OK, here it is. Technology *can* make life simpler. Here’s a brief video I made about how to sync your Gmail account with your desktop email client. In this case, since I use Mozilla Thunderbird, this video shows you how to sync with Thunderbird. But the exact same technique and instructional page also shows you how to sync with Outlook or several other popular email clients.

Your life. Made simpler. Glad I could help out.

Twitter: @OutSpokenMedia
Twitter: @TheRedHeadSaid

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any interest in the new “Places” feature on Facebook. What I know for certain is that I don’t want my friends (or foes) checking me into places, legitimately or otherwise.

I put together a very short screen cast video showing you how to disable this feature on your Facebook account. I hope some of you find it helpful.

It’s time for a change at 1955 Design. A new look is on the way, under development, in the works, being completed, in the process … you get the picture.

I have decided to incorporate the Genesis Theme Framework into my own website. Stop back soon to see how it looks!

Dear E-Mail Spammers:

If you have an .RU domain suffix your email is going directly to my junk mail folder where it will be deleted before I ever see it.   If you really need to get in touch with me it’s best to just call me on the phone. My number is in the phone book.

Best regards,

Dave Zemens

Wow. Check out the ad copy below from CraigsList. If you are an internet marketing specialist $8.00 per hour awaits you. Like I’ve said before, what’s the point of CraigsList? The text below is the actual ad, and the pay rate is actually $8.00 per hour. Some specialist, eh?

Internet Marketing Specialist

Marketplace Homes is the largest seller of new construction housing in Metro-Detroit. This year we will sell over 200 new construction homes while managing hundreds of rental property as well. We are quickly growing and need your help to continue our online marketing efforts to help even more clients build amazing new homes.

What we provide:

1) An exciting work environment and small company atmosphere
2) Room for growth
3) A place that will listen to your ideas and run with them
4) A company that values ideas and worships execution

What we are looking for:

1) Someone with a passion for real estate and problem solving
2) An individual that has a knack for computers and the internet
3) A candidate that is interested in marketing

What the position entails:

1) Flex schedule available 20 to 40 hours per week Monday to Friday
2) Sending weekly E-mail updates to potential clients
3) Listing rental properties online
4) Working with our marketing team to coordinate our internet marketing efforts
5) Helping to drive traffic to our website
6) Helping to streamline and automate our systems and processes
7) Answering Phones / office help / helping our clients when needed

My favorite Cragislist “Help Wanted” advertisement goes something like this: “I need someone to build a website for me just like Facebook. Only better.” Or: “I need someone to build a website for me just like Twitter. Only better.” And they’re always willing to “split the profits” with a hard working website developer.

News flash: Facebook and Twitter have already been developed.

OK, here’s the deal: Do you need a website to conduct simple, straightforward ecommerce all the while maintaining the familiar WordPress dashboard and integration that you are used to using?

If so, get in touch with me today. Today might be the day you start selling online. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Wouldn’t it be great if your website was as simple to use as an Apple product or a Google web page? I think it would. What do you think?

I have been shopping for a cost effective e-commerce solution and stumbled on ECWID. Wow. There’s some features I would like added, but on first look it’s pretty much got it all from multiple payment gateways to inventory management to a drag-and-drop shopping cart. Very neat package and ridiculously easy to implement.

Although I am a devoted Firefox user, I have been testing Google Chrome for the past few months.  I am impressed with Chrome’s speed, and it seems like a pretty slick browser, but I am annoyed by one thing:  page flash.

When moving from page to page at the same website, each page load causes a complete page refresh, to include even elements that are consistent from page to page, such as page header graphics.  Is it just me or do you see this, too?  If so, do you find it annoying?

The Ashleigh Iserman Boating Safety Foundation was established to honor the life and memory of Ashleigh Iserman. The goal of the foundation is to help promote boating safety education in order to keep our families safe on Michigan’s waterways.

It was a pleasure to be chosen to develop this website. As usual, I used WordPress as the content management system. The client was happy with the finished product and so was I!

I am excited to announce the roll out of a new website for a candidate for the state senate in Michigan.

Kim Russell has recently announced her candidacy for the Michigan State Senate as a Republican from the 12th District. Her website represents the vibrancy and passion that she will bring to the race and I was pleased to be selected to develop her campaign website.

