Consistency of vision and clarity of purpose are essential when blogging, but that does not mean you always need to stick to the same format. Blogging is an inherently creative activity. Today is a good day to shake things up a little. To express yourself in a way you haven’t tried before. Here a just a few ideas of new formats you could try on your blog, some of which I will be using over the next week or so. Continue reading »

The best way to learn good practice in making and maintaining websites is to learn from others. No website is perfect and simply copying something which you like the look of will land you a lawsuit for intellectual copyright infringement – but you would be mad not to take inspiration and learn from others’ mistakes. Casting a critical eye over other websites trains you to design better and produce better content. There are at least three good reasons to review the next website you visit. Continue reading »

Mission statements are one-line declarations of intent which define an organisation’s aim or purpose. They guide policy and give direction to the organisation’s activities. And your blog will be lost without one. Continue reading »

If you have any kind of responsibility for a website, you owe it to yourself to read Steve Krug’s Don’t Make me Think. Since it was first published, Don’t Make me Think has been the book on web usability. It defines the guiding principles and sells a convincing philosophy of intuitive web design. By way of a review, here are three biggest lessons I learned from the book, which themselves are more than worth the price of the book several times over. Continue reading »

Think before you tweet, or you might find you have a ‘Google Problem’. Search engines allow anyone to find almost anything you have ever written online. If you use social media carelessly, your online profile is a ticking time-bomb which could seriously damage your reputation. But if you take care online, you could turn the ‘Google Problem’ into a huge asset for you or your organisation. Continue reading »

One of the biggest misconceptions about blogging is that it takes up a lot of time. Businesses often feel that their staffing costs are better spent ‘making money’ and individuals would rather ‘have a social life’ than blog. As it happens, though, blogging can be both financially rewarding and socially fulfilling, so it is well worth pursuing. It does not require much time to blog well, just good forward planning. Continue reading »

Since it launched in 2006, Twitter has become one of the most popular (and most talked-about) websites in the world. It has been credited with helping the Arab Spring uprisings and has been blamed for aiding the London rioters. For many people, though, it is an intimidating world of fast-moving action and faddish trends. If you think Twitter is a waste of time or if you just don’t know where to begin, this little guide will explain what Twitter is and why you need to get involved. Continue reading »

The Internet has connected billions of people together across the globe. But while most of us in the developed world use the Internet as part of our every-day life, many people are reluctant to establish a public presence online. Individuals are missing out by staying silent online, but for organisations it can be catastrophic. You need a presence on the Internet, and that need will only increase as more people get connected online. Continue reading »