TECH BLOG

Branding Across the Social Media Web

noreply@blogger.com (Raechel Curiel) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:16:00 +0000

Customers are ringing our phones off the hook trying to take advantage of all the free advertising available from the Social Media web explosion. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn... they want to be everywhere and updated all the time.

Social Media is an amazing market with tons of potential and everyone trying to find the next big thing. Your website strategy should include an attitude of constant improvement and tweaking. Content, keywords, reaching out to new markets. Your website is never, ever, "done". Keep that in mind as you are preparing your budget for 2010. Make sure there is room for your website technology to grow.

With the explosion of all the social media websites, has come the question "when is enough... enough?" When do we put down the mouse, keyboard, crack-berry, and other media and information feeding devices and go outside to jump in the leaves?

Located in Charlotte, NC we experience some beautiful fall days. Let's hope with all this information overload we don't forget to occasionally call it a day early and enjoy the weather.

Cheers fellow surfers,
Raechel

Jumping into the Mosh Pit of Micro Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Raechel Curiel) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:57:00 +0000

At Charlotte WebPROS we're constantly looking for ways to improve our rank, standing, and how the internet world finds us. Today we jumped into the pit and updated accounts all over the place: Twitter, TweetMyJobs, Facebook... but honestly, do we have the budget to invest in each of these advertising paths? Who does these days? There are so many places to advertise and so many little things that have to be done to manage a web strategy, the little guys are going to get overwhelmed. Again.

I have customers that we have to nag to get them to update their websites once per year. Now its daily, hourly. When does it end? When we have Blackberries Anonymous? Will we create a shorter list of steps for those people addicted to updating everything, all the time. Move over cocaine, meth, here comes the greatest addiction of all... information.

All of a sudden I want to take my kids outside and play in the sprinklers while my phone, email, and pager all remain on my desk; vibrating, beeping, and screaming for my return.

Unplug yourself if you can.

Cheers!

Raechel

Page Rank - Lessons Learned

noreply@blogger.com (Raechel Curiel) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:27:00 +0000

Web Design is becoming more and more a race to the top of Google. Everyone is viewing page source, copying META tags, and Blogging their brains out to get a higher rank. We are no exception. But how does the average business owner tap into their web design firm to get the info they need without paying an arm and a leg in support hours?

Easy, its called your website statistics reports and Google Analytics.

Website Statistics
I never did well in statistics, but boy do I wish I had studied harder now. Any well architected web server should contain a set of reports that you can access on a monthly basis to review traffic and surfing trends. If your hosting company doesn't provide this type of service, contact Charlotte WebPROS, Inc.

Google Analytics
If you can use Google to search, set up your own analytics account. Then, navigating through the help and documentation, you can do some research and pinpoint areas for improvement in your websites. With some time spent looking into your website as Google sees it, you can talk intelligently with your web support team and channel their efforts in the direction of tasks that will gain you the most for your SEO dollar.

One thing holds true in all of this, no matter now fancy the ranking tools get, your website will only be as good as the effort you put into it. If you build it and then never update it, forget it. "Build it and they will come" is an attitude of the past. You have to update it, you have to read your own site, you have to look at what your competitors are doing and do it better.

GIGI (Garbage In Garbage Out) is still the montra of any computer programmer, internet developer, client-server architect, or mainframe manager worth his or her salt.

Cheers,

Raechel D. Curiel
Senior Application Designer
Charlotte WebPROS, Inc.

Shady Web Companies - Don't Get Taken!

noreply@blogger.com (Raechel Curiel) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:38:00 +0000

Dear Internet Public:

As a web design firm, Charlotte WebPROS designers meet with customers all over the Carolinas to discuss their current websites, their goals, and what steps they have taken to date to achieve their goals. Recently, I met with a local Charlotte company which had contracted another firm to support their new website effort. During the contract initiation, the CEO got suspicious of the new firm and called us. Once I heard what they had encountered, I was glad they called.

