What e-commerce strategies are businesses taking during the 2009 holiday season? e-Marketer takes a look; see the full article here.

What is Web Development?

Wikipedia defines Web Development as:

Web development is a broad term for any activity to developing a web site for the World Wide Web or an internet. This can include e-commerce business development, web design, web content development, client-side/server-side scripting, and web server configuration. However, among web professionals, "web development" usually refers only to the non-design aspects of building web sites, e.g. writing markup and coding. Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses, or social network services.

For larger businesses and organizations, web development teams can consist of hundreds of people (web developers). Smaller organizations may only require a single permanent or contracting webmaster, or secondary assignment to related job positions such as a graphic designer and/or Information systems technician. Web development may be a collaborative effort between departments rather than the domain of a designated department.

The Tortus Difference:

At Tortus, we help businesses organize ideas, streamline business process, and even manage staff. The website is one component of a larger project: making your company more efficient.

We help clients figure out how to transition whole sales teams to a web based selling model. We conceptualize and migrate stand-alone systems into one integrated ERP solution. Most importantly, we teach our clients how to operate more efficiently to stay in business, rather than make cuts and institute layoffs.

Often times, we serve more as "Business Therapists," than simply someone programming a website feature or creating an online brand. Whether you need help choosing a tool to better track inventory, or a seminar on how to weather the interpersonal tensions between staff caused by current market conditions, Tortus is the right choice for growing businesses. If you only need a website, we have several web developers we would be happy to refer you to.

Tortus' team of professionals help you to apply better logic to your business model through the use of technology. "We build businesses...not just websites," is not a catchy slogan, its a mission statement.

A Tortus client recently recommended Jeff Jarvis' book What Would Google Do to the Torti. According to Booklist reviewer Mary Whaley:

Jarvis, columnist and blogger about media, presents his ideas for surviving and prospering in the Internet age, with its new set of rules for emerging technologies as well as industries such as retail, manufacturing, and service. We learn that customers are now in charge, people anywhere can find each other and join forces to support a company’s efforts or oppose them, life and business are more public, conversation has replaced marketing, and openness is the key to success. Jarvis’ other laws include being a platform (help users create products, businesses, communities, and networks of their own); hand over control to anyone; middlemen are doomed; and your worst customer is your best friend, and your best customer is your partner. Jarvis offers thought-provoking observations and valuable examples for individuals and businesses seeking to fully participate in our Internet culture and maximize the opportunities it offers.

Sounds good--I've added it to my reading queue!

Have you heard the terms "in the cloud" and "cloud computing"? You may not have realized it, but if you use Facebook, you are already in the cloud! What does that mean? "The cloud" is simply a metaphor for the Internet. Our account manager, Ann, described the concept of cloud computing for business applications in her June post "Cloud Computing - What's the Fuzz?", and we'll be discussing it in our upcoming Tortus newsletter in August, too. It's a complex concept to grasp, and I found this very helpful video by GoGrid that uses simple visuals to help explain.

Looking for an interesting read to take with you as you head down the Cape or up to Maine? Consider this book I just finished: Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky. Shirky is a graduate professor in NYU’s interactive telecommunications program who teaches courses on the interrelated effects of social and technological network topology. In this book, he takes a look at how blogs, wikis, and other Internet social media phenomena are revolutionizing the social order. Through stories, Shirky shows us how our work and personal lives are being transformed by the technology of social tools. The book starts off with the real story of a New Yorker who accidentally left her cell phone-- which was the sole respository all the information (guest list, catering information, etc.) for her upcoming wedding--in a taxi cab. With the help of social media and thousands of "friends" she'd never met, she eventually recovered her phone from the thief who found it on the backseat of the cab. A quick--and compelling--read that will get you thinking about how social media can work for you.

Tortus account manager, Clarke Moore puts a lei on our velvet Elvis, known as "Velvis".

