1. Does updating the content on your website require the involvement of your technical staff or a third-party web vendor? Y N
A good Content Management System [CMS] provides a simple interface that allows any trained staff member to update web content on a regular basis. A CMS allows content creators to submit content for a website without advanced knowledge of web programming or the need to manipulate complex files.

2. Do you manually collect customer information and then re-enter into a separate database? Y N
Up-to-date websites can allow you to collect and store clients’ and prospects’ information securely online, rather than using time and resources to enter the data into a separate database.

3. Is the logo on your site consistent with the rest of your marketing collateral and branded materials? Y N
Consistency is essential to projecting an image of professionalism and competency. Your website should always reflect your current branding.

4. Does your site house “dynamic” content; i.e. – does the information on it change on a regular basis? Y N
Your website is your virtual storefront. As such, it should be designed to give clients/prospects a reason to visit frequently.

5. Are you spending a lot of money for a proprietary Content Management System (CMS) that you don’t know how to use? Y N
These systems might be a thing of the past, and there’s no reason why you should be beholden to a long-held technology vendor or an antiquated interface. Your small business may save a lot of money in the long run by implementing a new Content Management System (CMS) based on an open-source platform. Unlike proprietary software platforms, open-source software platforms are free, relatively easy to customize for a specific company’s needs, and supported by an extensive community of software developers.

6. Was your whole website built in Flash? Y N
This approach to website design is largely outdated. Flash sites are slow to load, less likely to be picked up by search engines, and won’t load at all on most smart phones and even on the iPad.

7. Does the majority of the text on your site appear as images instead of HTML? Y N
Image-based text is very time- and technology-intensive to update, meaning anytime you want to update your site you must devote time and financial resources to it. Even worse, images (as opposed to HTML) are a barrier to the all-important Search Engine Optimization.

8. Do clients/prospects often call to ask questions that could be answered by reading your website? Y N
Depending upon your answer, this could be a sign that your site is difficult to navigate and that your customers are unable to find the information that they need.

9. Is it important for your users to be able to access information on their smart phones or iPad, which is not possible with your current site? Y N
More and more consumers rely on their phones to access the web. If your site is based in Flash or for other technological reasons, can’t resolve on customers’ phones or other gadgets, your website may be frustrating your customers. However, some business models don’t require smart phone accessibility.

10. Does your site look like it was built in 1996? Y N
Try to be honest with yourself. Better yet, ask a teenager. If you answered “yes” to three or more of these questions, it may be time to consider re-designing your website to better meet the needs of your customers – and take advantage of developments in the marketplace.

Amanda Neville is a founder of Thinkso, a New York City design, strategy and marketing agency specializing in full-service brand identity, collateral, website development, content strategy, and marketing plans. Watch Amanda’s partners Elizabeth Amorose and Brett Traylor give first-hand branding advice to OPEN Cardmember, FInish Line Physical Therapy, in our special web series, Project RE:Brand. Article reposted from  American Express Open Forum.

If you aren’t happy with your answers to the questions above, give our Web Hounds a call at 360-642-4431 or zap a note to webmaster@beachdog.com.  Karl and Ethan would love to talk with you about an upgrade solution within your budget.

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Quiz: Is your website out of date?

–World Kite Museum & Hall of Fame

Thanks, Kay & Sharon.  YOU have no idea how motivated we are by praise! D

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Happy Customers Make For Happy Beachdogs

Due to the high traffic of the site one of our goals from the start was to maintain performance while we took advantage of what WordPress has to offer (No more requests to tweak content — Yes!). To do this we used a technique called caching. Caching is needed because any dynamic data-driven (WordPress included) has more complexity and therefore a greater server footprint than a simple static site.

For example, let’s look a simplified view at what happens when you want to see the home page in a WordPress site.

1. It all starts when a web page (e.g. beachdog.com) is requested using a browser.
2. The request gets managed by a series of PHP files. (code)
3. The PHP files are evaluated by the PHP Interpreter.
4. Eventually, a request to the database is made to get the unformatted content of the page.
5. Database responds with the requested information.
6. The database information is formatted according to the theme of your site.
7. The pretty formatted result is returned to the browser.

The bottom line is that takes a little bit of time and consumes server resources to do this. The critical part to take away is this happens everytime a page is requested. On high traffic sites this can be problematic.

Caching simply works by storing the result of a particular request (e.g. show me the homepage) and then using it for future requests (e.g when the next person requests the home page). So, the previously mentioned song and dance only happens once. Periodically, we clear our saved results to ensure we have the most recent content.

As far as implementing caching in WordPress, we don’t have enough nice things to say about the W3 Total Cache plugin. It makes setting this up a relative  breeze.

