http://ucanr.org/blogs/Web_Tip_Blog/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed Best practices for web communications en-us UC ANR http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:25 PST Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:25 PST First up - as a blogger, I'm often amazed at how little people comment on my blog. Last week, I found a sure-fire way to get people to comment - write a provocative headline. Is social media is a fad? Don't count it out.  Brenda D makes an excellent point that, as always, you should choose a message delivery method that appeals to your audience.  Social media is just one more tool in your toolbox. On the subject of comments - I found this interesting post on why people don't comment on...... Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:28:25 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1991&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1991 Earlier this week I had lunch with a colleague who is in marketing for a publisher in the East Bay.  As we traded war stories and marketing strategies, my friend asked me - "Are you guys doing anything with social networking?"  I had to admit, I have no Tweed cred. On the heels of this admission, I came across this latest 5 minute online video on the changing face of how people use the Internet. Setting aside the cool soundtrack and the flashy graphics, what are the implications here? The...... Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:24:20 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1956&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1956 This presentation has crossed through my Inbox several times - so it's high time I passed it along. Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project has authored this presentation illustrating dramatic changes in the way people use enhancements now widely available such as broadband and wireless as well as developing technologies such as cloud computing. She breaks down Internet users into users motivated by mobility and those who are not. The smaller percentage (39%) is...... Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:41:45 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1933&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1933 The ANR I knew when I left on vacation at the beginning of September is radically different from the new ANR that is being shaped upon my return. Our clients and stakeholders have many questions about our future - communicating clearly in times of change is critical. The most important thing you can do is simple - keep communicating. Don't shut down. Now, more than ever, it's important to keep your Web sites current. Is your website up-to-date with changes in office hours, closure dates,...... Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:12:15 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1856&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1856 Let me collect my thoughts . . ....
]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:13:01 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1839&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1839 One of the great ways you can use the blog system is for your newsletter.  If you're writing a newsletter, you're already in the habit of communicating regularly with your clientele.  You can convert that discipline into blogging. You can write a blog posting more regularly than you might put an entire newsletter together, enabling you to be in contact with your readers on a more regular basis. Another benefit of using the blog for your newsletter is the Tag List.  If you're not familiar with......
]]> Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:01 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1685&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1685 I've had a surprising number of conversations over the past couple of weeks about blogging - so it seems like a good time to revisit the subject. Let me say again that you can look at blogging in two ways.  First, in the traditional sense of blogging as a conversation.  You blog, readers comment. The second part of that equation is where I find most potential bloggers stop short. And unnecessarily. Many times potential bloggers tell me they don't want to blog because they don't want abusive......
]]> Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:36:20 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1680&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1680 Brenda D. wins the prize - "disseminating" is the next word in the series. I have a confession to make. In a previous life, I was the PI on the dissemination section of an NIH Center Grant.  Even as a long-time marketing and public relations professional, the term dissemination had never slipped into my vocabulary.  Flack, yes.  Disseminator, no. Better choices? Going back to that UCCE statement: "Disseminating science-based research information to the residents of county 'X'." Better:...... Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:49:13 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1629&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1629 Last Friday before I left on vacation, I was in a meeting with Karl and Dave of the Web Action Team in which they were giving me a very hard time about not using enough photos in my blog. So, in a departure from my usual subject matter, I present: "What I did on my vacation - Part I"Last week I was on the UCSB campus while my husband was at a conference.They have a very nice piece of real estate down there. This is actually looking from campus toward Goleta Beach Park. On campus, there is......
