Archive : Advice

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Free SEO review of your site

Free SEO review of your site

Posted by katetoon on June 25, 2009
For a short time only (before I give birth to a mini Toon) I’m offering willing victims the chance to have your website SEO reviewed for FREE! (Yes, that’s free, IN CAPITALS!) No. This is not some nifty sales tactic. No I’m not trying to sneak business out of you with some fake offer. ...
Filed in: Copywriting, News
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How to build a brilliant blog

How to build a brilliant blog

Posted by katetoon on June 16, 2009
Although I only started blogging recently I’ve been amazed at the amount of traffic and interest it’s generated for me and my business.   I’ve quickly realised that Blogs are a great alternative to a standard website, allowing you the flexibility to update frequently at little or...
Filed in: Copywriting, Information architecture, SEO, Usability
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How to build the perfect email. Part 6 – Deployment

How to build the perfect email. Part 6 – Deployment

Posted by katetoon on June 12, 2009
You’re nearly there. You strategy is spot on, you’ve ticked off all the various copy points, your design is award winning and your code faultless. Now – how about we get this bleeding email sent? Here is a nice pre-send checklist for you: 1)    Create an online version Make sure you have an...
Filed in: Advice, Coding, Copywriting, Design, Information architecture, SEO, Usability
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How to build the perfect email. Part 5 Code

How to build the perfect email. Part 5 Code

Posted by katetoon on June 8, 2009
Coding for email is still way behind the code required for a web browser. Email readers are pretty basic when it comes to HTML so that requires coders to dust off their historic coding practices and go old school. Here are some hints to polish up your eDM code. 1) Back to basics Ah! Remember the old...
Filed in: Coding, Information architecture, Usability
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How to build the perfect email. Part 4 Design

How to build the perfect email. Part 4 Design

Posted by katetoon on June 1, 2009
Firstly, let’s understand something: An email is not a piece of direct mail. Recently while working for a major ad agency in Sydney I was horrified to discover that they were literally taking snap snots of direct mail pieces and sending out these single jpeg images as emails.  This was for a major...
Filed in: Information architecture, SEO, Usability
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How to build the perfect email. Part 3 Copy continued.

How to build the perfect email. Part 3 Copy continued.

Posted by katetoon on May 28, 2009
Here are my other core email copy guidelines for ensuring your email really hits the spot. 5)    HTML header By this I’m referring to the piece of copy that appears before the email proper begins. Most silly people write some nonsense such as: “If you are having trouble viewing this email communication,...
Filed in: Information architecture, SEO, Usability
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How to build the perfect email. Part 2 Copy

How to build the perfect email. Part 2 Copy

Posted by katetoon on May 27, 2009
Most email copy is dreadful and consists of overlong, chunky paragraphs of guff that no one ever reads. Writing copy for emails is a different skill again from writing for the web and an art in itself. Here are a few useful tips to guide you: 1)    Consider who your email is from Decide whether your...
Filed in: Copywriting, Information architecture, SEO, Usability
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How to build the perfect email. Part 1 Strategy

How to build the perfect email. Part 1 Strategy

Posted by katetoon on May 25, 2009
I’m sure that barely a day goes by when you don’t check your email. Electronic Direct Mail (eDM), as some old-school folk describe it, has become an integral part of how we conduct business, socialise with friends, shop, bank and interact with the world. It’s crucial to get it right. Over the...
Filed in: Information architecture, SEO, Usability
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How would you build a social media campaign?

How would you build a social media campaign?

Posted by katetoon on May 25, 2009
Working on a social media project for a new client today. He’s a very nice chap with a small, small budget so want to give him the best I can. My intention is to: Set up WordPress blog with: RSS feed, feedback form, couple of static pages, XML site map. Set him up with Twitter, Linked in and...
Filed in: Advice
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Print friendly – makes the most horrid pages printable

Print friendly – makes the most horrid pages printable

Posted by katetoon on May 24, 2009
PrintFriendly makes printing on the web better. You’ll save paper and ink, plus get great looking documents. (KT – Plus its free!) Prints Clean: The algorithm removes ads, navigation, and all the junk you don’t want to print. Prints Pretty: Uses best practices in print Typography...
Filed in: Information architecture, Usability
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How to write a copy deck in five easy steps

How to write a copy deck in five easy steps

Posted by katetoon on May 17, 2009
It isn’t always this easy to put together a copy deck so I thought it might be nice and loving of me to let you all know how I approach the writing of a web copy deck, in five easy steps. Of course all good web copywriters will have their own process, but this post is more for those unfortunate account...
Filed in: Advice, Copywriting, Information architecture, SEO
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Cut back your copy

Cut back your copy

Posted by katetoon on May 13, 2009
Some words add nothing but length to your copy. Here are some examples. Adjectives Use adjectives to make your meaning more precise and be cautious of those you find yourself using to make it more emphatic. The word very is a case in point. If it occurs in a sentence you have written, try leaving...
Filed in: Advice, Copywriting, SEO
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How to build a very nice navigation

How to build a very nice navigation

Posted by katetoon on May 11, 2009
Navigation by the dictionary definition is, “the process or activity of accurately ascertaining one’s position and following a route”.  In webby terms it means exactly the same thing; helping users finds content they want quickly and easily. Yet I still see websites that don’t have a clue...
Filed in: Advice, Information architecture
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How to write great SEO copy

How to write great SEO copy

Posted by katetoon on May 10, 2009
People are arguing right now about just how important keyword saturation or keyword density is to improving your search ranking. While it may not be the number one factor in winning the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) battle, it’s definitely worth giving keywords a try. The truth is that writing...
Filed in: Advice, Copywriting, SEO
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My top five QUICK SEO FIXES

My top five QUICK SEO FIXES

Posted by katetoon on May 5, 2009
There are, of course, a million things you should be doing to keep on top of your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy. However, sometimes it all feels a bit overwhelming, doesn’t it? Let’s keep it simple. Here are (in my humble opinion) the five most important fixes you can do in minutes...
Filed in: Coding, Copywriting, SEO
Getting to know your colon

Getting to know your colon

Posted by katetoon on May 3, 2009
Shove a few colons in your copy and it really looks like you know what you’re doing; use them incorrectly and you can look like a right flump. Semi-colons (;) Semi-colons should be used to mark a pause longer than a comma and shorter than a full stop. Don’t overdo them. Use them to distinguish phrases...
Filed in: Advice, Copywriting
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How to develop the perfect wireframe

How to develop the perfect wireframe

Posted by katetoon on April 29, 2009
In my humble opinion, after a decent sitemap, the most important document when building a website is a wireframe (even more important I’d argue than the budget or the time line). Why build wireframes? Wireframes help you work out all those niggly bits that you’re just not sure about. They help you...
Filed in: Copywriting, Information architecture
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To proof or not to proof

To proof or not to proof

Posted by katetoon on April 28, 2009
Few companies understand the value of a good copywriter and even fewer the value of a good proofreader Today as I work through some client written copy for an SEO revamp I am faced with the usual cluster of misplaced semicolons, instances of ‘which’ when ‘that’ would be much...
Filed in: Advice, Copywriting
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