iBec Creative, Fresh ideas that grow resultsiBec Creative, Fresh ideas that grow results

So, Who Owns the Content on Facebook?

There has been a lot of buzz going around about Facebook privacy and who exactly owns content that is posted on Facebook.

For businesses using Facebook or any other social media,  it is essential and plain good business practice to be aware and up-to-date on all outlet policies, and therefore have the ability to make informed decisions on what information to post on your account.

The following is the exact language used on Facebook’s Rights and Responsibilities page that deals with content rights and ownership: Read the rest of this entry »

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Quick and Simple Guide for Using Google Analytics

What is Google Analytics and why do we use it?

analytics logo

Google Analytics is a program that measures how successful your website is by collecting detailed data on traffic, visitors, and content.

This provides valuable insight into what things are working well and what things may need to change within your site to achieve an optimal level of use. We believe in the importance of clients being actively involved in their site’s execution and success. This document is a reference for how to use and understand the data in Google Analytics. At iBec, we offer Google Analytics monitoring programs for our clients if it is appropriate. We are always available for questions, so feel free to contact us if you need assistance. Read the rest of this entry »

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What is Twitter? (Part 1)

Twitter—it’s all the buzz. We hear about it in print, see it on Web sites…it’s even in the Senate. But what exactly is it?

According to Wikipedia, Twitter “is a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users’ updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 bytes in length which are displayed on the user’s profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them…Updates are displayed on the user’s profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them <and> users can send and receive updates via the Twitter Web site, SMS, RSS (receive only), or through applications such as Tweetie, Twitterrific, Twitterfon, TweetDeck and Feedalizr.”

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Web Writing: A Short Series on Effective Planning and Execution – Part III

Adding the Graphics

The content for your Web site is written and laid out. Now what?

It’s important, now, to create a site that appeals to your visitors with meaningful, dazzling visual impact. This is accomplished easily, with content-appropriate graphics. Done well, the visual impact will draw in your readers, and hold their interest—long enough for them to read your message, and want to learn more.

First, identify what your business, service, or offering is trying to convey. Who is your target audience? Do you want to portray stable and secure, or modern and cutting edge? Professional and corporate, or fun and lively? Intended for children or teens, or for senior citizens?

Next, decide what colors you want to base your design on, and limit the color family to three or four. Choose colors, designs, and images that portray who you are, and who you want to appeal to. For instance, a children’s site might be visually enhanced with primary colors and geometrical shapes. A real estate consulting service may be done in more subdued colors, and portray images of business-attired professionals poring over blueprints. In general, consider the emotions and impressions that you want to leave your reader with—and which colors evoke them (for instance, red = passion or danger; yellow = happiness, summer, and lightness; green = young, the environment, spring. For more information, check out http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html.

As you begin to add your graphical enhancements, start with your landing page heading. As the adage goes, a book IS often judged by its cover. So it is with your Web page. In this age of information glut and split-second surfing, your site has to catch a reader’s eye—quickly. If possible, and for best results, use a graphics software such as Adobe PhotoShop or Fireworks (http://www.adobe.com).

Finally, take the extra step and ensure your Web pages are reader friendly. Compress your graphics, to speed up the loading time. Web graphics are usually 72 dpi resolution, and most commonly in JPEG, GIF, or PNG format for easy compressing by Web browsers.

Once you’ve finished laying out your landing page, move to your internal pages. Tie your pages together with repeating and associated designs and colors that help to convey your message, tell your story, and keep your reader interested and informed. A well-planned and laid out Web site, with copy and graphics that complement each other, will not only serve you well—it will be a pleasure to visit!

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Web Writing: A Short Series on Effective Web Writing and Layout – Part Two

Part Two: Laying it all Out

As you start to put your chunks, headings, and subheads together into a cohesive flow, remember these four key points:

  1. Web writing is best laid out in an inverted pyramid style. This is accomplished by starting with your conclusion or main point, and ending with the finer points and details of your topic.
  2. A successful site is written for many different levels of interest. It’s a tough concept, but the best sites are written from the viewpoints of “there is no interest in my topic,” to “my reader is thirsting for more info.” How do we do this?
  3. Avoid promotional, boastful, or subjective writing, or exaggerated claims
  4. Keep your paragraphs concise. What’s more, using high quality graphics will help get your key points across quickly, and without belaboring the point with unnecessary text.

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Web Writing: A Short Series on Effective Web Writing and Layout- Part One

In this three-part series on Web writing you’ll get tips help you create copy—and then lay it out in a way that encourages readers to peruse the site, and come back again and again.

Part One: Creating the Content

Web writing is not your typical prose. Why? Because Web visitors typically are looking to zip in and out of a site, scanning and getting their information quickly. In fact, Web readers typically read in an “F” pattern; therefore, you’d do best to create your content in two horizontal bars across your page, followed by a vertical scan down the left side.

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The What, Why, and How of Blogging.

You’ve heard about blogging. In fact, you’re reading a blog entry right now. Still not sure what blogging is all about?

For starters, the word blog comes from Weblog. A blog is typically a series of entries on a Website, and often a commentary on something important to the author and/or the author’s customers (if the blog is associated with a business). Blogs can cover any and every type of subject including: information on a specific topic, market, product, service, or group of people; a daily diary of someone’s life; the progress of a project; the blogger’s stream of consciousness; a commentary on social, political, or other issues or viewpoints; or any other manner of topic. Read the rest of this entry »

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RSS—Feeding the Information Hungry

Times they are a’changin’—and the World Wide Web is no exception. With the new generation of information seekers and creators, Web venues are burgeoning. We blog, post streaming videos, offer podcasts and Webinars, join social networking sites, dabble in the world of shared content tagging…and use RSS feeds.

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Find Out Who’s Visiting Your Site with Google Analytics!

We’ve all used Google, the high-powered, effective search engine with the cute holiday-friendly graphics. But why stop there? With all that power, Google has captured far more than just lnternet lookups. In fact, as a business owner with a Web site, Google has become one of our best allies.

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e-Newsletters: Getting the Word Out

As we saw in previous articles here, building your business brand identity and recognition can be one of your biggest challenges—and your biggest sales tool.  So why not start simply and cost effectively—by creating a business eNewsletter. Not only can a business eNewsletter keep you in touch with your target market, it provides a way for you to reach out and share your expertise in your particular market. So whether you’re an online-only e-business or a traditional storefront, sending an eNewsletter should be an integral part of your marketing plan.


Here’s how:

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