]]> Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:42:28 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1600&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1600 This week's tip is actually an announcement. We have a team from Communication Services working on what we've been calling "The Toolkit."  Based on the Strategic Vision Document (SVD), this Toolkit will contain key concepts and visual identifiers to begin strategic communications support for ANR and for building a cohesive brand identity that embraces both the strength of the UC parent brand and the strength of our sub-brands. You saw a preview of our work a couple of weeks ago when your...... Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:42:43 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1568&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1568 I wanted to pass along a couple of recent posts by Gerry McGovern and Jakob Nielsen about Web features and usability. This week's post from McGovern relates a story about how adding features can make online tasks more difficult to complete. Looking past the "Who's on First" nature of the "Pound" vs. Euro question at the heart of the story - it's valuable insight into the importance of thinking out changes with the user in mind. And Nielsen has some interesting information...... Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:20:13 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1509&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1509 The Public Policy Institute of California has completed a new survey on Californians and Information Technology. The survey finds that while Internet usage in California contines to grow, gaps in access to technology in rural areas and among Latino communities are still present. The findings take on new importance in light of the Obama administration's initiative to expand broadband access in rural areas as part of the stimulus package. You can download PPIC's study from their website. And...... Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:54:44 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1491&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1491 Jeanette's comment on my last post brings up a good point. On all of these "What Not to Say" posts - the word in question will always have a place. The point is not a ban on the word - just to think carefully about the appropriateness of the word for the audience. The original inspiration for this theme arose out of content spotted on a UCCE site that will remain nameless: "Disseminating science-based research information to the residents of county 'X'." Now that may...... Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:09:41 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1445&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1445 The group at the Carewords workshop in Southern California had a great idea for my blog. Similar to the show "What Not To Wear," this semi-regular feature will dissect a word found on ANR Web sites and offer more customer-centered and Web-friendly choices. The first word of the series: Residents Now this is a fine word if you are an apartment manager, or you're talking about the band The Residents. But if you're talking about the people you serve . . . it's......
]]> Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:18:36 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1437&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1437 Last Friday I spent the day with some Master Gardeners conducting a Carewords workshop. In these workshops we spend a lot of time reviewing existing Web sites and making recommendations. As the day unfolded I was reminded again of the most useful Web editing tool available to everyone: the return key on your keyboard. Just a half hour spent "chunking up" your current Web content will make it easier to read online. It's easy to forget that writing for the Web is different from...... Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:10:31 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1412&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1412 Next Friday, June 12, I'll be presenting a workshop on "Making Carewords Work for You" at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center in Rancho Cucamonga. This workshop was designed for Master Gardener content developers and web editors, but as a few spaces still remain, I'll open those up to others in the Division. Last April, we surveyed our clientele to determine their web needs and preferences. This Carewords research revealed how our clientele use UCCE Web sites, the information they...... Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:00:19 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1370&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1370 A couple of articles of note I thought I'd pass along: First, Gerry McGovern has an interesting post this week about the relevancy of page views. While I don't think any of our folks are engaged in this kind of metric abuse, it's a useful caution about reading too much into Web traffic statistics. And there's an interesting article in today's New York Times about the hottest new job among the Twitterati (their word): social media specialists also known as professional Twitterers (My word....... Thu, 21 May 2009 14:14:47 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1311&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1311 In last week's post, as well as at the Statewide Meeting a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was using an e-mail marketing service. I've gotten so many questions that it seemed a post on the topic might be useful. Since March, I've been using an e-mail marketing service to send e-mail notices to our online catalog customers about monthly specials and new products. I'm using using Constant Contact, and I've been very happy with them, but there are several other companies that offer this......
]]> Fri, 15 May 2009 15:51:09 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1292&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1292 I've got a bit of a problem this week - so I'm throwing it out here for my readers to solve! Actually, I've had this problem for a while. I just wasn't aware of it until recently. ANR folks know that I send out a periodic e-mail notification called Just Published that lists new and updated publications that have gone through the peer-review process and are now available through our catalog. This e-mail version of Just Published was a huge leap forward some 7 years ago when we ceased...... Tue, 05 May 2009 13:58:40 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1257&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1257 By now we've all heard the mantra that visitors to Web sites don't read, they scan. This drives the need to keep your copy concise, the Carewords research, and the 10-second rule. New research from Jakob Nielsen shows an even greater need to make sure your content gets to the point. Nielsen's new usability studies show that on-line reading is characterized by an F-pattern. That is, people will read most of the first line of copy, but the portion of successive lines read will be...... Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:47:51 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1227&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1227 Passover ended last night at sundown. One of the key preparations for Passover is a thorough Spring cleaning of one's home, so it was interesting to me that this pre-Passover activity coincided with a posting from Gerry McGovern about removing poor quality content from your Web site. A sort of electronic Spring cleaning. Is the Web infinite? Actually no. While the appearance of unlimited space can lead to the temptation to post everything and the kitchen sink, its important to keep the...... Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:26:58 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1195&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1195 I've been having a little trouble getting my Web communications groove back. I think it was spending last week at the International Master Gardener conference. There the talk was of bat and owl boxes, using water wisely, and the powerful symbolism of the new White House vegetable garden. I now have a new tip on codling moth control for my pear tree: Seems the aroma of a banana peel decomposing in a vinegar and water solution is heavenly. Like snails to beer, I'm assured they can't resist....... Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:19:51 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1159&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1159 I consume a lot of news. I read the online editions of the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times daily. One of my standard guidelines for good Web communications is consistently violated by the Los Angeles Times, and always adhered to by the New York Times. It's simple: When directing visitors to a site outside your own, make it open in a new window. You've worked hard to get those eyeballs. Why would you let them go to another site? At the breakfast table this morning, it was......
