“Words are sacred… If you get the right ones in the right order you can nudge the world a little.” TOM STOPPARD

Happy nudging.

A terrific report from Usability One came across my desk today which addresses these exact issues.  Some of their points include:

• Theme your website into keyword groups from the outset.
• Use creative link strategies and summaries rather than putting up too much text just to satisfy the search engines. Or use java script pop ups that offer more text – but only if the user chooses to read it.
• Choose your navigation labels carefully – check to see what users are searching for the most, and use these keywords in your nav.

Usability and SEO techniques should work harmoniously. Not against each other. Now if only we could get the mob in Canberra to do the same!

Here’s the full report.

They are an interesting target audience in that while some would be very tech savvy, others would be borderline luddites. (I say this with love – from my experience, most creative brains don’t usually work in the same way that business brains do – which is a good thing incidentally!)

So, what do you do when you’ve got the same target audience divided into sub groups?

TIP: Keep it super simple and provide extra/more complex info for those who will want it.

I’m a bit of a simplicity freak in any case and I’ve always loved the title of Steve Krugs usability book: Don’t make me think! Interestingly he talks about how most users opt for satisficing (a cross between satisfying and sufficing) meaning we will always choose the first reasonable option which may not necessarily be the best.

Reasonable is an interesting word. In this context, it suggests that it’s something most people would be able to relate to – importantly, within a web environment. What might be reasonable in print  (where they can flick through pages to check) may not always translate. So it needs to be pretty clear on the surface what you’re exactly talking about.

So if you’re working on a website, please don’t make me think when I come to your homepage or navigation. Unless it’s in a reasonable way.

PS: For a fun look at some left brain versus right brain navigation, check out the Sydney Film Festival’s website this year. It caters to both groups in both a traditional and cheeky way. Very reasonable to me!

If you have any interesting web writing projects flagged for the future, I’d be thrilled if you could keep me in mind.

I’m officially coming back part-time from May so I look forward to talking with you then and sharing all the things I’ve been observing (albeit with bleary eyes) about the web in the last six months. Can’t wait to see what’s changed – and what hasn’t!

I am signing off for a while and the business is closed but never fear, I’ll be back on board in the first half of next year for more fun, digital action!

Wishing you all the best for the holiday season (is it too early to say that yet?) and a really thrilling 2010.

Libby

Great, I thought. I’ll follow him on Twitter.

So off I go to Twitter to check out his page and guess what he’s talking about (and does so a lot): football.

Being an inner-city type, football is not my favourite topic of conversation. Especially not American football (all that armour!).

So do you think I’m going to follow him? No way. I want the good stuff but it seems he keeps that mostly for his blog. Perhaps his Twitter target audience are social media strategists who like football – but what about those who don’t?

Do they really want to know?

This is one element of social media that really confuses me. The blend of the personal and the public. I’m okay with a little bit of it (in fact, I think a smidgeon makes things interesting) but if you do it a lot you end up polluting the message, and even your credibility.

Don’t spill your beans

So my advice is keep things as professional as you would in the real world. Don’t be disarmed by the apparent openness of the online community because just as in the real world, people are pretty quick to judge. If you’ve got a business blog, make sure your professional thread extends to other social media.

You don’t have to write about the same things but the general gist of what you discuss should follow the same narrative and tone.

Agree or disagree? I know there are definitely two camps out there. Which do you fall under?

Where: Editor Group Head Office, Pitt St, Sydney

When: October 22 2009, 9am-5pm

Why: Because everyone needs to think about their web copy critically from time to time!

Cost: $550 pp includes yummy catering and workbook.

Hope you can make it. It’s always an interesting and stimulating day.

Check what the course covers

Book online here

Got a question? Get in touch with Libby.

‘What’s new’ without a question mark.

Isn’t this a question? You see this one everywhere and it seems to have become a norm. Adding a question mark makes it a ‘hotword’ statement (stands out, promotes curiosity etc) and I believe is grammatically more correct. So let’s unite and bring back ‘What’s new?’

FAQs not FAQ’s

There is no apostrophe necessary in FAQs. Full stop.

Meaningless About Us page

Please… don’t tell me your mission statement or not mention the names of the people who lead your company. Tell me who you are, what inspires you and how your organisation came to be. I don’t want a thesis. Just a simple little story that makes me want to get to know you better.

Hidden Contact us page

I know this is sometimes a tactic to encourage us to self-serve on your site but chances are I still want to know where you are and how we can get in touch if need be. Don’t be shy. And whatever you do, don’t give me a form as the only contact option.

I think that’s enough now.

What irks you?

What I’ve learnt about company blogging:

You have to have something to say (and some weeks, you simply don’t). In these cases, it’s great to get inspiration from something you’ve read or watched. Even a good image can do the trick.

People may not comment, but they still check it out. I had a number of conversations with clients saying they’d enjoyed a particular post and in some cases, even passed the link on to colleagues. So don’t be disheartened by a lack of comments. They may be silent but they’re watching…

It’s an authentic and effective marketing tool. With consumers turning further away from traditional marketing messages, a blog gives me the chance to speak openly and (hopefully) intelligently to my target audience. I often learn something myself as well. Never a bad thing.

My old blog is still up (though not getting updated). So if you want to read my old posts, feel free.

See my old blog

• Project where you are right now and where you want to go.
• Make you feel warm and fuzzy inside when someone says they’ve looked at it.
• Encourage the right kind of clients to pick up the phone and chat to you. People who don’t get your site are not really your people.
• Have some new feature that makes you feel like you’re moving forward.

Early 2000s

First write-minded website