Online and Interactive Forms and Questionnaires

Having to design for the worst case and for the majority of form-filler's circumstances mean that many traditional forms contain questions, and sometimes whole sections, that are not relevant to them. One great feature of interactive and online forms is their ability to tailor the questions that the form-filler sees, based on their customer segment, or based on the answers they provide, for example. This article covers some of the key issues and opportunities in designing and developing online forms.

Line up the fields, and make the fields the right length
Each field that a form-filler has to complete has to have a question or label, indicating what information you want them to provide. It's simple to run the fields next to your labels, but to visually cue users in to the start of each field, it's best to align the labels right (and stack them vertically) and then align the fields left so that they all line up. This makes it easier for form-fillers to see the start of each field. Also, make the length of each response field reflect the length of your expected answer. This reassures form-fillers that they are providing the information that you require.

Accordion forms
Accordion forms reveal sections to the user as they progress through it. Each section is 'collapsed' under a section strip, and the user clicks each strip to reveal the section. This is becoming a common online form mechanism, and research seems to suggest that users fill them in more quickly as they get more of an overview sense of how long the form is, and where they are in the interaction. In addition, accordion forms bring all the complex content together under one set of over-arching controls.

Progressive disclosure
This is one of the most powerful features of interactive forms - the ability to only show the form-filler the questions that are relevant to them. Based on the form-filler's response to certain questions, the next 'screen' will display (or the next question will animate) the next relevant question or section. For example, to ease the burden when filling in bank details in a payment form, the questions and field lengths can be varied according to the type of bank or credit card the customer has.

Make fields tolerant
There is nothing more irritating than completing a form on a banking or financial website that does not recognise a currency value because it includes a comma, a currency sign, or fails to have a decimal point: where possible, build forms that are tolerant to some extent to the sorts of errors or short-hand approach that many users have.

Polite error messaging
When a user fills in a field incorrectly, highlight the field clearly - perhaps using red, and politely ask the user to 'Check your answers please...' Don't imply that the user is wrong or has messed up, and make sure their errors are clearly highlighted but not glaringly so.

Use the right interface elements
Using the most appropriate response field can significantly speed up the filling-in process for people whilst also making sure data provided is accurate. If a question has one answer from a set of options, provide the options with radio buttons. If there are a number of responses and the user can select all that are relevant, provide check-boxes.

When selecting one from a defined set of responses, menus can be a good interface element. But they can also slow people down. Don't format date of birth fields with drop downs - form-fillers just find this irritating because their date of birth is so hard-wired in their head. If you do use drop downs, make them tolerant to allow the user to key their answer as well as using their mouse.

When designing interactive forms, consider these points and you'll be sure to keep your customers happy.

Article submitted by Andrew Boag, Director at BoagMcCann Ltd. BoagMcCann has over 25 years' experience designing award-winning customer communications, information guides and visual aids. To find out more about interactive design, visit www.boagmccann.com

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Seven Deadly Sins of Self-Publishing

The publishing industry is a dangerous place. I read an article the other day that stated the overwhelming majority of self-published authors don't even sell 500 copies of their titles. Scary huh? What can authors do not to be in that number? I have my opinions on the subject, but called in additional experts (self-published authors) to give their two cents on what self-published authors worst enemy is. I received lots of great responses that pretty much fell into the below deadly sins.

Arrogance ­- There authors out there who have done decent to quite well selling books and get to smelling themselves (as my grandmother would say). What these authors see as confidence, others often perceive as a funky and/or dismissive attitude. As my good friend author J'son M. Lee would say, "It's best to keep it humble."

Distribution Issues - Unfortunately, many authors do not know or understand what their different distribution options are. This goes deeper than just who is shipping your book where (electronic and print). Many also do not understand how ISBNs work and why your publishing company should own its ISBNs. Yes, it takes research. Start with Bowker, the only official source of ISBNs in the United States, and learn everything you can about ISBNs. Don't be afraid to contact their support if need be.

Know exactly what your distributor can and can't do for you. Will they offer marketing of your title to regional book sellers and libraries? Will your print titles be returnable? What seller and warehouse catalogues will your title(s) be listed in? Are they print on demand? What is print on demand? Are they taking a percentage of each sell... ?

Speak with authors who have distributed in different ways and ask what worked and didn't work for them. Research, research, research then make informed decisions. It's okay if you change your mind later on in the game. You may do it this way for now and another way later, but at least you truly know what you're doing.

