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AHBBO Home Based Business Information Return to AHBBO Archives
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A Home-Based Business Online Issue 111 : December 3 Sent to 12,625 Opt-In Subscribers Editor: Elena Fawkner Publisher: AHBBO Publishing http://www.ahbbo.com Contact By Email IN THIS ISSUE 1. Welcome and Update from Elena 2. Home-Based Business Idea of the Week - Mystery Shopper 3. Feature Article - Writing for the Web 4. Surveys and Trends 6. Subscription Management 8. Contact Information 1. Welcome and Update from Elena Hello again and a warm welcome to all the new subscribers who have joined us since the last issue. This week's feature article is all about writing for the web ... why it's different from other forms of writing, how users read on the web (believe it or not, that's different too) and how you can make simple changes to your webpages to take advantage of these differences. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this week's issue. Remember, AHBBO is for YOU! If you have comments or suggestions for topics you would like to see addressed, or would just like to share your experiences with other subscribers, I want to hear from you. Please send comments, questions and stories to Contact By Email . STEPS FOR SUCCESS THE SIX HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL WEBMASTERS "The Most Powerful Direct Response Marketing Site on the web today!" This site contains Marketing Techniques, Tips, Strategies, and Everything you could ever need to make money from home! FREE - No Obligation. I will show you how to make THOUSANDS Per Week just by visiting 2. Home-Based Business Idea of the Week - Mystery Shopper Be a Mystery Shopper? Who me? Mystery shoppers are not all that mysterious, but they do have a cool name. They aren't detectives trying to solve a crime, and they don't wear obscure clothing and dark glasses. They don't carry spy equipment and they don't sneak around, like someone on the prowl. Instead, they walk around like any other "ordinary" shopper and shop. Their goal is to shop without being so conspicuous that they are observed observing the store employees or store itself. They have a set criteria that must be followed, whether it be checking out the merchandise, observing the store clerks, tasting the quality of the food, or experiencing the dreaded "return of an item." Mystery Shoppers are often on a deadline. Their job is to enter a store, restaurant, or other facility, follow their list of criteria and be out of the store without anyone becoming suspicious of their purpose. Sometimes they have to arrive at exactly 4 p.m. Other times, they have a window frame of 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. And other times, they are given a week in which to complete their assignment. Mystery Shoppers must fill out questionnaires such as: "How long did it take you to get seated?" "How long did you wait for your food?" "Was your food hot when it arrived?" "When you walked into the store, how were you greeted?" "Did you find everything easily and if not, when you asked for help, how were you helped?" "Give a detailed account of what followed when you asked for the out of stock item." "How many customers were in the stores and how were they being helped?" "What did the bathrooms look like? Were they properly stocked and clean?" "After handing the money to the clerk, what did he or she do with the money?" "Were the advertised specials displayed according to the following standards?" With so many questions, it can often be difficult to remember everything. Some Mystery Shoppers have come up with a little system to help them along the way. For the rest of this report, visit http://www.ahbbo.com/mystery.html . ----- There are many more ideas like this at the AHBBO Home Business Ideas page at free home based business ideas with more being added regularly. Yes, we want to ... yes, we CAN work from home. A Virtual Corporation of Women combining skills and talents No more office commute, daycare, lay-offs, glass ceiling. A Reputable, Challenging, Dynamic, Professional System It's time for change - life demands it - the economy demands it. We created it: 3. Feature Article: Writing for the Web © 2017 Elena Fawkner When researching this week's article, I went looking for resources related to "writing for the web". I found a great deal of useful information, which I'm going to share with you in a minute. But in my travels, I came across this little gem from the website of a professional writer, no less, trying to sell me on why I should use his services if I want to make a good impression on my website visitors: ----- “Today's readers and Web browsers demand frankness and verisimilitude, so your written communications require exacting professional integrity with accurate and adequate research. "For concrete, colorful and dynamic written material that willfully attracts customers, Bob Tony* will work with you to develop unrivaled written communications for your marketing materials, grants, newsletters, Web site, or other publications and articles. To ensure your writing tasks with pacesetting presentation and unparalleled, consistent editorial power, give your deadlines to Bob Tony*." ----- * Name changed to protect the ostentatious and largiloquent. Good