Category: General News


Does Google Still Want Your Address? – Google Places Listing

Filed Under: General News by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
September 1, 2011

Google is experimenting with City Pages. If it takes off, this could be important for small business local SEO. And it’s very mobile-device-friendly. It will be quite reliant on your Google Places listing. So that got me looking at my own listing….

Since I work from home and don’t meet clients at home, I’ve always been reluctant to allow my address to appear online. After all, now that we have ” Street Cam”, Google’s will show a picture of my home to all the world – not exactly my idea of privacy.

But the powers that be seem to penalize you for not listing your address all over the place. The “street address” field is required when you activate or update your Google Places listing. They really really really want to list your address – presumable to verify that you’re legit.

All of which makes sense if you are a brick and mortar business, but not if you’re a home office.

So I tried listing the address of a nearby strip mall. Let them show an image of the local Krogers instead of my house! I know – it’s a bit dishonest, but I figure at least I’m indicating what neighborhood I live in and the region I serve. Like I said, I just don’t want to have my street address on the internet.

To be fair, Google now has a box that says “don’t show my business address” – but they still want my address. Today when I visited my Places listing, I checked that box, and removed the shopping center address. So, we’ll see if I get rewarded for this update.

Why am I wondering about getting rewarded? Well truth to tell, I suspect I’m being penalized. You see, I couldn’t find my Places listing no matter what I searched for. Google just doesn’t seem to know it’s there. Here.

In sum (and without sarcasm), I think maybe I was penalized for listing an incorrect address on Google Places, and so I wouldn’t recommend this strategy. But I still don’t advise giving out your home address on the internet. So, this poses a problem for home office businesses that want to have a good listing on Google Places (for local SEO purposes). Now that Google has the “don’t show my address” button, this situation seems to be rectified. Or is it? I guess it depends on how Google weights those with street addresses in their listings over those of us who work from home.

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Video on Your Website – Should You Use YouTube?

Filed Under: General News, Web Sites 101 by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
July 18, 2011

Video on a website can be either very simple or very complicated!
It’s quite simple when:
  • There is NO editing needed
  • It can be shared via YouTube
  • There is no customization of the player (play, pause, volume buttons etc.)

When you share a video on YouTube, it’s made public on their website, and then you can embed it on your website.  So people can watch it without leaving your website, but it still has the YouTube logo, and YouTube may “inject” links to other videos.  That’s the downside of using YouTube – they control how it appears on your website. Some people consider this a bit unprofessional and would rather have the video hosted on their own site, where they have total control over the appearance  But it’s a tradeoff.

The advantages of using YouTube are:

  • YouTube is a free video hosting and streaming service that works in all browsers.  This is a tremendous advantage, because if you host the video on your own website, it may not perform as well, and it will not look the same in all browsers.  In fact, it won’t work at all in some browsers unless a web designer  installs custom coding to make it compatible.
  • From the search engines point of view, YouTube video is another “vote” for your company, so you get exposure.  Likewise, people are likely to find and view it on YouTube – more exposure.
  • People are so used to seeing YouTube videos that they know how to interact with them, and they don’t seem to fault you for using a free service on your website.

So needless to say, if you’re concerned about cost, I recommend the YouTube route.

If, on the other hand, you want control over how the video appears (IE using your logo as the first frame), or how the video plays (IE want it to start automatically), then you need some customization.  In this case I would expect you need a web designer’s help to do it right.  Since video editing, cross browser compatibility, and custom players are all rather time consuming, it is likely that you’ll spend several hundred dollars.

On the bright side, someday we expect that installing video on your own website will be simple. Someday will come when HTML5 is widely used, when video file formats and players are more standardized, and when browsers improve their support for the various options.   Someday could be right around the corner!

 

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Website Launch – Network of Rural Women Producers – Trinidad & Tobago

Filed Under: General News, Web Site Launches by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
July 8, 2011

 

Well, this isn’t exactly News, since the site was launched months ago.  And it isn’t exactly a new Website, since  I simply migrated a blog and re-designed the header image.

