Friday, June 04, 2010
As a Web site owner, today you must do everything you can to draw traffic to your Web site. There are the obvious methods of doing so – links to your Web site, search engine optimization (SEO) and search marketing. All of these are an ongoing process which of course will take time and money.
Many people forget something obvious – visually drawing traffic to your site. The most common way this plays out is when you are navigating bookmarks or manually typing a URL in your browser address bar and a list of previously-visited Web sites appears. Along with those addresses and Web site titles, there may also be an icon appearing. This is called a favicon, and your Web site should not be without one.
Favicon is a contraction of “favorites icon” and is yet another way for your Web site to stand out. It is technically an icon file on your Web server that is referenced in your Web pages and is displayed in the browser. Below is an example of favicons which appear both on the address bar and tabs of my Firefox browser.
 If you bookmark a Web page that has a favicon, it will also appear in your list of bookmarks, as shown in the accompanying screenshot. Favicons may also appear on mobile browsers as well. Note however favicons may not appear on older browser versions, as I have written before are still out there and in use. Most all current browsers will display them. As you can see, a favicon will help your Web page stand out among the others. It can also reinforce your branding beyond the Web page itself, helping lead people back to your Web site if they liked what they saw the first time.
 So what happens if your Web site does not have a favicon? You will see a blank rectangle resembling a piece of paper or simply nothing where the favicon would be, as shown in the accompanying screenshot. As a result, the title of the particular Web page which was bookmarked will have to do all of the work to visually draw people. Again, how does the saying go, a picture is worth 1,000 words?
If your Web site does not have a favicon, contact your Web site designer or developer and ask for one. Of course if you are unsuccessful, you can always contact us at Dunkirk Systems, LLC and we would be more than glad to work with you to make it happen. A favicon is a literally small file that can have a large impact on your Web site.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 06/04/10 at 01:15 PM
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Friday, May 28, 2010
Every time I walk by this it cracks me up, so much that I had to take a picture of it and talk about it here, and how it related to the Web. Below is a photo of part of a sidewalk in Chicago near the northeast corner of Madison and Canal Streets. And what you think you may see is correct, a piece of metal bolted over a hole in the sidewalk.
As peculiar as it appears, unfortunately it is not an anomaly. There are many sidewalks in the Windy City which are patched with metal or plywood. This is most likely the result of the fact that many sidewalks are vaulted (or hollow underneath) which is a throwback to the days when the only way you could get goods into a building were through a lift in the sidewalk to the basement. As the logistics – and cost – to repair a vaulted sidewalk are high, many times something is just bolted over the hole to cover it.
Ideally, the owner of a building with a vaulted sidewalk should be aware of their condition and appropriately budget for its repair or replacement, just as they should be anticipating other repairs in the building. The same holds true for the owners of Web sites.
Web Sites Need Repairs Too
There are 2 cases when a Web site needs to be repaired, with one being driven by the business and the other by technology.
From a business standpoint, a Web site should be closely synchronized with the entity it represents. This includes everything from an accurate phone number to an extension of services offered by the entity to the Web site. If the content of your Web site frequently changes and the site doesn’t have a content management system (CMS) then you should consider adding one, thereby reducing the cost of manually maintaining content. If you send statements or other documents to your customers, making these available on your Web site could reduce labor and mailing costs to get these out. As social media tools become more robust, integrating them into your Web site will give you an advantage to reach out to your fans and followers, who hopefully will become customers.
Technical repairs to a Web site can greatly vary. Whenever a new version of a Web browser is released, your Web site should be tested against it. In some cases, some code on your Web site, such as JavaScript, may not work in a new version. The Web site itself didn’t change, the browser did. As Apple is not allowing Flash to be displayed on the iPhone and iPad, if you have it on your Web site, it will not display on these 2 devices. As smartphones become more and more common, your Web site may require a mobile version to best display on these smaller-screened devices.
