The quality of the content on your Website matters.

If you walked into a brick-and-mortar business office and noticed that the roof was leaking, the carpet was stained, and the furniture was out of date, would that affect your opinion of effectiveness and quality of the business? Of course it would! Environment matters, and in the world of online business, your Website design and content are your environment.

(That’s why it pays to hire a professional content copywriter or content editor to manage your Website’s content production.)

The excerpt below is from an article that discusses how costly content errors can be for online businesses. Click the link at the bottom to read the full original article.

“When communicating online, almost every message you make is done by written word. This is the main reason that it is essential that your website content be original and error-free.   Quality content can create an inherent trust in site visitors that leads to more conversions and profit. In order to stand out from the competition, you need to appear like an established authority on your subject matter. This is why the quality of your website content should not be ignored or dismissed as trivial.   When improper spelling on a website is fixed, it has been shown to increase sales as much as 100%. A single spelling or grammar mistake in your text can lead people to be wary of some sort of scam, sending potential customers running.”
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Can your business run on an iPad? The answer lies within the iTunes App store. Loaded with the right apps, your iPad can serve just about any business function you encounter. From launching presentations to managing your social media accounts, the iPad tackles them all and asks for more.

Must-Have Apps for Copywriters and Freelance Writers

1. Pages : $9.99. If you write anything longer than an email, you’re going to need a word processing app. The standard Notes app that comes pre-installed on your iPad is ok, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Pages is comparable to Microsoft Word and gives you some essential features like formatted text options, word count, and spell checker.
2. Note Taker HD : $4.99. This app is a must-have all-purpose app for anyone who uses their iPad for business. It gives you the ability to import images and PDFs, as well as annotate imported files. It supports handwriting and typed text entries, and comes pre-loaded with tons of nifty extras. I used this app to take notes during a seminar by importing the provided PDF into the program, and my kids used it to map out their dream clubhouse floorplan. I also used it to demonstrate how home health nurses can fill out nursing notes in the field and email them back to the business office for real-time updates on patient conditions.
3. Dropbox : Free. If you haven’t used Dropbox before, you’re missing out. Dropbox has replaced my habit of emailing important files to myself to keep them safe and accessible. It’s free (or at least the first 2 GB are) and easy to use. Simply drag and drop files on your computer into the Dropbox folder and they are stored online, accessible from any Internet ready electronic device. You can favorite files for offline viewing, save email attachments, and easily sync all your important files. There’s no need to move files around to your phone, laptop, or iPad for meetings on the go. If it’s saved to your Dropbox folder, it’s ready to access from anywhere.
4. Chapters : $3.99. If you’re into journaling, or even if you are sketching out a novel or eBook, Chapters helps you keep your life organized. It’s a simple word processing app that allows you to create separate notebooks for storing your files. It’s also handy for storing massive quantities of research material or notes from client conferences.
5. OmmWriter : $4.99. This is the word processor app for when your muse has a hangover, and writer’s block is your new BFF. It’s clean, simple, and once you plug in some headphones, the background sounds help you find your focus and keep it.
6. Hootsuite : Free. If you work online, social media management is one of those daily tasks that produces a love/hate tug-of-war within your schedule. You know you need social media, but it can eat you alive if you’re not careful. Hootsuite is a trusted friend at Blue Duck Copy, and we were excited to see a Hootsuite app arrive for the iPad. It allows you to manage all your social media feeds (Like Twitter, facebook, and LinkedIn) from multiple accounts, within the same interface. It saves you time and reduces your chances of seeing the Fail Whale, which is always a good perk when you have 15 minutes allocated in your agenda for social media management.
7. Dragon Dictation: Free. Sometimes you just need your hands for things other than typing (or perhaps you are the world’s worst chicken-pecker and abhor typing). Dragon Dictation comes to the rescue during those times when your multi-tasking reaches new levels of creative. Say for example you are changing a diaper while taking a conference call with a potential client, or perhaps driving in a creeping block of gridlocked traffic while brainstorming ideas for taglines and headlines for a new client. With the tap of a button, Dragon Dictation transcribes your spoken words into text, with surprising accuracy. Viola! Instant time management success!
8. Squrl : Free. I pay dearly for my Internet usage out here in rural America, and so anytime I can hop on free Wi-Fi while I’m out and about, I do. Squrl is one of those little apps that make you feel like smiling. It allows aggregation of your favorite videos and allows you to watch them later. Simply run a YouTube search for videos pertinent to your niche, Squrl them away, and watch them at your leisure.
9. Bento : $4.99. Just like its Big Brother for Mac, Bento for the iPad is one of the slickest personal database programs available to date. Even if you don’t have the full Mac version to sync with, the iPad version is robust enough to satisfy. Create your own forms or choose from the included templates to make your business run smoothly.
10. Quickoffice Pro HD :$14.99. This little app packs a big punch and is comparable to the Microsoft Office suite of programs. Word processing, file sharing, editing, PDF functionality, spreadsheets, and Power Point presentations all filter into this app with ease. If you’re brave enough (or desperate) you can even create Power Point presentations within the app.
11. WordPress : Free. Bloggers know that WordPress rocks, and now you can churn out posts from anywhere with the WordPress iPad app. The original version was a bit buggy, but the latest update has the app running smooth as melted butter.
12. Read It Later: Free.  Another bandwith saving app is ReadItLater. It allows you to visit websites, and earmark information for viewing at a later date. This app is very nice for when you want to surf and skim, but want to save all the intimate details for a time when you can devote your full attention to the text. It works well for brainstorming and gathering research on new topics, as well as checking out what your competition is up to. The developer’s blurb describes it as “DVR for the Web.”
13. HoursTracker: $2.99. All freelancers have their own system of tracking how much time is spent on a particular project, but Hours Tracker for iPad makes the process easy. This app is straight forward and easy to navigate with a minimal learning curve.
14. ARTREE : $1.99. Ok, this app isn’t productive; it isn’t even related to business, but it’s great for zoning out an over-stressed brain. The simplistic creative nature of the app is memorizing (even for kids), but it isn’t for everyone. My husband, for example, found it to be pointless and “weird.” You choose colors and simple shapes, and the app grows a unique tree based on your settings. With relaxing background music and pleasantly meandering branches and blooms, this app is the perfect accessory to your coffee break or brainstorming session.
15. Pulse News: Free. If you’re looking for a easy to use feed aggregator, Pulse News for iPad may be just what you’re looking for. Choose from the provided news sources, add a themed channel, or run a custom search for your favorite websites and blogs for streamlined access to all the latest headlines on topics that matter to you.

