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However, what most people want to see is how SEOPressor can help them with their SEO. Here are some points that elucidate that difference:-

1. SEOPressor is a tool designed exclusively for WordPress websites. It analyzes various aspects of on-page optimization and lets the webmaster know a very true picture of the website. SEOPressor tells webmasters about the exact standing of their keywords, for instance. It tells people how their keywords are getting ranked and whether they should format them in any way (make bold, italicize or underline) to improve their viability. The software also tells about the worth of the images used on the website and the H1, H2 or H3 formats used in titles. In this way, SEOPressor keeps a keen eye on the little things that matter much with WordPress websites.

2. Unlike other tools, SEOPressor doesn’t just tell about the SEO problems of a website. It also gives good suggestions on what needs to be done. These include suggestions on how keywords and their formatting can be tweaked, how tags should be ideally added to images and so on.

3. SEOPressor also continuously tells webmasters on how their website is performing at the SEO level. An instant SEO score can be obtained which helps people know what they must do in order to improve the prospects of their website. SEOPress can also test and rate each post that is added to the website, which helps webmasters know the true value of any additions that they make to their websites, almost on an instantaneous basis.

4. The other great thing about SEOPress is that it has a highly successful and experienced developer behind it. This developer is none other than Daniel Tan, an SEO enthusiast, who is quite active on the Warrior Forum. He is a keen observer of the way websites work with search engines and has carved a credible name for himself with his previous products such as Backlink Syndication System and Rank Mover, both SEO products.

5. However, the real USP of SEOPress lies in the secret algorithm that it uses. This secret algorithm helps correlate SEOPress with the way Google ranks pages, thus ensuring that your website can rank extremely well in Google. The users of the product are quite hopeful that SEOPress will be termed as a mandatory plug-in for WordPress shortly.

How do you make decisions? If you’re like most people, you’ll probably answer that you pride yourself on weighing the pros and cons of a situation carefully and then make a decision based on logic. You know that other people have weak personalities and are easily swayed by their emotions, but this rarely happens to you.

You’ve just experienced the fundamental attribution error — the tendency to believe that other people’s behaviour is due to their personality (“Josh is late because he’s a disorganised person”) whereas our behaviour is due to external circumstances (“I’m late because the directions were useless”).

Cognitive biases like these play a significant role in the way we make decisions so it’s not surprising that people are now examining these biases to see how to exploit them in the design of web sites. I’m going to use the term ‘persuasion architects’ to describe designers who knowingly use these techniques to influence the behaviour of users. (Many skilled designers already use some of these psychological techniques intuitively — but they wouldn’t be able to articulate why they have made a particular design choice. The difference between these designers and persuasion architects is that persuasion architects use these techniques intentionally).

There are 7 main weapons of influence in the persuasion architect’s arsenal:

• Reciprocation
• Commitment
• Social Proof
• Authority
• Scarcity
• Framing
• Salience

How do persuasion architects apply these principles to influence our behaviour on the web?

Reciprocation

“I like to return favours.”

This principle tells us that if we feel we have been done a favour, we will want to return it. If somebody gives you a gift, invites you to a party or does you a good turn, you feel obliged to do the same at some future date.

Persuasion architects are not shy of asking for the favour that you ‘owe’ them. (By the way, if you’ve enjoyed this article, please leave a comment!).

Commitment

“I like to do what I say.”

This principle tells us that we like to believe that our behaviour is consistent with our beliefs. Once you take a stand on something that is visible to other people, you suddenly feel a drive to maintain that point of view to appear reliable and constant.

Persuasion architects apply this principle by asking for a relatively minor, but visible, commitment from you. They know that if they can get you to act in a particular way, you’ll soon start believing it. For example, an organisation may ask you to ‘Like’ one of their products on Facebook to watch a video or get access to particular content. Once this appears in your NewsFeed, you have made a public commitment to the product and feel more inclined to support it.

Social Proof

“I go with the flow.”

This principle tells us that we like to observe other people’s behaviour to judge what’s normal, and then we copy it.

For example, researchers at Columbia University set up a web site that asked people to listen to, rate and download songs by unsigned bands. Some people just saw the names of the songs and bands, while others — the “social influence” group — also saw how many times the songs had been downloaded by other people.

Even more surprisingly, when they ran the experiment again, the particular songs that became “hits” were different, showing that social influence didn’t just make the hits bigger but also made them more unpredictable.

Authority

“I’m more likely to act on information if it’s communicated by an expert.”

This principle is about influencing behaviour through credibility. People are more likely to take action if the message comes from a credible and authoritative source. That’s why you’ll hear people name dropping and it’s also what drives retweets on Twitter.

Persuasion architects exploit this principle by providing glowing testimonials on their web site. If it’s an e-commerce site they will have highly visible icons showing the site is secure and can be trusted. If the site includes a forum, they’ll give people the opportunity to rate their peers: for example, some web forums (like Yahoo! Answers) let users vote up (or down) answers to posted questions. The top ranked answer is then perceived to be the most authoritative.

Scarcity

“If it’s running out, I want it.”

