The Perfectionist

The client is barking and the project manager is barking, but this designer is playing with pixels, nudging them one by one to get it just right. Their desk (and virtual desktop) is annoyingly neat. Not so neat that you would move small items on their desk on purpose to annoy them. Nah, that’s not you.

The Contortionist

This designer has been around a while and has picked up many bad habits over the years, including a secret love for the <center> tag which manages to make its way into every design they touch. That said, their ninja abilities to mix HTML, CSS, and all things Ajaxy makes them an important part of the team – as long as you keep them away from any Perfectionists in the office.

The Pro-crastinator

Once an amateur, this designer has become a full blown procrastinator. If there’s a deadline looming, you can be assured this person is talking about a total redesign just to get some more time. They’ve been talking about quitting since they first started working, but they haven’t gotten around to it yet.

The Funny Guy

The Funny Guy

If you thought your grandmother and relatives forwarding you emails was bad, here’s someone who knows better yet still does it. Worse yet is when they’re in the same building and can come to your cube and ask if you’ve seen the email they sent. (Note: Say you did otherwise there’s a good chance they will takeover your keyboard and force you to watch it. Funny, huh?)

The Slacker

This designer does work … but only in spurts and with a carrot dangling in front of them. The thing is, when they do come through, the work is usually so brilliant that many people put up with (or even encourage) their slacker behavior. This, of course, results in a downward spiral that’s dangerous – but fun to watch from a safe distance.

The Flash Guy

If only this designer was a tenth as cool as Flash Gordon things might not be so bad. As it stands, this person wants to do everything in Flash. The bane of SEO and marketing departments everywhere, Flash Guy insists that Flash is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. They watch the Flash animation of the designer battling with Photoshop on a daily basis.

That One Guy

This is the unseen and unknown designer that does great work but is never recognized. Maybe they have a pet red stapler they’re attached to (and poor social skills), but they design like the top dogs, so they’re kept around and watered once a week. While they’re a bit odd and eccentric, they have your back in meetings and with middle management.

The Boss’ Friend

The Boss' Son

Or the boss’ cousin or nephew or whatever. The design skills may be good, but there’s always an uneasy feeling when you’re around them. It could be the parking spot they got while you had been working your tail off for five years and … Ahem. It does make sense to befriend this type of designer if you find yourself working with them.

The Intern

Some web designers start their careers this way (especially today with so much competition), so cut them some slack if you run into them. As a fellow designer you could, for instance, have them hand code some nasty HTML table mess, but make sure there’s some sort of life lesson at the end so you can trick them into doing something else for you in the future. Don’t abuse your web design intern! [Editor's note: I think an intern snuck that last statement in. Can one of you interns take it out before the final copy is sent to CrazyLeaf?]

The Foreign Guy

Whether they’re brough in on a particularly large project or are kept around at all times (working 50+ hours a week), you may find yourself working with the outsourced. Or would that be outsourcers? Hmmm. Either way, they do good work most of the time although it can be like a Zen minefield sometimes when communicating with them learning their English and jargon from reruns of Happy Days. (Hey bro!)

Web Designer You

As hip and clever as Time magazine, I’m saying the last type of web designer (a bonus 11th designer) is you! There aren’t enough stereotypes to describe all of us, so I challenge you to come up with a short, witty description about yourself and where you are currently in your web design career. Are you up for it? If so, leave a comment below.

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Content is King

Another thing you’re going to come to realize is that you only have so much time as one person. You may be superhuman and filled with Jolt in your bloodstream, but there’s only so much you can do on your own. At some point you’re going to want to outsource. While you can outsource in any area of the business, buying content is one that’s used most in the beginning.

The good news is that there are a lot of “content writers” you can contact online. The bad news is that there are a lot of content writers you can contact online. Now, you might think this is a good thing as a buyer – more writers means more competition means a lower price. Here’s the thing – you shouldn’t be worried about buying the cheapest content. (Just as you should chase down cheap advertising to save a few bucks…)

With that in mind, here’s a very quick and basic rundown of some various levels of writing you can expect when you go hunting on the forums for writers. Let me state upfront that I have no problems with those that aren’t native English speakers – well, except for those that try to pass themselves off as something other than that.

I Rite Rally Goode!

