Video - The Flip

Last year I bought a video camcorder called The Flip and it's a really amazing device. So small it fits in your pocket, with an hour of digital memory and so easy to use a child could figure it out. What makes this device so compact is that it only shoots 'web quality' video, which means low resolution video that looks great online or in powerpoint presentations but you can't shoot a TV show or DVD movie with it. But for the purposes I'm using it for, web quality video is all i need. It's all ANYONE needs for their website, Youtube or personal home videos.

It's cheap. $130 for a digital camcorder is a great price.

Stick The Flip in your pocket and walk around your home or business, shoot video, interviews and personal messages. Video is the single most important multimedia you can have on your website, now and in the future. Nothing is more personal than a video, you'll connect with your visitors in a way that a block of text or a picture cannot. Be honest, open and yourself and watch your sales leads spike. Then distribute your video to Youtube, Veoh and many other video social networks, use thier 'embed' links on blogs and other websites... spread yourself around. Remember, it's not about having a website, it's about having a 'web presense', so get out there and let people know more about you and what you do.

Blogger vs Wordpress

There seems to be two camps, when it comes to using a blogging service online.

Blogger or Wordpress

Both are good at what they do, but some people perfer one over the other. The difference comes from 'who is using the service'. Many people hire a web professional to create and maintain their blog, but some people like to do it themselves.

This is why web professionals like Wordpress the best, because they can have complete control over every aspect of their blog. Mainly because web professional know CSS and various programing languages that allow them to take full advantage of Wordpress.

However, there are also clients who just want the initial blog set-up and then THEY will do the changes and updates from there on out. These people prefer Blogger because the interface and usability is simple and straight forward to the non-technical minded. Having setup two blogs for clients, I've found they prefer Blogger and rarely have any problems adding widgets or content to their sites.

Pros & Cons

Wordpress:
Pro -complete control
Pro -static pages
Con -Doesn't allow for the running of javascript or any scrips via templates
Con -customization requires you to completely replace CSS, so there is no fiddling with existing code.
Con -interface if more for technicaly minded people
Pro -great community to lean on for support/troubleshooting.

Blogger:
Pro -Google search engine loving (self-promotion on Google.com)
Con -No static pages (you have to setup your own navigation to articles)
Pro -easy to use n00b interface
Con -easy intigration of html/java scripts via widgets
Pro -CSS is laid out so that you can alter the original code AND recover the default settings if you mess up.
Con -terrible support/troubleshooting good luck getting anyone to answer you.

Warning: Google Website Optimizer and Google Analytics

There is trouble in paradise, for some reason, after utilizing Google Website Optimizer, all of my "Content" information stopped being recorded on my main Google Analytics Account. I'm currently working on a fix and will post my results here.

New Service - Blog Creation & Setup - Philadelphia Blogs

Following trends and the natural progression of information technology online, we are now offering Blog Creation and Setup for all major blog services.

Blogger, WordPress, LiveJournal Profiles & More.

We can:

• Helping you get started by creating an account and teaching you how to make self-updates.
• Making your blog stand out from the crowd by customizing templates for a unique look.
• Intigration of your blog into an existing website.
• Helping you make a website in Wordpress that is part blog and part static pages, that you can self-update.

Securing Your Gmail Account: New Threat - Philadelphia Web Design

If you use Google products then there is a good chance you have a Gmail account. If your not sure then use your login and password for Adwords or Analytics to try and login to Gmail.com.

Your account is going to become unsecured if you don't take immediate action, within the week.

A hacker at the annual Defcon hackers’ conference in Las Vegas, has found a way to access your Gmail account and steal your ID information. He's releasing the tool next week to the general public. Link to article on hungry-hackers.com

How to Protect Yourself:
Google has recently made SSL encryption available to all Gmail accounts, for every action you take while using your account.

• Log into your Gmail Account.
• Click the Settings Tab.
• At the bottom of the page, select "always use https'
• Save your Settings.

