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Melissa Rudy
Expert Guru
Content is king, and I give it the attention it deserves. I am a professional, well-rounded copywriter and web specialist with 8+ years experience providing concise, compelling, SEO-friendly content for all mediums. My services span a wide range: unique blog articles, feature articles, editing/rewrites, website usability audits, e-commerce product descriptions, newsletters, press releases, and much more.
Before starting my freelance business, I spent 5 years as a Web Content Specialist for a multi-million-dollar e-commerce retail site. I created or edited content for all areas of the website: product descriptions, customer service pages, marketing emails, home pages, category pages, and more. I gained an extensive knowledge of Search Engine Optimization, and I truly enjoy the art of subtly incorporating those strategies and measuring their impact on organic search rankings.
Prior to that, I spent 3 years as a Technical Writer for a legal software company, where I created user manuals, online help text, training materials, and marketing content.
I can promise meticulous accuracy, adherence to requirements and deadlines, and as much thorough research as necessary to deliver the best possible result for each project. Visit www.wordsbymelissa.com to view my full portfolio and client testimonials.
Interview
What books have most influenced your life? "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith "One True Thing" by Anna Quindlen "At Risk" by Alice Hoffman "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman "Marjorie Morningstar" by Herman Wouk "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll "Terms of Endearment" by Larry McMurtry "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult "The Kommandant's Girl" by Pam Jenoff
Who are your favorite music artists? Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, U2, Guns 'N Roses, Brad Paisley, Bruce Springsteen, The Police
What are your favorite websites and why? Elance.com is one of the main reasons I'm able to work from home. This thriving freelance network has provided me with the client base and income I needed to leave my full-time job and launch my company, Words by Melissa. Although I've since expanded into new venues and other sources of work, I still credit Elance with giving me the experience and the courage to strike out on my own.
Where else can people find you on the web? My website and blog can be found at www.wordsbymelissa.com. I also have profiles on two freelancing network sites, Elance.com and Guru.com. Below are links to each:
What are your professional highlights? Before starting my freelance business, I spent 5+ years working as an E-Commerce Content Manager for two upscale home decor websites, where I provided and oversaw content generation for Home pages, category pages, email campaigns, and editorial articles. Prior to that, I worked as a Technical Writer for a legal software company, where I provided newsletters, software manuals, and marketing materials. Since fall of '07, I've been building my independent freelancing career.
What advice do you have for the journey of life? Every once in awhile, stop, unplug, and smell the roses. If there are no roses, then cuddle with your children for a little while. It's those stolen moments you'll remember later, not the laundry or the dishes you were "supposed" to be doing.
What are you most passionate about in life? My children and my writing.
What ticks you off? Phoniness, rudeness, expired coupons, messed-up carryout orders, unleashed dogs that chase me on my morning runs
Any thoughts or ideas on living a greener life? There are a million easy adjustments we can make throughout the course of a day. Before long, it's ingrained in our everyday lifestyle and requires no extra thought. These seemingly little things can make a huge impact when done en masse. Here are a few of my favorite tips:
1. Don't run the A/C or furnace just because the calendar says you should. Throw open the windows and let nature's thermostat determine whether "artificial" comfort is necessary.
2. Instead of buying bottled water, re-fill a plastic cup from a filtered tap.
3. Replace energy-sucking lightbulbs with the more efficient variety.
4. Adjust your faucets, showerheads, and toilets to use a lower flow of water.
5. Get into the habit of turning off lights and TVs as you leave a room.
6. This one goes without saying -- recycle, recycle, recycle!
7. Whenever possible, combine car trips with other commuters to cut down on emissions. As a bonus, you'll save substantially on gas and automotive maintenance.
8. Do whatever you can to cut down on the amount of junk mail and catalogs sent to your address.
9. Plant a tree.
10. If you have little ones at home and you're braver than I am, consider replacing disposable diapers with cloth.
What would people be surprised to know about you? I once ran 26.2 miles in Cincinnati's Flying Pig marathon.
Philosophy
A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.
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Industry Experience
Software Search Marketing Entertainment Fashion Hospitality Magazines
10 Tips from Melissa Rudy
Mixing Old with New
When using antiques as an element of your home interior decorating, a little bit goes a long way. A thoughtful mixture of old and new elements can create an interesting and eclectic space. Don’t be afraid to mix fabrics and furnishings from different time periods. One bathroom decorating idea is to pair a distressed antique mirror with contemporary, nickel-plated sink fixtures. In the dining room, fill an aged Victorian hutch with your favorite modern serving ware. Antique decorating isn’t so much about saturating a space with everything that’s old, but achieving an artistic blend of time-honored and current accents.
