LightSpeed’s LinkedIn profile page is an important part of our Social Media Strategy, and we’ve taken the following measures to improve it:

Networking

LinkedIn’s primary purpose is networking and your company’s LinkedIn profile will display all the information about your company from around the site. This includes links to the profiles of all current employees, former employees, new hires, and recent promotions.

Your employees connections have an influence on how well connected your company is, and their profiles do reflect back on your company. Keeping this in mind the first step for us was to get every team member to setup and improve their LinkedIn profiles. We also added LinkedIn icons to the individual Team member profiles on our Team page.

Recommendations

The recommendations feature on LinkedIn is one of those features that really sets it apart from the competition. Recommendations carry a lot of weight for potential customers and can often be the deciding factor when having to decide between service providers.

LightSpeed has been serious about collecting Testimonials from our clients since 2010 and we have placed a strong focus on these testimonials on our website, dedicating a page and a custom post type specifically to the goal of promoting our testimonials.

It is only a natural extension for us to now aim to connect with every new (and old!) customer on LinkedIN and to request a recommendation from them upon the successful completion of a project.

Interns

As mentioned in our post about our Facebook strategy, Interns make out an important part of our team.

We have decided to extend our view on recommendations to our Interns as well, requesting them to write recommendations on their time with LightSpeed and writing recommendations for them.

We will also be exploring the use of LinkedIN Jobs to post and promote our Internships in the future.

Blog and Twitter integration

Integrating your WordPress blog and Twitter account with your LinkedIn profile is easy.

LinkedIn allows you to import your WordPress blog posts into your profile page. This is great as it lets anyone that comes across your profile click directly to your most recent articles and  is an opportunity to show your expertise.  Setting this up is incredibly simple – just enter in the URL for your blog and it takes care of the rest.

We also display our most recent Tweets on our LinkedIn profile. Now potential clients can see the latest news from our company and it serves as a channel to promote our Twitter account.

LinkedIn is a great social network and in light of the strong performance of its shares after its recent IPO, it is clear that investors have a lot of confidence in its continued growth and development.

I hope that our approach to LinkedIn has provided some insight into what can be done on this platform, and sparked your interest in delving deeper into its functionality.

The Home page is clear and crisp and overall I like the design. There are possibilities to free up some white space as mentioned in my previous blog entry (Lightspeed Redesign Evaluation – Part 1) but it almost seems unnecessary.

When comparing the different designs for the Home page, I prefer Home 1.

Here’s why:

The use of the portfolio at the bottom of Home 2 is striking and makes the page more colourful, but it can also have the effect of making the page feel too busy. It also overloads me with too much information about something that might be off topic with regard to my reason for visiting the site. With my first click, landing on the Homepage, I want to know about Lightspeed, not every other company it’s ever dealt with.   With the use of testimonials at the bottom with Home 1, you are conveying something different to your customers – Trust. I’ve rarely come across testimonials on the home page of a website and it might be something that people have avoided because testimonials are often heavily used in advertising for cheap diet products, but the use of it here (with the the link to the website or person) shows confidence.

I would however suggest that the testimonial speech bubbles be coloured with a slight tint to better separate it from the background.

I also like that With the ‘Get started now’ button and the “Subscribe to our newsletter’ box there are immediate opportunities for me to interact with Lightspeed.

On the Portfolio page, as mentioned in the blog post on Typography and Colour use, I might suggest adding a bit more whitespace between the frames, as it feels a bit cluttered.

The content should comprise little write-ups of the projects or clients on display in the portfolio and highlight some of the unique features of that project.

Portfolio Single page

I really like this page. Just the text in the Comment section should be changed to “Leave a comment” instead of “Leave a reply”. There is nothing to be replied upon, only content to be commented on.

The action buttons are nicely done in orange, but also reside at the bottom of the page, needing the user to scroll down to see them. This might be a good thing if the intent is to only attract ardent and thorough applicants who would read the entire page and scroll down, but won’t do much for someone scanning the site for opportunities on the fly.

These sections with action buttons – ‘Apply for a position’ and ‘Visit the interns page’ – would be better served if the appeared to the right of the content and not at the bottom of the page. To create space for this, the listed qualities under the  ‘What we are looking for’ section can be cropped on the right.

Suggested Content: Apply for a position box

See what exciting opportunities are available to join our dynamic team.

Suggested Content: Visit the Interns page box

Find out about opportunities to learn and gain valuable work experience at Lightspeed. See what past interns have to say and find the resources to help get you started.

Careers – Careers Apply

Here everything seems straight forward. As  I understand the ‘Click here’ link will take you to the form at the bottom of the page. This form could benefit with a bit more information explaining the different fields. See the changes on the following image:

Careers – Intern Apply

The Intro box of text can be cropped to half its size and have a picture to the right of it, making the page more engaging. Also the flow of the informational sections can be changed to have the ‘Current Internship Vacancy’ above the ‘Intern agencies’ section. You want to get interns interested first, before you give them assistance.

