Brief article with some tips for Web site design and content:

http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/web-design-mistakes.htm

My favorites are:

2. Text-heavy Pages
Actually, lots of text is OK, just don’t use lengthy paragraphs with no visual breaks. Reading online is much different than print. Use the following to break-up blocks of text: shorter, more focused paragraphs; headlines and subheads; bullets and numbers; a few well-placed photos or graphics; and appropriate white space.

4. “Noise” and Clutter
Even if you have a great site, if your visitors are forced to wade through long blocks of copy, promotional offers, animation, sales pitches, and worthless dribble, you’ll quickly confuse them and drive them away.

7. Inappropriate Graphics and Photos
Photos and graphics can visually enhance the appearance of your site as well as support and substantiate your copy. But don’t use load-intensive graphics or photos of your corporate office which are relevant to no one.

Really, what it all boils down to is making sure that you have content on your Web site that people are interested in and then making it easy for them to find it and read it. Don’t just put stuff on your site to fill space. That includes photos, images, and graphics. If a picture doesn’t serve a purpose, don’t put a picture there just to make the site look pretty. It will just be another distraction that gets in a visitor’s way. Simple is good!

Man, you can never go wrong with oysters, music and friends and that’s just want our friends at Love Inc. provided on Sunday. Love Inc. is a Charleston-based nonprofit organization that helps elderly citizens throughout the Lowcountry. They are amazing people and it’s hard not to get infected by their caring spirit. They have a program called Adopt-a-Grandparent and go into nursing homes and make the residents feel special and human again.

On Sunday, they held a fund raising event at Goldbug Island on Sullivan’s Island. The weather was perfect! They provided steamed oysters by the bucket and a variety of bands played throughout the day. The women at my church were so generous and provided tons of baked goodies so Point Hope United Methodist Church had a booth and sold them to help raise money. Almost $200 from brownies, cookies and cakes - not bad!

From L to R - Dillion Faust, Tammy Faust, Thuy Patterson, Jamie Holcombe, Hannah Holcombe, Jennifer Cherock and Josh Clark

Me and Jessica Kersey at the 2007 Race for the Cure

This past Saturday we enjoyed a beautiful day on Daniel Island for the 2007 Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure. Trio Solutions Inc. is a proud sponsor of our local Komen affiliate and are honored to provide pro-bono marketing services throughout the year. Our entire team goes above and beyond every year to put our best foot forward for this organization and a very worthy cause. There are two folks on our team that deserve a special recognition for all their hard work on the race committee, Jessica Kersey and Krista Robertson. These two served as co-PR chairs for the race and because of their hard work and commitment, this year’s race exceeded all years past with 5521 participants. They donated countless hours of their personal time to ensure that the race received the best promotion possible. As a board member of Komen, it makes me proud to work with such talented and committed people. Our team was “Trio’s Solution” (cleverly thought of by Jessica Kersey) and I do hope that all of our hard work and dedication to this cause will allow us to one day see a solution to breast cancer and ultimately all cancers. What a joyous and triumphant time that will be.

In a recent article in The Nonprofit Times I read about Techsoup.org’s Second Life for nonprofits. What a brilliant idea (I always think - “man, why couldn’t I have thought of that?”). For you parents out there, it’s like Webkinz for nonprofits. The concept stems from the original Second Life Web site that is a 3-D virtual world entirely built by the “residents” (i.e. account users). As of today there are more than 9.7 million residents in the Second Life world (or “in-world” as they call it). Even for me, who feels pretty comfortable with technology and the Internet, this is pretty out there for non-techies but it appears that once you are in, you’re sucked in and it becomes a new way of life. Techsoup.org is hoping to use this virtual technology to help nonprofits tell their stories, collaborate with others and make a difference through the world of avatars. Organizations like Global Aid Foundation and the American Cancer Society have already started their journey into the Second Life. American Cancer Society held a grand opening!!!

Check out our STATUS REPORT

A special thank you to the Createathon team:
Krista Robertson
Jeanine Szczesniak
Jennifer Cherock
Jessica Munday
Jessica Kersey
Brian Cendrowski
Nicole Cendrowski
Roxanne Hicks
Brian Dadin
Cultigraphic girls

Trio Solutions was selected as the official CreateAthon® agency for the Lowcountry. Although CreateAthon is in its tenth year nationally, this will be the first year this event has been available to Lowcountry nonprofits. For 24 hours, from 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 13 until 8 a.m. on Friday, September 14, every member of our staff will work on pro-bono projects for several nonprofit organizations in our area. During that time, we will complete 15 projects for five organizations. All of our time will be donated.