]]> Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:35:20 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1117&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1117 After weeks of pointing, it's high time I created some of my own content again. I received a question from the folks in Tuolumne County about updating their county web site. If you've got an active Web site, how do you put major portions of the site under construction while keeping your old content active? They wanted to use some of the architecture in my Tuolumne test site in the real Tuolumne site; but weren't sure how to approach the project. Seems the answer is easy - or as easy as......
]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:16:16 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1093&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1093 Recently I've been thinking no one is reading my blog because I wasn't getting any comments. Not that this is a highly-commented blog to begin with. But not a ONE! Seems a bug in the blog system hasn't been e-mailing me your comments. I'm caught up now! I'll have to get with the Web Action Team about this . . .... Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:02:23 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1092&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1092 I'm often asked to explain the difference between Carewords and a search term or keyword. I have to admit that my explanations are often met with polite if confused stares. But to the rescue this week is Gerry McGovern, the creator of Carewords himself, with a clear, succinct post about the difference and why both are important. In brief, "The words we use when we search are not always the words we like to read when we arrive at a website." Gerry points to recent research...... Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:56:49 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1075&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1075 An interesting article last week from the New York Times on the woman behind Google's look. I don't know how many of you remember when Google was the new kid on the block. I vividly remember one of my attractions to Google was it's sleek pared down look; a refreshing change from the busy, cluttered look of the other search engines. Midway through the article are some guidelines for Web communications that we can all consider: "Avoid first- and second-person pronouns. Always write...... Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:44:20 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1063&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1063 Gerry McGovern's blog posting this week cites an interesting study conducted by the Open University in the UK titled "Search is now normal behavior. What do we do about that?" After all the emphasis on navigation, I've often struggled with this. The Open University study opens with an often-repeated maxim: "Search represents a failure of navigation." I couldn't disagree more. As search engines have become more powerful and better able to deliver relevant results, it's...... Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:39:38 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1050&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1050 David Pouge of the New York Times must be reading my blog. Today's column is part two of his exploration of Twitter.... Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:18:15 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1015&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1015 I've received a number of e-mails in the last few days about Twitter. For the uninitiated, David Pogue of the New York Times has written a column about Twitter. I'm an avid reader of Pogue's column, and once again he doesn't disappoint. Here he presents a balanced look into Twitter in his usual humorous style. "Why should I Twitter?" Decide for yourself . . . Some examples of Twitter at work. Check out the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension's Twitter page And of...... Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:00:47 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1010&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=1010 A tip of the hat this week to Pam Kan-Rice who originally sent me the link to this post from the Online Journalism Blog 1000 Things I've Learned About Blogging Included are some chestnuts about blogging - and writing for the web - for that matter, like keeping your content current and do what you do best, point to everything else. It's actually a pretty quick scan. Spoiler Alert: The author can't count.... Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:41:49 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=978&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=978 Does "Yes We Can!" apply to broadband for all? President Barack Obama campaigned on widening broadband access to underserved and rural areas; and there now is talk about including this effort in the economic stimulus package. There is an interesting post in today's Bits blog in the New York Times technology section about that very topic.... Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:51:34 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=952&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=952 One thing I'm famous for saying is "The Web is all about pointing. If better information exists someplace else - point to it." Pointing = linking and that's what the Web is all about. So in that spirit, this week I'm going to direct you to another excellent post by Gerry McGovern about search engine optimization. The post is entitled Avoiding Search Engine Optimization Madness and focuses, rightly so, on keeping customer focus. Focus on the searcher - not the search. Do...... Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:38:54 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=951&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=951 My last post was about the power of narrative in telling the story of our brand. I'm sure after reading that post, some (many?) of you thought to yourselves. "Right. I'd love to have a flashy storytelling site that showcases our impact. How am I going to get the time and money to do that? Yes, we have some great, flashy, storytelling Web sites in the Division, the RREA Water Stewards and Stewards of the Land sites being the most notable examples. But you can put the power of...... Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:43:04 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=935&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=935 Yesterday I was doing my annual end-of-the-year office clean up and came across some notes that I took at a branding workshop a couple of years ago. Most of the notes from this workshop are long gone, but this single page stood out in my mind so much that I never tossed it. "Every strong brand is a hero in somebody's story. How is your brand a hero?" The speaker continued to talk about the power of narrative in demonstrating the strength of your brand. Storytelling. Our brand...... Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:48:05 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=892&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=892 Gerry McGovern's newsletter this week is an excellent discussion of how the Web is different from print. Gerry succinctly outlines 6 ways the Web is different than print, and it echoes my often-repeated statement that the Web is all about pointing. And speaking of Gerry and Carewords, I held a workshop last week in Davis with a group of Master Gardener coordinators and volunteers on incorporating our Carewords into their Web sites. We jointly critiqued each Web site, and then made...... Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:14:50 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=873&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=873 I'm getting spammed! My blog is overwhelmed with Russian Spam - so I've changed the settings so only registered users may post comments. If you want to comment - please register. Sorry! Now if I could only read Cyrillic text I'd know what all the fuss is about. . .... Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:22:52 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=858&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=858 A recent comment to this blog reminded me that while I've been focused on Carewords for the last year or so - not everyone else has! As a refresher - Carewords are words, phrases, and tasks that resonate with our clients and our potential clients when they visit our Web sites. Remember that you have 6 - 10 seconds to make an impact on a visitor. If they don't quickly see something of interest, they are likely to move along. Carewords are the brainchild of Gerry McGovern; we used one of his...... Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:44:13 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=842&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=842 Last week I started reading Search Engine Optimization - An Hour A Day. This book came to me highly recommended - and so far it has lived up to expectations. Like one of my other favorite books about the Web Don't Make Me Think, Search Engine Optimization is written in an engaging, conversational style that doesn't talk down to the reader while providing a primer on how search engines and search sites work. The book is organized into three sections - I've finished the first. And it's...... Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:37:35 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=833&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=833 Sunday I leave for an exciting week in Reno at the Entomological Society of America's annual meeting. It's always fun to exhibit at these meetings, especially when they're "local." If you're attending this meeting please stop by and say "Hi!" I'm in booth #513. There's usually a bit of downtime in the exhibit hall, so I like to take along some reading material. On tap for this meeting is Search Engine Optimization An Hour A Day. The authors of this book also have a......
]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:21:43 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=801&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=801 Last week I took a staycation. I actually had a better time on my staycation than I thought I would. I got a lot of projects done around the house, I had the guilty pleasure of feeling like I was playing hooky every day when my husband left for work, and I had that old Go-Go's song "Vacation" running through my head all week. Altered in my head of course so they were singing "Staycation" instead. I have a love-hate relationship with words like staycation. I love them...... Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:59:14 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=781&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=781 I love a good makeover show and since last week's post posed the question "What's on your homepage?" I thought this week; we could look at a makeover. (Scott, I hope you don't mind my using you as my example!) Tuolumne County has been my Web site guinea pig for over a year now. After the Carewords research was completed, Scott Oneto and I discussed some possible changes to the home page to take advantage of what we learned through the research. Here's a snapshot of the current......
