onlineiq blog

Social media links on your website - Don't Do It !

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 07:42:00 GMT

A regular request from people who I have been building websites for is to 'put a Twitter and a Facebook' link on their website.

[photo credit - webtreats on Flickr]

When I ask these clients for their Twitter and Facebook profiles, I find out that they either don't exist, or I get the request: 'please set one up for me'. Some clients do have a Facebook page or Twitter profile, but there is pretty much nothing going on there.

So what's my advice? Don't do it. Just. Yet.

It is like inviting people to a party, but when they arrive there is no one there - just you - putting up a few balloons. Its a premature invitation.

Just having links which take your guests and prospects to no activity in another space, not only draws their attention away from your website, but it does not give a good impression (you only get one chance to make a good first impression).

So if this is your first website, get that finished properly first before you start thinking about other spaces. It is not difficult or expensive to add those social buttons later.

If you have an existing brand and website, by all means start to create and use your social profiles. THEN place the links on your website - once there is something to invite people to.

You also need to decide which social media presence you should devote time to. Go to where your prospects hang out.

There is no point devoting time to a Facebook page if your prospects interact on LinkedIn.

If you don't intend to devote time to social media at this time, its fine - you can't do everything at once. Resist the pressure to put those icons up. Be honest with yourself and put it into your marketing plan for when you are realistically able to devote time to it.

Put your energy into other things which don't require constant effort and interaction that social media does, such as ensuring you have your business listing up in directories and in particular your Google Places listing. This one action will make a huge difference in you being found by others who are searching for you. But more about that another time.

So 'fess up. Have you been seduced by the need to have those cute little icons? Tell us your story ...

3 ways of engaging your clients and leveraging your time

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:23:00 GMT

If you have been thinking about connecting genuinely with your customer base, writing a blog, or making better use of your "social media" profiles but have no idea how, consider these three steps which integrate all three.

In A Nutshell....Create content once.

Re-use it many times. (Its eco-friendly!)

1. Start a blog

Ok, so this much you already know. But what to write about?

Brainstorm a list of the most common questions you get asked in the course of your day by your clients. This is easily accessible information clearly relevant to your client base. Your clients are asking you about it already!

So start writing these down and don't stop until you have at least 15 questions which your customers ask you on a regular basis.

TIP: It does not matter if you think these are basic questions! If your clients knew the answers, they would not be asking you.

Next, start writing a response or information pieces based around an easy question.

You now have the draft content for your first blog post.

Ok, its probably not perfect just yet, but you have made a start. Put it aside to rest for a moment. Come back to it in a day or two. Look at another question and pencil in a response. Leave that for a day or two. Go back to the first one. Review and refine. Do this in rotation until you have one that you are reasonably happy with.

POST IT to your BLOG and feel SMUG.

(Congratulations!)

2. Announce the happy news across your social networks

You may have already belong to number of social networks - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, GooglePlus (and/or some other ones which may be specific to your market). If you are like most people you may be struggling to know what information to put into these networks regularly.

Your newly created blog content is perfect for sharing across your networks. Spend a little time thinking about a headline to introduce your post with. Something to capture the interest to your client base.

Link this directly to your blog post, and you have your first leverage point.

3. Send a summary to your customer database - in your "Blogsletter" **

Once you have had at least 3 blog posts under your belt, you have enough content to warrant sending for your first newsletter. So start to put your Blogsletter together.

Just remember. ** You heard it here first. "The Blogsletter". An email newsletter which is a curated version of your most recent blog posts.

Using content from your own is the perfect way to have something meaningful to communicate to your customers and prospects about.

You already know these are topics of interest to your clients.
You have already created content around these topics.
You have already created some good headlines to grab attention.

So now, you need a brief introduction to go with the headlines and excerpts in your newsletter.

Clients receiving your newsletter will see the main headings, and can click straight through to where your full version of the content lives (on your blog).

Your Adobe Business Catalyst website allows you to integrate these functions seamlessly. Your blog function can be switched on, and your newsletters can be deplyed easily in your e-mail marketing section.

