I was kinda thinking about the new AOL Mail changes that have rolled out in the last day or so and now reading my AOL mail and acting on it seems much easier. In fact, that gets me on a train of thought here on site changes that make meaningful differences.
Since it's easier to read and do things with my AOL email - it stands to reason I might read it more (my web mail, that is - I don't have AOL installed on any of my laptops and would not bother to install it again - ever).
What about Yahoo Toolbar - well - today I just installed in (again) for another reason - one of my projects involving reputation management is crying out for a case study.....but I want to keep copies of the way Google Search looks from day to day ...real copies of the page, not just a bookmark to the page. So Yahoo! My Web 2.0 does that (or at least, it's supposed to do it ...I've been trying to save a couple of specific Google search results - the page - not the query).
Sure, I could take screen shots, but why should I have to? I shouldn't.
Who wins? I win and Yahoo wins, and so does AOL - if you make life easier for me, and it does not cost me anything - and maybe even gives me back something for using it ...then why not use it.
One of the problems I've had with a lot of sites that do want more traffic via SEO and SEM - they want the traffic, but they're unwilling or unable to actually improve their sites in order to deserve the traffic.
So I'm going to put an idea out right here - you don't get the traffic, mind share and engagement from search engines that you want or are paying for - you get the traffic, mind share and engagement from search engines that your site deserves, based on how much it fulfills your audiences needs and wants.
That's what I actually think -that's why I have been telling people that Search Engine Optimization and Search Marketing are not "The Answer" to anything - it's just another tactic. To me, it makes a lot more sense to put the money in site improvements, interface improvements while making sure the site is crawlable and search friendly - and then let your customers and audience do the rest.
If your site is better - word will get out - just in the same way I'm talking about the new AOL Mail and Yahoo! My Web 2.0.
Hey thanks,
Stumbled across your blog. I work on the UI of AOL / AIM Mail and am glad that you are enjoying it. There are even better things to come. And I totally agree that user interface / interaction design contributes to the bottom line.
Blog on,
Loudawg
Posted by: Loudawg | May 23, 2007 9:02 PM | Permalink to Comment