I stumbled upon this great article today on 43Folders:
Writing sensible email messages | 43 Folders.
This summarizes all my griped about today’s email usage. One of my biggest frustrations about modern business communication is how little time some people put into crafting a proper email message. Please read this and share it with all your friends 
Recently, many of our new clients at SpinWeb have expressed interest in what our process is for creating web sites. At SpinWeb, we have a highly systematic and proven process for designing, building, and deploying professional web sites successfully. The following is an explanation of how that process works and will offer a better understanding of why we do the things we do and what we are actually doing as a site is being created.
Blueprint
The first step in creating a professional web site is the blueprint. Just as you would not build a house without a blueprint, we don’t feel that a professional web site should be built without a blueprint. The blueprint process starts with an interview with our client during which we ask a series of questions that uncover the needs and goals of the web site. At the end of this process, we deliver a detailed document that outlines the framework of the web site, including site map, workflow, module attributes, and other pieces of information that will define the outcome of the web site. This is the “road map” that the design team uses to design the site. By creating a blueprint, we are able to identify necessary changes and requirements early on before actual design begins. This saves time and money. To see an example of a web site blueprint, please feel free to contact us.
Design Comp
After the blueprint is finished, the design team then creates a design comp. The design comp is a set of image files that represent the look and feel of the site. This is typically an image of the home page and and interior page of the site and is a full design of what the finished site will look like. This gives our client a chance to review the design before the next step begins so that any necessary changes can be made early on, which again saves time and money.
Build-out
Once the design is ready, build-out begins. Using the house analogy, this is where the beams, structure, and walls are put in. During the build-out phase, the design team creates the CSS/XHTML code that will frame the site online. During this phase, the design team not only writes the code, but also tests the site on all the major operating systems (Windows, Mac) and web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) to ensure that the site displays properly on those platforms.
Freedom Deployment
After the site is built out and tested, it is typically deployed in Freedom, which is the application suite used at SpinWeb. Freedom allows our clients to manage their web site using only a web browser. With a site deployed in Freedom, the web site owner can post news and events, edit content, manage online forms, post photos, send Broadcast Emails (like this one), manage products, and more from their own computers. All these updates can be made within minutes by anyone in the client’s company who is authorized. As we deploy the site in Freedom, the design team implements and styles each module to ensure that it is integrated properly in the site and that it follows the design guidelines of the site. For example, if the blueprint and site design call for an events calendar on the home page that lists three upcoming events, the events module must be implemented and styled on the home page.
Internal Delivery Review
This is the finish line. Once the site is fully deployed, we hold an Internal Delivery Review. This is a formal presentation that the lead designer makes to the entire team at SpinWeb. During this review, management (along with others in the agency) asks the lead designer to go through the entire site and demonstrate the functions and pieces of the site to ensure that everything works correctly. Special attention is paid to details like page styling, online form behavior, the structure of notification emails, code elements (such as proper title tags), e-commerce functions, and anything else that is a dynamic component of the site. If anything is found to be incorrect, it is either corrected on the spot or it is captured in a final list of items to correct. The site is only declared finished once this list is closed. Once the site meets SpinWeb’s high standards, it is ready for delivery.
Client Delivery and Training
The site is now ready to deliver to the client. At this point, we train our client on how to use the site and manage content. During this stage, our client posts and updates content and gets the site ready for launch.
Launch
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for! The site is finished and is ready for launch. At this point we review it with our client and make any last-minute minor changes that may be requested, and then launch the site. Because of the care and attention given to the process at each stage listed above, SpinWeb sites typically launch very smoothly and successfully.
Hopefully this insight into our web site creation process has been helpful in understanding what is happening at each stage. Though is takes time and attention to reach the end result, we feel that our web sites are so beautiful and successful that they are well worth the wait. To learn more about this process, please feel free to contact us.
Web content is different than content in a magazine or in other media. So much of the time I see web sites that are filled with pages and pages of dry, long-winded, boring content that is doing nothing to help connect with the site visitor. There are plenty of web sites that contain beautiful imagery and great design work but then fail to complete the package with good content. Here are some guidelines for writing good web site content.
