Code School Problems

This Curagami post shares five problems we experienced at The Iron Yard coding school in Durham, North Carolina. The post places code schools in the context of problems we would have had hiring a graduate when we ran an e-commerce web design shop. Problems such as:

• They teach “academic” not business coding
• No Student Vetting or Skills-Based Placement
• Value/Benefits Proposition is Off
• Can't Keep Great Teachers
• More Than Ten Year Discrepancy Is Almost Impossible to Overcome

In our class of more than twenty students, we doubt more than five are working in a web design shop today. So more than $100,000 was spent, tuition then was $10K for twelve weeks of class, with little return, chance to change the student's career or provide value $1.50 in late fees from the library or other online classes couldn't provide. 

Read our warnings about code schools before you buy their promises: http://www.curagami.com/code-schools-will-they-change-your-life/ 

E-Com's Future is MAYA In 5 Inescapable Trends
MAYA is influential designer Raymond Loewy's Most Advanced Yet Acceptable idea. If there is a better description for the future of online commerce and web design we don't know it (and would like to learn it so please share). 

The Made To Stick rules says too new is BAD. Sell the new from versioning the old and that is what MAYA is all about as we share in this Curagami post: http://www.curagami.com/maya-five-inescapable-web-marketing-trends/ 

Epic Ecommerce Journey –
Leveling Moon-Audio.com Up
Epic Ecommerce Journey – Leveling Moon Audio Up shares the “virtual team” journey to find the next million dollars. Drew and Nichole Baird, founders of Moon Audio, knew their website needed to catchup, it needed to “level up” to a current Magento, responsive design and re-align to Moon's 80-20 Rule. 

While writing content for online environments you must think of the following paradox: reading is the PRIMARY action performed on the web. AND people try to read as LITTLE as possible (online) 20%!...

Avoiding ASP .Net Storefront
ASP Net Storefront may be good for many things but online commerce for Small to Medium Sized Businesses is not one of them. Here's why:

• SEO problems.

• Content Problems.

• Engagement challenges.

• Complexity & Right vs. Left Brains.

• Open Source Wins.

 
We do NOT recommend ASP .Net Storefront for SMB online stores.  

In 2014, e-commerce was gradually divided into two groups based on how they treated home page design.

Product grid home page
Custom design home page

Pros
Most changes can be done via backend fast and easy Amuses visitors and ties brand with positive emotions Is remembered easily Adds to the stylish image of the brand/product
Cons
Card design/grids look alike on hundreds of shops No identity or design to remember Requires additional time and resources.

The Little Haiku Deck That Could
Our Asking Ecommerce Questions Haiku Deck (http://shar.es/1g6S5q ) is becoming the little deck that could. To say these slides are a testimony to the power of fast feedback loops and iteration is an understatement.

With three sets of video notes (more coming soon) and three major changes based on feedback from attendees at conferences where we've been presenting the little deck that could Ask For Help: Asking Key Ecommerce Questions proves another important point - everything is a curated conversation now.

Thus the power of @Scoop.itand thus Google's QDF (Quality Deserves Freshness) demand. When we started this little deck had a few hundred views. Now, thanks to feedback and support from those providing the feedback almost 2,000 people have learned to do the hardest thing in the galaxy (at least for American men) - ASK FOR HELP!

Thanks for all the help we've received creating the little Haiku Deck That Could. Marty

Marty Note
Solid tips here with a few caveats:

* #3 printing is a nice to have now not a must have. Printing just isn't as important, but, for some, a printed piece is easier to share.

* Reviews are now more important in their absence. Having hundreds of reviews is great as it shows the size and value of the tribe formed around a given product. A Customer's voice is always a tad different sounding too, so be sure to curate content FROM reviews.

* High res images is a good idea, but don't slow the delivery of your page down. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to help server your images and videos fast no matter who is looking at your content or from where.

* Product comparisons are great especially if they are social.

* Shipping = we would amend shipping to make sure your FREE Shipping triggers are easy to find / be aware of and set to maximize conversions.

E-commerce used to be static, Not So Much Anymore
This excellent Paper.li post from @Cendrine Marrouat - https://www.cendrinemedia.comshares interesting ecommerce research, design ideas and the impact of the social / mobile web on online commerce.

The new ecommerce requires originality, social curation and a supportive tribe as we discuss regularly at http://www.Curagami.com our Durham, NC based startup dedicated to creating cool new tools for online merchants.

Tiffany & Co. has been the world's premier jeweler and America's house of design since 1837. Shop creations of timeless beauty and superlative craftsmanship that will be treasured always.

Marty Note
WOW the Tiffany animation sets new standards for "interactive" web design and storytelling. #toogood!

Kudos to every ecommerce team breaking their backs to feed our online needs. The winner in this group of merchants is TIFFANY. TIffany's amazing animation sets a new stunning standard for holiday design.

http://www.tiffany.com

Macy's shows the least design growth, but they were solid in 2012 at least in that PORTAL category they play in. Urban Outfitters got MUCH better but shouldn't have been shown up in COOL as bad as they were by Tiffany.

Two years in web design is like 10 in real life as Tiffany proves.

MagentoTheme Review
Working on finding great Magento ecommerce themes for friends at http://www.Moon-Audio.com. Share your favorite Magento Themes via email to martin(at)Curagami.com.

Much appreciated, Marty

This holiday selling season (2014) will happen as close to real time as any thanks to the social / mobile web. Listening and curating are going to be important, but so is tapping the nostalgia and spirit of the season in creative and collaborative ways.

Ecommerce Website Design For MacGuffins
In film a "MacGuffin" is a plot device that helps move the story. Online McGuffins are expected "cost of poker" design and marketing elements whose absence hurts more than their presence helps. A web MacGuffin's job is to help move visitors on their journey to become buyers and advocates.

Common Ecommerce MacGuffins Include:

* Free Shipping.
* Free FedEx Shipping for premium brands.
* Email subscription boxes with VIP treatment for joiners.
* Social share buttons.
* Satisfaction Guarantee.

While it is difficult to know what any individual site's MacGuffins should be since that is determined by their business vertical EVERY website, without exception, has at least one expected MacGuffin.

Some website categories may have 5 to 10 expected MacGuffins. There are 5 rules for designing websites to create the trust and assurance MacGuffins provide:

* Place MacGuffins where they can do the most good.
* MucGuffins should be LARGE and IN CHARGE in easy to find.
* You flaunt MacGuffin convention and "best practices" at your peril.

* Social Share buttons should be ubiquitous and use branded colors.
* Create friendly easy to understand policies about things like "satisfaction guarantees" and then NEVER enforce them. 

Writing a more complete post about designing for website MacGuffins now and will share a link on Scoop.it when finished. 
 

“Designing your eCommerce store is not only about making it look good, but also making sure that it generates sales. Your goal is to make potential customers”

Scott Mason is our excellent local CBS affiliate WRAL's Tar Heel Traveler. Scott interviewed me yesterday for our Cure Cancer Starter video and I agreed to take a look at his website to say THANKS. 

This post is about why "web design" is a dangerously vague term now and why sometimes creating a website that works is about the money or about finding experts capable of making money online to help create your online presence.