Green Chair Blog

Are You Paying Too Little for a Web Site?

2008-09-15T17:53:00.002-06:00

I gave friend of mine a quote on web design for his company. His boss was surprised that I had quoted them $5000 for a high quality marketing web site. This included the design and programming of the site, as well as $1500 for writing all the content on the site.

They had been quoted $1000 by the company who does their computer maintenance in their office. He originally contacted me because this same company had already taken a year trying to put together a site for them. If they presented a well-designed, highly functional site, my friend never would have contacted me in the first place. But they didn’t.

I could have gotten the site done in less than a month for them, and it would have started getting them business soon after that. I gave my friend an analogy about windows since they are in that industry in Orlando:

“Let’s say a hurricane comes in and blows out all my windows. Instead of paying the higher price for a triple pane with solar glazing, I go out to the junk yard and find single pane windows that kind of fit my windows. I might need to cut out frames or fill in gaps with Great Stuff, but they do the job of keeping out water and maybe heat. Officially, they are windows. But it’s not the same as having the good windows installed by a professional.

“The same can be said about web sites. In the long run (and even in the short run) it’s worth it to have a well designed web site that has been done by professional web designers.”

I thought this was a good analogy but they still didn’t bite. And they still don’t have a web site up a couple months later.

They could have saved $1500 by doing the writing themselves, so the difference in prices would have only been $2500. It would have taken less than one new project to pay for the site and after the design has been paid for you will have a great looking, highly functional web site.

Search Engine Optimization Glossary

2008-08-05T09:13:00.009-06:00

When Matt or I are talking with prospective clients about search engine marketing in the Denver metro area, frequently we use terms that are unfamiliar and need to be explained. If you have been running newspaper ads or sending out junk mail to market locally, you may be unfamiliar with how local search engine marketing works.

Here is a handy SEO glossary that will help demystify the jargon. Feel free to share with friends.

Are there any internet marketing terms not on this list that you'd like explained? If so just leave a question in the comments and we'll do our best to explain.

A Brief Q&A on LAMP

2008-08-02T17:27:00.004-06:00

Our lead programmer Matthew is not only a great PHP programmer but is also in possession of a bone dry wit. He put together a brief FAQ on LAMP that helps me explain our web programming process and also makes me smile when I review it. Here it is.

Q: What programming environment do you work in?

A: We work in a LAMP environment, with the latest versions of PHP and MySQL.

Q: And LAMP is...???

A: LAMP is an acronym for a software bundle referring to Linux (operating system on the server), Apache (the server), MySQL (the database) and PHP (the programming language).

Q: Doesn't PHP have major security issues?

A: Not if you code it correctly.

Q: But my other developer told me that PHP is a sign of the apocalypse...

A: Every developer has their own ideas about what is a good programming language. PHP has advantages and disadvantages to be sure. When coded correctly, PHP is incredibly stable and reliable, plus it uses server resources very efficiently allowing it to run faster than other programming languages. Also, PHP is free and doesn't require any additional charges.

Q: But nobody seems to use PHP?

A: PHP is one of the most popular server side programming languages in use today on the web and is widely supported by a number of web developers.

Q: What are some alternatives to PHP and why don't you use those?

A: The two most popular alternatives are Java and ASP (or ASP.NET). ASP is developed by Microsoft and works well on Windows servers. Java was developed by Sun Microsystems. Both have advantages to be sure, and for enterprise level websites (i.e. creating Amazon.com) those languages might make more sense. For a smaller scale e-commerce website, PHP is a great choice.

Q: Do you do "object oriented programming" or OOP?

A: Yes and no. Where Java or ASP require you to use objects in the programming, which can require longer development times and cause more problems, PHP allows you to bypass the OOP standards so that you can develop in OOP only when needed and only when it makes the most sense to spend the time coding in that manner.

Q: MySQL is too limited. It says so right here on this website that I found on Google...

A: And yet Google uses MySQL internally. MySQL has plenty of power for a typical small business website doing e-commerce, posting to a blog or running a photo gallery. Plus it is free. If in the future you need something more robust, we can port you over to a SQL database (which requires a license to be paid).

Q: What is your development methodology?

