ITList Information Technology Blog » Many Things http://itlist.com Current IT field related information Mon, 27 Dec 2010 04:35:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 Writing for Web – Things to Keep in Mind http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-things-to-keep-in-mind/ http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-things-to-keep-in-mind/#comments Sun, 14 Nov 2010 17:20:00 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-things-to-keep-in-mind/ Writing for the Internet is different from writing for any other media, as there are far more distraction here than you can see anywhere else. There are so many things vying for your audience’s limited amount of attention that the attention is too thinly distributed among all the tempting elements.

Your copy or content has to perform in this chaotic world. Wouldn’t it be too much to ask your content to do without providing it the weapon necessary to cut through the clutter? Those weapons are scannability, keywords, and short paragraphs. You need to keep following things in mind when writing for the web:

  1. Keep the paragraph short. You are not creating a literary piece, so there is no need to make the paragraphs long. 3 to 4 sentences long paragraphs are enough.
  2. Divide your articles using headings and subheadings.
  3. Use important items as bullet points.
  4. Use keywords in H1, H2, H3, and other heading tags.
  5. Use primary keyword as early in the title as you can.
  6. Use important keywords in the first 50 words, or at least in first 100 words.
  7. Use headings and subheadings to communicate key ideas.
  8. Use standard font in the blog or article you post on your website, so that most of the people can read the items.
  9. You can also insert images and tables in an article or blog post to make the article scannable.
  10. Keep the sentences shorter.
  11. Do not confuse your readers by addressing too many issues in a small article. Keep it simple.

Your article or blog post should be constructed in such a way that your audience gets the central idea in the first 30 seconds. This is the amount of time one has for any online item. The visitors may stay longer if you succeed in retaining the audiences’ attention within this time limit.

]]> http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-things-to-keep-in-mind/feed/ 0 How to Become Organized? http://itlist.com/how-to-become-organized/ http://itlist.com/how-to-become-organized/#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:46:00 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/how-to-become-organized/ Who doesn’t wish to be organized in life? Many of us take pledges of becoming organized, everyday. But only few actually manage to become organized. But if one gets into the habit of staying organized, life becomes much smoother and easier. Who wants to keep searching for a pen in the house when needed, and finding it after 3 days from the cupboard? It’s not only inconvenient but also very frustrating. Whereas, by staying little bit organized, one can not only stay at ease, but also emotionally balanced and grounded. They are capable of managing time better, stay in a cheerful de-stressed mood forever. They don’t feel insecure or imbalanced. An organized place looks warm, clean, relaxing and happy.

Here are some tips about getting organized.

Start connecting things

Start making mental connections. Organizing things is a mental process. Start treating similar objects as a group. As for example, suppose you are shifting to a new house. While packing your stuff keep kitchen equipments together in a box. All glass items which are breakable could be in one box. Put all woolen clothes in a box. This way, you are actually memorizing things which are similar in nature or by any other reference. You could also group things of same material or color or size. Start grouping and connecting things in your mind.

Divide things

Just similar to the process of assembling or connecting, you can also divide things into separate entities. If you have a huge database of names, you could divide them alphabetically into different sections. And then put them into different folders, with alphabets of names written on top. Too many things together need segregation into many parts. It gets easier to remember.

Keep things in their own place

Don’t keep shifting place of things, it will confuse you and make you forget when needed. So make sure a book is in the book shelf only, money is in the wallet. If you use a thing, place it back where it was initially. If a thing is in its actual position for long, it becomes memorized and habituated to.

Re-sort things often

Even if you are super organized, with time things get scattered, mixed and cluttered. Such situation calls for re-sorting and re-arrangement. New clothes get mixed with the old ones, gadgets pile up, shoes get stored one on the other and such situations calls for re-arrangement and re-sorting.

Get rid of stuffs

At times one needs to get rid of not so important or obsolete old stuffs, to make space for the new upcoming ones. If something has been part of your life since long but has no such meaning in present term, get rid of it. You need not be sentimental about it.

