Amethyst Answers

web creation and social media training for small businesses

Google Authorship

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If you have a blog, I highly recommend that you connect it to your Google+ page (get one of those too, if you haven’t already) with Google Authorship. When you get a list of search results, you’ve probably noticed that some of them have a small profile picture of the author…that’s Google Authorship.

Google Authorship sample

Authorship puts a face to the article, making it more personal and creating an immediate connection with your audience. It also includes a byline and a link to your Google+ page and indicates how many circles you are in, which can add credibility to your post.

Each of these points could be the difference between someone choosing your article over another search result, even if yours isn’t the top of the list.

Writing Resolutions

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Writing
Image courtesy of Simon Howden | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s the beginning of a new year, a time when many entrepreneurs decided they are going to buckle down and work harder at their writing project, be it a regular blog or newsletter, or even a book.

I have to admit, I’m one of those people. I have been neglecting my blog and newsletter, and this year I vow to do better. I also have other writing projects in mind, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet, eh?

If you are also committing to do more writing this year, why not check out some of these resources to see if any resonate with you:

  • Hubspot’s 30 day blog challenge is happening now, with great daily tips
  • Copyblogger’s Sonia Simone has some great advice for sticking with your writing
  • The Ultimate Blog Challenge is a quarterly challenge to get you blogging more
  • Blogging social network Triberr is a great platform to join a group of like-minded bloggers to share each others’ posts
  • Carole Audet’s Compose digital magazine full of publishing info and resources

Please share your tips and resources in the comment section below.
Happy writing!

A Case for QR Codes

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I have a love/hate relationship with QR codes. A few years ago, they were the latest fad in advertising. Although it seems quite simple, a QR code is a very specialized tool. Like a scroll saw, it can be extremely useful and produce great results, but if you don’t know how to use it properly, the end result is just junk.

Findables phone case

Recently, I received a product to review that puts the QR code to good use: a Findables iPhone case. At first glance, this protective case looks like many others you can choose from, and for about the same price. The big difference is this case has a QR code placed in the bottom corner, which is linked to a profile that you can personalize with all of your social media and contact details.

How it works

After downloading a free app from your app store of choice, you simply use your phone to scan the QR code on the case. From there, you set up your account, and, after confirming your account via the standard “is this you?” email, you fill out your business and social profiles. The instructions are printed on the inside of the packaging, too, visible as soon as you remove the case, which I appreciated. After all, why wouldn’t you make it as easy as possible for a consumer to use your product?

Once your profiles are set up, you’re ready to start sharing your info with the world! Ok, maybe not the world, unless you are really well-travelled. But when you meet up with someone who wants your contact info, all they have to do is scan the QR code on your Findables case. Yes, it’s really that simple. Most phones are equipped with a QR scanner as a standard feature now. When someone scans your code, they are taken to your profile page. From there, they can visit your various social media pages or view your contact info, which can then be added directly into their contacts.

What I love

Forgot your business cards at home? No problem! With a Findables case, you have all your contact info ready to share. It’s even better than passing out a business card that will be put into a pocket and soon forgotten. Once someone scans your QR code, they have immedite access to all the contact info and social media profiles that you want to share with them. They don’t have to type anything in or do a search for you. It’s quicker and easier for them to connect with you online. It’s great for networking, even when unexpected.

Not only does the app give people direct access to your information, but you have the ability to set up 2 separate profiles, buiness and personal, and choose which profile the QR code links to at any given time. So when you are attending a networking event, make sure you have it on business mode. But when you go to a friend’s party, switch it to your personal profile. For me, colleagues don’t need to see my hobby websites, and new acquaintances don’t need to be overwhelmed with all of my business links.

Did I mention it’s pretty easy and user-friendly to set up and modify? And on the function side of things, it has a slim, attractive style and I’m happy it has rubber protection for when (not if) my phone falls to the ground.

What I would improve

Overall, I really like my Findables case, but like anything, there’s always room for improvement. My biggest issue is that due to the design of the bottom of the case, I have to take my phone out in order to charge it with my adaptor cord (ok, part of this is Apple’s fault). But, all is well if I’m using the charge cord that came with my phone.

I would also like to see more social media options included in the app. Right now you can choose from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Foursquare, Flickr, Tumblr, Weibo and Wechat. Definitely a good assortment, but what about Pinterest or blogging sites like WordPress? The good news is you can manually add any website links you want, so you can still include Pinterest…it just won’t have a pretty button to click.

The last thing might just be me, but I find that you need to be further away than you would expect in order to scan the QR code. Normally, I try to fit a QR code into the square guide as big as possible, but mine doesn’t work when you do this. Instead, you need to pull back so the code is pretty small. In the end, it does work, so I would consider this a very minor point.

Final thoughts

All in all, I’d say the Findables case is just as good a case an any other in terms of protecting your technology, but the QR code feature gives you extra value for your money.

If you’re interested in picking up a Findables case for your smart phone or iPad, you can find them online at findables.me, or at Best Buy and the Source in Canada.

