Small Business Software Blog
Picking The Right Partner...When You Need a Developer, Not a Designer
Creating something that is accessible globally via the Internet is essential for almost every business in operation today. The type of project you need depends on the industry you are in and what your ideal target audience needs from your web application. Picking the right partner is something you have to consider very closely.
When It's Not Just a Web Site You Need
Over the last couple blogs, we’ve touched on the importance of selecting the right type of project for your web needs. The first step is to determine whether or not you need a website or a web application. Here’s a quick and simple way to do that.
Hmm, Should I Go WordPress or Custom-Build?
In our last blog, I went over the importance of making goals with your web projects. However, before you can start making goals, you have to know exactly what type of project you’re going to be creating. With so many options available today, you have a choice to make: you can either go Wordpress or you can custom-build your project. But which is better? Well, that depends on a few different factors. Below are just a few things to consider when thinking about going WordPress or custom-build.
Before You Jump Into a Web Project Make Some Goals!
Making the decision to start a web project can seem overwhelming. There’s so much to know: audience, SEO, and catchy domain names are just a few. And unless you’re a web developer, it’s hard to sift through all the advice and add-ons to figure out exactly what you need. In this blog, we’re going to outline the four goals you need to set before you start your web project.
Accessibility Standards: Is Your Site Compliant?
Recently, businesses and organizations in the Phoenix area were subjected to a series of frivolous lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These were frivolous in the sense that it someone simply drove around measuring signs or browsed the Internet looking for any minor item they could. No formal complaints were ever filed and no one was given the opportunity to remedy the situation, they were just given a dollar figure to settle with and they'd be left alone. Unfortunately, many businesses paid up. Thankfully, the Arizona Legislature stepped in and put a stop to this.
Cyber-Security for Small Business Owners (Part 3)
In the last of our three-part series on cyber-security, we're going to talk about how you can create a culture of security to prepare your employees to avoid the single biggest threat: human error.
Cyber-Security for Small Business Owners (Part 2)
Last week, we outlined some of the reasons cyber-security matters for small business. This week, we're going to provide you with some basic tools to help secure your Web site.
Cyber-Security for Small Business Owners (Part 1)
Recently, I attended a Cyber-Security Summit organized by the Arizona Technology Council. After attending many of these events in the past few years and through conversations at the many events I’ve attended, it’s clear this is still an important topic of education for small businesses. I’ll try to cover, not just the reasons for concern (hopefully without scaring anyone into giving up their smart phone entirely), but also some tips on how to prepare your small business for the ever-changing cyber-security threats.
AZ Ecommerce: The Tax Man Cometh
When building an ecommerce site, there's a lot of nuances that need to be taken into account, from what to charge for shipping (and how to determine the fees you pass on to the customer) to charging for sales tax. Collection of sales tax is one item that can't be ignored - unless you're happy to pay large sums in monetary penalties because you didn't collect and/or pay enough. This week, we'll cover a bit about sales tax considerations when launching an Arizona-based ecommerce business.
Development Diary 5: Plan to Pivot
In this installment, I’m going to talk about something that comes up on many projects: the pivot. Every project starts out with one idea that is believed to be set in stone, but what inevitably happens is a customer starts asking for something no one ever conceived (or that was downplayed for one reason or another). For Compliance Clinic, that was data storage.
3 Ways to Secure Your Online Transactions
Security was a hot topic in 2016 (and 2015 and, to some extent, 2014), but it seems that we see news of a data breach almost daily. Consumers are often more savvy (or at least more paranoid) when it comes to online purchases. Attacks on small businesses are increasing because hackers know these are the weakest links. Here are a few tips to make sure you aren't their next victim.
Building an Ecommerce Site for 2017
Ecommerce was big this year, with sales reach $3.45 billion dollars (Fortune). If you’re planning to sell online and get a piece of the pie for next year, you should start your planning now. Keep reading for some more information about what your site needs to have to survive in 2017.