Southpoint Media Blog

Southpoint Media Blog http://www.southpointmedia.com Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:23:10 +0000 FeedCreator 1.7.2 Finally, a new website for us! http://www.southpointmedia.com/index.php/our-new-website.html
You'll see that we've added a blog, Twitter updates, quick links for our clients and rich media content. Check back as we continue to improve the site. Our goal is to create a resource where we share tips, tricks, and best practices -- to help you improve your website and business!
]]> Southpoint Media News Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000 Really Simple, You Say? http://www.southpointmedia.com/index.php/Really-Simple-You-Say.html
But as time passed, the technology improved and I eventually began to see the advantages of having content automatically come to me. Now with one-click subscriptions and advanced Web 2.0 style readers, it's never been easier to consume large amounts of information with great efficiency. For the past couple of years, I've been using my web-based email program to receive various feeds and convert the posts to email messages. While it was convenient to have everything in one place, I grew frustrated by the lack of advanced features (tagging, sharing, grouping, etc.) and decided to make the switch to Google Reader. I tested Bloglines and took a quick look at Netvibes and FeedDemon before settling on Google Reader. It offers a user-friendly interface and has all of the advanced features I was looking for like tagging and sharing. And subscribing to feeds is a breeze since most sites offer one-click Google subscription buttons.

For publishers, there are tons of options when it comes to adding RSS functionality. Most content management systems and blog platforms like Joomla!, WordPress, and Blogger have syndication capabilities already built-in and a company like FeedBurner can be used for feed optimzation and subscriber tracking. Some content providers fear RSS feeds, thinking that users will opt to do all of their reading in an aggregator and never actually come to the website (meaning less visitors and ultimately less revenue). I encourage you to think just the opposite -- if you give readers a sample of information they find useful, you'll bring in a lot of visitors for free.

To improve your site with RSS feeds, contact us today! ]]> Website Improvement Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:31:10 +0000 A Fresh Approach to Billing http://www.southpointmedia.com/index.php/A-Fresh-Approach-to-Billing.html stated before, we'll sometimes step beyond website improvement and also share "business improvement" tips that we've discovered (sometimes the hard way).

Like most businesses, we've made a few bad decisions in our time (not backing up internal computers, ordering 1000 business cards and then moving into a new office, going through 6 different VOIP providers...yeah, you get the drift).

Well, I'm happy to report that we've made at least one good business decision over the past four years...Woohoo! Back in 2006, we were using Quickbooks to handle invoicing and spent an overwhelming 4 hours per month on bookkeeping alone. Using QB for invoicing was so cumbersome and counterintuitive; I knew there had to be a better way. Fortunately, I stumbled across a company called FreshBooks in January 2007 that was exactly what we were looking for. The FreshBooks web-based billing solution has trimmed that 4 hours down to less than 30 minutes per month.

You can get the full list of features at FreshBooks.com so I won't bore you with everything it offers, but I do want to mention a few things we love about FreshBooks:

1) It's really easy to use

2) You can send invoices in a variety of formats with the click of a button -- email, pdf, even snail mail!

3) It empowers clients: Clients can login 24/7 to see their account balance, payment history, and submit payments

4) You can run comprehensive reports very quickly (Accounts Aging, Revenue by Service/Product, Recurring Revenue, etc).

5) It's really easy to use

6) You can send estimates and then convert those to invoices with one click

7) Setting up recurring invoices is a breeze

8) You can accept payments online (Visa, MC, Discover, Amex, eCheck) -- you'll need an account with an appropriate gateway

9) You can setup automated payment reminders, track time spent on projects, manage timesheets for employees, manage support tickets, store documents securely online

10) Did we mention that it's really easy to use?

So if you're a business looking to reduce the amount of time and frustration spent on billing, please check out FreshBooks today. They offer a free trial so take it for a spin!

]]> Cool Sites Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:29:21 +0000 New Site Launched: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Coastal Empire http://www.southpointmedia.com/index.php/BBBS.html Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Coastal Empire. BBBS, which is relatively new to Savannah, is a great organization that is already making an impact in the lives of area children. Please check out their new website for volunteer opportunities.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters

For over 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has worked to improve the general health, lives and future of thousands of children. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a proven prevention program for youth, providing needed support to children in our local community through professionally supported one-to-one relationships. Our mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of children by promoting their self-esteem, expanding their awareness of life’s opportunities, and providing them with guidance and support through long-term, one-to-one mentoring with caring adults. ]]> Southpoint Media News Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:53:33 +0000 Hughes Public Affairs Website Launched! http://www.southpointmedia.com/index.php/Hughes-Public-Affairs-Website-Launched.html Hughes Public Affairs! Founded in 2005, Hughes Public Affairs is a respected and well-connected public affairs firm in Atlanta and Savannah. Their mission is “Building Bridges to Georgia Government.” The firm has significant experience and a history of success assisting clients with Georgia legislative and regulatory needs at the local, state and federal levels.

Check out the new site! ]]> Southpoint Media News Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:08:34 +0000 D.L. Moore Website Launched! http://www.southpointmedia.com/index.php/D.L.-Moore-Website-Launched.html D.L. Moore Construction website! D.L. Moore Inc. is a full service general contractor that specializes in design build projects in the Savannah and Low Country area. The new website showcases D.L. Moore's work in Commercial, Residential, Restoration, and Design Build construction projects.

Check out the redesigned site!
]]> Southpoint Media News Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:03:02 +0000