We all know the old saying “Laughter is the best medicine”. Apparently, it’s also a great way to create a healthy work environment for you and your co-workers. Laughter is proven to help lower blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, and increase muscle flexion, according to a study by Drs. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan of Loma Linda University.¹ And did you know that preschool-aged children laugh or smile about 400 times a day? But in adults over the age of 35, that number decreases to 15.² No wonder working adults are so stressed out all the time! Maybe a little humor at work could help us all to de-stress and feel more comfortable in our jobs.

Don’t be afraid to spread a little laughter in your office or workplace. Studies show that a positive working environment is one of the main reasons workers are motivated to give their best efforts in their work.² Humor consultant Professor Stu Robertshaw, also known as “Dr. Humor”, performed a corporate study about incorporating humor into the workplace. The results showed that the company he studied had a 38% decrease in staff turnover and a 21% decrease in Friday absenteeism.³ What a difference a little bit of laughter makes!

So, what can you do to make your work a more enjoyable place to be?

Hold a staff outing
Here at Tortus Technologies, we have at least one outing a year where our staff can enjoy each other’s company in a fun place. We make our annual trip to the Big E (Eastern States Exposition) where we can enjoy food, entertainment and each others' company among the farm animals and artisans. This sort of outing helps us to get to know each other better and allows us free time to joke and play on a personal level. When we come back to the office, we can feel that much more comfortable with one another.

Tell jokes
Tell jokes at staff meetings to lighten things up a bit. Don’t be afraid to throw in a quip or a witty comment that will make your co-workers laugh. Just be sure to know your audience so you tell jokes that won’t offend. You don’t want to create hostility because of them! But, if it’s a joke that would suit everyone, then definitely let the laughter flow.

Have a theme day
Have a special day where you and your co-workers dress up in a silly theme. Silly Hat Day is a great one that is easy for everyone to participate in. Have lunch together and share your silly hats. Here at Tortus, some of us dressed up for Halloween last year. One staff member even dressed up in a full penguin suit!

Hold staff parties for special occasions
Holding a staff party for a special day gives employees incentive to work and gives them something to look forward to. You can celebrate holidays and special events, or even celebrate when your company does well on a project. On the most recent presidential inauguration day, Tortus held a staff party during the last part of the day where we ate food, talked and played presidential trivia games. It was a great way to spend time together and have a few good laughs as well.

Keep silly props in the office
Having little trinkets, art, and toys around the office that will make people stop to laugh for a minute is a great way to create a happy work environment. In our production room at Tortus, we all have little things on our desks that make us smile, from pictures of people we love to stuffed animals that talk. In our account managers’ office, there is even a velvet Elvis painting covered in plastic luau leis that often becomes a conversation piece for making jokes. Little things like this make working that much more enjoyable.

You, too, can come up with your own unique ways to laugh at work. Do you have a fun way that you make your work place more enjoyable? Post it here to share with us!

Sources:
¹ Lamaan, Laura. “Laughter in the workplace can boost profits, reduce tension”.
² Erickson, Randy. “Humor in the Workplace”.
³ Solish, Gail. “Laughter Makes the Workplace Lighter”.

If you’re looking for some innovative ways to generate new e-mail list members, I hope you’ll consider giving some of these low- or no-cost options a try. Some require a bit of legwork, while others require almost no effort at all.

1. Include a marketing e-mail opt-in link on your homepage and on other pages throughout your website. If people are viewing your website, they may be interested in joining your email list. Make it as easy as possible to opt in!

2. Ask each and every employee in your organization to be on the lookout for new list members. Clients, prospective clients, other business contacts, friends, and family may all be points of contact that would be interested in opting in to your marketing email. Even if you think that some subscribers are not really your target market, you never know who they know!

3. Offer opt-in incentives such as discounts, promotions, and other benefits.

4. Offer beneficial content. Special incentives are great, but so is email content that truly offers readers something of value. The more interesting and useful your email content is, the more likely it is to be forwarded to prospective list members.

5. Convert direct mail recipients into e-mail subscribers. Include opt-in information on postcards, catalogs, newsletters, magazines, brochures, and other print items. And don’t forget business cards, shipping sheets, invoices, business forms, and credit card receipts.

