Party Jump USA

Long Weekend Rest and Relaxation

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:29:00 +0000

Long weekend's are a perfect time to get away and relax for the weekend. With so much going on in our everyday lives with work, school, family, etc., sometimes we just need a weekend to get away or relax. Long weekend's, like Labor Day, can be a good time to rest and relax whether it's at home, at a park, at the beach, at a lake, or out of town on vacation.

If you are having a gathering in your backyard, at a park, lake, or at the beach, it's usually a good idea to rent some games and activities to keep you busy and entertained. Renting inflatables and interactive games like water slides or water games can be a lot of fun. Adding some fun concessions like an Ice Shaver machine can cool you down during the hot weather. If there are some sporting games on that you want to watch with the family then a Popcorn Machine rental would definitely be a good option. Margarita Machine rentals are also a great option for parties with adults. Food Catering for long weekends is usually not needed since most gatherings are small scale and less than 20 people.

One of the things you want to remember for Long Weekend events is that renting your supplies and necessities, or ordering the food, is usually better if it falls within your budget because the main thing is to rest and relax. The more preparations you have to do means the more you will be working, and that's the last thing anyone wants during their Long Weekend. So go ahead, look for your local party rental company and see what games and activities they have to offer to make your long weekend fun and exciting, while getting some R&R in the process.

Summertime Parties

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:47:00 +0000

As usual, you can always count on July to introduce the heat into summer. Now that we've had a proper welcome to the most lively season of all, let's start planning a party to thoroughly enjoy the time we have in the sun.

Summertime parties are some of the best parties you can have. The weather is almost always perfect if not just right, people feel alive and a special sense of fun fills the atmosphere. Maybe it's the clear skies, maybe it's the warmth on your skin or maybe it's the bright sunny days that puts everyone in a cheerful mood. Whatever it is, we're happy to finally have summer back!

Now is the time to gather your favorite friends and family for a backyard barbecue, a pool party, or a midsummer night's cocktail party. Plan your party like you're dressing for summer: lightly. This will ensure an easy-going atmosphere and chill time, which is what summer is all about.

For food options, consider having a snack table with an assortment of chilled fruits and veggies with some light ranch dip. Maybe some salad would work as well. Avoid the greesy chip snacks, these can get heavy and messy which is not a good combination with the heat.

Burgers and hot dogs are a staple at any summertime cookout, but you can also choose to have chicken or vegetable skewers instead. Desserts MUST be cold: ice cream, ice cream cake, sherbets or popsicles are great choices.

For drinks, keep a selection of beers, sodas, water and juices on ice. You can even have a concession machine rentals like margarita machine or a slushie/snow cone machine on deck to add a little flare. Nighttime cocktail parties may call for a full bar and bartender to attend to a variety of drink preferences.

Cold drinks are a great way to keep your guests cool in the sun, but don't forget about tent rentals to put up for shade. You certainly don't want any dizzy spells on your hands at your party.

In any case, make sure to have plenty of tables and chairs for all your guests to comfortably eat at or take a break from standing around in the heat. Have appropriate music playing to make sure guests don't remain seated for too long, though.

Pop music is great for a lively party atmosphere, but if your party is more laidback, then island music will be perfect. For nighttime cocktail parties, consider jazz music for entertainment; and if your daytime party is going to include kids, consider water slides and games.

For decor and lighting, keep things bright. Bright and neon colored streamers, accessories, tablecloths, utensils and even food and drinks will add to the mood. As an outdoor party, bug repellent candles are essential. They can even double as lighting once the sun sets. If you have the space and money for it, a fire pit would be an awesome addition to really top off that summer atmosphere.

Summertime is fun time. Get your friends and family together, fire up the grill, pour the drinks and turn up the music for a memorable party

Plan a Summer Time Party

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Have a birthday or block party during the Summer that you are trying to plan for? There are a couple of things to keep in mind and take into consideration to have a cool and refreshing Summer time party. Summer is a fun and active time for a lot of people because of the great weather and ability to cool off with in the water or have a fun day out at the park. Here are a couple of things to take into consideration when you plan a Summer time party:

Shade From Sizzling Heat

We have experienced a lot of dramatic changes in weather due to climate change with hotter Summers and colder Winters. So as you plan a Summer time party, pool party, or Summer picnic at the park, plan on having some shade with tents or canopies. Tent Rentals are a great way to provide shade and cool from the heat.

Water, Water, Water

Whether you have a party at your house, on your block, at the park, or at the beach, you have to make sure to provide a lot of H2O for everyone to keep hydrated. The heat tends to get to people during the course of the day and being overheated can bring down our mood, so make sure to provide plenty of water for you and your guests to keep hydrated and cool.

Cool off With Concessions

Another great way to cool down from the heat at your backyard Summer, pool, or picnic is to rent a Concession Machine. Some good concession machines during the summer include Snow Cone or Ice Shaver machines and Margarita Machines. Concession machines are really simple to make and usually party rental companies will provide all the supplies to go with it, so you have nothing to worry about.

So remember, Summer can be a really fun and warm time, but make sure to provide plenty of shade, water, and refreshments to cool off. Last thing any party host wants is his/her guests having their moods melt away.

Planning for A Grad Party at the Top of Its Class

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 31 May 2011 20:49:00 +0000

It is graduation season and grads of all ages are ready to celebrate their academic successes in preparation for a fun-filled summer leading to a new chapter in their lives.

A graduation party is one of the most exciting parties students may ever attend. It takes some work tor properly plan and successfully host a grad party, so read on to find out how to celebrate at the top of your class!

Since graduation is celebrated with so many family members and friends, it is important to host your party on a date that allows graduates to be flexible with their own commitments and celebrations. Plan ahead to give guests enough time to secure the date and inform them on dress codes and whether meals will be served.

Create a guest list to help make planning easier. You can count on your closest family and friends, but if guests can’t commit to your party, invite them to drop-in whenever they can to celebrate with you. You may even invite a broader list of friends and classmates to make your party one of the stops for celebration in case there are a number of grad parties going on in town.

A menu for your party should definitely be age-appropriate. Depending on whether it is a pre-school graduation party or college graduation party, your selection of food and drinks will surely differ.

Pre-school and elementary kids may be entertained with snacks and juices, whereas middle school and high school kids might prefer pizzas and soda. Be careful with the older high school kids that may try to sneak in alcohol. Underage drinking is not a problem you want to deal with during your celebration.

A college grad party may call for a more sophisticated menu of appetizers, a variety of foods to fill a plate with and desserts. Beer, wine and cocktails might also entertain your guests better.

As you can see, even the menu will take some planning, but no matter what, do not forget a “Congratulations Graduates!” cake to share with guests.

For decorations, stay true to your school’s colors and mascot. You may also include themes of major events and accomplishments for your school in your graduating year. Since graduation is in the springtime, an outdoor or luau themed party may also be appropriate.

To entertain your guests, decide on a DJ or live band for music that caters to the older graduates. Maybe hula dancers for the luau parties or magicians and face painters for grade school grads.

