Mozak Design Blog

Adding Images to Your Posts

Remember when you were in second or third grade, and you went to the school library? Sometimes you’d pull a book from the shelf and take a look at it, only to quickly put it back in its place. Why? It had no pictures – just pages and pages of black text on a white background. How unappealing!

Today’s web surfers are much like typical second-graders. If you don’t show them something besides text, they’re going to put you back on the shelf faster than you can say, “hopscotch.”

Now, what if you’re not a master photographer or an artist who can whip up line drawings at the drop of a hat? Are you destined to a life of being ignored by all but the bravest of readers? No! There are many ways you can incorporate photos, clip art, and other images on your pages:

1. Take the photos yourself. You don’t have to be Ansel Adams, especially with today’s cameras and auto-correction. If you can take a photo and crop it, you can upload it to your blog quickly and easily.
2. Get “creative commons” images. Go to flickr.com/creativecommons for millions of images you can use for free on your blog under the creative commons license. Typically, this means you can use the image for non-commercial purposes (e.g., you can’t use it on a sales page or on the cover of your eBook), if you provide attribution to the photographer. That’s as easy as including a caption with his name and a link to his Flickr site).
3. Embed video from YouTube. Do a search on YouTube to find interesting and relevant videos for your market, and use the code provided to embed the video on your site. Also check out sites like Vimeo for more options.
4. Subscribe to a stock photo site. You pay a monthly fee or buy a pack of credits you can use to pay for one-time use fees, and you’ll have access to thousands of high-quality photos and images. Good stock photo sites are www.clipart.com, www.istockphoto.com, and www.dreamstime.com, and there are many others as well. Just Google “stock images” or “stock photos” to find all the stock photos you could want.
5. Use clipart from your computer. You can also use clipart from your computer, though you may want to be careful with this one, as many “old school” clip art styles can make your site look dated. Not sure what to use? Check out some of the leading blogs in your market and follow their lead.

Including images in your post makes your page look more interesting and entertaining. Of course, for best results, those images should also add depth to the point you’re making in your post.

Standing Out In a Crowded Room

With more than 100 million blogs on the internet – and more being added every day! – it can seem like an impossible task to get your poor little site noticed. But it is possible to make a niche for yourself, even in a very competitive market space.

Here are ten ways to create buzz around your blog:

1. Write great content. It sounds simple, but it’s true. If you want people to want to read your stuff, and refer your friends to your site, write content worth reading. Then do it again, and again, and again.
2. Interact with other bloggers. There are many bloggers in your niche, and instead of viewing them as competitors, see them as potential partners. Comment on their blogs, retweet their messages on Twitter, join their Facebook pages, and so on. Make yourself their supporter, and they’ll be more receptive to helping you out when they can.
3. Add eye-catching images. Lots of people are scanners, and they’ll pop over to your blog to just see what’s happening. Strong images are a great way to grab their attention; long blocks of text are a turn-off for most people.
4. Add audio and video. Adding other media forms is a way to mix things up and keep them interesting. While any one particular visitor might skip an audio, another one might be dying to hear your voice!
5. Keep things relevant. Comment on the latest trends in your industry, or relate top-of-mind news stories to your market.  For example, if everyone’s talking about reality TV, can you take a spin on the most popular show for your market? Be the go-to expert.
6. Interview “big names.” While you may not be able to compete with the “celebrities” in your market when it comes to traffic, you can divert some of their traffic your way by interviewing them. This is a great place to bring in audio and video.
7. Do a giveaway. Find something people in your market would really like, and hold a contest or giveaway. (Hint: The more tightly tied the prize is to your market, the more targeted your traffic will be).
8. Integrate your blogging with other social media. Tweet about your best blog posts, and add a tweet stream to your blog.  For most popular blogging platforms, this can be done easily with a blog widget. Post your blog links to your Facebook page and LinkedIn profile too. Build a Squidoo lens and add your blog’s feed.  Audios and videos should be added to podcast and video sharing sites as well as to iTunes.
9. Guest post. Guest posting means appearing on other blogger’s sites. It allows you to reach a new market, complete with the stamp of approval from someone that this new market already knows, likes, and trusts. For more information on guest blogging – including how to hold your own “blog tour” – visit Nicole Dean’s blog at nicoleonthenet.com.
10. Interact with readers. Your audience is your bread and butter. When they comment, you should be appreciative AND responsive. Engage them in conversation, either in the comments section of your site, or via email. Never ignore your readers!

Very few bloggers – even those who consider themselves “professionals” – do all these things. That’s why there will always be room for someone new at the top – someone who’s willing to do the things others aren’t. Someone like you!

