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IT Thoughts from virtualkeeper.com Monthly
Greetings!

Holidays are tough enough without another worry. Where's Aunt Jane's address for the fruitcake, where did I put last years decorations, and I know where my files are at least? I'm ready for the New Year but I'm a bit sad in this year of digital house cleaning for you if you don't. Never fear, I'm here with a start on your NewYear and some general tips on keeping the straightness to your computer files.
 
Sincerely,
 
Darrin Ezell
virtualkeeper.com
 
WEB SOLUTIONS 
 
The Zen of Marketing 101Information Architecture

 

First off, I've had people approach me for advice on how to create a sound file structure for storing documents within a web site or computer. Generally, if I put a quarter in their cup, they left me alone.

It is always dependant on how you align things for a user (you or others) to see. I have millions of files, over several Fortune 500 companies that I've stored, moved, organized and gone grey haired over etc. and it comes down to one thing.

Intuitiveness.

 

What is intuitiveness? The second thing.

 

Logic.

Create a folder structure for your computer, or web site, based on the delivery of content or need of access. I've found that there is a tree based way to look at it. Let's use the trunk of the tree as your overall folder (Folder called My Company Stuff).

OK, now we break it down and your company (or your personal computer) has folders or the limbs of the tree: Crazy Pics of Aunt Jane, Finance, Marketing, Advertising, and I'm going general on this structure so play along.

The tree now has branches (and resulting sub-branches):

 

-  Crazy Pics of Aunt Jane (this is the most important)

  • July 4th
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas
  • Knee Surgery
-  Finance:
  • Vendors
  • Contractors
  • Taxation Documents
  • Future plans

-  Marketing :

  • Sales Goals
  • Marketing Playbooks
  • Expansion Ideas
  • COGS documentation

So you get the picture now of how to divide up the tree of information. It will vary to your company or personal taste and you will see some things are better consolidated rather than spelled out. Try to keep everything within 3-4 clicks of the top level folder.


If you have too much in a folder break it down into years for pictures of Crazy Aunt Jane for example. She's likely to repeat the behavior (although she only has two knees so that is a limited folder branch) much as your business will repeat spreadsheets, marketing plays and asset usage. Under each folder it is a good idea to keep things in a time oriented sense such as Finance>Taxation Documents>2012>etc. and create subfolders. 

Create a naming structure for pictures, files, etc. so that when you sort, they sort logically (test your idea on 4 files and don't use spaces: spaces are bad) such as:

File_1.jpg
File_2.gif
File_3.xls (Hospital Bills)
File_4_Everyone_laughs.mov

The key is to navigate to a folder and keep from having a buffet of old documents that you have to weed through. Start anew with creating a folder called Archive in the structure and move everything there. Put your new stuff in the new folder structure and as you revisit old stuff, move it into your new folder so you don't "cross talk" new and old files over each other.

If you want to ask more questions on how to do this, shoot me an eMail or call me. Contact info is in the newsletter.

 
USER EXPERIENCE
 
Client Showcase
UX/UI

 

Web wise when someone visits your site, do you confuse them or enable them in their tasks? Most companies have no idea. This we know because most companies never test their site nor look at usage statistics. They are amazingly clueless.

 

Some testing might be in order for you...and it really isn't hard to do.

 

When your site comes up in a browser, what is seen immediately is called "Above the Fold" and that is harkening back to a newspaper time when the biggest headlines were above the fold of the newspaper.

 

 

Ask a few friends or customers to help by participating in a User Experience/User Interface (UX/UI)study. Try and get about ten people together to get a fair idea of what is happening.

 

Often when you look at UX/UI the reality is not what the actual user will tell you vs. the facts of eye focal tracking across a screen, perception of ease through navigation and true study of click through data. It's as terrible as an eye witness to a crime. We want to believe but we are often wrong in our perceptions. Ask, probe, try and dive deeper. Don't take the general answer. Have people walk through your site while talking it out to you. I call this a "Thought Talking". Let them go free form and don't interrupt. Compare what you thought was important to what they saw. What they saw should be a reflection of your importance placements.

 

Want to improve? Think of your site with an overlay of a big F across the screen and that is how the eye tracks. Over the top to the right, there's the search (hopefully), down the left side on the menu (roadmap) and who wants to scroll (No question, just a statement). Hit them with your best shot! Fire away! That's your only chance in the average 11 seconds someone will spend on your page before moving on somewhere else. Is it your somewhere else?

  

People willl leave as soon as they are frustrated by a poor IA (Information Architecture) and flustering attempts at usefulness. Is your navigation useful? Is it intuitive via logic?

 

So at the very least ask your customers today:

  • Did you find what you needed on our web site easily or did you have to dig for it?

You'll be surprised at how forthcoming they will be about your site or presentation of your business. Customers will spend more money in an establishment that asks for feedback personally vs. a comment card. Get close to them.

 

That is where the customer relationship improves your business and it's OK to tell them you are trying and may not have done the best you can. A customer wants to hear growth in understanding, not ignorance via silence to their needs.
 

Every day you do business you are providing a User Experience (UX) through a User Interface (UI).

If you have anything you'd like to see me cover, let me know.
 
Sincerely,
 
Darrin Ezell
virtualkeeper.com