An intersting strategy using animation

Hello Everyone,

There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested - not
for SEO per se?

Thanks,

Bob

"Hymer" <ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net> wrote

Hello Everyone,

There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to
keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested - not
for SEO per se?

Interesting but limited...

ive done things like that before, the only aspect i think worth taking note
of is the narrative, wether you become 'branded' as part of this is another
thing completeley, but any ability to captivate the audience is worthwhile.

mark

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 07:08:27 -0800, "Hymer"
<ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net> wrote:

Hello Everyone,

There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested - not
for SEO per se?

Thanks,

Bob

It's a good idea, Bob. Not as good as keeping people on your site by
giving them relevant content though.

There was a time, mid-90s, ish, when the inclusion of all manner of
bells and whistles were promoted on the grounds that no-one would come
to your site unless you had them. This sounds like a return to the
bell and whistles era, an unwelcome return at that. Novelty value
should be seen as such. Don't follow the bouncing ball.

BB

--
www.kruse.co.uk/ seo (AT) kruse (DOT) demon.co.uk
The buffalo have gone

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 17:06:22 +0000, Davémon <nospam (AT) nowhere (DOT) no> wrote:

Hymer wrote:
There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp


He's made some basic category errors there. He references arcade games
in attract mode. Its a similar fallacy to the magazine covers/home-page
analogy with reference to website design.

Both these things (mags/arcade games) attempt to attract your attention
in a given environment, where there are lots of similar objects
competing for your attention. On the web, you're either looking at one
website, or another. There isn't the same behavior of selection happening.

He also seems to think that someone is 'branded' by looking at a logo.
IMHO that shows a very weak understanding of what a brand is and how
people interact with them.

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested - not
for SEO per se?

No. Not keeping people interested. For attracting the eye to an element,
yes, a small amount of animation obviously helps that, and does
animation make narrative engaging? do more people watch TV or read books?

Telling stories, and moving people though narratives is what the web is
great for.

Putting engaging content (dancing kittens for example) on your website
will increase traffic. the more engaging it is, more people will link to
it, better SE rankings.

Assuming your site is indeed about dancing kittens and not about
ball-bearing manufacture in the Balkans. A link using "dancing
kittens" as the anchor text won't do you a whole lot of good and maybe
even, given recent events, quite a bit of bad, unless it's
appropriately thematic.

BB
--
www.kruse.co.uk/ seo (AT) kruse (DOT) demon.co.uk
The buffalo have gone

"Big Bill" <kruse (AT) cityscape (DOT) co.uk> wrote

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 07:08:27 -0800, "Hymer"
ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net> wrote:

Hello Everyone,

There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to
keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested - not
for SEO per se?

Thanks,

Bob

It's a good idea, Bob. Not as good as keeping people on your site by
giving them relevant content though.

There was a time, mid-90s, ish, when the inclusion of all manner of
bells and whistles were promoted on the grounds that no-one would come
to your site unless you had them. This sounds like a return to the
bell and whistles era, an unwelcome return at that. Novelty value
should be seen as such. Don't follow the bouncing ball.

BB

Hi Bill,

Based on your reply along with other comments, I should probably forget it.

In my case it is a consulting site that also offers a directory to a
vertical topic plus a news aggregator for that topic. I am doing very well
for my keywords in the search engines. However, most of my visitors are
other professionals that are not likely to use my consulting services.

My thought was to do something creative with the animation narrative to
attract those visitors that might need consulting. I already do this in
regular text on the page but I thought that animation might punch the idea
harder on pages that deal with things other than consulting.

But, it does seem like the old bells and whistles. And when someone finds me
for consulting work they are there for that purpose and will find what they
are looking for.

Does that seem right to you?

Bob

__/ [Big Bill] on Friday 25 November 2005 16:40 \__

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 07:08:27 -0800, "Hymer"
ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net> wrote:

Hello Everyone,

There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested - not
for SEO per se?

Thanks,

Bob

It's a good idea, Bob. Not as good as keeping people on your site by
giving them relevant content though.

There are certain cases where animation can aid textual content, e.g. by
providing a staged illustration of concepts. As regards identity, or a
visual identity rather, I think it can be valuable. I made my favicon.ico an
animation earlier this morning in hopes that it will help the site stand out
and be memorable. Very few sites take advantage of it. Anything that
distinguishes you from other might pull visitors back.

There was a time, mid-90s, ish, when the inclusion of all manner of
bells and whistles were promoted on the grounds that no-one would come
to your site unless you had them. This sounds like a return to the
bell and whistles era, an unwelcome return at that. Novelty value
should be seen as such. Don't follow the bouncing ball.

Good point, Bill. Let's remember that some years back, the way people /used/
the Internet (necessarily a visual browser and a monitor) made a difference.
Then came standards.

