by Marvin Kane | Jul 17, 2012 | Business, Networking, Sharing, Social Media, WordPress
When I was deciding which CMS (Content Management Platform) to adopt as my primary web building tool, I chose WordPress because of the size and enthusiasm of its community. Well, I just wrapped up WordCamp 2012 (read my take on WordCamp 2011) hosted, again, by Boston University and can tell you the community is growing in both size and enthusiasm. It’s also getting younger – or maybe it’s me just getting older. In any case, I’m encouraged by the collective intelligence, creativity and determination of our 20 and 30 somethings.
Who Are All These Smart People?
So as I did last year, I’d like to thank the following people for making me smarter:
Jesse Friedman’s book. As he says, “Buy It!”
*Jesse Friedman wrote a book. Here is how he told us about it: “Oh, by the way, I wrote a book. Buy it.” I’m certainly going to, even though, as Jesse said, “you’ll have to wait four months to get it.” Gotta love the off-handed manner in which such a bright young guy announced such an impressive achievement.
See you all next year.
by Marvin Kane | Nov 30, 2011 | Design, Technical
Designing for Mobile is About Easy Access
According to Mary Meeker, Internet analyst and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, within the next five years “more users will connect to the Internet over mobile devices than desktop PCs.” For business owners looking to launch a new website, it is essential to consider how the site will render on mobile devices. For web designers, the rules have changed … again.
Responsive Design
Thanks to the work of cutting edge web designer Ethan Marcotte, we now have the tools and techniques to effectively design websites for mobile devices. And by effectively I mean not simply displaying a miniature version of the site that you see on a desktop computer. Responsive Design, the term coined by Marcotte, actually detects what type of mobile device is being used and then displays the site optimized for that specific device. Pretty neat!
Like The Old Days Only Different
In the early days of the web, there was no standardization. Websites rendered differently depending on the browser being used. Designers, a temperamental lot to begin with, had nightmares over not being able to control every aspect of the user experience. That was then. This is now.
It’s About Usability
With all the variables in play like screen resolution, browser vendor and version, installed system fonts, monitor size, color variation and user preference, web designers finally get it. (At least the good ones do). It is not absolutely necessary that websites look exactly the same across all devices. (I know. This is a tough one for designers to swallow). It’s about usability – making sure users can quickly and easily find the information they are looking for … which brings us back to designing for mobile devices.
A well designed mobile site:
- is not just a miniature version of a desktop site
it accounts for the fact that mobile users are close to taking some action and clearly presents the information needed to simplify that action
- is not accessed by a separate url or web address
a user going to the site on an iPhone and a user going to the site on a desktop computer both use the same url.
- will adjust the layout of the site responsively
When properly coded, the design will “know” what type of device is being used and will respond by displaying the site optimized for that device.
And Now Back To You
Business owners, was your site designed for mobile? What do you see when you view it on an iPhone, Blackberry or Droid? Is it what you thought it would be? If you are still in the planning stages, is mobile part of your thought process? Thanks for your comments on this one.
Photo credit: Yodel Anectodal
by Marvin Kane | Nov 21, 2011 | Business, Design, SEO, Technical
Back in 1995 I wondered how I would make a living once every business had a website. I hadn’t yet fully grasped the real potential of the web. Few people did. Over the years, of course, it has become obvious that websites, like gardens, need tending. Sometimes they need more than tending. They need to be …. well they need to be overhauled, gutted and replaced like a condemned building. There, I’ve said it. So here are my top 8 indicators that its time to overhaul your website. Any one of these should cause you to lose sleep. If more than one is true about your website then …. well you get the idea.
1. Your Website is About as “In Style” as a 1970’s Leisure Suit
Looks aren’t everything. I get it. But you only have 5 seconds to capture your visitors’ attention. If your website is the equivalent of an outdated leisure suit, your visitors will run away screaming and won’t come back. Take a good look at your website. Better yet, have someone you trust who isn’t emotionally invested take a look at it. If it looks like a leisure suit it’s time for an overhaul
2. You’ve Never Updated Your Website
Shame on you! You simply cannot publish a website and never update the content. Do you think there is nothing new to say about your business? Really? Do you sell nuts and bolts? Then tell us what’s new in the world of nuts and bolts. Do you sell concrete? Tell us who you’re selling it to and why they’re thrilled with you. This is not so much about overhauling your website as it is about overhauling the way you think about your website. Think there is nothing new to say? Think again.
3. Important Information is Hard to Find
The information on your site needs to be categorized and presented to the user in some logical way. That means links to information must be clearly visible and not buried where users can’t find them. If your site’s navigation is confusing, it may be time for an overhaul.
4. You Can’t Update Your Site Yourself
Today, the majority of new websites being launched are built on a content management system or CMS. The great benefit of a CMS is that it makes updating content very simple and requires no knowledge of HTML or programming. Now companies can take full control of the day to day management of their websites. There goes your excuse. If your website was not built on a CMS platform, it is definitely time for an overhaul.
5. Your Site Doesn’t Show Up Until Page 10 on a Google Search
Achieving high page position on a SRP (Search Results Page) is the stated goal of every business website. But I often see a disconnect between the goal and the execution. It’s about relevant content. If your site is not ranking well for a particular keyword phrase, chances are that phrase doesn’t appear anywhere in your content. Or if it does, the context in which it appears is misleading. If this is the case with your website, it’s time for an overhaul.
6. You’re Embarrassed to Tell People About Your Website
You guessed it. Time for an overhaul.
