Hello to those who read this blog, this is going to be the final blog assignment for this paper and as the requirement have to evaluate and critique two chosen "elevator pitch" from the website http://pitches.techcrunch.com/.
What is elevator pitch? I see it as explaining or pitching your ideas to the investors in a short time frame. When explaining it needs to be to the point and should convey the overall picture of your product that you are trying to sell. Keeping the speech clear and simple would potentially give an edge over others.
The two pitches that I stumbled upon and found quite interesting and empowering was:
OpenFilm and SmugMug.
The link to OpenFilm pitch is http://pitches.techcrunch.com/pitch/196-openfilm. The reason for the selection is very simple, I believed the speech to be convincing and that the idea was a selling product. The co-founder of the site spoke clearly and meticulously conveying the key point of the site. His body language showed that he had prepared himself before hand with the speech and the flow of words came out beautifully. The site is a web 2.0 site for good quality video sharing for short films and videos alike. The Co-Founder addresses that the site would benefit Independent film makers, as they require web service that provides a good quality playback of their short film. Youtube does not provide this functionality, as their videos are not great quality. Anyone can use this site to upload a good quality video, which gets screened for production quality and copyright issues before the video is uploaded onto the site. This I believe is a seller for me, as it would attract a niche market of followers.
SmugMug on the other hand is a quality photo sharing site, but its not free rather a commercial site where you pay for service. The link to the pitch is http://pitches.techcrunch.com/pitch/16-smugmug.
Once again this pitch was more empowering then the other because the speaker was being very optimistic about his idea that his charm came through in 29 seconds (one of the fastest pitcher). His approach was to mention that SmugMug is a premium photo sharing service and comparing it to first class service from an Airliner and BIG companies like BMW and Toyota in the car industry. He also mentioned that there is no advertisement, just good quality picture sharing, this would have got people interested, as users don't want to see Ad when going through pictures. At the end he says the punch line "hundreds of thousands paying customers, we are profitable, bootstrapped and growing fast", which would have got the investors talking. I was impressed with the speech and his confidence, but I wonder how well the business is going really, since there are free sites like flickr to upload pictures to.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Blog Assignment - Week 4
I have chosen Adobe website www.Adobe.com to discuss the user experience it provides. The moment you enter the site you get a grand and elegant design that makes you feel exited to explore more of the site. They have chosen a black background for the home page, which gives it the rich look. The viewer can get a fair picture of what the website provides (in terms of contents) from the home page.
The website uses Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) to separate the content from the style i.e. they have used CSS to set font size, font colour, web page layout, background colour, alignment of tables and anything to do with style, for all pages. This ingenious way gives the designer of this website to present the design and layout of every page very similar to one another. This is done by linking each page to use the CSS style, so the repetition of code can be minimized. This enhances the user experience on the site, as the navigation through the site becomes easy and consistent.
The home page has clear navigation links with appropriate name that can channelize the user to the right information page with the click of a button. The main links that are presented in the home page are home, solutions, products, support, communities, company, downloads, and store. Each of the links mentioned (apart from home) have sub categories of links that takes you to other pages. for example if you mouse over products link (at the top) it gives you a list of the products the company offers or you can select a product from the home page itself. The company offers more then one link to access the same page, thus providing freedom of control to the user.
As I mentioned before the layout and design throughout the website is similar and maintained, which gives the user the ease of finding the links or objects. For example the search bar is always on the top right no matter what page you are viewing, this gives an easy visibility for quick spotting to search for information.
The website loads reasonably fast even though they have a neat functionality on the home page. They have embedded flash displaying the four options of Adobe Creative Suites on offer. One believes that Adobe solutions are designed and perfected masterpieces over time, the same philosophy would have been practiced during the development of their website. I was not able to find any defects or design flaw as such from the pages I visited, even if there was an issue, I am quite sure the Adobe team maintaining the website would solve the problem in a timely manner.
One thing that I thought the pages would have been better off was the alignment. Most of the pages content that I visited was aligned to the left, but I would have preferred it to have been aligned to the centre. This is more or less a personal choice, but then again they might have done the left alignment for a purpose...I wonder why!?
