Tips to improve your website

Isn’t it amazing how many different types of websites there are? But, what’s even more amazing is how most of those websites have been created the wrong way.

When designing your website, there are simple rules that need to be followed to make your’s work.

People don’t usually want to explore or read through a website – typically, they want to get what they need, and then they want to move on.

Here are some simple tips to make your website relevant to your users.

1. Contact!
So many business owners forget that this is reason most people visit websites! When visitors come to your website, make it as easy as you can for them to contact you – so that you can answer questions, build your business case, and close the deal. Focus your contact information in an obvious spot where it will be found and used. There’s no point asking your visitors to find it, or they will move on.

2. Brand, Brand, Brand
Your logo should be in a consistent location throughout the website – we recommend placing your logo in the top left corner as it has the highest visibility. The whole website should follow this structure. You may also want to create a link from your logo to take you to the home page – many websites have adopted this and it is now an accepted practice.

Similarly, your website needs to be styled to compliment the logo and the brand. Everything on your website should fit exactly with the style of your website. A strong brand communicates professionalism and discipline.

3. Splash Screens Are Passe
Unless you are in a very visual medium, and you have a fantastic presentation that is relevant to impressing your visitors and closing the deal, don’t force people to suffer through a bad Splash screen. Most people click the Skip Intro anyway because its not what they came for. Again, make people enjoy your website, don’t make them push things out of the way.

4. Load Time
Websites need to be slick and load quickly. Even with today’s high bandwidth capabilities, websites need to be built correctly to load efficiently – If you make your visitors wait, they will probably move on to a competitor’s website. Also, don’t use excessive graphics and large images.

5. Don’t Distract
Websites should be built with a simple purpose and directional funnel to get visitors to where they want to go quickly and efficiently. Putting useless bells and whistles onto your website is distracting and counterproductive.

6. People Skim Your Website
People still are not used to reading too much on their screens. Studies have shown that people tend to scan the information on a website not read every word. Headlines, hyperlinks and strategic graphics will help highlight specific points. If your visitor wants more, they can click on them to following the thread to more information.

7. Make Your Website Look Good!
First impressions count! And a positive first impression will make you look credible, professional, and capable. Website design is a specific skill that needs to integrate intelligent design, brand building, and and an intuitive interface.

8. Have a Purpose!
What is your website’s purpose? Sadly, most websites are build to satisfy the desires and likes of the designer. There has been no forethought as to how to get your website visitor to act! Before your website is built, we need to develop a plan of what you want your potential visitor to do. Build your website to motivate the user into action.

Give your website’s visitors a fast, effective and purposeful experience that is visually stunning. Your online users will get more out of your website, and this will mean better business.

Are Your E-mails Bad for Business?

When you communicate via e-mail to your prospects, clients, or suppliers, are you sending an effective message?

You would be surprised how many e-mail mistakes are made every day, and they may be turning away business!

Here are 10 tips to better e-mails – and many of them may be common sense, but listen and make sure you are marketing yourself effectively!

1. Identify yourself clearly
2. Make your subject line meaningful
3. Create focused and meaningful messages
4. Are your attachments necessary?
5. Don’t send e-mails when your angry
6. Proofread your e-mail
7. Never assume your e-mail is private! (also, praise in public, criticize in private)
8. Distinguish between formal e-mails and informal ones
9. Respond to your messages promptly
10. Show respect, restraint, and think twice about “reply-all”

Now let’s discuss each in a little more detail.

1. Identify yourself clearly

When an e-mail arrives at its destination – what does the recipient see? What does crazywildman221@hotmail.com say about your professionalism?

How do you identify yourself in your e-mail? Do you use your first name, last name? Do you provide your title, address, contact information, etc.? These elements add something to the professionalism of your writing – as does the use of words Sincerely, Regards, etc.

2. Make your subject line meaningful

To open an e-mail or not? Often this is decided by the simple use of an effective subject line. It can be an attention grabber, or a call to not open the e-mail. Words can say so much – so make sure yours pack a punch!

Some examples of bad subject lines:

Subject: (blank)
Subject: Incredible Offer!
Subject: Important!

Some examples of good subject lines:

Subject: Website Development – Need approval before we can move forward
Subject: Pottery Barn – Exclusive Summer Sale offer
Subject: Meeting at 10am – need your input

3. Create focused and meaningful messages

Get to the point! Answer the What, Where, Why, When and Hows and then leave your call to action.

Stay on point. Don’t wander with free-thinking ramblings. Don’t waste people’s time.

Be kind, but not to fluffy.

Similarly, e-mail has taken on a true form of lazy writing. Shorthand, symbols, and nicknames are not good for business. How do you address your recipient? Occassionally, I receive e-mails that are specified: Hey trevor!, or Dude. Use capitals, periods, and good writing standards. They look professional; slang doesn’t.

