I often get asked about our name. They get the Web Solutions part but are curious about the 1011. What does it mean? Glad you asked because actually quite a bit of thought went into naming our company.

First let me clear up any rumors that 1011 is my ATM PIN code. It's not. What it is, in my humble opinion, is a fantastic company name. Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me first share with you the criteria we set down for ourselves when first embarking on this name selection journey.

There were 6 critical goals we wanted our company name to meet:

1. Easy to say for us and others.

I introduce myself to a lot of people. When meeting someone for the first time you don't want to stumble over saying your company's name. We wanted it to easily roll off the tongue when spoken out loud and repeated.

2. No spelling concerns.

We wanted our name and domain to need no further explanation after saying it to someone new. Anything that required me to tell you how to spell it after I said it was automatically out. We also gave a quick boot to anything with a symbol or phonetic replacement in the name, such as "ez" or "e-z" to replace "easy".

3. Memorable.

This is a no brainer but is more difficult to do than you think. Our name needed to stick in people's heads several days or even weeks after they had heard it just once. We also did not want something run of the mill or boring. For example, Internet company names starting with "e" are way overused.

4. Scalable.

Like many companies we do more than just one thing. We wanted a name that would expand and grow however we needed yet still make sense. Think of Apple and the "i" series: iPhone, iPod, iTunes, etc.

5. Short URL.

Similar to not wanting people to misspell our name, we also didn't want to frustrate them with how long it took to type our domain name or email addresses.

6. Mean something.

We had some completely random, out of the blue words in the pile for consideration that probably met most if not all of the above goals. However, a name that also gives you a general idea of what the company does is better. It allows me to spend more time listening about how I can meet your needs instead of explaining myself to you.

In the end we got to 1011 as a play off the ones and zeros in binary code. It's easy to say and spelling isn't an issue. We were concerned about whether people would say "10 11" or "one thousand eleven" but that was easily handle with our logo design. We were also concerned about whether people would spell it with numbers or lettes. That was also easily handled by just registering both the http://www.1011web.com and http://www.tenelevenweb.com domains.

Remembering the name has been very easy for people, which I credit to three factors. It's easy to remember simple numbers. Those simple numbers are chronological. People like the intrigue about what the numbers mean, which I'll be honest and admit was completely unintentional.

Nowadays you just about can't beat only seven characters in a domain name. Plus, the 1011 part was just as scalable as anything we'd seen Apple do with their "i". We had access to 1011 programming, 1011 marketing, 1011 ecommerce, 1011 design, etc.

As far as meaning or symbolism both the chronological numbers and the steps in our logo represent our belief of the best way to build online systems. Start with a strong foundation that meets all the fundamental needs then build on it as your needs and resources guide. This is the surest way to get exactly what is needed, keep costs low and avoid feature creep, which is adding a "straw" here and a "straw" there until the camel's back is broken.

I love the name and believe the effort and time we spent was well worth it. The result was a great name that met every single goal we set plus it's first in an alphabetical list.

After all the deep thought and deliberation, I realized 1011 is also my daughter's birthday, October 11th. She's a fan of the name too.

Many of our clients ask me if they should have a blog on their website. A lot of business owners have heard of blogging, but aren't quite sure what it is or the benefits of having a blog on their website. To blog or not to blog, that is the question many business owners have.

I've found that my first response to this question is another question, "are you ready to write?"  Better yet, "are you willing to write on a regular basis?" If yes, then you should certainly include a blog on your website. If not, perhaps you should consider a newsletter instead.

Blogs Require Attention

I don't advise that anyone start a blog with a few articles, and then abandon the blog thinking they have enough material to keep readers occupied or coming back to the website.  For one thing, blog articles usually have dates for each post. If I encounter a blog with the most recent article written over a year or so ago, I think that the owner either forgot about it or went out of business. The same holds true for empty forums. Consequently, I'd be reluctant to leave a comment or request more information because I'd be willing to bet I may never receive a response from the blog owner.

Business owner that are serious about blogging should dedicate themselves to writing frequently and to get involved with the online community they are trying to attract. I'd recommend writing at least once a week, and attending to the blog more often than that to see if you've received comments or traffic. However, if you often find yourself struggling to come up with compelling blog content or suffer from writer's block, then you should consider alternative forms of electronic communication with your customers other than a blog.

