What is a mobile device?

A mobile device is a small handheld computer that can come in many forms. From iPads, Kindles and other touchscreen tablets to cellphones like the iPhone, Android and Blackberry, if you have a handheld device that connects to the internet, you have what the technology world refers to as a mobile device.

Why are mobile devices important?

With the creation of the iPad and the handheld tablet as well as the advances in smart phone technology, mobile devices are becoming incredibly popular tools for searching the internet. More and more, people are searching the internet on these devices instead of traditional desktop or laptop computers.

How do mobile devices affect your business?

Understanding how people use mobile devices to search the internet and what they are looking for can help your business get more traffic (both to your website and to your physical location).

More often than not, mobile device users want to find information quickly and easily. They are looking for your store hours, your phone number, your location or your menu/products/services depending on your business type. In short, they are making a decision about where to go to eat, shop or get help with something. They need to know if you’re available and how they can find you.

With this in mind, you should make sure that your website is mobile friendly or, where necessary, offer a mobile app to your customers to make it easier for them to find what they need when they need it. If a mobile user visits your website and finds it difficult to find what they want, they will quickly move on to something else.

Capture their attention, give them what they’re looking for and you’ll have converted them from a visitor to a customer.

Next week: Mobile websites vs. Apps

Next we’re going to tackle the difference between mobile websites and apps so that you can decide which one would be the better investment for your company.

If you have more questions about mobile devices or any of our other services, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (904) 829-2772 or shoot an email to letusmarketyou@oldcity.com.

So what does that mean for our advertisers?

We are so excited to kick off the new year with a new service available to all of our clients. Through our partnership with App Smart, a Jacksonville based development company, we can now offer custom created mobile apps tailored to your industry.

Some of the features that can be added to custom applications (made for both Apple and Droid products) include:

• Facebook, Twitter and YouTube integration.
• Ability to add short term specials, coupons and discounts.
• Push notifications and other new opportunities to reach customers through GPS technology.
• QR Codes for quick downloads.
• Calculators and other relevant resources.
• Built-in contact forms.
• Restaurant reservations.

Tracking statistics are also available with apps, giving you the ability to track your downloads and client usage.

For more information on the features and benefits of a mobile app, visit the App Smart website or give us a call for pricing and other details.

Later in the month we’ll go over mobile devices and the differences between mobile apps and mobile websites!

To read more about each of the topics above you can review all of our weekly tips, tools and tricks on our blog or just give us a call at (904) 829-2772!

It’s been a great year! We hope you have enjoyed our Customer Education Program and have learned some valuable tips and tools to promote your business.

Just in case you missed some of our articles, we’re doing a quick recap on what we’ve learned. You can also visit our blog to catch up on all of our tips from this year.

Here are some of the topics we discussed in 2011:

Business Marketing
We’ve spent some time this year talking about some important points to promoting your business including:

• Using online and offline strategies together.
• Keeping your message consistent across all types of marketing materials (brochures, business cards, website, etc.)
• Driving traffic to your website via marketing tools like printed handouts, advertising and more.

Social Media
In 2011, Social Media has become an even more popular avenue for reaching your customers. Our tips on using Social Media this year included:

• Adding Facebook and Twitter links to your website.
• Keeping your Facebook and Twitter feeds updated with a minimum of one post or tweet a week.
• Interacting with clients to get more followers.
• Using Social Media to get valuable feedback from your customer base.

Print Design
This year we talked about several different types of print design you can have created at Old City Web Services to help promote your business including business cards, brochures, rack cards, banners and signs.

Search Engine Optimization
Some of our tips in 2011 focused on our e-mail and hosting services including:

• Understanding how hosting and domain registration are different but equally important.
• Using email addresses at your domain to make your business look more professional.
• Protecting your computer from security threats with important safety tips.

To read more about each of the topics above you can review all of our weekly tips, tools and tricks on our blog or just give us a call at (904) 829-2772!

It’s been a great year! We hope you have enjoyed our Customer Education Program and have learned some valuable tips and tools to promote your business.

