I was clicking on my keyboard ever so quietly, checking my email one last time before I joined them in the Land of Nod. A link in an email lead me to a website. The instant that site loaded in my browser LOUD MUSIC BLASTED FROM MY SPEAKERS!!

Startled from sleep, my husband jumped up, tumbling the shocked cat from the bed. They both hissed at me as I struggled to turn down my speakers and close my browser. None of us were happy campers.

Has this ever happened in your home? It’s happened so often in mine that I now turn the computer speakers off after dark.

It’s not unusual to enter a web page and find music blasting when you’re in Facebook or when you stumble upon sales pages put up by immature male marketers. But I’ve even been shocked out of my socks by blaring eBay pages.

People who set their web pages to start playing music or sound effects as soon as a visitor enters haven’t stopped to think that people accessing their site might be quietly surfing as they wait in a hospital hallway, or sit with a sleeping baby.

These morons assume they know your situation. And they make a decision to take control of your experience.

That decision flies in the face of every study I’ve read on how people like to use the internt. In those studies, one thing stands out. What the average web surfer wants most when they visit a website is CONTROL.

They want to choose whether or not they listen to music.

They want to choose whether or not they watch a video.

Take away their ability to choose, and they’ll choose to leave. But be assured, the very people that drive you away with loud, flashing, annoying sites will also be the ones who try to block you from leaving with an endless sequence of pop-ups.

Web site design is not about entertaining yourself. It’s not about showing off the new plugin or widget you just found.  Web site design is about creating an inviting atmosphere for visitors, even visitors whose taste in music doesn’t match yours.

The morons blasting music from their pages will never learn, but you will.  You’ll learn to treat your site’s visitors like honored guests, not like hostages. You’ll learn to think about what your visitors want, not what you want them to have. And you’ll learn that ultimately, giving people what they want is the best way to get what you want!

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine and this companion The Internet Wizards Blog to teach self-employed people and small businesses owners how to leverage the internet for advertising, marketing and promoting their business. To stay in touch with her, type your name and email into the subscriber box in the upper right corner of this page. You’ll be glad you did!

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During the darkest days of World War II, a slogan created by an anonymous civil servant became the watchword in England. Printed under the royal crown, it read, “Keep Calm And Carry On.”

Seventy years have passed, and suddenly, in the midst of economic crises, the slogan is once again in play.

The Guardian says, “Suddenly these days, it’s everywhere, from homes to pubs to government offices. …Today, you can buy Keep Calm and Carry On mugs, doormats, T-shirts, hoodies, cufflinks, baby clothes and flight bags from any number of retailers.”

Matt James had a different response to dragging out that old slogan. His retake on it, “GET EXCITED AND MAKE THINGS." emblazoned under a royal crown made of wrenches.

The design  appeared on Flicker, along with James invitation that people use it to make their own posters, T-shirts, mugs and whatever under the Creative Common license, which allows royalty-free use on items so long as they are not sold.

Set free on Flicker, his slogan captured the sprit and imagination of many. It was chosen as T-shirt of the week at English online retailer Howie’s Mens: www.howies.co.uk/product.php/1827/84/ Womens: www.howies.co.uk/product.php/1828/84/

And there were so many requests for a poster that it will be available as a limited edition high-quality print benefiting Creative Commons.

As Queen of my own little world here at The Internet Wizards Blog, where my slogan is “Be more creative, make stuff and market on the internet,” we highly approve.

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet. To be part of her world, type your email into the subscribe form in the upper right corner.

If you want to spread your creative wings and make stuff to market on the web, my book, "Tapping Into Trends To Create An Endless Stream Of High-Profit Products"" will inspire you to be your most creative, successful  self by showing you just some of the many ways I use the internet to make creative cash.

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This frees you from having to type out hundreds or thousands of welcome messages, while still allowing you to greet each of your followers personally.

Right now, the majority of Twitter users do not send auto-welcome messages. That means doing so is an opportunity for you to stand out and make an impression!

If you’re already on Twitter, you’ve undoubtedly received autoresponder messages from people you’ve elected to follow that say, in essence, "Thanks for following me. Now go to this sales page and buy something!" Do that and you’ll make an  impression all right–a bad one! People will make a mental note to tune you right out.

Instead, create a message that opens the door for further conversation and even friendship.  Twitter, after all, is about building a social network, so be sociable. When you craft you own welcome messge, keep this in mind:

1.    Keep it short and simple.

2.    It’s a welcome message, not a sales pitch.

3.    Open the converstaion with a messge that invites response.

My own welcome message is "Bonnie Boots says "Help yourself to my library of free and funny Twitter backgrounds!" followed by a link to the download page. The download is free and unencumbered. There’s no forced opt-in. No hard sell for anything else. My purpose is to introduce myself and make people smile when they next see my name.

One of the nicest welcomes messages I’ve received is "Woo Hoo! I have a new friend! Thank you – Can’t wait to get to know you better!" Now really, who wouldn’t want to know HER better?

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Bonnie Boots publishes The Internet Wizards Magazine for people that want to be more creative, make their own products and market on the internet.  Follow her here by filling out the subscribe form in the upper right corner. Follow her on Twitter @BonnieBoots

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• The Twitter Tutorial (slideshare.net)

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