Executionists - We Get Web Done

by Diana Ratliff

Congratulations! Your new (or redesigned) Web site is done. All that time and effort you spent choosing the perfect online showcase for your product or service is finally over. Now, you can kick back, relax and wait for that flood of Web site visitors. Right?

Not so fast. I wish it were that easy, but you still have work to do!

As I mentioned in a previous column, “If you build it, they will come” is a myth when it comes to the Internet. You have to spread the word about your new site in as many ways as possible. The search engines are one method, and next time I’ll explain what they look for.

Just as important, especially for businesses that market locally, is publicizing your new Web site in offline, traditional ways.

Before you do that, however, I suggest you have a few friends or colleagues take a thorough look at your Web site. Ask them to test forms and videos and any other interactive features. Have them look for typos, misspellings, broken links and other mistakes that might have gotten past you and your Web designer.

It does happen. I just found references to a competitor in the links on a Realtor friend’s Web site. It turns out these two Realtors used the same local Web design company. Somehow, data from one site was copied to the other during the design process. Oops!

And if you’re not absolutely certain that some sort of tracking software was installed (I recommend Google Analytics), ask your Web designer to add it.

You want to know right from the start how many people visit your site, what pages they find interesting and how they find you to begin with.

Once you’ve made these checks and are certain your site is ready to go, it’s time to start telling people!

Make sure your new Web site address is on all of your promotional material, including business cards, brochures, catalogs, signs, packaging, invoices and letterhead. Add it to your e-mail signature as well. You can even mention it on your voice mail greeting, perhaps ending your message by saying “Sign up for our Preferred Customer Discount Club at our new Web site, www.MyCoolNewSite.com.”

You can create promotional items such as pens, magnets, bookmarks and other goodies to give away for the sole purpose of promoting your new site. Make these freely available at the office, or hand them out at conferences, networking events and exhibitions.

Make sure past and current clients know about your new site. Send out a special e-mail, perhaps with an offer that’s only available to people who click on your Web site’s link within that message.

If direct mail is part of your marketing strategy, send out a custom postcard, perhaps with a screenshot of your Web site’s home page and an incentive to visit the site.

Don’t forget that donors, vendors, business partners and industry associations will be interested in your new Web site, too. Update your contact information at the chamber of commerce, the Yellow Pages, alumni associations and in online directories.

If you can persuade them to do so, have owners of complementary businesses make the announcement to their clients and contacts. Ask them to link from their Web site to yours if they have not done so already.

Use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to share the news. And again, encourage your friends to tell their friends, especially if you’re offering some sort of discount or deal for a limited time.

If your new site is a redesign of an existing site, say so on the home page. Tell people right upfront what changes you’ve made, how it’s more user-friendly and what helpful new tools are available. And put your Web site address in your print ads! It amazes me how many people spend the money to advertise in Doormail, the Tribune or Inside Columbia and fail to include their Web address in the ad.

Your Web site is an extremely valuable complement to your print advertising. You can say much more on your Web site than you ever can in a print ad. Plus, you can use audio and video to make your product more enticing and capture people’s contact information so you can market to them over and over again.

A print ad that encourages people to visit a Web site for more information or a special offer maximizes the profit potential of both advertising media.

This article is republished with permission from The Columbia Daily Tribune of Columbia, Missouri, and can be found in its original form here, and is written by Diana Ratliff, who can be contacted at diana@yourfriendontheweb.com



By Jansen Granflor

A common misconception about social networks is that you have to be on them 24 hours a day to see results for your business. The truth is, all you have to do is create a basic profile on a handful of social media networks, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, that your clients or customers already log onto. It doesn’t have to tell your entire company history, just some basic information regarding what you do, links to your website, and solid contact information. Your goal is not to gain thousands of fans and followers on these sites, but to spread the word around to a more specific clientele. The average computer user now uses social networks like Yelp to find businesses and reviews on products and services from real people. By linking your website to your social media networks, you can leverage testimonials from actual customers to web surfers. One positive review from a happy customer can open the door for so many more.

Social media profiles and company blogs are often setup by small businesses, but never maintained. The truth is social media information is very simple to update and can be used for marketing, customer service, and feedback via comments. It can also make you, the small business owner, seem hip and trendy in the eyes of your customers. The fanbase you build with these tools will bring you more business, and if you run out of things to say, you can post updates by simply announcing limited-time promotions or discounts, or introducing new products or services. Remember to always improve your SEO (search engine optimization) by linking your business to as many online directories and websites as possible, as this will not only put you on the map in your neighborhood and field of specialty, but it might also get you some media coverage, further boosting you up in Google search results.

