On a recent little project, I was asked to integrate a Pinterest Pin It button onto a Magento Go e-commerce website. Now most social buttons are very easy to install, and work right out of the box, but Pinterest apparently is still figuring out a few things! They do provide a little place on their website where you can customize the button with your url and image link, and grab the resulting code and paste into your website. But what if you need the url and image link to be dynamically generated on your site?

Generally speaking, it’s not rocket science to dynamically insert a url and image link, unless you’re on managed hosting such as Magento Go. Then you have to get a little creative! Below is how I worked around getting the links inserted dynamically, with the judicious use of a little javascript. Keep in mind that your code may vary a little depending on the html in your particular Magento theme.

Step 1:

I put the following code into a Static Block (CMS -> Static Blocks).

<p><a id="pinterest" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/" target="_blank"><img title="Pin It" src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/PinExt.png" border="0" alt="" /></a></p>

Step 2:

I needed to replace the url with a custom url that included an encoded url of the current page, as well as an encoded url of the main image on the page.

First, the current page url. That is easily captured via javascript and encoded via the following code:

var url = encodeURI(window.location);

Next, in our theme, the main image was wrapped in a link to the full-size image and had an id of “main-image”. Thus to grab the image url and encode it was simply the following:

var image_url = encodeURI(document.getElementById("main-image").getAttribute("href"));

Now that I had the two dynamic bits of info, it was time to merge it into the final link to Pinterest:

document.getElementById('pinterest').setAttribute("href", "http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url="+url+"&media="+image_url);

Then I noticed that for some reason the Static Block kept stripping out the custom HTML attribute that Pinterest used to show the pin count, count-layout=”horizontal”. The following code takes care of that:

document.getElementById('pinterest').setAttribute('count-layout',"horizontal");

Now, to put it all together, the rest of the code looks like this:

<script type="text/javascript">// <![CDATA[
var url = encodeURI(window.location);
var image_url = encodeURI(document.getElementById("main-image").getAttribute("href"));

document.getElementById('pinterest').setAttribute("href", "http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url="+url+"&media="+image_url);
document.getElementById('pinterest').setAttribute('count-layout',"horizontal");
// ]]></script>
<script src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Where to put it! The Static Block kept stripping out various parts of it, so the place that worked for me was in the footer(System->Configuration->Design->Footer).

That’s it! The above code worked well for me in all the major browsers. Did it work for you? Let me know in the comments below!

I get this question a lot from companies! And most of the time I’ll tell them yes. But first, let’s think through what it could mean to your business.
These tips will apply to social networks in general, not just Facebook.

Social networks are not about marketing. Let me repeat that. Social networks are not about marketing! They can provide a boost to your marketing efforts, but that should never be the reason that you join. If you do, you’ll burn out your fans by posting endlessly about all your promotions and sales, and leave a bad taste in their mouth about your company.

Social networks are about communication! They give you a great way to communicate with the people who are interested in your business. Get feedback from them. Give them something of value, like tips about your industry. Then, and only then, let them know about a few of your promotions. In other words, instead of seeing dollar signs in place of your fans, show them the same respect online that you would want shown you.

Next, don’t get on social networks unless you’re willing to be honest with your fans. Social networks are not the place(well no place is, but that’s another topic!) to put up a big marketing facade and pretend to be a bigger, better company than you really are. Remember, now it’s a two way conversation, and people will call your bluff!

That brings us to a point of concern for a lot of businesses. What if someone gets on my page and complains about my product/service? I say, that’s great! They’re going to complain no matter what. They’re going to complain publicly on their facebook profile to their friends and family anyway. But if they complain on your page, you get to be part of the conversation! You get the opportunity to remedy the problem, apologize for the misunderstanding, or at least let your (polite) version of the story be known. I’ve seen this done well, and those watching the discussion will leave with a better opinion of your company, if you handle it politely and respectfully. Everyone knows that companies screw up from time to time. But good companies own up to it, address the problems, and gain loyal customers as a result.

