I had a great time down in G’ville two weeks ago. I strolled onto the University of Florida campus to talk with Professor Lisa Duke Cornell‘s ADV 4101 Copywriting and Visualization class. I walked the same route from Murphree Hall to Weimer Hall that I walked 12 years ago. Very cathartic.
Video screencast: Why you should 301 redirect your old URLs when launching a redesigned website
So your website has been around for a few years and it’s time to redesign. Maybe you’re planning to use a CMS such as Drupal, Joomla, or WordPress, and you want to use SEF URLs instead of your old “index.asp?pageid=123” dorky ones.
Sounds like a great plan.
Search engine marketing 101: three ways to get your site and business on Google, Yahoo, and Bing
“How much does it cost to get my site on Google?”
I get this question several times a week from small business owners, and my standard reply is:
“It’s easy. There are three ways. The first two are free, but it can take weeks or even months to see results. The third way will cost you, but you’ll get targeted traffic to your site within a few days. It’s best to do all three, but if you need leads quickly, then you should start with #3.”
Using open source content management systems for school web sites
We recently used open source content management systems for two education websites. For Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering, we used Drupal, and for Melbourne Central Catholic High School, we used Joomla.
The first site, for Georgia Tech School of Aerospace Engineering, was designed by Piszko.com of Atlanta. Motionbuzz completed the Drupal CMS integration. If you’re not familiar with Drupal, it’s the same CMS used for whitehouse.gov and many universities.
Some of my favorite books of the decade (2000-2009)
By Thomas Gapinski
I love reading. When I was younger, I devoured fiction like finger lickin’ fried chicken. But during the first part of the decade, I read mostly non fiction. I was just starting my business and needed to learn new computer programs all the time, so I would just buy a manual and figure it out. I believe in traditional education, but I learn best by doing. I’m a self-proclaimed autodidact—at least when it comes to some of the technical stuff I do here at Motionbuzz. After I discovered the free video tutorials on YouTube, I stopped buying how-to manuals and began reading more books about the big picture (of business and life).
Inspirational Husband-and-Wife Internet Entrepreneurs
Since 2004, my wife Sonja and I have worked together at Motionbuzz.com. The practice of working with one’s spouse isn’t revolutionary. Family farms and Mom-and-Pop businesses are the cornerstones of the American Dream. However, this arrangement still requires patience for newly indoctrinated spousal business partners.
Motionbuzz donates new website to Snoop Dogg’s Youth Football League
We are pleased to announce the recent launch of SnoopYFL.net, the official website of Snoop Dogg’s Snoop Youth Football League. Our involvement with SYFL dates back to 2004 when we were contracted by their previous web development firm to work on some Flash animation for the original SYFL site, SnoopYouthFootballLeague.com.
Advice for recent college grads looking for an advertising job
I’ve received many unsolicited resumes from college grads seeking employment. Most just earned a degree in advertising or graphic design and want any job in the industry. We’re not hiring, but I can offer some advice:
Website advice for small business owners: Make sure you have control
During the past few months, I’ve consulted several small companies who have left or are trying to leave their current web design company. I call them dot-refugees, and I’m always interested in finding out why they parted ways with their previous agency. They’ll talk, and I’ll listen. Sometimes it becomes apparent that the disgruntled business owner is at fault, and even the best web design company will fall short of their expectations.