A: Our development process goes through four main phases: 1) requirements gathering, 2) detailed scoping/documentation of the project plan, 3) building and 4) testing/tweaking. Unlike other common development methodologies, you [the client] are included in the development process only where you need to be, namely in the first, second and the fourth phase. This system allows us to move as quickly or as slowly as needed while also keeping the project to a particular scope. By detailing every step of the project and understanding the needs of your project, we reduce problems later on and are able to develop your website on schedule.

Q: Yes, but Extreme Programming (XP!) is the best! (Or anything related to an "Agile" methodology.)

A: Extreme Programming relies on heavy interaction of all members of the team and less focus on gathering requirements. While it can be more flexible, XP can lead to projects getting behind schedule or cause projects to lose focus. XP can be good for large teams, or large projects, but for projects with only one web developer, XP doesn't make a lot of sense.

Ning - A Profile in Profiles

2008-08-01T12:24:00.005-06:00

Ning was introduced to us by a prospective client who "knew nothing about internet marketing." He had been working in restaurants for years and wanted to create a Myspace for his 400 employees. Though we didn't feel like this would be the best option, it did set us in motion to figure what would be and we came up with Ning. Let's take a look at what Ning is and how you might use it.

Ning allows anyone to create their own branded social network. It is built on a scalable php/java platform that can be downloaded and customized to your heart's content or hosted on their servers. Because the conversation and the forum are an integral part of Ning, you also have to have strong content strategies in place to get people to have that conversation. One of the largest exit points we see on sites are when there is a forum with no one on it.

Looking at it as a strategic marketing device, we plan on recommending it to clients who feel their customers or constituents are interested enough in their product and services to have an active discussion about it. It isn't for everyone. Beware the huge amount of orphaned networks as you roam Ning. It also isn't for an organization that has problems getting content developed. If you are having trouble updating your website, then the last thing you need is another place that isn't being nurtured as well.

So Green Chair will be experimenting with Ning over the next couple of months and we hope to report good things.

What do you think? Have you tried any social networks? Are they a great way to communicate with people and market your business online?

Some good Ning profiles

FOBOH
http://blog.ning.com/

Never Quit

2008-05-16T15:32:00.000-06:00

Found this poem recently and found it encouraging. Hope you like it, too:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learnt too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!

Golf Gift Cards

2008-02-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Over Christmas I was surprised on how many gift cards I received and how many I saw for sale. Supermarkets in our area, King Soopers and Safeway, both had a wall full of gift cards for sale for a variety of places, but they were mostly restaurants.

We got Visa gift cards for our daughters so they could choose some of their own gifts. This was in addition to our other gifts. It cost $5 each for the privilege of the card but it allowed them to be able to buy songs of iTunes and other things online. They are too young to have their own credit cards.

One of my clients, Golf Guys, sells golf gift cards. These cards are good at more than 13,000 around the U.S. It's nice for the recipients to be able to try a new course in their town. It is especially good for being on the road. The Golf Guys web site has several hundred courses to choose from. If the course you are interested in is not on the site, then you can call them to make a reservation. It's very simple to use.

One of my favorite gift cards from this past Christmas was for Chipotles. I'm fortunate to have one of their restaurants open a mile or so down the street this past fall. Those cards don't spent much time in my wallet before being used.

New Article: Designing a Cost Effective Web Site

2007-10-11T16:07:00.000-06:00

You have a great idea for a web site but don't have a design for it yet. What are you going to do about it? Depending on your online marketing budget and how skilled you are with designing websites, there are several options available to you.

[Read the rest of the article]

Creepy Yellow Page Marketing

2007-05-28T02:20:00.001-06:00

I got an envelope from Yellow Pages the other. It looked like it was an invoice. I didn't think I'd signed up for it, even though I do market my business in several places.

As I read the fine print, it said that this was an invoice but only used for marketing. If I wanted to, I could sign up for it for a couple hundred dollars a month.

I think it really stinks that Yellow Pages would send something so deceptive. There are plenty of ways to market a company without having to go to such deceptive ends. I'm never going to do marketing with Yellow Pages because of this.

Pimped Out Search Engine

2007-04-17T00:58:00.000-06:00

Just saw an ad for Ask.com and they said a person should look up the term Pimped Out Search Engine. I've written before about advertisers who ask the viewer to put in certain keywords to get to their sites. Last fall here in Denver there was an advertiser that said viewers should type in Pontiac Denver. Within a couple weeks I was on the front page of Google for this phrase.