Be Prepared
Just as with a home or car repair, Web site repairs will need your time to be addressed, will need to be scheduled and will cost money. Where you cannot always anticipate when repairs will be needed (just as you can’t predict when your refrigerator will stop working) it is best to set aside some funds for your Web site’s eventual repair. How much you will need to save will depend on the size and complexity of your Web site, and your Web consultant can help you with this decision-making. As well, they can help you with identifying potential problem areas and recommend a schedule for you as well. If they cannot, feel free to contact Dunkirk Systems, LLC, as we are more than glad to talk to you about how to best manage your Web site.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 05/28/10 at 04:00 AM
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Thursday, May 27, 2010
A special hello to new readers of The Hot Iron, especially those who came here after reading the latest edition of the “Out of Date Newsletter” by Christopher S. Penn. I was mentioned in the newsletter which arrived in my inbox yesterday, and I appreciate the kind words!
Apparently I am returning the favor, as mentions from me in social media drove traffic to his newsletter. Of course you can only find out this information from analytics, which I have talked about quite a bit here. If you’re not already reading his newsletter or his blog, visit ChristopherSPenn.com and do so, not to mention the amazing marketing podcast Marketing Over Coffee he does with my good friend John Wall.
The Power Of The Last Post And Tweet
If you are new or a regular reader, you may have noticed I haven’t posted to The Hot Iron in a couple of weeks. I won’t get into any excuses as that is not important. But if you did subscribe, thank you, as many may not have found something relevant as of late and may not have chosen to. Also, if you read my Twitter stream yesterday, you may have seen more mentions of my wedding anniversary than anything business-related, as I took yesterday off. If you are following my tweets, again, thank you!
In a 24/7 world where attention spans are short, where we last left off is sometimes all people see from us. In social media and blogging, this is something to always be aware of. But then again, it is no different than a Web site with minimal or outdated content. You never know who will read, and when, and hopefully what they see is of interest to them. This is why on the Web pages of The Hot Iron I just have a link to my Twitter page, as sometimes the last one I leave is not always the best one.
Any Press Is Good Press
Despite this, I am thrilled to have the mention, especially as not everyone reads an email newsletter the day it is delivered. In my case, it was the next day – I was of course monitoring my email during the day and saw it in my inbox, but did not read it in full until today. Plus I subscribe to Donald Trump’s mantra that “any press is good press” as people are talking about you, and where you can’t control the message all the time, you can have an impact from what you say yourself.
Be on the watch for new thoughts and commentary coming from me here at The Hot Iron. Seriously.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 05/27/10 at 01:40 PM
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Thursday, May 06, 2010
 The next likemind will be Friday, May 21, 2010 in dozens of cities around the world.
In Chicago, it will be at Argo Tea, 140 S Dearborn St. at the corner of Adams and Dearborn Streets in the Loop from 8:00 am to 10:00 am.
I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, social media, et. al. For more information on likemind, you can read this great article on likemind from the New York Times.
No RSVP is required. You are also welcome to join the likemind Chicago Facebook group.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 05/06/10 at 04:00 AM
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Wednesday, May 05, 2010
 The next Chicago ExpressionEngine Meetup will be on Tuesday, May 18, at OfficePort Chicago in the Loop. During the first Meetup the idea of "opening the books" and sharing our work in EE was discussed. We now have our first volunteer for what will certainly be a lively discussion and learning experience for all.
Eryan Cobham of Cobwebs Consulting will be subjecting himself to a "code review" by the group for a site he is currently building using EE, and facilitating a discussion on the proper way to do accomplish certain functions in EE. Some topics may include: using extensions, URL segments, and any other questions that people may interest people.
View the details on this event and RSVP on the Meetup site. For more information and to join the group, visit the Chicago ExpressionEngine Meetup at Meetup.com.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 05/05/10 at 01:15 PM
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Monday, May 03, 2010
 Last week I wrote about my being part of Age of Conversation 3, a crowdsourced book written by nearly 200 authors from around the world. Recently I was interviewed by Rick Liebling on his blog, eyecube. The interview is now posted there, and I invite you to read it and get some insight into my involvement with this project. Rick himself is an AOC3 author, and has interviewed a number of other authors, and those interviews are being posted to his blog almost daily.