There are a number of items to plan and budget for in hosting a grad party, just make sure to include your graduate in on all aspects of planning. It is their special moment to say goodbye to past memories and prepare for the future, so be sure to celebrate the memorable occasion with a special party.

Memorial Day Party Planning Ideas: Remembering our Troops

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Memorial Day is one of the more exciting three-day weekend holidays that Americans truly enjoy celebrating. It is a great way to kick off the summer up ahead as the weather warms up and school winds down. However, don’t forget that this holiday is meant to celebrate the lives of those who died serving in American wars. Be sure to enjoy this holiday weekend fully and patriotically.

Since it is a summertime party, Memorial Day parties should be outdoor events. Whether you decide to host the party at your house, a park or the beach, be sure everyone knows where to go. Why not have the fun start with the invites? Send patriotic invites online at Evite.com or through the mail.

Decorations are easy and obvious: red, white and blue is the way to go with any decorative items. Flags, colorful carnations, streamers, balloons, confetti and all should be red, white and blue.

For your menu, think of foods that you can toss on the grill. Make it a summertime cookout party with lots of hot dogs, burgers, steaks, chicken, shrimps and anything else you feel like firing up. Keep it simple and fun. Guests can even bring their own meats while you provide the side dishes such as corn, beans, potatoes, salads or you can even host a potluck menu to share a variety of foods.

Plenty of drinks should be on ice for the party as well. Soft drinks and juices are great thirst quenchers for the kids while a cold beer and iced/blended cocktails will keep the party alive for the adults. For desserts you can decorate a sheet cake or cupcakes with patriotic colors.

Any Memorial Day party or weekend is going to be a day of fun in the sun so be sure to have plenty of bug spray and sunscreen on hand for everyone to enjoy the party comfortably.

Plan activities for young and old alike to enjoy throughout the day. Kids love being active, so have them moving around with games like tag and hide-and-seek or hold potato sack races. You can even rent out carnival games and inflatable games such as bounce houses, inflatable obstacle courses and even water slides and games like water-balloon tag if it’s hot out.

Even the adults love inflatable games and water slides; but for the guests who would like to relax a bit more you can arrange a game of cards, charades, karaoke challenges, horseshoes and Frisbee. Everyone should know to dress lightly, but encourage them even more by holding a “best Hawaiian shirt contest”. Remind them to bring extra clothes if you plan on having water games.

There is plenty to enjoy outdoors in the sun during a Memorial Day party, be sure to do so responsibly. Most importantly, don’t forget to remember those who have served and are currently serving in the United States military. Attend a parade, visit a grave, collect donations for a military fund or simply create your own “thank you” cards with arts and crafts to send to a soldier, sailor or marine. Make Memorial Day a truly memorable holiday celebration.

Party Planning for Cinco de Mayo: Have A Fiesta!

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:03:00 +0000

May is here and Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. Be prepared to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage and enjoy all the festivities that come along with it. A Mexican-themed fiesta is a great way to gather friends and family for a fun time.

Whether you’re Mexican, have Mexican friends or are just looking for a reason to party, celebrating the Mexican militia’s victory over the French puebla army on May 5, 1862 is a great reason to do so.

If you’re going to host a more formal party, draft an invite list and send out Cinco de Mayo or fiesta themed invitations. You can even save time and money by sending invites through email at sites like Evite.com or by creating an event page on Facebook to invite friends and family to RSVP.

As decorations for your party be sure to stay in the Mexican mood. Think red, green and white for your colors and use Mexican culture images and symbols throughout. Chili peppers, cacti, sombreros, ponchos, serapes, maracas and plenty of bright colors and lights should do the trick in setting the scene properly. Plant a Mexican flag to mark where the fiesta is and have little flags decorated all over.

Food and refreshments at a Cinco de Mayo party are easy and stress free. Unless you are looking for authentic Mexican recipes, a fajita, taco or burrito bar with all the fixings should be plenty. You can prepare your own bar or hire a catering service to take care of this. Finger foods like nachos, corn chips with salsa and guacamole dip and quesadillas are perfect appetizers. For dessert it would be easiest to go with churros and flan.

Refreshments should be served ice cold to beat the heat and keep the party alive. Quench your guests’ thirst with plenty of Mexican beer on ice. Dos Equis (XX) and Corona are crowd favorites, but there are plenty to choose from for variety. Margaritas always add to the fiesta mood and are easy to change up with any fruit flavor you choose. Also, don’t forget the Mexican sodas or other soft drinks for the non-drinkers.

There is no shortage of entertainment at a Cinco de Mayo fiesta, but to have some activities in order first consider a giant piñata. Fill it with candies and little toys and offer a main prize for whoever manages to break it. Play the game with whatever twist you’d like to add to it – drawstrings, blindfolds, dizzying effects – just make sure no one gets hurt. You may also have inflatable games as amusements for the little kids. There are plenty of inflatable game designs that may fit a Cinco de Mayo theme.

Hiring a Mariachi band is a great way to make sure your party never dies down. Live music is always fun, but you can even simply play a CD full of Mexican music for your guests to dance to. Latin dancing always spices up the party. You may even ask your guests to come dressed in Mexican attire or as a famous Mexican.

As you can see, there is no shortage of ways to prepare for and enjoy a Cinco de Mayo fiesta. Plan your celebration accordingly or add your own twist. Whatever you do, just make sure to have a fun time.

St. Patrick’s Day Party Planning

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:07:00 +0000

March is here and St. Patrick’s Day is the marquee holiday of the month. So take a green marker and circle the 17^th on your calendar to be sure to celebrate with a fun crowd of friends, family and even strangers; for as they say, “everyone’s at least a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.”

First thing’s first: you must think green. Decorations for a St. Patrick’s Day party definitely need to be centered on green. Props and pictures of shamrocks, leprechauns, pots-o-gold, and rainbows are perfect for your party’s theme. Blow up some green balloons and of course don’t forget to wear green yourself. Mark your house accordingly so guests know where to go.

As for what you will serve your guests, once again think green. Food coloring goes a long way in turning your food and beverages green. Save the light beers and clear sodas for the green drinks while serving some traditional Irish beer (Guinness, O’Hara’s, Murphy’s); don’t forget the green Jell-O shots! Green M&Ms or cookies and chips with guacamole make for easy themed treats.

For entertainment at your party, you can play a CD of classic Irish pub songs, a Dropkick Murphy’s greatest hits album, or sing along to popular Irish songs like “Whiskey in the Jar”, “The Wild Rover”, “Danny Boy”, or “The Unicorn Song”. What may be even more entertaining is to hold a limerick contest or just have an open floor for people to have fun with humorously witty poetry that need not make any sense. It’s always fun to drink and be silly, for:

There are plenty who party in the States,

All with their guys and their gals on this date.

When they gulp down their beers,

Out come all the cheers,

And laughter along with all that they ate.

