Design Like an Expert!

What 6-Way Power Seats Can Teach You About Website Design

2009-07-07T13:25:00.025-07:00

Last night my husband hunted on Craiglist for my birthday present.

After 15 minutes he came running into my office and practically drug me back to his office to show me pictures of something most people use every day but might not think twice about....power seats....for my new diesel (monster of a ) truck.

Was I excited? You Bet!

A quick 60 minutes later and with some installation help from the seller, I was on my way home sitting in my new power seat with lumbar support. We actually changed out the front seats entirely and the new center compartment had an extra storage cubby as well so I was floating on high.

I wrote on my Facebook page recently about trading in my 2007 Yukon for a 2008 Dodge Diesel monster of a truck to pull my horse trailer. After driving with a friend to Wickieup to pick up her new-ish horse trailer with my Yukon and realizing that it had nowhere near the hauling capability that a diesel had, I decided to trade up (or should I say trade back). We sold our diesel last year when gas prices hit $5 a gallon. At the time it made sense but I sure missed that truck.

My new truck has nearly everything I wanted it to have originally except for a driver's power seat - at the time I didn't think that mattered. Fast forward a week from purchase and I realized that with my short inseam, without the ability to tip the seat down, and unless my shoe had a slight heal, it was actually hard to press the gas pedal down. So I compromised and pulled the seat forward enough to compensate. It worked...kind of.

While I was driving home last night a thought struck me that there are similiaries between designing a website and my new power seat.

I looked at the front seats that I took out of my truck last night and realized they were pretty run of the mill standard seats - no power, no options - they just moved forward and backward. They were pretty to look at, but other than being able to move forwards and backwards, they didn't really do much else. That meant that I had to have just the right leg length to fit into those seats...the seat couldn't be made to fit me. Unless I could find a way to be comfortable up close to the steering wheel, that seat wasn't going to work long-term for me.

When I got home I started adjusting the buttons on my seat to find just the right position. I like to sit up a bit higher so I can see the road so I raised the seat; but in order to make sure I can comfortably reach the gas pedal, I then had to tip the seat down so my legs didn't dangle (don't laugh!). Now that my seat was tipped down I found I could actually scoot the seat back since my legs were magically longer. After about 5 minutes I found what I was looking for. Presto, the perfect seat position!

So how exactly do these seats remind me of website design? This post I'll discuss the similarities and next post I'll discuss how you can get started.

Life without options can feel limiting, uncofortable and perhaps scary even when it leaves you in a situation where you don't have choices that resonate with you.

My previous standard one-size-fits-all seat is more like most of the run-of-the-mill website design processes that seek to either plug you into a template (a preconstructed website, while trying to and make your photos and content fit into that design) or simply give you a dollar per page cost without knowing what you need and what is comfortable to you. This can be limiting, may not speak to your target audience and myy not provide you with much return on investment because it wasn't really designed with you in mind.

Web design that seeks to help you improve your business by finding that perfect set of options for you is much more like my new 6-way power seat. All the same seat positions are available to each driver who gets in my truck, but it's the combination of those seat positions that makes the seat flexible enough to fit almost any driver.

Designing a website to fit you, rather than you trying to fit into it is rewarding because it takes into account your needs and then provides options that can reveal solutions that are powerful and perfect for your business.

Google Introduces "Interest-based" Advertising for Adsense

2009-03-13T12:22:00.007-07:00

Calling all Adsense advertisers! Google announced that Adsense is undergoing some changes due to the upcoming launch of "Interest-based" advertising. My first thought was, what the heck is that?!

On their blog, Google explains that ....

"Interest-based advertising will allow advertisers to show ads based on a user's previous interactions with them, such as visits to advertiser website and also to reach users based on their interests (e.g. "sports enthusiast"). To develop interest categories, we will recognize the types of web pages users visit throughout the Google content network. As an example, if they visit a number of sports pages, we will add them to the "sports enthusiast" interest category. To learn more about your associated account settings, please visit the AdSense Help Center at http://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=20310"

Although the description leaves something to be desired and is a bit cryptic, it seems clear that Google believes Adsense adversiers can look forward to increased visibility and bang for the buck in the future. Initially the offering will be limited to a certain number of advertisers as part of beta testing, but the remainder of users can look forward to seeing this in later 2009.

Anyone using Adsense will need to check their privacy policy and make any adjustments necessary to cover the new "Interest-based" advertising. The deadline for doing so is April 8, 2009. For info on how you can adjust your settings, you can visit https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=100557.

