Alphabetix

A Little Late for Christmas

Laura — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:18:23 +0000

It may be a little late for Christmas, but it’s never too late for a little humor involving Google. Check out this awesome rap about how Santa uses Google to get ‘er done.

Some (Humerous) Insight into Yahoo! Answers

Laura — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:26:50 +0000

While perusing the web (yep, we do that a lot around here), I came across this amusing insight into the world of user-generated content on National Post. In it, Gene Weingarten discusses the relevance and accuracy of answers on a Yahoo! Answers.

What is Yahoo! Answers

you’ve no doubt heard of Yahoo!. Yahoo! Answers is the user-generated portion of the search engine that allows users to submit questions and answer other users’ questions. If you’ve ever Googled a question, it is likely that Yahoo! Answers comes near the top of responses. Why? Because there’s a ton of content on there.

So, What’s the Problem?

User-generated content is the future of the internet (perhaps – we’ll see what happens with SOPA). And some sites, like Wikipedia, have gained a reputation for having quality user-generated content. But, sites like Wikipedia allow for editing of content, weighing trusted contributors. Yahoo! Answers also has a peer-review system, though infinitely less robust. On Yahoo! Answers, readers vote for the answer they like best – no need for accuracy. And, as you can see in Weingarten’s article, the top-ranked answers need have no semblance of truthiness.

You can expect that there’s an answer to your question on Yahoo! Answers. Just don’t assume it’s accurate.

SBDC Weekly Connections – January 23-27

Laura — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:03:18 +0000

Upcoming Winter Trainings

QuickBooks Bootcamp 2: Managing Business Transactions

Two-Day Hands-On Training in QuickBooks (Two 3-hour sessions)
Working with real-life customer, vendor and banking transactions, you will use the software to process money coming into and going out of a business as part of a 30-day bookkeeping cycle vital to your business.
Learning Outcomes:
1. Set up & manage listings of customers, vendors and Items.
2. Post to the software & manage:
a. customer invoices
b. sales receipts
c. customer payments
d. deposits
e. vendor bills
f. bill payments
g. checks
h. credit card transactions
3. Manage the movement of money between bank accounts.
4. As part of a well planned 30-day bookkeeping cycle:
a. Reconcile bank statements
b. Manage paper flow
c. Generate & file essential financial reports
Date: 01/24 & 01/26
Time: 9 a.m. – Noon
Location: MHCC Small Business Development Center
Fee: $135, Class limited to 8 participants. Textbook not included

Webinar: Going into Business: Start Smart

Learn the basics of opening a small business in the State of Oregon. How to register your business name, open a business bank account and obtain a tax ID number for your business.

Date: 01/27
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Fee: No Charge
Register Now!

New Business Start-Up Program

Ready to start your own business or become self employed?
The New Business Start-Up Program Online will help you plan and launch your own small business successfully! This 10-week program includes online training and up to 20 hours of individual business coaching.
Selection Criteria:
• New business start-up
• Complete SBA Going Into Business checklist
• Some work or business experience preferred
• college or University graduates encouraged to apply
Download SBA Checklist
Registration Fee: $195*
*included learning material (business plan software and textbooks), online training and individual coaching.
Click here for a demo lesson
Get more information or call 503-491-7658

In a Child’s Path Farm Preschool

Laura — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:15:08 +0000

Alphabetix was fortunate to be able to work with In a Child’s Path farm preschool near Sandy, Oregon on a website that includes great features like both public and private blog posts and a private calendar.

In a Child’s Path is an entirely different preschool than what you’re used to. It is based on teaching children through the “Power of Play”, rather than structured drill-based learning, according to the school’s director, Cindy Wiederhold.

We love when our clients get good publicity, and this week, the Sandy Post featured the Boring area preschool.

Parents rave about the school, and they like that they can check in with the website to see what their children are doing at school.

Congrats on the great press, In a Child’s Path, and thanks for the opportunity to work with you.

Alphabetix Gets Censored

Laura — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:00:05 +0000

Alphabetix strongly feels that the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) greatly infringes upon Internet freedom under the guise of protecting copyright law.

So, for the next 24 hours, Alphabetix will be censored.

Watch this video to learn more.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Darkness

Laura — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:16:34 +0000

There is a lot of talk around the internet lately about the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA).