But it’s a nice website – a WordPress site, with all the functionality that implies.  It goes to show how a simple – and inexpensive – it can be to get an online presence in the form of a website that can be edited by its owners.

The Network of Rural Women Producers (NRWP) in Trinidad & Tobago seeks to provide rural women with access to credit for micro-business projects, to contribute to government policies regards the special needs of rural women producers, and to provide marketing support and training.  The NRWP is the Trinidad & Tobago chapter of CANROP - The Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers, which also includes rural women of Barbados, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica.

But my little write-up here does not do justice to the vibrance of this organization.  For that, you have to visit the website, and look at their signature event:  the upcoming MANGO FESTIVAL!

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The next Creepy – facial recognition software

Filed Under: General News by Suzi Beaumont — 1 Comment
June 11, 2011

Turns out Google has facial recognition technology, but has actually chosen not to use it.  Facebook, on the other hand, just forgot to to mention it to us…..

Is Facebook’s facial recognition tool as creepy as it seems? – Big Question – Salon.com.

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Web Design Considerations for Small Businesses and Organizations – Guest Article

Filed Under: General News, Web Sites 101 by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
May 4, 2011

The World Wide Web is the great equalizer in the marketplace. A well designed website is the public face of an organization or small business. It must be pleasing and present that organization’s or business’ persona. Web design considerations are an important factor in reaching the consumer.

There are many things to ponder as one considers the design of a website. Is the website for E-commerce, organizational, Informational, an infomercial? It can also be a combination of these things, but it must fulfill the requirements of an organization in an efficient manner. The purpose will determine the design in many ways, and a Marietta Web Designer can help meld these purposes.

E-commerce Solutions
E-commerce is one way for a small business or an organization to increase the market they can reach with a minimal investment. The electronic store front is a business model that offers low overhead, while allowing an organization to reach a much larger audience than in a traditional brick and mortar establishment; but with this form of Web presence comes a responsibility to protect the customer with a secure web server.

Most web hosting services provide some form of verification or authentication service to protect the customer and let the consumer know they can shop at the site with a minimum of concern for personal data security. A merchant account with shopping cart software and a payment gateway are also necessities. Due to the involved nature of E-commerce, professional site administration should definitely be considered to avoid pitfalls, complications, and allow for worry free productive operations.

The Infomercial
The Infomercial site, that is meant to present a single product or a palette of products in detail, is where a Marietta web designer can make the difference. Presentation to make the public aware of a product or service can make or break a product. Considering the investment to bring a product to market, an experienced professional designer is really a necessity in this media age.

The consumer expects high production value in the media world of the Web. A professional designer knows how to insure a product is presented to get the public’s attention. Part of the designer’s job is to infuse the product with the organization’s personality while presenting the product in a dramatic fashion and incorporating modern Web technologies for the most impact.

Information and Organization Oriented Websites

Information is what the Web was born to share. Properly presented, a website can help to inform the public about an organization’s goals or something they think the public should know. Maybe a news organization wants to make its presence felt on the Web. Getting one’s message out there is what the blogosphere is all about.

Information can act as a draw to a website increasing traffic, and exposure for an organization. This requires keeping content new and exciting. A website based on a Content Management System or CMS like WordPress can be the solution that allows a flexible fluid environment with the ability of the visitor to take part in the information exchange. This interactivity might be the draw that brings the visitor back.

Organizations like clubs, civic organizations, homeowner associations, and governmental entities can use their websites to provide information and services to their customers dynamically. These groups can service their customers more efficiently with a well-organized attractive website.

A Marietta web designer can provide the expertise and design ability to give your small business or organization the Web presence it needs to perform exceptionally for the customer, making your business or organization successful.

This article was written by Forrest Watkins, an expert
in the Web Design / HTML category at www.yoexpert.com

 

 

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Go Daddy? No Daddy!

