I’ve never liked poetry but it has helped me justify most of my actions in that taking the road less traveled has made all the difference. For me it has. It doesn’t mean that road is not full of flat tires, small wrecks and the occasional drunk driver, but imagining the destination just over the horizon has been worth it, so far.

During this road trip, however, I’ve been cursed by something. It’s called Web 2.0. I hate it and love it all at once. I won’t re-hype or re-type what has already been written, but just make one point.

Design and Usability should be on the top of your list. Everything is dependent upon this. It drives viral marketing and loyalty. Without it, you will have to release a Version 2 and/or your users will cap out…both major problems.

Here’s the road less traveled:

1. Assume your design sucks, ego’s create failure.
2. If something is cool…likely it is not usable….No Flaming Logos!
3. Do Usability testing every week and listen to it
4. Always make decisions based on “What is good for our users?”

It might make all the difference.

Ok..stupid title, I know.

I’ve been such a basher of Google AdSense. I’ve called it “Google bad sense”, or “Google doesn’t make sense”, or “Google just make cents” or “Google NonSense”…which are just a little better than this post’s stupid title.

It is NOT a revenue stream because it is WAY overhyped and the net effects are negative. Ok, so there are a few stories of success. Just like a few stories of Internet buy-outs, hence the bubble of 2000 and the glut of companies that are started by creating a one-trick pony.

There are 57 Million blogs, 55% (31.35M) which are active at least once in the last three months, posts are 1.3 million a day or 54,000 per hour…..damn, I just shat myself. I realize that when I hit the publish button in my blog software it’ll, be 54,001…at least one of the hours today.

The data is here if you want to read more

31 Million blogs have the ability to add adsense, the distributed advertising of the Google Adwords program. Google then shares a portion of it’s revenue from the advertiser with the blogger. Seems fair so far. That’s the revenue….but the cost? Page Clutter, and that’s just the “heading” of the cost. The details that result are less space for YOUR product, assuming you are a writer. It causes readers to scroll more, think more, and be confused, well, more. Ok, so your readers are smart, yeah so are mine, I know, I know. But anyone who gets confused, you lose. A blog is completely dependent upon it’s writing, which is hard enough, now you throw in confusion for a few pennies. If you think your readers are smart, read this….Unskilled and Unaware

Look out…here comes a Hippo. I thought about using Google’s content network–which is the Adsense part of Adwords–to promote my business. Essentially USING the silly hype that millions of bloggers have bought into, to promote my product, I reapeat, USING them….not it. Bloggers lose credibility with potential readers and confuse others, and I’m going to participate in that?

And as for websites using it….if you were selling enough of your own stuff, you wouldn’t cheapen yourself to take pennies of pennies, distracting the customers you do have from, well, you. It totally wrecks your credibility.

As of right now, I do not have AdSense turned on in my Google Adwords program. But I’ve been tempted, I mean, being a Hippo could be cool, the fatter you are, the more excited people get, where can you find that to be true anywhere else…fatter = more excited……where are the chips?