]]> http://itlist.com/how-to-become-organized/feed/ 0 How to Become an Ideal Employee at Work? http://itlist.com/how-to-become-an-ideal-employee-at-work/ http://itlist.com/how-to-become-an-ideal-employee-at-work/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 05:41:15 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/how-to-become-an-ideal-employee-at-work/ We all work for money. This fact has no contradiction. But beyond money there are many things more which make us work, like – work satisfaction, reputation of the company, good work atmosphere, excellent team or boss, perks and facilities, growth opportunity and reward. But we forget that an ideal job also looks for an ideal employee, with whom it can build long term mutually beneficial relationship. Head hunters are constantly looking for an ideal person for the vacant profile. We are not born as an employee, but following few tips we can actually outshine the rest and become an ideal employee for the company, a true asset for it. Who knows ‘Best Employee of the Year’ title may be waiting for you only.

Tips

  1. Nothing can replace good performance. Good performance is possible only when the employee is 100% dedicated, hard working, focused and competent. Don’t forget you are definitely competent, else the company wouldn’t have chosen you. No one can take away your success if you give your 100% to your job with sheer dedication and hard work. Don’t think about the result, just believe in doing. Good deeds bring success along. Hard work never goes unnoticed, it silently reflects in work.
  2. Maintain transparency at work. If you commit mistake, admit it. Don’t run away from the truth. A truthful, honest employee easily wins boss’s trust and reliability.
  3. Be punctual. Reach office on time. Don’t hesitate to put the extra few hours at work. It will show your dedication towards work.
  4. Always meet the task deadlines. It shows your competence, discipline, dedication and accountability. Set a false deadline for yourself, marked as a day before the actual task completion date.
  5. Follow office rules and regulations, policies. You may not like the rules always, you can ask for their alteration through proper channels like – human resource or administration department, employees’ suggestion box. Even an efficient employee goes ignored at times because of his attitude towards the office policies.
  6. A good attitude always pays back. Maintain honesty, humbleness, cooperative, polite attitude towards all, irrespective of the hierarchy. A good human gets noticed everywhere. Patience is also the key to success.
  7. Last but not the least, go an extra mile always. Try to excel in whatever job you are assigned to do. Do more than required. There’s no harm in doing a bit more than others, if you are eyeing at the big success, much more than others.

These few valuable tips can actually make you a winner in life, an ideal employee every company hunts for.

]]> http://itlist.com/how-to-become-an-ideal-employee-at-work/feed/ 0 Writing for Web – Where to Get Ideas From http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-where-to-get-ideas-from/ http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-where-to-get-ideas-from/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:31:00 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-where-to-get-ideas-from/ This is a classic. Often web writers feel this pang, and interestingly enough, they do not know how to soothe this pain of having no topic to write on. Some people make their way around this problem of “having no idea” by calling it writer’s block.

Whatever we may call this, but the fact remains the same. You cannot write, as you have no idea. And because of that you keep on staring at the plain white sheet of your word processor. Fortunately, there is bright source of light at the end of proverbial tunnel. There are ways to get ideas for not just one but 100s of future posts. In this article, I will show you some of the idea sources that you can use to generate blog posts, months after months.

Forums

A forum is a place where people interact in a real time. A place where people ask questions, discuss about issues that bother them, and people, on the other side, try to solve the problem. You can pick a topic from here for your next blog post. This has two benefits: (1) You find the topic that people are willing to read about, and (2) through your blog post you may solve the problem, which will place you as an authority in your niche.

Answer websites

Websites like yahoo Answer, Answer bag, etc. are nice place to get ideas for your blog post. Dig through the topics, and sub topics until you find the issue you know something about. Craft a blog post and suggest the solution to the problem.

Blog comments

This is another place to find ideas for your posts. People write many things in comments, and at times they ask questions even. Some of the questions asked there are important enough to warrant a blog post. Pick a question and write a blog post on the same. To promote the blog post, you can piggyback on the original blog post. Just post a reply on the blog post and paste the link of your blog post in the body. Do not forget to attract attention of the original commenter.

The blog post ideas that you generate from the above sources are potent ones, as each of the blog post solve a problem that some readers in your niche are jostling with. And an insightful post on the ideas drawn from the above sources will also give you the status of authority in your niche.