Filed Under: Domain, Hosting and SEO Tools, General News by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
April 7, 2011

Photo credit: W. Warby http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/

Bob Parsons, CEO of GoDaddy, has made the news lately, by “ridding” the world of a problem elephant in Zimbabwe, then creating a promotional video portraying himself as a hero who helped feed the local community (elephant meat).  Now we are finding out that the elephant he’s pictured with is very likely a young female.  http://news.discovery.com/animals/parsons-elephant-killing-110404.html

 

This is not sustainable hunting, nor does really help the community.  Elephants remember, grieve and retaliate against losses.  This is particularly true of females, who form complex family groups.

True, Zimbabwe’s “animal management” policies may need some review, but what was Bob thinking?  How could he think this would be good PR?  And what does this have to do with websites?

Well, GoDaddy has  long been recognized for the biker chick image and the in your face website (you can’t make a simple account update without being bombarded by sales offers).   And Bob Parsons has infused the business with his own personality.   While passion and personality in business are generally rewarded, I’m thinking he’s gone over the top.  And I’m thinking I don’t like the GoDaddy personality. Or the Bob Parsons personality.  After all, if success were the only measure of likeability, we’d all be fans of Donald Trump.

What to do?  Well, the thing is, I have several domain names registered at GoDaddy, and so do most of my clients. Their customer service is second to none and, while the website is annoying, it gets the job done.  And, domain registrars have a way of making it difficult to change.  That’s why, in the past, I’ve advised clients against having their domain registered with their web host.  Because if you want to part ways with your web host, you can move your website, but it may be more difficult to change your domain name registrar.  At least, that was my thinking, and it proved true in a couple instances, when clients had fly-by-night web hosts or web hosts that help you construct (and then own) your website.

But that was then. I’m re-thinking.  Bluehost has been good to me.  As a reputable web host, I have no reason to think they’d make it difficult for me if I need to make a change in the future.  So, I plan to try moving my domain names, and see how it goes.  I’ll report back on how this is handled by both GoDaddy and Bluehost.

Oh and…  I will NOT be recommending NoDaddy to my new clients!

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Best Free Online Survey Tool

Filed Under: General News by Suzi Beaumont — 1 Comment
March 26, 2011

SurveyMonkey vs. SurveyGizmoRecently I decided to set up a survey for prospective clients – to try to find out what’s important to them in a website or web designer.  I did some homework to find the appropriate online survey tool.  I thought I’d share what I’ve learned.

 

Caution!

When looking for any free tool or service to use online, you have to be careful.  When you use the word “free” in any search, you get results that include junk, bait-and-switch, and even malicious websites.

 

The Good News

On the other hand, plenty of legitimate companies offer free services alongside their paid ones.  The free services are meant as an introductory offer for individuals or micro-businesses.  The paid services are more comprehensive and higher volume – meant for companies who use them regularly in their core business.

There are some terrific online software companies that use this business model. MailChimp (for eNewsletters) comes to mind since they are easily my favorite.  They’ve earned my loyalty by offering generous free services to the “little guys”, including fantastic customer service.  What’s in it for them?  Well, I’ll say nice things about them, make banana jokes with them, and refer my clients.  And one day – when my ship comes in – I might become a full-on paying customer.

 

Survey Software I Tested

Back to the world of online surveys.  Two of the reputable ones are SurveyMonkey (yes, monkeys are “in” right now) and SurveyGizmo. There are others, but I concentrated on these two.

 

SurveyMonkey Pro

I started by creating a free account with SurveyMonkey, because I see their surveys all over the web, and I assume they are a great deal for paid accounts.  It was very easy and quick to set up a survey.  I think anyone could do it – the user interface is simple and intuitive.

 

SurveyMonkey Con

On the other hand, when I wanted to customize my SurveyMonkey survey by adding my colors and branding, I was enticed by all of the features they promote, only to find that each feature I wanted was only available for a paid account.  Now, in all fairness, this is part of the business model – offer limited free services, then entice people to pay for an upgrade.  After all, we’re all trying to make a living here.  But SurveyMonkey seems to excel at leading you down an interesting path that ends with “Upgrade Now”.  I felt a bit like a rat in a maze.

 

SurveyGizmo Pro

So, I tried SurveyGizmo, who seems to have many, many more features with the free account. In very little time I had a professional-looking survey with my own branding ready to launch.  I’ll stay with SurveyGizmo!

