Exploring Wix: A Free, Fun Tool for Creating Websites, Widgets and More

Are you technically challenged and need help creating a stellar website? Then you might want to visit Wix.com for a fun and easy way to create an amazing website for free.

In just four easy steps, users can create and publish a website for free. First users should log in and then click Create. If you are new to Wix.com, sign up for an account first before you log in. Next, users can either choose one of the templates provided and click Edit or choose a Blank Website to launch the Wix editor. Then, users can customize their websites using Wix’s click/replace/edit and click/drag/drop features in its editor. Finally, users can publish their websites by clicking Publish, Website and True Size in the Wix editor. In a matter of minutes, users can create Flash-based websites that are search engine friendly.

“Did you say Flash-based websites that are search engine friendly? How can this be?” You ask, knowing that search engines love text-based websites. Well, Wix.com says, “behind every Wix creation there is HTML code that search engine crawlers use to read your content and rank your search engines. And you can manage your keywords, description and meta-tag information from Settings in the editor.”

Being the skeptical person that I am, I decided to test Wix.com’s claim by searching Google for Milla Camargo Handbags’ website – a website created using Wix.com. To my surprise, Google listed Milla Camargo Handbags’ website first in its organic search results as pictured below. Impressive, Wix.com. Very impressive.



Figure 1 - Organic Search Results for Milla Camargo Handbags' website on Google.com

For more information about this great tool, visit Wix.com. If you are like me and find that you need a little assistance creating your first Wix website, visit Wix.com’s Help Center. After viewing the Getting Started with Wix.com video tutorial and step-by-step guide, I was creating my first Wix website in minutes. You will, too.

Are Social Networking Sites Really Free?

According to a recent article in USA Today, some social networking users are finding that time offline is becoming more rewarding than time online. In fact, a few users have deleted one or more of their social networking accounts while others have fallen off the grid entirely thanks to the efforts of free software like Web 2.0 Suicide Machine and Seppukoo. These programs remove a user’s online existence in a matter of minutes and allow the user to reboot his/her offline existence. Other less ambitious users have gravitated to programs like Freedom that allow Apple computer users to go offline for up to eight hours at a time. If you ask me, I think that these programs give the users a little more control over their online existence, but what do you think?

Should social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter be concerned about this free software and new trend to go offline or should they see this trend as an opportunity to listen to the groundswell and improve their sites and experiences for their users? Apparently, Facebook sees this trend and the software as a threat while Twitter does not. In fact, Twitter is not concerned about user retention and believes that most users will return or new users will appear. While Facebook, on the other hand, is clearly running scared and has taken legal action against sites like Seppukoo to stop its efforts of confiscating its users.

With sites like Friendster and MySpace going the way of the walkman, Facebook should be concerned about losing its clout; however, bullish behavior will not help its case any. It seems to me that this kind of behavior may be seen as dictatorial and may cause some users to feel trapped thereby leading to an exodus of larger proportions than originally anticipated. If Facebook wants to stay on top, then it needs to worry more about providing a better product for its customers and less about a few disgruntled users that need to go offline anyway. If these users need a little more control over their online experiences in order to enjoy them, then companies like Facebook should allow their users these freedoms even if it may result in a temporary user loss. Take a cue from Twitter, Facebook, and give the people back their freedom. Who’s it hurting anyway? Everyone needs a vacation some time, so let him/her have it. You’ll be happy you did.

Blogging Honestly and Ethically – Part II

Last time we talked about blogging honestly. This time I’d like to address the issue of blogging ethically. As a new blogger this year, I figured that as long as I my posts were honest, I’d be okay. That’s true to a point, but there’s much more to blogging ethically than just being honest. Below are a few things I learned about blogging ethically.

Ethics

Although not all bloggers are professional journalists, we do publish our content online and have the potential to reach millions of readers each day. I know that there is so much content online that we might think that no one is listening to what we’re saying, but that’s not true. We’re talking to the world through a virtual megaphone and need to be mindful of what we say. So I suggest that we look at the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)’s Code of Ethics and apply these guidelines to our blogs in order to be more ethical bloggers.

According to the code, journalists must:

1) seek truth and report it;
2) minimize harm;
3) act independently; and
4) be accountable.

When journalists seek truth and report it, they “should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.” As bloggers, we should do the same. We should be as honest as possible when presenting information to our readers. This includes crediting sources and using content created by others responsibly as mentioned in my previous post (Blogging Honestly and Ethically – Part I). Not everyone possesses a journalistic nature and goes beyond our posts to examine further a subject. Often times our blogs may be the only source the reader uses for information. As such, we should be as thorough as possible when posting information online.

