CyberSpyder Web Services

Facebook Marketing

2011-04-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

Today I attended a seminar given by Mari Smith on using Facebook, Twitter, and blogging to market your business. She has an amazing amount of knowledge about the subject. Check out her website at the link above, and get all your questions answered!

Cloud Servers and You

2011-03-23T16:29:00.000-05:00

If you have ever wondered what Cloud Servers or Cloud Computing is, I have created a basic PowerPoint Show that steps you through learning about the cloud in just a few slides, which explain how it works, and lists some benefits and ways you might use Cloud Hosting.

Watch the Cloud Computing PPS

E-mail Newsletter, Blog and Facebook Guidelines

2010-12-31T13:14:00.001-06:00

Successful newsletters, blogs and Facebook pages have one thing in common. They focus on providing a service to the reader…NOT on promoting the sender’s business. I know this sounds backwards, but it’s true. People will not read your posts regularly if all you have is what’s on sale and information about you and your success. They want to learn more about things that will help them.

If you want your newsletter, blog or Facebook page to be a massive success, you should try to make it VALUABLE to the readers with the hope that they will pass it around to all their friends. Provide informational articles, links and headlines, even videos that will help the readers with their business. This might be anything from highlighting a new product or technology available, or new methods of doing things. Even tax information or investing, and law changes are fine.

Focus on educating the reader, not selling to them, and you will set yourself up as an expert in the field. That way , when the person is ready to do something, who do they want? The guy in the phone book or the expert who's helped them all year? The expert, of course!

This doesn't mean you can never promote your business, sure you can, but it should not be the main focus. If you have some item on sale that you want people to know about, or a coupon or discount, by all means, add it! Just don't make this the ONLY thing you ever talk about.
If your campaign is aimed at both prospects and clients, try to provide a balance of information directed at both groups.

Link back to your website frequently, including not just the home page, but the contact page, any particular services and products you offer, and your other social media sites. These should be placed in a regular location that is easy to spot so frequent visitors always know where to go and don't have to look around for your information.

Occasionally include links to specific pages on your website, blog and social media pages in the content as well. For example, if your Facebook post is about a free e-book you wrote, include a link to it right in the post. And speaking of e-books, these are GREAT marketing tools. People love free things.

Include a call to action in every newsletter, every month in a blog, and every two weeks on a Facebook page. You have to ASK for a response. Tell the reader what you want to do.
Make a schedule and keep it! Be consistent and post frequently! The success of Social Media marketing is direction proportional to the number and quality of your posts. Try to post to Facebook daily or at least every other day. Blogs should be posted to at least weekly but preferably bi-weekly. Monthly newsletters should be sent out near the same time each month, say every first Tuesday.

Track your results! Keep a chart in excel and download Google Analytics results and page insights and gauge your success over several weeks. Be patient. Don't give up if you don't see immediate results. Give yourself time to build a following.

Implications of Google Instant Previews, Mobile Commerce Insight - Website Magazine

2010-12-30T14:52:00.001-06:00

Have you seen the new way Google shows an instant preview of your site in the search listings? Listen to this podcast for information on how this affects YOUR business!

Implications of Google Instant Previews, Mobile Commerce Insight - Website Magazine

Five Important Trends for Every Business in 2011 - Website Magazine

2010-12-30T14:47:00.001-06:00

Here is an article I found very informative and thought you might also like. It's interesting that Security is ranked #1.

Five Important Trends for Every Business in 2011 - Website Magazine - Website Magazine

Monitoring your Business's Online Presence

2010-09-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

How is your business represented online? Do you have any negative comments or feedback? Do you know? Here is a neat article that details a FREE way you can find out, using Google Alerts.

http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4203/How-to-Use-Google-Alerts-to-Monitor-Your-Company-s-Online-Presence.aspx

I highly recommend this to every business owner!

FREE ECOMMERCE

2010-07-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, you read that right! Facebook now has a shopping cart! The new Payvment Shopping Cart is a completely integrated shopping cart for Facebook. You can add as many products as you like, the payments are processed by PayPal, and you can target millions of Facebook users.

Payvment is a FREE app for Facebook. So build a Facebook page for your business, add the Payvment app and start making some money!

If you are busy and don't have time figure out all the ins and outs, let CyberSpyder set it all up for you!

Creative Facebook Pages

2010-07-30T10:10:00.000-05:00

Have you seen those creative pages on Facebook and wondered "How'd they do that?" The answer is FBML. Static FBML is an app you can add to your Facebook Page. Once added, you use HTML to add content, including photos, links, and text.

