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I’m standing in the middle of the Delaware Park golf course staring at a red garbage truck parked under an elm tree.  I had just walked the length of two par three fairways, holes 12 and 13, and then most of the par four 14, and I was lost.

Welcome to the 2009 JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge: 10,000 participants, 3.5 miles around Delaware Park; where half the fun’s just getting there!

Part One: Getting There

Traffic was supposed to be horrendous; 10,000 Corporate Challengers all going to Delaware Park at rush hour on Thursday with Thursday in the Square going on less than 5 miles away.  Oh Gar!  Luckily the Scajaqueda and the 190 were clear and I made it to Parkside Ave. from the 360 PSG Amherst headquarters in almost no time.  I pulled up a side street and then down another.  Most houses had “Do Not Stand” signs taped to garbage cans at the end of their driveways.  Parking was scarce.  Lucky for me, a Ford Focus was pulling out of a spot as I came to a stop sign.  I swung my car around, parallel parked, and began my trek toward the park.

Call #1:

As I was leaving my car, I called Joel to ask him where he, Matt, and Ben were.  He said, “You’ll see some tents set up, just start heading toward them.”

Unfortunately, when I reached the park it was a tent jungle, and I was looking for our small group of 360 PSG corporate challengers; one of the groups without a tent.  It would be almost impossible to spot them.

I stopped short of the tents.  Let’s try this again I thought.

Call #2:

“Where are you guys?” I had to ask Joel again.

He told me, “Somewhere in the middle.”

I tried to use a landmark to figure it out.  “If I’m facing the wall of Porta Johns are you to the left or the right of that?”

“Kind of in the middle, in the back.”

“Okay, I’ll find you,” I said and hung up.

I was never going to find them.

All around me other corporate challengers were sending up hotdog flavored smoke signals to their coworkers, throwing Frisbees and footballs; I’m sifting through the crowd trying to pick out two guys wearing red shirts.  News flash: Believe it or not, much to my chagrin, we don’t have a monopoly on the red t-shirt industry.  Weird.

Under an elm tree to my left a bunch of red shirts were taking a group photo.  My spirits were lifted momentarily while I considered the potential photo bombing opportunities that would surely arise in such a large crowd.  I walked a little further until I could see the end of tent row.

This is ridiculous, I thought.  Find a landmark.

I stopped “in the middle” behind the tent village and looked out into Delaware Park.  That’s when I saw the red garbage truck parked in the grass under the shade of a huge elm.  I called Joel again.

Call #3:

“Hey, where are you?” He answered his phone.

“Okay, can you see the red garbage truck parked in the middle of the park?”

“Yeah, we can see that.”

“Where are you in relation to that?”

As I’m asking him, I turned and saw Matt carrying a manila envelope.

“Wait, nevermind I see Matt.  I’ll just follow him.”

I turned around to follow Matt and noticed that Joel, Ben, and Jen (Ben’s wife) were all sitting in a circle of green fold-out chairs no more than 20 feet from me.

Part Two: The “Race”

I started at the 9-minute mile mark with Ben, Jen, and Joel.  Matt had gone up to take a place at the 7-minute mile marker.  He warned us that if you start anywhere behind the 10-minute line you’re forced to walk for the first five minutes while the crowd filters out, and Matt wanted to run.

Mayor Byron Brown was on a stage just past the 6-minute mile starting line.  I could barely hear him start the race, but as I stood on my toes overlooking the crowd, the herd of runners started to go.  It was like the wave pool at Cedar Point.  It started at the front.  Heads started to bounce and like the road was a suspension bridge the bouncing worked its way back to me; before I knew it my feet were moving and I was one of the pack.

And then we ran.  Some walked, some actually RAN, and some, like me, jogged.  We went West down Amherst Street, turned South on Delaware Ave., ran around the statue at Gates Circle, and then back up to Middlesex Road, where we cut across to Meadow Road until we hit the finish on Ring Road back in Delaware Park.

A mustachioed gentleman handed me a bottle of water after I crossed the finish line.  40 minutes and 22 seconds.  On the road back to the tents there were tables with boxes full of fruits and snacks for runners to refuel.

Tent city was a ghost town.  Two thirds of the runners were still on the course.  Finding our spot behind the tents wasn’t difficult after the race.  I headed toward the red garbage truck until I saw our green chairs.

I was the first one back, so I sat down and stretched out.  I drank my bottle of water and enjoyed the warm afternoon sun as it sunk behind the park trees over the race course.  Soon Matt appeared eating a cookie.  Ben and Jen followed, and finally Joel.  Ian and his girlfriend Jess appeared from the sea of tents.

Ben and Matt grilled hot dogs on a small propane grill.  We joked about our struggles to make it through the three miles; Matt and Joel inevitably talked business and networked; and Ben took a pretty good ribbing from pretty much everyone for forgetting his Frisbee in his car.

Luckily, the tent next to us offered us their Frisbee.  Ben, Ian, Jess, and I played catch until almost dark.  Tents started to come down and the crowd dissipated.  We folded up our green chairs, put the leftover hot dogs back in the cooler, and parted ways.

“See you at work tomorrow.”

I walked back past the red garbage truck, across the 14th and 13th fairways toward Parkside Ave. and got to the basketball courts before I stopped.

I panicked for a moment as I thought, “Where’d I park my car?”

My stats:

I finished the 3.5 mile course with a time of 40 minutes and 22 seconds; two chocolate chip cookies, two bottles of water, two hot dogs, one bag of Troyer Farms Cheese Puffs, and one banana.  Not great.  Not terrible.  And I’d say it was a little refreshing if I didn’t feel like I was going to barf up a lung afterward.  Overall good first Corporate Challenge.

