I remember the days when a prominent company used an ad that talked about "letting your fingers do the walking". It was an effective ad for the time and was a statement about the increased use of print for a resource. The years have gone by and that company still uses that little prose to both bring in business and to help clients find a resource.
Unfortunately for that company, the Internet has totally rewritten the way the world now does business. Now, a better way is to let your "mouse" do the clicking. Modern business owners are turning increasingly to the Internet for cost effective, high yield recourse's. Online advertising, e-commerce and teleconferencing have provided untold cost savings to the business owner who is looking to keep a "leg up" on the competition.
From a "mom & pop" operation through a mega corporation, the value of the Internet is increasing at an ever accelerating pace. The good news is that there is no end in sight. The even better news is that the Internet is evolving as the world becomes more involved in the revolution.
Now, a renewed emphasis on green technology is providing even more fuel for Internet commerce. Paperless invoicing and contracting, emails instead of postage, contact networks replacing cold calling lists. The possibilities are limited only by one's imagination.
I am an "old school" individual who has totally destroyed the acronym "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". I now happily serve with a company that is surging to the forefront of this new revolution. My suggestion to you, the reader of this blog, is to get on the website bandwagon, you will find new, innovative and lucrative ways to obtain a better return on your advertising dollar, keep your workers in the office and at the very least, maybe save a tank or two of gasoline along the way.
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating that effective website for you that won't bust your wallet. We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at www.designforsite.com
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Got to Park?
New on The Web
If you've ever commuted to work in San Francisco (or visited for a day), you know that parking spaces are more premium than a tank of gas. Enter a possible new solution -- Gottapark.com. Gottapark is a new website in which you can residents or businesses can rent out their private parking spaces to people by the hour, day, etc. And, if you're on the other end of the wheel looking for a space, you can reserve a space through the website. The caveat: You and the space renter are solely responsible for the end result of your transaction (though Gottapark will reimburse you if you reserve a space and, when you arrive, it turns out not to be available).
From a web design point of view, this website is a innovative, practical idea which could help people save money on expensive parking rates or earn parking space renters some extra dough in these hard times! I tried looking up for a space near downtown San Jose and found 1 space available for $20 (not sure if that's per day or week!).
Let's see..what should I charge for my spaces here on our lot???
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating effective websites for your creative ideas! We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at http://www.designforsite.com/
If you've ever commuted to work in San Francisco (or visited for a day), you know that parking spaces are more premium than a tank of gas. Enter a possible new solution -- Gottapark.com. Gottapark is a new website in which you can residents or businesses can rent out their private parking spaces to people by the hour, day, etc. And, if you're on the other end of the wheel looking for a space, you can reserve a space through the website. The caveat: You and the space renter are solely responsible for the end result of your transaction (though Gottapark will reimburse you if you reserve a space and, when you arrive, it turns out not to be available).
From a web design point of view, this website is a innovative, practical idea which could help people save money on expensive parking rates or earn parking space renters some extra dough in these hard times! I tried looking up for a space near downtown San Jose and found 1 space available for $20 (not sure if that's per day or week!).
Let's see..what should I charge for my spaces here on our lot???
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating effective websites for your creative ideas! We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at http://www.designforsite.com/
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
WebGuild: New Top Level Domains To Revolutionize The Internet
WebGuild: New Top Level Domains To Revolutionize The Internet
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating that effective website for you that won't bust your wallet. We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at www.designforsite.com
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating that effective website for you that won't bust your wallet. We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at www.designforsite.com
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Using Your Web Communications
In today's uncertain economic situation, the use of the internet for your business will greatly benefit your company's bottom line. Your website can be used to communicate with your client on a daily basis if necessary without the use of even a single drop of gasoline. You will save:
- Travel time to and from the appointment
- The stress related to traffic, parking and "getting there" on time
- The expense of paying for a client meal (in some cases)
These are but a few of the benefits. If you have a computer cam and streaming capabilities, you can have an online video conference. If you do not have a cam, you can still set up phone conferences and link to the same site, allowing real time exchange of information online.