A number of tech companies are getting ready to black out on Jan. 18 to protest SOPA and PIPA, including heavy hitters like Wikipedia, WordPress. org, and Reddit.

They are using the blackout of a way of warning what might happen if SOPA becomes law.

Here is a list of the confirmed blackout sites:
Press
icanhazcheezburger network sites (FailBlog, theDailyWhat,Know Your Meme, etc)
Tucows
VanillaForums
The RawStory
Open Congress / PPF
Internet Archive
Miro
Universal Subtitles
Namecheap
dotSUB
Gog.com
MineCraft
Tor Project
webhostingbuzz.com
RageMaker
Red 5 studios
A Softer World
Greenpeace International
The LeakyWiki
Center for Technology and Democracy
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Indenti.ca
Major League Gaming
Imgur
Monticello Capitol
Crypto Cat
Colossal Mind
Errata Security
FreakOutNation
SlashTHREE
Focus On the Facts
City News
Strategy Tune
WPS Security Lock
openSUSE
Smirking Chimp
Bread Without Bullets
iSchool at Syracuse University
nomacs Image Lounge
ComputerHope
PhantomTS
News2Map.com
Safex.tk
DatelineZero
Liberty Confidential
Victor Rix
WJSimpson
Spurs of The Moment
peeje
DigiBase
Ron Bercume Design
Jazz Sequence
Plague Studio
ViperZeroOne
Elephant Talk Wiki
Wikipedia
Reddit
Mozilla
WordPress.org
MoveOn.org
Good Old Games
TwitPic
Minecraft
Free Press
Mojang
XDA Developers
Destructoid
Good.is

For more information, check out SOPAStrike.com and learn how you can black out your own site, contact congress, and see the other unfiltered participants.

Reddit’s Anti-SOPA Protest

Laura — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:17:28 +0000

Reddit, the incredibly popular link-sharing and social media site is protesting the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP draft laws by shutting itself down on January 18th. Reddit has over 2 billion page views and 35 million active users every month, so they don’t take shutting down lightly.

How Is Reddit Taking Action?

“Instead of the normal glorious, user-curated chaos of reddit, [they] will be displaying a simple message about how the PIPA/SOPA legislation would shut down sites like reddit, link to resources to learn more, and suggest ways to take action.”

They will also have the live video stream of the House hearing.

Why Reddit Is Doing It

Reddit takes its responsibility as a social gathering and information disseminating site seriously. And, they are acting because the believe “this legislation and the forces behind it were a serious threat to reddit and the Internet as we know it. Blacking out reddit is a hard choice, but we feel focusing on a day of action is the best way we can amplify the voice of the community.”

What do you think? Is SOPA a bad idea? Give us your two cents.

And, hop on over to reddit and find out ways to learn more and get involved.

Complete LinkedIn Profiles

Laura — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:49:33 +0000

Check out these great tips from LinkedIn about creating a complete profile.

Social Media, Granny Style

Laura — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:36:01 +0000

Have you seen Chacho Puebla’s Grandmother Tips? They are a hilarious and relevant set of tips that our grandmas never taught us about using social media.

The series features Puebla’s great aunt holding up the words of wisdom.

Granny’s Words of Wisdom

What does granny recommend?

Don’t buy an app that has an ugly logo
Don’t spend time in Google+. It’s like Facebook without your firends to give it some action.
Don’t trust anyone who uses Xing as their main social media
Don’t trust all that you read and see in Wikipedia
Neer play World of Warcraft. It’s really, really, really addictive
Vimeo has more quality, but YouTube has more content
Son, don’t just tweet for the sake of tweeting
Never ever let your partner know your personal password. Believe me.
Don’t think you are a photographer just because you use instagram.
You really should check out all of the images. The signs are beautiful and it’s just fun.

Read more blog posts at Alphabetix - Web Design. Only Better.

SBDC Weekly Connections January 9-13, 2012

Laura — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:09:49 +0000

Upcoming Winter Trainings

New Business Start-Up Program

Selection Criteria:
• New business start-up
• Complete SBA Going Into Business checklist
• Some work or business experience preferred
• college or University graduates encouraged to apply
Download SBA Checklist

Registration Fee: $195*
*included learning material (business plan software and textbooks), online training and individual coaching.

