The incredible, embeddable map

Google recently added a much-needed feature to their mapping service. Users can now easily embed an interactive map on their blog or website. Like this one.


View Larger Map

I can see this being of great use for restaurants and other businesses. No longer should we see be forced to endure the static, useless screenshot from Mapquest when one like this allows users to interact with it and get directions.

I'll be on vacation next week so this blog may be quiet. Where will I be? Check the map.

The Toyota way

One of the things that I like most about working on websites is that they are never "finished." In a way they are living things - always evolving, hopefully improving.

Incremental improvement is what it's all about at Toyota. The company is legendary in the business world for its automotive production techniques. This article from Fast Company is a great read and it reminds us all that, no matter what our job title or our specific objectives are, our job is to make things better.

Toyota's luxury division, Lexus, uses the tagline "the relentless pursuit of perfection." After reading that article, I have a new appreciation for those words.

Diapers and domains

Interesting story from the AP about online identities and how some parents are securing domain names for their children long before they need them.

There's nothing wrong with thinking ahead, but I'd say it's a little crazy to choose your child's name based on whether the domain name is available.

"...and this is my son, Steve142.com."

Search and the long tail

A recommended read about search, user-generated content and the Long Tail.

Via Bazaarblog

Videos worth watching

Seth Godin has compiled a nice list of business videos worth watching. Youtube is not just for silly stuff anymore.

Friday fun: Arborsculpture

From the "I never knew it existed" file...

Arborsculpting

It's bad, but hey it's free!

Here's an inciteful take on a curious strategy from Time Warner. I guess it's better than nothing, but it's hard to compete with a product when your goal is to be not as good.

Time Warner vs. TIVO

Is your site a conversation or a speech?

Do you talk with your customers? Or do you do as many organizations do and talk at them? Is your website a conversation or a speech?

In school, the best teachers I had talked with the students - engaged them in the conversation.

With my kids, it always seems more effective to sit them down, look them in the eye and explain something. Get the head nod or other affirmation that you were heard and understood. Yelling at them, while it sometimes makes me feel better, seems less effective.

Customers can be like children. If they think their opinion is not appreciated, if they think they are not being listened to, if they think they're being yelled at, they will ignore you and take their business elsewhere.

That's gold, Jerry.

Productivity advice from an unlikely source: Jerry Seinfeld.

From Lifehacker

Friday fun: If he could see us now...

"You see, the wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat."

   - Albert Einstein

We can only imagine how he would have described the Internet.

The reviews are in

The statistics seem to build a pretty compelling case. Online businesses allowing customer reviews of their products reported increased sales, increased customer loyalty and increased site traffic. Plus 8 out of 10 US shoppers put more trust in brands that offer customer reviews.

I notice this in my own behavior too. From cars to books to electronics, I often seek out customer reviews before making a purchase.

It may seem a little scary at first, but making it easy for your customers to review your products, right on your site, is something that can benefit both you and your customers.

A parking lot issue

Have you ever been out shopping and seen a parking spot for the "Employee of the Month?" It's often right up front and I guess it's supposed to recognize and reward that employee. While it's nice for that one person, what about the store's customers? I guess they can just walk further and fend for themselves.

Some companies' websites reflect this same attitude. Often these websites are more a reflection of internal structure and politics than a service-oriented site focused on the customer.

Of course you want to reward and recognize good employees. But remember, most of your customers don't really care about you - they care about what you can do for them. And without your customers, you wouldn't have any employees.

As a side note, I always liked the special parking they have at Babies R Us stores. They have a dozen or so spots right up front for expectant mothers and new parents. It's a smart strategy that caters to their best customers and makes them feel welcome even before they've set foot in the door.

McBranding

There was a time when skeptics scoffed at the notion that a baseball actually curved. It must be an optical illusion, they said.

This provoked the famous pitcher Dizzy Dean. "All right," he challenged, "go stand behind a tree and I'll hit you with an optical illusion."

Similarly, some people today question all the money companies spend on advertising and branding and wonder whether they'll ever see a return on their investment. "Is there anyone who doesn't already know about McDonald's? Why do they need to advertise?"

A fascinating new study on McDonald's packaging shows us that advertising may be a sneaky curveball. We all have our doubts that it works on us, but it likely influences our purchasing decisions and brand perceptions more than we even know.

Ideas in action

More on the topic of idea generation:

Marc Andreeson got the ball rolling with his post on Why Brainstorming is a Bad Idea. He quotes from Frans Johansson's book The Medici Effect about how groups that get together to brainstorm consistently underperform groups that split up and brainstorm ideas individually.

In the other corner, Sarah Nelson from Adaptive Path argues for the benefits of brainstorming, but contends that it requires practice and strong facilitation.

From my experience, brainstorming can be a very useful tool. But often organizations have no shortage of good ideas. What is often needed is not more ideas but a person who can filter through the good ideas and make a decision on what action to take.

Friday fun: Standing by to stand by

From the department of redundancy department:

Jetsons technology

OK, so maybe we're not zooming around in flying cars or being served by talking robots like The Jetsons promised us.

But I'm doing some work for a company that, in certain ways, resembles the futurist vision of Spacely Sprockets. Everyone at this company is given laptops and the whole place is awash with wireless internet access. There's a casual dress environment, a flexible workday, even an indoor basketball court. And yet I see people dressing appropriately and working longer and harder than they "have to."

Working there has served as a great reminder to me that technology is not the end goal. The Jetsons used technologies - not just because they were cool or trendy - but because they made their lives better. Technology can be a great tool, but for it to be effective, it needs to be used correctly. Spacely Sprockets, for all it's advanced technology, wasn't a great place to work.

Finding the right blend of technology, leadership, and culture is a challenge all companies should be addressing.