The website uses Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) to separate the content from the style i.e. they have used CSS to set font size, font colour, web page layout, background colour, alignment of tables and anything to do with style, for all pages. This ingenious way gives the designer of this website to present the design and layout of every page very similar to one another. This is done by linking each page to use the CSS style, so the repetition of code can be minimized. This enhances the user experience on the site, as the navigation through the site becomes easy and consistent.
The home page has clear navigation links with appropriate name that can channelize the user to the right information page with the click of a button. The main links that are presented in the home page are home, solutions, products, support, communities, company, downloads, and store. Each of the links mentioned (apart from home) have sub categories of links that takes you to other pages. for example if you mouse over products link (at the top) it gives you a list of the products the company offers or you can select a product from the home page itself. The company offers more then one link to access the same page, thus providing freedom of control to the user.
As I mentioned before the layout and design throughout the website is similar and maintained, which gives the user the ease of finding the links or objects. For example the search bar is always on the top right no matter what page you are viewing, this gives an easy visibility for quick spotting to search for information.
The website loads reasonably fast even though they have a neat functionality on the home page. They have embedded flash displaying the four options of Adobe Creative Suites on offer. One believes that Adobe solutions are designed and perfected masterpieces over time, the same philosophy would have been practiced during the development of their website. I was not able to find any defects or design flaw as such from the pages I visited, even if there was an issue, I am quite sure the Adobe team maintaining the website would solve the problem in a timely manner.
One thing that I thought the pages would have been better off was the alignment. Most of the pages content that I visited was aligned to the left, but I would have preferred it to have been aligned to the centre. This is more or less a personal choice, but then again they might have done the left alignment for a purpose...I wonder why!?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Blog Assignment - Week 3
The internet has proliferated and evolved to a great extent from its humble beginning. Internet is the new tool for "world domination via collaboration". As with most things there are pros and cons, the pros being learning, sharing, accessing and interacting with information much faster with clicks of the button. cons can be summed up as ethical issues pertaining to the websites on the internet.
For an example when creating a community web site, one of the important things to not to do is lie. Wal-Mart in America did just that, to portray a better picture of themselves to the public.
Wal-Mart sponsored a couple to blog while traveling around America. The blog was called "Wal-Marting Across America". According to critics the site was set up as publicity stunt and fake, which mislead viewers. the blog was created to find people who have anything positive to say about the company.
Every Wal-Mart employee that the couple ran into, from store clerks to executives, absolutely loved to work at the stores. With the reputation of Wall-Mart being a stingy employer with wages and benefits would question this ordeal. As an example Wal-Mart fought hard against a Chicago city rule that would raise the minimum wage to $10 by 2010, and threatened to sue if the rule went into effect. At the same time, Wal-Mart has claimed that the average wage for its employees is $10.11. The question arises then "why fight a rule that proposes less then the average wage", this leads to suspicion of Wal-Mart wage structure.
The couple were provided with a flight to Las Vegas, RV (Recreational vehicle), free gas for the whole trip, a blog site created, and a freelance pay to the lady (of the couple) to blog her entries. All this was taken care and paid by Wal-Mart.
One of the blog entries from the stop at Amarillo, Texas, reads: "Cragg Thompson joined the Wal-Mart team six years ago…Cragg's son, Brandon, contracted cardiomyopathy—a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and does not work as well as it should because of a viral infection. This necessitated expensive surgery and a pacemaker totaling over $300,000 in medical bills, paid for by Cragg's Wal-Mart Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance. Today, 19-year-old Brandon Thompson has returned to work in the automotive department of the Pampa, Texas, Wal-Mart. Cragg feels his Wal-Mart's health insurance is a life saver.
The above can be questioned considering Wal-Mart fought long and hard against a Maryland law that would have required non-government employers with more than 10,000 workers to spend at least 8% of their payroll on health benefits.
The news article argues that the blog site does not mention that Wal-Mart has paid for the flight, the RV, the gas, and the blog entries. "They pay an unspecified sum to these people to say how great Wal-Mart is—I think it is deceptive," says Jonathan Rees, a labor historian and associate professor at Colorado State University at Pueblo.
I believe that lying to get people acceptance and trust is not the best way to success.
