I keep my promises. I said I would attend my friend Barbara Boughton's Zumba® class before she went south for the winter. I finally ran out of excuses a few weeks ago, and there I was in front of a huge mirror listening to Latin music and learning steps. One two-three; one two-three.

I didn't have a lot of brain cycles left to think between remembering the moves, listening to the music and following the body movements, but a small thought occurred to me. I was way out of my comfort zone.

Solutions

Just to make myself feel better, I thought about where I am comfortable. Writing for the Web is one example. Then it occurred to me that you might be out of your comfort zone in this area. If so, what can you do about it?

If I wanted to get good at Zumba® (which I don't), I would practice a lot. I would learn the basics and, perhaps, get someone to work with me and give me feedback on my moves. To improve your writing, you can use the same approach.

The best way to improve your written words is to practice the skill. Read what you've written out loud. This will help you recognize and eliminate awkward phrasing and unnecessary words. For feedback on clarity, get a trusted colleague to read what you've written.

Then there are writing coaches. I'm not one, but I can make some recommendations: Brenda Bernstein, Kim Debus and Jeanne Yocum.

Outsource

I can't outsource exercising. That's something I have to do myself. But you can get someone else to write your online material.

I work with clients in various ways to get content for newsletters, e-postcards, blogs and Web sites. Some people send me rough drafts or bullet points, and I take it from there. Others work best when I interview them and then do the writing. Some people are comfortable recording their thoughts and forwarding them to me for translation into writing.

Whatever route you choose, you can get into a comfort zone with writing for the Web. You just have to follow the steps. One two-three; one two-three.

Heartfelt thanks to all who filled out the Web Words survey last month. And a special shout-out to everyone who took the extra time to add comments. Much appreciated.

But the overall response was disappointing. Constant Contact says an average response rate is 10-20%. I got a paltry 7.5%. I reviewed the "best practices" they suggested, and I followed all of them. So I'm going to ask again.

If you didn't fill out the survey last time, please do. It takes less than two minutes, and I'd love to have your feedback about Web Words. I'm even offering another hour-long free consulting session. You could win if you fill out the survey.

What I Learned

First off, Constant Contact's survey tool works really well. It's quick and easy to put together a survey, and the responses are well presented. You can view results overall or by individual answer; you can see numbers and percentages and export them to Excel or use raw data for any kind of slicing and dicing you wish.

I found out I have some raving fans. That feels good. You can see the overall results here (though not the comments).

In summary, I learned that opens are most strongly influenced by the sender--who it's from. Subject line and value of previous communications comes next. Personal schedule is the least influencer. That one surprised me. If I'm too busy, I don't open emails unless they are essential for my survival.

Learning about subject lines inspired the survey in the first place. What I discovered about Web Words' readers might not extend to the rest of the world. For example, only one person checked that they open emails with alarming subject lines. Given the subject lines of the election-related emails in my inbox these last weeks, clearly political communicators have a different take. Intriguing, informational and catchy subject lines got the nod.

How was my subject line this month? Please email me with any further thoughts on the topic.

The Winners

I enrolled husband Will in pulling two names from a hat. They will each get an hour's free consulting on a topic of their choice. Winners are Elaine Singer, a Web Words reader since 2006, whose voice-over business is based in Toronto, Canada; Dan Lieberman, an Internet guru based in Shelburne Falls, MA. I got to know Dan at a Hidden-Tech event in March, and we've met and emailed a few times about topics of mutual interest.

Congratulations to both of you and also to the yet-to-be-determined winner of this month's offer. It could be you. Fill out the survey now.

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