I have this discussion almost on a daily basis. People really liked their Web developer when he/she first built their Website a few years back. Since then though it’s been a constant up hill battle to get updates done to their site. Why is that, they ask?

It’s really a pretty simple business reason. Web development companies of one (meaning the Web Developer is the entire company), Web development companies of one, only really make money on ”New”  Web sites. And, they can really only work on three Web sites at a time.  (There’s only so many hours in a day, and it takes time to make a good Website.)

So they go out get a few clients, then a few more, then a few more.  Suddenly, they have about 30 clients and are working on the next  ”New” three. You, the older existing client, now want some stuff done to your site. About the same time, another couple more existing clients want something done to their sites as well. The Web developer of one is now stuck.

They have to be working on the next “New” three because the mortgage and car payment is due. But, they have this friendship with you when they were working on your site. So, who gets bumped to the bottom of the priority list. Unfortunately for you, that’s you. The Web developer counts on that initial friendship with you to give them some slack in the timeliness of your updates.

Unfortunately, that slack time keeps getting longer and longer.

The moral of the story is, really really evaluate not only the person you are hiring to do your Website, but their business structure and ability to support you in the long term. Trust is fine, but the reality is they can only work on three sites at time.

Hmmm, Pepsi has decided not to spend $3 million dollars on SuperBowl commericals this year. Instead, they are going to launch a $20 million dollar social media campaign.

From Time Magazine - – “Pepsi plans to give away $20 million in grant money to fund projects in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods and education. People can go to the Pepsi website refresheverything.com — which can also be accessed through Facebook and Twitter — to both submit ideas and vote on others they find appealing. ”

So… Pepsi this year is going to experiment with social media instead of reaching 100 million viewers, who the greatest majority are more interested in the commercials than the actual game.

I will be watching Pepsi’s progress in the months ahead, AND, if they decide to do a commercial next year.

This is such a true story. CNN ran this last week about these collar tags that allow you to get Tweets from your pet.  Only in America would someone come up with something like a device that allows you to get pre-written Tweets based on what your dog is currently doing.  Here’s the CNN article

Mattel’s “Puppy Tweets” is expected to hit stores in the fall.By Parija Kavilanz, senior writerJanuary 22, 2010: 8:03 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Social networking is going to the dogs.

In its first-ever toy created for the canine community, Mattel is introducing a product called “Puppy Tweets” that meshes the hugely popular Twitter with consumers’ love of pets.

Puppy Tweets is a plastic tag with a sound and motion sensor that you attach to your pet’s dog collar and connect its USB receiver to your computer. Then you create a Twitter account for your dog and enjoy updates all day from Sparky or whatever its name is on your computer or smartphone.

The tag is set with several pre-recorded tweets that are triggered by the dog’s activities. So if he’s running around, you might get a tweet that says “I finally caught that tail I’ve been chasing and…OOUUUCHH!”

If Sparky is napping, he’ll tweet “Somedays it feels like my paw is permanently on the snooze button!” If he’s making a ruckus, his tweet will let you know that as well, saying”YAHOOOOOOO! Somedays you just gotta get your bark on.”

“Puppy Tweets capitalizes on two popular trends – the use of social media and real time communication, as well as peoples’ extreme love for their dogs,” said Susan Russo, Mattel’s director of marketing.

Puppy Tweets is part of the No. 1 toymaker’s line-up of new products for 2010 that it showcased to members of the media Thursday ahead of the industry’s annual Toy Fair in New York next month.

Jim Silver, a toy industry analyst and editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com, said he was “curious” about Puppy Tweets when he first saw it.

“I thought that a 5-year-old doesn’t know about Twitter,” he said. But he said that Mattel is going after an entirely different market and “expanding beyond kids” with Puppy Tweets. “This is a product for adults.”

Does it make sense?

Said Silver,”It’s a good thing to try especially since no one else has come up with a pet product quite like this.”

Puppy Tweets will be available at retailers in the fall, and will carry a suggested retail price of $29.99. 

Here’s an article from CNN’s Website this morning. As I read this about the fact that he was at the Red Cross I just had to chuckle. He told the world in that little Tweet that he wasn’t at home. Perfect opportunity for burglers to get in there and rob the White House. LOL!!!

Never Tweet you’re current location if you’re not at home!!

From CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry

 

Digital history was made Monday when President Obama became the first commander-in-chief to ‘tweet’ a message.

Washington (CNN) – Digital history was made Monday when President Obama became the first commander-in-chief to “tweet” a message on the social networking site, though he had a little bit of help.

When Obama stopped at the headquarters of the American Red Cross’ to promote aid to Haiti, a member of the agency’s new media team wrote a message on Twitter.com telling people he had arrived.

“President Obama and the first lady are here visiting our disaster operation center right now,” the Red Cross staffer wrote.

The new media staffer then asked the president to hit “Update” on the screen and Obama posted the item himself under the @RedCross handle at Twitter.com.

A moment later the Red Cross staffer posted a follow-up tweet: “President Obama pushed the button on the last tweet. It was his first ever tweet!”
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Chris Nastav, KC Web Specialists, LLC, www.kcwebspecialists.com
Experts in how business gets done on the Internet

Folks, this is not a post bashing online social media experts. What it is are some things to think about when someone comes to you selling online social media services……..

There’s a growing flock of people out there calling themselves social media “experts”. What’s interesting is that none of these “Experts” have been at it for more than a year or two, and most of them are “personal” usage experts.

The ebb and flow of online applications has changed at least (Insert number here) times over the last two years. Who has had time to become an expert?

I joke about the (insert number here) because the number of online applications that has come and gone really numbers in the hundreds.

But back to the “Expert” concept. How about we ask the “Experts” to please narrow their credentials down to just “experts” in business usage of online social media.

Truely anyone can become an expert in how to sit down at computer and use a social online application. But have they had enough time to become an expert in making online tools successful for other businesses? 

When someone comes to you claiming to be an “expert” in online social media, and they want to sell you some type of service, ask them for specific proof of how their expertise has made a business (besides their own) wildly successful.

Ask them for the financial examples of businesses, just like yours, that they’ve made a difference in that company’s bottom line.

I want to talk with people who do more than just use scare tactics to try and sell online social media service. “You’ve just got to start using Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, because all of your customers are using them. You don’t want to get left out. Everyone is using them. Hurry, hurry, hurry, otherwise you’ll go out of business because your competitors have it all figured out.”

Hah!!!

Oh well, I guess scare tactics do work because there’s a ton of “Experts” out there selling and using the above lines.

Please evaluate carefully “YOUR CUSTOMER’s” use of online social media, before plunging into the use of an online social media “Experts” services. 

Chris Nastav, KC Web Specialists, LLC, www.kcwebspecialists.com
Experts in how business gets done on the Internet

Want to know the most up-to-date information on a topic? Can’t wait to see what’s the latest happenings in Tiger’s world? You know Tiger, the biggest sponsor crash of the decade person. That Tiger. LOL!

Well check out a new feature that Google added to their native search results area. Real time updates on what’s being Tweeted, Blogged, New’s reported, etc. If it’s happening now in the Internet, Google will show it.

Chris Nastav, KC Web Specialists, LLC, www.kcwebspecialists.com
Experts in how business gets done on the Internet