Wyoming Entrepreneur Blog

Website Drudergy; Are you willing to change?

Websites are a real hot topic these days because they are your word of mouth, your advertising and your customer service all rolled into one. They are really a new model for management. The trouble is they are always changing. We used to build things to last, now we build things to change. We have to listen to customers and be willing to change to meet their needs. Google Gerry McGovern and read his Web Experience: From Built to Last to Built to Change article. Gerry is an international author and consultant on the subject of content management.

The old style of reading from left to right on a webpage is not how people view web pages anymore. Customers don’t read; they scan. They look at headings and subheadings first; they scan for hyperlinks, numerals, and keywords. They jump around, scrolling and clicking and their fingers never far from the browser’s “Back” button. Customers are very impatient these days.

The number one design principle for websites is simplicity. A website should be designed to make life easier for the reader to find content and then make it easy for them to read that content. The goal is to get the right content to the customer as quickly as possible.

If the content on your pages is scattered and poorly formatted, you have poorly named headings or if your content contains lots of fluff that makes it hard for customers to find information, they might just pass you by.

I talk to a lot of people about their websites, both businesses and web developers. The underlying problem I see from talking to business people is that they don’t really understand that they are ultimately responsible for the content on their website. Web developers really don’t know your business and will most likely not know how to market it for you. They don’t usually don’t have time to study up on the keywords, content and backlinks specifically related to your site. They will design a site for you, but YOU are responsible for giving them the content. You are responsible to provide them with keywords, titles and descriptions for your pages. Your images, videos, links and social media are all included in your marketing strategy. You need to take a proactive approach to site and tell them how you want to be represented on the web. So, if customers can’t find you, take a good hard look at your website and see where it could be improved. The Wyoming Market Research Center is here to help you with that process.

 

Amazon's Top 10 Leadership Lessons

I just read an article the April 23, 2012 issue of  Forbes article, George Anders talks about Jeff Bezos’s “Top 10 Leadership Lessons.”  The article is well worth reading, but to summarize here they are.  Jeff Bezos, the founder, president, chief executive officer (CEO), and chairman of the board of Amazon.com.   This is a guy who walks the walk and has created one of the most innovative and game changing companies ever. 

1)       “Base your strategy on things that won’t change.”  In Amazon’s case this means that to sell more things, offer wider selection, lower prices and fast and reliable delivery.

2)      “Obsess over customers”.  When you have a meeting of the important people in your company who’s missing?  At most companies the answer is “the customer”.  At Amazon, the customer is always the  prime consideration.

3)      “We are willing to be misunderstood for long  periods of time”.  Most companies expect success in short order.  Bezos is willing to stick with a plan for a long time if it makes strategic sense and if there is a good long term payoff.

4)      “There are two kinds of companies: those that try to charge more and those that work to charge less.  We will be the second.”  Most companies talk about holding down costs, but Amazon lives for frugality.

5)      “Determine what your customers need, and work backwards.”  At many companies products flow from the engineers and reflect their tastes.  At Amazon, the desires of the customer are considered first.  If the customer doesn’t like something, then Amazon gets rid of it.

6)      “Our culture is friendly and intense, but if push comes to shove we’ll settle for intense.”  At Amazon results and data count more than building a friendly culture.  I’m not sure I agree 100% with this idea, because I think a friendly, cooperative culture has huge dividends, but it is hard to argue with Amazon’s results.

7)      “If you want to be inventive, you have to be willing to fail.”  Lots of books and experts say this, but Amazon has lived it.  They have had numerous failed initiatives, but they learn from them and move on.

8)      “In the old world, you devoted 30% of your time to building a great service and 70% of your time to shouting about it. In the new world, that inverts.”  In this age of viral videos, social media and consumers who talk about their experiences, the old way of advertising is dropping away. Instead you need to work with your customers and get them involved in your company.  Word of mouth (or keyboard) really is key in today’s world.

9)      “Everyone has to be able to work in a call center.”  Amazon managers, including Bezos, work at least two days a year in the call center handling complaints.  Does your company president?

