Making Web Sites Work

Keurig Coffee Brewing Workshop

I KNOW how to make technology work... Until this morning. I'm in Atlanta Georgia attending the National Speakers Association UNConference.

If you're attending, and struggled with the Keurig Coffeemake this morning, here are some helpful tips.

 

Are you Smarter than a Smartphone? Improving your App Aptitude

Chances are, more than half of you are reading this post on a SmartPhone. Not in a web browser, but in a RSS reader like Manifesto, Feeds or Viigo. Which I thought was pretty cool, until I realized you can't read it in the Make Technology Work iPhone App. At least not yet.

Medical Alert -  If you're a business owner who get queasy whenever someone mentions a radical technology trend you might want to sit down before you read any further.

The Great App Migration of 2010

Sorry to bring you bad news, but your beautiful website and killer blog just went out the window (and  down the street). Get ready for the shift from Web browser to Mobile Apps. I'm not one to tout tech trends, I'm less of a Futuriest and more of a Here-n-Nowist. But if you want to connect with qualified prospects and your loyal customers, it's time to raise your App aptitude.

This trend is driven by both the poor quality of mobile web surfing and the tailored efficiency of custom apps. The key take-away for digital marketers is while web browsing resembles an open, Mall-like shopping experience, Mobile Apps present a gated Theme Park business model. Once you step through the gates the food, merchandise and experience is managed for the visitor. With a branded Mobile App, you get to control the environment. Valuable prospects don't wander off because of bright shiny objects. 

Whether you're a marketer or a customer, the Internet is not going away. The virtual highway is simply shifting from Web Browsing to Mobile Apps.If the idea of creating your own theme park sounds grand, but a bit too ambitious, here are some tips for cashing in on mobile apps without breaking the bank.

eCommerce - My professional speaker clients are excited about using a mobile shopping cart to move from BOR (Back of Room) to MOR (Middle of Room) sales. Magento Mobile allows session attendees to buy your materials without leaving their seats.

Eliminate delayed payment gratification. Use Intuit GoPayment to accept payment via your Smartphone.

Podcasting - Turn your brand into an iPhone App.Librated Syndication can transform your audio or video content into a mobile App theme park.

Mobile Apps are just one more marketing tool you can add to your digital toolbox. Contact me to learn how you can make Apps part of your Internet Marketing Strategy.

 New Series - Stay tuned as I turn Making Technology Work into a iPhone App.

"I've read the manual, so you don't have to!" is more than a cute slogan here at Make Technology Work. On Tuesday, Oct, 5, 2010 I'll launch a 4 part series on creating an IPhone App. Part 1 - Where's My Stuff? covers content selection and creation. See you then!

 

 

Blog Commenting - Putting in Your Two Cents Worth

An article mentioned in this weeks Bloomberg BusinessWeek Tech Insider caught my eye. Working on the Waterfront outlined how technology (and self-employment) enables a growing number of people to actually work from the beach. Not much new here for veteran road warriors, other that how to get bargain access to Malibu beach from the Las Costa Beach Club.

The real gem in this article came from the posted comments. The best was posted by Sherry Paprocki. It simply said, 'Hey, part of the book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Branding Yourselfwas written at the beach!' So who is Sherry Beck Paprocki? She's the author, of course. And not just any author. She's published over a dozen biographys on celebrities including Katie Couric, Martha Stewart, Vincente Fox, and Bob Marley. Quite a group to be associated with.

Which was Sherry's goal in the first place. By adding a comment to the post she created an association linking:

• Business News- Bloomberg BusinessWeek
• Working on the Beach - alternative office environments
• Entrepreneurs - interested in alternative environments and personal branding
• Sherry's book -  The Complete Idiot's Guide to Branding Yourself

I agree that not everyone would have searched for the book from the comment. Only Sherry's target prospects would have invested the effort, but it only took a 17 word comment on her part. Hey, it was just like a day at the beach!

Let's Go Fishing

Ready to try you hand at it? It's easy, it's kind of like fishing:

• What are you trying to catch?
• Where are they hiding?
• Which bait should you use?

The bait is your book, product or service. The fish is your prospect. Where are they hiding? Online of course. Identify online news outlets catering to your prospects. Use Google Alerts or set up a feed to keep track of the topics associated with your area of expertise. When you get a nibble identifying a likely article or blog, post a comment and see if you get a bite.

Posting comments to business blogs is a easy, low cost tactic to put your marketing two cents worth in front of likely prospects. Go ahead, post one here.

