Web 2.0 Marketing Blog

Custom HTML Email Signatures for Outlook 2007

2008-10-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Unintentionally, we seem to have become a leading resource for instructions on installing custom HTML email signatures in email clients including earlier versions of Outlook, Entourage and Gmail. In continuing with our tradition, we'll give some insight here into installing a custom HTML signature in Outlook 2007.

For some reason, Microsoft decided to remove some features in Outlook 2007 that made installing a custom HTML email signature a breeze. Although nowhere in the email signature feature of Outlook 2007 is HTML mentioned, the signature is still in this format, it just takes a less direct approach to get it accomplished.

Here's one relatively easy method for inserting custom HTML for an email signature.

1. Open the HTML file that contains your signature in a Web browser such as FireFox.

2. Left click at the top left of the page, then while holding down the shift key left click in the lower right area of the page. If you don't see anything obviously highlighted you may need to left click at the top then hold down your left mouse button as you move to the lower right.

3. Right Click and select copy.

4. Create a new signature in Outlook 2007 and then within that blank signature window right click and select paste or press ctrl-v.

5. Save your new signature and set your desired parameters.

For more insight into working with custom signatures in Outlook 2007 you might want to check out this free Outlook 2007 email signature training from Microsoft.

Be Aware of These Web Scams

2008-09-25T15:01:00.001-07:00

We receive a very high percentage of customer inquires regarding two general type of solicitations they receive. Since these same scams continue, sometimes with different company names and angles, we thought it would behoove our valued clients for us to post some info on them.

The most important principle to remember to protect yourself from any marketing scam is to always be extremely wary of any unsolicited communication, whether by phone, email or postal mail, that claims to:

A. Be able to do something that seems too good to be true, or

B. Presents a "bill" or "invoice" regarding your domain, Website or some other Web related service from a company that sounds official, but of whom you've not dealt with before.

Scam 1—Bogus Domain Registration Invoices

Almost anyone with a domain name registered has probably come across this one. An official sounding company sends you an invoice that states or implies you will soon lose your domain if you don't register with them. If you have never heard of this company, there is a 99% chance it's an unethical attempt to get your money. The easiest thing to do is Google the company name or do search on the FTC site. If are still uncertain don't hesitate to fax or email us a copy.

Scam 2—Unsolicited SEO Spam

I get a kick out the chutzpah of professed SEO companies who resort to spam marketing their implied expertise in driving new customers through search engines. If they really are so good at getting business through search engines why do they have to resort to the most despised of illegal Web marketing to get their own? The answer is obvious.

Google states it best:

Be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that send you email out of the blue....Reserve the same skepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as you do for "burn fat at night" diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed dictators. No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. (Read the whole page at Google.com)

We encourage you to read this prior post of ours where we go into more detail on the topic.

Upgraded Content Management System

2008-09-11T13:04:00.001-07:00

We're pleased to announce an upgraded version of our Content Management System (CMS). The CMS is the core application software that works in conjuction with a server database to provide all the great Web 2.0 information management and broadcasting capabilities that we're always talking about.

Our Web 2.0 CMS provides the vital tools that help our clients achieve their business goals by increasing the reach and impact of their messaging and decreasing the cost of Website administration.

Our new CMS makes it even easier for non-technical site owners to:

Securely login to their site and add, edit or remove page content
Make blog/news posts that are automatically distributed by email and broadcast via RSS.
Automatically link the major search and blog indexes to their blog/news posts to dramatically increase message reach and awareness.

Here's a small sampling of our CMS's key features and benefits:

New streamlined modern Web 2.0 administrative panel design theme that makes the updating and editing process easy to understand and navigate.
A new word-processor page editing interface that provides any user intuitive controls for posting and formatting of text, photos and files.
The ability to easily create multiple pages and RSS streams by simply assigning a category to your post.
Optimized and formatted RSS feeds. Your RSS feed content is displayed using the same format and styling that you specify on your site page.
Easy integrated system to upload images or file from your PC or Mac to post on your Website.
Fast performance for both site visitors and administrators.
The ability to use a new custom graphic design or to modify an existing design for use on the CMS site.
One button system backup and restore.
The ability to assign unlimited editors to your site with customized permissions . . . you can assign a user the ability to edit the content on only one page or to have complete administrative control over the site.
Full html formatting of content posts for advanced users.

But don't take our word for it, try it out for yourself. Just contact us for access to our sample site.

You might also be interested to see our screen shot tutorials.

Web 2.0 Marketing Strategy

2008-08-01T10:06:00.002-07:00

In a previous post post, I presented a definition of Web 2.0 as the widespread acceptance and use of technology that allows continually changing or active communication. The main points of the post were:

The most important aspect of Web 2.0 is not the technology itself, but rather the new culture of free and open communication that comes about because of technology.
The old era of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) that was supported through biased and untrustworthy advertising is past.
Web 2.0 technology has birthed a new era of caveat venditor (let the seller beware) since consumers are now able to communicate freely amongst themselves and provide unbiased feedback on sellers' claims. Amazon.com is a prime example.

How can Web 2.0 help your business?

From a marketing perspective, the questions are simple:

How can Web 2.0 help us reach more prospects,
deliver a more effective message and
decrease our message cost?

Is your business Web 2.0 compatible?

Again, the most vital element to success is not the technology itself, but rather the real value your business presently offers consumers. For those businesses who meet this criteria, Web 2.0 technology is tailor made to effectively assist in achieving the marketing goals mentioned above.

Bear with me as I give yet another Web 2.0 analogy. If I buy this 2006 ADR3 race car for $85k, its got the technological capability to win races. However, just because I buy the car does not make me competitive with professional drivers. Assuming I could con my way into entering a professional race, it would soon become apparent, when I crashed and burned on the first corner, that I was an amateur. The technology would do me little good if I did not posses the real ability to utilize its potential.

