Joy Wizard » Business Development

Business networking – a better way

Alex Webley — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 01:31:10 +0000

Do you attend business networking events such as Business Breakfasts? So called ‘social networking‘ events?

Do you have trouble keeping up the momentum?

Do you need lots of coffee (read caffeine) to make those 7am starts and keep going?

Perhaps you should consider a different way……

Here’s how you can build better business relationships more easily.

Personally I take the view that it is better to work with ‘natural life flow’, than against it.

Just some examples:

Early morning meetings can go against the body (hence coffee desire) and the mind (think preoccupation with day ahead).

A business meeting? Is that what you really need?

A social meeting (of business people) is perhaps better – get to know people socially – like people – make friends – build rapport – build trust – relaxed atmosphere – enjoy. Results will include long-term trusting business relationships. But hey, we did not have a ‘starched’ business meetup. So what.

Why make life hard?

Next time you decide to do some business networking, consider arranging something which builds on relationships in a relaxed environment.

And remember to look for opportunities to work with ‘natural life flow’ in all aspects of life. Work with the powers/laws of nature, psychology, philosophy, human nature. Study them.

Business networking – a better way is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Your Blueprint for a Fulfilling Life and a Successful Business

Alex Webley — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:30:16 +0000

Today I came across this fantastic video about 9 words which will enrich your life and boost your business.

Think about how you can apply the principles to your own life, business and relationships.

9 Words That Will Enrich Your Life and Boost Your Business

View more webinars from Content Crooner.

Download the 9 Words Screensaver here.

Your Blueprint for a Fulfilling Life and a Successful Business is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Added Google Adsense Today

Alex Webley — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:12:11 +0000

Today I added Google Adsense to my blog and website .

I have somewhat mixed feelings; on the one hand I like the look without ads, on the other, Google Adsense:

Provides an income.
Gives visitors more variety and interest. I know some Internet marketing ‘purists’ might say never to do things which may draw people away from your website/blog; however I am more focused on user experience and usefulness to my visitors. Some of these ads may help people, especially if the ads are related to my content.

Personally, I often find Google ads to be interesting and keep them enabled in my Gmail/Google Apps email for example. At times I come across something very useful indeed.

Another positive aspect about Google Adsense ads is that I learn things from the way they are constructed – about marketing (another expression for marketing is ‘conveying a message’) and communication.

I realize that some people do not like to see ads. I apologize to them/you; however I cannot please everyone, in every way, all of the time.

The ads also appear in my blog RSS feed.

What you REALLY need to know about Content Management Systems (CMS) for Web Design, Web Developers and Websites

Alex Webley — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:51:34 +0000

Ok, I will keep this simple. Read it all though as it might save you money, time, stress and hassle.

Just what you REALLY need to know about Content Management Systems (CMS) for Web Design, Web Developers and Websites.

A Content Management System can be a fancy name for a website (or blog). Content Managed Websites is another name for them.

I say “can be” because a CMS has a number of definitions, not all to do with websites.

Many web designers and developers push the idea.

One reason is that using a CMS for a website is a sound idea.

For you. AND for them.

A CMS is a good idea because non technical users can be easily shown how to create their own web pages using just a web browser – no special software or high technical skills required. It can be like using a word processor in a basic way (Word or similar).

Steps:

Web developer creates website using a CMS. This stage can be tricky and is generally best left to the professionals or technically competent/knowledgeable people.
Web developer shows client how to log in via a browser and add or change pages. Easy.
Client continues to update, change, remove or add web pages and web developer is not required. Cruisey.

Sounds good huh?

Yes, it is. To a degree.

Now we come to what you really need to know.

Would you build your house with bad foundations?

And would you pay much more money than you need to? On an ongoing basis too?

Here’s the catch. Now, it does not apply to every situation or web developer out there; but you want to be sure it is not happening to you – don’t you?

