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April 28, 2011: Delicious is Saved

Delicious still has utility for me – even if its features and appeal are stuck in 2007.

March 31, 2011: Hyphen Sparks Style Debate

Earlier this month, the Associated Press changed its longtime style standard for email.

February 24, 2011: Pay-Per-Click Copy Impacted by Recent AdWords Changes

For writers, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is the ultimate marketing jigsaw puzzle. And just when you find a formula that generates results, the search engines tweak something that matters.

January 30, 2011: Why Most Customers Don’t Read Your Privacy Policy

Customers rarely read privacy policies, and they blindly agree to the terms of service when they download an app or complete a transaction. Most policies are long and tedious – and now we have some stats to prove it.

December 23, 2010: Bank Benefits From Deflated Dome

It has been a disastrous season for our cursed Minnesota Vikings franchise, but an unlikely marketing success story emerged from the past couple weeks.

November 30, 2010: Digging for Better Content

The best web content isn’t found in a cubicle or around a conference room table.

October 29, 2010: When Effective Writing Can Retain Customers

We’ve all had disappointing customer experiences. Although many organizations eventually lose our trust, it’s also worth noting when some get it right. In many cases, all it takes is a well-crafted message.

September 30, 2010: Error Messages and the User Experience

We all want to believe that our websites deliver enjoyable, seamless experiences. That nobody ever encounters a broken link, cryptic error message or dead end. That users joyfully enter their information in the correct fields, using the format we require.
Unfortunately, those wishes don’t match reality.

August 30, 2010: Content is Centerpiece of Free Wi-Fi at Starbucks

Beginning this fall, Starbucks will implement its strategy to differentiate their free wi-fi from others: Lead with content.

July 30, 2010: Don’t Break Your Content Promises

When your organization generates blog posts, email marketing, RSS feeds and other opt-in content, you essentially make a promise to your audience. As in life, broken content promises can ruin relationships.

June 29, 2010: RSS: The Forgotten Technology

RSS shows no immediate signs of disappearing, but it’s certainly fading.

May 28, 2010: Writing Headlines for Readers – and Rankings

The online world has transformed – and, in some respects, destroyed – good headline writing.