Likewise, the benefit that Web 2.0 technology can bring is directly proportional to some more fundamental aspects of your business, such as:

Do your current customers (not you, your employees, or executives) consider the products you offer to be truly unique and superior solutions?
Do you receive a significant portion of new business through referrals?
Is it easy for your prospects to understand your unique value proposition?
Is the leader of your business dedicated to establishing a front facing culture of transparency, honesty and direct communication with customers?
Do your employees understand and embrace this vision?

This by no means is a comprehensive list, but hopefully you get the idea. The more "yes" answers you can give to these types of questions the more potential your business has for excelling by implementing Web 2.0 technology and tactics.

For a more detailed look at how Web 2.0 technology can help you achieve your marketing goals you may want to check out our "Helping you achieve your goals" page.

Yahoo Surprises Customers with Unprecedented Domain Registration Fee Hike

2008-07-06T19:02:00.005-07:00

I apologize for deviating from our normal Web 2.0 marketing theme but I wanted to get out an urgent message to those who have domains registered with Yahoo / Yahoo Small Business. As you may be aware, Yahoo is already going through some tumultuous times. Not only has Yahoo suffered greatly the last five years from decreasing search market share, they've recently made a high profile bungle of an overly generous offer from Microsoft and are in the midst of an employee exodus of of disillusioned key personal.

Yahoo announces domain registration renewal hike from $12.95 to $34.95 / year

To top this off, Yahoo has just informed its domain registration account holders by email that as of July 1, 2008 domain name registration renewals will go from $12.95 / year to an unbelievable $34.95 / year. (See Cnet's report Yahoo ups annual domain registration fees.)

Yahoo is still advertising domain registrations for $9.95/year on their Website. There is no mention of the fact that now that rate only applies to the first year and all years there after will be renewed at the rate of $34.95.

If you're looking for another options, we can provide domain registration for $10.19 per year, through the world's largest ICANN domain register. Domain registration includes 24x7x365 phone and email support.

Visit www.risinglineweb.com or call a specialist to walk you through the process: 480-505-8866.

What is Web 2.0?

2008-04-29T09:25:00.003-07:00

Web 2.0 is a term that has proliferated rapidly over the last few years. The term has become so popular that it's now being used by about anyone for about anything (Web 2.0 Easter greeting card anyone?). For most businesses, it's not necessary to understand Web 2.0 in much technical detail. What is important to understand are the massive social and business environment changes that the Web 2.0 phenomena is driving.

Web 2.0—The widespread acceptance and use of technology that allows continually changing or active communication.

Web 2.0—The Basics

Web 2.0 is simply the widespread acceptance and use of technology that allows continually changing or active communication.

As you may be aware, some of the most common Web 2.0 applications are blogs, podcasts, Content Management Systems (CMS), social networking sites and user forums. Each of these technologies can be defined within Web 2.0 depending upon how they're utilized. Technology is a prerequisite for Web 2.0, but it's the widespread acceptance and use part of the definition that really matters.

Let the Buyer Beware

The most important aspect to Web 2.0, from my perspective, is that it has sparked a grassroots revolution by consumers. The era of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) progressively grew through the 20th century until we languished under a never ending stream of unbelievable advertising. Regardless of consumer protection laws, the reality was that we were largely forced to rely on the naturally biased advertising and promotional information provided by businesses.

The losers in this environment were of course the consumers, but also those businesses who truly did offer unique value and could not afford to carpet-bomb our televisions, magazines and mailboxes. Nor could a business offering real value do much in their advertising to show they were different, since their competitors would make the same claims.

Consumers who wanted unbiased information about a seller relied on personal referrals—the most unbiased and believable feedback available. They were limited however by the finite capacity of their own personal networks.

Let the Seller Beware

Web 2.0 has ignited a new era of caveat venditor (let the seller beware). The rapid change in the marketing environment is not due to legislation or litigation, but rather the widespread practice of consumers sharing unbiased information about a sellers product to other customers and prospects.

A simple example can be seen with books. Outside of our friends' recommendations, we've had to rely on the publisher's information or from the questionably neutral editorial reviews. Now, thanks to Amazon and others, we have access to a large and active community of other consumers who provide us their unbiased feedback. Of course this is not a perfect system, those with ulterior motives can post reviews but we can use common sense to evaluate the reviews collectively and form a more reliable conclusion about a product.

For example, if I were to rely on attractive cover and glowing editorial review for Deck Planner: 120 Outstanding Decks You Can Build I might convinced to buy this book. But when I look at relatively low rating by consumers and their mixed reviews, I opt for a better choice.

The important point to understand about Web 2.0 from a business perspective is that our products and services will increasingly be promoted or demoted in the marketplace by consumers, and that advertising and PR will continue to lose effectiveness. Consumers now have better choices of where to get information before making a purchase decision.

The Web 2.0 revolution is only bad news for those sellers who have gotten away with neglecting their customers. In my next post, we'll explore some of the unprecedented opportunities and strategies for businesses offering true value.

Web Design

2008-03-24T11:24:00.004-07:00

Graphic design is the first thing that many Web site owners and managers think about when they seek out the services of a Web developer. There is no denying that the graphic design element of a Web site is important, but having a distorted perspective on the importance of design can be a stumbling stone in reaching the goal of creating an effective site. Here are two common pitfalls:

Design Myopia—an owner or manager drives a Web design from their personal perspective and preferences. This approach might be fine for setting up a personal page on MySpace, but is most often not a good approach for effectively communicating the quality and unique value of a business or organization to the much broader cross section of those who will be visiting your Web site.