The suggestion for the application form mentioned above will also apply here.

This page is clear, but perhaps the use of a picture, cropping the first text box to the right might liven it up.

Suggested Content: For the Intro paragraph in this area

(Note:  For the text here you want to get at the heart of your business.)
Lightspeed prides itself on developing cutting edge digital strategies for your individual business needs. Whether you are just starting out on the web or need help in improving part of your existing online presence, we have the solutions you need.

Suggested Content: For the Services box

Here at Lightspeed we understand that there are times you need to improve parts of your digital strategy. Try our great offerings in standalone services from Hosting, SEO, to Maintenance or combine these services into a product offering that ideally fits your business needs.

Suggested Content: For the Services box

Starting with your digital strategy, setting up a new business?
Choose one of our cost effective and all inclusive packages – including design and / or templates, hosting and e-mails! All add-ons, products and applications available.

Features – Services AND Features – Packages

These two pages basically comprise similar information, so the following applies to both:
The Services screen gives you further information on the services on offer but there is no action buttons or links to take you to an action. Only the Quick Contact area is available, or else the user will have to click the top ‘Contact’ Tab. Linking from here to the application section could improve usability.
Also, as shown in the image below, when selecting a service from the list, the description box of the service will be displayed underneath. This description might benefit from the use of a different font, fontsize or colour.

With regards to White Space, there is an opportunity to add more whitespace between the Packages paragraph and the ‘What we offer’ section, depending of course on the content of the paragraph and if it doesn’t hinder the flow of information.
The paragraphs under the list items could also be cropped or boxed in more to the left, freeing some white space to the right.

Suggested Content:

Features – Services

Lightspeed’s services are tailored to your unique business needs. We believe that the marketing must lead the technology. We undertake extensive strategic work prior to building each digital campaign. We offer the following services:

Features – Packages

Our packages are designed to give you optimum benefit of our talents and are available in a variety of offerings that spans Hosting, Optimization, Maintenance and Community Networks.

The use of the quote in the centre of the page is powerful. I might suggest using a different colour, size and font for the text.
In example, see the following screenshot taken from Dustin Curtis’s site. He is a User Interface designer with a history in neuroscience and in his blog’s design typography is prominent and used to great effect:

http://dustincurtis.com/to-fasten-your-seatbelt.html

Under the ‘We realize that…’ heading in the first paragraph, I would suggest you link to the pages mentioned there:
“no one can promote us more effectively than our existing clients, so take a look at their testimonials. Take a look at our portfolio page to have a look at some of our previous projects.”
In example:

VS

About – Team

Obviously the text here is still missing. I would suggest either having every employee write up his/her own description, or at least have a quote. This will show to users that there are actual people behind the photographs, a bit of personality and that personal touch lacking in many businesses.

Suggested Content: For the Intro paragraph in this area

‘LightSpeed’s team exists of a well-balanced and highly motivated group of digital professionals. We value innovation, efficiency and are determined to deliver a product of the highest quality. We are passionate about opensource software in general and wordpress as a platform specifically.

Our team dynamic is augmented by our international interns, adding a unique and beneficial angle to the team atmosphere.’

With regards to the photographs, competitor Virtuosa has taken the extra steps to have profile pages set up for each employee/team member. Although at this time separate profile pages might be unnecessary, there is something to learn from them. They have taken the time to add effects to their staff photos, making these areas much more striking.

http://www.virtuosa.co.za/team/

About Us Sidebar

The About Us section appears in most sidebars on the different pages (Services, Packages, Portfolio Single and Contact Us pages) repeating the same information. It can be considered to have this section contain different information sets on each page that it is presented, each offering information on the company’s values, character and offerings. This way you keep this area relevant for the user who is really reading the website in depth. See it as a chance to ‘hook’ the reader and constantly promote your business. If the user wants to read the full About Us story it can simply click on the link provided in this section.

Part 1: Web Typography

1.1 Legibility and Readability

With regards to legibility, the site is legible and easy to read, with the normal contrast of black on white. The font is Tahoma, which is sans serif. It can be mentioned that a serif font is said to be easier to read/recognize/legible for the reader.

1.2 Measure (line length)

Line length is estimated to be optimal between 45 – 75 characters, with the average being used today coming in at 75 – 85 characters. Lightspeed’s new design mostly stays comfortably within these parameters. Longer lines apparently yield better results in web browsers.

Leading is the space between two consecutive lines of text. The widely accepted rule of thumb for leading is to have it at 1.5 x the font size. Currently the Lightspeed design is around 1.83 x font size, depending on the block. To see the difference, view the picture below.

Tightening the Leading in these areas could free up some whitespace if needed.

