Based upon the combined experience of the Headstand Media team designing and building hundreds of websites since 1996, I’ve put together my Top 10 List of features that help websites succeed. Here they are:

1. Develop a Digital Strategy

Our 21st century world is too complex, changing and technology dependent to fly by the seat of your pants. Every business or organization needs an overarching strategy to guide their decision making regarding the constantly changing world of digital technology. As new sites and platforms become popular, many organizations get caught “chasing the shiny object,” without a clear direction or purpose. Some recent examples of digital media changes are the rapid popularity of Pinterest, or the growing use of YouTube as a search engine.

These examples raise questions like: “Should I have a Pinterest account or not?” “Should I have a YouTube channel and how would I use it most effectively?” Upon what criteria would one make these decisions? You might wonder why a company like Apple Computer doesn’t use Pinterest, or Facebook and Twitter for that matter … yet many other companies do? The bottom line here is how do you know that the money and energy you are putting into digital media are being used in the most effective manner to build your business?

To answer these and more questions, most people need a trusted advisor and partner helping them understand all the factors at play to determine what the most appropriate strategy is for their business or organization. This happens to be the point at which Headstand Media most often engages with new customers. To start the digital strategy process, contact us using our contact web form.

2. Buy a Great Domain Name

What is a name worth? Well, on the web, it can make all the difference. Simple, short, memorable names just plain work better. People remember them. They can play an important role in building great brand recognition. Not only is this important for your business or brand, it is important to be able to get the domain that matches your name/brand. If it is not available, you should consider changing your name or brand, or buying the domain you need from its owner.

If I am going to sell custom clothes hangers online, should I call my business Randy’s Custom Hangers (randyshangers.com), or should I get a more generic domain like: customclotheshangers.com? Maybe I should get both… but how do I use them most effectively?

The answers to these questions are also informed by a digital strategy. In most cases a digital strategy should be developed and is most helpful BEFORE these kind of foundational business decisions are made. In today’s world, the name and the domain of your business plays a huge role in its potential for success.

3. Organize Your Content

When writing a paper for school, a newspaper article or really anything you want people to actually read, the better organized the content, the more likely it is to be read. On the web (and elsewhere, certainly) people don’t read long pages of densely written copy. They skim and scan and make split second subconscious decisions about staying or leaving your page. They might read shorter sections of content that have clear headings communicating what the content is about.

Google understands this maybe better than anyone out there. Their search engine rewards websites that have well organized content, and penalizes websites that don’t. On page 15 of the Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide they offer this advice:

• Write easy-to-read text
• Stay organized around the topic
• Create fresh, unique content
• Create content primarily for your users, not search engines

On page 20 of the Guide they also suggest: “Use heading tags to emphasize important text.” They further suggest that you imagine that you’re writing an outline, putting thought into what the main points and subpoints are, and then using heading tags accordingly. If you don’t know what heading tags are, they are explained in this same document. We suggest that anyone serious about improving their website should become intimately familiar with this critically important document. Download The Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide.

4. Create Intuitive Navigation

If the organization of information on a single page of content is critical for success, so is the organization of pages within the website, which is the foundation of the navigation system.

The navigation of your website is very important for search engines and your users. Some helpful tips from Google are:

• Plan your navigation based upon your home page
• Create a naturally flowing hierarchy
• Use mostly text for navigation
• Ensure more convenience for users by using “breadcrumb lists”
• Allow for the possibility of part of the URL being removed
• Prepare 2 sitemaps, one for users, and one for search engines

5. Include Critical Business and Contact Information

How many times have you arrived at a site that you expected to have the information you are looking for, only to not be able to find the most simple, basic information? People sometimes get caught up in the “cool factor” of flashy features, background music, and all sorts of other web gimmicks and forget to include the most obvious and logical things such as contact information, location maps and business hours, menus or products and services listed, and so forth.

Don’t get carried away with the gimmicks. Remember that your website is primarily meant to serve your website visitors, not you and your personal tastes and preferences. If it is a site centered around you, your likes, preferences and ideas, it will most likely not succeed.

6. Integrate with Social Media

The Internet is no longer just a repository of information. It has become the primary communication and relationship connecting platform for the global marketplace. Social media isn’t just about “social” but is actually still human “word-of-mouth” trust, facilitated to a new level by technology. Successful businesses and organizations understand this and learn to connect their products and services into this powerful human trust and interaction network.