Doubt - This one came up a lot. Not only self-doubt, but the doubt of others in us that we'll make it. Fear of failure and of disappointing our loved ones has stopped many from reaching for their dreams. There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just put it out there. If you do not try, you have failed yourself. The desire for this dream is in you for a reason. Nurture it by writing, learning the craft and business and doing your best to see your dream to fruition.

Gullibility - It breaks my heart every time I hear an author has been taken advantage of by a supposed editor, publisher, distributor, book seller, cover artist... The list goes on and on, including fellow authors. I have been in the business for over a decade, but don't listen to every word I say. Do your own research. Same goes of other experienced authors, industry insiders and those who are supposedly in the know. There are a lot of good people out there who truly want to help you, but there are also a lot of cons who do not want you to succeed for whatever reason or who want to take advantage of your dream. Be careful.

Instant Gratification - There are self-published authors who want their book out there now, now, now. They don't want to wait until they have enough money to properly produce their books. Many don't want to take the time to have their book properly produced. Many don't want to invest time in learning the craft and business. Many don't want to invest time in creating and implementing marketing plans. Many don't want to invest in the time it takes to have reviews (from legitimate review teams and publications) before their book is released. Many don't want to invest the time in truly building a relationship with their base. Many won't even decide who their base is... It goes on and on.

Laziness - There are authors who just want to write the book. Forget about the research that goes into writing their book(s) or learning the craft or business. Money is tight so everyone is trying to save costs, but some authors are so lazy that they won't even learn how to properly format their book (which is easily found online).

Poor to No Planning - You've written this book, now what? Many have not set aside production and marketing budgets or created a marketing plan. They haven't been nurturing their relationship with readers and networking. They haven't pinpointed how to connect with their target audience or even know where or what their target audience is... Publishing is a business. For a better chance at success, it pays to have plans for your business and each product you release.

There you have it. The Seven Deadly Sins of self-publishing, but as I went through them, I think some of them carry over to traditionally-published authors also. Be careful out there. The publishing world is dangerous!

Deatri King-Bey

With the advances in technology, anyone can be a published author, but not all authors are successful. Keep your focus: Increase quality, credibility and visibility of your brand. Visit http://www.BecomeASuccessfulAuthor.com for tools and knowledge to help you Become A Successful Author.

Deatri King-Bey

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Make Money Writing Children's Books

If you possess a flair for writing, you can make easy money by penning children's books. Every family with children is constantly on the lookout for new books to use in teaching their children. Do not rush to the conclusion that books meant for children must be filled with stories. Any topic that generates interest in the mind of a child can be the focus of your book. This can range from religion to science to any field that you feel most comfortable or passionate writing about.

Plan and study various aspects of your book carefully in order to keep in tune with the mindset of a child. The cover design must be attractive, along with the fonts used in the book. Larger, bolder fonts are known to be more attractive to children. The layout of the book plays an integral role in capturing the attention of your young readers. If you need help getting ideas, plenty of templates can be found online. Or, you can visit the nearest bookstore and skim through some of the children's books they have in stock. It is not a good idea to copy the layout, however; when in doubt, it's best to consult professional graphic designers and illustrators. You also have to consider the fact that there are some parents who don't have enough time to go through the entire bookstore just to buy a single book for their kids. They would just pick up a book that has a great cover and inviting illustrations. You must really pay attention to details.

Parents are the ones buying the books for their kids, especially if the child is an infant or a toddler. When you are writing a children's book, you have to think as a child and a parent at the same time. Ask yourself this question: Would a mother buy this book for her 8-month-old baby (or whatever age group you are writing for)? If your answer is yes, continue with what you are doing. If your answer is no, you'd better think of a different plot or layout that would be attractive to a parent.

Interactive books like Touch and Feel and Pop-up books are very saleable to kids. These books are a little pricey to publish, but the profit is better compared to a regular children's book since you can sell them at a higher price. Touch and Feel books appeal to infants and toddlers. They are still not able to read but their interest is stimulated by the drawings and the 'touch' activities in the book. Parents would also prefer reading these kinds of books to their infants and toddlers. Pop-up books, on the other hand, are adored by children who can read, although these can still capture the attention of infants and toddlers.

The content that is presented within your book must capture the attention of parents and children alike. Put yourself in the shoes of a child and let your imagination run wild. The silliest of ideas have proven to be a hit with children. Children are not interested in current affairs - so refrain from attempting those story lines. If the writing is done with great passion and enthusiasm, money will naturally follow.

http://www.Bookpal.com.au/ is helping self publishers all around the world to successfully self publish and market their books with cost effective solutions to create bestsellers. The website offers a free book for budding self publishers, and many other free resources.

