Good news! Your new website project…

…doesn’t have to be confusing.
…doesn’t have to stress you out.
…doesn’t have to be expensive.

Creating great websites is only half of what I do here at Web Logic Now. The most important half involves crafting a smooth and pleasant process for you.

I understand that not everyone is a big nerd like me, so I avoid using overly-technical terms. I’ll walk you through each step with simple, clear language – making it a breeze for us to create a plan for your website.

You may not need a complete website redesign – maybe you just need us to breathe life into a site that is outdated. Whatever your situation, it’s worth your time to let us do a free consultation, don’t you think? You’ll be surprised how easy we make it.

Drew

Drew Skwarcan
President, Web Logic Now 
Tel: 317.340.9715 
Email: drew@weblogicnow.com

As you probably already know, the two most basic questions you might ask are “How much will it cost?” and  ”How long will it take?” Our answers will blow you away… but not because we’re the cheapest or the fastest.

Let me tell you a secret. Our goal is not to make cheap websites as fast as possible.  That would be silly.

Instead, our goal is to price our work fairly while clearly communicating the “why”. What do I mean by “communicate the why?”

We communicate the ‘why’ by clearly explaining what our price includes and what timeline the project will follow. It’s really an amazingly easy process. It goes like this:

1. You email us and explain the basics of your website needs.
2. We put together a one-page document that provides a project outline, estimated fee, and estimated timeline.
3. If needed, we revise the document together — then get started!

It feels nice knowing exactly what to expect, doesn’t it?  You might even have fun following along with project timeline.

Below is the timeline we’re following for a recent project.

Let’s see… today is February 22nd so according to this chart I should be working on the database build.  Better get back to work!

Questions of comments? Leave it below or email me, Drew Skwarcan, at drew@weblogicnow.com.

We are changing as a company – growing up. We’ve moved from a scrappy team of Purdue students to a robust web media company. But growth is not our main goal. In fact, we’re refocusing on two main goals.

Two tickets to Happyland please

When we get the chance to provide web services for a company, we don’t like to think of them as “clients” or even as “customers” — we prefer to think of ourselves as partners. That is – your goals become our goals, and our skills come together as we co-create something amazing on the web.

One

Which leads me to the first (and main) focus: making you, our partner, happy. We do this by being available, exceeding your expectations, and having fun while we do it! Making you happy is our core goal. All projects and tasks originate from this core goal.

We strive to provide excellent service but not take ourselves too seriously that we can’t have fun with it!

Two

The other way that we are refocusing is by encouraging a team mentality with our partners. We want to help you achieve your goals on the web, and you want to enable us to help more people.

Many people are interested in getting more from the web but aren’t sure where to turn. Chances are you will cross paths with these people during the month of November.

We’re on the same team, and we’re growing together.

- Drew

Drew Skwarcan
President, Web Logic Now
317-340-9715

Some say social media connections are just too easy these days – and have lost meaning.

Are digital connections, such as being “friends” on Facebook, actually real friendships?   Or, as some argue, are digital connections actually taking away from time spent interacting with good, old-fashion, face-to-face friends?

A new study by email marketing firm ExactTarget suggests that while a few people miss out on real-world interactions because of excessive Facebooking and Twittering, most are actually meeting more face-to-face thanks to these social tools.

ExactTarget says that 27% of Facebook users meet friends in person more, while only 13% meet them less. And looking at Twitter, the results are even more pronounced – 46% meet friends in person more and 7% meet them less. Hence, social recommendations can quickly turn into real world ones too.

What do you think?

Do you use social platforms to create face-to-face interactions?  Or do you find yourself easily getting lost in the digital world?

If you are curious about how social media platforms might help you create more real connections, email (drew@weblogicnow.com) or call (317-340-9715) me anytime.

This is the simplest, most effective, absolute best rule for turning your website visitors into customers.

The single most powerful rule for turning website visitors into customers sounds absurd at first.  It goes like this:

Are you trying to sell to first time visitors? Don’t. Instead, capture their interest.

Asking first-time visitors to buy makes them feel flustered. It forces them to make a hard decision (whether or not to part with their hard-earned money!). It makes them feel uneasy and rushed – and they’ll look straight for the back button.

Instead ask them to make a soft decision. Say, “This is the value of what I offer. Are you interested?”  Then ask for their name and email address. Do not ask for their postal address, cell phone, and favorite color. Keep it simple, easy, and nonthreatening.

If you are selling a product or service, the basic function of your website should accomplish the following two steps:

1. Demonstrate the value of your product or service.
2. Capture interest.

Capturing interest can be simple. Ask them directly, and make it effortless for them to tell you (a web form, like you see in the right sidebar on this site, works well).

As website owners, we like to fantasize that all visitors are focused and attentive. But recognize the truth – your site visitors are distracted, short on time, and thinking about dinner plans.

Give them a break from difficult, on-the-spot decisions to buy. Instead, be gentle and ask them to make a soft decision – “Are you interested?” If they are, you can contact them later when they might have more time to focus on you.

The Takeaway

Ask a user to buy right away and you’ll send them running.

Ask them if they’re interested and they’ll tell you – allowing you to reach out to them later, when they have time to give you a second look (and “second looks” have a way of turning into happy customers).

However: It doesn’t have to be time consuming and you don’t need to write every day (or even every week).

Blogging is essential for 3 main reasons. The first is that it keeps your website fresh – search engines like fresh.

The second is that it lets your website visitors know you are alive. There are millions of out dated websites – having signs of life on your site lets people know you are available. It encourages visitors to engage.

The third is that it focuses you. By taking a few minutes to write a short note to your website users, it makes you stop and consider what they care about. It also helps you to focus on the website in general – is it helpful and relevant or does it need a bit of attention?

Blogging on your organization’s site is a spark – for search engines, visitors, and also internally.

Also, blog posts can open doors for people to find you through search engines. Write about things your customers care about, and they might just find you and ask for your help.

When in doubt – start small

I encourage newbies to start with a goal of one 5-7 sentence update per month. Something as simple as “The golf outing event was a wonderful success last week. Donors raised over $2000 for charity. Be sure to sign up for our next event in October!”

But Drew, can three measly sentences pass as a blog post? Yes. Don’t be intimidated.

There are no rules for what a blog has to look like. A consistently updated blog, regardless of content, is 1000 times better than no blog. Remember, it’s a spark first. (I’m not saying content is irrelevant, but any post is better than no post).

Blogs can grow in depth, value, and complexity without limit – but don’t be afraid of starting basic and exploring from there.

The takeaway: A small, basic, blog requires little effort but pays off big by providing a spark. Start small if you prefer, but do start.