10)  “This is Day 1 for the Internet. We still have so much to learn.” Bezos said this in 1997.  It is still true today.  Just look at the number of companies that have come and gone since 1997.  Amazon is still here.

The lessons of Amazon and its success have bearing on us here in Wyoming.  After all, JC Penney started in Kemmerer.  Who’s to say some Wyoming company won’t be the next Amazon?  What do you think? Are these a good set of rules for today’s company?

Your Company’s Name – It’s Where It All Starts

I’ve had a number of clients over the years ask me why their company never shows up on search engine results.  There can be any number of reasons why search engines aren’t “seeing” your website.  However, I’d like to discuss one that often times is missed in the rush to “optimize” a web site.  A key reason for search engine invisibility can simply be the name of your company.

When Google looks at a search term, it tends to first think of it as a brand before anything else.  Ann Smartly, writing on the MarketingProfs website (www.marketingprofs.com) gives an example of the results for the term “Armstrong”.  She indicates that most people would think of “moon”, “space” or “Tour de France”.  Most people would be wrong.  Google shows “Armstrong Flooring”, “Armstrong World Industries” and “Armstrong One Wire (an internet service).  The astronaut and the bicyclist follow these “brands”. ; As Ms. Smartly says, “Google seems to favor brands and is likelier to suspect that your intent is navigational instead of informational (go instead of know).”

One way of winning the war is to instead of fighting a battle against multiple opponents; try to make your brand name unique.  This can be challenging if you have a common name.  “Jones Consulting” would be a pretty poor choice.  There are a lot of companies with that name out there.   Renee Jones Engineering Consulting would be better, but with such a common name, you might need to look for a more unique usage.  “Rock Springs Engineering Consultants” would, as I write this, probably come up first in Google as there are no companies showing up with that name. 

The idea is to become the dominant interpretation of the combination of words in your company name. Google suggests that if you can make your name and brand stick together, you instantly become a dominant interpretation.  Using this concept, a company called Renee Jones Mining Engineering would likely rank number one on Google.

So there you have it.  Before you worry about optimization of your site, and certainly before you sign incorporation papers, spend some time searching names on the internet.  A unique business name can be an important first step in achieving online visibility.

Have you had problems naming your company?   Do you have a great name?

I am a graphic designer who is considering joining a “coworking” space. Why should someone choose this, instead of just working from home? - Cindy in Lander, WY

Coworking spaces attempt to capture the best of different workspaces where freelancers and independent workers get things done— the flexibility of a home office and vibe of a café— and bring them together with an emphasis on collaboration and building community.

The benefits:

Greater motivation. Productivity spikes when you’re working alongside other entrepreneurs. Coworkers join their coworking spaces because they find that the environment, in one form or another, satiates their own psychological craving for a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.

For many, it’s about the energy boost of being around other people. Alan Pinstein, who runs his real estate software service Neybor out of Ignition Alley, tells us, “We can all learn from each other and meet new people. It’s great, especially for people coming from a work-at-home situation where they need the social interaction and need to see people around to feel some energy in the room.” Alan compares the experience to the energy of being in a large metropolis. “I used to live in New York City and [coworking] brings that energy you find in the streets of New York to your office environment. To me, being here you get to feel everybody’s energy everyday.”

Graphic designer Judi Oyama’s experience at NextSpace told us that one of the core attractions of coworking for small businesses is that it enables you to get things done by filling in any gaps in skills and needs. When you aren’t stymied and stonewalled by things you can’t do, you feel motivated to launch new projects and try new business ventures.

Quality social encounters. Coworking gives you more social interaction. Join a space and get out of your pajamas and out of the house. Industrial and graphic design expert Anthony Grieder exchanged his home office where he had run Alloy Design, Inc. for over a decade for coworking space Boulder Digital Arts after coming to a realization that he wanted more people around him. “I had been in a home office for the past 12 years, and needed to get back into a more social situation.”

