Over the break, I got a chance to catch up on some reading and came across a few articles on the proper uses of Lorem ipsum. While I’ve never really given it much thought, it seems that there are a few adamant naysayers out there opposed to its use. More or less their point against it is that design exists to serve content and by using “fake” content you are not doing the design justice. While I agree with this in principle, I think there is a legitimate need for Lorem ipsum in design.

For those unfamiliar with lorem ipsum, it’s basically “dummy text” that’s been a staple in the printing and typesetting industry since the 1500’s, used mainly as a content placeholder and has since made the leap into electronic typesetting. I know my clients have become accustomed to seeing it in their initial designs. So, it’s safe to say I fall into the “use it” camp.

As mentioned earlier, I do see the “don’t use it” camp’s point that in principle design is meant to facilitate and often enhance content. Particularly in web design. However, I think that a complete ban on Lorem ipsum is a bit extreme.

Places better focus on the design

Before I begin any project, my first step is to sit down with the client to discuss their goals and messaging. Once we have a strategy in place, I set out to create a design that best serves to portray those goals and messaging. However, while working on the actual design elements of the project, I tend to strip out the bulk of the client’s content and replace it with lorem ipsum text. The main thought process behind this is to put more of a focus on the individual design aspects and how it will frame out the content rather than what’s in the content. This is especially useful during the initial stages of a project’s design. By using lorem ipsum, I know the client won’t get hung up on the details of the text (particularly the grammar police). They instead place their full attention on the design elements. This way we don’t run into “there’s a typo on line three..” and focus more on things like “what do you think of the relation between the header and body font?” or “does the color palette fit your target audience?”

Better Style Sheets

This also kind of goes back to the “focus on the design” mentioned above, but another benefit for me using lorem ipsum is better testing of the content’s layout. By using lorem ipsum in place of actual content, I’m able to incorporate as many different text variations as possible (bullet points, different header sizes, paragraphs, ordered lists, unordered list, etc. Even if they are not currently present in the client’s content, I can cover and test all the possibilities within the style sheet.

Content should be dynamic anyways

In the case of the web, most sites these days have a need to be developed and designed to accommodate dynamic content. So, with the continuing trend of content management systems (CMS) (like WordPress) and recent addition of responsive web design, our designs need to remain fluid while framing out the content because that content can change. If you solely design around a client’s current content, you could be severely limiting the effectiveness of the design in the long run. For me at least, this is again where lorem ipsum becomes useful. By taking the current content out of the equation and using placeholder text, you are able to focus your attention towards how the design works with various word counts, formats and layouts insuring the overall design is capable of growing with the content.

So, there you go. Just a few examples of where I see lorem ipsum has having a valid place in our design process. In the end, I really think it boils down to personal preference and preferred workflow. What do you think? Anyone, out there have a preference of using lorem ipsum or not using it? Sound off in the comments below.

Congratulations. Your new site is up. It looks great. Everyone loves it. But, now what? Unfortunately for most, it all ends at the “it looks great” stage and never moves onto the “now what” stage. While meaningful content, useful interface, good visual design, etc are all important elements to having a solid web presence, it’s what you do next that truly sets you apart.

As I’m sure we all know by now, an overwhelming majority of potential customers start their buying process online. Just think about the last time you wanted to buy something. Where did you go for information, pricing and locations that carry your new found love/want.  Chances are you “Googled” it before you set off on your merry way.

So, naturally the next logical step once your cool new site is launched is to help people find it. While there are many different options, methods and strategies to get your site in front of potential customers, here are 4 key areas that will serve as good starting points for your online marketing campaign.

Search Engines:

First up is perhaps the most common online marketing channel people think about or turn to; search engines. Which makes sense considering 73% of consumers use internet search engines to find a business to buy from (source: Web Visible/Nielsen NetRatings Survey). So after your site is launched, it is natural to start thinking about search engines and rankings as a way to drive awareness and ultimately traffic back to your site. The best approach to Search Engine Marketing is to take a step back, know your market, determine your messaging and develop a well thought out strategy based upon your unique needs. Once you’ve got that winning strategy down, your next step should be to apply it to:

1. Proper Keyword selection and usage
2. On page/site search engine optimization
3. Pay-per-click search engine advertising
4. Data mining, tracking, analytics, etc
5. Localized Online listings

Social Media:

We’ve all heard of it. It’s one of the most popular buzz words among businesses these days. But just what is “Social Media” and how do I market my business on it? Those two questions are two of the most highly debated by media professionals, businesses and consumers alike. Over recent years, there has been an overall transformation of media; from a top-down model to a more audience centric or “social” model.  As with anything new, the rules, definitions, technology, usage, etc can all change quickly as it moves down its evolution path. So while answers to the two daunting questions above are largely up in the air, I think there are a few main principles we’ve learned so far that you should keep in check while you venture into the social world.

1. Keep it “social”
2. no over the top, used car salesmen sales pitches
3. Keep it casual
4. Listen to your network/customers
5. Engage your network/customers
6. choose outlets that fit your company’s message and culture
7. encourage your employees to take part
8. have fun with it

Overall, Social Media (whatever shape, form, or outlet you use) is a powerful online marketing channel that should be primarily used to build a lasting and meaningful connections between you (your site) and your customers.

