BC Tips
BC Tips are best practice memos distilled from our constant monitoring of websites, and e-mailed to subscribers twice-weekly. Each tip consists of a characterisation of the featured site, a screen shot of or link to the highlighted practice plus ‘the takeaway’ – our commentary on how it can contribute to a more effective website.
Whenever you see this icon it means:
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Bayer: Tripping up on translation
The devil in the detail of material in a second language.
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Cadbury Schweppes: Trapping with trivia
Using incidental material to telling effect on a corporate website.
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First Group: Timetabling convenience
The advantages that HTML formatting can give over the PDF format.
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Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer: Criss-crossing the language barrier
Linguistic muddle results from lack of a ‘helicopter’ view.
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Weetabix: Guessing games
Largely unfamiliar iconography is more likely to hold visitors up than help them move smoothly around a section.
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The World Bank Group: Relating to youth
Mature commitment to engaging with young people involves writing about chosen topics in a more direct and challenging ‘voice’.
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British Airways: Overriding customer concerns
News management – the desire to play down a ‘negative’ issue – is put above customer service.
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Sandvine: Restricting white paper appeal
The way registration is used to control access to content needlessly restricts the indirect marketing benefits.
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Aviva: Directing enquirers
Gluing together a global network in an intelligent and cost-effective way.
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Stora Enso: Synchronising watches
Webcasts help people be in the right place at the right time – whatever time their watch tells them that is
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The Democratic Convention: Blogging on to community
Blogs mark another step towards the long-spotted but generally elusive goal of creating genuine community-driven sites.
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Time Warner: Cutting to the action
Design born of practicality shows an attention to detail and an understanding of the target audience that is too often missing.
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The Last Email: Lacking in reassurance
Establishing trust remains a critical but difficult issue for new businesses on the web.
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Asian Development Bank: Colour-coding the issues
Colour coding of sections can be a subtle but genuine aid to orientation, and therefore navigation.
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UNESCO: Getting recruits to select themselves
An effective device to reduce the number of unsuitable or speculative candidates applying for jobs or programmes.