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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 06 September 2006 15:19 |
Shortcut your design using logo design software Nothing is more effective in getting the attention of potential clients than a catchy logo onlookers can associate with your business. You don’t have to be a professional artist to create an attractive logo for your business or for your personal use. There are a number of logo design software options that make creating the icon quick and painless. Many of the products available are so easy to use that you can have an eye-catching icon that represents your business completed and ready to print within minutes. 
TheLogoCreator - Logo design software is an example of the many products available on the market today. This software offers over one-hundred different templates that you can use to create your very own image. These templates allow you to make a creation that is entirely yours from scratch. You simply use the template to build your unique image from the ground up. The result is a personalized logo that reflects your skill and imagination. Another option offered through TheLogoCreator Logo design software is using one of over two-thousand images that are already established by the company. You can alter the clipart to meet your specific needs. This feature functions a lot like Photoshop. When you work with Photoshop, you usually change an existing photo or picture by using the different tools available in the program. The logo design software works in much the same way. You will need a basic knowledge of image editing in order to effectively use the logo design software when creating your design. The TheLogoCreator Logo program allows you to merge a number of images together from the available clipart. You can also use more than one template to create a complex original design. However, with the many options and tools there are in the logo design software, each and every logo will be unique. A word of warning: many creative people want to express so much in very little space. Try to keep your general idea concise and clean. The logo design programs offer a plethora of options and it is easy to make the icon way too complex. Decide what it is you want to communicate and focus on that. Consider the message you are trying to convey and shorten the message to just a few words. After all, a picture paints a thousand words, but few people have time to absorb that much information. The ideal logo is clean, direct and eye-catching. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 September 2006 11:29 )
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 04 November 2004 21:17 |
The One Vital Web Design Element That Virtually No One Is Telling You About {mosgoogle}
You've probably seen articles that cover the "Top Ten Web Design
Mistakes" or something to that effect. They all seem to say the
same things, don't they? No animation, keep the appearance
professional, use easy navigation, and so on. You've done
everything those articles told you to do, but your site still
isn't making the progress you'd like. What's wrong?
You know, out of all the ebooks I've seen - and all the articles
on Web design I've read - one thing is rarely mentioned. You
would think, since this element is absolutely vital to any Web
site's success, that it would be the talk of the town. That one
vital element is... your customer.
Before you read another article or ebook on Web site design,
consider these facts:
* Your customer is the reason you are in business.
* Your customer pays your bills.
* Your Web site should be specifically and intentionally designed
to meet your customer's every need.
* In order to design your site to meet his/her needs, you must
first know who your customer is.
Once you discover who your perfect customer is, and what needs
he/she is looking to you to fill, you can apply all those other
techniques in the "Top Ten Web Design Mistakes" articles with
great success. But the questions remain - "Who is your target
customer" and "What does he/she want from you"?
It's simple really. Just ask a few questions like:
* What types of customers visit my site?
* What is the common denominator of all these site visitors?
* What brings them to the point of needing my products/services?
* What problems do my products/services solve for my visitors?
The answers to all these questions will reveal an amazing
portrait of your customers, of what they want, and of how you can
supply what they need.
When you implement your design, or make changes to your existing
design, do EVERYTHING with your target customer in mind. Does
your site design need to be "fun" or "business-like"? That
depends on whether your visitors are looking to fill a need for
entertainment or professional services. Should you use vibrant
pink and lime green shades, or muted blues and grays? Senior
citizens would most likely shy away from "fad-ish" colors, but
teenagers wouldn't get very excited over dark, drab tones. See?
It all depends on your customer. Every decision you make about
your Web site design should focus on and revolve around one
thing... your customer.
Now, rather than repeat what thousands of other authors have
written, I'll just ask that you go back and read those "Top Ten
Web Design Mistakes" articles once more. But... this time, apply
their advice with your perfect site visitor in mind. You'll be
simply amazed at the results you'll get once your focus is
clearly set on the primary person involved... your customer.
