Scheduling Wizard Blog

Scheduling Wizard Blog tag:www.timecenter.com,2009-03-19:/blog//1 2010-03-08T00:17:54Z About design, usability and life Movable Type 4.34-en Incredible tool let´s you search the web with an image tag:www.timecenter.com,2010:/blog//1.25 2010-03-08T09:29:08Z 2010-03-08T00:17:54Z

I found a really cool website that searches the internet using an image. It's like Google, but instead of typing text, you upload an image. So you can do stuff like:Find the same image but in bigger sizeFind out who...

Daniel The Scheduling Wizard searches the internet using an image. It's like Google, but instead of typing text, you upload an image. So you can do stuff like:

Find the same image but in bigger size
Find out who or what exactly is in the picture
See how the image is used
See similar versions of it

Try Tineye with your favorite image and see what it finds!

]]> Competition winner of donkey for charity tag:www.timecenter.com,2010:/blog//1.24 2010-02-09T17:43:24Z 2010-02-09T17:44:58Z

We asked for your help to name our biggest donkey and boy did we got it! Thank you for all your suggestions. And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for. The winner is... Congrats to Andrew from Hipitas...

Daniel The Scheduling Wizard name our biggest donkey and boy did we got it! Thank you for all your suggestions. And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for.

The winner is...

Congrats to Andrew from Hipitas for selecting the most original and African sounding name!]]> Apple iPad announcement inspires amazing dessert tag:www.timecenter.com,2010:/blog//1.23 2010-01-27T18:03:07Z 2010-01-27T18:28:35Z

Niclas - The TimeCaptain

We're celebrating the January 27th Apple event here at TimeCenter with a nice Apple dessert. Here's the recipe for the delightful snack to enjoy while watching.

If you're a kitchen wizard, make this as it happens. You'll impress us!
For all you normal Apple geeks, here is how you can easily make this nice Apple dessert:

1. Peel three apples and cut into thin slices
2. Put them in a oven safe bowl and add sugar and cinnamon (As much as you want!)
3. Mix it around and put slices of butter on top
4. Bake it in the top of the oven oven for 10 minutes at 250°C (480 °F)
5. Enjoy with some icecream or whipped cream!

Don't burn yourself on the hot Apples and don't spill any on your brand new iPad!

Wait a minute, let's call this desert the iPie! ;)

]]> If at first you don´t succeed, donate to charity! tag:www.timecenter.com,2010:/blog//1.21 2010-01-27T11:01:59Z 2010-01-27T12:49:52Z

I wanted to share our Name this donkey competition with our customers, so I sent out a newsletter. I made a slight mistake and sent out a Swedish version of the email to everybody, including our English friends.Now this was...

Daniel The Scheduling Wizard I wanted to share our Name this donkey competition with our customers, so I sent out a newsletter. I made a slight mistake and sent out a Swedish version of the email to everybody, including our English friends.

Now this was an honest mistake, but I was mad at myself for making it. So I found out a way to make it all better.

Now, we have a new policy. Every time something goes wrong, the staff member responsible has to donate 500kr (about $70) to charity. I chose the Red Cross and their Haiti effort.

Now when something goes wrong, it's great for the world!]]> Name this amazing donkey - It´s for charity! tag:www.timecenter.com,2010:/blog//1.20 2010-01-25T17:50:57Z 2010-01-26T17:56:55Z

We need your help to name our biggest donkey! Just leave a comment with your name suggestion and become the next internet hero! The rules are simple, the funniest name will win.We have served over 200 000 bookings worth over...

Daniel The Scheduling Wizard

We need your help to name our biggest donkey! Just leave a comment with your name suggestion and become the next internet hero! The rules are simple, the funniest name will win.

We have served over 200 000 bookings worth over $15 million dollars and we realised that not all entrepreneurs are as lucky. So we want to celebrate ours and our customers success in a slightly different way.

In Ghana, many women and children are suffering because of poor living conditions and poverty. We have decided to donate 20 donkeys that will be used by women to carry goods to the local market. This way, their children don't need to work and can attend school instead. The animals were purchased from Gifts in Action, a non-profit organization that helps families in vulnerable parts of the world to tackle the effects of poverty.

Thank you all for making this possible. Now go and name that donkey!]]> Why is Freddie smiling? Is MailChimp´s friendly mascot hiding something? tag:www.timecenter.com,2009:/blog//1.15 2009-11-25T15:08:00Z 2009-11-25T15:19:32Z

Squeeeeek! *insert funny monkey sounds here* Have you tried MailChimp? It's a cool service to send gazillions of emails to your clients. A pretty boring task normally, but what makes MailChimp interesting is their branding. On the startpage of...

Niclas - The TimeCaptain

Have you tried MailChimp? It's a cool service to send gazillions of emails to your clients. A pretty boring task normally, but what makes MailChimp interesting is their branding.