Update:

Matt’s Stats:  38 minutes, 2 seconds (a wall of people prevented me finishing under the 38 minute mark), 4 Beers (2 Before the Race and 2 After), 2 Water Bottles, 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies, 1 Bag of Pretzels, 1 Bag of Chips, 4 Hot Dogs, 1 Banana, 1 Apple, 1 Orange.

Feelings after the Race: Hurting …

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Find out how 360 Professional Services Group created a fake limo company, had the site crawled by search engines, ranked on the first page of results of two major search engines, and even got a ride request with no search engine optimization efforts.

In an effort to engage new clients, 360 PSG built a vertical market in November 2008 geared toward limousine and transport companies in need of websites.  Fission Transport was launched to promote packages ranging from simple sites to fully customized websites.

As part of the Fission Transport site, 360 PSG graphic designers built a demo site for Luxury Limo Co., a fictitious transport company, to showcase Fission web features like customizable modules, event calendar, testimonial manager, photo gallery, customizable content pages, and a basic “reserve your ride” contact form.

On March 21, 2009 360 PSG received a completed contact form reserving a stretch baby Bentley limo for Friday May 8, 2009.  The customer searched for “stretch Bentley limo” and found our site, which was ranked 6th and 7th on AOL and Google search engines respectively as of March 21st.

How was this possible?

We launched a demo site for a vertical market with basic content population and zero search optimization efforts; but the built-in search engine optimization tools of the Fission Web System got the site crawled by search engines and even garnered a limousine reservation.

The answer is simple: the power of the Fission Web System.

Every Fission website has powerful search engine optimization tools built in, which is why Luxury Limo Co. was able to reach the first page of search results on two major search engines.

Not only was our demo site extremely easy to find, but our “Call to Action” on the site was so effective that a customer actually booked a limousine ride with us.

So the point of this isn’t to boast that we tricked a customer into believing that we were a real limousine company, but rather to demonstrate the potential your website could possess if it operated on the Fission Web System.

Update: Since the first request for a limousine ride, we have received TWO more reservations for limo rides.

The Fission Web System continues to bring business to Luxury Limo Co. even though the company doesn’t exist, so just imagine what Fission could do for your site if we just put five minutes of actual dedicated SEO service in place.

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Good news for everyone who is still playing catch up on the social networking scene.  There’s something new.  Wait, before you throw your hands up in defeat, let me tell you that it is not a new network, well not really, but it is useful and extremely easy to use.  It’s called Poken.

Developed in Switzerland, Poken is a USB drive shaped like a little person (three-eyed alien, panda bear, a firey skeleton, or a bee are available) with a silver hand attached to its side.  When you hold the hand against another person’s Poken, giving them a high four, your device glows green telling you that you have successfully exchanged virtual business cards between the two devices.

Your Poken can store up to 64 contacts at any one time, and it will glow red if a connection was not made, in which case you just try again.
At home, your Poken’s hand detaches from the body and plugs into your computer’s USB drive.  Through encrypted coding it transfers all of your new friend’s social network information into your Poken account where you can manage all of your contacts and your own information.

***In case you’ve only read this far and had to stop to immediately purchase a Poken for you and all of your friends or coworkers (hint, hint, Joel, you can buy them in twelve packs…) then I have good news: You don’t need to start an online account before using your Poken.  Of course you can set it up while you wait for your device to arrive in the mail, which you should have plenty of time to do because Pokens aren’t sold in the US yet.

Getting an account is painless and it takes about four minutes to complete the form.  But don’t drag your feet.  Be aware that you need to activate your account before your friends can add you to their network otherwise an “unregistered” message is displayed on their profile when they plug you into their computers and they’ll probably delete you.

When you create your “business card,” add information for up to 25 social networks from Badoo or Bahu to more stream-lined networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Orkut.  Upload a single picture, add as much contact information as you want friends to see like phone number, address, email, blogs, organizations, or birthday, and you’re on your way.

You can also set up different identities for yourself where you can group your new Poken friends as you add them giving contacts only the information that you want to see.

“Business card?  What is this, 2008?”

Poken means no more typing names and numbers in your cell phone or scribbling on cocktail napkins at parties.

Let me give you an example:

You’re at a party and you start talking to Tim Wilson whom you find out shares your love for collecting laserdiscs.

Before Poken:

Tim gives you his business card and tells you that he has a great Facebook laserdisc discussion group where rare discs are bartered for regularly.  You go home and search for “Tim Wilson” on Facebook ready to start trading movies with other cinephiles, but you find over 500 search results for his name.  Now you’re stuck sifting through every Tim Wilson on the planet.  Once you find him, you have to send him a friend request and cross your fingers that he checks his Facebook regularly before you can join his world-class laserdisc fan club.  No fun.

Since Poken:

You meet Tim Wilson at a party and talk about collecting laserdiscs.  You both have a Poken, you connect them, and when you get home all of his social networks are at your disposal.  Before you know it, you’re finally able to watch Jenny Lewis and Fred Savage in The Wizard on laserdisc thanks to your new friend Tim Wilson and his awesome Facebook group.

The Ups and Downs of Poken Strangers

Of course, like any piece of technology, there’s a downside.  If you are on Facebook and you Poken someone who is only on Orkut and Hyves then one of you needs to join one of the others’ networks.  On the upside, you might discover a new social network that you love in the process.

