In the past couple months I have touched on a very important part of marketing in my continuing What Your Website Needs series.

If you haven’t yet be sure to check out these:

• The Homepage
• The Look
• A Living Being

Today I want to give you some insight into the construction of a business website by using my newly relaunched company website as example.

For three months now I have been working on creating an ideal site for my company. It is a lofty goal because a website is becoming more and more important for the success of a company (especially a web design company).

VISUALS

1. Simplicity - It is very tempting to load your site with as much as you can. Cool graphics, interesting pictures, seemingly important text; but all that takes away from the fundamentals. Instead with this design we focused on minimalism so users do not feel overwhelmed or feel like they don’t know what to do.

2. Aesthetics - While aiming for simplicity we did want the site to look as visually pleasing as possible. In doing so we used mostly simple techniques like gradients and borders to develop the visual feel of the site.

3. Recognition - While this site has a far different feel than that last, we wanted our current patrons to be able to still recognize us and so we kept our logo and colors pretty much the same. The major difference is it is mainly a dark background instead of white.

4. Greener - The main reason we switched to primarily dark colors is to do our small part to help the environment. The brighter the colors in a website, the more power the screen uses. It seems arbitrary and pointless but the numbers add up, especially on high traffic sites. We may only be saving each user pennies but by being part of this important movement, we are doing what we can to save the planet. (Ironically, green is not a power-saving color on a website.)

TARGETING

5. Information - Much like the look of the site, we kept our information minimal. We only put in what we needed to to reach our target market, which is primarily creative professionals and small business owners. The words we used were picked carefully to reach our market in terms of understanding and call to action.

6. Identity - Every company needs to have an identity. This is how your market will view you as an entity. We used everything from color choices, word usage, and types of information to show the type of company and people we are.

7. SE-Oh - In an effort to diminish our marketing efforts, we have been trying to beef up our Search Engine Optimization on all our sites. Having organic search traffic means people can find you without you lifting a finger. But there is preliminary work to do before this can occur. In our site we used locally targeted keywords and techniques to make our site viable for local searches in and around Chicago.

7. It’s Alive! - A mistake so many sites make is that they do not update. People and search engines don’t like to see the same information all the time. By updating information and adding a blog and news section, we have created a life on our site. This provides a better user experience. People like personality, even in business. This is why identity is so important.

USABILITY

8. Homepage - We spent the most time on the homepage. It is the most important function on a website being that it is where you introduce everything. A bad homepage is like a restaurant entrance with no one to greet you and no signs to guide you. You don’t know if you should seat yourself, where you are supposed to sit, or how you are supposed to order.

9. Non Target Info - Down at the bottom of the site, all the important but not targeted information is present. This includes the site map, the terms of use, and the services policies. Site maps allows search engines and users to easily find any particular part of the site, regardless the depth. The Terms of Use gives information about users permissions on a site. It is a good way to thwart away at least some spam and to ensure there is no dispute over users rights. The Services Policies is a new feature to our site. We added it to give clients insights into our working process and rights as service contractors.

10. Flow - The entire site is designed to provoke people to take steps. First, the home page’s main function guides people to our services and introduces everyone to our company. It also allows people to skip steps easily if they already know our services and work. Then from our services you can go to the portfolio or skip to the quote form and so on. The information and graphics flow in order to give users a call to action.

11. Call to Action - One of the most important aspects of a business website is providing users with a call to action. You want to provoke them to contact you, get prices, set appointments, etc. Eventually your call to action should be meant to create more sales. People sometimes need a gentle shove in the right direction for them to act. By having the right information presented in the right order and having means for them to communicate to you, you will be able to turn your visitors into customers easily.

How does your website look? Could it be updated? Feel free to leave a link to your company site in the comments.

For most articles on Marketing and Professional Lifestyle, subscribe to Zen Problog.

Author’s note: Tangent ahead.

Business is not all rainbows and lollipops. I was humbly reminded of this by several of the commenters who responded to an article I wrote called 22 Benefits of Owning a Business.

My first criticism which led to a nice email conversation was from a commentor, Kilroy_60, who referred to my article as a “peaches ‘n’ cream” view of business. Pithy words in deed, I thought.

(By the way, inspite of the way it sounds—pithy simply means a brief, forceful, and meaningful expression—not a mean spirited comment.)

In response to a challenge posted by ProBlogReviews, one commenter even wrote a great article countering mine called 22 Reasons Why Owning Your Own Business can Stink.

Now I don’t know if I could really classify my business views as peaces ‘n’ cream but what I am an advocate of is Realistic Optimism.

