Quick W.I.T.S.

Hey all, Things have gotten pretty hectic around here the last couple weeks. I have a couple of big projects due soon that I need to focus on, and it's also nearly the end of the year. I was planning to take a week or two off to spend time with the family anyway, but since I have these deadlines that have to be met, I've decided to increase that time off from the blog and posting to get everything done. As such, I'm putting the blog on hiatus until the new year. Have a great winter break, and I'll see you all again with new posts in January. To be clear: I am still working! If you need help with something, if you need web services or you're an existing customer, feel free to reach out to me the same as always. I am just temporarily suspending my social media activities. In all other respects, I am open for business. Thanks for your understanding. Have a great holiday! -- James

Hello, readers. Just a quick note to say I have some personal stuff to take care of this week, so there will be no blog post today. Normal posts will resume next week, and part three of Tools of the Trade will come out on Thursday, November 16th. Nothing's wrong! I'm just busy. Have a great weekend.

Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that my old work laptop is dying, and I've been in the process of ordering a new one over the last month or so (covered previously in my  worst customer service ever  article). Well, good news! The shipping tracker says my new laptop should finally be arriving today or tomorrow. After all the hassle with the last new computer and its defective parts, I'm a little surprised to realize that I'm still excited to have the new machine, even though a part of me is exhausted from it all and just wants it to be over. Getting a new computer is a pretty huge ordeal... for computer nerds, anyway! We don't generally settle for machines that you just open the box and turn on, and you're done. There is a lot of customization that has to be done, optimizing components, installing the software programs we're used to using, getting used to new software already on the machine and deciding whether or not to keep it, etc. I expe...

This week in Tools of the Trade, we will be discussing project stakeholders - the key people in your company that will help you implement changes or fixes to your processes, programs, or business practices. If you're not sure how to identify the problems that require changes or fixes, be sure to check out our previous Tools of the Trade article, Process Mapping . What is a stakeholder? A stakeholder is, simply put, anyone at your company who has a role or a stake in the process you are working on improving or adding. They can be the employees who perform the actual work, employees who are affected by the work once it's done, employees who depend on the results of the work to do their own work, managers who are responsible for the department the work gets done in, and so forth. The stakeholders of your project will be your key allies in figuring out what is causing your problems, deciding how to fix it, and helping you get the job done. Why are stakehol...

I didn't really have a proper article planned out for today, so it seemed like a good time to talk about time management. As a small business owner, you have to wear a lot of hats on a regular basis. In addition to whatever your actual company function is (IT consultant, plumber, electrician, artist, or whatever), you may also have to act as your company's accountant, bookkeeper, lawyer, tech support, receptionist, marketer, ad executive, web designer, research assistant, and so forth. That's just if you're a single employee company! If you have actual employees working for you, then you may also have to act as HR, trainer, manager, payroll, and conflict resolution as well, on top of your normal (paying) work. As a self employed family man with a working wife, the list gets even longer - I'm also a chef, personal shopper, house cleaner, and chauffeur. It's a daunting list of daily tasks all cutting into your work time, potentially preventing you from doing ...

When I came up with the idea for Tools of the Trade, the very first thought that came into my head was Process Mapping. It's pretty much the first thing any business analyst or project manager whips out of their bag of tricks whenever they start a new project. It's ubiquitous in the industry, because it's so powerful and diverse. Despite this, it's not something that has really made its way outside of the project management toolbox. I think that's a real shame, because it's so useful. With a bit of work, it can easily be adapted to almost any industry or small business, and help them to identify problems, make better decisions, and track their progress. So for my first Tools of the Trade article, we're taking an in-depth look at Process Mapping. What is process mapping? On the surface, process mapping is exactly what it sounds like. It is a visual representation of all the steps in a process from start to finish. To create one, you map out all the st...