7. Your Site Was Designed Entirely in Flash
Ouch! That’s so 2008. I’ve talked about this before but it bears repeating. Flash is a very compelling technology that can, when used properly, add some great visual “pop” to your website. But a site built entirely in Flash is virtually impossible to maintain, scores very poorly in search engines, isn’t universally supported on mobile devices (like the iPhone for example) and can distract people from the most important aspect of your website – its content. If your site is built entirely in Flash, it’s time for an overhaul.
8. Your Site Isn’t Bringing You Any Business
Isn’t that the the goal? To get business from your website? If you aren’t, chances are that several of the points mentioned above are at play. That’s why I’ve saved this one for last. If this is the case for you then your website needs to be thoroughly reviewed …and probably overhauled.
And Now Back to You
In almost every case my clients’ websites suffered from at least two or more of these maladies before we worked together to fix them. As a business owner, can you look at your website with an unbiased eye and determine which, if any, of the above problems applies? If you’ve already overhauled your website has it made a difference in your business? I’d like to get your point of view.
Photo credit: reynolds.james.e
by Marvin Kane | Jul 25, 2011 | Networking, Sharing, Social Media, WordPress
I just wrapped up a great weekend of WordPress related stuff at the Boston WordCamp 2011 held at Boston University’s Sherman Hall. Man there are a lot of really smart people out there and I’m grateful for their willingness to share their knowledge. For me the sense of community has always been the differentiator between WordPress and the myriad other content management systems out there. Oh I know that there are other CMS communities but I’m talking about COMMUNITY as in the willingness to share, to help, to NOT judge and to make you feel welcome. The T-shirt and the great lunch (sponsored by .tv) were certainly an added bonus.
Who Are all These Smart People?
Okay, I get that you may not care about any of this but if you’re going to hire me to build your website you should feel comforted that I care about it. So, many thanks to the following people who gave their time to make me smarter:
- Alan Bergstein – Converting an old site to a fresh WordPress Site
- Tom Catalini – Tom’s Top Ten Tips for Blogging on WordPress
- Mike Susz – WordPress Theme Construction
- Sara Cannon – Theming & Mobile: Optimizing your WordPress site for Various Devices
- Boaz Sender – Exploding Your WordPress Theme with CSS3
- Chris Penn – How to Market Your Blog
- Joselin Mane – How Blogs Are the Core to Any Social Media Strategy
- Doug Yuen – Improving Your WordPress Productivity
- Jake Goldman – Getting Started with WordPress as a CMS
And a special thanks to C. C. Chapman (who has to be the world’s friendliest human being) for not making me feel like a complete dork for asking him to sign his book, Content Rules.
By the way, Boston University deserves a thank you too for allowing the WordPress community to take over the George Sherman Union building at 775 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.
City of Champions
Sidenote: On one of the breaks between sessions I stepped outside, and with the sound of delirious Red Sox fans coming from Fenway Park three blocks away, snapped this picture of a poster hanging in the window of the Sherman Union building. Pardon me for gloating.
by Marvin Kane | Jul 11, 2011 | Social Media
Last May I explained why I don’t like to get paid in full and in advance noting that this usually meant the client was more interested in the tax write off than in building a quality website. I added that it was next to impossible for me to do good work when a client is simply not engaged in the process. In reviewing that earlier post it occurred to me that I sounded like a curmudgeon. (Okay, sometimes I am a curmudgeon). So in an effort to soften that perception, let me tell you what, in my opinion, makes an ideal client.
It’s About Engagement
We recently began to hear the catch phrase Web 2.0 – a clever term that signaled the beginning of a new, more collaborative, participatory web and whose fundamental rule, according to Tim O’ Reilly of O’ Reilly Media is that “users have value”. And that is the essence of today’s social web. It’s not so much about a web site as it is about a web presence. If your web site is your online home base, then your social profiles are your online outposts feeding vital information back and forth. But what’s really changed is the underlying objective. It’s no longer about businesses using the web to push their marketing message down people’s throats. It’s about establishing and nurturing online relationships. And like all relationships, listening is more important than talking. The web is a two way street now and smart businesses understand that it’s about using the vast array of social tools at our disposal to engage their constituents.
A Case Study – Victoria Station, Salem, MA
John Andrews, the Executive Chef and Social Media Manager at Victoria Station in Salem, Massachusetts, understands the importance of building relationships. That’s why it’s a pleasure to work with him. He actively posts new status updates, photos and videos to Victoria Station’s Facebook page. Vic’s Boathouse is the new lounge at Victoria Station and John uses twitter on a regular basis to let his customers know about special promotions, musical happenings and more. Victoria Station’s homepage features a Youtube video, a MailChimp newsletter signup form and a dynamically changing calendar of events. In the true spirit of today’s self manageable web, John uses Squarespace to maintain the Vic’s Boathouse website and picnik.com to edit and customize photos. John regularly checks in with his friends and contacts through foursquare, a social site that offers new ways to explore your city, earn points and unlock badges for discovering new things. He is, in a word, CONNECTED. But what really impresses me is the very visible link from Victoria Station’s homepage to its Yelp page. Why does that impress me? Because while the vast majority of what I see there are positive four and five star reviews, a few are less flattering. By letting me see those too, I get the message that Victoria Station is not perfect but that John is willing to listen to criticism and willing to improve. That’s how to build authentic, meaningful relationships. And meaningful relationships build successful businesses.
In his wonderful post titled The Biggest Secret of Social Media, Chris Brogan makes the simple assertion that “if you don’t like people very much, it won’t work very well.” John Andrews likes people.
How are you using social media to build relationships? What has been your experience? Is it working for you? Let’s talk about it.
