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Thanks to some brilliant web development all MDI powered sites can now be edited and managed from android based mobile devices. More to come... |
How long would it take for you to translate your website content into 50 languages? What sales opportunities are you missing by not opening up your web marketing efforts to the global economy? The Internet is a global market place but according to the National Foreign Language Center in Washington DC, the world is only made up of approximately 20% English speakers. Enabling your site to be viewed in Traditional or Simplified Chinese opens up your potential market to more than 1BB Chinese speakers, Spanish = Several hundred million more, so lets open business up to the global economy.
Today, we're happy to announce complete website translation for our websites powered by Google. You can test this functionality now on our home-page at http://www.mdihosting.com (click a flag at the top of the screen to translate).
Now, when people visit your website, if their native language is different than the language of your page, they'll be prompted to automatically translate the page into their own language. They may also select their native language by clicking on the country flag that appears within the site
To encourage the use of multi-language support existing customers can receive this feature on their website for FREE, all you need to do is to post a comment to this post on our blog at http://www.MDIHosting.com and the translation option will be integrated into your website. New customers can add this feature free at sign-up for the next 30 days.
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for a free quote.
MDI - .Design .Hosting .Marketing
http://www.mdihosting.com
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Many businesses we provide services to have 1 or more colors they associate with their own brand, but websites offer great complexity in color and most businesses find that they need to expand their use of color when they begin marketing their business on-line. Complicating this issue is the different ways in which colors can be shared, and perceived by the business, the designers, the web developers, web marketers, and the printers. Without getting into a lengthy technical explanation suffice it to say that computer monitors (which generate light) display color differently than printed materials (that use the reflection of light) and each monitor and printer, depending on their quality and calibration, can provide varying results.
While color calibration can be immensely complex, here are some tools that will provide a means by which to agree upon colors you like with those who need to create and publish content using them.
Adobe Kuler
Adobe Kuler is a fantastic tool for not only generating color palettes but also provides a means of searching through color palettes created by other users. If you know that you'd like to use "Blue and Red", for example, you can search for all color palettes created by other users using "Blue and Red" and see what shades of these colors mix well together, and what other colors have been used by designers to compliment them. Designers love Kuler because in addition to making the decisinoning process easier these colors can be immediately downloaded and integrated into Adobe applications which saves time and ensures a higher degree of quality.
Color Scheme Designer
This tool provides a slightly different view on color selection, in the literal sense. Colors can be viewed in individual shades, as a triad, or in various other color compliment combinations. What makes this tool unique is the ability to select how the color scheme will be viewed by individuals with different types of color blindness.
Copaso
COPASO is an advanced color palette tool that helps you create color schemes and themes. With a scratch pad to save colors you're working with, a photo tool to extract colors and an advanced color picker and color theory wheel to give you tons of color inspiration. Using COPASO you can save your palettes to a private folder or download them to your local computer. If you're finding COPASO a bit too rich for your color creating tastes, you can always use our basic color palette tool.
Toucan
Toucan is an Aviary tool that enables designers using the Aviary suite of free online design applications to create and modify their own color palettes. The Aviary suite of applications covers a wide array of photo editing, illustration and design tools that are free for use and integrate well with other online applications.
ColoRotate
Perhaps the most novel of online color palette generators is ColorRotate, which offers the ability to interact with the color wheel in 3D. This interface is surprisingly intuitive and makes finding color combinations at bit more entertaining than the other options we've discussed. ColorRotate will soon offer the ability to integrate with Adobe Creative Suite 4 applications.
For more information on developing your own personal brand, and how MDI can integrate your web, design and print marketing efforts
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for a free consultation.
MDI - .Hosting .Design .Marketing
http://www.mdihosting.com
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In the digital age the difference between "old" and "new" is often blurred. Facebook, which has only been around since 2004, receives more visits than ABC, NBC and CBS combined, all organizations that have been around for more than 50 years. New can trump old very, very rapidly on-line. The same is true of how we build websites.