I'm not sure what advertisers are thinking. If I have Pimped Out Search Engine on my site and have enough links to my site, I should be able to start showing up on the search engines. Bruce Clay did this on his web site. He's a search engine marketing expert so he also knows that advertisers are mistaken in thinking that asking television viewers to type in a term is asking for trouble unless you've done work beforehand to secure that keywords in order to get traffic.

I'm not sure if I've actually had people contacted me as a result of my previous blog about Pontiac Denver, but it does show you the power of search engines. Their goal is to show relevant results concerning certain phrases, such as Pimped Out Search Engine.

Air Cannons, Inc. Adds Convenience and Creativity to Whipping Crowds into Frenzy

2007-03-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Air Cannons, Inc. recently started the service of shrink wrapping t-shirts that are shot from their air cannons at sporting events. They also have added a new line of promotional products that can be shot out into the crowds.

Denver, Colorado March 5, 2007 - You see air cannons in action just about every night in arenas and stadiums around the U.S. and the world. Air Cannons, Inc. has added the convenience of shrink wrapping the t-shirts so it's more convenient for the shooter to blast out more t-shirts in a shorter time. And they've added new products that can shot into the crowd.

Air Cannons have been featured lately in such shows as "American Chopper", "Pimp My Ride" and a commercial for ESPN. Air cannons are used as a marketing tool at events to excite the crowd, but also brand the sports team or their sponsors. Besides shooting t-shirts, the air cannons can also shoot other items that include coupons or other branding material.

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, had this to say about air cannons in his January 15, 2007, blog posting, "The minute the T Shirt cannons or slingshots come on the court, field or ice, every man, woman or child of any age is up screaming their head off trying to get a free T Shirt . They have no idea what is on the shirt. They know the chances of getting one are slim, but it doesn't matter. It's T Shirts gone wild."

With the new shrink wrap service, each t-shirt will be wrapped in plastic and ready to launch, providing a nice professional look when a person catches the shirt. The shrink wrap also protects the t-shirts from dirt and scuffs in case it hits the ground. Previously t-shirts were wrapped in tape or rubber bands to keep the t-shirt together while in flight.

Air Cannons does the printing and rolling of the shirts so they are ready to blast out when the client receives them. This saves time, money and hassle from having to roll and bind hundreds or thousands t-shirts.

Air Cannons is also offering new and innovative products that can be shot into the crowd. Air Cannons can have custom promotional products developed that symbolize your company and is perfect for launching out from an air cannon. Ideas include bottles, cans, stuffed animals, and toy cars. Promotional products can be imprinted with coupons and contact information. With hundreds of possible shapes, stress relievers will provide a unique marketing tool for companies.

"The new shrink wrap service will help our clients shoot more t-shirts and products into crowd and increase their branding," said Jake Wilson, co-owner of Air Cannons, Inc. "We know the crowds light up with our cannons come out during breaks, and we’re looking forward to seeing that happen more often with our new shrink service and the greater variety of products shot into the crowd."

For additional information on custom air cannons and blastable promotional products, contact Adam Whitney or visit www.aircannonsinc.com. They can help you customize an air cannon to excite the crowds at your events.

About Air Cannons, Inc:

Air Cannons, Inc., has been in business for 10 years and is a leader in the t-launcher industry. They have provided air cannons to hundreds of sports teams, radio stations, universities, and marketing companies. Air Cannons, Inc., products have been featured on "American Chopper", "Pimp My Ride", and ESPN.

Contact:

Adam Whitney, sales manager

Air Cannons, Inc.

720-207-9077

http://www.aircannonsinc.com

# # #

Colorado Data Recovery

2007-03-01T03:03:00.000-07:00

We had a hard drive crash on us a couple weeks ago. We got in touch with Data Recovery Link because we knew they were a hard drive data recovery expert. They were very professional from the start and was able to recover all the data that I needed.

They were quick to respond to my needs and were persistent in getting in touch with me. Because they were in Denver, Colorado, I was able to drop off my hard drive at their office near Arapahoe and I-25.

Even though having a hard drive crash is not a pleasant experience, I found Data Recovery Link easy to work with and was successful with the recovery of my valuable information. I thank Danelle and Chris for their excellent service and professionalism.