You can create as many pages as you like, and the pages you create can be added to your tabs, with customizable headings. Say you sell Widgets and you want to have a page specifically on the Ultra Widget 2000. You can have a tab right beside your Wall and Photos tabs with the name Ultra Widget 2000, and on that page have a picture of it, a write up and links to where they can buy one!

One of the extra cool things is, you can set one of these pages as the FIRST page of your Facebook that is displayed if a person is not logged in to Facebook. This is valuable because non-facebook users are sometimes confused by what they see on the wall. FBML pages allow you to guide them through the process.

So jump on the bandwagon! Get creative, or if you prefer, call us or email us and we will create some static FBML pages for you! Make good use of the millions of Facebook users and promote your business!

Using a Desktop Blogging Application

2010-07-08T17:50:00.000-05:00

Do you blog much? I do, plus I help other people manage their blogs. Lately, it was beginning to be a pain to log into each blog (assuming I remembered the password!) and post or edit the posts. Plus, each one had a different interface to learn and keep up with. The site to the left is actually 5 blogs!

So, I began experimenting with several desktop blogging applications.

So far, the easiest one to set up and use has been Windows LIVE Writer (http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!D85741BB5E0BE8AA!1533.entry)
It took me a minute to configure it, then I added all my blogs in just a few minutes! It saves all the log in info for you, and then you just pick a blog from the drop down and start a post. I love how fast it is, plus it saves me time because I don't have to remember "how do I add a picture on this one?"

I love it!

Useful Facebook Info

2010-07-06T15:55:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

I've been very busy and haven't had much time to write, but I did find two informative posts about using Facebook.com for business that I thought I'd pass along.

http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/03/06/how-to-promote-your-business-on-facebook/ - highlights things that some page admins do that drive fans crazy! Good reminders for any page admin.

http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2010/07/06/facebook-fan-page-apps/ - highlights 5 awesome apps you can add to your page. I use several of these and find them very beneficial.

Using Color and Graphics

2010-06-30T17:46:00.000-05:00

Your website can make or break you when a visitor views it for the first time. If it doesn't grab their attention and keep it, you've lost money. See Harvard University website to the right. They have a big picture of the top of a tower. Does that make you want to go to school there? Would a picture of the students having fun at a football game not be more enticing?

Also, if you website gives them the wrong impression, they may go elsewhere. The website at the right is for a ski lodge. I expect to be taken care of in a professional way and know that my rooms are clean and comfortable and relaxing. This website does not make me think they are capable of this. I won't be staying there!

So what are some things you can do to make your home page more appealing?
Here are some "Warm Friendly" suggestions for your website:

Do not put pictures of the outside of your building on the home page! These are fine for the contact page, but put people pictures on your home page! Large pictures of friendly people that look ready and willing to help are best. If you can't take your own pictures, buy them from an online resource. A warm, friendly, welcoming face goes a long way towards inciting trust. Look approachable!
Do not use animated GIFs and midi files. Look professional!
Use color and logos to brand your site. Make sure all your marketing material has the same branding, including your yellow pages ads, business cards, brochures, fliers, social media and website. Try for a clean, bright and professional look. Look memorable!
Use moving elements, like slide shows, flash or video to maintain viewer interest. Look interesting!
Make your primary focus: "Here is how we can help you!" instead of "we are so wonderful because..." Look helpful!
Invent reasons to bring people back to your site frequently. This can be a blog, a store, free coupons, etc. Regular, new, updated information is key. Look knowledgeable!
Create a clear navigation flow from first opening page through to your desired result. Make it look easy!

The images on the left are three images of the slide show of a local business website I designed. Each image causes a different feeling and a different impression of their company. Look at them and see which one you like best.

Image is everything! Don't loose sales because you portray the wrong one to the public on your website.

The most important thing is to keep seeking ways to improve it and make it more valuable to your clients and prospects.

Exciting Shopping Cart News

2010-06-29T18:22:00.000-05:00

For the last couple of years I have been using OSCommerce as my "cart of choice" for web development projects. It is free, open source, and will do ANYTHING you need it to. And while I like it just fine, I have found a NEW shopping cart that I love!!!

I have recently completed a site using Avactis Shopping Cart and it was very easy to build. It uses templates, but you can create your own, if you wish. For my project, I applied the same "skin" that I used on the site when we were using OSCommerce.

The software is not free, but it is also not too expensive, at $199 per license.

The admin panel is the very best part, though! It has a better flow, better reports, and the product data is all contained in one window, with several tabs across the top to switch between the options. I really, really like this part. It's the BEST admin panel I've ever seen on a shopping cart.

Additionally, it seems that Avactis has better SEO possibilities, because the site in question has seen double the orders they were getting with OSCommerce.

