Header Graphics for Your Web Site or Blog
Posted on March 10, 2010
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Often taken for granted, header graphics on a web site are crucial. It is the first opportunity to make a great impression on a new arrival and anything less is likely to lose them. A successful introduction will draw the visitor into the site and then provide or effortlessly guide them to concise and functional navigation. Grab their attention. Be convenient. Nothing drives a new visitor away as frustration does.
While a great header graphic is no guarantee of a repeat visitor, a poorly designed header will certainly guarantee against them. The first step to ensuring that a web site header is a boon rather than a hindrance is to develop a plan. A lack of planning results in a poorly designed header. A great plan results in an effective header that will attract visitors and up the chances that they return.
Know the type of visitor that the web site is targeting. Examine sites that target similar audiences and consider their header graphics. Note the aspects that make a header effective and compare those against those less so. Being unique is critical. A header that invokes another enterprise could create unintended connotations.
Plan to integrate visual elements that blend into the site’s motif. A site should always tie in a visual scheme that makes it easy to read. A header that is overly effective at seizing attention may distract readers and detract from the site’s overall concept.
Pay careful attention to size because it is vital to strike a balance in this area. An extremely large header will certainly grab attention. It will also gobble up valuable screen real estate. It may also inadvertently influence visitors to form the impression that the site is light on content. The flipside of this is a header so small that it effectively serves no purpose at all.
This is the reason why carousel-style headers have become so prevalent. Used effectively they provide the best of both worlds. The header graphics can be large, loud and eye-catching. It can also alert visitors to the abundance of content on the site while incorporating a lean, central navigation.
Amazing XHeader Web/Blog Site Header Graphic Design Software
Posted on March 10, 2010
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I was recently lucky enough to find the XHeader header design software for free online for creating my new website’s header. I wasn’t expecting much from something free, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out XHeader was more than powerful enough to create the professional looking header I wanted. XHeader impressed me with an easy to use interface, simple software layout, and professional results that made me look like I’d been using graphic design software for years. Read on for some details on why I found XHeader to be a solid addition to any blogger or web-master’s toolkit.
Easy to Use Interface
One of the first things I noticed about using XHeader was the easy to use interface. XHeader provides a great visual header creation system that lets you build your header without learning any esoteric graphics software techniques. Since XHeader is designed to focus on doing one thing it is able to have a simple, straightforward interface that anyone can jump right in and use. The XHeader website offers a great tutorial for getting started, but I found that this extra help was completely unnecessary.
One major problem I’ve always had with graphics software is saving at a quality level that will load quickly without sacrificing looks. XHeader makes choosing a JPG quality level when you save extremely simple and allows you to preview the results as you go. The appealing visual interface makes it incredibly simple to just jump right in and start creating your website header.
Simple Layout
Part of XHeader’s ease of use comes from the program’s consistent and easy to understand layout. When I started XHeader, I had no trouble finding all the functions I may need to work on my header. XHeader walks you straight through choosing a header image, creating a website title, and altering both as you see fit. Everything is arranged in a logical and consistent manner that let me go directly to what I wanted to do as soon as I wanted to do it without ever touching the tutorial.
Professional Looking Results
I was shocked by the professional looking results I was able to achieve with such a simple piece of free software. XHeader is so easy to use that until I tried it I expected the results to be lackluster, at best. I was wrong. While the interface may not be complicated, the power to create a professional header is definitely there. XHeader provides everything I needed for giving my website a solid and professional looking header, with the simplicity coming from focusing on only creating headers.
I was especially impressed with the images XHeader made available for me to use with my website. I went ahead and registered to get the 500 images package, and I wasn’t disappointed. There was a wide variety of professional looking header images available, enough to match any style of website design and content. With the image set XHeader offered, I had no problem making a professional looking header that fit in with my website.
Conclusions
I was impressed by XHeader, and I can solidly recommend the software to anyone looking for a way to create a professional looking website or blog header without being a Photoshop pro. XHeader gave me all the tools I needed to work on my header without bogging itself down with pointless extras that would complicate the interface. XHeader is solid software, and I’m amazed it’s being offered for free.
