websites that work great on a computer either take forever to load on a mobile phone, or are illegible because of an orientation that is too wide. Perhaps the biggest mistake is not providing a mobile-friendly template for the design and layout of a website. This template should be virtually graphics-free, consisting of only your company logo to establish your brand, and should provide a text-only version of key site content. A good programmer knows how to detect a request from a mobile device so that the proper template can be displayed before the user ever knows the difference. This allows a single domain name to serve all users, regardless of their device.

Getting things working properly is only half the battle. Mobile device users are often looking for specific information that is needed immediately in the accomplishment of a goal. A very simple example of this is someone who is driving around looking for your offices. They need specific information (your location) to accomplish a goal (find your offices) and they need it immediately. Thinking in these terms will help you craft your mobile content, and structure it accordingly, so that you are properly meeting the specific goals of this audience.

Businesses that provide customers in their momemt of need with mobile-friendly content that is both relevant and legible will leave a lasting impression that is a just reward.

Really Simple Syndication, or RSS, is a widely-used "web feed" technology that makes it possible to extend the reach of a website beyond it's domain and across a broad spectrum of programs and devices. This technology is often used to facilitate the distribution of blog postings, but also can be used to more widely distribute press releases, "lastest news and updates" or any other regularly updated content.

Users typically "subscribe" to an RSS feed by adding it to their favorite RSS reader, which in turn, allows them to see regular updates without having to visit the authoring website directly. In this sense, the content then becomes syndicated, reaching a wider audience passively without requiring a direct visit by the user.

Whether or not to use RSS to extend the reach of a website hinges on the type and purpose of the content being syndicated. For example, press releases are an obvious candidate for syndication because the goal is always to create as wide an audience as possible, regardles of how it is ultimately viewed by the reader. However, content that is offered solely by an individual website may represent a unique service, drawing new and returning users and creating opportunities to communicate other messages as a result. Syndicating content of this nature should be carefully considered so as not to undermine a key draw of precious visitors.

RSS offers exciting opportunities to share content and extend the reach of a website, but not all content is meant for syndication and that makes all the difference.

Ever wonder how Google offers a drop-down of possible search results as you type? After all, until recently, you had to enter all of your keywords and then click search, which then reloaded the entire page. Not so anymore with the introduction of AJAX, a javascript-based methodology that allows server requests and responses to be processed without requiring the existing page to be reloaded. This, in turn, allows the AJAX-enabled functions of a website to behave more similarly to that of a client-side application.

Of course, as with all new technologies, AJAX is great for certain dynamic functions of a website, but can easily be overused and create unforseen problems. For example, using AJAX to navigate a website's content, without having to reload the existing page, would present problems because the URL would no longer change as the user clicks from page to page. This would then become counterproductive as users add favorites or email links that have incorrect URLs.

However, AJAX does have it's place. A good example would be a contact form. When a user clicks "submit", AJAX can asynchronously check to make sure the data is valid, displaying an error message before ever reloading the page. Once the data is valid, AJAX would then allow the receipt to be generated, emailed and displayed, again without reloading the existing page. And since there is no reason to link directly to the URL of the receipt, which in fact could be undesirable, AJAX offers a richer user experience that is more closely aligned with the basic operations of traditional computer applications.

Read more about AJAX

As mentioned in the previous post, "Web 2.0 buzz: concept or technology?", Web 2.0 implementation seems deceptively daunting because it is often confused for a specific technology, when in fact, Web 2.0 does not require the implementation of any new technologies. What it does require is an understanding of the web as a two-way communication stream that allows visitors to create and share content that is often deemed more credible due to its innate authenticity. After all, which is more convincing: a company proclaiming its products and services to be great or an actual customer saying the same thing?

Of course, there are inherent risks in this new world. What happens if you devote the necessary time and resources to build a true Web 2.0 feature and nobody shows? By avoiding some of the common pitfalls, you can ameliorate this risk. John O'Green takes on the task of defining these pitfalls in iMEDIA Connection.

By knowing what not to do when launching into the two-way internet, where businesses and individuals interact and collaborate, smart companies can adopt new technologies that build brand awareness and attract loyal customers. Here are some guidelines for updating a company's website and online plan.

Continue reading "What NOT to do when moving to Web 2.0" in iMEDIA Connection.