If you're interested in reading more about Google's interest-based advertising, you can visit the Inside AdSense Blog at http://adsense.blogspot.com/2009/03/driving-monetization-with-ads-that.html. Already there are multiple Google fans weighing in with over 80 comments and questions on the subject as of today, March 13th.

Wordtracker Giving Keyword Research a Facelift

2009-03-12T08:40:00.015-07:00

Who out there researches keywords? If you ran away from the computer when I asked that question my sympathies are with you.

When Sumantra Roy first introduced the Keyword Efficiency Index and showed us how we could really determine which words to optimize our sites for in an effort to gain targeted traffic, he opened the door for massive crowds of people to work their way up the search engine ladder; I know because I was one of them (and so were my clients).

KEI compares the Count result (number of times a keyword is searched on) with the number of competing web pages and then assigns it a number (1-400) which pinpoints exactly which keywords are most effective for a campaign.

Companies like Wordtracker and WebPostion jumped on the bandwagon and saught to grab up the marketplace by offering tools to help with your search engine ladder climb.

But when the Internet took off (millions of websites rather than thousands), I saw a drop off in organic search engine optimzation. It seemed like competition had became so fierce that even if you would find the words you wanted to use, chances were that the KEI for that word was so low (less than 100) that you'd be trying forever to get your site noticed. It just became too tough to try and sit for hours sifting through keywords to help people searching Yahoo and Google find your site.

So the trend went from Organic SEO to Google's Pay-Per-Click program (Adwords) and was then followed up by the now popular Web 2.0. Latelly it seems all we talk about is the Web 2.0 craze. If you're familiar with it then you know how powerful it is to spread the wealth around - how working multiple networking sites can really help you bring in targeted traffic. If you're not familiar with it, check out this video by Mike Klinger, it tells you everything you need to know in less time than it takes to each lunch.

Last month I wrote to my ezine readers that they should consider returning a portion of their focus to Search Engine Optimization - that keyword research is still valid and we should do it. You might be thinking I'm crazy after just having told you how tough it is to actually do the research but trust me...the winds of change are blowing.

Wordtracker recently announced that they have redone their search tool. Although only select few of their customer base currently have access to the tool, we can expect to see it available to us within the next few weeks.Whereas the old tool focused specifically on KEI, the new tool will allow you to look at keywords through three important metrics:

1. frequency
2. competitiveness
3. commerciality

But the work isn't done yet! On their blog they've announced that with the new tool we will see as many as 9 times the keywords formerly available to us, a better measure of competition and commercial intent.

They are also asking us question such as:

What metrics do you really need?
Do you need prediction of the daily traffic a keyword may attract or do you just want to know the frequencies in our own database?
How useful and accurate is the keyword effectiveness index (KEI)?
What alternative ways to rank keywords would you like to see?
How can we best report the competitiveness of a keyword?
How do you uncover commercial intent?

What makes Wordtracker a standout product in my opinion is they are all about US, the person doing the research and they endeavor to make our lives easier. If you are a keyword research junky, I urge you to participate in the discussion they are hosting through their blog.

They key to gainig targeted traffic is to combine Web 2.0 with returned power of keyword research for a campaign that lets you take advantage of all the good things the Internet has to offer.

For more information on the Keyword Efficiency Index (KEI) see this post: http://www.wordtracker.com/database_help/keihelp.html

8 Ways to Look Your Best on Facebook

2009-03-06T08:51:00.001-07:00

If you're on Facebook already then give yourself a big pat on the back. You've already taken an important step towards building your online business. If you're not on Facebook, what are you waiting for?

More and more increasingly people who have never been online or done any social networking are signing up with Facebook. Some want to connect with their past and others are looking to connect with their future.

But whether you're using Facebook for building a business or you want to stay in touch with people from your past (like you're high school and grade-school past!) you'll want to put your best "face" forward for the online world to see.

If you've joined Facebook and have no idea what to do next, take a look at the eight tips below. These are a great place to start.

Tip #1: Use a good, accurate picture
Facebook will allow you to upload as many pictures as you like, but you're only allowed one profile photo so be sure to make it a current picture of yourself! You may very well have some potential followers (business or otherwise) so select a photo that you are comfortable with everyone seeing and that helps you put your best face forward. As much as you'd like to, refrain from using a picture at that party you just attended that got a bit out of control because although your privacy settings can be engaged, no matter what, everyone sees your profile photo.

Tip #2: Share and share alike
While filling out your profile, be sure to fill in things like your "Favorite Music". Your musical taste says a lot about who you are, so list your favorite bands in your profile's "Favorite Music" section. Don't be one of those people who says, "I like pretty much everything." BORING!