With a green house (not the kind you grow plants in), lots of green food and drinks, and entertainment as suggested above, you are sure to have a cheerful and fun St. Patrick’s Day party.

So as you begin planning your party: a “top of the mornin’ to you…(and the rest to me-self)”. “May the sun shine on your windowpane” and “the hand of a friend always be near you” on the day of your party; and “may the wind at your back not be from the cabbage and corned beef that you eat on St. Patrick’s Day!” Cheers!

USA Inflatables and Moonwalks, A Minneapolis Party Rentals Company

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:48:00 +0000

Party rentals are a growing source of entertainment for families, businesses, and organizations alike. More and more, people are turning to the convenient benefits of Minneapolis party rentals, games, and inflatables of all sorts for attraction and amusement at their events. Whether it is a kids’ party rentals or entertainment for teenagers and adults, there is an inflatable game or party rental attraction that is sure to fit the bill.

Party rental businesses are easy to start up, so they seem to be available almost everywhere a party is being planned. With so many to choose from, it is important to consider the value an experienced Minneapolis party rental company that has premium products and services for your event.

As a company that has been around since 2001, USA Inflatables and Moonwalk Party Rentals has become well established in the ever-growing inflatable amusements industry. It has become a leading party rental company in the Midwest, servicing Minneapolis party rentals as well as Minnesota party rentals entirely. USA Inflatables and Moonwalks even reaches out to nearby Wisconsin and Iowa with its party rental services and countless inflatable amusement products.

With years of service centered in the Minneapolis party rental market and even servicing the Minnesota party rental market, USA Inflatables and Moonwalks has grown with a vast knowledge of Minneapolis party planning and event coordination. Professionalism is key with its highly trained staff that is ready to answer all of their customers’ questions.

Inflatable rentals are USA Inflatables and Moonwalks specialty. With over 150 products and games, accommodating any party need is a task that this company thrives in. Whether it is a hometown Minneapolis party rental or party rentals crossing state boundaries to Wisconsin and Iowa, USA Inflatables is prepared to put together a custom arrangement of rides and amusements to make any event a memorable success.

Reserving your Minneapolis party rental needs with USA Inflatables and Moonwalks is a safe bet in ensuring timely planning, convenience, and safety in presenting fun-filled amusements for guests to enjoy at events. For large events and private parties alike, there are special deals available to make sure your Minneapolis party rentals are serviced efficiently.

If you are in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro areas or even in the greater Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Iowa party planning markets, keep USA Inflatables and Moonwalks in mind. Their experience, service, products, and convenience are unmatched in the Minneapolis inflatable rental market.

As a party rental service, USA Inflatables and Moonwalks has properly defined how a business should service its customers.

Planning a Special Valentine’s Day

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:45:00 +0000

As a holiday shared between two lovers, Valentine’s Day should be celebrated romantically and in a way that engages all the senses sensually. Make this Valentine’s Day the best one yet by planning an event accordingly.

It goes without saying that your romance and passion should be expressed by sending your loved one a bouquet of flowers. Start the holiday by awakening her senses with the wonderful scent of freshly blossomed flowers. Roses are a popular choice, but jasmine, gardenias, and stargazer lilies will also do.

If you can manage, leave a romantic voicemail message for her to hear during the day or surprise her with a CD in her car stereo full of her favorite love songs; and make sure that it starts with your own special song, this will really tantalize her ears as she drives around town.

For even more cupid-like gestures, write her a love-letter, a romantic valentine, a poem, or find a nice greeting card to help express your thoughts and feelings.

If you can have the whole day together, plan a day of sightseeing and activities to have some fun leading up to a romantic evening together. Try a picnic at your favorite outdoor spot, visit an exciting town center or try an exciting new activity together such as hot air ballooning.

If you only have the evening to share, go for a drive along your favorite scenic road or vista to take in the evening sights. Enjoy a panoramic view of the glimmering city lights atop your favorite hill or mountainside, these visuals will help spark a romantic atmosphere for the rest of the evening.

Be sure to have dinner plans arranged ahead of time to avoid conflicts. Reserve dinner at a favorite restaurant, where you first had dinner together, or even someplace new you’ve both wanted to try. You can even surprise her with a candlelit dinner at home, outdoors at your favorite romantic spot if it’s not too cold, or even in a special hotel room suite.

Make sure the champagne is kept on ice to begin your romantic evening with a toast to each other. Prepare a dinner with favorite foods to excite her tastebuds. Oysters, shrimp, salmon, steak and other flavorful foods will make for a romantically savoring meal. Chocolate dessert is a must after dinner, so make sure to have the truffles and raspberry treats elegantly wrapped as a tasty gift.

After dinner you may take a carriage ride through town, go dancing, step out for a romantic stroll, go out for drinks, go ice-skating, or anything fun that you will both enjoy. Be sure to remind her of all the reasons you love her and enjoy kisses throughout the night.

Upon return to your house, suite, or whatever romantic getaway you have arranged, you may enjoy giving each other a full body massage with aromatic oils or even just a neck and shoulder rub with facial caresses to ignite her sense of touch. If planned ahead, you can prepare a bath with her favorite scented candles and rose petals all around for her to enjoy as you offer a massage. Rose petals across the sheets are also a nice touch for a romantic close to your evening.

Other romantic ideas include a weekend getaway to a bed-and-breakfast, a beach house, a cabin, or even on a yacht rented out for the weekend. Also, remember the bonus touch of a special gift just for her. Jewelry such as necklaces and earrings are nice while a ring may be more appropriate for the more serious couples, but any special gift should be appreciated.

Although this article highlights the guy as the one planning everything for the girl, the gesture may fittingly be applied either way. This is just an idea of some of the ways you can make Valentine’s Day a memorable day for you and your loved one. Be creative and be thoughtful in your own approach by including whatever may be personally special between you and your loved one.

Planning a Super Bowl Party

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Now that February is under way and the boredom of January is behind us, let’s kick off the new month with a winner: your very own Super Bowl XLV Party! This is one party where you can let loose with the planning and focus on simply having fun. Let’s begin by tackling some of the best ways to make sure your party is worthy of championship celebration.

The two most important ingredients are lots of food and drinks and a TV or two. Whether you or your guests gather for the love of the game or not, these are the essentials.

A buffet table of simple, portable foods is your best bet. You don’t want to commit a penalty by asking your guests to sit around a table for entrees when they’d rather be shouting at the TV and jumping around in celebration or despair. If you plan on having a large gathering, set up as many TVs as you have available around your party area for easier viewing for everyone.

Regarding the foods to prepare: keep it simple. Avoid a menu full of items that require intensive preparation that will keep you in the kitchen the whole time. Make sure you get to enjoy your own party as well.

Chips, an assortment of dips, salsa, chili, chicken wings, cheeses, pizza, mini sausages, and basically any high-fat finger foods that are easy to serve, eat, and enjoy while watching the game are perfect menu items. For drinks, be sure to have a variety of sodas and beer kept on ice.

