Tag Archives: website design dallas

Asking for an Online Recommendation

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Whether you are looking for a new job, or simply want to improve your online work profile, it is important that you have solid recommendations. This is because work recommendations often tell much more about you than what you did on the job, it also tells about your work ethic. Social media sites such as LinkedIn, recognize the value of recommendations and make it easy to request them. However, before you ask someone for a recommendation, there are 6 things to keep in mind.

  1. Plan a recommendation strategy- Be able to articulate why you need a recommendation, then approach those people who can help you with that element.
  2. Have a balance- Get a mix of people to send/write recommendations-direct boss, peers, customer, vendors, organizations-as this will give future employers a well-rounded view of who you are.
  3. Volunteerism demonstrates skills- Just because you are/weren’t paid for work you did, does not lesson the skill. If you had results for your volunteerism, don’t overlook the valuable recommendations. Volunteering lets people know you are willing to go the extra mile for something you believe in.
  4. Choosing who to ask-Experts recommend that you wait at least 1 year after working somewhere/with someone before asking for a recommendation. In fact, you should know them well enough that you could write the recommendation yourself and they would sign it without any qualms. Also, if a person expects quid pro quo, ask someone else.
  5. How many?-Ideally, 2 per job is great, especially if they highlight different aspects/ competency.
  6. Curate your recommendations- When you ask for recommendations be sure to ask to review it before it is posted. One of the great things about sites like LinkedIn is that you can pick and choose which recommendations you want to be visible.

Whenever someone writes a recommendation for you, be sure to show your appreciation. Remember, they took timeout of their busy schedule to write something for you to help you better your resume. Be sure to say thanks.  This element is as important as all the rest.  So always do a good job, and then start collecting those important recommendations so you can improve your current work situation.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

 

If it’s not Broken-Don’t Fix it! Does Your Website have Findability?

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Have you ever decided that your webpage needed to updated/upgraded? Maybe you feel like you have been looking at the same graphics, colors, blog posts, etc. for months and it’s time for a change. Perhaps, you have been getting numerous site visits and sales are up, so you decide that if you make some changes this increase in revenue would be even higher.

Before, you call the website designer consider this: Does the website look old and boring because you look at it every day or do you really feel that some upgrades are  a must? Remember, while you may think that the site lacks something it may simply be because you see it all the time.

However, if you look at your website and feel it needs to be improved or have more Findability, then take some time to note what elements of your site are working well, keeping in mind the following:

Take emotions out of the equation! When it comes to evaluating your website, be sure you look at “Just the facts.”  Marketing guru Orvel Ray Wilson says, “Just about the time you are ready to throw up when you use your brand one more time, that is when your audience starts remembering and connecting to it.” If what you are doing is working and attracting customers, then it might be best to leave it alone!

When determining if a change to your webpage is necessary, don’t overlook the tools at your disposal. Run your site through tools such as Sitetuners.com’s Tuning Engine, the Google’s Website Optimizer or their Analytics tool and see how your site ranks. If everything is high, then leave your site alone. However, if there are a number of bounce-backs, a lessening of social media traffic, a decrease in time spent on site, then change may be in order.

If change is needed, create the new version of your homepage while saving a copy of the old one.  Put the new one in active rotation and do a split test. Use analytics to see which page gives you more desirable results. Once the data shows which page is more effective make any other changes based on the information gleaned.

Not every website needs to be updated-especially if all is going well. You want your website to have Findability and if changes will not improve this, then don’t fix what isn’t broken.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com orwww.chakeryseo.com.

 

 

Do You Know the Code?

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If you have paid much attention to packages, magazines and even billboards these days, chances are you have seen a few QR codes. The QR code, standing for quick response, is a square shaped black and white symbol that in many ways is not much more than a kicked up barcode. However, thanks to their design, they can do more than simply identify what and how much and item is.

