I just got a little scare when I clicked, “Sign out,” at Twitter and got the message, “Your account will be deactivated, Bye!” I logged back in successfully, but am still unsure of what is going on. Hopefully it’s just a glitch at Twitter and will be fixed soon.
Blog
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The First Day of the Rest of My Life
While the title of this post sounds a little dramatic, today I did turn in a resignation letter to my day-time job. The job was well paying and secure. I had friends and freedom there, but it wasn’t what I was passionate about and the moment I thought I could get away to do what I was passionate away, I did. It wasn’t an easy decision though.
A week ago I asked God how I should be spending my time to create revenue. I decided to fast for 7 nights, skipping supper each night to pray instead. By the end of the week, my wife and I both came to the same conclusion. It was time to leave. After that, our ideas of how things should go slightly differ. She wants me to spend some time looking for another job and I want to take care of my current customers and build my own business, but I have a feeling I’ll do a little bit of both. I’ve already informed a couple of old jobs I had that I would be willing to work for them again when needed.
My wife is pregnant with our fourth child. We don’t yet know what the sex is or how many there might be or whether or not we’ll have insurance. My hope is that the path God led us down includes provisions for all of that and as long as I continue to pray and follow that path. I have goals and plans to focus on the Indianapolis web design business, Growmotion, and Cost Publishing, my blog network, while doing contract work for an Indianapolis computer repair firm and Watershawl [a web design and SEO company I ran from 2007 to 2012].
I don’t know what the future holds, but I have just under four weeks left at my current job to start finding out. I have to figure out how I’m going to structure my day working at home, how much time I’m going to spend with my family playing, teaching, and eating, and how much time I’m going to spend resting and reading. There are a lot of unknowns, but one thing is for sure, today is the first day of the rest of my life, but then again, every day is.
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About Google Caffeine
Google Caffeine is the latest version of the search engine’s algorithm, or method by which they search and index the Internet. One thing that hasn’t changed is that backlinks are still important, but other things have.
One major change is that the search engine now can update it’s index in seconds, instead of days, which means that anything you post on your website, blog, or Twitter will be updated in Google’s search results within seconds as long as its in the index of results already. This is powerful because it means that the search engine is extremely up-to-date at almost every moment.
The other big change is how it views relevance. Relevance is how Google determines whether or not your page is worth ranking at the top of the search results. In the beginning Google used a mathematical formula that took into account the number of pages linking back to your page, the content on your page, the content of the pages linking to your page, and the links from your page to other relevant sites (based on content). That core feature is still in the algorithm, but it’s been added to and tweaked over the years.
No one except the Google engineers know what the algorithm actually looks for, but we have hints from its behavior and from Google’s blog that lead us to believe that a new feature of Caffeine is that the search engine now takes synonyms used on the page as a factor in determining relevance. This means that a site that uses a keyword of “web design” should also have related terms like “web hosting, SEO, and web development.” If you think about it, it makes sense as it builds context around a term. For those who have built their web sites around a primary keyword, this can hurt, but if you write naturally and really know what you are talking about, this should be okay. Just keep in mind that internal and external linking to relevant sites with similar content will help your site have relevance and get better search engine rank results.
If you need help getting better results, contact us.
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Action Management
Erich Stauffer believes in managing actions for better results.
Managing actions involves actively managing your business and its employees. Erich Stauffer specializes in business process management (BPM), business continuity planning (BCP), and staffing models. Erich Stauffer can also offer business-class web design and development for the Indianapolis area. Erich Stauffer wants to help make your business better. Here are a few of their management services:
Process Auditing – Find out your company’s risk level by analyzing who knows which tasks and whether or not each task has a written procedure.
Staffing Models – Create utilization models that your supervisors can use to plan for – and report on – daily staff productivity.
Business Continuity Planning – Be prepared for various disasters by creating a plan for how your business will go on in midst of environmental and social variables.
Management Consulting – From business process modeling to staff utilization models, we can help your business setup and diagram the functions that keep your business growing daily. Better manage your current employees using data, not gut instincts. We can provide custom tools that allow supervisors to anticipate staffing needs and run scenarios of changes in work loads before they happen.