Did Adsense die?
Posted on October 31, 2009
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A few years ago, many people in the Internet marketing community were making the bold pronouncement that Adsense was dead as an online moneymaker. Were they right? Is it still worth going after Adsense earnings?
It would be a lie to say that Adsense is as healthy as it once was in terms of profit potential, but it's definitely alive and kicking. Clicks used to pay more and Google's inline adds were unique and highly clickable a few years ago. It was also a little easier to exploit the weaknesses in Google's search engine algorithm, making it easier and cheaper to drive traffic to Adsense-bearing sites.
Today, you have to work a little harder to get traffic. Many surfers have developed “ad blindness”. They just don't click on those ads the way they used to. When they do click, you won't get nearly as much money as you might have a few years ago.
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have an Adsense accounts. There are times and types of sites that are perfectly suited to contextual advertising. Adsense is also a great “filler” when you're working to build projects that might eventually be monetized with your own project or an affiliate offer.
Adsense is still going fairly strong and some people are still living comfortably off of those monthly checks. It's not the cash cow it once was, but it's definitely alive and kicking.
Three great headline starters
Posted on October 27, 2009
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The difference between a good article and a great one? The headline. The difference between an email your list ignores and a solid gold mailing that cranks out sales? The headline.
Put simply, headlines matter. They matter a lot. You can't keep people reading with bad content, but you can't even get the ball rolling without a headline that attracts attention. There's a reason why top copywriters spend more time wrestling with headlines than they do on any other part of the creative process.
Here are three great ways to start headlines. These proven winners can put you on the path of writing that “must-open” email or that “must read” article.
The Best Way to _____
Five Tips for _____
The Secret to Bigger/Better/Higher _____
Obviously, you can adjust and tweak these “starters” to meet your needs. The underlying principles behind them (supply how-to information, offering a specific/quantifiable number of something, promising to reveal a secret) are what makes them work.
If you're not writing good headlines, you're not getting the most out of your efforts. This is one area not to neglect!
The right PPC keywords to pursue
Posted on October 24, 2009
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If you've decided to take the plunge into the wild and woolly world of pay per click (PPC) advertising, you're going to need to isolate the keywords upon which you'll be bidding.
How do you know with keywords to pursue and which ones to ignore from the long, long list of options? Picking the right keywords is a talent that really pays off. There's a lot that goes into making the decision. Here are a few considerations.
Buying keywords. You want to pursue “buying words”. Your goal is to attract customers, not folks with a vague interest in your niche. That means passing on more “generic” terms and instead going after keyword phrases that evidence a potential interest in making a purchase. Why waste money on “widgets” when you could spend it on “where should I buy a widget now”?
Low competition keywords. Sometimes, for whatever reason, a keyword simply falls through the cracks and no one is really making a serious effort to bid for it. These bargain keywords are a great way to increase traffic with minimal expense. If you're doing comprehensive keyword researching and analyzing options carefully, you'll be in a good position to find these potentially profitable “sleepers”.
Choosing the right keywords can make all of the difference in the world. Finding hidden gems and focusing on “buying words” are two elements of a smart keyword selection strategy.
Will video kill the article star?
Posted on October 20, 2009
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The title of this post is a reference to the first song MTV ever put on the airwaves. The Buggles presciently announced “Video Killed the Radio Star”. Today, as we survey the changing landscape of Internet marketing, we might want to ask if video is going to kill the article star.
Articles and textual content have been the cornerstone of the web from day one. It's still the most common method of content delivery and it still works. That's why you're reading this post now. It's far too early to claim that articles and written content are on their deathbed.
Still, video based marketing is rapidly gaining ground. People are creating the video equivalents of articles and many are claiming to produce results that put traditional article marketing to shame. As more and more users find video accessible (broadband use is increasing) and more marketers find it easier to make good videos, there is a chance that the Internet may start looking more like cable TV than an electronic library.
Video hasn't killed the article star yet and it probably won't. It may, however, have a substantial impact on text-based marketing while opening doors for alternative methods in the process.
