Take a look at this!!
The Worst Tech Problem? 'The Internet's Down'
11.17.08
discuss Total posts: 1
by Chloe Albanesius
Most of us have been plagued with a blue screen of death, a laptop that refuses to connect to a home wireless network, or a cell phone that just doesn't feel like making calls.
About 48 percent of technology users have encountered such problems with their devices in the last year, according to a Sunday report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. How do they deal with these technological meltdowns? Most turn to customer support or just tinker with the devices themselves.
Of the more than 2,000 people surveyed last year by Pew, about 38 percent of them said they contacted customer support for help with a bad Internet connection, computer, or cell phone, while 28 percent fixed the problem on their own.
About 15 percent asked friends or family for assistance, 2 percent found help online, and another 15 percent could not fix the problem at all.
What caused the most headaches? Internet connections. About 44 percent of home Internet users reported having their Web connection fail in the last year.
"Broadband may be trickier to fix than dial-up without help from customer support," according to the report. About 49 percent of broadband customers had to contact customer support when they had a problem, versus 27 percent of dial-up customers.
Also causing problems were computers, with 28 percent of respondents reporting a malfunction in the last year, followed by 21 percent of cell phone users, 2 percent of people with PDA's like the BlackBerry, and 3 percent of those with MP3 players like the Apple iPod.
People who encountered computer trouble were most likely to fix it themselves, with about 29 percent contacting customer support. Internet and cell phone troubles were not as easy to troubleshoot, with 45 percent and 43 percent of people turning to user support, respectively.
Friends and family were most likely to help with computer and Internet problems, but cell phone problems were not as easily resolved. About 23 percent of people with cell phone issues could not fix the problem at all. About 19 percent of computer issues were unresolved, while only 7 percent of Internet connection issues could not be fixed.
Men were more likely than women to fix their computers themselves, but women were more likely than men to ask friends and family for help, according to Pew.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
An interesting way people look at the net
This is a very cool article:
F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content
Summary:
Eyetracking visualizations show that users often read Web pages in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe.
F for fast. That's how users read your precious content. In a few seconds, their eyes move at amazing speeds across your website’s words in a pattern that's very different from what you learned in school.
In our new eyetracking study, we recorded how 232 users looked at thousands of Web pages. We found that users' main reading behavior was fairly consistent across many different sites and tasks. This dominant reading pattern looks somewhat like an F and has the following three components:
* Users first read in a horizontal movement, usually across the upper part of the content area. This initial element forms the F's top bar.
* Next, users move down the page a bit and then read across in a second horizontal movement that typically covers a shorter area than the previous movement. This additional element forms the F's lower bar.
* Finally, users scan the content's left side in a vertical movement. Sometimes this is a fairly slow and systematic scan that appears as a solid stripe on an eyetracking heatmap. Other times users move faster, creating a spottier heatmap. This last element forms the F's stem.
Obviously, users' scan patterns are not always comprised of exactly three parts. Sometimes users will read across a third part of the content, making the pattern look more like an E than an F. Other times they'll only read across once, making the pattern look like an inverted L (with the crossbar at the top). Generally, however, reading patterns roughly resemble an F, though the distance between the top and lower bar varies.
Three screenshots from Nielsen Norman Group's recent eyetracking study.
Heatmaps from user eyetracking studies of three websites. The areas where users looked the most are colored red; the yellow areas indicate fewer views, followed by the least-viewed blue areas. Gray areas didn't attract any fixations.
The above heatmaps show how users read three different types of Web pages:
* an article in the "about us" section of a corporate website (far left),
* a product page on an e-commerce site (center), and
* a search engine results page (SERP; far right).
If you squint and focus on the red (most-viewed) areas, all three heatmaps show the expected F pattern. Of course, there are some differences. The F viewing pattern is a rough, general shape rather than a uniform, pixel-perfect behavior.
On the e-commerce page (middle example), the second crossbar of the F is lower than usual because of the intervening product image. Users also allocated significant fixation time to a box in the upper right part of the page where the price and "add to cart" button are found.
On the SERP (right example), the second crossbar of the F is longer than the top crossbar, mainly because the second headline is longer than the first. In this case, both headlines proved equally interesting to users, though users typically read less of the second area they view on a page.