6. Include an option to subscribers to forward your marketing e-mail (with an opt-in link) to a friend. This can be particularly successful if an opt-in incentive is involved. 

7. While you’ve got them on the phone, ask callers if they’d like to be added to your list. Be sure to emphasize the benefits they’ll receive for subscribing. If they’re calling you on the phone, they may be receptive to your marketing emails!

8. Include an e-mail opt-in link in your employees’ e-mail signatures. Easy enough!

9.  Use social networking sites to generate new opt-ins. If people are checking you out on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other sites, they may be interested in opting in to your marketing e-mail list.

10. Collect business cards from conferences, seminars, speaking engagements, a prize drawing you’re sponsoring, or your front desk. Then follow up on the phone or via email to see if they are interested in opting in to your email list.

So,

One of the greatest challenges in business today is effective & timely communication. I'm pleased to say that we're getting better at it.

Our monthly Newsletter is scheduled to be sent on Wednesday June 17th. I'd like to thank Sara and Jill for their collaboration and help. Our monthly Newsletter, first published in March 2007, is designed to be thought provoking, entertaining, and to keep us "top of mind" with prospects and clients. Additionally, within the content we want to personalize and convey exactly what we do, and demonstrate our intellect and prowess. All help or ideas are appreciated!

Thanks!

Harry

With all of the new technologies out there and everything at our fingertips on the Internet, our lives are supposed to become easier. These days we can pay bills, access bank account information, and even shop online. However, with these new conveniences there are some downsides.

In order to have our private and personal information online, we must create passwords to protect it. Suddenly, we are required to remember secret passwords to allow us to have the “convenience” of doing things online. Furthermore, there are now special requirements for passwords. No passwords can be reused in a particular period of time, and they must include special characters, numbers, and capital letters. Something that is supposed to make our lives easier has now added another inconvenience to our busy lives.

Many people think it’s hard to have a good password because it should be complicated and, as a result, hard to remember. I found some nice tips that help you create a strong password.

Microsoft has a lengthy webpage (http://www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/create.mspx) devoted to helping users create strong passwords, including all of the required aspects to create complex and lengthy passwords.  Take a look for yourself at what Microsoft suggests would be a good password. And then ask yourself if you can remember every password if it had to include all those requirements!

Flickr is a popular website that allows users to share and utilize photos, as well as interact with other photo enthusiasts. Launched in February 2004, Flickr has become the destination on the web for photo sharing, beating in popularity such sites such as Photobucket and Shutterfly. In 2008, Flickr expanded into video sharing, even allowing those who are signed up for a “pro” account ($25 per year) the ability to upload high-definition (HD) videos. Other Flickr features include Flickr Map, a tool that enables users to find photos based on location and Picnik, Flickr’s very own photo editing tool.

One of the mainstream uses of Flickr is the ability for users to search the site for images to incorporate into their own marketing pieces or personal collections. Since images are tagged with relevant keywords, it's easy to find images with specific subject matter. Depending on the photo-sharing settings that the photographer has selected, you might be able to use the image without worrying about copyright infringement, as long as you give credit to the photographer. Flickr’s Creative Commons License details the terms of agreement for sharing or adapting another user's photos. According to the Flickr website, “You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).”

One of our very own Torti has experienced firsthand the joys of Flickr. Alison West, a Tortus web designer, has watched her treasured photos take many unexpected journeys across the web. Since creating a Flickr account to showcase her photography portfolio, Alison has witnessed the following:

Hercules the Liger Photo Courtesy of Alison West

• A digitally enhanced spooky Halloween photo she created was picked up and featured as an e-greeting card.
• A series of photographs of Hercules, the world's largest Liger, has been used in many articles, including one on geneticsevolution.com (Check out her credit when you click on the image!)
• Alison recently received a request to allow one of her photos to be featured in an upcoming book. Her photo of a pair of kittens will be included in the next "LOL Cats" book, published by Ulysses Press of Berkley, CA.
• Alison has been contacted numerous times by people who are planning a trip to an area that she has photographed and would like the inside scoop or instructions on how to find the setting they saw in the photo.