Less is more. People reading a magazine have time to read articles and stories. They are sitting down with a paper publication and are expecting to invest 15 minutes into a reading session. On the web, attention spans are measured in seconds. For this reason, web content must get to the point very quickly and directly. When someone is visiting a web site, it’s usually because that person is looking for a solution, getting a question answered, buying a product, or trying to achieve some other specific goal. This means that most people will have very little patience with web pages that ramble and take more than a few seconds to digest.
Use bullet points. Since web content needs to be action-oriented and get straight to the point, bullets points often help your readers scan and digest text very quickly.
Break paragraphs with a double line break and no indentation. In a book or paper publication, indented paragraphs are the norm. In web pages (and in emails, as well), paragraphs should not be indented and should be separated by a double line break. This improves readability.
Use polished grammar. While this seems obvious, I continue to see web sites riddled with grammar mistakes, typos, and broken sentences. Content on the web should be written with the same care that would go into a magazine article or a book. Polished, professionally-written web site content will dramatically boost the credibility of your organization.
Keep it constituent-focused. A constituent is a customer, a donor, a member, or some other type person with an interest in your organization. That person is taking the time to read the content on your web site. The content on your web site should connect with that person and show him or her the value gained from your solution, product, service, or mission. Some amount of self-promotion is acceptable but should not become the focus of your message. Instead, keep the majority of your content focused on the benefits to your constituents. Another great direction for your web site content is to tell stories about how your organization helped other customers solve a problem. Case studies like this take the focus off of self-promotion and place it onto your constituents. This gives your content higher perceived value, which builds trust.
Content is often the most neglected piece of a web site. Be sure to present a complete package to your site visitors with effective professional content. Crafting your message carefully can dramatically improve trust with your constituents which leads to greater success for your organization.
Meetings get a bad rap. To most, the word “meeting” conjures up unpleasant images of bored business people sitting around a conference table or on a conference call listening to material that doesn’t interest them while wishing they were somewhere else. Why have meetings become so hated and so generally unproductive? Personally, I blame all parties involved. Both the meeting leaders and participants are responsible for creating engaging, productive meetings and there are many things that all parties can do to create better results.
Have an agenda and stick to it. For some reason, meetings tend to bring out everyone’s desires to ramble about various personal topics in front of the audience in the room. This leads to straying off topic, tangents, and “rabbit holes” that go nowhere. This is usually caused by people not reading the agenda before the meeting, which causes them to show up unprepared and focus on things other than the topics at hand. Meeting leaders can help by sending out a clear agenda and keeping the meeting on topic by gently squelching stray conversations.
Start on time. This is one of the hardest things to do. People have a natural tendency to wander in on their own schedules and when multiple people are involved, this leads to a build-up up pre-meeting chatter which can be difficult to rein in. Furthermore, it is disrespectful of everyone’s time when a meeting starts late. It was scheduled at a certain time and it should start at that time. Ending on time is also important.
Eliminate side chatter. When someone is speaking, do not start a side conversation with your neighbor. This may seem innocent and natural but it is extremely rude to the person speaking and slows the entire meeting down. When someone had the floor, look at that person, be engaged, listen, and don’t interrupt. If everyone did this, meetings would start getting dramatically shorter.
Silence means consent. I loved this point which was explained in the article “Meetings suck, but they don’t have to” (CNet). If you ask a question and no one responds, take it as consent and move on. Don’t try to badger people into a response - this wastes time.
Don’t beat dead horses. When an outcome is reached, move on. There is no need to re-hash decisions or points. Learn to recognize when a topic is resolved and avoid dragging it out.
Don’t be afraid to table things. Learn to recognize when a discussion is going nowhere and table it. If you can see that no resolution will be reached during this meeting or that the group is missing information or substance needed to move forward, table the topic for a future meeting and move on.
Think in outcomes. Rather than thinking of a meeting as a big group discussion, think in terms of “what is the outcome of this discussion”. Is there a problem to be solved? A decision to be made? An action to be defined? By keeping your eye on the goal in mind, you will remain focused on results, rather than on just talking.