Wal-Mart's Jim and Laura: The Real Story
Dos and don'ts of community Web sites
For an example when creating a community web site, one of the important things to not to do is lie. Wal-Mart in America did just that, to portray a better picture of themselves to the public.
Wal-Mart sponsored a couple to blog while traveling around America. The blog was called "Wal-Marting Across America". According to critics the site was set up as publicity stunt and fake, which mislead viewers. the blog was created to find people who have anything positive to say about the company.
Every Wal-Mart employee that the couple ran into, from store clerks to executives, absolutely loved to work at the stores. With the reputation of Wall-Mart being a stingy employer with wages and benefits would question this ordeal. As an example Wal-Mart fought hard against a Chicago city rule that would raise the minimum wage to $10 by 2010, and threatened to sue if the rule went into effect. At the same time, Wal-Mart has claimed that the average wage for its employees is $10.11. The question arises then "why fight a rule that proposes less then the average wage", this leads to suspicion of Wal-Mart wage structure.
The couple were provided with a flight to Las Vegas, RV (Recreational vehicle), free gas for the whole trip, a blog site created, and a freelance pay to the lady (of the couple) to blog her entries. All this was taken care and paid by Wal-Mart.
One of the blog entries from the stop at Amarillo, Texas, reads: "Cragg Thompson joined the Wal-Mart team six years ago…Cragg's son, Brandon, contracted cardiomyopathy—a serious disease in which the heart muscle becomes inflamed and does not work as well as it should because of a viral infection. This necessitated expensive surgery and a pacemaker totaling over $300,000 in medical bills, paid for by Cragg's Wal-Mart Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance. Today, 19-year-old Brandon Thompson has returned to work in the automotive department of the Pampa, Texas, Wal-Mart. Cragg feels his Wal-Mart's health insurance is a life saver.
The above can be questioned considering Wal-Mart fought long and hard against a Maryland law that would have required non-government employers with more than 10,000 workers to spend at least 8% of their payroll on health benefits.
The news article argues that the blog site does not mention that Wal-Mart has paid for the flight, the RV, the gas, and the blog entries. "They pay an unspecified sum to these people to say how great Wal-Mart is—I think it is deceptive," says Jonathan Rees, a labor historian and associate professor at Colorado State University at Pueblo.
I believe that lying to get people acceptance and trust is not the best way to success.
Wal-Mart's Jim and Laura: The Real Story
Dos and don'ts of community Web sites
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Blog Assignment - Week 2
This weeks blogging took me through many sites before deciding on the three potential site I could talk about. I believe I have decided on some interesting treasures, but I will let you the readers be the judge of that.
1) GoodGuide
2) AniMoto
3) WOMF (Word of Mouth Forum)
1) GoodGuide
2) AniMoto
3) WOMF (Word of Mouth Forum)
Good Guide
Good Guide is a web site where people can register (to get more access) or just browse information in regards to products, whether the products that are used at home is safe, healthy & green. The products are organized in three categories Toys, Personal Care & Household Products totaling 65000 product reviews. The researched review involves information beneath the label of products such as the ingredients used, the effect of the ingredients on the body and environment (if its harmful or not). for example certain aftershave for men contains toxic chemicals that can be a catalyst for causing cancer. This site provides useful information for users on products and companies of those products.
The information for products can be accessed through the web site, iPhone (have to download the software from apple stores) and can use Short Message Service (SMS) to get details on specific product at a time when you are out and about in a supermarket for example. Good Guide also has a blog that the user can subscribe to and follow the postings.
The website was developed "for benefit" purpose to fill the huge information gap in the market place. I can also see that there are few revenue streams on this website one of them being Apple, since you can only use iPhone to access the sites information and the other being Amazon. If you are satisfied with a product after reading about it, the site provides a link to Amazon.com were you can purchase the product.
being a member (which is free) you can request a product to be rated and share your ideas on the board.
one thing that I thought this site lacked was the geographical range of product that it ranked. Since its a American based website, most brands and products it caters for is American. Some product brands are global as well for example "Hugo Boss" Perfumes. Anyway this site gives general information on what is really in those products that the retailers sell.