If your current website was not designed to accomplish these capabilities, you may need to make some changes to your site. If you do not have a website, you need to consider the benefits of getting one. The money you will save will more than pay for the site in the long run.
If you need help, you should contact your current web design company. If you do not have one, may I suggest us. Our San Jose based company, Design ForSite, uses the latest available web design and development tools available and we are here to help you.
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating that effective website for you that won't bust your wallet. We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at www.designforsite.comTuesday, March 25, 2008
THE CHECKBOOK OF LIFE
Over the course of my life, I like so many others, have developed an outlook on life and how I want to conduct my affairs throughout my existence on this plain. My philosophy is one that serves as the basis for everything I do.
I believe that upon our birth, we are, each of us, issued a bank account. The account consists of the number of days we will spend on this world. We can never make a deposit to the account, only withdrawals. Each day, indeed, each moment, of our lives is a withdrawal. It is, if you will, a check that each of will write. At the end of the day, at the end of my life, I want to look back with some measure of satisfaction that I have, for the most part, received the most for my money, that I didn't write many bad checks.
I work for a company that is founded upon, and bounded by this philosophy. At Design ForSite LLC, it is our fervent wish that each client can look back at the end of the day, and feel good about their check to us. I wish all companies, indeed, all persons, could adopt this philosophy. If that were to happen, what an even more wonderful world this could be.
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating that effective website for you that won't bust your wallet. We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at http://www.designforsite.com/
I believe that upon our birth, we are, each of us, issued a bank account. The account consists of the number of days we will spend on this world. We can never make a deposit to the account, only withdrawals. Each day, indeed, each moment, of our lives is a withdrawal. It is, if you will, a check that each of will write. At the end of the day, at the end of my life, I want to look back with some measure of satisfaction that I have, for the most part, received the most for my money, that I didn't write many bad checks.
I work for a company that is founded upon, and bounded by this philosophy. At Design ForSite LLC, it is our fervent wish that each client can look back at the end of the day, and feel good about their check to us. I wish all companies, indeed, all persons, could adopt this philosophy. If that were to happen, what an even more wonderful world this could be.
San Jose web design firm Design ForSite can help you with designing and creating that effective website for you that won't bust your wallet. We take absolute pride in what we do and love talking to our customers! Engage your curiosity about us at http://www.designforsite.com/
Spring into Color
Spring has finally arrived and, with it, lots of color abounds: vibrant orange poppies, luscious green grass, sunny yellow mums, and more (including allergenic pollen. Achoo!). And as you stare at Mother Nature's colorful creations you might be thinking about colors elsewhere...like perhaps in your website!
When you look at your online web presence, have you ever asked "why did I ever choose that color?" The colors we choose are often a combination of personal preference and the marketing and branding identity for our business, but many people don't realize that there's actually often a rationale behind certain colors in websites. And there's a name for it too -- color psychology.
Color psychology deals with the meaning behind various colors and the feelings they evoke. Many businesses take a strategic approach to their colors, like trying to figure out how to make us consumers feel like we're gonna make a lot of money with a particular service or how to super-size our fast food order.
If your website is not as vibrant or engaging as you'd like it to be, perhaps it's time to look at the color palette with which your website was painted. And here are some hints that can help you make your site more colorful:
Red -- A color that stimulates adrenalin, blood pressure and metabolism
Think about fire engines, wine, and even love (what color are roses and chocolate candy boxes?). If you ever wanted your website to catch attention, red is often a powerful choice. Perhaps this was the reasoning behind the red in branding websites by State Farm and CNN.
Orange -- Energy, creativity, happiness and activity
Orange is a great color for cooking. Think about the color of oranges (doesn't that make your mouth water?). Watch for this energetic, active color in websites like Yelp and Design ForSite.