For others, being around people is a necessity for their business, especially for those in the creative field. Graphic designer Johnny Bilotta says that he turned to coworking at Indy Hall to test ideas and get immediate feedback. “One of the things I lost by working at home was the social aspect of going to an office. I couldn’t bounce an idea off of somebody, and being a designer, I need people’s opinions on things. I like to get people’s opinions on colors, for example. Even if it’s just waxing philosophical over a cup of coffee about a different design philosophy or something— I missed that from working at home.”

A professional venue— and outlook. Going to a coworking space disciplines your approach to your independent work or business. Franchise business consultant Kyle de Haas, a member of Cospace, likes how coworking puts him in a professional, ready-to-work frame of mind. “There are too many distractions at home that deter me from being as efficient as I’d like when I work,” he tells us. “I’ve learned over time that I respond well to getting dressed and going someplace to get work done. It promotes a healthy work-life balance.”

Instructional designer Lisa Van Damme marvels at how coworking at Boulder Digital Arts provides the right incentives to do her work in a more professional and balanced way. “There’s something to be said about getting dressed in the morning and leaving the house versus working in pajamas ten steps away from the bed.”

‘Accelerated serendipity’ galore. With coworking, communities can be very diverse, and you never know whom you’ll bump into in an encounter that could change your business forever. Freelance writer Kevin Purdy tells us, “I gained at least ten successful Lifehacker post ideas from working at Coworking Rochester, if not more. Personally, I’ve picked up post ideas and topics galore from Coworking Rochester for my freelance writing projects.” He also says that “problems I’ve had with my personal website, or even my out-loud ‘I wish I could…’ queries, have been tackled with enthusiasm whenever I’ve coworked.”

Action Alliance for Children’s Lisa Shulman Malul, a member of The Hub Bay Area, explains how crucial this exchange of ideas is in keeping their organization relevant, their ideas fresh, and their energy levels charged. “I think in any field you can get used to talking about your issues or the things that you cover within a narrow spectrum. The idea of interacting with [different audiences] on an ongoing basis gave us opportunities to hear more about how other people understand our work.”

Shared resources (from equipment to expertise). If you need to get things done on the cheap, coworking spaces are the place to do it. Instead of shouldering the cost of office space, Wi-Fi, the coffee machine, copier and printer, you split the cost with the other members of your space. You can also leverage better prices for other equipment or subscriptions with group deals.

And then there are the human resources— the people that can be sourced for team projects and group ideas. Members benefit from classes and lectures given by fellow members at many coworking spaces. Alongside being able to seek out your neighbor by dropping by for a chat at his or her desk, you can also seek out formal channels of skills exchange at hosted events where members take turns giving classes.

Companies hiring from the available pool of freelancers is commonplace at Gangplank. “In Silicon Valley, the joke is that you can change your job without changing your parking space. We say at Gangplank that you can change your job without changing your desk,” says co-founder Jade Meskill. “We've had people who wanted to get out of the consulting business and work for a product company, and be hired directly by one of the other companies inside of Gangplank.”

The price is right. Jason Richelson, a former member of Hive at 55 says that coworking makes it easy to save money, especially for the entrepreneur just starting out his or her business and trying to reach a sustainable operational level. “You just don’t want to commit to a lease in the initial stages of a new company, so going month-to-month is the only way for startups. And with coworking you don’t need to think about furniture, Internet, printer, etc. because it is all there.”

Expansion opportunities and an impressive ROI. The expenses incurred (monthly dues and commuting expenses) are generally outweighed by the gains. In the first Global Coworking Survey held by Deskmag, 42 percent of coworkers said that their incomes increased since joining a coworking space— probably from having access to wider social and professional networks and securing better job opportunities.

The downsides:

Little privacy and too many distractions. Sometimes the nature of your work is not compatible with the openness needed to make coworking work. Lawyers or accountants with secretive clients, for example, may need their own private offices that can be secured at all times. Even coworking advocates are not immune to the distraction that comes with the free flow of people in a coworking space. Software developer and cloud computing expert Adam Lindsay, a member of Coworking Rochester, tells us that prospective members should be warned about potential distractions when considering a space, which can affect productivity or be stressful when you have too much on your plate on a certain day. “If a person is easily distracted, coworking might not always be good. Make sure the coworking environment has quiet spaces you can escape to.”