–Ethan

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High Performance WordPress

Una Boyle (left) & Chris Goodwin meet at beachdog.com to plan LBPVB Membership Drive 2011

Una became Executive Director of the LBPVB just about the same time Keleigh started beachdog.com.  Neither can believe how far both organizations have come–or that they’ve been at the business of promoting the Peninsula together for 13 years!

Chris is now the Data Coordinator for LBPVB, and an excellent one at that.  She and our very own Karl, who created the LBPVB databases, work together throughout the year to fine tune and improve both process and product.

While membership runs for the calendar year, the Visitors Bureau will run their 2011 membership drive from the Monday following Rod Run  (September 13th) through the end of the month.  Why so early?

Because of the Beach Vacation Planner.  We’re proudly producing the Planner again this year.  In order to get it produced, produced, printed and perfectly in the hands of those who begin vacation planning at the first of the year, we need all the member information the first week of October.

The print run is now at 75,000 copies which largely go off-peninsula, a lure piece to help people choose our beach as a vacation destination.  All LBPVB members receive a business listing in the guide and are eligible to buy full-color display ad space.

Ads are incredibly low-priced.  In fact, our fellows who produce similar guides in other communities tell us we’re nuts to sell ads so inexpensively.  Our distribution model is more targeted than many and our cost per impression is less than .008¢!  We’re able to make display ads inexpensive because the LBPVB and the City of Long Beach subsidize the guide.  Talk about a benefit of membership!

So watch for your renewal invoice on September 14th if you’re already a member of the LBPVB and be sure to get it back on time so you’re not left out of the Planner.  If your business is not a member, NOW is the time to stop in and change that!  If you’re interested in display ad space, contact Keith (keith@beachdog.com or 360-642-4431).

Once all the member information is verified for the Beach Vacation Planner, we start updating member information on funbeach.com, which is the most valuable marketing avenue Peninsula business owners can buy.  And, listing on the site is FREE for members, with links and other add-on advertising opportunities remaining INSANELY inexpensive by industry standards.

Don’t miss out!  Join or renew with the LBPVB today!

You can reach LBPVB at 360-642-2400 or:

• Executive Director Una Boyle  una@funbeach.com
• Assistant to the Director  vicki@funbeach.com
• Member Services:  chris@funbeach.com
• Volunteer Services:  joanne@funbeach.com
• Visitor Services:  ask@funbeach.com

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Hands Down, The MOST VALUABLE Marketing Peninsula Businesses Can Buy

Have you been to the Lost Roo yet?  After much anticipation, the restaurant opened earlier this summer.  Reviews have been great! Just as the new restaurant was seating its first patrons, we launched their new website.

Of course, Kanga & Joey’s page are popular here at beachdog.com, but site statistics tell us the rest of you prefer looking at the menu.

Go for a beer and a game, or for a great meal with the family.  You’ll be glad you did!

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Do you Roo?

The game’s been online just over a month now and is already the second most popular page of their site.  After playing, site visitors are sticking around to look at other pages, and they’re sharing the site with friends – our two goals for the game.  We’re planning the next game already, and this time we’re going to let Keleigh do the graphics.

Winning the game nets you a nice coupon.  Winning level two nets an even nicer coupon.

Have you played yet?

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Dennis Duck’s Shooting Gallery

I happened past Baker Bay Mobile Home Park the other day.   It’s such a beautiful spot, I almost wish I wanted to go back into the RV Park business.  Let’s face it, RV owners are a great group.  They’re either on vacation and enjoying the heck out of themselves, or they’re full timers, most of whom are ready to hang a flag to welcome guests and get some chat going.  I do miss our little park sometimes, especially seeing friends return year after year and hearing of their travels since we last saw them.

Baker Bay Mobile Home Park is a great opportunity for a couple or family who want to live and work at the beach. Karl did a nice job of building their site quickly and inexpensively using an “out of the box” theme for WordPress and the current owners’ text and photos.  It really expresses the feel of being on Baker Bay, one of my favorite Peninsula locations.

Another park for sale here on the Long Beach Peninsula, is the larger and more active Andersen’s RV Park.  Just a footpath to the beach, Andersen’s is the closest to oceanfront an RV Park can get here.    Owner Lorna Andersen Follis learned the business from her father, who built the park.  Maybe that’s why her team is constantly getting positive reviews, especially about their customer service.  They put in a new septic and completely redid the sites just a year or so ago.

We first built the Andersen’s RV Park site back in 1996 and, while it’s been updated regularly, it has stood the test of time very well.  Lorna gets so much positive feedback on it, we’ve been unable to convince her to update the visuals.   We listen to that; while we pride ourselves on our knowledge of marketing, particularly in the tourism niche, you ALWAYS know more than we do about the specifics of YOUR business.

Lorna’s most recent projects are a re-make of a card she hands out during check-in, and a custom-illustrated map of the park.  Her casual, friendly style, and her sense of humor come out in her collateral, don’t you think?