Again Google suggests that to succeed you:

• Know and get educated about social media sites
• Reach out to those in your site’s related community
• Promote your site in the right ways
• Master making announcements via blogs and being recognized online

7. Build a Mobile Ready Version

It is clear to anyone paying attention that websites are being accessed via mobile and hand held devices at an increasing rate. Within the next few years experts predict that the majority of web access will be through these devices. A successful website needs to have a mobile version that can be easily accessed and used by mobile users. Google suggests:

• Run desktop and mobile versions of your site
• Redirect mobile users to the correct version
• Switch content based on User-agent

Those who ignore this trend will only find themselves having to catch up in a few years, and for many businesses and organizations, that will be too late.

8. Provide Appropriate Security and Hosting

Many websites are hosted based upon cost or pricing. They overlook the high cost of losing business because a website is down, slow or insecure. In the big picture, $5 per month web hosting may not be in your best interest. Successful websites are hosted on appropriate technology platforms by reliable by reputable Internet Service Providers (ISP’s), at competitive, fair and reasonable prices.

If your site handles sensitive information, or facilitates financial transactions of any kind, you need to make sure the appropriate security is in place and functioning properly. Most ISP’s are very helpful on these more technical aspects of a website. A reputable and experienced web designer or development firm will also be knowledgeable and helpful on this important topic.

9. Include an FAQ Section

Many people are not aware of how many searches are done every day in search engines put in the form of a question. “How do I file a patent?” “How do I file an insurance claim?” These are just a few examples of the thousands of questions asked everyday. It is no longer a good idea to withhold information about your business or organization online. Answer as many questions as you can, publicly and authentically. Some of the most successful websites have extensive FAQ or Question and Answer sections containing hundreds of pages of content.

By providing a section on your website that anticipates the most likely and common questions people may have about your products or services, you not only help them as users, but also help the search engines deliver answers to people asking these questions.

10. Use Google Analytics

It’s amazing how many websites still don’t use this free and incredibly powerful tool. All you need is a Google account (free) to add this feature to your site. By placing a small bit of custom code supplied by Google on your website, your website traffic, visits, referrals, and many other statistics are made available to you 24×7.

Interpreting these statistics correctly can help you optimize your site for increased performance.

Oh, and Don’t Do These Things!

• Don’t Use Flash – This technology might be “cool” but it doesn’t work on iPhones and iPads, and most of the time its content is invisible to search engines. Use Javascript and HTML5 instead.
• Don’t use an “Intro” or “Demo” page before your home page loads. Google assumes the first page of a website is the “home page.” If you first page is an animation or video, Google will think your website home page has no content.
• Don’t use background music or any other kind of background loading technology. Not only is this annoying to users, it makes your web pages load more slowly.
• Don’t assume that because you like your website design, everybody else will too. Get a professional opinion and follow good advice about design, user experience and interaction.

We are interested in your thoughts related to our Top 10 list. Do you agree or disagree? Let us know by sharing your perspectives and points of view using the commenting feature below.

Our task is to convert these disconnected and widespread procedures into a web based application that the staff can use on a daily basis to increase their management productivity and efficiency.

The first phase of the project was to gather deeper information about these processes and refine a functional flow chart that describes what the application needs to do. Our programmers spent time with the staff asking questions and interviewing them about the process. Additions, alterations and improvements were made along the way.

A development site has now been set up at Heroku, and rapid development is being aided by using the Twitter bootstrap graphics library.

We plan to share more insight and experiences on the Ruby on Rails development framework and platform as we complete the project.

For those of you who haven’t heard: Pinterest is a rapidly growing online pinboard site where members collect photos or videos (called pins) that link to a) their own content, or b) other content around the web that inspires them. Karen Leland’s Small Business America article states “Pinterest drives more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn — combined.” Members organize these pins onto public boards which can be categorized and followed by other friends and users. Learn more at Pinterest or check out Mashable’s Pinterest: A Beginner’s Guide to the Hot New Social Network.

DISCLAIMER: Pinterest is being deemed by some as amazing for business and the new “it” site and as a passing fad by others. Truth is, it might not be for everyone or fit all businesses. However, it is easy to try out, and you may find a benefit so take a look around and see if it might work for you.