Congratulations to this year’s CreateAthon recipients:

LOVE Inc.
My Sister’s House
Teacher’s Supply Closet
Lowcountry Earth Force
Berkeley County Foundation of Volunteers for the SC Guardian Ad Litem Program

Many organizations put a lot of time, effort, and money into optimizing their Web site with search engines. If their search engine optimization (SEO) campaign is well-organized and successful, they can reap the rewards of being at the top of the Google or Yahoo! or whatever their search engine-de-jour is and hundreds, or even millions, of people will find their way to your site.

But what happens next?

People are now on your Web site, but what do you want them to do? Do you want them to buy something, sign up for your e-newsletter, learn more about your cause, write their congressman? Getting people to your site is important, but it is vital that you identify the purpose of your Web site and your call to action is obvious. Otherwise you are just wasting your time and money on SEO.

Here is a good article that has some simple tips for improving your Web site’s conversions, which could be anything from making a purchase to filling out a contact form. Simply put, the goal is to get people to do something:

http://www.businessknowhow.com/internet/conversions.htm

Do you remember the first day of school? I actually don’t. I can remember bits and pieces of kindergarten but I don’t actually remember the first day. But that’s okay because the joy of having kids is that you get to re-live your youth all over again. My oldest child, David started kindergarten today at Laurel Hill Primary School. It’s a great school and seems like a private school with a public school tuition which is awesome! I think we were as excited and anxious as David (probably more so because we know what is ahead of him). And in David’s mind as long as Spiderman is there by his side then he can tackle any new adventure.

In an over-communicated world, companies are constantly challenged with leveraging themselves above their competitors. The average person receives more than 1000 messages a day and companies are no longer successful in getting their message noticed. Companies are revisiting the old philosophy of referral marketing or “word of mouth marketing” (WOMM). Used in conjunction with traditional marketing efforts, WOMM can be one of the most effective means of getting your message out.

What is WOMM?
WOMM is a term used to describe activities that generate personal recommendations as well as referrals for companies, their brands, products or services. WOMM promotion is a highly valued communication that comes from a credible source that is unlikely to have an ulterior motive. Consumers value WOMM from friends and family over flashy advertising tactics. This new trend has become a leading resource for consumer information and a driving force in growing companies and their brands.

WOMM is a tool every employee in your company can use to create awareness about your company, products or services. WOMM can happen through face-to-face conversation, Web sites, events, workshops or online communications such as blogging. The key to effective WOMM is to present a clear message about your company each time you communicate with people outside your organization. WOMM is dependent on honesty and promising only what you can deliver.

Ways to Create WOMM

Remember, the power of the human voice and personal contact are the most powerful communication tools a company has!

Another Trio employee hard at work … Jennifer, VP of planning services discusses event logistics for the MedExpress grand opening.

Inspiring. Amazing. Funny. Strong. This chick, Kris Carr, is all of those things and so much more. If you haven’t heard about Kris and her story, please check out the trailer on her Web site (www.crazysexycancer.com) and be sure to tune in later this month to watch her documentary. Whether or not you’ve been personally affected by cancer – her message is sure to leave a lasting impression on viewers, survivors, and fighters. Educate yourself, laugh a little, shed a tear or two…and take part in one woman’s journey to fight the good fight and to live life to the absolute fullest!

Take care,
Jennifer

Msg from Kris:

Sexy Cancer will be airing on The Learning Channel (TLC) this August 29th at 9 pm! Amen! Yahoo! Yeehaw! Please tune in and spread the word like wild fire. Help us headbutt the ratings and show that cancer really does have an audience - it should! We all know and love someone affected by it. Oh, but the good news doesn’t end there, no, no, no mon cherie, on August 27th my advice from the trenches girlfriends guide to cancer, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips published by skirt books! hits the stands like a hurricane! Every golden tool you need for the journey is in this book! Finding the right doctor, navigating insurance companies, stylish hospital gowns, dating, sex, changing appearances, nutrition, spirituality, fertility etc, etc darlin’. Grab a copy for yourself or pass it onto someone you love. It’s a nitty gritty manual for facing cancer head on, and if i do say so myself, it’s hilarious!