Spotting a Phony Search Marketing Company

2006-12-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you've ever received an email promising top 10 placement on the search engines. I get them all the time.

The companies sending them prey on web site owners who know they should be doing search engine marketing (SEM). These companies make promises about increased ranking, but they often leader the web site owner to troubles with the search engines. You might be surprised how quickly a site can get blacklisted by the Google. A gentleman contacted me the other day because he was looking for a local person who was experienced in SEM because he had been burned by one of the phonies and was blacklisted until he corrected the problem.

The things we talk about in the following are done by some genuine search engine companies so these aren't hard and fast rules. But you should keep your eyes wide open if you're talking to someone and several of these things come true in their interaction with you.

They Contact You

If they are so good at search engine optimization, why are they contacting you? You should be contacting them. They will have high rankings on the terms people are searching for, especially when the terms you are looking for include local terms, like the name of your city.

Their Site isn't Highly Ranked or is Blacklisted

One of my clients signed a contract with a company that made promises concerning getting highly ranked on some keywords he was going after. The search engine marketing company had at least two web sites they were marketing under and Google blacklisted both of them. They were blacklisted for using deceptive practices so you can only guess they would try to use the same tactics that got them banned.

Vague About What They Do

When I do a proposal for search engine marketing I spell out the things that I will do for them. I try to be as specific as possible without giving away my trade secrets. A phony SEM firm will give you vague ideas on what they will do, as well as not tell you the nefarious things they will do. Be wary when a company talks too little in specifics and too many vagaries.

They Make Promises of Front Page Placement in a Short Period

I know of a phony SEO company that told their potential client they would put them on the front page on three key phrases in at least three of the top 10 search engines. They'll let you pick the top 10 key phrases and then work to get you on some of the lower ranked search engines that have a miniscule percentage of the searches, which means they fulfilled the obligation of their contact. But the big three search engines--Google, Yahoo! and MSN--account for approximately 90 percent of the searches done on the Internet. So the bottom seven search engines divvy up the last 10 percent. So the phony SEO company can deliver on their promises but it doesn't result in a great amount of traffic, especially for the amount of money you’re paying them.

They Bully You When You Question Them or Say "No"

One of my clients talked to a search marketing company and wanted me to check them out, so I gave them a call. They were doing pay per click advertising rather than organic search engine optimization. They wanted $10,000 upfront to deliver traffic to my client's site. Even in best case scenarios, my client would have had thousands of dollars tied up for more than a year in a marketing strategy that was suspect to begin with. So I said I my client wasn't interested and he started in with rhetorical questions that presumed I would be an idiot if I didn’t use their services. I calmly said "no" again, and he started up again, so I just hung up on him. I wasn't going to waste my time on a schemer and bully.

If you're going to do SEM, I would recommend talking with colleagues or friends that are seeing success with other SEM companies. They should be able to give you an idea of specific results they are seeing and how well they are being treated by their SEM company.

Another idea is to use the search engines to find local companies that are doing well on the search engines. If you live in Dallas, type in "Dallas search engine optimization firms". Assuming that the people on the front page are local, you can meet with them to find out more about how they work, what they charge, and what results you might expect.

A genuine SEM company will talk about finding the best phrases to market, getting more content on your site, and getting incoming links to your site when talking about search engine optimization. When they talk about Pay Per Click advertising, they will talk about starting slowly and tracking results to make sure your Pay Per Click budget is giving you high Return on Investment. If SEM company doesn't talk in these terms, then I'd keep searching if I were you.

So, don't be quick to sign contracts with SEO firms. If red flags keep popping up, move on. Start talking with others and do your research. Ask about what specifics things they'll be doing and what results you might expect. Then you will be able to weed out the phonies.

Grumpy Cinnamon Roll Guy

2006-11-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

A regular customer went into the local Starbucks and wanted a cinnamon roll. He was in luck--there was one left. The guy made a point of starting his day at Starbucks with a coffee and cinnamon roll.

Charlie was carrying the hallowed last cinnamon roll to the register when it fell on the floor. "Uh oh, I'm toast," Charlie said to himself.

Charlie confessed to the customer, "I'm so sorry. I can't believe it, but I dropped your cinnamon roll. Can I get you an apple fritter or donut instead?"

