Inspiration

No-one wants to put their photo on their website. To be quite honest, I don't. I'd rather present a little blurb about myself and leave the photo off our about us page. So why do I have one there? Putting a photo on your site establishes rapport and trust. When you meet someone face to face, have a chat, and hand over your brochure you've had a chance to build up the start of a relationship. Online, you are simply handing over the brochure. Without presenting some personal information along with a photograph, they have no reason to trust you. Make it personal, win trust. Ben

Today I'm simply going to recommend a blog that is very much worth reading. Chris Guillebeau has a very successful blog. He offers incredible value, and writes engaging content. On top of that, he offers two well written thought provoking ebooks free of charge. Truly, he is remarkable.

"No one will give you links without you earning them. To earn them, you’ll need to do something remarkable. When you receive inbound links, it’s like getting paid." - Chris Gillebeau

These are gloomy days, allegedly. What with a global recession, and now more impending doom from swine flu, is there anything to look forward to? Will our capitalistic democracy crumble in the wind? Will recession carry on for years, decades?

Some days, it's easy to get swept up in the hysteria (a lot of those days start by getting on an underground train and picking up a copy of Metro). The press makes out that we are all doomed. Are we? Is this it? Is the end nigh?

A website can be a thing of art. There are an ever increasing number of very talented artists who turn their hand to graphic art, and amaze us with gorgeous design. Ranging from simple black and white layout, to fully animated flash interfaces, there are a world of options available to the website owner when trying to revamp a tired site.

What if your website has so much artistic merit, that you win an award. Isn't that the highest accolade an audience can bestow on a webmaster - awarding her for creating a work of art? Isn't that what we should all strive for?

No.