Newsletters as an Alternative to Blogs 

If you're one of those who considers writing to be an exercise you did when you were in trouble in elementary school (not that I would know or anything ), but yet you still want to communicate with your clients or potential clients, then perhaps you should consider a newsletter.

Newsletters can be written less frequently than blogs without appearing dead. You can send out a newsletter monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or just when you want to talk about a specific event or promotion. If you really hate to write, you can even hire someone to write your newsletters for you.

Basically, before you invest in either forms of customer communication, you should consider the time requirements involved with managing it. If you have specific questions about the advantages or disadvantages, I'd like to hear from you.

Writing content for your website is a hurdle many business owners resist. Understanding that you need a website is the first thing, next we have to understand that content on your website doesn't magically appear.

One of the first things you should know about your website copy is that your readers will probably not read every word; rather, they scan your content for information relevant to their search.  This can be a depressing fact for us writers who put so much time and effort into our prose, but it doesn’t have to be.

Instead, it is part of the process of writing for our audience and doing our best to help readers find information they need and find it quickly.

So here are a few tips and ideas to consider before you embark on a copywriting project or if you are rewriting underperforming content on your current website.

Website Writing Tips

• Write in chunks and use plenty of whitespace between chunks to break up the text. This will help readers scan the content and locate keywords.

• Speaking of keywords, you should strategically locate important keywords at the beginning of your page, paragraphs or in headings.  Write like a journalist and put important attention-grabbing information at the beginning of your article.

This is due to how readers scan the content your website. Notice these three different websites discussed on Jakob Nielson’s UseIt.com eyetracking study.  The heatmapping reveals “hot-spots” or most viewed locations on a webpage. Notice how readers scan the content reading snippets of the first paragraph, some of the second chunk, then begin to scan down the page for headings.

 

• Don’t be stingy with headings. Headings help readers and scanners locate information more quickly, especially if that information resides near the bottom of the article.

• Keep your content short. Readers may be overwhelmed with a page full of paragraphs. Not only have web writing conventions moved away from a book-like format, it may be hard for some readers to read on screen.
  

If you have more content, just make another page.

• Write compelling meta descriptions and title tags. Not only does this help your search engine rankings, it can entice readers to click your site on the search engine results page.

• Proofread. Should I say more? I’m going to. Misspelled words greatly reduce your creditability.

• Speak to your readers and write in the first or second person.

Missing the bigger picture can easily happen in today's fast pace, instant society.  You've just started a business and need a website yesterday.  Of course cash flow is tight.  You go get some options.  The quote from the professional website firm is doable, but more than you expected.  On the other hand, you've got a friend or family member who said they could build the website in their spare time for free or next to nothing.  With the thousand other things pulling at you, the friends and family option is chosen without much thought just because it's cheaper.  Besides, a website is just a website, right?

The desire to quench the fire right in front of you is understandable and sometimes necessary.  But experienced firefighters know that it's OK to let a piece of furniture burn in favor of saving the whole structure.  Plus, chances are that even if you put out all the fires the furniture is still going to need replacing.

Websites built on favors in someone's spare time away from their day job can inexpensively solve an immediate need to just "get something out there."  However, it's a penny wise, pound foolish approach for legitimate businesses.  It's saving the couch and letting the house burn.

The fact someone is computer literate and may know how to use Dreamweaver or a few online tools does not qualify them to build your company's online reputation.  Just because I owned a camcorder would you let me shoot your next TV commercial?  If I build my own deck in the backyard, would you trust me to build your next storefront?  Of course the answer to these is no.  Serious businesses need serious help to grow their bottom line and reach their goals.  Your company's online presence is not something to be delegated to someone who plays around with programming as a hobby.  Plus, even if they can build you a website, does anyone know what to do with it next?  The best website in the world is worth nothing if no one finds it.

Another major problem with the friends and family option is one that is often missed and involves the working relationship after the initial project.  The good intentions of helping someone out may get you a website online for little to nothing.  You may even get a decent looking website.  However, your business needs will not stop there.  Eventually you will want and need to make changes, updates and add new features.  Assuming these are even in the programming skills of your volunteer, people often forget this isn't their day job.  You are working on your business full time, but they are helping out a friend or family member in their spare time, remember.

