Archive for September, 2011
Getting the balance right.
Friday, September 30th, 2011IT vendors have accepted that the most effective way to communicate with the end customer is through the Value Added Reseller. In fact, some IT vendors already only communicate through their network of VARs. TAGS: Channel Marketing,
Latest Articles in Marketing tips Category on EzineMark.com
How the Web Industry is Changing STEM’s Perception
Thursday, September 29th, 2011It’s hard to take a look at the career path options of recent years and not clearly see which have had the most influence. The society we live in is in a rapidly progressing state, with a focus on technology as a means for that advancement. Because of this, it is those career choices that have shaped the world we live in and will continue to do so in the future. These influential careers can all be classified under the collective category of STEM. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, these being the subject matters that comprise STEM.
It is quite easy to see that a web professional fits into the technology sector of STEM, but is that all there is to the web profession and STEM relationship? To think that the web professional industry, including graphic design, is just a subcategory is the worst assumption anyone could make.Those that have chosen to be a part of the web industry as a profession are doing quite a lot more for STEM, and future entrants into the workforce, than is shown on the surface.
What Is STEM
Okay you now know that STEM stands for Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and that it is a collective of career fields that are shaping the future of our world. However, lets take a deeper look at STEM and why you as a web professional should be more aware of it. STEM is an American born coalition that came about as a way for these respective subject areas to better be promoted to K-12 school children, who are continuously growing disinterested annually according to the most popular majors in college.
A nation’s STEM workforce, in many ways, is a strong indicator of how well a nation can now sustain itself and how well it will fair in the global economy in the long-term. This is more so evident when looking at the top developed nations, and those that are underdeveloped. Despite this importance, STEM careers are still not gaining any popularity with the majority of youths today. The typical assumption that these fields are only for math lovers, frantic computer enthusiasts, and anyone else that was considered weird or geeky in high school.
How is the Web Industry Helping
Well, thanks to the web industry that awful assumption that clearly belongs back in the 80s is slowly changing. Web professionals are doing a great service to change how STEM is being viewed, and is a clear embodiment of what STEM is all about.
Adding Creative Outlets
STEM at a first glance, is clearly not the first choice for someone looking for a career with some creative space. However, that is exactly what the web professional industry brings to the table. As web professionals, we use a unique combination of high level computer savvy and creativity everyday in our work life. Graphic designers, web designers, UX designers, and web developers(yes there is a creative aspect here as well), there is an assortment of career choices here that easily could entice anyone with creative ability to come and have a happy career. Of course that happy career would be minus the typical work related client stress of the typical freelancer, but I digress.
Inspiring Constant Innovation
Honestly, how long is anything really current in our industry? The minute something comes out, there is already a group of people either trying to push it to new levels or trying to create the next trend. In actuality everything that we are doing now, is probably becoming an outdated practice and/or trend as you’re reading this. However, by no means is that a bad aspect to the web industry. This constant need for growth and exploration is exactly what it takes for a nation’s economy to become successful. Our industry’s need to further push itself to be better, and try things whether they turn out to be good or not, is exactly what makes it so special and why it never will go away. Instead it will grow and adapt to whatever environment the future will have in store.
Encouraging Entrepreneurship
The web industry is all about entrepreneurship, and being able to make a living off of your own terms and conditions. The majority of professionals in our field are either freelancers, aspiring to be freelancers once they build a good enough client base and experience, or want to start-up their own big time agency. The best part is that all this is encouraged! There really isn’t another field with as much open room for growth and self sustainability as the web industry, and that is exactly what other STEM career fields need to learn from.
Bringing the Importance of Aesthetic Value
The common person in a STEM related career doesn’t have a strong grasp for the importance of how important the aesthetic value in what you do. In actuality, it’s really just as important as how well you do. For an example, lets look at an accountant. Imagine bringing all your financial documents to this person and just say, “Balance this out for me.” Of course they do it, but when its done it is presented to you in an unattractive way and is quite hard to fully grasp if you are not an accountant. Now take that same job and give it to an accountant that understands aesthetic value. This accountant does a better job in presenting the information, his clients are better able to understand and enjoy it more, thus making them happy and him elbow deep in referrals.
It is quite sad, but the average person is more drawn to what looks best automatically, rather than what is possibly better than them. This is clearly shown in the more popular consumer electronics, or anything produced by Apple. As web professionals, we know all to well how important it is to make sure that your work is presented in a way that is appealing. There isn’t any way possible that a web professional could go one full day in their career without having to adhere to this. Because of this sometimes dreadful aspect, only when dealing with less than pleasant clients, web professionals are showcasing the importance of making sure what you do is presented in a way that is informative as well as appealing. In addition, we bring an importance in the appreciation of art.
