June 27th, 2008 PLEASE FORWARD
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News, Rants and Case Studies for Web Design Professionals
by Brendon Sinclair (tribune@sitepoint.com)
Read the HTML version of this newsletter, with graphics, at:
http://www.sitepoint.com/newsletter/viewissue.php?id=2&issue=402
IN THIS ISSUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- Introduction
- Editor's Perspective: Are Your Competitors More Popular?
- Marketplace Moments: Ebusiness Takeover Tips
- From the Forums: Keeping Your Cool
- Tips & Tricks: Paying Close Attention
- What's New on SitePoint!
- Hot Forum Topics
- New Blog Entries
SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Another Google product improvement is announced as the company
continues to smash an ailing Yahoo. As I explain below, Google
Trends now compares web site data trends -- a very useful tool
for many reasons.
We move on to take a look at the first thing you should do when
taking over an existing ecommerce web site. The vast majority of
people don't do this, but then the vast majority of businesses
fail. Coincidence?
A few people in the forums have been getting grumpy with clients
(and others!) and using the forum to vent a bit. I'll take a look
at the importance of focusing on what really matters for your
business success.
We all know that every lead is valuable. Well, Microsoft here in
Australia is donating $1 to everyone who looks at a Microsoft
promotional video. And no, this isn't one of those "Bill Gates
will send you money" scams!
Happy Reading!
Brendon Sinclair
ailto:tribune@sitepoint.com
EDITOR'S PERSPECTIVE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
GOOGLE TRENDS FOR SITE COMPARISONS
Google Trends now allows comparisons between web sites
[1].
Want to check out how SitePoint does in comparison with other
big webmaster properties [2]? Done!
The Google Trends data is based on Google Analytics data, which
means the data set is much larger (and therefore more accurate)
than the likes of Alexa Rankings [3].
I can see this being a very useful tool when, for example,
you're assessing who to spend your online advertising dollars
with (as we know, the data you receive direct from the web site
owner isn't always accurate). No wonder the team at Yahoo has
apparently come to its senses and started talking with Microsoft
[4] before Google makes the business irrelevant.
[1] <http://trends.google.com/websites>
[2] <http://trends.google.com/websites?q=sitepoint.com%2C+thinkvitamin.com%2C+alistapart.com&geo=all&date=all&sort=0>
[3] <http://www.alexa.com/>
[4] <http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/24/sources-microsoft-and-yahoo-talks-back-on/>
SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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MARKETPLACE MOMENTS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
EBUSINESS TAKEOVER TIPS
Someone asked me this week what first steps I'd take after I'd
purchased an ecommerce web site through the SitePoint
Marketplace [1].
The answer's easy -- you just have to remember that in business,
usually, you don't know anything about your business
(especially to start off with).
The only person who truly knows how to market your business is
your customer. So I'd pick up the phone and call a ton of
customers -- I'd ask how they first heard of the business, how
they hear of similar businesses, what made them comfortable
enough to buy, why they bought from me rather than a competitor,
what would encourage them to buy again, and a whole lot more.
Once I had a profile of existing customers, I'd refine my
marketing strategies to attract more people like these
customers.
It's simple, basic stuff. I can just about guarantee that 95% of
business wouldn't have detailed profiles of their customers. Get
the customer profiles and start serious marketing. That should
be your first step.
[1] <http://marketplace.sitepoint.com/>
FROM THE FORUMS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
KEEPING YOUR COOL
Webnology completed a web site for a company only to have his
"Site by" link replaced [1] by the link of the web developer
brought in to manage the site.
beyondmockups has provided web hosting to a non-profit
organization that failed to inform him that it wouldn't be using
his services [2] this year. beyondmockups gets a bit grumpy with
the non-profit organization.
Jan Jaap is angry with a company [3] that took a domain name he
apparently registered with the best of intentions, and uses the
SitePoint Forums to vent against this company.