The customer was not happy and vented his frustration Lori at the register. "Why don't you get more cinnamon rolls?" asked the guy. "You are constantly running out of them. You guys used to get what your customers really wanted. I think Starbucks is just getting too corporate." Lori had no explanation.

"I guess I'll just have to go to another Starbucks and see if they can help me."

Lori handed the customer his coffee and he left scowling. From then on he was known as Grumpy Cinnamon Roll Guy.

Grumpy Cinnamon Roll Guy came in a few days later for his coffee and cinnamon roll. Lori waited on him again and was able to give him a cinnamon roll that hadn't hit the floor. Because Starbucks creates a climate of providing excellent customer service, Lori apologized again for the previous problem and asked him his name, which was Paul.

The next time Lori worked she had a hunch Paul would be in so she set aside a cinnamon roll in a little box and wrote Paul's name on it and drew a little smiley face.

Sure enough, Paul did come in. He ordered his usual and by the time he got to the register his personalized cinnamon roll was waiting for him. Lori was working at the coffee bar and watched for his response. He looked down in surprise at the box, saw Lori across the store, and broke into a shy grin. He was no longer Grumpy Cinnamon Roll Guy.

Do we cater to people who are grumpy and demanding by giving them what they want? Not always. Do we put a little thought into how we can serve our customers better? Absolutely.

It takes creativity, consistency and skill to get to a place of service on par with Starbucks. We have opportunities like this every day to go the extra mile. It's easy to take a few minutes to set aside a $2 cinnamon roll. It's a lot harder to be gracious with a $10,000 project that has gone awry. But in the long run, it's about asking how we can best create satisfied customers.

Despite his threats, Paul continues to come back. And he gets other things besides cinnamon rolls now. Maybe it wasn't so much about the cinnamon roll as it was the need to feel heard and appreciated.

Denver's top Search Engine Marketing Firm is Ready to Promote The Villas at Cocoplum - a Development Company that Specializes in Belize Real Estate

2006-11-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

The Villas at Cocoplum is ready to expand their online presence by joining forces with a leading web design and marketing agency out of Denver Colorado.

Denver, CO November 9, 2006 -- Green Chair Marketing Group, Inc. has been on the cutting edge of technology providing results driven media in the Denver Metro area for five years and going, and is ready to take on the challenge of search engine marketing for The Villas at Cocoplum that are exceptional Belize Vacation Homes.

The Villas at Cocoplum states "Home Sweet Home...or Better yet, Paradise." The Villas at Cocoplum is unique in that it offers you an exceptional high-quality home with nonstandard features in a low-density, environmentally friendly setting. Our carefully crafted site plan is designed to incorporate the natural beauty of Belize.

The Villas at Cocoplum is ready to increase their online presence through internet marketing best practices including Natural Search Engine Optimization, Press Release Optimization, and Pay-Per-Click advertising. The Villas at Cocoplum has chosen Green Chair Marketing Group, Inc. because of their locality and their robust service offerings.

The Villas at Cocoplum

The Villas offers the distinct owner exceptional Belize Real Estate alongside the warm Caribbean waters. World-class fishing, scuba diving and sailing, mystifying Maya ruins, pristine rainforests, coconut tree lined beaches, relaxation, Caribbean culture, endless outdoor adventure, an underwater wonderland and the remarkable Caribbean Sea are just a few of the amenities at your doorstep

Green Chair Marketing Group, Inc.

Offering new innovations in marketing including Blogging, RSS syndication, Search Engine Marketing, Press Release Optimization, Web Design and more; Green Chair Marketing Group, Inc. boasts many clients who lead the pack in their industries. Focused on local and national businesses, Green Chair Marketing Group, Inc. provides results driven media, Denver web design and marketing solutions to complement offline efforts.

Telluride Real Estate

2006-11-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

I was looking over Telluride real estate the other day on the web. I was amazed at the prices of the property in the area. It is very remote. As I looked at some maps there were hardly any good ways to get there. Maybe that's why the prices are so--there's nobody to bother you.

As I drive around Denver, I get a longing to be away from traffic. I love the conveniences of Denver, but get sick of the traffic on the highways and the side streets. It would be nice to be in a place like Telluride.

I understand that the real estate industry in Telluride can be pretty crazy. Almost 20 percent of the population has there real estate license. I doubt this means that all 300 of them are actively buying and selling real estate on behalf of clients. I guess if you could sell a couple properties per year you wouldn't have to do much for the rest of the year.