To be successful in business you must be optimistic. But optimism can lead you down a dark road without understanding the actions that are important to make your hopes and dreams come true.

Thank you to those readers who keep me in check.

Now onto the point of this article…

I do believe these readers in my community have a point. Business is not easy. It is certainly not peaches and cream. But if you are Realalistically Optimistic and are willing to overcome all the obstacles, the things in my article will hold true.

But how do you overcome obstacles in business? What can you do to get to a place of problem solving zen?

There is a method I use to tackle problems and move on. It is a really simple five part process.

1. Objectify.

When a problem arises the first human impulse is to panic. When the problem could effect other people outside of yourself, as will be the case in business often, it is even worse. To really solve a problem you must take yourself out of the center of it and look at things objectively. This means drown your emotions for the moment and think.

2. Handle it now.

The best way to solve problems is to get them out of the way—right away. Don’t hold off on it. Just as if your car is making a rattling noise, the problem will most likely get worse over time. Deal with the rattle before your engine drops.

3. Think critically.

Your options will not always be black and white. Sometimes you need to dive at it head first and really devise solutions. This is where experience comes in handy but everyone has a first time for making particular mistakes.

In this instance, get help with it. I know, you are managing your business and we all have egos. Unfortunately humility is part of the game. There is no shame in asking for help.

4. Weigh.

Once you have your options worked out, weigh them to determine the consequences of each. Then decide by simply picking the best laid plan of action. What will do the least damage? What will be the most effective? The best long term solution?

It is so easy to be drawn into the ideology of quick fixes. I have seen many companies fall into this and it is terrible. It is very much like the Charles Schwab commercial where the Dam worker puts chewed gum on a leak to try to fix it. It will only cause a bigger problem tomorrow.

5. Execute.

The hardest thing you will have to do is flip the switch. All the planning in the world bars only partial impact on outcome. When you think objectively and come up with the most viable plan, there is less chances of more problems. But they do happen so be prepared for it.

Sometime we want to just hold off fixing problems or give the responsibility to others but it is part of the business life and to some (like me) it is an advantage. The feeling you get when you fix a problem and thus move one step closer to your goal is extraordinary.

photo credit: *Rob:doЯ*

“Inventions reached their limit long ago, and I see no hope for further development.” - Sextus Julius Frontinus, 100AD

5 Habits of Highly Ineffective Networkers. A guest post over at AnyWired takes a different approach and lists marketing faux pas’ (as opposed to “what to do” marketing tips) in a very interesting article.

Tribal Management. Anyone who is serious about marketing should know Seth Godin. I would love to put many of his articles here but I chose this one because it really focuses on the core of new marketing strategy.

25 Things you Must Learn to Ask For. Over at FreelanceSwitch the question is posed: What about me? So much tips are focused on how to treat the customer. This is about how you should get your customers to treat you.

Like in the rest of life, your business relationships are going to vary. There are many different types of people who you will have to deal with. Sometimes you cannot see a bad apple coming before you bite into it.

Especially in the beginning of your business, you will feel obligated to take every offer possible for work. Sometimes you may even know it is going to be a bad road to take but out of desperation you feel you need to take it. I have been there and done that.

There are a lot of people out there looking to get what they want even if it means screwing over others like you and your company. Here are some ways to protect yourself from being abused.

BEFORE BEGINNING

1. Add a Policies page to your website. It is remarkable how different clients’ expectation of you and your process will be. By adding a general (and easily accessible) Service Policies page, you can let your clients know your general processes like billing process, work time frames, cost structures for additions, general rights as a contractor, and anything else that will get you both on the same page.

2. Meet in person. People are much more likely to screw you over if they have never met you. By meeting in person you can read the client. This seems silly but your interaction in person will inevitably reflect the future relationship with that person. You need to know what they are like from the beginning.

3. Check their references. They check your references, why shouldn’t you check theirs? You are most likely to be strangers and have no idea what they are capable of. You also spend a lot of time with building a portfolio and getting testimonials and referrals to ensure trust on your end. Shouldn’t they extend the same courtesy?

In casual conversation ask if they have worked with anyone in your profession before. Get a name or and email address and ask the person how the experience was. It seems pushy, yes, but if asked subtly it will not seem like a big deal.

4. Put everything in writing. A Policies Page is a good start but for each individual clients, a contract may be necessary to ensure quality on both ends of the deal. By laying out in writing what services will be rendered and what the amount due will be (and how it will be paid), there will be less confusion of what is expected from you or them.