Check out Flickr for yourself – you never know where one of your favorite photos might end up!

One of the biggest challenges for businesses today is how to replace a key employee if the dreaded “hit by a bus” scenario happens. Most of us have heard the question asked “What if employee X gets hit by a bus?” at various points in our professional lives. In fact, if you're not questioning potential vendors or business partners, you may be shooting yourself in the foot down the road. We all know the probability of employee X literally getting hit by a bus is virtually non-existent, but the reality is that employees leave companies all the time for a variety of different reasons. Is your business prepared for the unexpected departure of an employee?

Every employee within an organization has a Bus Number. The Bus Number is determined by assessing how many employees assigned to a certain project can be “hit by a bus” before the success and continuity of that project is put in serious danger. A small independent consultant may have a BN of 1, while a larger firm with numerous people working on a project may have a BN of 4 or 5. The inescapable truth, however, is that all companies are subjected to this formula and implementing systems to help counteract the effects are vital to an organizations success.

The good news is that there are numerous technology solutions out there to help companies proactively lessen the impact of the loss of key personnel. Whether it is outsourcing your website management, employing web based project management software or even implementing an enterprise level business solution, the impact of the effect of the dreaded “Bus Number” is more manageable than ever. To learn more about how Tortus can provide continuity to your organization, contact us today!

Recipe of the Month!

Chicken Etouffee

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001

Prep Time:20 min

Inactive Prep Time:15 min

Cook Time:2 hr 10 min

Level:Intermediate

Serves:4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces

• Salt

• Cayenne pepper

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion

• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery

• 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 bottle dark lager or amber beer

• 1 quart cold chicken stock

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 1/4 cup hot sauce

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Season the chicken pieces with salt and cayenne pepper.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat and sear chicken pieces on both sides until golden brown. Remove to a platter and reserve.

Add butter to pan and when melted, add flour, and stir to combine well. Continue to cook roux, stirring constantly, until chocolate brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Immediately add onion, celery, bell pepper, and bay leaves and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, then add the beer and stir well to loosen any brown bits from pan bottom. Add the stock, brown sugar, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine well. Bring to a boil, return chicken pieces to the pot, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until chicken is very tender.

Remove chicken pieces to a platter and when cool enough to handle, remove chicken meat from the bones. Return chicken meat to etouffee and continue to cook another 30 minutes, until sauce is thickened and flavorful and chicken is beginning to fall apart. Add chopped parsley and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve immediately over rice or other starch of choice.

You may have heard that a good way to increase your search result rankings is to get other websites to put an inbound link to your website from theirs. This practice is often referred to as a link exchange, or reciprocal linking, and is a search engine optimization method aimed at getting your website higher up in the results rankings. It sounds like a good idea, but is it? And if it is, how exactly do you go about it? These are two commonly asked questions about link exchanges that I’d like to answer for you in today’s blog article. 

What Not To Do

First off, there are certain types of link exchanges that we don’t recommend and that won’t win you any friends with the search engines. In fact, belonging to such exchange networks can actually hurt your rankings. A link exchange with a disreputable link farm or a website that offers little, if any, value to your site visitors is considered a harmful exchange. These types of mass exchanges tend to be considered “artificial” by search engines like Google. While there may be mass link exchange sites that are legitimate and relevant to your particular business, caution should be exercised with these types of exchanges. There are no magic bullets for search engine optimization success.

Do Some Research

A better idea may be approaching individuals and organizations with whom you have an ongoing relationship that will be relevant to your site visitors, and proposing a  “link trade”.  Perhaps “natural” is a good way to describe a legitimate link exchange. For example, if you donate to or work with local charities or organizations, you might ask them to post a link to your website on their sponsorship page. In return, you could then post a link to their organization in a press release on your website, or on a page showing photos from an event of theirs that you sponsored. To give another example, if you sell carpets, you could link to the carpet manufacturer’s webpage on cleaning tips. In exchange, they could post a link to your site under their vendors page. Before approaching someone for a link exchange, visit their website and look for a page where you think providing a link to your site would be a natural, logical fit. 