What to Take Away
Being in the web industry is a one of a kind experience. Professionals here get a taste of creative expression, innovative openness, and entrepreneurship. These are the exact qualities that are needed in a workforce to drive it to self sustainability, or maintain it. Being a web professional is a unique experience, and it is that uniqueness that is creating a completely new identity for a career group that is so vital to a nation’s future, but lacks aspects necessary to draw enough attention to itself to the masses. That lacking presence is provided by the web industry, and all the professionals that make it up. So next time someone asks you, or just assumes, the ease at which your career can be handled, you just tell them that its my career that is stimulating future growth in an industry that will make or break an economy to the young school children minds.
1stwebdesigner – Graphic and Web Design Blog
Review of Usablenet for Mobile SEO
Thursday, September 29th, 2011I was surprised in June when Mashable ran a piece by Usablenet VP Jason Taylor on Mobile SEO. For one because Mashable doesn’t really talk about mobile SEO, so it was good to see a mainstream digital publication talk about something that is more of a niche within the niche of search marketing. But it was also surprising because in my experience sites that run on Usablenet’s platform are some of the worst optimized sites out there.
Take Amtrak.mobi, for example, which is a Usablenet site and one that a Usablenet representative mentioned to me in a call a few years ago as being a satisfied client. When I looked at the number of pages indexed in Google, the total is three; and two of those are error pages. For non-SEO people this means there aren’t many pages available to compete for relevant queries. What’s more, the title tags are branded, so Amtrak isn’t even attempting to let the engines know that their site is relevant for anything other than their brand. This is likely to result in primarily branded traffic, if they get any at all.
Sure enough, when I used SEMRush to check the overall health of Amtrak.mobi, I found that all of the organic traffic that they get is branded, and they’re not even ranking first for the navigational term [amtrak mobile].
Likewise, Staples’ mobile site, which Taylor highlighted as a Usablenet client that follows two of his three tips for better mobile SEO, is only ranking for four keywords that aren’t navigational in nature, and those are long-tail queries with a combined total of 27 searches per month.
By any definition these sites are not optimized for search traffic, let alone optimized for search traffic from mobile devices. It’s not that Taylor gives bad advice in the Mashable article (though it’s really too vague to be useful). It’s that there are some inherent flaws in the Usablenet platform that prevent content from being properly indexed and ranked.
There are some brands that use Usablenet’s platform in spite of its shortcomings. If you find yourself in this predicament, don’t assume that your content is search-friendly just because a Usablenet VP wrote an article on the subject on Mashable. Follow these three tips from a recent article I wrote for Search Marketing Standard to make your Usablenet content a little more search-friendly, though still not completely optimized for mobile search, I’m afraid.
Natural Search & Mobile SEO Blog
The Economical Use of Visitors Name Badges
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011As we know, the importance and need of representing a company brand is equivalent to its product. We need to choose better and economical ways to advertise our organization or company. TAGS: name badge , name badges, promotional badge products, staff name badge, company name badges, staff name badges
Latest Articles in Marketing tips Category on EzineMark.com
Citrix 1Y0-A06 study materials
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011To prepare for Citrix Certification exams,it is first recommended that you are familiar with the job role description and the parameters this certification is based on, as well as have knowledge of the topics outlined in the test objectives/skills measured on the test. TAGS: 1Y0-A06, citrix,
Latest Articles in Technology Category on EzineMark.com
Want Fresh Proxies? Investing In A Paid Proxy List May Be Worth It
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011Exactly what is a Proxy server? A proxy server means a lot to all site owners, online marketers, and SEO specialists as well as ordinary online users. A web proxy allows someone to indirectly connect to different networks while hiding the initial IP address. It may also be used being a firewall. In countries such [...]
SEO Rescuer.com
How Long Does Safety Gear Last?
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011Among the most vital tools in a construction worker’s arsenal is his high-visibility safety vest. They are his best friend when conditions are against him, whether it’s because he’s along a highway, working at night, or in the rain (in which case rain suits is an excellent tool.) These tools provide workers with the one thing that is invaluable on a construction site: visibility. These high-visibility vests must meet specific criteria put forth by the FHWA. Specifically, they must be ANSI Class 2 or 3 vests. Everyone working near the highway or construction equipment must wear one, not just the workers themselves, but also surveyors, foremen, engineers, and anyone else present on site.
Damage Over Time
As you might imagine, these safety gear undergo a lot of physical stress due to the nature of construction itself. While this damage can happen all at one time, it usually is an accumulation after many months of wearing these vests. Gradual wear and tear can render a vest unable to be used, as they must be visible at 1000 feet by law. If they aren’t, whether it’s from being torn, defaced, soiled, or damaged, it is required that they get replaced.