Social networking can be a great way to interact with, and create loyal fans of your company. Just have a plan, and don’t spam people with how wonderful you think you’re company is! Good luck!

Microsoft’s new attack ad against Google Apps, besides being a little odd, shows a foundational lack of understanding about how businesses work in the 21st century. As someone who has used Google Apps since before it was popular, and having used it to help small businesses save thousands of dollars in operation costs, this ad is just pathetic.

First off, the video stirs up a concern that I get asked all the time. What if there’s no Internet, I won’t be able to access anything? That’s not really true! Google Docs, and Gmail both have offline modes that can be enabled for viewing. But more importantly, I haven’t seen a company recently that isn’t dead in the water without Internet access anyway, even if they use Microsoft Office/Outlook/etc.  Businesses are so digitally connected these days, that a reliable internet connection is a requirement of doing business, just like electricity.

Second, Microsoft hams up the concern over whether your software will change from day-to-day. This is true for consumer level Google products, but with Google Apps, administrators have control of when updates happen for their users. And Google has been very careful with Google Apps to not remove any features that would ‘break’ the app for it’s users. It’s just another classic case of Microsoft spreading FUD(fear, uncertainty, and doubt) instead of focusing on building great products themselves!

Then of course there’s all the little insinuations throughout the video. Like that Google Apps is a little side-project for Google. It’s actually a significant part of their revenue, and is used by governments(city, state, and federal), universities, schools, and huge corporations all over the world. Their downtime is practically non-existent. When they experience ten minutes of downtime in a month(which I have only seen twice in the last 3-4 years), it makes headlines, because it’s so rare! They also act like this is something new for Google, and they’re “experimenting” with your company. Not quite! They’ve been providing these services for about 4-5 years if I remember correctly. And they’re not about to shut it down like they’ve done to some of their free Lab projects, since it’s a significant part of their revenue stream, as one of the few Google products that actually has a paid plan(for companies with more than ten users).

The reality is this. Every time I’ve switched companies away from a Microsoft product to a Google web-based product, their productivity has gone through the roof! They use their computers more, and experience less stress, and less downtime. Every time!

Everyone has different things that are important to them when it comes to their website. Some people care only about how the site looks. Others are really only concerned about what information is on the site.  For others, it may be about search engine ranking, how fast it loads, etc. But having built a ton of sites, and seen the factors that make sites successful, I’m here to tell you: It all matters!

A typical site consists of 4 things:

1.) The Design
2.) The Content
3.) The underlying code(affects how well it loads, and how well it indexes)
4.) The Features(like forums, chat, member areas, etc)

If you drop the ball on any of these areas, your site will never reach it’s full potential! I’ve seen plenty of sites fail because once the site was completed, it was ‘junked up’ with unorganized text, and poor quality images. At that point, the design looks horrible, because it’s wrapped around ugly, unusable content! Your content should never, ever be an afterthought! Hiring a professional photographer to photograph your products or projects, and your staff, is worth every penny. Pay attention to the details, and everything else will fall into place.

In other sites, I’ve seen people get sites that look horrible, and then spend a massive amount of effort updating content, and marketing it, only to be frustrated by a general lack of interest. If a site looks like it was designed by a high school kid, then people will assume(often wrongly) that the quality of the content is also at a high school level.

You want to drive a ton of traffic to your website? Great! But what will they find when they get there? Will they want to stay? Will they want to come back?

So what’s the weakest link on your website? Let’s fix it!

People are increasingly using their smart phones, and other small-screen devices to browse your website. Knowing how to optimize your site for these guests can be an important way to please your customers and provide an edge over your competition. Someone using a small-screen device with a slow internet connection needs a small, clean, fast-loading site. Good mobile sites have fewer graphics, and larger buttons to cater to the limitations of the small screen.

There are several different ways to provide a mobile-optimized experience for your site.

1. Mobile Stylesheets

   Modern websites are designed via CSS stylesheets, and with a properly structured site that’s not very complex(your typical content/advertising sites, blogs, etc.) can have an additional stylesheet attached that optimizes your site’s layout and design for small screen devices.

2. Mobile “Mirrored” Site

   More complex sites, have advanced features like live chat, polls, or forums that may not be needed or advisable to have on a mobile site. In cases like this it’s better to have a separate mobile website that has the same information(pulling from the same database typically). These sub-sites can selectively show the content that is relevant to mobile users.

3. 3.) Separate Mobile Site

   Occasionally a mobile site has it’s own purpose and function unique from the main site. This could be a competition, an event registration, or a location based site. In these cases, of course it’s simpler to just create a separate site.

Whichever option fits your needs, let’s keep your website in the hands of your customers!

From time to time, I’m approached by people who suggest that I contact someone with a particularly horrible site, and offer my web design services. So, as a public service, I’ve come up with a resource to help you confront your friends, and family, about their eye-peeling sites. Whatever your personality, you’ll find one tailored to fit you! Presented in no particular order:

1. The Anonymous Friend Approach
   

   “I had a friend who thought your web design was horrible. Me personally? Oh, I didn’t think it was that bad, just needs a little oil on the hinges if ya know what I mean.”

2. The Apologetic Approach
   

   “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, I mean I don’t want to hurt your feelings. Not that you’re overly sensitive or anything! I just thought you might want to consider making some minor changes, not that you have to, if they’re not to difficult…”

3. The Brutal Approach
   

   “Your site looks so bad a kitten dies somewhere in the world every time it’s pulled up!”

4. The Clumsy Approach
   

   “I thought your grandmother did a fantastic job with your site!”

5. The Oblique Approach
   

   “Have you considered revamping your site to adopt more of a 21st century look?”

6. The Optimist’s Approach
   

   “This site has huge potential! With some new colors, images, layout, and content, it could go citywide!”

7. The Friend Approach
   

   “I wouldn’t tell just anyone this, but your site is really horrible. I just wanted you to know before everyone starts laughing at you behind your back!”

8. The Intervention Approach
   

   “We’re all here today to tell you that we love you, but we can’t bear to see you ruining your public image with such an awful site! It’s not fair to you, it’s not fair to the people who have to look at it, and it just has to stop!”

9. The Exaggerated Approach
   

   “Dude, I’m sitting here at the emergency room, and it’s all your fault! I pulled up your website, and felt strangely compelled to stick a fork in my eye, repeatedly! You’ve got to do something about that site, PLEASE!!!”

10. The Technical Approach
    

    “After extended analysis, it has been determined that your site is less than optimum in several key areas, thus imperilling the conversion efficacy within the combination of social, financial, and age-based demographics that define your potential market. Of considerable interest is the lack of initial positive feedback regarding the overall aesthetics of the site. This is further exacerbated with the lack of current information, and generally confusing arrangement of said information. This general confusion combined with the poor aesthetics is theorized to generate a considerable amount of mental and emotional stress for visitors, who promptly vacate the site, resulting in the less than stellar results from the site in question.”

Whatever your approach, be sure to use it soon(at your own risk!), and feel free to append the following statement to the end:

“If you want a professional, affordable website, you should contact Andrew Trivette Design!”

(Tailor it to sound natural of course :)

Together we can make the Internet a better place! ;)

Your typical business website serves 4 different functions: Virtual Office, Expanded Services, Enhanced Marketing, and Efficient Services. Let’s take a look at each of these in greater depth.

1. Virtual Office
   Your website provides your potential customers with a first impression of your business, similar to them actually coming to your place of business for the first time. It offers 24/7/365 availability, and customer support. A website for many people is a low pressure, time-efficient way of gathering pertinent information about your business, such as business hours, directions, contact method, and general product/service information.
2. Expanded Services
   With a professional site, you have the ability to offer your customers a whole range of additional services for their convenience, and ultimately your profit. Whether they be basic features like directions, and contact forms or more custom features such as application forms, progress reports, order tracking, weekly ads/coupons, client discounts, or weekly newsletters, these features provide for many small companies a whole new level of professionalism for a relatively low cost.
3. Enhanced Marketing
   Promotional websites offer a unique opportunity in marketing. A product or service can be fully expounded upon on a website much more than practically any other form of marketing. It is for this reason that websites are increasingly the intermediate goal for many other marketing campaigns. Many tv, newspaper, mail, and radio ads are referring their customers to their websites for more information. This tends to work better long term for sales, due to the inherently low pressure, information rich nature of the web.
4. Efficient Services
   Web based services can bring a critical element of efficiency to many small businesses. Communications can be simplified, and everyone is kept in the loop so much easier than with traditional memos, and time consuming conference meetings. You and your employees are then free to do what you’re there for – to make money. Online applications and forms for clients and prospective employees can reduce the time from request to implementation, further making your company look good.

Many people have heard the term Search Engine Optmization(SEO), but few understand exactly what it means for their site. A site which has been search engine optimized is not guaranteed to rank highly in search results. Let’s look at what you can expect from an SEO’ed site.

Indexing

When Google or any other search engine looks at your site, they’re going to see alot of code, and essentially a bunch of words strung together. From this soup of code and words, they have to try and figure out what your site’s purpose is, what the focus of that page is, and then rank it compared to other pages with similar content. This is the main purpose of the indexing process.

SEO is all about making sure that search engines understand your site. It is not about getting your site to rank highly in the search results(although it often helps). This is a huge misunderstanding that many people have. Google can index your site, fully understand all of your keywords and content, and still not rank it highly!

Ranking

Your site’s content is only one small part of what determines the “quality” of your site(according to search engines). Other small factors that play a part in your site’s ranking include: how long your domain is registered for, how long your site has been around, how recently it’s been updated, how many other site’s have linked to you, how relevant your content is to what people are actually searching for, and whether your page url’s contain keywords relevant to the content on that page. Also keep in mind that search engines technically don’t rank websites, but rather they rank the individual pages within your site.

The fact is this: there is no single factor that will determine your site’s rankings. Quality search engines like Google hire the best and brightest programmers in the world to ensure that no one can guarantee that their site is ranked first! The total number of factors which determine a site’s ranking is around 200 factors(most of which are not publicly known!)

Conclusion

All this may sound a little depressing, but bear in mind that focusing on delivering relevant information, in an organized manner, to the people who actually visit your site(with good HTML optimization) is the approach that all the search engines recommend for best results. After all, when you boil down all the quality factors, their goal is simply to provide the most relevant sites based on what someone is searching for. If your site is current, and relevant, it will rank!

My recommendation for new sites, or newly SEO’ed sites is to run a Google Adwords campaign for at least a year or so. This drives visitors to your site initially, and if it’s a good site, with good information, you will begin getting traffic, referrals, and links to your site, which will slowly begin improving your ranking for relevant searches!

Traditional Marketing vs. Online Marketing

Disclaimer: I am not a marketing expert. I have however studied, implemented, and consulted on many online marketing campaigns, and I’ve seen a lot of good and bad along the way. That’s what I want to talk about today.

“Personally, I’ve seen the web work for almost any business demographic”

More often than not, I see people trying to apply the techniques that they learned in "traditional” advertising to their websites. The next thing I know they’re complaining about the web, and how it doesn’t work for their demographics, or even that it is just generally worthless. Personally, I’ve seen the web work for almost any business demographic. However, online marketing is fundamentally different from almost any other type of marketing method because of one simple reason: Control.

The internet is controlled by its users. If I don’t like what I see on a site I can immediately jump to another site that is more accomodating. For many people the web is one of the few places, if not the only place, in their life where they are in complete control. This control combined with practically no commitment, or consequences is very empowering, even if it is only on a subconscious level. This means that high-pressure tactics don’t work online! Trying to force people into becoming customers by forcing them through a sales “funnel”, or by limiting they’re ability to navigate through your site just doesn’t work. You may get some sales from this approach, but your results will never be as good as when you give your visitors the ability to look around as much as they wish, while making it easy for them to purchase as soon as they’re ready.

