I recently came across an article written by Jim Boykin that covered what a links page should not look like and I have to admit that I have a few of those on my site.

He points out the blatantly obvious attempt at gaming the search engines using these tired old links directories. He suggests links within content as a way of exchanging or gaining quality relevant links.

It is a good read and the basis for a restructuring of my internal link building efforts. I will be shutting down my reciprocal links directory and instead ask that if anyone wants to exchange links, perhaps they could contribute to our blog or exchange ideas via social networking.

Website Design Process

Potential clients often ask about our website design process. If we choose you, what happens next? How long does it take? How does the design and build process work? What is our responsibility as a client? Most if not all web development projects are custom, but they all follow a typical work flow that I will attempt to outline below.

Website Design Quotation Request

Typically, a quotation request is initiated by the you the customer either via our quotation form or via our online contact form or by a phone call.

Introduction & Data Collection

Once we receive your request for quotation, we will review any documents provided, review and referenced websites, and consult with you to obtain any additional information we may need to make an accurate quotation.

No-Obligation Consultation and Brainstorming

Our development team will review your quotation request to make sure it contains all of the necessary information for us to assemble an intelligent, competitive quotation for your project. If we are missing information, or need clarification on an idea, someone from our offices may contact you by email or phone or both. If we have all of the necessary information, we can usually provide a quotation within 24 hours (usually sooner)..

Detailed Proposal

After the brainstorming process, we make a formal proposal detailing pricing, timing, and assumptions. After your quotation is completed, you will receive an email notifying you to come and “pick up” your quote. It will be
From: CAD Website Design Sales
Subject: Your Quote From CAD Website Design Is Now Available
You will be provided a log in username (your email address) and a randomly generated Password. The log in area to view your quotation when it is ready is located HERE.

Project Authorization & Retainer

If our proposal meets your approval and you select our company to develop your website, you will print the contract and sign it. You will then fax the signed contract to our offices and follow up with a non-refundable 25% retainer fee. An example of this is if your contract is for $4,000.00, you would issue payment for $1,000.00 and only owe the balance of $3,000.00 during the following phases of the design process. You may make this retainer payment via check, cash, or credit card.

Design Concepts

The actual look and feel of your website is key to ensuring the customer/visitor has the best possible browsing experience. The core of your site will be designed and laid out using best practices with emphasis on SEO to present your business to the visitor in a manner that reflects your professional image and brand. Equally important is usability. The easier it is for the visitor to use your website the greater your chance of converting them into a customer and increasing the chances of repeat business. The template design process consists of custom graphic design employing photoshop/fireworks/flash with 2 concepts and up to 2 rounds of revisions (depending on package selected), graphical splicing of approved templates to optimize load time and usability, css/XHTML production, unique css/xhtml adaptation to user platform and additional bell and whistle functionality. Total time involved can range from 40 to 60 hours.

Design Concept Review, Revisions & Approval

Once the two concepts are completed, they will be submitted for your review. This allows you to choose one of the submitted concepts and request up to 2 rounds of revisions to the concept for final template approval. This does not equal a third design concept. Concepts will be provided to you and ask that you provide all revision requests in writing, all at the same time. Doing so will reduce the risk of a missed revision request. You may wish to take up to 48 hours to submit revision request to make sure you remembered everything. A design revision provides for the following; Color Tweaks, Font Tweaks, Design Element Locations (moving elements left, right, up, down, etc..), Minor Graphic Changes (buttons, arrows, etc). To quantify this, a round of revisions is anything we can complete in a 4 hour period. If your revision request exceeds 4 hours of work, we will provide a detailed quotation showing which revisions we can complete in 4 hours and quote the remaining revisions at a cost of $100/hr.

Database Programming & Additional Development

Once we receive a signed Template Approval Form, we begin developing any other parts of your website per our agreement. This is when we begin installing cms modules, shopping carts, and performing any other custom programming if quoted.

Additional Payments

Two additional invoices will be mailed on 2 week intervals during the development process. These invoices typically coincide with milestones or deliverables identified early on in the project time line.

Testing & Debugging

During the development phase, we may ask you to take a look at work completed and test for functionality. All development work will be done on our internal development servers. There will also be a final testing and debugging session (if needed) just before delivery of the finished web site.

Final Acceptance & Final Invoice

After all testing has been done and everything is determined to be functional per our arrangement, we will require you to sign a Project Sign Off form. This form indicates that you accept the work that has been performed and that nothing else needs to be completed or corrected. At this time we will also expect the final invoice to be paid prior to transferring files to your hosting server.

Release For Production

Once we receive the signed Project Sign Off form and receive final payment, we will transfer all files, images, and databases to your hosting environment. We will make sure that once the files are transferred to your hosting environment that our work performs as needed. If there are compatibility issues, we will advise you on how to have your hosting environment upgraded or updated to facilitate our web development solution.