(On a quick side note, if I was in their position, I would make it a marketing thing. Here in the States we have “two guys and a truck” very simple company, but they were honest about what they were – at least in the beginning before they got big because of the brand and service. Anyway, I would totally market myself as “two Indians and a laptop” or something like that. Offer the content cheap while letting people know it might be a little – well, translated or written by someone who is not familiar with the nuances of the English language…)

Okay, moving on. The basic levels of content:

• Less than $0.01/word – You truly get what you pay for when it comes to content and content at this level is no different. You almost don’t feel right calling it content. You will most likely have a lot of grammar errors and an unusual style, Sir! I’ve edited enough of this type of copy to know. It was interesting to see in a single batch the styles of two or three different people trying to sound American. That brings up a point, though. If you’re looking for any old content that you might be able to edit yourself quicker than you could come up with everything on your own, this might be for you. That, of if you’re a cheap bastard that doesn’t care about what kind of crap you throw on the Internet…
• $0.01/word to $0.015/word – In the beginning, I worked at this level. It was amazing how much clients wanted for this little price (more than some of my newer clients!) There’s something to the saying that if you charge more people will take you more seriously and if you charge too little people will overwork you thinking you have something to prove. I’m getting sidetracked, though. I’m not bitter. I chose to work at this level and it taught me a lot. Anyway, most of the time you’re still dealing with a writer for whom English is a second language. They’re going to be the best of the best, though, having done it a while. The other thing they offer is quick turnaround – which is important to some. All in all, you can find some decent writers working at this level if you look around.
• $0.02/word – This is the low rate for most native English writers. You can find some great writers at this level. However, they may not be able to do everything you need. Sometimes writers at this level are just doing it for quick cash in between what they really do for a living. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can mean they’re spotty with delivery. Still, at the price, you can get some good content at this level – if you send them exactly what you want. If you have no idea what you need, you’re going to need to pay more.
• $0.03/word – $0.05/word – This is the middle class of the bottom of the barrel content. Usually you’ll get a lot of creativity and ideas as well as great content. Sometimes you’ll just need to send a list of keywords and they take care of the rest. This content is more expensive, but if you compare it to content bought at lower prices, you’ll find that it is more likely to draw attention (read: links) and be well worth the investment in the long run.
• $0.25/word – This is a big leap, but this is starting to get to the level of what “real copywriters” earn. And for good reason. They don’t just type out content, they craft it, carefully choosing words for maximum effect – whatever that might be. This is the type of content you want to buy to make a big splash in the blogosphere – something that requires research and time and therefore is well worth the price you pay, even if it’s a lot more than the $0.01/word articles.

Duck Duck Goose

Here’s the thing about price. Cheap content is available, but you have to think about whether it’s worth it in the long run. Will people who come to your site try to translate the ramblings of an Indian writing about Cosmic Shadows? Probably not – and how does that reflect on you, your site, or your brand.

And this is another post, maybe. That is, what kind of sites are you putting up on the Internet. Do you have a pyramid? (Tap hit to Eli at BlueHat…) What’s your model for publishing online? Is it defensible? If you’re not asking yourself these questions (and tons of others!) you need to quit reading this blog and go home.

The other thing (as a content buyer) I would recommend is having a long list of writers. As I writer I know I have a long list of clients as well. It helps balance everything out. You don’t want to be dependent on any one writer, especially if you want to scale.

Okay, that’s it for now.

Your thoughts? I wanna hear them. Please Mr. Lincoln…

Oh wait, almost forgot…

Back to Work, Bros...

Related posts:

1. Creating Sticky Content
2. Don’t Read This Blog: How to Make Money Online

Sticky Content

In the beginning, it was easy to get eyeballs on the Internet. (Anyone remember Justin at Links.net?) Almost anything you threw up would get a good portion of the Internet traffic. Then the number of websites started to ramp up as the number of surfers started to increase. Then there was the bubble. Then web 2.0. And now, approaching 2k10? Content is still king, BUT you have to do something to differentiate yourself.

Seriously. How many rehashes of rehashes do you see out there? To create sticky content (the best kind – that keeps people coming back for more) you need to have a voice, you need to have style, you need something to seperate yourself from the horde. This is actually easier than you might think. If you look in whatever niche you’re wanting to get into, you’ll see site after site that is just mediocre. There may be one or two leaders (although there are plenty of niches – long tail – that still don’t have decent competition), but if you do your keyword research right, it’s easy to create content that will knock the shit out of 80% of what is on the Internet.

