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Making a Better WebsiteMaking a better website is like proofreading your own paper. You can always find something to improve. The task of maintaining and updating your website is challenging because
Wednesday, 26 May 2010 08:43
So you want to Social Network?To Social Network or Not To Social Network? Is that really the question? In just my small local client base I've seen both ends. One client thinks everything revolves around social networking. They even put more content in Facebook than on their website. Another client thinks social networking is dying and they should spend not time there at all. A recent ClickZ article commented that social networking is 'white hot'. So what will make a difference for your business? Know your business and know your customers.Some businesses will never get a big lift from social networking. If your product is a one-time purchase of a mundane item then social networking probably won't be a good play. Let's say your company hauls dirt and gravel. Your dirt and gravel probably are not that different from anyone else's. Most people think of dirt as just dirt (except for landscapers and gardeners) and gravel is gravel (except for civil engineers). I doubt you'll find a Facebook page about Georgia clay or #57 stone. Some businesses could get a huge lift from social networking. Let's say you sell racing engines. Lots of people sell racing engines. And, yet two people buying the exact same racing engine from the same engine builder can have very different opinions on why that engine is fantastic or a waste of money. There's controversy. There's opinion. And just possibly people who buy racing engines might be inclined to want to show off their stuff. Those are the makings of a social network community. Before you jump out to sign up for Facebook or Twitter though ask yourself a few questions. 1) Where should I set up my social networking environment? Most people know Facebook and Twitter. Do you know how many social networking sites there are? Wikipedia has a list of social networking sites to get you started. The two primary questions here should be will the environment support your needs and attract people to your social network (as opposed to pushing people away due to security or other content issues)? And, what sort of social networking environment will best help build your community? Commercial social networking sites are easier, cheaper and more likely to attract a lot of people. Whether they are the people you want in your community or not is something you must consider. Building your own social network is costly, requires ongoing support and security considerations, and will rely on your advertising and your website(s) to drive people to the site. But, those might be just the people you need for your community. So don't think building your own social network is out of the question. 2) How will your business benefit from your social network? Are you intending to empower your community or are you intent on visibility and marketing intelligence? Does the community know your intentions? If you are more intent on gathering intelligence you might gain more from a private community set up specifically for invited participants as a marketing study. 3) How will the community benefit from your social network? People participate in social network communities for many reasons. Some are contributors, some are consumers, some are both. For a more complete list you might want to read Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. The robustness of your social network depends on change. The more things change the more opinions will be shared, the more questions will be asked and the more new ideas may be fostered. When there are no new opinions, no new ideas, no new questions then your community is likely to die. 4) Will there be a lifetime for your social network? Networks built around a cause, a product, even a service or a business will all have a lifetime. It may be long, but still finite. If you are looking for market intelligence you may want to set up a community for very specific time, issues and goals. Obviously answers to these questions will spawn many more questions. Beginning project with well thought out goals more often leads to success.
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Making a Better Website
Tuesday, 25 May 2010 15:03
What is your time worth?A client mentioned recently that there was a huge gap between doing something yourself and paying someone else to do it. Small business owners and staff often wear many hats. It often seems less expensive to do it yourself. In some cases it may actually be cheaper to do it yourself. But, in many cases it seems cheaper because you are not adding in all the costs. The one cost most people leave out is the cost of a lost opportunity. Ask yourself how much money your company could have brought in if you had been spending your time selling or producing whatever it is you do? The opportunity cost is the time and materials it takes to bring in the opportunity. In a small business often if you are not out selling or working then you're not bringing in any opportunities. Also, if you are not out marketing and advertising your business then you won't be finding many new opportunities. So if you're not doing something that makes you money then you are actually losing money just standing still. You might be asking, 'so ... why am I still reading this?'. Well, I'll tell you. I occasionally hear from potential clients that want to design their own website or manage their own website. This is feasible for some who have the knowledge and skill. But, none of them actually have the time based on a calculation of opportunity cost. So the biggest favor you can do yourself when hiring a website designer or manager is to first understand your opportunity cost. That way when you get a price from someone who designs and manages websites for a living you will have a better understanding of the actual value of their proposal. Soon we will talk about how you can minimize the cost of your new website project.
