Top 5 Instances of B2B Usability Practice

Usability is a principle that fuels quality design in digital merchandising. We consistently ensure that the user has the best experience possible. When creating a consumer solution, we make it simple to use and we build it with minimizing frustration in mind.

However, usability isn’t confined to that environment. It applies to our crucial day-to-day work practices as well. When we work with a client, we apply the principles of usability to our procedures. Our team has pooled their ideas, now we’ll share a few daily instances of usability in action that may surprise you.

Whether you call them business standards or usability practice, not everyone implements these in their day-to-day work. It’s the simple things we do each day that make our lives and, in turn, our clients’ lives, easier.

Leverage Dash Notation
With the increasing adaptation of smart phones you need to adapt your communication for ease of use by mobile users.  Many smart phones dial directly from email signatures and websites.  If you are using the fancy “dot notation” ###.###.#### you should consider reverting phone number formatting to the conventional “dash notation” ###-###-####.

Leave Informative Voice Messages
When leaving a voice message, if leaving your phone number, repeat it twice. Many people are multitasking and often miss your number the first time you say it. Also, give the recipient the reason why you called (just in case you forget!), and indicate any sense of urgency.

Use Precise Language
Stop using the language “Soon,” “When you get a chance,” “ASAP,” since they can be interpreted differently depending on the individual. After an internal meeting, we realized that even among us, there are different interpretations of these words which can lead to frustration. Be specific, use “Today,” “Tomorrow,” or “No later than Friday Morning,” “at X time.”

Provide Easy Access to Contact Information Whenever You Can
Always use your full email signature on every email you send. This way, all your information is in one place and people know where to go to find it. Also, include your vCard as a download from your website for easy access and integration into contact lists.

Keep your Email Signature Content Easy to Read
Choose your font and formatting wisely. Your email signature has a personality too. Avoid adding images or other graphical elements to your email signature. They often end up in the attachments section of the email and can lead to confusion.

Feel free to share anything that you do to increase your company’s usability.

Capitol Theater Demolition : Bird’s Eye View

Is it possible to be gentle with a 2 ton wrecking ball?  I must say the answer is yes. Our next door neighbor, the Capitol Theater, was demolished last Sunday. Our offices comprise the top floor of a 6 story building which gave us a great bird’s eye view of the destruction next door.

Starting at 7a.m., I watched for over 3 hours as the crane operator worked in sync with a spotter to guide the wrecking ball to just the right spot, to ensure that the high “fly space” of the theater back-end was ever so carefully collapsed onto itself.  I was truly impressed at how the team worked together and how little of the building spilled out onto surrounding area.

I am always sad when an old “live performance” theater comes down. Before the TV, radio, and now the Internet, theaters were the place where rich and poor went to be entertained and informed.  There was a great human element to the experience.  Real people on stage connected to real people in the audience, complete with all of the associated interactions.

How does this relate to Digital Merchandising? The old saying rings true, “People buy from People.”  Those of us in the technology world need to remember this as we utilize existing and create new technologies.

NYC Auto Show: Interactive Technology at Play and on Display

Trade Shows are a way to connect effectively with your audience and to see some cool stuff that you’ve never seen before. Industry players that attend have a chance to keep in touch with their colleagues, while taking a good look at their competition.

Brands and retailers across the board are employing interactive technologies in multiple venues and contexts. Reality Interactive acknowledges these uses in everyday life, but gets a much better look at an industry’s trade show.

Each year, the New York Auto Show is decked out in style with over 30 leading automakers showing off their concept cars and newest releases. The show draws immense attention from consumers and the media.  There are multiple promoters vying for participants’ attention and this easily fosters an environment of fierce competition encouraging each brand to bring its best.

We wanted to see what their technological “best” looked like. Our mission: to examine which interactive technologies automotive brands were using. It wasn’t easy. There were so many implementations at work, and so many nice cars, it was hard to stick to the task.

However, after surveying all of the displays, and documenting what was at play, we noticed a consistent pattern. To promote brand and automobile information, the most widely used interactive technologies were kiosks, digital signs and interactive games.

The brands that got the best response from participants successfully integrated digital and interactive with immediate real life action. The Chevrolet Camaro display was one of the audience’s favorites. It captured a photo of the attendee with the vehicle and provided a touchscreen allowing him or her to tweet or email it.

If you want to see more of our experience and examples like this from the show, take a moment and download the white paper, “2011 NYC International Auto Show : HIGHLIGHTS OF INTERACTIVE & DIGITAL MERCHANDISING DEPLOYMENTS.”

Speaking of industry shows, we’d like you to know, Reality Interactive will proudly be at the Customer Engagement Technology World on November 9 & 10. We’ll be showcasing some of our recent work so stop by booth #534 and check us out!