We all have certain rituals we go through each day: walking the dog, brushing our teeth, a bowl of our favorite cereal. One of mine is sitting down at my computer and browsing my Netvibes page. From my personalized start page, I check my gmail, update my facebook status and check the headlines on my favorite blogs, all within its sleek Ajax-based interface. Although it’s not unique, its broad functionality earns it the first spot on a list of sites that have transformed my digital routine. Perhaps they can change yours.

Netvibes. This customizable site is just one example of the new trend in personalized start pages, competing with mainstream players iGoogle and MyYahoo! They each are based around user-defined modules, custom skins and RSS feed aggregators — very useful in consolidating your favorite content. 

Evernote. This nifty site/app was designed with forgetful folks like me in mind. It allows you to capture content via your computer, websites, or even your iPhone to your “notebook” for easy reference. I’ve found it helpful for clipping relevant content from long articles. I even know some people who use it to keep track of wines they’ve enjoyed (maybe a little too much). 

Like.com. What better way to utilize a visual search than for shopping? This site is designed for shoppers who know what they’re looking for and don’t want to search dozens of sites to find it. Do a visual search, find your match and be directed to a retailer’s site to buy. Like.com does it all for you. You can search by image, color, visual details or brands. The visual details option, while still a little rough around the edges, is one of the more impressive features. A photo upload option is in the works that will allow users to upload a photo of themselves for better search results. Amazon has recently released a similar feature with their iPhone app, however we at Springbox have had mixed results.

Shopstyle. This is another heavy-hitting site for online shoppers. The site pulls heavily from community elements of sites like Kaboodle and ThisNext, and borrows the collaging fun of Polyvore, rolling it together with a powerful search tool. The result? A shopaholic’s dream.

Adium & Trillian. These guys are two sides of the same chat client coin, and are incredibly useful for anyone who finds themselves juggling multiple instant messaging programs. Adium is currently Mac only, and Trillian is exclusive to PC; however, Cerulean studios is currently working on versions of Trillan for Mac OS X and the iPhone.

Performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. It is an indispensable device in an organization’s toolbox. With focused and disciplined communication driving performance management, the process feeds the momentum of an organization. Through individual goal achievement, a company’s growth and success objectives are achieved in parallel with employee goals.

Human Resources should definitely play a role in managing an organization’s performance management process, but the tone of the practice should be set from the top. Successful performance management ensures employees are familiar with the operating and strategic targets of an organization throughout the year.

Establishing  a performance management system that’s mutually beneficial to employees and the organization doesn’t have to be a stressful ordeal. It just takes commitment from everyone involved. The following foundation will help create an effective performance management process:

•    Generate a means for customary 1x1 discussions between employees and their supervisors. A 1x1 should cover status updates, coaching and feedback regarding not only the employee’s performance but the organization’s objectives. Build that strategic partnership!

•    Match individual employee work efforts with the organization’s mission and objectives. Ensure the employee understands their role within the organization, and how the responsibilities of the role link to the organizational and departmental goals.

•    Set clear expectations about results that must be achieved and methods or approaches needed to achieve them. Establish a clear path for success.

•    Utilize specific measures to help the employee focus their efforts. Having objectives and standards will help provide a solid rationale for eliminating inefficiencies.

•    Explain career development opportunities. Provide details regarding how the employee’s current position supports present growth potential, and detail additional opportunities he/she should explore.

With the proper procedures in place, the annual “formal” appraisal should simply be an opportunity to summarize the conversations you and your employee have had throughout the review cycle. An employee’s performance should be viewed as an ongoing process driven by regularly focused and disciplined communication throughout the year!

When deadlines sneak up, the team at the end of the line often feels the consequences. As a result, its members may face working into the wee hours, pushing through a rush job or getting left out altogether. When that team is Quality Assurance, the last two options simply aren’t options at all.

Let’s say you buy a car, only to discover that the AC won’t blow out of the passenger-side vent unless the car is rolling downhill. Or maybe the brakes don't work in cold weather. But the manufacturer delivered their car to you on schedule, so what’s the fuss?

The same logic applies to interactive media. Clients rightly expect a seamless user experience, no matter what the circumstances. It is QA's role to guarantee their satisfaction.

Not convinced? Try this. Here’s a list of the top 5 drivers for QAing a deliverable:

1. Effectiveness. You want it to meet your client’s objectives.
2. Functionality. You’d like it to work properly.
3. Consistency. You want it to be in line with the brand.
4. Intuitiveness. You want to make sure it’s easy to use.
5. Efficiency. You want to get it right the first time.

If just one of these considerations matters to you, then QA is a must-have. Whether it's a car or a website, a project isn’t viable if it's not top notch. The Quality Assurance team is here to help you get it there.

Wouldn’t it be great if every word on your website was a Google magnet? Or if search engines awarded higher rankings based on the quality of your writing?

Keep dreaming. There’s an infinite amount of content floating around online, and interactive copywriters have to make the best of both worlds by crafting good copy that speaks to the audience and produces hot search results.

Before you hit the keyboard, here are some SEO best practices to take into consideration:

•    Get keyed in. List the keywords and keyphrases your target audience uses (be sure to include obvious synonyms and other related words). Then, fully integrate your list into your copy. Need help? Just ask Google.

•    Think HTML. Keyphrase and keyword placement in title tags — as well as <H1>, <H2> and <H3> tags — also help ramp up your search engine visibility.

•    Be specific. Provide search engines with context. When you reference your firm, for example, don’t just cut it short at “agency”. Incorporate modifiers such as “interactive”, “marketing” and other relevant keywords from your list.

At the end of the day, good writing always comes first. While keywords indeed are helpful, don’t let their placement affect your copy. Searchable content and solid copywriting both lead to the ultimate goal: providing value to your target audience. Once you’ve done that, your readers will be bookmarking, tagging and linking to your content — and that’s the icing on the SEO cake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6aBITJuSQA

Has the democratization of analytics jumped the shark? Ask MC Hammer.

In this video (courtesy of Juice Analytics), the rapper/pastor/lifestyle entrepreneur discusses how analytics helps him make informed business decisions. The point? With so many tools now available to monitor site traffic and demand gen campaigns, businesses have no excuse for failing to leverage key metrics to optimize user experience and goal conversion.

At Springbox, we share MC Hammer’s enthusiasm for all things data (in fact, I’ve considered wearing parachute pants to the office on Fridays as a show of solidarity). Just remember: All the metrics in the world can’t help you if you don’t know what to look for.  

Please, Hammer, don’t hurt me.