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©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

If you are a small business who has a website created exclusively in Flash, it means your site will continue to be invisible on smart phones, pads and other mobile devices. (see my 2008 post “Flash: Is It the Web’s Invisibility Cloak?”).  All the hot smartphones like the iPhone and Blackberry and all the new pads do not have a Flash player and it looks like with Adobe’s announcement they will never have one.  If a small business has a Flash site and wants to be seen on the growing number of mobile devices, they must convert their site to HTML or HTML5.

Yes, Flash will live on because it still has useful applications. It’s a good program for building games. It can handle complex web functions: Steve Shankland on the CNET.com news blog pointed out that Flash is used to upload multiple file attachments in Gmail. Games and advanced functions are seldom part of a small business website.

My advice remains the same as in the past: whether starting a new small business website or to reclaim your visibility on the web—limit the use of Flash and be seen online!

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

Web technology also dies and is replaced by newer and more innovative technology. This point had clarity recently when I got a call from a client who had left their website for about four years – four years without any review. When they finally turned their attention to their website, hoping to stimulate business, they found that technology had moved forward, leaving them and their website at the curb.

So, what are the top 3 things to ignore that can make your website look and act like a relic?

1. Failing to Act When Notified. Do you have a shopping cart or an online payment method? If you ignore emails from these companies that urge you to renew or update the underlying code, your cart and payment buttons may become non-functional, failing to act when notified can make your ability to handle online sales disappear.

2. Ignoring the Trends. Everyone talks about blogs. There’s good reason to be excited about blogging as it’s a sure-fire way to increase your online content and attract more visitors to your website. If you think blogging isn’t for you, you’re missing out on a nifty technology that can benefit your website and in turn benefit your business.

3. Forgetting Social Media. So you’ve adopted one or several forms of social media, but do your website visitors have a way to find your social media accounts? It’s important to connect your website and your social media accounts so your visitors can stay engaged with you and your products. When links to your social media profiles are missing from your website… it’s like an aerial pointing at the need of a website update!

I hope this post inspires you to review your website. I’m also happy to do a website review to make suggestion on how to freshen your website. Don’t forget to like Design to Spec on Facebook to get more posts with our web tips.

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

Last week I was at a networking group meeting. They’re a terrific bunch of people, but more on that at another time.  One person stood up to talk about their business and apologized for not having all they offer on their business card.  I looked at their card which described three diverse and clear services. I understood what they did—anything more would be overkill.

There’s an old saying, “Jack of All Trades, master of none.” I thought of that when I took this photo of a business sign in California.  I wondered “what business?” Is this a donut shop? Is it a hamburger joint? Is it an ice cream parlor? OH NO, MR. BILL! Seeing an overdone list is a great way to comprehend the need for a good edit. When you try to be too many things it dilutes what you do and confuses your customer or clients… they have no idea what you really do best.

My advice is to get a visual of your services, a written list.  When you can see it in print you’re on the road to understanding how to can see yourself the way others will see it.  Get out the red pen and don’t be afraid to edit.

Would you like to read more blog posts by Vanessa Wood from Design to Spec? “Like” the Facebook page to keep up with my blog posts.

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

I love a great recommendation (and The Estate Sisters came with one), however I always like to check out a company online to see what they do and how well they do it. They had a fabulous website but where were they on Facebook? That’s how it came about that I worked with The Estate Sisters to get them on Facebook (see their FB page). They have a perfect business for Facebook. Their business is to delve into all the unusual goodies people have stashed away in closets and cupboards. When organizing the consummate collector or prepping a giant estate sale; they work with tangible objects d’ art, fascinating collectibles, and household items that beg to be merchandized. Every day these new Facebook users run into something that begs to be photographed and shared with their fans online.

When you post a photo on your Facebook business page, everyone who likes your page will see it in their “feed”. Posting a photo is a reminder that your business is still there and it’s interesting—it’s ALIVE! Not every business has tangible products or items they can post on Facebook, so it takes some work to come up with creative photo ops. Here’s 10 ideas for creating photos for your Facebook page.

1. Group Events. Ramp up your networking by taking photos whenever you are at an even. At a BNI meeting?—grab a different member each week to have your photo taken with them. Attending a trade show?—don’t leave the booth without taking a photo.

2. What’s That? Take a photo each week of a different product and see if your “fans” can identify it. Think your products are too ho-hum and too easy to identify?—then take a photo of just a small section of a product and see just how good people are at identifying it.

3. Before and After. My clients know I’m all for showing before and after photos! A few weeks ago I got a new haircut, I’m surprised the stylist didn’t ask to do before and after photos. Nothing shows how your work transforms like capturing it in a picture.

4. Show the Everyday. It’s everyday only because you do it every day—it’s not so mundane to everyone else! Plumbers can take photos of what they pull out of the drains or their most common call outs. Insurance agents can photo handshake with new clients (and of course “friend” them on Facebook), car dealers are missing the boat if they aren’t taking a photo of every customer with every car they deliver. Sure you do it every day… but showing others keeps their interests and builds your credibility.

