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Member You - Things to Avoid When Designing a Website
Are You Losing Your Edge?
Challenge for working professionals todayIf you are reading this, I expect you are a working professional.The world has changed and so is the professional field.Today, maybe you are also a doctor, accountant, lawyer or whatever title you may hold. That does not matter. My cousin is a doctor and now worries he may be cut off because the government is downsizing.Is professional destination a guarantee for success, money or fame?As mentioned in "Rich Dad Poor Dad", the industrial age
. If a page has been completely removed, it may be best to use a custom 404 page. A good 404 page will give the user options or products that are similar to the one that has been removed. You should apologize for the inconvenience, and give them an option to explore a similar portion of your site.
Misleading or unwanted information
Challenge for working professionals todayIf you are reading this, I expect you are a working professional.The world has changed and so is the professional field.Today, maybe you are also a doctor, accountant, lawyer or whatever title you may hold. That does not matter. My cousin is a doctor and now worries he may be cut off because the government is downsizing.Is professional destination a guarantee for success, money or fame?As mentioned in "Rich Dad Poor Dad", the industrial age
- A visitor wants to be able to get to the information they are looking for without having to go through maze, or jump through hoops. If your website offers a newsl
- Organize your content into relevant categories. It may be a good idea to include a sitemap if you have a lot of individual pages.
- Keep your URL's simple, yet descriptive. It's also a good idea to use keywords in your URL's
- Use descriptive page titles, article titles, headings, etc. A visitor should be able to grasp the purpose of your site almost immediately.
- Background images (or colors) that make the text hard to read. This is a mistake that is seen quite often. Make sure that your text color contrasts the color of your background (or background image)
- Pop Ups, and Pop Unders These are simply annoying. Most of these, however, can be avoided thanks to pop-up blockers.
- Large Images take time to download. Even though the number of high speed internet connections is growing by the day, large images can still be a problem.
- Use Redirects for pages that have been moved. There are several ways to do this, some better than others. The preferred method of redirecting is to use a 301 redirect.
- Get the most out of 404 pages. If a page has been completely removed, it may be best to use a custom 404 page. A good 404 page will give the user options or products that are similar to the one that has been removed. You should apologize for the inconvenience, and give them an option to explore a similar portion of your site.
- Organize your content into relevant categories. It may be a good idea to include a sitemap if you have a lot of individual pages.
- Keep your URL's simple, yet descriptive. It's also a good idea to use keywords in your URL's
- Use descriptive page titles, article titles, headings, etc. A visitor should be able to grasp the purpose of your site almost immediately.
- Background images (or colors) that make the text hard to read. This is a mistake that is seen quite often. Make sure that your text color contrasts the color of your background (or background image)
- Pop Ups, and Pop Unders These are simply annoying. Most of these, however, can be avoided thanks to pop-up blockers.
- Large Images take time to download. Even though the number of high speed internet connections is growing by the day, large images can still be a problem.
- Use Redirects for pages that have been moved. There are several ways to do this, some better than others. The preferred method of redirecting is to use a 301 redirect.
- Get the most out of 404 pages. If a page has been completely removed, it may be best to use a custom 404 page. A good 404 page will give the user options or products that are similar to the one that has been removed. You should apologize for the inconvenience, and give them an option to explore a similar portion of your site.
- Background images (or colors) that make the text hard to read. This is a mistake that is seen quite often. Make sure that your text color contrasts the color of your background (or background image)
- Pop Ups, and Pop Unders These are simply annoying. Most of these, however, can be avoided thanks to pop-up blockers.
- Large Images take time to download. Even though the number of high speed internet connections is growing by the day, large images can still be a problem.
- Use Redirects for pages that have been moved. There are several ways to do this, some better than others. The preferred method of redirecting is to use a 301 redirect.
- Get the most out of 404 pages. If a page has been completely removed, it may be best to use a custom 404 page. A good 404 page will give the user options or products that are similar to the one that has been removed. You should apologize for the inconvenience, and give them an option to explore a similar portion of your site.
- Use Redirects for pages that have been moved. There are several ways to do this, some better than others. The preferred method of redirecting is to use a 301 redirect.
- Get the most out of 404 pages. If a page has been completely removed, it may be best to use a custom 404 page. A good 404 page will give the user options or products that are similar to the one that has been removed. You should apologize for the inconvenience, and give them an option to explore a similar portion of your site.
- Get to the point. Don't make users sort through pages and pages of irrelevant material to find the information they are after.
- Don't mislead your visitors. Don't trick your users into clicking on ads, or doing any action they they do not want to do.
- Clearing the history in the user's browser, or disabling their back button is a technique that you should never use.
- Removing things like the address bar, back/forward buttons, and the status bar have their uses (for example, to display an image from a gallery) but should be avoided at all cost.
- Fixed window size, like removing certain items, may be good for displaying an image, but should be avoided.
The Keys to Delivering World-Class Service
Every so often, I’m hired by a company to develop a marketing plan for its business. Yet after conducting my initial assessment, I discover that the company’s lack of a marketing plan isn’t the problem. The real problem is the company’s poor service. For these companies, spending any money at all on marketing is like pouring fine wine down a sinkhole; a complete waste. If your company’s service stinks, fix that first. Then, worry about promoting your company.The Pillars of Service CoolWithout great se
Getting users to visit your website is hard enough, but it's not the only key to a successful site. Once a user is at your site, it's your job to keep them there! This article is going to cover the mistakes that novice (and professional) webmasters often make when they are designing a new page.
