It's a Royalty Pain

The bottom line… using graphics on your website that don’t actually belong to you is a big “No, no.” But a website without pictures is worse than boring... it’s a terrible way to communicate. The old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” absolutely applies. So what’s the solution? Simply said, it is two fold.

1. You take the photo.
2. You buy the photo.

Let’s be frank, digital cameras are cheap and no small business should be without one. If you don’t have one yet - get one. Get as many megapixels as you can afford. (If you don’t know what a megapixel is don’t worry. The bigger the number the higher the quality of your photo. I would recommend between 5 and 10. ) Digital cameras are great for documenting all sorts of things: people, products, store fronts, and so on. If you take the photo… it belongs to you! And generally speaking you are free to do with it what you will. As long as you are not photographing something with the intention to copy it (such as taking a picture of a poster) you should be fine.

Artistically challenged? These four words are for you – Royalty Free Stock Photography. Stock photography is simply people willing to sell you their photos, illustrations, audio, video, etc. Royalty Free means that once you buy it you can use it as however you want without paying anyone ongoing royalties - one and done. Is there a catch? Yes. You can’t sell it. You can’t put it on anything you are going to sell (like a tee-shirt). You can’t tell someone you created it. But these are small sacrifices to make for otherwise pretty cheap and really great digital art. Personally, I like to use http://www.istockphoto.com/. It’s free to set up an account and you “pay-as-you-go” rather than large monthly subscriptions where you may not get your money out of the commitment.

Go forth with confidence, take those pictures, and show us what you’re talking about!

Custom Design vs. Templates

Once you decide that a website is the right tool for your communication needs there is a big question to ask. “Do I hire a custom designer or buy one of those handy (and cheap!) templates?”

Friends of mine will ask this question a lot and my answer (believe it or not) varies. Today, I came by an article that addresses this very issue. The author makes clear and straight forward points about the pros and cons of each situation so rather than reinventing them I will link you directly to the article.

Custom Web Design vs. Website Templates by www.webpagemistakes.ca

Remember that the things you read here don’t need to be a one way conversation. Feel free to post your questions and perspective by clicking the “comments” link.  Have fun!

Electronic Marketing is More Than Your Website

Okay, so you've spent months tweaking your website and now that the honeymoon is over you are wondering how to really drive the traffic. Or maybe you have had one for years and now you are wondering how to launch into the deep water of online marketing. Good news, there are endless ways to do it. Because this blog is devoted to small businesses and individuals I'm going to assume that we're working with a very limited budget and we want to focus our time and energy on things that pack a big punch (meaningful communication to a specific audience, not mass branding). Here are some outlets to consider:

1. Build an email list – Ask your clients if they would like to receive periodic emails regarding tips or special offers. This is an easy way to keep your base consumer “in-the-know” while not spending a lot of time and money at the post office. You can do this yourself or subscribe to a service such as Constant Contact to help. These services are very affordable and offer you many tools that provide feedback so you can hone your email marketing skills. Be polite and informative. No one wants to give their information to a questionable source so be sure your clients know you will not abuse the privilege of their participation.
2. Start a blog – Short for Web-Log, this is a great way to establish credibility. Less intrusive than an email list, consumers can visit on their own time to read and review your thoughts and project status. Good postings over time will help build trust and confidence. There are many free or low cost services such as Google Blogger (used here) that will help you stay organized and even host reader comments.
3. Facebook & Twitter – I mention these by name because they are the two big players in social networking and can be used several ways. First, you can build communities around these networks and send information out to them (much like your blog and email). Second, you can provide a way to let your clients do this for you such as the “Share it” links I provide for you just to the right of this post. Facebook also allows you to take out a paid advertisement that targets your audience. This leads me to my last point…
4. Google, Yahoo, and more – Sometimes you just need to put your money where your mouth is. It is very easy to establish accounts with your chosen search engines for paid placement. Most will let you set a monthly budget that starts at $1.00 a day and go as high as you like. These can be tweaked over time and there are no contracts so you can pause your accounts anytime. Although, like stocks, a long term plan is best. Set it, learn from it, and stay the course.

Remember that getting people to visit your website or business is not really the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is to develop an ongoing relationship with your clients and continue to be their first choice for the services you offer.

What your "About Us" page says "About You"

When it comes to writing web content some categories are easier than others. For instance, "Contact Us" is pretty self explanatory. You include phone and fax numbers, email addresses, maps and directions, and if you're really fancy a form for your customers to fill out that helps them organize their comments and questions while sending the information to just the right person. But what "About Us?"

Writing effective "About Us" content should accomplish one thing - showing visitors that you have a solid track record as a reputable, experienced, and customer focused organization. So how do you do it? Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Include a brief overview of what you do. How and why did you get started? What makes you different from your competition?
2. Include profiles of key managers with pictures and contact information. Put faces on services you offer.
3. Let your customers and critics do the writing. Try including positive customer comments and list any awards you've won.

Need more inspriation? Checkout these "About Us" pages:

• Fishing Catus - http://www.fishingcactus.com/en/about.htm
• Dave & Busters - http://www.daveandbusters.com/About/?f=0
• Nike - http://www.nikebiz.com/company_overview/

Who writes your web content?

You do! It's not rocket science but you would be surprised how often a designer is expected to also develop copy.

The truth is that you know your product and services best. You have a style that is all your own and your consumer will know when you are being authentic. Unless you have someone on staff that is familiar with the business and you trust to represent your ideals publicly... prepare yourself!

1. Think before you write - Remember that outline you had to turn in before the big paper in English class? That's what you need now. Be able to explain and describe your service or product beyond over simplified statements. "OUR PRODUCT IS THE BEST! ORDER YOURS TODAY!" although easy... is not very informative.
2. Bigger isn't better - Now that you have that outline you can forget the rest of the "boring term paper" methods. A lot of very good writers get bogged down in their own genius. Keep things friendly, informal, and jargon free. Remember... you're trying to communicate, not hypnotize.
3. Proof read, proof read, proof read - Never submit your first draft! You, your team members, and your mother will be able to catch errors and organize ideas better with a fresh set of eyes. Your website may be far from #1 on your "To Do" list (that's why your thinking of hiring someone, right?) but you'll be happy you took the time when the phone starts ringing.

Things you CAN expect your designer to help with are:

1. Optimizing the content for search engines
2. Adding "tags" that help identify photos, important text, and more
3. Condensing ideas for online advertising

You and your future developer are a team. You are the expert of your business and they are the expert of theirs. Everyone needs to bring their own knowledge to the table for success!

Welcome!

Hello again and welcome to Simons Says... a blog dedicated to all of the goofy, trendy, classic, and just plain good-to-know things about your website.

In my own development as a web designer I often come by bits of quality information found in articles, blogs, and other resources that I think would be great to pass along to my clients. Hopefully, you'll find some of the resources to come useful and engaging on your own journey in developing web content and other best practices.

I look forward to hearing your comments and questions.
Thanks again,
AS