You're on Facebook to show people who YOU are so be specific and give artist names and possibly album titles. One popular tactic is to sort your iTunes according to the "Play Count" or "Last Played" tabs, and then copy down what you find. These tips also apply to your Favorite Movies and Books sections.

Although you may not find yourself landing any jobs from listing your music, movies or book interests, you must might find someone connecting with you out of similar interests and the possibilities for that are endless.

Tip #3: The more the merrier
For those of us who grew up in the pre-Facebook era, I know it can be embarrassing to reach out to old friends and say "will you be my friend?"

Well get over it because the social networking can only start when you belong to a good sized community who know and like you! Once you've joined a community you can begin making new friends and contacts. You'll also be that much more likely to hear from a random person (or two) that you knew back in grade school who's looking for exactly the product or service you have to offer.

Tip #4: Write it on the wall
Although most of us got into trouble for writing on walls as kids, Facebook wall scribbling is definitely something you need to do (and it's good etiquette)! Writing on a Facebook wall is one of the easiest and best communication features at your fingertips.

Because the wall is public and everyone can see it, you'll want to follow a few guidelines for posting.

Don't leave personal information (such as your new phone number or email address)
Don't write any sensitive correspondence (such as how angry you are at your significant other or parent).
Don't tell stories about wild weekend trips that you took (you know the one where you can't remember anything, but there are pictures you'd rather not see).

Keep your postings fun and interesting but leave sensitive stuff for personal messages or even email.

Tip #5: Connect the dots
No matter your use (business or personal) it's always a good idea to add your blog, or Twitter account to your Facebook page if you have one or both. This is made easy by various Facebook applications that pull in content from all over the Web directly to your page.

Instead of manually adding your latest blog post into Facebook, automate things (and save time) by setting up an application to share your newest posts whenever they go live on your site/blog. The more you update, the more your friends will keep coming back to your page, which is kind of the essence of social-networking.

Add your blog to your Facebook page by visiting the Blog It app or surfing to: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=14103720714

Add Twitter updates to your Facebook page by visiting: http://rumahabi.com/7-steps-to-connect-twitter-to-facebook-status-updates.html

Tip #6: Join a Network
What is a network and why should you care? A network can be a group of folks from places as far flung as your school, your company, city, or hobby you love. Networks can be just about anything.

Adding a network also give you the freedom to you manage your privacy settings on the site. By selecting your networks you'll then be able to set your profile's visibility within different networks. For example, you can let people in your city see your contact information, while you can give full access to everyone from your company.

Tip #7: Avoid "Facebook overwhelm"
Now that you're connected to everyone and everything, it's important you remember that yes, you do have a day job! Social networking is fun but everything in moderation. Remember to set your email notification settings so that you don't become flooded with hundreds of Facebook updates.

To set your email notification settings, click the "Account menu" and then "Notifications" and you'll be greeted with a huge list of Facebook events. To turn off email each time you receive a message, switch the radio button to "Off."

If however, you have "Facebook Fever," you can open the door for nonstop updates by going to the "Mobile" tab and activating your cell phone. Once you do this, you'll receive friend requests, messages, status updates on your cell phone

Tip #8: Be watchful
As with any other popular place, Facebook (and other social-networking sites) have its share of scammers. You can find these usually in the form of spam e-mail and random messages posted to your wall. Stay safe by not opening any links or files or Facebook messages from folks you don't know. Also, be skeptical of links posted on your wall that don't seem legitimate.
Hopefully this list of eight tips will get you started on Facebook, but if you require more assistance please feel free to contact me for help.

Daily Website Design Tip: Show Them How To Find You

2009-02-25T11:31:00.012-07:00

Today is an interesting day for me. Over the last months I've been actively learning how to use all the major social media tools that have become popular...Twitter, Facebook, HubPages (goodness I could make a really long list here).

I realized that I had gotten used to all of my OWN social media tools and how they feed each other feeling like a fuzzy maze in my mind. That all stopped after I committed to spending some quick time each morning evaluating where I am at with each of my social media outlets (Twitter, Blogger, Facebook etc...).

Maybe you can relate to that fuzzy feeling? If you'd like to do something about it, I have a few tips for you that might help make everything a bit clearer and a bit easier to manage (for your customers too!).

1) Create a login sheet for all your social media outlets.
List each site name in bold and beneath it, the URL of your direct address (if you have one, such as on Twitter), and your username and password. If you've signed up for more than a few networking sites, this list will come in handy in a pinch!

For sites like Twitter, if you're not sure what you're address is, it's typically Twitter's URL followed by your username. For instance my Twitter address is: http://www.twitter.com/kgarren

2) Create a "Social Media Map."
Using a blank sheet of paper, draw your Social Media Map using circles to represent each social networking site and a square for your blog(s). Connect the sites together if a particular site feeds your iformation to another.

