Amethyst Answers

web creation and social media training for small businesses

Writing Resolutions

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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.

Why Tweet?

by Leave a Comment

Why Tweet?
Image courtesy of bplanet/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’m often asked by friends and clients alike “what’s the point of twitter”? This is usually posed as a challenge more than a question. They have already formed a negative opinion about it, and aren’t really likely to change their minds. But not too long ago, I had a client who was already on board for using twitter. When she asked me “why tweet?”, she was truly interested in understanding how she could use this powerful media to her benefit.

As we discussed the potential of twitter, I mentioned that you will get different answers from different people. They are all valid, and may or may not be relevant a particular person’s needs. With that in mind, I decided to put the question out there in the twitterverse. Here are a few responses I received, and a brief thought from yours truly on each one:

@AmethystAnswers to listen, engage, inspire and to share knowledge without expectation. #justsayin

Twitter is like a conversation within a community. It shouldn’t be one-sided. You should be prepared to listen to what others are saying about you and your industry, and participate in that conversation. And as far as sharing knowledge without expectation, to me that’s just good sense all around.

@AmethystAnswers Social Strategy = Every tweet serves purpose, balance & has meaning for you and/or your audience to drive a call to action.

Despite what some people still think, twitter isn’t a forum to tell everyone what you are eating for breakfast…UNLESS there is a purpose, like recommending a great dining spot or sharing a new recipe (or it’s bacon….bacon is always exciting news!).

@AmethystAnswers ask the client if thy want expose their awesomeness for potential customers.

Twitter is a great way for others to see your personality and for you to start building relationships. You know you’re awesome, so why not share that awesomeness with the world?!

One final thought from me. Twitter is great for crowd-sourcing ideas, just like I did for this post. You can reach a variety of people, not just your own followers, and get some great answers for a simple little blog post!

Everyone has their own answer to “Why tweet?”. Share yours in the comment section below.

Plugin Predicament

by Leave a Comment

What happened?

Malware Attack
Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Last week, it was discovered that a very popular WordPress plug-in (Social Media Widget) was compromised with malware. Unfortunately, this was a plug-in that I frequently used for client sites, as well as my own, as an easy way to create icons that link to a client’s various social media pages and other contact methods (most commonly email, Facebook, and Twitter). This plug-in had a very good reputation, and apparently had been downloaded over 900,000 times.

What did I do?

At first, I was only aware that one of my client’s sites had a problem, so I set about to get it cleaned up. Once I realized this was an issue with the plug-in, I quickly set about to check out all the sites I had used it on. One other site was definitely compromised, but others were seemingly ok. For the compromised site, I immediately got rid of the plug-in and implemented a temporary fix. Then I got in touch with all my other clients to discuss the issue and how they would like me to deal with it. I didn’t want to be messing with an important part of their site (layout and contact) without their permission.

What’s next?

I decided that I wouldn’t be using that plug-in anymore, even though the author has since removed the malicious code and swears it’s safe to use again. So, now I had to figure out how to get the important contact info back up on all these sites. I looked around for a new plug-in to use, but none of them were as comprehensive as this one had been. In the end, I decided to skip the plug-in option completely. It’s just a bunch of icons and a bit of code. I can handle this on my own. So I spent a bit of time locating (and in one case creating) icons for all the sites and functions I needed, and then I coded it all myself. Not only does it look basically the same as the plug-in version, but I have more flexibility to customize it to suit each individual site better.

What’s the lesson?

Bottom line, plug-ins can be great tools, sometimes even invaluable. But sometimes it’s better to take a few extra minutes to code it yourself.

My Next Big Thing

by Leave a Comment

Tag…I’m it! Ok, it’s been a few months since I was tagged in Lynn Spiro‘s post for The Next Big Thing, but those of you who know me well know that I tend to procrastinate just a touch. I hope that it’s been worth the wait. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this project, The Next Big Thing is a blog hop giving authors, and now bloggers in general, a chance to discuss their upcoming works. In addition to answering 10 questions about your next project, you tag the person who involved you, and subsequently tag others who will participate, thereby passing the torch, so to speak (or type as the case may be).

As I mentioned, my friend and colleague, Lynn Spiro, very kindly tagged me in her Next Big Thing post back in October (ooops!). Lynn is a professional organizer with a big heart, and I’ve discovered she’s quite passionate about several other things as well.

Now, without further ado, I give you: My Next Big Thing!

What is the working title of your project?

Start-up digital magazine

Where did the idea come from for the magazine?

I’ve had the honour and pleasure of meeting some great people in the early stages of starting their business. There are so many things I have learned that I want to share with them, and vice versa. This magazine will be a great place to share all kinds of knowledge and helpful information from a variety of fields: coaching, organizing, websites, etc.

What genre does your project fall under?

I don’t recall General Awesomeness being a category in the Dewey decimal system, so I guess I’ll have to go with Reference.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This is hard to answer at this point, as the characters would be the contributors, and I have yet to approach these wonderfully talented people yet. But for my character, I’ve always been partial to Janeane Garofalo, although there’s a bit of a height difference.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your magazine?