When journalists minimize harm, they “treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.” As bloggers, we should be careful about the claims we make and the words we use. I’m not saying that we should censor our posts, but we should be aware of the impact that our posts can have on others. Whether you’re reviewing a product or a service or commenting on an article or a fellow blogger’s post, you should be as respectful as possible but still remain honest in the process. Remember, our blogs can be seen by anyone with access to the internet, so try to write as if the whole world is watching you.

When journalists act independently, they “should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.” As bloggers, we have the same responsibility, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) thinks so, too. In fact, the FTC amended the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising earlier this year to include full disclosure from bloggers who review products and services. The amendment states, “the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.” In short, let your readers know your relationship between you and the subject of your post. If you hide information from your readers, and they discover your dishonesty, then you’ll lose your credibility and eventually your readers. And what’s a blog without readers? Words on a page.

When journalists are accountable, they “are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.” Again, as bloggers, we must also be accountable for our posts and use our virtual soapbox to improve and inspire the lives of others. Writing recklessly is a disservice to you and your readers. You chose to enter the digital world, so make the most out of it by creating ethical content. Your fellow bloggers and your readers will appreciate the extra time and effort you put into writing your posts. An ethical blog is a credible blog and one that will benefit everyone in the end.

Until next time,

dp

Stayed tuned for more reports on my student adventures in public relations and new media.

Blogging Honestly and Ethically – Part I

As a new blogger this year, I admit that I was hesitant to start adding content to the digital world for many reasons. But the most pressing reason was that I didn’t know what I was doing. It’s not like riding a bike or driving a car. There’s no license to obtain or a certificate to earn, but there are rules and guidelines to follow. And I’d like to share some of these guidelines with you that helped me avoid a few hazards along the digital highway.

Honesty

When you’re writing about something, be honest and give credit where credit is due. There are so many great topics out there to discuss and some great images, video and text to accompany them, but be careful when including these elements in your blogs. If you want to use these elements, first get permission and second credit the sources.

When it comes to text, consider linking to the source as well as crediting the source in your post. Since I can’t cite the source as I would in a research paper, I try to do the next best thing and provide my readers access to the source when at all possible. Otherwise, I’ll provide as much information as I can, so the reader can find the source easily.

For images and videos, I try to create my own content wherever possible. If I cannot create my own content, then I obtain permission from the creator to use his/her content or I use copyright-free content. Since I’m a poor college student, I use free sources like Wikimedia Commons to obtain copyright-free images. I also use well-known sites like Google Images to obtain copyright-free images, but I apply one of the usage rights filters provided in the advanced search options on these sites when searching. Depending on your use of the material, there’s a filter for every need.

Google Images, for example, offers five different usage rights filters. The first filter, not filtered by license, will search for all images both restricted and unrestricted. The second filter, labeled for reuse, will search for images labeled with a license that allows you to copy and/or modify the image in ways specified in the license. The third filter, labeled for commercial reuse, will search for images labeled with a license that allows you to copy the image for commercial purposes, in ways specified in the license. The fourth filter, labeled for reuse with modification, will search for images labeled with a license that allows you to copy and modify the image in ways specified in the license. And the fifth filter, labeled for commercial reuse with modification, will search for images labeled with a license that allows you to copy the image for commercial purposes and modify it in ways specified in the license. For more information regarding usage rights for Google Images, visit the related Google Help section.

Do you have a favorite site you like to use for copyright-free content? Let me know. I’m always looking for great sites that will improve my work.

Until next time,

dp

Stayed tuned for more reports on my student adventures in public relations and new media.

A New Way to Wow’em in the Boardroom

For those of you looking for a new alternative to PowerPoint, you might want to check out Prezi.com.

Prezi is a free application that allows you to create presentations with flash technology that are both Mac and Windows compatible. Because I’m familiar with Adobe’s Creative Suites, I was able to create a presentation in less than an hour. However, this program isn’t for the technology-challenged. I also wouldn’t recommend Prezi if you prefer a more linear approach to creating presentations.

The finished product is very visually appealing; however, I found the creation process a bit frustrating. For example, the first few steps in creating my Prezi were easy, but the rest of the process was difficult, limited and confusing. First, I clicked Create New Prezi, entered a title and description, selected my design and clicked Create. Next, I clicked Open Me. Then I clicked Open. So far so good, but that’s where it all changed.

Unlike PowerPoint, Prezi does not allow the user to use multiple slides. Instead, the user is given one screen in which to design his/her Prezi. Also, the user must use a control module in the upper left corner to create the Prezi.

To add text to the Prezi, the user must click Place; Text; body, strong or head and then click anywhere on the screen to place the text box. Once you’ve created the text box, you can add text in the text box. However, you cannot change characteristics of the text, such as style or color. You can however, change the position, rotation and size of the text by using a Prezi tool called the transformation zebra.