As usual, I developed this website using WordPress as the back end content management system. I am very pleased with the design of the website and wish Kim the best in her election efforts.

As I noted in a previous article, I have not had good luck at all looking for project prospects using Craigslist. I have found this to be true even when I have seen what appear to me to be legitimate advertisements for web design services. By legitimate I simply mean that the ads are well thought out, present what appears to be a comprehensive review of the needs of the project, etc.

My Personal Favorite Craiglist Ad

I have a WordPress site and need a form fixed on it using javascript. Should take 5 minutes for someone to fix it.

Fairly regularly I see an ad like this on Craigslist. They vary in terms of the choice of words, but essentially what the ad says to me is as follows: “I don’t have any idea how to fix a problem that I have determined to be simple to fix. Even though I have no idea if the problem will be easy or difficult to fix, I am reporting to you that the problem is so easy to correct that I will pay you essentially nothing to take on this project.”

Usually these ads then ask for a resume to be submitted, a portfolio to be made available and references to be checked.

Don’t even try.

Late last week I was contacted by a client who needed some help with a WordPress blog that he had installed and customized. He was on a tight time schedule and wanted his new website completed as quickly as possible. To complicate matters just a bit, the client was on a business trip that took him from his home in Quebec to Los Angeles for the week. The client wanted his new Corrugated-Pipe website to be up and running within the week.

In order to complete this project within both the time frame and budget I had to fall back on some previous WordPress themes I had been working on in my spare time. One of those themes was to the liking of the client and we agreed to utilize that theme, with modifications, to complete this project.

During the next seven days the client and I worked exclusively via email with the client doing almost all of the project review using his Blackberry. I am very proud to say that the project was completed on time and to the full satisfaction of the client. In fact, I completed the website installation, plugin installation and conent insertion while the client was enroute from Los Angeles to his home in Quebec. When he arrived home he found his new website up and running and looking good. He’s happy, and so am I.

Creating a professional presence on Twitter is important to the success and branding of your social media efforts. While it is impossible to address even a tiny portion of the various techniques and approaches in this article, I do think it is possible to highlight some simple ways to make your Twitter account more professional.

What is the purpose of your Twitter account?

How do you see yourself using your Twitter account? Do you intend to use it to connect with friends and family, or is it a business tool to connect with clients or potential customers?

If your Twitter use will be predominantly for personal use, then you can probably stop reading this article now. But if Twitter is going to be used as a business tool you may want to read on.

1. Get a custom background

A professional appearance starts with a custom Twitter background. Not only does a custom background help brand your business, but it can be used to show a wealth of information that is not possible to display simply using your Twitter profile information. A great example of a custom background can be found at Chris Brogan’s Twitter page.

2. Use a personal photo of yourself

It’s generally agreed that a personal photo, rather than a business logo, is the best image to use for your Twitter business account. The photo you choose does not have to be a professional studio shot, but rather a nice photo showing you in a personal way. Depending on the type of business you have this photo can take many forms. You are the best judge of the image you wish to present. Choose a personal photo that fits how you want others to perceive you.

People love to establish relationships on Twitter and it’s hard to establish a relationship with a business logo, but it’s easy to establish a relationship with a personal photo.

3. Use your phone number

Real businesses – even those who conduct all their business online – have a phone number. Make certain that you include it somewhere in your Twitter profile, or at the very least in your custom Twitter background image.

4. List your email address

Ditto for an email address. Make certain there is an easy way for clients or customers to contact you. List your email address in your Twitter profile or in your custom background image.

I think it’s best to use a separate email account for your Twitter contact. Fortunately, services like Gmail make it easy to have a secondary email address for your Twitter account.

5. Be careful with your Tweets

Those who choose to follow you on Twitter do so for a reason. In order to establish a trusting relationship you need to make certain that your Tweets are professional and appropriate. Assume everything that you Tweet will be saved forever because it undoubtedly will be.

Interact regularly with your followers, but choose your words wisely.

6. Tweet regularly

Your followers want to hear from you. That’s why they signed on to follow your Tweets. But don’t overdue it. Each situation is different, but make certain you don’t Tweet to the point of being obnoxious. Your followers want to hear from you – but only so often! The frequency is up to you.

