The Value of a Smile at Christmas
By Dale Carnegie

It costs nothing, but creates much.

It enriches those who receive, without impoverishing those who give.

It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None are so rich they can get a long without it, and none are so poor but are richer for its benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and Nature’s best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is given away.

And if in the last-minute rush of Christmas buying some of our salespeople should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours?

Edward Tufte wrote one of the best (design) books, Envisioning Information. I was introduced to this book by one of my professors while studying graphic design. The book is about presenting data and information, or the visual communication of information. You’ll see some of the most beautiful graphs and charts. Graphs, charts, stats – they do not need to be boring …

“Make the ideas you are trying to convey worthy of the eye to behold.”

It’s hard to talk about this book; you have to look at it. You’ll see maps, charts, scientific visualizations, diagrams, statistical graphics and tables, stereo photographs, guidebooks, courtroom exhibits, computer screens, timetables. It also provides practical advice about how to explain complex material by visual means, and uses examples to illustrate the fundamental principles of information display.

A good book to keep going back to over and over again … (Mine was borrowed and never returned however.)

He’s also quite famous for his criticism of the way Microsoft PowerPoint is typically used, in his essay “The cognitive style of PowerPoint.” This is quite fun to read: “PowerPoint is Evil“.

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* Controlled Vocabulary – A collection of preferred terms that are used to assist in more precise retrieval of content. Controlled vocabulary terms can be used for categorizing content, building labeling systems, and creating style guides and database schema. One type of a controlled vocabulary is a taxonomy.

Reference: http://www.iawiki.net/ControlledVocabularies

Here are 10 great things to consider in your online branding strategy:

1. Invest in your website: Most people do their research online now and your website is likely to be the first point of contact for your prospective customers

2. Be consistent: Be sure that your website follows the brand guidelines employed for your business cards, letterhead, brochures and ads. This way visitors won’t wonder if they are at the right site

3. Optimize your site for Search Engines: Hire a specialist to create and execute a submission strategy for major search engines/directories and optimize content. Google analytics is a great (and free!) tool to monitor conversion rates and learn about your visitors

4. Focus on “what you do” not “what you are”: Tell your visitors what you can do for them and be direct.  They want information on how you can help them as quickly as possible

5 . Use flash with intent: Although it looks cool, flash can drastically slow down a search. If you use flash on your site give the visitor the opportunity to skip it or view a low bandwidth version

6. Be Careful when choosing Music: Just as classical music outside a convenience store will deter loitering, a poor choice in music can also turn visitors away from your site

7. Update your website’s content: Remove broken links and out-dated information. (Updating content is also a good way to optimize your search engine ranking)

8. Use a professional web copywriter: This will ensure your information is as concise as possible and reflects your products/services in an easy-to-read format

9. Interact with your customers: Use e-newsletters, blogs and forums to communicate with your visitors on a deeper level

10. Reinforce your Brand Identity: use an email signature that includes your URL and logo. Customize the look of your e-newsletters according to brand guidelines and offer links back to your site whenever possible

They are currently aiming to fill 200 positions but would like to 800 in the future.  Sounds like a great economic opportunity for our city!

Check out the article in today’s issue of The Vancouver Sun or at:

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html