Cost steps and considerations:

You pay the web developer to build your website. Sometimes significant work is involved – in some cases the work is minimal. Situations vary. You simply pay to get your site built.
A website requires hosting. This can be problem area number one. Do you really know what you are getting and what you should be getting? For example; websites directed at a primarily Australian audience should usually be hosted in Australia (except in special circumstances beyond the scope of this article). Your web designer might provide hosting (for a fee), BUT: is it the best for you and your site? And is it too expensive? Perhaps it is ‘included’ in a bundle price such as cost for hosting and use of CMS. These are just SOME of the questions you need to be asking. (Some questions are technical and I have kept this simple).
Use of CMS – some web designers charge you a monthly or yearly fee to use the CMS. This can be bundled with the hosting fee at times. To some extent this can cover ‘maintenance’ of the CMS, however the work involved in maintenance can be minimal and your monthly payment can represent a large amount of wasted money – year after year.
Some CMS are technically difficult and costly to move, should you need to change web host and/or web developer in the future. Some are even proprietary (or bits can be). You can get in a real jam down the track. Difficulties in changing can adversely affect your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). If problems arise you could have huge bills.
Some CMS are technically hard to work with which can create upward pressure on costs and scarcity of competency.
Do you honestly think most web developers are going to genuinely consider your interests; especially your long term ones? You need to find out at the START what is best for YOU. Get your foundations right. Don’t fall for slick marketing spiel, or appeals to take what seems to be ‘the easy road’.

So what should you do?

Be careful when seeking a web developer. (There are loads of other reasons besides the above).
Start with finding out what you really need for YOUR needs. Bear in mind that you cannot really expect the guy with 26 fridge models in stock to try to sell you a model he does not have available, but which is far better for you. Same goes for most web designers.
Split the process and analysis into component elements. 1) Domain name registration 2) Hosting, 3) Website design (CMS or one other excellent solution – will cover that later), 4) Ongoing support needs

More detail on the component elements:

1. Domain name registration.

If you have not already got your domain name and want to buy one, do not assume you have to host with the same company. It may be a good idea, but not always. I recommend registering the domain name yourself. I have heard too many stories about people who thought they owned a domain name (having paid for it) only to find that it was actually registered in the name of a web developer and….you guessed….things went bad and the problems started. Believe me, if you do not have control of a domain name it can cost you HUGELY.

For Australian domain names I recommend VentraIP. Good prices, good value, reliable, slick, organized, quality – all the good stuff. I also recommend them for Australian web hosting.

For non Australian domain names and international web hosting I recommend Go Daddy. Like the previous example – good prices, good value, reliable, slick, organized, quality – all the good stuff. In fact, Go Daddy have even better value and customer focus than NetRegistry. I use GoDaddy for some of my hosting, however my sites are directed at an international audience, as well as Australian. You might notice that Go Daddy web hosting is cheaper than NetRegistry, and the features better; however if you have an Aussie website directed at Australians don’t be a cheapskate – having foreign web hosting will cost you in other ways (remember – I said I would keep this simple).

Remember to ask yourself this:

Do I want my web designer to provide my domain name, my web hosting, my website and the ongoing maintenance. Hey, maybe some SEO as well? Just think of all that control. I know it seems easy – a bit like going to the big supermarkets in a way – but is it sound? In some cases (simple brakes are on) wise people register domains in one place and host in another (but I will keep it simple and won’t go into why).

Before we go on….

Has your web designer told you any of this? Why not?

2. Hosting

See comments under ‘Domain name registration’ above.

3. Website design

Getting this decision right starts with the foundation. Here are my two suggestions:

a) CMS. If you want a CMS, use WordPress (the .org self hosted version – not WordPress.com – there are good reasons for not using the latter; beyond the scope of this article).

Make sure that your web designer uses WordPress. Besides being easy for you to update, remove or add pages/posts here are just some of the other reasons:

WordPress is the ‘gold standard’ CMS.
WordPress is common, popular and extremely well supported. Finding people to help you will not be hard.
WordPress installs are quite easy to move.
WordPress is free.
Excellent themes (ready made designs) are available. The one for this blog for example costs USD $79. Look for WP-MediaMag by Solostream here. Support from my theme developer Solostream is excellent.
WordPress has a huge amount of excellent plugins, most of which are free. Just one example is WordPress Mobile Edition. This free plugin “enhances your site’s interface for visitors using a mobile device. By automatically detecting mobile browsers, this plugin gives your blog a mobile/phone/PDA- friendly interface with progressive enhancement for advanced mobile browsers”. Take a look at my/this blog on your iPhone or similar device. You cannot afford not to have a mobile friendly version of your site today – this will become increasingly important in the future.
WordPress is quite easy to learn.
WordPress is slick and easy to use.
You can use WordPress for a static website or blog. It is not just for blogging. That said, you really should be blogging – either with a separate blog or one combined with a website.