7. Only follow people that you are truly interested in

You and I both know that it’s not possible to follow thousands of people on Twitter. There simply is no way to stay current with that many people. Although it might be cool to follow 3,000 people, I think most of us recognize that a number like that is really meaningless in terms of relationship building. Keep it real. Follow only those people who interest you and with whom you have time to establish a social media relationship.

I hope these suggestions will be of some help as you establish your Twitter presence. As always, please leave a comment and let me know what things you do as part of your Twitter strategy.

I understand that Craiglist is a major website that tens of thousands of people have successfully completed transactions on. My experience using Craig’s List has been less than effective.

On a regular basis I visit Craigslist to see what type of web development and web design projects are available. Quite regularly I respond to the advertisements. In many cases my skill set fits exactly what the client is looking for. Exactly. As of today I have yet to get one single return call or email from any job posting I have ever responded to on Craig’s List.

Perhaps my prices are too high. Perhaps my skill set is less than I think it is. Whatever the case, it’s becoming quite apparent to me that Craig’s List is never going to produce a single client for 1955 Design.

What has your experience been?

I waited patiently to get my invitation to Google Wave. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, my Google Wave invitation came. Like a child on Christmas Day I followed the link and got Wave up and running. “Here we go”, I thought. Time to move into the next generation of email and collaboration tools.

Wow, was I disappointed. Quite frankly, I just don’t get it. And I don’t see what the big fuss is. I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t used Wave for long, but quite frankly I am underwhelmed. I was expecting something that was going to knock me off my feet. Perhaps my expectations were too high. Perhaps the fact that this is Beta software still under development is a factor. Perhaps the fact that I just don’t full understand Wave’s capabilities is also a factor. But I just don’t see what all the hype was about. Heck, I see big names in the tech industry like Chris Brogan are Tweeting the same thing.

Like much of the world, I just love Google. I love Gmail, Analytics, Webmaster Tools, Google Apps, Google Docs. You name it, I love it. And I thought I would have the save reaction to Wave. But not to this point.

For anyone interested, I do have several Google Wave invitations left to pass on to others. If you would like one of those invitations, leave a comment below asking for one and I will send it your way.

What has your experience been with Google Wave? What am I missing? Please enlighten me!

Photo courtesy of Duncan Rawlinson

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I was surfing around my Facebook account yesterday and noticed that my daughter-in-law, who works for the largest cement and construction materials manufacturer in the world, had just joined the Facebook page of her employer.

We all can agree, I think, that being a cement manufacturer is neither the most exciting or tech oriented business. That being said, however, even Lafarge recognizes the need to establish a social media presence. Has your business made the same move to social media? Has your business recognized the need to develop your brand and to add to your customer base?

If you business isn’t using social media, you are doing something wrong. Isn’t it about time your business made the jump and began using social media to develop and protect your brand? Here are ten tips that offer you a road map to help establish your business at Twitter.

1. Create your Twitter strategy. Develop a plan about what Twitter can do for you. Make it a written plan. Everything has more impact when you write it down. Twitter can be used in many ways; as a listening tool to hear what others (including your competition) are saying about your business; as a method to share news and updates about your company or product; as a customer service forum where you can resolve issues related to your customer experience; you get the idea. There are many, many ways to integrate a Twitter strategy into your overall business plan. How you do so takes considerable thought. Don’t short change the planning of this strategy as proper planning is a key element in the success of a Twitter campaign.

2. Become an expert in using Twitter Search. Using Twitter Search will allow you to track what others are saying about your brand. It will also allow you to track your competition and to learn what they are doing right – and what they are doing wrong. Spend some time learning how to use Twitter Search to best serve your business.

3. Show your human side. Remember, Twitter is a social media forum. You absolutely need to show your customers, and potential customers, that you are human. You need to interact with them. If you use Twitter as a one way exchange it simply becomes another form of direct advertisement to your followers. Most people can smell an advertisement a mile away. Pretend, instead, that you are sitting in your local coffee shop with your Twitter followers and exchanging information with them. Remember to be polite, friendly and to respond to their needs. Learn how to use Twitter’s retweet and respond features. Use them liberally. Be prepared to react quickly to both customer complaints and customer praise alike. Be human. We all know what that means. Just do it.

4. Work hard to solve customer’s problems. Everyone understands that your Twitter strategy will involve advertising the benefits of your business. But it’s important to always remember to help solve customer problems as they appear in your Twitter stream. The praise of a happy customer travels fast over Twitter – but so does the complaint of an unhappy customer. Which side of this transaction do you want to be on?

