Bizango

How to embed video

2011-08-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

I am not the technical one in our business. When I say things like, “even I can use the update tools”, I’m not joking around. I’ve just never had a natural affinity to the computer. I have other skills (or so I tell myself) that are just as valuable. Fortunately for me, Mark, my partner is a computer genius, so we balance each other out quite well. Yet, there’s no getting around learning a thing or two when you’re in this business, especially sitting next to a technical wiz who says things like, “why don’t you embed the video on the site?”.

So, I’m here to share some of the lessons I’m learning.

My lesson for the week: How to embed a YouTube video on your website or blog.

On YouTube, just under the video clip, there’s a “share” button. Click on “share”, then find the “embed” button. Click on this and it will pop up a few lines of gibberish (HTML code). Verify your width capacity or type in a desired width (for our blog we used a width of 350 px). Then, select and copy the HTML.

Now back on your own site or blog-- Using the editing tools, click on “source”. Find the end of the paragraph where you want to insert the video, hit return a couple times to give you some space, then paste the HTML you copied from above. Hit “save”, and viola! You’ve embedded video on your site!

This is the video that I embedded this week for one of our clients (a european auto shop). Embedding video, Star Wars... sheesh, I’m becoming a regular computer geek!

Web Marketing Basics, part 4

2011-05-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the final part in our series on Web Marketing Basics.

The hottest ingredient in web marketing these days is search engine optimization. SEO is what you do to rank the highest on a Google search. SEO is a big and complicated beast and many business owners are, understandably, completely overwhelmed by it. Whether you wrangle the beast yourself, or you hire someone to do it for you, its important to

4. Come up with an SEO strategy.

There are 3 areas that we focus on.

The first is technology.
A site that is built using clean, modern HTML is essential and Google will rank sites that have this higher. Also, galleries and slide-shows should be SEO friendly. Google does not recognize flash, so if your site uses this you’d want to look into replacing it. Lastly, your site’s performance, or the speed in which it loads, is a factor. If you have enough time to refill your coffee while your site is loading, its too slow.

The second is content.
Google will look at text and keywords, and how they’re integrated throughout your site. Spend some time researching your keywords and use them in your content, preferably toward the top of your pages. Meta tags and page titles should include your keywords. Also, sites that are frequently updated rank higher.

The third is link ecosystem.
Your network of incoming links and reviews is both the hardest and the most important aspect of your SEO efforts, and requires ongoing attention. Asking your clients to review you (only good reviews will really benefit you) on sites like Yelp, or asking your colleagues in related businesses to link to your site (either from their own site or from their blog) can be very helpful in terms of your ranking. Google weighs incoming links that are true and seemingly related to your business heavily.

No one can truly guarantee that they can get your business to the top of search engines. However, many SEO experts will make this claim and cost the business owner many thousands of dollars to do this. Keep in mind that honest, legitimate SEO takes time to see results and its an ongoing process.

Web Marketing Basics, part 3

2011-03-10T17:42:00.001-08:00

Welcome back to Web Marketing Basics, part 3. Now that you’ve announced your website (part 1), and established a social media platform (part 2), the next step is to

3.Create content.

Content is what you write to promote your business. This could take the form as copy on your website, blog postings or article submissions.

If you thought your days of writing were over after graduating from college (your English professors are going to love this), think again. If you’re in business and you have anything to do with your own marketing, you’re inevitably writing.

To write about topics that are relevant to your industry will generate interest in your site and therefore in your business. If what you write is REALLY interesting, you could have a following of people who come back to your site for information. These visitors are more likely to think of you as an authority on the topic and will want to do their business with you.

Updating the content on your site frequently, especially if it is relevant to your business and includes keywords, can also help your ranking on Google (I’ll discuss this in greater depth in part 4).

And writing for the web has some special considerations which I’ve discussed in my previous blog “Rules to writing copy for the web”.

Creating content, like your social media strategy, will take time. But you will be writing from your own experience and it will give you a platform to show off your expertise. With time, it can help to generate interest in your business, maybe even leads. If you’re having trouble coming up with topics to write about, start with questions or concerns that your clients frequently ask you, such as “why aren’t I getting more leads from my website?”. Chances are, there are others with the same questions who would benefit from your words of wisdom.

