Writing readable content

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

How To Make Your Content Readable

If like me you spend a lot of time reading from a screen you will appreciate well written content. And I’m not talking about potential eye-strain. This is about your content being readable. Whether it’s email, website text or a blog, reading from a screen can be difficult.

Let’s talk about blogs first, because generally they will be the longest and most frequently written. As well as being relevant and interesting, your blog posts have to be readable. If they’re not, then your audience probably won’t even finish reading them. 

Child holding his face in his hands

Know your audience

First of all, make sure your text is at the right level for your target audience. For example, when I prepare instruction manuals for system users I keep it simple. I write them as if every reader is a new user, and that way everybody will understand it. User Guides are a good example because they’re not just for trainees. Experienced users will refer to them too, especially if there is an area they’re not familiar with. 

Blogging is the same. It’s easy for me to be enthusiastic about website testing because it’s my job. But if I’m going to write an article about how to improve your website, it has to be interesting and readable for my target audience. 

Plan your paragraphs

When you’re starting any blog make it clear from the beginning what the topic is, then go into more detail as you continue writing. This helps the reader understand the concept of your article from the outset. Try not to make your paragraphs too long, and keep your sentences short as well.

Writing in a notebook

How many times have you started to read something and had to start again because the sentences drag on? Sentences containing more than 20 words are considered to be too long. Also, if they are shorter there is less chance of you making grammatical errors. 

Check out the example below. This paragraph is an extract from a Yoast.com blog post. I have edited it to show you how not to write a paragraph.

If you really want original pictures that fit your post you should make your own photos. Taking your own photos ensures that you’ll show an original picture; one that can never be found on another blog and on top of that this allows you to shoot a photo that truly fits the content of your post so if you’re blogging about your day-to-day life taking your own pictures is definitely the way to go. That also goes for food blogs or for a company blog or a technical blog or anything else for that matter, it’s much harder to take pictures that actually fit the content of the posts you’re writing.

Punctuation

Even with a few commas in there to break up the sentences, it is still very difficult to follow. The sentences are far too long. Think about how you have a conversation. You don’t talk without taking a breath, so why would you expect someone to read without punctuation?

This is the original, unedited version of the same paragraph. 

If you really want original pictures that fit your post, you should make your own photos. Taking your own photos ensures that you’ll show an original picture, one that can never be found on another blog. On top of that, this allows you to shoot a photo that truly fits the content of your post. If you’re blogging about your day-to-day life, taking your own pictures is definitely the way to go. That also goes for food blogs. For a company blog or a technical blog, or for Yoast.com for that matter, it’s much harder to take pictures that actually fit the content of the posts you’re writing.

Simply put

The other thing to consider is vocabulary. Try to limit the use of long words because if they have four or more syllables they are considered difficult to read. I have read articles where the author appears to have deliberately thrown in long words. It puts me off a bit because then I start to wonder whether they are just trying to be clever, or if they are trying to confuse me?

Of course, depending on your blog topic you might need to use advanced vocabulary and terminology. But if your paragraphs and sentences aren’t too long, then it should still be readable. 

Transition words

My business website is on WordPress, and there is a really useful tool that you can use to help create readable content. Yoast SEO checks the sentence and paragraph lengths as you’re writing. It also checks whether you are using enough transition words and sub-headings. These are all elements which make your content more readable.

Great article with good readable content

It annoyed the hell out of me to start with, because I just could not grasp ‘transition words‘.  But I’m fairly happy with this article at the minute, because I can see I have got two green traffic lights for SEO and Readability.

You probably use transition words quite naturally when you are speaking. However, it can be difficult to use them in the right place when you are writing. And when you are trying to include enough transition words to improve the readability, it’s very tempting to use the same ones. This is another ‘No-No’. Try to avoid repetition and using the same words over and over and over again.

Because I draft my blogs in a word or Google document, if I’m struggling to come up with an alternative word I use the inbuilt grammar and spell-checking tools. So to find a similar word I ‘right-click’ in my document and check out the synonyms.  This will give you other examples of words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as the word you have highlighted. It’s really useful, and is yet another way to keep your readers happy, joyful and elated. 

If you want your readers to get to the end of your blog post, make sure that your text is easy to read. Don’t make your text more difficult than you have to. Avoid long sentences and write clear paragraphs.

Yoast SEO

Finally

My top tip though is read whatever you have written out loud before you publish it. Reading on screen is difficult and it’s easy to miss spelling and grammatical errors. If you read it out loud it will also help you find sentences that are too long. 

If you have enjoyed reading this article please ‘like and share’ to support a small business.

Sharing is Caring! 

Location

Shirley Atkinson

SAA IT Test Consultant

79120, Sainte Soline, France

SIRET – 835 373 515 00013

©2020 SAA-IT-Test.com

Contact

Need additional assistance? Please contact us:

saa.it.testing@gmail.com

FR: +33 (0)7 83 16 61 11

UK: +44 (0)7940 435970

Hours

Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thu: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

Bittersweet day at Chats de Chatillon

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

Chats de Chatillon – the cat refuge with a HUGE heart

If you follow me or my business page on Facebook you might have noticed a bit of a cat-theme going on recently. That’s because I have been sharing stories and fund-raising posts about Chats de Chatillon, a cat refuge based near Parthenay, France. For those that don’t know the link between my business and the refuge, I’ll try and keep it brief.