The site states that the "website is in early stages of development" so one assumes that there are other potential opportunity to branch out to other areas of product reviews in the future.
The information for products can be accessed through the web site, iPhone (have to download the software from apple stores) and can use Short Message Service (SMS) to get details on specific product at a time when you are out and about in a supermarket for example. Good Guide also has a blog that the user can subscribe to and follow the postings.
The website was developed "for benefit" purpose to fill the huge information gap in the market place. I can also see that there are few revenue streams on this website one of them being Apple, since you can only use iPhone to access the sites information and the other being Amazon. If you are satisfied with a product after reading about it, the site provides a link to Amazon.com were you can purchase the product.
being a member (which is free) you can request a product to be rated and share your ideas on the board.
one thing that I thought this site lacked was the geographical range of product that it ranked. Since its a American based website, most brands and products it caters for is American. Some product brands are global as well for example "Hugo Boss" Perfumes. Anyway this site gives general information on what is really in those products that the retailers sell.
The site states that the "website is in early stages of development" so one assumes that there are other potential opportunity to branch out to other areas of product reviews in the future.
AniMoto
AniMoto is a web application that lets the online user to combine their images and music to produce a professionally looking video. It benefits user by letting them being the director of their own production.
This web application can be accessed through the website and using iPhone. This site has a blogs that can be followed as well.
This website is more commercially oriented i.e. the basic feature has very limited functionality, you have to pay to receive functionality. there is two option for paid service "personal use" and "business use". This site also allows business to advertise on there site for a fee.
This web application can be accessed through the website and using iPhone. This site has a blogs that can be followed as well.
This website is more commercially oriented i.e. the basic feature has very limited functionality, you have to pay to receive functionality. there is two option for paid service "personal use" and "business use". This site also allows business to advertise on there site for a fee.
Word of Mouth Forum
This website caters for users who want to share and get opinion of products and services in their region for example Otago Dunedin. This website allows the user to pass on the good or bad experience they might have had through word of mouth so everyone who is registered to this site can potentially see. This can help people to learn from others experience before venturing into buying services or products blind. Registered users can both "give" and "get" opinions and rate the services or products as well. The benefit of this site is:
For users: Provides a local guide to the businesses of Otago Region
For Businesses: Minimizes advertising cost tremendously, which can be spent on other avenues such as improving services.
The information can only be accessed from going to the site. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed, so you can follow the site updates.
The website runs on advertisements revenues from local businesses e.g. cutlers real estate.
For users: Provides a local guide to the businesses of Otago Region
For Businesses: Minimizes advertising cost tremendously, which can be spent on other avenues such as improving services.
The information can only be accessed from going to the site. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed, so you can follow the site updates.
The website runs on advertisements revenues from local businesses e.g. cutlers real estate.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Blog Assignment - Week 1
The Social Networking Web Sites that I have selected for this weeks blog assignment are listed below followed by brief information on each of the site:
Finance 3.0 (1
Blackberry Underground (3
Finance 3.0:
This is a site developed exclusively for finance professionals to come together and collaborate online about anything related to financial matters. This involves such things as financial analysis, investment decisions and financial reporting. If this website tingles your taste bud for financial information then anyone can register for free and share or educate their knowledge with all the discussions, debates and downloadable materials the website offers. From going through the site it is evident that this social networking site is being sustained by the advertisement revenues and a charge for premium service, even though most of the services are free for the time being.
Open Source University Meetup:
This community site caters for Uni students from all around the world that are into free open source softwares. Students can login or register to learn, collaborate, access and connect with other students to share the technical knowledge and in the process make valuable friends. The website offers many forms of communication method such as forums, chat, photo sharing, and blog discussion are ways to participate in the global student network. It is not clear of how the site is maintained, but going from looking at the site either it is a volunteer service or sponsored by Sun Microsystems.
Blackberry Underground:
As the name implies, this social networking site targets blackberry users. Users who are into blackberry palmtop can register and share their views of blackberry and gather ideas from others. Once again there are many tools to communicate with others on the site. Advertisement are visible on the site, but one assumes from seeing the site that it is maintained on volunteer basis or as a hobbie.
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