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Blatherings while at Lingo and home =] *may contain nuts.
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
[Delicious] lingoliz wants to share a bookmark with you
Bookmark: http://www.internetworld.co.uk/buzz/the-buzz-articles/is-copy-the-bastard-son-of-seo-
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Connections
The number of profile pages and possibilities for connecting via web services is literally mindblowing!
The latest profile I've been using is Yahoo http://profiles.yahoo.com/lingoliz
It's important to give people as many options to contact you as possible, but with so many services, it's nice to see that Yahoo have crafted an itegration with these within thier interface.
The latest profile I've been using is Yahoo http://profiles.yahoo.com/lingoliz
It's important to give people as many options to contact you as possible, but with so many services, it's nice to see that Yahoo have crafted an itegration with these within thier interface.
Saturday, 11 July 2009
SEO. How to say what you're going to do without how you're going to do it!
It's a tricky balance to strike when talking about Search Engine Optimisation, between explaining to customers what you're going to do, without a.) going into too much detail about how you're going to do it (and therefore boring the pants of them or leaving them feeling utterly confused) and b.) giving away all your valuable wisdom, so that the client thinks "I can do that!" or even worse, think that they have a good grasp of what is going on and can get involved!
That's not to dumb down my wonderful clients, not at all... but a little knowledge is often a dangerous thing. Also, involvement is needed, and welcomed...but it's how to manage that constructively that is the tricky thing. I liken it to a skilled motor mechanic working on a car (think F1 if you like, but the metaphor works for your basic run-around motor needing an MOT). The mechanic tinkers with the car for it's optimum performance. We all know that in his (or her) tool box, they have a set of sockets, spanners and various other tools required of them to do the job. Most modern cars have internal computer parts which can be hooked up to diagnostic equipment, enabling the mechanic a speeder insight into the performance information and therefore give a more accurate indication on where to apply their attention. It might be that the mechanic decides that the engine timing is out, and by working on this the engine could be more efficient. So he sets about his task of fixing the timing.
Now, you or I (unless you happen to be a mechanic) would not have the skill to do this, knowing how to set the timing to the correct level, I can safely say that it is something that only a skilled person with experience and training should do. Nor would we attempt to apply our newly found understanding of the situation to any sort of practical application. (It's unlikely we'd don a pair of overalls ..get stuck inand it's likely that if I did; I would blow the engine into a million pieces.) The mechanic has learnt how to apply his knowledge and his ability to do this. Critically, this is the value we apply to the service, and why we pay someone to do it for us.
The problem with SEO, is that trying to explain to the customer that you are going to 'sort the timing out' so the engine runs better - (or, increase the keywords so that the text is optimised) somehow starts some clients thinking that this is something they should get involved in. They start to say things like - "so, we need to put more instances of that word/this word in the homepage then..." like that would simply solve their SEO desires. Oh, if only it were! I can understand why they would thing that, but I guess where I'm at now, is trying to refine the phrases I use to further gently educate or inform my beloved customers that it takes a multitude of different approaches to optimise text, and that just stuffing a page full of thousands of the same word over and over just won't help.
I say things like: Google (other search engines are available_) is very smart at it's job. Its job is to deliver the most relevant page to the searcher. It grades the pages available by many different factors. Some of them are easier to work on than others -but there is no ONE job which we can do which will "get you to the top of Google" as so many of my new customers predictably ask as if it's as simple as a tick box on their website somewhere. It sometimes amazes me that people ask this question in such a flippant way, as if they expect me to say "oh, I hadn't realised that's what you wanted, let me just sort that out for you now. Alacazam! Pif-paf-pof! There you go Mr.Customer - is that better?!!!"
It's very rare that you build a website without the golden top spot of Google in mind. It starts at the very foundations of the site. File names, image text, layout, design and more, much much more goes into making our sites as well optimised as they can be.