Not the right crowd. Sometimes the chemistry really doesn’t work out, between you and the rest of the coworkers in the space. You may have different expectations, and the coworking space just didn’t meet them.

::::: Genevieve DeGuzman is the co-author of ‘Working in the UnOffice: A Guide to Coworking for Indie Workers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits’ (Night Owls Press, August 2011).

Reprinted with permission from an article by Genevieve DeGuzman The entire article originally appeared in Deskmag http://bit.ly/r34StT on 2011-10-21.

For more information about the services of Wyoming Entrepreneur, or to ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, e-mail wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 East University Avenue, Department 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-3922. Additional help is available on our website www.wyomingentrepreneur.biz. The Wyoming Entrepreneur partnership program is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming.

Cloning Your Best Customers - Can it Be Done?

If you keep good customer records - name, address, how much they've spent with you over a period of time - you can use simple GIS analysis to determine what your best customers have in common and where you can find more of them. Basically, GIS (Geographic Information System) analysis means utilizing maps to display and analyze various types of data.

A simple spreadsheet with the information I mentioned above can be used to create a map showing where your customers are located. After that, there are various tools that can be applied to learn more about these customers - the average household income for their neighborhood or how much they spend annually on the types of goods and services you provide, for example. There are also ways to find other areas of town that share similar characteristics with your best customers.

Think about it this way: if you run an auto repair shop, wouldn't you like to know if there is a neighborhood in town that spends an unusually high amount on vehicle maintenance every year? Wouldn't it be advantageous to be able to target a direct mail campaign to this neighborhood since you already know they're more likely to use your shop?

GIS Analysis can help you make these decisions. The process, at its core, is quite simple. First, your raw customer data (name, address, amount spent with your business) is represented geographically on a map. This gives you a basic idea of where your customers are. Next, there are a number of "layers" that can be placed on top of the map. Think of it like placing a sheet of tracing paper over a picture - you still see the picture, but you can add more to it by drawing on the tracing paper. These layers can contain a variety of data, but let's use annual expenditures on vehicle maintenance as an example. When this layer is applied to your customer map, let's say you notice a high concentration of customers in a "hot" area (one with above average expenditures on vehicle maintenance) and then notice another neighborhood in town with similar expenditures but very few of your customers. You've just found your next target for a direct mail campaign.

GIS analysis can be a powerful tool and can help you make informed decisions about your business instead of just guessing. Contact the Market Research Center at mrc@uwyo.edu to learn more.

Website Usability: Keep it Simple

One of the most common problems on websites, and one of the most easily avoidable, is usability. Usability encompasses many aspects of a site: organization, ease of navigation, visibility of important information, loading speed, etc. Basically, anything that affects how somebody interacts with your site (and how easy that interaction is) can fall under the "usability" umbrella.

There are many ways to improve a site's usability, but I've included three basic tips below that will give you a good foundation on which to build each page on your site.

• Don't try to fit too much information on a single page. A lot of times, you'll have so much great information to share that your first instint will be to put as much as possible on each page. Resist this urge. Limit the textual content on each page to a few short paragraphs at most (pages that require too much scrolling actually get abandoned pretty quickly). Highlight the most important points about that page's topic and don't oversaturate the page with a large amount of text that people won't read anyway. If people spend more than 30 seconds reading text on a page, you're lucky. Keep that in mind when creating content on your pages.
• Keep the navigation bars on every page consistent. Make sure that your navigation bar always stays in the same spot on each page and contains the same links. It will only serve to confuse your customers if they visit a page and try to navigate elsewhere only to find that the navigation bar has moved or has new links in a different order.
• Keep images to a minimum whenever possible. It's no secret that alluring images and graphics can enhance a website's aesthetics, but too many of them can have a negative impact on a site's loading speed. Above all other usability issues, a slow loading speed can be the quickest way to get somebody to leave your site. Images are fine, but make sure their file sizes aren't too large and they aren't causing your site to load slowly. Finally, avoid Flash animation as much as you can.

