I’ve run into clients and prospects  who are under the misguided assumption that images on the web are free for the taking.  Not so.  In fact, if the stock photography companies find that your site is using pirated images you could be fined hundreds or thousands of dollars. And they will find you.  I’ve had clients who have loaded images onto their website (that were unknowingly pirated from an online source) and eventually they get a call from Comstock or some other Stock photo house demanding payment for the use of their image.

Always make sure that you have the right to use images that you place  on your website (or any marketing materials).  There are many royalty free stock photos you can purchase for use on your website for fairly low cost.  IStockphoto.com is one that we use frequently to purchase stock photography.

Music is another component that people like to pirate.  It is not legal to use a song you’ve purchased and downloaded onto your IPod as background music for a video you post to YouTube.  Sorry.  SoundDogs.com is a good source for music and sound effects.

I don’t have to tell anyone that it’s plagiarism to copy text from another site.  Do I?

Although the big kick-off shopping weekend is over, I’m sure there’s more shopping to be done.  If you prefer to avoid the mall hubbub and feel like staying home in your jammies and doing some on-line shopping this holiday season, here’s a list of clients who are small business owners that sell or show products online.  They’re all reputable honest people with great products.  The * indicates you may need to call to purchase.

Art

• ColbathColors.com *
• CowsByDesign.com

Astrology Calendar & Services

• AstrologyBooth.com

Books

• Not My Mother’s Wedding
• From May Sarton’s Well
• The Good Financial Advisor
• Montessori Madness and other Children’s Books
• Octavian Chronicles
• Beyond Location, Location, Location…A Systematic, Promotional Approach to Marketing Commercial Real Estate

Food & Beverage

• Bloody Bold Cocktail Mixers
• The Spice Mill

Health & Fitness

• Pedometers from EveryBodyFit.com
• Massage – MyHandsYourHealth.com*
• Personal Training – JudithScottFitness *
• Chair Massage & Wellness Programs - http://totalbalancelifechoice.com *

Jewelry

• AlisonDesignsJewelry.com
• Lapistree.com (see the BellaSanté section for online sales)*

Motorcycle & Auto Accessories

• EzShadow – The easy way to cover your Toll Pass
• GoodGuysPowerSports - Motorcycle Gear & Accessories
• Uni-Go Motorcycle Trailers

Travel Services

• MogoTravelService.com*

Museum Store

• Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum Store & Holiday Events in Wethersfield (no on-line shopping but Black Friday hours at the Museum Store and many holiday events through December) *

And Finally, Santa Claus

• SantaVisitsCT.com to schedule a Santa visit to your holiday party. *

Happy Holidays!

I laughed.

“How did that happen?” I asked and then I chuckled some more.

Apparently my client  had accidentally hit the combination of keys that’s the shortcut for flipping your display.  Yeah, that’s a handy shortcut. Thank you Microsoft.

“It’s not funny,” she said. “Not only is the screen upside down, but the mouse is backwards”.

I laughed again.  “Did you try turning the mouse upside down?” I asked.

Meanwhile, while poking fun at my client I did a quick Google search for “upside down display screen”  and I quickly found a forum where others had run into the problem.  Scanning the forum I saw one that  began with “I’m 13 years old and I have the answer to the problem…”

The 13-year old recommended going to the display settings where you will find the option to flip your screen.   Who knew?  I’m 53 years old and I didn’t know that option existed, but Google and the 13-year old kid made me look like a hero.  Thank you Google and unknown 13-year old (you little smartie-pants).

This hyper-focus may have been enhanced by the glut of SEO experts telling people how vital SEO is to their success.  But, web site owners would be wise to remember that the only thing good SEO will do is have your site show up in a site search.  It’s not a silver bullet to sales.  It will only improve the odds or bringing customers to your website.  After that it’s up to you and your website to impress potential customers with amazing content–content that’s current, clear, accurate, informative, and attractively designed.

So while you’re reviewing SEO strategies (because I’m not discounting the effectiveness of a well-optimized site at getting people to the door) don’t forget to review your website.  The stuff that customer’s actually see is as important as a good SEO strategy.   Here’s a brief checklist of things you should be looking at:

1. Is it clear (to the layperson) within seconds of landing on any page in your website what you’re selling?
2. Is your phone number visible? On every page?
3. Do you give people a reason to call you?  Do you clearly state benefits of doing business with you?
4. Is your navigation easy to follow?
5. Are your markets clearing defined.  Do you provide market specific content for different market segments?
6. Do you update your content with current information?
7. Does your site design look professional?  Does it look current or dated?  Does it show well on mobile devices?
8. Is your site design (colors, typography, logos, images)  consistent with your brand?
9. If you have a shopping cart, is the cart secure? Are products clearly displayed and identified?
10. Are customer service policies, shipping methods, return policies, privacy policies in place.
11. Do you provide a physical location and multiple ways for people to contact you?
12. Are you using social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others that are appropriate for your markets?