While this list is nowhere near complete, these are the top 15 apps I use in managing and producing website and SEO content for my clients. What are your must-have iPad apps for running your business?

This is a recycled post from my very early writing days, so be gentle and read it in the sarcastic, good-humored nature it is intended. And for those of you who are die-hard romantics: Happy Valentine’s Day anyways (you deluded souls)!

Top 10 Reasons Not to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

OK, so Christmas has scrooge and Valentine’s Day has me! Join with me if you hate sappy romance and overpriced chocolates by boycotting Valentine’s Day.

The Top Ten Reasons Not to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

photo credit: weglet

I admit it, I have a love hate relationship with social media.

I know all the experts say it’s important, but I also know it can be a real time sucker. One of my goals for this year is to streamline my social media time.

Social Media Goals

Does this mean I’ll still goof off on facebook sometimes?- you bet. Will I still click that irrelevant yet funny link on Twitter?- of course. I don’t want to suck the life out of my work after all. Even people with office jobs chat with co-workers or eat doughnuts in the break room from time to time.

So, inspired by my social media goals, I found a post by Jay Baer to be most interesting and helpful. It’s titled 11 Mind-Blowing reasons Your Business Needs Facebook (link below). And from a practical standpoint, this post is very insightful.

Disqus and facebook Connect

I recently tried out a new Disqus plugin for comments on Blue Duck- partially because I wanted something better than the standard WP version, and partly because it came up in my research about facebook Connect. Disqus gives readers the option of signing in using a facebook account. It also makes it easy for readers to invite facebook friends to view a post or update a facebook status with a link to the website and the post they are reading.  I’m liking the Disqus plugin very much, and I am also liking what I am reading about facebook Connect.

Jay lists facebook Connect as one of the biggest potentials to come from the facebook craze, and I tend to agree. I was also intrigued to read the statistics he gives about facebook usage and growth trends. I also noticed that I spend WAY more time on facebook each day than the average user. Time to curb those status checking impulses a little better. Thanks, Jay, for calling it to my attention.

