Dwight M. Scott

If you have any USB devices plugged in, this is probably the cause of your problem. If you are using a USB keyboard and/or mouse, unplug them and switch to PS2. Don’t be like me…you can read my story below…! Hope this helps someone…and saves you a lot of time!

So, I was fixing a computer the other day and after doing a completely perfect Windows restoration - the computer decides it wants to get stuck at the loading screen, just before windows loads up. After countless re-installations and hours trying to figure out why this was happening, I decided to unplug the USB keyboard and mouse I had plugged in. What do you know IT WORKED!!! Man I hate Windows…

The ways of the internet are crazy now. You can literally do almost anything from a website. It kinda reminds me of Wal-Mart…that’s a whole different story. Anyway, the reason why I mention it is because industry is booming and it’s time to take advantage of it.

I do not see why people wouldn’t want to incorporate their business with some kind if web aspect. It represents your business 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Innovation is the key to have a winning site. You need to have a leg up on your competitors. Do what they are doing but make it better or unveil a new revolutionary idea.

Getting a leg up means doing a lot of research. Visit your competitors sites, find your target market, and putting together a budget are just some if the main thing you need to do before getting your business on the web.

During these rough times; because of the economy, companies are usually quick to do budget cuts. Most times I have found that companies cut their marketing and advertising budgets first. There is no better time to invest in a SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing) campaign like now. Get a jump start in your company’s marketing and advertising efforts while everyone else is cutting back.

The way the economy is right now, gives you the advantage to attack your target market harder than ever. SEO is one of the most inexpensive and easiest way ways to attract leads. SEO allows you to target more of your audience at once, unlike some other traditional forms of marketing and advertising. Companies cut their marketing budgets not realizing how much harm it’s really doing to their business. Taking advantage of an inexpensive way such as SEO is vital during these times.

SEO is more than just a bunch of keywords used to identify your company. It’s more of a formulated course of action used to define your company’s niche, ultimately generating leads, increasing revenue or productivity. This is now more than ever a time to rely on what your Trusted Web Expert can do for you.

Now-a-days websites are used for all sorts of different purposes. However, when it comes to a company profile on a website you want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck. When obtaining a website if you do not have one already, be sure to be descriptive of the services that you offer and you market your services towards the right audience. Ensuring that your market gets a understanding of what exactly you do is vital.

Another important aspect of your website if functionality and usability. Take your website to the next step by eliminating a commonly faced problem by your users. It may be something as simple as a contact form. I know of many instances of information that is too hard to find or contact information is not present. Saving users the time of opening their email client because your website has a mail contact form on your site just increased your usability and functionality of your website. Save your users the time and show you care by making their experience on your website more pleasant and worthwhile.

Keeping your content fresh and up to date will bring users and clients back to your site. Be sure to take advantage of a news or announcement system that you can implement on your site, even if it is manually updated. The landing or home page should be filled with the latest and freshest content with happenings, events, and/or promotions within the company. Static websites are becoming outdated. The web is evolving do not be left behind!

I have ran across a few companies that want to make their website do more for them but do not have the resources to do so. I always give the same reply, “it doesn’t always take what you may think in order to achieve your company’s goals.” The web is packed full of useful and helpful information that will leverage your website.

One of my favorite tools to use is Google Analytics. This tool will allow you to track the stats of your website. With this analysis you and your web expert can devise of a plan that fits your needs and budget. Therefore, allowing you to find the market that is appropriate for your company. This will help gain awareness which brings leads and leads bring new clients.

Another way to ensure your website is achieving greatness is by placing your domain name on as many free online web directories as possible. This technique will give you more impressions on the web which will allow search engines to find you and/or your company easier. This may take some researching on to which directory to place your website on and will it be beneficial for you. However, this is a wonderful guerrilla marketing technique, which will cost you absolutely nothing but your time. Not to mention you will be able to apply this technique at your leisure.

Create a LinkedIn profile - This is another superb way to get noticed and gain valuable contacts for you and your company. LinkedIn is one of the largest FREE professional social networks. Do not just create a profile and not be active. Answer questions, ask questions and invite others to join your professional network. Take a peek at my LinkedIn profile. While you are there send me an invite and I’ll be sure to accept!

Now that you understand the basics of design and development, you are prepared to get your project started. I just want to do a quick re-cap on some important things you might be faced with during this process.