"It was fascination, I know......"

2010-05-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

Ok, so a lot of you may be thinking that I'm OBSESSED with Social Media. I have just two words to say: Isn't everybody? You can't drive down the highway in our fair city without seeing Find Us on Facebook logos on billboards, or relax on the couch in front of the TV without seeing the little Twitter birdie on commercials. Corporate giants are investing their millions to add it to commercials, billboards, magazine ads, etc.

I just love to watch and see. Where will it end?

Also, I found a very interesting article that you would benefit from reading:
http://blogs.business.com/b2b-online-marketing/2009/businesscom-b2b-social-media-case-study/
It's a fun read and full of juicy bits of information you can apply to your own Social Media and Internet Marketing Plan.

Until next time.....

The Difference Between Social Media Marketing and Traditional Marketing

2010-04-21T00:37:00.000-05:00

Almost all businesses engage in some form of traditional marketing. Whether they use TV commercials, radio spots, a website, billboards or newspaper ads, or better yet, a combination of all of the above, these are traditional methods of marketing your products or services. They are all wonderful methods of reaching new customers and building new relationships.

So what is so different about Social Media Marketing? BIG!! In Traditional Marketing, you are talking TO your customer. Sure, you might get some feedback in the form of calls, letters, or emails, but mostly it's a one-way communication. In Social Media Marketing, you are talking WITH your customers. It's a two-way street!! Oh sure, some of it will be negative, but even that can be positive. HOW you handle any negative comments can build trust in your company.

Because of this wonderful aspect of Social Media Marketing, you now have an opportunity to ENGAGE your customers. You can elicit ACTIONS from them. Your connections become your advocates, spreading the word about your company, and your sounding board for new ideas. Now you don't have to create a survey and tally results to find out what your customers want, you can just ask them!

I know this sounds like a lot of commitment. With Traditional Marketing, you could just hire an advertising agency to do it all for you. So why not just hire someone to do your Social Media Marketing for you? Well, if you are considering hiring an employee who's job description will be Social Media Manager, and they are going to spend their time crafting unique and interesting content aimed at meeting your goals, then fine! Hire someone.

But I would NOT recommend you hire a company to make your posts for you. The basic principle of Social Media is to CONNECT to your customers. How are you doing that if you are adding another layer between you and them, buffering the content both ways? And if the person you hire is working for other companies besides you, how do you know they are creating original content for your site? What if they are adding content that is similar to all their other sites, how do that help you at all?

Social Media Marketing offers many of the same benefits you'd expect from a Traditional Marketing plan, with the addition of several new options you can't ignore. Try your hand at Social Media Marketing and see how it can help YOUR business.

If you need any help, give us a call!

Managing Your Business Website

2010-03-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

A common mistake many business owners make is to have a website designed and then abandon it for several months and wonder why they aren't seeing any results.

But... think of it like you would a billboard. When that billboard is fresh and new, you receive lots of new leads. However, once that billboad gets old and the corners start to peel and the color fade, nobody calls.

A website needs to stay fresh. You need to post new content to your website on a regular basis, and you need to interact with the visitors.

Knowing this, many website designers use Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and others to build their sites. These are software packages that are relatively easy to install, and the three I mentioned are even FREE. Plus, there are thousands of free or cheap (under $100) templates, or skins, that can be added to the site to make the site look more appealing, and modules that can be added to make it do almost anything, including e-commerce. You can search for these on Google or Bing and see hundreds of listings. So, for around $100, you can have a full website in about 10 minutes!!

While using one of these DOES acheive the goal of making it easy for the site owner to add new content, it creates a new problem: Search Engine Optimization. These systems do not have the required elements of SEO built in. While it is possible for the web designer to go in and manually add them, they frequently are in a rush to get it done and fail to do this. Additionally, the WAY these systems are designed is counterproductive to good SEO because of the table-based structure and page download times.

If you have a CMS, then you should make SURE that your web designer has gone through and added the right ALT tags and TITLE tags to the design. This is very easy to do.... just hover your mouse over a link or a picture and see if a box pops up with a keyword phrase. If it doesn't pop up, then they have not done any search engine optimization and your site will not do well. If it does pop up, it should be more than one word, and it should be something a person might search for on Google or Yahoo or Bing, not just "Contact" or "Home", but something like "Contact XYZ Business" or "Vinyl Siding from XYZ Business".

BUT the best alternative is a custom designed site. Why?

