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 February 14th, 2007
To quote Jerry Maguire’s mentor Dicky Fox “If you don’t love everybody, you can’t sell anybody” and if you love sales … you can’t live without SalesForce.com.
The price tag can be a bit steep depending on the features needed but entry starts around $700 for 5 users per year with the next level at $600 per user per year. But forget about the price.
The real value of this online sales and marketing automation solution is what it accomplishes. It’s 100% configurable to your business logic, integrates with almost any technology out there, includes comprehensive analytics and within one day you can up and running without any software to install.
I love it, and use it daily.
www.SalesForce.com
February 12th, 2007
I played with an interesting Web 2.0 site over the weekend called Squidoo. It’s the brain child of marketing guru Seth Godin who calls himself “Original Squid” and offers a platform for thousands of people to catalog the best stuff online.
Each catalog is referred to as a “lens” which is an easy to build web page that integrates blogs, links, RSS feeds, Flickr photos, Google maps, ebay auctions, Amazon books and more. There’s also e-marketing, affiliate marketing and Google AdWord integration that allows you to make some cash on your lenses with the option to get a check or donate it all to charity.
I chose a charity and built a lens “The Business of Web Design!“ Check it out!
February 7th, 2007
The quickest way to learn about Web 2.0 is check out sites that are Web 2.0. Here’s the directory: <p><a target=”_new” href=”http://www.go2web20.net/”>Go2Web20.net</a></p>
February 6th, 2007
Google is always making things easier for web users and especially for website owners which includes their application: GOOGLE WEBMASTER TOOLS.
This free diagnostic service allows you to see how Google views your website, aids in potential problems, reviews how your site is performing and shares info with Google to help your site index better.
Two quick tips …
1. Create and use your robots.txt file
2. Make sure your website has a sitemap.
February 5th, 2007
I’m always stoked to see commercials for DotCom’s. It shows their willingness to take risks in non-internet ad avenues and assuming the Web and TV will collide someday these companies are truly pioneers. Pioneering aint cheap however, at $80,000 per second per spot these DotCom’s represented at SuperBowl XLI:
GoDaddy.com
CareerBuilder.com
ETrade
SalesGenie.com
February 1st, 2007
Frustrated with your spouse, boss, neighbor or dog? Don’t lash out at them, try arguing online. ConvinceMe is a recently launched competitive arguing site that allows you to debate online. Rules include no personal attacks, no racial slurs, no threats and no profanities “directed” towards people. This means you can say shit but not shithead!
www.ConvinceMe.net
January 29th, 2007
Trusted ID, an identity theft protection company famous for their product IDFreeze which helps protect consumers from identity theft, recently launched a new search engine called Stolen ID.
Type your social security or credit card number into the search box and Trusted ID will tell you if it is published on the web. Scary thought right? Well, no not really.
Safer than some e-commerce stores you’ve recently shopped at Trusted ID does not store any information after the search is completed. In addition, a social security or credit card number without additional information (like your name) is useless to criminals, Trusted ID never asks you for this info.
Try it here… StolenIDSearch.com
January 27th, 2007
Wanna learn about marketing, e-marketing or revolutionary concepts and the future of marketing and business online? Then follow this blog picked by several leading publications as the “Best Business Blog.” It’s written by a bald dude named Seth Godin whose great ideas and advice just so happened to invent the idea of permission marketing online.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
January 22nd, 2007
A top 10 contender for any web developers blog list, TechCrunch is a great resource for keeping in touch with the new and the now of internet products and companies. Subscribe to their RSS feed and pay attention it if you have any interest at all in Web 2.0 or web apps that are new and cool.
www.TechCrunch
January 10th, 2007
 Used almost every day in our office, online desktop sharing is a crucial aspect of our business. Our sales team uses it to demo applications to current and new clients without having to compromise a password or “talk” someone through a process. Our developers use it to collaborate with our internal team and clients who are working remotely. And then our project managers use it to coordinate meetings with both our team and our clientele for everything from demos, to training to support.
We began using one of the most popular applications called WebEx which charges per session but have since fell in love with an app from Citrix called GoToMeeting. It has virtually all of the same features as WebEx but a small business friendly, inexpensive flat fee for around $300/yr.
www.GoToMeeting.com
January 3rd, 2007
 Maybe it’s because I’m bad at math and saved by using spreadsheet formula functions or maybe it’s because I’m just an “attention to detail dude” and the thought of throwing important data into a word or plain text document scares me. Either way I’ve always been a spreadsheet fan.
Now enter Google Docs & Spreadsheets, an online spreadsheet application that has most of the functionality of Excel, sharing and editing with others in real time, editing from anywhere in the world and massive import and export features all of which elevated me into a much bigger spreadsheet supporter. Go Team! In fact, I find myself using the Google system on a weekly basis for both clients during correspondence and internally with the gang for collaboration. Word up to the online spreadsheet!
http://spreadsheets.google.com
January 2nd, 2007
Welcome to 2007 and Happy New Year! Lots of great opportunities in the web development world this year and just like each year before it some cool technologies and ideas will emerge and some will fade away. And although personally I prefer to stay on the cutting edge of technology, the reality is that my business and my business clientele is about one or two steps behind. Not a bad thing of course, in fact staying a step behind helps reduce the risk of investing into any unproven technology or concept thus wasting time and money. So, with that in mind here are some things that we predict will be a hot topic for both our fortune 500 and small entrepreneurial clients in 2007:
December 21st, 2006
When creating graphics for your website stock agencies like iStockPhoto and Corbis are usually the first place artists go before they start drawing. These agencies have a large selection and will meet all of your legal requirements but sometimes the imagery can be a bit too “conservative” or “canned.” So, when you need to get more creative try exploring image search engines like Snap or Google Image Search. Google has slightly better results but Snap has a cool flash interface. Both of them however will deliver image results that you won’t expect. In fact, the images you will find, although most likely not legally usable for your project, could spark that idea and in turn motivate you to either pick up your digital camera or get creative using Photoshop and purchased stock imagery.
www.snap.com
images.google.com
December 19th, 2006
Found a cool list from industry expert Andy Budd who published a topic in his blog regarding the “7 Habits of a Highly Successful Freelance Web Designer.” For anyone out there freelancing read it. He’s dead on starting with #1 “Love what you do” … Amen to that!
Click Here
December 12th, 2006
Both are a bit pricey being based in the UK, but well worth the subscription.
Web Designer
webdesignermag.co.uk
Practical Web Design
http://www.pwdmag.co.uk/
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