The new era of online payment is here! Digital currency known as Bitcoin is gaining popularity among the online world.

So what the heck is Bitcoin you may ask!

It is an open source application that allows for distribution of payment in a digital format. There is no cash or credit card transaction. It allows users to transact online without any government, company or individual controlling the transaction.  In turn, you are saved from being charged transaction fees!! Nice huh!

Bitcoin is now a growing market for retailers and businesses worldwide. It is claimed to be the most secure way to transact online without the worry of someone stealing your credit card information or hacking into a bank website. The transaction does not require a secure connection due to it being totally digitized. You will not be using your bank credit card.

Bitcoin transaction process is conducted through a wallet (The wallet is basically where an individual keeps his Bitcoin). Bitcoin has a public key (transaction passcode) that is issued to the receiver for a payment transaction. All a user has to do is open a Bitcoin online account and hit send after choosing an amount. Bitcoin can then be exchanged for real cash using online exchange sites MtGOX.com

Bitcoin still has a lot of people confused with the technology and it still has not made way to our main retail and online stores. It will soon be available through ATM machines which will make it easier to buy and trade Bitcoins.

Everyone reaches that moment when you come across a website when you ask yourself “What was the owner of this website thinking when they created this?”   The back button within the browser becomes more enticing the longer you linger over this question. What constitute a good website anyways? Is it a website that has your favorite colors or pictures that remind you of good times, or is it the easy navigation of the website? There are endless reasons to get annoyed browsing a website. I will take a close look of some ways to reduce user annoyance on your website.

Provide a rich user experience for your user

Websites are in most cases not built to annoy the users, and can be chalked up to website designers that lack user experience who end up compromising good design concepts for those that frustrate the user. Poor user experience has no room in today’s competitive market. Research show you have less than three minutes to put your message across to the seasoned consumer (Called Website Skimmers). That leaves you no room to not have a solid website design that provides a rich user experience.

How do you measure website annoyance?

It is important that your website design takes your overall marketing goal into account by identifying your ideal client(s), what demographics they fall into and what they search online. Ask yourself the following questions:

1)    “How does my website home page address the needs of the first time user?”

2)    “Is there any call to action buttons and are they placed correctly to enable the user to take the next action?”

These are some of the points that will help you measure your website user experience.

Understanding color evokes emotion!

Color psychology conveys emotion and controls user behavior and stress levels of the sub-conscious mind. Color sub-consciously affects a buyer’s decision when they visit your website. Choosing the correct color for your website can greatly affect the user experience. Let’s look at how color evokes emotions. Blue is the most neutral color that is less invasive and relates to a large demographic. Blue comes across as kind and caring.  The alternative color to blue that evokes similar emotion is green. Consider using blue or green to stay neutral for a larger demographic target. Black is mysterious and can be used to portray an impactful statement and allows the designer to boldly display information. Black compliments fore-space and is used to show depth and distance. A good use of back is to showcase pictures for a photographer’s website. Red Screams caution and danger, red is edgy and invasive in your face attitude. Be cautious when you choose to use it. Yellow is a complementary color and does not usually have the power to stand by itself without another color complementing it.  There some gender specific colors such as pink that is meant to immediately identify female gender services and products. Photo by Kate Bellm.

The need for user experience designer is the key to a successful marketing strategy and we encourage you to submit your website for a free evaluation.