For instance, my Social Media Map starts with my blog. I currently have circles representing my accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Squidoo and others. Because my blog is fed to Twitter (via TwitterFeed) and Squidoo, I draw a line with an arrow from my blog to the Twitter and Squidoo circles. This tells me that information flows from my blog to Twitter and one of my Squidoo lenses.

With each new network you join, add it to your map. Spend 5 minutes a day reviewing your "map" and revise as necessary to stay current and in focus.

3) Show Your Customers How To Find You.
You'll also want your customers to know where you are online. To help them see your social media networking tools of choice, create a "Connect With Me" page on your website. For each of the sites your use that provide direct access to your profile or content (such as Twitter or Facebook) list these sites along with your unique URL.

Not only will customers who enjoy spending time on the Internet probably like to connect with you this way, the search engines will pick up and index your links as well.

p.s. don't forget to check your site statistics each month to verify what site is sending you the most traffic. Once you know, you are in a position to maximize the traffic and potential targeted customers you can receive increasing your efforts at networking and building relationships using that site or sites.

How To Build Income With Your Website - Even In Tough Times

2009-02-17T18:06:00.002-07:00

I recently took a trip to Fry's Electronics which is like Disneyland for computer and techno geeks. My eyes always glaze over upon arrival at the nearly 30,000 square foot store that's packed from top to bottom with technology and tools I LOVE to have for my business and my websites. In past times I would wander through the aisles collecting goodies that I would take home and "try-out." Sometimes they were expensive, sometimes affordable, but more often than not they were things that I wanted to have but not necessarily things I needed to have.

Although instinctively I know the difference between want and need, but never had it been clearer to me than when the economy began to shift and people began to get nervous about keeping jobs, finding income (forget about building a savings account!) and spending money. I found myself faced with some tough decisions about where to focus my attention dollar-wise. What I once spent money on, I now had to figure out how to find alternatives for little cost or *free*.

Last week I received an email from a client that had me downright frustrated. My client is a wonderfully intelligent and hard working gal who has been diligently building her business. With the economic setbacks in the US she is struggling as her client base is shriveling up. As I read her email I was near tears. All of her hard work and dedication would be lost if she were to virtually close her doors due to the economy and the drop-offs in sales. Times are so tough that she cannot even afford to continue with her current paid marketing efforts.

Does this sound like you? Many of you are also entrepreneurs who might be facing similar worries about your business. You might also be considering cutting back on things like advertising or little freebies for your customers in order to make ends meet. Worse yet, you might be closing up shop altogether.

During this tough time I've begun to go back to basics with my client's websites. Specifically, I've gone back to recommending that sites be optimized organically for the search engines. What is Organic Search Engine Optimization you might ask? SEO is an "on-site" marketing technique that was extremely popular before anyone had even heard of social media.

Back in the "early days" of the Internet (before blogs, podcasting and social media) webby gurus focused a majority of their marketing effort time on search engine optimization. We worked on building a list of keywords for your site which relayed information to the Search Engines on all the special products and services you provide. The search engines then use these keywords to determine how to feature a site in the results list when a user performed a search. Your overall placement was determined using an algorithm that takes into account the keyword search the user completes and your keywords and content. Specifically, you could influence where in the list your site showed up based on where you placed your keywords (meta-tags) and also where you used them in your content. The best part is that unlike Pay-Per-Click you don't pay to have your site featured in their results list.

With the invention of social media however I've seen a sharp drop off in SEO - a lot of marketing efforts have been shifted towards "off-site" marketing techniques (blogging, podcasting, social media) to build incoming traffic to websites.

Ideally, you would combine both methods to have a complete marketing system in place. If you're not already doing so, I want to encourage you to consider Organic Search Engine Optimization as an option for getting your website seen in these tough times.

Just in case you need a bit of encouragement, here's some reasons organic search engine optimization is well worth the effort:

You don't pay a per-click "fee" to the search engines for visitors to your site which means it can potentially have a higher ROI than pay-per-click search listings.
When done properly it has an advantage over Pay-Per-Click since PPC allows anyone to increase their bid for a search term you use thereby passing you in the results listing.
Software makes it easier than ever to track your results and to influence your search engine position.

If you'd like information on how to get started with SEO one of my favorite companies, Wordtracker, has launched a step-by-step instruction toolset (complete with videos, reports and guides) to help you learn Organic Search Engine Optimization - and best of all it's FREE. Checkout Wordtracker's Top 10 Free SEO & Keyword Tools And Reports From Wordtracker for further information.