grief. "Verisimilitude"? I had to look it up. I'm sure you all know what it means but in case there's another ignoramus out there besides me, it means "the quality of appearing to be true or real". How ironic. "Willfully" attracting customers? And does that last sentence even make sense? Consider that a shining example of how it's NOT done (writing for the web, that is). Before we get to *how* to write well for the web, a brief pause to consider *why* it's important to do so at all. The reason is that the Internet is an information medium. As a general rule, people are looking for information about something when they come online. You have to supply some of the information sought by part of that market (i.e., your target market) if you want your share of traffic to your website. You do that by creating quality content. In order to create quality content, you need to be able to write for the web. Is writing for the web really all that different from writing generally? Yes. And here's why. WHY WRITING FOR THE WEB IS DIFFERENT The first thing you need to understand is how users read on the web. Unlike reading a book, online readers scan, or skim, the page, looking for particular keywords relevant to the subject about which they are interested. They don't start at the top of the page and work their way down, reading every sentence. Some other things you need to know about your typical site visitor (let's just call him Sam to make it easier): Sam detests hyperbole. Nothing turns him off faster. So keep the marketing hype to a minimum and instead make your content objective and somewhat restrained. Sam is also an impatient sod. He's going to quickly scan the page (as we've seen) and he's going to rely on your headings and subheadings to orient himself. And he doesn't want to have to hunt for your point. Give it to him upfront. Also, because Sam really hates this, avoid lengthy webpages that make him have to scroll to keep reading. And keep the whole thing short and to the point besides. If you don't, he's out of there in five seconds flat. So, now that we understand a little bit about Sam, what can we do to capture his attention and keep it long enough to give him what he wants? SCANNABLE TEXT To help Sam scan your text and find what he's looking for quickly, highlight keywords and phrases (either by bolding, using color, a different font effect, whatever will catch his attention). Make sure you use meaningful subheadings, i.e. ensure your subheading makes sense without having to read the text below to put it into context. Avoid lengthy paragraphs and make sure each paragraph deals with only one idea. Instead of long paragraphs, use bulleted lists containing short, high-impact sentences. Another crucial point is to use the "inverted pyramid" principle. This just means that you state your conclusion or most important information up front, and then use the rest of the body of your text to elaborate and explain. Kind of like a newspaper story. And because Sam hates to scroll, break your text into logical stand-alone sub-parts of no longer than a single page (or screen) and then link (with a meaningfully-worded link) to the next section which starts on a new page. FEWER WORDS THE BETTER Make sure your writing is not woolly. You need to write with the precision of a surgeon wielding a scalpel. No superfluous words allowed. Write for effect, by all means, but get to the point and fast! In other words, be succinct. CREDIBILITY Nothing gets that mouse finger itchier than the perception that the author of the work lacks credibility. The top three culprits are hyperbole (avoid marketing hype at all costs and go for restrained objectivity instead), typos and grammatical errors. Sam likes to think you've done your homework too so make sure you include links to reputable sources elsewhere on the web (but not too many or you risk losing him for good). TONE One of the major differences in writing for the web compared to other forms of writing is the inherently impersonal nature of the medium. Instead of holding a comfortably reassuring book in his hands, or getting black smudge on his fingers from the newspaper, Sam's only contact with you is your words on a computer screen. You need to overcome the impersonal nature of the medium if you expect to reach Sam with your words. It is for this reason that "write as you speak" is so much the norm on the Internet. Be informal and conversational in your writing (note, this is NOT a license to churn out shoddy, unprofessional work- writing conversationally and informally is every bit as demanding as writing formally, if not more so) and be personal while you're at it (use "you" and "your" a lot). Most importantly, allow your personality to come through. You need to connect with Sam before he will invest in you so make sure you reach him with your writing. DESIGN AND LEGIBILITY Finally, just because it's less comfortable to read from a computer screen than a book or newspaper doesn't mean you can't make it less uncomfortable. Choose the font you use with care. Times is a common default font for a lot of web pages but it doesn't “pixellate" well. Better choices are Arial or Verdana. Consider your choice of color and contrast carefully too. A dark font on a light background is best for lengthy reading sessions but a light font on a dark background can be effective