]]> Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:20:56 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=742&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=742 Earlier this week I was in a lively conversation about the role of the home page. If search engines are the primary way people find information on the web - what is the purpose of the home page? The home page plays a vital role in branding - setting a tone through visual landmarks like color, fonts, and navigation themes. Your home page is also the key place for message delivery. We also know that you have about 10 seconds to make an impact. People don't read on the web, they scan. So it's...... Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:48:28 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=727&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=727 There's an easy way to embed video into your site if you're using Site Builder. Site Builder now allows for video to be placed in your site in the same way as JPEG images. Files need to be in either Windows Media Video (.wmv) format or Flash Video (.flv) formats. As with JPEG images, the file must be on your hard drive. The video file is uploaded to your site’s File Library and the 4-digit code that the File Library supplies for that file can then placed wherever you want the video...... Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:17:54 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=708&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=708 The UC Delivers page has some of the highest traffic in the Division's Web presence and most ANR Web sites have at least one navigation link to UC Delivers. These stories are powerful demonstrations of the value of ANR to Californians. But how can you make your UC Delivers stories stand out on your county or program Web site? Here's a step-by-step way to easily focus on local impact through UC Delivers. I'm going to create a new link in the left navigation bar that connects to a new page......
]]> Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:54:08 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=648&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=648 Last week, I talked about some traditional marketing methods that you could use to increase traffic to your site. This week, I had planned to talk about Web 2.0 tools you can use to market your site. But, after a spirited discussion with Dave from the Web Action Team, I thought a better post (and Dave agrees) would be to talk about a few of the sharing tools available on the Web, and what they do. First, what is Web 2.0 anyway? Web 2.0 generally refers to using interactive and social......
]]> Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:37:41 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=638&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=638 If you read this blog, or have attended one of my marketing workshops, you know that my mantra is "Content Drives Traffic." And yes, it does. Repeat visits are fueled by good content. But how do you get visitors to your site in the first place? Content plays a role in marketing your site through search results. Good content using key words (Carewords!) that resonate will bring visitors to your site. But traditional marketing also plays an important role. So here are a few easy......
]]> Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:30:00 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=618&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=618 I've resisted posting about the Digital Divide again, because the topic doesn't really seem to be a "tip." But recently a few of the ANR Communicators had a lively e-mail discussion about the latest study on Californians and Information Technology from the Public Policy Institute of California and it seems too interesting not to pass along. I attended a briefing in Sacramento, shortly after this study was released, and I found the findings fascinating. And I think there are...... Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:50:17 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=587&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=587 If you attended one of Bob Johnson's "Writing Right for the Web" workshops last April you know that one of the key take-aways was the importance of writing clear, concise, customer-centered content. Short sentences, bullet lists, short paragraphs, and space for the eye to rest all contribute to making your content Web-friendly. I recently discovered a feature in Word that is pretty helpful when writing for the Web. The Readability Analysis Tool is buried in your spelling......
]]> Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:59:26 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=551&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=551 Another interesting source of information about traffic on your site is in the "Referrals" area of Smarter Stats. Again, you'll find this in the left navigation bar in Smarter Stats: And here you'll find information about how visitors are finding you - search engine results, other Web sites, direct bookmarks. In the clip below, I've selected "Referring Sites" for the ANR Catalog site: The default time period is for the past 7 days, but you can use the calendar to......
]]> Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:37:16 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=538&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=538 Perhaps you've noticed that the Tip of the Week has gotten a little erratic - sometimes in spite of my best intentions, the weekly posting gets delayed. Even if web communications is part of your job description, we're all pressed for time. I heard a lot of feedback at the Writing Right for the Web workshops that went along the lines of "This is great information, but where do I find the time?" How do you set priorities? One way is by looking at statistics. We use an analytical......
]]> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:22:34 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=510&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=510 In my marketing workshops I spend a good bit of time talking about the importance of color in reinforcing brand awareness. There are some good corporate examples. Most people associate Coca-Cola with the color red; and UPS has built an entire marketing campaign around their corporate color - brown. One of the things we know about the ANR brand is that to many, Cooperative Extension is the face of the University of California in their community. Another brand attribute is the role of ANR as......