Google Website Optimizer - Philadelphia Web Design & Internet Marketing

Google's new tool takes the guesswork out of effective page design.
http://www.google.com/websiteoptimizer

Before this tool came along, designers like myself would look at our website's page traffic and make guesses as to why one page was delivering results and another was failing. We were not only subject to our own guesswork but clients would happily chime in that they felt the color of a button or a spinning, flashing, animated gif would make the difference between success and failure.

No more.

With Google's new, FREE, tool I can now test different pages or different content on each page and get measurable results.

How it used to work:

1. Design a page.
2. Wait for Statistical data
3. Re-design whole page, one link, one picture...etc. (whatever I felt might make the page better)
4. Wait for Statistical data
5. ...repeat forever....

How it works with Google Website Optimizer:

1. Design 5 different pages and/or 5 different pieces of content (picture, picture and text.. any kind of content from a link to a massive flash animation)
2. Google randomly serves up all 5 variations to visitors of your site
3. Get Statistical data on which pages/content was most effective
4. Use the most effective page/content on website.

It's the difference between Waiting to React & Taking a Pro-Active approach to web design. I encourage everyone to use this tool. Whether you are creating a new web page or you just need to trouble shoot existing web pages, this tool is for you.

Trouble with Bounce rates? Test new content.
Arguing about the best design for your site? Test the page.
Can't figure out whether flash animation or static pics is best? Test it!

Back to Basics - Philadelphia Web Design

After reviewing the past couple of posts I realize I've been yapping on about social media. Well no more, it's back to basics people! I was asked by a few people at the conference I sat the panel of: "Where Should I Start?" Here are the top five things I think you should concentrate on, take them in order for best results.

Step 1
The Website
Your main brochure, your online store front, your little slice of the internet.

Let's go back and review that fact that you need one.

All of you.

Pizza shops, doctors, lawyers, bloggers, convenience stores, mega-malls, everybody should have at least a one page profile. You don't need a 50 page, blow-out animated, fully interactive super-site, all you need is presence. Get it listed on Google maps with a nice shiny new domain and you'll, at the very least, start getting some local lovin' from your customers.

Step 2
Create an Email List & Mail to It
If people like your product/service, ask them for an email address so that you can inform them of future events, specials and advice.

Do it ethically, go out of your way to MAKE SURE that the people you add to this list want to receive correspondences from you. The better the list the more likely it is that people will help you grow it by referring their friends, family and associates. Remember, a referral is worth 1000 cold sales contacts.

Step 3
Search Engines
Millions of people use search engines to find information on services and business, get involved.

Google has 66% of the online search market as of July of this year, it's the gorilla of search. This is where you want to start. Submit your website so that it gets listed on Google and wait two weeks. If you had a professional design your website than ask him to optimize it and if he can't get someone who can. To be honest, optimizing is a never ending battle against the forces of evil (listing sites, spammers and black hat marketers). To circumvent this problem, do a basic optimization and then take advantage of PPC and Social Media instead. Also use the tools at Webmaster Tools.

PPC
Use the Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) program: Adwords
Hire a professional, you can teach yourself but I don't advise it. I've covered this in a former post.

Step 4
Social Media
You're internet presence needs to be more than a website, think about your business as an all encompassing online entity.

I've been going on and on about this for a while now and I don't want to get too far into it.
Take the basic step of Googling your businesses keywords and look around for blogs, social networks, and forums that talk about the sorts of things your business does. Then have a conversation with people on those websites. DON'T SELL. Just talk. Get out there and be an expert at something, help people, give your opinion, gain a reputation as a knowledgeable person and you'll get referrals. Then start a BLOG!

Step 5
Shoot Video
Get yourself a camcorder and start shooting video of your business and yourself.

Get interactive, create a Youtube profile, start with either a tour of your facility or a personal introduction. Move on to giving seminars, lectures, informative video on processes, advice on how to save money or improve a product. Above all be yourself and create a personal connection with the online communities you interact with in Social Media (above).

Those are the steps in order that I think you should work on, you can go out of order if you want as long as website is still #1 on your list. This is a very general list and I can expand on any one of them, on request.