Wikipedia is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project. It is written collaboratively by volunteers from all around the world. Since its creation in 2001, Wikipedia has grown rapidly into one of the largest reference Web sites.
If you haven’t checked it out yet, you should!
A source for market research and trend analysis on Internet, e-business, online marketing, media and emerging technologies.
http://www.emarketer.com
If you haven’t discovered del.icio.us before, it is a can’t miss for business and personal alike! After having had my computer crash and losing all of my bookmarks more than once over the years, keeping my bookmarks online just makes good sense. Not to mention the fact that I can access my bookmarks from any computer at any time. On del.icio.us you can use tags to organize and remember your bookmarks. And, share them with others!
So you’ve gone through the steps of setting up a website for your business and you think “Great, my work here is done!”, but the truth is, the work has only begun. Perhaps you were excited about the prospect of sharing events with your customers, but you now need to keep those events updated. Or, you have a page dedicated to your staff and you now have to update the page because you have added new employees. Now what?
Now it’s time to update your website. Oh, but wait! First I have to email this customer back, and then I’ve got a meeting at noon, and then I really need to get this filing done because I need to find that invoice to pay one of my vendors, after that I’ve got to… and on it goes. Websites tend to take a backseat to other projects for a variety of reasons, but it is important to remember that more and more people are relying on websites to get their information. It is critical that the information available on your website be accurate and updated regularly, preferably with new content. Visitors will continue to return if they find interesting, useful and timely information.
Now the questions are 1) Do you have or want to learn the skills necessary to update the website yourself? 2) Do you have time to keep your website content fresh?
If you are interested in learning some website skills, check out your local community colleges as they may have both in-house as well as online classes that you can take. But remember, as with any skill, you will need to work with those newly developed skills regularly to keep them fresh in your mind!
If you answered “no” to either of the questions above, or if you are like me and prefer to hire experts for specialized skills (lawyers, CPAs, etc), check out my outsource resources on the right
URL (Universal Resource Locator): The address of your web page (i.e. http:// www. awebjourney.com).
Domain Name: The portion of the URL address that comes after www and before any backslashes. (i.e. awebjourney.com)
Web Hosting or Hosting: Computer service used to store and deliver website content (i.e. the text and photos used for a web page)
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language): One of the primary languages in which a website is written. At its core, it is the ability to create informative text and links.
Links: A highlighted, and “active”, section of text used to navigate around a website.
Navigation: The process of using links to move from page to page within or across websites. Oftentimes this can be the most difficult element of a website to determine as it is the most important aspect - ease of navigation will keep customers coming back again and again!
Search engine: A website that assists you in finding sites with the information you desire (i.e. google.com, msn.com, yahoo.com)
For the workplace, the following supplies are recommended by the Red Cross. To learn more, visit their website.
Each kit should be customized based on your own personal needs.
First of all, what is a website? Though there are more technical ways of explaining it, think of it as an electronic brochure or pamphlet that provides information and resources to current and potential customers 24 hours a day. Specific reasons to have a web presence:
#1: Improve Communication - keep your customer base informed by providing a central location for your hours of operation, policies and procedures, contact information, events and activities, new services available and much more.
#2: Generate Awareness - communicate why your services and products are important and should be considered by your customers. Let people know what sets you apart from the competition!
#3: Give or Sell Information - sell your products online! This is not only a convenience for your customers, but can also reduce the amount of time staff are on the phone and storefront overhead.
#4: Provide Customer Service and Support - give you customers what they really want - excellent customer service! Post frequently asked questions, who to call or email for certain types of questions or problems, and answer support questions via email.
However, it is better NOT to have a website than to have one that lacks updated information or does not portray a professional appearance! With that in mind, be sure to set a reminder to yourself or your staff to review the website on a monthly basis.
One of the most important tasks for a business owner, or even just in our day to day lives, is keeping organized. It seems every year we all know of someone at the first of the year, even ourselves, that announces “This year, I’m going to be organized!”. Unfortunately, because of our busy schedules, organization oftentimes takes a backseat to other more fun projects.
Like most people, I struggle with organization, but usually consider myself an ‘organized person’. There are some aspects of my life that are very organized (like my office and scrapbook supplies) and others that could desperately use some help (like my pictures!). With that in mind, I would like to share with you some of the tips and tricks that I have learned over the years that help me get organized.
Tip #1: Keep a paper recycle bin, paper shredder and garbage pail within easy reach of your desk so that you can eliminate unnecessary items right away. One of the traps that is easily fallen into is creating ‘piles’ to deal with later. Don’t do this! Later is usually not just 5 minutes later, it is usually days later!
Tip #2: Instead of the typical ‘inbox’ which is the catch-all for everything including several days worth of mail, magazines, bills as well as current projects, try adding additional sorters with the labels “Bills to be Paid”, “To Read/Review” and “To do”.
Tip #3: Sort your mail the moment it comes in! Most of us have a mailbox full of credit card offers, magazines, offers from other businesses, bills, etc. When the mail arrives, take 5 minutes and sort it - toss away the credit card offers that you do not want (be sure to shred them!), put the magazines in your “To Read/Review” sorter, put the bills in the “Bills to be Paid” sorter (or if you are REALLY organized - pay them right then and there), etc. By doing this you will save time in the long run!
Tip #4: Keep a record of the tasks you have completed. An important aspect of organization is making sure that you do not allow yourself to feel overwhelmed or as if you are not getting ‘enough’ done. Keep a notebook nearby on your desk to keep an ongoing list of the tasks that you have completed or are in the process of working on so that you can look back at your accomplishments at the end of the day.
Tip #5: Start the next day off right! Instead of spending time each morning determining what your day will look like, develop your task list the evening before. At the end of your day, develop a priority list of what needs to get done the next day. Also, it is important to understand that the likelihood is great that not everything will get done - this is why we prioritize! Congratulate yourself for what you DID get done at the end of each day.
Remember, no one is perfectly organized. It takes time, patience and determination to maintain organization, but it can be done! And don’t forget, it takes around 30 days to make something new into a consistent habit.