SearchTank Reviews Ask.com Usability Practices

Marina, head of research at Enquiro, has just posted about Michael Ferguson's (Senior User Experience Analyst for Ask) task of “helping the design, marketing, engineering and R&D teams build valuable and delightful experiences”.

Michael divulges some of his more simple rules and guidelines, which Marina discusses in great detail with practical examples.

Those main guidelines are here:

1. Speak clearly: use direct and simple language.
2. Make it clear where someone is in the experience and what their choices are. Make the choices distinct from each other.
3. Reduce work on the user's part wherever you can. Less to think about, with fewer clicks, keeps them in the flow.

Visit Marina at SearchTank to get her insight.

The Macification of Windows: Vista vs. OSX

Here I will be looking at Windows new, much more user friendly, Vista release which will be available as of midnight tonight. And even though we know we're all going to go out and buy it, I wanted to look at what Microsoft themselves are outlining as the top reasons why we should have it now (100 reasons you'll be speechless), and how we could have had this 2 years ago if we had chosen Mac OSX (Note: traditionally I am a "mac" guy, though through the course of my day I spend most of my time on a PC. I must say though, I am really happy for all of you PC folk who get to experience an OS that is finally all about you.)

1. It makes using your PC a breeze
In Microsoft's description of the breezy use of your PC, they mention search on the fly, Windows Aero and Windows Flip 3DA. Well, in the order they are mentioned above, the mac has had Spotlight since its Tiger release, which searches the entire system as you type, delivering results before you've even finished typing your query.

Windows Aero is just another way to say Aqua, Apples smooth, Unix based user interface which has been in place since the first release of OSX.

As for Windows Flip 3DA, a function that allows you to see everything you're working on at a glance, Apple perfected this with their feature called Expose (seen right), which, either at the press of a hotkey or by sending your mouse pointer to the top corner of the screen, displays every active window instantly on the desktop small enough that you can view them all, allowing you to choose any of the open applications to visit (also instantly).

2. Because all of your music is just a remote control click away
Okay.. the iMac contains a feature called FrontRow, allowing you to control not just your music through iTunes, but your photos (through iPhoto), existing movies on your computer (even those made through iMovie), or a DVD. Yes, all using a remote control. You can also connect this media through your television using the new Apple TV box (for Mac and PC) or if you only feel the need to stream your music to your Home Stereo system, an Airport Express will gladly feed your iTunes through those speakers you spent oh so much money on a few years ago, before you bought your laptop.

3. It's the safest version of Windows ever
Okay, when was the last time you heard of a killer Mac virus or security breach. Not to say that it isn't possible, but there is considerable security set up on every Mac out of the box. All the communication ports are closed and all native services are turned off by default, and the average user would never even notice. If you are extremely concerned about certain content on your computer, Apple has even gone so far as to include FileVault in the standard OS, which uses the latest government security standard, AES-128 encryption, to safeguard your hard work. It encrypts and decrypts on the fly, so you don’t even know it’s happening.

As far as parental controls go, Apple has an extremely dynamic set of tools to set the limits on internet sites, ichat buddies, application accessibility and anything else you can think of that you know your kids can get into! Here is a great demo.

4. See your world in a whole new light
See answer 1. It's funny how Aero made it into the top 10 (of 100) twice. See Aqua by Apple.

5. It can find your stuff
Oh boy, turns out, it's more than just Aqua being repeated. See question 1. Apple's Spotlight application finds anything and everything on your system instantly.

6. Because you're always on the run
This is a funny one, as it appears to include the use of portable devices separate from your actual system.. but sure, I'll speak to it.

Okay, keeping your PC and portable devices up to date is an essential feature for todays professional, however, it is not exclusive to Windows Vista. All of the main providers of portable devices have included the Mac market, including Blackberry and Palm, meaning that ensuring your data is synched to the right location is a snap. And with the introduction of the iPhone, Apple has once again surpassed the expectations and capabilities of its competitors by including almost an entire system on one simple, feature packed device.