Are You Using Your Website Properly?

2009-01-11T15:56:00.009-07:00

I recently asked a prospective client how she was using her website and after a long intake of breath (from her) I realized that she didn't actually know. What I meant when I asked was "for what purpose do you intend to use your website?" The answer could range from branding, to informational, to sales, to social media and so on.

What I discovered was that she had worked long and hard to create several sites for her varying businesses, but none of them was really doing much for her. None of her sites were creating any real synergy each other nor were they helping her to building relationships with people on the web. One of the biggest things this client wanted her websites to do was to position her as an expert on the Internet. Certainly a website should be able to that, right?!

Websites can be used for many things these days. By the way, I am using the term "website" loosely in that your website might be built from html, a blog or template - but for this article, I consider all of these a website.

I see people everywhere using websites to brand themselves as experts, and it's working!

But what makes what they're doing different than what my new client had done?

Good question!

While most of us understand the concept of branding and we have an idea of what it is (just a logo?)...you may find it difficult to explain. What is branding? How can you use it to really set yourself apart?

While doing some research I came across an outstanding article from a logo design firm that answered these questions. The following is an excerpt from that article titled More Than Just a Logo, Building Your Brand in 2009.

More Than Just a Logo, Building Your Brand in 2009

What is a brand?

A brand is a mix of both the visual and the intangible. When you think of the golden arches of McDonalds, you immediately think fast food. When you think of Nike's iconic swoosh you instantly think of sneakers. When you think of Google, you think of searching the internet.

Your brand should ultimately be the mental picture that forms when someone thinks of your business. Branding is not just about separating yourself from your competitors; it's about getting prospective customers to see that your business is the only solution for their problem.

How Does My Company Achieve This?

Brand Promotion
Let the world know about your business professional image. It might be just a logo now, but remember this is the first experience a potential customer will have with your business, so get it noticed. Place your logo on a website, place it on a business card, and place it on a sale sheet. Do any and everything to start building visual recognition for your brand.

Brand Reputation
Think of your brand as your reputation. It should reflect you and your company. You wouldn't want to show up to an important meeting in sweatpants, or in need of a shave. Although it sounds obvious, your brand must always look professional and industry appropriate. Your logo should not be used or associated with business without your permission, nor should it be used to
endorse any activity you wouldn't want to associate with your business.

Brand Consistency
Ensure that you are consistent with the visual aspects of your brand. Make sure your logo has a uniform and consistent layout. Different colors, and fonts and multiple versions of your logo will be confusing to your customers, vendors, and employees. Make sure your logo is uniform across all media and look the same whether on a website, brochure, or business card.

Article More Than Just a Logo, Building Your Brand in 2009 was originally written and published by Logo Design Guru.

So over to you, are you using your website to help establish a brand for your business? If not a website, are you using a blog or social media to establish a brand? If not, it's time to think about branding yourself using at least one of these popular forms of media.

Remember, by readily providing a consistent and positive image of your business and providing the right information to your target market - you are branding yourself.

FREE Holiday WordPress Goodies and Templates!

2008-12-19T15:56:00.006-07:00

Whether you're a business owner or website designer, chances are you might be feeling a bit blue from the effects of the economy these last few months.

Well it's time to cheer up!

If you've been out hunting Christmas or Holiday themes for your blog, website or pc I found a collection of sites with some great holiday offers, and some amazing goodies you can have to spruce things for the holidays.

Psst! For all the web designers who have been feeling the pinch, don't forget to plug into these sites to see if you can help your clients take advantage of some great (affordable) WordPress themes and website templates.

*WordPress*

Is your blog or website currently done with WordPress? Spruce it up with some holiday cheer. Follow the link below to see what Wordpress goodies you can have FREE:

Free Christmas Wordpress Themes Website Templates Blog
Just like your office or home, why not add some stockings, tinsel or a Christmas tree to your website or web blog? If you want your blog to have a holiday look you can easily switch to any Christmas Theme from our post. ...

*Web Templates*

Web Templates Blog » Blog Archive » Hey web designers; these ...
“What are the other holiday specials from Template Monster?” you may ask. These are 15% discount for each Christmas Template and also Free Christmas Icon Set. Note these specials are active for this holiday season so you’d better hurry ...

Web Templates Blog » Blog Archive » Web Design Freebies: free ...
This burst of holiday promos will last all holiday season long. Seems it’s a good reason to revisit Template Monster each weekend and see what these striking specials are all about. It was announced that free hosting offer isn’t just a ...