About the AuthorDoug Parr is an Internet marketer who specializes in helping
average people make exceptional incomes online. At SmallBiz2000
you'll find the most reliable and "growth-oriented" products and
services on the Web. Check out the new Web Design Success Pack
including customer-focused site design, copywriting, AND online
business consultation. http://www.smallbiz2000.com
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 August 2006 12:20 )
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Keep Visitors Coming Back Over & Over! Offer Them What They Want! |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 04 November 2004 21:07 |
Keep Visitors Coming Back Over & Over! Offer Them What They Want! by Paulina Roe {mosgoogle}
If you have a site you want to be "sticky" - meaning visitors will hang
out at your site and check it out for awhile, and then come back for more
visits due to changing content they want to see - you need to have a
strategy. You need to know what your site theme needs to draw
targeted visitors back again and again.
No matter what you do with your site - you need good content that
changes - relating to what people want to know about. The content must
be timely, pertinent, consistent with site theme, and offer something of
value to the visitors. Some strategies are offered below.
Figure out what is new, or innovative for your site theme. What can
you post in updates that will make the curious come back? Is there a
new product, a new site announcement, a new article (especially in a
series that is continuous), a new prize or contest to win? Think over
your options and see what relates with your site.
Offer a way for visitors to win something - or offer freebies they can
win, or discount coupons on items - just for visiting. Don't go broke
over this, but find something of use and which follows your site theme.
You might even get donations of products or samples from a company
that wants its link or banner on your site, and perhaps has its logo on
the samples. When winners are picked, list them at the page or in your
ezine so that visitors will return to find out if they won. It will also
add credibility that you are actually awarding prizes. Keep the winners
current and post any "thank you" messages the winners send to you.
Include ways to collect email addresses from visitors - a site or product
review, or a guest book to sign, or a trivia questions to answer - come
up with some way to make people leave you with their email or contact
information. You can then communicate with them about some new
situation you want them to know about. Always give them a chance to
be removed from your list - but if you offer useful updates, they will
likely want to stick with you.
Ask your visitors to refer the page to their friends, and reward them for
it. Let them know they are valued and you are looking out for them -
give them a reason to WANT to refer your site to others. Give your
visitors an easy way to bookmark your page, and to WANT to
bookmark your page.
Offer new games to play, stock quotes that are current, news feeds, or
some other type of changing information. Just get them to come back
and visit. Leave them with a cliff-hanger. Make them want to see what
you do or say next. Just get them to keep coming back for more - and
make sure to update your site to make sure they come back and can
depend on you!
About the AuthorP Roe has been on the Internet for over 5 years. What once worked
well doesn't work now, and new tactics are tested. The tactics are
given out in the free newsletter, "Ponderings" - subscribe by email
mailto:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
?subject=ponderings
For samples of "sticky" sites - see ours at
http://abetterlife.net/ponderings.html
http://doubleii.com/scavengerhunt.htm |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 August 2006 12:23 )
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Quality Web Site Language |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 04 November 2004 21:19 |
Quality Web Site Language by Grant McNamara {mosgoogle}
Well written web sites don't just happen, they are designed and engineered. You don't just run the spell checker through the text and consider the job done. You need to review the words, and examine them carefully. Put yourself in the place of your prospects and customers. How will they perceive and respond to what is written?
Euphemisms
Review your text for euphemisms and consider rewording them for clearer meanings. A euphemism is a milder or vaguer word or phrase used in place of one that might seem too harsh or embarrassing in a particular context. The commonest subjects for euphemisms are bodily functions (to relieve yourself), sexual activity (to make love), death (to pass away), economics (downsizing), and violence (to do away with).
We all need to resort to this kind of language in order to respect people's sensitivities, and our own. But there are two kinds of euphemisms that are questionable:
• euphemisms that blur the meaning or cause confusion (e.g. cloakroom for toilet).
• euphemisms that attempt to show unpleasant activities in a more positive light (e.g. ethnic cleansing for the wholesale killing of peoples).