Another strike against the Poken is that it runs on battery power.  According to the official site www.doyoupoken.com, your Poken battery will last approximately six (6) months.  The more you use it though, the shorter your battery will last.  When inserted in your computer, your Poken will blink telling you that it’s hungry for more batteries.  Never fear, the battery is a Lithium CR1632, which I found for as cheap as $1.66 on Amazon.com.  You can remove your old battery and install the new one with a flathead screwdriver in a matter of seconds.

Security is not an issue.  When you set up your account, you enter your username and password for each social network that you use.  The information is only entered once used only to authenticate each account for your Poken.

If you ever lose your Poken, mark it “Lost” on your online account.  You can even send a message to the person who finds your Poken to display if they plug it into their computer.  By default, each time you plug the device into your USB port, you are prompted to enter your password anyway, ensuring security.  No one else ever has access to your information.  Plus, you don’t store personal information on your Poken.  It’s all stored on the website where you interact with new friends.

I’m sold on the idea, but do I really need another device to carry around with me?

By now you have enough grocery store key fobs and iPods and cell phones to carry around.  Why do you need another thing to lug around?  Pokens come with a clip that you can hook onto your keys, briefcase, backpack or belt loop.  It’s much faster than digging a business card out of your crusty wallet and your online identity is more comprehensive than a piece of cardboard with your name and phone number on it.

Poken hasn’t exactly caught on in the United States yet though NPR reported that Pokens were present at this year’s South by Southwest Festival (SXSW).  Until everyone is carrying these around, Poken friends will be scarce but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get one.  The technology will probably move to cell phones very soon, but that will require everyone to buy a brand new $200 phone to use it.  Why not spend $16 for a Poken and start socializing now?

Drink the Kool Aid.  Get a Poken and you’ll be throwing more high fives (well, fours) than David Puddy.

Learn More About Poken:

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If you are fortunate enough to have a website designed and/or hosted by 360 Professional Services Group then coffee is fueling your internet.  More precisely, Folgers Classic Roast (now with 35 more cups.)

A fresh pot of coffee can be just as important to a busy office as a speedy internet connection; after all, coffee is the lifeblood of most workforces, certainly ours.  Whether we like to admit it or not, caffeine keeps us going.  We all fuel up before we leave for work or stop to get a cup on the way to work, and a cup once we get to work, and then maybe one more cup in the afternoon.  Okay, let’s face it.  We’re coffee fiends.

The internet never sleeps so for the 12 hours or so a day that we’re awake and producing quality websites, we need to be as alert as possible.

Take away our coffee pot and you’re probably going to see a significant decrease in productivity.  Like the undead in a Zombie apocalypse our workers turn cranky and unpredictable.  They start moaning from caffeine deprivation, stumbling around the office aimlessly biting coworkers.  It isn’t pretty.

For me there’s nothing better than being met at the front door by the sweet smell of a fresh pot of coffee brewing.  Unfortunately though, most days I’m the coffee man, which means there is no bitter aroma wafting down the hallway to greet me as I enter our office building.  If I want it, I have to make it.  Luckily, I have a little experience.

After college, I moved to Hollywood for three years.  All those tales you’ve heard about hapless production assistants who are forced to fetch their bosses coffee are true.  For the first 10 months that I lived and worked there, I was the coffee retriever for a production office.

Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Dunkin’ Donuts, double caramel macchiato, Venti vanilla latte no foam, small black two creams half a packet of Splenda, double-double three ice cubes and make sure the woman who sells it to you has green eyes and her name has to be Claire; you name it, I’ve ordered it, balanced it on the front seat of my car doing 50 through the morning traffic on Santa Monica Blvd., and delivered it while it was still hot enough to burn the pants off a McDonalds drive-thru patron.

So no, I don’t mind being the coffee guy.  But that doesn’t mean that the pressure is off.

Being responsible for providing the office java is nerve wracking.  The shear aroma from a bad brew can stink up the office for hours.  Do you make it the way that you like it?  The way the boss likes it?  Some like it strong, some like it mild.  Do you take a poll and go with the majority?

So what’s the secret to finding that perfect grounds-to-water ratio?

I’ll be honest.  Until only a few years ago, I had no coffee knowledge.  I didn’t consume coffee in college.  The only time I had ever been to a Starbucks until I moved to California and joined the workforce was to ask for directions or use the restroom.

What’s percolating in your office?

Just before Christmas, 360 PSG got a new coffee pot and a bean grinder.  It has been nothing short of awesome.  There’s even a “Flavor Plus” button.  (Though, whenever we brew straight Folgers, I’m not sure any actual flavor is enhanced, it just takes twice as long to brew).  Best of all though, productivity has gone through the roof.

Raise your hand if you can make a pot of coffee right now.

I did a survey to see how many people in the 360 PSG office drink coffee or if they prefer a caffeinated alternative, and if they’re able to make a pot of coffee.

1.    Do you drink coffee at work?  (Yes or No)
Ben: Not Often
Joel, Jill, Jason, Matt Wh., Tanya, and Matt Wetter: YES
Ian: Sometimes
Eric: Normally, unless I have Red Bull.

2.     If so, how many cups per day?
Ben: 1 per month
Joel: One Tim Horton’s extra large or about 4 Styrofoam cups of office brew
Jill, Matt Wh.: 1 – 2
Jason: More than I can count, and more than any normal person should drink in any given time period.
Ian: 0-2
Tanya: 4-5
Matt Wetter: I don’t drink it often, but when I do it’s usually 2-3 cups
Eric: I consume around a pot a coffee a day (including home) when I actually drink coffee

3.     Why do you drink it?
Ben: To satisfy a craving
Joel: Taste, plus keeps the edgy pep.
Jill: I liked the taste, but it’s almost just a habit
Jason: Stimulates my mind and body.  Also, because that’s what the cool workers do.
Matt Wh.: Taste, Caffeine, Hot Beverage
Tanya: Addiction
Matt Wetter: Usually to wake up
Eric: To make my brain function
Ian: Energy

4.    If you do not, do you drink tea, Red Bull, anything w/ caffeine?
Ben: Tea
Jason: I also drink tea on occasion for the antioxidant benefits.
Matt Wh.: Lots of Cherry Coke.
Matt Wetter: I drink tea a bit more often than coffee
Ian: If not coffee, I drink tea or Red Bull.

