Posts by Ed Tankersley
Harnessing the White Elephant – Put Your Website to Work
Why do we call the gift that keeps on re-gifting a “white elephant”? The answer may surprise you, and along the way it offers a valuable lesson about productivity for your website. It’s Good to Be the King (or His Pet) In the lands where such beasts could be found — India, Sri Lanka, Siam,…
Read More10 Questions to Ask About Your Website
Have you ever seen the infomercial for the Ronco Rotisserie? Ron Popeil up there on stage wearing his apron and a big grin, roasting a chicken and leading the studio audience in shouting his product’s tagline — “Just set it…and FORGET IT!” Ron Popeil is an American marketing legend (Veg-o-Matic, Popeil Pocket Fisherman, Mr. Microphone),…
Read MoreDesign Your Website for the People Who Use It
(This article originally appeared in a slightly different form in Southwest Graphics, Fall 2007) One of the most common requests we receive from our clients is to include an FAQ section on their website. Despite the frequent requests for FAQs, we rarely put one on the sites we build. Why not? Because your entire website…
Read MoreBook Review – Hey Whipple, Squeeze This
by Luke Sullivan When I was an ad agency creative director, I would get resumes every day from optimistic college graduates with career objectives like “Secure a position that allows me to exercise my creativity.” Hmmm. Look, I’m smart, but I’m not psychic. What are you? Writer? Art director? Origami master? What’s worse, they did’t…
Read MoreBook Review – The Tipping Point
by Malcolm Gladwell This is more than just a marketing book, it’s social science at its literate best. Gladwell’s background as a journalist and science writer are evident, as his casual and engaging style guides the reader confidently over what, in the hands of a less skilled writer, could be dense scientific concepts. You’re likely…
Read MoreCanning Your Own Spam
(This article originally appeared in a slightly different form in Southwest Graphics, Summer 2007) It’s safe to say we all hate spam (the junk mail, not the snack meat). Yet you and I understand that marketing by email is an effective and affordable way to reach potential and current customers. So how do we write,…
Read MoreMy Favorite Web Tools
(This article originally appeared in a slightly different form in Southwest Graphics, Winter 2007) Most of us use the Internet for a handful of common tasks: sending email, shopping eBay and Amazon.com, settling a friendly office wager using Wikipedia or IMDB. But there’s so much more out there, including some incredibly useful tools that can make…
Read More10 Danger Signs of an Underperforming Website
Find out what your customers want from you on the web, then give it to them. That’s my first rule of success on the Internet. Is your website doing all it can for you, or are you breaking the rule? Take five minutes to look at your website with a critical eye and see how…
Read MoreBook Review – Who Moved My Cheese?
By Dr. Spencer Johnson I am constantly surprised and in no small measure disappointed to see Who Moved My Cheese? on the desk of some very smart people. Wanna save $19.95? Here’s the book in three sentences: Two mice live in a maze and eat cheese. One day the cheese is gone. One mouse panics…
Read MoreThe Hunt for a Unique Domain Name
(This article originally appeared in a slightly different form in Southwest Graphics, Winter 2008) I used to complain that the most difficult task in marketing was naming a company or product. The process is always highly subjective, fraught with the pitfalls of connotation, innuendo, vernacular, and slang, complicated by trademark searches and translation issues. Then…
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