In this edition of Web Enlightenment we'll be talking about folks that think they have a link to something when in fact they really don't.

This newsletter focuses on giving you practical, interesting insights into how to successfully use technology as a tool to improve the way you do business. Bridging the gap between knowledge and understanding that all entrepreneurs have will help you make money online.

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All the best,

But We Do Have a Link To That....

I love reviewing web sites for people - and I have a few fun tools I use to do that.

The screen recorder ViewletCam helps me create a movie of my computer screen as I surf. My voice is the audio - this is a bit like a guided tour. Once I have made the movie I usually put it on a disc and mail it to people so they can watch it on their own computers. The only trouble I have with this tool are my dogs Frodo and Sam - they tend to bark at their very favorite thing (nothing at all) at the most inopportune times. This means that most people that get one of these visual reviews from me get the chance to meet - or at least hear - my pugs.

The other tool I love to use in reviewing websites is called Balsamiq Mockups , it allows you to capture any web page - put it in grayscale (they call this "sketch it") if you like - and draw right on top of it. It has a bunch of specialty web focused controls you can drag from the toolbar onto the drawing. Due to the fact it is built on the Adobe platform you can also try it right online - if I was any good with Photoshop I would not need this tool, but the fact is I suck at Photoshop.

When I am building website reviews for people I have to be very cautious about where in the chronological sequence my comments come and I have to be aware of how they alter over time.

Folks that are surfing the web are in a big old gosh darn hurry. This means that they hardly read what is in front of them, they click links with little thought, and they generally do not pay attention in class.

Some of the best reviews I have ever done happen at the end of presentations I give - live and in front of an audience. If I have never seen the site before that helps an awful lot - the impression that I have in the first 20-30 seconds is key. I really try to capture that when I do site reviews for people as it matches the experience new customers have visiting a site for the first time.

All of this leads me to the subject of this edition of Web Enlightenment - a common conversation to have after providing a review.

• Me in the Review: Here on the about us page I see we don't have a link to the history section, that should be added.
• Site owner after they have my review: but we do have a link to that, it is in the following location..
• Me: You aren't hearing me, you don't have a link to that...
• Site owner: but I just told you do and even where it is...
• Me: If I didn't see it right away it might as well not exist, that's really the point I am making

Here's the bottom line for Internet Entrepreneurs: if you ever hear yourself say the phrase "but we do have a link to that" it is important to realize that means you really don't "have" a link at all.

Check with the folks who respond to customers and see if they have some items that they frequently provide the location of. Anytime someone who takes customer phone calls for a living easily rattles off something like "two thirds of the way down the page on the left hand side under the yellow block", I know there is a significant usability problem.

Upcoming Events

On Wednesday September 29th I'll be speaking to the good folks at the Freeport Chamber of Commerce about social media, the event runs from 7-9AM and details will be coming soon. I'll be focusing on creating simple plans and how to measure your results.

If you have an interest in a talk like this for your organization - or know someone who might - please keep me in mind. I love speaking to groups and it seems like they like it when I do:

"Web strategist Ross Lasley presented an excellent social media workshop at a recent Maine Public Relations Council (MPRC) professional development program. His passion for social media as a communication tool was apparent and his expertise successfully using social media as a communication tool was clear. What set this presentation apart is he not only taught attendees how to choose the appropriate social networks for a particular target audience but also how to establish and measure goals. He provided practical tools and takeaways attendees could go back to the office and use right away. For example, I left the workshop with strategies for creating a written social media policy, a report template for quarterly website goals, and the tools I needed to clearly define various social media goals and messages."

~ Tami Kennedy, President, Maine Public Relations Council / Director of Communication, Shipyard Brewing Company