5.    What is your favorite kind of coffee or caffeine drink (Starbucks, Red Bull, Dunkin’, Tim Ho’s etc.)
Ben: Tim Ho’s, then Dunkin, then Red Bull, then the water in my sink after it fails to drain, then Starbucks*
Joel: Tim Horton’s
Jill: Tim Horton’s, though Starbucks can be a nice treat (it’s just way too pricey)
Jason: Tim Horton’s, everything else is for kids.
Matt Wh.: Tim Horton’s
Matt Wetter: Cafe Mocha
Eric: Starbucks or Red Bull
Ian: Red Bull

6.    If someone asked you to make a pot of coffee, right now, could you do it?  If not, why?
Ben: No, don’t know the proportions of grounds to water.
Joel: Yes, if I can find where all the stuff is stashed.
Jill: I could… but do you really want me to? I mean all sorts of fun hazardous materials make their way into that pot of coffee… just sayin.
Jason: I could, but that would involve me doing actual work.  Also, if coffee had a face I would punch it in it … because that’s what I do.  Oh wait wrong survey.
Matt Wh.: No, too busy! If I did, it wouldn’t be that good anyways.
Tanya: Sure if I’m not too busy @ work
Matt Wetter: Probably not, lol.  I’m not really a coffee drinker.  I usually will choose something over coffee.
Eric: Sure can.
Ian: Yes.

Tim Horton’s, here we come!

We love Tim Horton’s.  In fact, it’s usually the Canadian coffee guru’s brew that fuels our search engine optimizers, graphic designers and programmers.

There’s a Tim Horton’s on the corner of Ridge Lea and Niagara Falls Boulevard where all the web experts from 360 PSG turn on their way into work each morning.  It’s little more than a stone’s throw away from our headquarters so there is usually a daily “Tim Horton’s run.”
Our office trash cans are normally filled with Tim Horton’s cups.

And when it’s time for the “Roll Up the Rim to Win” contest, forget about it.  We win free donuts and large coffees like Jason Ortiz spins dollars on the Price is Right wheel.**

If nothing else, coffee might give you that afternoon jolt that inspires a blog for your website or the energy to finish the workday strong.

Drink coffee, drink it often, and be productive.

*What’s up with Ben’s disdain for Starbucks?

**On May 12, 2008, our director of programming services Jason Ortiz traveled to Los Angeles and attended a taping of the Price is Right.  He was called on stage, won a wine rack, spun $1 on the prize wheel resulting in a $1000 bonus and a trip to the showcase showdown, where, unfortunately, he overbid on the car package.

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“Get the big picture about the microblogosphere.”

You have 140 characters to say what you’re doing, what you’ve done, what you’re thinking about doing, or what just happened to you.

That’s Twitter in a nutshell.

Ready?  Go.

It isn’t easy.  But a few people have figured it out (Hubspot estimates 5-10,000 new users join each day) and are reaping all the benefits.

Don’t fret.  It isn’t necessary to Tweet every three minutes to be relevant in a social network.*

Prepare for flight; here’s how to Tweet:

1.   Say something
Don’t just post your breakfast menu; unless you were closing a lucrative business deal over breakfast or you’re Starbucks

’Just had a cup of our Guatemala Casi Cielo … It means ‘almost heaven’ in Spanish,’ a Starbucks manager wrote in a recent Twitter post.”

http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/18/twitter-europe-blog-tech-ebiz-cx_mb_0119twitter.html

Starbucks is just one U.S. company who markets on Twitter.  Dell, Pepsi, Ford, and the Wall Street Journal have also joined the trend.

Promote your business.  Let followers know what new services you are offering.  Give them news updates.

2.    Ask for help
Twitter is your messenger pigeon.  Work it until the wings fall off.  Ask your followers to reTweet for you.  More links = more business.

’Getting your content “ReTweeted” on Twitter (i.e. getting people to repeat what you’ve said, usually along with a link) can drive significant quality traffic to your site, which in turn can boost your subscriber numbers.’”

http://www.copyblogger.com/go-viral-on-twitter/

Beware though, Twitter uses link shortening, which means you may not reap all of the SEO benefits unless someone reposts your link on their blog.

3.    Be relevant
Post URLs and keywords (without keyword stuffing) and post at least once per day.  This is microblogging! It’s quick and easy.

4.    Grow your flock
Find followers.  Invite friends Myspace or Facebook.  Get closer to clients.  Invite your associates.  Spread the word.

5.    Share info faster
No more signing into blogs, writing an article just to link another article; to Tweet simply copy, paste, and post

6.    Branch out
Use Twitter to market.  Tweet your news first.

Check out what Tweetnews is doing:

TweetNews combines the results from Yahoo news and compares it with the topics which are hitting Twitter. The service then organizes the Yahoo News based upon what has popularity among individuals using Twitter. This will deliver a search engine that tracks breaking news using Twitter search results. Which will give individuals using Twitter exposure to more detailed information regarding breaking news Tweets.

