The web is not static - it's always changing. It behooves a webmaster to change their layout every once in a while -- but maybe not too often. Keep these things in mind, while editing your layout.
1. Change is good.
There is always room for improvement in a website design. Make things easier to find, adjust your copy, make it slicker. Grab people's attention. A lot of web design these days is just plain bad. Look at your website or blog through a reader or customer's point of view: Can you find what you're looking for? Are you interested? If not, then you need a change.
2. Change is bad.
Okay, I can already see the confused looks... The thing is, a website redesign can be a blessing and a curse. Think about all the times your favorite websites have redone their layouts - there is usually a group of people who are unhappy about it, right? Not every re-design will be well-received. Your web layout is your brand, and if you change it all the time, it will not feel familiar to returning readers. If you're doing a complete re-haul of your layout, try to keep at least one or two things stable: think about Facebook's blue and white, or Google's white space with primary colors. Even though the websites change, they keep their brand consistent.
3. Beware of feature creep.
While it may seem cool to have all the latest widgets, don't try to cram too much on your main page. If you add something, consider removing something else you don't need. Having too much on a page will make it long and slow to load. If you need to have all your awards, memes, badges, Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon Digg Reddit links, virtual pets, whatever... Then consider creating an additional page to put them on. Don't let them get in the way of content and usability.
4. Content is King.
Above all things, you can make a website pretty, but if it doesn't have anything worth reading, no one will visit. If you're spending so much time on your layout that you don't have enough time to write quality articles, take a break. Some of the most useful webpages out there are black, 12-point Times New Roman on a white background.
0
0
0
Free Money: ING $25 Account Bonus links (Updated)
September 3, 2009 make money, organization, passive income
One of the easiest ways to generate passive income is through interest: When you open a savings account, your money is earning money for you. An online savings account is a great place to keep an emergency fund that will earn you interest, and I have had nothing but great experiences with ING Direct.
ING Direct Electric Orange Savings Account has been a real help for me in keeping some extra money for emergencies. It sits there earning interest, ready for me to withdraw it if I need it. ING Orange Savings current has 1.4% yearly interest (may not be current; check the ING site for current rate!). If you open an Orange Savings Account through my referral link and deposit at least $250, you'll get a $25 bonus from ING! That's right, $25 free money for doing something that you should do anyway :)
These links are good for 30 days, and I will update them periodically. If you get an error message from a link, that means it has already been used. If all the links have been used, email me and I will send you a link. I also have links for the Electric Orange checking account, $25 bonus, email me if interested.
Last updated: October 6, 2009
ING Orange Savings $25 bonus link #1
ING Orange Savings $25 bonus link #2
Happy earning!
~Joy
ING Direct Electric Orange Savings Account has been a real help for me in keeping some extra money for emergencies. It sits there earning interest, ready for me to withdraw it if I need it. ING Orange Savings current has 1.4% yearly interest (may not be current; check the ING site for current rate!). If you open an Orange Savings Account through my referral link and deposit at least $250, you'll get a $25 bonus from ING! That's right, $25 free money for doing something that you should do anyway :)
These links are good for 30 days, and I will update them periodically. If you get an error message from a link, that means it has already been used. If all the links have been used, email me and I will send you a link. I also have links for the Electric Orange checking account, $25 bonus, email me if interested.
Last updated: October 6, 2009
ING Orange Savings $25 bonus link #1
ING Orange Savings $25 bonus link #2
Happy earning!
~Joy
Keeping organized as a blogger - Write your posts in advance
July 12, 2009 blogging, how to, organization, writing
The best advice I ever learned about blogging was this: Write your articles in advance. It's a lot easier to blog several times a week (or every day) when you have a big pile of drafts waiting to be polished up and posted, rather than having to pull a post out of thin air when it's time to publish.
I try to keep 2 or 3 fully-written articles on deck, between my three blogs. Besides that, I keep at least 10 fragments and dozens of one-line post ideas to further develop. The trick is to get blog posts written when you have time, so you're not rushing to write something when you need to update.
There are varying opinions on how often a blog should update - some people say as many as 20 times a day! Personally, I think a blog should update at least twice a week, with more often being better, but more than once a day is generally overkill. People aren't going to be constantly refreshing your blog for new content, and do you really think you can write 10 quality blog posts a day? Unlikely. So do your writing when you have time, and reserve those quality blog posts to publish another day.
Your organizational skills don't have to be anything fancy - just type some things up in your favorite word processor, or leave articles as unpublished drafts in your blogging software. I personally use the Yahoo Notepad that comes free with my email account. I have one file for each of my blogs, along with a general to-do list.
I start my new blog posts with ideas - just a phrase or short sentence, like "generating passive income" or "best new summer reading". I don't expand all the ideas I write down, just the good ones. I expand them paragraph by paragraph, until I have a full blog post. I like to hop from article to article, filling in ideas as my "inspiration" strikes. You can do that if you like, or you can write an entire article in one go. It all depends on your preferences, and what provokes the best writing from you.
The best way to build a valuable blog is to take blogging seriously - have fun with it, of course, but treat it as a priority. By writing your blog articles in advance, you'll always be prepared with a post even if you're busy. You never have to apologize for not updating regularly.
(By the way, that is about the most horrible thing you can post in a blog: "Sorry, this blog has been kind of dead lately"... Don't ever do it! And don't ever give yourself a reason to.)
To keep people coming back to your blog (or any kind of website), update often. And the easiest way to update often is if you've already got your posts written in advance. I can't recommend it enough!
~Joy
I try to keep 2 or 3 fully-written articles on deck, between my three blogs. Besides that, I keep at least 10 fragments and dozens of one-line post ideas to further develop. The trick is to get blog posts written when you have time, so you're not rushing to write something when you need to update.
There are varying opinions on how often a blog should update - some people say as many as 20 times a day! Personally, I think a blog should update at least twice a week, with more often being better, but more than once a day is generally overkill. People aren't going to be constantly refreshing your blog for new content, and do you really think you can write 10 quality blog posts a day? Unlikely. So do your writing when you have time, and reserve those quality blog posts to publish another day.
Your organizational skills don't have to be anything fancy - just type some things up in your favorite word processor, or leave articles as unpublished drafts in your blogging software. I personally use the Yahoo Notepad that comes free with my email account. I have one file for each of my blogs, along with a general to-do list.
I start my new blog posts with ideas - just a phrase or short sentence, like "generating passive income" or "best new summer reading". I don't expand all the ideas I write down, just the good ones. I expand them paragraph by paragraph, until I have a full blog post. I like to hop from article to article, filling in ideas as my "inspiration" strikes. You can do that if you like, or you can write an entire article in one go. It all depends on your preferences, and what provokes the best writing from you.
The best way to build a valuable blog is to take blogging seriously - have fun with it, of course, but treat it as a priority. By writing your blog articles in advance, you'll always be prepared with a post even if you're busy. You never have to apologize for not updating regularly.
(By the way, that is about the most horrible thing you can post in a blog: "Sorry, this blog has been kind of dead lately"... Don't ever do it! And don't ever give yourself a reason to.)
To keep people coming back to your blog (or any kind of website), update often. And the easiest way to update often is if you've already got your posts written in advance. I can't recommend it enough!
~Joy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