Stay tuned for more information about the release of the book itself.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 05/03/10 at 12:21 PM
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
 Imagine a book comprising a few different themes and written by almost 200 writers. Can you? Either way I am proud to say I, Mike Maddaloni, am one of those writers in the book The Age of Conversation 3, coming soon to a bookstore near you.
As you cam tell by the title, this is the third book of its kind in this series. Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan are the curators and editors of this project. It is a truly international project, with authors from around the globe and Gavin in Australia and Drew in the US.
The central theme of AOC3 is 'It’s Time to Get Busy!' and the book is divided into 10 sections: At the coalface, Conversational branding, Influence, Getting to work, Corporate conversations, Measurement, In the boardroom, Pitching social media, Innovation and execution, Identities, friends and trusted strangers. My piece will be in the 'Getting to work' section.
The Age of Conversation 3 will be released soon - look for another post here on The Hot Iron. All profits from the sale of the book are donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Special thanks to Gav and Drew for letting me be a part of AOC3 and for all of their hard work to make it a reality!
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 04/28/10 at 04:00 AM
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
As a Web consultant with Dunkirk Systems, LLC, I manage domain names for my active clients. Whether it's a new domain name or one that has been registered for years, I recommend to my clients they extend the registration of their domains for several years out.
Why? There are 2 primary reasons.
The first is a domain name whose 'age' is beyond 1 year has a higher ranking than a newly registered domain name for 1 year. This comes from both computers and humans. Some search engines, namely Bing, use the age of a domain in its search results algorithm. As well, people can give more credence to an 'older' domain name if they are questioning a Web site tied to a domain name or valuing the price of a Web site and its domain name.
The second reason is administrative. If a domain name is registered for multiple years you do not have to worry about renewing it every year. Of course you should have your domain name registered with a reliable and ICANN-approved registrar or through a domain name reseller like Dunkirk who does so and monitors your domain names as well.
You can register a domain name for up to 10 years in advance, why not do so? If you have any questions on domain names, feel free to comment here or contact me at Dunkirk directly.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 04/27/10 at 04:00 AM
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Monday, April 26, 2010
Trends research, innovation, and activation firm PSFK has just released their 2010 Good Brands Report. This is a study on 10 top global brands, their reason for inclusion and opinion on each from a panel of experts.
The Good Brands for 2010 are: Google, Apple, Jamie Oliver, MIT, Ace Hotel, IKEA, Nike, Twitter, Foursquare and Nintendo.
The opinions on each brand come from members of the Purple List, of which I, Mike Maddaloni, am a member. The Purple List is described as “a network of experts for hire. The list is comprised of designers, journalists, marketers, and entrepreneurs.” My quote for Google on page 5 of the report is as follows.
It Reads, “Google builds-in innovation, which most all other companies do not do. By allowing their employees the opportunity to explore their ideas, they are not only seeing fruits from this in new products, but surely happier employees and better primary work from them.”
You can get a copy of the 2010 Good Brands report here, or read the SlideShare report embedded below.
I appreciate the opportunity once again to be part of such a high-profile report, as I was quoted last year on Virgin.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 04/26/10 at 04:00 AM
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
As much as I strive to not talk straight politics here at The Hot Iron, it comes up. In this case, I recently read the book Common Sense by Glenn Beck.
If you are still reading this after the last sentence, thank you! I know some have strong positive or negative opinions of Beck, however I am writing this as I do about all books I read, penning my takeaways from it, which I received the book as a gift from a family member.
My greatest takeaway from the book was not from Beck's writings at all, rather from its appendix which had the full text of Thomas Paine's Common Sense, written in 1776. With this, Beck reinforces his points with the complete writings of the original pamphlet. Many authors I have read use numerous quotes to make their point, but not an entire piece. Granted it was probably easier as Paine's writings are in the public domain. But if you can, why not? It made it easier to read one set of points, then another.
Another takeaway from the book was to publish what you say. i am not a regular viewer of Beck's Fox News show, but I have watched it. What I read was in line with what he says on his show.
My final takeaway from Common Sense is to be a well-informed member of society. And I'll leave it at that!
Common Sense was a quick read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys political discussions or watches the author's show.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 04/25/10 at 02:53 PM
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