 

 

Time to lose the "Paper" in Newspaper

I follow the E-Media Tidbits blog at PoynterOnline. Their posts are always positive and point to the future. Today it came with a bonus, a big chunch of irony.

In How Topic Pages Can Give Readers a Bird's-Eye View of the News Maurreen Skowran presents the case for Topic pages to both engage readers and extend the life of news coverage.  
It came with examples, links, resources to create them and a proper and professional reference to the source, The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Wash.

The Irony?

In a later paragraph, the organazion was referred to as, "The paper". Ouch! Here's an organization trying avoid the traditional print news organization label only to be placed squarely in a "paper" box.
Let's cut Maurreen some slack here. I've caught myself asked folks to "Dial" my number.

The Problem

Sometimes it's harmless, but more and more I find these "word slips" prevent us from getting outsite the box, especially the ones crafted in our own mind. How about you?

Which of these traps have you found yourself in?

• Publishing printed marketing materials without including your web URL.
• Including an invitation to "Visit us on our website at:" when simply including the URL would do.
• Publishing your phone number with cute little words when the letters never line up on a cell phone.

What connotation do you attribute to the words Horseless Carrage, Muscle Car, SUV or Hybrid? More importantly, how small a box did you create for each one? I'm willing to bet organizations like Twitter and Wikipedia were conceived without the slightest thought to how they would look in print.

The Solution

In my comment on the Poynter.com post, I suggested print journalists ask the question, "How would we publish, if we had no paper?" Here are some questions to ponder if you, like the print media industry are looking for a new, more successful business model:

• If you replaced the question "How do I use technology" with "Why should I use technology" would you buy less and leverage more of what you already own?
• If you changed the label on your web toolbox from "Website" to "Web Presence", would you need a bigger box? If you opened the lid, what would be inside?
• If you only had time to focus on one technology that would help you become the Master of Your Digital Domain, which would you choose?

What do you think? Use the comments link to share your opinion.

 

I Found the End of the Rainbow in, Oklahoma(?)

I know most folks associate Kansas with the song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, but I think the other end must be in Oklahoma. I recently returned from a very successful presentation titled, Social Networking, Myth or Moneymaker? which I presenting in Tulsa to the Oklahoma chapter of the National Speakers Association.

What made it successful? I can tell you in two words, Hospitality - Professionalism.

The chapter leadership team really piled on the VIP treatment for my visit. From the moment Programming chair Shari Alexander invited me to visit until President John Storm made sure I got on the right plane headed home everyone made me feel like I was a rock star. Shari Twittered my arrival to her Tweps as I stepped off the plane. The team invited me to join them for dinner. Dick Alexander had no problem creating my very special room setup. They even "procured" a huge balloon arch from a nearby event to lend a festive flair. At every point the went out of their way to make me feel at home. (Click the photo above to get the full effect.)

I always arrive an hour early to my sessions to ensure a smooth setup. I was shocked to see the entire leadership team in place when I arrived. The biggest challenge for this event was the room change. Apparently the social networking topic was so popular the session was moved from a small salon to a section of the main ballroom. The move was swift, invisible and accomplished without drama.

The hospitality extended beyond the leadership team. NSA member Christine credited her pal and visitor Scott for helping her make social networking work. Network marketing expert Michael Butler, Sr shared valuable tips gained from his use of social network marketing. Monique inspired the session attendees with her use of Twitter to "break the fourth wall". During an interactive activity, she called on her social network to answer the question, "How do you use social networking in your business?"

It was a cold day in Tulsa, but the warmth of the folks I met that day made my visit, "Just Another Day in Paradise". I'm grateful to the leaders, members and visitors for helping me find gold at the end of the rainbow. Thanks for making my session a success!

Is this the End of Customer Service?

As reported yesterday by Joshua Freed, AP Airlines Writer, United Airlines "told workers on Tuesday that it would stop publishing its customer relations phone number, which will be turned off altogether at the end of April." United Airlines spokesperson, Robin Urbanski said "the Chicago-based airline is able to respond better to customers who write, since they often include more detail, making it possible to provide a more specific response." That may be true, but would it be a timely response?

Talk about flying the unfriendly skys, so much for High Tech, High Touch.

I believe United Airlines has defined access to a live human voice to be a premium service. At a time where Internet technology is focused on interactivity and user engagement, United has chosen to send customer service to the discount rack. It will surely reduce expenses, but can they afford the price?

