This is a post from SuperBloggingTips.com, a make money online blog.
I have discussed my thoughts on Entrecard before, and I have been using it since early January. There have been a lot of huge fans of Entrecard, those who sort of like it, and then there are those who aren’t impressed. People have been wondering […]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Entrecard: Is It Worth It?”, url: “http://superbloggingtips.com/2008/02/entrecard-is-it-worth-it/” });
The Semantic Web, which is a fancy way of saying data can be defined, shared and reused everywhere, is becoming less academic and more real for technology folks–and their ROI driven bosses.
That’s the big takeaway from Paul Miller’s interview with Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Paul is new to the ZDNet network and has started a blog […]
The European Commission has hit Microsoft with an 899 million euro fine for charging unreasonable prices for access “to interface documentations for work group servers” prior to Oct. 22, 2007 and failure to adhere to a March 2004 antitrust ruling. That fine equates to $1.35 billion or so–a big chunk of change even for Microsoft.
Clearly, […]
Facebook has previewed a new profile page that cleans up a good amount of clutter on the page by creating tabs for users to put their wall items, personal information and photos.
These improvements are a no brainer. Facebook’s profile pages–with apps, news feeds, personal info and photos all together–are beginning to look like a 4 […]
This week’s “In the News” brings disappointment to the SEO world as Flickr goes Nofollow with its links, preventing the use of Flickr for personal link gain. Ask.com uses Compete to add new pop up stats when you roll over the binoculars on their website, and now you can ward away boredom by watching other peoples’ lives at Play.blogger.com.
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Sage puts a fresh spin on Sphinn, highlighting several stories instead of focusing on just one. Unlike Digg, which is a more general social media site, Sphinn is strictly an Internet marketing site. Sage extols the virtues of using Sphinn to stay savvy on the latest Internet news.
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Notable headlines:
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft courts open-source vendors to support Win Server 2008. Jason Perlow: Server 2008: The Windows Workstation we always wanted
Outage hits Windows Live Hotmail, Messenger users
Microsoft: Windows Live outage affected those not signed with Live ID
Microsoft’s Mundie: Lots of Yahoo, Microsoft redundancies
Microsoft: The desktop PC isn’t dead
Paul Miller: Sir Tim Berners-Lee: […]
I’ve been meaning to extend a hearty “Thank You!” to Amanda at Brandon’s Puppy for her kind donation earlier this month.
It’s always gratifying to know that some of my advice has been helpful, and cold hard cash always makes me smile!
Post from: Blogging For The Money
Thank You!
Not every site needs, nor should have, an on-site search feature. But those that do must be sure that the search isn’t just an after-thought. It needs to be more than something to add because you think visitors want it. Adding a search function is not necessarily good for on-site usability. Implementing a search function improperly is often a greater source of frustration than not having one altogether.
For this reason your on-site search function should not be taken lightly. In fact, it’s better that no search option be present than one that potentially gives the searcher a “false impression” as to the availability of products/information on your website. Much time and consideration (and development) needs to go into the search option to ensure that it not only returns accurate results, but is fully comprehensive in interpreting the searchers intentions.
Location
Website search boxes are most often located in the top right corner of the website. This creates an expectation from shoppers, so make things easy for them and place your search box where they expect to find it.
Search options
The search box should default to a “simple” search. If warranted, provide a link to “advanced” options that allow visitors to fine-tune their search helping them find what they want more quickly.
Case sensitivity
The basic or “simple” search should not be case sensitive. If case sensitivity is an issue then this option should be made available through the advanced search option.
Search labels
The search box and/or button should be clearly labeled. Using words such as “go” or “start” are not inherently obvious for search. The word “search” should absolutely be used on or near the search box.
Results query
The original search query should be presented on the results page, both in the search box and as a headline above the search results. This ensures the visitor knows what exactly was searched and allows them to refine it without having to retype the entire query.
Misspellings
The search feature must be intuitive enough to recognize all possible common misspellings. Searchers who mistype their search and don’t realize it will otherwise be told their product is unavailable on your site, causing them to leave for another site.
Result matches
Results should display exact matches first, with close matches second. This provides visitors with enough information that a second search may not be necessary. Get them what they want sooner, rather than later.
Result highlights
It’s beneficial to highlight (or bold) the words on the results page that were used in the query. Even better if you can continue the highlighting of search words as the visitor clicks through a link into the content page.
Titles and descriptions
Each result should display a clear title and description. This information should be pulled from page titles and meta descriptions or on-page content.
Number of results
Results page should display 10-20 search results at the most, however it’s a nice benefit to add an option to increase/decrease the number of results per page.
Number of result pages
Links to additional search result pages should be provided as necessary and located at both the top and bottom of the page.
Zero results found
If no results are found, you must provide clear messages to visitors suggesting alternative searches, refinement options and links to important areas of the website. You should never leave them with “no results found.”
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As the dynamic CK points out, “Your Company” + SUCKS is the new Google barometer for how well you are
satisfying your customers. And sometimes, it’s not very pretty.
So how do you change the conversation that your customers are having about your business? By listening and participating, of course! And that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start blogging. In fact I would never advise a business to begin blogging UNTIL they have begun to monitor the online chatter about their business, as well as what others are saying about their competitors and industry.
If you want to change the ‘You SUCK’ reaction online from customers into ‘You RULE!’, follow these steps:
1 - Monitor. Find out what is being said about your business RIGHT NOW! I’ve already detailed exactly how to launch a plan to monitor the blogosphere in a previous SEG post.
2 - Participate. Once you find these online conversations, join them. Reply to bloggers, address their comments and concerns. Launching such an initiative can be done in one day.
3 - Engage. Challenge your customers to continue the conversation. Encourage them to give you more feedback, and address and RESPOND to the feedback they give you.
4 - Co-Create. You can’t change your bad perception by yourself. And you can’t do it by listening, either. You have to bring your customers in and listen to and act upon their complaints. You have to work with them to co-create your online reputation. Remember that passion that’s ignored can become anger which leads to a bad online reputation. But if you embrace the passion of your customers, and apply that passion to creating and improving a dialog with them, then that passion can become evangelism for your business.
But remember that these conversations are happening online about your business, whether you are a participant or not. Indifference and ignorance are no longer viable excuses, if they ever were.
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Come and experience Search Engine Guide style teaching in person! Join us for our first ever Small Business Marketing Unleashed Conference in Houston, Texas on April 21st and 22nd.