Writing posts that is. I’ve been working on several series of topics, such as the
How the Web is like High School, and others. It has taken longer than expected to write what would seem like a simple post, the type of post that shouldn’t require a PhD from MIT to understand. Yet writing about something semi-technical to a non-technical person is not always the easiest thing to do.

While it seems obvious to me, because I am technical, it won’t be to most people.

Yet people fail to keep this in mind all of the time. They write as if they are writing to/for themselves. Never underestimate the worth of a good writer to make your text clear of every day users of your website, not just those who are already familiar with you.

It doesn’t matter what your topic is, as a master of it, you can easily move into using non-standard acronyms, jargon, etc. This will alienate your readers/users and make it less likely for them to buy.

So keep your text clean and simple so that everyone can understand. Then, I always recommend, have someone else who doesn’t understand what you do (friends, family members, people passing by your office, etc.) read it and see if they understand. If they do, then send it on to your web designer.

Popularity: 37% [?]

This is our final article in how, especially when related to popularity and search, the
web is like High School. Previously we have looked at the popular kids, the
new kid who was popular at his last school, and the rebels.

As we finish this little alliteration, we have to look at the “late bloomer”.
Granted, in our case you don’t have to necessarily be a “late bloomer.” You
can be ready to bloom now. This is geared toward the people who realize that they
can improve their standing, and they just need to know how, and what to do.

(more…)

Popularity: 58% [?]

I’ve talked about how the web is kind of like High School. The popular kids (websites) stay popular, and the uncool kids stay, well, uncool. Even if you were popular at one school, and moved to another school, it was still possible to become popular – because you knew what to do.

So let’s continue the analogy. It is always possible to lose your cool, or finally find it. There are many ways to do this, and we will explore the right and wrong way. Let’s look at The Rebel and how he can be cool/known, even if for just a bit.

(more…)

Popularity: 57% [?]

If you haven’t had a chance to read the previous article about how the web is like high school, you might want to take a quick glance.

Two New Kids at School

A new kid can become popular.  If they were popular at their last school, it was always easier. If you ever watched this type of new kid, you could always tell. They walked the right way. They had the right look. They knew they had the right stuff; they just had to prove it. And from the moment they walked off the bus (if they dared to take it) they got to work on becoming popular.

The new kid who tripped coming off the bus, wore thick glasses, etc. was just as “doomed” at this school, as they were at the old school. What made these two different? (more…)

Popularity: 53% [?]