This principle tells us that people are more likely to want something if they think it is available only for a limited time or if it is in short supply. Intriguingly, this isn’t just about the fear of missing out (a kind of reverse social proof). Scarcity actually makes stuff appear more valuable. For example, psychologists have shown that if you give people a chocolate biscuit from a jar, they rate the biscuit as more enjoyable if it comes from a jar with just 2 biscuits than from a jar with 10.

Related to this is the ‘closing down’ sale. One of the artists at my friend’s art co-op recently decided to quit the co-op and announced this with a sign in-store. She had a big rush on sales of her art. Then she decided not to quit after all. So pretending to go out of business might be a ploy!

Framing

“I’m strongly influenced by the way prices are framed.”

This principle acknowledges that people aren’t very good at estimating the absolute value of what they are buying. People make comparisons, either against the alternatives you show them or some external benchmark.

One example is the way a restaurant uses an “anchor” dish on its menu: this is an overpriced dish whose sole aim is to make everything else near it look like a relative bargain. Another example is the Goldilocks effect where you provide users with three alternative choices. However, two of the choices are decoys: one is an overpriced, gold plated version of your product; another is a barely functional base version. The third choice — the one you want people to choose — sits midway between the other two and so feels “just right.”

Salience

“My attention is drawn to what’s relevant to me right now.”

This principle tells us that people are more likely to pay attention to elements in your user interface that are novel (such as a coloured ‘submit’ button) and that are relevant to where they are in their task. For example, there are specific times during a purchase when shoppers are more likely to investigate a promotion or a special offer. By identifying these seducible moments you’ll learn when to offer a customer an accessory for a product they have bought.

“Don’t underestimate the expressive power of simple language,” Grant says. “For example, take a look at Facebook’s homepage; they do a really good job of making their service obvious the moment you arrive. Since the first text you see on the login page proclaims, Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life, it’s pretty hard to confuse what they’re selling.”

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Problem Solved!

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“The Internet is cluttered with bad websites,” Grant says. Make yours one of the most usable, and you’ll attract an audience and form lasting relationships with your customers.” He recommends that your website focus on easy-to-use site navigation and on creating pages that achieve quick download times. Readable text throughout, and share functionality (which will allow a user to post something from your site on Twitter or Facebook) is a helpful addition, too, he adds.

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“If your budget allows for it, get an SEO company or a consultant to do a quick audit of your site,” Prindle advises. “There are always optimizations to be made, and you should always be looking at ways to improve your search ranking.” Additionally, if you are a new company, you should consider buying sponsored link placements through popular search engines. “It’s a good way to attract new users right out of the gates,” he says.

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However, those of us who worked in the Web design industry prior to the codification of user-centered design, usability and Web accessibility would know that we used to make websites differently. Before our clients (and we) understood the value of user-centered design, we made design decisions based on just two things: what we thought was awesome and what the client wanted to see.

We built interaction based on what we thought worked — we designed for ourselves. The focus was on aesthetics and the brand, with little to no thought of how the people who would use the website would feel about it.

There was no science behind what we did. We did it because the results looked good, because they were creative (so we thought) and because that was what our clients wanted.

But this decade has witnessed a transformation of the Web. Not only has it become more ubiquitous — the Web had at least 1.5 billion users globally in 2008 — but websites have become so complex and feature-rich that, to be effective, they must have great user experience designs.

Additionally, users have been accessing websites in an increasing number of ways: mobile devices, a vast landscape of browsers, different types of Internet connections.

We’ve also become aware of the importance of accessibility — i.e. universal access to our Web-based products — not only for those who with special requirements, such as for screen readers and non-traditional input devices, but for those who don’t have broadband connections or who have older mobile devices and so forth.

With all of these sweeping changes, the websites that have consistently stood out were the ones that were pleasant to use. The driving factor of how we build websites today has become the experience we want to give the people who will use the websites.

More often than none, clients have no idea what they want and look to you for your expertise. For a designer, it can be annoying. Then again, how many times have you been to a restaurant and had no idea what to order and asked for a recommendation? Clients are no different. They are looking for recommendations, not fixed solutions. Talk it over with them, get all the details, and then start making educated recommendations. As ideas start to bounce around, one will hit home and provide a base from which to work.

It takes a great deal of patience, but getting all of the necessary information and building a solid starting point will not only help you throughout the project, but also reassure the client that they made the right decision.

Feels Left Out of Process

Communication is the foundation of any successful client relationship. When this foundation starts to slip, the relationship begins to crumble. Starting a project on the same page as the client is easy, but staying on the same page throughout the project requires tenacity.

At the beginning of each project, create a calendar outlining a timeline of events for the project. The calendar should explain when the client can expect certain tasks to be completed and when they will need to provide certain information. A calendar is just the start to keeping the client in the loop; it should be followed up with regular emails and phone calls. If you are making a change that will take up to a day or two, send a quick email to let the client know. A quick email takes only a minute to send, and it assures the client that you are indeed working. Simple and small efforts such as these keep the client happy and informed of the entire process.

