Online Marketing
When you don’t need more web traffic…
People ask me about “traffic” all the time. As in:
“Laura, how do I get more web traffic?”
Somewhere, somehow, some folks seem to have forgotten that traffic is undesirable!
Sometimes, lots of traffic is stinky, smelly, and annoying!
photo credit: SignalPAD
Don’t get caught in traffic! There are about a zillion attraction and marketing tactics that can lead […]
Middle Aged, Cranky, and Loving Web Usability
photo credit: dyanna
I love the work of usability expert Jakob Nielson. I really do.
His latest UseIt Alerts are must-reads.
One alert takes a cranky old man’s slap at bad web design. Bad content, bad navigation, big bad badness.
Another discusses middle-aged folks and our declining web performance.
Both contain awesome analyses. Couldn’t agree more.
But keep two things in mind:
1. Criticizing is always easier […]
I Want That Guy, Part II
Where’s my computer guy?
Earlier this month, I mentioned that there’s “a guy” missing from my Rolodex.
(Relax! “That guy” can be a gal, too!)
photo credit: loosepunctuation
“That guy” is apparently shy about implementing some effective word-of-mouth marketing!
Worth noting: “that guy” might be willing to spend $10,000 on a website — or an all-tell, no-sell brochure. And […]
Might as well market…
We’re having a heat wave! It’s about 13 degrees warmer today than yesterday!
My desktop reveals that it’s snowing. Again. And a quick glance out the office window makes me want to — close the blinds! Schools are closed. Some businesses are, too.
So why does my phone keep ringing? And why do I keep getting emails? […]
Cliche of the Day - Industry Standards
Don’t hide behind industry standards! I often bristle at my least favorite corporate cliche - “industry standard.” I advise clients to banish the phrase “industry standard” from their online marketing vocabularies.
Why talk about “industry standards” in your online copy – when your customers don’t know what they standards are? And if they do — so […]
Don’t copy your competitors!
Track your competitors online with 3 basic online techniques.
By all means, sign up for free Google News Alerts to find out when your competitors release news, as well as to keep tabs on mainstream media and blog mentions.
Subscribe to competitive blogs — anonymously — with RSS aggregators like Bloglines.
Use services like compete.com to find […]
Check out my new blog design!
Busy morning — new web host, new design. What do you think?
I transferred the whole kit and caboodle to a new webhost. Upgraded to the newest version of WordPress. And of course, completely changed my design.
Now that all is new, I’m sure I’ll find a bug or two to clean up! If you find them […]
Word of the Day - Bot
Last week, friends mentioned the Web Bot project – it predicts the end of the world in 2012. So if you’ve been slacking on your 401k, good for you!
On the web, Bot is often thought to be short for “robot” — an automated program that crawls the internet and performs automated tasks.
But then there’s another […]
Web 2.0 Content: Free at Last?
Free means more than “no cost.” After all, there’s the kind of freedom Martin Luther King was talking about…
And there’s the kind of freedom that frees your web content from the shackles of oppressive html and Flash design…
…so that your ideas can spread farther and faster.
…so that your company can develop stronger client relationships.
If spreading […]
Non-Profit Organizations and Slavery
I don’t work for free. If I did, that would be slavery. I’m not a slave.
Slavery is illegal. And unethical.
When any organization (non-profit or profit!) asks me to work without payment, that’s a red flag.
I don’t work for organizations that support and promote slavery. Those organizations usually get the kind of work they deserve.
PS - […]
