“Our data can be sold, and our every behavior can become part of a global algorithm.”

Your data or your freedom? – VPRO documentary – 2014

How do we remain in charge of our own data? Are there ways to escape the digital dystopia, where your data tells everything about you? We live in the world after Edward Snowden. The communication of citizens and consumers is widely intercepted and monitored. Your data is being monitored and analyzed, and now even sold.

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The Tenets of A/B Testing from Duolingo’s Master Growth Hacker

Duolingo VP Gina Gotthilf has overseen the company’s growth as it exploded from 3 million to 200 million users. One tool that’s fueled this ascent? A/B Testing. Read on to learn from her favorite tests.

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How good design helps small businesses to grow.

There’s a lot that goes through the mind of an entrepreneur when it comes to hiring design services. On this talk, I’ll address common struggles, like communicating with your designer, or finding talent from the many, many options out there, such as Fiverr or 99designs so you can make the most of your budget.

Pics

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As a remote worker, I picked a few laptop-friendly places so you can get things done when in São Paulo, taste Brazilian Arabica coffee and experience this intense, crowded, city. Here it goes:

Biblioteca São Paulo

State’s government built an amazing park and library where it used to be a penitentiary with a horrible history. Now is a green area with a skate park, tennis courts, and tons of grass fields for a picnic. The library (biblioteca in Portuguese) has Internet and comfortable spaces to work and chill. From my research is the best spot to work when in the North part of the city.

http://bsp.org.br

https://www.facebook.com/BSPbiblioteca/

Campus São Paulo

Google’s space has a whopping 200Mb Internet available for free. Their building in São Paulo’s Paraiso district has two floors for co-working and other two for residents, companies selected for their incubation program. Google has other spaces in bustling hubs as Warsaw, London, and Tel Aviv. They host a handful of interesting events you can check on their blog.

https://www.campus.co/sao-paulo/en/about

FIAP co-working

FIAP is a tech university that merged with Singularity University. They offer their campuses lunch area as a co-working space. The place has nice decor and good snacks. Make sure you book at least 24 hours in advance. A CPF (Brazilian ID number) is required. If you’re foreigner try registering with LinkedIn instead, it might be an alternative. Avoid lunch times as it can get crowded and noisy. I worked from Paulista’s campus (they have another branch in Vila Olimpia, South of the city) and it was great.

https://www.fiap.com.br/coworking/

Takkø Café

For the coffee warriors, São Paulo “hipster” scene is blossoming. In Vila Buarque district, in the downtown, you can find Takkø Cafe. They have a great banana cake, awesome crew, and funky coffee fusions.
https://www.facebook.com/takkocafesp/

Por um Punhado de Dólares (PPD)

Funky cafe in the artsy area of Roosevelt Square, in central São Paulo. The area is a skateboarding spot since the 1980’ and a hub for indie theaters and dodgy brothels. PPD has a warehouse feeling and great cold teas with creative names.

https://www.facebook.com/ppdcafe/

Mirante 9 de Julho

I haven’t been to this one specifically to work, but to chill It is a renovated area by the Avenida Nove de Julho at Bela Vista district, just behind MASP, São Paulo’s museum of art. The area has been abandoned for 70ish years, left unused after the construction of a tunnel beneath it. Now they host super cool gigs with local bands and open air cinema sessions. Cozy, with great city views.

https://www.facebook.com/mirante9dejulho/

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Why Perseverance Crushes Talent When it Comes to Success

In a moving preface to her first book, Angela Duckworth shared her story of growing up as one of three children of Chinese immigrants. Her father was particularly hard to please, and he had a favorite phrase for Angela and her siblings: You’re no genius.

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Silicon Valley Has an Empathy Vacuum

Silicon Valley’s biggest failing is the distinct lack of empathy for those whose lives are disturbed by its technological wizardry, Om Malik writes.

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What is Conversion Rate Optimization?

Without digging into too much jargon, there’s a method where designers and marketeers crunch data, both from analytics tools and user feedback. It’s called Conversion Rate Optimization, or CRO. This technique provides insights into fine-tuning a website, and making the best possible ratio between visitors and a specific action. This can be leveraged into acquiring new customers, gathering leads, downloads, etc. Say, last month, you had 1,000 visitors to your website, and 10 requests for proposals: your conversion rate will be 1 percent.

A quick disclaimer: Keep in mind that insights from each analysis will be highly contextual (what works for one company or industry doesn’t necessarily work for another).

Website design tips to increase conversion

I’ll list a few key areas where you can get started to improve your website’s design to increase conversion. I recommend you commit not only to implementing them, but also to measuring it, and constantly improving. Think of it as a continuous process.

