The Landscape and Garden Blog
Oct
30
It is essential to the development of a successful website that companies conduct market research in the form of usability testing. This testing will provide valuable feedback on whether or not the site is meeting the desired user needs. Most business sites are designed to generate sales or leads or to increase brand awareness or loyalty. It can be easy for companies and designers to think they’ve got a site that meets those goals, but until it’s put before the average consumer, there’s no way to know if it will succeed.
There are a variety of Usability Tests available. These include hallway testing, expert review, and remote user testing. All attempt to observe the user interacting with the website and evaluate four different areas. The first, and perhaps most important, is performance. This measures how difficult it is for users to complete basic tasks on the site and whether they give up in frustration before completing them. The second measurement is accuracy or how often people make mistakes during this process. This step also involves determining whether the mistakes were the result of faulty information or missing instructions that can be corrected.
The next area for evaluation is recall. Knowing how much a user remembers after a session and how much information they retain over a period of time can be important for businesses that rely on repeat customers or brand loyalty. The final measurement is emotional response. This applies to how the customer feels about completing specific tasks, but also their overall response to the site and the company after visiting the site.
Ideally, usability testing should be conducted at several times during the design process, especially after any major changes or revamps. This way results can be compared against previous findings to see what has improved and what still needs work.
Oct
24
A swimming pool in the backyard is the American dream for many middle class families. They imagine cooling off on a hot summer’s day and hosting parties for friends and neighborhoods. Whatever the specific dreams, it’s extremely important that the families come to an agreement of the primary uses for the pool before hiring Dallas swimming pool builders to begin construction.
As with many things, the form a swimming pool takes is closely related to the function it is intended to fill. A pool that is primarily used for exercise or even practice laps for budding competitive swimmers is going to be very different from a pool used for entertaining and to demonstrate a family’s economic and social status. Other potential purposes are family fun pools which might have water slides or game nets, and diving pools which are deeper. Additional pool features that depend on function are attaches spas, waterfalls, and lighting or heating elements.
Even design choices such as built in planters, mosaic tiles and the type of materials used for the pool and surrounding deck will be determined by function. A family that fails to plan for function may end up with a pool that doesn’t fit their needs and sits unused year after year.
Oct
21
With it’s large high resolution screen and the ability to digitally download content, many newspapers and magazines believed that the the iPad would be the solution to their internet problem. Most have fallen victim to the stream of free information and news available online, suffering falling subscription numbers and loss of advertising revenue. They hailed the iPad as a way to recapture audience, providing customized content to new subscribers who would access their news through the device.
Now that the iPad has been available for six months, industy analysts have been researching the pull of the iPad. Their finding indicate that the iPad hasn’t been the revolution publishers expected, but it is slowly making progress. iPad developers have created more than 900 apps that fall into the “News” category in the Apple App Store. However, some of those apps are content aggregators and feed readers that aren’t traditional news media.
News publishers are still hopeful. After an initial frenzy of early adopters , iPad sales have slowed to a more moderate rate. Research predicts that the device won’t achieve mass-market penetration for another three years. Newspapers are counting on their audience growing as use of the iPad increases. Many are offering free access to their news for a limited time or only headlines. The hope is that once users get a taste of the content, they will pay to subscribe to the full version. The final word on the impact of the iPad on traditional media is still a few years off.
Oct
19
As society becomes more mobile and business becomes more global, the number of people who travel regularly is increasing. No longer are rock stars the only ones who globe trot as consultants, executives, and other business workers find that their job is no longer limited to one city, state, or country. At the same time more people are finding freedom from the confines of nine-to-five jobs and figuring out how to make money from their personal brand, which allows them the ability to travel the world without missing a beat.
A common need of all these travelers is health insurance. Unlike traveler insurance, global health insurance is designed for the long term. It provides comprehensive medical coverage in every country, including the US so that constant travelers don’t need to carry multiple policies. It’s also a good option for non-immigrant workers in the United States who aren’t eligible for the same policies as residents.
A good global health insurance policy will have provisions for emergency treatment, preventative medicine, and medical evacuation. Better policies also offer maternity and mental health coverage when needed. This coverage is ideal for so called permanent travelers, cruisers, and international workers.
Oct
16
Walking into a shoe store for a simple pair of sneakers can be an overwhelming experience. There are so many styles, functions, and colors, to say nothing of sizes. Size is, after all, the one thing you don’t have to worry about, unless they don’t have yours in stock. If you break the process down into simple steps, it can be a much easier process.