Terence Tam is the founder of Bookpal, he previously spent 6 years as an academic and was a contributing author for several academic books. Frustrated with the level of service he was getting with traditional publishers, he set up his own self publishing company to help other authors publish and market books with cost effective yet efficient solutions

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Amazon Kindle Self-Publishing: Publishing Your First Amazon Kindle E-Book

Amazon Kindle is the newest trend in online sales, and everybody's doing it... Why aren't you? Maybe you've become distracted or just detoured by what you feel to be a lack of "technical know-how", but rest assured, anyone can publish their own e-book through Kindle self-publishing by simply writing their e-book, creating a cover image, and choosing a royalty option. It's just that easy. Don't believe me? Keep reading.

Keys To Writing Your E-book

For many, writing the e-book itself may be the most daunting challenge, but once it's completed, everything else is a breeze. When writing your e-book, keep in mind that your e-book must be formatted appropriately in order to be accepted by Amazon. Amazon Kindle eReader does permit most DOC files for electronic book conversion, however, using a basic word processor such as Microsoft Word or Open Office is recommended.

Amazon Kindle eReader allows most DOC files to be used for electronic book conversion, however,.doc files that possess complicated formatting may not function properly or may simply fail to upload all together. So if at all possible, try to use.doc files such as Word documents or Open office docs instead of.docx or portable document files. Using bold and italic formatting within your e-book is fine, but anything beyond that, which is more complex, such as bullet points, is simply not compatible with the Amazon Kindle eReader. Are you familiar with the saying, "A picture's worth a thousand words"? Pictures within your e-book are a must. Just be sure that you actually own the copyright, of course. All images should be used as.jpg files, and centered. However, if you attempt to wrap images around text, it may look good on your personal PC screen, but seeing as your content will be viewed on mobile devices, it will look completely different to your viewers. So when formatting your e-book, please keep these suggestions in mind.

After you've gotten the writing of your e-book squared away, it's time to create some catchy headline title pages, as well as acknowledgment pages. If you wish, you can insert a page break anywhere within your e-book that you feel a hard page break should be, and it will of course show within the final of your Amazon Kindle e-book. Many of you may find the technical aspects of word-processing difficult or time-consuming, and in this case, it's better to simply outsource this portion of the e-book creation to a qualified professional that can help you get the "look and feel" you desire.

Once you've got the "look and feel" you desire, just convert it to one of the accepted Amazon Kindle formats mentioned above, and then it's "off" to create the most coveted portion of your e-book: the cover.

Creative E-book Cover Designs

In this business first impressions count. You've only got one shot to "catch the eye" of your visitors, so you better make it count! Most e-book creators simply fail to take the time required to create quality e-book covers, and it shows not only through the visuals, but more importantly through their lack of sales. There are thousands of other e-books on Amazon, so be sure to make your "title" and "image" pop. Ready to get paid? Let's talk royalties...

Getting Paid & Royalties

OK. Concerning royalty options, you've got two choices: 35% or 70%, minus delivery charges. In order to select the 70% royalty option, your e-book must fall within the $2.99 and $9.99 price range. Your e-book must also not contain any public domain information and have a Kindle selling price equal to or less than the selling price of any hardback/physical book currently available for sale within your same niche. By making these requirements, Amazon ensures that e-books aren't overpriced and don't cost more than normal hardback books would. That makes sense right? Of course it does.

Well, now you know the necessary components to sell your first Amazon Kindle e-book successfully. What are you waiting for? Amazon Kindle is the newest trend in online sales, and everybody's doing it... Now you can too! Anyone can publish their own e-book through Kindle self-publishing by simply writing their book, creating a cover image, and choosing a royalty option. It's just that easy!

Did you enjoy this article? For more information on self-publishing with Amazon Kindle, please visit http://liberationbooks.com/ Discover how to format an e-book for Kindle in 8 easy steps FREE! Receive your FREE e-book now at http://liberationbooks.com/

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Tips to Choose the Best ePub Conversion Services

ePub conversion service is gaining popularity among authors, freelance writers and hard copy publishers to meet the increasing demands of e-readers. Efficient e-pub conversion service providers can take care of printed books as well as ebooks.