if used sparingly. So there you have it. Some relatively quick and easy steps you can take today to make it more likely Sam will get your message. And come back for more. ------ ------ --You have what it takes . . . And you know it-- The only thing you lack are the tools to achieve it. We give you those tools, FREE. The tools to make an incredible income from the comfort of your home. The tools to make you succeed. Make the life you've always dreamed of. 4. Surveys and Trends © Ryanna's Hope WHICH WAY IS THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING HEADED? => Top Expected Retail Sellers: Toys & Children's Clothes: In an October poll of 1,000 consumers, here's what added up according to America Research: More shoppers (41.3%, up from 25.4%) plan to give gift certificates this Christmas and 31.4% plan to give cash versus 23.4% last Christmas—the reason cited was the promise of bigger savings during after- Christmas sales for the recipients. => On-line shopping will increase from 14.4% to 18.4% with families expecting to spend $246.15 in 2001, compared to $200.32 last season. => Less shopping will be done at enclosed malls this year with 30.6% saying less and only 17.7% saying more, a ratio of 2 to 1 on the negative side. A year ago, 22.1% said less and 18.1 said more which had a very narrow range. Additionally 21.2 % say they will avoid malls if possible due to the recent Anthrax scare. => Retailers need to be aware that 61.9% of Americans intend to shop at stores giving a portion of their profits to victims of the September 11th attacks. => Over half of the consumers surveyed said they will be looking for "Made in America" products this Christmas. => Consumers expect to complete their holiday shopping much earlier this year with 60% intending to finish by December 15th, compared to 47.3% last year. => 20.5% say they will be going to fewer Christmas parties this year ARE YOU WATCHING THE YOUNG IN AMERICA? YOUTH.....SUPPOSE YOU ONLY MADE A "BUCK" ON EACH ONE? Marketers who want to capitalize on the future of the Internet must take advantage of the more than 65 million youths between the ages of 5 and 17 with Internet access at home and their $60 billion in disposable income, according to Datamonitor. Several challenges await marketers looking to reach the online youth market. To attract and retain this demanding audience, Web sites must be designed around the specific characteristics of their target audience: Boys seek novelty and entertainment, while girls enjoy fulfilling goals and prefer to feel part of a community. Teens are rarely impressed by generic teen-oriented Web sites, preferring to find sites that support their interests. A considerable proportion of today's youths already have access to the Internet, either at home or through school computers. In addition to the 65.3 million with Internet access at home, Datamonitor found 54.1 million youths with access to the Internet at school. The potential for marketing online to the 5 to 17- year-old set becomes even more apparent when it is considered that they currently spend 5 billion hours online annually. (source: cyberatlas) HERE'S HOW TEENS ARE INFLUENCED BY ADVERTISING! SO USE IT! 1. Give-aways offering such things as CD's or posters of popular bands 50.1 (in percentages) 2. Use of brand names 49.2 3. Use of popular musical groups that appeal to teens 37.6 4. Use of upbeat lyrics in a commercial's music 34.8 5. Promotional events offering reduced priced 32.4 THE SENIOR MARKET A 15% MARKET LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC ITEMS! The five top uses of the Web by senior citizens are: using e- mail, looking up hobby information, seeking financial information, reading the news and checking weather reports. Wired seniors look much like the early Internet population. About 60 percent are men, and wired seniors are more likely than their offline peers to be married, highly educated and enjoying relatively high retirement incomes. "Wired seniors may be small in number, but they make up for that by their enthusiasm for doing things online," said Susannah Fox, director of research for the Pew Internet & American Life Project. "More than any other age group, wired seniors see the Internet as a way to keep in touch with family members." Only 15% of Americans 65 and over are on the Internet. (source: Pew Internet) ------ WANT MORE? Ryanna's has published over 45 business articles nationwide for the home entrepreneur. You can obtain free info about their offer of "Cash Making you've Never Seen..." and you can obtain free ebooks and other articles at their site. Subscribe to their free ezine "Surveys and Trends For Entrepreneurs" too! Go to: ATTENTION AHBBO READERS: FREE Report, "How to Write A Book On Anything in 14 Days or Less! GUARANTEED! Fiction or Non, get an agent in 36 hours, blueprint your entire book in 2-hours, create 'technologies' no one else has, buy a best-selling plot for 75 cents, create a non-stop client magnet, create demand for your book without ever leaving home, get an editor FREE, and much more! 6. Subscription Management To SUBSCRIBE to this Newsletter:
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8. Contact Information Elena Fawkner, Editor A Home-Based Business Online Contact By Email http://www.ahbbo.com |
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