It's important to know that using conventional elements for the basic design, structure, and style of a Web site is a good thing. People will know how to get around and subconsciously associate your site with other quality sites they've visited. This doesn't mean that your site will be a cookie-cutter template, it means it will possess a unique and professional visual presentation based on professional presentation standards that will best communicate your value.

To be effective, your Web site should be built using best-practice design and structure principles that have been developed around the needs and conventions of your customers and prospects.
Design Centric Goals—Too high of importance is placed on graphic design. A site owner has a vision of what they want their site to look like and once that goal is achieved the project is considered a success. This often stems from Design Myopia as described above.

While design is important, without design being part of a holistic strategic approach to communication, it becomes impotent.
A site with no design will trump the most artistically original site if the former has quality content and offers intuitive and easy to use solutions to its target visitors needs. The classic example is the most visited and arguably most successful Web site in the world: Google.

Web sites are a lot like people, their success is ultimately based on the value they contain, not their outward appearance. This is vital to understand so that design is put into its proper place. Web design is still important, it just has to be the dressing for content of real value.

Google is like one of those geniuses who are so recognizable and brilliant that they can get away with wearing an old t-shirt and jeans to deliver a key-note speech. It's fair to say the brilliance of most of us is not as common knowledge.

Web design is the same, once the foundation of quality content is present, professional and usable design is an excellent catalyst to facilitate communicating the value of your site. In my next post I'll get into some specifics about our philosophy and methods for designing Web sites that are modern, appealing and clearly communicate the values of your organization.

Windows Vista - Internet Explorer 7 Flash Issue

2008-03-10T09:33:00.003-07:00

Some installs of Internet Explorer 7 on Windows Vista have a bug which prevents the display of Adobe Flash Movie Files. If you experience this problem our recommended solution is below:

In IE7 delete all browsing history, after pressing "Delete all..." Check the box "Also delete files and settings stored by add-ons."
In Windows Vista close IE7 and all other open applications.
Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Programs and Features
Select and Uninstall any programs referring to Adobe Flash Player ActiveX or Adobe Flash Player Plugin. There may be as many as three files listed.
Open IE7 and navigate to Adobe's Flash Player Download Center and follow the prompts to install Adobe Flash Player.
Additional resources on this topic can be found in this Tech Note from Adobe.

An alternate method which we have not tested is demonstrated in this video.

Understanding Search Engine Optimization

2008-02-01T14:12:00.001-07:00

This article has moved to a new page.

Keys For a Successful Web Site

2008-01-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

The content of your Web site is crucial and should be developed to quickly answer the basic questions and needs of your specific target visitors. Research shows that you only have a few seconds to entice your visitors to stay so it's vital that you present obvious choices for them to find the information they need. In addition clear and compelling navigation options need to be present that allow your visitors to easily recognize where they should click to proceed through the sales/information process.

If your visitors become confused about what your site is about or how it applies to them, they are likely to just leave and look elsewhere. The goal of your front page is to allow visitors to qualify themselves as prospects for your business or organization and to proceed through the sales process by accepting a call to action that you offer. Actions can include purchasing online, contacting you for an appointment, subscribing to your newsletter/blog or whatever the specific next step is in your sales process.

The Essential Questions Visitors to Your Site Will Need Answered:

What do you do? One of the most common mistakes that sites make is not being clear on exactly what they are providing. The more complex of solution you offer the more important it is to provide this answer in easy-to-understand language. The essence of what you do should be the basis of your organization's mission statement, but answering the "What you do" question will also include the specific products or services you're offering.
Why you do it? This is related to an organization's vision statement but needs to be expressed in concise language free from industry jargon. Telling visitors "why you do it" is a means of establishing credibility and positioning yourself as an expert advisor for recommending a solution to their needs.
Why are you the best choice? This question is the most vital for new prospects and should be answered by your unique value proposition. Your unique value proposition is simply a concise statement of how you meet their need better than anyone else. In addition to stating your unique value, you need to back it up with real-life examples. The most effective support will be testimonials, portfolio's of your past work, and third party reviews or endorsements if available.
What can I do? This is the question you want most asked because it means your visitor is satisfied (or at least intrigued) with the answers to their first three questions. They are asking how to proceed through your sales process. This doesn't mean they're necessarily ready to buy, but they're willing to take a step closer. Your site needs to present unambiguous action items for your customers to answer their question of "What can I do?" by providing conspicuous "call to action" links in the body of your front page and the navigation menu.

How To Provide the Answers

Here are a few key principles for answering your visitors' questions :

Be concise. Paragraphs of text on your front page will bury the answers to your visitors' questions and result in a high abandon rate. Your front page, and navigation bar, should be thought of as a map that clearly directs people to more detailed information on the destination of their choice, without them having to think twice about their choices. While, supporting pages will provide more detailed answers the still must avoid verbosity to be effective.
Communicate in laymen's terms and avoid your industry's jargon. Realize that much of the internal language your organization uses may have no relevance for your visitors.
Provide clear call-to-action choices for all types of visitors. The fundamental questions presented above provide answers for newly aware prospects through "trial" or first-time buyers. If you anticipate clients, customers with an ongoing relationship with your organization, to be frequent visitors you need to accommodate the needs of these visitors. Other visitor types can include press, investors or employers. The answers to each type of visitor questions need to be presented in proportion to the importance they have towards achieving the overall goals of your site.

Adobe Contribute vs. RisingLine WebSite 2.0

2008-01-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

FAQ: How does Adobe Contribute compare to RisingLine's Content Management sites?

Our WebSite 2.0 sites are based on the open source application CMS Made Simple which is completely different than Adobe Contribute. CMSMS offers all the non-technical editing capabilities of Contribute (in a much more productive server side software model) plus it offers all features and capabilities to develop an enterprise class site.