*Free Holiday Icons/Fonts*

Web Templates Blog » Blog Archive » Free Christmas icons, fonts ...

In the glitz, lights and glamour of the Holiday season is your website looking gloomy? If not, go on reading to find bright and colorful Christmas templates, Christmas banners, Christmas fonts and Christmas Photoshop brushes for your ...

Have a great Friday everyone!

Virtual Employees Help Website Conversions

2008-12-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Over my last vacation (to Las Vegas) I sat thinking about the ideal situation for helping those who come to my website looking for products or services. When I'm gone, unless my assistant is available, then it's sometimes difficult for people to get an immediate answer to a question. They might have to send an email and wait for an hour or so for us to respond, OR they might have to call and leave a message.

Okay, no big deal I suppose. What's an hour when you have a lifetime right?

Wrong!

I decided to do some research on how to tackle this issue when I returned. I want people to feel as though I can be there in person to assist them if they have questions. After all, as they say "the fortune is in the follow-up."

My research led me to something that although it's not completely new technology could possibly solve my (and your) issues when you cannot personally attend to your site visitors. This is also a big one for me because I need an answer that provides solutions for getting visitor questions answered even when I'm busy working on something and cannot be interrupted.

Have you heard of Site Pal? SitePal is web-based software that allows you to create animated speaking characters that act as virtual employees on your website.

Bingo!

After investigating I learned that process is virtually automated, no technical experience is required and your characters can be changed whenever you want.

Using SitePal's easy-to-use, powerful online editing tool, you can:
• Customize the character to your liking
• Add audio through either voice recording or text-to-speech functionality
• Publish it to your website within minutes

For those of us who would like to be featured talking on our sites, but don't want to or aren't able to invest in video, they also feature a very neat photo-to-avatar conversion. So you can still put your own face forward on your website to assist your customers.

Here's some examples of how I would recommend using a Site Pal employee:

* Engage your visitors by asking them to take action and sign up for that great FREE report you give away with your newsletter.

* Provide information on specific products and services on your site.

* Increase conversions by having your Site Pal employee discuss your upcoming events and teleseminars.

The application is practically unlimited. For more information on site Pal, visit the links below:

Site Pal Website - Create an animated, talking character to assist your website visitors.

Web Designer vs. Web-Template System; How To Know Which One Is Right For You!

2008-11-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

Just today I opened another one. An email claiming that anyone, YES YOU TOO, can design your own website - without any training or code writing.

Technically it's true that anyone CAN build their own website. Should you try and develop your own website or hire a professional? This is an important decision every person or business must make when they decide to develop a website for their next venture and I dedicated a chapter in my book to helping guide you through this choice.

Although technically you can use custom graphics anytime you wish or can use a website template for even the most advanced of websites, the goal of the questions below is to help determine the right tool for the job. An example would be chartering a plane to fly you from the U.S. to England. Would you want a jumbo jet with four big engines or a small puddle jumper with two?

I use the same logic for building websites.

#1: What Is Your Website's Budget?
This can be a difficult question as most people aren't sure what it costs to build a site, let alone what to budget for one.

Sometimes it's easier to approach this question from the revenue standpoint. How much revenue would you like to earn this year? A hobby oriented site may not generate any revenue; while a business site would be expected to really crank out the dollars.

If your goal is to earn $100,000 the first year, I will probably not recommend an "out-of-the-box" template. The reason for this is that the website's design message (graphics, colors, emotions it conveys) will need to be aggressive and capable of grabbing the attention of your target market and holding it. To help ensure you can meet that goal, I recommend custom graphics which specifically market to your audience and are designed to attract the business you want and to discourage the business you are not interested in.

#2: Is This Site a Hobby or Business Oriented Site?
For the purposes of this article, I'm equating non-revenue generating sites to a hobby oriented sites and revenue generating sites to a business site.

If you're building a strictly information based website that talks about your favorite color or wants to educate people but not conduct sales, your site falls into the hobby category. If you are selling something (anything)...e-books, products through amazon.com or have any expectations of earning money, your site falls into the business category.

#3: How Much Time Can You Devote To Your Site?
Your time is valuable! If you have the desire to build your own site, be realistic about how much time you will need. When planning website projects for clients, I spend at least two hours up front determining how I am going to build it in addition to what I am going to build.

#4: What Are Your Attention or Time Constraints
A project constraint is anything is you cannot negotiate your way around. For instance, here are some constraints that you might encounter:
A. You only have 5 hours total to spend on your project.
B. You are a strong starter, but ou have difficulty focusing or staying on track.
C. You have no Internet experience with websites...it's scary!

Now that you've answered all the questions above, see the answers below to help determine your needs.