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2 (very different) RV Parks For Sale

Last year, I had the privilege of working with the Rotary Club of Seaside on their club pin and we’re working on a new website for them now.

In fact, getting involved in Rotary at the District level was something I really enjoyed as I got to meet, and work with, a lot of passionate people and learn more about Rotary and the good it does in the world. We just launched the website for our District Conference coming up in May, this year in Seaside, Oregon.  I was honored when asked to design the logo for the conference and a variety of collateral materials, including the registration form, flyers and swag.

Watch for Rotarians all over the Pacific Northwest on September 11, 2010, as we panhandle for Polio eradication.   While I have your attention, how about a little info on this crippling disease we are SO CLOSE to kicking off the planet?

Why should I care about Polio? I live in a certified Polio-free country.

• If Polio isn’t eradicated, the world will continue to live under the threat of the disease. More than 10 million children will be paralyzed in the next 40 years if the world fails to capitalize on its US$5 billion global investment in eradication.
• The life time care of one child with Polio will cost more than one and half million dollars in the USA.
• “Polio is just a plane ride away.”

What is Polio?

• A crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease, Polio (Poliomyelitis) still strikes children mainly under the age of five in countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
• Polio can cause irreversible paralysis, breathing difficulty or even death. Because there is no cure for Polio, the best protection is prevention. For as little as US$0.60 worth of vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.
• The Polio virus is only found in human hosts, making it possible to eliminate the disease.
• Historically, Polio has been the world’s greatest cause of disability.

END POLIO NOW

How is it spread?
The route of infection is people to people contact. The virus is found in the feces of infected individuals. Hygiene is a factor.

How is it prevented?
The primary prevention method is vaccination. There are two primary types of vaccines, inject-able and oral. Because the route of spread is oral-fecal, the oral vaccine is effective. The cost of the oral vaccine is less, the oral is easier to administer and better accepted so the oral route is preferred in much of the world.

What has this got to do with Rotary?

In 1985, there were 350,000 cases in 125 countries around the world. When it was obvious that the USA was close to eliminating Polio within its borders, Rotarians made a pledge to eradicate this disease. Rotary’s vast network of 1.2 million members have contributed money, volunteer time, and networking expertise to the Polio eradication effort. Rotary’s leadership, beginning in 1985, inspired the World Health Assembly to pass a resolution to eradicate Polio, which paved the way for the formation of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988.

How much progress has been made?
Polio remains endemic in only four countries: Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. As of April 20, there have been 2 cases in Nigeria, compared to 193 in the same time last year. There have been 19 cases in India compared to 32 last year. There have been no new cases in the following 5 weeks. A country must be Polio free for 3 consecutive years to be considered eradicated. If one case is reported, the clock starts over for a country.

Interested in reading more, getting involved or making a donation toward this work?  Visit rotary.org/endpolio.

Thank you.

Keleigh

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Rotary Projects

On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the site hit a half-billion active users.

That’s nearly five times as many people as watched this year’s Super Bowl — the most popular television broadcast ever — and about four times as many people as voted in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

People spend more than 700 billion minutes per month on the site and, according to Facebook, 400 million of them have logged in during the past month. Keep in mind there are only 309 million people in the United States — total.

Source:  CNN.com

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5 Times More Popular Than The Super Bowl

Chair Becky Johnson developed a logo for the event and designed this year’s brochure.  We took care of the printing (we’ve got the best color tri-fold pricing around, gang!) and then Keleigh used Becky’s brochure as a base for designing a website for the event. Here’s a little peek into our process:

• Ethan took the design and, quick as a dog can lick a dish, turned it into a WordPress-based shell of a site.
• Intern David (who left us last week and whom we already miss terribly) ported the event information from its pages on funbeach.com into the new site’s database.
• Keleigh went behind David, re-purposing elements and information, adding photos from prior years, and, in general, organizing the facts for a user-friendly presentation.
• Meanwhile, Keith did some research on long-tail key phrases for the site, which Ethan and Keleigh then ran through our proprietary process known as “Site Wide Level I Search Engine Optimization”, so the site should come up with a solid, organic, search result.
• While that magic was taking place, Wendy, Sue and Keith were clicking through things in general, looking for errors, points of confusion or any other items we could improve.
• Finally, it all came to the inevitable crescendo known as site launch!

That’s when we told Becky we had started work on her site.  Long Beach Merchants Association Event Chairs are volunteers here on the Peninsula, so we try to help them out when we can, and not add work to their oh-so-full-and-unpaid platters.  Becky’s just about done giving the site her thorough once-over so we can make requested changes.  In a few short weeks, it will be time to change all the information for 2011!

Take a look.  We’re pleased, and hope you are, too.

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Have you got sand in your, er, shoes?