Ideas & Insights

Anne SanGiovanni

Senior Information Architect

Quick Tips for Managing Navigation on Your Website

Have you ever visited a website only to be completely overloaded with navigational options? Maybe there have been 20 to 25 links in the main navigation. When you visited this website what did you do? Did you try and find the appropriate navigational link or did you resort to searching the site for what you needed?

On any website, we want to avoid what designers call “information overload”. This concept describes the feeling a patron gets when there is too much information and too little hierarchy to make sense of it. Good navigational hierarchy will help your patrons complete their task, not hinder them on the road there.

Posted on October 17th, 2007 at 3:32 AM

Caleb Whitmore

Director of Search & Analytics

Measuring the Value of Web Content: Revenue-to-Content Attribution Analysis

Do you know what content on your website is most valuable? Answer this and you’ll be on your way to significantly increasing the return on investment of your website.

There are many ways to quantify the value of your content. One of our favorite methods is what we call “revenue-to-content attribution analysis.” Basically, this method attributes a value to every piece of content viewed during a visit that results in a sale.

Posted on August 17th, 2007 at 7:49 PM

  • It's Not Just Politics As Usual


    Today is the last day before what has been the most intense presidential campaign in history is finally over. Throughout, one element I’ve been energized by has been watching the growing sophistication of the political campaign process as technology becomes increasingly integral to it. And whether it’s a political campaign or an arts organization, I’m always excited to see smart technology and good design elevate and improve the ways things are done.

     

    Admittedly, I’ve been paying most of my attention to the Obama campaign. I’ve seen traditional (dare I say stodgy?) norms of politics broken down as the Obama campaign has made use of available technologies ranging from multimedia and text messaging to mobile platforms.

     

    Posted on November 3rd, 2008 at 5:35 PM

  • Missed "The Magic Flute"?
    Don't panic, the Met's got you covered

    Many opera companies stream live performances or post excerpts online, but the Metropolitan Opera goes one step further with Met Player. This new online subscription service was developed with POP as a technology partner, and offers 13 high definition videos, 37 historical TV performances, and 120 radio broadcasts, all delivered on demand through Internet streaming.

    The Magic Flute

    With operas dating from 1937 to today, this is a chance to watch classic performances such as Maria Callas in “Lucia di Lammermoor” or a rare full-length recording of Rosa Ponsella in “Carmen”. This new initiative builds on the Met’s already impressive array of online audio and video tools, which includes regular live transmissions of performances to select movie theaters, live streaming each week, plus a channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.

    Posted on October 30th, 2008 at 11:43 AM

  • Page Copy Optimization and the Value of Keywords

    What does good website content look like? Is it tailored to reach to your audience by speaking in a specific voice? What about optimized content for search engines? What about concise content that effectively communicates your message in directly?

    This may surprise you, but ultimately the best search engine optimized content is all three. Search engines like content that is readable, effective, and focused. There is a lingering myth that search engine optimized text is inherently shady or “black hat” because most people equate SEO with cheap, keyword-stuffed copy (mostly popularized by ugly micro sites laden with Google ads).

    Posted on September 19th, 2008 at 4:50 PM

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