Will video kill the article star?
Posted on October 17, 2009
Filed Under Internet Marketing | Leave a Comment
The title of this post is a reference to the first song MTV ever put on the airwaves. The Buggles presciently announced “Video Killed the Radio Star”. Today, as we survey the changing landscape of Internet marketing, we might want to ask if video is going to kill the article star.
Articles and textual content have been the cornerstone of the web from day one. It's still the most common method of content delivery and it still works. That's why you're reading this post now. It's far too early to claim that articles and written content are on their deathbed.
Still, video based marketing is rapidly gaining ground. People are creating the video equivalents of articles and many are claiming to produce results that put traditional article marketing to shame. As more and more users find video accessible (broadband use is increasing) and more marketers find it easier to make good videos, there is a chance that the Internet may start looking more like cable TV than an electronic library.
Video hasn't killed the article star yet and it probably won't. It may, however, have a substantial impact on text-based marketing while opening doors for alternative methods in the process.
Where does email marketing go wrong?
Posted on October 13, 2009
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If the money is in the list, why do so many people have lists and empty wallets?
That's a tough one to answer. Not because there isn't an answer, but because there are so many possible answers. Email marketing is a tried and true system, but it has many components. If any one of the is crippled, results can be disappointing.
Here are few examples of where email marketing can go wrong:
You might have an offer problem. Hey, even if everything else is perfect, you won't be able to make penny one if you're pushing a lousy offer. Before you assume there's a breakdown in your email marketing strategy, take another look at the products you're promoting.
You might have a writing problem. If you're not delivering good, readable, interesting and valuable emails to your list, you aren't going to make a lot of money. It's easy to start “dialing it in” when you've been maintaining a list for some time, but it's very important to keep quality levels as high as possible.
You might have a delivery problem. Your list marketing is doomed if no one gets the messages. Make sure you're not falling victim to spam filters and that your subscribers are actually getting your messages.
These are just three of many potential areas in which email marketing can go wrong. If you're not getting the results you want, be sure to check all three of them.
Creating a real IM plan
Posted on October 10, 2009
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Countless would-be Internet marketers fail to make a single dime because they get lost in the maze of options and strategies available. They start a project, only to abandon it in favor of the latest plan. They begin work in earnest, but find themselves distracted by new information.
It's a common problem and it requires a certain discipline to beat it. Unless you manage to focus on completing projects, you'll never find a way to make serious money online.
One great defense against against these damning bailouts is coming up with a detailed and structured plan of action. When you know what you need to do and when to do it, it's that much easier to stay on task.
Do you have a real plan? We're talking about a step-by-step outline of what you'll be doing to reach your goals, not just some vague idea that you're going to follow a particular strategy. If you do have a plan, congratulations. You have a good shot at getting the job done.
If you don't have a plan yet, get started now. That outline might be the difference between successful project completion and a series of half-done failures.
Why you should be a publisher/product creator
Posted on October 6, 2009
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In the big ol' world of Internet marketing, you can be a product owner or an affiliate. There are good reasons to consider both options. We've discussed a few of the pros and cons of affiliate marketing recently and I thought this would be a perfect time to cover a few of the advantages of going the “it's my product” route.
Initially, being your own product owner/creator gives you a chance to bring your unique vision and ideas into the world. There's nothing quite like seeing “your baby” succeed in the marketplace. That's a kind of personal fulfillment that you can't quite replicate as an affiliate.
Personal fulfillment, however, doesn't pay the bills. Most of us involved in IM are just as interested in making money and that's another great reason to consider owning your own product. Instead of being one of many affiliates for someone else, you can be the person who has a collection of affiliates working on his or her behalf. Think of how many sales a good affiliate could make. Now, start multiplying it. When your on the top of the food chain, those multiplied earnings flow in your direction.
There's a lot of work involved in product creation. There's work involved in managing affiliates. Successfully launching a new product requires some effort and know-how, too. Being the product owner/creator isn't necessarily the easiest thing in the world. It is, however, the best way to put yourself in a position to maximize your profits.
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