I’m going to do my best to keep this professional.  In no way do I want to appear critical, judgmental, or condescending.  Part of my job requires me to evaluate and assess in order to help those who come to me.  I’m not a “know-it-all”… and I believe those who ARE successful in their field of choice will admit to constantly learning on a daily basis!  THAT, in my humble opinion, is what separates the “experts” from those who have no business IN the business!

A website was developed, pro bono, for this group back in 2004.  The original developer, who happens to have 20 successful years in the industry, had been working with it pro bono ever since.  Although the developer moved away from the area physically, it continued to maintain a professional and modern appearance and email requests were handled as they were made.  More significantly, monthly efforts were made in the area of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and, in early 2010, the website was modified in such a way that it included the ability to be viewed correctly on mobile devices.  These aren’t things that the average person typically notices when visiting websites.  The group, thinking it was time for a change and thinking it would be easier to work with someone “local” turned to one of their volunteers who claimed to be a web design expert.  A new website was developed and the domain name was redirected to this new website on Monday.

This web design “expert” claims to have 15 years in the business and admitted on Monday to “just starting to learn CSS”.  For those wondering… that’s the equivalent of someone saying they’ve been an expert auto mechanic for 15 years… and then asking “What’s a wrench”?  My curiosity got the better of me and I started to look at this new website along with some of the others designed by this “expert”.  I was dumbfounded.  Forget the fact that they all look like they’re fresh out of the 90′s with the cartoon graphics, gaudy icons with the “click here” text, and textured backgrounds.  Who knows, this might be the “look” those customers insisted on.

Here’s what really disturbed me.  There was not one single element relevant to SEO (Search Engine Optimization)!  The “titles” contained NO keywords or phrases.  There were NO meta tags for “keywords” and “description”.  NO “alt tags”.  NO “alt text”.  If you’re a business owner reading this… and asking yourself “What’s he talking about?”… these are web development “101″ things.  These are aspects of web development that should be second nature to an “expert” with 15 years in the business!  This would be like you taking your car in for new tires and the tire tech not knowing that tires need air!

It’s important to know that this particular non-profit organization is located in a very rural area.  The city itself has a population of approximately 4500.  The service they provide is specific to the area.  Here’s what they lost the moment the new website went online.

Prior to Monday, they were averaging between 5000 and 6000 visitors per month to their website.  Nearly half of those visitors entered the website, for the first time, through pages OTHER than the home page.  The website itself had a VERY strong presence in all of the major search engines.  Not 4 or 5 pages cataloged in Google… but 4550!  Yes… 4550!  Except for the home page, which will probably lose visibility soon, ALL of those other 4549 pages listed in Google are now broken links.  They were averaging 70 unique visitors per month via mobile devices.   The new website is no longer mobile friendly.  What kind of “expert” suggests “starting from scratch” after seven years of effort and consistency without doing some “homework” to see if anything is going to be disrupted?

I know it’s a conundrum for business owners.  You don’t know what you don’t know.  Read that again.  You don’t know what you don’t know… and you expect an “expert” to know their field and “have your back”.  Examples like this are what hinders us from trusting each other… and “trust” is, without a doubt, the MOST important element in a successful business relationship.

Those who have chosen to become self-proclaimed experts in the fields of web development, SEO, and Social Media have chosen to take on a huge responsibility.  Knowing basic “mechanics” is nothing to boast about.  That should be a given.  It’s why we have this mess to begin with.  ANYONE can learn the mechanics.  And they do.  Then they call themselves an “expert”.  And then the business community is disappointed.  And the TRUE experts have to work that much harder to gain that trust.  But be assured… we will.  Because YOUR success is the most important thing to a REAL “expert”.

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Ever visit a web site and question your comfort level because the web site simply doesn’t look or feel “professional”?  So what makes you think visitors to your web site are any different?  This “comfort level” determines whether or not people continue to surf your web site or decide to do business elsewhere.

A well-designed web site is a work of art.  Most likely your visitors know nothing about fonts, leading, justification, kerning, or the science of color.  Yes, there’s a science to the use of color.  Visitors can sense when a page is well laid out and when it’s not.  Good design is practical as well as aesthetic.  Properly designed pages are easy to interpret and navigate.  Rules that apply to print pages don’t apply to web sites.  This surprises many.

Web site visitors are more savvy today than ever before.  You have less than 5 seconds to get their attention.  You AND your business are judged in that short time based EXCLUSIVELY on what they see as your site loads.  In this case, “the book IS judged by the cover”… and it can help make or break you and your business.