WHEN CHARGING

5. Charge for outcome, not hours. I have addressed this a little in the past but I want to talk about it again because I think it is important. Your client does not really know or care how long it takes you. You don’t have to go by convention and charge for your estimated hours. Instead, look at the true value your outcome will have to the client when pricing it. This way you are guaranteed to get the amount your really deserve and there is no space left open for debate.

6. Get a fairly sized deposit. I always take between a 30% and 50% deposit from clients I work with. This does three things. 1. It makes you more secure that they are good for the money. 2. It most likely will finance the costs involved in the project. 3. It allows the client to pay a smaller amount at the end of your service.

7. Set up a payment schedule. Many clients you deal with will not have all the money required just lying around. I work with a lot of artists in my business who statistically have lower incomes than business owners. This means to ensure both of us that the money gets paid and everyone is happy, it is best to pay in installments. Set up your payments over the course of your project time line so at least 75% of it is paid by the end.

DURING SERVICE

8. Only accept small changes without charging. Once a decent size request has been made by a client and you agree to it, you are opening the door for future requests and expectations. Smother this before it starts. You want to make them happy but you don’t want to get used.

9. Give yourself enough time. Sometimes we feel the necessity to tell our client it can be done faster than we really want to work, especially when competing with other firms. In reality, a client will choose you for the value they think you can provide over the time frame. If time is their number one priority, then you may not want to be working with them anyway.

10. Have deadlines for them too. They give you deadlines of project completion so you need to give them deadlines as well. I and other entrepreneurs who I am friends with have been put in a position where the client’s tardiness to give important information has caused us to be late on a deadline and then the client gets mad. Avoid this by recording when info is supposed to get to you and when you receive it to defend yourself.

11. Learn to say no. It is so hard to resist doing whatever is necessary to please the client. You want to them to refer you to others and continue to use your services but this doesn’t mean they own you. You went into business to not have a boss. You cannot say no to your boss. You can say no to a client.

WRAPPING UP EVERYTHING

12. Be in control of your work. Whatever your profession, you should add security to your work. If you are a graphic artist, be sure to watermark your designs to be in control of them, at least until you have received your final payment. As goes for a web designer, add a licensing package to your website design so only you can access the source until payment is made.

Especially for those of us who work online, it is important to protect your work. You don’t want to be the helpless old lady who get her purse stolen. Stick a bomb in the purse and be willing to push the detonator just in case. (I know, that was a drastic example but you get the point.)

13. Have a Post Service Agreement. This would entail any post service work you do including add-ons, hosting, etc. depending on your industry. You want to make sure that they understand that you will charge for additions after the original project is completed. Some clients may assume small changes are free forever with no regard to your interests.

14. Have a clause of late payment interest. Even if they have made their deposit, they still may not pay fully for the service on time. Make sure they agree to pay additional fees if they do not pay within the agreed time. It is something that can be in your service contract (#4). Remember—this contract is not just to protect them. It is there for you too.

15. Double check everything. Make sure before you finalize that you double check everything yourself. Did you do everything you were supposed to? Does everything work as it should? If you do not make sure everything is as it should be when you close the deal, it may come back to bite you in the butt when you least expect it.

Some of these points seem harsh but, especially if you are small, being on the receiving end of a proverbial slap in the face can cripple your ambitions and goals. Most of these items are fairly subtle, understandable, and easy to accomplish but should be done. Remember that some clients may not even know how things effect you. You need to protect yourself.

These are very useful when dealing with your clients but what if sometimes you could avoid these types of clients in the first place? Soon to come is the follow up with tips on how to avoid bad clients.

Subscribe to Zen Problog for more.

Photo by Martini Captures

What if your bank account was at $0? What would you do then? As an entrepreneur, this is a real possibility. For those of us lucky enough to have a steady cash flow it is not a concern. Or is it?

Today my challenge to you is to rethink the money coming in and out of your business. It is easy to forget the little things that can make all the difference. All the expenses and money used on things that are not really necessary.

There are ways to slim down your output and beef up your input. When you can accomplish this your business can grow faster and prosper.

Spend Less.

Spending less money is one of the biggest challenges you will face in business. You should constantly be challenging yourself to create minimal output while not hurting the growth of your business.

This can be accomplished in a lot of ways. Here are some quick tips on how to do it.

