A friend of mine is opening a new law office.  It’s an exciting time for him -especially since this will be his first business.
But as you can imagine, it’s also a risky time for him.  He’s not well funded and will need to bootstrap the startup every step of the way.
He asked me for advice about what to do for his IT systems.  For now, his office will have only 3 employees, including him.
Here’s what I recommended to him:

Don’t waste money on fancy hardware.
Computers are like screwdrivers: Old ones work just as well as new ones.
Because he and his staff will use the computers primarily for documents, internet access and email, I told him to skip buying anything new and just re-format his Windows XP computers.
By reformatting his used PCs, he wipes out any malicious software which may be hiding on the machines. Reformatted computers also run faster. It’s win/win.
I did advise he buy nice 22” LCD screens from Office Depot.  One shouldn’t compromise on what he/she looks at all day long.
(Savings from opting for used hardware: $1500)

Go Google.
Microsoft Office is so old school.  It’s expensive and it’s bloated.
Instead of Office, I told him to signup for Google Docs.  Google Docs does everything Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  It even looks and feels similar to Office.
The beauty of Google Docs, though, is it’s free.  Moreover, the files can be shared online with other employees.  This means improved productivity.
In addition to productivity software, Google also offers free email and free calendaring. No need for Outlook nor Exchange Server.
(Savings from opting for Google Docs: $2000).

Get a simple website.
Simple does not mean crappy.  As a business, your ‘face’ to the public must be smart, clean and professional.  A ghetto website screams: “Our company does not get it!”
Don’t ruin a potential client’s impression of your organization.  Get a nice site.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a successful site.  Take a look at WordPress themes.  Google it.  Find a theme you like and have it customized.  You won’t regret it.
Note: Not all WordPress themes are created equal.  Email me for a list of good ones.
(Savings from insisting on a decent site: priceless.)

Create accounts for Google Maps, LinkedIn and Facebook.
All roads lead to Rome.  You should think of social media in the same way: links to your website.
Now, those ‘roads’ leading back to your website need not be sexy.  They can even be ‘dirt’ roads – provided your company’s website looks great.
I told him to focus just on Google Maps, LinkedIn and Facebook for now.  It’s enough.
Cost: free.

Define your tech policies.
Most companies skip this step and they ultimately pay for it in the long run.  I told him to spend 1 hr and list what’s acceptable computer behavior and what is not.
For example, is it OK for the company’s computers to be used for personal things like chatting, downloading bootleg stuff from file sharing sites, watching porn, etc?
How about storing confidential info on laptops used in the field?
These are important policies and if they don’t exist somewhere in written form, then essentially the company has no policy.
I told him to create a working doc using Zoho Wiki and ask employees to contribute to it on a regular basis.  His practice will be worth more as a business.

Backup the important stuff.
Businesses can lose everything in a blink.  Fire, flood, theft, viruses…It happens all the time.  We see people in tears nearly every day, having lost everything, and no backup.
I told him to designate one computer as a file server and configure the network so all files are automatically stored on that computer.  I also told him to use two external drives for daily backups and rotate the drives weekly so there’s always one good backup offsite at his home for safekeeping.

You worked really hard on your business. You mopped the floors, prepared a business plan, and hired top-notch people to help you grow it. You did everything you were supposed to do: got the perfect location, professional business cards, great signage and a decent-looking website. Sometimes you wonder if you are working too hard and if there is anything (anyone) out there who can make it easier on you.

In fact, there is. Your website, if properly configured, can be an invaluable help. It can take some of your tasks on, including attracting new business and retaining existing customers. In these stormy economic conditions you definitely need all help you can get. Yes, it’s simpler to ignore it and continue to rely on a phone book and other traditional advertising to connect with your customers. However, traditional advertising is costly and its results are difficult to measure.

Optimizing your website will allow you to capture all of the customers who rely on Google or Yahoo to search for a product and service. Customers increasingly rely on uncle Google for advice. Who haven’t you seen piles of new phone books in an apartment complex’s mail room? As an experiment, try Googling a service that your company provides and locale, e.g. “dog grooming Honolulu” or “food catering Hilo” and take a look at the results. Is your business showing up anywhere on the first few pages? Is your competitor’s?

We often hear from local businesses: we get our business from existing customer referrals. That’s how we get most of our business too and it is truly a Hawaii way. However, no business has ever suffered from having too many customers. If your website brings additional (probably younger) customers, there is nothing wrong with that.

There are free and inexpensive ways to improve your company’s website’s performance.

Improve your content and design. Make sure your website is adequately educating your customers about services and products you offer. The language should be clean and free of technical terms. The layout should be nice and easy for reading. No giant blocks of text and ugly neon colors. As with a house you are trying to sell, the colors should cater to the public (think neutral) and not to your personal preferences (hot pink or chartreuse). Try to be very specific about what you offer. “We offer best personal care products in Honolulu” does not tell your prospective customer much. You need to specify what it is and why it’s better than another store down the road. Finally, lower the barrier to entry – offer free consultation, money back guarantee, or good FAQ section.

Make it easier for search engines to find you. Search engines are designed to look for a relevant and popular content. Thus, your site should be current and contain links and articles relevant to your line of business. For example, if you are in floral business, your site should have tips on flower arrangements, links to other websites with interesting information regarding flowers, and any upcoming festival which uses your leis. Participate in local forums and social media providing links to content to your website. Make sure you are on Yelp (or if you are in tourism industry – on Trip Advisor).