Please note that with a WordPress self hosted website/blog, there will be periodic technical maintenance required. That said, it is not usually a lot.

b) Website building software. If you want a powerful, and I mean powerful, easy to use (Approx 2 hour tutorial will have you building a website) non CMS conventional website builder, then I recommend XSitePro. Either use it yourself, or ensure that your web designer does.

Forget Expression Web, FrontPage, (both Microsoft) or Dreamweaver. Take time to review the XSitePro website and you will start to see why. Frankly, I consider the thinking behind XSitePro to be so good that it bears the marks of genius.

And ask yourself:

Why is XSitePro website building software so popular with Internet Marketers?

What do they know that many of us don’t?

What could I be missing?

One of the big negatives about XSitePro – if you are a web designer – is that it can do you out of a job!

Simply speaking, XSitePro enables you to easily add pages just like using a word processor. Sure, creating a website is more involved (but still easy), however you can always get your web developer to build it for you. The resulting single export file can then be imported easily into your copy of XSitePro, complete with publishing passwords etc and you are good to go for adding pages etc. It is very easy/cruisey.

Free support for the website building software is superb.

And the price? Currently $197 USD! For elite level software!

I built my website (plus many others of my own and belonging to clients) using XSitePro.

Check out my website here: http://www.joywizard.net

Simple ‘prescription’:

Buy your own copy of XSitePro
Either build your own website or get someone to help you.
Once site is built, import into your copy of XSitePro (if someone else built it for you) and start adding your own pages.
Purchase a .mobi domain and point it to the special mobile device website that XSite pro creates. (Optional).

Here’s a cost saving tip: if you use XSitePro and want a site with loads of pages, then you can save money by paying a web designer to build the base website with just a few pages. Then you, or your staff, can add hundreds of pages easily without need of a designer.

PS: Spend the money you save on getting good ongoing search engine optimization (SEO). This is not all done during the site build stage.

Maintaining XSitePro is easy – it has a self updater.

4. Ongoing support needs

Periodic technical maintenance is required for WordPress self hosted websites/blogs. This is not usually significant and can be handled by technically competent non web developers if necessary.

XSitePro has a self updater (via button) and is easy to update. No hosting account access is required so even your grandmother could do it.

Conclusion

If you have ANY questions at all, please do get in touch. There is plenty more that you need to find out about building websites/blogs (and are probably not being told).

If you would like to find out more about how I can help you with building your website or blog please let me know. As you have probably realised by now, my focus is upon genuinely helping customers and focusing on what is best for them.

What you REALLY need to know about Content Management Systems (CMS) for Web Design, Web Developers and Websites is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Brainstorming about a new domain name for a client…(tip)

Alex Webley — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:02:19 +0000

Brainstorming about a new domain name for a client…

Currently I am developing a new website for a client.

We are brainstorming about the choice of domain name. This process has been going on for a couple of days.

Here is just one snippet that I emailed to my client:

Key thought…wear your customer’s head. It is not about you. It is about them. That is ALL most of them care about.

This morning they all tuned into WII FM on the dial.

What’s In It For Me = WII FM

This is worth considering for life in general too. It’s a fact. Ignore at your peril.

PS: Brainstorming can be helped by sleeping on ideas, and by switching off entirely and allowing the mind to focus (preferably deep focus) on other things. Hence the time it is taking in this particular case. With important foundational decisions it is imperative to get them right – without agonizing or any of the other negatives.

Brainstorming about a new domain name for a client…(tip) is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

User generated content for websites made easy.

Alex Webley — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:51:26 +0000

User generated content for websites made easy?

Yes, you heard right.

For those experienced Internet Marketers who want more info real fast click here.

But first of all, some of you will be wondering what user generated content is and why it is important.

User Generated Content (UGC) is any material published on a website by the website’s users. Simply speaking, it is important because we are in the modern age of social media, and interaction or communication with others via the Internet.

User Generated Content is changing the way websites work… fact! Now, for the first time you too can add full commenting and interactivity to your web pages easily. No more complicated coding or fiddly set-up routines - just fully-featured interactivity in minutes.

The new software, will work on virtually any type of site – not just sites created by XSitePro. So it will let
people using Dreamweaver, Expressionweb, etc. incorporate a really cool user generated content element to ANY of the pages they have created.

For the time being, you can get an exclusive, FREE 83-page Report on User Generated Content, featuring:

What is UGC? A detailed explanation
The history of UGC, and trend forecasts
Why UGC is so important to your business
16 Benefits you can derive from UGC
10 Benefits your visitors will enjoy
31 practical applications of UGC
16 pitfalls you MUST be aware of, using UGC
12 tactics you need to know, to avoid trouble
4 legal issues you may not know apply…
7 Tools and applications for adding UGC

Click here for more information.

