Online Marketing
Short URLs - Not Just For Twitter Anymore!
Running URLs through a service that shortens their length is a fairly standard practice at Twitter. After all, when you only have 140 characters, you don’t want a lengthy URL address taking up most of your precious, limited space!
At the moment, Twitter uses tinyurl.com to automatically shorten long URLs that you might enter into your [...]
Social Media Squatting: How to Protect Your Brand + Reputation!
Harrowing Social Media Squatting Story: Last year, I sent a LinkedIn invitation to a thrilled client after I completed a short project for her company. She never accepted.
After a few weeks, she called to talk about another small project. As we chatted, I asked her if she received my LinkedIn invitation.
“What’s LinkedIn?” she asked.
Although she [...]
FaceBook Profile V. FaceBook Page: There’s a Difference!
Confusion abounds! There is a difference between a FaceBook Profile and a FaceBook Fan Page. My most-oft question this month concerned creating a FaceBook Fan Page for a business. First, let’s explain the difference between FaceBook Profile and Fan Page:
FaceBook Profile: This is strictly for humans. Hey, that’s you! You’re putting your “Face” on facebook! It’s your picture! It’s your name! [...]
What is RSS and Why Do You Care?
If you know all about RSS, skip this post. You won’t need it.
Otherwise:
RSS stands for Real Simple Syndication. If you see this icon in your browser address bar — or anywhere on a site — it is RSS [...]
How Flash Websites Can Be Like Cologne
What does wearing cologne have to do with web design for businesses?
Read the following 381 words.
Every time you read “cologne” — substitute “Flash”. Here goes:
photo credit: Adriano Agulló
Cologne was invented to cover up bad hygiene or mask a foul stench. Many believe that cologne is an attractor, but it isn’t.
You’re attracted to someone long [...]
Face the Top Two Website Findability Facts!
Three business people asked me the same internet marketing question within a month, so I reckon this warrants a blog post! The question, roughly translated, is this:
Hey! My stats show that I’m not getting as much search [...]
Two Easy Wordle Website Branding Exercises
I’ve been noodling with the delightful Wordle.net application for a few months now. Initially, I used Wordle to create word clouds that I use as art in PowerPoint presentations.
For example, I entered my opening remarks on a presentation about Social Media for Business, and Wordle generated a unique and relevant welcome slide image. The main [...]
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 [...]