A perfect way to keep in touch, in a meaningful way, with your clients to start with.

Let me know how you go!

onlineiq now developing exclusively with Adobe Business Catalyst

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 02:23:00 GMT

After years of working with a variety of platforms to be able to provide a good range of options to clients, I have now decided to develop all websites exclusively using the Adobe Business Catalyst platform.

Why? I hear you ask.

I came to realise that most business owners don't really care which platform their website is built on, so long as they have a reliable, cost effective, and easy to manage website.

In business, deciding what to stop doing is as important as what to keep doing. So we are now only using the Adobe Business Catalyst platform for all new websites.

It means we can focus entirely on being an online business mentor to our clients. This has been one of the most exciting parts about making this decision. It means the our role becomes one of partnership, support and mentoring, rather than simply managing technology. The only client sites which have experienced hackings, needed upgrades and had functions 'just stop working' have been those sites not on the Adobe Business Catalyst platform. Problems like this -

"WordPress plugin creating a security issue for millions of sites". And if a problem does occur, then Adobe fix it without the need to get involved with upgrading security patches, plugins and a whole lot of other work.

Our main focus now is to help business owners utilise the web to market their business and better meet the needs their own prospect and client base.

Is that all?

No, and I'm glad you asked. While the stability of the platform is a huge advantage, there are many others.

Integration with customer database

At the core of every business is its customer base. Adobe Business Catalyst provides a built in customer relationship management system which means anytime a customer fills in a form on your site, buys a product or interacts with you in some way, this is recorded - with a range of automated follow-up and marketing options available.

Always up-to-date

The problem with many alternative platforms is that they date. No sooner has a site been built with WordPress or Joomla than a new version, security patch or plugin is requiring attention. Or the server they are sitting on has an upgrade and things stop working.

With Adobe Business Catalyst, the platform does not date - in fact the reverse happens. It is two steps ahead all the time. While you sleep, security is maintained, fixes are made, new features and functions developed and magically appear in your Dashboard.

Truly Extensible

The platform comes with pretty much everything a small business needs - even if you are not ready to use it all yet.

Most business owners when building their first website, just want to get it up and adopt a staged approach to extra web marketing possibilities. Once built, it is easier to see the marketing opportunities your web presence creates. When using Business Catalyst we can just tap into the functions which are already there - whether it is creating specialised pages to complement print advertising or promotions, creating online events or bookings, or starting to sell things online, or using the built-in email marketing system.

Really Easy to Manage

The Dashboard makes it really easy to manage things like content on your pages, image galleries, blog posts and even your own forms on an as-needs basis. Two training sessions are generally ample to manage the day-to-day running of your site.

So its perfect then?

Its close.

With access to the extensive knowledge base and a ticketed support system, website owners can resolve any issues as they come up. Additional support is available through onlineiq or any of the many other Adobe Business Catalyst partners.

This focus allows us to provide a much better overall experience to our clients - and their clients base, as we know the system inside out.

Something else we love about it...

You may not know, but when onlineiq started using Adobe Business Catalyst 3 years ago, it was just called Business Catalyst - an Australian Company which had developed a fabulous product. So fabulous that it was then acquired by Adobe. You will really notice its Australian origins when accessing some of the tutorials and resources. Its a nice touch.

What if we want to move our existing site to Adobe Business Catalyst?

Just give us a call. We have moved a number of older sites over to Adobe Business Catalyst recently, and have had some very happy clients. Let us know if you want to talk to them.

Or post questions or comments right here....

What you need to know about getting a website, and what it should cost - a presentation to the APA

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 05:02:00 GMT

onlineiq was invited to present to the South Australian branch of the Australian Physiotherapy Association as part of a Professional Development exercise for the Physiotherapy Business Association group.

It was a challenge to narrow this topic to include what most small business owners needed to know, without having their eyes glaze over from overwhelm (or worse - boredom!).

With a mixed audience of those practitioners having existing websites, and those contemplating their first one, it was important to ensure that both the basics were covered, and some 'next steps' and latest developments included for those with existing websites.

