Erich Stauffer

Category: Technology

  • 10 Effective Marketing and IT Solutions for Small Businesses

    10 ways small businesses or entrepreneurs can use their new website to expand their business – not just their online presence.

    Promote your website.

    Create social spaces on web 2.0 places like Facebook, Myspace, & Youtube. Create content that attracts visitors, then link to your site to draw traffic to the products and services you offer. Content is king so the more articles, blog posts, pictures, video, and information you post, the more people will land on your site and ultimately patronize your business. Even if you don’t decide to use these web 2.0 services, we recommend creating accounts there to reserve your brand name and prevent others from using or abusing it. An easy, but effective way to promote is to ask peers in your field or related fields to link to your site. This gives legitimacy to your website and helps boost search engine rankings. Periodically review your primary keywords. Are your customers finding you using these keywords? Adjust if necessary.

    Be the master of your domain.

    Do you have a new domain that you would like to create email addresses for different parts of your company or for your staff? Think of internal and external uses for email using your new domain including distribution lists that might benefit your business. Decide if you’d like to manage your own email or have someone else do it for you. There are hardware and software solutions for both options if your business has the need. There are also ways to use your domain to store documents safely and securely online. Make your staff more productive by sharing documents and setting up a wiki using your new domain. Create a sub-domain to install a CRM package like SugarCRM or BaseCamp or online applications like Microsoft Office Live or Google Apps. Create a sub-domain like “remote” and configure remote access to your office PC or server – get secure access to your desktop or server from anywhere, as easy as typing in a website address.

    Prepare for growth.

    Create processes for what you’ll do when you get an email from your website. Be prepared for when you get them. Decide what information you want to collect from your website using the web form, the analytics, or via phone call, and then create a privacy policy. Users may want to know how their information is collected and used online then post this privacy policy. Some online advertising programs like Google Adsense require that your site have a privacy policy posted with specific verbiage. Check with your vendors to see if they require that your site have a privacy policy. In addition to creating a privacy policy, you might want to consider creating a customer resource management (CRM) tool to store the information you collect. This can be as simple as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, Google Sites, or SugarCRM. You’ll want to know who your customers are and where they came from.

    Manage your ROI.

    Any other advertising you are doing on billboards, radio, TV, or print should be pointed back to specific, non-linked pages on your website in order to determine the ROI on those advertisement investments. Use analytics to see what pages your customers or potential customers are visiting to determine how they got there. See what pages people are entering your site through and which ones they are leaving and how long they are staying on each. This way you can adapt your website and improve performance. If you are not getting the results you desire, review your call to action to see if users are responding to it. Is it clear what the site is asking them to do? Protect your brand and know who is talking about and/or linking to your website by setting up alerts to notify you when someone writes about you online or links to your site.

    Update your marketing.

    Does your old image or brand not reflect your new website? You might need to update your branding and/or logo to match the look and feel of your new website. Update any signs, business cards, or marketing materials, especially business cards with your new website’s address. If you are promoting your business on Twitter, Facebook, or Myspace, you might consider adding these websites as well. Be discriminate, but don’t hide them either. Transparency is a hot business trend in 2009 and may continue into the future. Creating a dialog with the customer is important, but its not enough to expect them to converse with you on your website, you have to go to where your customers are. And for the most part, your customers are on social spaces like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.

    Keep your website fresh.

    Your website is new now, but that won’t always be the case. Customers expect a website to change its content over time. When you have news, post it to your website. When you have sales or begin selling a new product or service, post it. This will help keep your business looking fresh and alive. A general rule is to change something on your website’s home page or primary landing page at least once a month. An easy way to do this if you don’t have much news it to change out pictures or video. Content on your social spaces is more strict and should change daily. A stagnant social space can sometimes do more harm than good so make sure to keep it updated and you will reap the rewards from engaged customers and brand loyalty.

    Save money.

    You may have paid a newspaper or head hunter to help you find top talent before. Now you can use your website to collect résumé’s or post jobs online. You can also use your website to do market research testing the popularity of a product or service before you buy inventory or hire a new staff member. Use analytics and promotion to help you tease information out of the content you post. In this way you will save money from buying and promoting a failed offering until you find the one that truly has a market. Save even more if you’ve used a market research firm for this type of service in the past.