During the Mumbai attacks, individuals were stressed when trying to get more details and it was difficult to find news articles as the news was breaking. This is actually where the inspiration for TweetNews came from. So now, when you search for Tweets on a specific topic, you are also delivered additional links to news articles.”

http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-41093-118.html

What is Twitter doing?

Isn’t Twitter just a fad?

Sure, Twitter might not be here for long.  But while it’s here, harness its potential.

President Obama found it to be a tool worthy of announcing his running mate.

NY Times technology columnist David Pogue recently reviewed Twitter in his blog and admitted that he was skeptical of Twitter’s usefulness:

Twitter.com is all the rage among geeks, although it has more hype than users at this point. (When I speak at tech and education conferences, I routinely ask my audience how many are on Twitter. Usually, it’s 1 in 500.)

Then my eyes were opened. A few months ago, I was one of 12 judges for a MacArthur grant program in Chicago. As we looked over one particular application, someone asked, “Hasn’t this project been tried before?”

Everyone looked blankly at each other.

Then the guy sitting next to me typed into the Twitter box. He posed the question to his followers. Within 30 seconds, two people replied, via Twitter, that it had been done before. And they provided links.

The fellow judge had just harnessed the wisdom of his followers in real time. No e-mail, chat, Web page, phone call or FedEx package could have achieved the same thing.”

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/twittering-tips-for-beginners/#more-635

Like the judges, Pogue was impressed.  He started Tweeting.

Pogue added that Guy Kawasaki, MD of Garage Technology Ventures, Tweets every 3 minutes with the help of automated software robots.

Pogue concluded:

*People, like Guy, use automated software robots to churn out tweets, largely to promote their own blogs, sites or other products.”

Smart move. Kawasaki’s blog “How to Change the World” is ranked 88th most-popular globally.

In conclusion, my suggestion is this:

Find people who Tweet about topics useful to you, your company, or your clients.

Follow others, pay attention to what they’re doing right and then emulate them.

Remember that Twitter is not just a media tool.  It’s a social network.  ReTweet for others and they will reciprocate.

Engage others.  Be friendly.  Be informative.

Follow 360 PSG on Twitter!

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After her third knee surgery, but long before she got a computer or the “internets,” my Grandma Sue joined the innumerable hordes of introverted silver-topped at-home shoppers who turned to QVC as a safe haven from the long lines of crowded shopping centers.

Needless to say, our Christmases ever since have been filled with cigarette lighter battery chargers sans iPhone USB ports, heatless soldering guns (or as we call them in our house “The Blister Maker 5000”), and battery-free wind up flashlight stocking stuffers; a smorgasbord of gadgets that would leave MacGruber green with envy. But our gifts often end up being flimsy and break after only a few months (or uses).

In her defense, how was Grandma Sue supposed to know? She didn’t test those products before she bought them. Besides, some offers are exclusive to TV, so even if she had gone to the mall, chances are she wouldn’t have found a doohickey as innovative as a flashlight that doubles as a personal fan complete with Styrofoam propellers and belt clip.

Not everyone shops from home though, well not yet anyway. Whether we want to admit it or not, the recession is in full swing, but even in our current economic downturn there are shoppers who want to spend money. At-home shopping may be causing stores to close their doors all over the country but e-commerce is on the rise.

Part Two: Where Did All the Stores Go?

People are always asking, did I know about Grandma Sue. In all of her years of navigating unsavory winter terrain and battles with unruly last-minute shoppers and disgruntled Walmart workers, is it likely that Grandma Sue developed such a hatred for physical shopping locations that she unwittingly became a major contributor to a commercial consumer goods boycott? Could it be possible that Grandma Sue is somehow responsible for the downfall of brick and mortar shopping centers around the world? Is it even plausible to assume that she could have at least seen this coming? Or that she’s part of some underground senior secret society that has its sights set on taking down major corporations one Home Shopping Network purchase at a time?

Probably not. But maybe she was on to something after all…

According to this bleak CNN Money post, senior writer Parija B. Kavilanz reported:

‘There’s going to be a massive sea change in the retail landscape,” said Nina Kampler, executive vice president with Hilco Real Estate, which advises retailers on their property management.’

Michael Burden, principal with industry adviser Excess Space Retail Services, expects as many as 14,000 stores will close in 2009. ‘We could see among the highest ever number of closures,” he said.’

Kavilanz added:

‘Ideally, (Kampler) said a retailer’s occupancy cost should be equal to 10% of its sales. But a long stretch of slumping sales and rising mall vacancies can dramatically push up the occupancy costs. Once rent and occupancy costs hit the 20% to 25% of sales threshold, you are treading water,’ ” Kampler said. ‘You can’t run a viable business with those numbers’.

What do you do if you’re one of the thousands of stores that are closing their doors?

Kavilanz added:

I think the whole consumer economy is being recalibrated,” said Kampler. “It’s something that’s not been done in decades. I think it will be a three-year recalibration of consumer behavior and expectations.

What is that “recalibration” going to involve? It’s likely that consumer trends will turn toward e-commerce. But will you be there waiting?

Part Three: Broadband internet connections, 3G networks, and QVC.com! Cover your hair and your eyes, it’s the Apocalypse!

The Home Shopping Network was launched in 1982. QVC (Quality, Value, and Convenience) followed in 1986. A decade later, www.qvc.com was launched (1996). The JC Penny catalog has been around since 1963. At-home shopping is not new, it’s just better.

I know this because Grandma Sue knows this.