Web 1.0 (The "Old Way")
There was a time, not very long ago, and to some extent is still on-going, when websites were created using specialized tools such as Microsoft Frontpage, Adobe Flash, or built by hand using plain text editors. Building these websites involved creating individual "pages" for each website such as:
- Home
- About Us
- Services
- Contact Us
- Portfolio
This simple 5 page structure consisted of at least 5 individual documents, much like Microsoft Word Documents but written in a markup-language called HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language).
Following our 5 page example these documents may be entitled:
- Home = index.html
- About Us = aboutus.html
- Services = services.html
- Contact Us = contact.html
- Portfolio = portfolio.html
If you wanted to make a change to your home page you would generally need to contact your website designer to make the change as only He or She had the specialized knowledge of HTML to make the change and access to the website files. Further, one of the most limiting aspects of this type of model is that if you want to make a change to ALL of the pages you would need to update them all individually. For example, if you had your phone number listed on each page and your phone number changed, you'd need to open each page individually, find that text, make the modification, save the document and upload it to your webs server, or pay a web designer $125+ per hour to do this for you.
There are many things about this model that causes roadblocks for a business:
- Updating content is costly and as such it discourages businesses from updating their websites. The truth of search engine optimization today, however, is that "Content is King" meaning that the more timely and relevant your content is, and the more quantity of relevant content you have, the more likely your website is to be found and viewed by your target audience.
- Updating content is slow and error prone. Not only do you, the business owner, need to write the content for your site but you then need to send it, in some form, to your website designer who will add it to their queue of work and eventually get around to posting the information. This can take hours, days or even weeks depending upon the web developer's schedule.
- The text (information) in this model is directly integrated with the graphics / layout of the website. Making changes to the overall look and feel of the website means changing every file and re-formatting how and where text is displayed. A website over-haul can cost as much, if not more, than the initial design of the website.
At MDI we follow a different model known as Web 2.0
Web 2.0 (The "New Way")
In Web 2.0 the content (text) and structure of the website is separated. The content, and information controlling its placement, is controlled by a database which is separate from the actual "web page" Using a web programming language such as PHP, ASP or ColdFusion, a single page can be used to request multiple "snippets" of information from the database by queries to the database. Following our 5 page example:
- Home = index.php
- Aboutus = index.php?aboutus
- Services = index.php?services
- Contact Us = index.php?contact
- Portfolio = index.php?portfolio
In each of these cases 1 file, index.php, is controlling the overall look and feel of the website, its colors, graphics and text locations. The "?" is being used to send a query to the database to request that an individual portion, or grouping of text be displayed. The overall website layout is "template-able" meaning that changing 1 series of files will change the overall look and feel of the website without effecting content. This programmed approach does much more than just separating the content however, it also makes it more manageable. Using the same programming language the developer can create a "Admin Interface" where anyone, with virtually no knowledge of HTML, can add, update or delete content from the website through a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface.
Using a Web 2.0 framework and a CMS or Content Management System anyone can create content which brings control of the website content to the business owner, where it belongs. The easier it is to update content, the more often a business will do it, and this translates into a more up-to-date website that will attract more visitors to your business.
Under our model:
- Business owners can update their own site anytime they like adding pictures, text and video in an easy-to-use interface
- There is no cost "per-page" or "per content item" your website is only limited by your service plan (disk space) and (bandwidth) which means virtually unlimited pages can be added to your website.
- Content (Text) is separate from the website design making future changes in design easier and more cost effective.
- More time can be spent focused on WHAT you want to say and less about HOW you're going to get it published.