The Link Exchange Approach

Sending an email or broaching the idea during a phone call or meeting is a good way to approach an exchange with someone you know on a professional basis. If you emphasize the benefit to both the other party’s website and to your mutual or related clients, your proposal may be gladly accepted. If sending an email, start with a friendly greeting and a brief explanation of your request. Be sure to provide the link you’d like to have them post on their website, and of course, offer to provide a link to their website on your own. Inviting them to contact you with any questions concerning your site and to discuss how they would like to have a link to their site appear on yours is a good closing strategy. If they do agree to post a link on their site, follow up with a thank you that acknowledges the favor.

Try Deep Linking

One thing to keep in mind when doing a link exchange is that “deep” linking into an inner page in your website can be better than a link to your homepage. Not only can it bring visitors to the exact page that can benefit them most, this technique can also be helpful in search engine optimization. In the case that a link exchange isn’t a significant benefit to your search engine rankings, the links will still bring valued visitors to your site and help your customers and potential customers to learn more about the value of your organization.

Summing It Up

Trading links with respected suppliers, partners, and customers is a mutually beneficial and legitimate additional approach to search engine optimization that offers a value not just to your search engine result rankings, but to all parties involved.  When it comes down to it, the best overall approach to getting in good with organic search engine result rankings is building a site with a foundation that has optimization in mind from the very beginning of the programming and design processes. This is an integral aspect of our website development approach at Tortus, and why we tout ourselves as not merely builders of sites, but builders of your business.

Economy Raining on Your Parade?

With the economy slowly grinding along, business owners are becoming more aware of how company funds are expended and more wary of new expenditures that cross their desks. This fiscal conservancy is wise in uncertain times as multi-national corporations, once symbols of American ingenuity, are now cast as cautionary tales of fiscal irresponsibility. Despite the fact traditional sales are down, online sales continue to increase in the double digits.

The Silver Lining

Forrester Research Group (Nasdaq: FORR), an independent technology and market research company, forecast that US online retail sales in 2009 would grow by 11 percent to $156 billion. Despite the doom and gloom proponed by the media (whose jobs depend on high ratings, and by proxy, public panic), people are still shopping. More consumers are just choosing to make their purchases online rather than visit a "brick and mortar" store.

Why? Ecommerce websites provide the consumer with the convenience of conducting research as they shop.

In direct response to this trend, agile businesses focused on growth are actually increasing their investments on the web. Businesses are providing more information on their websites; online tutorials or product demos are becoming more popular. In order to retain customers, businesses are using multichannel marketing methods to build a sense of community. Online retailers are taking the guesswork out of shopping by providing product guides right on the product detail pages or sending online newsletters about special features directly to their customer base. Taking the content one step further, smart online retailers are posting the newsletters on their websites to boost search engine placement. Just click around and you will quickly notice how even local grocery stores, career centers and appliance retailers are using social media websites like Facebook and Twitter to build a strong online community.

A Shift in Focus

We know that traditional sales are on the decline. It is not the end of the capitalist world, as we know it. Our focus simply has to shift. Businesses that utilize the web as the driving force behind their businesses are realizing success where most businesses are not. In fact, Forrester found that 24% of retailers will spend more on their online business over the previous year with investments focused primarily on social marketing web-based software (60%), broadcast email (65%) and intuitive search tools (80% of respondents).  Marketing managers have realized that the web is the most cost effective tool for building a stronger consumer community and converting potential consumers to faithful return shoppers.

Marketing and eCommerce managers are not using Twitter because they like the cute bird or because they find writing a promotion in under 140 characters a joyous pastime.  They use Twitter because Twitter is a free and incredibly effective form of viral marketing. Forrester Research principal analyst and author of the report, Sucharita Mulpuru states the facts plainly:

“Because consumers continue to spend online, interactive marketing spent to drive web sales remains a lucrative investment. While other retail channels struggle, eCommerce managers have a unique opportunity to drive more sales and test different tactics that resonate with consumers.” 