Since I started this blog several months ago, we've talked extensively about many subjects related to running a modern small business, but almost all of it has been focused in some way or another on web design. We've talked about why businesses need a site, methods and design philosophy for the building the site itself, how to write good content, how to market yourself, and what makes good social media content. Starting this week, in my new Tools of the Trade series, we're going in a slightly different direction. For those who don't know, I worked as a Business Analyst and Project Manager for 20 years before I started Whistler IT Solutions. My job was to help companies streamline and optimize their operations, which included making custom reports, automating mundane tasks, reviewing and updating processes, and creating other custom software solutions to improve the level of information managers had access to and help them make better decisions. A lot of the skills ...

When I started this blog, my goal was always to help other businesses by offering tips and advice based on my own experiences as a small business owner, and on my professional training as a programmer and project manager. I wasn't looking for a platform or to make a name for myself, I just thought I could be helpful and maybe tell some interesting stories (also, if I'm being brutally honest, I also like to talk at length, so a blog seemed like a good outlet for a socially awkward person like me). Today's post is nothing like anything I've written before. I can only call it helpful in that, at best, it is a perfect example of what not to do. Sometimes, a company does something so bad, its only purpose could be to serve as a warning to others. Today, I want to talk about the worst customer experience I've ever had. The Setup For those that don't know, my work laptop has actually been dying for the last several months. Some of the components have stopped wo...

Nobody likes to hear this, but there is no such thing as a quick and easy solution to social media. Lots of people have lots of advice on the subject (I've offered some great tips of my own), but all of the good advice out there requires time, effort, and dedication to properly implement. You can't just throw a few pictures up on Instagram or post a few tweets and expect people to flock to your door. Don't get me wrong - doing something is better than doing nothing... just don't expect to get amazing results for zero effort. The truth is that social media isn't a race, it's a marathon. It's a strategy, not a solution. You have to prepare for it, pace yourself, and be dedicated. You have to stick to it, even when it seems hard and you feel like you're at the end of your endurance. Also like a marathon, there are a lot of other people out there with you. They're not necessarily competing with you; really you're all competing with yourselves, ...

Over the past month, we've been talking in depth about website content, and really focusing on design philosophy to maximize the impact and effectiveness of every page of your site. Today, I'd like to look back briefly on that overall design, and share some final thoughts on putting it all together into a complete, unified package. This is the final article in my Design in Detail series, the post mortem. If you haven't read the previous entries in the series, be sure to click the "Design in Detail" label at the bottom of this article to see them all, or just click here to go to the first entry. First, let's take a quick look at the four main pages of most business websites, and review what you should be trying to accomplish with each page: The "Home" Page Your Home page is usually the first page visitors see when they come to your site, unless they searched for something very specific that took them to a sub-page instead. So this is where fi...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope your weekend and your Turkey Day are both excellent. And to my American friends and followers out there... happy Columbus Day? :) I'll be back with a new article on Thursday, the final installment of our Design in Detail series. If you haven't read it yet, it's well worth your time. We take an in-depth look at all the major pages of a standard website, talk about design philosophy, and go over tips and tricks to make the most of your customer interactions on each page. If it sounds interesting, check out the first article  here . Thanks for stopping by!

Today, in the fourth installment of Design in Detail, we're talking about the Contact page of your website. While it's true that the Contact page is probably the most straightforward page on the site for most businesses, there are still some key pieces of information and best practices we should use to make sure we're getting the most out of the page, and that it's providing our customers with the tools and information they need to connect with us and conduct business. So, with that in mind, here are 5 tips to improve your website's Contact page: 1. Be Accessible You want people to get in touch with you. That's the whole point of the contact page. So be sure to include as many ways for them to reach you as possible. Some people are turned off by contact forms, since they don't know what happens with the info after they submit it. So include a phone number or email address as well. Also include your hours of operation - people shouldn't have to con...