A few weeks ago I received an email from my friend Micala telling me that a lady named Judy would be getting in touch. Judy had contacted Micala because she needed help with social media marketing and designing a new website. A few days later I had a call from Judy and I was quickly and easily persuaded to help design a new website and manage their Google My Business site. I learnt a lot about the cat refuge in that short call, but when I checked out the Facebook page, I was caught – hook, line and sinker!

My mission is to improve the business website, get more hits on their Google My Business page, and ultimately see more animals being adopted. 

The only way to navigate some administration hurdles with the original website was to start from scratch. Create a new site that would be quick and easy for Judy to update, and include a secure donation link. So I could focus on the Google site I enlisted Rob Smith to help with the website. As an experienced web designer he can do it much quicker and easier than me, and will host and manage the new site.

Devotion

So that’s where we are at this moment in time. Updating the Google site page is done by ‘yours truly’ every morning, using the Facebook posts that Judy writes. And Rob is meticulously creating a new site with English and French versions of each page.

I copy most of Judy’s posts word for word, because if you read any of her updates, every sentence demonstrates the love and devotion to every single one of the animals in her care.

Let me give you an example. This is the story of Blossom, who I was fortunate to meet on my visit at the weekend.

URGENT APPEAL for BLOSSOM

“We are launching an urgent appeal to find either a foster or adoptive family for this precious girl.
She is 5 years old and during this time has had 5 owners. The last owner dangled, and dropped her repeatedly from a 3rd storey apartment, amongst other acts of cruelty. In spite of this Blossom is very affectionate and has so much love to give. She wants nothing more than to be safe in a home, loved and cherished. She is very insecure with other pets and would need to be the only one.
Blossom has settled well into the refuge, but we cannot give this darling girl all the attention that she so badly needs. And it breaks our hearts to walk away from her to tend to so many others.
Normal adoption fees do not apply. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you think that you can help. Thank you”  

That was posted on the Facebook page on 28th June, and shared to the Google site the following morning. Yesterday, the day after my visit to Chats de Chatillon, Judy shared the fantastic news on Facebook that Blossom had been adopted!

BLOSSOM FINDS A FAMILY

My goodness, what an emotional and tearful week this has been. Will you please share our immense joy tonight knowing that BLOSSOM has found at last, a wonderful forever home, safe in the knowledge that she will be loved and protected for the rest of her life? Thank you so much to the kind family that have given her a future destined for happiness. In the short time that she has been with us, it has been a privilege to know such a beautiful, kind and forgiving little girl.

We shall miss you terribly Blossom, but your very special new family will be able to give you all what we cannot, and it time for us to let go. God bless you little pudding.

And that my lovely friends is why I am involved with this amazing cat refuge. I finally got to meet Judy and her husband Alan last Saturday. Myself and Debbie took a trip out with a car-load of cat food, cat litter, treats and toys donated by the good customers of the Ark79 Animal Charity Association.

Injured and abused

When we arrived at 11am we interrupted Judy’s daily routine of feeding, cleaning and cuddling. Each and every cat and kitten receives special individual attention. Some were abandoned, others are strays and a few have been injured, or abused, like poor Blossom.

At the moment every cabin is taken, and foster families are hand-rearing several orphaned kittens. One cabin holds Cleopatra and her little family, including two orphaned ones that she took under her wing. Another is the home of Trixie and her little brood. Next door, and in total isolation, is pretty little Pebbles who has been diagnosed with Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV). When she arrived Pebbles weighed only 1 kg and she was in a lot of pain. Because of her condition, it will be an extra special person that will adopt her.

Sponsored

There is some good news though. When the lovely people at Hot Tubs in France heard about the fund-raising, and Pebbles’ story they offered to sponsor her. They pay a set amount to Chats de Chatillon each month, which helps to pay for her ongoing treatment and the special diet that Pebbles needs. With the money received from other generous donations, the refuge is now able to buy a portable isolation unit, so that Pebbles can go outside of the cabin. She will still be isolated, but can’t infect any of the others cats. And she will be able to lie in the grass and feel the warm sun on the back.

I met Pebbles at the weekend, but sadly didn’t get a chance to cuddle her. I did leave her a few little tasty treats though. And when her noisy kitten neighbours quietened down, I saw her climb down to check them out.

Building up trust

I was very lucky to meet Clemence on Saturday too. Judy had previously told me that people often visit the cat refuge to help out or just to spend time with the animals. This benefits the cats and kittens because it gives them some extra special love and attention, and helps to build their trust. And in Clemence’s case, as soon as she saw the kittens her face lit up. She didn’t stop smiling, and is so gentle with them, and them with her. I’m sure she would move in with them if she could.

The time went too quickly though, and after an hour spent with three orphaned kittens who were causing mayhem in the living room, it was time to go.

Bittersweet

I listened to Judy and Alan telling us why they set up the cat refuge, and the rules and regulations they had to satisfy. And you cannot question their dedication and determination to provide a sanctuary for all these beautiful creatures. I wanted to take every single one of those adorable animals home with me, but I had to leave empty-handed. On the trip back with Debbie, we talked non-stop about which one was our favourite. But every time we mentioned one name, we came up with a dozen more.

