TechPoint Newsletter - January 2008

In this Issue ...

Great expectations: the ups and downs of business on the Web
Be a rebel: free alternatives to mainstream software
The rise of the handheld: accommodate or bust
Case study: Intermountain Logging Conference
Featured web management tool: Inventory Manager
Get an expert analysis of your website

Great expectations: the ups and downs of business on the Web

What better time to review performance and expectations of business websites than the start of a new year? The fact that the Internet is open 24 / 7, 365 days a year leads some to expect that websites are not subject to the same cyclical ups and downs that their physical businesses experience. Add to that expectation the ability to track every Web-based statistic imaginable, and business owners sometimes panic when site traffic slows down over the holidays or at certain times of the year.  It's important to realize, however, that inconsistent website traffic doesn't mean an inefficient site; it means the site is a reflection of business-specific patterns that everyone experiences at some point during any given year.

I think pretty much everyone is over the “build it and they will come” mentality and realizes the Web is like everything else: you get out of it what you put into it.  Most business owners now take their online presence very seriously.  Companies spend a lot of time and effort presenting a professional image and providing online services for their  customers such as online ordering, access to current inventory and access to support information. Getting the right tools in place, however, is only the beginning.

Taking the Internet seriously and responding to customer expectations are keys to building customer satisfaction and increasing sales, but with all this in place many business owners are still questioning the value of their online presence.  This is in large part due to our perception of the Internet that, because it's open 24/7, the results of business generated online should occur in the same consistent fashion.  The reality is there are times when customers are highly focused and on track for buying and times when they are not. Holidays and summer vacations are sure to be slow periods for many businesses  both off-line and online. Like with any other marketing tool, expectations of websites need to be set according to regular business cycles. If your customers buy in-person during spring and fall, it's safe to say website traffic will peak during these times as well. In the same vein, slow retail periods will coincide with lessening traffic online.  Understanding your business cycles and then setting expectations in accordance with those cycles will help business owners better evaluate the company's online presence. 

When it comes to getting more traffic and more business out of your website, the key is to develop a good marketing plan that produces more website traffic and increases business activity at critical times throughout the year.  This plan should include a variety of marketing channels, not just on the Internet, but through traditional advertising and marketing.  Whether you're trying to increase sales during busy times or build up your off-season business, highly focused marketing off-line and online is the only way to go.  Faxes, emails, directory and magazine advertising, banners, direct mail and other marketing channels can all work together to increase sales throughout the year.  Careful planning will help to ensure your message reaches your market at the right time and in the right places, maximizing your results. 

The other key to achieving your online objectives is a commitment to regularly updating your website with content and information that promotes return visits to the site. Anything from monthly newsletters to Web-only specials and sales will help to keep your important customers and potential customers coming back.

Investing an appropriate amount of time and effort is the best way to guarantee good results online. Setting out realistic expectations based on a carefully planned and executed marketing program will help to ensure your website expectations can be realized.

Be a rebel: free alternatives to mainstream software

Whether yours is a computer you've had forever or a self-endowed holiday gift, most business owners agree life would be very different if we weren't online and e-powered. But just because owning a computer is pretty much a given these days, it doesn't mean adding on expensive, high-end, brand name software has to be part of the natural progression of things. Don't get me wrong: the big names in word processing, email, news gathering and virus protection are usually a cinch to learn and operate and come backed by all the warranties, updates and tech support one could imagine. The downside is, for all that benefit, you generally pay the price. Not only that, but the more widespread a program is the more susceptible it can be to tampering and virus intrusion. Luckily, there are several comparable programs and products out there that are easy to find, download and put to use ... and even better – they're free. That's not to discourage people from sticking with the tried, tested and true; it just pays to know your choices.

Microsoft's Office suite of word processing and business management tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access have swept the world with unprecedented efficiency, ease of use and time saving properties. It's easy to agree they've made life easier, but at $499.95 US for a new package and $329.95 US for an upgrade, many are opting out and choosing Sun Microsystems' OpenOffice as a reasonable alternative.