High-speed internet connections are quickly becoming more affordable, definitely more affordable than rent and property tax, making it easier for “small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in worldwide marketing and expand their outlook beyond their nations.” http://www.trade.gov/investamerica/ecommerce.asp

The economic slowdown could actually force smaller businesses to turn to e-commerce, which potentially means more visibility, and drive up sales especially from foreign customers.

According to the International Trade Administration*:

The Census Bureau estimates that total e-commerce sales in 2007 were $127.2 billion, an increase of 17% from 2006. E-commerce sales accounted for 3.2% of total retail sales in 2007, rising from 2.8% in 2006. eMarketer continues to estimate that retail e-commerce sales will increase an average of 18.6% in 2008 and 2009. That is strong growth, but is still down from the annual growth rate of 20.6% experienced between 2001 and 2005.

But if your stores are forced to close their doors, will your website hold up?

I am Grandma Sue’s waning sense of consumer responsibility.

Cautious consumers are likely more frugal on every retail venture, which probably means they are doing extensive research before making any big purchase on electronics, winter coats, or even food.** Where are consumers conducting their research? On the internet. Since they are already there, why not get them to your site?

Part Four: Get a Website!

Get a website, make it a good one, and make yourself as visible as possible. Great web design, quality content, and strong search engine optimization are keys to getting your page ranked highly on Google so your customers can find you. Use social networks to promote your products and services. Sign up for everything: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace, etc. and link them all to your site; generate linkbacks to your site and make it credible.

The ITA report concluded:

The continued rise in the percentage of total retail sales occurring through e-commerce is one sign of buyers and sellers becoming more comfortable with e-commerce transactions, while the fact that only 3.2% of total retail sales take place through e-commerce reflects the significant potential remaining.

While you may be left without a storefront, don’t be left out in the cold. Tap into the potential of e-commerce and be one of the survivors.

Maybe it’s time to start from scratch, again.

*As of this blog’s publication date, the 2008/09 report had not been released.

**Pink Dot, a grocery store in Los Angeles, will deliver your groceries to your apartment after you order them online.

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…And the other here when I tell you that while exploring the functionality of Verizon’s newest smartphone, the Blackberry Storm, and the potential impact said phones could have on 360 Professional Services Group, I will not compare it to the iPhone.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008:

New Verizon Blackberry Storms 360 PSG

With the variety of smartphones on the market, 360 PSG took a leap of faith and invested in Verizon’s Blackberry Storm, the first ever touch screen blackberry, just weeks after its initial November 2008 release. But will the newest addition to the Amherst, NY based web design company reign terror on the office or help 360 take the web design world by, well, storm?

By now I’m sure that you’ve heard at least one horror story about the Blackberry Storm. David Pogue, author of the NY Times technology column, lambasted the phone recently concluding, “Maybe Storm isn’t such a bad name for this phone. After all — it’s dark, sodden and unpredictable.”

It doesn’t help that the name lends itself to a virtual gauntlet of negative puns. It’s not all bad though. Get over the fact that this blackberry has a touch screen, so does just about every other phone released in the last 8 months, and you might find something you like. Oh yeah, there’s no stylus either…

360 PSG is a cutting-edge company and using cutting-edge technology in and out of the office is an integral part in remaining a leader in the web design world. Staying connected to clients is key as quality website maintenance and service are high priorities of 360 PSG.

Matthew Whelan, Managing Partner, Operations for 360 PSG, listed a few benefits of having smartphones. “Instant access to email and customer inquiries, mobile address book & calendar synchronization so we always know where we’re supposed to be and how to be in touch with everyone. Google Maps to find where it is we need to go. No internet connection* … no problem!” Whelan said.

Remote email access is a highly desired feature for any business; it is the best way to stay connected with customers. As a 3G** network product, the Storm allows instant access to email all the time. Problems with a site over a long weekend could leave customers in a panic. An email from a 360 PSG employee could lead to a quick fix before the work week begins again on Monday.

Whelan joked, “Now there is nowhere to hide!”

Employees at 360 PSG understand that they will have to take the good with the bad. “Anytime you adopt early release technology (like the Storm within one week of launch)… you run the risk of patches, updates, glitches or bug-fixes that make you have to re-enter, start over, reinstall, or otherwise inconvenience you,” said Joel Colombo, 360 PSG Managing Partner, President.
He added, “So you risk cutting edge adoption for possible intermittent headache. Waiting for 12-14 months after a release of new technology insures most of the critical setbacks have been patched and fixed.”

Daniel Dumas reviewed the Storm for Wired.

“Web surfing on the device is good, not great. The fully realized browser pulls up pages quickly but also suffers from a lack of flash support. Cut-and-paste functionality works almost perfectly, as does text editing. All of RIM’s e-mail goodness and top-shelf messaging are also effortlessly integrated into the device. For better or for worse, you never forget that you are using a BlackBerry.”

Verizon is marketing the phone not just as a blackberry, a device that most business men and women have trusted to scroll through emails and work calendars for over a decade, but as an everyman’s media device (photos, mp3 player, and a 3.2 megapixel camera). Of course the new phones were integrated into 360 PSG to improve reliability and service between clients and coworkers. Although there are some concerns, there have been no major setbacks and the general outlook remains optimistic.

In his initial review for Consumer Reports, Mike Gikas concluded:

“With its simple interface and powerful business and entertainment features, it may be one more good reason for smart-phone seekers to choose Verizon’s top-notch service over less-consistent carriers.”

The Consumer Reports review was released before the Storm’s official launch date. Gikas was able to test the device at a press preview, and he did like some of the features that the Storm boasts like the touch screen, the display resolution of 480 X 360 pixels, and easy navigation.