]]> Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:24:50 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=488&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=488 Yesterday morning I heard a short news item on KQED radio about a new study from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) on Californians and Technology. Before you click away thinking this is going to be a boring, wonky post - bear with me and read on! While this new study is interesting in how it presents data on how Californians are using technology; it led me to a paper from July 2007, which relates to last week's post about broadband. That study, entitled Broadband for All? Gaps...... Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:26:25 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=481&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=481 According to the USDA's 2007 Farm Computer Usage and Ownership Report, 61% of California farms had computer access but only 54% owned their own computers; and just 42% were using computers for farm business. Of the 61% of California farmers who had computer access, 36% were using dial-up service. While California fares slightly better than the national average, the challenge of using bandwidth intensive content and features in Web sites used by clients using dial-up services remains very......
]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:46:21 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=463&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=463 Last Friday I attended a fascinating workshop with Jane Ellen Stevens that focused on Web communications, emerging technologies, and how we might use them to enhance our Web communications. I have to say, at the end of the day my head hurt - it's hard to wrap your mind around everything that is happening. That, and Jane told me that my once a week blog posting is really not enough. Sigh. Jane is a former newspaper reporter who has turned her attention to Web communications, and storytelling...... Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:21:22 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=444&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=444 After a slight delay, the Customer Carewords research results are ready for their big reveal! The results will be distributed to the Regional and County Directors next week, but as faithful blog readers - you get a sneak peak! If you're not familiar with the project, Customer Carewords are words our clients care about; words that our clients are looking for when they come to our Web sites, or use in searches. If we want to create customer-focused content that resonates with our key audiences...... Thu, 29 May 2008 15:31:24 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=436&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=436 Bob Johnson presented his Writing Right for the Web workshop to ANR staff at three locations in early April. We taped the April 1 workshop in Davis and it is now ready for viewing via streaming video. The 3-hour workshop has been divided into four sections - so it's easier to view from your desktop. If you missed the workshops - watch all 4! If you were able to attend one of the workshops, you can just watch the section where you might like a refresher. If you didn't attend the workshop -...... Fri, 23 May 2008 16:01:47 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=431&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=431 The last couple of posts I've been talking about creating customer-centered content. A while back I spoke with Joan McCrea of McCrea Associates about a project she spearheaded for Ventura County. As Joan was working on the project, we were in frequent communication about ANR and UCCE and the goals she wanted to accomplish for Ventura County. After wrapping up the project, Joan had a chance to reflect on the challenges, and shared her thoughts with me. Q. How did you work with the folks in...... Tue, 13 May 2008 13:50:01 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=405&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=405 "Avoid the use of jargon." Such easy advice to give - such hard advice to follow. I got caught using jargon in a report just last week: Real Estate n. : term used by marketeers to describe the available space in a Web site or printed promotional piece. As in "use your real estate wisely" or don't waste your valuable real estate by . . ." It's an easy trap. And using jargon is one of the best ways you can make sure your content is not customer-centered. How do...... Wed, 07 May 2008 15:57:47 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=392&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=392 The heart of a great Web site is customer-centered content. But what does it mean to write customer-centered content? I'll be honest; this is often more easily said than done. Basically, it boils down to putting yourself in the shoes of your customers or clients. Speak to them rather than writing about what you're doing. Think about framing the problem in terms of "What do my clients want to know?" "What problem are they trying to solve?" Answer the questions...... Fri, 02 May 2008 13:11:09 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=386&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=386 There was a lot of interest at the Writing for the Web Workshops in Search Engine Optimization and the role of title tags. Here's the rundown. Theories abound on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) -- getting your page to rank higher in a search return. The search engines are constantly changing their analytics as web page authors try to outsmart them in a constant game of virtual cat and mouse. Ranking high in theories of what works best for SEO is title tags. What is a Title Tag? A title......
]]> Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:45:16 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=359&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=359 OK, before we get started a couple of quick notes -- First, a tip of the hat to Bryon Noel, developer of the the ANR Blog System. Last week I asked him about tags, which at the time weren't enabled. As of yesterday - Poof! - They work like magic. That's a speedy response! Second, Mike Poe has been on the road doing workshops on blogging and the ANR Blog System. He was in Ukiah earlier this week with that workshop, and will repeat it at the Central Coast and South regional meeting next......