I invite you to look at our website development solutions or request a custom web design quotation.

Grow a full head of hair overnight! Lose 30 pounds in 30 days! Increase your penis/bust/etc by 3 inches with this product! Promote your business online, increase your online visibility and make money on the internet…in a few simple steps! NO technical expertise is necessary. If you can type and click, you can use Traffic Blazer!

What a crock of shit. I quoted a project to a prospect and had also quoted a basic search engine marketing package as well. I found out that I was the high bidder and the prospect was considering working with a company that quoted a SEO tool called Traffic Blazer.

This is from their website;

Most Web site traffic and online purchases come from search engines like Google®, Yahoo!® and MSN®. Get your share of Internet business with Traffic Blazer®. Promote your business online, increase your online visibility and make money on the internet…in a few simple steps! NO technical expertise is necessary. If you can type and click, you can use Traffic Blazer!

They offer a 4 step to success program.

1. Search Engine Optimization - The key to attracting search engine–generated traffic to your Web site is to meticulously optimize its content for carefully selected keywords. Traffic Blazer enables you to zero in on the most effective keywords for your site and provides you with the tools to position the site for top search engine rankings for those keywords..

2. Website Analysis - The Traffic Blazer Site Analysis assesses your Web site’s compatibility with key search engine ranking criteria, including spiderability, frame and Flash usage, and level of keyword optimization. The Site Analysis pinpoints site elements that may need to be improved, thus hinting at the site’s performance (WTF?) in an actual search engine scenario.

3. Website Submission - Traffic Blazer helps you ensure your Web site’s visibility by submitting it to the Internet’s leading search engines and directories. The Automated Submission features enables quick submission to more than 50 search engines and directories from one convenient location, while the Manual Submission feature provides you with the tools you need to submit your content to more than 300 key search engines, including engines that focus on regional content and Web logs (blogs).

4. Traffic Analysis - The Traffic Blazer reporting tools enable you to monitor the exact impact of your optimization and submission efforts and pinpoint elements that need to be revisited in order for you to create the desired traffic flow to your Web site. The Reporting tools allow you to verify that your content is indexed by key search engines, review your Web page’s back links (inbound links), check your search engine ranking for applicable keywords, and much more. Performance tracking is a central element in the search engine optimization process for your Web site.

The tool also offers link popularity checks and other tools that you can find free on the web. This is nothing more than a collection of free tools that are serve yourself and you still have to pay for it. This is not search engine marketing that anyone should have to pay for, especially if anyone is having to do it themselves.

Here is why I take exception to the 4 steps to success offered by Traffic Blazer.

1. Search Engine Optimization - Their example shows a keyword suggestion tool based on Yahoo searches over the last 30 days. The example they show is a report using the term “search engine”.

While they may be able to prove it statistically correct, what the hell is a new webmaster going to do with this information? If I use this tool, will I rank better for search engine marketing that seomoz or bruceclay? I’m not holding my breath.

2. Website Analysis - While website analysis is good to do, it can be done for free, especially if I am the one having to do it. There are literally hundreds of tools online that will help you;
Determine Keyword Density
Determine Link Popularity
Hundreds of other tools…

What I really liked about the description of the website analysis is that it basically hints at a sites performance. Is this like my wife hinting that she wants me to rub her feet? Sometimes I have to be told what she wants because I can never get the hint. I also think a new webmaster will have to be told how to fix any issues versus just telling that there are issues.

3. Website Submissions - Includes a lot of spammy free for all directories. There are basically 3 search engines (maybe 4) that you need to submit to, and 1 or 2 directories (if you can ever get a response from one of them). They will also submit your blog to several blog search engines. So, all you have to do is write great content with high frequency and they will submit it for you. But wait, if I have a blog and if I can write great content on my own, do I really even need to pay for this?

4. Reporting - This is just giving a report of whether your listed and what your link popularity is. What about referrers, the long tail, any other valuable metric someone could get for free using Google Analytics?

Search engine optimization goes much further than just these basics.

I think this presentation by godaddy is deceptive at best to newbie webmasters to make them think they will find instant traffic and money on the web using this simple 4 step process called Traffic Blazer. If you have signed up for this, I have a sure fire exercise aid that will deliver six pack abs in as little as 3 weeks if your interested. Its called block of wood and you hold it while you do thousands of crunches…

C.A.D. Enterprises L.L.C. is committed to providing quality online solutions and competitive internet advertising services. All employees are integral parts of the web development and advertising creation process. C.A.D. Enterprises L.L.C. is always looking to expand its services and improve its employee caliber.

