Posts Tagged ‘web 2.0’

Social Media Leverage For $50

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

If you’re going to be in Minnesota on June 11, you’ll definitely not want to miss a great event at which I’ve been invited to be a speaker.

Chocolat Celeste in St. Paul, Minnesota will host a seminar and I’ll be discussing how to leverage the power of social media. I’ll cover what Social Media is, how to use sites like LinkedIn and Facebook for business, and a whole lot more.

The seminar costs just $50 and you’ll get a ton of information that you won’t get anywhere else for that price. Over half (56%) of businesses surveyed for Forrester Research’s “Global Enterprise Web 2.0 Market Forecast: 2007 to 2013” have Web 2.0 “on the agenda” for 2008. And spending by large companies on Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, social networks, widgets and RSS will grow rapidly – 43% a year over the next 5 years, according to Forrester’s research. Yet, less than 10% of small and medium-sized businesses have yet to harness the business-building power of Social Media. According to Forrester, “The effect of Web 2.0 will be enormous in terms of success for those companies who leverage it, and a competitive disadvantage for those who don’t.”

There is so much potential in social media that has yet to be tapped and I can’t wait to share with you all the different ways you can use it to boost your business.

The event will take place on June 11 at 5:30-8:00 p.m. at

Chocolat Celeste
2506 University Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55114

To sign up, just click here. Or you may call 952-473-1007. Alternatively, you can call Barb Christensen at 651-644-3823.

Tags: , ,
Posted in SEO for Small Business | No Comments »

7 Things You MUST Know Before Hiring a Web Professional

Sunday, May 11th, 2008

Here are seven things you MUST know before hiring a web designer, developer or webmaster for your project:

When you’ve decided on the type of website you want to build and are ready to implement your Web 2.0 strategy, finding the right web professional is the next critical step. Web professionals will be responsible for setting up your server, creating login information for access to your site, and will essentially have full command and control over how your site looks and performs on the web. If you aren’t hiring the right match, your entire business could be at risk.

Here are seven things you MUST know before hiring a web designer, developer or webmaster for your project:

1. Do they have enough experience? A web professional without enough experience may slow down your business and marketing growth plans – if they’re always trying to catch up on the latest market trends and changes, you could be sabotaging your business efforts and miss out on key opportunities.

2. Can they create an SEO-friendly site? Search engine optimization is a critical factor for success in today’s competitive marketplace. Make sure the web professional can comply with SEO standards and build something that can stand strong with the constant changes presented by the search engines.

3. Do they check their work for validation? W3C validation is another critical element for all websites and blogs, and compliance means your site can be found across several search engines and networks with ease. Make sure your web professional has a system in place to check their work.

4. Can the web professional help you develop the site for the long-term? Web design and development isn’t a static process, so you’ll need to work with someone who can build, create and explore new opportunities as the site grows.

5. Are they involved with ongoing education? The world of the internet is constantly changing and shifting; if your web professional stays one step ahead of the trends and ‘buzz’ in your industry, you may have a stronger chance of succeeding with your business ideas for the long-term.

6. Can they provide product support? If your web professional is introducing new products, software and components into the website, can they offer support and guidelines for use? If your company grows and you build a team with other developers and designers, everyone needs to be able to use the system. Your web professional needs to be knowledgeable and capable of training others if needed.

7. Do they charge by hour or project? If you are hiring a web professional on-site, you may be involved with salary or hourly rate negotiations. However, many talented web professionals work on a freelance basis so you’ll need to develop a contract to determine how to coordinate payment for their work. Make an offer based on their skills, experience and potential with your company – they may be one of your most valuable assets.

Hiring a web professional who has the right skills and working knowledge of your market is ideal, but there are several other characteristics that you need to look for. From understanding SEO to staying ahead of market trends, the best web professional will help you build and develop your site with the important marketing and growth strategies in mind. Make sure you’ve considered these seven items before hiring a web designer, developer or webmaster for your next project.

If you liked this article, please give me a vote.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Small Business Internet Marketing | 2 Comments »

Top 10 Questions To Ask A Web Professional Before You Hire Her

Friday, May 9th, 2008

The most important thing to remember when you are building a site for your business is that websites are now critical marketing tools. The days of static sites that simply present products or services are giving way to the Web 2.0 boom, and these types of sites are a critical sales vehicle for any type of business.

Finding a web professional who can build these interactive sites is essential for today’s competitive marketplace and they can help you build, develop and even market your business with ease. When you’re searching for the right web professional to join your team, here are the top ten questions to ask during the interview process:

1. Do they build for the search engines? Making sure your website is compliant with today’s SEO rules and regulations is a critical step for site construction. If a web professional isn’t keeping up to date with SEO guidelines you could be left with a less-than-stellar site that doesn’t get any exposure on the major search engines.
2. Do they check their work for W3C compliance? W3C compliance is another critical area for websites, and building a site with these rules and regulations in mind can also earn you high rankings on the search engines. This will save you coding work in the future, so make sure the candidate is aware of industry rules and can apply them to all of your projects.
3. Do they have Web 2.0 development skills? The days of static websites are long gone, and it’s essential that your web professional has the skills and experience to build a web 2.0-friendly site. Avoid getting left behind as the industry grows with the latest Web 2.0 developments; select someone who knows which direction the industry is growing and can help you build your business accordingly.
4. Do they understand your marketing concept? Building and designing a website in today’s competitive marketplace involves a thorough understanding of the market and sales. Your candidate should be able to understand your marketing goals and build something that attracts your target market appropriately. Remember, you need to build a site that sells to get the traffic and advertisers you need to build your business; can the web professional create a site with this goal in mind?
5. Do they have verifiable references? Checking work history is an important part of your interview process, and can help you learn more about the candidate’s work style, commitment to projects and deadlines, and the types of projects they’ve worked on.
6. Are they committed to ongoing education? Ongoing education is necessary for all professionals in your organization, especially with the rapidly changing world of the internet.
7. Will they provide you with the code of their projects? Even when you’re hiring a web professional permanently, you need to have access to their code and work at all times. If they end up leaving or are dismissed for any reason, you don’t want to have to start from scratch – make sure you back up all copies of their work and have access to their projects.
8. Can they sign a non-compete agreement? Making sure you don’t lose out on business opportunities is an important part of running a successful business; make sure they are willing to make a commitment to your company and sign a nondisclosure and non-compete agreement. It’s a simple step that can protect your business for the long-run.
9. Are they willing to train and lead a team? If you are planning on growing your business or outsource various projects, the web professional may be in charge of developing a system to allocate work. Are they willing to train and build a team, or will they only be working independently? Find out what type of commitment the candidate is willing to offer.
10. What type of programming experience do they have? While some web professionals do not need extensive programming experience, most will have basic programming knowledge that they can use to build and create a quality system, or even work with programmers and other designers. Check their qualifications for any certificates or other credentials to learn more about their educational experience.

Choosing the right web professional for your site can be challenging, but defining your goals and development plans can help you make a better decision. While every business needs a website, few business owners take the time to map out exactly how the site can help them build their business. Take the time to prioritize your goals, then set out to find the right web professional with these top ten questions.

If you liked this article, be a sweetheart and Digg it for me, will ya?

Tags: , ,
Posted in Small Business Finance | 1 Comment »