First, set a rough price range for your purchase. Don’t wait until you’ve fallen in love with a style or even a specific pair of asics sneakers to wonder how you’re going to pay for it. Recognize from the start that you’re investing in sneakers that fit your needs and budget how much that is worth to you.
Next, think about the function the sneakers will serve. Are these decorative shoes to complete an outfit or do you need them for a specific sport ? Will they be worn to work every day until they wear out or just when you go for walks through the park on weekends? Understanding function is half the battle.
The final thing to consider is practicality, which is tied to function. How long do they need to last in the function that you identified? Some sneakers seem to be made to wear out in a few months while others can last you for years.
When you bring together budget , function and practicality, you’ll soon find the right sneakers for you.
Oct
14
If you find yourself considering taking a summer sales job next year after hearing success stories from your college friends, make sure you realize that while summer programs like that offered by Southwestern Company can be a wonderful experience, it’s also going to take a lot of hard work to succeed. Sales is rarely easy and door-to-door sales can be even more difficult. However, you can learn an incredible amount about how to live, not just how to work, if you have what it takes.
Are you willing to work hard and not give up? Persistence is a key characteristic of successful sale reps . You have to be ready to knock on one more door and show the customer one more product, and you have to be willing to do it day after day after day.
Can you persevere in the face of rejection ? You will have doors slammed in your face, and other doors won’t even open. You have to be ready for the “no”s that will come your way and have a number of tactics ready to turn it into a “yes” for another product.
Do you have a positive attitude ? It’s more than just being able to smile at rejection. Good sales agents are always happy, friendly, and helpful, no matter how many times they’ve been yelled at, chased by dogs, trudged through rain, or been dumped by a girlfriend or boyfriend. Attitude can mean the difference between “no thanks” and “where do I sign?”
Most importantly, do you follow a code of ethics? While there are many, many door-to-door scammers out there, reputable companies like Southwestern Company follow the Direct Selling Association’s Code of Ethics and expect all their dealers to do the same. No matter what company you sell for, you shouldn’t lie about products, prices, or warranties. If you keep the customer’s needs and rights first in your mind, you’ll do fine.
Oct
8
Here are a few recommendations for the next time you go to the home appliance store to purchase a coffee maker. The first one is to discuss with your family or roommates how much coffee is expected to be consumed on a daily basis. Another thing to consider is what features your loved ones, or roommates would most like to have included with the maker. And finally, a pre-purchase consideration you’ll probably want to make or at least discuss is the amount of money you want to spend on your home coffee maker.
While all of this pre-purchase consideration and decision making might sound like it’s going a bit overboard in organization, it is actually intended to emphasize the variety of models and diversity of options that are included with today’s versions of home coffee machines . It is no longer the simple activity of running to the store and picking up the first twelve cup brewer you come across, though of course that is still possible. Today’s makers have a variety of options that cater to most coffee drinkers’ tastes and interests. You can find makers that will brew directly into a thermal container and fill it to the exact level you request, while others have digital technology and control devices, including automated timing options. The features are as diverse as the coffee drinkers and it’s best to consider your priorities before stepping foot in the store.
Oct
3
The play area refers to a zone that extends 6 feet beyond the swing set on all sides. This includes the space above the swing and the slide. The ground must be level; the set should not be installed on a sloping ground, which can cause it to crack or lean. Leaning places additional stress on all the joints and connections; in time, this will cause them to fail.
The play area must be free of all structures such as trees, rocks, branches, wires, fences and any other obstacles in order for children to play safely. Tripping hazards also need to be removed including roots, stumps, sprinkler heads, plumbing, railroad ties and electrical connections. Children and be seriously injured running or swinging into these obstacles.
60% of injuries are caused by falls to the ground, so protective surfacing must be used. Providing ground protection around the swing set is one of the more critical safety factors. There are synthetic surfaces, which are acceptable, but check the test data on its shock absorbing performance . Grass and dirt alone are not sufficient shock absorbing agents, adding sand and mulch will help absorb a fall and reduce injuries.
The fall zone, which is the area that must be covered with the protective surfacing, should also be free of other equipment and obstacles that a child might fall on. Plus, stationary climbing equipment and slides should have their own fall zone that extends a minimum of 6-feet in all directions from the perimeter of the equipment. The swings themselves need to have a fall zone extending 6 feet from the outer edge of the support structure and extend twice the height of the swing from the ground to the top of the swing structure.
Designed by Tim Sainburg from Brambling Design