Color And Reflectivity
What signs should one look for to check if a vest is too damaged to wear? Vests that are acceptable display high levels of contrast and reflectivity. The colors are still very visible from very far away. While it’s totally expected that there should be some fading and dirtiness, they still need to be able to be seen from 1000 feet away. At the point where the reflectivity isn’t satisfactory anymore and the colors aren’t as distinct, they should be replaced. This rule is applicable to other safety gear as well, including safety rain gear, reflective cones, and more. If they aren’t working, they should be replaced.
Replacement
If you need to replace an old safety vest, the process isn’t difficult. The first step is notifying a supervisor that something needs to be replaced. A little bit of information is required to replace a vest, including what job the vest was for (since they can very by job), local regulations and laws regarding safety vests, and what class the vest is, i.e. Class 2 or Class 3. With this information, the correct vest can be replaced.
There is still one more step after the old vest has been replaced. It’s important to cut the old vest up so that no one else uses it by accident.
Average Lifetime
There are plenty of things that weigh in to how long a safety vest lasts before it needs to be replaced. The average time hovers around six months, so keep that in mind. However, keep in mind that vests worn at higher altitudes or in hotter areas often get worn faster. Also, the type of job being done can take a heavier toll on a safety vest than others, and how the vests are stored and how often they’re cleaned can cause issues as well.
6 Secret Techniques You Can Use To Become A Great Headline Writer
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011Bob Stone, one of the best known copywriters once said, “Your first 15 words count more than the 15,000 words that follow!”
A great headline is similar to the trailer before the movie. It whets the appetite and gives the reader a taste of what is to come. The purpose of a headline is to compel the reader to continue on to the next step (read your copy).
Ever glance over at the magazines strategically placed in front of you while you are waiting to check out at the supermarket? The first thing you will notice is the headline. Cosmopolitan, Star and many other worldwide magazines use headlines on their covers to lure consumers to buy their issues.
As internet marketers, your blog post and article headlines can either bore, turn away or compel your readers to read more. A great headline can draw more attention to your business and cause more people to share your content as well.
Beware:
Avoid following a headline with poor copy that does not substantiate your claim. If you promise to share the benefits of weight loss with the readers as stated in your headline, you must list your amazing weight loss benefits in the copy. A great headline is nothing without stellar content to follow.
Also, if you do not understand why a certain headline works, you may be at risk of writing a poor headline. Marketers use formulas and headline templates to craft their headlines and they can be useful, but only if they are written effectively. If you understand why headlines work, you will become better at writing them.
Let’s take a look at six examples of effective headlines and why they capture your attention. Though some of them are dated, they will still give you an idea of the power that can accompany a great headline.
1. The Thought-Provoking Question Headline
The headline below was written by Maxwell Sackheim over 80 years ago, yet it is still being touted as one of the best headline examples to this day:
Why is this headline so effective?
- It asks a thought-provoking question and engages the reader. By asking a question, you involve the reader in the process. You prompt the reader to answer the question and if the answer is “yes” or even “maybe, but I want to read more”, you will have done your job.
- The question should clearly relate to the benefit of what you are offering. In the above example, the headline leads to an article promoting the booklet “How you Can Master Good English in 15 Minutes a Day”. The article discusses the benefits of the product and also why people make mistakes with English so there was a logical progression from headline to copy.
- Who likes to make mistakes? Nobody! The psychology of human nature is to excel, not to fail. This question compels the reader to wonder if he/she is making those mistakes. It peaks their interest and causes them to continue reading.
Here are some other thought-provoking question headlines:
- Will Your Scalp Stand The “Fingernail Test?”
- Can You Talk About Books With The Rest Of Them?
2. The “How To” Headline
Everyone wants to improve their lives in some way which is why this type of headline works so well:
The “How to” statement should be written based on the needs or wants of your audience. Additionally, it must also focus on the fulfillment of that need. The book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” was and is still incredibly successful. The book title lures people in because it solves a basic need for many.
When crafting a “how to” headline, be careful not to list the task or process…make sure the benefit is highlighted.
For example, take a look at these 2 headlines:
- How to Clean Your House in Less Than 30 Minutes
- How to Enjoy a Sparkling Clean House in Less Than 30 Minutes
Both headlines are basically referring to some type of supersonic cleaning method that will get the job done in less than 30 minutes. However the first example focuses on the cleaning ,which is the task. Headlines should not remind readers of the things they hate, but outline the benefits of purchasing the product. The second headline puts the reader in a happy state and speaks more to how they can improve their lives and make their lives easier.
Think about motivation when writing your “how to” headlines.
Some other great how to headlines?
- How to Get a Mortgage That Saves You Money (Using the word “that” can be very effective)
- How To Get Your Cooking Bragged About
- How To Make Money Writing Short Paragraphs
- How To Do Your Christmas Shopping in 5 Minutes
3. The Direct Statement Headline
Take a look at this headline:
The Best Chocolate Cake You Ever Ate
This headline is an example of a direct statement. It isn’t clever or humorous. It gets straight to the point without hesitation. This headline works well for companies that are interested in stating a strong benefit or showcasing a discount.