Tune in soon for our final segment on web marketing basics; SEO strategy!

Web Marketing Basics, part 2

2011-02-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

This week is the continuation of Web Marketing Basics, part 2. Now that you have your new website launched, you’ve announced it to all the world (see part 1), the next consideration is to:

2. Enter the world of social media.

Social media is what you do online to connect to your target audience. Specific examples of “what is social media” are: Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and Foursquare. Other examples would also include blogging, posting articles online to sites like Ezine or the Examiner, joining online networking groups such as Biznik or Meetup.

The benefits of social media are many:
-It is accessible to everyone (as long as you have a computer and an internet connection).
-It allows you to directly communicate, market to, and have a dialogue with your audience.
-Its far cheaper than traditional marketing strategies such as print and TV.
-It is an effective way to stay engaged with your clients, and customers who stay engaged stay loyal.
-It can potentially improve your SEO ranking (more on this to come).

The downsides to social media are:
-It can take up a lot of your time.
-It opens you up to receiving negative comments or reviews, which you would need to tactfully manage.

Despite its downsides, social media is where marketing is going. Even if you’re reticent to take the plunge, just getting your business a Facebook page, or to start blogging is a good way to start.

Please feel welcome to share any of your experience, ideas, woes, or successes with social media. We can all learn from each other!

Tune in soon for the next installment of web marketing basics!

Web Marketing Basics

2011-01-27T14:43:00.000-08:00

This week I was reminded that some of our clients are new to web marketing. Even those clients that have been at it for a while, still come to us with basic questions about what they should do to promote their business online. A question we frequently get is, why aren’t I getting more leads from my website?

Our response is usually, “what are you doing to market your website”? If you are having difficulty answering that question, you’re not alone.

Your site is an essential marketing tool. But, merely launching your website (without marketing it) isn't going to trigger leads. It would be great if it did, but things are never that easy. Now that you have your website, what’s next?

Here is the first of our 4 part strategy in marketing your website:

1. Announce your new website.

This may seem like an obvious one, but its frequently overlooked. You can announce your site in a number of ways including asking local bloggers to blog about your business (perhaps announce a special that you’re promoting or open registration), announce your site on Facebook, through email, newsletters, networking and business events, word of mouth, etc. Be sure to include a link to your new website so that people can find you easily. Also, include your url on any promotional materials, print work, and business cards.

Having a new or improved website is a great opportunity to contact your clients/potential clients-- remind them who you are and that you appreciate their business, demonstrate to your buyers that you’re serious about your business and you’re here to take care of them. To show off your new website is to take pride in your business, not just a marketing ploy (in case you were feeling sheepish about touting that new site). Its up to you to tell people to check out your new site, then its up to the site to draw them in and lead them to your contact page.

Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay tuned for the next installment of Web Marketing Basics part 2!

Balance

2010-07-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks we've been busy with several projects--some large, some small, but all important. Our bi-weekly meetings keep us on track (more or less) so that we've got everyone worked into our schedule.

But this past week, we've also been working on a project that we've managed to squeeze in to our already busy schedule, a project we took on knowing we wouldn't get much financially from, but important to us personally. We've signed on to do the website and communications for our neighborhood elementary school and this week we sent out the first of our email newsletters.

This week has been a lesson in finding the balance in getting paid for what we do, and contributing our talents toward improving our community.

Potential

2010-06-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

Recently, a recurrent question I ask myself is: Am I capable of more? Am I living to my potential?

There’s so much opportunity for anonymity, mediocrity, to coast through this life, to be passive. But, what a disappointment to just sit back and let life go bye.

Its risky, being involved, to lose your anonymity, to take on more. It takes a certain amount of confidence to put yourself out there. You might actually attract attention! But also open yourself up to criticism, public failure, embarrassing situations, being spread too thin, or losing your mind.

For me, the choice to become more involved started a couple of years ago. Maybe it was having kids, or being in my mid 30’s, or having our own business... or the feeling that I have a stake in the future that is beyond myself. Don’t get me wrong--in my younger adulthood I had a more theoretical understanding and desire to promote the sustainability of the human race and our world. But now, I definitely have a deeper, more emotional relationship to the future than I felt when I was younger. It makes everything important. This is my chance to do something good in this world, to make my community better, to ensure that my kids will have only the best of everything.

