Small Business Software Blog
The 2 Signs You're Ready for a Mobile App
In my networking circles, many business owners tell me they want an app. When I ask what they want the app to do they are, more often than not, uncertain. Mobile apps are the hot new commodity, but are a considerable investment and just having one isn't enough. If you don't yet have a mobile Web site, developing an app is certainly getting ahead of yourself. Before jumping in with both feet, you can save a lot time (and money) by doing some up-front planning and strategy to deliver an experience your customers will love and use.
Four Alternatives to a Home Page Slider
I recently came across an interesting article about the seven deadly sins of Web design. One element in particular got me thinking (not just because we were using it on our own site): the slider. Most sites you see on the Web have rotating panels on the landing page. It's a popular way to present a variety of information, right? According to the article yes, but also ineffective. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of alternative examples out there. Well, look no further because we've got a few options for you.
Anatomy 101: Keeping the Applications Running
Once an application is finished and you're using it, that's all there is to it, right? Doubtful. Technology changes quickly and some issues don't show up until after the application has been live for days, months or even years. Recently, we started troubleshooting resource alarms on a client's production application and discovered some underlying issues that didn't begin to appear until the system had over a thousand users managing hundreds of thousands of unique data elements.
How to Host Your Web Site
There are plenty of options out there and most business owners rely on their technology team to make that decision. While it's certainly a good idea to take their advice into account, the decision about where to host the site should really be in your hands. If you don't have an in-house Web team, your resources may change, but you need consistency when it comes to your site. Make sure you have some control over the hosting and make sure you know the requirements of your Web site.
Three Signs it Might Not be the Right Developer
Too often, I meet people who started a project with another designer or developer and have spent a lot of money and still aren't happy with the result (or haven't even seen a result). Business owners are great at what they do: running their business. If they don't have a background in Web technologies and digital marketing practices, it's hard to figure out who to listen to. So, here are three phrases that should be red flags and trigger a deeper evaluation of the individual or company you're interviewing to create your Web site.
The Difference Between Design and Development
When it comes to a digital presence, you want to look good and your first instinct is to find a great Web designer. After all, you're not writing software, so why would you want a developer? As I network with other businesses, I find they tend to fall into two camps: they either believe Web designers are the same as Web developers or they think a Web developer can only write code and can't create a Web site. Well, I'm here to set the record straight.
Anatomy 101: Process Behind the Project
When it comes to solving our client's business challenges with software, there's a lot that has to happen to make it a reality. The first stage is the proposal and we want our estimate to be as accurate as possible so the client can plan accordingly. To that end, when planning out a custom solution, we focus on four key items: keeping the timeline short, prioritizing features, talking about our client's problems, and talking about the end result.
First Rule of Marketing: Show Up
Marketing products and marketing services each require two very different approaches. In the former, your customers get something tangible that they can hold in their hands and evaluate quantitatively. The latter is more subjective and your customers must rely on qualitative criteria to determine if they will give you a good or bad review. When it comes to services, people buy from people they like. Seeing your face plastered on a billboard or in an ad on a Web site, email, or newspaper isn't going to have as much sway with them. Which brings me to this headline and the fact that the first rule is to just show up.
Customer Relationship Management for the Solopreneur
I've been getting a lot of questions about CRM (Customer Relationship Management) applications lately and, not having found the right solution for myself just yet, I wanted to pass on some ways to make it easier to keep up with projects and opportunities. It seems like most of the CRMs that are available are are cost-prohibitive for small businesses. It is possible to bring together a number of different services and keep the costs down, but my goal here is to find a CRM which is both easy to use and offers the tools available to enterprise users, but is still affordable to the solo consultant or small business.
Anatomy 101: What Do You Do?
Since founding Sol Minion Development, I've been to dozens of networking events. Each time, the same question came up: "So, what do you do?" There's plenty of ways to answer this question and plenty of techniques. I've tried several of them, but it's hard to define what we do succinctly. After a little over two years and using the "Twitter Approach", I whittled it down: We solve business challenges using software. The challenges could be just about anything, from marketing to operations to customer service, but it's all solved in some way by software. So, what do you do?
Marketing Made Easy(ier)
As someone in the industry, I know that content is king. I hear it daily. I also know that I don't have an enterprise-level marketing budget, but need to routinely take care of some menial marketing tasks - tasks which take time, but really don't have to. Email newsletters and social media are two marketing channels which integrate well with your Web site, drive traffic, and keeps your business in front of your customers.
3 Questions Clingy Customers Want Answered
What's the first thing people see when they look you or your business up online? Your Web site's home page should seek out and grab hold of clingy customers, not repel them like Bounce does static. If Google is saying you bounce too much, there are some ways to reduce it. When someone lands on your site and can't find some compelling reasons to stick around right away, they're gone (or they "bounce") and you probably won't see them again. When it comes to landing pages, it's vital to immediately answer three questions: "who are you", "what do you do", and "who says so".