    Make money.

    This may or may not be the primary goal of your website, but you now have a platform for selling products or services directly to customers online – just as you would over a physical counter in a store. You can have the ability to accept credit cards on your site or through services like Paypal or Google Checkout. You can also use part of your website for affiliate referrals which pay you when someone signs up for something on another site. This is a form of an advertisement and if you were inclined to add that, there are options to sell space or work with major partners like Google as an additional way to generate capital for your business.

    Rethink location.

    Now that you have a website, how might you use it to expand your business’ footprint? What products or services did you not offer before because of location? You might want to reevaluate decisions you’ve made in the past in relation to your physical location. Now that you have a website which is not necessarily restricted by where it is on a map, how does that affect your business model? Does this allow you to broaden your market? Does it allow you to consider setting up a franchise or sales offices elsewhere? Taking this thought experiment to the next level, could you create premium content about how you do what you do and either offer subscription-level service to those who need the information or even write a book about it?

    About Erich Stauffer Web Design and Promotion

    At Erich Stauffer, we believe that, the keys to a successful business are organization, accountability, and execution. This is a philosophy that we not only practice internally, but expect our clients to hold us to as well. Client Service is our #1 priority, and our team of professionals will work with you to design and promote your website to achieve your vision of a successful business.

    Erich Stauffer delivers exceptional solutions for your business:

    • Professional web design to keep visitors and gain customers
    • Web promotions to attract visitors
    • Web Analytics to show a return on your investment (ROI)

    We are an Indianapolis firm serving the entire Midwest region and beyond. We offer web design and development services for all types and sizes of businesses.

    Don’t have a website yet? There’s no better time than now to invest in the future success of your business. An attractive website is a critical component of success for any business. At Erich Stauffer, we can create, update, and maintain your website. Our company also offers other valuable services such as:

    The next step is to contact our Sales Manager who will arrange a time to have an initial consultation. We look forward to discussing how to help make your vision of a successful business come to life through the power of the web. After all, “Our Business is Helping Your Business.”

    Get a free quote today!

  • Erich Stauffer is Active in the Fight Against Homelessness by Supporting Homeward Bound of Indiana

    During these tough times it so easy for us get caught up in the news headlines about a tough economy and rising unemployment. We have become quick to shut our doors in an attempt to “weather the storm” that we hear and read about everyday. Despite the hardships that we have all gone through, almost all of us can say that we at least have a safe, dry and warm house to go to at the end of the day. We have so many blessings to be thankful for in our lives.

    What if you didn’t have doors to shut, or a safe/warm home to protect you or your family from the storms of life? Homelessness is a very real and growing issue in all the communities where we live and work. So many people have lost their jobs due to a tough economy and cannot provide that safe haven for themselves or their family. This year our team at Erich Stauffer is joining thousands of Hoosiers to raise money to provide housing and fight homelessness in Indiana, and we want you to be a part of our team.

    On Sunday, April 26 at 2:00 PM, we will be joining hundreds of thoughtful Hoosiers for a 5k walk at the Millcreek Civic Center in Chesterfield, IN. We would love to have you walk with us to show your support for this wonderful organization that helps those in need. You can register to walk from the Home page of the Homeward Bound website.

    In tough times it is easy to grasp onto what we have and lose sight of what we have to give. I sincerely thank you for your thoughtful gift. You are truly making a difference in the lives of others.

    Thank you for caring,

    The Team at Erich Stauffer

  • A Smattering of Twitter Directories

    Twitter, a micro-blogging service which allows users to post up to 140 characters at a time, is still in its research phase, but in Web 2.0 terms, its fast becoming a juggernaut. You may have noticed its use in mass media like CNN and NPR. Although Twitter usage has grown 1689% in the last year (2008), it is still dwarfed by Facebook which has more than 175 million users compared to Twitter’s 1.78 million. It may be unfair to compare the two however, as they are two completely different types of services. Facebook is more full featured while Twitter does one thing, but does it very well. One thing they don’t offer is a directory services, so a few companies have been filling that need and piggybacking on Twitter’s success by creating Twitter directories.