Many people were surprised at the skill set needed to put together a successful web presence, and while I covered some DIY options, the majority of people left feeling that it was best left to the professionals.

Each of the important elements were discussed, starting with an assessment and plan to achieve the business goals specific to their business (think: architectural plan), design (think: the look & feel), coding (the wiring), copy-writing (the message), images (visuals), and website optimization (being found online). This is indeed a broad skill-set. Finding all of these in one individual while not impossible, is rare. Some of the DIY options available today provide much in the way of design (using templates) and coding (by use of platforms), but having this all work together towards a successful business tool so it bends to your 'marketing' will can be another matter.

Many physio practitioners were not aware of how additional features can help not just with the public-facing site, but with internal business workflows - to streamline queries, newsletter subscriptions and online sales.

The feedback on our talk was great - 'pitched at just the right level', 'surprised I did not fall asleep' (well I took that as good feedback, anyway), and 'why would I do it myself?', when realizing how much cheaper development options had become in the the last few years.

Carolyn Coleman, the Manager of the South Australian Branch commented that "... the presentation was extremely well received by all who attended. Thank you for agreeing to having it videoed - as it will become part of the APA's online education offering for Physiotherapists right across Australia. You explained clearly why no-one in business can afford not to have a website now to be on an even playing field - and you gave our members the information they needed to take those first steps confidently."

If you are part of an industry body, small business group or not-for-profit group interested in having a similar talk, please contact Ursh on 0413 606 463. Bookings for presentations available in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, and always open to invitations from other cities.

Page One in Google for the best Mortgage Broker in Sydney

Wed, 25 May 2011 01:38:00 GMT

Congratulations to Catherine Dodd, whose online marketing efforts are paying off.

Keyword research, a targeted web page and the easy part (for Catherine) - happy customers - all contribute to this great result.

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid when Building Your Website

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 01:41:00 GMT

If you are thinking about building a website, you can save yourself some money and grief by avoiding some common mistakes. Here are 3 which come up regularly..

1. Purchasing a Domain name without doing your keyword & market research.

VERY guilty of this myself. You get a bright idea for a business or domain name and before you know it - you have registered the name. Domain names are not that expensive (if you have made the wrong decision and need to purchase another one), so this is not a total tragedy.

But be aware: your domain name is one of the key factors for ranking in search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo). Having a clever name, while funky, will not help you get found online. If you already have good brand awareness then certainly you need to secure your brand domain name and of course you should claim your business domain name so you are in control of it. However if you also intend to get business through people searching for your services online, you may also need to purchase other names, more targeted for those specific search terms.

How to work out what domain name to purchase? Invest in learning about keyword research (or talk to us).

2. Setting up accounts for online payments (such as a Merchant account or Payment Gateway) before talking to your web developer.

If you plan to sell anything online, you will need to think about how you will accept payments. Most website platforms have their own list of preferred or eCommerce integrations. If you go ahead and arrange this before you know which platform your site will be built on, you may have to spend this money all over again.

On the other hand, if it is essential for you to use a particular Payment Gateway/Merchant, then you need to make this very clear to your developer, so the platform they use is compatible.

3. Approving a website design before sitting with it for awhile.

When you first get your website concepts back and work with your designer to come up with what you are happy with, you may be absolutely anxious for the website build to start. However, sit with the design for a little while - I recommend a week. During this time, make sure you look at it daily, compare it to other sites, look at all the links and pages, all the functions and make sure everything you want is there.

While it may cost a little more to create some revisions or additions at this stage, you can be certain that this will be far less costly then making changes any point after when the site build begins. Additionally, changes after a site build has started, can delay your site live date, as the additional work may need to be scheduled around other projects.

What do you wish you had known before you started to build your website?

How to explain building a website to a normal person?

