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Wednesday, December 29, 2004
New Years Resolutions

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday.

We have another holiday coming up – New Years. (I can’t believe another year has passed. Time really is our most precious resource). 2004 was an amazing year for us and we want to make 2005 that much better. And what better way than to plan for the coming year.

I wanted to share with you a few of our goals for 2005 or to keep in the holiday spirit - our New Years resolutions for 2005.

  1. Revisit our Business Plan – A business plan is only good if it’s a working plan.
  2. Launch Email Newsletter – We want to keep in touch and share our knowledge.
  3. Redesign MJS Web Solutions website – It’s so 2004.
And not to leave myself out of the equation, here are a few of my personal goals or New Year’s resolutions for 2005.
  1. Spend more time with family and friends – This should be on everyone’s list.
  2. Exercise more – No explanation here.
  3. Volunteer and be more active in our local community – It’s the right thing to do.
What are your plans for 2005?

I hope your New Year is a safe and prosperous one. Hope to see you in it.

Happy New Year!

Posted by: Michael Swartz at 9:11 am

Comments: None | Filed under: Uncategorized


Friday, December 17, 2004
There’s a Reason Why Google is #1

I just checked Google to see if we came up in the search engine results under some specific keywords. We were on the second page, listing #14. Pretty good since we just updated our site a couple of days ago using these keywords (Google shows the page indexed on December 15, 2004). I was amazed at how quickly we were listed on Google and at how fast Google indexed our site. They’re on top of it.

I decided to see if any of the other search engines could compare. If you don’t want to read any further…they didn’t.

Other Search Engines Playing Catch Up

I typed in the same keywords into other search engines and our site was not listed anywhere in the results. I even used a keyword I knew they have indexed – the name of our company. Nothing. I tried at Yahoo, MSN, Overture, AlltheWeb, AltaVista, Ask Jeeves. None of these search engines had us indexed under these keywords. Is this due to our lack of updates, keywords, etc. on our site? I don’t think so. Google seems to be doing just fine indexing our site. And you know what, that’s fine by us.

I always say, optimize for Google and the rest (of the search engines) are icing on the cake. Google is #1 - something like 80% of all internet users use Google. I like those odds. I just read, from Hitwise, a leading online measurement company, that “Google Dominates Holiday Searches“. Another reason to focus on Google.

See our other posts relating to optimizing for search engines – namely Google.

Mike Swartz says, “Check it out!”

Posted by: Michael Swartz at 12:14 pm

Comments: None | Filed under: SEO


Monday, December 13, 2004
If You Can Read This, You’re Too Young

I don’t know if this is just a coincidence or the way things are headed, but I just read that “People Aged 55 and Up Drive U.S. Web Growth“. This is very interesting to note since I just read in another publication about how baby boomers, come 2025, are going to rule the shopping experience.

The other publication I am reading is a fantastic book called “Why We Buy - The Science of Shopping“, by Paco Underhill. Paco, who has spent literally hundreds of hours watching and video taping our buying habits and rituals, says instead of spending millions on marketing to get people into the store, concentrate on the consumers already in the store. It’s a fascinating look on how we shop as a society. Mike Swartz says, “Check it out.”

In an important chapter, “If You Can Read This You’re Too Young” (relating to this blog post), Paco talks about the very small print on product labels and how companies are losing money because senior citizens are unable to read the small print - so they don’t buy, or worse, leave the store.

Type Design on Web Sites

It is very similar in the web world. If most people, age 55 are driving web growth, us web developers have to recognize this important statistic now. Recognize what? That when your 55, your eye sight is not what it used to be.