Judy and Alan are hoping to take a day off soon to say Thank You in person to the lovely people at Ark79, and to Nicola and Tim from Hot Tubs In France when they are in Sainte Soline at the end of July.

Me and Debbie are already planning another day trip to the cat refuge. Until then I’m going to be extra nice to my hubby and see if I can persuade him to change his mind. I don’t want to be leaving Chats de Chatillon empty-handed next time.

Can you help?

With Micala’s help we are trying to raise vital funds for Chats de Chatillon cat refuge to enable them to keep doing their amazing work. We want to put together a lovely feline Pamper Hamper as a top raffle prize (for pampering a very lucky cat, not the cat’s owner!). If you can help by donating cat-related products, such as grooming brushes, treats or toys, please get in touch. Donations need to be received by 10th July so that we can start advertising and selling the raffle tickets.

Alternatively, you can donate cat food, cat litter, toys, bedding, or money, which goes towards ever-increasing maintenance and vets bills. Contact me or Chats de Chatillon via our Facebook pages to arrange drop-off points. If you would like to sponsor a gorgeous fur baby, please get in touch with Judy.

And Thank You to every one who has made a donation so far. The impact you have had on these little tiny lives is absolutely incredible.

Black cat with eyes closed
Young girl gently holding a tiny multi-coloured kitten
Black kitten lying across a brown teddy bear
Small multi-coloured kitten lying in a basket of coloured fabric
Beautiful cat looking ahead
Eyes and ears of a tabby cat peeping over a white blanket
Pretty cat siamese cat looking down from a shelf
Multicoloured cat sat on a shelf looking at camera

Location

Shirley Atkinson

SAA IT Test Consultant

79120, Sainte Soline, France

SIRET – 835 373 515 00013

©2020 SAA-IT-Test.com

Contact

Need additional assistance? Please contact us:

saa.it.testing@gmail.com

FR: +33 (0)7 83 16 61 11

UK: +44 (0)7940 435970

Hours

Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thu: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

Can you help save a little life?

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

Pretty ginger cat waiting to be adopted

Fund-raising in aid of Chats de Chatillon

With my good friend Micala Wilkins, from Alacim Social Media Marketing, we are organising several online events to raise money for this wonderful cat refuge. Based near Parthenay in France, Chats de Chatillon is a non-profit association run by husband and wife team, Judy and Alan Lewis.

The refuge desperately needs funds to purchase two portable isolation units. Extra money will also help them to keep on top of ever-increasing maintenance and vet’s bills. 

Isolation

The Chats de Chatillon cat refuge takes in abandoned, abused and injured cats and kittens on a daily basis. They get calls to take in ‘refugees’ all hours of the day and night, and they very rarely say No.

New cats often need to be isolated until they are given a clean bill of health by the vet. Sadly, some of these cats have infections or viruses that can be treated, but cannot be cured. They have less chance of being adopted, and will remain in isolation for the rest of their lives. 

Having portable units will improve the quality of their lives enormously. They will be able to lay in the sun and play in the grass, without being a risk to other animals. 

How can you help?

If you own or know a business that makes or sells cat-related products we would love to hear from you.

We want to create a luxury ‘Feline Pamper Hamper’ to be the 1st prize in an upcoming raffle. If you can donate items to go into the hamper it would be fantastic. But even if you can’t donate a kitty product, you can still help by sponsoring one of the cats in isolation. Alternatively, you can make a monetary donation. 100% of the proceeds will go to Chats de Chatillon. 

Businesses that sponsor, or provide donations will get a special mention in all online advertising for the fund-raising events. If you can help, or want more information, please get in touch with me, Micala or Judy,  

On behalf of everyone at Chats de Chatillon, thank you.

Your support and donations will help improve the quality of life of our feline friends

Chats de Chatillon kitten

 

Little Miss Polly & Pretty Pebbles

white cat sat on windowsill
Little Miss Polly

Miss Polly (right) has been diagnosed with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Until we find someone special who can give her a loving home she must be isolated from other cats. 

She arrived at the refuge in May this year. Abandoned in the town centre, she was suffering from an extremely deep bite at the base of her tail that had caused a huge abscess. The vet thinks she may have got infected when she was attacked.

Polly has a pure white coat and is extremely affectionate. She longs to be loved. Aged about 7-8 months (born approximately Sept 2020) she is still only a kitten. She is such a happy, friendly little girl, and loves to race around.

Quality of life

Pretty Pebbles came to us in such a terrible condition that she would not have survived much longer. She has been diagnosed with Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV), and like Miss Polly, she must stay in isolation.

When she arrived Pebbles weighed only 1 kg. She was such a good girl being cleaned up and cared for. Never getting cross or lashing out, even though she was in a lot of pain. 

Because these two infections are caused by different viruses unfortunately they cannot share accommodation. Having portable isolation units will improve the quality of their lives enormously.