Pontiac Denver

2006-10-05T02:37:00.000-06:00

There is an advertisement here in Denver where they end the commercial by saying, "Google us on Pontiac Denver." I haven't quite figured out why they are doing this. By typing in Pontiac Denver they are basically opening themselves up to their competition. The visitor will see all the other dealers in Denver who also sell Pontiacs.

The fact is I don't exactly remember which dealer paid for this commercial, but I'm pretty sure they aren't in the top spot for the organic listings, nor are they in the sponsored links (pay per click). If they dominated the search engines on this term then it would make sense.

But I wouldn't open up myself to the competion like this. My suspicion is that the advertising company doesn't really understand search engine optimization and they just fell in love with the idea of Googling a term, which is now a verb.

Jump Beverages Web Site is Launched

2006-08-23T15:42:00.000-06:00

We recently designed the Jump Beverages web site. They have four different drinks. All of them are energy drinks with no calories, no carbs and low sodium. And the ones that I drink are really good. I've really enjoy the Sentinel, which is a grapefruit flavored drink. I also think Hot Pure Energy tastes good (raspberry flavored). They both give a good kick. I've found the other energy drinks I've tried are all too sweet.

There are two drinks are coffee cola drinks. I don't like the taste any kind of coffee so I haven't really tried these.

The drinks will be available in convenience stores soon. My clients are working on getting distributors. If you know someone who buys energy drinks, let me know about this one.

The Shaggy Dog

2006-08-15T16:10:00.000-06:00

Having a couple young daughters, I get to watch the latest kid's movies. While watching "The Shaggy Dog" recently my eye was drawn to the wall behind Tim Allen's character's desk. There was a football jersey and a varsity letter from Tim Allen's real life high school. I thought, Hey, I have that same varsity letter somewhere in my boxes.

Tim Allen and I both graduated from Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Mich., though he was gone eight years by the time I donned my graduation robe.

In December, 1994, Tim Allen reached the top of the list on three categories--TV, movies and books. "Home Improvement" was the No. 1 show, his autobiographical book, Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man, reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list in October and trailed only the Pope's book that December. And his movie, "The Santa Clause," was tops at the box office. This was a pretty remarkable feat.

Tim Allen reached that peak because he used his talents to make people laugh and took advantage of his popularity. And he was in the right place at the right time.

Today is the right time for search engine marketing. There is a lot of interest in the getting visitors to web sites through the search engines. We been looking at a variety of techniques and nailing down our procedures. Our clients are seeing a lot of good results with higher rankings and more visitors. Also, this past year I attained recognition as a Qualified Google Advertising Professional. This gives our clients confidence that I know what I'm talking about in regard to the Google Adwords program.

Finding Your Complement

2006-07-23T04:23:00.000-06:00

Julia was in a huff. She came into our networking meeting in the middle of my 30-second introduction and didn't like what she was hearing. I was sharing about how I did web design and some Internet marketing.

After I had finished, she stomped to the front of the group and basically said, "I am the web designer in this group, and I don't want anybody else talking about doing web design." It was pretty tense. So she, another woman who does web design, and I talked about ways to make things work out for the best for all of us. I focused on marketing, the other was search engine marketing, and Julia was the web designer.

I agree that Julia was the first web designer to join, but she frequently missed the meetings. Was she still part of the group? Who knew. Was I to quit marketing my web design just because she was the first one in the group? Does commitment to the group count at all?

For most leads group or networking groups, the first person in the group who has a particular business offering is considered the main person to go to, which is reasonable.

One of the hardest things about being with someone in a similar industry is the fear of competition. There can be a genuine fear that they might steal your business, and bad feelings would arise.

But if both are mature then you will see each other as allies or maybe even partners. Nancy also offered web design but as we got to know each other we figured out a great way to work together. She could do the search engine optimization on site for me and I could design and write sites for her. Over the next two years now we sent send each other a lot of work.

A friend of mine had a computer network company that catered to small businesses. He partnered with a couple guys who sold telephone systems. Since they went after the same customers without fear of competition, they exchanged leads on a consistent basis and both benefited.

I visited recently with Ken recently who anyone would consider a big competitor to me. As we were talking, he described his company as one who plays nicely with others. What a great term. I play nicely with others and realize there is a lot of work for each of us. Maybe we compete for the same business at times, but overall, we can learn to get along.

