Speedy’s Blog2

In the last 45 days we have received calls from others in the graphics industry requesting help with web sites for their clients. It seems their clients love their printing services, but have a very high disastisfaction with their internet service providers. Would they please either provide the service or refer someone?

Schantz has a great reputation as a service friendly, quality web developer. Could we build web sites for all their clients? Wouldn’t everyone love to have a business volume sent to them? Unfortunately, we have been unable to find the right combination of skill, talent and reliability that would enable us to rapidly expand our Internet services while still providing the level of quality to our current client base.

I can’t say it’s necessarily the pay. We’ve tried people at very high pay rates (freelancers requesting $100/hr) and at much lower rates. I’ve found that somewhere in the middle is where we find our talent, with few exceptions. The highest paid have never been the best, and often the most difficult to work with (attitude).

So I’ll throw it out there- Do you know a talented web developer? We require 1) great graphic design skils 2) standard html 3) studio 8 experienced 4)available during the day time (not something you do on the side inbetween your regular job) 5) CSS and other standards 6) at least some PHP for design includes

If you want to join our web team on a trial basis, send your resume and portfolio.

Expand Launches World‚s first Outdoor retractable the Expand MediaScreen 2 ˆ Outdoor

October 2006
Truely Portable, Outdoor, Retractable Display

Expand MediaScreen 2

We are proud to launch our first outdoor product ˆ Expand MediaScreen 2 (outdoor). It is a double-sided marketing display that is unique on the market, as it is the first fully portable retractable display for outdoor use. Our Research & Development Department has set out to combine all the advantages of a retractable banner with the demands for stability and durability in all kinds of weather conditions and is especially designed to bend in the wind. We have a patent pending for this product.

Expand MediaScreen 2 (outdoor) can also be used indoors and is available for immediate delivery. Please find detailed information below. For questions, please contact your Expand Account Manager.

Thank you for your time.

Expand International of America, Inc.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW
User-friendliness combined with stability and durability
Our Research & Development Department has set out to create a product that is both easy to carry and set up, and that meets the demands for stability and durability in different weather conditions and on different surfaces.

Patented, Spring-Loaded Pole stands up to strong winds
Expand MediaScreen 2 outdoor has a flexible support pole with a fixed height. Our patented pole combats wind by flexing to take the blow and springs your graphic back into action when the wind subsides. The bottom of the foldable pole has been designed specifically to prevent rotation.

Support feet for high stability
To prevent the product from overturning in strong winds, the Expand MediaScreen 2 outdoor is equipped with support feet that you add or remove in one simple operation. Optional soft surface stakes are available to provide extra stability on surfaces such as dirt, sand, grass and snow.

Carefully selected materials for long durability
The product is manufactured in high quality materials that resist corrosion, UV-radiation and wear and tear even during long term outdoor use. The product can be used in almost all weather conditions and on most kinds of surfaces such as sand, snow, asphalt and grass. The base is equipped with drainage holes to let water and particles out.

Powerful clamp profile
The clamp profile for Expand MediaScreen 2 (outdoor) is equipped with an extra powerful locking function to ensure that the graphic stays attached in all weather conditions. The profile has a special grip where the support pole is attached for better stability.

Thoroughly designed
This product has an obvious resemblance to Expand MediaScreen 1. The ends are chrome-colored and the base is matte silver.

Recommended printing materials
We recommend printing on a weather-resistand material such as a vinyl banner material or synthetic paper.

Bags
Delivered in two black, padded nylon bags. The outdoor product is separated in two bags (the base in one bag; pole and support feet in another) for easy transportation.

Size and weight
Width: 33 7/16″ (85 cm)
Height: 70 7/8″ (180 cm)
Weight: approx. 30 lbs (14 kg) equally divided in two bags.

Please Note
 Both graphics must be pulled up to balance the product.
 The product bends in strong wind and should therefore be placed with free space behind and in front of it.
 The graphic is fully visible in wind speeds up to 22 MPH (10 m/s). The product can be used in higher wind speeds, but the message will then lean too much to be considered fully visible. The graphic leans 60° in 22MPH (10 m/s) of wind.
 When mounting the graphic, use a tape in the lower end that it especially adapted for outdoor use.
 Expand MediaScreen 2 outdoor can be used indoors as well. When used indoors, the support feet are not necessary.