I have a belief that we (myself included) are all capable of more than we do on a day-to-day basis. What if we all lived to our potential? How awesome would that be? I realize we can’t be ON 100% of the time. But even if we had bursts of energy that would take us 1 step closer to our potential a day, that would be somethin’.

Married to the web guy

2010-05-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Being married to the web guy has its pluses.

First, if I have a question about anything webby or technical, I know the guy to call. And he’s really good. I don’t think I’ve ever had a technical problem that he couldn’t fix. Granted, my technical problems probably aren’t that complicated, but still. Knowing I have someone literally in-house to call is a great comfort. If Mark weren’t here, my computer would have been thrown through the window a long time ago.

I’m inspired by his creativity. I love watching him create amazing designs. At some point during our clients’ projects I get to see the work in progress. I get first glance at the mood boards, design concepts, logo designs, etc. I’m no web designer, but after seeing a lot of web design, I know that Mark’s work is pretty amazing. Frankly, I don’t know how he does it. Every client gets a unique design, some clients depending on the size of the project, might be presented with 2 or 3 design concepts. How he comes up with so many ideas, I’ll never know.

I’m totally proud of the business that he’s created. Mark is a modest guy. He will read this and be embarrassed. But, under the laid-back-Seattle-web-guy exterior, he’s a sharp businessman. He’s planning Bizango’s future even when the week is booked with working on client projects. Every week, we set aside time to develop new and improved features to the update tools, or to develop future Bizango endeavors. Sometimes carving out the time for these long-term goals hurts. That time has got to come from somewhere, and every week we look at the schedule and make sure that its on our to-do list. He doesn’t compromise on this. His eye is on the future of our business and the security of our family. He’s my hero.

What Disneyland does right

2010-05-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Our family just got back from a 3 day vacation to Disneyland. Our kids, ages 5 & 3, are finally at an age where they could appreciate the fun, magic, and craziness that IS Disneyland.

Disneyland is over-the-top in every way. To go there and really appreciate it, you have to let your inner kid lead. For those who stick up their noses at Disneyland---there’s seriously something wrong with you. To enjoy Disneyland you have to let go of your inhibitions. Don’t worry--no one in southern California knows who you are or even cares (if you’re not a movie star, that is). You can be a kid again. You don’t need any mind altering drugs, you just need to be one with Disney.

The creativity put into Disneyland is amazing. Where else is as extravagant, larger than life, and fantastical? Part of what makes each “land” feel so real is that there’s no holding back. Disney has seen to even the smallest detail to make your experience feel REAL. It creates desire in the weirdest ways-- I could totally see myself living out the rest of my days in Tarzan’s treehouse (Tarzan could stay, of course). Seattle? Work? House? Bahh!! I’ll take life in the treehouse any day.

Even if it is Disneyland, there’s a lot to appreciate about being in a place where creativity is valued. While we were waiting in line (part of the DL experience, no doubt), we saw a group of executives getting a tour of Pixie Hollow. It was funny to see a group of men in suits walking though Tinkerbell’s forest, taking everything in all so seriously. They’re no fools, they know this is a goldmine.

From a business perspective, there’s a lot to learn from Disney. Disneyland is expensive. But still the people come and pay. Disneyland has spared no expense at creating an experience. Disney wants everyone to feel special. Everyday is a celebration. The parades, fireworks, and musical numbers are spectacular. Our kids got to meet Tigger, for goodness sake. Can you put a price tag on that? Apparently you can. Yes, this vacation set us back some, but it was worth it. We’ll totally go again.

Coffee to the rescue

2010-04-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

This week we’ve been struck by the crud...again. WIth 2 kids in preschool, we’re bound to catch any virus that’s out there. And we do. I can take the coughing in my face and the wiping of runny noses, but my patience is truly tested by our little ones’ extreme crankiness and sleepless nights. Sometimes I just have to laugh at the insanity when I’m up at 2 am trying to get one of them back to sleep, while I can hear the other start up again. What a tag team they make. Its like they’re conspiring against us.

Despite the sleep deprivation and the fact that I am now also sick (thanks to the coughing in my face), I still have to get up and go about my day; work, meetings, childcare.