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 08:02:00 GMT

I have spent many hours reassuring nervous clients about their websites - particularly in the middle of the website build. It is an emotional, creative and logistical exercise and process. Just because its something I am familiar and comfortable with does not mean you are.
Here is my take on it - would love to hear yours!
Building a website is much like building a home.
You have a vision or a need.
You explain your ideas.
Someone draws a plan.
You change it. They make suggestions too.
You both agree.
You call the builder.
They look at the plan and quote.
You go ahead or review your plan. You shake on it.
They start to build it.
You see the foundations and think it looks tiny, and worry.
They send you off to find paints and tiles.
It is starting to take form, but you worry that its looking messy.
They send you off to find light fittings and furniture.
You need to make some decisions about your power, gas and telecommunications supplier.
You bring in the paint, the tiles, and order the light fittings and furniture.
The preparation for the painting begins.
The paint goes on. Its starting to feel real. A bit echoey but real.

You realise you really do need that furniture, that carpet and the light fittings to make it feel like home.

You get some furniture. You move it around. You sit on it.

You invite a few friends. They tell you what they think.

You tell the builder. He tells you what is possible [and what isn't].

He makes the changes.
You move in, do some landscaping and put everything away.

You send out the invitations.

You have a housewarming.
Your website has been launched!

Important Jing Information - read this or weep!

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:43:00 GMT

Let it never be said that I would recommend something that I do not use myself. I have been touting Jing's virtues for as long as I can remember.

But a word of warning. If you find your computer slowing down after much use (I have been using it all day, everyday for 3 years) I had accumulated quite a history.

3.58GB to be precise, for a total of 24,088 items! Don't believe me??

This explains a LOT!!

So in addition to recommending that everyone use this, I now recommend that you all also watch this video if you do become a prolific user - so you can stop the memory hogging that accumulates after years of daily use. Here is the official blog post about it from JingProject.

I think its a credit to my Mac that anything worked on it at all with this running in the background :)

The good thing is that all you need to do is remove the folder from the Library - so you don't need to lose the history (and it does not affect what you have stored in your screencast account). You can simply archive this folder if you ever need to access those Jings.

Jing - great tool for communicating just about anything!

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:22:00 GMT

Jing is my most frequently used online tool.

It captures what you see on your screen in seconds - either a still image or a short video. You simply save the image or video file to your computer, or you can email a link of the image/video to whoever you want.

I encourage everyone to use it - it saves hours of frustration and verbal explanations. If you are asked to give feedback about a design or any other visual information, there is nothing quicker or more precise.

showing an instant screen shot or video to tech support when funny things are going on with your computer
capturing an image from your computer
preparing training videos
Jing Pro - (at just $14.95US per year) allows for higher quality sound, and up to 5 minute videos.

It can be downloaded on both a Mac and PC, and the website has a great short video which shows how to use it.

Here is a sample training video I created using Jing and which I then uploaded into YouTube.

One of its greatest strengths it its simplicity. It only does a few things, but does them really well.

Take a look now at JingProject.

Never lose those essential documents again!

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:19:00 GMT

I have been prompted to write this as a result of the third incident of lost assignments - but it applies to all your important documents. Take action before it happens to you!

This program is free to use (up to 2GB which is enough for most of your important documents, though you can earn more easily).

This is how it works.

1. First, sign up to Dropbox by clicking on this image.

2. Download Dropbox to your local computer. It will act like just another folder.

3. Once your file is in the Dropbox, it is instantly backed up.

4. Additionally, you can share selected folders with others. Great bonus if you have large files to share.

5. You can also access these files online via the web anywhere, or download Dropbox for your iPhone, iPad, iPad applications, to access your files on all of your mobile devices.

First things First - some basics about your browser

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:42:00 GMT

One of the benefits of providing face to face training, is in seeing how different people interpret instructions and information. For this reason, onlineiq prefer to provide guided videos to clearly demonstrate, in context, what needs to be learnt.

However there is an even more basic skill set which is often overlooked in the training - which is people's understanding of what existing tools are available to make any online learning easier.

If you are a computer veteran this will not be news to you, but many people will benefit from understanding how to use their browser's tabs to their benefit.

If browsers and tabs are 'geek speak' to you, please view the following video.