Use Custom Graphics/Site Design If:
1. Your budget is over $500.
2. Your website is NOT a hobby and your revenue goals are above $5,000 per year.
3. You have 4-6 weeks to spend on your project.
4. You need help staying on track, and have a busy schedule.

Use a Website Template If:
1. Your budget is under $500.
2. Your website is hobby oriented (although this is not a rule).
3. You are short on time.
4. You have website design experience and are 100% self starting.

Remember, there are no hard fast rules, the suggestions above are merely to help determine which path may be more comfortable for you to take.

5 Tips to Avoid Holiday Website Meltdown

2008-10-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

If you feel about your website or newsletter updates the way I do about Holiday shopping (ahhhhh!) than it's quite possible that you might choose to wait until the last minute to get things updated and miss out on some crucial business opportunities. Before you begin to panic, take a deep breath! The 5 tips below will help you successfully update your website or newsletter while leaving you plenty of time to relax and have fun.

Tip #1: Make Your Website/Newsletter A Priority
You've already invested either time, money or both in a newsletter or website. The truth is they can help your business be successful but ONLY if you work on them. If you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself "what emotion do I have when I think about working on my website/newsletter?"

You might be surprised to find that you feel somewhat negative. Rather than looking at these tools as a drain on your time, try and see them for the golden opportunity they can be...to contact existing and potential customers and continue building relationships. Once you've built a loyal customer base, repeat customers can be a great source of recurring revenue.

Tip #2: Set Aside Time
This one is tricky. You may already have a full (or overflowing) plate of things to do in front of you. The key is to set aside a small amount of time on a frequency you can handle (daily, weekly). Rather than trying to simply complete your changes yourself each day or even once per week, use the time to put together a plan on how you will get your website or newsletter updated by your deadline.

Tip #3: Put Together A Plan
First things first: Your time is valuable. It's easy in today's busy world to become distracted by the phone, email or other interruptions. Make sure that when you are working on your website or newsletter that you delegate the phone to someone (if possible), close your email and focus on what you are doing.

Now that you're focused and clear on how often and for how much time you can devote to your website or newsletter, it's time to decide what you want the final product to look like. This fact alone will help you determine whether you are taking the right steps to reach your goal.

Ask yourself:

"Do I know exactly what needs to be changed? Which products or services need to be added or removed?"
"Do I need to change out graphics, text or both?"
"Do I have the graphics or text I need to make these changes?"
"If not, who do I contact to obtain them?"

You may not own your own business; you may be working for a small business owner or entrepreneur who has tasked you with completing the updates. You might need to coordinate with another employee or staff member to obtain the materials for the updates you need to make. Be sure to allow plenty of time for them to deliver the materials and for you to insert them.

If you are a small business owner doing the work yourself, your plan should include organizing the media (text/graphics) that will be updated. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time for this step (at least 30 minutes) if you already have all the materials.

Tip #4: Find Someone to Assist You
You don't have to do this alone, you can hire someone to help you. If your sacred gift is not updating your website or newsletter, there's no reason you should feel like you can't ask for help.

There are parts of the process that will need your attention (setting aside time, planning) however there ARE tasks that will not require you to be personally involved and can be delegated. In the long run, you'll accomplish more if you hire someone to do the other tasks so that you can stay focused on the parts of your business that do need your personal attention. (I can offer assistance with updating your site and newsletter so you aren't left feeling overwhelmed or alone).

Tip #5: Relax and Have Fun!
Take a deep breath and remember, this all doesn't have to get done in a single day. Fall has just begun and there is still plenty of time to see results from the holiday shopping season. That being said...procrastinating is the worst thing you can do for your business. If you only have a limited amount of time then simply start the process by clearing out any old emotions you have surrounding getting started and then set aside some time to plan.

GOOD LUCK!

Tip #2: What You Need To Succeed Part : Can You Spot Your Ideal Client?

2008-10-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Who is your ideal client? Do you know what kind of clients you want to attract into your business? I know that in the past I didn’t. I didn’t know that I could “choose” my clients. Maybe you feel the same way – aren’t all clients equal? No, they’re not.

In working with a business coach over these past few months, Michael and I have come to a greater appreciation of our clients and what they bring to us as a company. We also have come to learn that we simply couldn’t provide what some clients were looking for in their businesses and have had to say good-bye. Although that was a tough one because who wants to say farewell to a paying customer, our coach assured us that when we made space for the new clients, the ideal clients, to show up - they would. And guess what? They have and they are amazing. Some of you are new to Superb Web Design and we want to welcome you and thank you for being part of our growth and development as you allow us to assist you with yours!

