Keep your URL registration up-to-date

I had a frantic call last week from a client whose website was offline. Huge chunks of sky were falling all around her and the demise of their business was near. And it was all my fault.

Of course the problem was simple. They had let their domain name expire.

As a web solution provider, I encourage my clients to buy their website for at least 5 years per renewal. This is helpful in both lowering the total cost and rumor has it will give them better search results ranking. (All other things being equal).

The negative is that they are likely to:
1) Forget who they registered the domain with.
2) Change e-mail addresses, rendering them unspammable by the registrar.
3) Change home addresses.
4) Change credit card companies.
5) Change computers.
6) Change web developers. (If considering this, please contact me.)

This means no way to get a reminder and no way to get an "auto-renewal". My suggestion is to create a document called "Important Web Info" and enter all of the pertinent data. Domain Register, Hosting company, Expiration, UserID and Password. Save a copy on your PC, print a copy and put it in your file cabinet. Give a copy to your attorney or accountant to file away.

The filtering of spam and the persistence of "offers" from hosting companies can leave you ignoring the truly important reminders. When the worst case scenario happens, make sure you have all your data in a convenient stash.

Crowded House!

Is it just me, or have search result accuracy started to go backward? The more that SEO companies drive their clients up in the search results, the harder it is to find that web gem with the information I am looking for.

There are are also a ton of aggregation sites popping up that are attempting to deal with local search. Among them are your local yellow pages directory and start-ups with unlikely names such as local.com and neighborhood.com

The bottom line it this: If you want to get found on the web, you need something more than a build it and they will come approach. Develop your web strategy and stick to it!

Do something nice

The economy is getting worse. Your home is worth less. There is a lot of uncertainty. So what do you do? Be thankful.

I have a quote on my wall:
"It is not our condition, but the caliber of our soul, that makes us happy." - Voltaire

When I lose a sale, see a competitor get a project with inferior work, our think of a great idea the day after my proposal was submitted I like to gaze up at that quote on the wall. It is my reminder that I need to stay grounded in what is important. With mistakes come wisdom, and with time comes new opportunities.

If you've had a bad day, try posting something you're thankful for to www.thanks-o-meter.com and if you are at a loss for what to say, then just read a few entries. There are plenty of things to be thankful for. Focus on them for a few minutes and see if it doesn't do your soul some good.

Web Conferencing Solutions

Gas is above $4 a gallon and jet fuel is up 75% from a year ago. It is getting more expensive to travel and that means you need to find an alternative. Everyone has done a conference call. But only about half of my clients have ever been on a web conference. Of those, only a few have lead a web conference. By this I mean sharing their computer screen and giving the presentation. In many ways this is a much better method of communication. It keeps users on the same page as you (literally) and it offers both audio and visual stimulus. If you are looking for a way to cut down on trips across the country or just across town, then you need to have a web conferencing solution.

I recommend Adobe Connect.

Why? Cost for the most part. They offer the least expensive offering with the most flexibility I’ve found. WebEx, GoToMeeting and others have more features, but 99% of the people who I’ve done a web conference with are just sharing their screen. The only time the bells and whistles really got used were in the sales demo to buy the conferencing solution. I mean who has an assistant available to moderate Q&A chat during a sales call? Not me. For a web conferencing solution that has a big name behind it but a small entry price tag, you can't go wring with Adobe Connect.

Be aware that the "Pro" version starts at $375 per month and gets top billing on their website. I had to look pretty hard to find the link to the basic version. Again, a free trial and then $39/mo. for this entry level solution will give you everything you need to initiate web conferencing. Leave the car in the garage and your gas savings will probably cover the monthly cost.

Search in decline?

I remember the first time I used Google. It was 1999. I had already grown accustomed to having to scroll through page after page of irrelevant search results on the other search engine sites. When I heard about Google, I gave it a try and literally did about a dozen searches in a row, all the while asking myself - "How did they do that?"

It was my first revelation about the difference between science and technology. Science defines how and why something happens. Technology seeks to apply that science in a useful way. (Beneficial to whom is an area for much discussion.)

