WebWord

So how do you start a blog? Let’s think about it for a moment…

1. Have a voice. That is, don’t be generic or bland or normal. There’s enough of that in the world already. Speaking your mind is important and valuable. You don’t need to break all boundaries but you do need to have a voice that is unique and relevant.

2. Have an audience. While you can create a blog that is personal and internally focused, why not write for an audience? More importantly, know that there is a built-in market for your blog. There are many problems to solve. Many people with similar interests. Find the market first, then apply your voice. For example, write about your love of iPod accessories. You know that people love iPods and they love accessories. This is especially good advice if you don’t know where to start and you’re hoping to make a few bucks with your blog.

3. If you aren’t sure about running your own blog, write for someone else. Most bloggers would love to have guest writers. When you give, you get something valuable in return. This is always true. You learn how to write. You learn how to market your words. You form bonds and alliances. You establish yourself. Treat the other blogger as a mentor or coach.

4. Think about controversy. This doesn’t mean doing anything silly or stupid. Instead it means that you take a stand and back up what you say. Provide serious value. Research your blog postings or articles then position yourself at one end of the spectrum or the other. Be brave, be bold. It’ll get you noticed and you’ll have a lot more fun. That passion will keep you going for the long haul.

This doesn’t have much to do with usability except for one thing. Since WebWord has been around for nearly 9 years now, I’m something of a blogging expert. I do get a lot of questions about how I keep WebWord going and how I got started. I hope this little posting provides you with a little insight and inspiration!

Seth Godin: What I Learned from Eye Tracking

“One of the takeaways is that bad web design might actually be a good thing! Slightly bad design isn’t familiar. It’s off. It demands attention.”

…and…

“The biggest lesson wasn’t news to me, but it might be to your boss: your prospects are not rational and organized and linear. You can’t count on them sitting still and hearing your story from beginning to end. They won’t.”

How many usability blogs will point to this posting…

What’s a usability blog without a post about door handles?

Without door handles, what would we analyze, review and explain? (Oh, well, maybe everything?)

I think you’ll be very pleased with an eye tracking video that Andy Edmonds pointed me to just recently. He spends nearly 7 minutes clearly explaining the benefits of eye tracking research to internet marketers.

This is pure gold for people designing web sites. Usability professionals should be paying attention to this application of eye tracking research. If you’re a user experience aficionado, don’t miss it. Andy does a fantastic job.

By the way, there’s more to the video than just Andy Edmonds and eye tracking. There are some excellent sections on page rank, Adwords, duplicate content issues, and a lot more. So, set aside about 30 minutes. Invest the time and learn about eye tracking and a whole lot more.

Just a quick little “joke” to share with you.

Friend: What’s your favorite beer?
Me: The one in my hand right now.

So, what’s my favorite example of usability? The one right in front of me at the moment. I get really focused on a usability problem and I don’t let go. It just feels good to get sucked into a problem because it gives me a chance to think. I analyze and usually resolve the usability issue at hand.

What’s your favorite usability example?

(OK, maybe I really do have a favorite usability example.)