Sometimes in business, your word is all you have. This is especially true for small businesses or businesses in small towns or rural areas, as you have fewer customers to interact with. Every interaction is vital, and a negative review or impression can drastically influence people's opinion of you in the community. It's important to keep your word, deliver on promises, and never commit to something you can't make good on. When you're running a small business, you are always "on," and can't afford to have an off day. It doesn't matter when someone calls, they are immediately your number one priority. This is the price we pay to try to go from a startup to a successful business. It may seem hard at first, but once you realize it's all the golden rule anyway, it's not so tough. Just treat every person you deal with the way you, personally, would like to be treated when you walk into a store. No, I don't mean accosted by 5 sales reps in 3...

In today's installment of Design in Detail, we're discussing what makes a good Product page for your website. This article will be a little bit different than the previous ones; every company is unique, and the products and services they offer vary greatly. So instead of listing out specific features you should include on your page, I thought it would be more helpful to review the overall design and layout of the Product page, and offer advice on how to catch your visitors' attention and turn them into customers. With that in mind, here are 5 tips to improve your website's Product page: 1. Avoid Clutter A lot of product pages are overwhelming, with tons of detail, lots of information, and options all over the page. This can make it hard to read (especially on mobile), and is generally frustrating to customers. The best thing you can do is to keep your page as simple as possible. Don't have a lot of fancy graphics taking up screen space, don't put too much...

It may sound like a no-brainer, but you'd be amazed how quickly client interactions can go poorly just because you're not speaking the same language they are. Your customers are telling you what they want and need all the time... you just have to learn how to hear what they're saying. There's more to it than just listening - anyone can listen. It takes more effort to actually hear them. In my years as a project manager, I developed an ideology for how to work with people to achieve the results that both you and they want. I called it the "L.E.S.S. is More" strategy, which stood for Listen, Empathize, Secure, and Satisfy. I know, it sounds like one of those cheesy business self help books, but it really works. Ultimately, all L.E.S.S. does is help you and your customer get on the same page, to ensure you're not working at cross purposes, and that nothing important is left out. Let's run it down: 1. Listen Again, it may seem silly to list this ...

The About Us page is the heart and soul of your website. It's probably the most important page on your site, it's usually the most visited page, and it is absolutely the hardest page to get just right. In today's installment of Design in Detail, we're looking at key features you should include in your About Us page, and how to make the most of this critical part of your website. To help us decide what to put on the About Us page, we really need to understand why customers look for this page in the first place. The primary reason is that they want to learn something about you and your business; not just who you are and what you do, but also things like what makes you special, what's important to you, or even why they should trust you versus your competition. With that in mind, here are 5 important features that I think every About Us page should include, in one form or another: 1. Tell Your Story Most of the time, the About Us page will end up having more t...

I've never understood why marketers and advertisers, who are already fighting an uphill battle for your attention, would choose to do something that is actively annoying. This style of web design is aggressive, selfish, and can really turn people off, whatever it is you're trying to do. Usually, when I see a site that uses these tactics, I won't even bother trying to fight my way through to read what I came to look for - I just move on to somewhere less predatory. Here are three modern web design trends that I really hate: 1. Popups Popup ads aren't exactly new; they're nearly as old as the internet itself. But in the last couple of years, thanks to combining them with scripting languages such as Java, they've gotten really nasty. Some sites pop up huge messages when you try to change pages, close the site, or don't click on whatever the designer wants you to click on. They try to grab your attention and force you to engage with the site, but all the...

People ask me all the time what content their website needs to be successful as a marketing tool. Whether you're building a website yourself or having one professionally built by a web designer, there are a few key features or aspects your site should always include to maximize its effectiveness. Today, I'm starting a new series of in-depth articles called "Design in Detail" discussing the pages that websites usually contain, and the features that you should be including to make the most of each page. Every Thursday for the next several weeks, I'll post a new article in the series, covering a new page. The goal of these articles is to help you make your website the best it can be, and to ensure you aren't overlooking any mistakes that could cost you customers. Be sure to check back each week so you don't miss out! Five Features Your Home Page Should Include Your home page is usually the first thing a visitor sees when they find your website. A...