Implications of the F Pattern
The F pattern's implications for Web design are clear and show the importance of following the guidelines for writing for the Web instead of repurposing print content:
* Users won't read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when prospective customers are conducting their initial research to compile a shortlist of vendors. Yes, some people will read more, but most won't.
* The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There's some hope that users will actually read this material, though they'll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second.
* Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behavior. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.
Detailed Scanning Behaviors
It's fascinating to watch the slow-motion replay of users' eye movements as they read and scan across a page. Every page has reading issues beyond the dominant F pattern I'm discussing here. For example, users scan in a different, more directed way when they're looking for prices or other numbers, and an interesting hot-potato behavior determines how users look at a list of search engine ads. We also have many findings on how people look at website images.
Many of the detailed findings are presented in our two days of seminars on Writing for the Web at the User Experience 2008 conference in Chicago and Amsterdam.
The biggest determinant for content usability is how users read online — and because people read differently, you have to write differently.
F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content
Summary:
Eyetracking visualizations show that users often read Web pages in an F-shaped pattern: two horizontal stripes followed by a vertical stripe.
F for fast. That's how users read your precious content. In a few seconds, their eyes move at amazing speeds across your website’s words in a pattern that's very different from what you learned in school.
In our new eyetracking study, we recorded how 232 users looked at thousands of Web pages. We found that users' main reading behavior was fairly consistent across many different sites and tasks. This dominant reading pattern looks somewhat like an F and has the following three components:
* Users first read in a horizontal movement, usually across the upper part of the content area. This initial element forms the F's top bar.
* Next, users move down the page a bit and then read across in a second horizontal movement that typically covers a shorter area than the previous movement. This additional element forms the F's lower bar.
* Finally, users scan the content's left side in a vertical movement. Sometimes this is a fairly slow and systematic scan that appears as a solid stripe on an eyetracking heatmap. Other times users move faster, creating a spottier heatmap. This last element forms the F's stem.
Obviously, users' scan patterns are not always comprised of exactly three parts. Sometimes users will read across a third part of the content, making the pattern look more like an E than an F. Other times they'll only read across once, making the pattern look like an inverted L (with the crossbar at the top). Generally, however, reading patterns roughly resemble an F, though the distance between the top and lower bar varies.
Three screenshots from Nielsen Norman Group's recent eyetracking study.
Heatmaps from user eyetracking studies of three websites. The areas where users looked the most are colored red; the yellow areas indicate fewer views, followed by the least-viewed blue areas. Gray areas didn't attract any fixations.
The above heatmaps show how users read three different types of Web pages:
* an article in the "about us" section of a corporate website (far left),
* a product page on an e-commerce site (center), and
* a search engine results page (SERP; far right).
If you squint and focus on the red (most-viewed) areas, all three heatmaps show the expected F pattern. Of course, there are some differences. The F viewing pattern is a rough, general shape rather than a uniform, pixel-perfect behavior.
On the e-commerce page (middle example), the second crossbar of the F is lower than usual because of the intervening product image. Users also allocated significant fixation time to a box in the upper right part of the page where the price and "add to cart" button are found.
On the SERP (right example), the second crossbar of the F is longer than the top crossbar, mainly because the second headline is longer than the first. In this case, both headlines proved equally interesting to users, though users typically read less of the second area they view on a page.
Implications of the F Pattern
The F pattern's implications for Web design are clear and show the importance of following the guidelines for writing for the Web instead of repurposing print content:
* Users won't read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when prospective customers are conducting their initial research to compile a shortlist of vendors. Yes, some people will read more, but most won't.
* The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There's some hope that users will actually read this material, though they'll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second.
* Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behavior. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.
Detailed Scanning Behaviors
It's fascinating to watch the slow-motion replay of users' eye movements as they read and scan across a page. Every page has reading issues beyond the dominant F pattern I'm discussing here. For example, users scan in a different, more directed way when they're looking for prices or other numbers, and an interesting hot-potato behavior determines how users look at a list of search engine ads. We also have many findings on how people look at website images.
Many of the detailed findings are presented in our two days of seminars on Writing for the Web at the User Experience 2008 conference in Chicago and Amsterdam.