Inevitably, these relationships fail.  I understand 1011 Web is a professional website development firm, but I can say this unbiased because a good percentage of clients we help are at the tail end of these types of relationships.  Your business needs will not stop.  However, their spare time is limited and their patience for giving it away for little to nothing will stop.  Work will begin taking longer and longer to get done.  You will start hearing more and more excuses.  Reaching them by phone or email will become increasingly more difficult.  We see it over and over again.

We run a business just like you do.  We understand budget constraints and the need to keep expenses low.  If you've already taken the friends and family road, then I hope for better in your case.  But if not, I hope you will pause from fighting fires for a brief moment and not miss the forest for the trees.  Whether you sell products, services or both your online presence is not an expense line but another major revenue generating piece of your business.  Make some budget adjustments and work with someone who has the qualifications to legitimately meet both your short and long term goals.  I'm sure Bubba won't mind getting to keep his spare time.

Little Rock, Arkansas web design firm, 1011 Web Solutions, announces the launch of a new website for Autism is OK.  The site offers support to families with children who have Asperger's Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism.  By connecting with other families and sharing her stories, photos and other helpful links Pat hopes to help these families understand they are not alone.

Pat Hays has practiced law since 1990.  Her son, Nicholas, has Asperger's Syndrome and her passion is help others who feel helpless, alone and without hope after receiving a diagnosis of autism

Web services provided by 1011 Web for Autism is OK include custom web design and development and website hosting. 

If you're a business owner with a website, you may be hearing that you should “optimize your website,” yet you may not totally understand what this actually means. As I talk to other business owners I often hear, “I have a website, and it appears in Google when I type my business name.” Yet, I usually see light bulbs come on after I tell them that new customers who have never heard of their business name wouldn’t type their business name verbatim if they are looking for products or services related to their business. This is just something business owners usually never think about and nor should they have to.

According to the 2007 Marketing Sherpa Ecommerce Benchmark Guide, "89% of consumers research products online before buying in a brick-and-mortar store either regularly or occasionally."  This research often revolves around general keyword terms, product names, and perhaps questions, not specific business names. So, the process of optimizing your website involves determining keywords that potential customers would use to find your website and buy your products, then work to rank high in important search engines for those keywords. This work involves factors associated with your website architecture and off page factors.

Search Engine Optimization Is a Process 

If you're considering investing more in your website in order to rank in search engines for search terms and attract this vast pool of online consumers, it's important to keep in mind that search engine optimization is a process. It is not an event that can cure ranking problems overnight.

There is no magic bullet. Well, maybe there is, but it can be extremely expensive. A reputable search marketing firm understands this and will not promise overnight success. Be wary of a search marketing firm that says it will submit your website to hundreds of directories or promise a #1 ranking. No one can guarantee you rankings other than the search engine company itself. Furthermore, those firms do not disclose that they get your site a #1 ranking alright, but for off the wall keywords that no one will ever use and have very low conversions.

A successful search engine optimization plan is executed overtime. Not by mass submissions to foreign directories that no one ever use, rather a strategic hands-on approach that reaches out to niche online communities that your potential customers participate in.

1011 Web would like to discuss your online marketing goals at no obligation. We'd be happy to give you a free website review to point out factors that may be inadvertently hurting your rankings and establish a partnership with you to increase your online presence.

Google announced via a comic book press release they will launch a new browser engine called Google Chrome. (See the comic here)

"On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple. To most people, it isn't the browser that matters. It's only a tool to run the important stuff -- the pages, sites and applications that make up the web. Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast. It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go."

Some of the benefits of Google Chrome include the ablility to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites. This means one web page won't interfer with the entire browser session. Instead of closing the browser, you'll simply have to close one tab associated with the troubled website. Google Chrome also intends to improve speed and responsiveness, as well as "a more powerful JavaScript engine, V8, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers."

We will be taking a look at Google Chrome as soon as possible and add it to our list of testing platforms to ensure all websites we build function properly in this browser.