4. Are your attachments necessary?

With the proliferation of new ways to get e-mails (blackberrys, iPhones, etc.) attachments are bandwidth wasters.

Do you really need to send the whole document each time? Or could you just copy the relevant information into your e-mail and send that instead?

Consider your need and dependence on attachments, and only send them when absolutely necessary.

5. Don’t send e-mails when your angry

We all get mad. We all have bad moments. Remember this simple rule: Don’t send an e-mail when you’re angry. Ever.

Your angry e-mail will never sound as pointed, stinging, or smart as you think it will.

Our writing is usually interpreted very differently than we expected. Messages that are “To the point” are often considered rude. Overly glowing messages are often considered sarcastic or insincere. And mad e-mails, well, they usually result in getting backs up and more fighting.

Cool down. Think. Break down your argument into exactly what you want to say. Then proofread. Then send.

6. Proofread your e-mail

In this world of speed and efficiencies, it is staggering how much speed has replaced smart in the world of e-mails.

We strive to get this one out and move onto the next e-mail. not enough time in the day! 100 e-mails to go through!

The problem is that each e-mail that sent with errors creates a negative impression on you!

Illiterate, in a hurry, lack of quality, inattentive, inaccurate.

Don’t be perceived as anything less than professional! Proofread your e-mails and revise them as necessary. make every e-mail an effective one!

7. Never assume your e-mail is private! (also, praise in public, criticize in private)

With all of the press of this one over the years, its amazing how many people take e-mail, and the internet in general, for granted. People, everything can be saved and used against you. So be cautious about what you tell the world to remember.

Also, as alluded to before, we have the tendency to write to a faceless computer without thinking out what we intended to say. This is especially true when we criticize online.

Negative e-mails can be saved, twisted, misinterpreted, and simply misread. It is much harder to rationalize a critique when you can’t discuss it – and e-mails back and forth only serve to waste time.

My suggestion is to praise online, but criticize only after you have tried to talk it out first.

8. Distinguish between formal e-mails and informal ones

Friends are informal. Business is formal. Simple. Never confuse the two.

Remember the old adage about it being much harder to undo a negative first impression… well, in business, where credibility and professionalism is everything, make every impression count to build your credibility!

9. Respond to your messages promptly

There is nothing worse than someone not responding your e-mail when you need them to.

If you are going to use e-mail, then show the decency to treat each one as if it were an appointment with a client – be on-time, courteous, and professional.

If you are going to be away, let people know when they can expect you, or how to make alternative plans.

To a client in need, silence is a killer, and it only serves to feed questions: Are they ignoring me? Are the avoiding me? Don’t they care?

10. Show respect, restraint, and think twice about “reply-all”

Does everyone really need to know your response? Does everyone care?

E-mails are sometimes likened to cattle calls in that everyone feels they have to follow the herd.

Well, we are not cows, so don’t waste everyones time, bandwidth, and e-mail space, to respond to everyone about your one-line comment.

Also, use BCC: when sending to large groups. You don’t need to share everyone’s e-mail address with everyone all the time! in fact, you should never do so.

Ever wonder how many of your SPAM originate, my theory is that it is sometimes harvested when the mass e-mails that are sent out land in the hands of unscrupulous people.

Hopefully this is helps you add more credibility to your e-mails, and helps your perceived professionalism!

I would like to thank Dennis G. Jerz (http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/e-mail.htm) for his insights into better e-mail writing.

Web Design Trends for 2009

You know the story – everything changes.

Stooke Media is in an interesting field for constantly changing technologies, trends, and tastes. We do our best to remain current and offer our clients the best of all things current and effective in the world of design and development.

First off, websites need to be designed for a purpose. It is the first question we need to ask when consulting with our clients. What is the desired outcome from your website? What are the goals of the website? Once we understand what our clients’ needs are, we can create a plan of action to achieve those goals through the use of technology.

By understanding of the goals desired from your website, we can introduce the latest and greatest technologies to achieve them. We consider the latest trends that are making a big splash in internet marketing: Search Engine optimization, Pay Per Click Campaigns, Social Networking like FaceBook, MySpace, blogs, and much more! We tailor the solutions to your needs, comfort level, budget, and goals.

Second, website design’s latest trends are to develop websites that attract the user from their first impression. A website must not be too “innovative” or “challenging” for the user. Users want to intuitively know what to do and how to get to where they need to go easily, effectively, and quickly. We develop websites to try and connect the user to their desired location in 1 click.

Some of the latest trends for website design can be found at Smashing Magazine, and include out-of-the-box layouts, one-page layouts, multi-column layouts, social design elements, more white space, ribbons, and “Speaking” navigation. Each of these is considered for their merits in complimenting your design aesthetic and direction.

We’ll be writing a lot more about how we work to make you more successful!

Stooke Media :: Better Business By Design