I have a small business. I can’t afford to have a website!

As a business owner, you know that resources are valuable. Decisions need to be made with the ROI in mind. So consider this: can your small business afford not to have a website? Today, buying decisions are often made based on a Google or Bing search result. People want to have the information at their finger tips and the details they need about your organization so that they can evaluate your company and determine whether they want to choose to do business with you.

Not having a website puts a small business at a competitive disadvantage. Don’t just dismiss the idea of a having a website without doing some research and don’t just settle for a WYSIWIG cookie cutter website that is barely usable. Your small business can establish an online presence and gradually refine and build upon the brand of the business. Upgrades can be modular and build upon a site as a small business grows. There are also content management systems that can deliver a lot more functionality at a lower cost. Just remember there are solutions out there that will not leave your small business out in the cold.

Cyberbullying is never okay

Today, technology has done much to make us more productive and give us information at our fingertips. Technology, when applied appropriately, can improve the quality of life, share ideas and information, and make people and places seem so much closer and approachable.

We can share joy, such as the birth of a child or a wedding, or a great achievement such as getting a great score on a test or making a great play in a game. We can share laughter, whether it is a silly cat video, fox video, joke, epic rap, or mime. We can also share tears and frustration and seek comfort, as well as advice or counsel.

Sadly, we can also share hate. We have the power to hurt others. Debating a point or discussing an issue vigorously is one thing, but targeting and stalking someone using technology is downright horrible. Hiding behind a desktop, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or wearable tech and spewing nasty comments is not cool. It is not something to be admired. Let’s see it for what it is: cowardice. And if it is done with full knowledge that this behavior is hurting and continuing to hurt someone, these activities are downright despicable.

This needs to stop. Stop and think before you act.

Note: This is not just a problem for the young. Adults, some of us are just as guilty.

 

 

 

Flashback: Ribbon cutting 2013

051613 Ribbon Cutting All Web n Mobile, Chris Wiggerman, (352) 556-3926

The ribbon cutting was a really good day. There was great weather and great people to share it with us. Thanks again for joining us those who attended. Also, thanks for the support and goodwill through social media, email, and phone from those who could not attend the ribbon cutting . It is all greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

The All Web n Mobile Team

Custom OpenCart Extension Developer

We are an OpenCart extension developer among many other things. One of the many things we do is customize shopping carts. Regardless of the shopping cart you have, we can customize it for you, whether it be directly modifying the core code, or writing a custom plugin for your shopping cart.

Our most popular shopping cart that we like to use is OpenCart. There are many reasons for using OpenCart, the most prominent being that it is open source. Open Source allows the ability to change any of the core functions of the cart, in essence even changing the entire purpose of the framework itself. This will give you the ability to create a site with massive amount of functionality without the high cost of developing one from scratch.

OpenCart plugins or extensions that allow you to extend the functionality of OpenCart. Regardless of what you need, OpenCart extensions will take your shopping cart to the next level by allowing you to add functionality that it did not come with by default. We can make custom extensions as simple as changing wording, to as complex as integrating physical real world machinery to automate your manufacturing business. The sky is the limit, but in reality, even the sky does not have any limitations.

If you are running OpenCart and need an OpenCart extension developer, please give us a call and we would be happy to make OpenCart do your bidding. Please keep in mind that we do support any other type of shopping cart as well.

Targeting tablets

In September of this year, Android caught up to Apple in dollars spent and in volume in the tablet market. Does this mean, organizations should favor Android over iOS when purchasing or when allocating their IT dollars for applications? Not necessarily. It depends on the unique needs of your organization, which includes its budget, brand needs, security needs, and current infrastructure.

If the applications that are used by your organization are cross-platform, then the number of choices is very broad. You might be able to choose from iOS, Windows 8, Windows RT, Android, Tizen, Ubuntu, or even Firefox OS. Otherwise, you might have to limit your selection if the application’s developer has only made a version for one or two platforms. On the other hand, if the app is a company owned app, then the organization has the option to make a version for the platform of its choice or many so that employees have a BYOD option. Again, it depends on your company’s needs.

If you need a cross platform app for light weight use or native apps that are better suited for tasks that require high performance, All Web n Mobile can develop applications for whichever platform you prefer. Nothing is impossible.

SEO promises too good to be true

Seen an ad saying that it is guaranteed that your company will show up on page 1 in Google or Bing? Couple hundred bucks for page 1, sounds like a great deal, right? Search Engine Optimization at the push of a button, for a few bucks? Unless this is a paid ad, this promise is too good to be true. Many companies automated operations for SEO that worked with previous algorithms for the major search engines. With the Panda and Penguin updates for Google and changes made to Bing, these strategies not only don’t work, older strategies such as linking your website to directories or websites that are nothing but links (Link Farms) can damage your PR and set you back on your SEO for years. Your site might get delisted. As a result, some companies never recover.

Remember content is king. Generate lots of content and the search engines will love you. Also, understand that a guarantee on the front page is typically a sign that you need to run in the opposite direction.