In a recent survey conducted by Hostway, Inc., a web hosting and services provider hq’d in Chicago, up to 76.7% of online consumers say they don’t revisit web sites if they encounter a pet peeve.  Additionally, this can cause potential customers to view the company so negatively that they won’t even visit the brick and mortar store (if there is one).  Worse yet, 54.9% of those displeased with their online experience will share this with friends and associates.

Should web sites always follow standard design rules?  Nope.  However, you need to know the rules before you can break them.

Here’s a list of the top 10 things you need to avoid if you want a professional looking web site that will gain the trust of your visitors.  They’re pretty obvious and play a role in success or failure.

1. Avoid “busy backgrounds”
   Quit with the wallpaper already.  That’s the first sign of an unprofessional web site.  It’s just not cool anymore and can make visitors dizzy.
    
2. Avoid busy graphics in general
   Dump all that animation and those flashing cartoon graphics.  Ever drive down Las Vegas Blvd?  It’s kind of like that.  The neon lights and flashing signs are distracting and overwhelming… making it next to impossible for me to find what I’m looking for.
    
3. Get rid of the “Linear Look”
   In the old days, (yes – there are now “old days” where the Internet is concerned), web pages were laid out in a straight line.  Navigation on the left, and looooong pages of text and photos forcing people to scroll two or three pages to see it all.  Today it’s all about tables.  Rows and columns, tables within tables, etc.  Unless you know them inside and out, you’ll never have a professional looking web site.
     
4. Dump the “Hit Counters”
   Your numbers don’t impress me.  Go visit your own page… take note of the number in that “hit counter” at the bottom of your page.  Got it?  Now… refresh the page and look at the number again.  Woo! Hoo!  You just logged another ”hit”!
    
   If you make your page the home page in your browser… every time you open your browser you’re increasing your “hits”.   I bet you look at it several times a day… just to see if that number increases.  Guess what… chances are all you’re seeing are the results of your own page hits.  That’s what website stats are for.  Use them.
     
5. Browser Endorsements
   A web site developed correctly doesn’t need to say “Looks best when viewed using “AOL”, “Netscape” or “Internet Explorer” somewhere on the page.  It WILL look right in ALL the browsers.
    
6. Stop making users scroll right to left!
   It’s all about tables… and tables within tables.  Learn it or hire a professional.  Today, with outrageously large screen resolutions, there’s no excuse for this.
     
7. Lose the “Under Construction” or “Come Back Soon” pages
   No one remembers or has time to come back.  Finish your site before letting them see it.  You’ve got one shot.  Don’t waste it.
    
8. Quit with the Free Ads and Visual Clutter
   Stop adding banners for this, icons for that, little graphics, blurbs, smileys with the tongues sticking in and out, etc…  No one needs your help finding Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, or free downloads.
    
9. Incorrect use of Frames
   There’s a time and place for everything.  YES!  There’s a right and wrong time to use frames.   Amateurs either: (a) don’t know that, or (b) use them incorrectly.
    
10. Font  inconsistencies
    Pick a font style.  Stick with a font style.  Don’t mix Times New Roman with Arial with Verdana with Comic Sans.  And did you know that fonts may look good on your computer but may not even display on another?

I only listed 10.  There are many more signs, any of which can be extremely detrimental.  You can set your business back 6 months, a year, or more.

The era of successful “do-it-yourself” web sites is long gone.  Users can tell.  With the abundance of web sites today, they can afford to be selective… and they are.

Are you overwhelmed when you open your Inbox?  Do you even want to KNOW how much time you’ve wasted looking at the same emails until you could find the one you’re really looking for? You’ve said, “I don’t have time to read this particular email right now.  It’s not as important as the one that just came in.  I’ll read it later.”  Suddenly, you’re wondering why it’s August, and you’ve still got email from January in your Inbox.

You CAN control your Inbox and even keep it empty!  The key is to evaluate how you process and organize your email and then make some changes.  You’ll gain control, improve response time, and keep up with critical actions and due dates.

Let’s look at 5 things you can do to take control of your Inbox.

1. Recognize the difference between “Reference Email” and “Action Email”.  “Reference Email” requires no action.  You simply wish to keep it in case you need it later.   “Action Emails” require action on your part.
    
2. Establish a simple, effective “Email Filing System” using email file folders.  Statistically, as much as one-third of your email will be reference email.  Immediately transfer this email to the appropriate folder!  Even if you intend to read it immediately, read it from it’s folder.  This way, if you ARE interrupted, you’ll know where it is when you have time to get back to it, however, it’s no longer cluttering your Inbox.  Once reference email is filed, all that’s left in your Inbox will be action email.  The next three items will help you with your action email.
    
