Balance Blog

August 19, 2010
Posted by Marylou Jones | in Web Design, in Web Development | Comments (0)

Microformats are small snippets of HTML code that allow you to represent commonly published content in a standardized way so browsers and applications can do something with that information. Types of things that use microformatting include reviews, people, businesses, and events. Microformats have been around for over 5 years. When I first learned about them a couple of years ago, little did I realize how quickly they would catch on. 

One very common microformat is "hcard" which is based on the old vcard format. This is the most popular microformat for people and organizations on the web. There are over 2 billion web pages that use the hcard. With a little semantic markup, you save your user from having to copy and paste for example a person's address. Instead, they choose from a number of tools to quickly update their address book and, even better, dial a number from their phone!  

Now that the big guys like Google and Yahoo! have jumped on the "Microformat Train" to go one step further and index them, there's a flurry of excitement for companies that take the time and care to use them. In May 2009 Google announced a search results enhancement called "rich snippets" that extracts content from microformats hcard and hreview; and as of April 2010 their search engine also officially supports hrecipe and hcalendar microformats. Google also has a Rich Snippets Testing Tool that allows you to see Google search results for web pages that use microformats. The benefit? Well, for example, the Food Network uses the "hrecipe" microformat. Their search results now include ratings, cook and prep times which may prompt a user to click through.  

Most web browsers provide support for microformats (either built-in or as plug-ins). While there is some mobile support, the hope is that as microformats evolve, more tools will be developed to use them. Strong advocates of microformats say that while they currently don't impact SEO, in the future they just might, especially since Google is encouraging rapid adoption. Skeptics, however say that the Google snippets to index microformats are still experimental and at a dead end. In any case, their continued evolution should prove to be interesting!


August 12, 2010
Posted by Tracy Betts | in Web Strategy | Comments (0)

I have been following the discussion on author Vijay Govindarajan's blog post over at Harvard Business Review with fascination.

He states that most organizations' real innovation problem is execution, not creativity.

In a down economy, creating greater value is high on everyone's minds:

  • I have heard our association clients talk about finding "innovative" membership models;
  • Our Corporate clients discuss "innovating" through new product offerings;
  • and our Government clients looking for "innovative" ways to reach out and serve constituents.

Balance Interactive is currently working with an expert who is leading us through "365 Days of Innovation."

We are still in the beginning stages of the innovation process, but it is very clear to me that being truly innovative goes way beyond creativity.  Creativity is an essential piece of innovation because without creative ideas there is nothing to act on. 

But as Govindarajan points out, it's easier for most organizations to come up with the idea than it is to implement that idea. 

Understanding the innovation process is especially important to our client projects. It is our job to help foster innovative ways to reduce costs or communicate with customers on the web. It is also our job to help clients understand the mechanics of how to implement those innovations and to carry them out in a way that shows results.


July 21, 2010
Posted by Jill Kurtz | in Social Media | Comments (0)

While preparing for Balance’s Trends in Online Technology seminar in May, I wanted an illustration of the idea of social media that makes use of geo-location. A more location-sensitive web has long been held to be a hallmark of “Web 3.0,” and I see greater sensitivity to location as a trend in social media as well.

Thus began my journey with foursquare.

What is Foursquare?

Foursquare is a web and mobile application that allows its users to share where they are – down to the specific building, park, business, etc. – with their friends. Users earn points and badges for locations that they frequent, and can even become the foursquare mayor if they have "checked in" to that spot the most. (Moment to brag – tongue in cheek – I am the mayor of Balance, my church, and even a lighthouse.)

Do You Care?

What does foursquare mean to you?

If you are a business that wants to attract more customers to your location, this social media tool is for you. You can claim your business with foursquare, which allows you categorize yourself and add tags. This makes you visible to any foursquare users who may just use the site to find a nearby restaurant or dry cleaner. (Caveat here – I have been trying since May to get this level of access to the Balance entry on foursquare with no luck so far. Their FAQ says there is a backlog of processing requests, but gives no sense of how much time it will take.)

Businesses can also offer coupons and specials. Starbucks does this. Become the mayor of any of their locations and you get a drink on the house.

For non-profits and associations, foursquare offers great, free visibility. And users can see when people in their networks support you by stopping by to drop off donated goods, showing up for a volunteer shift, or otherwise making use of your organization's services.

The Privacy Thing

You can't look at location-based social media without addressing privacy. With foursquare and tools like it, users announce where they are and therefore where they are not. The extent to which this happens depends on the user, his or her privacy settings and the other social sites he or she chooses to integrate with foursquare.

While security concerns are regularly raised, the number of users is steadily growing. We are definitely wary and curious at the same time. The data shows that user behavior is still being defined.

Webroot, a company that specializes in Internet security software, conducted a survey of 1,500 social network users who own mobile devices with geo-location capabilities in June.

  • 39% were already using location-based tools
  • 55% said they were worried about privacy concerns related to services that identify your location
  • 27% of males ages 18-29 share their location with friends every day
  • 10% check in daily at specific locations
  • 45% of geo-location users said they were concerned about alerting burglars to potential windows of opportunity when they're away from home  
  • 29% said they have shared their location with people other than their friends
  • 11% have used a geo-location service to meet a stranger, digitally or in person
  • Women are more likely to express concern about the potential threat posed by geo-location services, with 49% saying they're very worried about a stalker using their information, compared to 32% of men.  

Bottom Line

While the creators of foursquare and social media like it wrestle with the meaning of the data and security concerns for the future of their networks, businesses found here and other social media need to look at the value for their marketing and relationship building efforts. Certainly, this is a great opportunity to create awareness among users who are geographically close to you.


July 8, 2010
Posted by Carrie Hane Dennison | in Web Content | Comments (0)

On June 24, I had the privilege of moderating a panel of content practitioners for a DC Web Women program. It was an honor to work with this group of outstanding web content professionals (see below for their names). There were 7 panelists.

The amazing thing was that each participant had something unique to present. Of course, there was some cross-over and a lot of head shaking. But it really showed how diverse the world of web content is. We all wished that we had a half day or more to continue the discussion.

I cannot possibly cover everything that was discussed during the 2-hour panel, but here are the highlights:

  • To create your editorial calendar, work backwards from when something needs to be live – this will allow you to figure out when you need to get started.
  • Write content that empowers the user.
  • The web is different than print because businesses can
    • Measure what users care about
    • Listen to their visitors/customers
    • React by updating the website
  • Your website should create a presence for where you’re going, not where you’ve been, as a company.
  • When first setting up your site, first ask “What is my story?” The answer will explain the value of all your combined experiences.
  • Know your goal for the site AND for each page on the site. You can have 2 types of goals:
    • What you show (private goals)
    • What you want to accomplish (publish goals)
  • Video now has 50 times more chance of being on the first page of search engine results. Therefore, video is very important content in 2010.
  • Content includes conversations and discussions, not just what you publish on a page. Google now includes forum discussions and some other social media pages in its search results.

Content strategy has many pieces that go into it – information architecture, copywriting, search engine optimization, visual design, usability, and CMS customization, to name a few. It is an emerging field, but one that is quickly defining itself as critical to building and maintaining a good website.

I’ve thanked them privately for their part in the program, and now I thank them publicly. These ladies really know their stuff!

Sharon Ritchey, Home Row Editorial
Lindy Roux, Web & Content Strategy Consultant
Jo Golden, Chaos to Clarity
Erica Knoch, Aeroka Media Marketing
Merry Bruns, ScienceSites Communications
Jessica Piscitelli, Capture Video, Inc.
Susan Cato, CompTIA