That video you created to market your product or services to the masses? You know, the one you spent a heap of money on? It's beautiful, right? It's grabbing, it's just the right length, and it's so-darned convincing you're sure it will boost conversions like nothing else. Right. Perhaps that video is unbelievably stellar. Maybe it will go viral amongst your target … [Read more...]
You May Think it’s a Man’s World…
A recent encounter at a conference reminded me of the importance of understanding your target audience, and finding the right way to communicate with them. That includes men, women, and all the possible races and sexualities that your customers may represent. While my experience as a woman is only one example, there's a plethora of information to be garnered to ensure we take … [Read more...]
Lock Up those Passwords with LastPass
Move over pen and paper. And stop storing sensitive passwords in the browser. LastPass can handle it all, affordably. I've used many methods to store login information. From standalone apps and encrypted spreadsheets, I've tried it all. Password managers are designed to help protect this secret data, but most of them out there are buggy or expensive. Note: Any password … [Read more...]
No, You Cannot Pick My Brain
I know, it sounds kinda selfish, but hear me out... Real professionals, especially those who use a humanistic approach in their business, are happy to share with others. Success stories, failures, opinions and hard advice based on experience. We do this because we care, and want to see others succeed. But there's a difference between sharing information to help others gain … [Read more...]
How We Can Learn from Target’s Mistake During Lilly Pulitzer Launch
Sunday's launch of Target's Lilly Pulitzer line resulted in ridiculously long lines at the company's brick-and-mortar stores, and brought Target.com to a screeching halt. It's no surprise that thousands rushed to get their hands on some of the summer's hottest trends. We'd expect, however, more preparation from such a large business. Granted, no online system can be 100% … [Read more...]
In Laymens’ Terms, this is Responsive Web Design
With Google's new updates that affect mobile search ranks for websites that aren't mobile friendly, lots of small business owners are asking: "What exactly is responsive website design?" Fortunately, web design firm verve answers with this easy-to-understand infographic. Scroll down to read a few clarifications. While the info displayed above is accurate, let's clarify … [Read more...]
Will Your Site Be Punished by Google’s Friendly Mobile Update?
If plenty of the big guys are in line to see a drop in traffic due to unfriendly mobile versions of their websites, the small businesses can expect to see repercussion as well. Google's latest update puts more focus on mobile-friendly sites, including online stores. The update - aka "Mobilegeddon" - is planned for April 21, 2015, and the last time Google made this type of … [Read more...]
An Open Letter to Shareaholic
[UPDATES] Shareaholic has been making changes. See bottom of this post for ALL updates as I realize them!! This post is in response to Shareaholic's VP of Product David Zakur, who posted a "clarification" of things I've previously reported here and here. I responded directly to his post, but my comment was deleted. You can read my on-the-fly response to it at Reddit. You can … [Read more...]
More Shareaholic Findings (WordPress Violations, TOS & More)
UPDATE: On October 1st, Shareaholic announced "Promoted Content". This swaps out Related Content with native advertising. The feature was launched ON and configured with a medium setting (in my tests this means if you're displaying 6 related blocks, it is 2 ads and 4 posts). Note: Since my original and this post went live, Shareaholic has made a few changes. Updates on those … [Read more...]
When You Realize that Plugin You Love is a Lying Cheat
Note: Updates have been made since this post first launched on 09/24/14. The bottom of this post outlines the changes. Let's face it. Plugins make our lives easier. Especially on WordPress. Without them, we'd be left having to learn to code for every desired feature, or we'd have pay big bucks to have it done. So it makes sense that we install plugins to handle just about … [Read more...]
That Urban Outfitter’s Sweatshirt? Look a Little Closer.
The internet is all abuzz about Urban Outfitter's product listing for a vintage Kent State sweatshirt. Soonafter news broke, site after site (and social account after social account) referred to the shirt as being decorated with a "blood splatter-like pattern", and they can't help but think it's a reference to the Kent State Massacre in 1970. I can see where one might be quick … [Read more...]
Reasons to Avoid Service Guarantees
Results Guaranteed! That's a common claim by many service providers, most prominent with SEO and social media "experts", and companies that manage pay-per-click and affiliate programs. But, what does it actually mean? The promise of guaranteed results can be very attractive, especially to those who know little about how these fields work. More often than not, three types of … [Read more...]