User generated content for websites made easy. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Three Reasons You Need a Great Header Graphic for Your Web Site

Alex Webley — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:14:03 +0000

The single most important graphic element on your Web site or blog is, without a doubt, your header graphic.

If your site lacks an eye-catching, targeted and topic-specific header graphic, it runs the risk of being ignored by untold numbers of potential clients and readers. But an attention-grabbing, well-designed header graphic does three things that are absolutely essential for your site to survive and thrive:

1. It lets people know what your site is about instantaneously.

Congratulations, someone has visited your Web site! Now, whether he stays to look around or immediately hits the back button to escape depends largely on your header graphic.

Your header graphic is the first page element your site visitors will see when they arrive at your Web site or blog. An effective header graphic assures site visitors that they have arrived at the correct destination and it confirms that your content or product is exactly what they are looking for.

If your header does not clearly communicate your site’s topic, visitors will leave in search of another site that fulfills their needs and expectations better.

2. It distinguishes your site as professional and authoritative.

Your Web site or blog visitors must trust your expertise, whether you sell a product or relay information, in order for your site to be successful.

A sloppy, fuzzy, boring or poorly designed header graphic indicates amateur site management and will earn you the skepticism of everyone who sees it. A polished, error-free header graphic with clear images, sharp fonts and site-specific art, however, will earn your visitors’ trust because it lends credibility and sophistication to your site.

If your site design looks professional, visitors will expect that you are, too.

3. It brands your site with a unique identity.

Identity recognition is everything when it comes to building a successful business or personal reputation. You want your site visitors to be able to recognize your site next week, next month and next year, even if they only visited it once before.

A strong, unique header graphic combined with a positive user experience at your Web site or blog will ensure that your site visitors never confuse you with someone else. If your header graphic is doing its job, your site will stand out from the crowd and convey the message that visitors can count on you for products, services and information they won’t find anywhere else.

How you can create excellent quality header graphics for your website or blog:

Easily
Cheaply
Quickly

XHeaderPro, from the makers of the outstanding XSitePro website builder software….

Click here to check out this amazing new header design software! Released today.

Three Reasons You Need a Great Header Graphic for Your Web Site is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

BSOD or computer operating system failure – one way you can avoid it.

Alex Webley — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:20:40 +0000

A BSOD, or other computer operating system (OS) failure is usually a big inconvenience and waste of valuable time.

(BSOD = Blue Screen Of Death).

Perhaps you remember all the stress, pain and other feelings associated with the experience?

Should your computer be crucial for your everyday business or personal tasks, then you simply cannot afford a failed operating-system.

Should you have some computer software causing some system problems and creating plenty of computer downtime, then you need a solution also.

In these cases, prevention is usually better than cure.

One of the better methods of keeping your PC healthy is by using a Virtual PC.

A Virtual PC means that you can use more than one operating system at once on your Windows PC. A bit like ‘picture in picture’.

Some important points about using a Virtual PC:

1. You might use your virtual PC to trial software before installing it on your main OS. Thus giving you the opportunity to determine the way the product works, as well as see the way it will continue to work in conjunction with the other software installed on your computer.

2. Test upgrades to currently installed software before installing it on your main computer operating system. This enables you to test compatibility with other programs prior to installation.

3. Additionally you can run older programs if you have one that won’t install or run correctly on your main operating system, but which is fine on an older version of Windows. This can also help if you have software which only runs on 32 bit and you have upgraded your OS to 64 bit.

The key benefit of this is that you can’t damage the main operating system because the host (your main PC) and the virtual PCs are totally separate from each other (even though they are running on the same computer hardware). So, what you do on one operating system won’t affect the other.

Microsoft has a program called Microsoft Virtual PC, which is free. Microsoft Virtual PC runs on Windows 7 (though not every version – just Professional or Ultimate). If you are thinking of upgrading to Windows 7, but are hesitating because you have lots of old programs, then Microsoft Virtual PC will help you. More information from Wikipedia.

I have used Microsoft Virtual PC for some time now and have found it very useful indeed. Windows 7 is much better than Vista (and I had got Vista running very slickly).

BSOD or computer operating system failure – one way you can avoid it. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Time management – 20 minutes a day is really worth 3 working weeks!