How businesses can benefit

1. Build your Brand

Pinterest can help both existing and potential customers understand your businesses point of view. It provides an opportunity to share what’s important to you and what inspires you. It also allows you to convey some sides of your business that customers don’t usually get to see, such as a humorous side. We recommend that if you are trying to build your brand on Pinterest, you should:

• Focus on the lifestyle of the brand and not just the products or services. Whole Foods does a great job of this. Their Pinterest account includes plenty of products and recipes that you might expect but also has boards dedicated to crafts, favorite books, architecture they love and a board dedicated to their charity work. This provides a more well-rounded view of the brand that helps customers build connections between themselves and that business.
• Find ways to engage pinners. One example is when bridal website Style Me Pretty asked a question in their pin description. They were honest about why they were asking and got lots of responses from engaged users.

2. Drive Traffic

If your business model depends on site advertising revenue, it is obviously critical to encourage users to not just “like” or “repin” your Pinterest content, but to actually click-through and visit your actual site. To move in this direction, businesses should create content that is visual (pin-able) that encourages users to click-through (e.g. Top 10 lists, etc). Without an adequate incentive, the user’s interaction may end after looking, liking, and repinning your content. Food blogs are especially good at bringing Pinterest traffic directly to their sites. These blogs rely on advertising and also have a great reason to encourage click-through. If a user sees a recipe (for example Skinny Taste’s Crock Pot Italian Turkey Meatballs), they will repin, but they will also click through to actually look at the recipe and get more information. Make sure your users’ interactions don’t stop at repinning!

3. Advertise Services/Products

If you have services and products to advertise, consider blending your promotional goals with your branding goals. Pinterest sites should never be purely promotional. Trophy Cupcakes‘ (Seattle, WA) slogan is “Cupcakes and Party” since they claim to make delicious, party-perfect cupcakes that make everyone want to party. Their boards are themed for different types of parties, but always include their specialty cupcakes as well. Take their Easter board as an example: it provides lots of party inspiration but also includes two of their custom cupcakes.

• Description is key – make sure services are highlighted and people understand this isn’t just something you like, but something you offer.
• By adding a price in your description it will automatically be filtered into the gift stream as well (see pinterest.com/gifts)

Learn More About How Businesses Can Use Pinterest

We think one of the best way to learn more is to just take a look around and see for yourself! Investigate types of content and categories people are making available and search some of your business’ keywords or competitors.  Then if you decide to jump in, start simple and see how it works for you. We’ve also included the following list of our favorite articles discussing Pinterest.

• Examples of Companies on Pinterest
• Useful tips on tracking content
• Tips for Small Businesses
• UK proves Pinterest can attract men and wealthy users
• 6 Charts That Reveal The Truth About Pinterest’s Crazy Growth
• How to Make Images Stand Out on Pinterest
• Pinnable Business

It should come as no surprise that we think this is a wonderful idea. Headstand Media is always excited when companies find new ways to use technology for education and learning, whether it’s inside or outside the classroom. But the real question is, what do those who actually teach our children think about YouTube for Schools? Have they even heard of this tool? Would they actually use it? Does YouTube for Schools actually solve a real-world problem for them?

I sent a series of questions about YouTube for Schools to a group of  teachers to get their thoughts. Here is what they had to say:

Question: Have you heard of and do you use YouTube for Schools?

Only one teacher had heard about this new tool and none of them had actually used it. It’s unclear how much of this is due to the newness of the program versus the fact that using YouTube for Schools might need to be made at the school or district administration level.

Question: Does your school currently block student access YouTube?

Every teacher that responded said that YouTube was blocked for their students. Some teachers even had it blocked on the laptops they teach from. Here’s an interesting and timely side note from this Tribune article, which states that the Chicago Public Schools are lifting a ban on YouTube as part of an efforts to expand digital learning in the classroom.

Question: If your school was supportive of this tool, would you use YouTube for Schools in your classroom?