    Currently the five major Twitter directories are Just Tweet It, We Follow, Twit Town, Twit Dir, and Twibs. Just Tweet It is currently the most popular, but Twibs and We Follow have a strong chance of overtaking Just Tweet It. Twibs is a business directory and is currently paying for online advertising until their SEO base can allow their site to rise to the top. We Follow is ran by Digg founder, Kevin Rose so it is sure to be a player, but in this Economy 2.0, nothing is for certain. One thing you can count on is content and right now the only ones creating it are the Twitter users themselves. If that dries up, Twitter, and all its directories, go with it. That does not seem to be happening though. Even MySpace, which has stopped growing as fast, has not started to decline even in the face of its biggest competitor, Facebook. There is probably even room for Twitter competition like Plurk in this vast, virtual place we call the Internet.

  • Erich Stauffer Hires General Manager

    Erich Stauffer welcomes Jason Cobb who brings his extensive management experience from the banking sector and applies it to business promotion at the brink of explosive growth as workers in the Midwest begin opening their own businesses “on the side” or to replace a previous job.

    Indianapolis, IN (TELABLUE) February 24, 2009 — Erich Stauffer announced today the hiring of Jason Cobb as the new Product Manager. Cobb has over 7 years of previous experience managing people and projects for the financial industry. “I am excited to bring data-driven marketing as a new addition to the Erich Stauffer culture, said Jason Cobb, General Manager at Erich Stauffer. “I am confident as we continue to move forward that we will can grow the brand of web design that Erich Stauffer has already established in the Indianapolis area to the rest of the Midwest.”

    “Jason Cobb is a welcome addition to our executive management team,” said Chris Hendrickson, Sales Manager at Erich Stauffer. “His approach to management through analysis and accountability will help us continue to improve our positive operating results in spite of the current challenging macroeconomic environment.” Jason has worked for several large institutions and looks forward to the growth potential and nimbleness of an up-and-coming business in the heart of the Midwest.  “Jason Cobb is a hard-working executive ,” said Erich Stauffer, Production Manager at Erich Stauffer. “I look forward to working with him as we help businesses around the Midwest, but especially in Indianapolis, grow.  That’s what its all about.”

  • Youtube Query String Parameters

    I’ve been experimenting with the query string parameters after the main Youtube address. Some people may refer to them as “Youtube codes”, but the easiest way to explain them is that they are the ampersands and snippet of text at the end of the web address. This string of of code, the Youtube query string parameters, adds functionality to what is presented. There is no real comprehensive guide on the Internet for this, but I’ve compiled a short list of the Youtube codes I could find here so that when you need them, you’ll be able to find the Youtube codes or “query string parameters” faster than I did.

    Update: If you’re looking for query strings for Youtube or Google Maps, you might try Map Strings if the other link isn’t working.

    Thanks to sysop073 for the heads up on Reddit.

    Query

    Translation
    &hl= hl stands for Host Language (thank you MapKi!) It is followed by “hl Parameter Values” which correspond to “Language/Locales” ex. en-US means English (United States and Canada).

    It also can stand for hoc loco, which is Latin for “in this place” or hl stands for “human language”, but not in this case.
    &video_id= Youtube video ID – used in conjunction with &get_video? to embed a Youtube video into another application. Not supported by Youtubes terms of service and may no longer work.
    &t= Youtube video tag – used in conjunction with Youtube video ID.
    &fmt= &fmt=6 is good quality, &fmt=18 is better, and &fmt=22 is the best. Video must originally be in high definition (HD) to work. May not work regardless as this feature is in beta and not available for all videos.
    &rel= Rel stands for related. In relation to youtube, rel=1 means show related feeds and rel=0 means don’t.
    &fs= Allows the fullscreen button to show up or not. 1 means it will show up, 0 means it is disabled.
    &start=225 Starts the video 225 seconds into the video.

    I recommend this extensive post on Youtube plugins and tools for more information and for advanced users, check out the Youtube Reference Guide. Also, check out this Google Maps Parameters Guide from MapKi and Youtube Query String Arguments.

