Because Tom is one of our most forward-thinking members, we invited Tom to present at the conference on ways to bridge the gap between your brokerage’s brand and your customers through a usable website and superior customer service. In order to do this, it is important to understand that your brand consists of more than just your logo; your brand is everything, including your strategy, communication tools, agents and staff, website and more.

A main focus of Tom’s presentation was how usability is a crucial component to establishing a strong brand. Keeping usability at the forefront of design, The Active Enterprise Network understands that a website is more than just a conversion tool. While it’s important to drive traffic to your site, it’s also necessary to ensure your customers have a positive experience once they arrive. By doing this, your brand will be associated with quality and increase the chances that a user will return.

To reiterate the importance of establishing a strong brand, Tom ended his presentation with the following video that answers the question: What is branding?

For further reading, Tom recommends the following books:

• Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug
• Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
• The Laws of Simplicity: Simplicity: Design, Technology, Business, Life by John Maeda

This is true for visiting a website for the first time.  It is these lapses in logical layout and flow that usability seeks to remedy.  The above example of the confusing home is accurate, and coincides with our Q1 & Q2 Usability Reports, which sought to dispel issues concerning proper layout and navigation, respectively.  Users, much like homeowners, want elements of a website to appear according to their own sense of placement, not a designer’s.

At this year’s Enterprise Network Conference our very own Kassy Ritchie gave a talk on usability, elaborating on the psychology of the end user.  She also discussed The Active Usability Lab, which allows us to conduct usability studies in-house, giving us instantaneous feedback and the ability to implement changes to websites according to our findings.  Over the course of her talk she covered several tools and methodologies.

Our biggest, and coolest, usability tool is the Tobii eye-tracking machine.  It is a phenomenal piece of hardware which lets us know exactly where a user looks when on a website, broken down according to each user’s demographic, sex, age, and level of expertise.  Tobii helps greatly with both layout and navigation aiding in the determination of the logic of the average user.

Of course logic is a sliding scale.  For example, think of any real estate website.  Some users may want pages like “Mortage” to fall under a heading of “Services,” while others think it should fall under “Buyers.”  The trick is finding which heading is the most popular – which then may become a top-side navigation header.  In our Q2 study, one way of determining this was by a card-sorting method.  Test subjects were given a stack of cards and asked to sort them according to master categories (which were both pre-defined and user-defined).  Analyzing their organization of these cards is what led to the determination of proper navigation and the “ideal sitemap”. For more information, read our blog post, The Active Usability Lab: The Ideal Sitemap.

Consider for a moment the direct correlation between sales and the usability of a website.  From first contact we work towards the signing of the contract – always be closing, right?  But, what if a potential customer’s first contact with our company is visiting a website that only serves to annoy them?  The Active Usability Lab helps generate a positive user experience which makes us more likely to earn their business.

Related Posts:

The Active Usability Lab: The Ideal Sitemap

Active Community: Introduction to The Active Usability Lab

Active Community: Usability Lab, Part 2

By Jeff Payne

To give you some background information, Active Website partnered with Tobii Technology last year in order to further develop our Active Usability Lab. Tobii’s eye tracking technology is the latest innovation in usability testing and has helped make companies like Google, Microsoft and Ebay leaders in their respective markets. The first company in the real estate realm utilizing this eye tracking system, Active Website can now scientifically measure how customers are interacting with our sites. To see a demonstration, check out our blog post, Active Community: Introduction to the Active Usability Lab.

As a result, the Active Usability Department has conducted several studies to test the overall effectiveness of Enterprise sites. Through the use of Tobii’s eye tracking system and various other methods, we can now make educated decisions on how to best position our brands online.

During Tom’s article, he mentioned our most recent report that focused on sitemap and navigation. The report addressed the most efficient main navigation style, best sitemap structure and best practices for content – just to name a few. The goal of the study was to allow customers from a wide range of ages and web experiences to tell us how they expect content on a real estate website to be organized. By utilizing card sorting and the eye tracking system, our study produced a user-generated sitemap we refer to as, “The Ideal Sitemap”. Click here to download a copy of the Ideal Sitemap Template.