3. Schedule UNINTERRUPTED email time.  You schedule meetings, calls, etc…  Email time is THAT important.  No calls.  No visitors.  Action emails require decisions. Good decisions require focus.  Focus requires uninterrupted attention. Establish a regular time each day to process email.  Mark it on your calendar and KEEP THAT APPOINTMENT! This disciplined approach will develop into a good habit over time.  Of course you’ll scan your email during the day for urgent messages or requests from your boss or client, however, you’ll quickly notice how much easier it is to deal with these.
    
4. Process messages one item at a time, starting at the top.  Resist the temptation to jump around in your Inbox.  Sort email by the order in which you wish to process it; by date, subject, sender, etc…  Create folders for co-workers or clients.  Move the first email to the appropriate folder.  Immediately go to that folder and handle that email.  Go back to your Inbox and repeat the process. This can be hard at first with hundreds or even thousands of messages in your Inbox. However, as the number of emails in your Inbox lessens, you’ll reach a point where you can process all of your new messages in one sitting whether it’s 10 or 110, and keep your Inbox clean.
    
5. Use the “Four D’s for Decision Making” model to quickly decide what to do with each email.  With this model, you have four choices: (1) Delete it, (2) Do it, (3) Delegate it, (4) Defer it.
     
   DELETE IT - Statistically, you’ll delete about half of all email you get. Afraid to delete?  Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide.  Does it relate to a meaningful objective you’re currently working on? If not, you can probably delete it. Why keep information that doesn’t relate to your main focus? Does it contain information you can find elsewhere? If so, delete it.  Does it contain information you’ll need within the next six months? If not, delete it. Does it contain information you’re required to keep? If not, delete it.
      
   DO IT (in less than two minutes) – If you can’t DELETE IT, decide, “What action do I need to take?” and “Can I DO IT in less than two minutes? ” If you can, just DO IT.  You’ll be surprised at how many messages take less than 2 minutes to process.  File it, reply to it, or make the quick phone call. You’ll probably handle about one third of your email messages in this manner.
     
   DELEGATE IT - If you can’t DELETE IT or DO IT in two minutes or less, can you DELEGATE IT?  If so, delegate it. Move it to the appropriate folder, reply to it and send it.
     
   DEFER IT - If you can’t DELETE IT, DO IT in less than two minutes, or DELEGATE IT, then it will require special attention. Since this is your dedicated email processing time, DEFER IT and deal with it after you’ve finished processing the rest of your email. Generally, about 10% of your email will be deferred.

Use this model daily!  Statistics show on average, people can process about 100 email messages an hour. If you receive 40 to 100 messages per day, all you need is one hour of uninterrupted email processing time to get through your Inbox. Additional statistics show that of the email you receive: 50% can be deleted or filed. 40% can be delegated or completed in less than 2 minutes. 10% can be deferred to complete later.

If you have a backlog of hundreds of messages, it will take time to reach the point where your daily routine will keep you up to date. It’s important to get the backlog down.  Set aside blocks of time to work through it. Very quickly, you’ll begin to enjoy email. You won’t accidentally miss email.  You won’t have to go on a “search and destroy mission” just to find a particular email.  You’ll be organized.  And your business will reflect it.
   
Written by William H. Wells III for local Monroe County, Tennessee Newspapers
Monroe County, Tennessee includes the communities of Coker Creek, Madisonville, Sweetwater, Tellico Plains, and Vonore.

1. Use a business-like email address. Free services like Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo!, etc… are less professional and frequently used by spammers.  Spam filters often block these email addresses. Your email could get “lost”, your recipient won’t receive it and you’ll never know.  If you have a website, email service generally comes with it. Use it. If you MUST use ISP email such as TDS, BellSouth, etc… or free email service, avoid cute or suggestive words.
     
2. Use the “Subject” line effectively.  Summarize your point in five words or less.  Avoid using common symbols like: !, ?, ‘, “, *, $, %, as well as words such as ‘online’, ‘sales’, ‘urgent’, and ‘money’. You may as well delete the email yourself. That’s what most spam filters will do.
    
3. Use a polite, professional, respectful greeting or salutation.  Don’t be presumptuous and assume you’re on a first name basis.  Use of words such as ‘Greetings’ or ‘Hello’, followed by Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Dr., (if appropriate) is safe.
     
4. Keep it basic. Avoid stationary, graphics, logos, and fancy fonts. The email may look fine to you. However, spam filters can’t wait to intercept, delete, or strip it bare before passing it on.  Those who may receive your email could have trouble viewing it.  Stationary, logos and fonts can turn into attachments.  Email programs don’t always display email the same way it was sent, especially if viewed on PDAs, Smart Phones, or cell phones.
    
5. Watch what you say and how you say it.  Comments made in person, accompanied by gestures and facial expressions, will be understood as intended.  The same comments in text can easily be misinterpreted.
     