WebSite 2.0 offers all the features that would be available through a developer using Dreamweaver and a content manager using Contribute with the notable differences that WebSite 2.0 is exponentially easier to use and after we configure it on your Web server doesn't require a technical expert "developer" even for many advanced features such as dynamic drop down CSS menu systems.

Here's a brief list of the major differences of Contribute when compared to WebSite 2.0:

Contribute is client side software. This means that you will only be able to edit a website on a desktop that has Contribute.
Contribute requires that every user be licensed. This can be a costly process if there are a lot of users set to update a website.
Contribute is a website editing tool, not a website development tool. A web developer is still required to build the initial website design (usually using Dreamweaver).
Contribute edits one page at a time, making complex design elements such as navigation menus hard to manage if they aren't controlled through a single source, like a database, Server Side Includes, or XML file.
Updating a website's content through Contribute can be a much slower process than using a server side CMS system like WebSite 2.0, since each page must be downloaded (and uploaded) individually.
User cannot access source code, therefore any function code must be edited in a secondary program such as Dreamweaver.
Contribute is a proprietary solution that is based on the concept that other Adobe software will be involved in the production process . . . our Content Management software is open source and does not require other specific software for optimal performance. In other words, there are no additional software purchases intended for those who use WebSite 2.0

Regarding editing and adding content to WebSite 2.0 . . . any skilled user or developer can work with WebSite 2.0 at their own level so there is nothing that really can't be done, it would just depend on the skill level of the user.

We have different permissions that can be turned on for individual users depending on their expertise (or you can turn them on/off yourself). For example one user may be non-technical so we might just give him/her permission to edit the content of one page, while another may have more technical aptitude so we would give them permission to create & delete pages, move pages around in the site structure, and edit any page.

A user could also be given the ability to edit the design skin(s) for a site if they were skilled in XHTML & CSS. Also, you have direct access to the code level of the content (and even the entire page if you want it) just by pressing a button on the page edit screen.

Another significant difference is that our WebSite 2.0 sites are coded for optimization with the major search engines. There are a lot of details in the code that we optimize for the target keywords of your pages that would require much more manual coding with a Dreamweaver / Contribute platform.

In addition we configure your Web server for optimal indexing with search engines and utilize Web 2.0 technology, namely Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to increase our clients search engine profile whenever possible. We've written a number of articles on SEO that go into the topic much more: http://risingline.com/blog/labels/Search-Engine-Optimization.html

Adding HTML email signatures to Gmail

2008-01-09T15:50:00.001-07:00

As you may know, Google's Gmail is the most popular, and arguably best featured, free email service available. One of the challenges that I've encountered with it however is its default text-only email signature when composing emails via the Web.

The Best Solution

For Gmail users who would like to utilize graphic/html email signatures, the best solution is to link your Gmail account to a POP client (like Outlook or Entourage). You can then install a custom designed html email signature. If you're a client of ours the instructions for installing the custom email signature in Outlook or Entourage are posted in our FAQs.

This means of course that to have your custom HTML email signature inserted in outgoing messages, you'll need to compose those messages using Outlook or Entourage.

If you would still like to use the Web based Gmail as your primary email platform, simply click on "Settings" in your Web Gmail account (in the upper right hand corner), then choose the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab, and select "Enable POP for mail that arrives from now on" then on the next option select "keep Gmail's copy in the Inbox". Make sure and hit the "Save Changes" button when you're done.

Now all your incoming and sent email (including that you send from Outlook) are accessible on your Gmail Web account. You won't have to worry about going back and forth from Outlook to the Web to find old emails, they'll all be on the Web.

Custom Email Signatures When Only Using Web Based Gmail

There are a few existing solutions for achieving this, the best probably being the Better Gmail Firefox extension . The downside here is that this only works with Firefox and with the "older version" of Web based Gmail. The newer Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension for the newest Gmail version (as of 1/9/08) does not seem to offer the email signature feature of its predecessor.

The other existing option is to drag-and-drop/cut-and-paste a section from another open HTML file displaying the formatted text and images of your email signature into the compose window of your Gmail account as described in this post at Digital Inspiration .

Using the Google Tool Bar to Send HTML Emails or to Insert HTML Email Signatures

A third option that I don't think is documented on Web anywhere is to utilize the Google Tool Bar's "Send to" button to send HTML formatting/graphics via Web based Gmail.

Note: I've tested this for Firefox on Windows XP and IE7 on Windows Vista. I does not work for me using Firefox on Windows Vista.

Here are the steps:

Download and install the Google Toolbar by visiting: http://toolbar.google.com/
Close and restart your Web browser.
In Firefox go to "View", "Toolbars" and make sure there is a checkmark next to "Google Toolbar". If using IE7 go to "Tools", "Toolbars" and insure there is a checkmark next to "Google". You should then see the Google toolbar in your browser, similar to the screen-shot below. Then on the toolbar, go to "Settings", "Options", "More" and make sure there is a checkmark by the "Send to" button.
The HTML file you want to include in your outgoing Gmail message will need to be uploaded to a Web server. If you plan on adding the same HTML to outgoing messages on a regular basis (such as is the case with a HTML email signature) just book mark that URL.
To send a Web based Gmail message with the HTML formatting, open the bookmarked URL (e.g. http://risingline.com/sample.html) then click the "Send to" button on your Google Toolbar and select "Gmail" from the drop down menu. You should see the HTML formatted page, simply type you message above that and hit the "Send" button.

Additional Notes:

If you're a user sending a HTML page or email signature that was already developed for you, ignore the below.

