The Canadian Marketing Association Brings "Website Usability – Tiny Changes Big Rewards" Seminar To Montreal Next Thursday

I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with Tara O’Doherty the National Director, Usability Group for Fjord Interactive Marketing + Technology (A member of the Cossette Communications Group). Over the years we’ve both presented at the Internet Marketing Conference here in Montreal (IMC) and we continue to spend countless hours on email or in-person discussing the importance of iterative design mixed with prime usability and functionality (that mixed in with lots of inter-mingling, socializing and a cool friendship).

Next Thursday, November 25th, from 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at the Marriott Chateau Champlain (1 Place du Canada, Maisonneuve Room) Tara will be doing a session called “Website Usability – Tiny Changes Big Rewards” presented by the CMA (Canadian Marketing Association). You can register for the event here.

The CMA’s website describes the event as follows:

“Currently, only 40% of online visitors can successfully complete their desired online transaction – that’s why Forrester Research Inc. is saying the average conversion rate on retail sites is 3% (‘Web Content that sells’, 03/18/04). If you have not introduced usability methodology into the design and maintenance of your site, you are most likely not optimized for success.

Successful websites introduce usability methods at each phase throughout the design cycle. Usability methods and techniques have been proven to be the key to increasing transactions/registrations, decreasing costs, increasing conversion rates, and increasing both productivity and overall user satisfaction.

Join us for this special critique-focused seminar, we’ll review the principles of the online customer experience (including information retrieval, merchandizing, and shopping) for various industry verticals and you’ll find out what the top North American performers are doing right, and the mistakes that others are making. Find out how tiny changes to your website and intranet can elicit big results.”

As always, I look forward to seeing Tara speak. Not only is she a good friend, but I believe she is one of the best presenters at explaining the power of the online world and what work is truly needed when it comes to developing a world-class website.

See you there.