]]> http://itlist.com/writing-for-web-where-to-get-ideas-from/feed/ 0 3 Email Marketing Tips to Maximize the Result http://itlist.com/3-email-marketing-tips-to-maximize-the-result/ http://itlist.com/3-email-marketing-tips-to-maximize-the-result/#comments Sun, 16 May 2010 03:45:13 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/3-email-marketing-tips-to-maximize-the-result/ It would not be an overstatement to say that e-mail marketing is the most effective online marketing tool. The return on investment (ROI) is quite good, as it takes a very little money to run an e-mail campaign — when compared with other online marketing tools. Success of your e- mail marketing depends upon many things, particularly on the quality of the list you have and the communication you do.

In this article, I am going to share some “too-obvious-to-notice” e-mail marketing tips that will help you maximize your ROI.

3 E-mail marketing ROI maximization tip

Do not sell what you don’t trust

Selling crap is the fastest way to push audience towards the “Unsubscribe” link. You should not push the products to your list that you have not used, or you have not seen other using it. If you are not sure about the success of a product then do not push it.

Alternatively, you can do a research to find out how the product has worked for the people who have used it. If you are still not sure, but want to push the product as it is backed by some big shot then write so in the mail. Tell your users that you have not used it, but you think it is good, and provide the reason why you think so.

Be honest

We have been told many times in our schools that honesty is the best policy, but seeing the world around, we found it hard to believe. It is time now to believe that maxim, and even to adopt it. In fact, there is no other way to make a killing through e-mail campaign than being honest with your list. Start selling lie, and soon you will have a list of absolute zero subscriber.

Build expectation and stand true to it

At the time of subscribing, or before they get the first mail, your subscribers should know about the frequency of the mails they will receive. You can also talk about the quality of the mails. Building expectation does not end here. It continues to build up with the mails you sent out in the first week. Afterward it is about meeting that expectation.

These are the things that you must care about should you wish to increase ROI of your e-mail campaign. An e-mail campaign, when done right, will significantly boost your profit.

]]> http://itlist.com/3-email-marketing-tips-to-maximize-the-result/feed/ 0 4 Preparation Tips that Will Help You Write Better http://itlist.com/4-preparation-tips-that-will-help-you-write-better/ http://itlist.com/4-preparation-tips-that-will-help-you-write-better/#comments Sat, 15 May 2010 03:49:05 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/4-preparation-tips-that-will-help-you-write-better/ Proper preparation is as important for writing an article as is the writing itself. The more you prepare for it the better will be the final output. In this article, I am going to share four preparation tips that will make your blog post more interesting, and it will fetch more retweets and diggs.

4 Writing preparation tips

One idea per post

Do not cram too many things in one blog post. It will confuse the readers, which will push them to move away from your blog. The more ideas you will insert in the post, the more users will move away from the blog. Find a core theme and stick to it. Do not wander off, or else you will never be able to finish your blog post.

Find the purpose of your blog post

Knowing the purpose of a blog post will help you draft your article better. Why are you writing the article? Do you want your readers to purchase something, or you want them to know more about the subject, or you want them to subscribe to your newsletter after reading it? Once the purpose is defined, writing becomes easier, as you choose mode, tone, and words on that basis only.

Who is your target audience

This is another important consideration. You need to define an ideal reader of your blog post. Find out what he does, how much experienced he is, and what is his qualification? You also need to find their interest level and intension. Is your ideal customer in the market to buy the thing you are writing about? Is he just researching, or reading casually? Knowledge of the intention will help you customize your language.

Write a draft headline

Write a temporary headline. It will give you a target around which you will organize your ideas. This, in no way, is the final headline that will go with your post. This headline is just the first draft. Revisit the headline, once you are through with the article.

You are much better equipped to write a headline after you are done with the article, as you are much more knowledgeable about the subject matter.

Follow the tips shared above, and you will produce better articles.

]]> http://itlist.com/4-preparation-tips-that-will-help-you-write-better/feed/ 0 Three Benefits of Writing a List Post http://itlist.com/three-benefits-of-writing-a-list-post/ http://itlist.com/three-benefits-of-writing-a-list-post/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:36:23 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=2355 Giving a one-post brief pause to our Blog with a Friendly Face series I will talk about a list post here. A list post is a post that contains information arranged vertically using bullet points both numbered and unnumbered. Ask anyone and he will tell you that the writing list post is one of the best things you can do for the overall health of your blog.