1. Rethink the office. Do you really need an office? Is it screwing up your creative flow if you have one? Rented or bought office space is the most conventional but also the most expensive physical space to run your business. You can read my tips on rethinking the office here.
2. Changing marketing. Like office space, advertising is a money killer in business. It is also one of the least effective ways to reach customers. People see way too many advertisements a day to register almost any of them. However if you can reach your customers by creating an identity for yourself and getting others to talk about you, you will be much more prosperous. I will write on this more in the future but basically think: Referrals, press, viral. It is free, wide spread and more effective. People trust others more than they will trust you at first.
3. Lessen Travel. There are plenty of ways to diminish your travel expenses. Set up a model where your communications can mainly be done over the phone or by internet. Use free tools online to help (see #4). Besides a preliminary meeting, it is not really necessary to meet in person. When you do not meet as much in person with someone, you can cut back on gas expenses, food, and beverages.
4. Free Services. There are many alternatives to the paid services. Many of them you can utilize the same. Think Google Docs (if you are not too afraid of Google taking over the world), Skype, email campaigns (as opposed to snail mail), etc.
5. Take out office supplies. There are a lot of alternative services that are provided by this thing called the internet. (Heard of it?) Convert printed memos, bills, etc. will make things more cost effective, simple, and environmentally friendly.
6. Buy used. Why do you need new stuff? Because it is shinier? A used book or a refurbished MacBook will do you the exact same service for less cost. It seems so obvious but many of us really like shiny things. Get past that enigma and buy wisely.
7. Automate. Automation is important—especially for small firms. By automating processes you are using far less man hours and hence, saving time and money. Remember that in business time truly is money.
8. Take less money out. Personal spending can really damper your business, especially if you are a small business and/or in the beginning stages. If you can lessen your personal spending you will be able to keep more money into the business to grow.
9. Outsource. Instead of having employees or doing the work yourself, outsource parts of your work. Free agents do the same work but they bid on it so you end up spending less and there are no tax forms or supplying office space for them. This is definitely something I want to get into more detail in and will talk about in a post soon to come.

Make More.

A goal in business is to continually increase your income. There are many ways of doing this and I have mentioned a few in the past. Here are some new ones that are very powerful and I use myself.

1. Ask for deposits. Money now is worth more than money later. It is ok to ask clients for part of the money up front. This shows they are good for the money and gets cash in your pocket quicker.
2. Create Meaning. I talk about this here and if you don’t believe me, Guy Kawasaki, O.G. (Original Gangster) of Apple Computers, and Top Business Writer talks about it in his book, The Art of the Start.
3. Create Identity. Identity is different than creating meaning. As humans have an identity, so should businesses. It is a way to show who you are as a firm that will make your customers more comfortable with you. It adds that human touch.
4. Charge more money. I have touched on this in a couple articles I plan to write more on this in the future. The key though is asking yourself what you are really worth. Is your time worth more? Should you even charge for your time? Why not charge for outcome? They don’t know or care how long it takes you. Why not charge a price for the value of the outcome?
5. Ask for referrals. Referrals are one of the best ways to generate new business. Don’t hesitate to ask clients for referrals so you can diversify your client portfolio and add income.
6. Add new services / products. An important part of growth is adding new services or products to your business. When you add new services / products you can widen the range of your income possibilities.
7. Update services / products. Be sure to keep on top of the services and products you already offer so they are up to date and appeasing to the largest market possible.
8. Offer current clients more services. I do websites for my clients. Do I really want our relationship to end on the launch date? No. Of course not. If someone uses your services, they are far more likely to use you for other services.
9. Add new markets. You’ve got a market you are working with and you are good at it but a market can only go so far. Spread your potential profit by spreading the type of people you serve. Do some homework, find a new promising market, and move up to the next level.
10. Create new income streams. Besides just adding new services or products, you can do something related but not within the confines of your business model. For instance I run a design business but also I write about business lifestyle on the side. This adds extra income into my pocket. Think about your skill set. What else could you do with it that would be easy extra income?
    
11. Earn by saving. If you follow these tips and come up with your own, you might have some extra cash handy. What to do with that money? Don’t let it sit in a saving account earning .31% yearly. Invest it into a high interest saving account.

What do you do to increase your input and diminish your output?

+++

P.S. Happy Valentines day to everyone! Our better halves put up with our late night working binges, drifting mind in a sea of business ideas, and generic rambling about things that are not as exciting to them.

Today is a great excuse to change that. Do something to show them they are number one to you above your business (even if the competition is close).

If you liked this post be sure to share it on StumbleUpon. Also, subscribe to Zen Problog for more articles on Finance and Professional Lifestyle.

Photo by kissthi

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” - George Santayana

In our professional lives, mistakes happen. So does progress. So does success. But without recognizing these things and understanding the difference, you are in fact doomed to repeat the wrong things and ignore the good.

Today I want to talk about what I consider the most important part of anyone’s day. It is so simple, takes only ten minutes and can make all the difference to creating more success or evading future mistakes.