When it comes to making technology work, there are two kinds of organizations, those who view the Internet as a tool, and those who see it as a weapon. The tool people use technology to provide infinite channels of communication. They use it to create a dialog on the customers turf, whichever channel they choose to use. The second group use technology as a weapon to hijack the customer experience.

I suspect the new system will use a support ticket architecture. Customers will submit a complaint ticket, receive confirmation via email then await a response. The challenge with this type of system is the initial response will either miss the mark prompting a follow up to clarify or request additional information. By phone this is handled by a simple question and immediate answer, by email this process often drags on for days.

I believe United Airlines is betting this arms length approach will provide a built-in cooling off period. I suspect customers who already come to this process at a low boil will quickly blow their stack. Once customers perceive United Airlines has turned a deaf ear to their concerns, they will turn to alternate sites like Untied.com in an attempt to air their grievance.

I believe technology can be used to create an effective customer service experience, but using technology to deflect or ignore is not the answer. What's your opinion? I invite you to post a comment to share your ideas or positive examples of customer service technology. I doubt United Airlines will be listening, but maybe we can use the power of the Internet as a tool to solve the problem ourselves.

Art of the Invisible - Learning how to "Talk Tech"

I admire Senator John McCain's candor and straight talk during his Congressional career, but answering the question, "Mac or PC?" with "Neither, I'm an illiterate who has to rely on my wife." does not instill confidence. The only thing worse than a lack of expertise with technology is revealing the fact in public. McCain seemed even proud of his lack of technical expertise.

McCain policy adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin didn't help matters when he attempted to bolster the Senators work on the Commerce Committee by waving his Blackberry in front of reporters and stating "You're looking at the miracle that John McCain helped create." Instead of reinforcing the Senator's legislative record, the press turned the incident into a joke, "John McCain Invents Blackberry."

I'm sure the Obama campaign had some tech flubs, but I couldn't find any. I believe it's because they understand the first rule of talking tech:

    The Best Technology is Invisible

This rule was not written to prevent folks from speaking about issues they know nothing about. It exists because no one really cares about your technology. Anyone can buy technology, only great organizations know how to make technology work. Can you imagine hiring a consultant who hands you a business card and mentions they just launched a website?

The possession of technology expertise is no longer impressive, it's expected. President-elect Obama spoke only once about technology. It happened near the end of the campaign in the middle of the night.

How to Talk Tech

Focus on Content, not Gizmos - Start by reviewing your marketing and client communications. Do you talk about the tools you use or about the solutions you deliver? Instead of announcing the launch of your new website, invite clients and prospects to view content you just published. 

Don't Promise, Deliver- Technology acquisition is often powered by marketing hype instead of proven results. Don't be surprised if your prospects are cynical to your new website or technology announcement. User benefits beat the coolness factor every time.

Profess Interest, not Illiteracy - If you are unfamiliar with specific technology, keep you mouth shut. Senator McCain spoke volumes on June 9, 2008 when he described his process for finding a VP as, "Well, basically, it’s a Google."  Instead of revealing a competitive disadvantage, cultivate an interest in innovation with questions like, "How are you using Twitter to communicate with your associates?"

Senator McCain's staff and volunteers were a big help to the campaign, but as the results of this election demonstrate, both political and business leaders can no longer delegate responsibility for understanding this powerful weapon known as Technology.

How do you talk tech? Post a comment below to share how you promote your organizations use of technology.

The election results are in, and the winner is... Technology?

From a purely political perspective, November 5, 2008 dawned with winners and losers in the United States Presidential election. But no matter which side you ended up on, let me offer my congratulations. As a business owner you stand to gain the most from the technology used during this historic quadrennial contest. It was definitely not your fathers presidential campaign.

Over the next two weeks I'll publish a series of posts outlining just how each of the major candidates used (or abused) the power of technology to secure your vote. You will learn everything from how they made decisions on hardware and software purchases, which communication channels they used, and even how effective they were when it came to "talking tech".

We will take a behind the scenes look at how they leveraged technology to identify likely voters (generate leads), shared their messages (market to prospects), conducted fundraising (generate sales), and built a loyal base of supporters (building customer relationships). Topics include:

• Art of the Invisible - Learning how to "Talk Tech"
• Choose Your Weapon - Never Bring a Knife to a Gunfight
• How John McCain invented the Blackberry
• Continuous Fundraising - Inch by Inch, Life's a Cinch
• The Bridge to Everywhere - 1. Gather Data, 2. Connect the Dots

I hope you'll find the series of value. Who knows, you might be able to use these tips to get ready for 2012.