Sales Associates / Account Representative

Qualified candidate is an enthusiastic, high energy, multi-tasked, competitive, and motivated sales professional. Must have the ability to work independently. Responsible for finding new prospects and establishing relationships. Work closely with decision making Executives, outside sales reps and upper management to generate revenue. Great opportunity for the right individual. Ideal person is one who is accustomed to making 20 - 40 contacts per day and does not get discouraged easily. This position offers unlimited earning opportunities. Start with making 10% per sale. Position requires applicants to be computer proficient and familiar with Internet technology and have at least 2 years of prospecting, inside sales, or appointment setting experience. Constant on the job training will be available so that Inside Sales Reps understand our industry and our service offerings. Opportunities for advancement are available. To apply, send a cover letter and resume through our online contact form.

The primary role and duties of the Sales Representative is as follows:

• Serve as the first point of contact for existing design and advertising clients
• Process quotes/orders for design projects or advertising services
• Qualify customer needs and specifics about web development products or advertising services they will use
• Up-sell new products of existing clients
• Thorough understanding of sales objectives and initiatives
• Ability to work closely with other inside sales associates and outside sales personnel
• Understanding of key advertising vendors

The successful candidate will have:

• A minimum of two years inside sales experience
• Strong written and verbal skills
• A college degree is preferred
• Knowledge of the telecom field and outside plant is preferred
• PC skills and MS Office are necessities

For many years we have heard the sirens wailing on and on about the death of a hard-copy yellow pages. As the Gen-Xers age and those who lived through the Great Depression are beginning to rapidly disappear into the great beyond, futurist have been telling us the phonebook will cease to exist. The yellow pages will become irrelevant. Why? The reasons vary. Phonebooks are often outdated the day they are printed. Also, they are not the most userfriendly method of tracking down a person or business. But my favorite point is that we are becoming a population of wired individuals, meaning that more than likely we are already infront of one of multiple devices we own that are readily connected to the web. Why get out of the Laz-y-boy, track down an outdated spider-killer that’s stuffed in a desk drawer, the whole time missing David Lee Roth in his cheek-less spandex on VH1 Classics, just to look for a phone number that may or may not be there when your iPhone is right in your pocket?

But today during my lunch break I was enjoying the finest delicacy my wife could whip up using a microwave and a chicken pot pie and watching ‘Drake & Josh’ with the kids and I noticed something about the commercials. Ever since DoubleClick was a mere glimmer in the eye of the internet, the knock on T.V. advertising has been that it doesn’t provide the statistics that online advertising can obtain. For years, 1-800 numbers have been linked to individual ad campaigns, a company’s ad on a a particular station, or even a company’s ad during a particular time slot. So trying to track leads through television advertising is nothing new. The new incarnation of this is all the scam artist out there running ads about working from home or debt consolidation. You’ll see the same generic ad on every station. In that ad, the web address is never spoken by one of the actors. The only place you’ll see an address is at the bottom of the screen and usually the url will be something like www.workfromhome2543.com. The 2543 isn’t relevant to to anyone except the advertiser. The url usually redirects to some other domain altogether, but 2543 allows them run that url on MSNBC, www.workfromhome777.com on FoxNews and www.workfromhome666.com on CNN. Now they know what news network is driving the most traffic. For more legit companies, Intuit for example, I’ve even recently seen www.quicken.com/TV or some variation. All this used to be done simply to track who produces and who doesn’t.

But today during that somewhat enjoyable episode of ”Drake & Josh’, I noticed television advertising has almost passed me by. Actually, they have given in to my subliminal thinking. Effective T.V. advertising no longer feels the need to bombard us with as much information as they can squeeze into a 30-second spot. Why? We’ve become so savy, they realize that we will find the information we are looking for. If an advertisement catches my attention, I don’t call a sales rep and play 20-questions. I simply pull up Firefox and I’m presented with the greatest advertising machine ever built, a search engine. I simply search for what I want to know. The roll of commercials is becoming to simply create awareness that such a business exist. Case-in-point, New Wave Communications. They’ve recently become the local cable service provider. Even before they officially took over, they began running ads simply telling the viewer ‘We’re here and our name is New Wave’. The rest was left up to me. It was up to me to search for their site, find out their packages and rates and basically inform myself. It looks like T.V. advertisements have evolved. It looks like advertising on television will be around a little while longer, which is great because I can’t wait for Terry Tate to come out of retirement. I’ve got to call a plumber, now where did I put that phonebook?

I bought an iPhone for my wife today for her birthday. She had a crappy old phone with a cracked case and it didn’t even have a qwerty keyboard. She couldn’t keep up with all the people that text her.

I went to our local ATT store and found out that they had 1 iPhone left in stock, and it was an 8GB phone. I watched the demonstration and I think the thing is awesome.

We set up the iTunes account, activated the phone, and added a new package to her existing ATT cell plan. The set up was easy, secure, and a no-brainer.

If you have an existing ATT cell phone account, you can just modify your existing plan and add Internet connectivity starting at an additional $20 per month. We went with the $30 per month plan and it offers over 1300 text messages per month.

I hope she enjoys the phone because she is not a gadgets person like I am. Happy birthday Lucinda.