Roy

--
Roy S. Schestowitz | "Slashdot is standard-compliant... in Japan"
http://Schestowitz.com | SuSE Linux | PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
7:15am up 23 days 3:09, 4 users, load average: 0.66, 0.88, 0.96
http://iuron.com - next generation of search paradigms

On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 19:06:58 -0800, "Hymer"
<ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net> wrote:

"Big Bill" <kruse (AT) cityscape (DOT) co.uk> wrote in message
news:ideeo1lvt4nq8gp3btf00btfi98sff2p3q (AT) 4ax (DOT) com...
On Fri, 25 Nov 2005 07:08:27 -0800, "Hymer"
ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net> wrote:

Hello Everyone,

There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to
keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested - not
for SEO per se?

Thanks,

Bob

It's a good idea, Bob. Not as good as keeping people on your site by
giving them relevant content though.

There was a time, mid-90s, ish, when the inclusion of all manner of
bells and whistles were promoted on the grounds that no-one would come
to your site unless you had them. This sounds like a return to the
bell and whistles era, an unwelcome return at that. Novelty value
should be seen as such. Don't follow the bouncing ball.

BB


Hi Bill,

Based on your reply along with other comments, I should probably forget it.

In my case it is a consulting site that also offers a directory to a
vertical topic plus a news aggregator for that topic. I am doing very well
for my keywords in the search engines. However, most of my visitors are
other professionals that are not likely to use my consulting services.

My thought was to do something creative with the animation narrative to
attract those visitors that might need consulting. I already do this in
regular text on the page but I thought that animation might punch the idea
harder on pages that deal with things other than consulting.

But, it does seem like the old bells and whistles. And when someone finds me
for consulting work they are there for that purpose and will find what they
are looking for.

Does that seem right to you?

Bob

It does sound a little bit like you'd be insulting/patronising serious
professional people who really don't need to be approached on a Janet
and John level.

BB

--
www.kruse.co.uk/ seo (AT) kruse (DOT) demon.co.uk
The buffalo have gone

On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 04:06:58 +0100, Hymer <ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net>
wrote:

In my case it is a consulting site that also offers a directory to a
vertical topic plus a news aggregator for that topic. I am doing very
well
for my keywords in the search engines. However, most of my visitors are
other professionals that are not likely to use my consulting services.

So perhaps you should consider other KW selection? Not what pro,
but what layman will look for searching for your service?

Best,
Borek
--
http://www.chembuddy.com
http://www.chembuddy.com/?left=BATE&...ion_equilibria
http://www.chembuddy.com/?left=CASC&...n_calcul ator

Hello Everyone,

There is an interesting article about the use of animated narrative to
keep
people on your site.

The article is at: http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7254.asp

The example is at: http://www.nextstageglobal.com/

What do you think of this type of strategy to keep people interested -
not
for SEO per se?

Thanks,

Bob

It's a good idea, Bob. Not as good as keeping people on your site by
giving them relevant content though.

There was a time, mid-90s, ish, when the inclusion of all manner of
bells and whistles were promoted on the grounds that no-one would come
to your site unless you had them. This sounds like a return to the
bell and whistles era, an unwelcome return at that. Novelty value
should be seen as such. Don't follow the bouncing ball.

BB


Hi Bill,

Based on your reply along with other comments, I should probably forget
it.

In my case it is a consulting site that also offers a directory to a
vertical topic plus a news aggregator for that topic. I am doing very well
for my keywords in the search engines. However, most of my visitors are
other professionals that are not likely to use my consulting services.

My thought was to do something creative with the animation narrative to
attract those visitors that might need consulting. I already do this in
regular text on the page but I thought that animation might punch the idea
harder on pages that deal with things other than consulting.

But, it does seem like the old bells and whistles. And when someone finds
me
for consulting work they are there for that purpose and will find what
they
are looking for.

Does that seem right to you?

Bob

It does sound a little bit like you'd be insulting/patronising serious
professional people who really don't need to be approached on a Janet
and John level.

Hi Bill,

Yes, I think you are quite right. I am going to forget that one. Thanks.

Bob

"Borek" <m.borkowski (AT) delete (DOT) chembuddy.these.com.parts> wrote

On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 04:06:58 +0100, Hymer <ergobob@sonic[REMOVE].net
wrote:

In my case it is a consulting site that also offers a directory to a
vertical topic plus a news aggregator for that topic. I am doing very
well
for my keywords in the search engines. However, most of my visitors are
other professionals that are not likely to use my consulting services.

So perhaps you should consider other KW selection? Not what pro,
but what layman will look for searching for your service?

Best,
Borek
--

Hi Borek,

Yes, you are right. But my keywords are a little odd - there is really only
one that stands out from all others. "User Interface Design" without the
quotes get almost all of the use. I also have "User Interface Design
Consultant" and "--- Consulting" covered even though they don't show as
frequently used.

There are two problems. First, there do not seem to be other forms of the
phrase that people use very much. Second, I am really interested in
consulting but that is not a frequently searched term. So the people looking
for consulting seem to just enter the main phrase. At least I can not tell
if they have a different frequently used term. Keeping in mind that 99% of
the people searching for me are the professionals and only 1% are looking
for consulting.

So I continue to optimize for the key phrase mostly and add the consultant
and consulting as additional phrases even thought they do not show up as
frequently used. My most recent thought is to focus on "Usability" but I
have not done that yet.

Does that make sense? Any thoughts on this?

Thanks Borek,

Bob