Yearly Archives: 2009

Analytics

You may think that, with Google Analytics, you don’t need your server log files any more. Or, as someone who runs a web site for your business, you may not even know what log files are. They’re redundant, right? Wrong. You still need those log files! What’s a log file? Whoa there, you say. Ian,… Read More

Design & Development

Lessee, so far we’ve talked about creating a basic web page, working with headings and paragraphs, and creating links. On to lists: If you can work with lists in HTML you can make your blog look better than 90% of your competition. Here’s how: Learn to create ordered and unordered lists, and why you need… Read More

Internet Marketing

90% of web marketers, designers, developers, SEOs and such are going to screw you. Actually, I’m being charitable. It’s closer to 99%. Since the first copy of Microsoft Frontpage appeared on the shelves at Toys R Us, everyone who can type has assumed they’re fully-qualified internet marketers. They’ll nod vigorously, tell you they can do… Read More

Design & Development

Now you hopefully know how to do headings and paragraphs. Time to move on to links, which are not nearly as scary as they may seem. If you’re blogging, a well-placed link can draw folks deeper into your site, get you more attention and make a post more ‘sticky’. As with previous topics, I made… Read More

Internet Marketing

This is the next video in my HTML basics series. If you’re a blogger, you must learn to use headings and paragraphs. Watch this video and you’ll no longer have to format your posts by making something large bold italic blue underline type. You can just put a little ‘H2’ around it. Learn how to… Read More

PPC

Product Extension Ads isn’t the newest tool on the block from Google AdWords, but it most certainly is pretty cool. Especially if you have a Google Base Merchant Center account with product feed. The Help Center stuff at Google is a wall of explanatory text, but I still found myself emailing the reps asking for… Read More

Design & Development

I’ve been helping the middle school class at my children’s Montessori learn to write basic HTML. The goal: Get them to the point where they can work comfortably in WordPress. The result is a slowly growing series of videos on the subject. If you’re a wannabe blogger/geek and don’t know the basic HTML tags (headings,… Read More

SEO

A lot of folks are freaking out about Google’s personalized search rollout to all users (even those who aren’t logged in). I’ve heard quotes like: “Oh, great, now Google knows everything about my life.” The fear: Personalized Search is based partly on the searches you perform and sites you visit from Google search results. That… Read More

Internet Marketing

Crows amaze me. They’ve turned survival into an art form. How? They don’t fight the ecosystem – they join it. Watch Joshua Klein’s TED talk on the subject if you want proof. Make sure you watch from minute 5:25-6:08. Crows learned to wait by the curb to cross the street and collect a nut. Seriously.… Read More

Random

I may not be able to summon sufficient grumpiness for a while. I came home today, and my family had gotten me 2 kittens as a surprise Hanukkah present: Better photos eventually when I can get them to stand still.

Internet Marketing

Shoutout to LyndiT for pushing me to write this via Twitter. The year’s not even over but we’ve already beaten the crap out of so many phrases I figured I’d better get started. So, in no particular order, here they are: Engagement. Marketing isn’t combat, or marriage. Stop trying to tell me I need to… Read More

Random

We’re in a quickie culture, and I’m sick of it. Just once, I’d like to see a businessperson or marketer interested in building truly lasting wealth or a lasting organization. “Lasting” means “past my next bonus check” or, God forbid, “past my retirement/death”. Seriously. The last few years have brought us credit default swaps, collapsed… Read More

SEO

Dear Target, You are currently spending, the pundits say, over $250,000 per day on pay per click marketing. That may well generate a decent return. I dunno. Given past ppc issues you’ve had (cough negative keywords cough), I’m willing to bet you can improve. But that’s beside the point. If you took 1% of that… Read More

Internet Marketing

When discussing social media marketing, lots of folks, including me, say things like ‘be authentic’ and wave our hands around. That makes you want to kick me in the coccyx, I’m sure. So, here’s a list of 45 specific things you should be doing. Learn HTML. Learn. It. It’s not that hard. Read Pearsonified’s cool… Read More

Random

I need to clear the air. I. am not. mean. Ask my kids. While I may have the title “The un-fun parent” (see below for a full explanation) they’ve never accused me of meanness. Lately, whenever I get on the phone with a new consulting client, or do a site review, or meet someone at… Read More