Just in case you missed some of our articles, we’re going to do a quick recap this week and next week. You can also visit our blog to catch up on all of our tips from this year.

Here are some of the topics we discussed in 2011:

Website Development
This year we’ve shared some pointers on all the major parts that make up a great website including:

• Writing excellent, action oriented content
• Organizing your website navigation in a way that is simple and user-friendly.
• Creating a purpose-driven website for your business.
• Incorporating all the elements of a great design into a professional, clean look.

Content Management Systems
We’ve also discussed the value of a content management system and what all it can do for you including:

• Giving you the ability to make changes to your website with any computer connected to the Internet.
• Expanding your website with additional plug-ins like slideshows, picture galleries, blogs and calendars.

Mobile Websites
Another advantage of Content Management Systems is the ability to add a mobile plug-in that will automatically convert your website into a mobile friendly format for your visitors.

Search Engine Optimization
This year we spent some time talking about the importance of using search engine optimization to drive traffic to your website. We went over some of the important keys to SEO including:

• Understanding how Google works.
• Using keyword rich content on your website.
• Targeting specific, relevant keywords and phrases.

To read more about each of the topics above you can review all of our weekly tips, tools and tricks on our blog or just give us a call at (904) 829-2772!

SERVICES PROVIDED

Content Management System, IDX/MLS Plug-In, Website Design and Development, Website Hosting

DESCRIPTION

Marcus Wally and his team at New World Realty approached us looking to re-enter the world wide web with a clean, professional website to promote their business. Their goals for the website were to provide clients access to a database of available listings and drive them to contact New World Realty to buy or sell their house. Inspired by the company’s compass logo, we branded the site with a sailing theme emphasizing the journey each person makes to find the home of his or her dreams. Our design merged with a built-in content management system and professional slideshow not only look great, but give the New World Realty team the ability to make updates to their website from any computer with an internet connection. The integrated plug-in for MLS allows visitors to search all St. Johns County listings without ever leaving the New World Realty website and its branding. Now the company is ready to start expanding its reach to the global real estate market through its new home on the web.

Visit New World Realty »

Why do you have a website? That’s the first question you have to answer before you even begin to think about design or anything else. What do you want someone to do when they visit your website? Do you want them to purchase one of your products online? Encourage them to contact you by phone to schedule an appointment? Get them to come visit your physical business location? Your website is built around what you need it to do.

2. Websites do not generate traffic on their own.

If you opened a new storefront somewhere, you might get a little traffic from people who pass buy, but you won’t be able to sustain your business unless you tell everyone where to find you and what you offer. Advertising, search engine optimization and word of mouth will all generate traffic for your website and the more traffic, the better your business will be.

3. Content is the key to solving #1 and #2.

Driving people to do what you want them to do on your website starts with content. Text and photos have to tell people what your services/products are and what they need to do to purchase them. Content will also help you attract search engines to generate more traffic for your website.

4. Flash animation can only do so much to benefit your website.

Websites with flashy intros and other moving graphics might impress first time visitors, but they don’t do much else to benefit your website or your business. Search engines can’t read graphics, so there’s no benefit there for your rankings. The best way to use an animated image is to have a professional slideshow system (like SlideShowPro) with text captions that the search engines can read, giving you a benefit in both areas.

5. Update. Update. Update. Update.

When you live in the same house for a while, you start to realize things are looking a little dated and worn. Eventually, you might have to spend a little money to update your kitchen or your bathroom, but it adds to the overall value of your house. The same goes for websites. As times and technology change they get a little out of date and you have to make some updates to improve the value of your website and business.

Old City Web Services Thanksgiving Hours.

It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week! We hope you will enjoy the holiday with your families as we will be enjoying it with ours. Old City Web Services will be closed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24th and 25th for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen for business at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 28th. If you have an emergency over the holiday break, you can call our main number (904) 829-2772, follow the instructions to leave a message on our emergency line and someone will get back to you.

Other news & notes from OCWS.

We are ready to march forward after Facebook Marketing Bootcamp.