These are a few guidelines for improving the quality of your meetings. It doesn’t guarantee that all meetings wil be fun, but it can improve everyone’s level of satisfaction and productivity.
At SpinWeb, we are always looking for ways to streamline our business practices, create more efficient systems, and implement smart customer service methods. We have noticed over the years that email and communications has always been a pain point for many organizations and so we would like to share a way that we’ve found to enjoy a more zen-like state of email and group communications. We use Google Apps.
Google Apps (short for “Google Applications”) is a suite of applications from Google that includes email, calendaring, instant messaging, and shared documents. Google Apps allows organizations to implement a full groupware suite at no cost at all. There is no setup fee, no hardware to buy, and no ongoing fee. Though there is a corporate level which includes a nominal yearly fee, the basic services are all free. So what does Google Apps include?
Email. If you’ve ever used Gmail, you know how powerful and easy to use it is. By using Google Apps for your business, you get Gmail but branded with your organization’s domain name. All of your employees or team members can have “yourname@yourcompany.com” email addresses and can access it via a Gmail web interface. You also have the option of using Outlook, Apple Mail, iPhones, Blackberries, or pretty much any other email program or device.
Spam/Virus Filtering. Email through Google Apps comes with outstanding spam and virus filtering. It is all handled seamlessly with no setup or configuration. We have found the accuracy of Google’s filtering to be excellent.
Group Calendaring. Google Apps includes a robust group calendering feature which give you the ability to manage multiple calendars as well as see other team members’ calendars for group scheduling. Calendars can be synced with Outlook, iCal, iPhone, Blackberries, or almost any other major calendaring program. Syncing can also be done “through the air”. For example, if you add an event on your iPhone, it will instantly show up on your Google calendar and vice-versa.
Group Instant Messaging. Google Apps also comes with built-in IM via Google Talk. Your organization can utilize the built-in chat server to see when other team members are online and can keep in touch via instant messenger.
Group Document Management. One great feature of Google Apps is its free office suite. Using Google Docs, Google Spreadsheet, and Google Presentation, your organization can have a free set of office applications that are hosted “in the cloud”. Additionally, your team can collaborate by editing a single document as a team and track changes online.
At SpinWeb, we manage Google Apps accounts for our clients as a courtesy. We have found that utilizing Google Apps has given us a powerful business communication system that rivals many of the “enterprise” systems in use today. Interested in implementing Google Apps in your organization? Contact SpinWeb to learn how.
For those of you who have tried using MobileMe in a workplace setting, you may be as frustrated as I have been with the lack of groupware features. MobileMe does offer wireless syncing but does not give us very robust shared calendaring features. We could use Exchange, but since we are an all-Mac shop at SpinWeb, using an Exchange server for our email, calendaring, and contacts seems, well, dirty. Since we are using Google Apps for our email, it would be nice to utilize the rest of Google’s applications for groupware but it seemed that it was not possible.
This weekend, however, I discovered some new information that changed everything. The first major event was Google’s new feature of allowing two-way syncing of iCal to Google Calendars with CalDAV. Awesome! Now I can sync up iCal with my Google Calendar. Next, I discovered a great service called NuevaSync, which allows you to sync your iPhone calendar with your Google calendar. It also lets you sync your iPhone contacts with your Google contacts. And since the Apple Address Book already lets you sync your contacts with Google, we now have a total solution for mail (IMAP), contacts, and calendaring - all using Google Apps as the “cloud”.
This is great news, since MobileMe is somewhat broken and costs $99/year anyway. By using Google Apps, we now have a free solution that offers better functionality. I tested it out and it works great. I placed events on my iCal and they immediately showed up on my iPhone. Same with contacts. Who needs Exchange! 
I was registering online for an event this week using a credit card and experienced a usability hiccup on the organization’s web site that I found noteworthy. As I was completing the final steps of the registration online, I clicked submit and instead of being greeted by a confirmation screen, I received an intimidating red error message that said “Your credit card has been declined.” Ouch! No one likes to hear that. However, I knew the card was fine so I tried to think of other reasons for the error. Then I realized that the billing address I had entered was not the one that was associated with the card. I edited my registration and lo and behold, the registration was completed successfully.