Always focus on building a website that benefits your clients and potential clients.  If you keep that in mind as you optimize your site and your content you may find that customers are not only finding you, but they’re also buying from you.  And that’s really the ultimate goal isn’t it?

I use Twitter to primarily follow web designers, application developers and SEO experts, with a small dose of news sources and random other hobbies and interests.  By scanning through my Twitter feed I learn of new tools and techniques in my industry.

Here’s what I’ve learned from Twitter:

1. From @smashingmag: How other digital designers are using Fireworks – (one of my favorite tools).  In reviewing this post I realize there are techniques I can try that will make me more efficient in my daily workflow.  The post also made me want to upgrade to CS5.
2. 10 reasons why business card size matters.  Some interesting design samples — it’s always inspirational to look at other designer’s work.
3. From @1stwebdesigner: 10 tips for designing better infographics.  Insights into making a better bar graphes, pie charts, etc.  Some good pointers.
4. From @catswhocode a Black Cat Rescue Shelter in the Boston area.  Black cats are less likely to be adopted.  People are weird.  Beautiful black cat featured available for adoption. Hope he finds a good home.
5. From @ZarkoCompare – Link building guide from the Bliss SEO blog.  (Found the color scheme of the website hard to read)
6. From @Biz: Large, slow moving plane video. (okay this one was a waste of time)
7. From @CNN: Senate blocks vote on jobs bill
8. From @CNNMoney: Foreign buyers scooping up US homes.

Here’s what been on TV this morning:

Gadhafi’s dead, Gadhafi’s Dead, Gadhafi’s dead… Jackson’s doc on trial.  7 billionth baby

Who do you follow?  What’s in your Twitter feed?

Earlier this week, I realized that someone was posting as me on my Twitter account. Unfortunately, instead of posting valuable information, they were posting links to material I didn’t want to promote, so I deleted their posts and changed my password. And hopefully anyone who follows my Twitter account didn’t really think I was promoting get-rich work-at-home schemes. The incident forced me to re-evaluate my password strategy. So now, my passwords are longer and have more *&%^ characters and will be changed more often.  Below are some other practices I will follow and recommend.

Five best password practices

1. Change your passwords often.
2. Make them hard to guess.  Use at least 8 characters in your password.  Don’t use words or names, use a nonsensical set of characters
3. Make them hard to find.  If you must record them (and you will unless you have a better memory than most)  put them in a secure location — not on a sticky note on your computer monitor.  If you store them electronically on your computer — make sure they are not accessible.  Lock them up whether paper or electronic based.
4. Don’t use the same password on all your accounts.
5. Don’t share your password with other people.  Don’t email your password.  If you must have your password emailed to you because you forgot it, change it as soon as you log in.

Carolyn, Henry & Beth at CT Business Expo

I’ve never thought of myself as a control freak but for most of the past 10 + years I’ve pretty much ran the show as the solopreneur of cgwebhelp. That means I created designs, wrote code, managed web hosting, talked to customers, troubleshot problems, marketed the business, quoted jobs, paid the bills and sent the invoices.  But in the last year or so, and especially since partnering with Beth to form Web Savvy Marketers things have changed and I don’t have to do everything anymore. It’s a luxury… and a challenge.

It’s a complete luxury to have partnered with Beth.  She freakishly loves to do the stuff I hate to do and hates to do the stuff I like to do.  She loves to make sales calls!  Who loves to do that?  She likes to write quotes.  What’s that about? She’s also nicer to the customers than I am. That should be good for business. I like to write code and troubleshoot problems…Beth, not so much. It’s a business marriage made in heaven.

In fact, partnering with Beth has created the need for us to bring on more help in order for us to keep up with the workload.  Quite the feat in these questionable times.

I’m now delegating the technical stuff–my stuff–the designing and coding. Therein lies the challenge.  I find myself  hesitating to delegate the choice technical jobs to our able assistants and sub-contractors.   Will I lose my identity?  Maybe they won’t need me anymore?  Wow, sounds kind of insecure.

Will insecurity stagnate the business or will rationality reign over growth?

My friend Henry brought up the book The E-Myth Revisited recently.  For those of you unfamiliar with the book it’s about how most people who start small businesses, start from the area of their technical expertise.  They’re good at baking pies, carpentry, or building websites, but they have no concept of running a business. So eventually they wear themselves out by trying to be the technician while running the business.  I realized that I, like most small businesses, came from a place of technical expertise.  I liked building websites.  So I started a website business.