When coding the HTML page to be sent. Make sure the path to graphics are absolute, insert a non-breaking space in the title tag (otherwise a hyperlink of the page title will appear above the HTML), and add alternate text to images for those email clients that block graphics. Here's the code used in the above example:

Frappe Free Web Design

2007-12-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest ROI killing design blunders for any product or publication is over complexity, and Web sites seem to be one of the most common offenders.

The term usability is used in Web design jargon as the attribute of how easily understandable and navigable a site is, and how readily it meets its target visitors' needs. Almost without exception, each of the millions of Web sites in cyberspace are designed for very specific tasks for a narrowly defined group of people.

Your primary goal as a site owner is to provide a completely intuitive experience for your visiting prospects. In spite of this obvious goal often simplicity becomes lost in unnecessary clutter. When this happens visitors become confused and confused visitors, according to research, tend to make a hasty retreat.

I ran across a great example of usability in design recently when my ancient Osterizer Galaxie Blender broke. While it had provided many years of satisfactory service, it was always a source of mystery and anxiety to me. I just needed it to perform one simple task—blend. But each time I went to use it I had to wonder at all the buttons on the front:

Chop (Off) - Grate (Off) - Grind (Off) - Stir - Puree - Whip - Mix - Blend - Frappe - Liquefy

Am I doing this wrong? Should I be Puree'ing or Frappé'ing this protein shake. And does it matter which off button I push, why are there three? Just for good measure, I would randomly use all the buttons on different occasions—all with no noticeable difference to my concoction.

In browsing for a replacement, I came across the polar opposite of the Osterizer Galaxie—the Oster Classic Beehive. There's just one switch on the whole thing and that one switch does just what I need without having to stop and think about which button to push and why.

While blenders and Web sites don't have much in common, the design principle illustrated by Osterizer's two extremes make great litmus tests for the usability of our own sites.

Now the Beehive looks much cooler than my old Galaxie, I no longer have to hide my blender from guests come over. But the most important thing about well designed products or Web sites is not looks (although good design naturally lends itself to better aesthetics) it's about making the value you offer clear and easy to implement.

I mentioned Steve Krug probably too much, but I know of no who does a better job of explaining the foundational principles of usability and helping people really "get" what it takes (and doesn't take) to create an effective revenue producing Web site. If you're the owner, manager, or administrator of a site I implore you to get your hands on a copy of his classic book, Don't Make Me Think.

What you should know about Web design

2007-11-05T22:49:00.001-07:00

Web design, when compared to printed design, has some unique pros and cons. A big "pro" is the flexibility of publishing to the Web. A printed marketing piece is designed once and published—most organizations don't find it plausible to go back and reword a paragraph after 10,000 copies have already been printed.

With Web publishing it's relatively easy to have a Web developer make changes after the initial publication and the cost is nominal. Content Management Systems like our own WebSite 2.0 take this benefit a step further by allowing even those who aren't trained web developers to easily login to their site and make text and graphic changes.

On the "con" side of Web publishing a big challenge is insuring your target audience views your publication as you intended. Each type of Web browser interprets how to display any given page of HTML code—for example Internet Explorer may display a page of HTML differently than FireFox or Safari. Noticeable discrepancies can manifest even within different versions of the same browser. So, a site design tested only with Internet Explorer 7 may look great in that browser, but look like a mess in another. While this is a challenge, the risk can be mitigated by testing the majority a site's design and layout on the most popular browsers which are reported monthly by W3C and presently consist of FireFox, Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7.

Not only should how Web sites appear in the primary browsers be considered, but also the individual operating environment that any given user may set themselves should be taken into consideration. For example, if the default font size is set too small by the designer (a common occurrence in my observation) users may be inclined to increase the text display size in their browsers. When this happens the browser will reformat a Web page to fit the larger text. It's prudent to first choose a readable text size and then to design a site to look presentable when text size is kicked up a notch or two.

Another important consideration of your site should be the size of monitor (i.e. the pixel resolution) that your target audience is likely to be using. There are two basic types of design to accommodate this: fixed width and liquid or floating width. There are a lot of considerations when deciding which route to go, but in general, business sites are most often fixed width (as you'll notice by surging through Fortune 500 sites) with liquid width sites typically being to best suited for sites with lots of text copy...reference sites, academic sites, or blogs for example.

Business oriented sites often fall into two categories. The first, to take fresh prospects through a sequential process of establishing your credibility/trustworthiness and persuading them to become a customer. The second is accommodating existing clients who are retrieving information, executing transactions, making a payment, viewing schedules, etc. The best practice principles of persuasion and usability lend themselves most often to fixed width design because fixed width designs allow more control over the visual presentation quality and encouraging concise bill-board style statements and discourage verbose copy that statistics show most people don't read and find counter productive to their goals of being on a site.

Sometimes, there is an impression that the "white space" displayed to left and right of a fixed width design is undesirable. While each situation is unique, this empty space is often a benefit when attempting to communicate to a Web audience. A computer monitor full of text/graphics dilutes messaging by creating clutter. As Steve Krug points out in his classic, Don't Make Me Think, one of the most common roadblocks to creating persuasive and effective Web sites is too much copy . . . he advocates designing Web sites with a "billboard" mindset—concise, appealing messages that tell the target visitor what they need to know without having to wade through clutter.

The white space, which coincidently is only noticeable on displays larger than the site was optimized for, can in fact create a very desirable mechanism to funnel your prospects attention to the most important statements about your organization. That's why you may have recalled seeing those full page Wall Street Journal ads, that some deep-pocketed corporation paid a large sum for, that are mostly white space. It's draws a reader who is being overloaded with pages of information like an oasis in the deserts and captures their full attention.

