Linkswitch #63, Creating Engaging Content, Website Redesign, Four-Day Workweek

When Rick Short, director of marketing communications for Indium Corporation, began thinking about his social media strategy, he started with keyword research.

He identified 73 of the most important keywords his prospective customers would search for. Then he created 73 different blogs that focused on each keyword and assigned a dozen employees to write those blogs.

Although rain can make photography difficult, there are some amazing photos that have been captured in the rain. In this post we’ll showcase 25 photos that fit into this category. If you see something you like, click on the image or the credit link to be led to the source. Many of those pages will have a larger version of the image to be displayed, and you can also browse through more work by the photographer.

It surprises most people when they find out that I am double majoring in Graphic Design and Marketing. They understand it is a great pairing, and that they can go hand in hand, but when they hear “marketing” they think my course is tailored to just marketing. It isn’t.

Being a business student, I had to take courses in all the other concentrations my university offered, such as accounting, management, and finance.

Here is the harsh reality of e-commerce websites: according to recent e-commerce studies, at least 59.8% of potential customers abandon their shopping cart (MarketingSherpa puts it at 59.8%, SeeWhy at 83% and MarketLive at 62.14%). The main question is why do customers abandon their shopping cart so often? Is there some fundamental mistake that designers of e-commerce websites do very often?

An inherent problem with owning a web site is that styles come and go on the internet fast as (or faster than) the real world. A web site can look out-of-date very fast if it is not being constantly maintained. Do you need to refine your online presence? A web site redesign may be just what the doctor ordered.

When you know a three-day weekend is just around the corner, do you try hard to tie up loose ends during the week so you can enjoy it? I know I do. When you get back to work on a Tuesday, doesn’t the rest of the week seem to fly by? Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a four-day workweek every week? You can!

Money is one of the biggest issues couples fight about. It’s also one of the most important areas for clear communication. After all, money touches every aspect of our lives.

I’ve written before about the importance of having good financial communication with your spouse. It’s doubly important to communicate well with your partner if you’re not married.

Because you are self-employed and your office is located in your own humble abode, you’re already all too familiar with the tired misconceptions friends and family have about your career. The believe that you don’t have a real job, you are immune to deadlines, and you are free to help them out in any way necessary when called upon since everyone else is busy working.

Julien Vallée is a graphic designer and art director from Montréal, Canada. One of Julien’s favorite materials to use in his artwork and design is paper, hand-crafting it to create unique one of a kind pieces.

He has worked for some important clients, including the likes of MTV, The New York Times Magazine and Computer Arts Magazine.