    More > Learn how to delete a Digg submission > How to Delete a Digg Submission…

  • Erich Stauffer Hires Sales Manager

    Erich Stauffer announces hire of Chris Hendrickson. With over 8 years of experience, Hendrickson will oversee the company’s sales division, delivering exceptional service to clients in the Midwest.

    Indianapolis, IN (TELABLUE) January 21, 2009 — Erich Stauffer, a leading provider for Indianapolis web design and web promotion products and services, is pleased to announce the recent addition of Chris Hendrickson to our team as the Sales Manager for the organization.  Chris will be focused on creating client acquisition strategies, further developing a positive client onboarding experience, and will lead product management efforts for the fast growing Indianapolis web design company.

    Chris brings 8 years of project and product management experience to the Erich Stauffer team.  His skills in delivering products and services to clients on schedule, within budget and with the highest quality are well-respected and admired.  Chris is a graduate of Ball State University with a B.S. degree in Finance.  He also acquired his PMP, Project Management Professional, certification in January 2008, and has been active member of the Central Indiana Chapter of the Project Management Institute since that time.

    “Chris will be a great addition to our team at Erich Stauffer.  His ability to interact with clients, understand their vision, and develop solutions that suit their needs will bring great strength to an already solid foundation to our Indianapolis web design company.  We are very excited about the growth of the sales division under his leadership,” says Erich Stauffer’s General Manager, Jason Cobb.

    “I am delighted to join Erich Stauffer and look forward to continue building strong partnerships with our clients and local businesses.  Erich Stauffer has established itself as an emerging Indianapolis web design and web promotion company, and I could not be more excited about being part of a team with such strong talent and innovative ideas,” said Hendrickson.

  • How to Turn the Ship Around – Just Say the Word, Captain

    Have you ever heard the expression that, “It is not all about semantics, it is ALL about semantics.”?

    Why are we in a recession? Because we said we were – and so it was.  Ask and you shall receive.  This could be a domino effect from excessive margin trading on Wall Street, a multi-national debasement of currency, or it could simply be the effect of real-time media spouting “RECESSION IS COMING! RECESSION IS NEAR, ALAS RECESSION IS HEAR!” My wife actually mentioned to me the other day, “Did you hear the government officially announced we are in a recession?”  My wife knows nothing about the news or economics.  All the news she reads is in a forum from other like-minded stay-at-home moms.  That means the other stay-at-home moms are also talking about it.  It is truly a household expression.

    We are in a recession.  Now what? If semantics got us into this, can it get us out? While possible, it may be harder because terms for the opposite of recession like bull market are not household terms.  What if the Big Five advertising companies got together and announced a new term for the opposite of recession?  It would have to be something that exemplified American spirit, a phrase or preferrably a word that encompassed growth and prosperity, something that is the opposite of the word recession or depression.  Lets give them a start:

    recession – noun. two or more consecutive quarters of negative growth in the economy; a slight depression or indent; a period of rest when productivity stops, such as when a court or classroom breaks for recess.

    [opposite of recession] – noun. two or more consecutive quarters of positive growth; a slight rise or bump; a period of growth and increase in productivity, such as when more available people and equipment are in use.

    Words that would mean the opposite of recession that would stick in peoples minds and could become a household term:

    • incession
    • uncession
    • unionsion
    • producsion
    • improvsion
    • lacession
    • warcession
    • growthcession

    Words that do not end in “sion” that might also come to mean [opposite of recession]:

    • warcycle
    • beatperiod
    • upturn
    • uptick
    • growthturn
    • fastbreak

    Phrases that might also mean opposite of recession:

    • AMERICA: My boyfriends back.
    • AMERICA: The sleeping giant wakes up and wants to know what’s for breakfast.
    • AMERICA: Build it. Buy it. Bring it.
    • AMERICA: Growth for OUR sake.
    • Power up, America.
    • Don’t mess with US.
    • Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, America. Its time for you to stand up so the world can stand down.