Can't we all just get along? Look around at your competitors and see if there is a way for you to have a win-win situation with them. And play nicely.

I Googled on Yahoo!

2006-04-28T18:05:00.000-06:00

I was just talking with a client on the phone and happened to be on the Yahoo! home page. I needed to find some information so I used the search feature. I was able to get the information I needed quickly.

The funny thing was in communicating this to my client, Amy. I told her, "I was able to find the information because I googled." I'm sure Jerry Yang and the others at Yahoo! would have to been miffed to know that I googled on their search engine rather than saying that I searched for what I needed.

It's tells me a lot about the power of Google and how ingrained searching is becoming in our ventures on the Internet. As a matter of fact, I heard recently that doing a search is catching up to email as the most frequent use of the Internet. I know I use search engines several times an hour in my work.

I get contacted almost everyday from people finding me on the Internet. If you need help getting found on the Internet, give us a call at 720-922-3124 or email me at dcarlson@greenchair.net.

Business Blog Designers

2006-03-21T23:01:00.000-07:00

Blogs have been getting a lot of interest in the news and business community for a couple years now. We have created several blogs for our own sites, as well as for clients.

You can read more about our Business Blog Designers and how we can help you create a blog for your site.

Answering Questions from a College Student

2006-03-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

I was asked by a college student to answer some questions about life in the design world. You might be interested to hear some of my responses.

Designer Interview Questions:

1. Have you specialized in any particular area of Graphic Design?
I specialize in web site design. We do some logo design, business cards and stationery but mostly do web sites and web graphics.

2. If so, did you choose this area or did it sort of develop over time?
I started out doing print design. I took classes in Illustrator and Photoshop, as well as DreamWeaver (for web site design). It wasn’t until about nine years ago that I started doing web sites. I’ve been trying to keep myself narrow in focusing just on web design but I find that logo design can be a good door opener for doing web sites, too.

3. What advice do you have for a graduating Graphic Designer?
I would tell a graduating graphic designer to do as many real life projects as possible, even if they are low paying or non-paying. This will start building your portfolio and give you experience. As someone who hires designers, I don’t really look at someone seriously if they don’t have a serious body of work for me to see their style and abilities. I think it’s also important to have a web site to put the portfolio onto. This can be a simple thing but it should show your abilities. You can have a friend develop it for you if you don’t have the ability right now.

I would also tell a designer to get varied experience, both in print and web sites. The more well rounded you are, the higher the likelihood of getting hired. As you gain experience and opportunities, you can start concentrating on the areas that you like the most and are better at.

4. What do you think is the most important asset of a fantastic designer?
I think the ability to look at multiply ideas and keep an open mind is one of the best features of fantastic designer. I’ve taken some training in improv and one of the things we learned was to say “Yes, and…” rather than “No, it’s really…” You take what someone has to say and then go with it. There comes a time later in the process when you evaluate ideas but the exploration stage is not when you do it. You should read the book “A Whack on the Side of the Head” for ideas on brainstorming. Or “A Kick in the Seat of the Pants” has information on the four stages of the creative process. They are both written by Roger von Oech.

I have a web site called www.ezcreativity.com that has some good information brainstorming and the creative process.

5. Some people say, “You don’t really start learning until after you graduate”. How do you feel about this?
I think this is semi-true. If a person can mix real world experience with their training, then they are way ahead of their classmates, such as getting internships and side jobs during college that incorporate design work, even if it’s just in a sign shop.

6. How much value do you place on Mentor-ship? Are you a good mentor?
I’ve never had a formal mentor in my days. I’ve had bosses who were good friends and taught me some things. But often they were more administrators than creative people. The one creative person I had was too involved in his own projects to be a good mentor. I kind of mentor the contractors I have working for me. I think I’m patient and instructive but there is nothing formal there.

7. Do you think Graphic Design and Visual Communication can be a lifelong and profitable career from a Virtual Office atmosphere?
I know people who do have a profitable career in a virtual office atmosphere. I think it takes several years of working with a team before you get to this point because you’d be too narrow in your abilities otherwise. When you have a good reputation as a great designer, easy to work with and a quick producer, than you’d have a lot of opportunities to work in a virtual workplace. I have a guy who just flew to Thailand yesterday and will be there training in martial arts. He will continue to do work for me because he’s good at what he does and is easy to work with.