Some euphemisms have even become official clichés, e.g. helping the Police with their enquiries (= under interrogation and imminent arrest). Readers outside your locality often confuse euphemisms. So check your site carefully for such ambiguities.
Confusable Meanings
There are many pairs of words, which are similar in form and meaning and are often confused. For example affect and effect are often confused. Affect means to cause a change in, where as effect means to bring about. Always check your site carefully for such words (its/it's and to oo are classics).
If you would like a free list of commonly confused pairs of words and their meanings, send me an email at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Tautology
Tautology is the repetition of the same idea or meaning in a phrase or sentence, as in free gift (all gifts are free), a new innovation, and to return again. Some tautologies are contained within a small group of words based around the noun, for example future prospects, past history, general consensus. We use tautologies mainly in speech, but if we are not careful they creep into our written text. Such words can often be dropped because their meanings are contained in other words within the sentence. Using tautologies in written text is not usually good style and you should avoid it.
Formal and Informal Language
The different contexts and levels of formality in which English is used are called registers. At a broad level, English, like all languages, varies from the formal and technical to the informal and casual. Register also takes account of the various types of communication, such as conversation, informal writing, journalism and broadcasting (formal writing includes essays, speeches and academic books).
In conversation, for example, use of the personal pronouns I and you is relatively high, and contradictions such as I've, you're an don't predominate over the fuller forms. And in conversation slang and colloquial words occur regularly. In more formal writing, colloquialisms are uncommon, the pronoun one is more likely to be used than the you, upon is likely to be used as well as on, and more formal words such as ascertain and desirous are likely to occur.
Each mode of writing and speaking calls for its own different kind of language. In its most formal register, a machine might be said to be malfunctioning; in a neutral or everyday register it might be described as not working, and at the informal extreme it will be said to be broken or kaput. Formal words are usual in instructions and notices; alight (from a bus or train), conveyance (for vehicle), enquire (rather than ask), notify (rather than tell), and select (rather than choose). In more general contexts, purchase is more formal than buy, edifice more formal than building, endeavour than try, and purloin than steal. The language of technical writing has its own terminology; for example gravid, meaning pregnant, occurs only in medicine and biology. Most of these formal words can be turned on their heads and made to look silly (Do you really live in this edifice?).
Always consider providing your visitor with a glossary of words and phrases. And remember anyone, anywhere in the entire World can and will look at your site. They all need to be able to understand what you mean, and they must feel comfortable reading the words.
And if you're considering having your web site translated/presented into one or more foreign languages; reviewing the words on your site takes on a special significance. Poor translations are highly likely to occur if we haven't made a careful review of our text, taking account of the points discussed above. What are the potential pitfalls and what can you do to ensure a trouble free translation project?
The first step is to define exactly what you want the translation to achieve; the terms of reference. Think about whom your audience is and what type of language they want to read. There are many ways to write a sentence. As we've discussed, you can use simple language, formal or informal language, technical or difficult.
Language translation isn't just taking one language and rewriting it into another language. The translation needs to convey not only the meaning and substance of the source text, but also convey the message in the same theme and at the same reader level. Thus a good translation will be at a level equivalent to the source language in complexity and formality. Put another way, the translation must use the same register.
The reading level, for example, can be checked using either the Flesch or Flesch-Kincaid readability measures. These measures can be displayed at the end of a spell check automatically in Microsoft Word.
No one style of vocabulary and grammar is superior to another; it is there appropriateness to the occasion that matters. But read the text of your web site carefully, and consider the language you are using. Are you using technical language that only specialists in the field will understand? If your site is aimed to sell goods or inform ordinary people, will they understand the words and is the level of formality appropriate?
Are there confusing words?
Are you using slang that no one outside your locality would understand?
A good quality translation agency will provide a thorough language site review before they perform any translation. Both client and agency benefits because the results of the translation project will be of a far higher quality.
I hope this has given you something to consider so that you can ensure your web site is as good as the quality of your products, services and information your organisation provides.
About the AuthorGrant McNamara
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Grant McNamara is a consultant specializing multilingual software
development and internet support.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 August 2006 12:19 )
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