Elizabeth Olympio (7th & 8th grade Spanish) “Of course! I am always looking for ways to bring Spanish to life – to get beyond the book, to see and hear language in motion. Videos are engaging – even better if students were hearing native speakers in the videos. The problem up til now has been FINDING the material on-line. There is so much junk out there that it is hard to filter through everything to find something worthwhile. If YouTube for Schools could provide a filter to make sure all material was school-appropriate, and then also provide a user-friendly search engine to find good matches, I would love to use it in my classroom. My school has the technology (all 7th grade students have laptops. I have a projector for my laptop), now I just need some good material to integrate.”

Jessica Johnson (Middle and High School Spanish/ELL) “Absolutely! YouTube is current, informative and briefly explains concepts, culture and subjects in a way that is exciting and relative to High School students. The students of the millennium are growing up in a world that is unlike any other. It is fast, technological and different. Students understand YouTube and can benefit from it. I believe that YouTube would reach visual, kinesthetic and audio learners in brief amount of time.”

Bart Ruggiero (6-8th grade Technology) “Yes. I think that most teachers want to stream media in their classrooms but they usually are banned from using YouTube because of the broad content.”

David Bernthal (9th-11th grade) “Yes. The growing number of tutorials online are a valuable resource for students and teachers. I have often referred students to khanacademy.com when they are absent and have missed my lessons. I might send students (to YouTube for Schools) to view online lessons or tutorials when a Sub is there in my place. Also, I would refer struggling students to such videos for extra support.”

Karen McMillan (Kindergarten) “Yes, I would – I love showing videos to my kids. They respond to and remember things they see. I think it would make some things more “real” to them.”

Nathan Underhill “Yes, because blocking YouTube access at school takes away a great resource.”

Question: Do you have any concerns about YouTube for Schools?

Elizabeth Olympio (7th & 8th grade Spanish) “Just that there would be so much content to sift through that I wouldn’t be able to find the best one for me without spending too much time viewing all the others.”

Karen McMillan (Kindergarten) “I definitely wouldn’t let my kids access it themselves. Even with the filters, there would probably be content intended for older students that wouldn’t be appropriate for Kindergarteners.”

Bart Ruggiero (6-8th grade Technology) “As long as we can customize the content and the videos are appropriate, no.”

Jessica Johnson (Middle and High School Spanish/ELL) “I just hope that the information is accurate, up-to-date and done in a professional way. So many of these “good ideas” become jaded.”

Final Thoughts

It seems obvious to me that there is a clear need for a tool like this and a desire from teachers to use it in the classroom. The success of it will probably revolve around how much the teaching establishment embraces it and YouTube’s ability to both collect and then keep the site up to date with compelling educational content. Nice work YouTube! Let’s hope this idea takes off!

Mighty Theo (Dry-Hopped American Pale Ale)

• Recipe by Theo Daniels
• Brewed on October 2, 2011
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBU: 43
• Grains: 2-Row Brewers Malt (in the form of light liquid malt extract and malto dextrin), Caramel Malt 40L
• Hops: Chinook, Cascade (used during the boil, and added dry to secondary fermentation)
• Yeast: California Ale yeast

This brew poured a nice crisp copper color and had a nice big citrusy nose to it thanks to the dry-hopping (when dry hops are added to the beer as it sits in a fermentation tank at a steady temperature, they contribute mostly to the aroma of the beer). Sitting at an easy 5.0% ABV, the beer was very drinkable (“sessionable” in beerspeak). Due to the awesome presence of American hop varieties (America is known for its hops) the beer was very refreshing, full of bright citrus and pine flavors (classic American hop flavors), with a nice sweet backbone from the malts. While I wouldn’t say this was a “balanced” beer — and it’s not supposed to be — the malts certainly tempered the bitterness, making it finish strong. This was an excellent take on the classic American Pale Ale: smelled great, tasted great.

IPAddress (American India Pale Ale)

• Limited edition kit
• Hops featured: Palisade, Simcoe, Amarillo

We had less information to go on regarding this brew, but it was mighty tasty nonetheless. It was maltier than the Mighty Theo and, as an IPA, was also a little bit bigger in ABV and bitterness. Had some complementary pine and citrus notes to it, but wasn’t as strong on the nose as the Theo because it wasn’t dry-hopped. This tasted like a more “balanced” brew (sweet malts vs. bitter hops) even given the style. India Pale Ale as a style gets its name from early 17th century Britain, when shipments of ale bound for the Far East (hence “India”) were brewed with higher concentrations of hops (which impart both flavor and act as a vital preservative) to help preserve taste and prevent the ale from being ruined by the time it got to its destination.