Why List post?

  1. 1. List post is scannable: People find it easy to scan through the list post. And ability to scan (or read) a post quickly is one of the major goal of your visitors. There are so many things on the Internet putting demand on their time that they do not afford to go through a heavy post, and that is where a list post steps is.
  2. 2. It works as a great source for reference: An all-encompassing list post is often bookmarked by the reader for future reference. Readers often come back to the bookmarked list post to see the information they seek. This way a list post will build a possibility of repeat-visit in your blog.
  3. It adds up to your resource list: If you have succeeded in creating a timeless list post then you can add the URL of that list post in the resource box so that new users can benefit from that. A good list will provide depth to your resource box, which in itself is a big reason why someone will come to your blog.

These are three core benefit of a list post. How else do you think a list post helps a blog? Tell everyone reading this blog, why you think a list post is necessary. I know everyone can come up with different exciting ideas. Waiting to hear from all of you.

]]> http://itlist.com/three-benefits-of-writing-a-list-post/feed/ 0 Avoid Being Burnt Out By Your Job http://itlist.com/avoid-being-burnt-out-by-your-job/ http://itlist.com/avoid-being-burnt-out-by-your-job/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:39:24 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=2230 Getting jaded by your job is no good.  Makes you hate your job, and makes the work you have to slog through all the more difficult.  In a recession, where finding a new job is extremely difficult, you can’t really afford feeling burnt out at your job.  Managing your work, and environment is key to staying happy, and productive at your job.

Plan and prioritize your projects so that you don’t feel overwhelmed by having too many things to do at the last minute.  Figure out what you need to complete now, so that you can push a few things off until later.  By creating a schedule ladder of importance, you can focus on the tasks and complete them with plenty of time.  Taking the stress off, allowing you to relax a bit, and keeping you happy as well as productive.

Remember to take your breaks.  Even if you have a ton of work, and you want to skip a break to work through it, don’t!  Skipping your breaks will only make you feel more disheartened and overwhelmed.  Take that break so you can get some fresh air, maybe a cup of coffee, and relax for a few minutes.  You’ll feel better, and will work more effectively when you resume your duties.

Know when to ask for help.  Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s just finding a solution to a problem that you can’t solve yourself at the moment.  What’s worse that having to ask for help, is not getting your work done because you didn’t.  Failing on your own instead of succeeding with help should never sound like the better option.

Always stay polite and courteous no matter what.  Keeping in a positive mind with a positive attitude is the best way to work through the problematic times.  By staying positive you’ll feel better, as will the people around you.  You’ll all get more done, and you’ll be much less apt to get overwhelmed, or feel unhappy at your job.

]]> http://itlist.com/avoid-being-burnt-out-by-your-job/feed/ 0 Why Watching Movie is Important For a Writer http://itlist.com/why-watching-movie-is-important-for-a-writer/ http://itlist.com/why-watching-movie-is-important-for-a-writer/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:47:26 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=2121 Where I come from, a kid is not allowed to watch much of the television, at least not in my time. Kids have to sneak in their home’s living room when no one is around. This was done to save the young from damaging effect of television soaps. I do not think stopping a kid from watching television or movie is completely wise as it may stifle the imagination.

As a writer (freelance, web or otherwise), are you doing it to yourself?

Are you stopping yourself from consuming those lovely shows and soaps that you always liked?
If you are doing this then it is a big mistake, a huge one. You need to stop at once and start indulging in movies, soaps, and plays.

Why?

A movie is a fertile ground for a writer to learn trick of the trade. It teaches you many things including:

  • Character sketching
  • Emotional responses
  • Dialogue writing
  • Scene creation
  • Story telling

And along with these story mechanics, a good movie also tells you:

  • How to engage an audience?
  • How to make them wanting for more?
  • What words to use to strike chord with the audience?
  • What style of narrative to use for the problem at hand?

A movie also tells you about your market and about what words to use, what kind of sentences to construct, and how long or short sentences and paragraphs should be. One also learns the art of creating favorable ambience to get the emotional response sought by the article.