With age (usually starting after age 40), three main events take place with your vision:

  1. You can’t focus on small type - Your lens gets rigid and the muscles weaken.
  2. The cornea yellows, which changes how you perceive color.
  3. Less light reaches your retina so images appear darker.
Knowing these three facts is critical to your web audience.
  1. Make sure your site can be viewed by all – Provide the ability to increase the type size on your website. Don’t restrict your visitors to just one type size.
  2. Present a heightened contrast – Black text on a white background for instance.
  3. Don’t get too fancy with color. Some of your visitors may blend colors together, forming one big unrecognizable image.
Baby boomers will be (if not already) an integral part in the online world. Don’t leave them out or any other visitors for that matter.

‘til next time.

Posted by: Michael Swartz at 2:36 pm

Comments: None | Filed under: Web Design


Wednesday, December 8, 2004
Time is Our Most Precious Commodity

It’s time for another blog post. Time - that’s what we need more of. We all could use a little more time in our lives, especially during the holiday season. But we only have so much time on this earth - life’s too short - so it’s important we save time whenever we can.

The beauty of technology and the internet is that it was supposed to save us time and make things easier. It has in certain ways, but it’s also increased the amount of time that we spend with technology.

Some good examples of how the internet has helped us save time:

  1. eCommerce sites – You can browse, see reviews and purchase all in one setting. No more wasting time in malls, in the car or in long lines.
  2. Business card/brochureware sites – With only a couple of web pages (or one), businesses can announce their business, product or service, provide details and ways to contact in a very short amount of time.
  3. Internet Banking – Rarely do I write a check anymore, or lick a stamp. I login to my bank account online and pay ALL my bills in just a few clicks. An amazing time saver.

Saving Time Designing Your Website

When browsing the internet, do you notice which sites save you time – they’re the ones you visit. They probably have these three characteristics:

  1. Pages load in 10 – 12 seconds or less - Visitors will go elsewhere if they have to wait any longer.
  2. Legible design - Web users scan the web; they rarely read every word. Good use of headlines, bold text, lists and short paragraphs will save time for your visitors.
  3. Easy to use - Build your site so it is easy to find information. Good navigation, search features, and a site map will go a long way.
Time is our most precious commodity. Don’t waste it. Use it wisely and be smart about it. I hope time is on your side this holiday season.

‘til next time.

Posted by: Michael Swartz at 4:12 pm

Comments: None | Filed under: Web Design


Wednesday, December 1, 2004
Happy Holidays - It’s Worth It

Yes, I know it seems early, but it is the first day of December and I’m very much in the holiday spirit this season. I’m about half way done with my holiday shopping and we’re planning on getting our tree in a few more days. Getting the shopping done early only makes for a quieter and more relaxing season.

Picking up the morning paper, I noticed our town; Alameda, California was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle Home & Garden section. The article, “Lighting up the Night”, is over a century old tradition here in Alameda about the Holiday Tree Lane.

Every December, all the residents on the 3200 block of Thompson Lane light up their houses for the holidays. It is a great tradition I remember when I was a kid, driving with my family through the street, very slowly, checking out all the great decorations people put up for us to see. Santa comes out during certain days. Even the local power company helps supply lights for the 50 foot trees that poplulate the lane median. Dan Marks, the power company’s marketing specialist says, “It’s good for the community, it’s long-standing tradition, and we want to be a part of it.”

Most residents start early, before December, to get ready. They even have a special tree lane committee, that your part of if you purchase a home on this block. Some say it’s a chore, but it’s all worth it. Jeri Morgado, chairwoman of the Holiday Tree Lane Committee, says “It’s not just fun, there’s responsibility. But the joy…when you see these kids get to spend time with Santa and actually talk to him – it’s a wonderful experience.”

It’s all worth the effort.

Some of the websites we’ve designed have received some very kind words from visitors and our customers have provided some very thoughtful testimonials as well. It is a great feeling to know that your work is being appreciated and the work that you do is being recognized. It makes it all worth the effort.

I hope the effort you put in this holiday season is worth it for you.

Happy Holidays!

Posted by: Michael Swartz at 10:20 am

Comments: None | Filed under: Uncategorized


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