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Weekend ReadingHere is this weekend's "must-reads".
123 Domain Me123 Domain Me has three great services. They provide a basic check with InterNic to see if a domain name is available. They also provide an interface to check a list of several domain names at once. This can be quite useful as many names are already taken.
PublicityAn interesting resource popped on to the radar screen this morning. Publicity.com is a Minneapolis based monthly webzine focused on (you guessed it) publicity. With PR Success stories, deep contents each month and media trend watching, the 'zine has lots of potential. We'll keep watching to see if they stay in the game. (We're rooting for them) We give them very high marks for design, content and flair.
Revisiting Microsoft and AppleWithout a specific schedule for changes or an email notification service, it is easy to assume that a site doesn't change. We revisited two obvious sources of design information to see if we were overlooking obvious resources. Apple has recently redesigned their Web Design Guide. It offers guidelines on designing a user-friendly web site. The tutorial provides a checklist to help consider the needs of users coming from different configurations and experience levels. There's also a design bibliography and pointers to pages about effective web design. (Most of the material can be used by designers on both platforms.) Apple also has an area of their site devoted to using Java on a Macintosh Site Builder Network provides information on products, technologies, and support for the latest Microsoft Internet technologies. There are good resources for both platforms. Many additional free software tools are available if you join the Site Builder Network. (Register and put a Microsoft logo on your site.) Mac users will find the trip worth while. --Linda Wilson
New Advertising Network Auctions AdsIn October WebWeek predicted that most web advertising would be sold by networks. The announcement of the Adbot network seems to endorse that forecast. Created to auction groups of available impressions on different web sites of similar content, Adbot will solicit participation from sites of all sizes. The interesting thing about these auctions is that they will not be entirely virtual. While the auction will be broadcast on their web site, the actual auction is held in Chicago. The first auction will be April 10th where bids will be cried out by Adbot's brokers on behalf of their clients. Currently, Adbot is seeking to enroll web publishers, advertisers, and associates that will refer publishers from their own web site. Sites that are seeking to put advertising on their site may consider this a viable option, especially if the impressions they are receiving are too low to be considered by other networks such as Doubleclick or the Infoseek Network. The question that remains is whether advertisers will consider waiting for an auction to purchase advertising and to feel that these ads are worth the inconvenience of having to make decisions through this process. --Linda Wilson
What's Your Site About?When we focus on design issues, it easy to get caught up in graphical, HTML, and technical considerations. However, we can not forget the marketers true forte, communication. Periodically you need to look at your site with a critical eye and ask yourself, "how accurately does my site convey what we are trying to communicate?" Many managers imagine the users of their web sites as browsers. This is seldom the case. The average user may spend only 4 minutes in a site consisting of over 1000 pages. When a user visits your home page does he immediately know the purpose of your site? Is enticed to move further through the site? While we cringe at the thought of comparing the web to print media. There is much to be learned from print magazine cover design. Seldom is it unclear what target audience is being solicited nor does a magazine list it's topic areas on a the cover. Instead, "teasers" and the promise of information lure the reader inside. The easiest mistake to make can be in thinking that your user spends as much time thinking about your site as you do. Nor is your visitor likely to be as familiar with your site topic as you are. Look at your site with fresh eyes, or better still ask someone unrelated to your industry (and preferably an Internet "newbie"), to evaluate your site against this criteria. Then look at your site from the prospective of the "savvy" Internet user. Does the user assume your site is "just like the others" or is it clear how your site differentiates itself and offers something new. AddURL makes this very mistake. The home page on this site does not immediately convey the true benefits and conveniences being offered. Does the "newbie" realize that adding "info to popular websites" means publicizing and promoting his site? Does the experienced Internet user realize that this site with its submission process to 600 sites and ability to customize each submission gives it advantages and benefits over similar sites? Communication is the essence of the Internet, but it can be overlooked by technology, interactivity, and other elements specific to this medium. --Linda Wilson
Take a look at the Archives. We've indexed all the past issues with topic pointers.
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