They are NOT code heavy, so they load quickly. Did you know Google actually times this and stores it in their database and calculates this into their Page Rank algorithm they use to rank sites?
They can be designed using CSS instead of tables.
Every image and link and header and title can be created to boost your search engine rankings
The entire website can be designed with the copy placed in the most profitable locations in the files
They CONSISTENTLY do better in search engines.
They are unique and can reflect your Corporate Branding

And the very best part is, you can STILL have a custom designed application to allow the site owner to add content WITHOUT having to have the full-blown, code-heavy content management systems on the web today!

HOOTSUITE - the Amazing Social Media Application You MUST Use

2010-03-10T14:38:00.000-06:00

I just found http://hootsuite.com/!

Ok... so maybe my head has been stuck in a laptop working feeverishly away and you already know about it. Or maybe you don't and you will thank me forever for helping you find it.

Today, a friend and business partner (Jennifer Creekmore of Creekmore Technology, Inc.) told me about HootSuite. I signed up before she even finished telling me what it could do!

I'm ashamed to admit I was not practicing what I preached. I have nagged and cajoled my clients into regular blog and social media postings ad nauseum, but was the owner of neglected Facebook and Twitter pages, not to mention this blog!

It took too much time to log into each site, read the updates and make my posts. I spent a couple of hours a day just on Facebook and LinkedIn alone. NOW that will all change! With HootSuite I can post of ALL of my social media sites in one fell swoop. No more neglected pages for me. I just log in to hootsuite.com, type in my status and "post" to everything at one time, or select specific sites to post to. Also, they have an iPhone app that allows me to do all this right on my phone. How much better can it be?

HootSuite also shows tracking for my Twitter posts and shows me the feeds I follow, too.

And best of all: IT'S FREE!!!!!!!!

Watch a video about it:

Sure, I'll have to log in to add new friends and see what people are up to, but now there is no excuse for not keeping up with my posts.

The Trouble with Clients is...

2009-12-16T18:26:00.000-06:00

Improving your ROI

As a web designer, I frequently find that clients approach website design or resign from the Company standpoint. They want page after page extoling the virtues of their company and what sets them apart from everyone else, interspersed with lovely pictures of their building. The actual business of the site is usually an afterthought, stuck in at the end and lost in the grandeur. I guess that is normal and to be expected. I'm proud of my business, too.

However, a better idea is to step into a site visitor's prospective. Many times, you will find that you get a better conversion rate from visits to sales when using this approach. Site visitors don't really care right up front how long you've been in business, or how many certifications you have. They want to know, "Can you help me?" AFTER they know you can help them, THEN they start checking your background. If you don't grab them as soon as they come to your site, and show them you have exactly what they need, you won't have a chance to make the sale, because they will move on to a site that is more up-front.

Here are some ideas I suggest.

The first thing you need to know right off is what you want to accomplish with this website. If you don't know what your goal is, how can you know whether you meet it or not? Do you want to make a sale? Do you want to get a phone call? An Email? When you know the answer to this question, WRITE IT DOWN, pin it up on the wall, and go back to it over and over. As you are looking at each page of your site, ask yourself, "Is this working toward my goal?" If not, move it or get rid of it.
Organize everything! Make it so neat and tidy that a person can see in seconds exactly where they should go and what they should do. Don't let your homepage be so cluttered it overwhelms your visitors.
Make it easy! Don't hide the contact information and buy now buttons deep in the site where they have to click 15 times to find it. Instead, lead the visitor down the path to your goal. Put your contact info and call to action at every step of the way, so if they make a decision, they can buy now! or if they have questions or problems, help is readily available.
As you go, ask people outside of your business to look at the site and get their feedback. Did they get lost? How long did it take them to figure out where to go?
Refine, Improve, Streamline your site based on feedback from visitors.
Measure your success or failure and alter your site accordingly. Track your sales, emails and calls and compare them to site visits to determine your conversion rate. Use your website stats information to determine where any problems are and fix them!

I hope this helps you! Let me know if you have any questions.

Promoting Your Business with Google Local

2009-12-10T13:55:00.000-06:00

Is your business on http://local.google.com/? If it isn't, it should be! local.google.com is a FREE listing for your business where you can post important information, pictures and even videos about your business. Google uses this information when a person includes a city and state in their search criteria. Don't let your competition get a jump on you because they have more information listed!

It's VERY easy to do. Just go to http://local.google.com and type in your address (street, city, state) and view all the listings that come up. If you are listed, and you probably are! click your business name and you'll see a balloon pop up on the map with your information. Click the EDIT link or the Claim this Location link, whichever appears. If you have never claimed your business, you will have to verify your ownership either by a call or postcard, but that is a simple process.