The thing that pulls me through is coffee.

Honestly, I don’t love the taste of coffee. I didn’t really drink it until I moved to Seattle. Well, it was hard to avoid in a city that has a coffee shop every 50 feet. I do love the smell which is probably what drew me to it. But mostly, I love the routine of making a pot of coffee, and fixing my cup just the way I like it.

There’s something about having a cup of coffee in front of me that helps me focus. Even before that first sip, just the ritual of sitting down with a coffee in front of me, helps me plan my day, prioritize what I have to get done, and set to work. However tired I am, however much I have on my plate for that day, I know I can get through it because at least I’ve got my coffee.

And its not just me. I can’t even have a conversation with Mark in the morning until I see that he’s got his coffee in hand. It took me at least 10 years of being married to him before I figured that one out.

So, we take our coffee ritual seriously here.

Before kids, Mark and I took a trip to Italy. (Little did we know that would be our last hurrah just the two of us.) One of our stops was a 3 day stay at an agriturismo. We slept in the carriage house of a thousand year old castle in the middle of Tuscany. Yes, you’re right-- it can’t get any better than that. We happened to be stranded there at that castle, seeing we hadn’t thought to rent a car (we arrived at the castle mostly by luck and a very expensive cab ride). So, we spent our days lazily wandering through vineyards and olive groves, playing with the family dog who we named “Paulo”, communing with the cattle that we would later eat that night sitting at the family’s dinner table. We also learned about espresso.

Our room was equipped with cornflakes, homemade biscotti, a hot plate and an espresso maker--the beautiful silver retro kind you put on the burner. We had our first lesson how to make espresso from the young Italian woman who let us in. In our feeble attempts at conversing in half Italian/half Spanish/half English, we learned how to craft a brew of true Italian espresso.

If the ritual of making coffee is good, making espresso is even better. It seems the more elaborate the ritual, the more meditative and focused the act becomes. Coffee is our routine, espresso is Special.

So, when the kids are driving us crazy, work is busy, creativity needs to be evoked, or we need that special focus in our cluttered mind---its coffee to the rescue.

Blogging from the inside out

2010-04-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

When I started blogging over a year ago, I was a novice. I was finding my way in the blogging world. I wasn’t sure what to write, but I knew I wanted to tell our story of running our business, having a family, and trying to make it all work together somehow.

I guess I’m still trying to find my way as a “blogger”. Lately, I feel I’ve lost something in trying to write articles and blogs that are more focused on Business, and less focused on our internal process. I’m no expert, but I fear I may have come across that way in my effort to be prolific about running a business.

Maybe I’ve been a bit misguided to believe that in order for people to want to read my blog (so far, not so much), I need to be an expert on a topic (I’m not) and write information that others will hopefully find useful and relevant (Geez, who knows). And, the business of trying, maybe too hard, to sound informative, has got me hating my new writer voice. Blogging has lost its magic for me personally. So, its not really working out for me, this blogging business. What am I missing?

For me, what’s missing is the account of our personal experience. That’s how this blog got started and I think I was closer to being on track in the beginning. Its our experience that’s compelling. Anybody in the web/tech/marketing business and their brother can write about why its so important to have a beautiful website. But running a family business is a more interesting story. Running a family business has all the stuff sitcoms are made of. We may not be quite so witty, or have musical numbers, but we can be entertaining in our own way. Who can’t relate with being stressed about money or deadlines, feeling angry at STUPID accounting software or annoyed that the kids are too loud to take a call just then? We try to cover up the things that make us human (mistakes, debt, insecurity, farts/burps/BO, etc), but really its the experience of being human that’s so entertaining.

So, today, as I plug in my iPod to drown out the sound of Mark and our 3 year old dancing to “Take On Me” upstairs, I sit down at our cluttered desk that we share, I am turning over a new blogging leaf. Blogging from the inside out. This blog is about our experience as a family, running a business, raising 2 daughters in this crazy world, staying happily married, doing it our way, making compromises along the way, but trying to never loose our way.

Entrepreneurism is about creating, not just going into business

2010-04-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Entrepreneurism is more about creating something than it is “going into business”. Its about having an idea and making it happen.

