I learned of three new websites tonight that will undoubtedly make me a better Designer. The first is ABtests.com.

ABtests.com is a website that displays how making subtle changes in the design a web page influences how visitors act on what is being offered (ie: conversion rates). The site has screen shot samples of Before and After designs with detailed explanations, conversion rate increase percentages and a summary they call “Results Hypothesis” where they explain what was changed and why they feel it increased the response rates. They even have popular categories like “Sign-Up pages” and “Home Page” so you can see example of what interests you.

The second site is bokardo. As their website states, bokardo provides “Interface Design & Consulting for Social Web Apps. We provide design, evaluation, & consulting services for today’s sophisticated social software.”

What I liked most about this site was they way they illustrate how the less is more strategy when applied correctly with good design greatly enhances the goals of the site. Lots of good case studies and white paper type info here. I have already signed up to receive their Social Design Newsletter (see, it worked!).

The third site is KISSmetrics.com. Their mission: “To give all online businesses (big and small) the tools and technology to measure what’s happening and tune their user’s experience.”

As of this posting their site tools were not yet available but their blog is worth checking out. Lots of good articles on website traffic reports, how to design a great form, and other valuable insights. Check out the KISSmetrics blog by clicking here.

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The Internet can be overwhelming at times. When it comes to keeping track of the comments made on your blog postings I have discovered a new comment tracking system called IntenseDebate to help keep order. Although I am still learning this new system I liked some of the features offered. For one, you can read profiles on those who post comments to your blog. IntenseDebate’s community can vote for bloggers who offer great content, and report those who do not. You get emails sent directly to your inbox when a comment is added to your blog post and the person who added the comment can receive email notifications when there is a reply made. I like that since it should promote more interaction. And I like the fact that you can setup the system to automatically tweet a comment you make on a posting if you want, nice! I would love to hear from others using IntenseDebate. Has it helped with building your blog following? What is the feature you like best?

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I just added DISQUS to my blog. What is DISQUS you may ask? Here is an excerpt from the intro on their website:

Disqus, pronounced “discuss”, is a service and tool for web comments and discussions. The Disqus comment system can be plugged into any website, blog, or application. Disqus makes commenting easier and more interactive, while connecting websites and commenters across a thriving discussion community.

I was intrigued when visiting a blog site that had this system in place. My first reaction when going to post my comment was – wow, this is easy (to post a comment). No more threatening “you must log-in to post a comment”. Nice. I installed Disqus on my WordPress blog (version 2.8) without a problem so now visitors to my blog can have that “it’s easy to post a comment” feeling too

I also integrated my Disqus account with my Twitter, Facebook and of course my blog. Now I will be able to monitor my comments from all of the websites I post to from one source – Disqus. Cool, I love this stuff!

Agrotising, Comments, DISQUS Hide

The Internet is constantly changing. It’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest and even harder to understand how that technology works and how it can benefit your business… and your life! Take RSS feeds for example. Here’s a simple video produced by CommonCraft.com that explains RSS feeds in plain English. Once you setup your RSS feed reader, be sure to add our blog to it!

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I read an interesting article recently about the differences between Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). In it the author stated that

“Search Engine Optimizing must be the first step in promoting your site”.

I could not agree more. Most of us do not have an unlimited budget for marketing. With a properly optimized website, it’s like giving the gift that keeps on giving. Once your website is optimized, the search engines will find it easier, and based on the theme of the pages, search engines will categorize your site so it displays in the search engine’s result pages when people search for a product or service that your site offers.

So what exactly is Search Engine Optimization?
Search engines are constantly surfing the web for new pages/sites and sites that have changed since the last time they were visited. It only makes sense to program website pages in such a way that makes it easy and more exact for the search engine to add the site to their index. There are many sound practices that go into Search Engine Optimization like page titles that reflect the content of the page, meta tag description and keywords, page content that is unique – not copied from another site. Another sound Search Engine Optimization tip is to have your page focus on one theme.

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
Believe it or not, aesthetics also plays a part in good Search Engine Optimization. Not all search engines are automatic, some of the largest – YAHOO Directory for one – are maintained by real people. If your site is not pleasing to the eye, easy to navigate and loaded with helpful content then it will always run a distant second to one that is.

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Recently one of my customers emailed me something that truly excited her. It is a neat system that enables you to add a virtual representative to pages on your website. I tried it and it is really easy! You can record your own message or have a professional talent record the script you supply.

They even have figured out a way you can have your own likeness for the animated person, called a Avatar. You just supply the system with a photo via upload wala, an animated you! You can add your own voice and message via your computer’s microphone. Don’t have a mic? no problem as they provide a special phone number you can call and record your message.

You can add more than one Avatar to your site, so different pages can have different messages. Very cool. My customer has already signed-up and when she is ready I will be adding her virtual representatives to her website. Check out the website by visiting my affiliate link simply by clicking on the graphic in this post. Or you can click on this link: Click here to for a free trial.

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I recently presented an overview on Blogs and how they can help with marketing to my BNI Chapter. I found that most knew what a blog was, but that few had considered how they could be added to their marketing efforts for little to no cost.
In a popular book by Bob Burg titled “Endless Referrals: Network Your Everyday Contacts Into Sales” Bob writes there are three specific benefits you will find by having a blog for business:

Getting to know you. The blog becomes a part of how you brand yourself. If people read it, they should feel like they are getting to know you and getting to know what your beliefs and values are.

Making it easier. Do you have clients who love you but have trouble knowing what to say about you? Encourage them to send their friends and colleagues to your blog as a way to make the connection. That way, they don’t have to feel they have to say the perfect words about your business in order to get the referral.

Keep on top of your game. By writing often about your work and the benefits of your products and services, you will stay current and fresh. This will help in all phases of your business, but it will also help you in networking situations by giving you something fresh and new to talk about when having conversations with possible clients and new referrals.

After the Featured Speaker gave her 10-minute talk on what she did and what triggers we should look for that may lead to a referral I mentioned that I wish I had video taped her presentation as it would have made a great addition to her blog. Just then the room got a little brighter as I could tell by the reaction of the audience I had turned a few light bulbs on with that observation!

How has a blog helped your business?

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As a Website Designer I am constantly learning about new and innovative ways to market a website and enchance the design and features of websites. I plan to dedicate this category on posting the latest trends and marketing ideas for websites.

If you have something you would like to share please let me know about it!

First posting is coming soon.

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