I recently got to experience a project going viral first-hand. Sure, I have been a part of projects that went viral in the past. This one was passed all around the mainstream media a few years back (before Facebook and Twitter – it was harder to spread the word back then).

But this latest project used social media and went viral on the day of its launch. It’s become quite exciting to watch.

The H.A.N.D. Organization

The H.A.N.D. Organization is something near and dear to my heart. It’s dedicated to educating former NFL players on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle after their playing days are over.

It’s in memory of Norman Hand, a former defensive tackle for, among others, my beloved New Orleans Saints. Norman was an outstanding player and one of the most popular members of the Saints when he played. A big, burly and likeable character who specialized in stopping the opponents’ running game.

Unfortunately, after his playing days ended, Norman fell on hard times. His health deteriorated and his financial situation was dire. He passed away at the much too young age of 37, back in 2010.

Through Facebook, I met Toni Charles, founder of The H.A.N.D. Organization and the mother of Norman’s son. Hearing her story, I wanted to help in the best way I could. I donated my time to create the organization’s website.

Going Viral

The health of retired NFL players has become a huge issue lately. Many have died prematurely and it’s grabbing headlines. The recent death of former linebacker Junior Seau is just the latest in a long line of sad stories.

So, as The H.A.N.D. Organization’s website was launched on May 14, 2012, I thought it might be beneficial to reach out to some current and former NFL players to help publicize the site and the cause.

My method was simple. I follow a lot of current and former players (mostly with ties to the Saints) on Twitter. I simply tweeted them a link to the website, told them what it was about and asked them to share it with their followers.

While not every player has spread the word, there were several players (and subsequently their followers), who retweeted my link to the site. A few of the players even retweeted the link from other players they follow.

As they say in football, look inside the numbers:

Add up the total number of followers for just these five athletes, and word of The H.A.N.D. Organization’s new website reached 63,603 people. In one day. Really, in a small portion of one day.

Now, not every one of those followers will see the tweet (they can go by pretty quickly if you follow a lot of people) and not every one who has seen the link will click on it. But having the ability to reach that many people within a few hours at NO COST shows just how powerful social media can be.

Obviously, this isn’t necessarily going to happen for every business. This particular case is an example of a good cause kindly being promoted by people to whom this subject is very important.

But it does demonstrate that going viral is easier now than perhaps ever before. Hopefully it means good things to come for The H.A.N.D. Organization.

Well, there are a lot of services that do this. But I don’t think anyone makes it easier than Dropbox. They give you 2GB of free space (you can purchase more for a fee, and they give you bonus space when you refer a friend). Dropbox is nice because of how simple it is to use. Just install their software and it places a folder on your computer. Any files you want to share can just be dropped into that folder.

Once you have “dropped” the file into your sharing folder, it will upload to Dropbox’s server. This will take a little time, depending on how big your files are and how fast your internet connection is. 

In the meantime, you can right-click on the file and find the Dropbox dialog, and select, “Copy Public Link”:

The “Public Link” is the one you’ll send to the person you want to share the file with. Simply open up a new email, Facebook message, etc. to the person you want to share with and paste the link in. Send it off and they’ll now have access to the file (assuming the file has successfully transferred to the Dropbox server). It might be a good idea to ask them to let you know when they’ve downloaded the file, so you can delete it from your sharing folder. Check out the Dropbox Documentation for more info.

Sharing large files is only one use of Dropbox. You could also use this to backup your data (albeit a small amount) or use their web or mobile applications to access your work files from multiple devices.

A very handy tool, and you can’t beat the price!

Think of Pinterest as a virtual pin board, kind of like the one you may have had in your bedroom as a kid.  Instead of pinning up photos from your last birthday party or your favorite rock star, you’re adding the websites of products, services, news clips, etc. that interest you.  You can setup multiple virtual “boards” for any topics you wish, and then pin websites to them.

If you look at the upper right portion of my website, you’ll see that I’ve become a believer.  I setup an account for my business and have found it to be an interesting way to share my portfolio and some web design related items that may be of interest to others.

One of the more fascinating aspects of Pinterest is that you will find that random people using the service will start following one of your boards or “repin” a website you’ve pinned (it works similarly to how others can “re-tweet” your posts on Twitter).

So, unlike a personal Facebook account, Pinterest encourages the sharing of ideas with people outside of your circle of friends. And, unlike a Facebook business page, people don’t necessarily have to “like” your account in order to stumble across your content. It’s a bit more random.