First in the Series - Art of the Invisible

 

"Not Ready for Prime time" Webinars - How to Avert a Virtual Disaster

I was sure it would be a great webinar on the topic on getting the most out of LinkedIn.
It was sponsored by a well-known marketing group, led by an accomplished online training organization, and delivered by proven webinar provider.

It was a virtual disaster.

Because I'm a serial procrastinator I not only registered late by arrived a few minutes into the session. I was relieved when the webinar software downloaded smoothly and the slides appeared with the session leader's mouse making lazy circles around the slide. My heart rate started climbing when I realized I had no sound. Zero, zip, nothing. I tried all my tech support tricks. Down on my hands and knees checking cables, headset, no headset, still nothing.

I raised my virtual hand in the chat room, but no one called on me. I called webinar tech support and after a 15 minute hold, learned the tech could not contact the session leader to troubleshoot the problem. Finally, 54 minutes into the session the sound boomed out of my headset (Fortunately I'd already abandoned them).

What was the cause of all this stress and missing opportunity? It was blamed on a "technical glitch", but in truth it was "operator error". I learned the truth when the support tech asked me to use the chat window to signal the session host to press a magical keyboard sequence that would unlock the sound.

Averting a Webinar Disaster
Technology took the brunt of the blame for this disaster, but it was the people and organizations involved who will bear the scars of this failed presentation. If hosting an online presentation is in your future, here are some tips for not just recovering from, but avoiding an online disaster:

Dress Rehearsal - Disaster teams have drills, lawyers conduct mock trials, and presenters rehearse. Make sure you conduct a live rehearsal with a real audience (event if it's friends or family). Have someone record the output for your personal review.

Line Monitor - Back in my days as an intern at channel 10 I learned that all TV control rooms have a monitor hooked up to the transmitter. It's the only sure way to know the signal is getting through. Setup a separate computer and log into the session as an attendee to answer the question, "Can You hear me now?"

Allow for Latency - When you click to the next slide there is a time delay before it appears on the attendees screen. This is known as latency. Build in an allowance and keep an eye on the line monitor to confirm when to proceed with your narration.

Have a Plan B - Use the session recording function offered by the Webinar provider to create an "On-Demand Webcast". You not only gain a profitable product, you'll has something to offer your attendees in case of a less than optimal live performance.
Take this one step further and record your rehearsal (a tip I learned from Richard Hadden of ContentedCows.com). You will gain valuable feedback before the live event, plus you'll have a quality recording "In-the-can" to fill in any rough spots from the live presentation.

The thought of all of those attendees down on their hands and knees checking cables during the session haunts me still. No matter how sophisticated technology becomes, when it comes to live performance there are no "Do-overs". Plan for a dress rehearsal, use a line monitor and always have a backup plan!

Surviving Tech Gift Madness

Most of you have heard my business technology mantra "Tasks Over Tools". With holiday gifts to buy and end of year budgets to spend, it's a good time for some practical tips for surviving tech gift madness.

Here in the south and especially in Florida we fry our Thanksgiving turkey. Being born in the south (Southern California that is) it was my duty to prepare this southern delicacy. It went off without a hitch, mostly because I have the right tools (plus I read the manual). If a tech tool purchase is in your future, here's some timely tips to make sure you don't burn the house down.

Gifts for Others

Will they use it? Even large organizations buy tech because it's "cool", or because "everyone else is doing it". Before laying down your credit card, think about how the recipient will use the item.

Gifts for Yourself

Price is important, but don't overlook the other part of your investment, the time and effort it takes to learn new technology. Also, before you buy a new gadget, clean out that drawer full of abandoned junk you collected this year. Check with your supplier about their cell phone recycling program.

Gifts for Your Business

As you shop for your end of year tech upgrades you're going to hear all kind of claims and acronyms from tech associates. The only acronym that matters is ROI. Define the task before you choose the tool. Before you commit, get the answers to these important questions:

1. How will this investment help me connect with qualified prospects?
2. How will this investment help me build a better relationship with my loyal clients.

In business, like in turkey frying, it's important to keep your wits about you. Here's wishing you the happest of holidays, and a prosperous New Year!

Video Gallery - Turkey Frying

• The Right Way - Cooking With Jerry
• The Wrong Way - Turkey Fryer Gone Wrong

How was your Thanksgiving (add your comment below).