The significant challenges that we face today cannot be resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.

Hi and welcome to today's issue of KIT. I'd like to extend a very warm welcome to all the new Quikonnex members and affiliates - I'm so glad you have decided to join us.

They say that April showers bring May flowers and that's a good thing except the weatherman seems to want to keep throwing some snow into the mix. I faithfully check my flower beds each time I'm outside. I can't wait to see the irises start and my little chicks and hens are putting on a brave face.

Our U.S. friends had to have their taxes done on Thursday. We still have until the 30th to finish ours. I'm getting there and will have it all ready for the accountant. Then I plan on spending some time on the road with my husband, James. Don't worry, I'll still be 'keeping in touch' while I'm gone.

As we gain new publishing members at Quikonnex, our meetings are becoming more fun all the time. As you know, Jim and Carolyn hold meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Yahoo IM at 8:00 pm CST. Any member can take advantage of these sessions and if you haven't been attending - you should be. Thursday's meeting was a terrific example of brainstorming. That's when a group of people come together - one comes up with a saying or idea and the group simply adds their contributions and before you know it, ideas start coming out that are helpful to all of us. It's awesome. All you need to join in is to have Yahoo installed and set up. A microphone is a good idea too so that you can talk. To join us, just send an Instant Message (IM) to n2links or ebizworks4u and you'll be invited in. You can also send an IM to me at loismj. This is a valuable resource - take advantage of it.

If you want to increase the content value on your website, I've created a page to show you how to include the syndication link together with several Quikonnex channels. Take a look at Syndicated Content. If you have any problems or questions, just send me a note here: Syndication Questions.

Today's Feature Article is What Is Content?. In Part 1 Scottie Claiborne outlines the core elements of a website while expanding on additional inforamation - content - you might want to include for your visitors.

Our Special Feature is a verse entitled It's Up To You To Make Your Dreams Come True by Linda E. Knight.

Have a great day and keep smiling.

Publisher, KIT and the Home4Success Channel
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What Is Content? Part 1 of 2
By Scottie Claiborne © 2004
http://www.successful-sites.com

Browse any webmaster forum or read web tutorials and you will find that nearly all the experts these days recommend that you have lots of good content on your site. Sounds like good advice, doesn't it? But what does it mean?

Simply put, content is the stuff on your site. Good content is useful information or tools that your visitors will find helpful. It means different things to different businesses and the bottom line is that what constitutes "good content" depends on the goal of your site.

Below, I've attempted to categorize the different types of content:

These are the heart pages of your site, the pages that are the core of why you built a site in the first place. They explain your mission or goals, who you are, and detail the products/services/information available through your site. The best place to start with "good content" is making sure these pages are as complete as possible and answer all of a user's potential questions.

Typical pages that visitors expect to find on a site are:

• About Us
• Contact Us
• Products/Services/Activities
• FAQ
• Shipping Info/Delivery Area/Locations Served

If you aren't confident in your writing skills, consider hiring a professional copywriter to write or rewrite your pages. A good copywriter can tailor the style and the voice to appeal to your customers. It can make a difference between just getting traffic and getting traffic that converts into sales.

Make your core site pages a priority and ensure that they are easy-to-read, complete, and informative before looking at adding other content.

Complementary pages enhance and expand on your core site pages. These are the information pages that can really make a difference and help set you apart from your competitors.

For product sites, you might offer detailed product reviews, extensive "how-to" pages for product usage, special print-friendly detail pages, creative ideas for other uses, customer feedback and testimonials, or help pages that go over and above the standard.

For service sites, the complementary pages might deal with how you do what you do, your qualifications, common myths and misperceptions about the service, or do-it-yourself tips for situations where a professional is not needed.

For affiliate or advertising sites, complementary pages are the key element that will set your site apart from the competition. What will attract people to your site instead of the others? Is it a community, more detailed information, news or freebies?

Complementary pages can offer additional information about your company such as how long you've been in business, details of the clients you handle, industry recognition and awards, or even statements of your total commitment to customer service. These pages aren't critical to the operation of your site like the Core Site Pages are, but they help differentiate your site from others in the field and give visitors a reason to choose to do business with you.

People love the real person touch- if you don't believe that, watch a little "reality TV"! People just like to learn about other people. How can you relate that "real people" fascination to your website?

How do people USE what you sell? How do your services improve people's lives? A travel service isn't selling a hotel, it's selling fun in the sun or amenities that make your time away from home easier. Accounting software isn't just about the numbers; it's about getting tasks done faster and more accurately with more detail. A sporting goods site isn't just selling fishing gear; it's selling relaxation. When you think about the benefits, about WHY people want what you sell, it's a lot easier to brainstorm creative content ideas.

