I especially like the part at 1:18 where they take useless content away!
Georgy Cohen on Homepage Content
The Homepage.
It might be the most politically-charged page on any Web site. As a result, it often ends up being a "more content" nightmare. (See this vintage post on the American Airlines homepage by Dustin Curtis.)
I hope by now we can all agree that's a less-than-desirable outcome. But if putting everything on the homepage isn't the answer, how does one decide what does go there? Georgy Cohen has some fabulous suggestions:
http://meetcontent.com/blog/planning-for-homepage-content/
Cut the crap
At the 2011 Content Strategy Forum in London, Ove Dalen (@ovedalen) presented the first real case study I’d seen showing the amazing potential of decreasing the amount of content on a web site.
The slideshare isn’t rendered terribly well, but James Perrin (@Koozai_James) posted a nice recap shortly after the event. (2nd story on the page) In short, they removed 80% of the site’s content and saw a 100% conversion increase. Wow.
Less... on my phone?
Who needs all of the complexities of a smartphone?
Well, a lot of us, admittedly. But does your kid? Does your grandmother? No. And there isn’t a lot out there for them.
OwnPhone saw the need for a simple phone, with a lot LESS stuff, and created a business plan.
Just a simple phone that places and receives calls. No browser. No games. No maps. No voicemail. Clearly-labeled with a maximum of 12 pre-stored numbers to call.
I think this is brilliant. I see this being useful for parents wanting to be able to communicate with their kids without giving them all of the features of a smartphone. (Photo buttons coming soon, which makes it great even for preschoolers.) Or for the elderly who just need a phone for emergencies. Or for anyone who just wants to unplug for a while but still be able to be reachable for critical situations or just to check on the kids without the temptation of email and Bejeweled at their fingertips.
Pricing is a little high, imo, but they are just getting started. I look forward to seeing this in the US soon.