Tina Winslow Hudson » Planning

Small Business Websites-A Step by Step Plan

Tina Winslow Hudson — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:45:40 +0000

I consult with a lot of companies. Larger, smaller and one-person firms. Small businesses have a soft spot in my heart because they are how it all begins. A person with a dream, a good idea, a plan created something from nothing. So I thought, I would put together what I would do, what I recommend and what I know for the small businesses. You may need to still hire a web firm to help out, but with this knowledge you will be educated about the process. Perhaps you can even take it and run with it.

Here is the outline of what this multi-post will entail:

1. Domain Name / Hosting – registering domain, strategy behind the name and costs about putting your site somewhere

2. Content Management System – You need one, why and what types there are out there

3. Look and Feel – Yes the CMS comes first, design is crucial, how to get one good and reasonably priced

4. Putting it All Together – tweaking, integrating it with social media/community-based marketing and features

5. Promotion – techniques, tools and strategies

6. SEO/PPC – This isn’t the last thing discussed – it’s so important it is mentioned in every part but this will be the wrap up and discussion of how and when Pay-Per-Click is a good idea.

Remember not all of this applies to every small business and it may be overkill for a one-person firm but it’s all good general knowledge about how and why and what to do. As always, my e-mail tina (at) thesatorigroup (dot) com is open for questions or leave a comment and I’ll reply.

P.S. – I’ll go back and link these as I post them so there can be a starting point!

Pricing Model(s)

Tina Winslow Hudson — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:52:31 +0000

What does a web site cost, how much is SEO (referred to like pixie dust, sprinkled in and amongst the site), what is a PPC campaign going to cost me and what is redesign going for these days?

Just like a car dealer, or consultant – I get to answer it depends. What do you want it to do, look like or act like? It’s also why, when I hear about a “web site” in a box, or a package it gets me a little tetchy because there are so many variations, so many A + B + Cs that there is no way to really wrap up these in packages. There are ways to wrap core elements into a package and I guess that is what these particular people are doing but very quickly it moves into customization and there in lies the rub. There are shortcuts and then there are shortcuts that look like shortcuts.

Also and much more importantly to me, it shoves my career and work into a vendor role, and worse a vendor role at the end of a very long process of vendors. Perhaps in my own head, I consider myself a partner with my clients. We work together vigorously to bring about their conceptual ideas to an interactive reality. If I’m a vendor then, just put together all the hours and cost and *shazam* you have a bid. From there, it’s about whittling down those numbers into the smallest possible number. This is done through compare and contrast, looking at overseas vendors, negotiating – however the client does it. In theory, this isn’t personal, it’s about the getting the lowest possible number and as a small business owner, I get that.

Except I don’t. Because you are paying for me. My experience, my 15 years in the industry, my feet on the road as they say. You are paying for all the times I’ve launched a web site, helped revise a design that isn’t quite there, work to get the search engines to notice what we have done, drive leads into a sales process and in the end get the brass ring. Counter-intuitively, you are also paying for what hasn’t worked. And that, my friends is worth a lot more than money. We know what works because we know what DOESN’T work.

All that is to say, I was reading one of my favorite sites today. It’s Swiss Miss which is run by another Tina. (Tina’s of the world stand up and be heard) and her post was on Design Pricing Models. She got the post from David Dairey who was also discussing it. I believe the following image is his – © him and all of that. While they are discussing Graphic Design Pricing, I have not seen a better pricing model for what I do. If I could put numbers to this and add it up, I would use it as a pricing template.

How do I do this?

Tina Winslow Hudson — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 03:05:40 +0000

It’s not easy, but not because of the difficulty level, it’s because it requires you to be present, have a plan and then consistently act on that plan. Everyone wants to be that person but I’ve found the easiest thing to do is set up a plan, and then work that plan. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to start and then keep after it.

In the next few days, I’m going to start a series of posts about how to set up an interactive marketing plan and then step-by-step show you how to work that plan. I do this for clients all the time and I know how intimidating it can be but I’ll be here as a resource and if you have questions, then we can get you some answers.