On the startpage of MailChimp.com they have a big monkey. And when I'm signed in, Freddie (Yes, he's got a name!) talks to me and gives me fun links to YouTube, telling me that he likes my new shirt, and stuff like that. Pretty fun, and an unusual touch.
]]> Freddie is annoying - Yet I like him...
At first I liked him, but after a while he felt like that friend that sends you instant messages all the time with funny links to funny videos with funny cats and other funny stuff. You can choose to ignore them, but then you take a big risk of missing something fun. Who would want that?

So at the end of the day, Freddie is friendly and kind of adorable after all... And I know I can hide him if I really need to focus.

The mysterious smile
Recently, Freddie started smiling more than usual on the start page. And I mean a REALLY BIG SMILE. Why such a big smile? Compare the before and after images and decide for yourself.

Before - Freddie is quite happy

After - Is that a paycheck in his hand?

Here are my theories:
- Freddie won 20,000 bananas in the Spanish lottery
- Freddie got an email from a relative in Nigeria that let him inherit $10,000,000
- Freddie got a raise and the letter in his hand is the fat paycheck
- Freddie's genius creators found out that a bigger smile, led to more sign-ups

Does this make Freddie a more friendly chimp with his new big smile?
Or does he look more like an evil greedy monkey?

I'll let you decide.]]> Usability Week - How To Improve the Customer Experience tag:www.timecenter.com,2009:/blog//1.7 2009-11-23T13:10:00Z 2009-11-23T13:27:18Z

Niclas - The TimeCaptain

Our lovely teacher Catherine and our friend Maru In October we had the luxury of being in Las Vegas and attending the Usability Week by Nielsen/Norman Group. There were several seminars to choose from and what caught our attention was Write Your Way to Cost-Effective Online Customer Care by Catherine Toole from Sticky Content.

She gave us many hints on how to communicate with our customers both in e-mail and on our website. Since it was a small group, Catherine dedicated around 30 minutes to discuss our website and helped us see what could be improved.
]]> This is amazing! We want more!
After hearing Catherine's first seminar, we wanted more, and signed up for All Your Own Words: How to Create a Brand Tone of Voice Online which took place the next day.

On this seminar, there were around 15 participants. Since we'd been feeding Catherine with our copy on Online Appointment Scheduling the day before, she used us in a lot of examples. This was extremely useful!

Catherine was amazing, in how she communicated with the participants. It was a true dialogue, and somehow she memorized everyones companies and products, and kept making examples based on our own experience. If you get the opportunity, you must attend a future seminar by Catherine Toole. She's lovely!

How are we going to use this on TimeCenter?
After attending the seminars and reading our own copy we realized that we had a pretty boring approach and tone of voice. Before changing any text, we need to find out what our tone of voice should be. Should it be strict and professional, or humorous and personal?

In a future post I will tell you what we are gonna change more in detail, and how it will benefit both the users (easier to use!) and ourselves (more sales!).

So, how did we like the conference?
It was fun and very useful. We're also certain that by improving the copy we will increase the conversions, and also make our current customers happier.

We met Maru from the iFone guys, an amazing guy from New Zealand with lots and lots of ideas. It was really fun talking to him, once we got used to the accent! They've made a cool app called Panorama, to take panoramic images with the iPhone. We're very curious to see future apps from them, since they really seem to be a great team.

So you missed the seminars? You wanna know the secrets?
The experience of having your own site analyzed by an expert is priceless. But out of these two seminars, we're giving you the secrets for free!

Stay tuned for these future posts, that will be automagically linked as soon as they're published:

- 10 Text Fixes that Increases Your Conversions
- 10 Ways to make Customers Choose Your Service

Right now, it's back to the drawing board (or writing board?) to get some amazing words onto our website. While you're waiting, check Catherine's comments on fried chicken in Vegas and the usability week on their StickyBlog, Part 1 and Part 2.

]]> Why you shouldn´t care about spying competitors tag:www.timecenter.com,2009:/blog//1.2 2009-11-03T11:47:57Z 2010-01-27T11:41:24Z

Sometimes I get the question on how a small business can protect themselves from their competitors prying eyes. I usually think it's totally unnecessary.This fear is based on the the same logic when some businesses don't list prices of their...

Daniel The Scheduling Wizard Sometimes I get the question on how a small business can protect themselves from their competitors prying eyes. I usually think it's totally unnecessary.

This fear is based on the the same logic when some businesses don't list prices of their stock products and services online. Because if their competitors see their prices,
they will... do what? You should care about what your customers think. And no, they won't call you. They go straight to the next website.
]]>
1. They admire you (secretly of course)
If someone is spying on your business, they probably like you. Nobody cares about a loser, so you probably seem like a winner!

2. They can never be #1
Look at Apples Iphone. Every other week there is an "Iphone killer" launched. Everyone is trying to copy their success. Well, you can never be the best, if you just make a cheap copy of someone else. The whole idea, the feeling, the mojo gets lost somehow.

3. They are seeing shadows
It takes more than just a shallow look to understand your business. The way you treat your customers, your karisma and your advice are hard to copy.

So next time, when you get a feeling that your business colleagues are watching you, SMILE! They secretly have your picture on the wall, with a big heart around it.]]>