How to Be Interesting — Improve Conversation Rates!

Just stumbled upon a highly informative blog on “How to boost online conversation” (as always, thanks Copyblogger for the useful tips)!

When it comes to web design, there are no firm set of rules. But following these simple guidelines will help you optimize your site and improve conversation rates:

1. Fantastic visuals grab visitors attention
2. Great headlines encourage action
3. Float your best content to the top
4. Make important content stand out (see also How to be Interesting)
   
5. What’s in it for me? (provide informative/entertaining content)
   
6. Fewer questions boost conversions
7. Run usability tests
8. Test, repair, and retest  (Full Story) 🙂
   

Teamwork — Believe, Achieve, Succeed!

Teamwork makes everything possible!

(See also Untamed and Uncut — Orcas Attack Seal)

Believe, achieve, succeed!  If orcas can do it, so can we! 🙂

The Seven Popular Myths in Change Leadership (Myth #2) — Just a little better is good enough.

Change begins with me.  Change begins with you.  Change begins with us!

Small groups don’t promote change.  Deep implementation does. Sustainable change requires change in behavior among those who don’t welcome change (Change will meet resistance.  Change is loss).

Implementation precedes buy-in. Most people must engage in a behavior before they accept its benefits. When they see results, they’ll believe it’s the right thing to do.  (Full Story)

Leaders with vision, leaders with purpose (unwavering “spines”), leaders with integrity, leaders who serve — compassionate, determined souls — they pave the way!

True leaders have my complete support!  I stand on their shoulders — actions and sacrifices — of the visionaries and courageous individuals who’ve come before me!

What can I do today — small as they may be — to make our world a better place?

‘Can’t do it alone.  ‘Hope you’ll join me! 

PS — Tuesday’s topic — Myth #3 (out of 7): We want you to change us … really. Stay tuned!

Twitter — Market Your Website Without Search Engines!

Until last night, I thought Twitter was an easy way to talk about tidbits of your life with those interested in you and your thoughts.  My stifled imagination didn’t realize, next to word of mouth, Twitter is THE way to share your website — on “Silver Platter”!

Thanks to Copyblogger’s “Marketing your Website Without Search Engines,” Dosh Dosh got me thinking about the power of good old word of mouth (Twitter is 21st century’s “word of mouth”).

When you’re looking for a handyman, a dentist (affordable, skilled, and efficient), or great deals (from food, clothes, to cars), who would you ask — the business owners or a trusted, respected friend?

If you’re like me, you’d ask a friend.

Business owners, in general, have their interests in mind (yes, a few bad apples — the AIGs [Adventures In Greed] — can definitely give the honest, hard workers a bad name).

Friends support.  Friends help.  Friends will tell friends which products and services worked for them and why — simple, honest, truth from the heart.

Twitter is our easy-to-use 21st century friend, connecting us with our friends and followers — share your favorite thoughts, experiences, and products online with computers and cell phones — in 140 characters or less!

Thanks to WordPress, we can now Twitter from our blog (Go to Add New Post, see left column, click Appearance, Widgets).  I’ve just added mine last night (see Sneak Preview, top right).  I have yet to find out whether this feature will be helpful to visitors, but I thought I’d try.

You’re the judge.  Was the Sneak Preview helpful?

Love to hear your thoughts!  🙂

Meghan McCain — The Face of the 21st Century Republican Party?

If Meghan McCain is an indication of the future Republican Party, I may, someday, become a registered Republican (as a fiscal conservative, socially progressive, left-leaning Independent, I never thought I’d say this.  But McCain’s refreshing spirit, “unify — out with the old, in with the new” definitely got my vote)!

“I feel too many Republicans want to cling to past successes,” said McCain. “There are those who think we can win the White House and Congress back by being ‘more’ conservative — change nothing.  They just want to wait for the other side to be perceived as worse than us.  I think we’re seeing a war brewing in the Republican Party.  But it’s not between us and Democrats. It’s not between us and liberals.  It’s between the future and the past … most of our nation wants our nation to succeed“ — a pretty clear dig at the now-infamous remarks of talk radio host Rush Limbaugh. (Full Story)

“Insanity is repeating the same actions expecting different results.” (Einstein)

Absolutely!  McCain may, one day, become our leader, bringing our country out of insanity!

“Yes, most Americans want our nation to succeed,” said McCain.

She hits the nail on the head!  I’m proud to be an American — for the diversity, the innovation, and the freedom we represent!  I, too, want our nation to succeed!!!

Out with divisive politics.  Out with the religious fanatics (my way or the highway?!  Oh please, give me a break.  We’re all pathetic sinners, you know)!  Out with the communists (I’ll get to you in a second)!

Jesus was history’s greatest liberal!  In just three short years, He changed the world’s values upside down (human beings are sinners, no sinner is better or worse than another, be kind to our enemies, etc., etc.).