At Tortus we recognize that the web is only going to continue to grow. Therefore as efficiency experts, we focus on utilizing methodologies that will increase our clients’ profits and decrease their operating expenses. In this economic climate, you don’t have to panic - you have to focus.  The business climate has been irrevocably changed by this economy, and consumer confidence is shaken as a result. Your online presence should be representative of your experience, longevity and value.

"Tweet" with Vigor, "Friend" the World

Does your website generate trust and confidence through the use of product guides, newsletters and email marketing rich with special promotions? Do you promote your business with an active online community that encourages sales through consumer generated reviews? If not, its time to reevaluate investing in the web. To insert a classic English idiom: Spending money on traditional marketing techniques and neglecting the web is being "penny-wise and pound-foolish." Consumers are still spending money, they are just choosier about which companies they buy from and more aware of the value they are getting for their dollar. Suddenly, the main attraction of Twitter has grown from just trying to be cool and “in the know” to trying to stay afloat and make some dough.

A little while ago, I wrote an article for the Tortus.com news section. It has some great information about writing content for the web and takes some of the mystery out of the task.

Content Made Easy

Several of our clients often relay the same message:

"Writing content is hard!"

We know writing content for a website can be a herculean task. Rewriting older content and removing trivial, outdated, and redundant paragraphs can reduce the effort required. If you are starting from scratch, planning your goals, writing simply, and answering some directional questions can provide you with a guideline to help make writing content easier.

Rewrite old content

Rewriting old content can be easier than starting from scratch. Asking yourself if the content is still relevant requires thinking about your goals. What do you want your users to do on your site? What do your users want from your site?

Take a look at your entrance. Your homepage should answer the basic questions in 4 seconds or less. Who are you? What can you offer me? These are the two most important questions to answer when reworking your homepage. Once those two questions are answered, then you can delve into the details. Your entire homepage should answer the who, what, where, when, and why (if relevant) questions. The rest of your site should answer how.

Probably the easiest page to edit will be the about us page, or company history page. Check for relevant information; staff members who have left their positions, locations that are no longer valid.

The trick to using older content is getting it current. Believe it or not, even language and grammar change over time. The best way to figure out if your text is current enough is to read it aloud. Does it sound like something you would say? Can you read it easily? If not, go back and rework it until it is easy to say aloud.

Images are a little trickier than text, but they can still look dated. Check for obvious signs, out-of-date machinery, clothing, hair styles. The good news is that photography is a lot cheaper now than it was back then, and anyone can take a decent photo with a digital camera.

Read the full article at tortus.com.

The Internet is ubiquitous to most of us now, but it wasn’t so long ago that we lived without it (or e-mail, or e-commerce, for that matter). Just how fast has the Web evolved and what are the implications of the rapidly evolving technology? This video provides some surprising statistics about the pace of our lives in the Internet era. In 1999, The Economist made a dramatic prediction: “Within a few years, the Internet will turn business upside down. Be prepared—or die.”

The dot.com bust only two years later may have dampened some of the initial enthusiasm behind that statement, but ten years later, we can only concede that the predication is now reality. In our work and personal lives, the Internet has changed the landscape extensively and irrevocably. With approximately 100 billion e-mails sent daily across the globe, few of us would be willing to give up our e-mail, in spite of the grief a full inbox can sometimes cause. While we may complain that social networking sites such as Facebook eat up too much of our spare time, we still get a thrill out of looking up that old flame or seeing what our college roommate is doing at this very moment 3,000 miles away. And if we’re looking for a good deal on a used car, chances are we might start our search at Craigslist, where 14 million classified ads are posted every month.

Just how much has Internet technology changed our lives in the past ten years? This CNN.com article from 1999 marvels at the influence the Internet exerted over its users, without ever mentioning present-day Internet staples like Facebook, Google, weblogs, and instant messaging. This PC Magazine article breaks it down for us, listing the ways in which the Internet has molded our lives, for the better (MapQuest driving directions!) and for the worse (hard-drive eating computer viruses!). We can only wonder what Internet advances the next ten years hold for us. Any predictions?