A QR code, unlike a barcode, can be used to encode information in a 2-dimensional space that can be read both horizontally and vertically in a tiny grid of squares. This difference offers a great deal of potential to anyone looking to market their business using a more advanced technology. Some of the ways you can a QR code are:

  • Contact info for an individual or company
  • Phone numbers that are embedded can be dialed automatically
  • URLs are immediately connected
  • View a calendar event with full details
  • Coupons
  • Sign-up forms
  • GPS/physical address
  • Product information
  • Customer Support information

This information is accessed when consumers use their mobile phone to decode the QRs. This ease of access makes the QR code one of the most beneficial tools available for promoting a business. But even better than the multiple uses of a QR code is that it is free.  If you are considering a QR code for your business, then you can check sites like:

Once you have created a QR code for your business or event, then you will be able to include it on items such as invoices, event tickets, assorted signage, email signature lines, on your website and on virtually any item that can be printed. In addition, when you use a QR on your website you are showing search engines that your web pages have changed and they will index it accordingly.

So, if you are looking for a way to update your website as well as promote your business, check out one of the preceding sites and design a QR code of your own! With just a few minutes of your time, you can have a QR code that can promote your business anywhere you want.

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

Is Your Website Mobile?

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Recently a friend shared an experience with me regarding internet use. She had wanted to download tickets for a local event. Unfortunately, the site was not compatible for mobile users, so  she was unable to follow the link that was sent to her for printing the tickets. Happily, she was able to contact the person heading up the event and get her tickets that way, instead.

However, her frustration made me wonder how many sites there are that have not updated to suit the needs of today’s mobile consumer. After all, if you are trying to sell a product or service you don’t want to lose customers simply because your site cannot be navigated on a mobile device.

If you have yet to update your website for the mobile user, consider this. Cisco has predicted that worldwide mobile traffic will increase by 25 times between now and 2015, largely in part to the extensive amount of video consumption on today’s mobile devices. (Website Magazine, April 2011) So, if you have a company that is primarily a web-based business and have yet to make your website mobile-friendly, then you will ultimately loose a large percentage of new customers—and perhaps some of the existing ones.

In a day where money and budgeting is tighter than it has been decades, this is not the time to decide that upgrades are unnecessary. After all, you want your website to be user –friendly so your sales increase and your site guests can’t wait to come back and visit again. Make sure your website is on the move so your customers will not move on to someone else!

About the author

Founder and President of Chakery Design, Malcom Chakery has extensive knowledge and experience in the workings of a web based business operations. Possessing great amounts of expertise in regard to marketing, seo, web design and development, Malcom is extremely comfortable handling all details regarding the day-to-day operations as well as the sales and support of his many high profile clients. With a clear plan in place regarding operational procedures, all aspects of web design, seo, and promotional activities are managed and overseen by Malcom before they are completed. As a stickler for detail, Malcom believes in providing greater than expected support, superior customer service, and innovative programs, making sure to go above and beyond customer expectations. To learn more about Malcom and his companies please visit www.chakery.com or www.chakeryseo.com.

Website Development

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Many businesses who are just getting online wonder to themselves why they need to look to a website design business to help them to get set up online. They may think that they have no problem setting up their own website online. They may feel fairly computer savvy and ready to take on whatever they need to in order to make their site look great and to be efficient.

Hundreds of hours later the same person may find that they now realize exactly why so many businesses look to a website design company to get their website off of the ground. Building a website doesn’t look hard, but it can be extremely hard. Yes, there are website design templates that you may be able to use to help you to get your site going, but it definitely will not look original, nor will the site give any indication of what your company is all about. A website design company, however, can work with your company to create a unique website that perfectly fits the mood and feel that your business has, allowing your potential customers and clients from around the world to understand what it is that you do simply by clicking on your homepage. Make sure that when you are looking for a website design company that you look at some of their previous projects to make sure that the design is something that you will like and that your not their first client. Ask for references or testimonials or pick a random site they have designed and call that company to see how the process went and if that company met the deadlines that they had set in the proposal. If the website design company offers search engine optimization see where their site ranks in the search engines or ask to see sites that they have done SEO for and then again check for the references. When your looking for that perefect website development team that is going to work with you on what will be the first impression one gets when they reach your site it has to be perfect. So take the time in the beginning to make sure that your dealing with a company that will take your business as serious as they take their own. Website Development begins once the relationship between the business and the client is at a good understanding of what the clients needs are and that both parties are comfortable moving forward.

Malcom Chakery
Chakery Design, President
“We are only successful when you succeed!”