News

Have you tried UseMyStats.com?

Submitted by alison on

What is UseMyStats.com?

Well, it's our new product here at Expansion Computers, and it's pretty amazing if we do say so ourselves.

But what is it? UseMyStats.com is a full-service, web-based stat management system featuring:

  • Simple and intuitive user interface - Our team is always open to new ideas and feature recommendations - help us customize the site to your specific needs.
  • Customizable dashboard - Set the appearance of your own home page, select which graphs to display as an instant view, and change them at any time.
  • Custom Stat Periods - Default stat periods are daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. But of course, who doesn't need flexibility? Create as many custom stat periods as you need. Instantly.
  • Multiple Graph Overlays - Overlay entire graphs, specific sections, time periods, and more. Use custom colors for ease of viewing, overlay as many graphs as you like, or view them side by side.
  • Stat Groups - Create sub-groups of stats within your account with complete flexibility. Group by employees, company divisions, type of statistic, you set the rules!
  • Print & Export graphs - Our graphs are automatically generated as PDF files, giving you the ability to view, save, email, or print at any time. Graphs are properly scaled for usability, and include the company name, statistic name, dates and values.
  • Import Stats - No need to lose information in converting to our system! We provide step-by-step instructions, or customer service assistance at your request, for importing any statistics you may have as far back as you have kept them.

All of the above is just a small overview of the capability of the UseMyStats.com system. Check it out for yourself!

Do You Need a (new) Web Site?

Submitted by cyberjared on

Of course my answer is supposed to be "Yes, of course", seeing as I build web sites for a living. But that's not necessarily true. Web sites don't need to be created or redone just for the sake of doing it. Technology for technology's sake is only useful for true "geeks" and people who make their livings reviewing and commenting on the latest and greatest. For those of us who work for a living, a more valid approach needs to be taken when evaluating a web site and whether it's time to create a new one.

The purpose of a web site, like any promotion, is to inform your public and to create/assist that public's desire to consume your services and/or products. And by "your public" I mean your desired public, the public you are trying to reach. So part of the question when looking at a web site is, "Is it acheiving the above purpose?" Are people going to your site and after they go there are they coming in or contacting you for your services?

The other part of the analysis needs to take volume into consideration. Is the web site helping drive sufficient (think more than can easily be handled) demand to your doorstep? If the answer to both questions is yes, then the web site probably doesn't need to be redone. If not, then a review of the site and all associated online promotion needs to be done. That's where someone specializing in web sites comes in. Although "anyone can make a web site" these days, it pays off to have a company with experience and the expertise to not only create/redesign your web site, but to also take into consideration your company, its goals and where it is currently and how the web site will fit into the larger picture of helping you get where you want to be. You don't want to build a site that's hard to update or that becomes obsolete quickly. There are many factors to building a successful web sites and a worthwhile web site company can help you do that.

In today's world a web site that helps inform and attract your public in sufficient quantity is vital. A company without a web site is like a person without a name. A couple people will know them, but the vast majority will disregard them. My company, Expansion Computers, Inc., specializes in helping people and businesses get the web site they need and want as simply and easily as possible. We work with companies of all sizes and shapes to ensure their web sites work for them. And if you answered no to either of the two questions above, we can help. Call or email us to schedule a comprehensive web site review or to see how else we can help. 

Why have a web site?

Submitted by cyberjared on

“Why have a web site?” That seems like a silly question to ask a “web site guy”. You’re probably expecting something like “You just do” or “Everyone has one”. But I’m a practical guy. I own my own small business. I know that checkbook only pops open when it’s necessary. So here’s my take on a web site and why you need one.

And what about those of you that “have a web site”? I recommend reading along to make sure you’re web site handles all of the points I lay out below.

First off, this is the information age. People rarely go to things like the Yellow Pages any more. People go online. They search using Google or Bing. If you don’t have a web site, you can’t be found. And if you’re in a competitive market, you need an even better web site in order to be found or have a shot at getting business away from your competitors.

But what about those that have a physical location and don’t sell anything that can be shipped or purchased online? A good web site is still necessary. People these days don’t remember directions. They look up a web site with the address (often on a phone) and get a Google Map/GPS to direct them to that address. I know when I need to call somewhere or find out the hours for a store, I head online. And if I have a choice between a web site with easy to find information and no web site or a bad one, I go for the easy one and that company gets my business.

Word of mouth is definitely still the best form of promotion, but that is also changing. People research products only and are constantly sharing information and recommendations online services via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (to name just the tip of the iceberg). Those that are reading these recommendations will then click or search to find your business and figure out what their friends are talking about. If you have no web site, you basically don’t exist. If you have a bad web site (ugly, hard to read or navigate, too much/little content), then they will probably move on without much more thought. You have to make it easy for people to find out about your business, and one of the best ways to do that is by having a web site that is user friendly and gives sufficient information.

If someone were really going to use the internet to increase their sales, they’d have a full online marketing strategy, of which the web site would be the central hub. These can take a lot of money and time, so I’m not saying that’s for everyone. Even my business, which specializes in web sites, primarily gets business from word of mouth recommendations, and I plan to keep it that way. What I’m trying to say is that every business should have a decent web site that people can go to in order to get the information they need to decide to purchase your products or sign up for your services. Without that you can be assured that potential customers are passing you by.

And if my few words here haven’t persuaded you, check out this amazing YouTube video from a web site company in Australia:

Shorter is Better (usually)

Submitted by cyberjared on

Here's an article I recently wrote for the Carlton Business Association's Newsletter:

When I was in high school “omit needless words” was the name of the game. Those three words from The Elements of Style by William Strunk led us to strip our papers down to make sure each word counted. But they have even more applicability in today’s world. We live in the age of the sound byte. The success of Twitter and text messaging show that people like short communications. Web site studies show that you have to catch people’s attention almost immediately or they will move on. People’s attention spans have shortened dramatically and it’s more important than ever to get your point across as quickly as possible.

As most of you know, I advocate having some sort of regularly updated content on your web site. For some web sites, this can be a blog, for some, it’s events and for others, it’s articles. This regular flow of content helps the site stay fresh, helps it stay relevant to current situations and helps make the web site a “bigger target” for the search engines to find and send more traffic to.

And while any content is better than no content, the better that content is written, the more people will want to read it and share it with their friends, which ends up getting you more business. So when you are writing content for your web site, make sure you write as concisely as possible. Make each word count. Try to catch people’s attention and keep them engaged.

Now this doesn’t mean there’s no place for longer content. If you do have something longer to write that’s fine, just break it up and include images. Have a bite-size intro with a “click for more” to get to the rest of the content. That way people get to choose if they want to read the whole thing. And the images make the content more “friendly” and keep it from becoming a wall of wordage.

Hopefully that’s helpful to you when writing content for your web site.

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