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Valuable website usability articles by Jakob Nielsen
Two very helpful pages from Jakob Nielsen about website usability. A confusing website is one that visitors will leave. Quickly and permanently.
Jakob Nielsen is a recognized website usability expert. You can also sign up for his AlertBox newsletter.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/11800
The blink test: website visitors assess your website in a split second. Will yours pass?
Human brains are wired up a certain way. You cannot break human cognition rules and still communicate – this applies to a vast variety of situations. That the message is 'spiritual', or otherwise beneficial, makes no difference.
Online, everything is subject to the brutal 'blink test' – the lightning fast algorithm our brains apply to a website, magazine article, video short, or anything else, as the infographic explains.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/11627
Perhaps the best church website resource help available: Internet Toolbox for Churches
Internet Toolbox for Churches is exactly what it says on the tin. If you are a church leader or webmaster, Dave Hake's newsletter, podcast and short articles are essential reading.
View his latest posts, and sign up, at InternetToolboxforChurches.com
The significance of his vision is that he understands and explains how to make church digital strategy (website and social media presence) outsider-friendly, and not just a noticeboard for church members or believers looking for a new or holiday church.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/11033
Protect your WordPress website today with these security features
Church Mag reports an increase in attacks to hack into WordPress-powered sites (which these days are 22+% of new website launches, including many church sites). They recommend urgent action to increase the security of all WordPress.org sites.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/10620
How to put an introductory video on your church homepage
People expect video shorts. If well-made, these can communicate a lot in two or three minutes. They are ideal for the homepage of a church site. Making a video short is not rocket science, and you'll find a lot of help at Trinity Digital Media and from the books Professional Web Video, and How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro. Read more...
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/10470
Don't ask people to reqister for your website.
Web users are very fickle, and will leave your website within seconds for multiple reasons.
One major turnoff is asking people to register for things. Avoid designing this into your site unless it is unavoidable.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/9539
Use Pinterest as an add-on to your church or ministry website
New kid on the block Pinterest can be very significant in driving traffic to your website. Consider whether a Pinterest page could be part of your overall strategy for church or ministry website.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/9397
Getting more visitors to your church or nonprofit site or blog
Practical easy advice to implement on your site or blog. These are not things you need to pay an 'expert' to do, and be very leery of anyone offering guaranteed results or paid-for backlinks (which Google will penalize you for).
Do make sure that every page of your site or blog has separate, visible, sharing buttons for the 'Big 4' social networking options: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+, which will share a ready-made well-worded post about that page, to each site.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/8863
Jess Ennis: good picture choices tell a story, online or in print
Britain has fallen in love. The object of our affection? Jessica Ennis, UK's heptathlon gold medal winner.
Before each Olympic games, UK chooses someone to be 'the face of the Olympics'. Their picture becomes a tangible shorthand that sums up our Olympic team and hopes. Picture choice is vital, both online and offline.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/8896
Stop people leaving your website. Ingraphic and testing
Think about it. How many confusing websites do you leave in frustration? Apply the same outsider's eye to your own. Or, much better, test your site with web users of only modest web ability, who do not know your site. This is easy to do and will repay the time and effort a thousand times over.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/8823