Billboard Ads: More Challenging To Pull Off Than PPC Ads

We recently tested some billboard ads with consumers with the objective being ad recall. Most billboard ads fail at this in some fashion: They are memorable (slick art or headline) but consumers could not recall the company/brand.

Or, the brand was recognizable, but didn't know what product they were specifically selling (other than the brand name itself.) Some billboard ads were too wordy. Some were to visually confusing. Lots of great feedback was achieved. But here was the big takeaway:

Billboards are to drivers what PPC ads are to web searchers.

Both require great headlines.

Both require some branding or brand recognition.

Both require you to read/understand in under 5 seconds.

Bother require some memorable call to action.

Our testing was revealing for other reasons too. Mostly that billboard ads are some of the most difficult to create. For many of the reasons stated above, but also because of the time that users take or have to read. It's hard to read PPC ads if they aren't relevant or compelling. Billboards are hard to read, remember, act upon and differentiate when cruising down the road at 75, I mean 55 miles an hour.

Testing iPhone Apps

We've recently been testing some iPhone apps.  So far, what do consumers say:

1.  Keep it simple.  This seems like a no-brainer, but you can get into some rather complex iPhone applications that do create user experience problems.  Mostly they occur when they provide options to "shake" or to vibrate in some way.  Not all iPhone apps work out of the gate and this functionality is often buggy.   

What seemed to work very nicely for the "urbanspoon" app, doesn't work so well in other apps.

2.  Use the Apple features as they are now ubiquitous for iPhone users.  In other words, if you are using an iPhone, you've already become accustomed to interfacing with some of it's functionality the way only iPhone provides it.  Try selecting dates or times with an iPhone and you'll instantly see the "slot machine" style selection interface.  

See example:

Users that were offered different interfaces were often confused.  Go with what is working for iPhone users to date.

3.  Test multiple version of the icon that will be used on the iPhone desktop.  Not all icons are recognizable and some consumers were easily confused or even forgot what the app was for after downloading.  It's one thing to get them to download an app, but to use one takes recall and recognition.  This is where that icon comes. 

If you're a Facebook user, you're probably quite loyal to the brand.  You'd know their logo and iconography anywhere.  It would be easily recognizable on iTunes.  

So you go to iTunes and download the free Facebook app.  Once you do, the icon resides on your iPhone desktop.  And as a result, you'll no doubt know what this icon is for:

  

But would you know what this one is for after downloading:

(It's for hotels.com, the travel site.  As you can see, not all brandable icons are as effective as others.)  It's something to watch for as you develop apps.

4.  Price.  Test prices.  When we asked consumers about free vs paid apps, almost all users said they were open to both.  When asked to pay for apps using their own money, users tested checked the free apps first at a 4:1 ratio.  They also downloaded more free apps than paid.  Within the paid apps, users price shopped for alternatives if there were some in product categories and were will to use price as a decision point, even more so than app reviews by consumers.

Why Web Designers Should Act Like Optometrists

Do you like this one?  Or this one?  

This one?  Or this one?

Left?  Right?

We've all been there.  Getting the eye exam.  And it made us think:  maybe web designers should think more like an optometrist than "designer" when evaluating a new or re-design?

Why?

Well, we were recently referred to a great blog post by the folks at Vandelay Design.  In the post they highlight how to go about evaluating the website's design prior to redesign.  They outline the following steps:

1. How does it compare to websites of competitors?

2. Could a new design keep the same feel, or does it need to be stripped down and totally started over?

3. What style should the new design feature?

4. What works and what doesn’t work in the current design?

We couldn't agree more.  These questions are very smart and help evaluate properly how to get started in looking holistically at the website to be redesigned and where you (or the client) want to take it.

We would add that testing the website design with consumers is crucial to answering all four of these questions.  After all, the website's design isn't for the designer or the client.  It's for those people that are actually coming to the website (read: consumers.)  Who better to answer these four questions than the very people the site is being designed for?  

Getting the answers from consumers will provide all the creative and design ammunition needed to go from good to great.

Now that will be $80 for the eye exam.  Frames not included.

Why Do People Click On Your PPC (Pay Per Click) Ads?

Do you conduct PPC advertising on Google, Yahoo, Live or other search engines? Their analytics will show you what ads perform the best and give you the most clicks. But do you know why consumers are clicking?

We've been testing PPC ads in a pilot and now offer this as a general option within Advista. The results are really quite eye-opening.

When we tested customer's top performing PPC ads amongst 100 consumers, the revelations of "why" they might click on the ad vary from URL used in the ad, to the call to action in the ad. Testers also cited the "way the ad read" i.e. the simplicity of "getting" what is being advertised. Also noted in a big way was the headline. The headline is important for the obvious reasons of providing relevance against a search term. What testers told us that was also important was keyword use in context to the ad copy and call to action. Those combinations, when working well, outperformed nearly every other ad.

Testing PPC ads is an easy, inexpensive way to find out why certain PPC ads perform. That knowledge is great on its own. What is even more powerful is to take that knowledge and dial it in to other creative, design or ad mediums to boost response, or brand recognition or sales. It's worth doing and makes all of your online and offline ad efforts that much more powerful.

How To Minimize The Disconnect Between Design Teams and Marketing Teams

We've all been there.  The design team has some great ideas with comps and concepts in tow that marketing just doesn't like.

Marketing feels like the "design guys" just don't get the overall reaching goals of the business.  The design teams feel like the marketing group is out of touch.

We've all seen this before.

But what can be done about it?

1.  It really starts with understanding.  And no, not the Kumbaya singing understanding, but rather understanding what each side is looking to achieve.  Know what you are really after, but also know what the other side needs.  This is a collaborative effort.

2. Do your homework.  Do you know why your concepts are going to work or not?  Have you tested and re-tested to be sure you're on the right path?  Data sings numbers.  You can't BS your way out of a bad idea if the metrics show you on the losing end.  Know the score.  Without the data, you're just walking around blind and without a cane.

3.  Learn when to walk away.  You want to be a collaborator, but you also don't want your name tied to a bad idea, concept or implementation.  Understand what your dealbreakers are and advocate why the other side needs to understand the perils.  (That is your value add after all.)

4.  Learn when to keep your mouth shut.  Sometimes you need to listen to what is being said and done so that you can completely understand the holistic view.  (See point #1.)  After all, if the other side is making your argument for you, let them do so.

Honestly, the real power is knowing that both marketing and design teams want the same thing:  success.  The key is knowing what "success" means for both and bringing your data, passion and knowledge to the table.  If you're on the right side of what's right for the business, you'll almost always prevail.

And if you're on the wrong side, acknowledge, accept, learn and move on.  It's the best thing for your career.

Logo Development and Design

I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that a new logo can define your brand. We disagree. Now that might come as a bit of a shock from a company that has for it's mission to improve designs of all types, logos included.

But please don't misunderstand us.

It's not that we don't think testing new or revised logos is not a worthwhile effort. All we're saying is that a great logo won't define your brand. A great logo is only a way to introduce in a visual sense, your brand to prospective and existing customers in such a way that their thoughts and memories resonate with a visual image.

The definition of your brand is how well you execute your goals.
How you position and sell your products and services.
How you stand by your claims.
How you interact with, respect and help your customers.
How you improve their condition from using your products and services.
How well you adapt to the customer's needs.

We could go on, but you get the point.

We're in the market research business. Having and developing a great logo is fantastic, but only a start.

How well your logo represents your brand is up to you.