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February 2006 EduNotes
Inside this edition of EduNotes: Learn how to find your information when you need it, find out the questions you need to take your site to the next level and what the bad news is for Apple users. Send feedback or questions to edunotes@educyber.com .
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EduCyber is your technology partner. We partner with businesses, helping them solve problems and get more from their technology. Whether you need a web site, a web host, help with the search engines, or some kind of computer or network help, we partner with you to maximize your technology investment. Call EduCyber today at 720-275-4646.
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Organize Your Memory
A recent Wizard of Id comic strip joked about how in the “future” people will have artificial memory and use their own memories to try to retrieve the artificial memory. Retrieving information is an increasingly valuable task for businesses. Where did you put that file / image / email? Is technology helping you keep track of information or making it more difficult by giving you yet more places to misplace stuff?
Here are a few simple tips to help you stay organized:
- Name it well. Basic yes but still essential. If you save a file, give it a name with meaning. Document 1 or Workbook 1 are not useful for recalling what is in the file later. A good name for this newsletter would be 02-2006 EduNotes. Or even 02-2006 in folder labeled EduNotes. Well-named files can save hours of having to open each file to see what is inside each file.
- Place it well. Plan ahead just a bit and create folders to fit your needs. Is time essential for you? Create a folder for 2006 and subfolders for each month. You can even make another level of folders for each week of the month. Is your business customer-driven? Create several folders for different groups of customers (i.e. size or geography) and then subfolders for each customer.
- Apply the tip above for your email. Whether you use an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird or some other program that downloads your email to your computer; or you use web-based email, you can create folders and subfolders to help you retrieve important messages quickly and efficiently.
- Use a good search tool. One stream of current thought on file retrieval says you can place a file wherever you want and then just search for it when you need it. We don't go that far yet but when you can't quickly find a file or email you need via your filing system, a good search tool can bring it to your fingertips fairly quickly. Google, Yahoo and MSN all have desktop search tools as do many others. These tools are free downloads.
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10 essential questions to answer when you are ready to take your site to the next level
- What are your goals for your web site?
Be realistic. How does / will your web site integrate with your overall business plan? Do you expect more business? More sales? More inquiries? More calls? More sales?
- How do you expect people to find your site?
A web site needs its own marketing plan even though it can be a part of your overall marketing plan. Will people come via search engines? Is there a direct mailing campaign planned?
- What do you want people to do when they get to your site?
What is the call to action? Do you want them to purchase something? Should they call or email? Will they sign up for your email list?
- What niche does my business serve that sets it apart from my competitors and how can I leverage that through my site?
Don't say you don't serve a particular niche. Look at your existing clientele. What is unique about them? They can help you determine what your unique niche is.
- What will keep people coming back to your web site?
Keeping your site fresh is essential to keep people coming back. If you have an ecommerce site, that can be easy. You can also keep online specials for your services, keep up-to-date news or information or provide other timely items to keep people coming back to visit. Putting RSS feeds on your web site is an easy way to do this.
- What words do you expect people to have searched for when they click through to your site?
Think like a customer and try searching. Make a list of these words and make sure you use those words on your site
- Is your site currently ranked in the search engines?
If it isn't, figure out what you need to do to get it ranked.
- What colors and images or logos do you have that can be used to keep your BRAND in front of people?
Keeping the same image in front of people whether in print or online contributes to the overall branding you do.
- Should your site be set up with a shopping cart?
Think you don't have anything to sell? Think again. Nearly every business has a brand that can be marketed. Living in Japan in the ‘90's, I saw the rise of bowling shirts from US bowling teams – we're talking your local teams here, nothing big – and I realized somebody was making a lot of money.
- How can you use Word of Mouth marketing to improve your web site?
Look at blogging and newsfeeds (RSS feeds) to spread the word about your business and get others to also help spread the word.
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Mac Attack
It was bound to happen. With the resurgence of Apple Computers as happy iPod users join the diehard Mac fans and others are simply attracted to the elegant Apple designs, Apple is definitely back on the computing map.
So much so in fact that the bad guys have now turned their attention to Steve Jobs and gang. A new worm, called OSX/Leap-A singles out the Mac OS X operating system. This worm is spread through instant messaging systems and can delete files on an infected computer.
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