Green: People often associate green with nature, growth, and freshness
Green is found in your local garden, park, and the veggie section in your local supermarket. And don't forget what's in your wallet! (Cha-ching!). Take a quick look at websites like Fidelity Investments and E-Trade and you'll find growing recurrences of green.
Blue: Intelligence, stability
Blue tends to be a calming, sedating color that has even been shown to decrease human appetite. Simply stop and stare at a clear blue sky or a deep blue ocean and you'll know what I mean. Blue is an obvious favorite of airline websites, cruise websites and even some health websites. Take a look at Jet Blue or Southwest Airlines or even Kaiser Permanente. And since big 'blue-chip' corporations may want to be portrayed as stable and full of purpose, blue is a perfect choice for IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Ameriprise Financial.
Yellow : This color portrays attention, happiness and energy
Roadblock signs, smiley faces, and yellow traffic lights (which to many drivers appears green). Perhaps this was the rationale behind the Human Rights Campaign's website and Yellowpages.com.
Purple -- The color of royalty and elegance
Regal clothing. Although dated, purple is still considered a royal color. Yahoo perhaps exudes this in its signature colors of purple and yellow.
White -- Innocence and purity
Simple examples include snow, clouds, bunny rabbits, Luke Skywalker, Gandolf the Great. Definitely a safe bet for web page backgrounds. And we didn't write the header "White -- Innocence and purity" in white for obvious reasons!
Black -- Elegant and luxurious
Limousines and tuxedos are good examples of black as are websites associated with these items. I remember once visiting a skin care website where the theme (in addition to purple) was black. I expected some definite royal luxurious care there (but I wouldn't have the green in my pocket!).
Ultimately, color is a personal preference (and even a cultural one for many people) and there is no exact correct color for a website. However, if you're at a loss for a starting color for your website or want to make some chromatic improvements, choosing your colors wisely like the vegetables you put on your plate can help a colorful, meaningful experience for both your site and your visitors.
Lee L. is passionate about the dream of true customer service. He is also the founder and CEO of Design ForSite, a San Jose web design firm specializing in websites and web consultations for small, medium and startup businesses that extols the dream of customer service, ethics, and a solid web product. Find out about our dream at www.designforsite.com.
When you look at your online web presence, have you ever asked "why did I ever choose that color?" The colors we choose are often a combination of personal preference and the marketing and branding identity for our business, but many people don't realize that there's actually often a rationale behind certain colors in websites. And there's a name for it too -- color psychology.
Color psychology deals with the meaning behind various colors and the feelings they evoke. Many businesses take a strategic approach to their colors, like trying to figure out how to make us consumers feel like we're gonna make a lot of money with a particular service or how to super-size our fast food order.
If your website is not as vibrant or engaging as you'd like it to be, perhaps it's time to look at the color palette with which your website was painted. And here are some hints that can help you make your site more colorful:
Red -- A color that stimulates adrenalin, blood pressure and metabolism
Think about fire engines, wine, and even love (what color are roses and chocolate candy boxes?). If you ever wanted your website to catch attention, red is often a powerful choice. Perhaps this was the reasoning behind the red in branding websites by State Farm and CNN.
Orange -- Energy, creativity, happiness and activity
Orange is a great color for cooking. Think about the color of oranges (doesn't that make your mouth water?). Watch for this energetic, active color in websites like Yelp and Design ForSite.
Green: People often associate green with nature, growth, and freshness
Green is found in your local garden, park, and the veggie section in your local supermarket. And don't forget what's in your wallet! (Cha-ching!). Take a quick look at websites like Fidelity Investments and E-Trade and you'll find growing recurrences of green.