To find out more about content management (Web 2.0) solutions, or to request a free consultation, contact us. |
 In a video recently posted on Google's blog, Google confirms what many may have already feared. Keywords are meaningless to Google Search. This is not to say that Meta Keywords have no value. Google, albeit the largest search engine, is not the only search engine and many others may continue to use Meta Keywords as a point of reference in ranking their web search listings. Google's move to not use search keywords is in-part to stem "Keyword Spamming" or the use of keywords to gain an unfair advantage. For example, if another local marketing company wanted to compete with MDI, they may choose to put the keyword "MDI" in their Meta Keywords, operating under the assumption that this would influence Google Search results so that anyone searching for MDI would find their site instead. Because of this type of activity Google does not use keywords, which are by their nature hidden from the website visitor's view, in their search listing. It is strongly believed that Google takes a number of other factors into account the most significant of which is content.
We've long stated that "Content is King" and today, more than ever, content is being used as a driver behind search rankings. Google may not, for example take into account the word "Marketing" as a Meta Keyword, but it may take the total number of times the word "Marketing" appears in a website as an indicator of how valuable the content is to people searching for the word "Marketing". Other factors include the number, and quality of links coming into your site. If your website ends up on the home page of the NY Times, or CNN, for example those would be high-quality in-bound links to your site which should increase your search ranking. If you don't have the budget to swing that kind of PR quantity is also thought to be a factor. A website about "Marketing" with in-bound links from 50 other sites about "Marketing" should rank higher in search results than a website with fewer in-bound links of equal quality.
Knowing your key-words is still immensely valuable. Clearly identifying which keywords fit your target market and using those specific keywords consistently in your website content (Headings, articles, image titles and link titles) has always been important. Now, its even more-so.
For strategic web marketing advice, search engine optimization and search engine marketing, contact us for a free consultation.
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In a video recently posted on Google's blog, Google confirms what many may have already feared. Keywords are meaningless to Google Search. This is not to say that Meta Keywords have no value. Google, albeit the largest search engine, is not the only search engine and many others may continue to use Meta Keywords as a point of reference in ranking their web search listings. Google's move to not use search keywords is in-part to stem "Keyword Spamming" or the use of keywords to gain an unfair advantage. For example, if another local marketing company wanted to compete with MDI, they may choose to put the keyword "MDI" in their Meta Keywords, operating under the assumption that this would influence Google Search results so that anyone searching for MDI would find their site instead. Because of this type of activity Google does not use keywords, which are by their nature hidden from the website visitor's view, in their search listing. It is strongly believed that Google takes a number of other factors into account the most significant of which is content.
We've long stated that "Content is King" and today, more than ever, content is being used as a driver behind search rankings. Google may not, for example take into account the word "Marketing" as a Meta Keyword, but it may take the total number of times the word "Marketing" appears in a website as an indicator of how valuable the content is to people searching for the word "Marketing". Other factors include the number, and quality of links coming into your site. If your website ends up on the home page of the NY Times, or CNN, for example those would be high-quality in-bound links to your site which should increase your search ranking. If you don't have the budget to swing that kind of PR quantity is also thought to be a factor. A website about "Marketing" with in-bound links from 50 other sites about "Marketing" should rank higher in search results than a website with fewer in-bound links of equal quality.
Knowing your key-words is still immensely valuable. Clearly identifying which keywords fit your target market and using those specific keywords consistently in your website content (Headings, articles, image titles and link titles) has always been important. Now, its even more-so.
For strategic web marketing advice, search engine optimization and search engine marketing, contact us for a free consultation.
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Blogging is a highly under-rated aspect
of having your own website. When blogs first started they were "hip"
and "new" but as blogs became more and more prevalent they became
flooded with bad content. Those that maintained high standards,
however, stood the test of time and many careers have been built solely
on the content of an individual blog. Today blogging is one of the
easiest and cost effective methods of building out website content. Why
would you want more website content? Because Content Is King! The more
content you have on your website relevant to your products and services
the greater your likelihood of being found through organic search
results. It is that simple. So how do you find new, interesting
information to talk about in your blog and keep it up to date?