At Active Website, we understand the key to our success is our customers. Through our Usability Department and the Active Usability Lab, we’re taking huge strides in becoming a truly customer-centric company. There is no denying that our customers’ needs have evolved. In order to maintain the high level of service we want associated with our brands, we must meet the demand of our users. Through these studies, we’ve been able to do just that by taking what we’ve learned and making improvements to our sites. As a result, Enterprise Network members gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

If you’re interested in learning more about The Active Usability Lab and our eye tracking technology, contact Kendal Greer by email at kendal@activewebsite.com or by phone at 303-396-0103.

Related Blog Posts:

Active Community: Introduction to the Active Usability Lab

Active Community: Usability Lab, Part 2

By Amanda Stephan

First and foremost, we are very proud to have placed #1151 on Inc’s Top 5000 List for 2010. Our hard work and innovation is the driving force behind our company and network, and we are honored to be recognized for this distinguished award. 2010 was a great year and we look forward to an even better year in 2011!

Last month, our Usability Department also released its most extensive report to date with a focus on sitemap and navigation. Through a card-sorting activity and our Tobii Technology eye tracking system, we were able to produce “The Ideal Sitemap” for our customers. The report also addressed the most efficient main navigation style, best sitemap structure and best practices for content – just to name a few.

Last, but not least, we’d like to congratulate Laura Mulvany and Tyler Olmsted for winning Idea of the Month and Employee of the Month, respectively. A big thanks to them for their dedication to Active Website!

To read more about our team, several new product releases and other related news, check out our August Newsletter.

The first company in the real estate technology realm utilizing Tobii Technology’s eye tracking system, Active Website can walk you through a live demonstration to see how users interact with your website. This technology has helped make companies like Google, Microsoft and Amazon number one in their respective markets.  Below are the results of a sample usability test for Where’s Waldo? conducted by Active Website earlier this year.

And, having just released our first usability study through The Active Usability Lab, we can give you a sneak peek into our findings as it relates to real estate.  Launched earlier this year, the goal of the lab is to collect data to enhance The Enterprise Network platform and keep members ahead of the competition.

Want to see a short demo? Watch our Active Community video below for a demonstration.

If you like what you see and you’re going to be at Inman in July, this is a great opportunity to learn more about Tobii’s eyes tracking technology and other web solutions that Active Website has to offer your business. With a limited number of openings available, schedule a private meeting today to hear about the advantages of being an Enterprise Network member!

Contact
Kendal Greer                                                                                                                                                                                           303-396-0103                                                                                                                                                           kendal@activewebsite.com

www.blog.activewebsite.com

Because Active has access to Tobii Technology’s eye tracking system, we can now scientifically evaluate how users are navigating our sites making us better equipped to consult with Active Enterprise Network members on the best placement of components on their websites.  For our next usability study, we will be taking a closer look at the navigation pages and site map in order make our sites easier to navigate  for the user. Once the study is completed, we’ll be releasing more information to you on our blog.

As we wrap up this session on Active Community, we continue to make our way down the funnel. We started Active Community discussing search and the importance of getting customers to our sites through keywords, content ,etc. Then we moved to usability and the importance of keeping customers on our sites. Now, our next step is to discuss eBusiness and what we need to do to turn online leads into sales.

Active Website is excited to share with everyone our LifeCycle online inquiry management product and how we are helping our clients convert inquiries into sales. Watch our video for a wrap up on usability and for a preview of what to expect for the next few weeks of Active Community.

Related Posts:

Active Community: Introduction to the Active Usability Lab

Active Community: Usability Lab, Part 2

By John Sable

Because we released our results to Active Enterprise Network Members today, we want to give you a little insight into our findings through the online surveys we conducted as well as our eye tracking focus groups. 350 users participated in the surveys and over 60 people were tested using the eye tracking system. Because the information we collected is so valuable, we’re only releasing the full results to our clients.

However, we’d like to give you a sneak peek. This week’s video presentation focuses on four main of our study: the homepage, certain components on the homepage, content and branding. But what we really want to emphasis is the different perceptions of what the broker wants verses what the user wants.

At our October Enterprise Network Conference last year, we focused on the importance of moving to a more customer centric model. The results of our usability studies really drives this point home. With a user’s experience on our websites playing such a vital role in the success of our companies, it’s time we’re aware of their needs in order to meet their demands.

