Posts tagged with ‘writing’:

The Weekly Yelp

Donald on Apr 8, 2009

I’ll make this the last in what’s become a string of posts by me on content and messaging, but I’ve been meaning for some time to highlight the only email newsletter I actually read. This week:

Yelp’s Just Not That Into You

You know what they say… the best way to get over someone is to get under someone. But what if you just want to be by your lonesome? Yelpers get very creative when it comes to finding those spots in the city to avoid the ex.

First, you need to get off the beaten path. Flora Grubb is a nursery and café that masquerades as an urban garden, and Rob B is just thrilled to be able to enjoy his “Ritual coffee without dealing with the herds of Valencia Street hipsters.” The Dogpatch Saloon is good for crying into your beer with the rest of the regulars: “2 hipster dates, 1 lesbian date, 2 drunks and Miss Lonely Hearts, a middle-aged redhead with a mountain of curls and a lifetime of trouble.” Beth S assures us, “These are my people.” [...]

Or, a few weeks back:

Pho in Love with Yelp

So you think you’ve found the most pho-nomenal pho in town? Yelpers can tell you just where to plunk down that hard-earned $6 for the most slurp-worthy meal in the city,   pho realz.

New to the pho scene? Valeria R lost her pho-ginity at Golden Star, but was lucky to have a friend give her a lesson on, amongst other things, “how to dress the bowl with basil, sprouts and lemon juice.” And while said friend failed to inform her that “it’s not a good idea for a beginner to wear a white shirt while eating pho, the collateral damage was completely worth it.” You might say Ryan V is more of a pho hoochie; he prefers it hot, cheap and easy at Pho Tan Hoa, where the steaming dish comes with plenty of “large, tender, slightly bloody tendons.” Yum!? [...]

Yes, a bit cutesy, but I love it. The bloggy, gossipy style is a perfect way to reward engaged users while drawing unengaged subscribers deep into the site.

If you live in or near a big American city, I totally recommend subscribing — even if you aren’t into Yelp itself, it’s a great overview of what  people are talking about in your city. (And fellow White Whalers, you’re all covered: the East Bay, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago, and New York.)

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A great Web site

Tonya on Aug 22, 2008

Even though I assess, evaluate, critique, and praise Web sites for our clients every day, I don’t really use that lens in my normal, everyday browsing of the Web. I mean, don’t get me wrong, badly designed, poorly organized sites annoy me. I might even yell to no one (I work at home most of the time) when I’m frustrated with a site or see something that’s particularly garish. I also note good ideas and generally keep up with best practices. But I don’t waste my time overthinking or reacting to random sites I like or don’t like.

So I surprised myself this morning when I came across the Oregon State Fair’s Web site and was so impressed with its design, functionality, IA, and writing that I actually wrote a glowing, completely unsolicited email to their marketing director. (By the way, I found her email quite easily.)

I know the team that developed this site left no rock unturned. I can tell immediately. There are no weak links: They spent just as much time making sure the writing was spot-on as they did refining the design.

It’s a complete package:

  • The design – great, catchy, beautiful, perfect for a state fair
  • The IA – clear, easy to navigate, with a touch of unique flair (Big Tomato) that does the double duty of reinforcing brand
  • The writing – smart, clever, knowing, funny, succinct
  • The functionality – I love My Can’t-Miss List (such a great use of shopping cart technology) and that the big Purchase Tickets graphic on the top of every page

Even when our involvement on a client project is limited to design or strategy, we always emphasize the equal importance of these four elements. But of the four, writing is often overlooked until well into the project. As a result energy and resources are in short supply when the time comes to focus on content. I look forward to the day when all the RFPs we receive include a section on writing; when Web committees allocate a line item in the budget to content development before the project even starts.

I don’t mean to overemphasize writing, but as the lead IA strategist and content developer at White Whale, it’s something I fret about all the time. I let the other guys worry about functionality and design. In the end, sites succeed when it all comes together.

I haven’t been to a state fair since I was in high school but I’m going to this one. Amazing what a great Web site can do.

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