The direct statement headline is powerful because it compels the writer to refrain from injecting any wordplay that could make the headline go south. It is clear and concise and there isn’t room for conjecture.
Here are some more direct statement headline examples:
- Money-saving Bargain from Americas Oldest Diamond Discount House
- One Place-setting Free For Every Three You Buy
- Quick Relief for Tired Eyes.
- The Most Amazing Shakespeare Bargain Ever Offered
4. The Big Benefit Headline
This headline emphasizes a BIG benefit and eases fears with the money back guarantee:
Ed Sale scored big with this headline. It accompanied his advertisement for his 66 page secret guitar playing system. His headline showcased his top-selling point and the copy followed suit.
Stating benefits in headlines is not a new concept; however, how you do it will determine its effectiveness. For these headlines, take your top benefit, the one that will get people to notice. Discover your main selling point and use that as a headline.
Examples:
- Lose Ugly Fat – an Average of 7 Pounds a Month.
- Create your own cards, posters and banners in minutes!
5. The Command Headline
The command headline is a more aggressive type of statement. Take a look at this headline:
This Is Your Window Of Opportunity. Open It.
This headline is a command that gives the reader exact instructions. It is direct and dictates a specific action without any fluff or lingo. It tells your customers what to do and encourages an action by offering a benefit.
You can also start a command headline with a verb like in these examples:
- Call anyone, anywhere, without a phone line for FREE!
- “Stop Baldness Today Before Your Head Looks Like A Bowling Ball”
The main point of the command headline is that people need to be told what to do. This is why you add “call to action” buttons and statements on your websites and sales letters. Make sure your headline fits the environment so it can be as effective as possible.
Here are some other command headline examples:
- “Stop Wasting Time On Advertising Guesswork”
- Become a famous blogger in 60 days.
6. The “Who Else” Headline
This headline could be categorized as a thought-provoking question as well, but because it is used so prevalently, it deserves its own category.
This “who else” headline is often overused in the internet marketing arena, but it can still be effective for many other businesses. By stating “Who else”, the headline implies that others are already desirous of the result which begs the reader to want to know more.
The psychology of human nature looks to others to direct our actions and to give us motivation. If we believe others desire something, we will feel safer to open our minds to it. “If he did it, then I can do it too!”
Examples of “who else” headlines:
- Who else wants a lighter cake – in half the mixing time?
- Who else wants a Hollywood figure?
- Who Else Wants a Higher Paying Job?
When writing headlines, try some of these examples and see how they land. They can give you some ideas and help you while you are learning the art of great headline writing.
Note: Not all headlines work for every type of copy. Some of these headlines may be too “spammy” for an email message yet they may work well for a sales letter. It’s important to match your headline not only to your audience but also to the medium in which you are writing.
1stwebdesigner – Graphic and Web Design Blog
What Content and Keywords to Include on a Mobile Site
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011If you’re wondering what your mobile users want, why not ask them?
My latest column in Search Engine Land looks at how to use keyword research and the mobile percent of total volume metric to identify keywords and concepts that are most important to your mobile users.
Beyond that, there are many suggestions for branded mobile content based on mobile keyword usage, such as ringtones, wallpaper, television commercials, mobile coupons, and other content smartphone and feature phone users are interested in.
The following appears in full on Search Engine Land.
Consider Mobile Content Carefully For Users & Better SEO
I�ve spoken a lot in these columns about the�differences between mobile SEO and desktop SEO, often warning webmasters to�do more than just reformat their desktop content�for smaller screens. But if you�re in the process of creating a mobile site, you may be wondering what to put on your mobile site that�s different than what is on your desktop site.
What content (if any) would be interesting to users of a mobile site that�wouldn�t�necessarily appeal to a stationary user on a desktop or laptop?
As search marketers, we should already understand the power of keyword research in letting your users tell you what they want and how they want it said on your website, and keyword research can help prioritize what content goes on a mobile site as well.
For example, you may sell car insurance to an English speaking audience in the United States, and you want to see how users are interacting with that type of content on mobile devices versus desktop devices.
Using the�Google keyword tool in AdWords, you can filter by mobile volume in the advanced features, and select category data for insurance keywords for mobile users and desktop users.
If you put that data in a table like the one below, you can quickly see opportunities for content that mobile users are looking for en masse.
Continue reading on Search Engine Land.
Natural Search & Mobile SEO Blog
Painless Traffic – Monetizing Effectively Really Can Increase Your Revenue
Monday, September 26th, 2011If you have been doing some research into Painless Traffic, then you may possess a decent idea of what is known. Perhaps you can have figured out that not all you have found will use to you. Your particular situation will influence what extra locations of investigation you’ve to consider. There is usually much much [...]
SEO Rescuer.com