Business Process Management – Whether your business is brand new or well established, if your company is growing, then there is a need to get organized. Documenting what each task within the company does, who knows how to do it, and if anyone is cross-trained on the subject can be an arduous task, but it is what we specialize in. We can help your company get organized.
Business Continuity Planning – Its wise to plan for various environmental or social events that could seriously impact the ability of your business to continue on afterward. Is your data backed up? Have the backups been restored to test? Would you be able to function if 30% of your staff became ill? How long could you remain in business without electricity? These are the things we can help you find out.
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Email Expectations
Customer: I need a website for my business so I do a web search for a web design company to make it and I look at the work that they have done before I ever consider price. I judge what their prices might be based on the site and their work. I might put a feeler email out there or call for information, but I don’t want to commit in any way. I want information without commitment.
Us: Emailing or calling us amounts to an information request only. Any commitment comes with a contract, which only occurs after you’re comfortable and ready to get started. We won’t be sending out a newsletter or cold calling you, nor will we be sharing your information with anyone else. We value your privacy and the privacy of your project. However, all of our customers receive a monthly email detailing any software updates and/or testing we have done that month in addition to a detailed report about your website’s traffic.
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Indianapolis Dentist Hires Pre-Med Teen as Summer Intern
Indianapolis dentist, Dr. Ted Reese, DDS, MAGD, has hired a local high school graduate, Kishan, to intern this summer before entering the Pre-Med program at Duke University thus fall. Kishan graduated at the top of his class, but hopes to learn from one the best dentists in town. Dr. Reese allows Kishan to shadow him during patient visits in between Kishan’s other roles of assisting the office manager, Karen, and doing a summer email marketing newsletter for the Indianapolis Center for Implant and Sedation Dentistry where he is working.
Erich Stauffer has been assisting Dr. Reese with his marketing campaign and recently with Kishan as he learns how to use Constant Contact, our preferred email marketing software. Kishan is a whiz on the computer and a fast learner. We’re sure he’ll do well at Duke and we wish him well this summer in Indianapolis.
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Introduction to Groupons
Groupons is a company and a website with a unique business model that is mutually beneficial to vendors, customers, and Groupons itself. Vendors like retail outlets contact Groupons about goods or services they would like to package and promote. Groupon reps work with the vendor to create an ad that runs in a daily email newsletter. Each coupon has a quota and if enough people purchase a package, all packages sell at once. Groupons takes a small percentage of the sale and mails the vendor a check the next day. Customers get the coupon immediately for use.
Because Groupons only makes money when you, the vendor, makes money you can be sure that the ad reps will help paint your company and products in a good light. There is very little risk and a lot of potential exposure. Even if not enough coupons are sold, your brand will still go out to thousands of potential new clients who may use your business in the future.
If you want to learn more about how Groupon works, check out their guide site. At Erich Stauffer, we can also assist with helping your company apply to Groupon or setup an email marketing campaign of your own. We prefer Constant Contact, but we are also familiar with Delivra. We recommend email marketing be a core part of your overall marketing strategy and advertising budget.
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Al Gore, Time Traveler
On June 15 DARPA sent Al Gore back in time and after successfully inventing the internet and global warming he struggled to find a way back to the future. Eventually he discovered that he only had to travel near the speed of light in order for Earth time to pass much more quickly than his relative time. All he had to do was build a ship capable of these speeds. Luckily he was able to tweak a plasma jet to run on hot air, easily providing plenty of energy for the 22 minute flight.
Al Gore Leaves the Lime Light to Open ‘Big Al’s Flower Shop’ in East New Jersey
Al Gore, faced with impending financial scrutiny from the new financial bill exits Palo Alto’s Capricorn Investment Group LLC and London-based Generation Investment Management to start a flower delivery shop in New Jersey, “Just to see people’s faces,” when he delivers them flowers.
Attack of the Known Clones
As soon as Al Gore started blaming his clone for the events two years ago, news agencies began questioning the authenticity of his story, but despite national security concerns, Gore admitted that the government routinely clones high-level officials, “kind of like they do in that movie, The Island,” Gore said. Gore can only imagine that it was this clone that escaped from it’s holding facility and forced that poor girl to do whatever it was he forced her to do. No matter what happens, Gore is going to get to the bottom of this. The government has yet to comment on these revelations, but we expect for Gore to be discredited at their earliest convenience. As a citizen, however, I am pleased that the government takes such back-up precautions, even if they can get quite out of control.
