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Table of Contents

1. Editor's Musings
2. How to Handle Jargon at Your Web Site - and Why by Marcia Yudkin
3. Recommended
4. Internet Sites Reviewed
5. Freebies and Other Good Deals
6. Joke of the Week

1. Editor's Musings

Today I'm contemplating how vulnerable our businesses are to situations that are beyond our control.

Greetings, all. November 11th is Remembrance Day in Canada - the day we honour our war veterans from previous wars. My best wishes go to any veterans, of any country, who may be reading this newsletter.

And - Nov. 23 is the next due date for the Roundup to go out. I may or may not make it. I'm leaving for a vacation on the 24th - my first real vacation in four years.

Where am I going? I'm so glad you asked. I'm taking a cruise around the Antarctic Peninsula with a brief stopover in Argentina.

Stay tuned.

2.Article: How to Handle Jargon at Your Web Site - and Why by Marcia Yudkin

If you sell a technical product or service, you probably know you have jargon at your web site - specialized terminology that the average person doesn't understand. While jargon does help you communicate precisely with peers, it seriously gets in the way if potential and actual customers aren't as conversant with it as you are.

Plenty of heart patients, for instance, don't know what a "myocardial infarction" is (a heart attack). Many pregnant women have never heard of a "doula," a woman who coaches them through labor. Movers and shakers thinking of buying another company don't necessarily know the term "assessment of human capital." Hardly anyone would know what "global readiness solutions" are, since one company made up the term. The same goes for abbreviations and acronyms used without the spelled-out versions, like "W3C, 508 compliant."

If you sell an ordinary product or service, you're also in danger of having jargon serve as a barrier at your web site. You may be using common words in ways most people wouldn't understand. For example, the sentence "We partner with creative men and women so they reach their goals" doesn't contain any unusual words or expressions, but most readers wouldn't grasp that it means "Creative men and women hire us to help them reach their goals." At a real estate site, I once saw the headline "Not a drive-by!" and didn't know whether a "drive-by" meant that you wouldn't want to stop or that you wouldn't need to.

Nearly everyone in business overestimates - usually greatly overestimates - the extent to which customers understand their jargon.

In most instances, you don't need to eliminate jargon, but to include an explanation so that the context makes the meaning clear. You can do this explicitly, as in these examples:

* Treatments for myocardial infarction (heart attack)

* Greta spent five years as a doula, a trained labor coach, before studying to become a nurse-midwife.

* All of our web sites comply with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards as well as the latest U.S. government regulations on accessibility to the disabled (Section 508).

In other situations, you can add context so that when the unfamiliar term comes up, its meaning will be clear. For instance, see how the explanation precedes the term "assessment of human capital" in the following passage:

"Management's leadership abilities, operating abilities and personal motivations can profoundly influence what happens after a change in ownership. In contrast to the financials, the true strengths and weaknesses of a company's executives may remain hidden, only to surface later with disastrous results. To minimize risks, buyers need to take care of due diligence on company management. This assessment of human capital is a specialty of New London Management Associates."

By combining jargon with an explanation, you strengthen your message for those who already know the technicalities. Skillfully using ordinary language along with jargon doesn't talk down to anyone or "dumb down" your web site. You also make the value of the services or products you provide more understandable to someone who may need to sign off on a project but who is not technically sophisticated. Likewise, it becomes more likely that non-specialists who discover your site will refer other companies or individuals to you. Your web site thus becomes a stronger marketing vehicle.

Marcia Yudkin is the author of Web Site Marketing Makeover and 10 other books. A four-time Webby Awards judge and internationally famous marketing consultant, she critiques web sites and performs web site makeovers for clients. Learn more about her detailed critique sessions on five different kinds of web sites (including sites for consultants and multi-product sales sites) at www.yudkin.com/websitequiz.htm

3. Product Recommendation: *** Make Your Copy Presell ***

Many small business operators need a professional writer but the budget can't handle it.

This brand new ebook shows you how to write your own copy, and it does so extremely well. This ebook shows you how to write copy that pre-sells. Pre-selling is the relationship building that occurs PRIOR to making a sale. It's the most critical aspect of the process. Without pre-selling, your sales are down. With pre-selling, they're way up.

It's based on the concept of CTPM. That's Content-Traffic-Presell-Monitize. You develop good CONTENT. Your content attracts TRAFFIC. You PRE-Sell your traffic gently, by writing to communicate. Then your pre-sold customers buy, and you MONTIZE. There's more about CTPM at this link

Make Your Copy Pre-Sell is an exceptionally good value for the money. For less than $10, you can download the only copy writing book you're likely to need. Ever.

Check it out here:

Make Your Copy Pre-Sell

4. Internet Sites -- reviewed by June Campbell

*** Moderator Guide
Tips for building an online community.

*** Site Point
This excellent site offers tips and strategies for building a web site.

*** Picassa for Windows
Free electronic photo album lets you organize the digital images on your computer. Does not change image locations, does not install spyware.

*** Wanna work for Google?
Pass this test on their site and maybe you'll have a new job.

5. Freebies and Good Deals

b. Get Free Practical Online Business Tips and Ideas, Internet Marketing Strategies that works and Online Success Guides deliver right to your hand. Power up your Online Business now:
IntendedForSuccess.com

c. Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business on his Web Page? Subscribe at: adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm
Great Business and Computer Tips Monday thru Friday Instructions to place your ad are in the Newsletter.

d. Do you have what it takes to be PASSIONPRENEUR? Everyone has a passion. Every passion has value. You CAN make money doing what you love! Discover your Passion Personality FREE at www.passionprofit.com

e. How to Advertise with Ezines
http://howtoadvertisewithezines.info Free tips, tricks and tools for effective Ezine advertising plus a chance to win a FREE ad!howtoadvertisewithezines.info

6. Joke of the Week: On the Waterfront

As two tugboats passed one another, the two captains yelled, '"Aye" and blew their whistles.

A new crewman asked his sidekick, "Why do they do that?"

The mate replied, "Haven't you heard of an aye for an aye and a toot for a toot?"

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