Finding Images for Your Blog Posts

Now that you’re convinced that images are an important part of each and every article, you could be wondering in places you get photos and graphics to your posts. There are numerous places, paid and unpaid, to find virtually any image you might need:

1. Your personal photos. The easiest spot to find images might be your own personal camera! Particularly if you talk about family-oriented topics including kids, cooking, crafts, or weight-loss, your own personal photos may be the perfect choice. Nowadays, you can take web-quality photos from inexpensive cameras – and also out of your mobile phone. The positive: You receive just what you need. The negative: Sometimes you need to get the article done, not take time to get a photo shoot.
2. Flickr. Flickr.com houses an incredible number of images all around the globe. You can search by topic or by photographer. To stay on the right side of copyright law, search Flickr’s creative commons database which includes images that photographers are earning readily available for use. Read the guidelines at www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ for full information on the rights photographers are retaining and the usage requirements.
3. Stock.XCHNG. Stock.XCHNG (www.sxc.hu) is a free stock photo site. Create a free account and employ one of their 400,000 images in your blog. Stock.XCHNG is a touch more limited than Flickr, but generally high quality.
4. IstockPhoto.com. A large assortment of professional and business quality images and illustrations can be obtained from iStockPhoto.com. The only drawback is it is a paid service working on credits. You can buy credit plans starting with 12 credits for $20.75 or a subscription starting at $108/month.
5. Clipart.com. For your widest variety of images (illustrations, photos, animations, plus more), have a look at Clipart.com. Over Tens of millions of files, all high-quality. Additionally, it has a paid service with subscriptions starting at $14.95 for a week of unlimited downloads and topping out at $299.95 for 2 many years of full access.
6. Fotolia.com. Also includes a sizable assortment of  buy by credit service. This web site comes recommended by David Sparks of Hawthorne Media.

If you’ve looked from the above choices and still can’t find something you prefer, there are numerous other choices. Just google “copyright free images” and you’ll have more options than you can actually use.

The best tip for a great WordPress Web Design

When it comes to designing a business website, there is really only one design tip I ask my clients to consider. And while it might not increase traffic by the thousands, it does make my clients – many are first-time business owners – feel proud.

Here’s my best tip: Design your professional website for where you want your business to be in five years, not today. This allows you to create a platform that grows along with your business, not one that you outgrow.

It’s a common-sense approach, but one I had to experience myself. Back when I started Mozak Design in 2008, I decided I wanted my site to reflect the design skills I’d have in 5 years – not where I was that day. So I hired a graphic designer to help me appeal to my target market – small business owners looking for a professional WordPress website.

Since that time, I’ve been able to update my website so it keeps looking like my business vision five years from now. This is an important point: You don’t want to launch your website and leave it be. You want to keep revamping your professional website, moving it forward as you build your business.

When your website looks like “business success” in five years, it will help keep you pushing forward. Invest in a professionally designed business website, and you will have a virtual business card that you’ll be proud to promote. And with the WordPress platform, it will be easy for you to update the content, make special offers, and attract more visitors.

All about layout

Good design and your WordPress business website

Once you decide to use WordPress for your business website, you’ve solved a big part of the “what makes good design” equation.

The next step is to design a layout that is simple and streamlined. You can use an existing WordPress theme (sometimes called a template) or have a custom one designed by a web designer.

A well-designed WordPress business website should:

1. Connect with visitors – make them feel comfortable on the page

2. Present information in a way that guides the eye

3. Help the user find information quickly and easily

All good layouts follow a basic design principle: Every page should guide the reader’s eye left-to-right, top-to-bottom. The call-to-action – sign up for a newsletter, call, or send an email – should be visible and easily accomplished. Good layouts are also intuitive: This means first-time visitors should quickly understand what your site is selling, and what action they need to take.

Whether it’s your first professional website or you are updating an existing one, WordPress themes are ideal for business owners in any industry. Basic themes can be further customized so your website is as unique as you are.

Be predictable: A business website should be easy to scan, with key information placed in predictable locations.

Why is predictability important?

You might think – “Because I am different, I want my website to be different.”

But that’s not a good design decision. Over the years, internet users have come to expect that website pages should look a certain way. When people visit your site for the first time, they orient themselves by looking at the main navigation bar and skimming the content on the page.

If your layout is dramatically different, the user becomes frustrated and leaves the site.

Pair predictability with the intent of your website: Think of your first-time visitors: What is the first impression you want to create? What kind of experience do you want them to have? Match that goal with a WordPress theme – either basic or customized – and you’ll soon have a business website that generates results.

Need a professional WordPress website? Hire an expert

As the director of IASECP  I needed to work more efficiently: Like so many small business owners, I was doing it all myself. Finally, I “got it.” I needed to hire an expert to help re-design my membership website.

I knew I wanted to use WordPress because it is versatile and easy to use. Next, I needed a professional web designer who knew what she was doing, and I wanted a team member, not someone waiting to be told what to do.