Email Marketing:

Often an over looked marketing asset, Email Marketing can play a critical role in your overall marketing efforts. Perhaps the main reason most over look Email Marketing is its association with that horrible S word. SPAM. And yes, unfortunately, there is a lot of it out there. How many hours did you spend this week deleting unwanted emails? However, the key here is “unwanted”. There is a BIG difference in unsolicited emails and opt-in communication emails. The latter should be your goal and focus. If done correctly, your Email Marketing strategy could be a valuable tool to help drive traffic and potential customers to your shiny new site.

Knowledge Share: Blog, webinars, podcasts, etc

A company blog, podcast or webinar series accomplishes a number of goals. Perhaps the most important is that they create fresh, and relevant content for your site’s visitors (and soon to be customers) giving them a reason to keep coming back and remain engaged with your company or brand. Additionally, blogs and webinars help establish your expertise in your field while building a connection to potential customers. Like any other online marketing channel, your knowledge share strategy should be carefully thought out based on your expertise, and audience. Try focusing your topics on providing helpful news, tips and insights into your industry. Also, remember that your knowledge share strategy should take on many of the same principles of social media. Keep articles and presentations relatively casual in nature and conversational.

Search engines, social media, emails, blogs and webinars all serve as solid platforms for your online marketing efforts by expanding your reach,  establishing your expertise, keeping your content fresh, and ultimately drive traffic back to your site.

So. What do your customers think of your website? Ever ask them? Forget what your friends, co-workers, or mom thinks. It’s customers that keep the lights burning, right? What about potential customers? Did you miss out on a sale due to your website? While there are many methods, and strategies available to help you answer these questions, a good place to start is a little self evaluation. To help get you started, I’ve listed out some key areas that I usually look for.

First Impressions

In most cases, you’ve only got a few seconds to grab a potential customer or site visitor’s attention. Especially if it is their first visit to your site. More importantly, your visitor’s immediate perception of you will greatly affect whether or not they become a customer. Ok. So, how do we accomplish this? for starters……

Is it Pretty?

I know. Mom always said it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but on the web it’s all about looks. At least for the first few seconds anyways. Don’t get me wrong, content is a HUGE part of a site’s success. However, that takes part in the “getting to know you” stage of the relationship. But, to get there you’ve got to catch their attention first. And fast. Simply put. If you’re sporting an ugly design, people won’t stick around. And if they don’t stick around, how are they going know about all the great things you do. Basically, website design is meant to chorale all your content, offerings, benefits, etc  in a visually appealing way that not only grabs their attention but also makes them want to learn more.

Another unintended consequence to poor design is that many people also associate a bad website design with bad service. Think about it from your customer’s stand point. If you didn’t take the time to put together a good site, what would make them think the quality of your service or product would be any different. Good site design will give visitors a sense of what it’s like to do business with you.

Is it immediately clear what you do?

While this falls into the first impressions category, content also plays a major role here. Visitors to your site should be able to make a quick scan of your web page and have a fairly clear idea of what you are all about. This not only goes for your homepage, but for every page on your site. You can’t always guarantee visitors will land on your homepage first. So, every page on your site should convey and highlight exactly what it is you do, sell, or offer your visitors.

Keeping Their Attention

Ok. So you’ve got their attention. Now what? This is what I like to call the “getting to know you” stage. Now it’s time to introduce yourself, introduce your products/services and layout the benefits of doing business with you. Like above, there are some key questions to ask yourself.

Does your site’s navigation, well navigate?

One of the most critical elements of any site is the navigation. After all, even the best looking, most creative taglines mean nothing if you can’t get visitors to the information they want. The key to a successful site navigation is your ability to properly organize and categorize the information on your site in such a way that makes sense to your visitors. Additionally, good site navigation should keep in mind the “3 click rule”. Your visitors should reach their desired information within 3 clicks or less.

Does your site look like the inside of an Apple store or a garage sale?

Consistency is the name of the game here. As your visitors navigate throughout your site, the content, layout, design, etc should all be laid out in an organized and consistent manor? Choose a design/layout that works best for your needs and objectives and stick with it. That’s not to say you can’t customize each page on your site with individual images and text, but changing backgrounds, layouts, navigation, etc just to reflect different products or service pages is not only counterproductive, but also could be distracting to your visitors.

Did your visitor come away with anything?

After you’ve lured  them in, showed them around, and told them everything there is to know about you, what are you sending them away with? Did they learn, download or sign up for something? Depending on the goal(s) for your site, adding in a reward or thank you in exchange for some type of action taken, could be a valuable tool to you and your visitors. However, the key here is to not turn into the overly eager used car salesman. And, most importantly, be upfront and clear on what said action will result in. If it’s free, it’s free. If you get emails, don’t spam or sell the info.

Well there you have it. Just a few high level areas of evaluation, that will hopefully help you start thinking about ways to improve your website’s performance and online presence.