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It's a good time to be a sports fan these days. Every time I want to find out the score of last night's New York Mets game, I have half a dozen places to turn to. If I want highlights or a story, I can turn to newspaper pages, Yahoo!, ESPN.com or Fox Sports.

Several years ago, I may have only turned to ESPN.com. These days, however, I find myself hitting up the Yahoo! Sports page every day.

Why? Simple navigation. The ESPN page navigation has gotten so complicated, it's almost turned me off from the site completely. If I weren't already familiar with the ESPN.com navigation, I would probably never go to the page. (I find myself going there less and less, and when I do, it's not to read up on sports news, but to check out its jokey Page Two sub-site.)

For marketers, site usability can be key to delivering your message. First off, if you're going to buy ad space, make sure people can see it clearly. If your ad simply looks like clutter on a page, you may not want to advertise there.

For your own sites, while you may not have to clutter up your page with as much content as ESPN, it's important to work hand-in-glove with usability experts to judge if your page can be navigated quickly and easily.

Here are some quick usability tips for your homepage:

1) Don't clutter your page. If you have lots of information, spread it out using clear links and sidebar navigation.

2) Limit scrolling. Nobody likes to scroll unless there's content they absolutely need. And be honest, they may not need to absorb everything you have to say. Choose wisely.

3) Make sure there's a clear path to your homepage. 'Nuff said.

4) Creative is good. Abstract may not be. Check out the Leo Burnett homepage. I get it. They're creative. They flaunt it. Most importantly, I get it.

Dear readers: Any tips to share? Post 'em!

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What do you guys think of this story? Any thoughts?

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Check out this (obviously fake) video on the proposed ZunePhone. Gotta love Microsoft.

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The Web is ablaze with rumors that Google Inc. is working on a Linux-based GPhone.

Engadget reported yesterday that the Mountain View, Calif.-based company could be investing millions of dollars into GPhone development.

These rumors may not be completely unfounded. In July, Google said it would bid at least $4.6 billion for wireless spectrum licenses if the FCC put the airwaves (700 MHz range) up for bids. (The 700 MHz range, currently owned by TV broadcasters, will be prime real estate for wireless and digital companies when put on sale in 2009.)

Also, it's rumored that Taiwanese tech manufacturer HTC will manufacture the GPhone. (It seems someone from CrunchGear may have an insider at HTC.) After all, the company's WM-6 model is used with Yahoo! Go.

Mashable is reporting that Google's offering may, in fact, be free and ad-supported. Also, the GPhone wouldn't be tied to any specific provider -- like the iPhone to AT&T -- but that the company would work out deals with all major cell phone providers.

Here's a picture of what the GPhone could look like:

Marketers: Now you have another format to work with. While the iPhone is pretty darn cool, the introduction of a free GPhone could bring your product countless new subscribers. Last week I blogged about Apple's iPhone letdown. For all of you who are trying to figure out what to do with this new device, groundbreaking as it is, think for a second: Who are you trying to reach? The half a million iPhone subscribers or the potentially endless swarm of GPhone users?

It seems that investing in Linux-based apps may be on your to-do list in the coming months.

Posted by Daniel at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)