The Storm has an accelerometer that detects when you’ve rotated the phone into landscape orientation. It can be a little frustrating sometimes as one wrong flick of the wrist throws your accelerometer into overdrive changing views for you even though you really didn’t want it to.

Texting takes some getting used to. When held vertically, blackberry patrons will find a familiar Sure Type keypad. But when turned on its side, the Storm presents a full QWERTY keypad. Transitioning so quickly from Sure Type to QWERTY takes some orientation but once it’s mastered it can provide texters with efficient messaging options.

360 PSG clients should see some of the benefits of the Blackberry Storm too. Colombo said, “They will get even faster than usual responses on critical issues and rapid delegation to people in office that may be able to support or answer questions originally intended for the person that may not be available at that exact moment.”

Jason Ortiz, 360 PSG Director of Programming Services, added, “All client information will be at our finger tips. We can access our email, and communicate instantly whether we are at the office or anywhere else.”

No matter how great a product is, there are always complaints, and complaints are always much funnier than compliments. So after a week of practice with the phones, I asked everyone at 360 to answer the following…

“What do you hate about the phone?

…OR finish the phrase:

“If the Blackberry Storm were a person, I would punch it in the face because…”

…And I almost got five comprehensible responses… almost.

Matt said, “If the Blackberry Storm were a person, I would punch it in the face because the camera keeps coming up for no apparent reason. Though I really like the touch screen, I find that it is inexact to use your finger vs. a stylus.”

Ben Shepard, 360 PSG Director of Graphic Services and Marketing responded, “The speed dial function is useless. You push the 6 key; it asks you to assign someone to the 9 key… You hit the 5 key; it dials whoever is assigned to 6. There is also noticeable lag between applications and functions which gets to be annoying.”

Bryan McConnell, 360 PSG Account Manager said, “I really like the touch screen and knowing that I am not one of the losers that do not have a cell phone anymore. I also love how sexy the phone is – Wow!”

Jason said, “I hate that everyone wants to put their greasy hands on it. I would also punch it in the face if it were a person because that’s what I do. I would also do the same if it were a cyborg*** from the future sent back in time to drive me nuts by showing the camera in the email view and refusing to allow me to turn it off.”

*One of the features that the Storm does not come equipped with, curiously, is Wi-Fi capability.

**3G (third generation) is a wireless network that provides cell phone subscribers with remote broadband wireless data.

***There is no such thing as cyborgs. Even if there were, it is highly unlikely that they would possess the technology to travel back to our time or the know-how to properly utilize the Blackberry Storm camera function.

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New Social Networking Platforms and What They Mean to Your SEO

Are you social enough on the web?

You might already have a Facebook page so you’re not totally in the dark when it comes to online social networks. But what are you supposed to be Digging? What’s a Twitter? And isn’t Orkut that magic alien from Masters of the Universe?

Of course you know having strong website content and good search engine optimization (SEO) are keys to getting your site ranked highly on search engines like Google, so the more you spread the word about your product or service and the more linkbacks you have to your site the better.

Keeping up with social media can be somewhat of a daunting task though. There seems to be a new site launched every week. Depending on how many sites you belong to, or want to belong to, your list of usernames and passwords can build up to overwhelming lengths.

If you happen to use more than one social network though, which is likely seeing how “49 million people visited both MySpace and Facebook in October 2008” (Comscore, worldwide), then there is some good news.

Four new social networking platforms, Facebook Connect, MyspaceID, Google Friend Connect, and Power.com, are trying to make it easier for you to manage all of your accounts. The goal: expand your social network with half the effort. After all, more manageable networking means more potential SEO for your site, right?

So now all you have to do is decide which platform to use…

Tech Crunch broke it down like this:

“All three services are platforms for third party sites (Digg, Twitter, Citisearch, CBS, whatever) to let users sign in via their favorite social network instead of the normal approach. Some profile information flows with the sign in, which the sites can keep for a period of time. And activity that occurs on the site – Twitters written, Digg stories voted on, restaurant reviews on Citysearch, etc. – can optionally flow back to the user’s activity stream.”

Facebook Connect:

Facebook Connect takes your Facebook profile information, your picture, and your friends and expands upon them by looking for others with common interests. It basically does the legwork for you, taking your login information and applying it to your Twitter, Digg, Citysearch, etc. accounts to make it easier to sign in and manage content and profile information or create new accounts.

Your other social networks link back to your Facebook profile, where your network is allowing you to advertise your product or services.

Myspace ID:

MyspaceID works on the same basic principles as Facebook Connect, however functionality is still being flushed out. Myspace looks to be a step behind Facebook when it comes to sending data back to your Myspace feed. However, Myspace supports Open ID, which Facebook does not, and that could mean more potential third party partners.

Social Networks that support OpenID could be hesitant to partner with Facebook who has basically shunned tools like OpenID and OAuth in favor of their own login ID which they will own.

Power.com

In May, when Facebook Connect was announced on the heels of the news of MyspaceID and Google Friend Connect, the first in the trend of all-encompassing social networking platforms to actually launch was the Brazilian-based platform Power.com.

Unlike its competitors who enable social access through a universal ID, Power delivers a dashboard to users and branded their service “social inter-networking.” Currently offering sign-in ability to Facebook, Myspace, Orkut, and Hi5 accounts, Power.com has its sights set on centralizing social networks rather than owning your online ID.

Power has created a single site interface where you can view and jump to all of your social network pages. Users can navigate seamlessly from Facebook to Myspace to Orkut in a matter of seconds without having to logout and log back in.

When you sign into Power.com using your Facebook, Myspace, Orkut, Hi5, or MSN account ID and password, it scrapes that site for you and immediately creates a profile page where you can manage your account.