Pebbles on arrival

This is Pebbles now

Pretty ginger cat waiting to be adopted

Patiently waiting for cuddles

 

Another Cookie Compliance Story

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

SAA IT TESTING

Quality Assurance

 

 

“Our aim is to help you improve the quality of your customer’s experience and increase the visibility of your business, by providing expert advice and offering a range of affordable solutions and services”.

let’s talk

 

Continuing the Cookie Compliance Story

Planning Cookie Compliance
 

Having previously written a couple of blogs which focused on Website Legalities for the small business owner, there are still a few questions that need to be answered. And in recent reviews of a couple of Wix websites, one of these questions is ‘How can I make my Wix Website cookie compliant?’ 

Intuitive

I’ll try and answer the Wix question and provide a little more background to it. Both of my clients’ websites were built using Wix ADI. This is a very simple website template which allows the non-technical business owner to design and manage their own website. And I admit, when I was updating their sites, it was very intuitive and easy to use. 

One of the issues highlighted in my website review report, that impacted both sites, was that they were not GDPR-compliant. (GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation). Apart from some missing mandatory business and activity details, there was no Cookie and Privacy Policy information. This might not sound very important, but if you own and publish a business website, or even a personal blog, then you have to adhere to EU regulations. The GDPR regulations are there to inform, and protect everyone’s personal data. The use, and misuse, of cookies on websites has always been contentious because some companies argue that the use of cookies helps improve the customer experience. This is true in some cases. When you visit a new website and accept the cookies, it means it is easier for you to log in next time you visit the same site. 

Sharing Data

The downside to that, is that to make the customer experience more personal you have to supply the website with certain personal and financial data. That is not to everybody’s liking, and certainly not mine. There have been instances where personal data has been shared to third parties, and people subsequently bombarded with spam and marketing emails. In some severe cases fraudulent payment transactions have occurred. And all this is from companies they have had no previous contact with. 

Marketing Purposes

So what does all this have to do with Wix and cookie compliance then? To protect personal data all websites have to inform their visitors about the cookies generated by their website, or by links to and from their website, for example to social media pages, and for analytical purposes. Some cookies are essential, others are non-essential and for marketing purposes.

If you want to quickly check how many cookies your website uses go to your browser and type in your website url. Click on the security padlock and you will see some site specific data displayed, including the number of cookies used by your site. 

CookieBot Report

One of the tools I use during my website reviews that specifically checks for cookie compliance is CookieBot. Simple to use, no sign-up and in less than an hour you receive an email containing a summary of your website’s cookie compliance and a report on the types of cookies being used on your website. 

If you are not compliant it will tell you the reasons why. In most instances it is because your site does not give the visitor options to accept, reject or manage the cookies. This is where your Cookie Banner comes in. 

cookie compliance cookiebot feedback

Wix Cookie Plug-in

So the two sites I reviewed that were on Wix did not display a cookie banner. For my business website I use WordPress and there are multiple free applications, or plug-ins that you can add which generate a GDPR-compliant cookie banner. I actually use the CookieBot plug-in because it’s free and has great reviews. I assumed that Wix would have a similar app and checked their support pages for Cookie Compliance information. 

Surprisingly, although they have quite comprehensive information about preparing your Wix site for GDPR, unfortunately, the only Cookie banner add-on available is the Cookie Alert Pop-Up app.  Unfortunately? Yes indeed. The average review rating for this ‘Wix-recommended’ app is 1.7 out of 5. And the reviews are appalling.

CookieBot to the rescue (again!)

Trawled the internet to find out how to resolve this, because I did not want my clients at risk of being fined for non-compliance. I couldn’t find a solution, but to cut a long story short, Emma Lawrence from Languedoc121techcame back with the answer! 

CookieBot can be installed on your Wix site. Hurrah! But not on the Wix ADI version. Booo!

You have to switch to ‘Editor’ version, because to configure the cookie banner correctly you need to manually add in lines of code, and you cannot do this in Wix ADI. If you are not technical then do not try this at home.

Although the instructions are clear it is not something I would recommend anyone attempts if they are not tech-savvy. When I realised that I needed to switch to Editor version I had to ask my client’s permission. One client does not want to switch because she has only just mastered the ADI. So I have had to point out the risks and she accepts all responsibility. The other client accepted and the CookieBot plug-in has been successfully installed. Phew…

If when you check your Wix website you find it isn’t compliant do not load the Wix Cookie Alert. It is not EU compliant, and it cannot be uninstalled. Ask for help in installing a third party plug-in such as CookieBot. Preferably ask an experienced, professional web designer, such as Emma from Languedoc121tech.

Finally

So, along with my previous blog posts, with this one you should now have all the information at your finger tips to make your business website cookie compliant .

Fan-blooming-tastic!

And you have remembered to create and display your Cookie and Privacy Policy?

I hope this has helped. Yes, it’s long-winded, but I wanted to provide as much information as possible, but make it easy to read and understand. If I have missed anything, please let me know. Thank you for taking the time to read it.

Shirley Atkinson

Feel free to share – Sharing is Caring 

Location

Shirley Atkinson

SAA IT Test Consultant

79120, Sainte Soline, France

SIRET – 835 373 515 00013

©2020 SAA-IT-Test.com

Contact

Need additional assistance? Please contact us:

saa.it.testing@gmail.com

FR: +33 (0)7 83 16 61 11

UK: +44 (0)7940 435970

Hours

Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thu: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

How can we overcome our fear of criticism?