Reflection is the word used for this time but I do not mean it like Cosmopolitan would mean it. (Just because Cosmo says 60% of men do it does not mean your boyfriend does.) What I mean is looking deep into your past day for a short time to have an understanding of how far you have come.

Many entrepreneurs feel doubt about themselves. Recently I have had strong worries about my future success. It will get you down and slow down your productivity to almost nothing if you let it.

One way to avoid this is through your time of deep reflection. Take only ten minutes after you wrap up your tasks for the day to look back how far you have come in the past 24 hours.

What did I accomplish today?

Reflect on your tasks that you made into a list at the beginning of the day. How many of your tasks did you accomplish? Were the things you did as important as other things you could have done? Do you feel satisfied with the days work?

How has this brought me closer to my goals?

Goals are the most important thing to have as a professional. They give you direction and lead to success. Without them it is easy to get lost. When examining your day, be sure to ask yourself how each task you accomplished got you closer to your goals. Could you have done more today?

What mistakes did I make today?

Mistakes are not always easy to identify. They is not always as simple as sending out the wrong email. Sometimes mistakes can be very subtle but still just as lethal to your productivity. Things like turning on the TV during your lunch break and forgetting to turn it off. Or working so much you forgot to go jogging. Or eating at your desk—slowing down your thought process and getting Cheeto crumbs all over the keyboard. It happens to the best of us.

By understanding mistakes, even small ones, you can avoid them in the future. It will be good for your business—and for your health if you, like me, have the bad habit of eating at your desk.

Am I working the right amount?

For a long time I thought I was not accomplishing my goals because I wasn’t working hard enough. As I discovered, I was actually working too hard. Working too much slows your productivity and actually is counter-active to accomplishing your goals.

In some cases though, you may be working too little. Depending on what you do, there is a need for solid hours of work every day to make a real difference. The goal here should be balance. Are you spending enough time with family and friends? Do you feel ok about the amount of hours you worked? Would you still be productive if you worked more? Less?

What will I do tomorrow?

This is a question I personally focus on a lot. It is really easy to have a good productive day and then the next day have completely no game plan. To avoid this, make sure you lay out your tasks (preferably on paper) that you want to accomplish tomorrow.

Use what you have done today (and in days, weeks, and months prior) to determine how you can be even more productive tomorrow and see if you can do it in a smaller time frame.

These are just suggestions of questions you can ask yourself. Your reflection should be a very personal experience. The key though, is to reflect on the three fundamental grounds of improvement—Past, Present, and Future.

For more articles on productivity, subscribe to Zen Problog today.

Photo by Al- Fassam

One of my favorite movies is Office Space. The reason I like it so much is because it takes a norm that people expect and flips it upside down. One of the most liberating scenes is when Peter (… what’s happening) unscrews his cubical and knocks down the wall so he has a view.

I don’t think I will ever work in a cubical but I will also probably never work in an office. As cool as an office is to day dream about when you are an aspiring Entrepreneur, the reality is that office life is very gray. Regardless of how nice your decor is, it is a place where inspiration dries out quickly. (Ask any lawyer.)

Also having an office space is expensive. Whether you are buying or renting—the costs really add up. Is it all necessary?

I don’t think it is. Especially in today’s world of infinite and free communication, there is really no reason to fork out all that monthly money to have an office. Here are five alternatives to ending the dull existence that is known as The Office.

1. Studio Space - It’s not just for artists. Renting or buying studio space is great for inspiration. Instead of the dreary office, you are surrounded by a space meant for creative thinking.

2. Home Office - This is the one I am currently using. A home office is great because it saves you tons of time ad money. Working at home so far for me has been great. The most important thing here is separating work space from home space. Having an office as a separate room or area is a good idea.

3. Warehouse - Warehouses are cheap and they have tons of room. You can really make use of it whether you have employees or not. Creativity is not confined to a desk.

Side note: My eventual goal is to buy a warehouse and fix it up into a living and working space for myself. I have read about an artist in Chicago doing this and it really inspired me.

4. Local Cafes - What is more inspirational than people? Being in a setting where there is a flow of fellow human beings might be a little distracting at times but introducing yourself to new atmospheres is a great way to inspire.

5. Nomad Travel - I mentioned in this article that it is a dream of mine to travel the world while I am working. If you work primarily online, why seclude yourself to one place? It’s a great big beautiful world out there. Go see it!

I just recently found a site related to traveling while working that I really like. Check out Location Independent Living for more.

What do you do to escape the office? Or have you yet?

For more articles on business life, subscribe today.