]]> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:39:21 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=356&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=356 One of the hot topics from the Web writing workshops last week was the use of blogging software. Notice that I didn't say "blogs." I think the "ah-ha" moment for many people was thinking about blogs in a different way. Not the "Here's what I had for lunch today." way or "Why I think Sean Penn is the greatest actor of his generation." way, but as a way to organize content. Newsletters are a perfect example of "bloggable" content. I think one...... Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:42:39 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=331&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=331 If one of the characteristics of a Web-friendly PDF is that it be short, what do you do with a large PDF that you want to post on the Web? There are a few considerations, so let's look at a couple of examples: Lassen-Plumas-Sierra counties have jointly developed a great guide to home vegetable gardening that considers the challenges of their short growing season and high altitude. As a general rule, you should notify people of the page count and the file size of a larger PDF. This is......
]]> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:32:58 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=320&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=320 ANR Web sites are full of PDF files - and there are some best practices for using PDF files effectively on the Web. It's not enough to simply convert a document to PDF format and upload it to your Web site. To make a PDF work for you, rather than work your readers, you need to do a little tweeking. I've been talking a lot about what not to do in these posts - I thought it was time to talk about something we're doing well. When Bob Johnson presented our Web site review, he cited ANR Reports......
]]> Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:35:04 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=308&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=308 While you're given a tool in Site Builder to present text in italics, italics should be used judiciously on the Web. This is another area where print differs greatly from the Web. Italics are difficult to read on a screen. See? My advice is to save italics for scientific names, book titles, and the like. Don't use italics for emphasis. Finally, it is now generally accepted that blinking, scrolling, animations, or any other moving text is annoying to 99% of your visitors. If you know how...... Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:12:05 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=309&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=309 One of the easiest mistakes to make in designing Web pages, or printed pieces for that matter, is using a lot of fonts thinking that they are design elements. Now don't get me wrong, in the right hands, fonts can be used as design elements, but this is best left to designers. For most of us, the role of fonts is to make your words easily read and understood. There is a lot of study and debate about fonts (really!) On the Web, best practices are somewhat different than for printed pieces.......
]]> Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:27:13 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=299&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=299 One of the most useful books I've found on Web usability is Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug. (No, I don't get a percentage, I just like the book.) Awhile back some ANR folks came back from the Stanford Publishing on the Web Workshop raving about this book. I read it and have been recommending it ever since. Why do I like this book? First, it's short - Krug states that he wanted the book to be short enough to read on a long plane ride. I can attest to that - I read it cover-to-cover......
]]> Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:31:40 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=286&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=286 Do you ever feel like this about your Web site? Hoping some external force of nature will bring your content to life? Many of our sites contain lots of static copy. (What's static copy? Copy that doesn't change.) One way your can breathe life into static copy, is to add links to other content areas. This site is a good example of static copy that is crying out for a link: The static copy "North Coast Dairy Day" is a great place to add a link to information about North......
]]> Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:01:16 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=279&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=279 Once you've attracted a visitor to your Web site - you don't want to lose them to another site. If you have a link on your site that links to an external site, make that link open in a new window. The window that contains your site remains open in the viewer's browser so it makes it easier for people to get back to your site. Sure the "back" button works - but why risk losing those eyeballs! So how do you do that? First, put your link into the body of the text: Then, go to......
]]> Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:44:09 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=271&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=271 Does your Web site contain blank pages? Or pages with only a header and a couple of lines of text? This sends the unintended message to your visitors that you either have nothing to say, or this topic isn't important to you. It's better to disable these pages until you have more content....
]]> Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:16:22 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=267&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=267 If you have an ANR Web site, the chances are very good that you're using Site Builder. Site Builder is great architecture, it takes a lot of the guess work out of common design, navigation, and usability issues. And, almost anyone can use it with relative ease!But, if you adhere to my two mantras "content is king" and "content drives traffic" - you've also got to have something to say. Hopefully something that's interesting to the visitor and that's current.So here, we're...... Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:04:27 PST http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=266&utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=RSS%2BFeed cckintigh@ucdavis.edu(Cynthia Kintigh) http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=266