So anyway, I'm not writing a blog post to moan about it, I'm just getting some thoughts down about how I'm going to put together a simple document. The aim of this document is to carefully explain to my wonderful and valued clients just how complex Search Engine Optimisation really is. I need to educate them in the whys and wherefores, but reassure them that although involvement is welcome and encouraged, they do not need to know HOW we do this. They do not need to get an overall on (so to speak) and they need to be realistic about the time it takes, the value in the application of the knowledge and experience (how much they can expect to pay) and the way in which we go about it.
So I better get on with it.
That's not to dumb down my wonderful clients, not at all... but a little knowledge is often a dangerous thing. Also, involvement is needed, and welcomed...but it's how to manage that constructively that is the tricky thing. I liken it to a skilled motor mechanic working on a car (think F1 if you like, but the metaphor works for your basic run-around motor needing an MOT). The mechanic tinkers with the car for it's optimum performance. We all know that in his (or her) tool box, they have a set of sockets, spanners and various other tools required of them to do the job. Most modern cars have internal computer parts which can be hooked up to diagnostic equipment, enabling the mechanic a speeder insight into the performance information and therefore give a more accurate indication on where to apply their attention. It might be that the mechanic decides that the engine timing is out, and by working on this the engine could be more efficient. So he sets about his task of fixing the timing.
Now, you or I (unless you happen to be a mechanic) would not have the skill to do this, knowing how to set the timing to the correct level, I can safely say that it is something that only a skilled person with experience and training should do. Nor would we attempt to apply our newly found understanding of the situation to any sort of practical application. (It's unlikely we'd don a pair of overalls ..get stuck inand it's likely that if I did; I would blow the engine into a million pieces.) The mechanic has learnt how to apply his knowledge and his ability to do this. Critically, this is the value we apply to the service, and why we pay someone to do it for us.
The problem with SEO, is that trying to explain to the customer that you are going to 'sort the timing out' so the engine runs better - (or, increase the keywords so that the text is optimised) somehow starts some clients thinking that this is something they should get involved in. They start to say things like - "so, we need to put more instances of that word/this word in the homepage then..." like that would simply solve their SEO desires. Oh, if only it were! I can understand why they would thing that, but I guess where I'm at now, is trying to refine the phrases I use to further gently educate or inform my beloved customers that it takes a multitude of different approaches to optimise text, and that just stuffing a page full of thousands of the same word over and over just won't help.
I say things like: Google (other search engines are available_) is very smart at it's job. Its job is to deliver the most relevant page to the searcher. It grades the pages available by many different factors. Some of them are easier to work on than others -but there is no ONE job which we can do which will "get you to the top of Google" as so many of my new customers predictably ask as if it's as simple as a tick box on their website somewhere. It sometimes amazes me that people ask this question in such a flippant way, as if they expect me to say "oh, I hadn't realised that's what you wanted, let me just sort that out for you now. Alacazam! Pif-paf-pof! There you go Mr.Customer - is that better?!!!"
It's very rare that you build a website without the golden top spot of Google in mind. It starts at the very foundations of the site. File names, image text, layout, design and more, much much more goes into making our sites as well optimised as they can be.
So anyway, I'm not writing a blog post to moan about it, I'm just getting some thoughts down about how I'm going to put together a simple document. The aim of this document is to carefully explain to my wonderful and valued clients just how complex Search Engine Optimisation really is. I need to educate them in the whys and wherefores, but reassure them that although involvement is welcome and encouraged, they do not need to know HOW we do this. They do not need to get an overall on (so to speak) and they need to be realistic about the time it takes, the value in the application of the knowledge and experience (how much they can expect to pay) and the way in which we go about it.
So I better get on with it.
Monday, 6 July 2009
Charlotte's Web :-)
Good morning and welcome to Charlotte - our work experience candidate from Downham Market High School, who's with us all this week.
Like Will, (from Ely) she will be writing a blog about her time here, and getting immersed in the wonderful world of web - so Good Luck Charlotte, we hope you enjoy your time here, and we look forward to reading your blog!