For more information go to: http://www.mhccbizcenter.org/courses or call 503-491-7658

Bookkeeping for Small Business

Learn the essential features of a good bookkeeping structure and processing guidelines. Learn about the management of money flowing in and out of your business, including owner contributions and draws.
Date: 1/9
Time: 9 a.m. – Noon
Fee: $55, Class limited to 10 participants.

How to get a Business Loan

Attend this seminar and get the answers to these questions;
•What is the current Access to Capital?
•What are some Sources of Capital?
•What Banks are Lending?
•What are Lenders really looking for?
•What are the steps to getting a Loan?
•Am I Bankable? What do I need to know?
•What if I’m Not Bankable? How can I get Bankable?
•What if I get Denied?
Date: 1/10
Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Fee: No Charge, Class limited to 20 participants.

Webinar: Cash Flow for Small Business

Tips and strategies to maximize the use of cash in the operation of your business. Know your cash flow at all times.
Date: 1/12
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Fee: No Charge
Register Now!

How to Write a Business Plan

Three hands-on sessions to write your business plan including financial projections and marketing information that will support the plan.
Date:1/13 & 1/20 & 1/27
Time: 9 a.m. – Noon
Fee: $95, Class limited to 10 participants.

Social Media Mentor

Creating an online presence for your business is a process that goes beyond a website. Tap into the experience of a professional social media expert who will guide you through the process of creating an extensive online presence, including:
∙ Blogs (WordPress, Blogger)
∙ Microblogs (Twitter, Tumblr)
∙ Social Networks (Facebook, LinkedIn)
∙ Photo and Video Sharing (Flickr, YouTube)
∙ Location-Based Networks (FourSquare, Local)
∙ Review Sites (Yelp, Merchant Circle)
Date: 1/14 – 03/24 Every other Saturday
Time: 9 – 11 a.m.
Fee: $395, Class limited to 8 Businesses

Registration:
Registration is required. For more information, call
503-491-7658, or email bizcenter@mhcc.edu

Ahhh… New Year Resolutions

Laura — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:09:56 +0000

Yep, even as a business, we have resolutions, or rather, goals for the New Year. With each goal we set, we aim to provide our clients with great service. From great looking design to advanced functionality, stellar content to valuable education, we are always looking to improve and give you more. So, what’s on our list?

Location-Based Social Media

Alphabetix is housed out of a small town, near Mt Hood. Sandy is great, lots of cool small businesses and a sweet small town feel. But, sometimes, we want others to find out about our hidden gems (yes, I mean you, you yummy little restaurants) and what better way to do that than to encourage the use of location-based social media?

What It Means

Location-based social networks are sites like Foursquare that allow users to check in and get great deals at a location. If you’re driving through a town and looking for a restaurant, you can hop on Foursquare and find the places in town that offer discounts. That’s a nice incentive to visit those spots.

Why It’s Important

Sites like Foursquare could really help drive traffic to the small businesses in town that may need a little promotional boost. It can be great for passers-through and regulars as well. And, location-based social buying sites like Groupon or Living Social can play into this success too.

Responsive Websites

Alphabetix aims to provide cutting edge web development, and for 2012, that means sites that are responsive.

What It Means

Responsive websites change layout dependent on the screen resolution of the viewer. So, a website with four columns of content when viewed on a home monitor can be viewed as a simplified two columns on a smart phone.

Why It’s Important

With the explosion of smart phones, having a website that looks great on a smart phone is really important, especially if your business serves clients that may be looking for your service last minute, like restaurants or urgent cares.

So, we’re aiming to give you beautiful, responsive websites and encouraging you to jump on the location-based bandwagon in 2012. You in?

What are your New Year resolutions for your business?

Social Media Mentor at the SBDC

Kelly — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:50:19 +0000

You’re going to love Social Media Mentor!

This new class is a partnership between the Mt Hood Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Alphabetix.

Over the course of 6 classes and 6 one on one meetings with a real social media professional (our very talented Laura Allen), you will craft your very own social media marketing plan.

The Class breakdown

Class 1: Blogging – Learn how consistent updates to your site and blog can help generate a ton of traffic to your website.

Class 2: Micro-Blogging (Twitter, Tumblr) – Learn how short and sweet announcements keep your potential customers up-to-date on your business.

