Me, Elsewhere

Since I first began my blogging journey in 2006, the places you can find me has expanded quite a bit! Here is the latest:

Essential Keystrokes: My online homebase with a focus on Wordprss, web development and social media.

Printables4Kids: Free printable coloring pages, word searches, mazes, and educational activities for home or classroom.

Doll Diaries: A fun site for fans of American Girl Dolls, Barbie and more.

SportsGirlsPlay: Online resource for raising a happy, healthy athlete.

Celebrate It: Party and holiday ideas, recipes, and crafts.

Raising A Healthy Family: Menu planning, recipes, tips and insight on the daily drama of raising 3 kids.

Plus Athletic: Weekly workout plans, fitness gear recommendations and more.

Funkee Munkees: Monkeys are just too much fun.


Personal Cartoon Checks: If you have to spend it, at least it should be cute!

iGolfPink: My personal journal on golf, golf equipment, and news of interest to the female golfer.

This blog is on the move...

Blogger has been a great place to start, but it is time for this blog to take a step forward. As of Oct. 3, 2006, Essential Keystrokes will be at it's new home - www.essentialkeystrokes.com. I had purchased the domain name a while ago and love the fact that I was able to learn something new, too (Wordpress). I am still tweaking the new site, but invite everyone to stop in and visit at our new web home. If you have links pointing to this site, you should probably update your links and/or bookmarks. Come by and drop us a line.

PS - Thanks to all my readers and those who have taken the time to interact with me in the process. If you are interested in getting my take on things outside the realm of web design and marketing, stop over to my other blog www.casualkeystrokes.com.

You've Only Got 30 Seconds or Twenty Words...

To do what? To get your message across to your web site visitors.

We would all like to think that our web sites contain such compelling information that users will stick around, browse, and really get into our material, but the brutal truth is, they won't. Statistics show that over 80% of your site's visitors will leave your site within 30 seconds of arriving. At first I didn't believe it, but then I looked at the web statistics for more than 20 sites I maintain/host, and yep, the stats tell the same story.

Additionally, did you know that you have twenty words to capture your visitors interest or they will be gone? Twenty. Your message needs to be short, sweet and to the point if you expect to keep them around.

Your site visitors are looking for information in quick, easy to digest bits. They want their information and they want it now. They don't read web pages the way they read books. According to Jakob Nielsen, they read web content using an F-shaped pattern - two quick horizontal passes and a vertical pass down the left.

So what's a web site owner to do? Look at your site with these thoughts in mind and play around with your content, layout and the way you present your information. It is often helpful to get the opinion of someone who does not have the emotional ties to the site as you do. Ask that independent third party if they can identify your site's product/service/message in 30 seconds or less. Can they glean the information they need in the first 20 words they come upon? Is your key information located in the "F-zone"? If so, great - you are on the right track. If not, make some changes.

For more articles like this, don't forget to sign up to receive email updates from us (not too often, and we won't share your email address with anyone!).