Like Will, (from Ely) she will be writing a blog about her time here, and getting immersed in the wonderful world of web - so Good Luck Charlotte, we hope you enjoy your time here, and we look forward to reading your blog!
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Lingo have tried all sorts of CRM's, (customer relationship management systems) tools to track our activity and to help us improve service and efficiency. We currently have several methods of managing our work flow, including making use of an array of various software and our own systems to follow to keep it all together, but these all have their limitations or drawbacks; where one piece of software is good at logging data, such as Microsoft excel, it cannot support creativity, or if using a mind map for creativity it cannot cope with detail, but the main drawback of all is that there is not ONE place for everything. You constantly have to remember which programme/document tracks which information. For example, we track emails, client appointments and internal conversations through outlook, and Google calendar, but we track job progress and hours in excel and Mindjet. You have to switch programmes all day long, you have to scan your brain (or the server) thinking "where did I save that?" or "what did I write that in?".
But at last, we are working towards our own, custom made version of a customer/job management database.
Comprehensive handling of all our data in one place will make it easy to be thorough, consistent, transparent and efficient. It will include:
By tracking all these elements (and more) within our in house database we will be able to increase efficiency and reduce any gaps in our project management. Gaps such as repeated question/answer "what's happening with the domain transfer?" "when's Liz's next meeting with this client" - previously anyone wanting to know the answers to these questions would have had to look in outlook and excel, but will now turn to one place.
The intention is that by increasing our efficiency and decreasing the data handling we each do, we should be able to reduce the time taken on each project and therefore increase our profitability and sustainability.
All I can say is that the database cannot come soon enough! Craig and Claire have been working hard on the set up of the database fields, with Craig leading the way on database design, and Claire on studio procedure and protocol. Steve and I have been enjoying a true director's roles during the early design stages of the database - directing the development and direction.
The 'Dough-base' (aptly named by Claire - in keeping with our bread theme) is expected to be operational (in the truest sense of the word) by the end of July. A custom made database is a solution we may be able to offer to our clients in the near future too.....
But at last, we are working towards our own, custom made version of a customer/job management database.
Comprehensive handling of all our data in one place will make it easy to be thorough, consistent, transparent and efficient. It will include:
- tracking/logging of incoming communication, (many possible different types of telephone call, mobile call, sms, email, instant messages, blog comments, forum posts and so on)
- tracking/logging of hours spent and hours quoted on each project
- project pipeline/ forward time planning
- project notes - meeting notes (a place for all notation)
- technical specification for each project - helping domain, hosting and email management
- task managament - who is responsible for each piece of the process
By tracking all these elements (and more) within our in house database we will be able to increase efficiency and reduce any gaps in our project management. Gaps such as repeated question/answer "what's happening with the domain transfer?" "when's Liz's next meeting with this client" - previously anyone wanting to know the answers to these questions would have had to look in outlook and excel, but will now turn to one place.
The intention is that by increasing our efficiency and decreasing the data handling we each do, we should be able to reduce the time taken on each project and therefore increase our profitability and sustainability.
All I can say is that the database cannot come soon enough! Craig and Claire have been working hard on the set up of the database fields, with Craig leading the way on database design, and Claire on studio procedure and protocol. Steve and I have been enjoying a true director's roles during the early design stages of the database - directing the development and direction.
The 'Dough-base' (aptly named by Claire - in keeping with our bread theme) is expected to be operational (in the truest sense of the word) by the end of July. A custom made database is a solution we may be able to offer to our clients in the near future too.....
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
blogging about blogs...
There's a lot of blogging going on!!!
http://www.thoughts.com/willsburger
The blog from our Work Experience (WEX) student - Will
(here he is designing new rss icons_!)
...and the blog from Noel Hobden who's onboard for downhamwebhttp://downhamwebnoel.blogspot.com/
:-) well done guys - good blogging!
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