Every so often, I’m hired by a company to develop a marketing plan for its business. Yet after conducting my initial assessment, I discover that the company’s lack of a marketing plan isn’t the problem. The real problem is the company’s poor service. For these companies, spending any money at all on marketing is like pouring fine wine down a sinkhole; a complete waste. If your company’s service stinks, fix that first. Then, worry about promoting your company.The Pillars of Service CoolWithout great se
An unorganized mess
- A website that is cluttered and unorganized is a good way to drive away visitors. Someone viewing your site should be able to find your content easily, without having to stray too far from your main page.
- Another common problem is bad design. "Bad design" consists of anything that inhibits the usability of a website. Some examples of bad design include:
- If a visitor enters your site, and is lead to a missing page, "file not found" error, or any other error, they will leave.
- A visitor wants to be able to get to the information they are looking for without having to go through maze, or jump through hoops. If your website offers a newsle
The Single Most Powerful Small Business Marketing Tool On The Planet
Let me get right to the point. The single most powerful small business marketing tool on the planet is a marketing plan. Now before you roll your eyes and run for the hills let me clear a few things up.When I talk about a marketing plan I am not referring to those academic exercises found in college marketing books, or the templated mumbo jumbo found in business planning software. I will not be asking you to determine your share of the market today. Give me a break, share of the market, most small business ow
to stray too far from your main page.
Let me get right to the point. The single most powerful small business marketing tool on the planet is a marketing plan. Now before you roll your eyes and run for the hills let me clear a few things up.When I talk about a marketing plan I am not referring to those academic exercises found in college marketing books, or the templated mumbo jumbo found in business planning software. I will not be asking you to determine your share of the market today. Give me a break, share of the market, most small business ow
- Another common problem is bad design. "Bad design" consists of anything that inhibits the usability of a website. Some examples of bad design include:
- If a visitor enters your site, and is lead to a missing page, "file not found" error, or any other error, they will leave.
- A visitor wants to be able to get to the information they are looking for without having to go through maze, or jump through hoops. If your website offers a newsl
Build A Web Site
The Internet is the future, and a Website is your key to taking advantage of it. A Website not only showcases your products and services to the general public, but more importantly, introduces you to a whole new audience and potential market. So powerful is the Internet that a significant percentage of retail sales in the United States is now generated by e-commerce.You, too, cash in on the trend by launching your very own Website. Depending on your computer skills and the time and money you are willing to sp
bad design. "Bad design" consists of anything that inhibits the usability of a website. Some examples of bad design include:The Internet is the future, and a Website is your key to taking advantage of it. A Website not only showcases your products and services to the general public, but more importantly, introduces you to a whole new audience and potential market. So powerful is the Internet that a significant percentage of retail sales in the United States is now generated by e-commerce.You, too, cash in on the trend by launching your very own Website. Depending on your computer skills and the time and money you are willing to sp
- If a visitor enters your site, and is lead to a missing page, "file not found" error, or any other error, they will leave.
- A visitor wants to be able to get to the information they are looking for without having to go through maze, or jump through hoops. If your website offers a newsl
Does Your Company Have A CVO?
Does Your Company Have A CVO?What’s a CVO? It’s a Chief Visionary Officer, the person who defines, communicates, and implements the vision of the company. The CVO creates the vision of what the company can become, communicates that vision both internally (to the staff and stakeholders) and externally (to clients and prospects). The CVO motivates others to see that the vision is important, worth the effort, and then tracks progress the company makes towards the achievement of that vision.Does your c
. Even though the number of high speed internet connections is growing by the day, large images can still be a problem.
Missing Pages
Does Your Company Have A CVO?What’s a CVO? It’s a Chief Visionary Officer, the person who defines, communicates, and implements the vision of the company. The CVO creates the vision of what the company can become, communicates that vision both internally (to the staff and stakeholders) and externally (to clients and prospects). The CVO motivates others to see that the vision is important, worth the effort, and then tracks progress the company makes towards the achievement of that vision.Does your c
- If a visitor enters your site, and is lead to a missing page, "file not found" error, or any other error, they will leave.
- A visitor wants to be able to get to the information they are looking for without having to go through maze, or jump through hoops. If your website offers a newsl
Hosted Ecommerce Application Benefits
Hosted ecommerce ApplicationEcommerce application, either hosted or traditional, should be chosen carefully in order to benefit your online business. The Ecommerce application is a specially designed software program to help enhance your online business. These applications programs are available from your shopping cart to provide a check out point where the customer may pay for your goods or services. Most of these applications can be found from various hosting companies which save you time a
. If a page has been completely removed, it may be best to use a custom 404 page. A good 404 page will give the user options or products that are similar to the one that has been removed. You should apologize for the inconvenience, and give them an option to explore a similar portion of your site.
Misleading or unwanted information
Hosted ecommerce ApplicationEcommerce application, either hosted or traditional, should be chosen carefully in order to benefit your online business. The Ecommerce application is a specially designed software program to help enhance your online business. These applications programs are available from your shopping cart to provide a check out point where the customer may pay for your goods or services. Most of these applications can be found from various hosting companies which save you time a
- A visitor wants to be able to get to the information they are looking for without having to go through maze, or jump through hoops. If your website offers a newsletter, or some other promotional item, don't make the user click through 10 pages of ads or nonsense before they can sign up. Another thing that drives users away is misleading information.
- What is meant by browser hijacking is where your website "takes control" of the user's web browser. This is a sure-fire way to make users leave and never return.
- When it comes to search engine optimization and having a successful website, there is one major thing that you should always keep in mind: If you design your site with the user in mind, and promote promote promote, everything else tends to fall into place.
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