5. When You’re Out – Take Pictures. This strategy is one of my favorites. I take photos of conversation-worthy signs, civic events, and even new products (I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw lederhosen in a trendy women’s store!). If you find something that aligns with your business or business philosophy all the better.

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

Sales tax has been 6% for CT businesses. The increase moves CT sales tax to 6.35%. The DRS has a nifty form online if you want to calculate sales tax.  http://www.ct.gov/drs/lib/drs/forms/2011forms/salesandusetax/or-149.pdf  But if you are collecting payments online, the brilliance of your shopping cart makes this calculation for you.  

To update your shopping cart for the new tax or to set up a payment method on your website, Design to Spec can help!

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

The immidiacy of the web means things have to be current. Even if they just sound old they are old!

Do you also have content that’s well past it’s “sell by date”? My recommendation is to take a summer break– look at your web content to be sure it’s working for you. Is it fresh? Is it relevant? Or is it so “yesterday” that visitors move on to find something newer? Use 15 minutes today to identify old content on your website, LinkedIn profile, and on your Facebook Page or Profile.

Like a thorough refrigerator clean out, we can help wipe out content that’s past its prime and replace it with text that will not only fortifies your marketing efforts… but will have a longer shelf-life too!

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

Hold on, despite your best efforts, you’ve missed the basics, meaning web visitors will be sparse and sales slow.

Have you ever bought a book on Amazon.com? Perhaps you’ve listed a product for sale on eBay. One thing you’ll notice on these sites is that there is a lot of text in the product descriptions. These websites don’t simply have text because they are verbose. The text is there because the search engines love text. When a web user conducts a search, the words match up to the text on the websites found in the results.

When creating descriptions of services or products for sale on your website, text counts. The more complete the descriptions are of your products and services the more likely you are to show up in the search engines. Follow these suggestions to create a more complete sales page so your product or service can be esaily found.

Use Specifics to Name Your Link. Instead of a generic name, get specific. Call the link to your services or product what it is, for example Divorce Help Book, DIY Plumbing Supplies, Home Appraisal Training. When you get specific you get found because you are giving people what they are looking for.

Page Name. The search engines love structure, so create your page name or title as an H1 or heading. Again, be as specific with your page name as you are with the link that brings web visitors to the page.

Product Name. If you haven’t named your product already, then you’re in luck. Don’t have to settle for a non-descriptive name. Choose a name rich with the words or phrases you anticipate web users will search with. If your product is already named or the name is dictated by the manufacturer, then add a tag line that is rich in keywords. Don’t forget, if you are selling a service the same suggestions apply.

Product Description. How should you describe a product or a service? Go back to the experts at Amazon and eBay. The sites owned by the “big guys” are wonderful resources for format examples. Remember what you learned about descriptive writing in grade school – answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, how, how much, how many, etc. Don’t hold back; tell all. That’s what sells!

More Text– Reviews, Testimonials, Excerpts, Instructions. If you’re looking at the “big guys” for inspiration you’ll notice they have descriptive text and then they add even more. Amazon includes product reviews and excepts (you could consider samples). Think about your product or service and choose one of these opportunities to add additional text to your site.

Get specific and add details to improve your search engine results and ultimately to sell more products or services. When people buy on the Internet, they need to feel comfortable, so don’t hold back. Provide visitors with all the details so they get the full picture and make that all important purchase.

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

PayPal has been linked with eBay for years and many of their policies are in step with how an eBay auction occurs; there are safeguards for the seller and the buyer to prevent fraud. PayPal has experienced growth because they have worked to grow beyond their auction niche. PayPal is used as the cost effective online payment solution for non-profit donations and service providers.

Looks like PayPal has built in lots of wiggle room for inforcing the policy. The new policy is unclear who will experience the pending funds, however it explains it may be because the user hasn’t used PayPal enough to develop a history, you sell more than your normal selling pattern, or your withdrawal history changes. Also, PayPal has determined high risk categories that include tickets, gift certificates, electronics.

It’s a bit unclear what a service provider can do to keep your payments from going into a 21-day hold? Hard to say because although PayPal states the pending will apply to all, their suggestions of how to avoid the hold is directed mostly toward auction sellers. It looks like good business practices should please PayPal for both service and products sellers: communicate clearly and act promptly. PayPal’s last recommendation is perhaps their best recommendation: “Verify your account and keep your financial information (like bank account and credit card numbers and expiration) up to date.”

I checked my PayPal account to see if I am subject to the new pending funds. I’ve been a good “citizen” – following all the rules on PayPal. I don’t see anything. Like me, you’ll find out your status with your next transaction.

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.

©2012 Design to Spec. All Rights Reserved.