Thoughts on Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

For starters, the sky is not falling. Despite what you have heard or read, Windows 8 is not as bad as you may have heard. From a developer’s standpoint, virtually every program that we have used prior to the launch of the new OS still works. IDEs, utilities, open source productivity programs, graphics suites, and word processing applications still work. To further clarify, we are able to develop native code, at the SDK level, for the web, and more. Windows 8 or 8.1 have not prevented us from accomplishing what we need to do to deliver for our clients.

The only issues I have seen are peripheral related, the UI, and user confusion. Some drivers do not work smoothly for wifi adapters and some printers. This can be fixed in most cases. If your device worked with a previous iteration of Windows, it should still work (with some exceptions of course).

That leaves the UI and navigation. Many people are just used to the classic desktop that has been prevalent for years (so this is a matter of personal taste). When it comes to navigation, there are some people who miss the start button. If you go to settings and personalize so that administrative tools are visible as tiles, you are good to go on that. Most apps and utilities that were in the start button are visible by default or at worst can be found with the built in search. In desktop mode, if you want to leave shortcuts to documents visible on the desktop screen, you can. If you do not like the tablet version of Internet Explorer, you can use the desktop version of Internet Explorer.

If you are considering an upgrade to 8 or 8.1, check it out in a store or download a preview. Having challenges? Stay on the desktop side until you feel more comfortable. This side feels like Windows 7 and aside from the start button is mostly the same.

Have a comment to make or experience to share? We want to hear from you.

 

Making the most of LinkedIn for your business

LinkedIn reportedly has almost 259 million users.

How does your company use LinkedIn? Do you have a corporate page? Do employees share articles, links, and follow business partners/clients? Is content shared between other social networks? Are you making the most of LinkedIn for your business?

LinkedIn is a great place to connect with clients, look for projects, recruit new superstars for your organization, network with professionals, and learn about your industry. This is true if your company is large, medium, or small. Just be careful not to give up content that could be better used to optimize your company’s websites. It is better to post links to your articles, share blurbs, and avoid duplicate content on LinkedIn. If you or someone in your organization authors articles, these pieces should be on your company’s site or your own personal site first. Otherwise, you are losing all of the SEO value to LinkedIn.

Having a blog or posted articles with rich content can enrich your website, improve your page rank, and help instill confidence in your customers. It is precious and you should treat it as such.

LinkedIn has its uses, and your company should have a complete and up to date LinkedIn company profile. If it is inaccurate or projects the wrong message, your customers and LinkedIn network will see it too.

Your content is valuable

Your content is valuable. Content is king.

When it comes to engaging customers and business partners, one of the most talked about channels out there is social. Many companies and organizations use Facebook, Google +, etc. to accomplish corporate goals for outreach. This is a good strategy for reaching some potential customers, but do not do so and sacrifice rich content or information that your organization possesses about its industry that can be used to help the company’s own search engine optimization. This knowledge should go towards boosting the company’s page ranking first, not the social network’s. Small snippets, comments, and links can then go on social networks. Also, informal communication can go there as well. Content is valuable to SEO and should not be given away.

Whether you are in a small town or major city, you can benefit from all the web has to offer.

Just because your business is in a small town does not mean you cannot benefit from mobile apps or custom software solutions

Is your business stuck in a mindset that is holding your business back? Thinking that you should be a certain way because of the region your company operates in or because your business is in a small town? Not sure that technological advances can help you? Think you are too small to have branded solutions or a mobile strategy?

In retail, the old saying is, ” Location, location, location.” That has been true under many circumstances for many years because people preferred to buy things close to home, and businesses needed to have locations strategically placed where customers lived. This meant having large retail footprints and fighting for territory in and around where the area population was situated.

First, regardless of size, you are not necessarily limited due to these issues anymore. You can develop a brand and present it to a larger audience than who might happen to notice your store as they drive by. You can have a virtual storefront (a website) that can either tell your company’s story, help prospective customers find your business, make purchases, or all of the above. Plus, now with mobile hardware, customers can view your website wherever their smartphone, tablet, or mobile computing device can access the Internet. To take advantage of this though, you should really have a mobile optimized website to help make customers more comfortable and facilitate their ability to make a purchase from your company (website view should be styled so that visitors can use touch to press buttons precisely, read content effectively without having to pinch and zoom in, and access the shopping cart when done). Also, with mobile apps, you can send Internet push notifications to fans and customers promoting sales, coupons, and special promotions. Mobile apps can also help mobile devices increase the productivity of the company by replacing some scanners and input devices, while making it easier for associates in the field to communicate with the office.

There are so many additional opportunities and features that are available depending on what custom solution works right for your business. Custom is the key and important word. Why? Who defines your business? Would you rather someone else tell your story? Be proactive because technology advancements and the maturation of mobile has acted as an equalizer that allows small businesses to have the ability to scale their business up and increase their productivity and reach. Do not assume that you are limited. Your limitations may instead be a product of not knowing what is possible.