I contacted Jocelyn Mozak, of Mozak Design, with all my fantasies and dreams of my fantastic new website.

I’ve built my custom publishing business with partnering and collaboration, so I’m used to working with other professionals. I love it when an expert brings their knowledge and skills to the table.

Jocelyn hit the ground running. She fielded my wildest ideas and had the wisdom to bring them down to earth. I think that’s important. My personal philosophy is to aim for the stars – then do what you can to get there. We need to surround ourselves with people who don’t squash the vision, but are capable of supporting what’s possible now.

First, I was impressed with Jocelyn’s professional initiative. She did the background research – probably much more than I realize. Shortly after we started working on the website, I was hit by some family tragedies that took me out of the game for a while. Jocelyn just plugged along and by the time I was back on track, she had most of the foundation work done. That was huge – no drama, no stress – just here’s where we are…excellent.

In a short time, Jocelyn had pulled together a working virtual meeting place for our members. This was not just a case of making a site that sat there and looked pretty – it had to perform: Keep track of membership information, interact with visitors. I think a lot of people don’t understand how complex that is. A designer makes things “look” right, but it takes a programmer to make it all work.

We did a soft launch of the website at the beginning of 2010. There was a lot involved: Moving member records to the new site, getting the email lists sorted out, getting all of the other details smoothed over – this was a whole business not just a website – but Jocelyn was there every step of the way, making it all work.

–Barbara Saunders, director, IASECP

Maximizing your WordPress Blog’s Marketing Effectiveness

Is your wordpress blog integrated with your website?

By this I mean, is the blog built into the website so it feels like any other page is the site. If it is not, you are missing a valuable opportunity to maximize your blogs impact on your business.

To understand why, let’s look at how traffic flows to your site. Typically, web traffic that goes to your homepage reflects someone who either knows of your business by name or is looking for a specific product or service. Your wordpress blog on the other hand tends to draw traffic based on an interest in a topic or a solution to a problem. In both cases they are each bringing new visitors to your business. What is missed by not integrating your wordpress blog seamlessly with your website is the cross marketing that can occur.

A new client may discover your business by searching for a service you provide. Yet, if you have not been recommended to them, how can you instill confidence that you are an expert? Likewise, a client may have Googled a topic you discussed at length in a blog post, yet how are they to your you offer services as well?

By integrating the two; your website and your wordpress blog you get the best of both worlds. I potential client who lands on your site can see you as an expert and build his trust in you through your business’ blog. Likewise, someone who happens to find your blog will notice that you are a business and offer relevant services. By having the two pieces presented the same way they work together to showcase your business.

Plugins In Review: Redirection

Picture this, a potential client is searching on Google and finds a link to your site. They click on it and … yikes … a 404 page not found error! How embarassing …

One of the more useful WordPress Plugins that I have been using on my WordPress Website is something called Redirection. This handy little plugin helps to keep my site navigation clean and useful. Being highly configurable, Redirection provides many different options to help you keep your website navigation in check.

There are two specific cases when I turn to this plugin.

• First, in the event of a page url change or removal.
• Second, if I want to add an external website as a link in my navigation bar.

In the case of the first application, Redirection prevents visitor loss due to “page not found” errors (404s).  Instead, this plug in will redirect visitors to a specific page you select when the invalid URL is requested.

Additionally, Redirection tracks all “page not found” errors that occur on your site. This is important as it tells you exactly which URLs bring people to your site resulted in a 404.

The second application where I find Redirection comes in handy is the addition of and external site to my navigation. This comes in handy if something like a “calendar”, “event registration” or “homepage” exist on another site. To add these items to my navigation I simply create a page with the name I want to show up in my navigation. I then use Redirection to send visitors to the external URL I want when they click on the page name I created. It really is that easy.

Redirection is one of those gems of a WordPress plugin that helps you gain more control over where your traffic goes because of errors. Installation is quite easy, and works with WordPress 2.6 and higher.

Check out my video below to see how to install and use the plugin Redirection. (coming soon)

Good Copy Tip #3: Linking within your website

One opportunity that is often missed is linking to internal pages within your website.

This is valuable in several ways:

1. It enables easier creation of scannable pages.
2. It creates Google optimized, topic specific, pages.
3. It allows you to guide readers into older blog posts.

By linking deeper into your website you can provide a readers with simple lists that they can scan; with the option to learn more on that topic if they follow the link. In addition, linking within your website allows you a way to continue using older posts in your blog. Most blog posts are not looked at once they are about 5 posts old. By guiding readers to older posts and series you have written, you are able to maximize your imvestment in them.

Finally, linking deeper into your site helps to guide your guest through your site to the information that interest them the most. This is crucial as web surfers have little patience hunting for what they are looking for.