At the risk of this post becoming verbose itself, I'll stop here and post more on this topic in the future. As I've done before, I highly recommend that anyone responsible for a professional Web site read the aforementioned book by Steve Krug. It's not a book about the technicalities of Web design, but provides an invaluable executive guide to understand the fundamentals of an effective and profitable Web site.

Serve Your Customer

2007-10-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

I recently read a good piece on CNN that demonstrated how a few select entrepreneurial companies understand their customer is the lifeblood of their organization. This subject is important to me as I witness more often than not companies not taking customer orientation seriously. From one particular semiconductor company here in Boise, I hear it stated quite often that its goals are “market orientated,” yet the strategic goals and the advertising campaigns are constantly focused on its products and production procedures. Listen up, it’s not about what you do, who you are, or what you sell, but rather about who you sell to and what they need. Successful companies know how to empathize with the market by understanding the wants and needs of existing and potential customers.

Furthermore, employees are typically patronized by their top management on how they are the engine that makes the company go, but in reality, no company exists without customers and organizations should be structured and focused on addressing that principal. Yeah, happy and excited employees make for a better productivity; but I’ve worked for several companies that lose money and customers and the end result is always the same: low moral despite catchy internal motivational slogans or non-customer related group incentive programs. Getting straight to the point, quit wasting time on slogans and pep talks and goals that have nothing to do with serving the customer.

To conclude my mantra, organizations exist for one purpose and one purpose only … and it’s not in business to build widgets, to be innovators, to motivate employees, or to attain the most marketshare ... but to serve those customers who keep your company afloat.

Growing your business with blogs

2007-10-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a good article on the potential relationship between blogging and increased sales. A lot of basic information provided here and some interesting references like the South African wine producer Stormhoeks's who doubled sales in less than twelve months through a blogging campaign. >>Read the full article

Beware of Bogus SEO Firms

2007-09-12T15:41:00.001-07:00

Have you ever received an unsolicited email like this:

Dear Website Owner,

If I could get you five times the RELEVANT traffic at a substantially reduced cost would you be interested? <company name> can place your website on top of the Natural Listings on Google, Yahoo and MSN. ... We do not use "link farms" or "black hat" methods that Google and the other search engines frown upon and can use to de-list or ban your site. The techniques are proprietary, involving some valuable closely held trade secrets. Our prices are less than half of what other companies charge.

If you're an owner of a business web site, chances are you've received quite a few. We get questions from clients about the validity of such companies on a pretty regular basis.

There are a lot of, maybe even most, SEO companies out there that are basically trying to work the system to create online spam. It might benefit you in the short run, but it breaks the whole legitimate ranking system and ultimately it can hurt a site more than it help. Just like how spam email marketing can produce some positive short-term results but in the end runs the name of the offending individual/business to the ground (or even to criminal court in some cases).

SEO is simply creating value and relevance for your target clients and making it easy for them to find you. This does include some legitimate professional service roles like getting your site listed in as many relevant directories, esp. local directories, as possible. However, what should make us leery of SEO firms is terminology like "proprietary closely held trade secrets"...big red flag, there is no secret to SEO, it's actually quite simple as described by Google. The real problem, like with so many other things, is that real SEO (aka building value) takes a lot of time and hard work. The temptation is great to want to believe that there is a "get search optimized quick" solution out there thus the proliferation of the SEO scam artists.

I've blogged on this topic a number of times, the related posts are all on this SEO page.

Outside of the SEO involved in coding and developing a site (which actually is quite involved) we don't provide ongoing SEO services of the type this company is advertising...we do provide some services to build long term value like blog writing services though. If you need help, we refer out to a few real SEO (value building) and Pay Per Click services companies on a case-by-case basis...just let me know.

Unlike China, Westerners Have the Freedom to Blog

2007-08-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

Looking through the headlines today, I ran across an article that reminded me how blessed those of us who live in Western democracies are to have systems of government that allow citizens to share information. Whether it be instructional, humorous, entertaining, critical, or praiseful, the right to create and disseminate thought and opinion is a blessing we, or at least I, take for granted.

Conversely, citizens of China would not be able to have blog sites like Michelle Malkin’s or Michael Moore’s. Even for blogs of a non-political nature, China has tight restrictions on the content and distribution of blogs within its borders. Among other things, it is unlawful for Chinese bloggers to maintain anonymity, which has created international backlash from some of the world’s most prominent technology firms and media watchdogs.

Regardless of the various opinions on the effectiveness of blogging, most of us can agree that we’ve been blessed with systems of government that allow businesses, organizations, and individuals to collaborate and communicate without the fear of authoritative reprisal. To that end, I’m more thankful upon reflection as I exercise my freedom by publishing this message. You should be too.

Dancing Bologna

2007-08-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

I just ran across an article that I have to share, the Last Dance of the Web Bologna.What is Web bologna you might ask? According to Dan Century, the name given for the witty young man who wrote this article, it's "superfluous and garish web design elements that marketing departments love, but the average customer will ultimately loathe."

Like spam, Web bologna is a different type of intellectually insulting processed product that we get served up on occasion whether we ask for it or not. But instead of coming through email it comes at us from the pages of web sites.

Now in Dan's definition of Web bologna, he says that "marketing departments love" it. I'm not sure what marketing departments he's talking about, but I can guarantee that this marketing department is top on the list of bologna loathers. As a matter of fact, I've recently vented my disgust of a newer evolution of Web bologna (the "Site Pal") on this blog.

I think a key principle of life that applies to this topic is that just because something can be done, does not mean it should be done...e.g. if one can belch one's name, that does not mean that it's a good idea to do so when meeting potential customers.