OpenOffice, a free download, offers the ability to open all things created in Microsoft Office, as well as manage and create written documents, presentations, spreadsheets, database management files and just about everything else Microsoft Office is capable of.  Its sister program, StarOffice, is virtually identical to the Microsoft suite in features and learning curve, but retails for a competitive $69.95US. With either of these, even if you choose not to go with Microsoft Office, you can still stay in touch with those who do. Visit <www.openoffice.org> for full product information and for a comparison of features.

Staying abreast of industry-specific news can provide business owners with supplemental perspective and context for smart business decisions and planning. The only trouble is that searching a dozen or more news sites for the latest and greatest in a specific market can be time consuming to say the least. A simple solution is an RSS Feed news reader, with which a user can subscribe to news sources by topic and have headlines or updates from several sources filtered and sent to a central location to be read at any time. Google Reader is a free, fully searchable news reader that is unbelievably easy to use. Simply sign up for a free account at <www.google.ca> and follow the steps to creating an individualized news package. And though it might be a huge company, Google prides itself on being relatively “spam-free,” so  when they say you only get what you ask for, they mean it.

The profound level of angst some virus protection software delivers along with its service can sometimes be as painful as having a virus. Brands like Norton from Symantec do an excellent job of protecting your system, but besides the $59.99 – 79.99 price tag, once certain programs expire, if they aren't updated a non-stop hailing of pop-up windows begging you to renew your subscription takes over your system. Avast and AVG are two free virus protection programs that keep your system and email running smoothly, without the unwanted extras. Visit <www.avast.com> or <free.grisoft.com> for full details.

Speaking of email, Mozilla's Thunderbird truly lives up to its slogan: Reclaim Your Inbox. Offering a full customizable, high-security email client for Windows, Mac and Linux users in over 30 languages, there's almost no reason not to at least give it a try. Unlike some of the smaller, lesser-known programs Thunderbird offers free online support, FAQ and additional documentation, all free of charge. There are plenty of “add-ons” like multi-language dictionaries and mapping services and it even comes with its own RSS Feed reader. Visit <www.mozilla.com> to find out more.

These are just a few of the programs out there available to anyone wanting to explore their options, but still stay connected to those who swim in the mainstream. Not every tool is right for every business so a little homework into what features will meet your needs is never a bad idea. It's also smart to ask around about programs that look useful, but that you are completely unfamiliar with. Online forums, your business's tech department or even a Web-savvy friend can often lead you in the right direction toward creating a functional suite of office tools that is just right for your business.

**Please note all prices mentioned are in US dollars and quoted direct from individual websites as of January 7, 2008.

The rise of the handheld: accommodate or bust

It might be time to rethink the omnipotence of the desktop PC. As a harbinger of this, an article by the Associated Press says, “overall PC shipments in Japan have fallen for five consecutive quarters, the first ever drawn-out decline in PC sales in a key market.” Consumers are opting for handheld devices like Palm, Blackberry and SmartPhones, which allow them to talk, email, download music, create and edit videos, play Internet connected games and surf the Web – all on something that barely takes up space in a pocket.

Though PC sales in North America continue to grow each year, some say all computing trends begin in Japan and some PC manufacturers like IBM and Hitachi are pulling out while the getting is good. There are a lot of “maybe, possibly, could be” implications of this shift potentially reaching North America, but for businesses using the Internet for marketing and sales, it means a new brand of consideration is required when designing a company website.

To heighten a website's level of accessibility between devices, it must account for the difference in screen size. The average picture on a handheld device is about a tenth the size of a desk top monitor, and to get the best exposure possible a website should accommodate for the difference. Secondly, most people who favour the portable multi-functioning devices do so because they are busy or on the move, therefore, it's unlikely they want to have to wait around for large files or graphics to load in order to access the information they need. The answer to building a well-functioning company website with flexible, far-reaching capabilities and a fresh, enticing look is strong technical architecture.

