Special Request

This week I have a special request for those of you who live in Lowndes County, Georgia.  The Rotary Club of Valdosta is sponsoring the Second Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner on February 19, 2009.  You are invited to attend and show your support for our local law enforcement.  The dinner raises money to help officers in times of need.  If you stop and think what Valdosta would be like without law enforcement, you will quickly realize just how much you appreciate these men and women.  Dinner tickets are $100 per person and businesses can purchase a table of 10 for $1000.  I have scanned the event brochure, which you can view at this URL:  http://www.ncare.com/dinner.jpg.   It is a worthy cause and I hope you will make plans to attend.
 
If you would like more information, please call me or reply to this email.

Ryan Williams

 

Common Website Mistakes

We do a lot of website development.  As part of the process we often evaluate a company's existing website before planning the new one.  There are several common mistakes we see repeated over and over.  I have listed a few of these common mistakes below.  Scan the list and see how your website stacks up.
 
MISTAKE:  Displaying email addresses on a web page
WHY IT IS A MISTAKE:  There are programs on the Internet that do nothing but scan web pages to harvest email addresses.  Once found, these email addresses end up being targets for spammers.  A better idea is to use contact forms on the site so visitors can still contact you via email.  If done correctly, this method does not expose your email address.
 
MISTAKE:  Not considering browser compatibility when the website is developed
WHY IT IS A MISTAKE:  Not all web browsers interpret web pages the same.  What looks like a work of art in one browser might look like a train wreck in another.  Internet Explorer has lost market share every year since 2003 so developing for just Internet Explorer is not wise.
 
MISTAKE:  Not giving ample thought to web page titles
WHY IT IS A MISTAKE:  Web page titles have a lot to do with search engine ranking and click rates.  Careful consideration should go in to your web page titles.
 
MISTAKE:  Not keeping track of your website visitors and website browsing patterns
WHY IT IS A MISTAKE:  As the old business saying goes, "you can't improve what you don't measure."  If you do not know how many visitors your website generates and where they navigate once they are on your website, then how can you improve your website to get more business?
 
MISTAKE:  Not including your company's contact information and driving directions
WHY IT IS A MISTAKE:  While displaying email addresses on a website is a bad idea, displaying your telephone number, address and driving directions are a must.
 
MISTAKE:  Not investing enough
WHY IT IS A MISTAKE:  As the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for."  Many people think they can get a website developed for $200, and they are right.  You can get a $200 website developed for $200.  However, if want to represent your company well, you may have to invest a little more.  When determining the budget for your website, keep in mind that many potential customers will base their buying decision solely on the look and content of your website.

 

Ryan Williams

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/ryanwill

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanwill

Website:  http://www.techbetter.com

Blog:  http://blog.techbetter.com

 

 

 

Google's Book Search

Google's mission statement is "To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."  To that end, they have expanded their online search capabilities to include book and magazine content.  Click this link to see the search results for the term "Vince Lombardi."  If you scan the search results you will see books dating back to the 1960's and 70's.  I don't know about you, but I'm impressed.
 
The standard URL for accessing the book and magazine search is http://books.google.com. 

 

Ryan Williams

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/ryanwill

LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanwill

Website:  http://www.techbetter.com

Blog:  http://blog.techbetter.com

 

 

 

Christmas Party Season

Has anyone else noticed that the older you get, the faster time seems to fly by?  It seems like Christmas was just a couple months ago.  Well, now that Christmas is here again, so is the office Christmas party.  Phyllis Diller once said that the thing she hates most about Christmas parties is having to look for a new job the next morning.  I concur.  This year I'm considering bringing a karaoke machine.  I'm also confiscating all cameras and video equipment at the door.  A special Christmas party non-disclosure agreement is also in the works.  It's going to be great time!

 

- Ryan Williams

 

I'm So Creative I Have To Wear Shades

Wait, that title doesn't even make sense.  O well, here's the point; my creativity has taken a leap forward since I discovered mind mapping.  For those who do not know, mind mapping is a process whereby you put a topic in the center of a page or computer screen and then draw branches out from that central topic.  You then label the branches with other related topics.  The branching continues from the central topic and then from the sub-topics and then from the sub-topics' sub-topics and so on.
 
Mind mapping can increase your creativity because you begin to visually see linkages between topics that never occurred to you before.  This prompts new ideas.
 
A lot of software applications exist that make mind mapping easy and fun.  I have listed a few that I have personally tried below.  I encourage you to try mind mapping the next time you need to be creative.  Who knows what good ideas exist in the inner recesses of your mind.  Maybe you'll invent the next pet rock or bottled water or even post-it-notes!  If so, please call me to discuss royalties.  :-)
 
- The Brain (download, free version available, also has a very cool interface) - http://www.thebrain.com/

 

- Mind Meister (online, free version available)  http://www.mindmeister.com/

 

- iBlueSky (works on the iPhone) http://www.tenero.mobi/products/
 

- Mind Mapper Professional (download, reasonable price) - http://www.mindmapperusa.com

 
These are the mind mapping tools I have used.  However, many more options exist.  Just search Google for "mind mapping."  You'll find plenty of options.

 

- Ryan Williams

 

Is Your Password Weak?

One of our network engineers came to me this week and asked me to write a tech tip on the importance of using complex passwords.  He had recently had a few experiences where clients were reluctant to use suitable passwords.  I had already written on this subject several times, so I was reluctant to write yet another tip.  Then, I came across PasswordMeter.com.  If you think your password is "complex enough," try testing it on this website.  You might be surprised.  (Just to be on the safe side, I suggest not testing your actual password but rather a very similar password.  You can never be too safe.)

 

- Ryan Williams