11 Mind-Blowing reasons Your Business Needs Facebook (Jay has a very neat website, too. Check it out!  )

Friend Jamie on facebook

Follow Jamie on Twitter

photo credit: ana young

photo credit: [ Roberto Bouza ]

In yet another domain name dispute, Google leaves the table with its tail tucked between its legs. The search giant lost a recent lawsuit against Groovle.com, where Google watchdogs claimed that the domain name bears enough resemblance to Google.com  to constitute a copyright infringement. The courts say otherwise, making the lawsuit only the second loss in a series of similar suits filed by the leading search engine. (Information Week reports on the Google vs. Groovle lawsuit.)

What exactly does a Groovle do? The Canadian-based website offers customizable search homepages. That’s right, you can finally get that Twilight or Megan Fox fix every time you search with a groovy Groovle search page. You can also upload your own images to make a one-of-a-kind search homepage. (Get yours at Groovle.com.)

While I’m not ready to give up Google just yet, I do like the idea of choosing my own background images to look at every morning while I browse my favorite blogs and news sites. Perhaps Google will take the loss in stride and offer a similar service as a form of “I’m taking my ball and going home”. Either way, Groovle is in headline news and flying high, for now.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXHHkROejik&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

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I have several posts planned on business tools, keywords, and SEO, but I feel the need to rant a little first. I suffered a bit of culture shock this morning after cocooning for over a week- I watched the news.

Naked Confrontation

Okay, perhaps I’m tired and still a little drained and I can blame it all on the flu, or perhaps today was a wake-up call for me.

I may be a little idealistic, but I found CNN down-right offensive today. I was sitting in the local McDonald’s with my boys and my ears perked up at the mention of a conflict between the Chinese navy and one of our own ships in International waters. The reporter stated that a Pentagon spokesperson described the incident as “one of the most aggressive actions we’ve seen in some time.” (Well, what a wonderfully typically vague political statement.) So, I continued to watch through the commercial to find out what happened. That’s when the disgust hit. The headline posted at the bottom of the screen read “nearly naked confrontation”.

What?

It seems that the USNS Impeccable felt threatened by the Chinese ships and responded with the only “weapon” they had- a fire hose. They soaked the sailors, who stripped to their underwear and continued the harassment.

Okay, the whole thing is a little comical if it were a Saturday morning cartoon, but this was real life. It disturbs me that CNN would stress the nakedness of the Chinese sailors over what such hostility actually means. At the end, the reporter quickly mentioned that pentagon officials speculate the Chinese government is testing the new U.S. president.

Not So Personal and Private it Can’t be Headline News

I changed channels. On Headline News, Nancy Grace was up in arms over “personal, private home videos released of Caylee Anthony and her mother”. People flashed across the screen and debated whether these videos were released to help Casey Anthony’s defense. Callers argued that the videos clearly show that the woman loves her child, therefore she couldn’t have murdered her.

What?

Casey Anthony refers to Caylee as “that little girl” when telling reporters how much she misses her daughter. Would you refer to your then-missing daughter in such an impersonal, third-person description? And who says mothers can’t suffer from mental illness, or get mixed up with some guy who wants the little bundle of joy out of the picture? Do these scenarios sound familiar? Perhaps the mother associated with the wrong people and they killed Caylee to make a point, or get even? What do home videos of a mother playing with her daughter prove? Do you really expect to see someone shooting home videos of Casey Anthony telling her daughter she is unloved, unwanted, a mistake? (Point a camera in my direction and I instantly smile. We put on our best Happily Ever After face.) Yet millions tuned in to watch the videos, because we have a sick fascination with the case. The show went on to talk about the interviews, book deals in the making, and thousands of dollars paid to Casey Anthony and her family for their stories. Does this not make anyone else nauseous?

Your Pain, My Gain

Next up on the news is everyone’s favorite feel-good talk show host- Oprah. She’s pictured telling Rhianna that Chris Brown WILL hit her again.

Okay.

Girl, if she didn’t get the the message as her lover’s fists pummeled her face and choked her into unconsciousness, do you really think telling her it will happen again is going to have any effect?