Personally I liked the Theo better for its bright nose and taste than I did this beer, but others in the office preferred this maltier, more balanced ale. Another observation I had regarding IPAddress is that it had a subtle wheat flavor to it that made me wonder about what yeast was used during fermentation. Or maybe it was just my imagination.

Thanks, MightyBytes!

If you’ve had either of these two beers, we’d love to hear your opinions. Chances are the circle of people who have is quite small, but hopefully we can get some discussion going. My hat’s off to the guys at MightyBytes for brewing some great suds and defying the “smells and tastes like home brew” stereotype with these two beers. It’s obvious that they were crafted with great attention to detail. Learn more about all of MightyBytes brews here.

Coming Soon

I’m also excited to announce that later in the year (early Spring, probably) we’ll be unveiling the first of our own Headstand Homebrews; I’m working on the inaugural recipe right now. Getcha popcorn ready!

Before getting into more specifics, Hope International works through a local DR partner called Esperanza. Here is some information on how Esperanza’s activity in the DR has grown since beginning their partnership with Hope in 1995.

With this background in mind, I logged into our Esperanza partner portal at www.esperanza.org and downloaded several Excel spreadsheets of information: Clients Report, Disbursement History and Financial Summary. Here is what we learned about our investment in 2011.

Clients Report

During the past year, the Headstand Media Bank of Hope provided “Microcredito General” loans to 60 individuals consisting of 5 men (avg. age = 45) and 55 women (avg. age = 39), with an average of 1.5 dependents each. The 60 individuals were all members of local “grupos.” In 2011 our initial investment touched and affected approximately 150 individuals.

Disbursement Report

In 2011, 17 total loans were made through 14 Dominican loan officers at 7 branch locations: La Romana, Santiago, Seybo,Puerto Plata, Samana, Hato Mayor, San Pedro de Macoris.  The total dispersements to these “grupos” were US$13,979.

Financial Summary

Of these 17 loans, 4 have been paid back in full, and 13 are still active. The total repaid capital to date is US$9,363. The total amount still active is US$4,766. If all of the current loans are paid back in full (there have been 0 defaults to date), the bank will realize a US$150 profit from the loan activity. These funds are left in the bank and used to lend to more individuals within groups over a longer extended time period.

Carmen’s Story

Carmen Vargas belongs to a community bank that calls itself “Women with Purpose,” and everything this mother of four does is filled with just that. She says her goal is to provide a better future for her family of six, and to make that possible she took out a small loan from Esperanza, for $150. With her loan, she purchased a used taxi, and although the car isn’t in perfect condition, she says it’s already making a big difference. In addition to the money Carmen earns on taxi fares, her husband earns more money in his shoe repair business as he can now transport more raw materials in a single trip. Carmen says she appreciates the encouragement she and her fellow community bank members receive at each meeting. “The economic benefits of being a part of a Bank of Hope are great,” she says. Carmen uses her taxi not only to provide for her family but also to benefit her community. She regularly transports others to and from their local church, and when emergencies arise, she also uses her taxi to transport her neighbors to the hospital or to get help.

Alejandro’s Story

As many as 40 percent of the clients served by Esperanza, HOPE’s partner in the DR, come from Haiti. Lingering discrimination, as well as language barriers, can prevent Haitians from finding decent employment and these immigrants are frequently marginalized or even taken advantage of. In some communities, called bateyes, companies seek low-wage laborers to harvest sugarcane. The vast majority of these workers are of Haitian descent, leading to higher concentrations of immigrants. The back-breaking labor generates little income—but Esperanza is serving clients in many of these communities. Small business loans and basic business training give many the opportunities they’ve been seeking.

One Esperanza loan officer named Alejandro, serves clients in a batey community. Though Haitians are not highly regarded by most Dominicans, Alejandro is studying Creole on his own time in the hopes of building more trust and establishing better rapport with the clients. Alejandro explains, “This helps to build a more complete relationship between the loan officer and the client because I can interact with them directly … and they can approach me in trust and confidence.”

