Archive for December 2002

Can you tolerate one more "look back" article? Most of ya are probably already off to parties or gatherings. But what the hey? Thought this was different as it takes a look at GUI through The year in skinning: a look back on 2002. [Link Lockergnome Bits & Bytes]

At the end of the year or first of the new year, we can expect tons of best of / worst of lists. Since it’s the last day of 2002, I’ll bite. Jakob Nielsen joins in with his Top Ten Web-Design Mistakes of 2002.

New article in meryl.net/articles is a book review of Nick Usborne’s Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy.

The online marketing experts, Web designers, and usability gurus have been saying that the content is the heart of a Web site, it’s what connects the readers with the site. Yet, many sites, especially businesses, aren’t getting the message. Even writers who are used to writing for printed publications have to change their habits for online writing.

We’re bombarded with tons of email and more than half is most likely Spam. It’s tough for businesses to build relationships through email with all the other email garbage in the way. Nick Usborne shows how to break through these barriers and build relationships through words and good copywriting.
Most agree that online advertising has failed. The people who have done offline advertising are applying the same rules and concepts when creating online advertising. The first rule that online experts learn: writing for the Internet is not like print journalism. The second rule: you can have all the whiz-bang graphics and flash you want, but words make the sale. Words load faster than graphics-laden Web pages.

But wait! How do people arrive at Web sites? Sure, some of the biggies like Amazon and eBay need not worry about search engines as they’ve established themselves with online presence that everyone knows. Small businesses and lesser known companies have to rely on search engines to lead the troops to their sites. Email newsletters are another way to reach people, but how do they find out about the newsletter in the first place? Unless it’s a referral, it’s most likely through the Web site.

Search engines love words. They can’t search graphics. Once the visitor finds your site through a search engine, the next step is to build interest… FAST. We scan pages and if we don’t like what we see within a few seconds, bye-bye site and the opportunity is gone in a flash.

Usborne provides examples of how to write great copy on Web sites and in newsletters and explains the whys to support his arguments. I remember the first time I went to Southwest Airlines’ Web site to look up flight information. It was nothing like I expected – dry, boring corporate-style writing. This is the company that “loves to fly” and that wasn’t represented in its online content. They’ve since redesigned their site and now greet us with, “We are a company of People, not planes.” That sounds like the fun airline on which its reputation is built.

Even if a company doesn’t have a pre-Web site reputation like Southwest Airlines, its content doesn’t have to sound like a cold company with no soul using generic corporate-speak. Usborne encourages writing like real people, to show there are humans behind the company and the site.

Many companies think they’re doing the right thing by sharing their missions, visions, and all that other corporate “have-to-haves” to their sites. Fine, but put it in people-speak not the way your English professor taught you and encouraged big words in your papers style. Simplicity is what matters and Usborne shares before and after examples of writing. It clearly makes a difference. Yes, a company wants to maintain professionalism and decorum when representing itself, but that is still possible with great copy and Usborne shows how to do that in many situations.

Though I often research and write about online content and copy, I’ve learned new stuff from the book. Most companies don’t want the expense of hiring expert writers and copywriters, even though it does pay off to have well-crafted words. However, if that’s not possible in this thin economy, then the price of this book is small change compared to the rewards to be gained from the implemented results.

VITAL STATISTICS:
TITLE: Net Words: Creating High-Impact Online Copy
AUTHOR: Nick Usborne
PUBLISHER: McGraw-Hill Trade
PUBLICATION DATE: November 26, 2001
ISBN: 0071380396
FORMAT: Paperback
PAGES: 224
PRICE: US$16.95

Wow! You get a choice. HTTP Error 404 – Your Choice and one is a movie.

‘Tis the Season takes a look at how Web sites modify their content for the holiday season and their effectiveness. Since the Web knows no boundaries, it’s a challenge to try to address all the holidays and traditions.

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I hope the eve and the day are peaceful and happy for everyone. My family loves to work on a jigsaw puzzle together. It’s not a big deal, but I have many memories of working those puzzles in winters past especially working on a Coca-Cola 5000 piece puzzle until three in the morning only to find that one piece was missing. It was a memorable night since my friend since we were 5-years-old was there for the ride.

Instead of the boring “get yourself in shape” resolution, how about getting your Web site in shape? Webmonkey presents a Site Optimization Tutorial to help your Web site get faster and smarter.

Thanks to my secret santa for How to Write Funny: Add Humor to Every Kind of Writing. Excellent choice. Have much to learn! Happy holidays to you, whoever you are!

In the newest eNewsletter Journal, we briefly hear from two readers on the origin of Spam, one of those being Nick Finck.

The first article of a six-part "stellar" series is published. GrotDokCom, eNJ, and other experts are picking apart a Web site that sells burials in space. This is not a joke. This is not April 1. The site needs a facelift and see what the experts have to say about it in From Difinity and Beyond.

It’ll be interesting if the company implements our suggestions.

I admit that one of my bad writing habits consisted of writing passive sentences. This was back in school and college where we had to write formal, dry, and boring papers to please the professors. Since then, I’ve worked hard at killing the passivity in everything I write and edit. Granted, it’s not always easy and sometimes it feels like you’re solving a puzzle.

GrokDotCom offers suggestions on how to Think Active! Start eradicating passives from your writing and experience positive results.