Here goes:

1. Place your call-to-action above-the-fold

Take a step back and consider something for a second: what is the goal of your website? Is it making a sale or acquiring a lead? With that in mind, each page of your website should have a beautiful and prominent call-to-action — be it a button or a form — right above-the-fold. That means the visitor doesn’t have to scroll down in order to see it.

Also, by adding a benefit to following your call-to-action, you have a double win! Instead of a generic “Buy Now,” try “Start My 14-Day Free Trial.” Test a few different colours. With only this slight adjustment you can heap extra conversion points.

2. Pick a punchy and clear headline.

Still at the page above-the-fold: research shows that 55 percent of visitors spend fewer than 15 seconds on a website. So make sure you have a creative, bold and catchy headline. Besides, text attracts attention before graphics. To help increase conversions with design, consider bold fonts taking the stage, and paint a persuasive picture with words for your target audience.

Add social proof elements

Science backs the claim that social proof sells. Robert Cialdini’s best-selling book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, lists social proof as a go-to resource for people who might be doubtful about what to do.

They seek out knowledge on what everyone else is doing, and allow it to influence their shopping experience. For Cialdini, “laugh tracks on comedy shows exist for this very reason.” Translating that conceptualisation into website design to increase conversions, add the following elements to your webpage:

Testimonials: People sharing how happy they are, by using your services or products. Top it off with a few choice numbers, pulled from their results. (“Lost 5 kilos in 3 weeks,” “Increased 23% in billable hours,” etc.), their picture, a few full names, and boom! You have a recipe for success, and a great starting point people can relate to it. Make it real.

Get tips for developing testimonials for an eCommerce website.

Case study: Another powerful tool for adding social proof to your website is storytelling. Think of a case study as a testimonial on steroids: you tell the customer about their background, their problem and how your company has already solved something exactly like that. Design-wise, you can distribute case studies in a multitude of formats: a report, a video, (see next point) or, simply, a section on your website.

3. Show and tell with a video.

It’s been shown that videos can dramatically increase conversions. This alone seems a good enough reason to start thinking about how to add them to your website.

Some great ideas:

Behind-the-scenes: Show off the work that went into creating your product. This will increase your likeability, and bring the visitor closer to your brand.

Product tour: A quick 60 seconds on your product, and its benefits, will save the visitor’s time scrolling around your page.

Case study: Pick one of your customers, and tell their story. Think of a format — such as Problem, Solution, Results — and embody that in a simple script.

4. Show off your badges.

Adding badges as a design element can bring that extra element of trust to your website. We can organise these into three categories:

1. Trust badges: Typically from review sites. Trustpilot is popular in the B2B market, while TripAdvisor and Yelp are popular for consumers.
2. Security badges: Badges provided by companies like McAfee demonstrate that you have an encrypted link between your website and your visitor’s browser. These badges assure all info sent through your landing page forms is secure.
3. Award badges: Highlight your best-in-class status with badges for industry-specific awards, like Awwwards for the best web designers, developers and agencies.

Summing up

Consider the points I’ve outlined above as a starting point to boosting your website’s conversions and sales. Don’t only implement them, but remember to measure and always work toward improving your performance, and you’ll have a surefire path toward increasing your lead generation, and growing your business.

[Originally published at Garage, GoDaddy’s blog]

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In this book, I address and find solutions to those struggles, and show how good design helps small businesses to grow. It is 70 pages with insightful content, case studies and special discounts to start your next design project saving money.

Get a free preview and use the code LAUNCH to get $5 off.

Thanks for your support. Boom!

The post Announcing my new book: Growth by Design. appeared first on Leo Almeida.

The Plan

A great journey starts with an accurate plan I did my homework: bounced ideas with my mates, researched motorbike models, the possible routes and time in each place, and what to see in the country.

Introducing Ramona

Introducing Ramona, this sexy communist babe that rode with me. A Honda Nouvo 110cc with a huge detachable storage. From my research, this beast is the best of the worlds for this journey.

Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City

Have you ever fell in love with a building? Yeah, that happened with me. This one is at Durong Nguyen Huê Street and it feels like Alice in the Wonderland. There’re soooo many cafes, tea houses, funky stores that you can keep opening doors and discovering places for ages. Shouts to @My Hoang.

Well, let’s talk about the war. I visited the War Remnants Museum to check the Vietnamese side of the story. The numbers are impressive: 3M deaths, 1M being civilians. About 12 million gallons of Agent Orange on chemical attacks supported by the ones like Dow Chemical and Monsanto… Neither France or the US has apologized so far.

Mui Ne

Mui Ne is a chill fishing Village. They have tons of these coracles, a small round boat made of wickerwork.

I’ve met these crazy riders, Funda and Daniela (ops, Leonie). He had a great time in the city, from playing capoeira on the sand dunes to interacting with the local police (twice!).