Google Friend Connect:

Google Friend Connect adds applications to your website, so your friends can interact right on your site. It’s goal is simple: make the web more social. Like Power.com, Google Friends Connect is not in the game to promote itself.

There is a little more leg work involved too. Users interested in Google Friend Connect can get started by copying a few lines of Java Script from the Google site and pasting them onto their page.

Google Friend Connect has partnered with Facebook’s competitor becoming a component of MyspaceID.

How Do You Benefit?

Since all four platforms were announced around the same time (May), the new race, for now anyway, seems to be for the right to become the proprietary online ID.

When users are logging into their favorite sites with their Myspace or Facebook IDs, it presents even more incentive for them to keep up those profiles. If the two major social networks are your home, then you want to pack it full of as much information as you can to lead your Digg, Twitter, or Orkut followers back there. Once you have them on your Facebook page, you can lead them to your website.

The verdict is still out on which platform the major third-party sites will choose to partner with. Twitter has been mentioned by both MyspaceID and Facebook Connect. Power.com already acts as home base for both Myspace and Facebook sites, plus Orkut and Hi5 are on board.

According to Venture Beat:

“Facebook gained nearly two million new US users from May to June of this year, while MySpace lost about a million, according to the latest data from comScore. MySpace is still nearly twice the size, though, at 72.8 million national users versus Facebook’s 37.4 million. Facebook has, meanwhile, grown 34 percent since June 2007, while MySpace has grown only two percent” (comScore Media Metrix).

If you truly want to reap the SEO benefits of these social network platforms, signing up for a plethora of third-party sites is only the first step. Making the effort to update content, and more importantly make sure that content is relevant to your product or service on these sites, is key. Remember, every blog you produce, Twitter, or Digg you make could potentially drive more traffic to your site.

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With Google at the top of the search engine heap, there’s about a story a month of a potential Google-killer. But the reality of the matter is, and what Google-Killer-Of-The-Week Cuil showed us the other day, it’s going to take a lot to take on Sergey and Brin.

What Cuil’s biggest problem was – as Jason Lee Miller wrote, it’s one that other search engine competitors have all had – is not that their search algorithm or even indexing ability is bad, it’s that they can’t scale the way Google has been able to. Unless you have, say, Microsoft money, being able to handle the petabytes of data Google processes on an hourly basis.

What does that mean for us out here, businesses looking to be found, customers looking to find, and we obsessive web geeks?

Well, not much, really. Cuil isn’t all bad – it has a larger index than Google and its tile-based search results are pretty nifty, but search results aren’t always perfect (funny case in point: search “cuil debut disaster” on cuil. As of today, the results are, well, interesting).

That’s the problem with many “Google-Killers” – the new things they bring to the party are neat, but not enough to unseat the firmly entrenched Google, who have not yet lost their place as pace-setter for the industry.

That means, for the time being, Google, and to a lesser extent Yahoo and MSN Live Search, are the standards for SEO. That’s obvious, but with new players getting the hype, it’s almost reassuring to know there is the SEO rock that is Google.

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We came across this story here in the office about our favorite coffee spot, Tim Horton’s.

In it, Pete Blackshaw breaks down the fall of Starbuck’s vs. the rise and intense loyalty of Tim Horton’s customers. While regional chains like Tim Horton’s have their charm, Blackshaw uses an interesting metric to track the positive reputation Tim Horton’s has relative to Starbucks, even though both experienced rapid, wide expansion: Facebook.

It’s worth asking here whether Tim Hortons is executing what Starbucks is trying to rediscover. Even though it’s a chain, the brand — its mission, its people, its community ethos, even its interaction-rich and user-friendly website — comes across as uniquely authentic. And the appreciation for its authenticity shines in the Facebook forums in particular. Yes, brands like McDonald’s and Starbucks have more fans in total, but Tim Hortons takes the cinnamon donut when you look at total fans relative to total outlets*. And the fanaticism is notable, if not a bit scary.

It’s an interesting take on using Facebook and other social networks – instead of quantifying numbers of people interested in a topic – music, restaurant, ice cream flavor – Blackshaw is using social networking as a way of gaging the qualitative value of a customer base.

It’s an interesting interpretation, one backed up both on the Internet by the unabashed names of these Facebook groups -

Tim Hortons for Our Troops: 15,500 members
Biodegradable Cups at Tim Hortons: 10,300 members
Addicted to Tim Hortons: 9,000 members
Tim Hortons Rules of Ordering and More: 5,600 members
Addicted to Tim Hortons #2: 5,000 members
Tim Hortons Is Like Religion to Me: 1,900 members

- but it’s also reflected in the customers at the Timmy Ho’s themselves, an experience we North Coasters are already quite familiar with, but one Blackshaw only recently discovered.

The Buffalo franchise was mobbed, and the drive-through line in particular brought back Southern California high-school memories of the congested, almost-communal In-N-Out Burger line. But in full pursuit of the “total” experience, drive-through would not do. So I kissed the wife and kids goodbye and walked inside, only to encounter an equally long, yet somewhat impressive, line. So with time to boot, I started quizzing folks around me about the “secret sauce” of the brand’s success.

“Good food — always.” “Great menu.” “Friendly employees.” “You mean, you haven’t been to a Tim Hortons?” “The coffee is addictive.”

While we’re all about Tim Horton’s, it’s interesting how social networks can be used more as a qualitative barometer rather than simply a quantifying tool. It’s something we’re looking into with our own web marketing campaigns – sometimes building a small rabid fanbase leads to bigger things down the road.

* Emphasis is ours

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