Archive for the ‘technology’ Category

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Report from SXSWi- Days 1&2

Posted by jeb on March 13th, 2010

PJ and I are down in Austin for the annual SXSW Interactive conference. I’m taking a break from the insanity to charge up my phone, post this blog and get cleaned up before heading out again.

This place is nuts. I’ve never seen some many people walking around looking at their phones. Mostly iPhones. That seems to be the overwhelming flavor of choice. Apple in general is the default for this group. I’m just as guilty as the rest. So I’ve had to run back for quick re-charges a few times in the 30 odd hours I’ve been here so far.

Only 30 hours, hard to believe, and I’ve been asleep for about 6 of those. I was warned to rest up before coming. I could have done better.

Some random highlights:

Seeing Jason Fried of 37 Signals speak and sorta read from his new book “Rework” which I read on the flight done.

Hang out with my buddy Burr Settles who is presenting here on his FAWM.org project. He is also working at Carnegie Mellon on a fascinating project involving scrapping the web for contextual/localized content. They have a Google Grant to help with funding. Smart dude.

Meeting a woman who was sent by the Chickasaw Nation to learn about how they can use Social Media to connect their people.

Going to an awesome throwdown/party at The Boiling Pot put on by our friends at Kristian Andersen Associates (thanks Kristian!)

Attending numerous panels/speakers/workshops that built/expanded/challenged/educated me in many ways I could never cover now but did via my Twitter posts.  (I was disappointed that all the CMS talk at events is around Drupal with no attention to proprietary or even Microsoft solutions.)

To follow my travels and thoughts please follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/jebbanner

more soon!

Posted in social media, technology, twitter | 1 Comment »

Easily Approachable and Quite Deep

Posted by pj on July 10th, 2009

Seth Godin writes

“There are very few products, services or organizations that are simultaneously easily approachable and quite deep. That’s an opportunity for you if you can figure out how to be both, but choosing just one is a more likely scenario. So, which are you?”

It’s a good question, here’s how I would answer:

The web seems really complicated but not to me. I just see it as a series of decisions that require particular expertise to do correctly. The best decision is the one that makes the next one seem more apparent. There is never going to be one person who is right about everything all the time. What’s important in doing a web site, or marketing strategy, or making any series of decisions is to make each one as close to right as you can so the next one is clearer.

We do that by first and foremost attracting the top talent in the region. Then we challenge them to do more, to understand the implications of these important decisions. Then we provide what we hope to be the top level of customer service for our clients.

The results are clear to me, some are big and some are small. I take a small amount of pride in knowing that we are growing while other web companies are going out of business or shrinking. But what I take the most pride above all is the relationships that I have built with those in the box with me, and the way we extend it to our clients. Of the huge number of sites we have helped produce, 99% of them are still online exactly as we launched them.

Key to our growth is the way we have extended our services beyond designing and programming websites. It is a complete array of services our clients need, and some they don’t. That’s the real Small Box difference right there, whatever people think they know about us, there is more.

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Posted in Everything Else, content management systems, culture, design, indianapolis, marketing, pay per click, search engine optimization, sem, seo, smallbox, technology, usability, web design, web development | 1 Comment »

CrossLoop: The Only Reason I Haven’t Ditched My PC

Posted by ben on March 11th, 2009

I’m just one app away from this!

CrossLoop is a little-known, free app that is pretty much the only reason I hang on to my 5 year old PC. After they release a version for the Mac it’ll only be sheer stuborness that keeps me hanging on to that antiquated, old beast of a computer.

So what is this killer app that’s keeping the PC market share from further eroding?

CrossLoop is a free, downloadable online collaboration tool that let’s you share your PC’s desktop with any other PC over the Internet. I’ve used this a lot to collaborate on SEO projects with free lancers, contractors and colleagues here at Small Box. It is simple, light, secure and does exactly what I need an online collaboration tool to do. Plus, it’s free.

This tool has proven most valuable in my role as the Small Box SEO trainer. As an SEO, my primary tool is a Firefox web browser bristling with add-ons and plugins. With CrossLoop I can immediately confirm that my fellow CrossLooper has all the right tools installed on her end because I can see her screen on my screen. I can also view anything that she pulls up on her desktop from spread sheets, to web sites to keyword tools to pages of code.

With this tool I can train people over the phone just as efficiently as I can in person. This reduces the need for people to commute into the office and helps make the planet just a little greener.