8. Which do you think has served you best your formal education or your experience?
My formal education served me better because it allowed me to work on projects I wouldn’t have otherwise. I would have been reduced to just supervising designers rather than doing it myself. Now that I’m doing more supervision of design that actual design, I can understand things better and give good suggestions.

9. Do you think it a necessity to return periodically, for formal training throughout your career?
I think it’s really important to keep learning software especially. This helps you do things faster and better than struggling along with software you don’t understand well. I think having continuing training is also important with such things as drawing and photography.

10. If you could change the past, what’s the main thing you would change about the path you walked in becoming a designer?
I would have taken more design classes when I was younger and learned more about perspective. I did some of that self taught. I would have also learned more about color theory and learned how to draw better.

11. Are there additional comments you would like to add to this interview?
I have work with many designers over the years. The ones I’ve enjoyed the most are the ones who are easy to get along with and are flexible. There is something to be said about being talented but there is also something to be said about being easy to work with. I had a woman who I supervised who was a talented designer but you never knew when she was going to bit your head off or freak out. There was another woman in the group who was less talented but was so much more approachable.

Also, the great designers I’ve worked with had a good understanding of color theory and fonts. They didn’t fall in love with a certain color scheme or a certain font type.

New Web Site: www.ezcreativity.com

2006-01-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

We just started another web site: Creativity. It's has articles to stimulate your creativity, has a blog, and it has the first in a series of looks at my personal Creativity Book.

I've kept a Creativity Book for about a decade and a half now. I draw, write and paste things that stimulate my creativity in it. It's semi-personal, but not too personal. I find it's a good way to capture my ideas and be able to implement them at a later date.

Take a look at it and see what you think.

From the Ashes of Disaster Grow the Roses of Success

2005-12-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

I never thought of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" as being a highly philosophical movie, but there is one scene near the end of the movie where a bunch of old men have been trying to invent a car that floats, flies, as well as drives.

They keep trying and trying. Someday they hope to succeed. Everyone fails at some point. Not to be glib, but there's a lot we can learn from failing. But from the ashes of disaster can come the roses of success if we allow ourselves to learn from the failings.

The Roses of Success Lyrics (from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang")

Every bursted bubble has a glory!
Each abysmal failure makes a point!
Every glowing path that goes astray,
Shows you how to find a better way.
So every time you stumble never grumble.
Next time you'll bumble even less!
For up from the ashes, up from the ashes, grow the roses of success!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses of success!
Oh yes!
Grow the roses!
Those rosy roses!
From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success!
(spoken)Yes I know but he wants it to float. It will!
For every big mistake you make be grateful!
Here, here!
That mistake you'll never make again!
No sir!
Every shiny dream that fades and dies,
Generates the steam for two more tries!
(Oh) There's magic in the wake of a fiasco!
Correct!
It gives you that chance to second guess!
Oh yes!
Then up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses of success!
Grow the roses!
Those rosy roses!
From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success!
Disaster didn't stymie Louis Pasteur!
No sir!
Edison took years to see the light!
Right!
Alexander Graham knew failure well; he took a lot of knocks to ring that
bell!
So when it gets distressing it's a blessing!
Onward and upward you must press!
Yes, Yes!
Till up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success.
Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses of success!
Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Those rosy ro
Those rosy ro
Those rosy roses!
From the ashes of disaster, grow the roses of success!
Start the engines!
Success!
Batten the hatches!
Success!
Man the shrouds!
Lift the anchor!
Success!

He's in the Other Building

2005-11-16T02:19:00.000-07:00

I called technical support the other day of a company I've done business with for the last year. I had to make a change on something and was told I needed to talk with sales.

I asked where their offices were. He said Toronto, which I thought was in Vancouver, Washington.

I asked if he knew if the sales person was in and they guy said, "He's over in the other building".

So, I called this morning and found out that the sales guy was indeed in the other building--across the country of Canada and across the border in Washington.

I had a decision to make whether I was going to laugh or be angry about being deceived with the phrase, "He's in the other building." Technically, he was in the other building. I chose to laugh about it and realize we live in a big world that's getting smaller, and that teams can be in "the other building."