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

Time for a review. Overcome your fear of criticism

 

Fear of criticism

Maybe our fear of criticism goes back to our school days. Spending hours writing essays only to have them marked and returned with lots of red lines and teacher’s comments.

I’ve also been subjected to a wide variety of appraisals and work reviews in the different organisations I have worked for. Most of them provided encouraging, constructive criticism and feedback, especially in my early years in the Civil Service. And yet I still used to dread the annual Performance Appraisal Reviews and the fear of criticism. I imagine we are all the same. We think – hope! – we are doing a good job, but when there’s a review on the horizon we start to worry about getting negative feedback.

I was very lucky to be assigned to experienced managers who understood the difference between constructive and destructive criticism and how it can affect a person’s self-esteem. Their feedback encouraged my personal development and gave me the confidence to take on new challenges throughout my career and in my personal life.

Humiliation

However, there is one incident which stands out in my mind more than any other because of the way it made me feel. Little did I realise that how I felt at that moment was going to influence how I treated people I worked with in the future.

In my first contract as a freelance Test Consultant I was working for a very large corporate company. The job meant I was working away from home, with people I didn’t know and learning a new complex system. Everything was different, I was way out of my comfort zone but wanted to make a good impression because this was the career I loved. 

What I didn’t bank on was being assigned to a manager who let her personal life interfere with her professional life, to the extent that on her bad days, she publicly criticised and humiliated people. Less than a week into my new role, I was verbally attacked in a room full of people – because I had saved a file in the wrong place. She should have quietly point out the correct folder structure, but instead she shouted, finger-pointed and called me an ‘over-paid simpleton’. 

Embarrassment

I sat there open-mouthed and fighting back the tears. People were staring at me. I felt embarrassed and physically sick. I couldn’t even manage an easy escape because the door was the other side of the room. Instead I bit my lip, walked over to her desk, and I asked her quietly and apologetically if she could show me where the file should be. After correcting my mistake I walked down to the Ladies loo on the floor below and cried my eyes out. I had never felt so humiliated in all my life and convinced myself I was going to get sacked. I left work that day ready to pack my bags and even started looking for a new contract!

The next day she acted as if nothing had happened. No apology was ever forthcoming but it occurred so frequently, with different people, that eventually she was reported and moved to another area. Under a new, encouraging, more professional manager I became a team leader and stayed with that company for two years. I learnt new skills and gained knowledge and experience using new testing tools, but the most important thing I learnt was how to give feedback. 

Negative Feedback

If you have single-handedly set up your own business, set up Social Media accounts, manage the financial affairs and created your own website, hats off to you. You deserve a massive pat on the back. It doesn’t matter what line of business you are in (unless you are a web designer!) or how well you are doing. You have successfully done something a lot of people can’t or won’t do for various reasons, and one of those reasons is fear of criticism.

When you’re starting out, you know a business website is an essential marketing tool, but a good web designer costs money – even bad web designers cost money! And although it’s a recognisable investment, if you can’t afford it, your only option is to go it alone.

There are lots of sites, like Wix and WordPress, which can help you create a simple, straight-forward website. Don’t let them fool you into thinking it’s an easy task. You still have to think about what pages you need, getting the right template, writing the content, uploading images, etc. Maybe that doesn’t sound too difficult, but if your website is going to stand out from your competitors then it needs to be aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. 

So, now we’ve added a couple of plug-ins and widgets to improve the website ‘look and feel’ and it’s ready for publishing. Who are the first people we ask for feedback? Our friends and family of course. Because of our fear of criticism we can rely on them to be positive – and even if they are really honest, we know it will be in a nice, positive way. But does that mean we are already worrying too much about what other people think and, more importantly, what our customers think? 

What is Criticism?

Negative criticism from an unqualified, uninformed source is of so little value that it’s meaningless. It makes zero sense to pay it any of your valuable attention.

Extract credit – Jim Connolly 

As a small business owner we have to learn to deal with these fears, because as soon as your business is online it’s visible and open to criticism. So to survive it’s essential that you stop negative criticism from affecting you.

Jigsaw puzzle showing the words constructive criticism - fear of criticism

To do this try to understand more about the critic than the criticism. If they are an expert in their field then, even if their comment is negative, it might be something worth taking onboard. The key difference between criticism and feedback is our perception of it.

Criticism is often taken to mean that we are being judged by another person in a condescending manner. So when people are criticised by others it can be a fairly unpleasant experience for the receiver.

Destructive criticism doesn’t help anyone. In fact it can lower a person’s self-esteem and make them feel like a failure. Constructive criticism, on the other hand can help to develop the abilities of that person, and create a positive change.

What is Feedback?

Feedback is generally understood to be information that can improve the performance or development of a product or a person. For example, a company has released a new product on the market and wants to evaluate the public’s response. There are different ways to go about this. They might hold a small event where samples of the product are given to members of the public and they have to provide feedback. The company can then understand how well the product has been received and act on this feedback. 

For people,  a manager might give feedback in a personal appraisal, or to a group of employees when they complete a new project. A lot of companies hold one-off, end of project ‘Lessons Learned’ sessions.  Key stakeholders are asked to provide feedback for the project as a whole – what went well or not so well and what can be improved. 

