Successful Blog

Don’t Design for Comments: Design to Give Readers an Experience

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The Right Thought, Not Far Enough

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I talked about design and comments in a post Friday. My theory, based on my experience and continuous conversations with readers, was that design has an impact on whether we leave a comment in response to what we read. I was on the right track, but my thinking was just short of where it should have taken me. I should have gone deeper. I also should have left more room for other folks to add their experiences. Details in such conversations are the the nuggets and the takeaways.

We Break Stuff Said It Better

This morning I read an article from We Break Stuff on design.

What We Break Stuff says is crucial and brilliant.

I’m not talking about large type, gradient and rounded-corner design, but the understand user needs, develop meaningful experiences design. I’m talking about the art of tailoring products to the necessities of the user, creating emotional connections and building compelling solutions.

Emotional Connection — I felt that thought, I recognized it when I read it. We Break Stuff had nailed it.

Let’s take a look at how they propose we give readers a complete and compelling experience.
[Read more…]

SOB Business Cafe 11-24-06

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SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Customers Always Are chooses the best communicator to make a point about interacting with customers.

Debbie Millman describes every kind of creative client I’ve ever been, and I’ve probably been all them in the last two weeks.

Genuine Curiosity has a fix for tiny email fonts on mobile devices.

From Jakarta, zlythern explains what to do to be My Bloglogging in a matter of minutes.

Manage To Change passes on sage advice about how to change the world.

Be the Change [2]

Service Untitled is serving executives who want to focus on customers.

Related ala carte selections include

Ramblings from a Glass Half Full offers a Joyful Jubilant Learning about the power of belief in humanity.

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

About Logging in to Leave Comments . . .

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I've been thinking . . .
I got this picture in my head this morning. Here’s how to make people in the 3-D world log in to leave correspondence.

  1. Move your mailbox inside your home.
  2. Lock the door.
  3. Place a sign where your mailbox was that says, “You must come to the door, ring the bell, and show identification to leave a message here.”

Is spam mail really that much of a problem — at home or on your blog?

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6 Easy Steps to a Career Basecamp in Cyberspace

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It Was Someone Else’s Turn

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When our son was 9 months old, my husband said to me, “I’ve done everything I want with my career. From this point I don’t expect a lot of new challenges — 21 years is a long time. It’s someone else’s turn. . . . You’re having such fun with what you’re doing. If you can replace my salary, I’ll stay home with the baby.”

I did. He did.

This morning I realized that 21 years later, I had a similar conversation at a trade show. A VP asked why I started blogging. This was my reply.

“Because I was a VP of Publishing, this industry sees me as a product person. Folks don’t value my experience in marketing, acquisitions, and training.”

He said, “You’re right. When I look at a resume, I look at job titles first. Then, if I’m interested, I look at skill sets.”

“That’s why I blog,” I said. “My blog is a 360 degree resume. It’s an ongoing interview in cyberspace.”

It’s true. A blog can be that.

These days no one has job security. Everyone needs an updated resume. Why settle for only a resume?

You can blog your way to brand that defines who you are and what you do much more completely. Make your blog a foundation — a career basecamp in cyberspace — a showcase of skills and expertise you have that future employers and clients need.

Turn the page. I’ll show you how.

[Read more…]

Blogs Aren’t Books, But Revising Is Still Revising: 6 Gating Questions to Make Revising Easier

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How to Decide What to Change

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So, you’ve looked at your stats, and you’ve found the entry pages where readers frequently land. Now you’re checking them out to make sure that those pages are fresh and welcoming.

How far do you go? Some were written way back when. Do you edit the content? Do you change the design? Scott of 99 shades of grey asked those very questions this morning.

Those are the money questions. I can’t help but note the irony in the name of Scott’s blog, because these decisions are about as far from black and white as decisions can get.

The money answer is

Change what makes a difference leave what doesn’t.

Not much help is it?

That’s why I’m going to give you 6 gating questions to ask yourself about the landing pages you are looking at.

Using them, you can decide quickly and feel confident in what you decide. Take a look.

[Read more…]

Blogs Aren’t Books — Not Everyone Starts Reading on Page 1

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Entry Pages Count

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Do you think about your blog as if it’s a book?

Do you have a hidden assumption that everyone reads the front page first, because that’s what you do?

Every page of a blog offers an open door and a place for readers land. Search engines send traffic to pages deep into the archives. Old bookmarks do too.

Next time you check your stats, note the entry pages — where visitors land when they arrive. Then visit the popular entry pages yourself. Take a long look. Do they look up-to-date? Is the information still correct? Was your writing as good then as it is now? It doesn’t hurt to check to be make sure that the place is still spruced up and talking nice. Every entry page is a first impression of your blog, your business, and your brand.

Investing in your landing pages to make them inviting and informative can have as much impact for those incoming readers as any front page does.

How do you use your stats to make your blog more friendly to your readers?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Need a clone or a manager to help clean up your blog? Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

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