6. Avoid emoticons, abbreviations and ALL UPPER-CASE LETTERS.  Leave the smileys, BTW’s and LOL’s out of your professional email.  It’s PROFESSIONAL email, remember? Using all upper-case letters is the email equivalent of shouting.
     
7. Use a “Signature” at the end of your email. You close letters, memos, and other hard copy correspondence.  The same applies to email. Conclude politely and professionally with ‘Thank you’ or ‘Sincerely’, followed by your full name, business name, phone number, email address, and website address.  Most email programs allow you to set up a signature which is automatically added to your email correspondence.
     
8. Be considerate. Confirm before sending attachments. Verify that the recipient can receive large files and open certain file types.  Sure, you may be able to send attachments over 1 MB in size.  However, whether dial-up, high-speed, and now with recipients using Smart Phones to view email… enough of these can clog a recipient’s email forcing them to sit, wait, and in some cases, prevent them from receiving email altogether. Files made on “Windows” software may not be viewable on a “Mac” and vice-versa. Checking first will save time and minimize problems.
     
9. Proof Read and Spell Check. You get one chance to make an impression.  All credibility is lost if the recipient is busy trying to interpret a word or sentence instead of focusing on your message.  Most email programs provide “spell check”.  If yours doesn’t, use word processing software, check it there, then copy and paste it into your email.  This is also a good method for checking grammar.
     
10. Fill in the “TO” email address last. Ever hit “Send” only to realize you forgot to attach something?  Or worse… you realize you said things you really didn’t want to say.  Filling in the “TO” email address last helps prevent accidentally sending an email before you’ve completed it, proofed it, spell checked it, attached files, or reconsidered.

I guess I missed a meeting, or at least the memo which says if someone can open software, type text, make links, upload a picture or two, they’re suddenly qualified to help you develop one of the most efficient and effective customer service and marketing tools available for your business or organization today – your web site.  (Here was my take on the term “Webmaster” back in ’05… Webmaster… Doesn’t Mean “Expert”).
  
Evidently, another memo I’ve missed encourages business owners to try and save as much money as possible by telling them to:

1. Buy a program, and in no time at all, you’ll have created your very own business tool that will be just as effective as if you had hired a professional.
     
   or…
     
2. Let your business be a guinea pig  for a “friend who can build web pages” because it’s cheaper than paying to have it done right.

So, it’s time to buy a new car.  You enter your favorite dealership, perhaps somewhere along the “World Famous Airport Motor Mile” and you kindly tell the helpful salesperson that you’re unhappy with your old car and it’s time to “upgrade”.  You’d like him to set up that brand new 2002 sitting on the showroom floor.  You also mention that you can only spend $500.00 and you’re going to maintain it yourself.  You know… your own tune-ups, filter and fluid changes, replace parts when necessary, etc…  Or maybe you have this “friend” who “knows about cars” who will help you when you have a problem with it.  I’m guessing that sounds just a little ridiculous.  Perhaps extremely ludicrous.
   
So, why is it, when it comes to the most powerful, efficient, and effective customer service and marketing tool available for your business today, business owners feel that they can take this approach and still remain competitive?
     
Have you ever found yourself in an unfamiliar city visiting a shop, or a familiar grocery store and you walk out glad you don’t have to shop there regularly because it’s unfriendly, run down, and unclean?
    
Does your web site have that same impression on visitors?  Despite the familiar saying, people continue to “judge a book by its cover”.  We all do it.
     
I remember the day… IF you had a web site, that was enough.  Those days were short-lived and ended sometime back in 1996.
    
Millions of people visit web sites daily.  They see the “cream of the crop” and the “bottom of the barrel”.  What are they thinking when they visit yours?  It makes a difference.
     
Your web site works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year.  That’s more loyalty, dedication, and reliability than you will ever get from an employee.  Try paying an employee “just enough to get by” and see how long it is before you’re looking for a new employee to replace the one who just left for “greener pastures”.
    
The same holds true for your web site.  If you think you can “just get by”, you may as well just add links from your web site to the web sites of your competitors… because that’s where all your traffic will wind up anyway.
    
There’s a reason Harvard University offers over 100 courses as requirements to obtain various degrees associated with Internet Technology, Web Site Development, Internet Marketing and more.  Prerequisites for some of these courses include advanced mathematics and computation courses.
     
Consider the following:

Do you really have time in your busy day-to-day schedule to try and learn a new career?  Can you really afford to have a novice experiment with your 24/7 marketing and customer service tool?  The answer is NO.  All you’ll be doing is wasting your time and your money.

Is the success of your business so inessential, your time so valueless, that you’ll sacrifice both while trying to learn a skill that has a nearly 10 year head start on you and your “friend”?