Lessons Learned

Lessons learned is all about understanding what you all did right and what you all could have done better. It’s not about finger pointing. It’s about learning. And this is why, when I perform my business website reviews, my feedback report isn’t all about what is wrong with the website. It’s about pointing out what works really well and what can be improved. 

I always ask for feedback and, from what I’ve received, the majority of my clients generally agree with my comments. Issues are fixed, suggestions for re-wording are applied, website layout and functionality is improved. A lot of the changes are quick, easy, inexpensive and effective. 

Very occasionally they don’t want to make any changes, which is fine. I’m not going to force my opinions on anybody. However I will point out that if one of the issues is that your website is not legally compliant, then that is not just my opinion. It’s the law! 

Be Kind

One of the reasons behind this post is a conversation I had recently with a new client. She admits she’s not technically minded but has still managed to build her own website. However, when she saw that someone on Facebook had left a rather derogatory comment, she was understandably upset and demoralised. Personally, having just started my review of the site, she has done a bloody good job and we’ll work together to make it even better! 

If you’ve never received bad feedback maybe you don’t have a fear of criticism, and you’re incredibly lucky. Your parents and teachers must have been a lot nicer than mine. But next time you leave a review or a comment, if you know it’s a small business, try and be a bit more considerate. Your criticisms can be hurtful and demoralising. I appreciate it’s not always easy, especially if you’ve had bad customer service, but imagine how you would feel if you were being publicly humiliated. 

I know how I felt and it’s not something I would even wish on my worst enemy. 

 

SAA I.T Test Consultant

 

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Shirley Atkinson

SAA IT Test Consultant

79120, Sainte Soline, France

SIRET – 835 373 515 00013

©2020 SAA-IT-Test.com

Contact

Need some help? Please contact us:

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FR: +33 (0)7 83 16 61 11

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Hours

Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thu: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat: Closed
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How often should I publish a business blog?

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

Business Blogs – When is the best time to blog?

It occurred to me this morning that I hadn’t posted a business blog in a while. With so much going on with coronavirus, self-isolation and people disobeying the distancing rules, why would anyone be interested in a blog about websites? Or website testing? 

So then I started thinking about the reasons why I should do a blog and it got me thinking about optimisation. It sounds like a random train of thought doesn’t it? But I’m talking about ‘optimisation’ in a business blog kind of way. And at 6 am on a beautiful Sunday morning I’m sat at my desk researching ‘Business Blog Scheduling’. 

I know the reasons why I should be submitting regular business posts. It’s so that it keeps my website fresh, helps with SEO and search traffic, helps build a good relationship with clients, etc, etc. But doesn’t how often we need to publish a blog and the optimal blogging frequency vary, depending on the type of business you have?  

 

top part of a round white clock face showing numbers and the words Prime time

Image Credit

General Blogging Guidelines

So as a result of my early morning research I did actually come up with a few general guidelines.

  1. Publish a new business blog at least once a week
  2. Always publish on the same day
  3. Focus on creating high-quality content

Great. Now I have my guidelines all I have to do is find a way to make user testing sound interesting. That’s the hard bit. But then, reading different articles this morning, I noticed that Guideline #1 isn’t strictly correct. It doesn’t always have to be new content. If you have posted something previously about a topic that is still relevant, or has come back in fashion, re-use it. There’s nothing to stop you giving it a bit of a tweak – re-cycling! – and republishing it. It counts as a new business blog, just don’t keep re-using the same one every week.

Identify your audience

Guideline number 2 is about being consistent and routinely publishing your blog on the same day. This is where I think we need to experiment to find out what works best for our own business and for our customers. But the first step has to be identifying your business blog audience.

My services are not going to be required by everybody. To be honest I probably have a very limited audience – owners of small and medium sized business enterprises – SMEs. And it doesn’t really matter what line of business my ‘audience’ is in. If they have a business website then they are a potential customer, even web design businesses.

I regularly work with a couple of web designers, reviewing their work during and after publishing, because catching bugs earlier means it easier and less expensive to fix. When you’re busy it’s easy to miss little things, such as broken links or poor navigation. Lots of little things can lead to one big, bad customer experience. So sometimes, it just helps to have a fresh pair of eyes look over the content and usability. 

There you see, I have drifted off into my own little testing world when I should be focusing on the task in hand and telling you about the ultimate goal.

The goal, of course, once you have identified your target audience is to successfully maintain a business blog that will increase website visitors. Making new connections and continuing to engage with existing customers or clients, will hopefully start generating new sales. 

Experiment

Different audiences will have different needs. If your business blog is a tool for providing up-to-the-minute information about products that you sell then you probably need to publish short, promotional blogs on a daily basis, or even several times a day. Whereas if you provide technical services, like testing for example, then that requires a longer, more detailed blog. So I think for me personally, once a week should suffice.

If you’re not sure what your blog readers need then you might have to experiment and see what formats and frequencies get the best reactions. See which format is a consistent favourite and continue with that. 

Now comes the hard part – creating high-quality content.

