4/7/2006
Duplicitous
adj.
Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech.
Popularity: 7%
4/4/2006
Who Does Not Need A Website?
I recently received a call from a new aquaintance; friend of a friend. In the small talk following the introduction he asked what I did and I tried to explain in non-techie terms.
From our conversation, my new friend gleaned that I did websites. [I may have done one generic, static website in my career, but that’s easier than getting technical.] The phone call was to tell me that his barber may need a website. Now while I appreciated the thought, the idea of building a website for a barber shop caught me off guard. A salon or day spa? Yes. But an old men’s barber shop?
That got me thinking… who really does and doesn’t need a website?
A business website can be used for different things.
- Selling directly online (ie. an ecommerce website)
- Online business card
- Informationtional site
- Marketing
Selling directly online - Most ecommerce websites fit into this category.
An online business card - A small site containing information about a business or person and contact info.
Informational site - A site containing information about a person, place, event or product with contact information for further details.
Marketing - A marketing tie in site. Coca-Cola, Budweiser, etc.
Most restaurants in cities would benefit a residual effect of some online presence. For a downscale restaurant a map listing with contact information on a Citysearch type site. For a more upscale establishment, an advanced site with menus, pictures of food and commentary. When you are looking for something to eat these types of sites make it easy to find a restaurant close by, find the days and hours, delivery options and phone number. Except in rare cases, these are not destination sites.
Any type of professional; doctor, dentist, lawyer, accountant could see results from a business card site with additional information about specialties and links to outside information on specific issues of their profession. I don’t think every doctor should outline the intricacies of their specialties, but links to medical journals and other known resources would be helpful.
An upscale spa or salon could support a more broad website in many cases. Besides the general information, more specific details about treatments and special events would be useful. A reservation form could be utilized. The income potential per website vistor would be higher here compared to most restaurants.
I can’t see how a barber shop would benefit proportionately to the cash outlay required to setup and maintain a site. I wouldn’t think traditional barber shop clientele would go to the web to find a barber in their area.
It boils down to the income potential of a website whether it is beneficial or not. If you are in a high income potential arena, it only takes a few positive hits a month to take income from a website. With a more modest income potential arena, it can take a lot of hits to make a website break even, so if you can generate the traffic, it may not be worth investing thousands in.
Popularity: 15%
Sublimate
v.tr.
- To cause (a solid or gas) to change state without becoming a liquid.
- To divert the energy associated with (an unacceptable impulse or drive) into a personally and socially acceptable activity.
Popularity: 7%
4/3/2006
Stop Using TARGET To Open In A New Window
Hey all you people out there insistent on making your links open in a new window…
STOP IT!
It’s my computer and my browser. If I want your link to open in a new window, I will use Shift-Click (for new window) or CMD/CTL-Click (for a new tab in non IE browsers).
Several _major_ product sites that I visit utilize a new window link in their header menu to access their forums. That is so web 0.5. Like I said, if I want a new window, I can do it myself.
Small informational popups (like shipping estimate or information) are nice in processes such as an ecommerce checkout so my main window stays in tune with the order process. These should always be user initiated and not automatic.
Popularity: 11%
Making Life Easier
I am embarrassed I hadn’t thought of this sooner. Maybe I can blame it on coming from the Windows world where this type of thing would never work consistently enough to remember.
I open BBedit’s font pallete from time to time to increase the font size of a source file. [Going from 15″ PowerBook screen to 23″ Cinema Display makes a difference to my old eyes.] The font pallete is accessed via the Text menu item which ends up in the top left of the display. For some reason lately the pallete is popping up in the bottom right of the display. It’s a pain1 to mouse up left hit the ‘Show Fonts’ menu item then mouse down bottom right to adjust the font.
It just dawned on my to move the fonts pallete up to the screen top left, nearer the Text menu item. Of course on closing and re-invoking the font pallete, it pops back up right where I had left it, saving my mouse from having to navigate the full screen real estate again.
- Yes, I am aware of the irony of speaking of the ‘hardship’ of moving a mouse mere inches. [back]
Popularity: 17%