Northern Pike caught on Cedar Lake, Annandale, MN

Fortunately, I really do like running the business as much as building the websites, so I’ve done alright.  But there comes a point in time where there are only so many hours in a day.  Delegation has to happen if you want the business to grow. So although I occasionally have trouble letting go of the technical stuff, I know that I must override my technician’s insecurities and let go, move forward  and delegate. And I’ve found  that when I let go and delegate…the job might be done better that I would have done it!  Isn’t that great?

So while David writes code and sets up websites; while Iris updates websites; while Henry programs web applications; while Jonathan and Sue design; and while Nancy writes copy, Beth and I get to create a business. And fish. It’s a wonderful life.

In June, the team made it possible for me to take a leisurely fishing trip.   Thank you Beth, Iris, Nancy, Sue, David, Henry, Jonathan and to everyone else who made it possible!

I’m not in the market for a new car. But when I heard that the Mitsubishi Outlander was going to be offering the first online virtual test drives–I had to check it out. So I went to their website and signed up and while I was there I checked out the Outlander website and the car I would be test driving in November.

The website and the car have some cool features. On the website you can virtually walk around the car and view it from every angle. When you turn the car so it faces you, the video background behind it is in sync with the car’s direction. As you mouseover the car, little blue bubbles pop up and show feature specific details.

Wow! It has a 40GB Navigation/Music server with a stunning, full-color LCD touchscreen! And a USB port and bluetooth capability. I don’t have that in my 97 Acura. Too bad I’m not in the market for a new car.

It’s shown in a Leguna Blue, but you can easily change the paint color with a click of the mouse. If I were in the market for a new car I think I’d like the Leguna Blue.

The Mitsubishi Outlander virtual test drive campaign is web savvy marketing. The virtual test drive concept intrigued me enough to go to the website and register for a drive even though I’m not in the market for a new car. The website does a good job of presenting the car’s features. I can visualize myself in an Outlander. I just hope the virtual test drive is not too much fun because I’m really not in the market for a new car.
http://www.outlandersport.com/

My friend D’vorah Lansky invited me to participate in this 30-day challenge.  D’vorah is an active blogger and recently wrote the book , Connect, Communicate and Profit.  The book is all about building successful relationships online and I highly recommend it to anyone with questions about using social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, or about blogging.

I’m always on the lookout for materials that inspire me with new ideas and one of the perks of signing up for the challenge, is that you get a free booklet, 7 Ways to Get Your Blog In Motion.   In the booklet, the first thing they suggest to fend off the fear that you won’t have anything to write about is to make a list of things you know about–just a quick list of things that pop into your head.  So here’s my quick list:

• web design
• image editing
• SEO
• E-commerce templates
• WordPress
• Google Checkout
• Google Analytics
• Website traffic statistics
• Dad’s 93rd birthday today.  Happy Birthday Dad!
• 30 day challenges
• Facebook movie – I gotta see it.
• Homeaway.com
• web hosting
• e-mail marketing
• the 10 pounds I can’t lose (another 30-day challenge?)

So in the next 30 days I’ll be writing about some of these things and some other things that pop up in my world of web design and internet marketing. I’ll also try to answer any questions that come my way.

My hope is that in the next 3o days, I’ll become more efficient in my blogging practice, and that I’ll provide a valuable resource for readers in the process.

Resources:

• Connect, Communicate, and Profit by D’vorah Lansky
• http://ultimateblogchallenge.com/

1. Google Places – (used to be called Google Local) it’s a free listing that you can enter by going to www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter.   You enter your web address, physical address, a description of your business, your contact information, hours– you can even enter photos. Your listing will show up on a Google Maps when someone searches for your business type in your area.
2. Bing Local – Same concept as on Google Places only it’s on Bing.
3. Facebook and other social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter.  If you’re not there you should be — it’s word of mouth advertising. I’ve seen small business really benefit from communicating with their network (friends, fans…whatever you want to call them).  It’s a great place to promote your business events, specials promotions and communicate with your clients (friends, fans, etc).  Just remember like all networking activities you’ll benefit more from giving then selling.  Provide  information, tips, advice, and special deals, spread good will and your friends and fans will remember you and spread the word about your business.
4. Update your website regularly.  Install a content management system like WordPress so you can update your website on a regular basis.   Set up a blog that feeds through to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts so you reach out to all neighborhoods of your virtual network.
5. Google Analytics – You don’t really know if anything is working unless you have a way to track your traffic.  Google analytics provides lots of statistics about traffic to your website.