And as for the Tablet, that one we'll have to give to you PC. Although I'm not sure how much of an accomplishment that is as the market for the Tablets is still considerably small.

7. Because you can freeze time
One word... iPhoto. Personally, I have thousands of photos archived in my library, by date, keyword, rating, or any other label i choose. Not only that, but iPhoto will literally recognize almost any digital camera on the market without you having to install any third party applications. Google's Picasa has come a long way towards this, but this has been standard for years on Apples now.

8. Your PC can take care of itself
Apple believes in preparing a product proactively. There are diagnostic applications available indeed, Disk First Aid etc., but the released versions of OSX have been rigorously tested, and whenever there are updates to be installed, they can be run and installed in the background automatically. No fuss, no muss.

9. Unchain your mobile PC
So, a wireless network then? Okay... Thanks Vista! I've been waiting forever to be able to run my laptop from my living room without having to drag the wires all the way from upstairs.

Number 9? Really?

10. Surf more safely
And, ending on a repeat note... See question 3. But in addition to that, the built-in personal firewall for OSX protects your computer from unauthorized access by monitoring all incoming network traffic, and if you use stealth mode, your Mac won’t even acknowledge its existence to people scanning for machines to attack. Seems pretty secure to me.

Okay, well, that's the Top 10 Reasons You'll Be Speechless, addressed from a Mac perspective. Those of us that are Mac users have been happily satisfied with our daily user experience, proud to share it with anyone that would listen. And it appears that we've been listened to, maybe not actively, as not many PC users will admit to wanting more, but they do appear to be sending the Vista developers the Apple website address as a blueprint for what they've been hearing about.

Now, this is not to take away anything from Vista itself. Microsoft appears to have created an operating system that really puts the user at the forefront. This was long overdue, and not a small feat, and preliminary reports indicate that it will be a success.

Just ensure that Vista wins you over by the experience it provides from here on out, not by the sheer amount of advertising and marketing dollars they intend to spend in order to prove to you that this is revolutionary and that no one has ever created an operating system so fluid and user-centric before. Because this is simply not true.

Manoj Jasra Interviews Bill Slawski

Manoj Jasra from Web Analytics World is at it again. This time he's discussing research, social media optimization and social bookmarking with Bill Slawski, the President of SEO by the Sea.

Listen to Manoj's latest foray into podcasting to hear what Bill has to say about:

• SEM in 2006 (specifically Social Media Optimization and Social Bookmarking)
• What we can expect in SEM in 2007
• New patents by Google and what we can expect from Google in the future
• Google's steady Growth and Google's competitors
• The future of Yahoo, MSN and how they can make up ground on Google

And listen for Bill's info on Danny Sullivan's secretive Search Marketing Expo, which I know we're all keen to see the launch of. It's a great listen and well worth your few minutes to start your week off right. Great work Manoj.

Search and the Strength of the Human Spirit

Helen Hill, my sister-in-law, was one of the two people on this earth that I really felt were taking it into their own hands to make a difference in New Orleans, if not the world. If you were to perform a search for her name right now, you would learn, among other things, that there wasn't a picture taken where she wasn't smiling, that her unique talent for DIY animation has earned her recognition the world over, that she kept a pocket full of change so that there was always something to give the growing homeless of New Orleans, that she was an amazing mother, a loving wife, a daughter that made her parents and family proud to know her, and that she was killed on January 4th leaving a huge hole in the hearts of her friends and family worldwide.

I miss her... and so do her friends the world over. If you met her once, you would too. On the day after the incident her friends from LA, where she had attended Cal Arts created a tribute site for Helen, helenhill.org, that people from all over the world have now poured their hearts into with memories, pictures, video and audio of her sweet voice. The site was almost immediately accessible via Google and became a bright spot on the search page littered with stories of her murder and of the baby and husband, a Doctor for the poor of New Orleans, a beautiful, caring man, that she left behind. This man, Paul Gailiunas, who survived the attack, is the other person on this earth that i feel has taken it into his own hands to make a difference, and who's spirit has been buoyed by all the support and love sent his way from all over the world, and by the love of his 2 year old son Francis.