The one downside so far is that Pinterest generally works best when the website you’re pinning has a nice image to go along with it.  As you can see from this screen shot, Pinterest grabs a graphic from the site and that’s how your content will be displayed:

If the site you’re trying to pin doesn’t have a nice image, the service will either not let you pin the site (if you’re using their bookmarklet tool) or allow you to upload your own image (if you’re pinning through your account’s control panel – I had to do this to create the board illustrated above).  Often times this appears to be more of a programming issue with Pinterest than a problem with the website you are pinning.

On the plus side, the service does integrate nicely with Facebook and Twitter, and will allow you to share the items you pin there as well.

How does it relate to business?

Pinterest is really just another nice avenue to promote your business. And, you don’t necessarily have to pin things only from your own company. It’s a great way to share other interesting items with your potential customers.

Restaurants may want to point out the website of a great new wine they’re serving.  A retailer could pin a link to a charitable cause they support. The point is, you can provide more to customers than just “Gee, we’re great!” posts.

Not sure you’re ready to get your business on Pinterest? Consider creating a personal account first to learn the ropes.

As with just about anything in social media, a little effort can go a long way for your business.

On March 7, Apple CEO Tim Cook and friends introduced the latest iteration of the top-selling tablet in the world.  To paraphrase Cook, Apple is leading the charge of the “Post-PC” world.

I, for one, love the iPad.  I have the original model, but probably won’t be upgrading anytime soon.  Not that I don’t want the new retina display or improved camera.  I just don’t see myself dropping $499 (for the base model) each year for a device that I use mostly to browse the web and play interactive storybooks with my daughter.

The iPad also has a place in the business world.  I do take it along to meetings and it’s great for taking notes and showing clients various things on the web.  I also use it to ensure the websites I’m working on are compatible.  But, despite Cook’s assertion, it’s not going to replace my PC anytime soon.

Casual home users may be able to get away with just using their iPad or similar device for their computing needs.  That’s just not going to fly at work.

As a web designer, the applications I use on a daily basis require a whole lot of computing power.  Significantly more than any tablet, and probably more than only the highest-end laptop.  Not only that, but I’ll need to run these high-powered apps all at once for efficiency.

Most business users are also going to need the screen real estate that comes with a full-fledged PC.  While that new iPad has a gorgeous display, it’s not going to compare to a 24 inch monitor.

So, I don’t think the PC is going away anytime soon.  If it were, I don’t think companies like Intel and AMD would continue spending a fortune developing faster desktop processors.

Tablets, smartphones and the like have a definite place in our lives.  They’re fun to use and their evolution is quite exciting to watch.  They are taking a certain segment of tasks away from PC’s.  But, they’re only pieces of a puzzle.  I don’t think that the demise of the PC is going to happen anytime soon.

Maybe you’ve seen a site suffering from neglect. Or, perhaps your own site has fallen victim. The frantic pace of our society often results in some important things being left unattended to. Please, don’t let your website become one of the statistics. 

Show your website (and your customers) that you still care.  Here are a few tips for avoiding website neglect:

Make Time for your Website

I know, you’re busy. But scheduling some time to go through your website and gather some updates doesn’t have to be a big deal. Use the calendar feature in Outlook or other similar programs to pencil in a half hour to give your website a once-over.

Entrust an Employee

I’m one of those people who likes to do things myself. Still, maybe you just don’t have the time. In that case, there’s nothing wrong with asking an employee to go through the website and come back with a report. Review their report, make any necessary changes, and get that website up-to-date!

Create Content

Do you have an e-mail or print newsletter? Consider creating a section of your website to share those articles. If you want to go all-in, creating a blog might do the trick. Whatever it is, make the commitment to create new content at least once a month.

Find Content

Even if your particular website doesn’t have much to offer in terms of new content, you still should give users a reason to come back once in awhile. You might consider partnering up with a source for news in your industry to disseminate on your site. It might also be as simple as placing your Facebook or Twitter feeds on your home page. Either way, it requires very little effort on your part and helps keep your website looking fresh.

Have you found a way to combat website neglect? Let me know, or leave a comment below.