While editing your information, you should:

Verify that all the information is complete and correct. Make sure you have your website URL as well as the contact email.
Be sure to write a description of your business, including as many keywords as possible.
Add your business hours
Add any Brand Names you deal with, sell or service.
Upload photos, especially your logo!
Add videos!
Add your blog

You're done!!

I think you will really see an improvement in your search engine rankings by this simple method, but be sure to check it now and then and keep it up to date!

Promoting your Website (and Business) with Social Media

2009-09-21T12:31:00.000-05:00

These days, we are all about Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, Blogger. Once thought to be relevant only to the teenagers, these free networking website are helping us connect with friends, relatives and even business contacts on a whole new level, instantly and in some cases, almost constantly.

A client told me today that he feels it's almost to the point that a small business needs its own IT department just to keep up with all the new technology. While it's not that bad yet, it does help to have a little guidance.

Anyone can create content on these free sites and share photos, videos, instant updates, etc. about their company. You don't have to be a web designer to use the simple interface. Basically you type and click. People in your network are instantly notified by email of your news, and they see it when they log in. In some cases, they are sent a text message with your post! Free advertising! How much better can it be?

Every business should add the Share button on their website. The Share button allows site visitors to post a link and comment to YOUR site on THEIR Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, etc. pages. Then, all THEIR visitors can connect with your site. Also, you can add links to the pages you create on your website.

Which brings up a valid concern. Time... How much time does all this take? That depends on how disciplined you are! If you let it, Facebook can consume you! However, ten or fifteen minutes every morning or evening should be enough. Also, many of these allow you to post from your cell phone, so you can make use of time waiting for appointments, etc.

The Value of Email Marketing - Newsletters

2009-09-14T23:06:00.000-05:00

Recent studies indicate it now takes an average of 7 touches for a sale to occur.

According to Harvard Business Review, it's 6 to 7 times more expensive to gain a new customer than to retain a customer!

Email marketing is one of the least expensive marketing options available today. For just pennies a piece, emailed newsletters and surveys bring your customers important, time-sensitive information in a format they can use and even better, SHARE!

I'm not talking about SPAM. I'm talking about a professionally designed email sent to an interested audience, that contains pertinent information they find valuable.

There are several things to think about when considering your email marketing strategy.

Make sure your brand is clearly visible. You don't want your customers to delete your emails because they didn't know it was from you!
Determine your goals. What do you want to accomplish? There are usually 3 important parts of any marketing campaign. a) Promote your business and encourage sales b) Inform your client base of changes and updated information or new products and services c) Relate to your client base and build loyalty and encourage referals. Keep your goals in mind when designing your content.
Keep it short and simple. Post full content on your website, and use your email to highlight important points. Include links to your website under each article that invite readers to "read more". People won't wade through a lengthy email filled with information that is not important to them. Help them find the "good stuff" for them and find out more about that.
ALWAYS include a call to action. Give them easy access to phone numbers, email addresses, more information links, and possibly a coupon.
Don't annoy your customers with too-frequent emails. Set up a schedule and stick to it. For most businesses, monthly is best.

For more information or to sign up for our FREE two month trial with Constant Contact, go to :
http://cyberspydernet.net/newsletter.html

Rainy Fall Days

2009-09-10T10:47:00.000-05:00

I love the Fall. It's one of my favorite times of year. Today, it's cool and there is a gentle rain that I can hear outside my window. The peacefulness inspires me and always get so much work done!

I finished revising the TidbitsAROK.com site yesterday with the new retro-bold style and database functionality. I think it really looks cool and the customer is pleased. Here's a picture of it:

Now he is able to upload his own online tidbits, add images to the pickup listings, and add new pickup listings!

My next projects are RobertaCardew.com - a really exciting instructional site, AlmaLawyers.com, and some SEO on sixsigmasdi.com. Fun Fun!!

But before all that, I have a BNI meeting today and a meeting with Spadco Inc. Have a wonderful day and remember to make it FUN!!!

September and New Beginnings

2009-09-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone!

As the calendar turns to September, I always begin new plans. I suppose it's due to years of ingrained adherance to the school-year calendar, but to me, September always seems more a "beginning" than does January 1st. As such, I have begun this new blog, and re-iterated my plan to post a regular newsletter.

Actually, there are a number of "new beginnings" at CyberSpyder, including new team members! Dena Bushnaq has begun helping with Graphic Design. She does an incredible job, and I know you will love any work she does for you.

Another new beginning would be my recent decision to learn FLEX programming. Flex is a combination of Flash and XML object coding that is faster and smaller than Actionscripting. All this allows a more exciting user interface, and a huge time savings in the programming for me.

It is my hope that these new goals and new partnerships will forge exciting new ideas for the upcoming months!