An Interview with Al Gore
The SDN caught up with former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore, in his local flower shop to ask him a few questions while he trimmed the petunias.
SDN: Mr. Vice President, thank you for speaking with us. May I call you Al?
GORE: Thanks for stopping by, I do enjoy reading The SDN, but no, you can’t call me Al. I prefer to be called sir.
SDN: Yes, sir, I’d like to start this conversation off by avoiding some of the recent legal issues you are facing and instead focus on something I believe you’re passionate about, and that’s climate change.
GORE: Yes, your readers know that I am innocent, that it was merely a case of mistaken identity, but I’m positive that I will be vindicated once I can find and bring my clone to justice. By the way, that looks delicious. What are you eating?
SDN: Oh, it’s an egg and cheese sandwich on raisin bread. My wife made it for me. I have to eat like every two hours or else I get sick.
GORE: Well I’ll tell you what makes me sick is this oil spill.
SDN: Yeah, that’s weird, huh?
GORE: I’ve heard they may have it corralled by this weekend.
SDN: Yeah, right, we’ll see. You’ve got to be loving this heat wave the east coast has been getting, though, eh?
GORE: Oh yeah, I sell many more books and DVDs each time the temperature rises above 88 in New York City, it’s kind of like the flux capacitor for me. Plus the flowers there have all been wilting so business is booming.
SDN: Well your flowers look great. I’m glad to hear your shop is doing well, but I’d like to get back to climate change. You’ve brought up a lot of problems our planet currently faces, but have you put any thought into possible solutions?
GORE: No, that’s for scientists to figure out. What I do is read magazines, watch television shows, and movies, then let other people know what is going on so that they will pay me to come speak at their school.
SDN: Are you aware of what some of these scientists you speak of are currently saying about some of these problems and possible solutions?
GORE: Well I do read the SDN.
SDN: Okay, so you are aware that methane gas is actually a bigger problem than carbon dioxide when it comes to heating the planet and by simply eliminating all cattle we could cool the earth at least 2 degrees Fahrenheit?
GORE: Well, I’d rather be hot than live in a world without beef.
SDN: And you’re aware that by simply replacing every tree that is cut down, we could eliminate more carbon dioxide in the air than by stopping all automobile traffic worldwide?
GORE: But I don’t make any money planting trees. I make money selling flowers and carbon credits.
SDN: So is this all about the money, then?
GORE: If I can get paid for doing what I am passionate about, so be it.
SDN: But when confronted with facts and data, why turn a blind eye?
GORE: I’m not turning a blind eye, but I do see a couple of plants in the window that need turned, excuse me.
Al Gore Announces He’s Running for a 3rd Term in 2012
We caught up with Al Gore at his flower shop in New Jersey where he spoke to us about his recent decision to run for Vice President again in 2012. “I haven’t decided who my running mate will be, but I’m leaning towards Sarah Palin.” He then puts the back of his hand near his face and whispers to me, “She’s hot, like the globe.”
“Sarah Palin is Republican. Are you planning on on switching parties?” I ask.
“Oh, then Nikki Haley,” Gore replied.
“Nikki Haley is also a Republican.” I respond.
“Oh, then yes. I am.”
Al Gore Travels Through Time to Rescue Legacy
September 11, 2010 was a devastating day for Al Gore. The USA Today proclaimed, “School named after Al Gore was built on toxic soil.” What was to become of his legacy? 2010 was a rough year for Gore. In June DARPA sent him back in time where he had to travel back to the future only to find himself replaced by a clone who had allegedly committed crimes in his place. After fixing the space time continuum and outing his clone, Al returned to his flower shop only to find out that the school named after him had been built on toxic soil. “That was the last straw,” he said, and like a donkey under a heavy load, he fell prostate on the ground, weeping where his tears cooled the earth and saved us from global warming. People around the world (and in Mexico) rejoiced and Al Gores legacy was restored!