For the most part, these are foods and drinks that everyone loves and enjoys worry- and guilt-free or hurting their diets as long as it is during a Super Bowl party. However, for your more health conscious guests who are not into football as much or simply don’t want to overindulge, have some carrots and celery with fat-free ranch dip and some water and wine for them to enjoy.

To further accommodate the hardcore fans from the casual partygoers who aren’t interested in the game, have a room set aside for the game and another where guests can have a quieter place to talk without disturbing the fans with idle chatter.

For an added feel at your party, decorate in team colors or jerseys if you have them handy and various football props such as goal posts, footballs, whistles and so on. Since most guests will be more interested in the quality of your TV’s reception, you shouldn’t worry too much about decorating heavily for visual appeal.

Football games, especially the Super Bowl, are known for the betting pools they create. Whether it’s the outcome of the game, isolated quarters or plays of the game, or even proposition bets such as who will score first, how long the national anthem will last or if there will be a halftime show costume malfunction, which commercial will play the most, etc., there are plenty of wagers that may come up. So keep a little spare change and small bills handy to have some fun with these best as they pop up.

After all this fun and excitement, you will surely have a lot of cleaning up to do. Have lots of paper towels and napkins for guests throughout the party to avoid dirtying furniture and such. Also, be prepared to bring out the vacuum and rug cleaner solutions to take care of the messes that will be created during exciting plays. Have a big trash bag to help make cleanup easier at the end of the party as well.

All in all, a Super Bowl party planning should not be a hassle, but a fun and exciting ordeal. Keep it simple and keep it fun. Just make sure to invite some guests that will stick around and help with the cleanup afterwards.

Good luck with your party and the game should you be a fan of either team this year!

Planning Graduation Parties

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Elementary Graduation Party

For many young students, graduating from elementary school may be their first such celebration, so an elementary graduation party is definitely in order. Even pre-teens know how to party! If you don’t have space at your residence to host a graduation party for your young one, you can always find a indoor play center nearby to go to. There are many vendors listed for you right here. If you can accommodate a party at your own home, you can still have all the fun of a play center in your own backyard. Inflatables, clowns and a variety of live entertainers can be reserved to keep the fun alive at the party. Be sure to have your party supplies and equipment ready along with table, chair and tent rentals. There are also catering services that can make life easier for you in serving food and drinks; even concession machines can be arranged for your convenience. Everything is prepared right her to help make your planning and decision making that much easier.

Middle School Graduation Party

Graduating from middle school is an exciting time in one’s life. Realizing that the next step is high school is enough to make a crowd of young teenagers want to get together and have some fun. For a group of young teenagers, a play center is the most exciting place to be. This is also convenient for parents since you can take care of food and entertainment with one decision. Search through our list of vendors to find the play center that is best for you. Hosting a party at your home can be just as easy. Just browse through the lists of suggested vendors and you can have a party planned in no time. All your supplies, equipment, rentals and entertainment are readily prepared for your choosing. You can even hire catering for your party if a table of snacks, pizza and sodas is not enough. PartyJumpUSA has made it easy for you to plan your party. Just have fun!

High School Graduation Party

After high school comes three months of carefree fun; so what better way to welcome the summer ahead than with a memorable high school graduation party? Whether you attend your school’s grad night celebration or not, you can still hold your own graduation party where you and your friends can party just the way you want to. Graduating from high school is a special moment so it is important to celebrate accordingly. Find a venue for your party or even host one at your house. PartyJumpUSA has a listing of vendors for all your party needs to help make it happen successfully. Find live entertainers, party equipment, supplies and rentals, catering services and even inflatable games. There is no doubt that a successful party incorporates these ingredients, so get on it and find everything you need right here!

College Graduation Party

It is not an easy task to make it through college and to finally graduate with a degree; so, once that special day arrives, be sure to have a party to celebrate your academic success. You can either go out to celebrate with friends at any number of venues or bring the party to your place. Wherever you choose to party, PartyJumpUSA has everything to give you a jumpstart on your event planning. Find everything you may need for your party right here, including: supplies, equipment, rentals and ever catering and entertainment services. Life was hard enough the past few years in college, make it easier now with suggested vendors to fulfill all your party needs.

Planning Customer Appreciation Days

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:12:00 +0000

A customer appreciation party is one of the best celebrations a company can host to thank its customers for their year of loyalty. What could be better than celebrating those that support a company the most? It is good to occasionally remind your customers that you appreciate their business, as maintaining positive relations with them is a great way to ensure success in the business world. An annual Customer Appreciation Day party is a great way to express thanks. Host a party free of charge to your customers so that they may come and enjoy a day of fun, food, drinks, and entertainment. Any company representative can plan this event with ease through PartyJumpUSA's party planning directory. There are listed vendors for every party necessity.

A number of planning needs can be skipped if the event is to be held at a play center for families and their children. There are many local venues that would happily host your event. Play centers are convenient since they provide for entertainment, food and drinks, seating arrangements and are a great place for kids. However, you may even create a similar environment on your own with the many party vendors listed right here. There are live entertainers and clowns that can serve as attractions at the event. Children and parents alike would surely be amazed by a fun magician or any other playful act. For games, there are plenty of local inflatable rental companies that can service the event with a variety of inflatable games. Concession machines can also be rented for the event as supplementary snacks for everyone to enjoy. Show customers appreciation with a proper party. Everything is organized right here to planning easy for you, so be sure to take advantage of PartyJumpUSA and its services.

Google Instant Impact on SEO

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:21:00 +0000

Instant Impact: Google’s newest search engine advancement with Google Instant may leave an impression on SEO.

When Google implemented its new Instant search results interface, it created a wave of interest and speculation on what impact it will have on SEO and overall ranking and advertising with Google. The new technology streamlined search and made it easier to target any query, but did that make things easier for you to get found in the results page?

When considering the significance of SEO efforts, Google Instant has made it even more important to achieve top ranking on its search results. As its drop down “suggestion box” attempts to predict your search query, a chunk of the advertisement positions gets taken up, pushing the page of results further down. This means that SEO results will be pushed “below the fold,” and unless you commit to your search all the way without stopping short thanks to a successful Google Instant prediction, you will not see many organic search results above the fold. ReelSEO discusses these effects with fine examples.

Furthermore, this means that “CTRs on positions 1 and 2 organically will rise at the expense of positions 3 and 4.” With more impressions appearing through instant rendering, lower CTRs will present a negative impact on SEO. Also, with results changing so quickly, and with our ability to read much quicker than we type, the traditional meta-description “calls to action” should move into the title tags for your pages. Users will definitely spend less time examining results as they scan the more-easily viewable title tags of search results.

Google Instant is also likely to have a major impact on PPC performance since these results get prominent placement in its new page rendering format and since, impressions on websites are set to increase with so many search results rendering and re-rendering as you type. The classic Google search impressions of pressing “enter,” clicking “search,” or selecting a prediction are joined by new criteria for impressions. Now, if a user pauses for 3 seconds or longer as they type a partial keyword, any website appearing in the instant search results gains an impression. A site appearing in the instant results that a user clicks on a result from also gets an impression; same goes for when a user clicks on a refinement of maps or news and such.