 

SurveyGizmo Con

The bad news – SurveyGizmo’s interface is not as user-friendly.  In part because they offer SO many options, it can be confusing.  Some of the customization I did required a bit of knowledge of HTML and CSS, and I actually had to read some instructions.

 

The Bottom Line

SurveyGizmo offers many more services to the free account user, and is better suited to folks like myself, who have some knowledge and want some customization.  SurveyMonkey is a good choice for those who want a quick and easy set-up, and don’t need branding or customization.

 

Resources

I found a very nice comparison chart of free survey software in this blog post at freesourcing.org. It compares SurveyMonkey, SurveyGizmo and Zoomerang.

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BeauCreations Site Launch: Starter Website for Georgia Native Azaleas

Filed Under: General News, Web Site Launches by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
March 16, 2011

Go to website: Georgia Native AzaleasEarl Sommerville has been collecting, propagating and photographing Georgia’s Native Azaleas for almost 50 years.

This very simple Starter Website has only one purpose:  to show off his beautiful photo collection.

What’s unique about the website is the technology used.  Cool Iris takes your images (via an RSS feed) directly from your Picasa, Flickr, or other collection, and displays them in this stunning, lightning fast photo browser.  You have to look at Earl’s photo page to see what I mean!

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Consumer Reviews Becoming Even More Important

Filed Under: General News, SEO - Beef Up Your Web Site, Web Sites 101 by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
March 5, 2011

Have you noticed the little yellow review stars appearing in Google search results?   Google is picking up reviews from various places on the web, and inserting them into the RESULTS pages. This means that, before a user even decides to click on your website, they are seeing a rating of your service or product – assuming one exists.  I don’t know about you, but those little stars influence what I click on!

One of my author clients has only one review on one website for her new book.  But it’s a credible website, and Google has “scraped” it.  That means she’s benefiting quite a bit from just ONE review!

A recent survey conducted in the UK and US found  that 69 percent of respondents trusted online reviews as much as personal recommendations. See article for details: Local Consumers Trust Earned by Having More Reviews – Website Magazine.

As small business owners, we would do well to develop networking or service follow-up routines that include asking satisfied customers rate and review our products or services online.

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New Browser-friendly Fonts Available for the Web, Thanks to Google

Filed Under: General News, SEO - Beef Up Your Web Site, Web Sites 101 by Suzi Beaumont — Leave a comment
February 21, 2011

Did you know that there are only a handful of fonts that are considered “web safe”?
These are the fonts that can be rendered by most people’s computers without any special “work-arounds”.   Web designers just use HTML or CSS to tell the browser what font to use, and that’s that.  You can see these web safe fonts at the ampsoft website.

But wait?!  I’ve seen lots of fancy fonts online!
Yes, these are generally used in titles and logos.  For the most part, these special fonts are really not text, but IMAGES of text. Instead of typing in the text and formatting it, designers create an image of the text in Photoshop, then place it on the web page. You can tell whether a font on a web page is text or an image: Just try to highlight and copy the text (left click and drag over the text).  If  you can’t  copy the text, you’re looking at an image.  If you right-click on the image, you should see a context menu that allows you to save the image.

Text or image, it looks the same. Why is this important?
The important thing to know is that search engines can’t read an image.  So, using images as a replacement for fonts is a tricky business.  Overdo it and it will effect your search rankings.  And here are a couple more reasons to be judicious about replacing text with images.  Screen readers can’t read images;  If all the headings on your web page are done with images, your website will not be accessible to people with special needs.  Also, too many images will slow down you pages.

Web designers love fonts! It’s frustrating to sacrifice beautiful design for search engine friendly design, or vice versa. This is a problem we talk about, and there are some improvements on the way.  But often they require special skills or extra, unnecessary code.

Google Fonts

The folks at Google have offered us a partial solution. By storing some special fonts and code online, and allowing us to link to it, they’ve made some new fonts available to web designers. You can see them at Google Web Fonts:    http://www.google.com/webfonts. Your web designer should be able to implement any of these fonts byt following the instructions provided by Google.  Very most cool!

 

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