Frequently we have corporate customers who have not invested in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Previously you needed this software to create a PDF from any application. However over the years a number of lower cost alternatives have come on the market. This is a good resource for them.
http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/07/convert-pdf-without-adobe-acrobat-pdf.html

We’ve expanded services to offer merchant payment solutions. Why?

Since 1995 I’ve worked on projects for numerous brick and mortar and ecommerce companies including Blockbuster Video, Miami Dolphins, The Sports Authority, and AutoNation. I’ve been involved in every aspect contributing to boosting revenues including ad insertion, POP, ecommerce/web development, store signage , direct mail, catalog development, events, webvertising and more. I picked winning partners like Yahoo, Real, and DoubleClick long before they became industry icons.

After all the conferences, all the trade shows, and tons of research, I was never satisfied with the merchant payment solutions I encountered. It’s a lot like some people’s experience buying a car (something I no longer suffer from, but that’s another story.) It takes a lot of work to get a true comparison and you can never be sure you have the best deal.

But finally, I found a company that meets my idea of ‘the right solution’.

- They can’t give an instant rate quote, but they can tell from looking at your monthly statement what the potential savings might be. In other words, you don’t have to invest your time if it won’t be worth your while (or theirs).
- who’s who client list- the biggest names in the catalog, ecommerce, and brick and mortar business
- They are huge but have a friendly, responsive staff.
- They are compatible- in most cases there is little work to make the switch
- They don’t quote one rate and deliver another. In fact, the reason they are multi-billion dollar company is because they have tools that enable you to get…. (sorry to secret to type here).

I’m still here helping companies improve their bottom line- you can be confident this is a solid business referral that will benefit your business/your associates businesses. I can’t publish their name. They are a ‘quiet company’.

But I can share their name IF:
- You process at least $100,000 per month in credit cards (larger clients are at $19M/mth)
- You have your monthly statement ready to fax for quick review
- You are willing to switch vendors if the referral company shares with you their techniques and tools.

Why? Why would you stay with the company that did not give you lower rates until someone else brought it to their attention? If they could offer the same thing ( some can, some can’t) then why didn’t they look out for your best interests before? Please don’t waste everyone’s time and use their solutions as leverage with your current company. It’s not about the rates, it’s about helping you …(there’s that secret again).

- IF YOU QUALIFY you may call me at 954.815.6040.
PS don’t forget to have your merchant statement ready and I will give you the fax number and contact information on the phone.

A good friend of mine recently told me her SEO woes. She is extremely web saavy and created a fantastic niche business early in the ecommerce days. I like her products, her site design and most of all, the great customer support. As have many others with a long internet presence, there comes a time when the store needs a complete overhaul. Unlike most people she put her developer and SEO agency together before starting the makeover project- there would be no finger pointing later on.

So what’s wrong now? Calvines.com has not acheived the organic positioning ( top ranking links that you DO NOT pay for). Why not? Is it the agency’s fault? The programmers fault? Or is it the ‘changing’ SEO technniques that are to blame?

Let me preface by stating that I don’t believe that some SEO techniques I’ve learned over the last 10 years and that are older are no longer valid. The SEO value may shift over time but most still matter. Additionally, any SEO pro should be able to provide monthly reports of activity and changing positioning ranks. I don’t know what the situation is here, but I would say the programming is not likely a factor. Here’s my 5 minute quick review addressing standards any SEO firm should implement:

1. Footer- the page ends with “copyright © 2005 California Vines, All Rights Reserve”
SEO101- make your footer count by putting relevant keywords linking to inside pages.

2. robots.txt missing? - I won’t disclose how I know, but it appears there may be no robots.txt file. Another SEO 101 mistake?
- is there an xml file? For the bucks being paid, there should be!

3. This is a consumer site- have they thought of Froogle? It can’t hurt to have more free presence in google.

4. creating meta tags that work. Google, the number one search engine, likes to use the meta description under the search return (title tag, then meta descr). I could be wrong but “Wine Accessory: ” just does not seem like what someone would enter into a search engine as the NUMBER ONE keyword search term. All the meta d’s are set up the same way. Of course, I’d have to do my research to check that, and this is just a 5 minute review.

5. hidden SEO code- good job, it’s in there

TIMES UP!