    Is America’s role as an economic world leader over?  If the events of the past three months are any indicator, the answer is an astounding NO.  China and India, the future of world growth, tripped at the first sign of America’s financial collapse.  Conspirators may hypothosize that America’s role was being compromised, but by debasing the worlds currency’s, America, which still has relatively wealthy citizens is now poised to take advantage of all the new “deals” around the world in the prime growth markets.  But conspiracy theories aside, for nearly 100% of the world it doesn’t matter anyway.  We have to deal with things as they are, no matter who controls the purse strings.  So lets get out there and start talking POSITIVE!

    Its time to “break the fast” and welcome America to the AWAKENING, the opposite of a recession in America.

  • Working Anywhere – The Search for the Mobile Office

    3G, WiMax, it was all supposed to make the Internet ubiquitous and the cost so minimal that it would be free.  It did not and is not.  So how does someone hopped up on the Four Hour Workweek Get Things Done while out on the road (or to avoid paying rent like the rest of the suits)?  I decided to find out.

    Wardriving is a term based on the act of wardialing (which is coined from the movie War Games), but adapted to driving around looking for WiFi hot spots.  Check your local law books on this one.  In some places its illegal, but this mostly applies to connecting to private networks.  Today I went looking for public networks to use for access to the great gig in the Skynet.

    McDonalds and Pilot truck stops both offered WiFi for a fee of around $3 an hour or $20 a month.  Pilot had unlimited for $150 a year prepaid.  This might be a good option for a trucker or someone who lives near a Pilot.  I can’t see getting too much work done at a McDonalds, but I suppose if the conditions were right you could.  Some hotels have free WiFi access, but you should ethically be staying there before using it.  Panera is hands down the place to go.  Its free and has a good atmosphere for it, just don’t abuse it.  Someone has been arrested for stealing Internet access from Panera after he was seen using it from the parking lot for over a year.  Just use the golden rule on this one and if its “free” like at Panera, throw ’em some change once in a while for a coffee or two.

    For more information on coworking, visit Nook Share.

  • Mornings are Made for Mini PCs

    It’s 4 Am, the time when song lyrics are written and mad capers are planned.  I keep an HP Mini 1000 next to my bed.  I got it for myself and to have something to show pitches to clients with.  I do web design in Indianapolis. I’ve been experimenting with how this PC fits into my life.  Its bigger than a cell phone, smaller than a normal-sized laptop, and has no optical drive (CD-ROM or DVD tray).  I couldn’t afford to get the 3G card or bluetooth (the truth is I didn’t have the cash for either the mini1000 or the color laser printer I bought on charge, but to get both and stay under the $800 limit, I had to cut those options.)  I did go for the upgrade to a 10.2 inch screen and then my wife found a coupon code to get us just under our HP credit card limit.  I could write a whole other blog about why that is a bad idea, but I tend not to follow my own advice.  I had two web clients in the wings, but only one landed so now I should be scrambling, but its more like floundering.  Anyway, back to the mini PC.

    I’m 6’5″ tall and  my hands are relative to my body, but the mind is a very powerful thing and even though the keyboard is smaller, the hands adapt quickly.  Everything seems to be where it should be on the keyboard.  I especially like the large shift keys which even my wife’s 17 inch laptop does not have.   I buy HP laptops primarily for the ability to turn off the touchpad when typing.  No other manufacturer has this feature.  HP is all in all a good brand though (HP, my referral check can be sent to PO Box 55, Tipton, IN, 46072, thanks.)  The speaker sounds like a tin can, which is to be expected.  Just use headphones.

    So how has the mini PC fit into my life so far?  I have been keeping it in my bedroom and can now watch movies instantly on Netflix before  going to bed, remote desktop into my PC downstairs for access to Photoshop or more power computing, or wake up in the middle of the night and blog at 4AM.  Its now my choice to make.  My neck hurts from looking down at the night stand.  If I hold the mini PC on my lap my legs hurt from having to “keep themselves together, man.”  If I lay on my belly, my neck hurts worse.  If I lay on my back, putting it on my belly, same thing.  In summary, the mini PC HAS to be used in an ergo friendly environment despite being so mobile it could be used anywhere (anywhere there is an Internet connection because without that, this thing is a word processor/paper weight albeit a light one).