A joint eye tracking study conducted by search marketing firms Enquiro and Did-it and eye tracking firm Eyetools has shown that the vast majority of eye tracking activity during a search happens in a triangle at the top of the search results page indicating that the areas of maximum interest create a “golden triangle.”

If you have ever wondered about your web site listings on search engines, why not ask us to prepare a simple report on things that are affecting where your website comes in the Google rankings.

An innovative new set of workshops from Sentinel Housing (see postcards) inviting their customer to learn more about debt control.

Education is the key here to reduce the customers own debt, as well as the rent arrears for Sentinel - a problem for many Housing Associations.

Another initiative by Sentinel Housing, who recently won the 4Skill Customer Service Team Award, fighting off competition from British Gas, Sainsburys, Barclays, British Telecom and P&O ferries.

Well Done Sentinel!

One of the management of Escape client HSA was recently asked to compare the new look Link with a pre-Escape version.

He estimated that the old one was from three years ago? It was about twelve months old.

The thing is, we work on a number of regular publications for public sector clients and have studied and learnt what works, and what doesn’t.

We’ve read Josef Müller Brockmann’s Grid Systems (despite the book being over 25 years old it’s still our bible) and studied what make a layout work. More over we have the experience of where to put things and what type to use at a practical level, working to the latest RNIB Guidelines.

If you fancy giving your publication or newsletter a spruce, why not contact us for a chat.

A couple of weeks ago we ran a seminar about SEO - Search Engine Optimisation. One of the key factors we discussed was how well built your website is. It may look great in your browser, but how does it look to someone else and, maybe more importantly, how does it look to a search engine?

1. See how visible your website is - using Firefox, turn all of the page styling off. Looks a bit different doesn’t it? Well if half of your content has disappeared as well, that gives an indication of what the Search Engines see.
2. See how accessible your website is - Visit W3C Validator and enter your web address. Does it come up with any errors?

The key factor here is that you need to open your website to being read by search engines. It’s not veeyrthing but it is an important start.

What do you want to get from your website? If it’s visitors and sales - then you need to open the shutters on the shop windows!

According to data management firm CDMS, a third of the UK’s top companies are not complying
with the European Union’s (EU) regulations on unsolicited emails, or
spam, a recent report alleges

UK firms are not asking people if they want to receive emails. Instead, when people sign up for promotional offers or
competitions they often only get the option of opting out, or
unclicking a pre-ticked box. source: bbc.co.uk

This goes against what we try to achieve at The Escape operating a policy of working towards permission with your customers. This means that they opt-in to receive information and offers from you, rather than having to tell you to stop sending emails. This not only develops trust, but also gives your messages more penetration because the person receiving the mail, has specified an initial interest.

There are various on-line solutions to suit, in fact we can send e-shots for you, as well as create forms on your website for people to subscribe, for as little as £50. Sound too good to be true? Well there are other factors to take into consideration but we can advise you on those also to make sure you end up with the right solution.

The English language is always a talking point (no pun intended). What you (and your clients) think of as acceptable language depends on their experiences and the association they make with certain ’speak’.

Purists often criticise the denigration of the English language and the use of words, but let’s face it - language is an organic thing. It changes with social developments.

Thoust does not speak this way forthwith.

Not only are we influenced by modern Television Programmes, but by the fact that English is spoken by so many people globally with a larger percentage using it is a second language than their first. English words get placed in a different language and culture, mixed around, and then spat back out with a new twist.

There is also a fusion of languages (as discussed in the book Invisible Grail, by John Simmons) especially into English. C’est la vie! (it’s French, but we all use it as part of our everyday language.
Are you having de ja vu yet?

Not only does that give us different meanings of words for different people, it also affects our target audience. Are you, as a supplier, talking to your customers in the right way? Think of the following phrases used in advertising:

• Vorsprung Durch Technik
• Whassup
• Va Va Voom

Ten years ago, I can’t imagine that you would have found any of these in an English Dictionary. And we haven’t even mention txting. CU L8R mayb.

Plain English is great but how far should you go to be ’street’ and does it suit what you are saying with you product or service? We would suggest analysing your clients and they way they speak to you, what age group are they? What do they like and interact with?

Language is going through a fascinating time at the moment. Don’t get left behind!

We all tout the phrase ‘Customer is King’ but do we really take note when we are in the driving seat?

Take Matthew Peterson who took on Apple after being disillusioned with his iPod Nano and the problems he got with his ‘new’ device. Using his web know-how he created www.flawedmusicplayer.com (link may now have been cancelled due to overload) so he, and people with the same issues, could vent their frustrations.
See full story from the Telegraph

What is stopping your customers from doing the same against you. If they have valid reasons, why not?

Now here is a very dangerous idea. Or is it?

Why not have an open web forum, or BLOG, where you can truly interact with your clients and detractors? Sure, you’ll get the odd arse writing stuff, but if you police, and fully interact, wouldn’t that add real value to your company - “man, they are human after all - they actually listen”

Let’s face it, your customers use your company and give you money - there must be a reason. Give them an area where they can reply and challenge you. If you are as good as you may think, what’s to be afraid of?

As part of a Design Company, I recently posted a site we designed on a photo website to see what people thought.

It got 3.5 out of five. What if some of the comments had ideas and constructive criticism? We could adapt according to popular demand (within reason).

The main point is we asked the question!

And doesn’t that show that we are more of an open company?

The overall message here is:

• Do you even ask your customers their opinion?
• Do you listen if they answer or is it just lip service?
• How open can you be (and it’s probably a fine line)?
• If you don’t interact with your clients, someone else can.

We can’t be right all of the time but we can learn, and the world is full of teachers in all shapes and sizes!

The web is the base for many companies now, in fact many companies will base their new start-up name around the domain they can get hold of.

During 2005 (to October) more than 17.5 million new sites were added, the biggest recorded year of growth (source Netcraft) and in October they found 74.4 million web addresses.

From your point-of-view, with a web site trying to attract business, this means it is even harder for people to find you. The good news is (and we speak from experience) many web sites are just not built to be found or be effective.

Yes, we are a design agency and good looking sites are important, but even more important is that they work effectively for you.

Why not read our latest white paper on the subject:

Is Your Website As Effective As It Could Be?

A recent report suggests that Consumers are 50% more likely to influenced by Word-Of-Mouth Activity than TV and Radio Ads.

What does that mean to you, especially if you are not in the consumer market. Well, basically you may well be putting your money and resources to better spent tactics for your marketing campaign.

Advertising is a one-way conversation where you are screaming for attention with all the other thousands of adverts crying for the same attention during a persons day. A recent chapter from the book ‘Buzzmarketing : Get People to Talk About Your Stuff ‘ by Mark Hughes, suggests that it costs the US TV advertiser about $16 to just get one persons attention on an advert.

How much does it cost you to grab someone’s attention?

Why not refine your website, or create tools to get ‘better’ attention from people: more specific and more relevant attention? Surely it is better to spend more money on fewer leads to get better ones!

Of course, we can help you do that - why not contact us for a chat?

Dell is turning away from a traditional advertising campaign for the first time in favour of a website and viral marketing campaign for it’s new MP3 player - The Ditty.

Competing against Apple’s iPod Shuffle, it has it’s work cut out, although this is a good start:

http://www.dellditty.com/