A large plastics manufacturer created a section in their site where people could send in amazing stories about how their trashcans had survived falling trees and hurricanes. A baby product site set up a photo gallery where customers could send in their cutest pictures of their baby using the company's products. A men's tie manufacturer invited customers to send in a picture of their ugliest tie along with a few sentences about it- and featured an ugly tie next to each wonderful new tie!

In all the examples above, the "human interest" content reinforces the brand- strong, durable trashcans, products babies love, ties that look great- while adding a little emotion and interest. By focusing on the people and using the product as a backdrop, you subtly reinforce the credibility of your brand.

Establish credibility and authority by including information that spans your industry. Many webmaster experts will encourage you to write articles about your industry- this is a great idea. Try not to simply parrot back what you've heard and read from others, but add your own opinion to the article. Yes, people are interested in your point of view! Articles can often be submitted to other information sites in your industry, which is a great way to get incoming links to your site.

Other author's industry articles are a great and fast way to build content on your site. If you aren't much of a writer or feel you have nothing to add to the information already published, collect the best articles from your industry and (with permission) reprint them on your site or link to them. While they are not unique content, they can add value to your site if you select them carefully. Don't reprint anything and everything available- be selective and only reprint content that you agree with and is helpful to your visitors. You want people to trust in the information that you are recommending they read.

News feeds related to your industry can be a good idea too. RSS is a way to syndicate your articles for others to pick up and a way for you to integrate headlines from other sites on your own pages. Watch for an article on RSS feeds in a future newsletter.

In part II of "What is Content?" we will look at ways to continue to add fresh content, such as allowing users to interact with your site and build content for you. We'll also look other tools and resources you can add to your site that will draw traffic to your site and keep it coming back.

Scottie Claiborne is the owner of Right Click Web Consulting (http://www.rightclickwebs.com) and the facilitator of the Successful Sites Newsletter (http://www.successful-sites.com). She is a speaker at the Search Engine Strategies conferences and the High Rankings Seminars as well as the Administrator of the High Rankings Forum (http://www.highrankings.com/forum) and a moderator at the Cre8asite Forums (http://www.cre8asiteforums.com/).

Part 2 will take us into Weblogs, Interactive Pages such as Forums.

The man who has done his level best ... is a success, even though the world may write him down a failure.
- B.C. Forbes

Studies indicate that the one quality all successful people have is persistence. There's a very positive relationship between people's ability to accomplish any task and the time they're willing to spend on it.
- Dr. Joyce Brothers

Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good.
- Joe Paterno

This life is the only one you're given.
Look for opportunities to grow,
and never be discouraged
in your efforts to do so.
Replace your weaknesses with positives;
take life's broken pieces
and re-create your dreams.
Never measure the future by the past,
let yesterday become a memory
and tomorrow a promise.
Begin each day by focusing
on all that is good,
and you'll be in a position
to handle whatever comes along.
Take responsibility for your actions;
never make excuses
for not being the best you can be.
If you should slip,
be comforted by the thought
that we all do at times.
Determine your tomorrow
by the choices you make today,
and you'll find yourself living
in joy and triumph.

Boogie Jack - Dennis Gaskill, is one of my favorite websites. His site is packed with information that anyone can use but is a terrific site if you are just starting out with html, css - anything to do with building a site. He spices up Boogie Jack's Web Depot with his own sense of humor.

I've learned a lot from his Web Tutorials alone. I've also signed up for his Inner Circle Membership this past week. If you don't know much about html for instance, he's got an html maker on his site that will create the code for you. HTML Maker - Give It A Try. You'll find loads of goodies on this site.

How to properly remove programs from your computer:

Windows 98 has added a little program that helps you delete applications safely and CORRECTLY. Why correctly? Because a lot of new software leaves entries in the Registry, and unless you uninstall your programs, the excess code gets left behind. Not so tidy. So when you want to uninstall an application, follow these steps:

1. Click Start.

2. Choose Settings then Control Panel.

3. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.

4. Under "The following software can be automatically removed by Windows ..." select the application you want to remove.

5. Click Add/Remove and follow the instructions to remove the application. It will show you dialog boxes to assist you in the process.

When you remove programs, you may be asked if you want to remove files called "DLLs". That's an acronym for Dynamic Linked Library file. These are shared by other programs. If you want to be real safe, just answer "No" to the question. Everything but the files in question will be removed. (Everything related to the program you're uninstalling, of course.)

This is all very geeky, really. But the time may come when you need to uninstall something. So use this. Don't just randomly delete the files that make up programs, or you'll be in REAL trouble.

Legal Stuff ...

We accept no responsibility whatsoever for the content, profitability or legality of any published articles or advertisements contained within KIT.

And, although all of the articles have been selected for their content, the publishing of such articles within this newsletter does NOT constitute a recommendation of the products or services mentioned or advertised within those articles.

Be responsible! Always do your own Due Diligence before responding to any offer.