But it’s good showmanship to speak out against domestic violence and give the appearance of “helping”. Goof for you, but if you’re going to talk the talk, walk the walk. Roll up your sleeves and volunteer at a domestic violence shelter, send Dr. Phil to her house for free counseling. Don’t preach at the girl when you have no idea what it’s like to be a victim of domestic violence. Rhianna is a victim, she doesn’t deserve to be humiliated or brow-beaten over her situation.

Nauseous News

Do we have to resort to sensationalism and sex for every event? Are we that depraved?

Oh, but nearly naked sailors, pictures of bodies lined up in the streets of a foreign country, pictures of bloodied swollen faces of beautiful stars, and stories of mothers who kill their children draw ratings!

B J sent me a heads up about a recent poll on religion. It shows more and more Americans are abandoning organized religion, and giving up faith all together. I don’t blame them, organized religion smells. It’s tainted, corrupt, discouraging.

So what can we do? Pray for this country. Pray long, pray hard. Fast on behalf of America, grieve for our nation. We need it.

Rant Complete? Check.

Up later this week: Office Tools for Your Online Business. You probably have an invaluable business tool sitting unused on your computer right now. We’ll show how to save money and work smarter with common software programs you may already own.

• My cat came in heat and is now climbing the curtains, biting my ankles and calling for a mate every 10 seconds.
• My five year old discovered that girls have boobs and thinks it’s his mission in life to inform everyone, including complete strangers in the grocery store.
• I dropped my hairdryer, and it landed in the toilet.
• The basement flooded.
• The desktop computer froze and crashed while I was installing a new back-up drive, taking with it the last four databases I spent all night creating.
• We had a kitchen fire. (A small one, and no one was hurt.)
• Hubby cut his finger partly off and refuses to go the the hospital for stitches. “Can’t you just clean it and tape it back together? You’re a nurse!”  he says.
• My laptop (the one with the backup copies of those databases) now says “Operating System Not Found.”
• The man who never gets sick came home from work with the flu, and thinks he’s dying.
• I tripped on the steps, broke a toe, and bled on my white coat.

But, you know what? It could be worse.

My father in law stopped today, and I told him one of the neighbor’s cattle looks like it has mange.  Mange in cattle is a lot like mange in dogs. It’s highly contagious and can be deadly. (This poor cow looked like she was on death’s doorstep.) We were talking about a plan to keep our cattle away from that side of the pasture and he asked if I remembered  a little calf of the neighbor’s we found this time last year.

This little calf belonged to the nearest neighbor. His mama had jumped the fence and given birth in our field. The calf was adorable. He was running and jumping and liked to chase his tail with his tongue sticking out of his mouth. He was all black, with a perfect little Angus face. I was instantly in love.

We called the neighbor and told him about the little guy. He asked if we could keep him overnight. “Sure thing,” I said, without thinking about it. You see, it was about 20 degrees outside, and raining ice. The little guy had to get in where it was warm to survive. So, I donned my boots, bundled up, and headed out with my father in law to gather up the little newborn.

Well, the calf had other plans. He wanted to stay with his mama. He bawled, and we ran around on the icy hills, trying to coax him into the truck.  Several bruises and a couple of hours later, my father in law snagged a hoof. He picked up the little bawling moo-er and headed for the truck. But it was too cold to put him in the back, so he shoved the wet calf in the front seat with him. It would be a short half mile ride to the barn, where he would be warm and safe. I followed behind them in the car.

We pulled out onto the main road and not 10 seconds later, my father in law hit the breaks and swerved off the road. I pulled to a stop, and they eased back out before I got out of the car. A few more feet, and the truck swerved again. Concerned, I turned on my four-ways and kept an eye open for oncoming traffic. They kept crawling along, and eventually we reached the barn. My father in law jumped out of the truck and slammed the door shut. He was dripping wet from the chest down.

Evidently, the little guy had to pee while in the truck. You see, cows don’t really “tinkle”, they let loose a stream of urine that can fill a five gallon bucket.

I couldn’t help but laugh. I opened the truck door and there was the little guy, looking as innocent as can be, with both front feet through the steering wheel. “He also decided he wanted to drive,” my father in law said with a smirk. “About ran us off  the road. Now he won’t get outta the truck.”

Sure enough, we pushed, we pulled, we coaxed, but the calf wouldn’t budge. And to make matters worse, he peed again, soaking the other half of the truck seat.

Eventually we got him to the barn, got a bottle of milk replacer in him, and he was warm, dry and very happy with his new home.

