Blog 01.01.10
by Rick Hulse
It might seem difficult to believe, but there are times when traditional SEO techniques are simply…impractical. Low search volume, highly-specialized keywords or an industry dominated by huge, well-funded competitors can make traditional search and PPC campaigns difficult, to say the least. But there is a way to level the playing field, so to speak. Viral marketing and social networking strategies can exponentially increase your site traffic, and not only that, increase qualified traffic. The basic question, of course, is what is your company's true goal? Is it bragging rights for high placement on Search Engine Result Pages (which few people might actually see)? Or is it a greater amount of site traffic and increased conversions? The answer, I hope, is obvious. We are, after all, in a results oriented business. It's my opinion that results take precedence–that results are all that matters (while still wearing a white hat). Our job is to increase qualified traffic and conversions by the most efficient and cost-effective means possible. And obviously, if you have little chance of winning the keyword war (and sometimes that is indeed the case), the task then becomes to build site traffic by any ethical and affordable means possible. The answer, of course, is to devote your energy and resources to social networking. This is the one area where Page Rank and other search engine criteria are tossed out the window, and the victor becomes whomever is willing to work the hardest. Here are some valuable guidelines: • Standardize your employees' e-mail signatures to promote your most important URL(s) • Encourage your employees to post about the company in their social networks • Develop a content schedule/editorial calendar for Twitter, FB, etc. Deep pockets or not, your competitors become vulnerable when you pursue an aggressive and comprehensive social networking strategy. In this case, the ends justify the (white hat) means. The bottom line? Take the fight to an arena where you can win. And never stop until you do. 06.01.09
by Rick Hulse
The usage of specific words, names, or phrases often ebbs and flows over time. For instance, a term can be used colloquially and then, all of the sudden, its usage explodes from regional use to common use across a nation or the globe. Words can burst on the scene as a result of social movement, invention, discovery, or new connotation. Many such words are just as quickly forgotten by all that had once used them regularly. Some words even make a comeback after they have been left for dead. In my lifetime, the words/terms "far out", "fruition", "Edsel", "Bicentennial", and "comrade" are prime examples of words that have exploded, gone, and even come back in similar or different connotation. Let's examine the word Green in this context. Green is used to describe color, youthfulness, something not ripe or aged, or even a person who is deficient in some way. But Green's usage related to Earth-friendly activity has blown up recently with the massive push for development of renewable energy, conservation, and recycling. When I hear the word Green these days, I don't immediately think of the shade of Kermit the Frog, but rather I assume it is a reference to living (or trying to live) Green. My work world, the world of Information Technology, is also witnessing a push toward more planet- conscious living. Green IT is being practiced in relation to low-melt toner for your copier or printer (a lower melt temperature means less heat/energy needed to turn toner wax or particulate into characters and photos on your paper), utilization of electronic document files (pdfs for instance) instead of printing, and creation of common printing stations (shared resources) on a network instead of each workstation having its own printer. But Green IT certainly goes much farther than lessening resource use pertinent to document production. Green IT spans into areas that involve your company's policies and practices regarding servers, workstations, and related software. Hardware that is more energy efficient can be chosen. An emphasis should be placed on preventive maintenance to extend the anticipated lifespan of your hardware. Software can be added to PC's that creates virtual meeting opportunities between you and other company employees or between you and your customer. This approach provides massive cost savings to travel budgets, while still optimizing customer service. This portion of the approach fits extremely well with trends toward working from home, instead of always from your office, saving energy and decreasing emissions of ozone depleting gases. What is essential in maximizing your Green approach is getting beyond haphazardness. Doing something here or there that is Green is fine, but creating a Green Plan that attempts to maximize both Earth-friendly and economic benefits is the key. Certainly there are many companies out there that "Do Green for Green's sake". I would suggest, though, that there are multitudes more corporations out there that must see at least some dual benefit (good for the planet and good for the books). Internal support is always more readily attained when multiple benefits can be displayed. Push within your company to help begin building a Green Plan if one does not already exist. If one is in place, take interest in seeing that it is being pursued effectively. If you need help putting a plan together, contact a specialist like Rampart Hosting to assess your IT systems and begin to develop a plan that saves both monetary and environmental resources. 04.01.09
by Rick Hulse