These results are crucial in helping the Enterprise Network move toward a more customer centric approach. With these findings, we’re now able to consult with our clients from a scientific standpoint when it comes to usability.

Below is the animation discussed in today’s Active Community session.

Related Posts:

Active Community: Introduction to the Active Usability Lab

10 Blog Usability Tips

Becoming an “Inside Out” Business

By John Sable

At the end of last year, Active Website teamed up with Tobii Technology, so we’ve spent the past few months developing our Active Usability Lab. By having access to Tobii’s eye tracking technology, we can now measure how customers are using Enterprise Network Members’ websites. Because we can take what we’ve learned from our usability lab findings and make improvements on our sites, Members are given a huge advantage over their competitors.

Tobii’s eye tracking is less intrusive than traditional usability testing and we’re able to get more accurate results through tracking and recording a user’s eye movement. With the ability to see the direction and duration of a user’s gaze, we can dramatically increase our efforts for efficiently marketing products and services via the internet.

The Active Usability Lab has 3 main areas of focus including data collection through online surveys, analytics and of course, eye tracking. This year, our goal is to produce quarterly findings for our clients based off the results of our studies. To find out more about what’s been happening at the Active Usability Lab, watch our video presentation below. Be sure to come back next Friday for an inside look at our results!

Related Links:

Active Website Teams Up with Tobii Technology

Eye Tracking ROI in Market Research

Three Simple Rules to Remember

By John Sable

blog.activewebsite.com

Today, we want to begin our discussion on usability. This is a hot topic for the Active Enterprise Network as we continue to evolve in order to meet the demands of our customers. We need to remember that usability is crucial to the success of our websites and we must have a plan of action. Understanding how users are interpreting our sites will help us adapt to their needs.

Just like our websites, we need to keep our customers in mind when it comes to our blogs. A few weeks ago, we did a video presentation on How to Write an Effective Blog for our Active Community Series that covered guidelines for writing a post that will most appeal to your readers. Today, we want to take that a step further and discuss the importance of your overall blog site.

Gaining the attention of your readers through your post is essential, but following certain usability rules for your site is important as well. When creating your blog, keep in mind the following questions:

1.    Are past posts easily accessible?
2.    Is your text readable?
3.    Is it clear where your links are leading your readers?
4.    Are your headlines relevant to the post?
5.    Is it easy for users to follow your blog?
6.    Are users able to share your blog on other social media sites?
7.    Does your blog encourage interaction through comment fields?
8.    Is the most critical information above the fold?
9.    Do you have an area where readers can contact you?
10.  Are you publishing posts consistently?

By asking yourself these questions and adjusting accordingly, your customers will better understand the site and your company. If your blog is easy to navigate through, you’ll give readers a reason to return. Nothing is more frustrating to a user than not being able to find relevant information on your website – including your blog!

Related Posts:

How to Write an Effective Blog

Blogging is Like a First Date

By Amanda Stephan

blog.activewebsite.com

Keeping the customer at the forefront of their design, Milestone believes they are now better positioned to be the leading real estate company in the region. The new website features a variety of user friendly enhancements including advanced Individual Property Websites, the integration of multimedia services, and the ability to access real time data from mobile devices.

Milestone’s website platform also includes:

1. The integration of the “Where do I Go Next?” button that provides users with a pre-engineered path option for relevant browsing.
2. Established Agent Websites to aid in each agent’s individual branding while utilizing features from the home site.
3. The inclusion of social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and a corporate blog.
4. The ability for customers to create a Property Alerts account in order to receive emails when properties match their listed criteria.
5. Tour our cities videos that stream community overviews directly from the homepage.
6. Community information pertaining to neighborhood statistics, school information, and links that may be of interest to users.
7. Syndication to numerous top real estate sites, including Zillow, Trulia and HGTV’s Frontdoor.

By focusing on the customer’s needs, this one-stop shop real estate company is dedicated to providing quality service. From their real estate division to their rental and relocation divisions, these experienced professionals will help consumers find a home with the help of the new website while increasing their SEO standing. To find out more about the company, visit www.milestoneky.com.