Linkswitch #56: Web apps, writing, and marketing

5 Things You Never Want to Hear Your Client Say

You know what you call a client that knows exactly what they want, does not require revisions, always pays you on time and loves colored eggs? You call them the Easter Bunny because they do not exist.

In a perfect world all client relationships would go this smoothly. Unfortunately, it's not a perfect world. As a freelancer, you have horror stories, but here are five strategies to help you work through these difficult situations.

Get a Life! 7 Ways to Have a Social Life When Home is Your Office

There's no doubt about it. Working from home can be a pretty sweet setup, with an array of privileges and perks. So sweet, in fact, that it would take an act of God or near-death emergency to claw some of us from our comfy confines and our daily "uniform" of bunny slippers and lounging pajamas. True?

Useful Web Services, Tools and Resources For Web Designers

We know how hard it is to find good useful tools that all of your developers and designers out there spend hours searching for. And for that reason, we're regularly collecting useful online web services, tools and resources " little time-savers that can boost every designer's workflow and save time that would otherwise be required for mundane tasks.

Can You Really Teach Yourself to Be a Freelance Writer?

Somebody asked me this question recently: Can you teach yourself to be a freelance writer?

Because I believe in the human potential, my answer is a resounding: "Yes!"

Anybody with enough motivation and commitment can learn to become a freelance writer. Humans have accomplished much harder feats than this.

How to Measure the Effectiveness of Web Designs

At the end of the day, the quality of a web design can only really be measured quantitatively in the results it brings a site. As they say, results speak for themselves.

Being a web analyst for more than four years now and regularly working side-by-side with a designer, the biggest thing I have learned is Data identifies the problem and Design solves it.

How to Read More Books

Do you have shelves full of unread books? Does it seem like you never have the time "" or the energy "" to read?

A lot of us want to read more "" whether that's for work, education or pleasure. But even if you love reading, it can still be tough to find the time to sit quietly with a book.

If your books are gathering dust on the shelves, here's how to read more this year.

When Consumers Revolt Against Traditional Marketing, What Should You Do?

When little-known, first-term Illinois senator Barack Obama faced Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential campaign, he knew he couldn't compete with her financially. He couldn't afford telemarketing and direct mail campaigns or TV and radio advertising.

42 Web Apps to Move Your Business Into the Cloud

Enterprises and Businesses are the cash cows that can make a software development company into an overnight success. Selling to them is an incredibly lucrative opportunity. There's a catch though; you will have to work hard to convince them to make a switch from an archaic system they might be using in production.

10 Ways to Simplify Your Workday

Regardless of whether you are a freelancer, an employee for a design agency, or an in-house designer, you probably could benefit by reducing the chaos and adding some simplicity to your daily life. In this article we'll look at how you can make some simple changes to your daily processes to reduce stress and create a more enjoyable and productive environment. The article is written with designers and freelancers in mind, but most of the principles are applicable regardless of what you do for a living.