May 5, 2015

No Comments

the value of professional services

Help!!! Pornographers Hijacked My Website!

Worst case scenario for a business website. If you think a professional web developer is expensive, imagine the cost of a complete rebrand and name change of your business. 

 

Among my favorites Portland restaurants is a white linen table cloth, yet affordable Indian restaurant in the stylish, bustling Northwest Neighborhood on 23rd Avenue. After several meals at this restaurant, I left two 5 star review on Trip Advisor, Google Reviews, and checked in on Facebook, not a common practice for me.

This was different. This was great food, in an otherwise empty place. I made it a point to sit near the window, visibly reveling in my meal to lure in passers-by.

A month later, I noticed a Grand Opening banner covering the very nice, presumably expensive lit sign on the front of the building. It had a new name on it.

January 4, 2015

No Comments

hiking for business

Lessons I’ve Learned: Business Edition

I knew something was wrong when I was excited, neigh elated to have coffee to talk about a leads and referrals group in Vancouver, Washington. You see, I’m a busy business owner that’s in business all day, every day. Doing business, talking business, selling services….

August 19, 2014

No Comments

Applied Crowdsourcing

When I left my breakfast in the hands of my Facebook wall, it was more dare than meal. Web technology is rife with cool sounding buzzwords. Crowdsourcing is the jargon du jour. It’s real. It’s wonderful and it’s fascinating. It’s more than Kickstarter to fund projects or companies cheaping out on creative services by “crowdsourcing.” It’s a thing. This morning, I randomly updated my status to say: “Leftover Indian food for breakfast or frosted shredded wheat….Hmmm….” Ignoring the grammerical implications of this post, my friends began demanding I eat Indian food. With exclamation points, they voted. Even Christy, our Director of Marketing got in on the action.

August 1, 2014

No Comments

Expert, Guru, Ninja– Really?

Social media is an ideal venue for shameless self-promotion. LinkedIn in the premier spot for the budding wantrepreneur of all things “new media” to tout the titles, “Expert,” “Guru,” or “Ninja.” The problem is: it’s a lie.

 

The terms Expert or Guru are only true if bestowed by others who are professionals in your field. If you refer to yourself as a Ninja or Guru, it is guaranteed to be not only gross but untrue. Somethings are best said behind your back. If you’re claiming expertise show us your awards,  accomplishments or successful project outcomes. Emphasize the results of your work. Show us a portfolio, illustrious testimonials or give an inspiring TED Talk.

 

The key to expertise: It’s DEMONSTRATED and VERIFIABLE.

January 22, 2014

No Comments

Olympia – A Techies Trial

I packed a Penske with everything we owned and headed North. Relocating to Olympia, WA from Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

I noted a severe lack of quality web developers and web marketing in Thurston County. Seriously, it’s dismal. There are exactly 2 firms in town with portfolios worth a damn. Of those, neither perform content driven design or offer any content or substantive marketing services at all.

 

My ambition and gusto coupled with the proceeds of a house sale propelled me to talk with anyone and everyone in Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey, all adjacent cities, about any and all web related topics. I attended Social Media Club Meetings in Seattle and Portland and several other exciting new gathering emphasizing collectivism in technology.

 

My excitement grew, as did my newly designed website. At last, my years of experience, all those non-billable hours spent learning, studying, coding and mingling with anti-social webbies- I had arrived.

December 13, 2013

No Comments

So many apps, so little time.

Essential Android Apps

I’m not a big app person.

 

As a web developer. I’m supposed to love apps and gadgets.

 

I don’t love them. But it was time for me to boldly enter the world of tablet and smart phones out of sheer necessity. I am a pain staking researcher (See my Blog post: “Best Tablets 2013”). After hours of exhaustive home work I found my phone: