Here’s the long awaited blog contest video… Enjoy!
Congratulations to Dee and Tamera for winning a $25 Starbucks gift card and a SiteHatchery.com t-shirt!
Video:
SiteHatchery.com and Heritage Video Productions
Music:
Hot Mess
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web development company providing web design and development services nationwide.
I love this…. hilarious. Here’s a Craigslist job posting for a Graphic Designer:
Looking for a Graphic Designer proficient in Illustrator and Photoshop.
Must have awesome computer skills
Must be friendly and carry a positive attitude
Must have reliable transportation
Must be a team player
Must have good communication skills
Must have some work experiencePart Time gig in 4 hour shifts. 1-2 days a week to start.
Send resume and max 4 samples of work, 2 vector and 2 photoshop.
No calls, no walk-ins, no bribery… well maybe a little.Compensation: $8 per hour
Hey dude, this is minimum wage!
To add to the hilarity, here’s a response:
R U Freaking serious. $8 an hour and must be profitiant? Hire a stay at home mom to design your sh*t cheap skate or close your doors!!
And another:
I was thinking the same thing, getting paid $8 an hour with my bachelors woooo! I would rather pick up trash on the highway for free, at least I would feel accomplished! I see high school drop outs making at least $10 on labor jobs.
And finally:
Yea i Third that…. 8$ an hour is less then i made when i first started graphic designing @ the age of 15. maybe bump it up to at leased 10-15 and people will *maybe* consider the job.
Oh, that’s fun. The moral of the story? You get what you pay for. Don’t think you’ll get professional-quality design work for minimum wage. At least don’t bring it up in the presence of a skilled designer. A slap in the face would be more bearable.
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web development company providing web design and development services nationwide.
If it seems like “everyone” is on Facebook nowadays, that’s not far from the truth: There are currently 500 million active users of the social networking site, and that number is growing every day.
Social media marketing is hot, and it’s important to get past any reluctance you may have and consider how you can use these sites to further your business goals. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and even LinkedIn and Craigslist provide a golden opportunity to reach your target audience. And the best part is, it’s cheap or even free.
For example, if Facebook users “Like” your business or page, any posts or status updates you make there will show up in their Facebook News Feed. It’s like advertising directly to your target audience for free, again and again.
But be careful not to abuse this captive audience opportunity. Facebook users can and do “unfriend” or “unlike” too-frequent posters in just one click. Try to alternate pitch-type posts with helpful or fun posts.
Most people like social networking sites because they want to interact with other people. One way to come across as more genuine is to actually BE genuine. A business can feel like a real person on Facebook, because there is a real person behind each post. Your Facebook friends (customers) feel engaged and appreciated, which builds business and loyalty. If you don’t have the time or interest to manage your company’s Facebook page, delegate it to a trusted staffer who can serve as “page curator.”
Facebook users also relish the chance to give immediate feedback to a company, right there on its Facebook page, and even receive a comment back. (Decide ahead of time if your strategy will include deleting negative comments or letting them stand.)
Another thing Facebook users love is free stuff. Plan Facebook-based contests and giveaways. You could:
Whether you set up your company’s Facebook presence as a business Page that can be “Liked,” or an entity that can be “Friended” (the latter has a cap on the number of friends), try to keep it separate from any personal Facebook profile you might have. Be sure to create a custom URL so your business is at www.Facebook.com/yourbusiness rather than a series of numbers. Also, make sure that you, as the business owner, have ultimate control of the page and its passwords. And read Facebook’s terms of use to make sure you’re not falling afoul of them.
Don’t think of social media as an “extra” tool in your advertising and marketing arsenal. Give it the attention it deserves and you can build business while you’re building an online following. Even if you’re not a particularly social person, you’ve got to network – it’s how you thrive in business. And now Facebook and other social media platforms give you the opportunity to get the face of your business in front of thousands, if not millions, of people quickly.
I’ve upped the offer: reply to any post and you’ll be entered to win a SiteHatchery.com t-shirt PLUS a $25 gift card to Starbucks!
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web design company providing web design and development services nationwide.
Once you’ve come up with the perfect domain name, you should register it as soon as possible. Sneaky “squatters” or random interested parties could snap the name up first and you don’t want to be kicking yourself later.
With so many domain name registration services to choose from, it can seem overwhelming. Honestly, I’ve heard about good and bad experiences with almost every major company. Just a few to consider include: Network Solutions, Go Daddy, Dreamhost, Bluehost and HostGator. You can usually register a domain for around $10 annually.
Most individuals and small businesses will want to register their domain name with the same company that hosts their website. Having them both with the same company just means one less payee or customer service entity to deal with.
Personally, I like to manage the domain name and hosting with separate companies. This is primarily because the hosting company I’ve chosen (liquidweb.com) specializes in hosting. They have very powerful servers and exceptional technical support. Other companies, such as Godaddy, who specialize in domain names have a better domain name administration interface and reliable DNS servers.
I have over 65 domain names registered – most of them with godaddy.com. Finding a domain name on Godaddy.com is quite simple. Simply type your domain name into the search field and press the “Go” button. If your preference isn’t available, Godaddy will often give you several alternative options.
If you have a webmaster or are working with a web design or web development company, you can ask if they recommend a particular registration service based on your needs or their experience. Or better yet, just have them purchase and manage it for you – the absolute easiest way to register a domain name.
Because domain name registration fees are so affordable, and because you never know who might come along and buy a similar URL in an attempt to compete with your site or siphon off your business, I recommend that you register additional domain names related to the main one you plan to use. For example, if you bought the .com, you might also register the .net and possibly even the .org and .biz. If you really want to cover all your bases, you might even want to buy the extensions .info and .ws while you’re at it. Also, if your business name is commonly misspelled, try to buy the misspelled URL as well. It’s not hard for you (or your webmaster) to set up these URLs to automatically redirect to your main site.
Remember, your domain name is a business asset that has value now and in the future. Think long-term about how you might expect to use the URL, including the eventual transfer of the name and related names if you one day sell your company, website or blog.
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web development company providing web design and development services nationwide.
The contest is closed. The results are in. Check out the video!
Leave a blog comment, win a shirt and a $25 StarBucks gift card! It’s that easy. SiteHatchery.com is growing and we want to share the wealth! We have two large t-shirts to give away FOR FREE! To win, simply post a comment on any blog post and two winners will be selected at random on September 30.
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web design company providing web design and development services nationwide.
You know the old adage that applies to real estate: location, location, location? Well, when it comes to websites the money-making rule is: content, content, content.
Content is, in this context, simply information presented on a website. Blog posts, static articles, graphics, photo galleries, usable forms and so on all fall under the umbrella of “content.” You want a lot of it, you want it to be good, and you want it to be unique to your site.
The reason you need original content, when it comes to search engine traffic, is because Google’s robots ding and down-rank sites with “duplicate content” – articles or other material that is the same as something else already on the web. It’s a penalty that will set you back in the ranking algorithm. The good news is, it’s easy to avoid. You wouldn’t want to offer your site’s visitors redundant, useless content anyway. Additionally, be sure to avoid placing the same content (even your own) on more than one page or location on your site. Even though your intent is not malicious, your site will still be penalized, unless you devise a Google-approved workaround such as specifying canonical links or setting a preferred domain.
So, where are you going to get this great content? It won’t write itself. But with a little investment of time or money, you can create or commission content that will both add to your site’s usability and increase traffic.
1. Look at what you have. You may already have content available without even realizing its potential value in terms of web development. Check your personal or company “archives.” Maybe you wrote a how-to book back in the early ’90s. Or you might find some brochures, worksheets or guidebooks that you never got around to putting online. Just because you’ve found content that can be recycled doesn’t mean it’s outdated. As long as it’s relevant, you’re being resourceful – and attracting site visitors — by putting it online.
2. Hire a writer. If you don’t have the time, confidence or desire to write your own content, or “copy,” seek out a professional writer to do it for you. Sites such as Elance let you post a description of the project you need done and then freelance or moonlighting copywriters, journalists and other experienced wordsmiths “bid” on the job. (This is also a great way to find graphic designers.) Most writers are willing to “ghostwrite” under your name, write blog posts on an ongoing basis and so on. Be sure to communicate your needs well for the best results right out of the gate. If you need photos, videos or graphics, also check out iStock or another stock photo agency. Your web design company or programmer could also recommend someone. Keep in mind that hiring a local writer or photographer can be more affordable than you’d expect.
3. Crowdsourcing. With the advent of social media and the interactive nature of the Internet, there are plenty of people who are willing and eager to contribute to online projects in exchange for products, as part of a contest or just for fun. Testimonials, reader-submitted photos and guest blog posts by someone in a field that complements yours are all potential sources of free content. In the case of a guest writer, it’s a win-win because they’re getting exposure and a link just by appearing on your blog. You could also, with attribution to the author, post articles you find offered for free or by paying a syndication fee to services such as Associated Content and Ezine Articles, but of course they won’t be unique to your site.
4. Public domain. There are many thousands of books and other materials that have fallen into the public domain and can be republished online for free by virtually anyone. The trouble is, the online offerings are pretty picked over and you don’t want to put up the same old stuff everyone else has. You might want to try doing a little legwork at a library, used bookstore or even an antique store. In many cases, if the copyright is old enough, it’s fair game. Otherwise, see if you can track down the author or publisher and buy the right to license the material – or even work out a revenue-sharing deal.
5. Write it yourself. I know; you don’t have time. Who does? But, especially if you’re just starting out with a blog or online presence, it’s an affordable way to get started while shaping the tone and feel of your site or blog. Don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of writing experience. Just picture your target audience and write how you speak. Be conversational, descriptive and helpful. Keep your keywords in mind, but you’ll usually find that they flow naturally as you write. If you’re worried about grammar or readability, you can always hire an editor or proofreader, or ask a friend or colleague, to give your copy a once-over.
Presenting quality content is well worth the investment of your time and money. It should pay off exponentially as more content means more keywords, more pages for search engines to point to, more happy visitors and, ultimately, more revenue for your business!
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web development company providing web design and development services nationwide.
When successful webmasters, developers, or business owners brag about how high their site ranks, they’re usually talking about Google. While having your website appear on the first page of results in Yahoo!, Bing, Ask, AOL and other search engines is nothing to scoff at, the fact is that Google is the measure by which webmasters and SEO experts gauge how well they’ve done their job of driving website traffic, and, ultimately, dollars, to a site.
Having your website show up at or near the top of search results in Google for your desired keywords is truly boast-worthy. So, how do you get there?
I just hired an administrative assistant yesterday. Yeah!
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web design company providing web design and development services nationwide.
Feverishly programming 10 websites at once in Starbucks with coffee in hand, suddenly I heard a loud “POW”. From the corner of my eye, I saw a large spark and then flames shooting up the wall. Guess my fingers were hitting the keyboard too fast!
Everyone in Starbucks dropped their conversations and looked my way. The flame quickly dispersed and employees asked if everything was OK. All was well, except the fried power cord and a near-drained computer battery which apparently hadn’t been charging for some time.
Luckily, I was wearing my SiteHatchery.com t-shirt. A little fire is good for publicity (Hey, I have a few new large SiteHatchery.com t-shirts if you want one. Just send me an email with your info and I’ll send one out.).
It was a shock to walk into Best Buy and find that power cords are $80!
Anyway, all is well now. Back to programming.
-J
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web development company providing web design and development services nationwide.
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web design company providing web design and development services nationwide.
It won’t save the world (or the Internet, as it may be) here, but I thought I’d throw in my home-grown definition of what web development is:
Web Development is the general procedure involved in developing or creating websites for the Internet. More specifically, web development involves web site design, HTML markup and styling. Web development can also include server-side programming and client-side programming.
I typically will develop websites using PHP (a popular server-side programming language), HTML, CSS, JavaScript and AJAX. In addition, the web pages I build are often database-driven. One project may involve creating the simplest static single-page website. Another customer may need a complex custom web-based Internet application developed – such as a businesses intranet portal, e-commerce shopping cart, blog, for forum – which relies heavily on databases. Whatever you dream up, I can build it.
Well, there you have it. Are your eyes now glassed over and pale from glaze? Don’t worry… I’ll stop before you start foaming at the mouth. I’ve got to remember that I live in the programming world 14 hours a day and most people reading this are just getting introduced to the idea.
Anyway, what you need to know for your business or service is that, with a great looking and resourceful website, or useful web-based application, you have an incredible opportunity to reach a lot of people with whatever you are offering. More people than ever are using the Internet a source for money-making or purchasing opportunities, locating contact information, or getting background on businesses before they ever pick up the phone to call or send an email. So it only makes sense to invest in a great website, even if you’re new to the concept of web development or programming.
Web development is the means by which I carve your vision on the Internet.
If you are in the Chico (Northern California) area and would like to discuss your web development needs over coffee, I’d like to hear from you. Just shoot me an email at jason@sitehatchery.com.
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web development company providing web design and development services nationwide.
I just found one of the most hilarious CraigsList postings! Check this out:
I SPECIALIZE IN MAKING INEXPENSIVE, CHEAP LOOKING WEBSITES.
WHAT DOES YOUR WEBSITE SAY ABOUT YOUR COMPANY? IF IT SAYS YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL, PEOPLE MAY WANT A DISCOUNT.
MY WEBSITE WILL HAVE PEOPLE THINKING YOU ARE BROKE. BROKE AS A JOKE, I LIKE TO SAY.
THIS IS GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR COMPANY $$$$ (OR PESO’S SOUTH OF THE BORDER)
I CAN’T MAKE YOUR WEBSITE AT 4PM, I HAVE TO WORK. WE COULD MEET AT 6PM THOUGH.
Umm… no. If you want to sell shoelaces for a penny, then maybe. But believe me, if you want your website to rake in quality business, it can’t look like a third grader or your cousin made it.
What are some of the worst looking websites you’ve seen?
For starters, here’s one I stumbled across today while researching for a client:
powershacks.com
So start sharing… we’re all waiting to hear.
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web design company providing web design and development services nationwide.
The new website is officially launched. What do you think?
Next step… on-site optimization. This means making it attractive for search engines so that my pages get high up on the list.
Beyond this… I have a great contact who can really get you exposure in search engines. He’s done work for several of my clients and the result has been satisfying. He’s helping me right now! If you’re interested, send me an email and I’ll hook you up.
-J
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web design company providing web design and development services nationwide.
Welcome to the SiteHatchery Customer Connection Blog – dedicated to SiteHatchery customers! This is all about helping you make your web presence a smashing success. Check back soon for great articles on growing your business, getting visitors, making money on the web while you sleep, keys to buying domain names, managing your own site and so much more!
Posted by: Sitehatchery.com – a Chico web development company providing web design and development services nationwide.
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