Be a good writer
Good
writing isn't about being brilliant, sassy, or profound, its simply
about maintaining quality in your content. Spelling, grammar and
"voice" are key. The first two can be taken care of with a word
processor, the later, "voice" is often the most challenging for people
to grasp. The best tip we can give here is to say your content
out-loud. If can articulate your point verbally then you have 90% of
the problem well in hand. If you find that you're getting writer's
block as you stare at the computer screen try stepping away, writing
your thoughts on paper or even recording yourself speak about your
subject for 3-5 minutes. When recording yourself relax, you'll be the
only one listening to it and often you may find that as you speak your
thoughts will flow more naturally and when complete you can simply play
the recording back and transcribe what you've said.
What to blog about
Common
sense dictates that you're going to blog about things relevant to your
community. A good tip here is to search for things that have already
been "socially tested", which is to say things of a similar topic to
what has been discussed on a blog you follow but which may not have
been geared to your audience. Often business owners are privy to
information through their own professional networks, or news sources
which their customers may never read but which is nonetheless relevant
to their concerns. For example, if you're an insurance agent and you
are made aware of new changes in federal law, that may make it to the
top of your inbox or news reading but your customers may need a bit
more explanation. Explain it to them in your own voice, citing the
sources where appropriate, and using language which your customers will
understand.
Start with what you know
Writing and
reading are concepts that have gone hand-in-hand since childhood. A
good writer is, by nature, a good reader. If you're not currently
reading several blogs within your own industry now is a good time to
start. By reading good content from the top voices in your field you'll
not only be better informed but you'll also find that you have much
more to write about. If you're apprehensive about starting your blog
the best place to start is by reading other blogs, paying attention to
their voice, use of bullets, images, and how other bloggers respond to
comments. All of these will increase your ability to write effectively
and communicate with your clients.
Where to find "Socially Tested" Content
The
upside of so many blogs being available on the Internet today is that
there is a lot of information about which blog articles are most
popular and receiving the most positive feedback. "Socially Tested"
simply means that the content, in some form, has been expressed before
and has had positive result. Lets cover a few places where you can find
socially tested content:
Alltop.com is also a fantastic tool for finding content relevant to your customer base. Following on our Insurance example http://insurance.alltop.com/
has an aggregation of all the top news stories on Insurance. Other
categories can easily be searched and aggregated within the site as
well so you can easily find information on everything from Adoption to
Zoology.
Digg.com
- Digg is a social news website made for people to discover and share
content, by submitting links and stories, and voting and commenting on
submitted links and stories. Voting stories up and down is the site's
cornerstone function, respectively called digging and burying. Digg can
easily be searched to locate specific content that may be relevant to
your customers and you can easily see by how many times the information
has been "dugg" how popular it is.
Delicous.com
- Delicious is a Social Bookmarking site that allows the user to save
their bookmarks on-line. What separates Delicious from other similar
services however is that these bookmarks can be made public, or shared
among a group of friends. Social + Bookmark. Delicious also measures
the popularity of these links and is publicly searchable so in addition
to saving your own bookmarks on-line you can also search through tens
of thousands of pages that other users have bookmarked by their keyword
or "tag".
Google Search / Google Alerts
- Google search is a nice tool for finding more granular information or
researching topics you intend to blog about. If you're interested in
staying up-to-date on the latest news about a given topic Google Alerts
can be used to send you an email containing on a regular basis of the
latest content indexed by Google. A surgical equipment vendor, for
example, may find it useful to setup an alert on the words "Surgical
Equipment" and get the latest news on that topic sent to their email
box as content is added to the web.
PopURLs -
If you're interested in what's popular across the entire span of the
Internet PopURLs.com is a very interesting place. The latest headlines
from Reddit, Digg, Delicious, CNN, Twitter and dozens more are available and can provide plenty of interesting content on slow days.
RSS
- Chances are that you read content every day that may be of interest
to your clients. If you haven't yet discovered the power of RSS Feeds
now is a good time to learn. Simply put RSS or "Really Simple
Syndication" is a technology that allows you to stay up to date on news
from your favorite websites using a tool called a reader. Rather than
sitting down at the PC every day and visiting 20 or 30 websites to find
news RSS reverses that process and brings that news to your through an
RSS Reader, such as Google Reader. Subscribe to your favorite sites and let the news come to you.
