All posts by Sheila Heffernan

Why I left your Website

If you are about to embark on creating a new website or redesign of your existing site, congratulations! As you are already aware, this is such a huge component of your overall business operations. It’s your online storefront, presenting an amazing opportunity to create not only a first impression, but more importantly, a powerful and positive lasting impression.

When you sit down to work with your web designer, it’s helpful to keep in mind the pitfalls that can create a poor impression on your website, ultimately frustrating your visitors. None of these fixes require a huge budget, fancy graphics, or intricate code. The only requirement is user mindfulness. Think like a user, and the content and navigational pieces will fall into place.

website usability tips



Image Sizes for Social Media News Feeds

Image Sizes for Facebook NewsfeedHave a great image but unsure how it will show up in your followers news feed?

Here’s a quick guide on news feed image sizing for some of the most popular social media platforms.

FACEBOOK
470×394. Facebook will not crop, it will scale.  Upload images with widths of 720, 960, or 2048 pixels for optimal quality, and Facebook will resize images automatically to fit the feed.

INSTAGRAM
640×640.  Think square, not landscape or portrait.  Photos uploaded to Instagram can be a maximum of 2048×2048 pixels.

TWITTER
506×253. Think more landscape.  Images pixels can be up to 1024×512.

GOOGLE+
350 minimum width.  Since Google+ uses lots of columns, height varies.  Google+ lets you see the full image when clicked, so bigger images do well.

PINTEREST
238 pixels wide.  Like Google+, Pinterest uses lots of columns in their newsfeed, creating a wide variation in image height.  When expanded, the images will appear 735 pixels wide.



How to add a Call-to-Action button to your Facebook Business page

Facebooks new Call To Action (CTA) feature provides an opportunity for businesses to drive additional traffic to their website, or anywhere they want visitors to take action.  Some ideas include a link to an event registration, an email sign up, or an interesting video or app.   Here’s how to add yours:

  • Login to Facebook and go to the business page where you want to add your CTA button.
  • Be sure you are a page admin for the particular page.
  • Select “Create Call-to-Action”, located in the bottom right of the cover photo.

Facebook Call-to-Action button

Select from the following 7 buttons:

1.Book Now

2.Contact Us

3.Use App

4.Play Game

5.Shop Now

6.Sign Up

7.Watch Video

Facebook Call to Action options

Add the URL you want users to go to.

Under the weekly metrics on the right side of your Facebook Page, Facebook show how many people clicked on your Call-to-Action button.

The challenge with the new CTA button? The CTA button is a new and somewhat unknown feature, and it doesn’t appear in the newsfeed.  To enhance visibility, consider having your cover photo highlight or draw attention to the CTA button.  This will help when FB users find your page organically – and prompt you to update your cover photo!

 



Who’s your Digital Content Go-To?

Does your small business or nonprofit have a Go-To Person for digital content? We all know this person. Even though it’s not written in his or her job description, the Go-To Person has all the information that keeps your digital space humming, from the social media username and password combinations to the correct steps for accessing and updating the content management platform. When you ask them how they know all this stuff, they simply tap the side of their forehead with their index finger. Yup, it’s all up there.

This colleague is particularly helpful with juggling multiple social media accounts. Timing is of the essence when it comes to social media. You don’t want to spend an hour tracking down the correct email for the Twitter account. More importantly, you don’t have an hour. You don’t even know if you have access to post.

Ditto for the company website. It’s much easier to message that team member who knows each and every needed step required to update, post, or archive a specific chunk of content than attempting it yourself, wondering with every mouse click if the site is backed up on a regular basis.

In many organizations, it’s Go-To People, not Person. Digital content tasks must be sprinkled about, depending on who has enough time and expertise. Your summer marketing intern may have set up your Facebook business page, and your original web administrator may have created the LinkedIn page. They may have used personal emails, or created a new company email address, but you’re not entirely sure.

But what happens when the Go-To People leave the company? The intern returns to school, the original web admin goes to a startup. And the social media profile information, and instructions for updating the website have not been documented?   You have now inherited a digital content legacy issue.   Your newest hire – or worse, you, is now tasked with hunting down this crucial information and trying to sort it out.

Obviously, the best way to avoid this scenario is to document your social media profile information, as well as all other commonly performed digital content responsibilities, such as posting to your company’s blog. Right now, email or text your Go-To People for the information. Then document it. You may not use it immediately, but you’ll have it. For you, for your business, for your future new hires.

Another solution? Outsource your digital content management. Rather than relying on revolving colleagues and team members who get pulled away to do what they were hired for, having a dedicated Digital Content Go-To professional who will corral all your digital content information, and post it in a timely manner is a tremendous resource, enormous timesaver, and effective approach to managing your digital content.



Sharing buttons that beg

How do you feel about social sharing buttons on websites?  This is not be confused with social media icons that allow users to connect with a company’s social media platforms.  Social sharing buttons are usually located nearby chunks of content, allowing readers to share content with their social media platform of choice.

Their effectiveness is debatable, you can easily find research both in favor and not in favor of their influence on increased shares. Of course, content owners all want sharing, it’s wonderful for your content.  Sharing can lead to an increase of visitors to your website and if shared enough, boost your search engine results.

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What kind of host are you?

I recently attended a milestone birthday party at the home of a family who takes huge pride and delight in entertaining. Whenever this family hosts a gathering, I try hard not to miss, because I feel downright pampered from the moment I enter their space. They often hang special lanterns at the door, signaling the specialness of the evening. The food is always ample and superb, and lively, but not intrusive music pipes in the background, enhancing the overall mood. These hosts also don’t skimp on little details, like whimsical cocktail napkins placed on the wet bar, and placing one or two large tubs of drinks within easy reach for guests to help themselves.

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