The Next Step… Where is it?
Posted on July 25, 2007 - Filed Under Website Starter Tips
In both your business life and in your everyday life, the question has been: what do you do when you are needing to take the next step in your life … but YOU DON’T KNOW what that next step is? Here are some ideas:
I. Thumb twitting – clasp hands together; place the thumbs together, overlapping at the start. Next, maneuver the thumbs in a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion. Make sure they don’t hit each other. The speed is up to you, but know the faster you move, the more erratic you may appear. (Note: yes, that’s how it’s spelled.)
II. Pacing – stand upright but with head facing either the ceiling or the ground, place a hand under your chin, and furrow your brow. Walk back and forth until the carpet wears out.
III. Panic Attack – start with a negative thought-form that basically leaves no room for hope. Allow that negative thought to spin upon itself creating a form of heat and inner stress. Keep repeating … and repeating … and repeating … until you start to sweat and shake. Breathe into a brown paper bag if need be, and if you want to look like someone on a 1970’s sit-com.
IV. Nervous Breakdown – expanding upon the panic attack, allow that attack to overtake your life completely. Find a rehab clinic and befriend a famous person to keep life interesting.
V. Nap – Simply take a break and allow the unconscious bliss of slumber to take you out of the constant questioning.
VI. Meditate – sit still, spine erect, eyes closes with a focus on a sacred focal point, such as the light or a peaceful thought. Repeat until you either reach enlightenment or start a nap.
VII. Go have some fun! – You dummy. The next step will appear when it’s ready for you. In the meantime, take it easy for God’s sakes.
Top 10 Reasons to Focus Your Target Market
Posted on July 5, 2007 - Filed Under Website Starter Tips
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS YOUR TARGET MARKET
Let’s be honest. When your target market comes to your website, you will want one thing and one thing only - TO CONTROL THEIR MINDS AND ACTIONS. Or at the very least, to direct them and focus them clearly towards your own agenda and goals.
Websites with a myriad of choices and action points don’t always get the results that companies want, such as sales. You will want to keep your site simple and focused, with a limited amount of choices. Here are the top 10 reasons why.
10. People are already TOO BUSY nowadays with enough distractions, like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.
9. Internet users don’t have time or want to search through an entire mountain of data and links to find what they are looking for.
8. Users will click off a site faster than you can say, “Hey this is too complic-”
7. A certain percentage of users have even been identified as holding the attention span of gnats.
6. People often like to be guided and shown what to do.
5. People want to be taken care of.
4. People are lazy.
3. People long for the simple life where they are met with only a few items on which to focus.
2. Some even miss the days of living as single-cell organisms.
1. You have a 50/50 chance when people have the option to “buy” or “not buy.”
Building Your Own Website vs. Outsourcing it
Posted on July 4, 2007 - Filed Under Website Starter Tips
How Much is Your Time Worth?
Building Your Own Website vs. Outsourcing it
There are basically two different camps out there in the world of the Start-up / Small Business Owner.
- Those who insist on doing everything on their own.
- Those who find the right people for the right job, even if that cost money.
Now, we can easily say that if you’re struggling to even make the next lease payment for your office or storefront, then hiring someone to do a super custom website design may not be the best decision. However, it also does not make sense to spend all your time doing something that only steals time from what you should be doing. Many new business owners fail to realize that it is impossible to do everything. Therefore you must choose your battles wisely.
Here are some life-saving tips on how a small business or start-up company should go about getting a website:
- Assess Your Situation
- Are you already knowledgeable in website design and implementation?I
- If so, how knowledgeable are you? Do you already know how to implement the elements you want to do have within your website? Or will you have to learn?
- Time: Are you already extremely busy just running your business? Can you really justify spending hours learning a new trade, and then countless hours through trial and error designing your website, only to find (usually months later) that you never really finished and it looks nothing like you had hoped?
- Do you understand website techniques that will ensure a positive experience for your clients? For example: functional designs, intuitive layouts, internet marketing… etc
- Make a Decision:
- Determine where you are in your situation. This may seem implied in the first tip, but the reality is that many people get stuck just after they realize that they do not have the skills or the time and never move forward. Don’t let this happen to you… make a decision and move forward. If you landed (as most small business owners would) in the “No Time” or “No Website Skills” or “No Time and No Website Skills” then keep reading…
3. You Have Choices:
- Hire someone for a fully customized website. This can range from $1500 to upwards of $20,000+ (depending on what you need).
- Purchase a template. Many will say this is a bad thing, pointing out that your site will be like all the other sites. Well, this is a false notion. There are millions and millions of templates out there to choose from. Not only that, given the advancements CMS (Content Management System) functionality, there are another million ways to make your template look unique. You don’t have to know a lick of website code. For the small business or start-up that just cannot afford a $1500 custom website, finding a good template website can be THE best way to get online quick and have all the functionality you would want or need for a fraction of the cost.
- Do a hybrid site. It is very possible to find a company that will take a template (usually one that they have designed) and trick it out with a custom flash banner. This hybrid option might get you the “custom” look you want for less than a fully customized site. Remember this usually works if you only add one or two custom pieces to the template website. If you end up customizing too many things on the template, you will probably end up paying more.
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Posted on July 4, 2007 - Filed Under Website Starter Tips
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Posted on July 4, 2007 - Filed Under Website Starter Tips
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ACTIONS. Or at the very least, to direct them and focus them =
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Websites with a myriad of choices and action points don’t always =
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simple and focused, with a limited amount of choices. Here are the top =
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10. People are already TOO BUSY nowadays with enough =
distractions, like
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9. Internet users don’t have time =
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8. Users will click off a site =
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7. A certain percentage of users =
have even been
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gnats.
6. People often like to be guided =
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to do.
5. People want to be taken care =
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4. People are =
lazy.
3. People long for the simple life =
where they
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focus.
2. Some even miss the days of =
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1. You have a 50/50 chance when =
people have the
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buy."