What is an ideal client? Think of your most perfect client and write down everything that you like about them. Are they punctual? Do they pay on time? Are they enthusiastic about their business? Do they communicate well? Do they love to send business your way because they are natural referrers? You may even want to close your eyes and see your top 3 clients in your mind and think about what makes them great. Once you have written those qualities down, look at the list and you have the makings of your “ideal client.”

Does this work? It absolutely does and Lisa Bullock of Bullock Performance Horses is proof of that. Because Lisa fits the bill of an ideal client for us, we had great communication right from the start. Lisa felt comfortable telling me what she wanted from her site, her dreams, goals and vision for her business. She trusted us and we simply wanted to do what we do well – make our client’s dreams a reality. One look at the “spec” website we designed for her and it was love at first sight.

Does that always happen? No, but when you are working with your ideal client, it makes communication so much easier so if something is not right, you don’t feel defensive or out of sorts. You “get to work”…together, to make it right for both parties. It’s a partnership at its finest hour. We’re committed to their success and they feel that in everything we do. They’re honest and open with their expectations so everyone’s needs feel met. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Lisa is thrilled with her new website that is currently in development. We are excited to have Bullock Performance Horses as a client as we get to ride the web with her and win. Watch our website portfolio for Lisa’s website launch in mid-July! What about you? If there is anything we can do to help you grow your business to another level of success, please just let us know. And in the meantime, think about your ideal client. Because as you surround yourself with amazing people, like we have, it is a wonderful thing to experience in a business.

Tip #1: How Do I Organize My Website?

2008-09-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

How Do I Organize My Website?

This is a great question and one I'm asked often. Here's how I like to convey the importance of organization...

Have you ever been to the grocery store specifically to find that one item you need in a hurry? Now imagine you're in the car, you have your list and you've set aside 30 minutes to carefully maneuver your way down that aisles to find everything. 30-minutes should be enough because you know how the store is laid out and exactly where to find things.

You search the store only to discover that Peanut Butter has been moved and is now located on the aisle with the Household Cleaners next to the bleach and abrasive cleaners. What?! That's the question I'd be asking myself. Not only is this inconvenient, it's plain frustrating! Since when do Peanut Butter and Bleach go together?

Organization is key to helping your clients quickly and easily locate what they need from your website. After all, they probably have a limited amount of time in which to spend on it and believe me, if they can't find something - they won't hang out!

The grocery store at some point gave careful consideration to grouping like products together in an effort to help you, the customer, shop. You may be thinking, "Krista - this is just plain common sense!" I'd have to agree with you, but I can't even tell you how many websites I visit where a consideration for the customer has been waylaid by a concern for flashy graphics, cute effects and someone thinking that flash without organization is actually effective. I'm here to tell you, IT'S NOT!

So, guideline number one is...
Group like things together.
How to Start: Take a notepad and pencil and hit your website on the Internet. Look at each page and determine:
1. What products compliment one another?
2. What services compliment one another?

Now ask yourself, should these products/services be located on the same page? If they are alike, consider grouping them on the same page or create a handy spot on your page called "You May Also Like" and place links to other products the client may be interested in. This benefits your client because it saves them time involved in searching as they can easily navigate your website. This in turn benefits you because it reduces the chances they will become frustrated and leave your website without purchasing or contacting you.

Guideline number two is...
Remove outdated information.
How to start: Have you ever noticed the amount of effort a store puts into making the produce appear fresh, and clean? This makes sense right? A grocery store wouldn't leave produce out to become old and rotten. So why would you leave content on your website to become old and stale?

Although we're not dealing with a shelf life necessarily, there are factors that make removing old content from your website something you should take seriously. Visitors will often judge how well you manage your business by how fresh your website is. If for instance the news on the site is six months old, a visitor may decide that you will handle all of your business with the same attention and enthusiasm you put into updating your website. Although this seems shallow, remember, in business perception is reality.

Second, search engines LOVE fresh content. I'll say it again, search engines LOVE, love, love fresh content. The more you update, the more they'll want to visit.

Guideline number three is...
Draw attention to what you have to offer.

How to start:
Grocery stores are constantly placing stands up front by the door to catch your eye and draw you to "What's New." Do the same with your website! Make a list of all new or changed products/services and feature them on your homepage (if possible) or in a "What's New" box with links to be sure prospective clients see them.

Now, if you're feeling overwhelmed or just plain put off by the prospect of combing through your website to organize it for the fall season, give me a call. Website tune-ups are a specialty and I'd love to work with you!

Related Feature

2007-12-18T19:28:00.002-07:00

The above article features related content.