Word Constructions Newsletter August 2005

Word Constructions ~ For all your business writing needs

Good day!

Welcome to those of you who haven't received my newsletter before, and welcome back to those who have!

I have now completed my contract for the Victorian Government department. It was an interesting project and the final website will be a great resource when it is launched.

There are now over 100 articles on my site that can be used as web or newsletter content at no charge ( as long as my details and url are attached.) Even if you don't need to use any, you may find some topics of interest amongst them.

This week is World Breastfeeding Week and, as always, I'm offering a special deal to support the recognition of breastfeeding's importance. It is one of the specials listed on Save Time Online's World Breastfeeding Page.

Tash

Tash Hughes
0428 376 110
fax 03 9445 9154
www.wordconstructions.com
For all your business writing needs

Why be gender neutral?
By Tash Hughes of Word Constructions

In English, we don't use 'it' to describe people so the male pronoun was used as a general term. The words he, his and him are not only used to represent males as traditionally they could be used to represent all humans.

However, with gender equality issues have changed things. No longer do we assume that all Doctors are men and full time parents are women, so we need to change the way we talk and write about people in general.

By using one gender to represent all people, you may offend one group of people and you may distract others. Either way, readers aren't focusing on the message you are trying to send through your writing.

It doesn't matter what you think of gender equality and political correctness when you are writing in a professional manner. What matters is having the greatest number of people take notice of what you are saying, and the best way to reach them is to be gender neutral.

Get Listed!

Get your website listed in an easy to use showcase for Australian Internet users to find quality websites. Each listing includes an email link, a website link, up to 300 words of text and two images for a whole year. Listings are usually $50 for the year, but my subscribers are being offered a deal of only $40 or $30 if you use a graphic to link back to Save Time Online. This bargain is only valid for August ...

Learn more

Take my advice ...
By Tash Hughes

There are many pairs of words that sound or look very similar, but they can mean very different things. There is no easy way around these words, you have to learn them as you can't rely on spell checkers and the like to pick them up every time.

Advice: Opinion given or offered as to action, counsel; information given. (noun)

Advise: Offer advice; recommend. (verb)

So I advise you to take care with words. And my advice is to learn the correct use of each word.

How can you remember which is which?

"I give you advice and I give you ice" will help you remember which word is the noun.

* Definitions from the Concise Oxford Dictionary

Using Testimonials
By Tash Hughes of Save Time Online

Testimonials are a great marketing tool for your business. They provide an external opinion about your business which can reassure potential customers and help them make a buying decision.

Gathering testimonials from satisfied customers can take a bit of time, but it is well wroth the effort. Keep them in a file together so you can always access them as required.

What to do with testimonials

Obviously, testimonials make you feel good and can pick you up at times when business is a bit slow. Although this is a legitimate use of testimonials, they are of more use when you share them with potential customers.

learn how to use testimonials by clicking here.

Things to avoid on your website
By Ally Lamont of Save Time Online

We all make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. Here are a few suggestions about things to avoid when planning your web site.

Background images can distract the viewer from the important information on your web site. If you 'have' to use a background image – keep it very light and suited to your web site style.
Too many big graphics on one page can make the page slow to load. Horizontal rules, icons and bullets can help divide up the content without making the viewer wait.
Avoid using italic fonts as these do not display well on almost all computer monitors.
Try not to use the same things we see on web site pages everywhere - like counters, under construction icons and free clip art. Try to find cheap custom designed graphics rather than use silly flashing smiley faces and the same shopping cart icons we are all familiar with.
Don't overload your visitors with too much information too soon. Try to be clear, concise and keep your objective in mind when creating content.
Try not to use too many fonts. Stick to a basic font like Arial, Times or Verdana for the bulk of your text. Headings can be creative, but make sure you use a font that most users will have already (yes, just because you have a fancy text called 'thingymijiggy' doesn't mean we all do). You can also convert your 'fancy' heading text into an image so that ALL visitors will see it displayed how you intended. Saving text as an image does increase download time slightly but this is a better alternative that the text appearing incorrectly.

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