It is very important for you as a student of writing to watch movie and learn from it. Be a keen observer, and do not just consume a movie, observe it. In order to learn something from the movie, you have to dissect the various scene and emotional responses that led to the dramatic ending the movie had. You can then use it to create the experience you want in your audience.

]]> http://itlist.com/why-watching-movie-is-important-for-a-writer/feed/ 0 Why Not to Become a Writer http://itlist.com/why-not-to-become-a-writer/ http://itlist.com/why-not-to-become-a-writer/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:30:08 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=1902 Writing is easy, and you get instant recognition doing, isn’t it? Wrong! Freelance writing is anything but easy, and it is not a way to get instant recognition; if you are in it for this then look somewhere else, you have knocked a wrong door. In this post, I will tell you why and when you should not take writing as a career. You should not take writing as a career if:

You want to get rich quick

If anyone told you that writing is the quickest way to amass millions then he has made fool of you. Chances are that you may not ever be able to amass millions doing this. Not everyone who picks pen or strokes keys become millionaire.

You want an overnight success

If the bank balance and fame of J. K. Rowling have pulled you into this career then give it a second thought. This is not a profession where you become a superstar in one night. Ms. Rowling never became one in one night. She worked hard to achieve what she got, and many, I mean countless many, even never get half her success despite double her effort.

You want to sign a deal soon

Do not kid yourself in believing that you will land in a five-book contract as soon as your first book release. Getting a book deal or even a smaller gig is not an easy task. It takes days, if not months to get the first gig. If you are fortunate, you will get it quickly.

You believe you are the best

Writing career is not for you if you have paranormal self-esteem. Rejections are rule in writing, and if you cannot deal with countless rejections then do not join the party. You will be censured even when you are right. You need to have thick skin to survive here.

You cannot manage everything on your own

As a writer, you will have to do many things on your own.  It means it will be you only who will be fixing a meeting, pitching your idea, selling your idea, executing your idea, and handling finance. Do not think that you will get a literary agent or a manager from the day one.

If you do not demand any of these then welcome aboard, writing is fun and exciting.

]]> http://itlist.com/why-not-to-become-a-writer/feed/ 0 10 Success Mantra http://itlist.com/10-success-mantra/ http://itlist.com/10-success-mantra/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:40:52 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/10-success-mantra/ Everyone wants to be successful. No one wants to fail, but still many fail to achieve what they term as success despite having every skill require to succeed in their chosen field. Why is it so? This post will answer this question, and will tell you what to do to become successful in your chosen field.

Mantra 1: Prepare to fail

Nothing tastes sweeter than success, and nothing prepares you for success like failure does. Success in nothing but a journey from smaller failure to a bigger one with a scope for introspection and analysis at every juncture. If you want to succeed then do not abstain from failing. The more you will fail the more experienced you will have.

Mantra 2: Persist

What turns a failure into a success? Is it skill or is it tenacity? Be tenacious and exercise persistence until you succeed. A person is not a loser or cannot be deemed  as a loser until he quits.

Mantra 3: Grow

People who are afraid of growing never succeed. To succeed in your chosen field, you need to keep yourself apprise of the knowhow of your field.

Mantra 4: Dare to do

Do not get caught in the analyzing mindset. There will no better time than “NOW” to take action. Do not become victim of analysis or paralysis.

Mantra 5: Help others

There is a difference between one who touches the sky and the one who sniff the soil all their life. And that difference lies in the willingness to help. Keep helping people, and you will learn many things in the process.

Mantra 6: Network

Helping others selflessly is how you build network of trusted friends. Be willing to give, just asking for something in return will not help you build a network.

Mantra 7: Do not lie

Be honest to yourself and others. Do not brag or lie.

Mantra 8: Avoid overpromising

Nothing backfires as strongly as does overpromising and under delivery.  Do more and promise less.

Mantra 9: Own your mistake

Indulging in a blame-game is a typical mindset of loser. If you have erred, accept it, learn from it and move on. There is no point in playing blame-game. As it is, no one is going to believe you.

Mantra 10: Learn to say no

Saying no is very important. If you do not know how to effectively say no without antagonizing the recipients then you will either end up having more foes than friends, or you will end up wasting time doing things that does not matter to you.