To use this tool, click Place and then click on the text box. The transformation zebra will appear over the text box. If you click and drag on the inside circle of this tool, you can move the text. If you click and drag on the middle ring of this tool, you can resize the text. And if you click and drag on the outside ring of this tool, you can rotate the text.

To add image, video or PDF files, click Place, Media, and File. Then select a media file and click Open. The file will appear on your Prezi. To edit the file, use the transformation zebra in the same way that you used it to edit text.

Once you’ve finished adding elements to your Prezi, you’ll need to create a path for the presentation. Because Prezi does not place elements on separate slides like PowerPoint, the path will show the elements in the order you desire based on the path you’ve created. To create a path for your Prezi, click Place, Path and path. Then click on the objects in the order you’d like them to appear. Once you’ve click the last object, click on the first object again to close the path. If your objects are too close together, they will appear in the same window. You can use the transformation zebra to move them farther away from each other, so they don’t appear in the same screen together. When you’ve finished creating your Prezi, make sure you save it by clicking File, save & close and close.

Want to see my first Prezi? The click here.

Have you tried Prezi? What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this free application. Post a comment below and let me know.

Until next time,

dp

Stayed tuned for more reports on my student adventures in public relations and new media.

MailChimp or MailChump? You Decide.

This week in my public relations and new media class at Loyola University Chicago, we learned how to create targeted emails using the free services provided by MailChimp. Within a few hours, I quickly learned that free isn’t always better.

MailChimp claims that it can easily help you “build and manage your list, design html email campaigns, send emails with confidence and track and analyze email marketing.” If only the claims were true.

My first campaign started out great. I created a list for my first campaign in less than fifteen minutes. The template was easy to understand and populate and allowed me to copy and paste contacts from an Excel spreadsheet into the list instead of entering each contact separately. However, designing my html email campaign was not as pleasant.

I soon discovered that MailChimp was just as mischievous as a real chimp and reformatted my content repeatedly. In what should have taken me less than an hour to do, I spent at least four hours creating, reformatting, deleting and recreating the same campaign. Not cool. I eventually wound up creating the email in Word and copying and pasting it into MailChimp’s template. I still had to reformat the email but not as drastically as before when I created the entire email in MailChimp’s template. Thank goodness the third step was a little easier.

Even though designing my html email campaign left me a little uneasy about sending my campaign, the test message feature reassured me that the final product was up to my standards. I was able to send a test message to an email address of my choice and revise my campaign as necessary. Thank goodness for this feature. Without it, I may not have continued using MailChimp’s services to create my campaign.

The fourth and final step of this campaign allowed me to include tracking, authentication and social share dynamics in my campaign. Not only was my email sent to my list as intended, but it included additional features that allowed the email recipients to share the message with others and the email sender to track the success of the campaign.

Even though three of the four steps involved in creating a targeted email with MailChimp were easy, I cannot recommend MailChimp to other users. The time wasted and the frustration experienced while using this service was enough to dissuade me from trying MailChimp’s services again and recommending it to other users.

Until next time,

dp

Stayed tuned for more reports on my student adventures in public relations and new media.

Discovering a New Tool to Gather and Organize Data Online

This week in my public relations and new media class at Loyola University Chicago, we learned about Yahoo Pipes (Pipes), which, according to its website, is “a powerful composition tool to aggregate, manipulate, and mashup content from around the web”.

This free tool can be used to “combine many feeds into one, then sort, filter and translate it, geocode your favorite feeds and browse the items on an interactive map, power widgets [and/or] badges on your web site or grab the output of any Pipes as RSS, JSON, KML, and other formats”.

As a student, I can use Pipes to research, organize and analyze information for papers and projects. Instead of spending countless hours searching online for information I need, Pipes finds the information for me and organizes it as well. Depending on the parameters I establish when creating my pipe, Pipes can gather content, filter out the items I do not want and sort the items by date. Pretty impressive and efficient. Right? I thought so.

For pr practitioners, Pipes is a great way to keep an eye on your competition and as well as your own efforts. You can track the effectiveness of a new campaign or monitor the success of an existing one. You can see your presence on a local, regional, national or international level or prepare for a new initiative.

If you’re not ready to “get your hands dirty” creating a pipe, as my professor Dr. David Kamerer would say, or are having difficulty creating a pipe, you can always search or browse pipes that other people have created and use and/or edit these pipes depending on your needs. You can also participate in discussion boards or view documents online that offer helpful suggestions in getting the most out of this great tool.

For more information about Yahoo Pipes, I suggest watching the tutorial below or visiting Yahoo Pipes online.

Until next time,

dp

Stayed tuned for more reports on my student adventures in public relations and new media.

Learn How to Build a Pipe in Just a Few Minutes @ Yahoo! Video