04 · 22

Does graphic design work without copywriting?

The simple answer? No, graphic design doesn’t matter without copywriting. Kyle might get mad for me saying this one, but it’s true. The most incredible graphic design doesn’t work if you can’t write about what you do and why someone should hire you. So, how do you make sure that your writing is as good as your graphic design? My first tip would be to hire a copywriter , but not all of us can afford to. So, for those who can’t have someone professionally write their site/blog, etc, here are a 4 tips for improving your own skills and the copy on your site:
  1. Focus on the ‘what’s in it for me’ where the ‘me’ is your buyer/customer. If all your site talks about is how great your product is, people won’t listen very long. They don’t care what it does, how ‘cool’ it is or what you think. What they care about is how it will save them time, money, make things easier, more efficient, etc… so tell them!
  2. Make it simple enough for a sixth grader to read. If every other word you use has 6 syllables and requires a dictionary – people will stop reading fairly quickly. I’m not saying you can’t use some interesting and unique words, but try to keep the main ideas fairly simple. The best way to test this? Give it to an actual sixth grader (or someone close). Ask if what they are reading makes sense. No matter the topic, they should be able to understand it – if they do, you’re probably good!
  3. Paragraphs, bullet points, numbers, italics, bolding, etc. Using different accentuation on words, separating paragraphs and turning longer paragraphs into bullet points/numbered lists make things easier to read. Most people will only ever scan your website, so make sure that they can pick up the key points you want them to see by making them easy to find.
  4. Don’t forget who you’re writing for. Who are your readers? Teachers, IT guys/girls, small business owners? Make sure that whomever it is, you are writing in a style that they would understand and want to read.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to remember that good copy and great copy are two entirely different things, and the closer you can get to great copy (*hint, hire someone!) the better off your site will be.
Kirsten Wright is a freelance blogger and graphic designer from Orange County. Her experience spans social media, traditional marketing and many years in writing/editing. She is active in twitter and can be found @kirstenwright. Her personal and business blog, http://www.wrightcreativity.com focuses on the ways that you can use creativity in business and in life. She writes for numerous other bloggers and offers her services by the hour or by the project.
04 · 20

Mac vs. PC

First, let me introduce myself.  My name is Aaron Wagner, and I am pleased to be guest writing for my good friend, and fellow web nut, Kyle.  Looking forward to many more articles here on this great blog, adding my own, off-center, pithy style. So, Mac vs. PC?  This certainly seems to be an age old debate amongst those in the creative world, and even among a growing number of consumer users as well.  I'll objectively (yeah, that's right) layout the case for each. In the interest of full disclosure, I own two PC's at this time, and have plans, as soon as funds allow, to acquire a MacBook, and a high-end, Windows 7-based PC desktop (Once windows 7 releases that is). There, now that that's out of the way, lets dive in. Apple.  Apple, with Steve Jobs at the reins, has certainly made huge gains over the years.  Digg recently featured an article from macrumors.com that talked about a slipping market-share for Apple.  I find this interesting, because if you believe the marketing, you would think Apple was set to take over as the computer of choice for the entire world.  The fact is that, they still don't even have 10% of the market (according to the article, shows 7.4%).  But one area it seems like Apple does have a firm hold, is within the creative industry.  But why?  Why is it that within this one industry, some estimates have Apple with over 70% (closer to 80%, depending on who you talk to).  That's a pretty big leap! So, in terms of Software, the Mac vs. PC argument seems to be a wash.  You can get Adobe's Creative Suite on either platform.  There are other options for both, again, depending on the platform you use.  One area that MS seems to have the advantage is with it's own development software, Visual Studio, which currently is not offered on the Mac platform.  But Apple, being Unix based, has a whole host of development options, and you can even Boot Camp Vista or XP and run Visual Studio on your Mac.  So the software argument comes down to a matter of preference. Going a little deeper, lets look at the Operating System.  Microsoft has really put themselves into a pickle with Vista, but having two Vista-based PC's I can tell you that it has gotten better.  I had both pre-SP1,  and when SP1 was released, it got so much better.  XP is still a viable option because it's stable, and widely supported.  And a discussion about MS OS's would not be complete without mentioning Windows 7.  MS really "stepped in it" with Vista, at least in terms of PR, and it is my contention that they HAVE to get 7 right.  I think that 7 will be a great release and widely adopted, mostly because MS needs it to be. OSX is Apple's offering in the OS world.  Not a whole lot of options there.  I think Apple wins this battle because of the Vista screwup,  and the fact that Vista is still not what it should be.  To get a strong, stable offering from MS, you have to go to a nearly 7 year old OS.  Advantage Apple. In terms of hardware, this is a tougher sell.  Apple certianly has major points for engienering.  If you open up a MacPro, you'll know what I am talking about, Apple has done a great job in terms of R&D.  One place that they fall seriously short is options.  With a PC, I can build my system however I want it, with the components I want, and often for about 1/4 the price.  And I think that this gives PC the advantage here. So, at the risk of sounding wishy-washy, I think this is a draw.  It's all a matter of what is important to you: pretty pace and good engineering - Apple; performace, flexibility, and value - PC.  For me, it's both (See the 3rd paragraph)
04 · 20

