Their books come in downloadable PDF format and many are also available in MOBI and EPUB formats as well so that you can read them on your iPhone or Kindle.

I own most of these books myself and I can tell you they are packed full of high quality information.  Some of my favorites include:

• The Principles of Beautiful Web Design
• Build Your Own Web Site the Right Way Using HTML and CSS
• Sexy Web Design
• Online Marketing Inside Out
• The CSS Anthology

It would normally cost $149.75 to buy 5 books, so this is quite a savings!  Use this link to access the sale.  Remember, this is a limited time offer, so buy your books today!

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Why We Hated Flash

Years ago, one of Flash’s biggest strikes against it was that it used a lot of bandwidth.  Web sites containing Flash took forever and a day to download on a slow Internet connection, but high speed Internet has become the norm (at least in most areas of the United States).

Another argument against Flash was that it was not search engine friendly.  However, since mid-2008 Google has been able to index text and follow URLs contained in SWF files.  It’s true that other search engines might not be able to index Flash, but that doesn’t have much relevance as long as Google continues to dominate the search world.

Finally, Flash requires a plug-in in order to work.  But these days, many computers come with the plug-in already installed.  If not, the user is normally prompted to download Flash and provided with a link to the download page, making it easy for most people to install it.

So why did an innovative company like Apple purposely leave out a technology that is so widely used?

Why the iPad doesn’t support Flash

As far as I know, Apple hasn’t released a statement as to why the iPad doesn’t support Flash.  However, there is a lot of speculation going on in the blogosphere.  Here’s a summary of what other people are saying:

1. Flash is a resource hog. It uses a significant amount of CPU and drains the battery.  The iPads 10 hour battery life would be significantly reduced if it supported Flash.  Mac OS X users have long complained that Flash freezes up their browser or crashes their computer.  Maybe Apple thought that eliminating Flash meant eliminating headaches.
2. HTML5 has the potential to replace Flash. HTML5 allows you to embed audio and video directly into a web page without using a plug-in. It also works along with Javascript to allow you to insert interactive animations - no Flash required. See a cool example of an HTML5 animation here.
   
3. Flash is a usability nightmare. I recently experienced this first-hand with an online shopping cart that was completely designed in Flash.  Navigation was a disaster.  I couldn’t use the back button without being forced to completely start over.  When I tried to use the search box to find an item, it stalled…and I once again had to start over.
4. Security is questionable. Flash security flaws exist that have been deemed unpatchable by Adobe themselves.  How scary is that?

Many anti-Flash commentators also pointed out that Flash blockers are some of the most highly downloaded add ons for Firefox and other browsers.  Flashblock, for example, has been downloaded more than 8 million times.  This leads me to believe that although the use of Flash has increased, not everyone has embraced it.

So the question remains:  Is Flash about to make a quick exit or are Web designers so used to relying on this technology that they will be resistant to change?  Will Apple’s non-support of Flash help force their hand?  Only time will tell.

What do you think?  Leave your thoughts in the comments box and let’s discuss it!

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“Do my videos give my customers content that is unique and interesting?  Is it valuable enough that they are willing to spend their precious time watching it?”

Compelling content that is targeted to your customer is important, even in online videos.  Content is what increases the time people spend on your web site and decreases your bounce rate.

But if you are convinced your video content is first rate and people still aren’t sticking around to watch it, there could be several other factors playing into the mix.

It could be that your viewers are in situations where they either:

1. Can’t turn up the volume
2. Can’t hear or understand the audio

It makes perfect sense when you think about it. In public places such as an office, library, or coffee shop, and sometimes even in the privacy of their own homes, people are hesitant to turn up the volume because they don’t want to disturb those around them.

On the other end of the spectrum, people are often in loud situations and environments where they can’t hear the audio over the background noise.

There are also those who can’t hear what’s being said on videos due to hearing loss.  Statistics show 36 million people in the United States alone suffer from hearing loss, with more than half of them under the age of 65. (It’s not just old folks, young people are affected, too).

If you’re thinking that there’s nothing you can do about this – that the situation is out of your control – you are wrong.  There is one very simple solution that will solve all of these issues and that is:

Caption or subtitle your videos!

According to a trial done at PLYmedia, people will spend up to 40% more time watching videos that have captions or subtitles.  The trial also showed that when captions or subtitles appeared in the video, 80% more people watched the video in its entirety compared to the same video without captions.

That tells us that captioning your videos is a powerful tool that works to keep people watching for a longer period of time.  It knocks down barriers and eliminates excuses.

If that doesn’t completely convince you to caption your videos, than this might:  It’s a good possibility that search engines will soon be able to index the text contained in videos.  They can already index the text in Flash files, so the technology to index video files is very likely just a heartbeat away.

No matter how you look at it, stats like these simply cannot be ignored, in my humble opinion.  There is a need out there that is waiting to be filled.  I believe smart marketers will be quickly moving on this information and adding captioning to their videos. Will you be one of them?

Related posts:
Should You Use Video on Your Blog or Web Site?

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For starters, I was confused.  Once I clicked on that “Add to Order” button, was I was going to be immediately charged for that extra item? Or would I have the opportunity to remove it from the cart before my order was finalized?  Either way, it didn’t give me any time to think it over, research the product, or do a price comparison.