Learning to make your business serve you

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:43:00 GMT

The Reflection is over and ramping up in the new year has begun. So what has all this reflection allowed for?

It has allowed me to disengage from my business in order to 'feel' what is important to me, and to clarify my direction. With so much information and 'noise' coming in, it is hard to distinguish what is of real value. Towards the end of last year I was feeling jarred with tweets, followers, who to follow, what to read, what to subscribe to, what I had subscribed to, and which of the myriad of "once ever only" offers were truly essential.

Reflection has allowed me to get back to basics by coming back to my business plan. Not just any business plan but one which is driven by my personal goals about how I want to live. The whole point of being in business as far as I am concerned is for it to give me control over my own destiny. (Ok, so there are other reasons also, but this is a driving force for me). If your business is not doing this, its time to reconsider what it is all about, or perhaps how you are going about it.

I have reaffirmed my desire for a very simple business structure, for diversified income streams, and to build my business in a way where systems and structures come first, so it can all be handed over easily, and where my personal presence will not be essential for the business to work. I have been much more detailed than this in my actual plan of course, and this has now allowed me to make some solid decisions. Here are a few...

1.     Email lists - which to keep, which to ditch

If it does not fit with specific, actionable goals clearly stated on my business plan, I won't subscribe. I know how to find the information again when I need it.   While ideally I would only use Google Reader to keep track of content, some excellent content only comes via an email opt in (from clever marketers who know the value of your email address).

2.     Social Media

I now mainly have live push-type feeds switched off, but scan feeds regularly. I have affirmed my view that what I follow needs to be useful content and not just chit chat or blatant marketing, and I will un-follow a lot of people who don't provide the content which I need right now. For my own contributions, I intend to pass on others' excellent content as I find it, or my own content.

3.     Utilize Google Reader a lot more

This takes the clutter out of my inbox, allows me to categorize my inputs, and quickly scan for what is useful at a time which suits me.

Here is an example of how this all works in practice. As I was writing this post, an affiliate application I had been waiting on for for some time came though in my email. I had included as part of my multiple income stream plan to develop the affiliate part of my business this year, so I will act on this straight away. Another email came through about a great workshop I would love to attend, but I deleted this because I have made a decision to APPLY what I have learnt this year without gaining more 'cutting edge, beat the market' type of input, as incredibly enticing as it is. Big tip - delete quickly!!

So what will you be doing differently? Has the holiday, reflective period created some insights or changes for you?

Resource: If you are unfamiliar with Google Reader, check out this 60 second grab. It will free up your time incredibly.

Market Samurai - the all in one tool for online businesses

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:17:00 GMT

One of the things which I love most about the 30 Day Challenge and the 30 Day Challenge Plus, is that I have someone else actively sourcing and testing the best tools on the market, and only when they have passed the test do they get recommended.

One such tool is Market Samurai. An Australian based product which has stood the test of time - it continues to come highly recommended.

Its most common use is for an extremely efficient way of doing Keyword Research, however its capacity goes way beyond this. It is excellent at finding micro niches, it provides a comprehensive competitor analysis and it can also tell you whether your concept transfers into money.

Its only drawback was that it had so many features it was difficult to know where to start. But now, the Market Samurai team have provided excellent training, which steps you through everything you need to know. Both video explanations and transcripts are provided.

You can sign up for the Market Samurai free download here - try it out and see what you think.

This video shows for example how easy it is to do Keyword Research.

The three R's of New Years Resolutions for Business

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:48:00 GMT

The end of the year brings about a perfect opportunity for the three R's - a great time to review your business and personal priorities.

Most people running a solo or small enterprise are doing so for a many reasons - from personal fulfilment in following a passion, to the freedom which making your own decisions on your own terms brings.

While the internet & technology can help in allowing being more freer and mobile within a business, it can also provide a multitude of distractions, possible opportunities and information which can set us either off course, or in a time wasting direction. So now is a good time to take stock.

My 3 R's start with reflection, as the holiday season provides the perfect opportunity just to stop for a little while.