Blue: Intelligence, stability
Blue tends to be a calming, sedating color that has even been shown to decrease human appetite. Simply stop and stare at a clear blue sky or a deep blue ocean and you'll know what I mean. Blue is an obvious favorite of airline websites, cruise websites and even some health websites. Take a look at Jet Blue or Southwest Airlines or even Kaiser Permanente. And since big 'blue-chip' corporations may want to be portrayed as stable and full of purpose, blue is a perfect choice for IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Ameriprise Financial.
Yellow : This color portrays attention, happiness and energy
Roadblock signs, smiley faces, and yellow traffic lights (which to many drivers appears green). Perhaps this was the rationale behind the Human Rights Campaign's website and Yellowpages.com.
Purple -- The color of royalty and elegance
Regal clothing. Although dated, purple is still considered a royal color. Yahoo perhaps exudes this in its signature colors of purple and yellow.
White -- Innocence and purity
Simple examples include snow, clouds, bunny rabbits, Luke Skywalker, Gandolf the Great. Definitely a safe bet for web page backgrounds. And we didn't write the header "White -- Innocence and purity" in white for obvious reasons!
Black -- Elegant and luxurious
Limousines and tuxedos are good examples of black as are websites associated with these items. I remember once visiting a skin care website where the theme (in addition to purple) was black. I expected some definite royal luxurious care there (but I wouldn't have the green in my pocket!).
Ultimately, color is a personal preference (and even a cultural one for many people) and there is no exact correct color for a website. However, if you're at a loss for a starting color for your website or want to make some chromatic improvements, choosing your colors wisely like the vegetables you put on your plate can help a colorful, meaningful experience for both your site and your visitors.
Lee L. is passionate about the dream of true customer service. He is also the founder and CEO of Design ForSite, a San Jose web design firm specializing in websites and web consultations for small, medium and startup businesses that extols the dream of customer service, ethics, and a solid web product. Find out about our dream at www.designforsite.com.
What Does It Cost?
In our lives, we are embedded with the notion that when we want something, we should buy it. A pair of jeans, a dress, a new car, whatever it is, just buy it. If you can, charge it, if you can pay cash, go for it. Rarely do we sit down, analyze the long term costs of the purchases we so eagerly make.
The same scenario generally holds true in the costs involved in marketing. We look at a well designed publication, see the attractive graphics of an ad, or look at a flashing banner ad on a website. We immediately transpose our business presence to that ad, in that publication or on that website. We see great things happening by using wonderfully clever designs to attract attention. We will spend hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of dollars just to "put our name in lights."
What does it cost? I mean what does it really cost? If you are fortunate, you will get someone who will click on an internet ad and actually contact you. If you are really fortunate, the person will have more than a passing interest in your product and is not just "window shopping." On the publication side, the chances of a person or corporation actually running out to track down your product are fairly slim.
So why should you even bother to advertise in the mediums? The first thing that comes to my mind is brand recognition. It may not click today or tomorrow, but somewhere down the road, your logo or ad is going to surface when a prospective client is looking for a certain product or service. The more brand recognition you can achieve, the better your chances for pulling in future business.
The cost however, must not outweigh the benefit. You need to sit down and determine if a particular medium is going to give you a better return than another. You have to sit down and review not just the short term cash outlay, but the long term costs (i.e. hours put into the ad; initial and long term publishing cash outlays) verses the amount of actual net revenue the ad will generate.
I believe that ad costs should be directly in proportion with the amount of net revenue you need them to generate. I believe that ad costs can be supportive of long term income objectives but that real time income objectives will be better supported through an aggressive referral program. If you do good by your clients, they will do good by you - tenfold.
So don’t blindly sign up for ads in various publications or on any particular website. First sit down and internally debate the question: What does it cost?