5. Make your Twitter experience easier by using third party software. Managing your Twitter accounts is much easier if you use third party software to do so. I prefer TweetDeck, but your preference may be for another tool. Take the time to check out the various third party software tools for Twitter. It will be time well spent.

6. Follow people involved with or interested in your industry. It’s also important to use Twitter to follow your competition and others who are integral in your industry. Pay attention to what your competition is saying. Pay attention to what your competition is doing. Once you see what they are doing successfully with their Twitter stream find a way to integrate a similar approach in your Twitter stream. Remember, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

7. Learn about the Twitter @ feature and respond to it. It is absolutely imperative that you respond to @ requests from your Twitter followers. It’s the equivalent of calling you on the phone or sending you an email. You would not ignore those two methods of contact, would you? Don’t ignore the @ contact from a Twitter follower, either.

8. Ask your Twitter followers what they want. You have developed a base of Twitter followers who are interested enough in your business to follow you on Twitter. Don’t forget that you can learn much from your own followers. There’s an easy way to learn what your followers want from your business, what’s working and what’s not, etc. Ask them! It’s that easy. Then, when they have answered, don’t forget to say “Thank You” via an @ reply to them!

Plan your Twitter campaign before you roll out your new Twitter presence. But don’t waste any time getting involved. Your competition is already Tweeting away. Isn’t it time you got on board?

It has been my experience that determining what price to charge for web design work is one of the most difficult tasks that any freelance web developer faces.  There are many factors that go into determining value.  Here are my suggestions about how to determine what price to charge for your web design project.

What is Your Experience Level?

What is the value of your experience developing websites?  Is it fair to only charge “by-the-hour” when it has taken you years and years of experience to be able to offer a solution to the problem at hand?  That being said, I think it’s only fair to factor your experience and training into defining a project price.

Is Your Work High Quality?

The quality of your work is subjective, of course.  Step back and try to be objective when determining how good your work product is.  Compare your workt o others in your niche.  Does it stand up to theirs?  Is it superior for some reason?  Or does it fail in comparison.  These are all factors to take into consideration when settling on a price for your project.

How Long Will the Project Take to Complete?

Needless to say, the longer a project takes to complete the higher the cost.  Don’t forget to take into account the necessary research and planning time that goes into the design process.  It has been my experience that most projects take longer than originally anticipated, so plan accordingly.

When Does Your Client Need the Project Completed?

The sooner the project needs to be completed the more it is likely to cost.  Why?  Because working on a short time line often involves putting in overtime, working weekends and holidays, and taking other steps to meet the deadline.

If you want your project done quickly, you should always expect that it will cost more to complete.

What’s Your Gut Feeling About the Client?

With experience, all freelancers begin to develop a “feel” for their potential and current clients.  Will the client be easy to work with?  Will the client be accessible to answer questions as they occur?  Will the client provide content in a timely fashion?  Does the agreed upon design process involve approval by multiple people or various levels of management?  All of these factors – and others – can help  you develop a gut feel about your client.  Price your project accordingly.

How Busy are You?

Supply and demand applies to your time as well.  If you are swamped with work you may wish to price your potential projects higher.  You only have so much time to commit to your workload, and how you price your projects will play a significant role in how many projects you have stacked up at the moment.

On the other hand, if you are experiencing one of the slow times that we all experience from time to time, you may want to drop your prices some to win the current project.

Can You Offer Anything Your Competitors Cannot?

Do the services you offer differ substantially from those of your competition?  If so, this works to your advantage when pricing your project.

Are There Any Special Features Required by the Project?

Will client training be required as part of the project? Does the client want a Content Management System to update their own content?  Is the client experienced enough with the CMS to not need extensive training?  How many people will need to be trained?  All of these factors, and others, must be considered when determining what to charge for your project.

How Badly Do Your Want This Project?

If your are short on work at the moment, then you probably have an incentive to price the project lower to give yourself a better advantage to win the project.  Another factor to consider is the exposure that this particular project may offer you.  Is it for a high profile client that is likely to offer your future exposure that will more than likely bring more work to you?  If so, you may want to take this into consideration when developing your project price.

I would be interested in hearing what factors you take into consideration when determining the price you charge for your web design projects.  Please leave a comment and let me know your tips and suggestions.