Leverage your connections. If you have a partnership with another business or group of businesses – exchange links to each other’s websites. For example, if you are a piano studio and provide lessons in one of the private schools – provide a link to the school on your site and ask them to do the same. Do the same for any professional organizations you belong to – bar association, Rotary, Small Businesses Hawaii, etc.

To evaluate the quality of your current website, go these sites: www.websitegrader.com or www.validator.w3.org. They will list some of the things you can do now to help turn your website into a sales monster. Get started today!

You worked really hard on your business. You mopped the floors, prepared a business plan, and hired top-notch people to help you grow it. You did everything you were supposed to do: got the perfect location, professional business cards, great signage and a decent-looking website. Sometimes you wonder if you are working too hard and if there is anything (anyone) out there who can make it easier on you.

In fact, there is. Your website, if properly configured, can be an invaluable help. It can take some of your tasks on, including attracting new business and retaining existing customers. In these stormy economic conditions you definitely need all help you can get. Yes, it’s simpler to ignore it and continue to rely on a phone book and other traditional advertising to connect with your customers. However, traditional advertising is costly and its results are difficult to measure.

Optimizing your website will allow you to capture all of the customers who rely on Google or Yahoo to search for a product and service. Customers increasingly rely on uncle Google for advice. Who haven’t you seen piles of new phone books in an apartment complex’s mail room? As an experiment, try Googling a service that your company provides and locale, e.g. “dog grooming Honolulu” or “food catering Hilo” and take a look at the results. Is your business showing up anywhere on the first few pages? Is your competitor’s?

We often hear from local businesses: we get our business from existing customer referrals. That’s how we get most of our business too and it is truly a Hawaii way. However, no business has ever suffered from having too many customers. If your website brings additional (probably younger) customers, there is nothing wrong with that.

There are free and inexpensive ways to improve your company’s website’s performance.

Improve your content and design. Make sure your website is adequately educating your customers about services and products you offer. The language should be clean and free of technical terms. The layout should be nice and easy for reading. No giant blocks of text and ugly neon colors. As with a house you are trying to sell, the colors should cater to the public (think neutral) and not to your personal preferences (hot pink or chartreuse). Try to be very specific about what you offer. “We offer best personal care products in Honolulu” does not tell your prospective customer much. You need to specify what it is and why it’s better than another store down the road. Finally, lower the barrier to entry – offer free consultation, money back guarantee, or good FAQ section.

Make it easier for search engines to find you. Search engines are designed to look for a relevant and popular content. Thus, your site should be current and contain links and articles relevant to your line of business. For example, if you are in floral business, your site should have tips on flower arrangements, links to other websites with interesting information regarding flowers, and any upcoming festival which uses your leis. Participate in local forums and social media providing links to content to your website. Make sure you are on Yelp (or if you are in tourism industry – on Trip Advisor).

Leverage your connections. If you have a partnership with another business or group of businesses – exchange links to each other’s websites. For example, if you are a piano studio and provide lessons in one of the private schools – provide a link to the school on your site and ask them to do the same. Do the same for any professional organizations you belong to – bar association, Rotary, Small Businesses Hawaii, etc.

To evaluate the quality of your current website, go these sites: www.websitegrader.com or www.validator.w3.org. They will list some of the things you can do now to help turn your website into a sales monster. Get started today!

If you haven’t used StumbleUpon before, here’s how it works. You install the toolbar, identify some categories of content you like on the web, then hit the Stumble button. The service takes you to a web page that is popular with people who share your interests. You’ve got the option to give that page a thumbs up, a thumbs down or just leave it by hitting the Stumble button again. Over time the service learns what you like and integrates that into the decisions it makes in sending you someplace new when you hit the button.

Read more…

We Are What We Search.

So let’s say we’re both spies. You and me. And I come to you and ask, “How many WMDs do you have?”

WMDs = weapons of mass destruction.

By asking that question, I have indirectly revealed a few things about me. For example, you now know:

1. I am interested in WMDs.
2. I think you know something about WMDs.
3. I believe you’ve got them.
4. And I am not certain how many you have.

Well, now imagine 10 million people, online and in the privacy of their homes and offices, searching for things…a variety of things…all the time.

Those searches are not lost to the wind. They are databased. And over time, that data will reveal trend and clues about truly what’s important to us.

For example, from studying key term searches, we can actually discern flu patterns across the population. How? People searching on ‘flu’. In fact, Google has constructed a web site based of flu related searches: http://www.google.org/flutrends/. The purpose of the site is to detect higher than usual searches on ‘flu’ and related terms and alert the public accordingly.

Want to know which day of the week is most popular for adult sites? How about which day of the year is least popular for searches relating to dieting?

(The answers: Friday, and Thanksgiving.)

Not surprisingly, Thanksgiving is also the least popular day of the year for adult sites, probably because the house is full of family!

It’s called collective intelligence. Basically, we can learn a lot from the behavior of the masses. Search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo are sitting on a treasure trove of data.

Are there privacy concerns? Yes. Most people, for example, don’t intend their internet searches to be public info.

Is the data useful? Yes, especially on a group basis.  Did you know, for example, most searches related to ‘prom dress’ are in the months of January and April? And that the January shoppers are more interested in the fashion of the prom dresses, while the April shoppers are more interested in cost? This info is especially valuable to companies that sell prom dresses. Their website, for example, and all related marketing collateral, should reflect what the people want.

For a good read: Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why it Matters by Bill Tancer

For some afternoon fun: http://weblogs.hitwise.com/

For anytime fun: http://www.google.com/insights/search/#

Do you need us to help you mine data for your business?

Call us (808) 942-0773 or email us now.