Secondly, I’m not an impulsive buyer.  I rarely make a purchase unless it is well thought out.  And forcing me to go through multiple pages of upsell products in order to get to my order confirmation page just didn’t sit well with me.

This past week, direct response copywriter and marketer Michel Fortin posted his opinion about this method of upselling on his blog and it has sparked some  passionate comments from his readers.  Michel compares it to taking the customer’s order and holding it hostage.  And his wife, Sylvie, actually refers to this as “upsell hell.”

But what’s interesting is that Michel and Sylvie aren’t against upselling.  In fact, they are big proponents of it.  And in all truth, so am I.  The issue isn’t with the upselling itself, but the timing of it.  The Fortin’s and I believe that upsells on the web should occur *before* the customer enters their credit card number and submits their order.  It’s just common courtesy.

On the flip side, our opponents say that they utilize this method because it works.  It allows them to close the initial sale (they’ve already captured the buyer’s credit card number) and it gives them the opportunity to sell more products without the risk of the customer abandoning the shopping cart.  They believe that they are in jeopardy of losing the sale altogether if they offer upsells before the sale is clinched.

While I agree that statistics prove this method works in the short term (as it did with me), more often than not, it ruins any chance of a long-term relationship with that customer.  Overall, it causes distrust and resentment.  Yes, you may get that extra sale or two, but will the customer come back and buy from you again in the future?  Or have you scared them away forever?

Personally, I’d rather profit less from the initial sale with hopes of profiting more in future sales from customers that come back and buy from me time and time again.  And while this is partially because I am committed to running an ethical business, my desire to get repeat customers runs deeper than that.  Let me explain.

Studies have proven over and over that repeat customers:

• Cost less. Snagging a new customer is costly and time consuming.  We all know how expensive advertising is.  But in addition to that, it takes time and effort to get the customer to trust you and make that initial purchase (a good example would be answering pre-purchase questions.)   In contrast, the repeat customer has already bought from you, already trusts you, and is often eager to buy from you again.
• Buy more. Repeat customers will not only come back and buy from you again, but will often buy larger quantities.  This provides you with more sales revenue that didn’t require you to invest in additional advertising.
• Refer others. Referrals have often already made up their mind that they are going to buy from you.  They’ve heard good things about you from someone they likely trust.  They are less skeptical and more open to you than someone who has never bought from you before.  This results in an easier sale, that again, didn’t cost you additional advertising dollars.

As you can see, it’s just good business sense to try to retain your customers. But it doesn’t work when you use in-your-face selling methods such as the upselling technique we’ve been discussing today.

Instead, it’s a process that means treating your customers with dignity and respect.  It begins before they buy from you, continues when they make the purchase, and ends with exceptional customer service.

The next time you are tempted to jump on board the “upsell hell” bandwagon, remember that the effects are long term.  Ask yourself if it is really worth losing customers and ruining your reputation in the process.

Remember, it’s always about the customer.

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I’ve found this especially holds true when the layout contains several vertical columns.  Too often, the designer or the client become obsessed with filling up the length of each column in order to make them align at the bottom of the page.  Their mentality is that the space is there, therefore, it should be put to good use.

The result, however, is not a pleasing, easy-on-your-eyes design, but a web site that looks cluttered and overwhelming.  The web site visitor doesn’t know what to focus on because there are too many things vying for their attention. Their eyes dart over the page, anxiously looking for a place to rest and finding none.

It can be compared to a room in a home.  Imagine for a moment, that you walk into a kitchen where the countertops are filled with small appliances and cluttered with utensils, dishes and cookbooks…all clean and neatly stacked, but in a state of chaos.

The floor space is cramped with tables and chairs, barstools are jammed together and pictures are tacked to every fillable space on the walls.  Appealing?  Not really.  Is it a place that you want to hang out at?  No, not at all.

Now imagine walking into a kitchen where the countertops are bare, with the exception of a few small appliances.  The dishes, utensils and cookbooks are all neatly tucked away in the cupboards.  A small table with several chairs adorns a corner of the room, allowing ample walking room throughout the kitchen.  A single picture hangs on the wall.

Unlike the cluttered kitchen, this room evokes a sense of peace, organization and comfort.  It draws you in, and it makes you feel relaxed, welcomed and “at home.”

White Space – an Important Design Principle

Empty space, known in design terms as negative space or white space (although it can be any color, not just white) , is as Martha Stewart would say, “a good thing.”

White space brings order and organization to a design.  It prevents distractions by deflecting attention away from itself and towards what is important.  It evokes a sense of simple elegance and increases online readability.

White space is not just allowing empty space in columns, but also consists of the empty space that surrounds blocks of text and other design elements.

A Good Example of a Web Site that Uses White Space

This web site of a Denver retaining wall builder does an excellent job of using white space:

• The left column contains a picture and the navigation – nothing else.  There are no blinking advertisements or other attention-gobbling elements to steal away from the main text of the page.
• There is an ample amount of space cushioning the margins of the text and the pictures, allowing the eyes a place to rest and reducing eye strain.
• Bulleted text organizes points into easy to read chunks and are surrounded by extra white space for easy online reading.

The next time you are tempted to fill every bit of space on your web site, remember that the old adage “less is more” is a good rule to apply.  Your customers will appreciate a web site that is easy on their eyes and may be more apt to stick around.  And who doesn’t want a “sticky” a web site?

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