Practical advice and information for new and almost-new businesses.

Will your magazine be self-published or represented by an agency?

Definitely self-published. The power is all mine!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Haven’t started yet, but luckily, I won’t be writing the majority of the content. Gotta love collaboration!

What other magazines would you compare this to within your genre?

The only other digital magazines I have to compare to would be Going Pro magazine by Stephanie Pollock and Rebelations Magazine by Gina Bell.

Who or what inspired you to write this magazine?

I’m not sure where the inspiration came from…it just sort of popped into my head one day when I was thinking about a million other things. I suppose the above-mentioned mags were a factor in my inspiration.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The great thing about a collaborative project is that the reader will have exposure and access to some great contributors. Each one will come from a different field, or represent a unique niche in that field. These will be great opportunities for readers to connect with experts that may be able to help them with their own projects in the future.

So that’s my Next Big Thing. I hope you’ll stay tuned for the eventual launch. You can be sure I’ll promote the heck out of it when it’s time!

Now I’d like to introduce you to two more people with a Next Big Thing on their horizon:

Kelvin Cech

Kelvin CechKelvin is a copywriter and freelance content manager at Function Writing Group in Vancouver, BC. Although he doesn’t wear an eye patch, I’m pretty sure he’s part pirate, too. He has previously published The Content Guide: How Copywriters Develop Timeless Content. Check out Function’s blog for details on Kelvin’s Next Big Thing.

Johnna Andrea Tuttle

Johnna Andrea TuttleJohnna is a spiritual teacher and president of Andreas Home Heaven on Earth. She hosts Celestial Living Radio on blogtalkradio.com and has published Celestial Marriage Reflections on Love and Faith. Check out Johnna’s blog to learn more about her Next Big Thing.

Should you post your prices on your website?

by

Price Bag
Image courtesy of Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

To price or not to price? It’s a good question, but the answer isn’t an easy one. At first, I believed firmly that you should include your rates on your website. People, myself included, like to know how much things cost. Having your prices easily accessible shows that you have nothing to hide, and you aren’t going to give different people different rates for the same service or product. I used to have my prices clearly outlined on my website, with a list of what was included for the price.

Then, one day, one of my packages had to change, due to circumstances beyond my control. I did some thinking around how to handle this change, and I thought about how companies similar to mine deal with pricing. And I thought about the services I offer. Since I implemented my packages and pricing, not a single client has wanted or needed the same services. My packages didn’t really fit what my clients need.

All of this thinking made me realize, in my situation, prices just don’t make sense. Every client’s needs are different, so I need to assess each client individually. Sure, I will have a standard rate and a standard way of deciding how much each project will cost, but ultimately, I’m not doing anybody any favours by trying to fit all projects into the same box. I really need to sit down with a client to determine their needs and how I can best meet them, and then come up with a quote, or even better, a multiple option quote.

So my answer to the question “to price or not to price?” is: it depends. If you have a product you are selling, absolutely, post your prices. If you have a service that is priced by the hour, definitely let your web visitors know. But if you are dealing with projects where no two are the same, and there are variables, there’s no shame in not posting your prices. It just wouldn’t make sense.

Resolutions getting you down?

by Leave a Comment

resolutions get back on the horse
Image courtesy of AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 

At the beginning of this year, barely more than 2 weeks ago, I embarked on a mission. A mission to successfully complete the Ultimate Blog Challenge. Call it a resolution, goal or whatever you want. I proclaimed it and away I went, like many people do. 31 blog posts in 31 days. It seemed like a reasonable challenge. Not too easy, but not impossible. Until.

Until, like many people who set New Year’s resolutions, things start to fall apart. It becomes more difficult. We slip. Sometimes just a bit. Sometimes a bit more. For me, things were going great. It wasn’t easy, but I was managing a post a day. Then I missed one, due to a trip with my son to the hospital. A reasonable excuse for sure, but still, it was just one day. Easy enough to make up. I just need to write 2 in a day at some point.

But then, a bigger thing happened: I dislocated my knee on Saturday. Off to the hospital I went. Jacked up on morphine. No blog post that day. Or the next, as I pretty much slept off the drugs, adrenaline and whatever else your body produces to cope with such a physical trauma. Monday, I still was feeling better, but still not quite ready to focus on anything. Tuesday, I said. That will be the day I get back in the swing of things. But I had already missed 3 days in a row at this point. What’s one more? How do you get back on track? Can I even make up all those days?

It started to seem like an overwhelming task, getting back on track and finishing the challenge. But then I realized two things. First, the only way to get back into writing my posts was to just do it. I recognized it doesn’t have to be fancy. Heck, I can even write about my struggle to write. It wouldn’t be the first time!