Never supplement design for development - especially when your site will be mainly dynamically driven. The functionality will more than likely be how you get your ROI. So weigh your options and consult with your web expert to get a course of action.

It’s usually less expensive to re-design than to re-develop. When you get your site re-developed there may be a chance that some additional design may be included to properly execute the development. Make sure you allocate enough in your budget to achieve the necessary steps to reach your goals.

This may be a lot of information to retain, but I can assure you it will do MORE good than harm. I can’t stress enough the importance of being prepared. This will eliminate headaches and make the project go more smoothly for you and the web company (hopefully me!).

Design plays a big factor when it comes to captivating your audience. Statistics say you have about three seconds to capture their attention to keep them on your site. The best way is usually through the appearance of your site. It doesn’t take long for somebody to criticize your site without giving it a “real” chance.

There are many different parts of design that most people overlook. The most common are:

• Banner
• Text
• Buttons
• Corporate Identity (logo)
• Content layout/placement
• Footer

Having a custom design for each of the above can get pricey. Although these things are nice, they are not always needed. One of the most efficient ways to cut back on design is through navigational links. A lot of people want the fancy buttons with roller overs. What they don’t realize is that it can cause their price to go up too. So, what you can do is…have regular text links! This is a simple way to cut back yet still have a pleasing design.

Don’t get me wrong, design plays a MAJOR role in web development whether it be Columbus, Ohio or not! It’s really about captivating your audience and grabbing their attention long enough to find out about your company or purchase your products/services. I personally recommend going with a fancy design when you have a brochure site (informational - not too much functionality) since there isn’t a lot the site would have to offer functionally anyway. As I said in part 2, I would always recommend the functionality over design since that’s usually what increases your revenue, productivity, or awareness. Keep in mind that this is only if your budget doesn’t allow you to get the full package up front. It is usually less expensive to re-design a site rather than re-developing one…

As I mentioned in part one, if your budget does not allow you to get the full package, you may be forced to scale your project down. There are a couple of things to consider when/if faced with this issue.

If you plan on having a website that requires a lot of functionality to meet your financial goals NEVER supplement development for design. Nine times out of ten; the development (functionality) of your site will be the way your site brings you money or increases your productivity. For example, if you are undergoing the process of gettting an online store and you are presented with a price that is a little too high, you should really consider cutting back on some of the design. You can still do tranactions with a decent design, but you can’t do transactions with a outstanding design with no functionality to support it.

So it is vital that you fully understand what it takes to reach your goal. The design can always be changed in later phases of your web development project. I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to focus on ROI when it comes to the web. I’ll touch on the importance of the design part in part 3.

A website can almost be determined as a twenty-four seven online representation of your and/or your company. That is why it is very important to have one that works properly and looks good at the same time. A lot of people fail to realize that the visual representation of your website can cost you business.

Having a poorly executed website not only sends a red flag to potential customers but puts a MAJOR cap on the growth of your business. Think about it…your website can work in so many ways for you or when you simply do not want to work - twenty-four seven! Why not make your website increase your revenue, generate more leads, and raise awareness for your business?

Now, I know you are wondering, “How can there be more than 1 part to design vs. development?” Sometimes, if your budget does not allow you to conquer both a fantastic fully functional back-end and pleasing design with the bells and whistles then you may be forced to scale down. I’ll further explain what to scale down on and what to sacrifice. If you should sacrifice at all. Stay tuned…

Choosing a domain name can be more crucial than what it seems. There is a lot more to consider now rather just buying a domain that is the name of your company. Find a alternative domain that emphasizes your niche.

Chances are that you will be speaking a great deal of your company name, so your audience will already know to go to yourcompanyname.com. Instead choose yourniche.com; increasing your marketing efforts. So, for instance if you were a roofing company based in Columbus, Ohio specializing in residential roofing, you might choose something like www.columbusresidentialroofing.com.

By you choosing an alternative domain name will help leverage your company and increase your search engine rankings. I know you are probably wondering, “How do I make sure my users see the same site without building the same site twice?” Aske your web consultant about JavaScript redirects or domain name forwarding.

This will help your company a lot in terms of SEO. Not to mention this a very inexpensive. The average domain costs $8-$10 per year and can be hosted with your same hosting company. To find if a domain name is available visit www.1and1.com or www.godaddy.com. These two sites make it easy to find a domain that is available. I would not recommend GoDaddy as a hosting choice though!