While I was able to figure out what the problem was, others might not be so fortunate. How many other customers decided to give up after the first “Declined” message and abandon the registration process? This anecdote illustrates the importance of descriptive error messages. In this particular case, a better error message might be something like:
“There was a problem with your credit card. It was declined by the processor which could be due to a number of things. Some possible causes include insufficient funds, or perhaps the billing address you entered is not the address associated with this credit card. You may want to double-check the billing address you entered. If you continue to have trouble, please call us at 800.555.1212.”
This error message is much more useful that the first one because it gives the customer some useful troubleshooting information as well as a phone number to call as a last resort for further help. It also does not accuse the customer of having a bad credit card, but rather presents some possible scenarios and does not make assumptions, thus keeping the transaction neutral. The scenario above is one example, but user-friendly error messages are important any time your site asks for user data. This same principal can be applied to social networking sites, online forums, or even simple contact forms.
Is your web site inadvertently turning away good customers by displaying cold, unfriendly error messages? Take a look and see if some improvements can be made. A few small changes can turn lost sales into loyal customers.
I recently read an article on TechCrunch titled “Think Before You Voicemail” which basically contributed to the recent bandwagon chatter of “voicemail is dead!” and so forth. Though I agree that there are sometimes better ways to communicate certain types of information, I disagree that voicemail is ineffective, dead technology. Rather, I feel that many people simply don’t use voicemail effectively. Here are some tips for getting greater benefit from voicemail.
As the sender:
Speak clearly and leave your callback number (with area code) at the beginning and end of the voicemail. This may seem obvious, but so many times I get voicemails from people who speak almost inaudibly, rush through the phone number, and only leave it once in the middle of the message so I have to replay it over and over. Usability applies not only to web sites and software, but to other kinds of information input, as well. The easier your message is to deal with, the more likely it is that the recipient will act on it.
Make your message compelling. If you are leaving a voice mail for a potential client and you leave a message that says you are just “following up” and would like a call back, what reason does the recipient possibly have to call you back? Instead, try leaving a message for your prospective client explaining that you discovered a way to save him $500 a year by using your solution and you would like to run the details by him. Perhaps you saw an article in a recent publication about his company and you have some questions about it. Perhaps you would like to invite him to be a guest on your next podcast episode. Make it interesting. Voicemails that are just “following up” will get deleted.
Give the recipient options and be specific and actionable. Some people don’t like to return calls but they will email. If you feel that an email could work as a response, leave your email address in the voicemail and encourage the recipient to use it. If you want a call back, leave some good times to reach you. If you don’t need a call back but you would like a specific outcome, say that in the voicemail. The voicemails I hate the most are the ones that simply say “call me back.” That tells me absolutely nothing about the call and gives me no way to decide how to process it. Be clear and specific and make it easy for the recipient to digest, process, and act on your message.
As the recipient:
Batch process your voicemails. Don’t try to haphazardly write notes from your voicemails every time you get one. Wait until you have the tools or materials necessary to capture the information from the voicemails into your personal productivity system. If you have 5 voicemails to deal with, give yourself 15 minutes after lunch to listen to them all at once and decide what the next actions are. Return any calls or perform any actions that will take 2 minutes or less, place the rest on your todo list, and delete the voicemails. Basically, follow Inbox Zero but apply it to voicemail.
Move beyond phone tag. If you get one of those voicemails that says “call me back” and then you get the caller’s voicemail when you call back, leave a message requesting specific information. When this happens to me, I leave a message such as “Hi, Bob… it’s Michael Reynolds at SpinWeb returning your call. My number is 866.SPINWEB x1200. I received your message but there was no information in it about your call. If you get my voicemail when you call back, please leave a detailed message that specifically outlines what I can do to help you. You can reach me at 866.SPINWEB x1200, or by email at michael@spinweb.net. Thanks!” This helps move the conversation forward and keeps both parties from wasting time.
