I have a Nikon SLR digital camera with 10 megapixels of power to capture the finest detail digitally and reproduce analog printed masterpieces that I hang in my home and office. Instead I opted for the camera my Blackberry Curve to capture a rare, low-the-sky double rainbow in the Adirondacks, leaving me only the opportunity to share it’s miniature likeness here or on Facebook, or use it as the home screen on a display that’s smaller than a business card.

We have no less than 4 working computers in our home, each with brilliant wide screen displays, yet I sit outside typing away on the small keyboard screen of my iPad, battling the harsh glare of the summer sun.

Why? Convenience. As technology “miniaturizes” it becomes more convenient. It enables us to jump online even though we are a couple hundred feet from our homes. It enables us to capture a moment in time - at our convenience - and share it with our friends, and the rest of the world, just as it happens.

This convenience comes with a cost, of course. The quality of my photos isn’t always what it should be, although I am able to capture memories I might have otherwise missed.

While I type away now on my iPad I might be able to get this done much more quickly on my larger laptop or desktop computer - and with far less eye strain - however the compact nature and ease of use makes the tradeoff worthwhile. I can site comfortably and catch a few rays, while at the same time, write this post.

The same goes for our messaging. Twitter has enabled the world to share information in 140 character sprites - quickly and easily from anywhere you can get online.

Our conversations are miniaturizing, yet we are communicating with one another like never before. The question remains, is the tradeoff quality? The answer: not necessarily.

The access to information and the speed of which we are able to share it allows us a far greater platform for communication. Combining a better understanding of the principles and techniques of Internet marketing, with the same for social marketing, you are now wildly enabled to provide relevant messages of extremely high quality. The tools are transparent yet the thoughts remain complete. I can ensure you hear the latest news about our company with a quick tweet and elaborate later in a longer blog post. I can do either of these tasks while on the road, in my backyard, or in my office - from my laptop, my cellphone, or any device I choose - and you’d never know the difference.

The portability and choice provided by technology has empowered us in ways most of us have never imagined. The challenge remains to ensure that these choices do not interfere with a quality outcome. Enjoy the freedom that “small” provides but strive to keep the ideas and messages BIG.

Misspelling is a pet peeve of mine. Sure, I’m as guilty of creating spelling errors as often as the next person – maybe more. But when push comes to shove, I know that in most instances – especially in the day of 140 character messages – we have one shot. And with call to action, that shot is truly critical. So I better look twice, or three times, at the message for misspellings and context.

Take this site for example:

Seems like they’re inviting the Guidos and Guidettes from Jersey Shore (the TV show, that is). Or simply a translation process gone bad? (The site seems riddled with typos.)

Sometimes misspellings may be in headlines or artwork.

At least they were consistent on this site – the Title tag uses “Acommodations”, too. While in this case it’s not a call to action, it is a missed detail - it’s what I came to the site to see. Does that mean they might miss an important detail about my reservation? It’s an error that can alter my perception of their services.

And take the headline of this post, for instance…Looks funny doesn’t it? Yes, it’s intentional, just to prove a point. Things can go wrong with technology. A spell checker might be turned off or ignored (they can be annoying). Or it might be missed in the art creation or development process, where spell checking is likely non-existent.

As Internet Marketing consultants, that means we have to be even more vigilant, ensuring we read, test and review thoroughly. Because we have typically just one chance to connect; to set the proper tone; to create or alter perception. A letter or word out of place can totally blow that chance.

Seems pretty basic, right?

Just yesterday I wrote a post about Skittles attempt at using social media layered under their minimal site navigation ala Modernista. Interesting thing happens when you click the link for Modernista’s site: it retains our site in the background. Go ahead…try it.

Is it because we are opening in a new window? Who knows. Design flaw? You decide. If it was my site or that of my clients’, I wouldn’t be happy.

So the song goes…

Everbody’s talkin’ at me,
Can’t hear a word they’re sayin’…

Is this an ingenious use of social media or simply a dilution of the brand?

Social media sites, while in intention are meant to inspire such conversation, can often just run amuck into simply…well, all talk and no action. Call to action, that is.

When does social media just become noise? I think this is a good example. I have no time to babble about their site – which is what is going on now on Twitter. The brand is lost.

What is the call to action? What is the brand gain?

Maybe they were hoping people would say, “Wow, look what that great rainbow candy did…isn’t it cool! I gotta get some!”

Instead, people are tweeting about how Skittles broke Twitter. It’s more about Twitter than Skittles.

Remember the Goal: Brand Enhancement

What about the brand? What satisfaction can I get from Skittles? What space should the Skittles brand occupy in my life? (OK yes, it’s just candy, but as a brand it should answer that question.)

In this case, the brand has been reduced to a business card-sized image with some navigation at the top left of the page. That’s it. The rest is everybody talking about….whatever. It’s just noise…

Use social media to your advantage. Ensure you have a close connection to your brand and that the talk enhances your brand. Not talks over it.

And make sure you have a page to call to “home.”

Give it a look at Skittles.com.

Here it is, 7:00 on a Sunday morning and I am browsing for pre-holiday bargains in my comfy chair with a cup of coffee and the toasty warmth of the fireplace. (Here in the northeast, an early cold snap puts the morning temperature at 23 unbelievable degrees!) Like other shoppers, whether you intend to visit a brick and mortar or not, you can easily plan your shopping and grab up discounts and coupons with the ease of a click. Which lead me to click on a call to action from Target.com.

Sign up for the 2-day sale preview!

Sounds great! I sign-up, they send me sale information before anyone who didn’t click! It’s a compelling call to action for someone in the holiday buying mode.

Now, I’m totally sensitive to design. It’s my passion…that is, until it disrupts usability. Target is a great brand. No living, breathing American doesn’t recognize their red target logo or Bullseye the Bull Terrier mascot.

There’s a time when you want to maintain design conventions: colors, patterns, and style. Then there’s time to realize that maybe those conventions might not work as intended. They may actually impede the customer’s intent. That’s when you need to stop and re-evaluate and re-design.

That’s what I found when I clicked that call to action. A very pretty overlayed registration box. I entered my email address twice. I clicked the opt-in boxes. Then…

I clicked the Cancel button.

Why? How can that happen? I wanted to sign-up. I got this far. What was I thinking???

Here’s why. Take a look at the two action buttons. The more prominent button is the Cancel button. It has more visual contrast and is featured on the right: the path I am more likely to take if I am expecting to “move forward.”

Why would they position it that way? Why would they make the Cancel button the most prominent action and image on the screen?

Sometimes it’s the simple things that escape us. I am a big proponent of not making it easy for someone to say no, particularly if they have made it this far in the purchase funnel. If they are not interested, they can always click the close window option.

I did go back and tryit again after I realized what happened. I wonder how many other people quickly filled-in their email address and instinctively clicked the more prominent option and didn’t go back. Ah, consider their disappointment when they don’t get their 2-day sale reminder.

Don’t make simple mistakes in an already difficult economy and shopping climate, particularly at what is the biggest shopping time of the year. Even though something may be designed one way, keep an eye on results and analytics, and change what doesn’t work or can work better…and change it fast!

Hey Target…Consider this a little free advice.

Happy Black Friday!