I write this post to commend Google on recognizing this site as quickly as they did, not because it was the right thing to do, or they were affected personally, but because they are so efficient and relevant. And in times like this, when everything else is so calamatous and emotional, it's nice to have something efficient and relevant to rely on.

Matt Cutt's Ties with Google

In a recent post on his blog (see – The Real Lesson from this Week), Matt Cutts discussed the need for Google to not just have one unofficial blogger (himself), but for them to have “lots of unofficial bloggers”. This could simply be an attempt to spread the wealth, opening up the waters for new Google bloggers to swim in. Or it could be that Matt is slowly letting go of the steering wheel, easing back in order for someone else to take control.

And on another post (see – Page View Metrics? Bah Humbug!), Matt came to the defense of Yahoo! because of the flack they’ve been receiving about their market share of pageviews dropping after implementing AJAX into their excellent new mail system.

Could the techie face of Google be ready to try something new, or, as his wife so rightly put it, “when do we move on to our next adventure?” I somehow doubt that any move that Matt makes will be to Yahoo though, as this doesn’t really present itself as a new adventure for the wife and cats.

Is the SES rock star ready to take a final bow from the Google stage? Or should we marketers stop speculating already and leave the guy alone? Though it is interesting to speculate, and as Matt himself said “You know you’re doing something right when you get included as gibberish in spam emails.”

Also written by Andrew Spoeth

Nike + Apple = Online and Offroad Success

Recently, not unlike a lot of you out there, I let myself relax over the Holidays, had a few more shortbread cookies than i should have and neglected any sort of work out routine I had prior to the break. But luckily for me, on the day after my highest caloric intake on record, I entered the Nike Store.

Inside is where I finally decided to purchase the Nike+iPod Sport Kit. I had seen it before, though I never really had the motivation I had that day. And I am really glad I did.

Nike and Apple have really succeeded in supplying the aspiring athlete with the inspiration and motivation to want to get up from the computer. And not only that, but from a marketing standpoint, managed to tie together an offline product, with an online tracking system that lets you keep track of your own runs, set your own goals, and right now even your own New Year's resolutions, as well as challenge a global community to keep everybody motivated. This kit uses a device that you put in your shoe to track the time, distance, pace and even calories burned. And the brand exposure on a daily basis for both of these companies is huge, with their audience more engaged than ever.

This product is ultimately useless without its online counterpart, and this is what is making the kit such a huge hit. The community aspect in everything online is so important, Apple knew that already and forged a brilliant (though not on the surface) partnership with Nike, who they knew would embrace it. iPod Nano's were, and still are, flying out the door and this partnership is just one more way that Apple is extending its reach. It's no secret that one of the best motivators for a runner is music, so really it's a snug fit (sorry, couldn't help myself).

The overall usability of the product for even a novice runner like myself is seamless, and the spoken feedback is very useful as well, motivating you in the final leg of a long run, or just filling you in on how far you have already gone.

This kit is not only tied to the NikePlus website, but Apple is also taking advantage of the engagement level and even addiction, if we can call it that, of the running community by offering full treadmill and outdoor running workouts that you can download right to your iPod. Some of the workouts feature Nike Coaches like Alberto Salazar (multiple-marathon champion) talking you through an entire workout on improving your endurance, and others are music created solely with the runner in mind by the likes of Crystal Method and LCD Soundsystem. You've got an entire community and a world class personal trainer right in the palm of your hand... or attached to some other pricy but fashionable piece of clothing.

There are, of course, more advanced and detailed running systems out in the market today, that track everything from Oxygen level to heart rate, but speaking strictly from a mass accessibility standpoint, the data that Nike and iPod collect is enough to satisfy anyone who doesn't plan on running marathons for a living.

Anyways, Happy New Year... So far my resolution is going well. ;)