Despite the variety of businesses represented among the self-employed, a common thread among entrepreneurs is the ability to create solutions to common problems. Entrepreneurs want to find meaning in what they do and create. And most importantly, entrepreneurs possess tenacity.

Bizango’s content management system was created out of a vision to make something better. One of Mark’s (Bizango’s creative director and visionary/developer of the Easy Update Tools) many passions is his focus on “usability” (truthfully, he’s a fanatic on the subject). It was Mark’s goal to create a CMS that was intuitive, especially to non-technical people, and required little if any training. Our business was essentially born out of this desire to create a simple, intuitive, elegant tool that would improve the lives of small business owners.

Going into business for yourself is almost never about the money. Make no mistake, money matters--we couldn’t be in business without some profit. But the bottom line is more than the dollars and cents. Its about pride and satisfaction in creating something that will make other peoples’ lives better, easier, or more beautiful.

Rules to writing copy for the web

2010-04-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

Written content for your website needs to inspire your potential customers to contact you. Does yours? There is a technique to writing web copy that can help you overcome barriers to connecting with your potential customers.

According to web usability expert Jakob Nielsen, users will only read about 20% of the words on a web page. So, how do you sell to people who may only spend a minute or so, if you’re lucky, reading your website?

Here are 5 rules to consider when writing for the web:

Use small words and short paragraphs. Recognize that people are in a hurry and want information that is easy to read and understand. They don't want to be forced into thinking. People aren't impressed with big words--they get annoyed and move on.
Use bulleted lists and highlighted key words. Peoples’ eyes are easily drawn to bulleted lists and highlighted words and they are quickly scannable.
Start with the most important. Your most important message should come first. Your readers may loose interest and never finish reading the rest of the page and then you’ve lost them.
Speak clearly. Write how you would say it. If you’re trying too hard to explain something, you may be trying too hard. Think simple and direct. To be honest, you should assume your audience is less intelligent ( I mean no offense) and speak to that level. You're not trying to win awards for literary fiction here, you're trying to sell.
Be compelling. This is probably the most challenging. You need to spark the interest of your reader, and then keep them hooked. If what you’re writing isn’t interesting, then go back and find a way that is. The whole point of writing is to get your audience to keep reading and, in this case, to ultimately contact you.

The message you convey on your website should be true to your personality and values. Your message should be clear and consistent throughout your site. It should also tell a story that will motivate your customers to contact you. If you believe that your product is special, then tell us why! Pretty pictures sure do help, but well thought words and a compelling story will sell too.

You don’t have to be a “writer” to write your web copy. Understanding some techniques for writing web copy can help you overcome the challenge of writing for the web, and help you connect with your potential customers.

What are you doing to market your website?

2010-04-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

A beautiful website is essential. But once you’ve got that, then what?

It would be great “if you build it, then they will come” applied to your website. But honestly, it takes work to market that beautiful website. Once your site is live, you can't just sit back and watch business flow in.

According to a recent study conducted by Webvisable and Nielsen, small businesses spend less than 10% of their marketing budget online. Interestingly, business owners are often frustrated that they are not being found online. So, is there a connection here? If you’re frustrated that prospective clients aren’t finding your website, first ask yourself; what are you doing to market your website?

To start

Announce your site to friends, family, clients, and business contacts. Keep in touch with email newletters. Include a link to your site with your email signature, pass out business cards, reward referrals, offer promotions on your site.

Consider your search engine optimization

Working on optimizing your site for the web, so that Google recognizes it and hopefully ranks it high, is a hot topic and one that a lot of business are spending a lot of time and money to do. Here are some basic principals of SEO:

Keywords--Keywords are search terms (words and phrases, such as “Seattle green remodel”) that prospective customers type into Google. Use keywords especially in your headers, in the first paragraph of your site, and embedded in your meta tags. Google offers a free tool to help you choose your keywords https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal.

Incoming links--This is probably the hardest, but most valuable, part of improving your SEO. Essentially, getting other websites to link to yours, especially if they are relevant to your industry and link to you using your keywords, will help you rank higher in Google searches.

Frequent site updates--Google rewards sites (by ranking them higher) that update their website frequently. Having a content management system that is easy to use will encourage frequent site updates.