But there was still the truck seat to deal with. I brought out carpet cleaner, stacks of towels, Febreeze, and baking soda. We soaked up what we could, and put stacks of towels followed by stacks of cement blocks on the seat to soak up the remaining cow urine.

We headed to the house for some dry socks and hot coffee and you know what, it really was a good day in spite of the bruises, the cold, and cow pee. The calf was alive, we helped out a neighbor, and had a great story to tell the other old farmers who gather at the top of the hill to gab. The truck still smells like cow urine, but it’s not so bad anymore.

If you don’t loose sight of the big picture in the midst of all those little annoying things in life, most days turn out to be good, productive days in the end.

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photo credit: preciouskhyatt

When the concept of surrendering and getting real began to surface in my life, I had mixed feelings. Mostly fear and excitement, but some anxiety and wariness as well.

When the excitement hit, I started envisioning a blog post. It was based on the fact that Christians are to confess our sins to each other, and failure to do so creates physical, emotional, and spiritual sickness in our lives. [Truth be told, over half of the sickness treated by the medical community today has a spiritual root, such as the failure to confess sins. (I would venture to say it is probably closer to 80-90%.)]

I began to think of how we are all afraid to reveal our weakness and failures, despite the fact that we each have them.  How powerful would it be if someone were to take that first step and say, “This is me, the real me. I fail, I hurt those I love, I do bad things when no one is looking. I struggle, I stumble, I think more of myself than I do of others. I lie, I cheat, I am the master of denial. I try hard, do better for awhile, then fail miserably. I am broken. I am human. I am a Christian.”?

If I could interview someone who was willing to be real, maybe others could see their faults are similar, and that it’s ok to be real with each other. But then the voice of reason chimed in and asked me where I would find such a person willing to submit themselves to public scrutiny- nowhere, that’s where.

Then, I got an email. Several emails in fact, from Lance at Jungle of Life. We were discussing surrender and getting real and I gave him the link to listen to my pastor’s sermon. He listened, and it hit him like it was hitting me. I never told him about my desire to do a “real interview”. I asked him to write out his thoughts on the sermon and see if we were both hearing the same thing. We were. And this is what Lance sent me:

Real.

What is that, anyway?

I am a Christian, a faithful servant seeking peace and love in this world we’re in.

Is that real? Is that how I live my life?

Or is it a little uglier than that?

I can get up on a Sunday morning and spend a couple of hours praising God. It will be all about showing love for Jesus. What happens, though, when I leave that moment I’ve had? What about the other 166 hours during the week? Am I continuing to show my love for God? Am I acting like the Christian I claim to be – one of love and mercy? Or perhaps, do I wear a different mask, one that fits the image I think society expects of me? And, if I’m doing this – wearing a mask over my true convictions – what does this say for being real?

Or maybe “real” is something altogether different.

What kind of barriers am I putting up every hour of every day? Barriers to protect the “who I really am”. Barriers to not let my guard down, to not let out any secrets that might not “fit” with the image others expect to see. I’ve worked hard to get where I’m at, and I don’t want to lose parts of that because I don’t match the standard people are expecting. How often have I “changed” just to protect an image. And how “real” is that?

Lies.

What about God in all of this? God loves us just the way we are. Are we perfect? Hardly. I’m a sinner (there, I said it!). I believe in a God who sent His son, Jesus, our Christ, to die for us. For these sins I’m committing. Yet, I hide behind walls to protect myself. What am I protecting? Am I concerned about what other might think? If they only knew…

• I’ve yelled at my kids for no reason at all
• I’ve shunned my wife because of my own selfish pride
• I’ve belittled others for no reason at all
• I’ve put on the face of a happy marriage, on days when things have been ugly
• I’ve shouted obscenities to the driver in the lane beside me

…and surely worse. Does this change your view of me? …because I haven’t shown these characteristics before? It’s easy, here at computer and keyboard – to become who we desire to be. Is that real, though? Or is this just another way to put up walls. To protect that image of what we want to be known for? Secrets hidden, for a life we want to believe is us.

We are “real”, all of us. Yet, we hide that “real” all too often. It’s time to let the “real” you out, and trust that there are people out there who will encourage you, support you, trust you, and love you. Your life is meant to be lived, and that’s about being real and being authentic.

Real.

What is that, anyway?