Second, I entered this challenge as a goal for myself. And, as part of the goal, there were results I had in mind. Some of these results were to increase content on my blog and connect with more readers. I’ve already done that with what I’ve written so far! So I’m already ahead. But remember, one of the things about goals is that they are adjustable. Life happens. So, maybe I won’t get my 31 posts in 31 days (although I’m not ready to concede yet). But if I don’t, I still did a great job, and I need to get back on this blogging horse and finish out the month!

And here’s a bonus: this post about me is actually about you, too! If you have come up against an obstacle in achieving your resolution or goal, don’t let it get you down. Check in with yourself and applaud your achievements to date. Accept that you are human and life happens. Figure out what the next step is to get you back on your horse, and then take that step!

Feel free to share if you have stumbled recently and need to re-declare your goals.

5 Unforgettable Ways to Remember Ideas

by

Make note of ideas

Image courtesy of winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I had a great idea for a blog post the other day. It was quite possibly the best topic I’ve ever thought of. Ok, maybe not, but unfortunately, we’ll never know. Why? Because in my moment of extreme confidence, I was convinced I could remember it for the next few hours until I sat down to write my next post, so I didn’t write it down. And guess what….I was wrong.

A mere two hours later, I didn’t have the slightest clue what my idea was. I knew I had come up with a great idea. I could picture exactly where I was when I had this brilliant thought. I even remembered the conversation I had with myself when I had the idea: “Great idea. I should write this down. Nah, I’ll remember it.” But I didn’t have the slightest inkling of a memory of the topic.

It’s not like I was lacking a way to write my idea down. In this day and age, there are several ways to make a note somewhere so you can refer to it later. And wouldn’t you know, I’ve compiled a bit of a list for you:

1. Old Fashioned

Writing stick and parchment. Pen and paper. Whatever you want to call it, for some people, this is still their favourite way to keep notes. There’s something about holding a writing utensil in your hand and gliding it across paper.

2. Evernote

The thing I love about Evernote is I can use it from any device. I have it installed on both my computers and on my phone. It doesn’t matter which device I use to make a note, it syncs to “the cloud” and I can access it easily from any of my other devices. And if I don’t have access to one of my own devices, I can log on to any computer and get all my notes. Notes can be organized together in Notebooks, so you can keep similar things together. You can also share notebooks with other people.

3. Notes

My phone has an app called Notes. I’m sure other smart phones have a similar app or function. I mostly use this for quick bits of info, but you could write a novel on it if you really wanted to.

4. Email

The tech version of calling yourself at home and leaving a message, emailing yourself is another great option. I use this for reminders to do something later, like when I get home. Sometimes I’ll email myself random to-do lists that I think of when I’m otherwise occupied and know I won’t remember later.

5. Voice memo

Not everybody is visual. If you prefer the sound of your own voice, why not make yourself a voice memo? Again, I’m sure most smart phones have this capability in one form or another. My app is actually called Voice Memo. Hit the record button and start talking. Hit the stop button when you’re done. Voila! Now you have a voice memo that you can listen to anytime. My app lets me email or text it to someone as well (see point above)

So there you have it. Five perfectly reasonable ways to make notes and never forget anything again. All you have to remember is to check the note later! Now you have no excuses for forgetting things. And rest assured, I learned my own lesson. When I decided to turn this experience into a blog post, you’d better believe I jotted it down right away before I could forget!

What about you? Do you have a system or app that you use for making notes or remembering things? Share your thoughts below.

Winter Warning: I Choose Life

by Leave a Comment

winter

Image courtesy of Michal Marcol / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last night, I came upstairs from my dungeon-like home office and noticed it had started to snow. By the time morning rolled around, the radio reported that Calgary had received 9cm of snow overnight (that’s about 3.5 inches for you non-metric folk), and was expecting 2cm more during the day. It’s 8pm now, and the snow hasn’t stopped. The City of Calgary has declared a Snow Event will be in effect tomorrow starting at 6am so they can get to work clearing the main roads properly. Traffic today, in a word, sucks.

Days like today, I’m glad I have my priorities straight. First and foremost, my life (and yours) are more important than any job.

If I don’t have to leave the house, I won’t. And I get to decide what determines the level of “have to”. Complete white-out conditions will ensure I stay put. I don’t care if I have to reschedule appointments. If I get into an accident, I’m not making it to the appointment anyway, and that’s not a chance I’m willing to take. If my client doesn’t understand that, then we aren’t a good fit. Luckily, I’ve never had such a client.

If I decide road and weather conditions are decent enough for me to leave the house, I will proceed with caution. I will do my best to arrive on time. If I have the option of leaving early, I will. But if I can’t, please understand I might be late. I like to think I control the world, but in reality, traffic and weather are beyond my reach. And I will drive as slow as the traffic and road conditions require.

Most of the people I encounter on days like today have a similar philosophy, at least regarding being late. And I reciprocate these courtesies to my clients. It’s just not worth risking your life (or mine) to be on time.

4 Metrics-Measuring Must-Haves

by Leave a Comment

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.