Using social media

Businesses are increasingly using social media to promote their business. But, a word about marketing using social media: the return on investment (and its usually an investment of time) is slow and happens over time with constant attention.

Create a profile for your business on social or business media platforms such as facebook, or LinkedIn help people find you and direct visitors to your website.

Blogging, and being an active participant and commenter on other, industry-relevant blogs will help people find your site over time.

Writing articles and content for online media sites such as Digg, and Examiner can help direct traffic to your site also.

Other considerations

Google Adword ads, working with a PR or marketing agency, and traditional marketing methods such as paid ads in publications, radio/tv ads, and direct mail may have a place in your marketing strategy depending on your budget.

Your website is an essential part of your businesses’ online presence. Its important to have a marketing strategy for your website--your website will work for you, if you work for it.

Why a frequently updated website is important to your business

2010-03-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

One of my recent articles, "Why a frequently updated website is important to your business" was published on Examiner.

A recent testimonial

2010-03-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

A gracious testimonial from one of our recent web design clients;

"I love my site - 2 people in the last week have used the same word to describe it: "Stunning!"--Jann Placentia, Piacenza Design

What makes us different

2010-03-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

One of the things that sets Bizango apart from other web design companies (aside from our amazing work and magnetic personalities) is our relationship with our clients even after site launch. Really, our relationship is only just beginning once we get our client’s beautiful new site up and live. Having our clients use our easy update tools, our hosted content management system, keeps us connected with them in a way that other web providers often aren’t. Because we provide an ongoing service to our clients, we are motivated to nurture our relationships, and to keep our clients happy.

Showing Appreciation

2010-03-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

People want to be appreciated. We want acknowledgment of a job well done.

I once had a co-worker who said he didn’t feel like he needed to be told that he was doing well at his job. My first reaction was 1. that’s not true, he’s lying to himself, and 2. there must be something wrong with me for needing that validation. I suppose he felt so confident in himself and in the job that he was doing that he didn’t feel he needed to hear it from the boss. And it was true, he was excellent at what he did. Less than 6 months later, my co-worker left the job because he was dissatisfied.

Now, I’m not saying that the reason why my co-worker left was because no one told him he was doing a good job (even though he said he didn’t need to hear this), because I think the issue was far more complicated. But what if that was a factor in his overall dissatisfaction? What if he had been told that he was doing excellent work and had been made to feel he was an invaluable asset to the organization? Would that have made him more likely to stay?

Pushing to work harder, to be more productive, often with less, can burnout even the most competent and hardworking. We need to feel rewarded for the work we do. Money usually works quite well. But if there’s no budget for raises or big fat bonuses, words of thanks can go a long way and it doesn’t cost a dime. And when our employer has the personality of a Dilbert cartoon, or if we’re self-employed, we depend on our co-workers and customers for appreciation and recognition of our work. Appreciation can come in the form of referrals, testimonials, links, coffee and bagels, or a simple expression of praise; its what keeps the fire burning to work harder and better.

Extreme Web Design

2010-03-01T17:09:00.000-08:00

I'm strapped in -- all alone on this tiny plane. There's an empty seat in front of me. Looking out the window I can see the pilot standing on the rocky riverbank. He grabs the propellor, gives it a spin.

Old school.

But it only takes one spin and the engine roars to life.

Now I can feel the power of the Piper Super Cub beneath me. The wind is picking up. The pilot's running around the wing. Coming toward me. Making for the open hatch. Hurry up, man! This plane wants to be in the sky.

My pilot is one of Alaska's most famous bush pilots. He's also my client -- and today, that makes him the boss.

I'm in amazingly good hands. So why am I terrified? It's irrational. I gaze longingly down at the ground. Can I still change my mind?

The pilot dives in through the hatch and straps himself into the seat in front of me. He snaps on his seatbelt. Grabs the throttle. My heart's in my mouth. And we are leaping forward, bumping over rocks, hurtling straight toward the river.

But we never come close to that water. This little plane wants to fly. I can feel the super cub growling YIPPEE YIPPEE YIPPEE beneath me. Two big bounces and we're leaping into the sky. The river is gleaming below.

The super cub is built like a bicycle. It sounds like a lawnmower. But it eats air!