If you have got your book converted to ebook, you need a publisher to publish your eBook to the e-readers. With the latest technology ePub conversion service company offers the latest standard and compatible formats which can be read on Windows, MAC computers and Linux computers. Some eBook conversion service companies provide free e-publishing service to their regular clients. Thus, you can get your documents, novels, fiction, non-fiction, manuscripts, journals and magazines converted to digital format and then can get published on internet.

Most reputed ePub conversion services have skilled professionals, in-house editors, proof readers, Quality control checkers, etc who keep tab on every eBook and compatibility measures for different devices.

Why to choose ePub Conversion Services?

ePub conversion is the best option as these providers have mastered the skill of conversion. Moreover, good companies pass every single file over ePubcheck3.0. The submitted file can be of any format like Word, Indexing, Printed books, PDF, etc. What ever it can be, a scanned copy or eBook; an ePub Company can publish any type of work within the TAT with complete job satisfaction.

Remember all ePub documents need a master's hand to deliver the best result. It is not sufficient to put text, graphs, images, tables and charts in right order but e-publisher must have expertise in computing and thorough knowledge and understanding of digital publishing. E-Publishers must have good knowledge of computer languages like Xml, html, CSS, etc. All text, images, graphic designs, content, multimedia, etc must be placed in right order and must be user-friendly so that it gives a delightful experience to the reader and retains the reader's interest.

Many e-Publishers combine manual service along with the software to deliver better results. They deal with different formats like:
• Word to ePub.
• PDF to ePub.
• Scanned document to ePub.
• Quark to ePub.
• Indexing to ePub.

Frankly speaking, all types of formats; complex, simple or complicated, can be successfully read on different devices like iPad, iPhone, Android, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader, Smart Phones, Adobe Digital, Kindle or any other commonly used devices.

With the increasing popularity of internet, publishing also has become digitalized. Normal and traditional paper publishing has been replaced by modern web publishing. This has become very popular because of its easy accessibility and wider demand. The younger generation is all techno savvy and has more inclination towards the latest technological trends. As per the latest statistical data, Amazon sells more ebooks than paperbacks. The convenience that ebooks provide is incomparable with the paper books. Flexibility, affordability, and increased reading experience are the prime benefits that eBook readers get along with information and entertainment.

This is the competitive age and the fittest only can survive. So even if you are computer illiterate or computer expert, you need to master the art of digital publication. Thus more and more authors and small or big writers turn to ePub conversion services to get their product published from experts so that they can stay ahead in this digital age.

AtoZ ebook Conversion Services is the leader in epub conversion service with credits of more than 5000 eBooks. eBook conversion is essential for authors and publishers to grab on the gadget friendly readers. We convert all type of file formats to be read on various digital devices like Nook, iPad, Kindle and more...

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Banners and How They Advertise

Anyone who owns a business knows how important it is to stay ahead of the competition. Having your potential customers know where to find you is very important. So, what are some great and cost effective ways for customers to see and remember your company?

Having your company be visually seen is not as easy as it sounds. Over a stretch of businesses located in a small mall strip setting there may be as many as 20 signs. How do you make yours stand out above the rest? There are a number of ways this is possible.

Banners- Banners are not as expensive as many may think. If they are made from durable materials they can be used for years to come. The key here again is to make sure the banner material is made from material that is not flimsy and will rip easily. By doing your research and ordering from the right sign company your investment will last for years to come.

Choosing the right sign manufacturer company is very important. Many think it is as simple as just telling the sign maker what to make. It really isn't that simple. Because you have an image of what you would like doesn't mean that everyone else is envisioning the same thing. By having an expert sign person sit down with you and go through what you like, the design team can then take over. The design team is then able to take your ideas and wishes and make a design. This is the beginning of a design that your company will be recognized by for years to come.

Banners are more versatile for a number of reasons. Does your company participate in events such as trade shows? If so, the banners are portable. No reason to have more signs made up because a banner will roll up and travel. Lightweight and durable make a banner a welcome advertisement.

When ordering banners for your company be sure to ask if the banner stands will also be supplied. Having good banner stands may cost a bit more but are worth it in the end. Who wants a beautiful banner that tips over if there is a little breeze? A little thought ahead of time will go a long way. No reason to worry about such things when you and your employees are trying to wait on customers.

Banners designed the right way can be seen from a far distance and be durable. They are portable and can be used just about anywhere. Whether in front of your business or at a trade show they are portable and hassle free.

Debra Verville

For the best in expert sign advise visit http://www.signsny.com. Choosing the best Banners NYC will boost sales and visibility.

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