For those of us that know being in business is by no means stationary, the idea of not updating a website for 2, 4, or (gasp) 6 years is appalling. Apalling and Dismaying.
Before you go running away convinced that I’m one of the greedy monsters that want you to pay me $50k for imaginary work (how does something invisible cost SO MUCH??), take a deep breath and read on… Streamline before you Redesign

What is streamlining?

<a href=”http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/streamline”>Websters </a>has a great definition as “to alter in order to make more efficient or simple.” BINGO.

The internet works very simply. People walk around looking for stuff. These days we now have computer programs that walk around and look for stuff for us. When people (or computers) go walking around the internet looking for stuff… if they can’t find it, they don’t buy it. Pretty simple.

Some of you will tell me you don’t sell anything on your website. Bullcrud. There’s an old adage that says “you’re always selling something” and that’s not just true for salespeople. You are always selling YOU and your website’s job should be to sell people on whatever the website is for.

If you sell stuff, then your site should make it easy for people to buy stuff.
If you sell a service, then your site should make it easy for people to know what you mean by service(like, literally!! – who, what, when, where, why, how)

DUH, if I can’t find what your stuff is and how to buy it in the first 15 seconds I’m not buyin it. Don’t just think I’m the jerk, <a href=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4616700.stm”>studies </a>say people make their buying web first impression in as little as 1/20th of a second.

So sit down and make a note to yourself – why do you have a website? What should people do/find/learn on your website? Now your job is to make your website accomplish these goals. Go to your website as a consumer and try to do/find/learn. Here’s some rules:

1. Can I get there easily (less than 3 clicks – preferably no clicks)
2. Can I see it clearly (even if I haven’t updated quicktime or flash in the last 3 months)
3. Can I learn more online?
4. Can I ask questions?
5. Can I find a real person?

There’s your basics. We’ll get more in-depth later. Now get to it!

Rebekah

So like a good nerd, I started researching other ways to use this new technology. I tried twitterific and twhirl and twillions of other twools that just made me feel lispy.

Meanwhile, I notice that all my other “social networking” tools are trying to get in on the action, with a series of “what are you doing” post options. These just added to the twitteration and twistication of my poor head. Being visible and “plugged in” is one thing…. but all of this stuff is just NOT WORK.

And then I found PING.fm
and my life was forever changed.

Ping let’s me post to all my blogs, all my micro-blogs, and even all the stupid little “status” messages across my metaverse. While it’s not perfect (thus is the world of beta) it is by far the easiest way for me to trick all the non-techies into thinking I’m a social networking queen.
(come on – you know you were thinking it)

Checkout Ping.fm on me – enter the invite code “pingfood” for access.