Different is Good

Not every post is going to be a home run, but you never really know which one will be. You might have ones you think will go viral that never get any traffic and another you threw up half-ass that people LOVE. The web is like that. It’s important to look at what people are reading on your site, what is attracting them and go from there.

Someone relatively new told me in an email the other day that they based their blog off the Nicky Cakes style. To me, that comes down to honesty, to having a voice, to not being one of the horde circle jerking the same tired links from the top fifteen sites in any niche. Cakes has good content in my opinion, which is why he’s been able to gather a following so quickly. (Well, that and being connected and going to shows probably helps. Heh.)

Grab Their Attention

But yeah … sticky content. Let’s get into that some more. What is it that makes content sticky? Beyond voice, beyond having a style, you need to have something of value. I think the honesty aspect really lends to this. It’s one of the things I hope to achieve here at Webmaster Chronic, one of many many blogs I’ve started over the years.

A post saying you need value in your content doesn’t really give value, though, so here’s a look at some things to consider (beyond having your own voice) when creating content…

• Collect - Collect list of links, tools or something else that will save time.
• Create - Create something new that people can’t find elsewhere – still has to be interesting, though.
• Collaborate - Stuck on ideas? Reach into your network for a guest blog from someone that might jumpstart some ideas of your own.

As I said, though, you want to do your own thing. You want to be different. You want something none of the others already have. That’s what attracts links. I have many more thoughts on content (and this post is thrown together), but I’ll save them for later. I just wanted to get some of these thoughts down before getting back to “work/work.”

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1. Blaze Trails, Don’t be a Follower

Lawful Evil

Are you tired of there just being three SEO hats and having to choose white, black or grey? (Although there was a big brua-haha earlier this year about Blue Hats or Green Hats or something…)

Well, here at Webmaster Chronic, since I’m boss (as in leader not the 80s boss) I’m going to do away with Black Hat and White Hat and Grey Hat and even Green Hat and Blue Hat SEO.  To maybe make it a little fun, I’m doing to start mark all my posts here with D&D alignments.

That’s right. Billy Gates might be Lawful Evil? This would at least give us a slightly broader way to look at where people are coming from ethically when building their empire online.

Who knows – I may quickly trash the idea. We’ll see.

In the meantime, what alignment are you when it comes to making monies online?

SEO Alignments?

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1. Google, Newspapers, Black Friday Shopping

Here’s the thing, though. At some point, you’re going to have enough knowledge. Oh, you still want to stay abreast of everything new and never stop learning, but there comes a point where reading blogs and hanging out on your webmaster forum of choice becomes counter-productive. But that word’s not in the vocabulary of those not making money online. There has to come a point where you stop chasing “the magic bullet” or magic formula to make money quickly and easily online because it doesn’t exist. Nope, not even in those very expensive e-books you lust after. (More on those in another post…)

No Magic Button?

There is no magic button. Once you know the basics, it’s all about hard work and growing your network. That’s it. The secret is to STOP chasing something that doesn’t exist (some magic way to make money online easily) and actually get to work implementing your ideas. Things really started to change for me personally when that lesson finally sunk in. I still like to visit forums and I read constantly, but I’m not chasing that magic bullet.

If you do happen to find someone giving out a step-by-step guide on how to make money online you can bet that technique is already saturated beyond belief. Same for e-book techniques. You need to learn to stop copying and come up with things on your own. Oh, there are the old standbys that will make revenue, but the Interenet is changing at a rapid pace. You have to be able to think on your own or you will not survive.

Penny For Your Thoughts...

I saw it with thin-affiliate Amazon sites waaaay back in the day. More recently, look at the flog thing. Someone came up with the idea then it was copied and is not pretty much worthless. Yeah, some got uber rich in the very beginning, but now the pie is spread out among ‘the horde.’ So it’s on to the next one (thanks, Jay Z) for the smart people and waiting for the next one for the horde.

You don’t want to be the horde. The horde isn’t getting rich online. I’m not getting rich online. I’m slowly growing, though, and that’s what is important. To me at the moment anyway.

So there you have it. If you want to make tons of money online, DO NOT READ THIS BLOG.

Thank you.

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