In addition to these three basic tips, you can always find checklists to use to make sure your site's usability is functioning smoothly. A simple Google search for "website usability checklist" will get you started with plenty of options.

I have recently been contacted by a company offering to help my website to be found by search engines. Are these companies good or are they fraudulent?

Yes and no on both counts.  If you cannot manage your website’s search engine optimization yourself, here are some things to look for and to look out for in any company you hire:

First, I would be very cautious about companies coming to you, especially those who telemarket or send unsolicited emails.  If they are good at what they do they shouldn’t have to engage in push marketing (people would find them on the internet, right?).  The exceptions would be a familiarity with your industry, geographic proximity or some other compelling reason to engage in business with them.

The next often-omitted step is checking references.  If the business was referred to you, this might already be taken care of.  Find out what they were able to do for other businesses and see what their expectations are for your website and what they can do to improve your search engine rankings.  This is important, as there are different levels of competition for different terms.  For example, imagine trying to be on page one for a Google search on “iPad” vs. “Procurement Technical Assistance Center in Wyoming” and you can imagine which term would be easier to have better rankings for.

Find out how they seek your input and keep up to date with your search terms.  The search terms should not be industry jargon.  They should be the words your customers use, especially when searching for you, your product or service and these search terms should appear in your webpages.  Normally these terms change over time, so what will they do to keep up?  Will they monitor and report your rankings on important terms?

Finally, if you have the slightest concern that the company might use unscrupulous techniques, stay away.  The techniques I am mentioning are things such as using phony web pages that backlink to you, stuffing your pages with text the same color as the background (Google (or any other search engine)can read it in the code whereas your visitors will not see it) and other tricks.  When (not if) Google catches people using these techniques it will blacklist the entire site.  Being blacklisted means instead of just being on the fifth page of results, your site will never be found. 

If you have questions about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), how your site is doing or would like some help optimizing your site, please contact us at www.wyen.biz.

 

Using Online Press Releases

Press releases have been the primary tool for communicating company news to the media since the first release was composed in 1906, disseminating news about a train wreck in Atlantic City.  Originally, a press release was exactly what the term says:  a release to the press.  The purpose of a press release was to get the media to write about you.  Now, in addition to the fact that most print media are available digitally, buyers have the ability to read your press releases directly, assuming that you post on your website and/or blog.   In addition, journalists are actively searching online for news and information.  According to the 2006 Middleburg/Ross Survey of Media Professionals, 92% of journalists went online to find story ideas, with 73% specifically researching press releases.  Those numbers have undoubtedly increased since that study was done.   If the media are looking online for news, then you need to be sure that your company news is also online. 

The key to writing a successful press release that will bring traffic to your website is including keywords and links that will improve the chances of the information being picked up by the search engines. Keywords are the words or phrases that people typically use to search for information on the Internet. 

Before writing a news release, you want to determine the keywords that best apply to the information in the release, and then use those keywords strategically throughout the text.  There are numerous keyword tools available on the Internet.  When you enter the word that best describes what your press release is promoting, the keyword tool will find related words and phrases that are actively being searched.  When you include those keywords that people most frequently search on to find your product or service in your copy, you will score well in the search engine results, and more people will find your information.  Once your release is posted online, a good way to check your results is to search on the keywords that you intentionally included in the release and see where your post comes up in the search results. 

In addition to looking at keywords, search engines also consider the quantity and quality of both outbound and inbound links.  Inbound links are important because most websites won’t risk losing credibility by linking to a site that does not provide value.  The more links from other sites to your site, the greater the likelihood that your site is considered valuable by other human Internet users.  You also want to link out to high quality, highly rated sites. 