Ken L. is Director of Business and Marketing at Design ForSite. He has over 3 decades of work experience in sales and management and has sold almost everything under the sun. He believes in putting the customer first (why do you think we hired him?) and loves to share his marketing expertise with others instead of selling it for a price.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Business Rule #1: "Give Customers What They Want"
Early this afternoon, I drove up to the drive-through of my favorite coffee chain in Fresno, CA, to order my usual favorite -- an Americano with 3 espresso shots (yes, I'm a caffeine addict and I have to keep my caffeine levels up like car fluid levels). Usually I order the smallest-size Americano (which contains 2 espresso shots) and ask the coffee attendant serving me to add 1 extra shot for a total of 3 shots. Today, after I placed my order, when I pulled up to the drive-in window, I was surprisingly gifted with an Americano with 4 shots in a larger cup and extra water. I politely reminded the coffee maker that I wanted 3 shots in the small cup with extra room (I like less water because I like my coffee strong) and instead they gave me more shots, extra water, and lovingly tacked on an extra 30 cents to the bill. I iterated to them that all the other shops by the same company I visit entertain this order without a problem, so they offered to remake my drink and charge me the normal bill.
An added story is that the same coffee store down the hill from where I live is notorious for getting this order wrong too. They get the cup size right and the correct number of shots, but they seem to lack the concept of 'extra room'. Four out of the last seven times I've requested this drink from them, I've gotten an Americano with 3 shots and no room. It makes me wonder if from now on, do I have to patronize the employees every time I order a Americano? Imagine the order:
Coffee maker: "Hi, welcome to {store name}! What can we get for you?"
Lee: "Hi, I'd like a regular Americano with an added shot and extra room, please."
Coffee maker:" Got it. A regular Americano with an extra shot and extra room."
Lee: "You got that, right? Extra room? Did you put extra room in that order? Got it?"
In my time as a professional web designer, I've learned that clients know best what their needs are, knowingly or not. On a couple of occasions, I've drafted web design concepts for clients, going beyond what they requested because I was trying to develop what I thought was the best, most creative solution for them, only to get the idea shot down and retold exactly what was wanted. I've learned my lessons and now I strive to meet customer needs and objectives exactly, and I sometimes offer potential added solutions as a suggestion. But I won't deliver a product with unwanted bells and whistles or other unrequested items just to say "we know what's best for you."
Bottom line: "Give customers what they want. The customer may not always be right, but the customer is the customer."
Lee L. is passionate about the dream of true customer service. He is also the founder and CEO of Design ForSite, a San Jose web design firm specializing in websites and web consultations for small, medium and startup businesses that extols the dream of customer service, ethics, and a solid web product. Find out about our dream at www.designforsite.com.
An added story is that the same coffee store down the hill from where I live is notorious for getting this order wrong too. They get the cup size right and the correct number of shots, but they seem to lack the concept of 'extra room'. Four out of the last seven times I've requested this drink from them, I've gotten an Americano with 3 shots and no room. It makes me wonder if from now on, do I have to patronize the employees every time I order a Americano? Imagine the order:
Coffee maker: "Hi, welcome to {store name}! What can we get for you?"
Lee: "Hi, I'd like a regular Americano with an added shot and extra room, please."
Coffee maker:" Got it. A regular Americano with an extra shot and extra room."
Lee: "You got that, right? Extra room? Did you put extra room in that order? Got it?"
In my time as a professional web designer, I've learned that clients know best what their needs are, knowingly or not. On a couple of occasions, I've drafted web design concepts for clients, going beyond what they requested because I was trying to develop what I thought was the best, most creative solution for them, only to get the idea shot down and retold exactly what was wanted. I've learned my lessons and now I strive to meet customer needs and objectives exactly, and I sometimes offer potential added solutions as a suggestion. But I won't deliver a product with unwanted bells and whistles or other unrequested items just to say "we know what's best for you."
Bottom line: "Give customers what they want. The customer may not always be right, but the customer is the customer."
Lee L. is passionate about the dream of true customer service. He is also the founder and CEO of Design ForSite, a San Jose web design firm specializing in websites and web consultations for small, medium and startup businesses that extols the dream of customer service, ethics, and a solid web product. Find out about our dream at www.designforsite.com.
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