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Here's what's waiting for you in this month's edition:

Best Practice:  Picture Perfect 

Tools of the Trade:  Get The Most From Ads

News from ChamberExpress™: ChamberExpress Welcomes New Clients 

 

 

Best Practice:  Picture Perfect 
Outside of retail sites, photos seem to be underused on most Web sites as a whole, but basic digital photos are a great way to upgrade your site while enhancing and improving your visitors’ experience. Here are five quick tips for a better website using photos.

• More is (sometimes) better. The web is a visual medium, so give as many photo examples of your business and its services, especially if trying to explain or illustrate complex concepts and processes. But be careful – too many photos can clutter a page and could increase page loading time. Work with your web designer and content experts to find the right balance.
• Make it easy. Create easy-to-use photo galleries so users can see a collection of photos such as a “mouse over” gallery (small thumbnails you can roll the mouse over to enlarge).
• Be unique. Don’t rely on stock photos! If you’re promoting your business, your service and your clients then feature these elements in your photos.
• Increase your sources. Arm your staff with a few inexpensive digital cameras and have them take shots while “out in the field.”
• Learn to take better photos. Just learning the basics of angles and lighting at a local art class or by taking an online course can raise your photos to another level. If you have no interest in studying, then hire someone (art students or retirees could be affordable options). A great photo can be used many times over for different marketing tools, so your investment should return your money’s worth and more!

Tools of the Trade: Get The Most From Ads
If you place ads on your Web site, or if you want to but don’t know where to start, there are some hints to help. While there's no single answer that fits every single Web page, or even pages within the same Web site, there are general guidelines that can be used as a starting point.

Determine Your Goal. Start your ad design by asking yourself the following questions. Answering these questions can be a great starting point to help determine where to place ads and which sizes to use for each page.

• What are visitors trying to accomplish by visiting my site and where is their attention likely to be focused?
• How can I integrate ads into this area without getting in the users' way?
• How can I keep the page looking clean, uncluttered and inviting?

Determine the Best Location. While each site is unique, certain ad locations tend to be more successful. In general, the following rules apply:

• Ads closer to the center of the page tend to perform better.
• Ads “above the fold” (toward the top of the screen) tend to perform better than those “below the fold”.
• Studies show that ads placed at the end of articles tend to do well, even if they're below the fold.
• Ads placed near site navigation or by images or other rich content tend also do well.

Determine the Best Size. In general, a medium rectangle around 300x250 is the best size for an ad, followed by a 160x600 ad; however, you want to make sure you're using the best format for your site. Remember that wider formats do tend to perform better, but don't try to squeeze in a format that doesn't fit your site. Design. Should your ads contrast with your Web site or blend in? In general, ads that blend in are perceived in a more positive light by visitors. In fact, some studies have shown revenue double when ads blend into or complement the page rather than being a stark contrast.

Determine the Best Design. 

These general trends might or might not be the best performers for your site and its visitors—it’s important to evaluate your own site's specific needs to determine the best ad sizes, formats, placements and colors. It may take some experimenting to see which combination works best for you.

Excerpted from an online article by Shirley E. Kaiser

News from ChamberExpress™: ChamberExpress Welcomes New Clients 

ChamberExpress™ continues its westward expansion. In the last two months the Stephenville, Texas Chamber of Commerce and Cleburne, Texas Chamber of Commerce have started to tap the power of ChamberExpress™ and are looking forward to improving their online operations in significant, new ways. Thank you for joining the ChamberExpress™ user community!