The Twitter Gap Continues...

So I was reading some of my news sites the other day and came across an "interesting" article by a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. The title of the article was, "Do only twits tweet?" By reading only the title first I thought, what??? So I began to read the rest of the article. As I continued reading, I realized this was becoming a Twitter bashing. By the time that I finished the article, it became apparent to me that this Twitter Gap still continues. There are still people out in the world that really don't understand what Twitter brings to the table for so many of us twitterers, personal or business. They don't understand what a great social media and micro-blogging platform this is and what great people, potential clients, etc. that you can interact with. This article is a great analogy of people's confusion about twitter. Every time I hear someone talking about Twitter, they are always using the "What are you doing" phrase. Snickering about why people would want to know what everyone is doing. I agree that Twitter should have a different phrase, it has grown right out of the current phrase and is being used for much more than that! This columnist did a good job at explaining this apparent and continuing disconnection with the remaining people of the world and us twitterers.

Over to you...

I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions to the article written for the Los Angeles Times. ~ Kyle Reddoch
04 · 20

Splitweet - Site of the Week - April 20, 2009

Are you a twitterholic? Do you use twitter as a corporate tool? Do you have more than one twitter account? If you have answered yes to any/all of the questions above, my Site of the Week is for you! Splitweet is a muli account management clent for twitter. You now have the capability to:
  1. Have all your accounts in one central place,
  2. Easily follow all of your contacts' tweets, and
  3. Monitor your brand!
You will be surprized how easy this client is to use. See for yourselves, head on over to Splitweet and sign up! ~ Kyle Reddoch
04 · 18

Music Players on Websites...Yay or Nay

Okay friends, what is your opinion to this statement? Should there be music players on websites or not? Well the answer could go both ways. For instance, you have to look at what kind of website you are going to create. One that is fun and personal, or one that is more professional and serves a direct purpose you are trying to fulfill. Let's take a look at each of these kinds of websites more in-depth.

Fun and Personal

First, if you are wanting to make a fun and personal site, whether it be a personal blog or diary of some sort, then you can possibly have a music player playing some of your favorite music. You can have it in a section called "My Favs" or somewhat along those lines. This would give people a brief understanding of what kind of a person you are.

Professional

Well if you are wanting a more professional site, one that attracts potential clients, then you don't want to have music players on your website. When potential clients are looking for a service that they are in need of, they search for that service. If they come across your site and click on it, do you want music to play? Well no! When a client is in search for something and they come upon a site, they are looking for that exact service they need and having music start playing is just a "turn off" and most likely will cause them to hit that back button.

To Wrap Things Up

So, having music players on a website depends on what kind of website you are wanting. If you are wanting a more fun and personal website, then sure having a music player if okay. But if you are going to have a website that is professional and serves a specific purpose or service that you are providing, having a music player is a BIG no no! This will only cause distraction to the possible client and cause them to hit the back button. ~ Kyle Reddoch
Kyle Reddoch

I am an aspiring Web Developer, Android Fanatic, Family Man, and all around Web Geek! I also do Freelance Development work.

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