Social networking sites are not only powerful because of the targeted audience they can provide but also because of the low cost per customer that you'll pay: nothing. Websites like LinkedIn and even Facebook provide businesses with an easy way to expand beyond their own borders and to drive potential customers back to their site. Trying this approach out is as simple as signing up for a free account, creating your profile and making it public. Afterall, millions of people search these sites on a daily basis. Reaching them on their territory could be the best way to introduce your company's products and services.

Leigh Buchanan, Max Chafkin, and Ryan McCarthy spell it out in "Social Networks: Ready to Join the Party?" over at Inc.com:

Beyond the simple fact that social networks offer advertisers access to tens of millions of potential customers, they present two clear opportunities for more effective campaigns. First, they promise the ability to target customers with precision. If you want to reach baseball-loving twentysomethings who live in Seattle and have a college education, you can find social network groups that fill the bill. Second, social networks encourage your customers to recommend your company to others. Let's say your company has a Facebook profile, and another user signs on as a "fan" of yours. Facebook will then alert that person's friends, informing them of the connection. Voilà: textbook viral marketing for free.

Read "Social Networks: Ready to Join the Party?" at Inc.com

Who the content on your website speaks to is more important than what it says.

Does your website actually speak to your customers' or members' concerns? For example, if I'm shopping for furniture online, one of my biggest concerns would be "how much does shipping cost?" or "what happens if my new desk is damaged when it arrives?" Many company websites fail to address common customer concerns because they are too focused on creating an inflated image of themself. Internet users not only recognize it when they see it but they also vote with their mouse and move on. Peter DeLegge says it best in Marketing Today:

To heck with product benefits or helping prospects and customers solve their problems – the narcissistic website dwells on the company’s spectacularly engineered offerings, their superior manufacturing techniques, the brilliance of their people, the company’s offices. Is there a place for bragging? Sure, but it’s secondary to the customer’s issues. Too many websites forget this.

When you consider that the average visitor has an attention span measured in seconds, and that he scans the web instead of reading every word, a narcissistic website has the same effect as a narcissistic tablemate: it turns people off.

Take a moment to read your website from a customer standpoint and ask yourself, "who does it speak to?"

Read "How Customer-Focused is Your Website? Stalking the Narcissistic Web" in Marketing Today.

Interaction is what makes the web the most powerful medium of all. Afterall, if you want to know why someone has visited your site all you have to do is ask. As simple as this concept may be, it is one that is often overlooked. Making the effort to understand your site visitors can be as simple as adding a link and can pay off with huge rewards. Customers want to know that they have found the right place.

Jim Sterne provides a good example in "Come In. I've Been Expecting You" at Inc.com:

Visitors consider a Web site "personalized" when they see themselves there. That means you must avoid the broad brush when addressing your audience. Say you're the owner of a dental-supply company and Algernon K. Floom visits your site looking for a drill. You can't afford the software that would request from him the Algernon K. Floom story and henceforth greet him by name ("Hello there, ALGERNON K. FLOOM!") and show him only Algernon K. Floom­tailored offers. But suppose you present him with these options:

If you're in private practice, click here

If you're part of a dental co-op, click here

If you're a hospital purchasing agent, click here

If you're the director of an HMO, click here

This shows Algernon K. Floom that you understand that all drill buyers are not cut from the same cloth. You recognize that he has specific needs, and you've made an effort to address those needs by offering information, pricing, or services tailored to his market segment. You may not be drilling down far, but at least you're drilling.

Sometimes the most powerful changes to a site are also the least expensive.

Read "Come In. I've Been Expecting You" at Inc.com

Internet users in this day and age have access to so many choices that they often eliminate businesses simply because their website is not up to speed. This is good news for those companies that have continually invested in their online infrastructure as they benefit from the strength of their website as an asset. However, it's bad news for businesses that haven't because there is no in-between. If not an asset then a liability... a 24/7/365 liability that is creating a bad impression in the impatient world of online "short listing". The following quote from "10 Great Websites," featured in BtoB magazine, sums it up nicely:

"For a business customer, the Web site is often a starting point to see if they want to include your company on a short list. They don't have patience or time to waste," said Hoa Loranger, a user experience specialist at Web usability company Nielsen Norman Group.

The bottom line is that websites have become the most important avenue for creating positive impressions for potential customers. So much so, that your company will be ruled in or out in a matter of seconds based on one visit to your website. Knowing this, can your company afford the risk?

Read "10 Great Websites" featured in BtoB magazine