Facebook recently offered a three week webinar series with tips on marketing and advertising effectively on Facebook. We learned a lot from the six sessions and are ready to use those tips to help you promote your business. Soon we hope to begin conducting seminars in house to help pass along our knowledge of Facebook and other marketing essentials to you. If you would be interested in taking one of the courses, email shannon@oldcity.com with your contact information and we will keep you posted on future development.

OCWS launches a new site for New World Realty.

Marcus Wally and his team at New World Realty have a new home on the web. NewWorldRealty.com features a built-in content management system, professional slideshow and a special plug-in that allows visitors to search through the MLS real estate listings without leaving the website. Old City Web Services was excited to work with Marcus and we wish him and his team the best with their new internet home!

New OldCity.com is just around the corner!

If you’re a current advertiser on OldCity.com, you should have received a link to a sneak peek at the new OldCity.com in your hit report message for this month. Just in case you missed it, you can visit OldCityWebServices.com to check out a screenshot of the new site design and read about some of the new features that will benefit your business. Soon we will have a link to share with our advertisers so they can be the first to explore the new site!

You may have had your Yahoo, Hotmail or Bellsouth account for years, but when it comes to doing business online in 2011, customers prefer the professional touch of an email address at your domain. For example, if your website is bobswidgets.com, your professional email address should be something like owner@bobswidgets.com or talktous@bobswidgets.com.

2. You can still have your email forwarded to your old address.

As an Old City Web Services customer, you have the option to choose whether you check a separate inbox for your website email online or have it forwarded to another email account. If you’d prefer to save time and only have to check one inbox, let us know and we will forward your business email (like owner@bobswidgets.com) to your personal email account (bob@bellsouth.net). You can also have up to 10 business email addresses with each domain you host with OCWS.

3. When selecting an email account, don’t be afraid to get creative!

It’s common to see email addresses on the web like contact@bobswidgets.com or info@bobswidgets.com, but common isn’t always good. Those email addresses tend to get spammed more than others, so we advise injecting a little creativity into your email address. It will also make your address more memorable for your customers.

4. Send photos as attachments instead of pasting them into your email.

If you’re sharing pictures with someone over email, they will receive a higher quality image if you attach the file to your email instead of pasting the picture itself into the body of the email. In

WorldClient, it’s as easy as clicking on the paperclip button, choosing your file, and clicking the “Add as attachment” button! In Microsoft Outlook you can click the paperclip, select the file and press “Insert.”

5. Don’t forget about your junk mail!

While the filters on your email might catch a lot of spam and add it to your junk folder, it can also catch a few emails that are not junk. Make sure you check your junk mail folder once a week to see if there’s anything that was put in there by accident.

Sure, it’s more convenient to save your passwords for certain websites on your mobile device so you don’t have to enter it every time. But imagine how easily you could lose your phone or laptop, either by accident or at the hands of a thief. Now you’ve given a stranger direct access to your personal accounts. Take the extra time to enter your password, you won’t regret it.

2. Change your passwords often.

Again, even though it’s not always convenient, you should change your passwords often. For personal data such as bank accounts, credit cards, etc. you should change your password every 60 days. For email, social media sites, etc. you should change your password every 90 days.

3. Write your passwords down and store them safely.

It can be easy to forget your passwords, especially when you change them often. Keep a current list of your passwords in a safe location at home just in case. You may also want to write down answers to security questions (some sites use them for added protection) in case you need to reset your password. Each time you update the list, shred the old one.

4. If you share it, change it.

If you have to share your password with someone to get assistance with your computer, make sure you change it after your computer is fixed. Even if it’s a friend or family member, it’s better to be safe and start fresh after someone has had access to password protected parts of your computer.

5. Where possible, use computer generated passwords.

It’s tempting to create passwords from pet names, birthdays, kids names and other important monikers and digits in your life. But sometimes those passwords can be easy to decode, making them unsafe. Instead, consider using a computer generated password. There are several websites available that can create a random group of letters and numbers for you–just make sure you write it down (as we said in #3) since they can be difficult to remember!