For advertisers, this means that sub 3-second impressions will not impact their quality score and in a sense be free as long as the user does not interact with the page and create definite impressions. On the other hand, if Google Instant leads to shorter queries by delivering immediate results, AdWords CPCs may go up for many terms due to a diminished inventory of valuable keywords. Fewer keywords, more bidding, higher prices and lower ROI: all this is good for Google, but not so much for advertisers. Meanwhile, consumers remain unconcerned.

For more on the effects of Google Instant on advertisers and to learn more about what to test and watch for follow this link. But for now, keep in mind the importance of optimizing for shot-tail and long-tail keywords to increase your website impressions and chances of getting a click. Also, always incorporate appealing title and description tags. These tips should help you in the short-run, but do not overlook constant maintenance of your SEO efforts as techniques are ever-changing, especially with lightning quick result technologies such as Google Instant.

Google Instant, An Instant Look

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Google Instant: The innovative engine speeds up search by instantly displaying results as you type.

In further enhancing its search-engine, Google has created a faster, more targeted and efficient way to search. With Google Instant, the predictive search technology is accompanied by a real time visualization of the results of your search, showing you results as you type instead of only suggesting keywords for your search.

Google Instant allows you to scan results as they refresh to match each keystroke’s predictions. The instant feedback on your search terms makes it easier to refine your search on the fly. This “instant” approach to finding what you need decreases the amount of time it takes for you to complete a search. The technology minimizes your need to type your full search term or even click “search.”

The Google Instant search feature only works when you are signed into a Google account. As it logs your search history, the technology is able to make smarter predictions to guide your search, even when you don’t know exactly what you are looking for. With the instant results, you can see where your search will take you as you type, instead of having to click search to get there.

If Google Instant is a feature you do not find beneficial and would rather not see results as you type, you may turn it off. However, keep in mind that you don’t lose any of the original functionality with Google Instant. You may still type in your full search terms and hit enter to search like you always have. Google Instant simply brings what you are looking for to you immediately and help you find it on your first attempt.

It is worth noting that the application of Google Instant does not impact the ranking of search results; however, it may have an impact on other aspects of search engine optimization. These issues will be further discussed in the another article.

New Party Directory Website; More Categories, More Options, and more Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:05:00 +0000

Due to increased demand from searches and party vendors we have fully improved our party directory to encompass 14 categories related to the event planning industry. The new website provides a lot more information and gives our registered party vendors a lot of opportunities in getting FREE advertising.

New Features:

Now with 14 categories related to party planning
Party Articles with expert advice from our party vendors
Party Themes with event ideas and suggested games
Videos highlighting our Exclusive and Premier party vendors
Simplified Search Features

New Website Design:

Our new website design makes it quick and easy to search for a local party vendor for the category of service you are interested in. The new website also provides a lot of useful information and expert advice on how to plan your party or event and what to expect. With all these new features and useful information, we hope our new and improved Party Planning website will make it a piece of cake to plan your next event.

When ABC's Don't Make Things Easy as 123

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:00:00 +0000

It used to be that everything was listed in alphabetical order from A to Z by default, no matter the item, the category or degree of importance. It was believed that alphabetical ordering was inherently important in the organization of lists. While alphabetical sorting is, in fact, beneficial to some lists, it mostly should be avoided.

Sorting items in order of A-Z is mainly beneficial for lists of items that users know the name of. Alphabetical ordering allows users to find what they are looking for pretty quickly in this case. An example of this is a list of the 50 U.S. states. It would be easier to browse this list for a specific name if it were in alphabetical order as opposed to, say, grouping the states in order of population.

Essentially, an A-Z order is best for known-item lists. When users know, for certain, what they are looking for, an alphabetized list will surely facilitate their search. If they have to look at several places in the list, it defeats the purpose of alphabetizing.

So, the first thing to consider is whether users will definitely know what their selection is. If you can answer yes to this question, then an A-Z list works, if not, consider another type of list.

More often than not, users don’t know the name of what they are searching for. As discussed, alphabetizing lists of items under these circumstances is useless. Also, when items have an inherent logic that dictates a different sort order, such as abbreviations for measurements from smallest to largest, using an alphabetical listing hides that logic and diminishes usability. Jakob Nielsen explains the effects of inappropriate alphabetizing with a fine example here.

Essentially, the nature of your information usually will determine a structure to use. At times, A-Z listings will be best for your items, but don’t be lazy in designing a better structure. We all know our ABCs and can put items in proper sequence, accordingly, but with ordinal data such as measurements, ordering in increasing sequence makes more sense. Time lines and geographical location may be useful at times, or even degree of importance or frequency of use.

So, the next time you have a list to compile, work a little harder to create a more useful order to improve its usability.

Web Design for Short-Term Memory Limitations

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:49:00 +0000

When creating a website, keep in mind that the human brain is not optimized for abstract thinking and memorization; therefore, your design should be optimized instead for the benefit of short-term memory, not to display abstract features and bits of information. Doing the latter only further impedes a person’s already weak short-term memory bank.

The reason our brains seem to be so weak in recalling heaps of data is because many of the skills of memory involved in using a computer were not necessary for survival throughout our ancestry. Our ancestral environment did not demand the skills of remembering obscure codes and interpreting abbreviated data in order to survive. The human brain is the same that it was when cavemen roamed the earth. So, in essence, it would not be a bad idea to design your website for a caveman to ensure a web design optimized for short-term memory and consequently a favorable user experience.

Our extremely limited brainpower allows our short-term memory to only hold about seven chunks of information that begin to fade from the brain in about twenty seconds. This is a commonly cited capacity of our brain when relating to abstract thinking. With this fresh in our short-term memory, let us consider other Web design guidelines that our brainpower limitations dictate:

Response times: In another article, we discussed the importance of shortened response times and, essentially, speedy page loading/service on sites. Response times need to be fast enough so that users don’t forget what it is they are doing while waiting for the next page to load. There is nothing more frustrating than having to click back to a page to remind yourself of what your purpose was and risk forgetting again upon return due to a slow-loading page.
A website design error that irks just about anybody is not changing the color of visited links so that users can keep track of which sites they have already visited. You can imagine how frustrating it would be to revisit a page you had already been to, especially if you are also dealing with the above-mentioned problem.
If your site offers a variety of related products, aim at making it easy to compare them. Highlight the important product features and differences and do so in a special comparison view format. This is the preferred method of product comparison. Avoid making customers go back and forth between pages to compare product features.
Offering help and user assistance features in the context where users need them is also beneficial to the user’s experience. This will prevent them from having to travel to a separate help section, where they would have to waste previous short-term memory capacity memorizing steps before returning to the problem they encountered.

So when it comes down to it, designing a website for a 2010 audience should not result in a website that the brain of a caveman would not understand, since both audiences share the same limited brain capacity.