Avoid Burnout

This came up in several of the articles I read this morning and probably made the most sense. We all start off with so much enthusiasm, especially when people like or share our posts. But trying to consistently write something that’s interesting, in whatever line of business you are in, can be exhausting. There are a couple of ways to overcome this and avoid burnout.

First of all, why not share the load? Try inviting a guest blogger to write for you occasionally to add a bit of variety and a different personality. (This could work for me, and I have already got a couple of people in mind). Alternatively, if you really don’t like writing content and this is what puts you off blogging then you could hire someone to do it for you full-time.

Second, try writing and stockpiling articles for when you haven’t got time to keep to your business blog schedule. I have started adding articles or other blog sites to a ‘Favourites’ folder for future inspiration. I also check out Google search trends and try to use them as topics or keywords.

Timing

A lot of research has gone into analysing blog post timing data. Which Social Media platform is best for your business depends a lot on your target audience. I doubt many of my potential clients would be on TikTok for example. Pinterest is another one I don’t bother with, and I only have an Instagram personal account, not a business one, and even that is rarely use. You don’t need to have a business presence on all of them if it isn’t going to do anything for you. It just makes it harder to manage.

Mobile phone and tiles spelling Social Media

My business networking focus is on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. To get the best from these platforms for my business I need to look at the research.

Well, I have looked and basically the answer seems to be ‘it’s complex’ because it depends on your industry and your audience. Fortunately, I know my audience and thankfully. the research does confirm that these are the best platforms for my industry sector. That’s a bonus. 

However, I don’t intend to make this post any longer than it needs to be, so I’ve added a link to an easy to follow Info-graphic. Under normal circumstances it provides all the optimal posting timings for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. It also includes data for business sectors such as B2B, B2C, Higher Education, etc. 

Best Time Scheduler

Unfortunately, at this moment in time, there is nothing remotely normal about what is going on around us. Schools and the majority of businesses are either closed or employees are temporarily working from home. Our travel, work and home schedules are different, which means that our access to the internet and social media is different. 

In a few months there will be more data analysis on the best times to post a business blog, based on the lock-down period.  So I’m going to put creating an all-singing, all-dancing ‘Best Time Scheduler’ on hold for the time being and write some new content for my once-a-week business blog. 

I’m sure my audience will let me know if they want more from me, but for now, I think it’s time for another cup of vanilla chai before I go out in the garden and pull a few weeds. Happy weekend everyone!

Stay Safe and Stay Well

Shirley Atkinson, SAA IT Testing 

Location

Shirley Atkinson

SAA IT Test Consultant

79120, Sainte Soline, France

SIRET – 835 373 515 00013

©2020 SAA-IT-Test.com

Contact

Need some help? Please contact us:

saa.it.testing@gmail.com

FR: +33 (0)7 83 16 61 11

UK: +44 (0)7940 435970

Hours

Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thu: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

How changing your content can help your business

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

Take care of your business, your customers and YOU

People are referring to the covid-19 pandemic as a war and that we are fighting an invisible enemy. Maybe there are some similarities, but however we view this period of confinement there is no doubt that it is changing lives now and in the future. And because people are forced to spend more time at home it is also changing our relationship with the outside world and our online search behaviour.

According to data recently published by Google, search and consumer behaviour is changing on a daily basis. So what can we do in these difficult times to take care of our business, our customers and, most importantly, ourselves? 

Can we use this new search behaviour to create content that will help others find the information they need? Yes we can, because we are also consumers and we are changing too. 

Trust written in blue pen on a clear board

 

 

 

 

Credible Information

Just the Facts wording displayed on a computer monitor with blue background

Because consumer search behaviour is changing, the way businesses write and present their content needs to evolve with it. To do this we need to understand the 5 relevant shifts in consumer search behaviour identified by Google.

1. Assembling critical information

We’re all searching for new critical content to help us get by and adapt to changes in lifestyle. Home-schooling, home deliveries and home-working are just a few of the key areas where searches are now focused. So businesses and organisations need to provide clear, credible information about their services and where, how and when people can get the things they need.

Fact not Fake

Reinforce that you are here to help. Keep in regular communication across your website, blogs, social media and Google My Business page. Most importantly, make sure that what you communicate is factual – there is so much fake news being distributed and most of it causes more concern and heightens emotions and anxiety. Your customers need to be able to trust what you are telling them.

Try to be flexible by helping customers with cancellations and refunds. Providing a good customer service is something they will remember you for. Poor customer service is what they will tell their friends about.

2. Making New Connections

With social distancing people are nurturing their existing relationships, whether it’s with family, friends or businesses. But they’re also making new virtual connections and search interest is spiking on YouTube for topics such as ‘Cook with Me’, ‘Study with me’ and ‘Disinfect with me’. But also for multiplayer games and virtual happy hour!

Are there any ways your business can virtually connect with consumers locally and globally? What experiences or services can you create and share with them?

3. Changes In Routines

Our online habits are changing as we adjust to new routines and schedules brought about by self-isolation. As well as spikes in search interest for D.I.Y and dumb-bells, there is also more interest in watching other people adapt to new routines, with some late-night show hosts broadcasting from their own homes.  