So aside from just being plain cheesy, what's so bad about bologna? It's bad because it exists on the opposite side of the spectrum from good usability—the design principles that have been researched and proven to facilitate visitors to your site becoming customers. In other words, bologna takes away from the whole purpose for a business to have Web site. As a side note, to learn all you need to know about usability, pick up a copy of Steve Krug's classic book, Don't Make Me Think.

I encourage you to take a read through Dan's humorous article. While much of the bologna Dan mentions in his article is extreme and from the past Internet era, the same misguided mindset of "this looks cool, we should put it on our Web page" still exists today with newer technology and tactics.

Why should I buy your product?

2007-07-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is a real email I just sent to a company today. It struck me, that the challenges I faced as a prospective customer with them are typical shortfalls that companies of all sizes make in their messaging. Read through this letter to see if yours shoes start pinching. Company names and identifying terms have been changed to protect the innocent (me).

Hi,

My company has been using <a competitor's software> but are in the process of exploring other alternatives. <Your company> was recommended to me...I've been poking around your site and forum for the last half hour but I'm having a hard time finding specific info on what makes <your company> different and better than <your specific competitors>. So far I've seen a lot of great features, but everything sounds pretty much the same as the aforementioned competitors.

I'm not suggesting that <your company> is the same, based on the referral I'm optimistic that you are better. I just asking if you can articulate to me the reasons why? Can you have one of your sales people contact me with this info?

I strongly suggest too, for your own marketing benefit, that you make a clear statement on your frontage answering the question "What features-benefits make <your company> totally unique and the best choice."

You do have a generic value proposition stated that states: “We offer more flexibility, security, help, value, choices, stability, features and support. Get more with <our company>"....and that you’re <technical jargon> with more features than any other application in it’s [sic] class” This entire statement could be easily used by any of your competitors on their website...it would do you great benefit to call out the specific features and their benefits that are unique only to <your company>.

One last suggestion...your site is very feature heavy, I suggest you associate a clear benefit statement with each technical feature you list. The prominent feature button on your front page leads to your features page which lists a lot of technical features including multiple references to your “Hybrid X Core”.

Frankly, none of this means anything to me.

I am technically savvy on this topic so I understand much of what your saying but it really doesn’t mean much to me in terms of why I should go with <your company> ... I covet finding out what the unique benefit that such features as the “Hybrid X Core” bring to me.

Please know, I am a legitimate prospect and all the above is intended as constructive advice. I suspect that I am a typical prospect for your product and I'm certain you could improve your sales conversion rate with more specific "why" info prominently displayed.

I’m looking forward to hearing from your sales dept.

Media Advertising is Struggling. What's the Fix? Please Chime In!

2007-07-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

As market-savvy corporations continue to adapt their marketing strategies to address consumer tendencies, traditional advertising outlets are feeling the crunch. Why? The answer is two fold: 1) today's consumers are more likely than ever to base their purchasing decisions on peer reference rather than advertising and 2) access to alternative media via the internet has reduced the influence and control long held by newspapers, television networks, and radio stations. Hence, the appeal traditional media outlets once held has been mitigated and the writing is on the wall for change in their advertising sales departments.

So, thinking about the future from a media outlet, what is the answer? With so many options available via the Internet, which provide current and plausibly accurate information, I'm not sure that a paid subscription is the way to go. I know that I would never pay for a subscription to a newspaper site as I can access the same information on Google News for free. And with the advertising model, think back to how many banner ads you’ve clicked on ... and on top of that, how many banner ads have actually led you to a purchase. I know for most folks, that number is minuscule if it exists at all.

To conclude, I'm hoping to solicit some honest and candid discussion on this topic. I've read several blogs and articles on this topic, and I have yet to find an adequate answer for the dilemma facing the major media outlets. Is their future dim? Or is there a solution that will drive the financial solvency of television and radio broadcasters and hard copy newspapers. As I have a genuine interest in this topic, please let me know your thoughts ... especially if you work in the mass-media industry.

Guerrilla Marketing Redux

2007-06-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

Recently I found myself isolated from the digital world for a couple hours, courtesy of Idaho Power. After a brief period of anxiety, I picked up an old book I hadn't looked at in many years—Guerrilla Marketing Weapons by Jay Conrad Levinson.

My first observation was how antiquated some of the strategies are. 1990 does not seem that long ago but from a business and marketing perspective it's a world apart in many ways. Regardless of the era, I question some of the council he provides in his promotion of advertising as "affordable" and a "necessity". The author was an advertising guy in a bygone era...can't blame him for pushing his industry.

While some of the info was off base (should I really consider promoting my business through matchbook advertising?) most of the "weapons" are still spot on. One point the author made that really resonated with me was under the heading, Identity:

A word to strike from your marketing vocabulary is image. An image is a facade, something phony...prospects come in...and learn that the company is not, indeed, what it held itself out to be in the first place. Instead, it is different—not bad, but different.. This makes the prospect unconsciously feel ripped off...because you communicated an image that had little basis in reality, only in hope. A far better i word than image is identity. An identity is automatically honest.

This timeless insight is the essence of the social revolution that New Media / Web 2.0 have brought to bear in the last 15 years and in fact it's the catalyst that established RisingLine.

In the past, many companies could trick enough people (mainly through advertising and gimmicks) to keep a sustainable level of demand generation to feed their habit. In the New Media world, consumers have the power to cut through the phony facade of images and create their own expose of each company. We see it well established already on such outlets as Amazon's star ratings and user reviews and are seeing it trickle down to even small businesses through the local business rating systems of SuperPages.com and Google. It's at an accelerate pace now that social media will continue to drive out the fakes and increase quality across the board.