If you are reading this, and take one thing away from the information herein, let it be this - YOU SHOULD OWN YOUR NAME ON THE WEB! Do not, under any circumstances, let any company buy, transfer, or replace the management of your Internet domain name record. My customer was asked to do just that by their new web firm. This is absolutely a shady tactic! Watch out for anyone who says, "We need you to transfer your Domain Name Registration to us."

I have been designing and programming on the Internet for over 14 years. I have NEVER told a customer they had to transfer their domain record. They can if they want, but it is NEVER a requirement. If this is happening to you, call me at my office 704-287-6785. I'd be glad to listen to your situation and suggest a best next step, even if you are not a Charlotte WebPROS customer.

Our company is devoted to excellence on the Internet - one website at a time. If your instincts send up a red flag, LISTEN TO THEM!

Watch out for the shady characters.

Best of luck,

Raechel D. Curiel
Senior Application Designer
Charlotte WebPROS, Inc.

Website Design for Non-Profits

noreply@blogger.com (Raechel Curiel) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:54:00 +0000

On average we get about 2 calls per month from groups who need a website, or need a better website, but have no budget for it and they are reaching out to see if there are companies out there who will donate their services. Where some companies are all about the paying contract, Charlotte WebPROS is different.

We have been responsible for several robust web based applications for non-profit organizations and are always looking for an opportunity to give back to our community through donations of time and talent.

Want a closer look at our donated websites? Check out these current and completed projects:

St. Thomas Aquinas Church

Alliance Francais of Charlotte

Avenues 2 Success - Newly launched

We enjoy supporting the Cultural, Religious, and Social entities that help people in our community every day. The internet is growing and expanding, and non-profit organizations need websites too. Next time you talk to a web design firm, ask them how they give back, not just what their bottom line is.

Regards,

Raechel D. Curiel
Senior Application Designer
Charlotte WebPROS, Inc.

Linksys Wireless Routers :: Business Class Nightmares?

noreply@blogger.com (Raechel Curiel) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 01:42:00 +0000

Like lots of website techies we surround ourselves with wires and system units and stuff with lights on the front that flicker at night when the lamp light is extinguished. So much so that our office often looks like the bridge of the Enterprise when night falls.

Recently we added a new set of lights to our array, a Linksys Wireless N Gigabit Router model WRVS4400N. Oh what fun were we in for when the bubble wrap and carton were disposed of and the new green and red lights began to flicker.

Now like most offices, we have XP and we have vista. Our website design tools run all over the map when it comes to platforms and compatability. But what we didn't know, is that the known list of issues with the router was long and distinguished. For instance, if you do not have at least one PC hard-wired into the router, it will drop all the wireless connections. What fun. And it only took us 45 minutes on hold with support in who knows what country to find out this little gem of info.

Well, as our website portfolio continues to grow, with the addition of Discover-ourtown.com, so does our knowledge of Wireless routers, networking, and WEP configuration.

Cheers,

Raechel D. Curiel
Senior Application Designer
Charlotte WebPROS, Inc.

Welcome to Charlotte WebPROS, Inc. :: TECH BLOG

noreply@blogger.com (Raechel Curiel) — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Dear Guests:

Like many Internet design firms we are striving to share as much information as possible about our company and our capabilities to expand our advertising and market reach. Above that, we also feel it is important to contribute to the community that has provided us with one of the coolest jobs on the planet (next to astronaut)... web site developers.

At Charlotte WebPROS, Inc. we strive for excellence in our website design and delivery. We focus on proven technologies for website applications and implement them for our clients in ways that maximize the customer ROI.

Business automation, process support, marketing, all these things can be achieved using Internet and intranet technologies. We are initiating our BLOG to share the products and processes that make our team a unique asset to your IT support.

Visit http://www.charlottewebpros.com/ for more information on our services and to view our on-line website design portfolio.

Regards,

Raechel D. Curiel
Senior Application Designer
Charlotte WebPROS, Inc.