The word “cloud”, in relation to the information technology (IT) world, has become a popular piece of computer-related phraseology. Be it “cloud computing”, “cloud applications”, or your company’s complete software and hardware services and holdings out in the “cloud”, we hear more about it every day. What is the cloud anyway? Loosely, the cloud is that which resides some place out in the internet and that is generally managed and run by someone other than the user. The cloud provides services to individuals and businesses utilizing software and hardware resources out in the internet somewhere, instead of relying on native applications that reside on your personal computer or on your company’s server. The goal is to eventually use the cloud to host and run all applications on external cloud infrastructure so that all is accessed over the internet instead of having software-utilizing, local hardware do the retrieval, computing, and storage. Though you may not have realized it, you have probably used clouds for things like web-based email and search engines. Where most have not spent much time “in the clouds” is the realm of website hosting or virtual computing where most or all of the actual computing doesn’t take place in the office locally. Rather, the on-site devices we physically use merely transmit data to far off computers providing services out in the cloud. A “dumb” workstation on your desk at work, your iPhone hooking up with Google’s mail service (gmail), or your website being hosted by an entity other than a local web host are all examples of cloud computing. In other words, the cloud approach will eventually put an end to on-site applications like Windows or Office software on your local system and will move you to web-based services, including hosting applications, which are “somewhere out there.” Traditional website and application hosting (server hosting) companies are trying to come to grips with the advent of cloud hosting. Clouds offer one broadly advertised advantage which is quickly identified on cloud hosting websites…….low cost. There is no doubt that, on the surface, cloud hosting offers the possibility to be more cost effective. But will security, service, and reliability suffer when you switch to the clouds? The future of hosting seems to be headed down the cloud path, but is the future now? Cloud services are very young and unproven beyond email, search engines, and basic web services. Can your business afford to trust this emerging technology today knowing the number of recent problems that have surfaced? “Cascade failures”, for example, describe a domino effect where one item in a cloud breaks, thus breaking the next, and so on. This serious issue currently affects the most advanced cloud computing companies and continues to plague the environment. Another issue that has arisen involves cloud security. Until recently popular belief held that web sites, etc., are secure within the cloud and that travel from my portion of the cloud to yours was unlikely, if not impossible. Recent holes in systems have unfortunately shown otherwise, exposing unauthorized “bubble to bubble” movement within clouds. These unintended avenues for movement and access leave the security question a glaring one. There is also the question of service. When going into a current cloud arrangement, you must be willing to accept a different level of personalized service. Yes, cloud players offer phone support and online chat, but that rarely compares to direct contact with a trusted, regional IT partner that has employees that you know and who know you, and that are there to understand and answer your specific questions. It is also good to know that you can actually go and physically put your hands on your blade server that holds your website at your host’s network operations center should you wish to. Until the environment is trusted more completely, you are going to need people with which to interface. You will generally be challenged to get that kind of attention in a cloud environment. Lastly, a big advantage of traditional web and application server hosting is bandwidth. Do the calculations yourself when you are evaluating a cloud hosting service’s bandwidth provision. A number of services that I have checked out give you less than 1mbps upload and download. This is far less speed than you will generally get from a traditional hosting setup where speeds are often as much as ten times this rate. When it comes to the question of exposing your company to this new type of hosting service, do your homework. Whatever type of service you choose, understand what the company’s Service Level Agreement (SLA) states and weigh the cost versus the risk. Evaluate the specific applications or programs you want to utilize via the cloud. Some may make sense, while others simply may not. Ask questions! Don’t take the task of assessing cloud versus server hosting lightly. Your future business is counting on an enlightened decision. It is our feeling that, though the cloud will most likely be the future, you should stay on the cloud sideline for awhile longer until things become more secure, reliable, and responsive. 02.26.09
by Rick Hulse
Here's the scenario: You are the default IT coordinator at your company. You have a dated website and know it is time for a change. Though your top priority is something other than IT, you have to deal with the office electronic network and the internet because you are the lucky person in the office who happens to know the most about computers.....but most days, you know you are a little out of your element. The boss finally decides to budget the necessary funds to get that old website replaced. You begin the search for a quality vendor to design, develop, and host your website. What are some guidelines for the process? Here is a suggested path:
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