Developing and Designing with productivity in mind

Productivity is key to offering better service. Much design work on WebSites includes working with multiple computer programs all running at once. On a traditional single monitor, the task of jumping back and forth between layered windows eats away at productivity.

Having a larger desktop to work with enhances productivity. The more that can be viewed at a single glance, improves the time it takes to work with multiple programs at the same time. Selecting a higher resolution for the desktop will achieve this. Implementing a duel screen solution further increases the amount of desktop space which can be viewed at one time.

Today my eMail inbox contained a sterling reminder and pun to this productivity concept. It might seem cute, even outlandish to some, having multiple monitors.



To me, it is a fact of life and a necessity as a developer / designer of WebSites to work with multiple monitors. I can relate to Alice in the third panel. I have worked in large tech companies where a single tiny screen was the rule. It was stifling to know that a short sighted decision, limiting users to a single monitor, holds back productivity. Its easy to shortchange workers; its only a small amount of time that is saved after all. Adding up those chunks of time convinced me that a multiple monitor implementation is simply the right thing to do.

This is why I employ multiple monitors in my business. It just makes sense to allocate resources upfront to a proven productivity enhancer. Making the right choices in the past has allowed Abacus to save countless chunks of time over the years.

Economic Downturn: Your WebSite in Jeopardy

We can all agree that the general economy in the United States is problematic at best. Here in Nevada, we are particularly hard hit. Your marketing WebSite efforts force you to ask some important questions.

Does your WebSite sell necessities? If your WebSite sells either a service or tangible product that is needed by people, regardless of the general economy, the WebSite needs to focus on selling the idea that your product or service is something worth buying in these hard times.

How do your prices compare to others in the Northern Nevada market? Regardless to how superior your service or products are, consumers have a tendency to price shop in a poor economy. Many business owners believe they know their competition, but in truth they spend so much time with day to day business activities, they are unable to effectively gauge the competition. You must understand what similar products and services that consumers might substitute for yours. With more consumer choices, your WebSite needs to be discourage price shop and take into account the overall value of your product or service.

Does the message on your WebSite clearly state how your product or services are unique from the competition? If you have a truly unique product you are at an advantage to those that have to deal with competition. But if there are competitors in our market, your WebSite must clearly reflect why a consumer would want to choose your service or product over the competition.

Even if your WebSite is in Jeapordy, sucsess is still at hand. You will need to make the commitment to continuously scrutinize your customers. Are they helping or holding back your business? Does it make sense to go after new customers within the current demographic or search for customers that may help build your business? Take the time to survey your customers to know what value they find in your product or service. If you don't have time to do this yourself, then you need to have someone do it for you. Otherwise you will find your customer base has shifted too late.

One of the misnomers about having a WebSites is that it should relate to everyone with an Internet connection. Trying to appeal to everyone only accomplishes appealing to no one. Your WebSite should appeal to your customer demographic. This is why it is important to know your customer demographic. Otherwise how else can you appeal to them.

Abacus can help you more than with just a good looking WebSite. We provide the WebSites that work for you and your business by taking the time to understand your customers. Did the person that designed your current WebSite, understand your customers? Does your WebSite still attract the people that make your business successful? If you even have a doubt it is time to take a look at a WebSite developer that does.

We all have trepidation about the weak economy. Abacus will ensure that your business WebSite helps your business achieve its goals. We will see your business through these tough times.

Abacus' job is to understand, otherwise your message is lost.

Does your "Web Designer" understand your business? Did they take the time to sit down with you and ask questions? Can they reliably state the type of customers your company wants to appeal to on your WebSite?

How then can they build and maintain a critical part of your marketing strategy? Your WebSite is so much more than a group of pictures and a quickly put together catch phrases. To many its the first and last chance for a potential customer to choose you over another company. Your WebSite needs to stand out and accurately convey its strengths.

Abacus will sit down with you to understand. We will ask the right questions so your WebSite is developed and designed to attract the customer that increases business.

Substance to what is lacking ...

You know the difference between customized service and regurgitated garbage that many designers pump out can be shown in a simple example at an Adobe Forum where users can help one another with DreamWeaver issues.

A "high volume" poster whom refers to themselves as a "Web Specialist" provided an response that simply failed to directly answer the original poster's question.  Or perhaps I should restate that, they responded with a bunch of regurgitated catch phrases that they had used in countless prior posts.  Certainly if the question was answered, this form of reply would be be acceptable.  But the reply simply did not answer the question.

Many would defend "why reinvent the wheel".  Automation can assist with productivity.  But when quality is forfeited you have to ask yourself, "Does the output satisfy the request?

Substance is actually answering the question being asked.  Substance is taking the time to understand the question and formulating an answer that works now and in the future.  Substance is the very essence behind each and every project Abacus undertakes.

Abacus takes pride and enjoys helping people with solutions that utilize the Web and the vast Internet marketplace.

If Google is the steadfast king, Bing a flashy and controversial queen, Yahoo is a has-been prince, AOL is a uncomely princess, then Wikipedia is the court Jester; where the true power lies.

Social Media Marketing - part of your marketing message

Social media marketing mas many definitions and preconceptions.  In short not grasping the basics is foolhardy.

1. You must understand where your company is headed—where you want to be over a given time period. Every post to a blog, every customer contact that you acquire, building that relationship must be planned. What do you want people to see and know about your company? How will your readers interpret over time what you have posted months ago? Each time you write, involve your customer, the reader so they become part of the organization. If your message is not part of a plan, then you are not being efficient with your time an money.
2. Bring something new your bog when you write. Share fresh ideas, new stories, insights—no matter the chosen social media outlet. When you bring your perspective, you are showing off your business.
3. Most important is conducting serious research before you start on the social media road. Don’t figure it out as you go along. Stumbling along the way will muddy your message. Develop your own unique style of communication and stay with it, unless you change your entire plan.

Participating in social media for many market segments is simply not an option!

If you plan to have your company be in existence five to ten years from now it is mandatory that you begin now.  It's not to late to get your message out there, but soon it may be. If you are not in the game soon, it will be extraordinarily difficult to catch up. If your company is not activly using social media you will be ignored by kids, soon to be adults, that live on it.

Check out David Schwartz @ Business: Impossible where he will share with you “secrets” and can help get your social media strategy implemented.