Reputation management is extremely important. Take the recent American Apparel incident. If you’re not familiar with it, here’s a synopsis:
Consulting
Why do we buy services?
If you’re an American service worker in 2011, then you need not only more time, skills, knowledge, tools, manpower, and desire than your competition, but also more of all these things than your prospective customer.
Top 11 Tips for Improving Your Local Business’s Web Presence in 2011
Top 10 lists are so 2010. Here’s a Top 11 list for the first Monday of the New Year. Some of these tips are oldies but goodies. Others are just things we all need to do regularly. Please contact us if you like some of these tips and need help improving your web presence this year. We wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2011!
Great Time at UF Ad Council
No, we didn’t get a group rate on blood pressure meds. This giant pill bottle is part of UF Ad Society’s Ad Council campaign titled Just What the Doctor Ordered. Very clever.
Alumnus offers warm and fuzzy tips to University of Florida advertising students
I had a great time down in G’ville two weeks ago. I strolled onto the University of Florida campus to talk with Professor Lisa Duke Cornell‘s ADV 4101 Copywriting and Visualization class. I walked the same route from Murphree Hall to Weimer Hall that I walked 12 years ago. Very cathartic.
Video: The importance of defining your budget for design, development, and marketing projects
When you’re shopping around for web services (design, development, marketing, etc.), be sure to share your budget range with your prospective vendors. Your budget is an important part of the equation when choosing between hosted, open source, or custom software. Also, it’s imperative to share your feature requirements, target audience, goals, and schedule.
Advice for recent college grads looking for an advertising job
I’ve received many unsolicited resumes from college grads seeking employment. Most just earned a degree in advertising or graphic design and want any job in the industry. We’re not hiring, but I can offer some advice:
Website advice for small business owners: Make sure you have control
During the past few months, I’ve consulted several small companies who have left or are trying to leave their current web design company. I call them dot-refugees, and I’m always interested in finding out why they parted ways with their previous agency. They’ll talk, and I’ll listen. Sometimes it becomes apparent that the disgruntled business owner is at fault, and even the best web design company will fall short of their expectations.
Shared, VPS, or Dedicated: Which web hosting type is best for your business?
Web hosting is one of the most important aspects of any internet business. However, it’s commonly misunderstood. There are so many web hosting companies, and each one offers different types and plans. It gets confusing, and shopping for the best one can take days or even weeks. Since 1999, I’ve used over a dozen web hosts, and each one is different. However, most reputable web hosting companies now offer three types of hosting: shared, VPS (virtual private server), and dedicated. Regardless of the hosting company you choose, you should understand these three types of hosting before signing up for a plan.
The best free apps for creating website content
A website without fresh content is like a sushi bar without fresh tuna. Customers might visit once, but they probably won’t be back. Whether you operate a simple corporate site or complex eCommerce storefront, new content is a valuable asset. But professional content creation software can be expensive. I work with some small businesses who simply don’t have $650 for Adobe Photoshop, $300 for Sony Sound Forge, or $350 for Microsoft Office.