Alex Webley — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:49:23 +0000

How much of your life do you want to waste?

Have you ever wondered why sales people often break down a cost into so much per day?

Perhaps you have seen those ads where they talk about how something costs less than a cup of coffee per day?

These are attempts to get you to see things differently than you normally would and obscure the cost (shock) of the offer.

Sometimes this approach can be of real benefit; such as when we genuinely do need a service or product yet are put off by the cost when considering the lump sum.

We can apply this way of looking things to other areas of our lives and benefit from being able to see the true picture of a situation.

Take wasted time for example…

20.00 minutes wasted per day -
365.00 ×
————————–
7,300.00 wasted minutes per year.

60.00 ÷
————————–
121.67 wasted hours per year.

40.00 ÷
————————–
3.04 wasted ‘working weeks of 40 hours’ per year.

Yes! When you waste just 20 minutes per day, every day for a year, you will have wasted over 3 weeks! (at 40 hours per week).

This illustrates why it is essential to look at issues differently.

Another example:

Perhaps you are an employer and simply analyse employee sick day records in terms of how many days have been taken per year. If you are not already doing so, I suggest noting which days of the week are taken. You might notice that an employee has 7 days off sick in a year and all, or most, are Mondays. This type of intelligence can indicate a problem which may not be ordinarily apparent. You might also want to see if two members of staff take the same sick days.

What can you measure today?

And how much more time can you save and put to better use?

Time management – 20 minutes a day is really worth 3 working weeks! is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

The Big Benefit of Time Management

Alex Webley — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:14:13 +0000

Effective time management requires–you guessed it–time. It seems a bit of a paradox, doesn’t it? To develop effective time management skills and effectiveness, you must take more time out of your busy schedule which already contains more tasks than you have time to accomplish. The investment of time used to schedule and better organize your time will create more time available to you in the long run.

So if you’re already overwhelmed by your to do list, and you find yourself making excuses not to do what you know must be done, then you need some motivation. You can find that motivation in the Big Benefit of Time Management.

And what might that big benefit of time management be, you ask?

Happiness!

Think about it for a moment. Why is it that when you can’t seem to drag yourself out of bed at 7:00 to get to work by 8:00, you will jump out of bed with great enthusiasm on a weekend at 5:00 to spend a day in your favorite hobby or pastime? Because the leisure activity brings you joy and happiness. You are motivated to get out of bed because you know the day will bring you happiness, as opposed to a workday which brings negative feelings, or even in some cases, misery.

So, in order motivate yourself to exercise effective time management, you must use the carrot of the Big Benefit of Time Management rather than a stick — you will then benefit from increased productivity. Remember, the more time you can free up, the more time you will have for your favorite activities.

To develop effective time management skill, start with what motivates you. Don’t worry about mundane tasks or activities that increase productivity, but rather think about the things you love to do. Think about the things that drive you to try and earn more money so you have more money to spend on them. Then make those things your priority, schedule them first, and schedule other things around them.

There are many places on the Internet where you can download a daily planner template or a free printable daily planner. Don’t get too caught up too long with what tool to use. A legal pad or wall calendar is good enough for now. The important thing is to get into the habit of planning your time and writing it down.

Let’s say the activity that brings you the most enjoyment is camping. First, decide how many days this year you want to spend camping. Then decide what times of year you want to use those days. Now that you have the number of days and the seasons, take a look at the calendar and begin planning which days specifically you want to spend camping. Block those days out on a calendar.

Next you must think about and evaluate what you need to accomplish so that you can spend that time camping. If you’re going to be away for a week, what must you do beforehand? Consider the “must do” items only, write them down, and then schedule the necessary time for those activities.

This is a simplified example, but you will notice how much more motivated you are to schedule other tasks when you first schedule your favorite activities. You are motivated because there is a reward of the Big Benefit of Time Management. Happiness!

The Big Benefit of Time Management is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Joy Wizard » Business Development

Business networking – a better way

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Your Blueprint for a Fulfilling Life and a Successful Business

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Added Google Adsense Today

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What you REALLY need to know about Content Management Systems (CMS) for Web Design, Web Developers and Websites

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Brainstorming about a new domain name for a client…(tip)

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User generated content for websites made easy.

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Three Reasons You Need a Great Header Graphic for Your Web Site

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BSOD or computer operating system failure – one way you can avoid it.

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Time management – 20 minutes a day is really worth 3 working weeks!

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The Big Benefit of Time Management

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