Here are a few of the most common scams that clients ask me about:

1. Is my domain up for renewal? Well, maybe. But if you get an official-looking envelope delivered to your door that says “Domain Registry of America”, tear it up and throw it away. They are not your domain registrar and are just trying to get you to switch to their service. If you have a question about your domain, feel free to ask me or do a WHOIS search.
2. Can this company really get me at the top of the search engines? Virtually every day I receive an unsolicited message from someone claiming they can get my site to come up first in Google, Bing, etc. It’s simply a scam. While there really are SEO (search engine optimization) experts who are legitimate, no one can guarantee you a #1 result. Treat those unsolicited e-mails as what they are – spam.
3. PayPal, eBay, etc. says I have a complaint against me, but I don’t even use them. How is this happening? Ah yes, they call this one “phishing”. It’s a great way to scam people because the email you receive looks just like it came from PayPal or eBay. The graphics are the same. Except, there might be a misspelling and the reply-to address doesn’t look legit. If you do sell using one of these services, open up your web browser and log in to your account. But NEVER click on a link inside one of those emails. They’re looking to take your account info and your money.
4. I was just browsing a few websites and a message popped up that said I have 1000s of viruses and spyware. Is that possible? Most likely not. Those popup windows on various websites have scammed more than a few people. The trouble is, once your buy their “security software”, it often discovers a whole bunch of viruses that don’t exist. Or, even worse, it proceeds to infect your system. When in doubt, stick with the big brands like Norton, McAfee and ESET.

That’s just a few of the more common scams going around. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

1. Your current website is cluttered and it’s becoming more difficult to add new content.

A lot of times, a website can start out as a small brochure-like resource for your company. But as the years go by, the site expands and the new content starts to cramp your original layout. Suddenly, your home page is a jumble of information and your navigation bar is scrolling off the screen.

When that happens, it’s a good time for a redesign. Your new site should be flexible, and be built to accommodate future additions.

2. Your website looks dated.

Just because you have a website that has been around for awhile doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to redesign. A well-built site can be an asset for years. But sometimes a site just plain looks old.

As with just about everything else in our culture, the trends in web design change over the years. Your new website doesn’t have to be “trendy”, per se. But it should at least have a clean and professional look.  Remember, a lot of people will judge your company based on how your website looks.

3. You want your website to do more.

Perhaps you’re ready to start selling online. Maybe you have already been in the e-commerce game for awhile, but are looking to expand. Or, maybe you aren’t selling online but want to add more bells and whistles to your site.

It can take a few years for a website’s look to become dated. But it takes very little time at all for the technology behind your website to age. If you’re currently stuck using outdated content management systems, etc., it may be time to look at something new.

4. You’re being out-classed by your competition.

While it’s not always advisable to get into a game of tit-for-tat with your competition, there’s something to be said about having the better website.  If your website isn’t up to snuff, that can hurt your business.

Even if your competitors don’t have ultra-fancy websites, why not go out and take the lead?

5. You’re looking to build a community.

Often you’ll find that a website is just a one-way street. You’re telling potential customers what you want them to know. But, in the age of social media, opening up a line of communication can greatly benefit your business.

Allowing users to review products, comment on news and just generally interact with your business is easier than ever before.  There are many tools available that encourage dialogue and they can often be implemented at a very reasonable cost.

So, there you have it.  A redesign does require an investment.  But, if done properly, it can be a very smart investment!

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or leave a comment below.

Recently, one of my favorite publications, The Baltimore Sun, started charging for content.  Their parent company, Tribune, is apparently doing this with most (if not all) of their papers.  They are following the lead of some fairly successful efforts by The New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Back in the mid-to-late 1990s, a lot of companies tried to get consumers to pay for online content and failed miserably.  From then on it was all about generating revenue from the sale of banner ads, etc.

Advertising-supported websites, at least in the struggling newspaper industry, seem like they’re becoming a thing of the past.  Now, the major players in the industry are giving pay subscriptions for online content another shot.

Where it gets a little strange is that, even if you subscribe to the print edition of The Baltimore Sun, you still have to pay for use of the website.  I’d be very interested to know how many people are willing to pay subscription fees for both print and online editions.

Not a subscriber of The Sun?  Then you get a whopping 15 pages per month.  If you spend a half hour reading various articles on the site, you’ll use your 15 pages up very quickly.

Why do I like The Sun?  Mainly because I’m a long-suffering Baltimore Orioles fan.  They’re coverage of the team is great.  But at this point I haven’t found myself willing to pay for it.  I’m gathering my O’s updates from other services who aren’t charging for content.

It’s not that I’m cheap.  Well, maybe I am.  But it’s definitely not that I don’t sympathize with a struggling industry trying to turn things around.  I just think that I’m running into the same dilemma as a lot of folks.  Why pay for something when there is a similar product out there for free?

In the case of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, those publications are world-renowned and their content is often considered “must-have”.  So it’s understandable why their pay-for-content models are working.

No disrespect to The Sun, or any of the other publications going to subscription plans, but I truly wonder whether users will value their content in the same fashion.