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Making a Better Website
Tuesday, 02 March 2010 20:18
Why Do I Use Joomla?When it comes to websites I like things that just work, things that are stable, things that are secure, and things that are easy to upgrade and maintain. So when I choose components and systems that fit that bill it means my clients get websites that are virtually always available, won't be hacked or corrupted at the drop of a hat and can stand up to most any load. Accessibility, reliability and performance. When you have those things you can move forward. When you don't have those things not much else matters. I heard about Mambo several years ago, liked the potential it represented for producing websites and implemented a few websites. As I said dependability and stability are pivotal criteria for me and my clients. That's why I was very concerned when news erupted that the Mambo project was about to fork. I evaluated the issues on both sides and decided to go with the Joomla fork. Now several years later I know it was the right choice. Joomla is no panacea. But, if your website needs can be managed within the confines of a stable Joomla installation and a few well-supported third party extensions it can be quite stable and do a great job for many website projects. Some users still grapple with learning to create and manage content. Still, if you can climb just some of the learning curve you'll find it quite useful. I agree that Drupal and Wordpress have merit and in many projects may be interchangeably used instead of Joomla. If a customer wants a Wordpress site, I'll be happy to build and support it. If they want a Drupal site I'll consider learning Drupal or find someone who already knows it. If they want a website I'm going to begin with Joomla because it is one of the most cost-effective starting points for a wide variety of websites. So far I have yet to have anyone ask me to build a Wordpress site or a Drupal site or even a Joomla site. That's like buying a car and wanting to specify what grade of steel goes into the chassis or the engine block. Instead they ask me to build them a site with specific content presented in an effective way that converts website visitors to customers or clients. If you want to look into it here are two great comparison articles:
If you want to use something else then let's talk. If you have a justifiable need for a specific system then maybe other people will as well. I'm always learning new things, new ideas, new concepts, new systems and I really like learning new things. If you can afford for us to learn something new together then let's try making a better website together. And, until something better comes along I'll stay with Joomla.
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Making a Better Website
Tuesday, 02 March 2010 16:39
Can I build my own website?Sure, you can build your own website. As with all things your success will depend on many factors.
If you think you have the time and skills to create and manage a website on your own then there are certainly many ways and opportunities for you to do exactly that. In many cases you can start small and based on successful conversions consider hiring professionals to redesign, maintain, market and manage your website in the future when you are wildly successful. If you do not have the technical skills or the patience to learn them to design, update and manage your website then you'll be better off finding someone to do some or all of that. Be sure you are hiring a person with the set of skills you need. Some people are primarily designers, some are marketers, some are analysts, some offer multiple skills. Choose carefully. Make sure the person you want to hire is willing to learn about your business, your customers, your needs. If you need our help, NetProffitt Enterprises is here to make a difference by making a better website.
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Making a Better Website
Tuesday, 02 March 2010 14:24
Choosing a Website DesignThe first thing you need to understand about your website graphic design is that "what you think doesn't matter". Ok, I've said it. But, why? What should matter most to you about your website is whether it serves your purpose. That purpose may be to sell products, get visitors to request information, get visitors to sign up for something or even just provide content that sells placed ads. So, how the website looks to you won't facilitate or improve any of those conversions. So whose opinion does matter? Your website visitor's opinion is what matters! So how do you know what they like? There is only one real way to know - let them tell you. You have to start somewhere with a new website design so if you have a good eye for design and know who your customers are then make your best effort with a design of your own. Most often though it is helpful to have an objective third party (like me) commenting on what you need to get started. After that you need to start asking the visitors. So, how do we do that? By testing and by asking. The easy solution is to create a feedback poll, forum, or other feature inviting visitors to share their impressions. This can get burdensome in hurry. The most often used tool is testing. Testing typically involves making one change and then measuring the results. This is most effective when you have significant traffic on the site. If your traffic volume is low then you will want to ask because that will get you answers more quickly. Here are some starting points for new websites.
I have significant experience with owners of new websites. Most are intent on optimizing their website design from day one. And, significant time is often spent on the design. Sometimes more than on the content. But, my experience tells me that typically within the first six months (could be three months to a year) these new website owners want to change the entire design of their website. Some just don't like it any more. Some realize that customers don't like their initial design. Some realize that their initial design doesn't support their content. Some realize that they just didn't really know what they wanted the website to do for them and when enlightenment sets in they know they have to change. They don't build cars with just the body in mind. It needs an engine sufficient to get you going when and where you want. It needs lots of parts and systems that are integrated and work together smoothly. And, just like any car your website is going to need maintenance. So keep the maintenance in mind as you start so it will be easier later to make your website better.
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Making a Better Website
Tuesday, 02 March 2010 13:50
How much does a website cost?The first question most people want to ask me is "How much does a website cost?" The first question I'd like to ask most potential clients is "How much money do you have budgeted for this website?" Oftentimes we're both a bit more polite and we think of other things to ask. But, we all know we want the answer to those two questions. Let me help you out with that. Here are the quick questions you should answer before you call me to get my answer.
If you can answer those questions with some reliability then we are ready for a very productive conversation.
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Making a Better Website
Tuesday, 02 March 2010 09:31
Effective Website PhotosSome of you are hesitant to put your photo on your website. Some of you will pick random pictures you've taken of your work, your products, your business or your operations and want to include them strategically on your website. Have you really thought about what might be the best picture? Most of us know a good picture when we see it. Even more can identify a bad picture. What's important though is to know WHY it is a good picture or a bad picture so you can select the best pictures consistently. I just read a great article posted on Web Marketing TODAY (website) on this topic. Sandra Niehaus with Closed Loop Marketing presents clear and easily understandable concepts on selecting effective photos for your web page. She addresses strategic issues such as how a photo can be detrimental to your page. She discusses how we react to faces and more specifically the eyes. And, she offers clear examples of ways to present photos that are attractive, representative, and that still manage to focus web visitors to your conversion path. Here's a link to the article by Sandra Niehaus on "How to Choose Effective Website Photos and Images".
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Making a Better Website
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