Welcome to another edition of Sites Weekly.
In this week’s edition, you will find links to articles about the following:
- Content. How to create video content that works
- Design. What you can learn from Dropbox’s redesign
- Technology. More on the impending impact of voice, AI, and AR
- Strategy. This link will make you a better content marketer
- Bonus. Advertising lessons you can apply to your website
But first …
Last week on Sites
Do you understand how to craft an analogy that is actually an analogy (and not a metaphor or simile) and that holds the power to persuade? You will after you listen to this episode.
Listen: [21] The Persuasive Power of Analogy
New theme at StudioPress!
A theme that I have been waiting for ever since Rafal first showed me his design mockup is now out! It’s called Authority Pro, and I am already plotting what site I am going to use this on.
One of the best features of this theme is that it comes with two PSD files that you can use to easily create stylish ebook covers that fit the overall look and feel of the theme — just like the ones in the demo.
I wrote a post describing all of the key features: Authority Pro for WordPress: Demonstrate Your Expertise and Build Trust
And now, on to this week’s links …
Content: How to create video content that works
Cheryl Tan is a 20-year veteran of broadcast news. She knows what makes a piece of video content work. And while creating video content is easy to do — you can probably record a video right now with whatever device you’re reading this on — creating good video content requires smart strategy.
In this post, Cheryl shares three keys to a successful video strategy that are generally applicable to any niche you might be working in.
3 Simple Keys to a Successful Video Strategy (Copyblogger)
Design: What you can learn from Dropbox’s redesign
This blog post explains the three levels of visual design, which are important to at least be aware of, even if your WordPress designing consists solely of installing child themes on your site.
Also illuminating is the response Dropbox received from some of its customers after redesigning its website, because of the gap created by what users expected and what they saw. Keep this in mind the next time you are redesigning your website.
Why first impressions matter for UX (EyeQuant)
Two of the most important decisions you will make about your WordPress website are your theme and your hosting. Wouldn’t it be great if they worked together to make your website more powerful?
Now they can.
Discover why over 213,675 website owners trust StudioPress.
Technology: More on the impending impact of voice, AI, and AR
This article looks at how voice search is already impacting SEO, how AI will impact our understanding of customer intent and preference, and how AR will enable brands to move beyond the physical world when promoting products and services.
As with all of these links to posts discussing future-looking technologies, you might not be able to use any of this information tomorrow … but you definitely need to know it, so that you’re not blindsided when these technologies transition from being innovative to commonplace. (And, as always, that will surely happen faster than we think!)
How emerging technologies will affect your business in 2018 (MarTech Today)
Strategy: This link will make you a better content marketer
This Q&A is chock-full of useful tidbits about content marketing strategy that will help you cut through the noise, get attention, and then actually do something with that attention. It’s not fluff.
You might notice that I copied a headline tip for this week’s headline. 😉
How to Write Viral Headlines + Amplify Content: Q+A with BuzzSumo Director Steve Rayson (NewsCred)
Bonus article: Advertising lessons you can apply to your website
I have several David Ogilvy books on the shelf that sits behind me as I type this. So this headline had me at hello. 🙂
And it did not disappoint. My favorite? Numbers 6–8 were quite interesting, and may not be what you expected.
18 Golden Advertising Rules by Legendary D. Ogilvy and R. Reeves (Aggregate Blog)
So …
Which of the ideas in these posts will you put to good use immediately?
I’ll be back with a new edition next week.
Keep building.