Always
cite where appropriate and freely mention your inspiration. Never copy
any content directly unless the blogger or news source you're using
specifically states that you can. Completely copying and pasting an
article that another blogger has put a lot of work into can spell
trouble, but citing a reference, providing a link back to their page,
and adding your own ideas is a good way to build a positive
relationship. Portions of this article were inspired by http://timscullin.com/twitter/top-5-places-to-find-great-stuff-to-tweet and the definition of Digg.com was sourced from http://www.wikipedia.org
MDI - .Design .Hosting .Marketing
http://www.mdihosting.com
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A leading voice in the Marketing world, Seth Godin, recently posted on his blog an article he entitled the "Hierarchy of Success"
. I thought this might be the most appropriate place to start our own
blog as we examine a few of his ideas against our own plan.
Seth lays out the hierarchy as:
- Attitude
- Approach
- Goals
- Strategy
- Tactics
- Execution
Here's how we approach each of these goals at MDI.
- Attitude -The basis of our attitude is simple. If
our customers don't succeed, we don't succeed. Marketers only make money
when our customers gain measurable results from our effort. Everything
that we do is centered around improving business for our customers. As
our existing customers will testify, we go above and beyond, we share
new ideas in marketing that we come across in our daily activities
through our Facebook Fan Page (a mini-blog), here in our main blog and
via email with suggestions that may benefit an individual client
market. We succeed together, we fail together and we take ownership of
the challenges we face together.
- Approach - Traditional websites and web-marketing
is slow. Often the client would need to not only have to pay to have a
website designed and developed but also pay each time they needed an
update made because only the developer had the specialized knowledge necessary to make those changes. This is not how we work. At MDI we
know that "Content is King". No one visits CNN.com, or DVICE.com on a
daily basis to see the same thing they saw yesterday. They want fresh,
updated content. We enable our customers to update their own websites
in an easy-to-use Content Management system. No special software
needed, no special knowledge of "coding" needed and no charge per
change. An update to any of the websites we design can be made by the
client whenever they like 24/7/365 from any PC with an Internet
browser.
- Goals - Our goals, perhaps much like your own, are
to expand our client base, increase our effectiveness and drive cost
efficiencies. Specifically we'd like to expand our client base 20% per
year and drive cost efficiencies on an order of 5% per year, to keep
pace with inflation and keep our prices as low as possible for as long
as possible.
- Strategy - To meet our goals our strategy focuses
on the things that we do well every day. We engage in online marketing
ourselves. We use the technologies we provide as products and services
and we continually evaluate new products and services to identify
opportunities to expand our client base and portfolio of products and
services.
- Tactics - The key tactic we believe in is
transparency. We focus on making the technologies, products and
services we use transparent to our clients so that they can clearly
understand what it is that we're doing, and how it will impact their
client experience and bottom line. Accompanying transparency is
communication. We strive to maintain a high-level of communication with
each of our clients and encourage their public and private feedback
through Facebook, email and phone. Our third tactic is visibility. When
we're working with a client we may share some high-level details behind
the product / services with the community so that other clients can see
how we are innovating and what potentials these innovations may have in
their own businesses.
- Execution - Like many businesses execution can
make or break the client relationship. We have a set period of internal
Service Levels that we stive to maintain, such as Website Uptime,
Response on Website Design Requests, Modifications to Search Engine Optimization
and Search Engine Marketing, and design requests all have times
associated with them that we clearly spell out with our clients and
adjust to meet their individual needs.
As Seth points out in his blog "As far as I'm concerned, the most
important of all, the top of the hierarchy is attitude." We agree.
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On an average day I use atleast 40 usernames and passwords; each unique to the customers and accounts we're managing. All contain at least 30 charachters and may include special charachters, capital letters, spaces and none contain "human readable" text. How do I keep my sanity? I use Keepass.