Changes Mind Midway

It’s bound to happen sooner or later: you start a project, things are going well, and then the client gets a new idea. They request that you scrap what you’ve done so far and move in another direction. All of your hard work and effort, which the client originally wanted, is wasted — or so you suspect.

In reality, merging what the client originally wanted with the new direction may be completely possible. Keep an open line of communication and work out the reasoning behind the new direction. What they want might not be far off from what you’re actually doing, and mixing in a few new details may not be too difficult.

The initial shock of a request for a new direction is often worse than it seems. Keep a good attitude, and work it out with the client professionally. If the client refuses to meet you in the middle, you should have a solid contract to back up the project, and bill them for the extra work accordingly.

Doesn’t Understand Web Design

When I take my car into the shop for a repair, the mechanic knows to speak to me in terms I will understand. If they go into detail about how my carburetor is not getting the right fuel-to-oxygen intake ratio of 14.7:1, then I look at them as though they are speaking a foreign language. The same is true with our clients. If I explain to them that the layout is based on a 12-column 960-pixel-wide grid, in which everything in the left column needs to stay within 220 pixels, then they would look at me as though I was speaking a foreign language as well.

Our job as Web designers is to educate our clients. That is neither easy nor glamorous, but working with an educated client is much more pleasurable. When a client fully understands what you are doing and why you are doing it, then they are much more welcoming of your changes, and they’ll often even offer quality suggestions. Remember, what is obvious to you may not be obvious to them, so be as accommodating as possible.

Doesn’t Provide Enough Information

“Asking specific questions and getting vague replies, then clients thinking you’re slow in some way when you ask again.”

Client requests are not uncommon. If a client is not a fan of a blue button, they will tell you so. Being such a polite designer, you change the color of the button. But upon changing it, the client mentions that what they really meant is that they want the button to stand out more. Again, being the polite designer, you make it stand out more. Following this change, the client says that you are getting closer to what they want but that they would like to see the button in blue. Not so politely anymore, you want to know what the problem is. Your button was blue to begin with — what really is the problem?

This type of situation happens all too frequently and is extremely frustrating. The client thinks you are senseless for not understanding what they want, and you think the client is ignorant for not giving you all the necessary details. The quarrel could go on for ages, and no one would win.

When a client provides insufficient detail, go back to them and explain in great detail that you are not too sure what they are looking for. Explain that the more information they give and the better they describe what they’re looking for, then the better you can deliver what they want. Ask for an example or approximation of what they’re looking for. Make sure they understand that the more guidance you get, the better. If you feel you are not getting the details you need, don’t be afraid to jump on the phone with them to hash out the details. Playing the guessing game is the quickest way to burn out. Avoid it at all costs.

Expectations Are Too High

“How about expecting the earth on a shoestring budget and wanting it by 5:30 pm.”

One of the most difficult parts of being a Web designer is managing client expectations. Clients will often come with a list of requests that they presume is not all that difficult to achieve… and that they expect will turn their website into the next best social network. On top of a laundry list of demands, the client also informs you that they are working on a very limited budget and short timeframe. To them, you “do this kind of thing all the time,” and so doing it for them should be a walk in the park. Sadly, they are wrong, and no one but us is at fault.

Christina Krasovich puts it best: “If you don’t manage client expectations, you will never exceed client expectations.” If we do not regularly communicate with our clients about what we are doing and what is feasible, then no wonder they think we have the power to move oceans. Continually keep them informedof the project’s progress, and discuss complications as they arise. A client who is kept in the dark will not know how difficult anything is to accomplish. They will be dumbfounded when you balk at a request.

When negotiating a new project, explain to the client the difficulty of what they are requesting. Let them know that the task they would like to be performed requires time and money to complete. Correctly managing expectations keeps the client at bay. Exceeding expectations will have them praising you.

Struggles to Pay on Time

“Paying on time is my biggest difficulty with clients, especially with larger companies.”

Staying afloat is extremely difficult when a client struggles to pay on time. Even one late payment is enough to cause a great deal of suffering. But as in any industry, when you take on a job, you run the risk of not being paid in full. You never expect not to be paid, of course, but you can take certain steps to soften the blow when a client struggles to pay.

To begin, keep your expenses as low as possible. Do you really need an account for stock photography, or are enough free resources online for you to work for the time being? Just because your income is at a certain level does not mean you need to spend it all. Save your money for operational costs the next time a client pays late.

Also, write a solid contract, and request a decent deposit before starting. If a client is sluggish about making a deposit, this may be a strong indication of things to come: proceed with caution. In the contract, clearly state when payment is due and what are the penalties should the client pay late. Review this part of the contract with the client before signing it, making sure they are fully aware of the penalty.

Be open and honest with the client about payment. Stay on top of them, pleasantly reminding them when their invoice is coming up and when payment is due.

If you’re challenged from a budget perspective, Binch suggests using the free Google analytics package: “In addition to the more expensive solutions, such as Omniture and WebTrends, we use [Google analytics] across all of our client work.” Once you’ve confirmed that all of your tags are working, make sure you pull weekly reports and start looking critically at how people are using your site. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long to observe trends, but it’s still important to be relentless in your pursuit of delivering an optimal user experience, he says.