Google’s recommendations for helping consumers adjust to their new confinement routines is to let people know that your business is available whenever and wherever. Update and publish content that is interesting, entertaining, informative and promotes wellness. And publish it often. 

4. Praising Everyday Heroes

I’m sure we have all seen or heard of Captain Tom Moore, the 99 year old World War 2  veteran raising money for the NHS. At the time of writing, over 600,00 people had contributed to his Just Giving fund. What an amazing gentleman. A true inspiration for us all. Before the end of this isolation I’m pretty certain there will be more everyday heroes that we will want to support.

Look for people who are helping and find ways to support or celebrate them. Are there any everyday heroes in your business – employees or customers – or in your local community?  Support and share their achievements.

5. Taking Care of Themselves and Others

people holding hands, taking care of business and ourselves

I think we are all looking for ways to take care of the physical and emotional needs of ourselves and others. We are looking for activities that will help to ease the boredom, anxiety and restlessness. They can be virtual or real-life activities. And because of this growing need for stimulation, there has been a surge in virtual tours of galleries, museums, chateaux and even online music festivals!

If your business has an interest in any of these areas, that’s fantastic. Get involved and facilitate some virtual collaboration. If you’re not, there’s nothing to stop you sharing some of your favourite virtual tours or creating some of your own. Focus on ways to enrich peoples lives. Join conversations about home-based health and well-being, share links to home-based yoga sessions. 

Don’t just take care of your business

Some businesses will survive, others will adapt, re-invent themselves and come up with bigger and better business ideas. But if you are going to take care of your business, then your number one priority has to be taking care of yourself. 

These are bleak times but we will all get through this, one way or another.  Just remember to stay connected. Keep in touch with your family, friends, the local community and other businesses. Please, stay safe and stay in touch.

If you can dream it you can do it – Walt Disney

Click here to read the full Google Search Trends and coronavirus article

Location

Shirley Atkinson E.I.

SAA IT Test Consultant

79120, Sainte Soline, France

SIRET – 835 373 515 00013

©2020 SAA-IT-Test.com

Contact

Need some help? Please contact us:

saa.it.testing@gmail.com

FR: +33 (0)7 83 16 61 11

UK: +44 (0)7940 435970

Hours

Mon: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Tue: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Wed: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thu: 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Fri: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed

Does Social Media impact SEO?

Posted on by Shirley Atkinson

Social Media & SEO

Do you promote your business on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? Did you know that boosting your postings on social media could help your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? 

 

“…it’s a fact that social media properties do dominate the front of the search engine result pages for brand names. Which means, social media profiles indeed have the power to rank in the top 10 results. Social media profiles are a great way to connect to your prospects and customers”

Kyren Smith, Lyfe Marketing

 

So, does social media impact SEO? Well, yes, there is a tenuous link between although it may not be immediately clear or easy to explain. Boosting your postings could improve your search engine rankings and bring traffic and visitors to your website. More traffic means higher visibility in search rankings and ultimately more customers. 

How does it work?

If you write a blog and post the link to this on your Facebook page then it will get liked and shared. If not, then maybe you need to brush up on your blog-writing skills, but that’s another story. Social media is built for sharing, so the more people like and share your blog, the more people see it and your business gets more visibility. Make sure your post settings are public, so if friends of friends see your post they will click on the blog link (the URL), like and share it.. The blog URL is linked to your website so by clicking on the blog link takes traffic to your website. So you are linking the blog to the site and that link is an important factor in  SEO ranking .

According to Google, social media is NOT a factor that directly affects your SEO ranking, but there is evidence that things like ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ are somehow related to your ranking. However, social ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ are definitely a direct ranking factor for Bing.. 

Optimise your Social Media sites

If you have several social media sites…Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest…are they consistent?

  • Make sure you have a profile image so you are more recognisable. Complete the profile section, making it relevant to your business, and appealing to your audience. 
  • Wherever possible make sure your profiles include a link to your website and if you have any offers or promotions then try and add a link to those as well. 
  • Be consistent with your posts and blogs and provide regular updates. But bear in the mind the post guidelines for each site because you don’t want it to look like your spamming. For example on Twitter you should post several times a day, but you don’t need to do this with Facebook or LinkedIn. 
  • Posts do better with images. Use eye-catching photos to attract attention. Catchy headline. Great content. And ask people for a share – it’s good, proven optimisation.
  • Use Hashtags because they are Keywords. They help categorise your content and help people find it. Just don’t over do it and use them correctly on the different platforms. Register a brand-specific hashtag and use it on all your posts
  • Review your website and make sure your content is optimised for social media sharing. Add social media sharing buttons. Videos show up in search results so add some into your content. 
  • Interact with people. If someone comments on your post, respond. Join groups and take part in conversations.
  • Keep posting – stay professional, unbiased, credible, approachable, and most of visible.

 

To read more, go to: How does Social Media Impact SEO? And if you need expert help with Social Media marketing, in my opinion there is no-one better than Micala Wilkins at Alacim Social Media Marketing. She has been in the marketing business for several years and has helped me enormously. Remember Social Media does impact SEO but only if you get it right! 

First published 22nd Feb 2020. Updated 9th April 2020

SAA I.T Test Consultant

 

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If you found this useful then let me know – and let your friends know!

 

 

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