The Browser Wars

To the average consumer, the differences between browsers have become marginal.  Historically, most of you used whatever Microsoft gave you because you really didn’t have a particular need to switch to something else.  But this has changed dramatically in the last couple years.  People have awoken to the fact that their web browsing experience can be faster, lighter and cleaner.  Now more than ever, the browsers are fighting for a bigger piece of the usage pie.   The graph below shows Worldwide Usage from Nov ’09 to Nov ’11 according to StatCounter.  With the rise of Chrome, IE has gone from nearly 57% to 40%.  Firefox (25.56%) and Chrome (25.31%) are in a dead heat for 2nd place.

Mobile Apps vs. Mobile Sites

One of the first and toughest questions any business wanting to have a mobile presence asks is “Do I create a mobile app or a mobile site for my business?”  If you can afford to do both – great!  If not, then let me offer few reasons as to why I think mobile sites are the way to go (right now.)

What everyone should know about pricing professional video

What could possibly be so hard about pricing a professional video project?

From the outside looking in, it may seem simple enough to put a price tag on a professional video, but there are many considerations involved.  Having spent more than a decade working for Prizm, I have learned so much about the process of creating a professional video, and let me tell you, there is absolutely nothing simple about it!

I receive inquiries for cost quotes daily, and frequently find it necessary to help people understand how much really goes into creating professional, award winning videos.   I can’t tell you how many times I have heard:  “Just off of the top of your head, how much does it usually cost to…?” Although I don’t like to say it, there genuinely is not a “usual” cost when it comes to the creation of a professional video.

Capturing professional video for Extreme Makeover Home Edition

In order to receive a true and complete price quote on your video, you must be prepared to provide your production company with answers to some very pertinent questions like these:

1. How long do you want your video to be?
2. What style and quality do you envision for your final product?
3. What delivery medium (or mediums) do you intend to use?
4. What is your deadline?
5. Are you working within a specific budget?
6. Do you want professional actors and/or voice talent to be part of your video?
7. Do you need scripting services?

The answers to the above questions then create more leading questions, which largely influence pricing, such as: 

Twitter to add photos and video

On Wednesday, Shaquille O’Neal announced his retirement from the NBA through a vlog blasted via tweet. He used Tout, a third-party service which enables users to share video on Twitter since the latter’s format doesn’t support photos or video.

Until now, that is.

The Anatomy of the “Director of First Impressions”

Who is the Director of First Impressions for your company?  Why, it’s you, of course!  It doesn’t matter what position or title you hold, if you are ever the first person to greet a visitor or pick up the telephone, the responsibility of making a great first impression is all on you.

While it’s obvious that greeting someone with a warm smile is crucial when you’re face to face, many people don’t realize the importance of a smile even when you are simply taking a phone call.  This is the point where you are probably thinking:  Oh come on, it isn’t as if you can really hear a smile, can you?

You bet you can!  And the flip side is that you can definitely hear it when that smile is not there, even though you may not be able to see whom you are speaking with.  Think about your own experiences.  How many times have you been put off by an unpleasant conversation with a seemingly unhappy or completely uninterested sounding customer service representative?  The truth is that the majority of those service reps really were interested in helping you, they were just never taught the basics of proper telephone etiquette.

Mobile Video is Booming, According to Nielsen

The Nielsen Ratings, commonly remembered as the studies which analyze what people watch on television, have uncovered a startling reality concerning mobile video. A study of quarters three and four of 2010 found that the number of Americans watching mobile video has risen to 25 million people, a huge jump compared to the statistics from 2009.

Mobile Websites

It is estimated that there are nearly 50 million Web-enabled cell phones, changing the face of how we surf the Internet.

Smart phone owners know the annoyance of browsing the web on that tiny screen. It isn’t easy to navigate when you constantly have to zoom in and out to see where you are and where you need to go. Buttons and graphics galore, even the tidiest of websites can look like a mess on a mobile browser. Not to mention, downloading a full site takes forever.

Using QR Codes

Question: What’s black, white, and read all over?

Answer: A QR Code!

What is it?

You might recognize it if you’ve ever done any work with tracking commercial products. A QR (Quick Response) Code is a barcode that is now surfacing as a marketing tool in the United States