]]> http://itlist.com/10-success-mantra/feed/ 0 5 More Ways to Improve Your Writing Part-XIII http://itlist.com/5-more-ways-to-improve-your-writing-part-xiii/ http://itlist.com/5-more-ways-to-improve-your-writing-part-xiii/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:58:50 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=1791 This is the final post in 5 Ways to Improve Your Writing series. In this post, I will talk about how to get new ideas for writing. The ideas I am going to discuss here will not only give you matters to write upon, but it will also bring depth in your writing.

Spice up your life

Try different things. Indulge in different activities. Bring newness to your life. The more experience you will gain the better and deeper your writing will become. If you want to make career in writing then be prepared to experience as many things as you can. Do not foster any inhibition.

Read literature from different culture

If you do not know any other language other than English then read the translated version, but read as many books from as many cultures as you can. This will deepen your insight into human life, values, rites and rituals, customs, traditions, and lifestyle, etc. This knowledge will help you bring depth and variety to your characters.

Deconstruct books

Have you ever thought what made a certain book so successful, and why some fictions are held as masterpiece? What is that one thing that is making one book reach to your heart? You can know this by analyzing and reflecting on the books that you like. Deconstruct books, stories and articles to see how it was created.

Learn the story wireframe

To be a better story writer, you need to know about the principal, construction, and architecture of a story. Once you know the framework on which a story is set, chances of your writing a good story will increase manifolds.

Learn Metaphors and read stories

Human thinks and communicate in metaphors and the richer your metaphor’s repertoire is the better your expression will be. Communicating everything in crude way is not the sensibility a writer is known for. To be a good writer, you need to be subtle. You need the art to say things even without saying anything else. Read famous lines, quotations, stories, and sayings. You will find each one of them filled with rich metaphors. Learn the art and practice it in your writing.

Links to all the articles in the series:

]]> http://itlist.com/5-more-ways-to-improve-your-writing-part-xiii/feed/ 0 5 More Ways to Improve Your Writing Part-VIII http://itlist.com/5-more-ways-to-improve-your-writing-part-viii/ http://itlist.com/5-more-ways-to-improve-your-writing-part-viii/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:12:51 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=1760 The actual process of writing is indeed a lonely undertaking, but many things happen before you sit and start writing, and these many things shape your writing, therefore going out is as important as is sitting alone to write. In this part of the 5 Ways to Improve Your Writing series, I will talk about the benefits of socializing.

Writing group

Join a writing group in your neighborhood. Make sure it is not very far because distance works as a deterrent for many new writers. If you could not find a writing group in your neighborhood, form one.

Book reading club

Become a member of a book reading club. This will help you refine your existing ideas, and it will also help you get new ideas. Reading is the best advice that can be given to a writer. A writer who does not read cannot produce a good quality work for long. If there is not any book reading club in your neighborhood then form one.

Socialize with writers

Talking to fellow writers will help you unearth many hidden issues, and it will also help you find answers of many unasked questions as well. A practicing writer can become a better guide in telling you how to write, how to use different writing tools, and how to keep your writing simple yet powerful.

Meet someone who is not like you

Meeting a person who is not like you, and who has different point of view, desires, values, etc., will give you a good understanding in human nature. Meet a person of such standing and reflect on the experience you have by meeting him, and the experiences he or she shared with you.

Leave your couch

This is important. Your couch has become your comfort zone, or is it your chair that has become your comfort zone? Challenge yourself and break free. I am asking you to leave your comfort zone, and try meeting new people, and experiencing new things. The more experience you will bag, the better accomplished writer you will become.

]]> http://itlist.com/5-more-ways-to-improve-your-writing-part-viii/feed/ 0 5 Elements of Web Design to Care For http://itlist.com/5-elements-of-web-design-to-care-for/ http://itlist.com/5-elements-of-web-design-to-care-for/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:26:34 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=1628 From the all-text beginning to today’s Flash and AJAX based website, website designing has come of age. Many things have changed in these years, but what hasn’t changed is the focus on usability. Usability of a website was at top of the priority list, back then, and it is at top of the priority list even now. The question now arises, what makes the website more functional?