If you’re a religious right, well, here’s news for you.  Jesus is the epitome of liberalism.  Without His divine wisdom, we’d still be operating under the carnal law, “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” — the dark ages where the blind and the toothless rule.

If you’re a communist, I too, have news for you.  Egalitarianism stifles creativity.  Egalitarianism hinders progress.  Egalitarianism promotes status-quo, if not apathy.  Why work hard if the person doing nothing gets the same pay?

It’s high time we stopped the finger pointing and strategize how to better ourselves and our society (ouch! — myself included!).

Republican or Democrat, a wise, courageous leader who unites — with, of course, a few expected growing pains along the way — will always get my vote.

How about you? 🙂

Blogging — Past, Present, Future

History informs!  History repeats!

Humans are wired to make sense of the world; to question, to seek patterns and meaning in our lives (IMHO).

COMMON PLACE — Blogging in the Early Republic captures the cycle of information overload; a phenomenon certainly not new to the 21st century.

Eighteenth century citizens experienced similar situations.  Printing presses and the Industrial Revolution gave people unprecedented access to wealth of printed materials!

Blogging is perhaps “the literate person’s new outlet for an old need … to see more of what’s going on around me.  And in print cultures, where there is more to see, it takes reading, writing, association, (and critical thinking) in order to see more (and sort between the credible, not credible; the important, and the not important).” (parenthesis mine).

So what’s next?

Will star bloggers merge with major newspapers providing breaking news, analysis, and entertainment to the masses?

Will citizens report their experiences, sharing local news with the wider online community?

What will our future hold? What do you predict?

To Tweet or Not to Tweet

I’ve never gotten into Twitter until WordPress recently added the widget to our blogs. I’ve actually touched base with long lost friends; for that, I am grateful!

I also follow my neighbors across the street on Twitter (we follow each other). Twitter helps us stay connected.

Twitter is a great way to practice “tight writing!” I don’t know about you, but I’m still trying to master the art of cramming my thoughts into 140 characters (including spaces – yikes)!

Face-to-face contact and having a life outside of the virtual world IS important. I guess it’s all a balancing act — reconnect, stay connected, make new connections (yeah)!

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question. Thoughts?

Asian Women and Stuff White People Like

Short while ago, I came across a blog called “Stuff White People Like.” I was drawn by the site’s catchy title and its 50+ million hits since Jan. 2008 (wow — talk about a successful blog)!

“What’s this all about?!”

Humorous, satirical, insightful (depending on who you ask), highly opinionated, and controversial, “Stuff White People Like” stirred range of emotions — laughter, question, anger, disgust, and indifference — on a Sunday morning!

The blog on “Asian Women” really got me going.

Take for instance the fact that Asian women well into their 30s and 40s retain teen / college girl looks without the help of Botox, yoga or a trendy diet.

I’m Asian, 43-years-old, married, and a mother of two boys.  A few days ago, someone thought I was 35, but I haven’t been mistaken for a teenager in decades.  I do yoga few times a week, mostly out of necessity.  I’d love to lose 10 pounds yesterday (solely for health reasons, not looks — yeah right)!

Asian women also avoid key white women characteristics such as having a mid-life crisis, divorce, and hobbies that don’t involve taking care of the children.

Say what?!

I experienced mid-life crisis in my mid-thirties.  Life taught me some important, valuable lessons — live life while I’m alive — invest in people and relationships, not status and stuff.

I know plenty of divorced AND happily married white AND Asian women.  I also know several in both categories whose lives revolve around their children; others around their careers  (who cares … what works for you works for me).

For the most part, Stuff White People Like is interesting.

But to men who truly believe we make great cooks, mops, and sex machines … BEWARE!  Save time and agony.  Get castrated.

Never underestimate the power of Asian women!

Top Keywords

GoRank Ontology Finder (Related Keywords Lookup Tool) is an excellent free online tool for locating the top (related) keywords against Google index.

Visibility = engaging content + search engine placement

Generate thousands of relevant keywords.  Optimize your content using the most popular keyword for your post.  Use them in your blog and tags.  Readers will find your site when they search.

Full Story Here

Inspire! Empower!

If you’re an expert — with the passion and the know-how to inspire and empower others — JOBS.PROBLOGGER may be for you (hosted by PROBLOGGER‘s authors, Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett)!

According to Darren and Chris, “Keep in mind that hundreds of other bloggers are also watching these job boards, so quick, accurate, substantive response is a must.”

(Professional blogging may be the perfect career choice for the highly competent, driven individuals.  Society will benefit from your passion, thoughts, and expertise!)

Furthermore, if you want to avoid getting sued for your words and ideas, International Libel and Privacy Handbook: A Global Reference for Journalists, Publishers, Webmasters, and Lawyers, Second Edition may be a book worth looking into.

(Unfortunately, there are folks out there who make it their life’s work to make others’ lives miserable)

International Libel and Privacy Handbook is the tool of choice for journalists, publishers, professionals, bloggers, and opinion leaders who write about other people (at times, in less than a positive light).