A Room with a View
When decorating your home, choosing the right window treatment can utterly transform a room. Whether you choose standard curtains, sheer panels, honeycomb blinds, or wood shutters, a window covering should express your personal style. In addition to their obvious aesthetic impact, window treatments can also provide a sense of privacy, create a soothing and relaxed space, and absorb street noise and other exterior sounds. When selecting a window covering, fabric is one of the most important considerations. For casual rooms, cotton and linen provide relaxing choices. If you’re outfitting a formal space, opt for a more upscale material, such as silk, organza, or suede. Whatever window treatment you choose, be sure it blends well with your other interior decorating ideas.
Gas Prices: A Boon for E-tailers?
With so many consumers shying away from unnecessary driving, online stores are presented with a rare opportunity to target their ad campaigns accordingly. Yahoo suggests incorporating the merits of staying at home into banners and product copy. For instance, if you run an online DVD store, you might consider a campaign extolling the benefits of hunkering down for at-home movie viewings rather than piling the family into the minivan and spending $10 in gas to drive to the cinema across town. Or if you sell motorized scooters, you’re missing out on a potential surge in sales if you don’t point out the fuel savings your product offers.
The Color of Relaxation
The master bedroom should be a haven for relaxing and recharging, but too often it becomes filled with hustle and bustle. Focusing on some simple bedroom decorating strategies can help you create the calm, soothing environment you need to unwind after a long day. One of the easiest room decorating ideas for promoting a sense of serenity is the strategic selection of color. Avoid bright, bold hues in the bedroom, as these can provide excessive stimulation and can actually prevent restful sleep. Instead of primary colors, opt for pale, understated shades, such as soft greens, blues, or taupes, for walls and flooring. You can infuse smaller splashes of color in the window treatments, wall art, and other accents.
The Art of Coordinating
Decorating with color is a great way to energize a room and elicit a range of emotions. A standard designer decorating tip is that not everything has to match perfectly. To create added visual interest, try mixing different patterns, textures, and colors when choosing your fabrics, wallpaper, and accessories. This tactic is especially suitable for living room and bedroom decorating. Do try to maintain at least one grounding element—perhaps you can use the same background color for all pieces, for example. To create balance, try using a range of pattern sizes, such as wide stripes on the window treatments and tailored pinstripes on the bedding.
All the Trimmings
Painting is one of the quickest and most dramatic ways to add personality to a room. If you choose a different color for each room, however, you run the risk of sacrificing a sense of cohesiveness. When decorating with color, one effective interior decorating idea is to use the same color for all of the trim, doors, ceilings, and moudling throughout your entire home. This helps to achieve a sense of continuity from one room to the next. Choose a neutral color, such as a smooth white, that complements your home’s décor and strikes a pleasing contrast to all of your paint colors.
Conquer Kitchen Clutter
Even the most creative ideas for decorating kitchens fall flat if the room is in disarray. Before implementing your inspired interior decorating ideas, the first step should be ensuring everything is in working order. Invest in a high-quality organizer to keep bills, correspondence, coupons, and other miscellany neat and accessible. A handsome hanging pot rack can add a chic touch to your kitchen while providing space-efficient accommodations for everyday cooking essentials. If you’re short on drawer space, utilize a favorite kitchen vase or pitcher as a catch-all for spatulas, large spoons, and other everyday utensils. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how these simple interior decorating ideas for putting everything in its place can dramatically transform your entire kitchen.
Get Glowing
When decorating with color, one of the most common designer decorating tips is to create candle displays in a medley of shades. For a simple and inexpensive effect, group several pillar candles in various heights in shades that correspond with the season. For autumn, combine spicy oranges, bright yellows, and rich browns. To freshen up for spring, opt for softer pastel shades. When decorating kitchens, richly hued candles add a pleasing radiance to botanical table centerpieces. Hosting an intimate dinner? Fill a glass bowl with water, add several floating candles, and sprinkle in some red and pink rose petals.
Show me the Money
Don’t assume shoppers will hunt around for the price. Requiring them to click “Add to Cart” in order to see the amount doesn’t make sense, either—and it’s a surefire way to raise cart abandonment rates. E-commerce etiquette calls for displaying the price in a prominent area of the page, and including as many associated fees as possible. Ideally, you should try to lump in any applicable shipping and tax charges to represent the reality of the full amount of the item. Nowadays, many sites are including fields prompting the customer to plug in their zip code, and then performing real-time calculations right there on the product page.
Upgrading Your Bathroom Mirror
For a quick and easy way to refresh a powder room or master suite, a common bathroom decorating tip is to change out the mirror. Swapping out a ho-hum pane of glass for an ornate decorative mirror that complements your unique home decorating style can instantly breathe new life into your bathroom. If you’re sprucing up a compact powder room, the right mirror can help to create the illusion of more space. When choosing a bathroom mirror, some factors to consider include size, style, color, and materials. If you’re decorating on a budget, you can find reasonably priced vanity mirrors at hardware stores, home consignment shops, and flea markets.
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