Why and How Your Site Needs to Be Visually Interesting

May 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

Take a second and think about the blogs and websites that you visit the most often. Are they sites that have large blocks of uninterrupted text? Doubtful. Most of us prefer to visit sites and blogs that have a high level of visual interest. This is the reason why Pinterest is so successful and why businesses are incorporating it into their marketing strategies.

Personally, I love to cook. But would I be likely to visit a cooking blog that doesn’t have photos illustrating the steps of the recipe, or at the very least, a beautiful photo of the final product? No, because it’s hard to imagine how this great-sounding recipe should turn out if there is not a photo of the finished product.

The same goes for blogs and websites in all industries. Ryan Biddulph mentioned in a recent post that his site began to generate more traffic when he added images to each post. We are still a very visual society. If anything, the advent of the Internet and the subsequent movement of advertising and marketing to online platforms has driven us to be even more visual. Keeping your blog or website visually interesting will keep you readers/visitors coming back again and again.

Luckily, there are quite a few ways to add visual interest to your site. Here are a few easy suggestions:

Photos

– Using photos on your site can seem like an obvious suggestion, but you would be surprised how many people do not share photos. Usually the posts that get the most hits are the ones that contain several photos. Instead of a wordy blog post, sometimes just a quick photo share is the way to go. People love to look a photos, they feel like they are getting a glimpse into someone else’s world.

Graphics

– Have you ever realized that while you probably don’t notice every graphic on a website that you always notice if there is a lack of graphics? To me, a site without any graphics, fun fonts, or color looks like someone forgot to finish it. The last thing you want for your business or even personal blog, is to look like you didn’t put in the time or effort to finish the site. There are tons of websites where you can attain free graphics to use on your site. If you can’t find what you want for free, sites like Shutterstock offer relatively inexpensive graphics for purchase.

Visually Interesting

Infographics

– The use of the infographic on blogs and business sites is still relatively new. But infographics have caught on and the use of them is now spreading like crazy. They are a great way to cram a ton of information into one visually interesting space. Infographics use different fonts, images, colors, and sizes in order to relay information that otherwise could be thought of as dry or boring (read: statistics). You can pay a graphic designer to design an infographic for you, or if you are savvy with editing software like Photoshop, you can even make them yourself.

(Photo Source)
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: , ,

Technology: Do You Ever Unplug?

May 8, 2013 By 7 Comments

 

We talk a lot on this blog and on the web in general about all of the advancements we have made when it comes to staying “plugged in” to the world around us. We’ve also all have read the importance of businesses having an online presence – a website, social media accounts, a blog, etc. The list is endless.  Do you ever unplug?

Most of us are constantly connected, checking phones, tablets, laptops, computers, or iPods many times per day. I know I am guilty, if I so much as even stir overnight, I am checking my phone for texts, Facebook updates, or after-business-hours emails sent from editors or colleagues.

But are we all too connected? It’s certainly possible. There are many reports of how much time we spend connected to the Internet. While researching for this blog post, I came across statistics that say that the average person spends as much as 3 hours or more per day on social networks. 3 hours! That is a lot of time. That does not take into account any other Internet usage.

do you ever unplug?So many professions are now purely Internet-based, even those that would be traditionally more of a face-to-face driven industry. Take the real estate industry, for example. In the past, Realtor’s would search the MLS (multiple listing service) for properties for their clients, then take the clients to see the homes. Since real estate has shifted toward the online world, anyone who is interested in a home can jump online and browse hundreds of properties.

So when do we have the chance to unplug, so to speak? Not often. I can’t remember the last time that I turned my iPhone off, other than when it died from lack of charge after using it to browse the web for hours. A recent article published on Mashable highlights a camp of sorts, where adults and business people go to unwind and unplug. The camp highlights include physical activity, socializing, and arts and crafts; but most of all, it’s technology-free.

Many of the camps participants are CEOs and venture capitalists – people that normally have the most problem unplugging. One of the simplest ways to be a better entrepreneur is to take a day off or dedicate times to unplug. Doing this helps you not have to make a drastic change of being completely plugged for 4 days.

So what are the benefits to unplugging? I would say that the number one reason is just to clear your head. In our technology driven world, we all have so many thoughts swimming around in our heads on a daily basis.

I’m sure many of you tech-heads can relate, but I know that I’m attached at the hip to my iPhone. Unplugging might be able to help us focus better, even on things that do require technology, in the long run.

So I would love to pose the question, what do you do to unplug and unwind? Do you dedicate 1 day a week, or even 1 hour a week to not be constantly connected? Please share!

(Photo Source)

Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.

Filed Under: SMB's Tagged With: , ,

What Tools Do You Need to be A Successful Entrepreneur?

May 2, 2013 By 1 Comment

Let’s face it, being an entrepreneur and starting a small business or working for yourself is risky. Unfortunately, many small businesses fail in their first few years, or even months, of operation.

Some industries are certainly more susceptible than others, and of course our recent economic climate has made it that much more difficult for small businesses to be successful. Luckily, the economy seems to be on the upswing, and the advent of more internet-based businesses (with significantly less overhead costs) has made it more possible to run a small business or be an successful entrepreneur.

So what does it take to run a successful small business, and hopefully grow it into a larger business at some point? I stumbled across an article on Mashable where several famous entrepreneurs listed the things that helped them to get where they are today.

Some of the interviewees include Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group; Meg Whitman, CEO of HP; and Craig Newman, creator of Craigslist.

The things that these successful business people listed as necessary aren’t all that surprising. Richard Branson talked about his Successfull Entrepreneurpersonal assistant – an actual person, not a device. Meg Whitman talked more about the non-business things she needs, such as her swimsuit, because she likes to swim to relax and unwind. Craig Newman listed several mobile devices, including a Samsung Galaxy Note II that he uses to stay connected to his business every day.

So are there specific “tools of the trade” that every entrepreneur needs in order to be successful? I think so. While there are no hard and fast rules about starting and running a small business, some things are absolutely necessary to get a business off of the ground. Here are a couple that I think are necessary:

A great support structure

Like it or not, it is very difficult to start a business as a lone wolf. I don’t mean that you need employees or consultants right off the bat. I’m thinking more on a personal level. With no one to cheer you on or offer advice or even just listen for a few minutes, it’s going to be significantly more difficult to see success with your business. Tell your friends and family what your plans are and talk to them about your plans.

Up to date technology

You don’t need to shell out tons of money on technology to get started, but you do need to be wise about the tools that you choose to use. Most businesses would be smart to sink some capital into a great, professionally designed website. If your business involves art or design, do some research as to what type of computer is best, typically Apple is best for this, while PCs are better for more technical applications, like coding or programming.

Running and building a successful small business can be tricky. But learning the things that make you tick as a business owner/operator will potentially help your business get off the ground.

(Photo Source)
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.

Filed Under: SMB's Tagged With:
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