There are numerous online companies that will distribute your releases to appropriate outlets for very reasonable prices.  In addition to distributing your search engine optimized press release, businesses should add a press release section to their website.  The press release center can serve as a home for supporting material, such as videos and pictures that journalists can easily access.  

Don’t miss this opportunity to “level the playing field” between your small business and ”the big guys.”  Do your research first.  Look at national and local newspapers and magazines.  Read what the large corporations are doing.  Locally, what your business is doing may be just as important.  You have news.  Broadcast it.

A Brief Press Release "How To" for Small Businesses

Press releases are a Great way to publicize your business and, best of all, they don’t cost anything but some time and effort.  There is always a trade-off for “free,” however.  Unlike a paid advertisement, there is no guarantee that a press release will be published, who will publish the information, or how the content will be edited.  On the positive side, if the information you released is published as an article in the media, that exposure, via a credible third party, offers a legitimacy that advertising does not. 

Typically, the objective of a press release is to attract favorable media attention to your business, product(s), or services.   Your objective is to pitch an angle about your business to the media that their particular audience will perceive as news, entertainment, or useful information.  If the audience will benefit, then the chances of getting your release printed are good.  Remember, the press is always looking for news.   

Small businesses often do not realize that they truly do have “news” to write about.  Community newspapers especially are often particularly interested in local business news.  You can write about sales growth, new or improved products or services, new offices or personnel, industry awards or recognition, participation in special industry events, philanthropic activities, and even “thought leadership,” or what your company’s stand is on key issues, views on trends, expert analyses, etc. 

Before releasing news, think about:

• Relevance.  Does your news relate to the community, a hot issue, or a prominent individual?
• Timeliness.  Does your news relate to a holiday, event or a particular time of year?
• Uniqueness.  Is your news unusual or thought provoking?

Creating a template for your releases will save time.  Be sure to include a date if the news is time-specific or use “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE,” if you simply want the news released right away.  List a contact name, phone number and e-mail address.  Use a strong headline, typed in all capital letters to bring attention to your news.   Keep the release to one page.   Begin the release with the city and state from which the press release originates and the date.  Your first paragraph should highlight the purpose of the release and include the “5 W’s” (who, what, when, where, why).  Tell your story concisely and precisely, limiting that first paragraph to three sentences.  Additional paragraphs should provide more detail about the story.  Quotes from company executives or customers are very effective.  Use bullets to break-up your copy.  Your final paragraph should include a short “boilerplate” paragraph about the company and links to the company website.  Use “###” at the close of the release to indicate the end.

Avoid jargon and self-promotion.  The purpose of your press release is to communicate news or information, not to blatantly advertise your company. 

When distributing your release, consider your media and select carefully.  Don’t waste time on media that are not a good fit for your news.  Decide whether to distribute by fax, e-mail or mail. 

Why Use Social Media?

Increasingly, many consumers are using social media channels like Facebook and Twitter to discuss companies, products and experiences with their friends and peers.  Monitoring what people say about your company, your service and your products is an excellent way to find out what you’re doing right or wrong. 

Consumers are also using these sites to research buying decisions.  If you are being discussed, it’s probably a good idea if you are part of the discussion.  A recent survey by ROI Research asked social network users the reasons they use social media to discuss products and services.  The table below shows some of the results:

View this photo

The study points out that when consumer voice complaints using social media channels, they tend to be in the areas of household products, telecommunications and healthcare.  Sports-related brands, magazines and newspapers and alcoholic beverages tend to receive relatively low levels of complaints. 
Would you refuse to discuss your products and services with a customer who came into your store?  If the answer is “yes”, then social media is probably not for you.  However, if you refuse to talk to your customers when they are trying to tell you what they like and dislike, then you may find it very challenging to be successful.  However, if you are interested in understanding how your and your products or services are perceived by the people who pay your bills, then social media can be a valuable tool and a way to connect with your customers.

No matter the industry, your customers are using social media and the web to research and discuss you.  If you want to be part of the discussion, you have to enter the conversation.

What have been your experiences with social media and your business?