Over the last decade, web video has evolved from postage-stamp sized low-resolution video delivered on web pages (with the help of specialized plugins) to full-screen, high-definition video that plays almost instantly in any browser. Download speeds are getting faster, screens are becoming larger, and quality cameras and equipment are cheaper.
Sites like Youtube and Vimeo are now serving up HD content at blazing speeds… and we will soon be migrating from the computer screen back to the couch to watch it due to services like Apple TV, Google TV, Boxee and others. Read Full Post »
Choosing the right image to support your statement isn’t easy if it has to represent an intangible idea. What kind of photos would you choose to represent ideas such as collaboration, execution, increased sales, or creativity?
Consider the word “idea“. If you are like the rest of us, chances are the first image you thought of was a lightbulb… But rest assured you were definitely not the first wizard to think of it.
There are literally 100 more where that came from… 101 B2B Business Clichés is a hilarious collection of overused photos often chosen to communicate abstract ideas. The site was created by the UK-based IAS b2b Marketing.
I am guilty of using a few of these. But admitting that there is a problem is the first step in the right direction. In a world of trade ads and powerpoint slides, we must press on.
It turns out that money can’t buy happiness or motivation. It works well for motivating people initially, but only to an extent that it creates a willingness to work. When used as a sole motivator, monetary incentives can even stifle creative decision making and problem solving skills in knowledge workers.
The visually engaging presentation above summarizes the ideas behind Dan Pink’s book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. When I saw this video, I had to check out the book, and was fortunate enough to find the time to finish the audio version of over the last two months.
The studies Pink highlights suggest that adding more money to the equation doesn’t necessarily prompt better performance, especially when the work requires judgment-based decision making and pro-activity. Many management “incentive plans” for employees are based around monetary bonuses and compensation.
So what really motivates us to become better at our jobs (or do anything constructive for that matter) continuously? Read Full Post »
Green is the hot thing right now, but many consumers are revealing that they are not willing to go the extra mile (or pay the extra cash) to purchase environmentally friendly goods and services.
Not only are we not willing to pay more, we are hip to the idea that many companies are trying to capitalize on the trend. If that wasn’t enough, some of us could care less about the environment and just want to look cool, studies suggest: Read Full Post »
Fellow Bobcats: Did you miss SXSW Interactive? The Texas State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication is hosting its annual Mass Communication Week, Oct. 25-28. It’s your chance to look to the future and hear professionals discuss issues, trends and careers in mass media. Check out the content on the site, watch the live streams and recorded videos and join the fun on Twitter and Facebook. Here is the schedule of panels and speakers:
Via CNET: Earlier this year, Matt Cutts stated that Google “tends to make a change to our core search algorithms at least once a day.” In a recent interview with CNET, he reiterated that that pace continues: just last week Google search engineers met to consider 27 separate changes to the more than 200 factors that Google uses to rank search results.”
Behind every algorithm, and therefore behind every search result, is a team of people responsible for making sure Google search makes the right decisions when responding to your query.
No Google employee sits there and responds to individual requests for “wedding venues in Lake Tahoe.” They do decide, however, how Google’s algorithms consider content to be relevant to such a query, and which sites are eligible to be presented in those results.
Is WordPress killing web design? In this highlight video from SXSW Interactive, leading creatives from the world of web design debate whether CMS tools such as WordPress, Drupal, Joomla and others have created a new set of design conventions that designers feel obliged to follow.
You may think all the great ones are taken. Not so.
For help finding an original, descriptive, and memorable domain name for your web site, here are some great tools that will make your search more efficient.
We are pleased to announce that one of our client websites, CrossCreekTexas.com, was selected as the official Joomla.org Site of the Month for March 2010.
Other sites of the month in the showcase include The Guggenheim Museum, IHOP, and Oklahoma State University. We love working with the Joomla platform and some of the extensions offered by the community are incredible. Read Full Post »
“Authenticity” is defined by Webster as: “True to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” It is also a synonym for “Genuine”, which can be defined as “free from hypocrisy or pretense.” When you craft your marketing messages, How can you create them free from overblown or cliche claims while still delivering a story compelling enough to sell your product or service? Read Full Post »
Over the last decade, web video has evolved from postage-stamp sized low-resolution video delivered on web pages (with the help of specialized plugins) to full-screen, high-definition video that plays almost instantly in any browser. Download speeds are getting faster, screens are becoming larger, and quality cameras and equipment are cheaper.
Choosing the right image to support your statement isn’t easy if it has to represent an intangible idea. What kind of photos would you choose to represent ideas such as collaboration, execution, increased sales, or creativity?
The visually engaging presentation above summarizes the ideas behind Dan Pink’s book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. When I saw this video, I had to check out the book, and was fortunate enough to find the time to finish the audio version of over the last two months.
Drive: What Really Motivates Us?
6 Incredibly Useful Tools for Discovering Great Domain Names
How to Build an Authentic Brand