It allows me to train pretty much anyone who’s connected to the Internet on pretty much any aspect of SEO implementation from using keyword research tools, to installing Google Analytics on a site, to creating a sitemap and submitting to search engines, to link building. I just walk the person through the process over the phone and can see their progress in real time. This saves A LOT of time. Gone are the days of asking someone to describe their screen before moving on to the next step. If my fellow CrossLooper skips a step or makes a mistake, I can see that right away and correct it on the spot.

With a simple click of a button we can switch places instantly allowing me to share what’s on my desktop. I can even toggle whether or not I’ll let the person I’m CrossLooping with to take control of my mouse and keyboard remotely (and vice versa). These functionalities let me teach by demonstrating and not just describing or dictating.

CrossLoop bills this wonder app as a way to connect with IT and Windows experts when you can’t get your PC to behave the way you want it to. My PC has always been well behaved so I’ve not yet had the occasion to check out CrossLoop’s network of PC gurus. But I will be if the old beast starts acting up! However, this tool can be applied to any situation in which you need to remotely collaborate with someone on your computer (or theirs). It’s basically as powerful and useful as your imagination will let it be.

Connecting over the Internet with this app is a breeze. The CrossLoop site does a good job of describing how to connect with CrossLoop, but it’s even simpler than they make it look. I’ve used this app without a hitch with my mother in Wisconsin and she is by no means tech savvy! Connecting with CrossLoop usually takes no longer than a few seconds. Before CrossLoop I was using GotoMeeting and connecting over their interface sometimes required a good 5 to 10 minutes.

I’m no IT expert and I’ve never had the occasion to use CrossLoop to review sensitive information that had to be kept secure. However, their description of the CrossLoop Security measures is enough reassurance that someone can’t be snooping or intercepting my data while I’m collaborating.

When using CrossLoop you will experience some slight lag on the mouse and keyboard. This a product of the Internet and not CrossLoop. In fact, CrossLoop is A LOT faster than what I experienced with GotoMeeting (and since it’s free, CrossLoop doesn’t make me shell out $50 a month like GotoMeeting did).

There is one thing you should be aware that CrossLoop does not do. This tool is for 1 on 1 collaboration and that’s it. If you want to remotely collaborate with a group of people on different computers at the same time, then you’ll need to find something else. I consider this a strength rather than a weakness, though. It keeps CrossLoop simple, light and fast. When you do use something else to collaborate online, I guarantee you’ll be wishing you could be on CrossLoop instead. I know I do.

Posted in Everything Else, technology | 1 Comment »

Talking Tech with Newbies and Older Generations

Posted by jeb on March 4th, 2009
SEO, PPC, Cloud Hosting, Twitter, Blogging, Social Media…

To many people these are just letters and words with little meaning. It’s easy for those of us who live and breathe the web to forget to slow down and explain what we are talking about. I often make the comparison to a farmer. I don’t have the slightest idea how to raise and bring cattle to market. It’s like an enigma to me. I enjoy and appreciate the end product but beyond a vague understanding I really don’t know how it gets done.

The same with technology. Tech newbies, and often these are people from an older generation than us techies, are easily overwhelmed by technology. Why do we expect them to get it? It’s not their business to get it, it’s our business to get it and then translate it to them. Do we think we are impressing them with all our knowledge? Chances are we are intimidating them. We need to stop, slow down and listen, ask questions, understand where they are coming from and then meet them where they are at. It isn’t condescending or patronizing to slow things down and start with the basics.

Just remember that when we get outside our comfort zone of technology and its wondrous gadgets we often need others to “dumb it down” for us. Remembering that and staying humble will go a long ways to building meaningful relationships with clients. I’m as guilty of this tech talk as much as anyone but I try to remember this whenever I see that familiar “I have no idea what you are talking about” glaze come over a client’s face. I repeat the mantra “slow down, slow down”.

Posted in technology | No Comments »

A 7 Step Web Strategy to Save Your Business

Posted by jeb on March 1st, 2009
Is your business struggling to survive in the current economic environment? Are you seeing your cash reserves dwindle as new business drys up? Even if you are doing well I have the same advice- Use the web to save and grow your business.

Here’s a 7 step strategic plan that should fit most small businesses. Naturally a good deal of hustle will be needed to implement this kind of plan while doing everything else you need to do to keep your business afloat. There are businesses that can help you implement this plan as well- wink, wink. But if you can dedicate the time and resources I have no doubt that you will see serious ROI. I have seen it in my business and with many of our clients.