The biggest determinant for content usability is how users read online — and because people read differently, you have to write differently.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Net marketing can increase your sales!
Net marketing such as SEO services, Google pay per click, Craigs list, PR releases, blogging all need to be used together in this troubled time to increase leads and bring sales. I use every marketing product I can to assist my customers to get rankings and get leads or sales. Time is what it takes but it will work. Do not try to be a brain surgeon and try to do this yourself. Let a professional company bring you those leads! Call us today or by our SEO 1 month service and see what we can do for you!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Need SEO help or have questions?
We have added a pay per month for help with your search engine marketing questions. You can use me as a consultant and I will help you.
Need good keywords or phrases? I can help
Need help with adding a site map?
How about having me submit you to the search engines!
Follow this link and have up to 2 hours of contract assistance: http://www.rossini.com/submit.html
We can bring you leads and sales!
Need good keywords or phrases? I can help
Need help with adding a site map?
How about having me submit you to the search engines!
Follow this link and have up to 2 hours of contract assistance: http://www.rossini.com/submit.html
We can bring you leads and sales!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Its a holiday today and the post office is closed!
First I wish to give thanks and praise to our veterans today. We have benefited so much as a country from their bravery. My prayers go out to them and our fallen heroes today!
As a national holiday even one so special as today, the post office is closed as it should be. One thing to remember is that the net now is a world community and we are more and more intertwined. On a day such as today, you still may have the need to get mail out or send a proposal or a special notice and it is through e-mail that it can be done. You can send an e-mail brochure or an contract or just a special note and you will find that the net is 24/7. I recently heard that the Post Office will again raise rates in May and once again costs will go up for us all. Again you will find that e-mail is a very effective way to send out a message and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
We at Rossini.com offer e-mail service and offer e-mail newsletters should you ever need it!
Have a very good day and do not forget to remember those who have fallen today!
As a national holiday even one so special as today, the post office is closed as it should be. One thing to remember is that the net now is a world community and we are more and more intertwined. On a day such as today, you still may have the need to get mail out or send a proposal or a special notice and it is through e-mail that it can be done. You can send an e-mail brochure or an contract or just a special note and you will find that the net is 24/7. I recently heard that the Post Office will again raise rates in May and once again costs will go up for us all. Again you will find that e-mail is a very effective way to send out a message and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
We at Rossini.com offer e-mail service and offer e-mail newsletters should you ever need it!
Have a very good day and do not forget to remember those who have fallen today!
E-mail providers are squeezing you!
Here at Rossini.com we currently do not have any limits on your e-mail but most other companies do. Read this article from Kim Kamando!
E-mail limits can be tough
This will greatly reduce the file size. Your file size should be less than 2 megabytes. Gmail is quite generous with its e-mail size limit. Other providers are often stingier. It isn't uncommon to see 2MB limits on e-mail messages. You have to plan for the worst.
Now, you mentioned PDF-creation software. It certainly is a good idea to send your newsletter in PDF format. And yes, you can put photographs in PDF files.
With PDF files, you don't need to worry if recipients have Word. Most computers have Adobe Reader installed. If a recipient doesn't have it, it can be downloaded for free.
Also, PDFs retain their formatting across operating systems and machines. You don't need to worry that your carefully formatted document will go askew.
E-mail limits can be tough
This will greatly reduce the file size. Your file size should be less than 2 megabytes. Gmail is quite generous with its e-mail size limit. Other providers are often stingier. It isn't uncommon to see 2MB limits on e-mail messages. You have to plan for the worst.
Now, you mentioned PDF-creation software. It certainly is a good idea to send your newsletter in PDF format. And yes, you can put photographs in PDF files.
With PDF files, you don't need to worry if recipients have Word. Most computers have Adobe Reader installed. If a recipient doesn't have it, it can be downloaded for free.
Also, PDFs retain their formatting across operating systems and machines. You don't need to worry that your carefully formatted document will go askew.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Blog writing
Believe it or not blogs do work! If you are looking to do a blog but do not have the time, I offer several ways to have them done for you. Yes it will cost money but less than you think. Call me at 913-533-4098 or e-mail me at jrossini@rossini.com for more information.
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