2. White Space

Tightening the leading in the different paragraphs could free up some more White Space. Alternatively a possible solution to get more whitespace could be to set the type slightly smaller

On the Portfolio page specifically, I might suggest adding a bit more whitespace between the frames, as it feels a bit cluttered.

Also, on the Services or Features page (I see the tab says Services, but the PSD Features) there is an opportunity to add more whitespace between the Packages paragraph and the ‘What we offer’ section, depending of course on the content of the paragraph and if it doesn’t hinder the flow of information.

3. Vertical Rhythm

Overall there is good vertical rhythm throughout the site. On the home page, better vertical Rhythm can be achieved by making the icons the same size (Icons for Digital Design and Development, CMS etc.)

4. Paragraph styling

As no block of information contains more than one paragraph, the styling is in line with standard conventions

5. Font

The current used font is Tahoma, it is a widely accepted standard. As a sans serif font, this is easy to read and understand.

Part 2: Colour Usage

1. Color and Usability

Overall the Usability of Lightspeeds’ website is clearly indicated with the use of orange for the action buttons, Green as the heading informational buttons and blue for the top tabs. One might change the colors on these tabs to make each of them stand out more, but this is unnecessary and will clash with the spare use of color as it is now.

2. Color and Engagement

The use of Orange as the color for action buttons makes it easy for the visitor to the site to engage and get started, without getting lost in a sea of information. On the Home page the Green ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ box also makes it easy to notice and interact with.

However, the ‘Get Started Now’ button takes you to the Services screen which gives you further information on the services and packages on offer and from there no action buttons or links exist to actually take you to an action. Only the Quick Contact area is available, or else the user will have to click the top Tab.

Furthermore, I might suggest having the quick contact box also in green, thereby denoting all action areas that give the user the opportunity to engage with the site in color.

On the Careers Tab, the action buttons are nicely done in orange, but also reside at the end of the page, needing the user to scroll down to see them. This might be a good thing if the intent is to only attract ardent and thorough applicants who would read the entire page and scroll down, but won’t do much for someone scanning the site for opportunities on the fly.

3. Color and Experience

The heavy use of white, and then balanced by blue as a framework color gives the Lightspeed look a feeling of professionalism and clarity. It seems honest and to the point, which I think is a good impression of the company. Quality, honesty and speed.

This will be the first in a series of blog posts regarding the redesign of the LightSpeed website.

Who:

I’m Barend, student animator and aspirant webcomics creator. I have little experience in the webdevelopment field, but I do use the web extensively. During my internship here at LightSpeed Ashley has asked me to review the new Lightspeed design based on criteria and best practises as set out in The Smashing Book and common sense.

Process involved:

The Design PSD file was evaluated based on Typography, Colour, Usability (as far as this can be tested from a static file) and Content.

Sources of information:

-    The Smashing Book
-    Where examples were taken from other websites, I’ve included a link underneath the screenshots.

Overall I have to say I like the design. It’s clean and crisp. I’ve made recommendations and suggestions where I can, but of course an untrained eye armed with a textbook is no equal to experience and expertise.

Of course it’s not just working I did during my period here, but I also had fun, a lot of fun. Ashley took us to Beaverlac, a camping site in the middle of nowhere, and I had a great weekend there with Ashley, Frank and Linda. I also went for the Garden Route with Linda where we went to the Cango Caves, we went to an ostrich farm, ride an elephant, did the highest bridge bungee jump of the world and saw lions, rhino’s and giraffes in a wild park. Last Sunday I did the shark cage diving which was a little bit of a disappointment, because I became seasick and we only saw one shark for a few minutes during the 4-5 hour boat trip. At the point where we could go into the cave to see the shark in the water, the shark was gone and we where freezing because of the cold water, we stayed in that cave for 10 minutes without a shark around. This great trip costed 1430 ZAR, so not really worth the amount of money we paid for it.

Today my girlfriend is coming over for a week, so I have a little holiday with her in Cape Town. I want to take her to  some great things Cape Town has to offer like Table Mountain, Lions Head, nice restaurants, let her meet my friendsI’ve met here and of course visit Cape Point. We also want to do the skydive in Blauwberg if the weather allows us.

Next month if I’m finished with my internship at LightSpeed, Linda en me are going to do the Nomad Cape to Vic tour. We will go from Cape Town to the Vicoria Falls in 20 days. We will visit Namibie, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Johannesburg and then come back to Cape Town for a few days and then return to Holland. More about that in the next post.

Last week I completed my business plan for as far as possible. In the second part of my work placement I am going to focus on subjects I want to extent like the customer analysis, the competitor analysis, the financial plan and the marketing plan with the help of a media campaign aimed at blogging, search engine optimization and social media.

Not only was the time at the office an experience. Also the visit to the design exposition and the weekend camping in Beaverlac with the team I enjoyed very much.

In the beginning of June a launch/farewell party will be giving. I am looking forward to start with the arrangements and further to improve my business plan with the results of my research I am starting with today…