Web Response Times

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:47:00 +0000

Think back to the days when you had to operate on a 56K modem and were forced to wait a while to properly operate a website as a picture slowly appeared in its entirety piece by piece. Frustrating, wasn’t it? Fast download times are important for users. No matter what it is that slows down response time, users will be turned off by the delay.

The two main reasons a website’s responsiveness speed matters is due to human limitations and human aspirations:

It is not a rare phenomenon that our memory eludes us at times, especially short-term memory. Also, it is increasingly tougher to hold someone’s attention. These factors refer to our human limitations. A slow website download speed adversely affects our memory and attention span and “we simply don’t perform as well if we have to wait and suffer the inevitable decay of information stored in short-term memory.”
As humans, we like to feel in control of our destiny and doings rather than under the control of another, especially a computer or machine. Once a computer or website delays its response time, we tend to feel like we are not in control or what we aim to accomplish. Also, from a consumer’s perspective, a company that makes patrons wait instead of providing responsive service comes across as either arrogant or incompetent, neither of which is a good perception to put out.

Considering this, it is important to realize that a quick and efficient user experience beats out a glamorous one. Increased speed and efficiency allows a user to engage more with a site by spending their time moving freely and focusing on content instead of waiting. A user’s experience with a site is much more important than all the slogans, advertising or widgets a site takes its sweet time loading.

Jakob Nielsen expands on the notion of website responsiveness by providing a simple breakdown of response-time limits and their respective effects on the user and his experience. He also provides an example from a recent eyetracking study he conducted. The study demonstrated the adverse effects of increased load time on the user’s viewing of the page and its intended promotional focus.

At the end of a user’s experience with a given site, what tends to leave a lasting impression on them is the response time they experienced while navigating the site. The longer a user has to wait to be served by the computer, the more annoyed they will get. It essentially reflects poor service, no matter how fancy of a page you deliver at the end of the load time. So it does not matter if it is simply a large image loading through a 56K modem or a bunch of fancy widgets loading with a high-speed cable modem, increased wait-time is an experience-killer.

In conclusion, to increase your user-friendliness and likeability on the web, get to the users quicker than the slow sites do.

Keyword Analysis Using Google Keyword Tool

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:46:00 +0000

When creating a web page or simply writing an article or web log to post on a site, choosing the right keywords makes all the difference in the amount and quality of visitors you receive to your webpage. Using a keyword tool like Google Keyword Tool can help you find the right keywords to use when creating any content. Taking advantage of this free tool will help you reach people who are looking for what you have to offer, whether it is your business’ products or services, or a publication you may be posting. This article will outline the primary use of the Google Keyword Tool, how to use it, along with the benefits.

The primary use of Google’s Keyword Tool is to generate a list of keywords that you may use to effectively draw larger audiences and efficiently target your advertising toward those who are looking for what you offer. Individuals and businesses may use Google's Keyword Tool to discover the statistics behind a list of specific keywords that are used or want to be used. An initial keyword search will reveal the level of advertiser competition for that keyword and its variants, along with a breakdown of the global and local monthly search volumes for each. This information allows you to determine whether the keywords you are using or want to use are bringing in high search volumes and whether advertiser competition for them are high or not. Such information provides a great start in building a successful set of keywords to use in your advertising. If you are unsure of which keywords to use, Google's Keyword Tool is also a great way to acquire a list of additional suggested keywords that may be beneficial.

Now that you know what Google’s Keyword Tool can be used for, it is time to learn how to use it yourself. Once you access the Keyword Tool, you will be prompted to type in a security word as it appears on the screen to continue using the program. You may also have to do this occasionally if your session times out, but you may stay logged in using a Google account. Once the Keyword Tool page is active, you may input any amount of keywords to test. There are a number of keyword tools out there that you may use for this research, but the most accurate and trusted is Google's. Google’s Keyword Tool gives you 100% accurate data on the keywords you search, giving you reliable information to help you decide which keywords you should be targeting.

Once you have generated a list of keywords along with the corresponding data, you may begin to analyze your options. The first column will list your keyword along with its relevant variants and additional keywords Google suggests you consider based on your search. The second column will display the level of competition for that keyword, while the third and fourth columns show the global and local average monthly search volumes for each keyword, respectively. The last column is also helpful in case what you are offering is seasonal. The Local Search Trends column shows a bar graph that indicates the search volume for each keyword during each month of the year. The previous Keyword Tool interface – which can be accessed by the link provided in the upper right hand corner of the current Keyword Tool page – is a more simplified version that allows you to show or hide certain columns of data that you may or may not be interested in analyzing. If you decide that the newer version is better for you, simply click back to the new Keyword Tool interface using the link provided in the upper left hand corner of the page.

The information above is meant to give you a quick overview and basic instructions on how to use Google’s Keyword Tool to discover data on keywords you are using or want to use and to help you with suggesting additional keywords. No matter what you are conducting SEO for, knowing which keywords to target needs to be Step One. Keywords are essentially the building blocks of successful SEO. Proper keyword targeting will increase the traffic and conversion rate to your website. There are many ways to successfully apply keywords in optimizing your website for high traffic and conversion rates, but the purpose of this article is to simply show you how to get started. For more information on how to use Google's Keyword Tool, visit eHow.

Optimizing Videos on Youtube

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:43:00 +0000

Did you know that you could get to number 1 on Google by optimizing videos for high ranking in YouTube? Read on to find out more and to learn how to achieve this yourself.

As a video file sharing website, YouTube has become the primary source of video distribution for people all over the world. The volume of searches for videos that occur in YouTube rival that of popular search engines that we use for every other search. Considering these facts, it would be a good idea to start producing and optimizing videos for SEO results. Certainly you already optimize web page content and vigorously market it for improved rankings on Google and other search engines, but you may not have considered doing so with videos. The written web already poses massive competition in SEO, while video optimizing remains a relatively new concept, thus making it an easier task to achieve higher rankings. Also, achieving top spots in YouTube often results in equally high rank positions in Google’s universal search results.

When you begin to optimize videos for SEO within YouTube, keep in mind how its algorithm works in ranking videos within its search results. The key signals that YouTube relies on when ranking videos within its search results are:

The text provided in the title and description of the video;
The number of views the video has;
The recent trending of the video (essentially the recent increase in popularity);
Its overall ratings.

Garry Przyklenk at Search Engine Watch does a great job of analyzing the influence of these factors on videos and their relative YouTube search results rankings. It goes to show that videos in YouTube that are not even optimized at all can gain top ranking in search results, even in Google. Realizing this to be the case begs one to imagine the results a video can achieve if it was optimized in YouTube for specific keywords.

Follow these tips and techniques to achieve similarly high search result rankings in YouTube for your own videos:

Video Title: YouTube allows 99 characters for your video’s title text. Be sure to optimize your title text with the keywords you want to target and rank for, but do not ignore branding and descriptive text. If what you are optimizing for is already secured at the top spot by another agent, continue to optimize it for second or third placement since search results on YouTube suggest other related videos which also get plenty views.