Google had created a completely new science for how search works. A uniquely powerful search engine that combined low-cost infrastructure and data-mining based on an algorithm that weighted many more factors than a simple keyword match. For ten years the other search engines have either joined forces with Google or suffered a futile game of catch-up. Today Google is to search what Xerox was to photocopying 30 years ago.

Today the magnificence of the Google search algorithm has lost much of its luster for me. I see a steady drop in the quality of search results. There are 2 primary reasons:

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
2. SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

The pristine quality of search results is being eroded by the manipulation of page rankings and the introduction of "relevant" ads. There are millions if not billions of dollars being spent on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - and that figure is growing exponentially. The purpose of these dollars is to elevate the ranking of a website in the major search engines. Basically to move a website from page 6 of the search results to page 1.

But if Google was so good at finding the best match of information for my query, then why do we need SEO? When my website moves from page 6 to page 1 in the search results, then somebody was displaced from the first page. Was that other website less significant to my query? Or did I simply cut in front of him in line because I knew the rules better than he? Left to the the free market, those who invest the most in SEO will become those who dominate the search results. This was not the premise that gave rise to Google. I fear that the future of search will be that of a marketing tool and less a research tool. Which takes me to my next topic - Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

In the early days of Google, there were no sponsored ads, only search results. But a company needs to make money. So ads were inserted into the right margin and labeled as such. Then, sensing the reluctance of some (like me) to click on an ad rather than a true search result, the sponsored ads made their way into the left side at the top of the list - only with less signage. The goal for an advertiser is clear, if you cannot show-up in the search results using SEO, then buy your way in with SEM. The number of true search results is now fewer because of the display of contextual search ads.

Let me take a moment to clarify that I see nothing wrong with how Google, ASK, MSN Live, or any of the other search engine firms are doing business. I understand the need to be profitable and for a public company to increase revenues. My point is to call attention to how these revenues are being garnered and my opinion that they will ultimately decrease the utilization and reliance on search. I state this simply because the results today are less credible. When you read a newspaper or magazine do you place more credence in the editorial content or the advertising content? The more that marketers are able to influence the display of search results, the less credible the search results will be.

For the firms who cannot afford to be in the top 12 search results, their future success must be tied to something other than search. Which firms can afford to be in the top 12? I'd say these would be the large, dominant businesses. In a market where 50 firms flourish, can they all be on page 1? No. Then where should firms 13-50 spend their money? In an effort to leap-frog into the first page of search results? Or will an alternative method appear on the e-landscape?

In my opinion, the evolution of web marketing will tack away from search engines. The waters are too crowded and the costs are growing too high. Just having a website is not enough to gain site traffic - but, moving into the first page of search results is unachievable for most. How will you position yourself to succeed in the rough waters ahead?

Recommended Killer App

The absolute BEST system I have found for tracking time, invoicing customers, and managing expenses is called "FreshBooks". The entry level version is free. If you have used Quickbooks or NetSuite and found it to be a constant reminder that you are not in fact an accountant, then try FreshBooks. I love applications that are simple, yet powerful. And I love FreshBooks.

Sign-up for a free trial

Avoid re-inventing the wheel

I love finding solutions to problems. I earn a living by gathering requirements and converting them into web-based applications to meet a clients needs. If a client has a really specific way of doing things and there isn't an application available to meet their needs, then I am happy to build them a perfect solution. But many times, there IS a solution out there. It's just hard to find in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

When I find a great web-based application, one that impresses me by its simplicity of use and richness of features, I post it on this blog as a recommended application.

As much as I enjoy creating solutions, I never want to be accused of profiting from a clients naivety. If a good solution is available "off-the-shelf", it makes sense to share it with the client. As a customer, you will always find that an "off-the-shelf" solution will be cheaper than a custom-built application.

I encourage some clients to use a YAHOO! e-commerce solution. Sure, I could offer to build them a custom solution for $5000. But if the $39/month solution will get them started - why spend the money on the application? Put it to use in search marketing and e-mail campaigns. What I hope to achieve is a level of trust with my clients. IF they know that I will treat them fairly, help them find the best solution for their needs & budget, then I can rely on them doing 2 things:
1) Recommend me to others
2) Come back to me when they are ready for that customized solution.

If a better mouse-trap is what you need, I can build if for you. If you need to be directed to the best solution available, then I can do that too.