Please note: I received a Findables iPhone 5 case for free in consideration for review publication. This review is based on my personal opinions and experience with this product, and shared here for informational purposes only.

4 Metrics-Measuring Must-Haves

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KPI metrics
Image courtesy of KROMKRATHOG / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

 

Metrics. I love them! I was a math geek in school, so go figure. You can imagine how excited I was to work with KPI (Key Performance Indicators) at one of my corporate gigs. Once I started working with KPI, I wondered why I hadn’t had exposure to them at other jobs. Maybe it was something only discussed among managers, but I fear a worse reality….lack of KPI.

Of course, I’ll never know, but I don’t believe either is good business practice. If you don’t have metrics, how do you know if you are growing and improving in the right ways? And if you don’t communicate your key metrics to staff, how can they get on board to help you achieve desired results?

Alright, enough with the questions and trip down memory lane. Here’s the good stuff: a list of my 4 favourite online tools to measure website metrics, KPI and a few other things that are just good practice if you have a business website (which you should if you have a business, but that’s a whole other rant!)

BDC Website Assessment

I just discovered the Free Website Assessment by BDC today, but I’ve already bookmarked it and added it to my toolkit. Again, you key in your website address and out spits a lengthy, but easy to understand, report about various aspects of your website. Categories it assesses include accessibility for various users, user experience, marketing, popularity, and how well designed and built the site is. They offer up a bit of info on why they assess each item and what might be causing a lower score.

Google Analytics

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Google products, and Analytics is certainly no exception. You do have to set up an account and connect it to your website, but once that’s done, look out! You’ll have so much information about the people visiting your site and how their usage patterns, you won’t know what to do with it all at first! Information ranges from the simplest statistics, like how many people visited my site, to more complex metrics like conversion rates. There certainly are other analytic sites available, and if Google isn’t your thing, then by all means check them out. But it’s pretty much an Internet sin for a website not to be using some form of analytics.

Marketing Grader

Marketing Grader helps you measure and improve your online marketing strategy. All you have to do is punch your website address and you get this wonderfully detailed report. It analyzes some internal website stuff, like your titles, alt tags and other geeky stuff that matters to search engines. And it looks at a whole lot of factors related to social media. If you don’t have a blog, or social media accounts, you will definitely have some holes in your report, but it also offers up links to articles they have written on how to get your score up in any particular area. Caution: this one can get a bit techy.

Sucuri Website Scan

I cannot say enough about Sucuri, but it speaks for itself. Sucuri offers a security check on your website. Find out if your site has been hacked or black-listed, just by typing in the address. If there is a security breach, they have reasonable plans to help you clean up the mess (note: I am not affiliated with them in any way, and don’t benefit from telling you this).

There you have it. Four tools you should check out immediately, if you haven’t already. Oh, and did I mention they are all free? If I missed a metrics monitoring site that you can’t live without, please feel free to mention in below.

Making Your Blog Posts Picture Perfect

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Q. I’ve heard I should use pictures in my blog posts, but where can I get picture to use?

Silver picture frame
Image courtesy of adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A. It’s true, people are drawn to visuals, and having an image to accompany your post can help increase the number of visitors who decide to read it. There are a few ways you can add images to increase visual appeal. Here are a few popular suggestions to consider:

Use Your Own

Certainly the cheapest, this may or may not be viable for you. You will want to ensure your images are good quality. While you don’t need to be a professional photographer, you’ll want to ensure any personal photos you use are lit well and not blurry or grainy (unless that’s the look you are going for). Pro: you have total control over what is and isn’t included in your image. Con: you may not have easy access to your ideal subject matter.

Purchase Stock Images

There are a variety of websites that offer photos, illustrations and any other type of graphic you can imagine, for a cost. This is a good route to go if you are going to get a lot of use out of a particular image, like in a marketing campaign, for example. Prices vary, depending on the size of file, and how generic – or not – the image is. A photo of Donald Trump will cost you considerably more than “senior businessman smiling“. If you are using these photos for blog posts, even at just $4 per photo, the cost will add up eventually. Make sure you are aware of any licence requirements.

Take Advantage of Creative Commons Licensing

This is my favourite option. It’s the best of both worlds. Free, like using your own, but a wide variety available. You may find yourself returning to a favourite source again and again. Or, you can try doing a creative commons search. There is, however, a catch: you must be aware of the licensing requirements that pertain to the image you decide to use. In most, if not all, cases, you need to include an attribution. Depending on where you get your image from, placement guidelines of the attribution could be vague or general (in your source code or anywhere on your site) or they may be very specific and rigid (on the same page as the image, or even immediately adjacent to the image). Usually the attribution should indicate who created the image and have a link to the site where you found it, like I have done for my image above.

Whichever way you choose to go, make sure your images are appropriate for the content you provide.

This post is part of a regular feature series called Tuesday Tips. Every Tuesday, I will answer some of the questions I receive from clients and readers about WordPress, social media and all other things internet-related. If you have a question you would like me to answer, submit it here.