We cruise up the canyon. Treetops whisper away beneath us. Massive mountains rise on both sides. My heart is pounding. All of a sudden my pilot grabs the throttle and banks us left -- toward a 10,000 foot-high wall of sheer rock.

A turn like that in 360 degrees of space -- with the mountains leaping up on my left and the stormclouds gathering away to my right -- it would squeeze a "YEEHA" out of anyone. It does me. And down inside a part of me is wondering... "Am I gonna die today -- for web design???"

--

We are lucky to have all the amazing clients we do. I get paid for this?

Can't say more about the Alaskan experience yet, because their site is still being written, designed and programmed. But once it launches it'll be obvious why I love this job.

Follow our new Bizango page on facebook to be notified of the epic Alaska project launch. We'll reveal the name and location of this remote adventure lodge -- and of the family who had the grace and generosity to fly me in so we could build them a website that would help them tell their story.

Glass Half-Full

2010-02-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

There will always be things in our lives that we can't control. For us that are, shall we say, control freak-ish, this can be a difficult pill to swallow.

We can't make someone do something that they just don't want to (with a possible exception of our kids). You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

In a scenario where I don't feel I'm in control, I try to focus on the positive. I guess I'm more of a glass half-full kind of person. I try to see where I do have power. I can't make you do something, but I do have control over my response and what I choose to do. So, the school board may not listen to our suggestions/requests/anger--but I can be involved in my child's school, I can be an active participant in her class and in her education in and outside of school. It doesn't mean that I'll roll over and stop trying to change your mind. But I won't let it defeat me.

Writing Copy for the Web

2010-02-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

Writing copy for the web has its own challenges.

We have an overwhelming amount of information available to us, all at our fingertips, and with our fast internet connections we can surf this information quickly. But how much do we actually read and process? Let's face it, people have short attention spans. Even if you don't have adult ADHD, we're still so accustomed to browsing information and websites quickly that we really have to be drawn in to pay attention.

So, how do we sell to people who may only spend a minute or two, if we're lucky, reading our website?

Here's 3 tips which may help:

First, use small words and short paragraphs. Recognize that people are in a hurry and want information that is easy to read and understand. They don't want to have to think. People aren't impressed with big words--they get annoyed and move on.

Second, speak clearly. Write how you would say it. If you're trying too hard to explain something, your audience is trying to hard to understand it and they will lose interest. To be honest, you should assume your audience is less intelligent ( I mean no offense) and speak to that level. You're not trying to win awards for literary fiction here, you're trying to sell.

Third, be compelling. This is probably the most challenging. But if you have nothing interesting to say, why say it? The whole point of writing is to get your audience to keep reading and to ultimately contact you.

Beyond the Website

2010-02-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

Our most recent print work for one of our clients--

When our business first started, back in 2006, it was about building websites. Beautiful sites, easy to update.

Four years later, what we provide our clients has evolved. At our core, we still provide beautiful, custom sites using the same Easy Update Tools, but we've learned to expand our business to include other services and marketing support that our clients frequently ask us for.

Wanting our business to grow, and wanting to keep our clients happy with our services, we saw the need to offer more comprehensive web-marketing. Now, our clients aren't just looking for a website, but they're wanting help with their search engine optimization, their copywriting, their print work, their online newsletters. We've grown to incorporate our clients' needs into the services that we provide.

Is having a website relevant in the Land of Social Media?

2009-12-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

Much of the business marketing buzz these days is focused on social media, the new “It Girl”. So, with all this focus on social media, what’s the deal with having a website? Has it gone by the wayside? If you’re using social media to promote your business, do you still need a website?

There are so many virtual places where you can project your business-- it can get confusing quickly. Do I use facebook? Twitter? Will blogging take the place of needing a website that I can update? If the choices aren’t overwhelming, the upkeep and participation of actually using social media can be.

Social media is a tool to help you communicate and build relationships. Its provides a forum where you can share your expertise. Its purpose is to help you develop your image, to help you network and create trust in your business community, and to drive traffic to your website. Its a form of modern day communication and advertisement. It has the potential to be a powerful tool, but bear in mind that it requires active participation. For social media to work for you, you need to work for it.