There are certain elements that go into making or breaking the users’ experience of a website. The web design Professionals know these things, and beginners should aspire to know these things. Let’s make it clear: It does not matter how great your website looks, or how great a concept you have, if your website is not easy to use, it will not cut.

Let’s put the elements that go into making a user-friendly website in order here, so that the beginners can refer back to it when executing their projects. These elements will help the professionals as well in finding the missing part.

  • Navigation and navigational structure: This is the most basic thing. Navigation and navigational structure is stairs and an elevator for your website. Visitors will use it to go from one page to another. Make the navigation structure as flat as possible. Do not use too many layers.

Apply 3-click rules: The 3-click rule means that the visitor to your website should reach wherever he or she wants to go in no more than 3 clicks.

  • Page Layout and structure: The structure of a page and the layout you will employ should not look cluttered. Give as much breathing space as you can. The more whitespace you will leave on your web page the easier your web page will go on the visitors. You can use other colors as the background color, instead of white, for your website as well, but I prefer to keep it white. It makes the web page look serene, calm, and non-obtrusive.

  • Loading time: the website’s loading time is another factor one should care about while designing a website. A website that loads faster gets more visitors. You can improve the loading time by removing unnecessary lines of codes, optimizing images, flash, JavaScript, etc.

  • Screen Resolution: Let’s accept it, you might have the latest screen, but not everyone own the same screen that you have. Hence, do a little bit of research to see that what screen resolution is in fashion now and make your website compatible to that. There is nothing like standard screen resolution. The screen resolution changes with changing technology.

  • Browser Compatibility: Your website should look the same across the browsing platform. At least make it look good on Internet Explorer, and Firefox. I would also not suggest ignoring Opera and Chrome.

]]> http://itlist.com/5-elements-of-web-design-to-care-for/feed/ 0 Freelance Writing Checklist Part -1 http://itlist.com/freelance-writing-checklist-part-1/ http://itlist.com/freelance-writing-checklist-part-1/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:34:29 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=1603 If you are starting out as a freelance writer then there must be many things bugging you, or is there anything about freelance writing that can possibly bug you?

These questions are the two aspects of the same story, but with different protagonists: do you know what it takes to be successful as a freelance writer? This blog-post and the coming ones will provide you with a list of things that you must accomplish before venturing out for freelance writing.

I have organized this list of items to verify before jumping on the freelancing bandwagon based on the closeness of the topic to a freelance writing fresher. We (You and I) will begin this journey with you and your attitude towards writing, then will move ahead to see how the market is and what all you need to know before you commit. So, let’s get going.

Have you rounded of your writing skills?

Writing for someone else for money or without money is entirely different from writing for yourself or your term papers. The former requires precision in writing techniques, which may or may not require in getting the latter job done. I do not doubt your writing skill. I just want to say is go and brush up your grammar and writing skills to prepare yourself for better gigs.

What type of writer you are?

This is the second basic question you need to ask yourself. Are you a fiction writer or a non-fiction writer? If fiction is your genre, do you write stories, or poems? If you are a story writer, do you write short story, very short story, novella, or novel? What kind of story on that: crime, detective, erotic, historical, psychological, etc.? If you are a non-fiction writer, what kind of non-fiction you write? Do you write articles, press releases, sales letters, blogs, website content, political essays, term papers, magazine articles, news stories, or what?

As you can see this is a huge question, and you must have guessed, you will require a soul searching to know which genre fits your type. Not everyone is a “writing Leonardo “who can write on anything and everything with equal gusto, and produce equally mesmerizing output. Some people can do that, and rest of us can just hope to.

Where is your portfolio?

If you thought only a designer (graphic, fashion, web, hair, or any kind), a model, or a photographer, etc., needs a portfolio then it’s time for me to break the news: “A freelance writer also needs a portfolio!”

Build a portfolio that consists of writing samples from all the genres you want to get work in. yes, you can write in more than one genre!

Give me your URL?

C’mon, don’t say, you don’t know what a URL is!

Just joking.

When you are starting out, you many not feel the need to have a website, but once you move up the ladder, you will feel the need for one, and then you might think, “Why I didn’t have it yet?”

You are going to need it eventually, then why not now?

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