Placing social media links on your homepage will help you increase web traffic, but keep in mind you don’t want your potential customers to link to a social media profile that hasn’t been touched in months, so update early and often. You can also use social media to get to know potential customers, by listening to their comments, and responding to their inquiries. Sometimes, they will be upfront and ask for a product or service you don’t offer, or tell you your prices are too high. You can address and reward them directly, and get to know them by name, which leads to referrals, and more business. It’s a sales pitch that doesn’t feel like one. Use social networks to tell your customers who you are, what inspired you, where you started your business, and how you got it all started. Set up a blog as a way to speak to your customers indirectly, and they can read and comment if they choose to.

Socializing is only half of social networking – the other half is networking, so use your social hub not only to get more customers, but perhaps you can meet better vendors, and cheaper suppliers. Social networking sites increase competition, but you can embrace your competitors, and exchange tips and feedback since you both experience similar issues on a regular basis. If you have a problem you can’t solve, maybe a similar business has a solution, which you in turn can pass on to help another business owner. Social media creates buzz, helps networking, and, of course, increases business for everyone. It’s a genuine way of getting to know your customers, and it doesn’t take too much of your free time, and can actually be fun, and engaging.

Jansen can be reached at jansen@executionists.com

ICG Advisors is an independently owned investment management firm that acts as an outsourced chief investment officer for wealthy families, endowments, and foundations. ICG recently came to Executionists for a professional web presence so potential clients could learn about their services and current clients could log in and review their accounts. Executionists designed a site that conveys a feeling of trust, professionalism, and credibility. The integrated Client Manager feature elevates the site from an online marketing piece to an important business and communication tool between ICG and their valued clients.

At Executionists, our team works with several external developers with expertise in various programming languages. Robert Jung is a Drupal developer extraordinaire that we call on when a Drupal project comes our way. Below is an email correspondence Robert wrote at the end of a long series of client requests. It’s letters like this that break the monotony and tension that sometimes develops between client and development partner. I don’t think you need to know much about Drupal or Flash to appreciate it. (Client names have been changed).
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From: Robert Jung
Re: Urgent ImageMap Page Bug Fix Request

All,

Pull up a chair and make yourselves comfortable; it’s time to do a little magic trick with image maps, Flash animation files, and www.clientwebsite.com…

First, proving that my recollection is working correctly, I am happy to mention that image maps using Flash SWF files are working properly on www.clientwebsite.com.  An example of this can be found at http:// www.clientwebsite.com/flashimagemapdemo — the two sides of the Flash animation can be clicked to go to individual image map detail pages.  This was the feature the client originally asked for and which was delivered several months ago.

“Ah,” you ask, “but then how come the buttons at http:// www.clientwebsite.com/meet_the_team don’t work when visiting the page on a Mac?”

The reason for this is due to a little secret: according to the official W3C HTML spec, image maps only work with — surprise, surprise — images.  By decree of the keepers of the internet, you CANNOT USE FLASH WITH IMAGE MAPS.

“But wait!” you cry.  “Image maps DO work with Flash!  I can go to http:// www.clientwebsite.com/flashimagemapdemo and use the image map there!”

At the risk of getting my membership at the Magic Castle revoked, I will now reveal the secret: For www.clientwebsite.com, when we create an image map using a Flash SWF file, we superimpose a transparent .GIF on top of the Flash animation (using CSS).  When you click on the image map at http:// www.clientwebsite.com /flashimagemapdemo, you’re really clicking on a transparent .GIF, while the Flash animation plays underneath.

And that is the reason why the movie control buttons at http:// www.clientwebsite.com /meet_the_ team didn’t work — because when you click on the buttons, you’re *actually* clicking on the transparent .GIF instead — which intercepts the clicks before they can activate the movie control buttons.

(The controls work on a Windows PC because the Windows version of Flash ignores the transparent .GIF overlay and reads the clicks “through” the transparent .GIF.  The Mac version of Flash, on the other hand, doesn’t do this.)

While that’s all fine and dandy for those who enjoy stupid geek tricks, the non-geeks are starting to get bored.  “What about that control we wanted for turning off image maps with Flash SWF map files?”

Never let it be said that I leave customers unsatisfied…

*POOF!*

On the ImageMap map page controls (under the “Edit” tab), you will now find a checkbox marked — appropriately enough — “Disable link items for Flash SWF image maps.”  If that box is checked and your image map is using a Flash SWF file, the image map functionality is disabled.  You can then make links inside the SWF that link to the children imageMap pages, as requested.

And that brings us to the end of our little geek magic show; the folks at www.clientwebsite.com get their image maps working exactly as they wish for, Mr. Parr gets some happy customers, and I get to indulge myself with a punch-drunk creative writing exercise…

Have a good evening, folks.  I’ll be here all week!

–Robert Jung
rjung@mac.com

Submitted by: Richard Parr

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