The glitz of social media has distracted some from thinking about their website. But, don’t be fooled! Your website is still the meat and potatoes (or the tofu and rice) of your online image. Your website is the virtual portal to your business. Its the front door to your shop. Your website is the go-to place where people interested in you or your product will check you out. You can do all the marketing (or social media-ing) in the world, but if you don’t have a shop set up where people can come and visit (and maybe even buy!), you’re doing yourself a disservice.

And having an appealing, beautiful, evocative and updated site is as important as having a site at all. Who wants to buy something from a website that hasn’t been updated in the last 3 years? Keeping your website current lets your site visitors know that you care about your image, you care about appealing to them, and hopefully this will entice them to do business with you rather than the other guy with the ugly site last updated 3 years ago.

So, here’s an example of how active participation in social media drove traffic to my website. The other day I posted a comment on an article I read on the The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/fashion/17etsy.html By having Google Analytics connected on our website (Google Analytics is free and a great tool to see how affective your website is), I was able to see the significant spike in traffic to our site just from the one comment I posted. Now, not all those site visitors are knocking on my virtual door to buy what I have to sell...at least not right away.

Social media is one of the ways in which you invest in your business. The payoffs aren’t immediate, and are often indirect. It is a tool to help you promote your business and drive traffic to your website. Just don’t forget about your website.

competitor vs mentee

2009-12-11T10:09:00.001-08:00

If you're my competition, think before asking me for advice.

Its one thing to open a discussion about your business with people in your field. No doubt, you can gain a lot by dialoguing with others in the biz. Especially if you're just starting out with a lot to learn, it makes sense to reach out to others with more experience. Finding a mentor is invaluable.

Obvious places to look for mentorship would be to start with the people you know. Family, friends, professors, through word of mouth. Even social or business networking groups would be a starting point.

But cold-calling, looking for guidance from a person who clearly offers a similar product, is often seen (and rightly so) as threatening. What do I have to gain by handing over all my words of wisdom to this whipper-snapper?

Maybe in the modern world where we often don't directly deal with people face to face, we're tricked into thinking that asking our competition outright for business secrets is acceptable. Its easy to not always be accountable for what we say or do in virtual relationships. What's more embarrassing; saying something stupid in person or online? Well, neither is great, but I'm guessing we'd all say losing face in person is far worse than online. And isn't it that raw, human emotion (fear, embarrassment) that keeps us in line?

Professionalism is a skill. Clearly not everyone has it. But, if you're coming to me asking for my advice, here it is, Lesson Numero Uno: Be classy. (As I tell my kids, "if you're not classy, I'll sell you to the pirates!") You'll gain far more by being respectful to your clients and competition alike.

About honesty

2009-12-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Honesty cost me a job this week.

In the cosmic scheme of things, its not supposed to work out this way. The good guy always wins in the movies. Honesty is supposed to prevail.

Intellectually, I know this was ultimately for the best. But, you know, rejection hurts.

It wasn't a good match for either party --I knew that and obviously they felt it too. I went into the sale knowing it probably wasn't going to be a good match, but I could see plenty of positives in what potentially could have been a sweet deal. Trying to stay focused on those positives, I went into the meeting with the objective of making the sale and presenting myself and my business with honesty and integrity. What could be wrong with that, right?

But the problem was just that. I couldn't make the sale AND be completely honest. I chose honesty. I was bloody honest.

I was on a roll. I was connecting. There was a point during the meeting where I felt I wasn't trying to make a sale, I was just having a conversation with a truly interesting person. My guard was down. And then I said IT. I could see the wheels going in reverse, but the deal was already done.

What kills me, is that I knew at the time what I was doing. Its like, you can feel it coming, but you just can't stop yourself from saying it. Its like you're cursed, you're compelled to always tell the truth. Does anyone else have this problem?

So, you may be wondering at this point; What in the hell did I say?! Well--we were talking about passion in what we do. And to make a long story short, we did not have similar passions. What I feel passionate about in business (and in life, its really not all that different), did not jive with what they were all about.

I do believe we both came away from the meeting with mutual respect for what the other does and how they do business. I know I certainly do. And I do truly feel that I did the right thing by being honest. Even if it hurts, just a little. Staying true to our passion and our mission in business is what I know I can feel good about, and will ultimately benefit any business relationship we have with our clients.