Video Description: YouTube allows 5,000 characters for your video’s description text. This gives you plenty of space to write as much about your video as you would like. Be sure to include the keywords you are targeting and also use the space to request people to rank your video, since video ratings and views are factors in your search rankings within YouTube and consequently Google. Sharing and embedding your video will also be beneficial.

Video Tags: Using tags is useful for the search terms you use in your title text and description. Including names and branding will also help your video get recognized by relevant searches.

Broadcasting and sharing options:

Privacy: Make sure that your video’s setting is set to public so it is available for searches.

Comments: It is advisable that you enable comments on your YouTube videos as this will allow users to talk about your video, your brand or your message, thus generating optimum discussion and allowing word about your video to spread.

Video Responses: Allowing video responses may help boost views since they automatically link to your original.

Ratings: Allowing ratings is a must since they have a direct impact on your rankings as a key part of the YouTube search results algorithm.

Embedding: Enabling embedding allows people to share your video on blogs and social media websites. These help boost views and extend your video to new audiences outside of YouTube so it is advisable to enable it.

Syndication: This is yet another way to boost your views and help your videos rank higher on YouTube and Google. Enable syndication as well.

Following the above mentioned tips and strategies is sure to help you gain increased rankings on YouTube for your video and consequently on Google. Increased viewership is important, and since YouTube considers a video “viewed” after eight seconds of runtime, be sure to produce a video that will draw viewers in past that threshold. Embedding and social media sharing is a great way to achieve maximum views, so don’t be shy to ask others to do so, whether you do so personally, in the video or in your video description. There are many strategies to get your videos viewed by all. These are just a few thoughts to help you get started. Just think of optimizing your video for SEO on YouTube as you would optimize your typical web content. Seeding your videos, distributing links, promoting viewership through Google AdWords and even creating a series of interrelated videos are all methods that can help. With viewership, ratings will come as well, but be sure to encourage others to rank your video by asking for it.

Hopefully this article has helped you realize the benefits awaiting you in optimizing videos for SEO on YouTube. If web content optimization was getting too competitive to gain from, be sure to try optimizing for video. Marketing with video will surely earn you a top spot on YouTube and it may lead to a top spot on Google as well.

Web Usability Improvement Strategies

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:38:00 +0000

What are some of the most offensive mistakes website designers make that chase users away? What can businesses do to improve the usability of their website? This article will cover some of the mistakes to avoid and simple strategies businesses can use to improve their website's usability.

Top Mistakes

Bad Search - When users want to search for something, they always look for a simple box to type in their search, any other form of search input does not stand out and is sure to frustrate users. Also, search engines that are overly literal and cannot handle typos, plurals, hyphens or other variations of the term the user is searching for greatly reduce usability. Search engines should be able to recognize what a user is trying to look for without the user having to search for the item of interest exactly as the search engine recognizes it.

Not Changing the Color of Visited Links - No one likes to get lost when navigating, and websites that do not change the color of visited links get users lost. With this feature in place, users are able to keep track of where they have been on the site so that they do not unintentionally end up on the same page over and over again. Knowing past and present locations helps users figure out where to go next. With different link colors identifying visited and unvisited links, users can easily track which links they already viewed and determine whether they should avoid it in the future or reference it for revisit.

Non-Scannable Text - Having a wall of text is a big turn off for users. It is never appealing to come across a big chunk of text that a user cannot easily skim through. To avoid this pitfall in website design, use simple tricks such as:

Headings
Subheads
Bullet lists
Highlighted keywords
Short paragraphs
Easy language that sounds personable rather than professional

It is important to make your website as easy on the eyes as possible.

Anything That Looks Like An Advertisement - Websites that try to attract the user's attention with flashing text and images or animations actually achieve the opposite. Users tend to ignore anything that looks like it is trying to advertise information. When someone is on your website, they are there with a purpose and anything that attempts to get in the way of that will be ignored.

Design Convention Violation - When people design websites with the hope of creating a unique and different design that will stand out among the rest, they actually end up hurting the usability of their site. Consistency is one of the most powerful usability principles: when things always behave the same, users don't have to worry about what will happen. Knowing this, it is obvious that a website that appears out of the ordinary will make the user uncomfortable. When users are not comfortable and do not feel like they are in control of the website, they tend to not like it, and no one wants to continue with something they do not like.

Not Answering User's Questions - Once again, users visit websites with a purpose, a goal, and hope to achieve that goal. When websites clutter the page with information irrelevant to the content presented or with information that resembles useless fluff, users tend to get frustrated. When it becomes nearly impossible to find the specifications a user is looking for, usability is diminished significantly. If you are selling products, for example, be sure to list prices; or if you are describing items, be sure to include specifications. In other words, get to the point and make sure you provide the user with the information they may be looking for.

Improvement Strategies

Following are some strategies to incorporate in building any website. They will definitely help improve the usability of your website and enhance the experience users have navigating your website, which will in turn improve the value of the website.

Be sure to mention who you are and what you do

A one-sentence tag line will go a long way in summarizing your identity.
Title your page appropriately with your name to gain good search engine recognition. Using words like "the" or "welcome to" in your title will alphabetize your website under "T" and "W," respectively.
Create a clear and concise "About Us" page containing all relevant information.

Make it easy for users to find what they need

Emphasize a clear starting point for the main functions of your website.
Offer a search box that is easy to locate on the site and large enough to fit searches without obscuring parts of the user's search text.

Use images, graphics and decorations wisely

Users tend to ignore anything that looks overly fancy. Elaborate illustrations and designs come across as advertisements that users tend to avoid. Avoid clouding your site's important content with unnecessary imagery.
When using images, keep it simple and use real-life images to portray real people in real situations that will help connect the topic and business to the real world.

These are some of the tips that you can use to improve the usability of any site. As long as you avoid the top mistakes of website design with regards to usability and try to improve the usability of your site with the suggested strategies, users will have a positive experience visiting your site over and over again.

Jakob Nielson's Alertbox. Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design.. Accessed May 25, 2010. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html

Jakob Nielson's Alertbox. Top Ten Guidelines for Home Page Usability.. Accessed May 25, 2010. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020512.html

Introduction to Web Usability

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:35:00 +0000

Web usability is important for the success of any website. Understanding how to improve the usability of your website and decreasing error rates will help you create a successful online presence.

What is Web Usability?

Web usability is an approach for making websites easier to use, learn and remember without any special training. Web usability is defined by five quality components:

Learnability: First-time users' ability to learn how to accomplish basic tasks.

Efficiency: The ease with which users can perform tasks once they have learned the design.

Memorability: A user's ability to remember the functionality of the website after not using it for a period of time.

Errors: The amount of errors users encounter while navigating a website and the degree of significance of these errors.

Satisfaction: The satisfaction you get from using a website.

Why is Web Usability Important?