It's ironic that this sage advice is given in a book promoting advertising and gimmicks. I believe the important take away is that more than ever, prominence should be given to building real quality into your product or service and developing a marketing plan to empower your customer evangelists who will be the authenticators and communicators for your marketing message. While advertising and marketing "weapons" may plan a part, their role has been significantly depreciated in today's business environment.

As a post script, I notice that on the Guerrilla Marketing website Guerrilla Marketing, New Edition is being promoted as an updated version including "strategies for the Internet."

The Mac is Back: Apple's customers make it a major player again

2007-06-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Apple's current ad campaign

For those of you who know me best, you're already familiar with my incessant evangelism regarding Apple's Macintosh. For those of you who don't know me that well, just keep reading this blog. But for all my biased chest-beating, even the most anti-Apple critic has to acknowledge the recent strides the Mac has made in the marketplace. First off, Apple increased its earnings 88% last quarter, the company’s stock/equity portfolio is higher than it’s ever been, and well known icons within the PC industry are in the process of making “the switch.”

So how does Apple leverage their success? Simply buy understanding the consumer and building stylistic products suited to their needs. Steve Jobs and his engineers and marketers strive toward building and communicating value to those who believe there has to be more to computing than blue screens, random shut-downs, and indistinguishable error messages. Not to mention, Apple has developed a reputation for taking care of its customers, providing the industry's highest standard in design, all the while building quality products that put the competition to shame.

The point I'm trying to make here is that Apple is successfully de-commoditizing itself within the computing market by establishing itself as a leader in consumer satisfaction. It's one thing for a company to claim it’s good at pleasing customers, it's another thing when the customers are saying it themselves. While Dell is struggling to right itself by opening low-price channels through Wal-Mart, Apple is creating the undercurrent for a consumer revolution that will only help to break the Microsoft hegemony within the market.

In conclusion, Apple has proven that organizations are able to operate with substantial margins within a commoditized industry. If your business is struggling to find it self within a competitive, dog-eat-dog market, remember to follow Apple's example in focusing on your customer's needs. After all, customers are the most selfish people on the planet; they only care about what your product, service, or brand means to them. Apple understands this principal, as do most profitable businesses.

Should you trade links?

2007-05-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

I received a great question today from an ambitious company. They asked about trading links with other sites to increase their visibility in search engines. It's a question that's not too uncommon so I thought it worthwhile to share my response here.

While I don't know all the details of the link sharing that you have in mind, generally speaking, I strongly recommend not posting links to external sites unless it unambiguously provides value for your prospects and clients. The ultimate long term determination of your site's success, and coincidently search engine prominence, will be the consistent quality of the content and resources you serve up on your site—not how many links you have traded.

In theory, trading links with another site does little, nothing, or is actually detrimental to your search engine rankings. You usually gain search engine prominence (called Page Rank by Google) from getting links to your site and usually lose it when linking to another site. So if you trade links most of the page rank cancels itself out and not much is accomplished. I don't want to over dramatize this next point, but if you have your site linked from some sites it can be actually be detrimental:

"Google is known to actively penalize link farms and other schemes designed to artificially inflate Page Rank. How Google identifies link farms and other Page Rank manipulation tools are among Google's trade secrets." (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_ranking)

When sites advertise that they want to trade links a red flag immediately goes up in my mind that these sites might not be good company to keep from Google's perspective. But even if they are, by trading links there's not much to gain.

As a rule of thumb, the more links you can get pointing to your site the better, the fewer you can get leaving your site the better.

I'm going to stop myself here because I can go on an on. The basic principal to remember is, make your site for users, not for search engines. (This is a quote from Google)

Here are some good sites from Google with their guidelines.

Also, I've written a number of other articles on this topic you might find helpful:

If you have any questions about SEO, don't hesitate to give us a ring.

PS. I should mention that if you have resources available for developing your web presence and would like to increase awareness, one of the most effective strategies is to implement a blog and make the commitment to post new content on a regular basis that will add true value for your clients and prospects. When this happens, your site can become like a media station that broadcasts out into the Web rather than just a brochure waiting to be discovered. In my opinion, active blogs (they must be maintained!) with properly optimized RSS feeds, and which are listed in the prime blog directories, offer the most significant opportunity today for increasing awareness of your site on the Internet.

Is your domain a ticking time bomb?

2007-05-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

Where is your company's domain registered and when does it expire? If you're like many executives and managers you have no idea. How do I know? I talk to them all the time.

Here's a typical scenario: ten years ago your company launched a web site...no one in-house knew where to start so the person who claimed to know how to program their VCR was given the task of registering a domain for the company. This person registered the domain but used their name, address, and hotmail account. What's more this individual may no longer even be employed by the company, probably could care less, and hopefully is not disgruntled with their former employer.

What would be the consequences to your business if your Web site was suddenly gone and all your company email accounts ceased working or now featured a porn site? Does this sound crazy? While this scenarios might be on the extreme, you are guaranteed some degree of misery and loss if you let your registration lapse.

If you are not immediately and unquestionably certain where your domain is registered, and more importantly to whom your domain is legally registered, stop everything right now and get it fixed!

Here's how:

Access the Whois public database and enter your domain name. Assuming your domain does not have a private registration, look through the list of information and find the following:
Registrant Name: If this is not your name or the company's name you're at risk.
Admin Name: Do you know this person? Do you trust this person with your entire business? Your domain needs to be registered under a name of a corporate officer, owners or executives—not an employee. All it takes is one disgruntled employee to reek havoc on your business.
If you need help registering, renewing, or transferring a domain name please visit http://risinglineweb.com or call one of our domain registration experts at 480.624.2500.

More information on domain registration:

How to protect your domain name from hijackers, porn pirates, and your registrar.
Why it matters to master your domain
For general information on domain registration visit the RisingLineWeb domain registration page and see the FAQ tab.