The best option when structuring a website to accommodate a broad range of electronic devices is to build two versions of a site: one in full size with all the frills that is highly focused and looks fantastic on a desktop or laptop computer (let's call it www.lovetheweb.com), and another, pared down version for handhelds (www.lovetheweb.com/mobile).  A good web designer will take the essential components a person would be searching for with a handheld and make the “/mobile” version display only these. This means losing the graphics, headers and unnecessary menu options like “about us” and any image galleries, while making the “search,” “inventory,” “products” or other essential items fully accessible. (If you've ever had to use a PDA to look up directions or a ferry schedule when you're in a hurry you'll know the immense pleasure of getting straight to the “search” link without having to wait for 57 panoramic photos to download.)

Another option is to leave out the “/mobile” version all together and just allow good site architecture to direct your main site to reflect a more basic version of itself when accessed by a handheld device. If you go this route it's important to remember that huge pictures and large documents like PDFs will not be displayed on the basic version, so these should be used as supplemental to the site's main message rather than containing information that site visitors can't live without.

Some websites use a combination of these options, with a main site version that reflects a smaller version of itself on a PDA, but offers links to “mobile versions” of specific documents like schedules, menus or events listings. Adopting the necessary site architecture to accommodate for a variety of devices means the possibilities are endless. Most importantly, a dynamic, flexible architecture means that when the next latest and greatest in technology arises, you'll be able to accommodate without altering the site's content or design.

Web design isn't what it used to be. Gone are the days of knowing that your flat, static pages will look the same no matter where they turn up. Today the only certainty in the technology world is advancement and change, and building a strong web presence means being stable yet flexible to accommodate for future growth. This way you can be sure to reach a broader audience using everything from PDAs to PCs, everywhere from here to Japan.

Case study: Intermountain Logging Conference

Situation
The Intermountain Logging Conference (ILC) is an annual gathering of over 500 forestry professionals striving to maintain and enhance the forest products industry in the Intermountain West region of Canada and the US. The association behind the conference, a long-time client of Point One Media, had a static, difficult-to-maintain website that was due for a fresh new look. In preparation for the 2007 event, the ILC's new conference program manager wanted more control over the site's content. After a thorough assessment of the client's needs, Point One Media was able to develop a well-focused, user-friendly website that gives ILC a new look and total control.

Problem
The ILC's website was dated both in graphic design and underlying technical architecture. The issue of the flat, static pages was compounded by the inherent obstacle of the conference's timeliness. Because it is an annual event, the association needed a reason to make the site relevant all year round. The site lacked the eye-catching design and information-rich content that compels site visitors to inquire further into the conference's mission and purpose. The ILC's program manager found the site difficult to manage, update and add to on a regular basis. Further, she wanted conference attendees and exhibitors to be able to inquire, register and reserve space online.

Solution
Point One Media developed a new graphic design for the site that was both eye-catching and professional. The implementation of several dynamic content editors gave the conference program manager complete freedom and flexibility over editing, changing and removing content using any computer connected to the Internet. As well, attendee and exhibitor areas were added to allow for online registration. Point One Media worked closely with the association to develop highly-focused text that encompasses the association's primary vision and goals. Key in the text development was the addition of “association overview,” “links” and “future show dates” links, which make the site a relevant and useful resource all year long. In the event that the association wishes to brand future conferences with industry themes or colour schemes, the site's strong technical architecture will allow for a yearly makeover that doesn't interfere with content or functionality.

Result
The new Intermountain Logging Conference site presents a clean, professional image and a more functional, modern design. Its flexibility allows conference organizers to keep the content fresh and gives conference attendees and exhibitors the ability to interact with the conference organizers online. If the ILC updates the look and feel of its site on a yearly basis in conjunction with event-specific branding or theme development, the site's strong underlying architecture will make this possible without altering content or functionality of the existing site. Click here to see how Point One Media made the ILC's online needs a reality.

Featured web management tool: Inventory Manager

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