For any website, usability is important because it can determine the success or failure of the website. If a home page is difficult to navigate or understand, users will tend to leave before even navigating further. A website that is hard to read, will typically turn away users. Websites with too many errors may frustrate users and prevent use of the website. Upon leaving a website, users will look for an easier, more user-friendly website to use. Therefore, it is very important to make your website easy to understand and use in order to succeed with your online goals.

Remember the first law of e-commerce: "If users cannot find the product, they cannot buy it either" (Usability 101).

Improvement Rate of Web Usability

Formal usability metrics of about 262 websites showed a 17% improvement in the last decade (from 2000 to 2010) on failure rates (not being able to proficiently use a website). Website conversion rates doubled during this same time period from an average of 1% to 2%. Looking at the improvement rate of web usability over a long-term period, on average web usability improves by 6% a year (Progress in Usability).

What this all means is that web usability is in the infancy stage and has a long way to go until we reach a period where websites are very easy to use.

Jakob Nielson's Alertbox. Usability 101. Introduction to Usability. Accessed May 25, 2010. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html

Jakob Nielson's Alertbox. Progress in Usability: Fast or Slow?. Accessed May 25, 2010. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/usability-progress-rate.html

How To Optimize Product Pages

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:33:00 +0000

Every page of a website is unique and requires unique descriptions, content, and tags. How do you optimize a website that is like a shopping cart and is generated through new products? Most shopping carts and web software’s that automatically generate the Meta descriptions are somewhat limited on optimization. These carts or software’s will generally take your default websites Meta description, but this is not how to optimize a product page. Each product is unique; it might have a unique audience, feature, or characteristic, and therefore should be optimized individually.

To start off, each product page should have unique content. It is not recommended to have a default content that is automatically generated for all product pages. Search engine crawlers don’t like to see the same content throughout the website. Since each product should be different, the content, along with any Meta tags and descriptions should be different. It is best practice to optimize the product page for the products name. Since consumers become accustomed to products by their name they learn to search by them as well.

To start optimizing a product page you should start with the title tags. The title tag should contain the products name along with the category that describes it and the company name. The product name should also be characterized by a H1 style. All Meta descriptions and keywords should contain the products name in it as well. The content or description of the product should be around 150 to 300 characters in length and should describe the functions and uses of the product. Photos are videos are very helpful both for the user end and for SEO. Photos that display the product should be used along with alt and title tags to describe the photos. One of the most helpful things to have on the page is a video of the product. People love to watch videos of products and web crawlers love to read the videos code. Keeping both of these audiences longer on your site is a reason to add videos to your product pages.

Other aspects of the product page that are very helpful are placing a comment section to generate new content. A comment section can be good for two reasons. One, it provides people feedback and information about the product, and secondly it is a free way of generating new content on the page which helps out in your SEO initiatives. Another way to improve your product page is by incorporating sharing buttons that allow users to share the webpage with their favorite sites.

Treating each product page like you home page, as far as optimization, load time, unique content, etc. are concerned, will help your overall online advertising efforts. Having just a picture and a short description is so last year, it’s time to beef up those product pages and get them optimized for today’s Internet users.

Creating a Local Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:31:00 +0000

With most local stores or services there needs to be a buzz around the community regarding the company or service. Simply having a website does not mean people are going to find you online. Creating an online buzz about your website or service means putting yourself in geo-specific sites. The benefits of geo-specific sources include targeting local customers and companies as well as branding yourself as the provider for that area. There are some easy steps you can take to creating a local buzz around your community, which includes getting listed with geo-specific online directories and searches, using social media sites, optimizing your website for local searches, and more.

The benefit of online directories is that they connect you with customers searching for a service in a local area. Meaning, if you registered in a directory for Los Angeles, than you would get leads for Los Angeles customers and maybe even neighboring cities. One of the largest geo-specific directories is Yellowpages.com (now YP.com). YP.com is a great source for any business or service because they have the largest number of visitors to their website looking for specific services in their local area. Party Jump USA is an alternative option to YP.com for customers looking to get exposure to YP.com visitors without the expensive cost of advertising. For more information visit the party directory advertising page.

Another great geo-specific advertising option is the local Yellowbooks. These Yellowbooks are divided into city sections and companies can get advertising for a specific area in the books. These books, however, can be even more expensive than online advertising and business owners should only advertise in their most profitable locations. Other geo-specific advertising consists of local newspapers and magazines that are affiliated with the businesses industry.

One of the most promising methods of creating a local online buzz is through online optimization and marketing through social sites. A business should start off by optimizing their website for the areas they service. This can be done by creating landing pages for the city keywords or optimizing the company website for highly searched keywords that contain the city name in it. Using these landing pages, a company can increase its conversion rates by providing information that is most relevant. Some other sites that can increase or help geo-specific marketing are social review sites like Yelp.com. These sites help recommend products or services to people searching for a specific location. Another option is adding the business name to Google Places. Google Places is free and provides local business search results for people using the Google search engine.

Creating a local buzz about your business involves multiple avenues with different advertising options. The more geo-specific sources your business is exposed to the more likely you will create a brand or image within your community. Even incorporating social networking sites into the advertising mix can help increase popularity through sharing and viral marketing.

Importance of E-Commerce

noreply@blogger.com (The Premier Party Directory; Party Jump USA) — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:17:00 +0000

Thinking about streamlining your business operation? Having a company website is the first task, but where do you go from there? You have your products and services highlighted and maybe even more detail like the size of your party rental or supply supplies. However, is it important to provide an e-commerce system for shoppers to rent your products or purchase your products online? Some people argue against it saying it reveals your prices to competitors or don’t get customers to call in to talk to a representative. But think about the last time you shopped online for something. How did you feel about seeing that price there, or an option to purchase online? Providing a method for customers to purchase your products or services at their own convenience is essential for gaining their trust and increasing sales.

Specifically for the party rentals or party supplies industry where a lot of business owners tend to be part-time workers or have other jobs, it is crucial to implement an e-commerce system where customers can find the company website and purchase your products or services without you being there. One area a lot of companies have tried to reduce their operational time on is answering phone calls from price shoppers. This takes up a great deal of time for any business employee, or agent. By reducing the time spent on this task, people can focus on more important functions, like improving operations, increasing sales, and growing. For the moonwalk rental industry, having an online payment system also helps reduce the hassle of cash transactions and issues regarding deposits or payments. An online payment system can ensure a rental event is schedules and paid for, all that is left is the delivery personnel to show up at the event and setup the product.

Two of the most popular payment systems that are out there, which a lot of companies are using, are PayPal and Google Checkout. PayPal and Google Checkout are two free and trusted sources that accept all types of credit card and debit card transactions. With both of these systems, it is fairly easy to get the code and integrate it into your website. It is still highly recommended that you have a website programmer or someone with experience do this task. PayPal and Google Checkout will simply create an account for you where your customers’ transactions will lead. All you have to do to get the money is simply withdraw it from that account to your banking account. The cost of these systems will amount to about 2-3% of the transaction amount. The cost system depends on how much monthly sales you do.