Purchasing Patterns

It’s helpful to remember that customers tend to fall into different groups based on purchasing habits. The two primary groups to consider are what market researchers call "emotional" and "logical". Some people are considered emotional shoppers because their decision is based on the presentation, the images, and perhaps the general hype surrounding the product or service. Purchasers like this are less likely to care about the details, technical specifications, or testimonials for their purchase. Your website’s aesthetics, the quality of your product images, and the brevity of your descriptions make a huge difference for this demographic.

Others are considered logical shoppers, and tend to do their research before making a purchase. These potential customers will want to comparison shop, learn as much as possible about the product, look at reviews, learn about your company, etc. These will be the first visitors to leave your site if they experience any pressure throughout the sales process. Pressure could be popups, restricted navigation, etc. Additional factors that will lose sales to this group is lack of information, an unprofessional, or inconsistent design(doesn’t establish trust), lack of business policies, and hidden costs(like shipping) before or during checkout. On the positive side, if you turn these visitors into customers and follow through with a quality service/product, you will have loyal, repeat customers whose referrals will make them your best marketing team!

“Communicating your idea, and building trust online become extremely important, and significantly more difficult(but not impossible!)”

Online marketing is further complicated by the fact that you have lost the personal/emotional touch that many one-on-one marketers rely on to make a sale. Communicating your idea, and building trust online become extremely important, and significantly more difficult(but not impossible!).

Now that i’ve got the depressing part out of the way, let’s talk about what you can do to turn your online marketing into an advantage for you.

Tips for Online Success

1. Let your customers go
   Trying to hold onto your customers is futile, and a huge waste of effort. Someone who leaves your site without a purchase is not necessarily a lost sale since they may simply be doing their research for a future purchase.
2. Give your customers control.
   Give your visitors the ability to write reviews, and leave feedback on your service. Let them know that their opinion matters and will be taken seriously. Instead of adopting an us vs them approach, turn your business into a team effort with your customers. If you’re really brave, let them leave public feedback on your site!
3. Focus on the customers experience than on the conversion
   If your only concern is getting customers out the “door” with a big sale your customers will sense that very quickly and leave. This goes back to what I mentioned earlier about building trust. Give your customers everything they need to understand your product/ service and make sure they know you’ll be around after the sale to ensure they have the best results possible. Provide training videos, written tutorials, and phone support once the purchase has been made. Throughout your site be creative in finding ways to give your visitors everything they need to make their purchasing decision while making sure that as soon as they are ready, they’re able to purchase.
4. Be transparent until it hurts
   When you lack the personal aspect of a physical store, you have to go the extra mile to ensure that customers feel like they’re more than an invoice number. Write some articles about how your company operates, and perhaps even create some videos about your company. If you’re a small company, don’t act like a mega-corporation. When you make a mistake or have some unexpected rush on a particular product, be sure to let your customers know right away. If it affects more than a couple of customers, I usually recommend posting a short apology on the site. This not only helps those affected, but also builds trust with future customers by showing them that you’re honest and you care. Everyone knows companies aren’t perfect, so if you act like you are, they know you’re lying!
5. Create a conversation
   When your customers know that they’re important to you, and that you listen to them when they complain, you’ll be amazed at how much better your customers you’ll have(and how much better a breed of customers you’ll attract). Think of your website not as a static facade for your business, but rather as an interactive conversation with your customers and potential customers. Don’t just make it possible for people to leave constructive feedback, actively ask for it.

Much of this advice requires a different approach to business online, and a different approach to websites in general. It’s not just about marketing, it’s about putting your customers first. As trite as it sounds, it’s very true that if you take care of your customers, your customers will take care of you!