Copyright © 1997 Michael Declan Dunn. All rights reserved.
It wasn't my fault. Outside my window, the pine trees were dancing to a breeze filled with fresh flowers. I could hear quail in the woods and the waterfalls warbled a little louder in the silence of a spring day.
It wasn't my fault this table wouldn't work in Internet Explorer. I knew I needed a vacation from this computer. But the email, news, Web sites, and an ever-growing production schedule were coming in.
No matter what I did, that simple table just wouldn't line up in IE and the sun just kept shining. I chose the sun and enjoyed the afternoon, but the next morning there was that table, still flaking out. It was time to take a real break.
Today you have to plan to do everything, including taking a vacation. Here are a few things I wrote down as "rules" to free myself from the tangled webs of my sites:
Set Up an Evergreen Web Site Process
Evergreen Web sites are like the trees; they are always green, no matter what the season. Many people assume that having a Web site means you always have to update it because your audience is impatient and needs that.
Did You Ever Ask Them?
If your Web site is for a big entertainment or news company, you have to change it daily. Computer-related information sites change weekly with all the bugs and changes going on. Most Web sites don't have to be slave to this model, however. A Web site that isn't dependent on trends or technology can design a long-term plan that allows for planned change. Change your headlines and home page, or focus on your marketing, but make your information relevant to today and tomorrow.
Evergreen means that what you present is always relevant. You do need to update periodically, but don't get swallowed by your Web site unless your audience really needs it. Don't put up time-sensitive materials and don't date your page.
That way when you're on vacation, things will appear the same. If you are focused entirely on your site, any absence will show. For instance, people in love with Shockwave and Java animations don't get many vacations because these special effects have to be changed regularly. You might create a whole bunch of effects before you leave for vacation and have them placed online. Having a technology-based, bells-and-whistles production grind is a sure sign that you won't see the sun shine for a long time. You'll have to plan way ahead.
Autoresponders Are the Key
Leaving your Web site means leaving email unanswered. I set up an autoresponder for my main email addresses so that when I leave, people will be notified. It's not a foolproof system, but most people understand after one email. I have had a few fights with my autoresponder sending messages back to me as if I keep resending the email on demand, but these are the keys to automated marketing.
Another alternative is to get a piece of software that can automate your follow-up via your email program. For instance, VacationMail (for the Mac) claims to work through your email programs, responding to each email address only once, and offers a whole bunch of other benefits. I've run across UNIX programs that will send a vacation message if an email is sent to your address, but it depends on who is running the system. I took a brief look through Tucows for a Windows-based system but couldn't find anything like VacationMail for Windows online. (Email me at dunn@webletter.net if you know of any.)
Most email programs will allow you to dial up and set an automatic response to emails sent to certain addresses. Just set up your program to dial in once a day, and unsubscribe from all your mailing lists and newsgroup postings. Your email will be there, everyone will be answered, and unless something crashed your computer, it all should be easy to find. Use a few email addresses and have your email program correspond for you while you're gone.
Give Yourself a Break
It's funny how many people leaving an email conversation or Web site for a vacation wonder how things will run without them. Surprise, surprise! They run fine. For many businesses, 10% of your customers generate most of the business. Make sure to notify these people before you leave; just let them know you won't be in reach. And shut off the email; don't bring your laptop on vacation and check your messages. Let the world run itself for a while.
Turn the Internet Off Once a Week
One day a week just shut off your computer. Take a little vacation each week from that hum, the glow of the computer monitor, and even better, the World Wide Web.
Just because it's open seven days a week, 365 days a year doesn't mean you have to be.