Summary

Headstand Media is pleased to be associated with this energetic and growing organization in the DR. Even in these difficult economic times, we are so impressed with how our initial investment has been able to touch so many lives in the first year. We value our partnership with Hope International and Esperanza, and look forward to even more progress in providing opportunities for individuals and families to work themselves out of poverty in 2012.

Merry Christmas everyone,
Randy, Steve, Benjamin, Kyle, Matt, Taylor, Megan and Nathan.

The blog post also draws 4  conclusions:

• The Blue Ocean is still HUGE
• The game is far from over
• Holy cow, Android!
• Yes, Apple should be worried; but no, it’s not over, far from it.

I am most interested in the battle between the Apple iOS and Google’s Android. For me it is personal as well as professional. I have been an Apple Mac owner and user since 1997 with my first purchase of a Mac Plus. I have been an Apple owner and evangelist ever since.

However, when I last needed to purchase a cell phone, I selected an HTC Hero running on Android because at that time (2 years ago), the features and performance to price ratio were hard to beat. Don’t get me wrong… I really like the iPhone. It’s user interface, apps and performance is amazing. However, I am completely amazed that even with the release of the 4S, Apple still does not have a 4G phone offering!

For the 4G reason and the reasons listed in this blog post, the next phone I get will probably be the Google Galaxy Nexus.

Photography

One of Spot’s stated goals was to have fresh new imagery that communicated who they are and could be used for both web and print. To meet this need, Headstand planned and executed a day-long photo shoot at Spot’s state-of-the-art facility in downtown Chicago; included in the process was creative direction, collaboration, and post-production work. We were really happy with the results, which were able to highlight Spot’s great space, people, and culture.

Web design and implementation

Central to Spot’s new digital strategy was a brand new website. Based on the scope and requirements of the project, we recommended and built the new website using the WordPress CMS. Our creative team worked closely with the Spot team during the Discovery process and delivered multiple web design concepts, which were then tweaked and honed down into a final design.

Once the design concept was finalized, Headstand moved forward with production and built the custom WordPress theme. We also managed the successful testing and launch of the new website.

Print design

Spot’s company brochure plays an important role in recruiting and communications, and was in need of a redesign. In a similar process as the website designing, Headstand developed multiple brochure concepts and worked with Spot to finalize a new direction for the brochure. One of the most important aspects of the new brochure was that it needed to complement and draw inspiration from the new web design in its look and feel. In today’s technology-centered marketplace, it is critical that print design follow web design and not the other way around.

Writing for the web

Working on a new website and brochure means going through a lot of written content. Spot looked to Headstand Media to both learn its business and create new web and print copy based on Spot’s existing resources. We streamlined and refreshed its core messaging and provided copy-writing and editing throughout the entire project.

More about Spot Trading, LLC

Spot Trading is a technology-focused, proprietary option trading firm specializing in listed derivatives. They understand option pricing and analytics, but also have the experience and infrastructure to maintain a fundamental understanding of the equity markets. Spot excels at both the art—the fundamental analysis—and the science—the quantitative analysis—of trading. To learn more, visit Spot on the web at spottradingllc.com.

With the official announcement of the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform for Customer Experience Management in June, you may be confused with updated product terminology and wonder how and where the Day CQ products you may currently use fit in the new platform.  To better understand this, let’s take a step back and review how Adobe is evolving the platform.

In a world of always connected, multi-channel, multi-touchpoint consumers, the ability to deliver rich, immersive digital interactions across the many devices they may use to connect to that content has been paramount to any organizations success.  Day Software’s web content management system (WCMS), CQ5 has always been known as a leader in delivering this type of flexibility and functionality.  The integration with the broader Adobe enterprise product set took the CQ5 JCR content repository and made it the core of the new Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (ADEP), replacing the existing LiveCycle repository.  ADEP also uses the existing Day web applications (now called Web Experience Management) and collaboration tools and extends the functionality significantly by integrating the Adobe Flash, Flex Framework and the powerful Online Marketing Suite powered by Omniture.

So the good news is that as an existing Day CQ5 customer, you will be very familiar with the core tool set as very little has changed for you.  The biggest change comes in how Adobe will package and license the capabilities going forward.

For additional information, you can read:

• Adobe Web Experience Management Solution Brief
• Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform Solution Brief
• Blog post by Tim Anderson, ITWriting.com