Dalat

I was stoked to ride across the coffee farms. Vietnam is the #2 biggest coffee producer worldwide, just after Brazil. They produce Robusta beans, a bitter coffee used primarily in instant coffee. Usually prepared in drip and sweetened with condensed milk. Crazy how the temperature drops up here – I went from sunny 30c-ish in Mui Ne, to 10-15c here. When there, stay at Tre’s House. Do a coffee tour at La Viet Coffee.

Southern Beaches: Ninh Van Bay, Vung Ro Bay

It’s said that the South of the country has the best beaches. My pick is Vung Ro Bay, with a stunning lighthouse and pristine beach. No tourists whatsoever.

Hoi An

Super charming historic district and the Old Town is a UN World Heritage Site. Colorful lanterns everywhere and romantic rides by the river with candles.

Vai Han Pass

A long mountain pass with misty and stunning views. A must for riders.

Hue

Vietnam’s former national capital from 1802–1945. Has a beautiful Imperial City, with a Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. Rich in architectural details.

Vinh Moc Tunnels

This was, apparently, a random stop that fascinated me and showed how resilient and badass Vietnamese are. Vinh Moc is a tunnel complex built to shelter the villagers from the intense bombing (9,000 tons, if you wanna know) of US forces. Figures: Period: 1966-1972; Extension 2000m long, with 13 entrances; 60 families lives in the tunnels (Wikipedia data, locals mention up to 600 people); 17 children born there.

Phong Nha

Beautiful mountains, tropical forests and underground rivers at this national park. Has a vast chain of caves. Visit Paradise Cave to check out huge stalagmites.

Ho Citadel

I couldn’t find much information on-site here. I found out later: Built in the 14th century according to feng shui principles, used to be the capital of both Dai Viet nation during the final years of Tran Dynasty and Dai Ngu nation. Also a UN World Heritage Site.

It was funny to ride up the citadel’s walls and getting lost trying to cross the kingdom.

Hanoi

A fascinating, chaotic-yet-charming city in Vietnam. Fantastic food, terrific cafes and places to work from.

Bai Tu Long Bay

Need a break from Ramona I indulged in a luxury 3D2N tour in Bai Tu Long Bay.

Sa Pa

The highlands has one of the most stunning scenery from all country. Lots of rice paddies and breathtaking views.  Home of Mt. Fansipan (or Phan Xi Pang) the highest mountain in Indochina, at 3,143 meters. I was particularly fascinated by the locals from minority groups and their costume with distinctive and colorful designs. There are 9 different ethnic groups around this area (54 in the whole country).

Loop North: Sa Pa-Sin Ho.

I had a few extra days and extended for more 330km West around Tonkinese Alps: valleys, mountains & rivers on the roof of Indochina.

The End  – Dec 20, 2016

After 6 weeks, +3200km and tons of “helloooo” from smiling kids, my road trip across Vietnam comes to an end. I was so stoked! This country has one of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever met. What a huge lesson on how to adapt, strive and still smile.

Riding for long distances is truly a form of meditation. The side roads’ landscapes and quietness creates a unique environment to dive deep down inside oneself.

PS: Ah, sweet Ramona is gone. She will be happier riding with her new owner

Planning your ride?

I’ve put together some tips and resources that helped me a lot:

Facebook groups to buy/sell; to meet other riders: ForSaleVietnam, Vietnam Back Roads, Vietnam Backpackers Travel and Sales

Vietnam Coracle: That’s the bible for riders in Vietnam. Period.

Google Translate. Ultra handy app as away from big cities English is rarely spoken. Download an offline version.

Vocabulary:

•  Pho Bo: yes, Vietnamese eat dogs. The “Bo”, will make sure you’re talking about beef, not a puppy.
• Nhà nghỉ: Means homestay, accommodation. Look out for signs with that when you need a rest after a long ride.
• Cảm ơn (sounds like “come oooon”). Means thanks

Gear:

Get a storage box for your stuff, that is *way* better than attaching a backpack to your bike; Use a full face helmet – you will be safer is something happens.

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I’m looking for creative professionals that wanna be part of a new product development. Are you a graphic/fashion/interior designer that use mood boards on your creative process? Wanna create something exciting to help your career and your peers?

Ideally you should have one/two hours a week for a coffee/chat/feedback session, so I can understand your needs when it comes to using mood boards: how you make it, how you gather client’s feedbacks, etc. Some perks for your precious time? Once the product is developed you will get  a lifetime free subscription. Plus, as an Creative Ambassador, you will be rewarded based on sales you generated.

Interested? Please drop me a few lines about you. Lets build something great together!

Cheers!

[Applications closed. Thanks guys!]

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