2008 March « wendy gauntt’s tech zest

Archive for March, 2008

Should your tech be in-house or outsourced?

Published March 29, 2008 General Leave a Comment
Tags: computer tech, geeksquad, it staff, outsourcing, tech support, vendors

Computer help key Computer technology may not be rocket science, but let’s face it—when computers start crashing, most business owners are in over their heads. Someone’s got to take care of your computers, email, and website, so the real question is this: should you hire an employee or outsource to a vendor?

The appeal of an employee is clear…he’ll be available when needed, and you’ll be his top priority. No worries about juggling appointments, no confusion about how your network is set up. And as an employee, there’s no reason for him to sell you new products and services you don’t really need. Sounds great, right?

Of course, that employee may not want to be on call all the time. Will he really be there when you need him? And what happens when several things hit at once—how do you get it all done quickly, without waiting for him to have some free time?

Even more important, will that employee really know everything you need? Just because someone is “good with computers” doesn’t mean they can do it all. A programmer, for example, can probably build a website, but not design it; maybe they can do tech support but servers might be a stretch. A network tech can handle your server just fine, but that doesn’t mean they know a thing about how to make your accounting system work. You get the idea. And don’t forget the hidden costs for training, special software tools, and support subscriptions.

Outsourcing certainly has its challenges; making sure your vendor understands and values your business are top of the list. But when you find the right match, for the same cost as that employee—or even less!—you’ll benefit from a variety of expert resources equipped with the right tools to meet all your business needs.

Birthday cards aren’t spam

Published March 27, 2008 Email Leave a Comment
Tags: birthday, drip marketing, Email, Online Marketing

Happy Birthday Cake Who knew–the virtual world was celebrating my birthday yesterday nearly as much as I was! I received a bunch of emails from various websites, all wishing me a very happy birthday.

In nearly every case, these were websites I’d neglected for months. But in several cases, the email prompted me to make a quick visit and renew that online relationship. I haven’t bought anything yet because of it, but these sites are now top of my mind once again.

A regular email newsletter or special offer wouldn’t have had this effect. I would have hit delete or sent the message to spam. But birthday cards aren’t spam, and their marketing message got through.

Read your voicemail

Published March 25, 2008 Smart Phones Leave a Comment
Tags: iphone, simulscribe, smart phone, transcription, voicemail

When you get a lot of voicemails each day, it can take quite a while to listen to all your messages. Reading is much faster, and now you can, with tools like SimulScribe. This nifty service links to your voicemail, transcribes the message into text, and sends it to you via email or text page. You can still listen to the message if you need to, in case of a transcription problem, or if you want to hear tone of voice. But you’ll only need to listen to a fraction of your calls, which can save hours of time for heavy phone users.

I’ve been using it for nearly two months now, and it’s one of the simplest productivity improvements ever (second only to dual monitors on your PC!). I average a few dozen messages each week, although I’ve been known to get as many as forty calls in a single day.

The quality of the transcription is excellent, although “Nathaniel” comes through as “Daniel,” and last night “Eric” came through as “Derrick.” The return phone numbers come through beautifully, and only about once a week do I actually listen to the message to sort out a less-than-perfect transcription. It fills in “??” if there’s something it can’t catch, and I find I usually can fill in those blanks from the context of the message.

Despite the fact that I didn’t even know about this service a few months ago, it’s now something I can’t live without. Try it–you might like it too!

Are you open-minded about open-source?

Published March 22, 2008 Software Leave a Comment
Tags: licensing, linux, microsoft, open source, Software, software piracy

Most of us pay dearly to run the software that’s installed on our computers, usually some version of Windows along with Microsoft Office, accounting software like QuickBooks or Peachtree, and an antivirus program like Symantec or McAfee. Many products require annual renewals or maintenance contracts; others release upgrades regularly, making it a challenge to keep pace with the latest versions.

While keeping licenses paid up is expensive, it can be even worse if you don’t, with civil and criminal penalties (including jail time!) that far outweigh the price of the licenses themselves. Disgruntled employees are a common source of leads, earning tens of thousands—even hundreds of thousands—in rewards for reporting software piracy.

These factors are driving many businesses to explore the world of open source software, where licensing costs are nonexistent. Entire cities, like Houston, TX, are making the switch; likewise, the government of Brazil abandoned Microsoft completely in favor of open source software.

How can free software be any good?

Open-source software is distributed under a special (free) license that allows anyone access to study and change the source code. This allows the software to evolve naturally, based on the needs of users world-wide; also, as bugs arise, programmers contribute solutions. The pace of development can be remarkably fast. New updates are generally batched together into releases, with some sort of peer review or decision-making process to ensure that the software remains stable.

Many programmers philosophically believe all software should be free, while others believe that open-source development produces a higher quality product than commercial development. Either way, the result is a wide assortment of excellent software tools that we can all put to use.

For effortless marketing, brand your email

Published March 22, 2008 Email , Online Marketing Leave a Comment
Tags: branding, click to call, disclaimer, Email, guerrilla marketing, logo, outlook, signature, tagline

Does your email reinforce your brand with every message? Do people instantly recognize you and your company when they hear from you? If not, it’s a breeze to create a branded email signature with your logo and contact information.

Start with your logo and a matching font color. Include phone numbers so that people can reach you however they prefer. Add your website link for anyone who wants to learn more about your company. If you use Outlook, follow this link for signature setup instructions; otherwise search your email program’s help file for “email signature.”

But why stop at a phone number or two? Nearly anything can go in that email signature, so ask yourself what else might be helpful. For some, a photo is appropriate, to remind people who you are or help new contacts put a face to your name. How about a link that maps your office location? If you have a retail operation, that’s a must. Don’t forget to list store hours too.

A newer option is “click to call.” This is a service that asks for your number so it can ring you up and connect you to whatever number is pre-programmed into the link. Why dial 7 or 10 digits when all it takes is a single click? (OK, you still have to type in your number…but it sure seems easier!)

If you have a larger company, online services or software programs installed on your server can provide a consistent signature file for everyone in the company. This is a necessity if you want a legal disclaimer at the bottom of each message. Many can also insert advertising messages, allowing you to rotate promotions for new products and services on a regular basis, quickly and easily.

Website usability–what it means and why you care

Published March 21, 2008 Websites Leave a Comment
Tags: customer experience, navigation, usability, web design, website

Backwards Watering Can When web developers talk about usability, it may sound techie, but it’s all about the human side of things: how do you make a website so easy to use, so intuitive, that visitors can do what they want quickly and efficiently every time? That’s what usability is all about.

While it may seem subjective, there are design standards and extensive (although sometimes conflicting) research to use as guidelines. Some companies, such as Amazon, conduct usability studies on a regular basis. During these studies, observers watch people perform online tasks, keeping a close eye on any missteps or roadblocks encountered along the way.

You may not have the budget for live usability trials, but it’s easy enough to invite a few friends and colleagues to preview a new site and offer feedback. Put together a scavenger hunt, where you ask them to track down specific information or perform certain actions (e.g. make a purchase, submit a contact request), and get their input on how quickly they were able to complete their tasks.

Whatever else you do, make absolutely sure your website design and navigation create an effortless experience—you never want to get in the way of customer who’s ready to buy.