Be friendly.  It pays.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Filed under Customer Service, Marketing & Communications, Sound Advice

A friendly email correspondence I recently had tipped the scales in helping me decide which of two service providers I would hire.

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Why you shouldn’t say “click here”

Monday, March 1, 2010 Filed under Marketing & Communications, Usability
2 comments

Is your website riddled with the phrase “click here”?  I’m amazed at how often I still see this phrase used as a link label.  Using “click here” to identify links is a very bad idea.  Here’s why.

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Design your website for your audience, not for you.

Monday, March 1, 2010 Filed under Design, Marketing & Communications, Non-Profit, Sound Advice, Usability

Your website is not for you, it’s for your target audience.  Make sure it looks good for them first.

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Reply to emails promptly

Friday, January 15, 2010 Filed under Customer Service, Design, Marketing & Communications, Sound Advice
1 comment

How quickly do you respond to emails from your audience?

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The difference between Internet and Intranet

Saturday, January 2, 2010 Filed under Marketing & Communications

An example of the embarrassment that can result from forgetting just how public your website is.

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Frozen vegetables can teach you a lot about calls-to-action

Thursday, December 10, 2009 Filed under Design, Marketing & Communications, Sound Advice, Usability

Look at the calls-to-action buttons on your website.  Would I know exactly what they do just by reading their labels?  Avoid using your organization’s internal language when labelling links and buttons.  Just because your staff understands them doesn’t mean your audience will. 

Also, cook with fresh vegetables.

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If your website is broken, fix it.

Thursday, November 26, 2009 Filed under Design, Marketing & Communications, Usability

In the age of social networking, organizations can’t afford to ignore errors on their websites.  Some visitor will inevitably point it out, which can lead to an embarrassing situation.  Not long ago, I was that visitor.

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Use positive sounding labels for links

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Filed under Design, Marketing & Communications, Sound Advice, Usability

What kind of language do you use for the navigation links on your website?  Do they make your organization seem warm and inviting or negative and confrontational?

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Customers are people too

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Filed under Customer Service, Marketing & Communications, Non-Profit, Sound Advice

I just received a very impersonal call from a non-profit looking for donations.

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When brands get lost in marketing campaigns

Thursday, November 5, 2009 Filed under Marketing & Communications, Sound Advice

Sure, you want your marketing campaign to get viral, but if I can’t remember your product, it doesn’t matter how funny your ad is.

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