Class 3: Social Networking (Facebook, LinkedIn) – Learn how to connect with real people in the virtual world and create advocates for your business.

Class 4: Photo / Video Sharing (Flickr, YouTube) – People love pictures and videos, and these are necessary enhancements to your marketing efforts.

Class 5: Location Based Networks (FourSquare, Local Marketing) – More and more customers want to shop local, and if they can’t find you, they’ll simply go somewhere else.

Class 6: Review Sites (Yelp, MerchantCircle) – Don’t overlook the power of testimonials and honest feedback about your business.

The Details

The cost of the entire course (all 6 classes and the one-on-one meetings) is only $395. That’s right, $395!

Alphabetix offers this similar training for thousands of dollars, and is able to offer this low price because of their partnership with the SBDC.

Do not miss this opportunity. Class starts next week!

For more information, contact the SBDC this week: 503-491-7658 or email.

Class size is limited, so please do not delay!

Learn more about the Mt. Hood SBDC and other classes they offer.

If you know of someone who you think can benefit from this class, please pass this information on to them!

SBDC Weekly Connections – January 2-6, 2012

Laura — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:05:22 +0000

Learn How to Build a Thriving Business

Small Business Management Program

Are you a Small Business Owner?
Are you currently in business?
The Small Business Development Centers at Portland Community College and Mt. Hood Community College, along with the Micro-Inventors Program of Oregon and the Oregon Microenterprise Network are pleased to announce Portland Development Commission (PDC) funding for Small Business Management Program Scholarships.

Download a scholarship application.

Upcoming Winter Trainings

New Business Start-Up Program

Selection Criteria:
• New business start-up
• Complete SBA Going Into Business checklist
• Some work or business experience preferred
• college or University graduates encouraged to apply

Registration Fee: $195*
*included learning material (business plan software and textbooks), online training and individual coaching.

View a demo lesson.

For more information go to: http://www.mhccbizcenter.org/courses or call 503-491-7658

Webinar: Business Website Essentials

In this Webinar you will learn the basics of creating a successful website for your small business. The instructor will present tools to build your website, as well web hosting options to publish your site on the Internet.
Date: 1/06
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Fee: No Charge
Register Now!

Bookkeeping for Small Business

How to get a Business Loan

Webinar: Cash Flow for Small Business

Tips and strategies to maximize the use of cash in the operation of your business. Know your cash flow at all times.
Date: 1/12
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Fee: No Charge
Register Now!

How to Write a Business Plan

Social Media Mentor

Registration

Registration is required. For more information, call 503-491-7658, or email bizcenter@mhcc.edu

The Online User Experience

Laura — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:05:07 +0000

Check out this video of Tor Myhren, President and Chief Creative Officer of Grey New York at Mashable Media Summit 2011.

Only at Mashable will you find a creative officer talking about losing his virginity and connecting it with the online user experience.

The Importance of Website Navigation

Laura — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:39:04 +0000

How your website is navigated is often overlooked when you’re focusing on the aesthetic of your site. It’s not sexy, but it’s essential. If your visitor needs a Garmin to get around on your site, they won’t be a visitor for long.

How Many Clicks Does It Take to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Roll Pop

If it takes a visitor more than 3 clicks to get to the content they want on your site, you’re doing something wrong. Your navigation should have a simple nesting structure, but anything deeper than 3 clicks in, is just too far to keep their attention. So, if you are a salon that offers hair coloring with foils, you could have a structure like this:
Services|Coloring|Foils
But, if you add a layer in, it will be too hard for people to get what they want:
Services|Hair|Coloring|Foils
That’s way too cumbersome. Two clicks is even better than three.

It’s Broken

Broken links are one of the worst things you can have on your site. They greater affect the user experience and not in a good way. Make sure your links are all in tip-top shape.

Primary and Secondary

Good site navigation doesn’t just guide you through the site in one way. Good sites will guide you through the site with both primary and secondary navigation. Also, footers are a great place for navigation. Not everyone wants to navigate in the same way. Give them options.

I Can’t Find It

Give your visitors the often to search on your site. Sites without search can often turn off people who prefer a more direct method of finding what they are looking for.

Ask yourself this, does Amazon only give people one way to find things on their site? Does Staples allow you to search for products? Does Apple take you to broken links on their site?

How can you apply those principles to your own site?