Clean out your voicemails after processing them. This also may seem obvious but I’ve met so many people who have hundreds of voicemails in their inboxes that they never delete and then they end up losing track of which onces they’ve responded to. Get voicemails out of your inbox and into your personal productivity system - then delete them. If nothing else, this keep your voicemail box from getting full. Imagine how embarrassing it would be for a client call you and be unable to leave a message because your voicemail was full. How unprofessional!
By being mindful, careful, and systematic about how we use voicemail, we can increase the usability and effectiveness of our messages, turning it into a powerful tool for sales, networking, and productivity.
Having an email newsletter is one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to communicate with your constituents in a positive way. However, I’ve noticed that many organizations are not taking full advantage of this medium. There are many subtle guidelines that are important to follow when publishing an email newsletter. Here are a few tips to help maximize the effectiveness of your newsletters.
1. Utilize a professional design. It amazes me how many times I receive an email newsletter that contains broken images, low-quality photos, and incorrectly formatted content. Most people get at least some spam and you want to make sure that your newsletter does not look like all the poorly-formatted spam that gets sent today. Make sure you are using a professionally-design email template that matches the branding of your company.
2. Keep the content subscriber-focused. Most organizations make the mistake of filling their email newsletters with “look at us!” promotions and “latest specials”. News flash: your subscribers want value from the newsletter. They do not want more marketing. A great way to structure your newsletter is to make the main article a useful piece of information that educates your subscribers, offers them useful information, and gives them something they can take away and use. Marketing messages will get ignored and lead to unsubscribes while useful content will get saved and read. There is nothing wrong with promoting your business in the sidebar areas but keep the main content useful to your subscribers.
3. Stick to an appropriate schedule. Another common mistake is to send out your newsletter whenever you feel like it or whenever you have something new to announce. Big mistake! The more sporadic your newsletter is, the more it will feel like spam. Pick a schedule and stick to it. We’ve found that every 2 weeks is a very good standard to follow. Once a week is often enough to be annoying but once a month is infreqent enough to be forgotten. Every two weeks is a great balance and gives your subscribers a routine to get used to. We also recommend sending on a Friday morning.
4. Give your subscribers an easy escape via one-click unsubscribe. Any unsubscribe process that takes more than a single click is absolutely unacceptable. I am always amazed at newsletters, even from large companies, that require me to “update my subscription preferences” in order to unsubscribe, or ask me to send them an email with “Unsubscribe” in the subject line. This is burdensome and rude. Your subscribers may have very valid reasons for wanting to leave. It’s their choice… let them unsubscribe easily. It’s also important that your unsubscribe process is automatic and instant. Additionally, if your unsubscribe process is too difficult, your subscribers are more likely to simply flag your message as spam, which can lead to you getting blacklisted on the Internet. Very bad!
5. Keep your list clean and 100% opt-in. Adding subscribers to your list without their consent is very bad manners. It can also get you flagged as a spammer. Just because you exchanged business cards with someone at a networking event does not give you permission to add his/her email address to your list. Just because your local chamber of commerce gives you a spreadsheet of all the members’ email addresses does not give you permission to dump that spreadsheet into your list. If you add subscribers to your list, make sure your have their consent. Offer an easy way to subscribe on your web site. If you meet someone in person, ask for his/her permission to subscribe that person. It’s better to have a list of 500 people who want to hear from you than a list of 5,000 people who don’t.
These small details can make a huge impact on the effectiveness of your email newsletter. By following proper newsletter ettequitte and establishing your organization as an expert in your field, you will be able to build and strengthen trust with your audience.
In today’s educational moment in BNI, I highlighted the concept of decreasing the amount of clutter in your life and streamlining your energy. The quote I referenced is by Bruce Lee and it is:
“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
This concept has many direct business applications. Are you going after a client base that is too broad? Maybe you should narrow your focus to more specific verticals. Are you trying to provide too many products or services? Maybe it’s wiser to cut out the things you are not an expert in so you can focus on the things you are very good at. Do you find yourself doing too much paperwork and administrative work instead of networking ad selling your products and services? Maybe it’s time to outsource the little stuff so you can get out and sell.
By cutting out the things in your business that are unprofitable and distracting, you will be able to focus more fully on your primary business goals and will likely have greater satisfaction in your work.
