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Web 2.0: the teeter-totter

why is this post showing as one big block of text without formatting? stupid human error factor I’ve really jumped into the web 2.0 game, despite still being a green thumb. I’m twittering, if only once every few days; I write a blog, if only about random and unoriginal things; and about 75% of my daily communicating is done via electronics. Amidst these new tools, I keep wondering about their effects, both positive and negative. Wondering, but nothing thinking of anything particularly concrete.      Then this came, written by, we shall say, my own web 2.0 mentor: “…this is the secret to being truly webby: immediacy and trusting our instincts.”This line got stuck in my mind all morning. What struck me is the word immediacy. For me, immediacy coupled with personal characteristics like being impulsive, high-strung, emotional, quick-thinking and aggressive can be a dangerous recipe. On several occasions I have felt the wrath of myself. Sending off a quick email without rereading – or, without taking 10 mins or even a day, to think it over – can have its detrimental effects. This is where the trust in your own instincts comes to play. Or in my case, it is best called moderation. As everyone moves into a more web 2.0 world, it will be important to provide checks on our ability to be immediate. Somehow, those “Are you sure?” pop-up dialogue boxes don’t seem so annoying. If only there were an “Are you sure?” pop-up in real life! 

Website Redesign: design or function

What’s wrong with this site?

Brick, A Literary Journal has been around forever. The magazine boasts some of the most talented writer’s and has a following of readers world wide. The site has served its purpose well but as we move into the more interactive realm of publishing, how can this site adapt?

Give me your feedback:

-What is your first impression of the site?
-What is the site about? What is its main purpose/goal?
-Where does your eye travel on the page?
-Which buttons do you click?
-What does the site need?

Twitter Terminal Velocity

I’m catching the Twitter-bug. But I can’t say the attraction was immediate. At first, I thought, why would I want to know when so-and-so is doing their laundry?! Or just got 5 new projects?!Twitter can be annoying if you follow the people who post such things. But otherwise, it’s a great way to have your finger on the pulse of any network. For example, I heard about the Zucherberg and Lacy interview before anything was even posted. Twitter is not an exclusive club. Anyone can sign up and figure it out. But how can one effectively network when high-profile people use pseudonyms? I started by adding absolutely everyone. Everyone that my teacher follows, I now follow. Some guy posts something useful, I now follow as his followers. And so on. BuzzMachine, in a blog post, quotes political blogger Patrick Ruffini saying, “Traditional news operated on a 24-hour cycle. Blogs shortened this to minutes and hours. Twitter shortens it further to seconds. It’s not right for every piece of information. But when it comes to instantly assembling raw data from several sources that then go into fully baked news stories, nothing beats it.” Now I have more people to follow than god. I’ve surpassed my twitter terminal velocity. It’s not time to cut out the “laundry” people. Basically, if you don’t post a useful link or really enlightening comment, you’re gone. This is how I’m making Twitter work for me.

Book Publishers on the Web

HarperCollins Canada (HCC)HarperCollins Canada’s website (www.harpercollins.ca or www.harpercanada.com both direct to the Canadian site) is easily searchable and accessible. Its last update date is a vague 2008 but the site is clearly updated frequently as it features a newly released book in the forefront and has daily updates to the newsletter.The user-friendliness of the site is not great: the menus can be hard to navigate because they are all roll-down menus that appear only when you scroll over them. This is difficult for a user to quickly assess the range of information on the site. Furthermore, there is no “home” button to return to the home page. When you explore the site and want to return to the home page, the only option is by retyping the main site’s address. This is enough to lose the user’s attention and have them leave the page.First impressions of the site, from a marketing perspective, are that it embraces the web 2.0 rage and creates a loyal readership to the publishing house. The level of participation and interaction is so high that readers have no choice but to engage fully in the lists of each season and news about HCC. The site makes effective use of blogging, RSS feeds, participatory multimedia, podcasts and videos. It also works beyond the main site to further this community through Facebooks groups, a MySpace page, a podcast site (called prosecast) and member-only features such as First Look (ARE book club), Author Tracker, Invite the Author, and newsletter subscription.HHC does not sell books or other products online and the language is more obviously to inform than to sell. The “news” and “newsletter” portions of the homepage are quite prominent and are also subscribable services. The member priviledges also function to inform regularly. The menus suggest informing the user “books”, “authors”, “readers”, and “members” while the other secondary menus also suggest informing: “Browse”, “Bestsellers”, “News Releases”, “Upcoming Books”, and “Award Winners.” In terms of selling, the site doesn’t exclude that push. “Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean the gift-giving should end and after a stressful season who better to gift than yourself?” This is the intro to the feature book on the front page. “On Sale Now” is also a very large button on the main page and each book has very clear “Buy the Book” buttons featured in blue text and set apart by borders.There are no products available for sale on the site, nor are there any discounts available in the form of coupons or promo codes. The user has the choice of buying any book via Amazon.ca, Chapters Indigo or a variety of independent canadian retailers (61 choices across Canada). This is a wise move considering HCC is a publisher, not a retailer. Moreover, HHC likely receives a commission on every sale that these retailers earn when visitors arrive at the site via HCC’s site. It also gives consumers (aka readers) a Geyco-esque choice when making a purchase. What the consumer doesn’t know is that HCC works with retailers closely to ensure the selling of their books. They do this through their HarperCollins Canada Hand-Selling Award to retailers. This partnership solidifies their online setup. McClelland & Stewart, as a comparison, sells their books directly from their site at a cost higher than the popular Amazon.ca.The HCC profile reads:Consistently at the forefront of innovation and technological advancement, HarperCollins is the first publisher to digitize its content and create a global digital warehouse to protect the rights of its authors, meet consumer demand and generate additional business opportunities.HCC doesn’t close the door on consumers by not selling directly. By giving the consumer many avenues to engage in the list, they enable a more effective marketing process. HCC gains so much by drawing the reader in for the long term.In terms of improvements to create a greater impact, there isn’t much I’d change on this site. It serves a purpose and does so maintaining the integrity of the publisher’s mandate. However, it would be worthwhile to include the links directly to Facebook (via the “share on Facebook” button), to their Prosecast site, and to the MySpace page. It would also be worthwhile cleaning the site up in terms of graphic design. There is a tremendous amount of information on the site and if it were presented more cleanly, it may be navigated more effectively. McClelland & Stewart accomplishes this clean, professional look that includes participatory media. However, few comparable publishers work as well as HHC in fostering an online community.HarperCollins Canada works very hard to foster a community of readers who will be loyal to HCC publications. They accomplish this not by a flashy, well-designed site, but through tools that draw readers into a HHC community and keep them there. HHC’s message is clear: it’s all about the book! The attention they pay to their lists and back-lists draws readers in by participating and makes them loyal to HarperCollins as a brand.