We all come across situations that annoy us or make us feel
we've got the bad part of the deal. Just like the people
above. The most important thing to do is not to let the
negativity affect us moving forward. When you face a challenge
in business, you simply need to accept it, be nice to everyone,
and move on.
It's a waste of breath and time jumping up and down screaming
about it. You're far better off focusing on solutions to help
your business grow. That's one of the beauties of the forums --
they let people vent and toss around ideas with colleagues,
while benefiting from the collective wisdom.
[1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=555600>
[2] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=555492>
[3] <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?t=555585>
TIPS & TRICKS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION
In business it's essential to get attention. That attention is
valuable. How valuable? Well, Microsoft in Australia value it at
precisely $1.
If you watch a 30-second promo video for Office 2007 [1],
Microsoft will donate $1 to The Smith Family Learning for Life
program.
That's not a bad way to get attention for your product and
support a good cause at the same time.
I remember a couple of years ago a click-to-call service tried
to charge clients of ours $250 for every incoming call they
generated -- that's what they'd assessed each lead
as being worth.
A $1 payment is a cheap way to demonstrate your product and take
advantage of a strong branding opportunity simultaneously.
[1] <http://www.microsoft.com.au/charity/>
SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Morae: Usability Testing for Software & Web Sites. An all-digital tool
that enables you to:
-Quickly identify website and software design problems
-Affordably conduct user testing. Quickly calculate metrics & graph results.
-Deliver professional results in a fraction of the time.
http://www.techsmith.com/morae.asp?cmp=StPtUX3
WHAT'S NEW ON SITEPOINT! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fancy Form Design Using CSS
by Cameron Adams
Form design is the necessary evil of web development. Don't you
wish you had a wizard's wand to create accessible yet attractive
forms? We have found such a wizard! Here, Cameron Adams shows you
how to use CSS to create forms that are both great-looking and
usable, and gives you the code you need to make the job easy.
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1569
Warning: This Secret CSS Technique Will Surprise You!
by Alex Walker
Alex has been in the lab experimenting, and his latest
concoction is stunning! If you're ready to try your hand with a
cool new CSS technique, don't miss this hands-on tute.
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1652
Nifty Navigation Tricks Using CSS
by Rachel Andrew
Navigation is the key to surfing the Web, and in this collection
of ready-made solutions Rachel steps us through horizontal and
vertical menus, drop-down, fly-out, and tabbed navigation
systems. Learn the basics of styling lists as menus, and soon
you'll be creating drop-down menus from pure CSS -- and making
sure they're as accessible as possible!
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1574
Firefox 3: What's New, What's Hot, and What's Not
by Fabio Cevasco
It's Firefox 3 Download Day! To celebrate the latest release of
everyone's favorite open source browser, Fabio takes you through
the ins and the outs of what's new in Firefox 3.
http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1649
HOT FORUM TOPICS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hosting as charitable contribution gone wrong
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=555492>
Domain Name shake up
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=556235>
Client Cancelled Project, Refusing to Pay for Work Already
Performed
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=556088>
Any advice for starting out?
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=555878>
CAPTCHA insanity?
<http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=548798>
NEW BLOG ENTRIES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Web Pro Business Blog: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
Get Out and Boogie on the Customer Service Dance Floor!)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/06/26/get-out-and-boogie-on-the-customer-service-dance-floor/
Web Tech Blog: TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
BBC Rejects hCalendar Microformat Because Of Accessibility
Concerns (7 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/06/25/bbc-rejects-hcalendar-microformat-because-of-accessibility-concerns/
SproutCore: JavaScript Applications (13 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/06/25/sproutcore-javascript-applications/
Internet Explorer Extinct By 2013? (63 comments)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/06/19/internet-explorer-extinct-by-2013/
WebDU Day 1: AIR, Ajax, CS4 and a little bit of usability)
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/06/19/webdu-day-1-air-ajax-cs4-and-a-little-bit-of-usability/
ADVERTISING INFORMATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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HELP YOUR FRIENDS OUT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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of this week's SitePoint Tribune.
ADDRESSES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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