  1. An Effective Website- your website is really your front door and sales floor. If you had dozens of people coming to your door everyday, looking around and leaving then you would probably freak out! This is happening right now on your website. Your prospects are sticking their heads in, looking around, finding nothing of interest and moving on. An effective website is one that knows its audience, guides them quickly to where they want to be and removes obstacles for conversions or contact. An effective website is also an active one, updated often and doesn’t look dated. Think of a grocery. If you went every week to find the same thing wouldn’t you shop somewhere else? Don’t underestimate the importance of a fresh website. So make sure your new website is built on a Content Management System (CMS). This way you don’t have to pay a web company to make the updates you should be able to easily make with a CMS. This is really important since it plays into all your other efforts.
  2. Email Marketing- now that you have an effective website it’s time to build on your contacts. Now you have somewhere to link to without shame. Send out monthly email newsletters with specials, updates and useful information. Once you have this rolling you will want to divide your email list into interest categories in order to tailor the emails to different audiences. I also recommend doing some A/B testing with your email titles. It can really impact your open rate. There are many email list providers. I’ve been really happy with Constant Contact and have used them for the last 8 years with no major issues.
  3. Search Engine Marketing- time to step it up a notch. You are confident in your website and communication so now is a good time to increase your site’s traffic. There are many ways to do this but the most effective is using search engines. If you are a company serving a local audience then chances are people are already looking for your products or services. If you sell Widgets then people are searching for “City Name Widgets Store”. Make sure your site is optimized for this. Are you on the top of page one of Google for this and other related searches? If not then someone is eating your lunch. It doesn’t matter if you are best Widget maker in town. Google doesn’t know this unless you tell them. If you can’t get to the top organically (meaning showing up in the unpaid listings) then you can pay to be there. Regardless, you need to be there. Local search is increasingly important and there is a land grab going on around you. Start paying attention now and it will be much easier to get your spot on the first page of Google for your local search.
  4. Blogging- your website and email newsletters will get you some good results but in order to take it to the next level it’s time to establish yourself as an expert in your particular field. So if you know widgets better than anyone else around- prove it! Talk about what you know, share your knowledge. This benefits you two ways. The first is that it adds valuable content to your site. Your existing visitors will appreciate your insights and your site will become a destination for them if they need your knowledge/information or share your passion. Blogs really help create a comfort level with your prospects. Remember, these are real people so the more your site feels like a real person is behind it the more comfortable that prospect becomes. The second benefit is that your blogs will create new content that is indexed in search engines. So if you blog about “10 Tips on Installing Widgets in your House’s Thingabob” then you run a good chance of showing up for a related search. The people typing that search in are probably looking for the goods or service you offer so you are well on the way to gaining a new customer.
  5. Social Media Engagement- with an active blog you are well on the way to jumping in the Social Media waters! What is Social Media? It’s Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. It is also a Webinar or Instant Messaging. Anything that using the web to create an environment for people to gather and have a conversation. So chances are you are already using Social Media on a regular basis. But I also bet you aren’t really finding it a good lead generation environment, yet. The key to Social Media is to focus on the relationship and not the sale. Sales as we once knew it is in danger of extinction. Instead of pushing products and services on people you must now enage them in a conversation. You will need to listen as much as talk. I personally find Twitter a great environment to quickly share information with others, get their feedback, join in their conversations and build relationships. Some relationships will never result in business, some will. That’s ok, I still get value from the conversations. Focus on meaningful conversations since those are the ones most likely to bring value to your life and business.
  6. Press Releases- time to toot your horn and blow the trumpets! You have really made some exciting changes that others should know about. Maybe you’ve set up a cool microsite for a special promotion or sponsored a series of events that you promoted across all your different platforms (website, email, social media, etc). So now is a good time to go after some earned media. Put together a concise but exciting press release letting everyone know about the cool stuff your company has been up to. How you’ve shirked the industry trends to grow in a downturn, how you’ve launched a new product and used these New Media tools to get the word out. Send it out to the local/industry press and also promote it using PRWeb.com. Make sure to add links back to your website when you send out the release!
  7. Analytics or Tweak and Repeat!- by now you should really be rolling with great website traffic, lots of leads or sales coming through your site, an active and meaningful online conversation with colleagues and prospects, good buzz in your industry, an overall increase in business and new energy in your team. So what now? Make sure when you set up your website and email marketing that you have good Analytics set up as well. For the web I recommend Google Analytics and Get Clicky. They give you two different ways of looking at traffic and both are valuable. For email I recommend using Constant Contact or another email list provider. This will let you see what emails were opened, what links clicked on, etc. Valuable stuff all around. Not everything you do will get the same return. So find out what works, tweak and repeat!

Want to add anything else? Please do below using the comments feature!

Posted in internet marketing, marketing, search engine optimization, search engines, sem, seo, smo, technology | 1 Comment »

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