Reflect

Reflection is quite a soft activity. It is less about setting aside time to reflect, and more about allowing reflection to happen by being less busy and being out of the normal routine. Catching up with family, spending social time with friends - all gives us time to see what has happened in others' lives, gain inspirations (or warnings!), and reassess our own views about what is important and how our year has been.

Simply allow the thoughts to present themselves, let them go, or capture them if you have any epiphanies (or just good ideas).

Review

After a period of reflection, you may feel you are ready to apply something a bit more active and conscious to your thoughts.

Have you felt that there are areas in your life and/or work which you have decided need readjustment? What goals or values are you reviewing against?

For example, it is important to me that my business supports my greater life goals and values. These are: contributing meaningfully to others, having a successful and multiple income stream which does not involve my physical presence, and having geographic mobility. All business opportunities, ideas and activities need to show they contribute to these goals in some way before I act on them.

When your goals are really clear, any opportunities and/or distractions can be easily assessed against this criteria. You need to be careful what you ask for as this is what you create. Do you want more work? Or do you want more income or freedom of lifestyle? The two are not the same and reviewing opportunities against your clearly identified goals allows for a very quick assessment.

Is it your goals and purpose which need to change or be clarified, or is it the way you are working towards them which need to change?

If you don't have clear goals and purpose - then this is really worth taking the time to do.

Re-Focus

Once my review is complete, I can then refocus. I find writing things down really helps - what do I need to start doing, what do I need to stop doing. It may be scary as perhaps I have invested time and energy in something which now needs to be dropped. But that is ok - it is essential to stop doing the things which no longer server my purposes, no matter how comfortable or automatic they are. What will they be?

I don't know yet, but I look forward to having the talk with myself.

What things are you going to stop or start so you are more aligned with your greater purpose?

The Pomodoro Technique - Productivity at its Best

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:48:00 GMT

The Pomodoro Technique is an excellent productivity and time management system which I have stumbled upon and have been using for a few weeks now.

It is extremely simple to use and powerful, as it hones your focus and discipline in quite a gentle way. Its aim is to get us to tackle and complete items we avoid doing due to fear of failure, or a dislike of the task.

The name 'Pomodoro' comes from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer which was used by the inventor of the technique. I of course, use my iphone. The important thing about whichever timer you use, is that it has an audible ring. This and a piece of paper is all you need.

The basis of the technique is through firstly defining a unit of time 'a Pomodoro', as being 25 minutes. Your task needs to be worked on solidly with no distractions during this time. For longer tasks you join the Pomodoro's together, but not before having a 4-5 minute break between each Pomodoro. For shorter tasks, you group these to go into the one Pomodoro.

Every 4 Pomodoros (2 hours) you have a 15-30 minute break.

Here is a brief daily structure:

1.     Daily tasks are written down and prioritized.
2.     A heading for 'Urgent and Unexpected' is created, where anything urgent which crops up and needs to be dealt with that day is noted. If at the end of the Pomodoro you still believe task is urgent, you can rearrange your day's schedule and slot this in as a Pomodoro.
3.     An activity sheet is created - where all 'to do' items are listed as they come up. This could be follow up actions from the day's activities, or anything else - this sheet is simply a repository for things to do, so they don't get forgotten.
4.     Tasks are tackled in 25 minute blocks, distractions are noted and dealt with in the 5 minute breaks, or scheduled into the daily worksheet.

The way it has really helped me is that:

I now know exactly how long I am spending on a task (I just count the number of Pomodoros)
I become acutely aware of my distractions (if a Pomodoro is 'broken', you need to start the timer again - so there is an incentive to not give in to distraction)
I have been able to tell those around me that I am 'in the middle of a Pomodoro' and this has lessened ad-hoc distractions (I am yet to teach the dogs about this)
I am finding that I am getting to tackle difficult tasks which I have avoided, because I can chunk it up into 25 minutes at a time.

The real success for me has been that I am still very happily doing it after two weeks, and my days have felt very productive.

Here is the link to access The Pomodoro Technique website where you can access the free downloadable book of the technique also.

Give it a go - I'd love to hear your feedback if you try it.