The Hot Iron

Friday, May 16, 2008

Reporting Web Site Bugs to Web Site Owners

Have you ever had a problem with a Web site?  Notice how I did not ask for a show of hands, otherwise there would be a lot of arms in the air right now.  When you encountered this error, what did you do?  Did you call the company, or try to contact them via email or the contact form on their Web site?

As someone who spends most all of my days on the Web, I encounter many.  If I do find an error or something out of the ordinary, sometimes I report it.  I say sometimes as when I do, I am often confronted with the sounds of crickets on the other end of the phone, get an automated, generic response or something that contains words but is not necessarily a sentence.

Why is this?  There are many contributing factors to this, including the typical siloing of functions within a company, the fact that who answer the phone or check the email from the Web site has no knowledge or way to process such a contact, and the Web site being accessed may be managed by a third-party or other entity outside the company and there are no lines of communication in place.  Where these are all realistic scenarios, they do absolutely nothing to serve those actually use the Web site, otherwise known as paying customers.

As an Internet consultant and Web developer, I work closely with my clients and sometimes directly to their customers to resolve any issues with a Web site solution I have provided them.  When I do get such a report, I check to ensure the following 4 questions are addressed:

• Who are they – their computer, operating system, browser, Internet connection speed and any programs that may be running while they are accessing the Web site
• What are they doing – the Web site they were accessing, including any and all links and where they linked from, and how they got to this point
• What happened – as much detail as possible, including a written or verbal description and screenshots
• What did they expect to happen – this is always helpful as it could be a case of mistaken expectations, or it could be they knew what was supposed to happen and it didn’t work that way

Generally people are willing to provide this information, especially if they are treated with courtesy and respect.  Armed with this knowledge, a troubleshooting path can be put together rather quickly and hopefully a resolution is close at hand.  That is, if you take the time to do your best to support the Web site user.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Stock Up On Forever Stamps - Postal Rates Increase on May 12 In US

This coming Monday, May 12, 2008, postal rates increase in the US.  For the most common postage value, the rate for a 1 ounce first class letter increases from 41 cents to 42 cents.  I never understood why they don’t raise it by a nickel every several years rather than a penny every year, but I digress.

To avoid the catastrophe of post offices running out of 1 cent stamps to cover the increase, the US Postal Service last year introduced “forever” stamps.  The premise is once you buy the stamp, it will always be valid for the 1 ounce first class letter rate.  So if you bought a forever stamp at 41 cents today, you would not have to add additional postage when using it on Monday when the rate increases.

I laud the post office for introducing forever stamps, as there is surely a significant cost for printing and distributing the additional postage stamps.  Not to mention you and I enduring huge lines at the post office to buy another penny stamp.  Plus you get some small satisfaction of beating the system.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Joffrey’s Coffee Tasting

Not too long ago I heard Joffrey’s Coffee was offering samples for bloggers to try.  As someone who is powered by coffee, I couldn’t resist to take them up on their offer.

Shortly after signing up on their Web site I received a sample pouch of Jamaican Me Crazy, a flavored coffee.  For the sake of full disclosure, the darker and more robust the coffee is the better it is for me.  A couple of my favorite coffees are Trader Joe’s Bay Blend and whatever is roasting when I am at Costco – seriously!  I brewed the pouch of pre-ground coffee in my Cuisinart Grind and Brew with the thermal carafe.

My verdict – I liked it.  Though a flavored coffee, it did not taste like there was syrup poured into regular coffee, as some flavored coffees taste to me.  It was a mild blend, but had a good flavor.  Plus there was no noticeable difference in my performance that day!

On Joffrey’s Web site they offer a huge variety of coffees, and I will eventually get through the extensive list.  I like to keep milder coffees on hand for visitors, and I will look into their bolder and darker coffees as well.

Friday, May 02, 2008

Radio Button And Checkbox Survey Hell

Not a day goes by where my inbox is not loaded with at least one email message asking me to take a survey.  I typically don’t mind sharing my opinions, however it has to be a win-win situation.  This is where I am able to respond to survey questions using a Web-based form that is not loaded with a million radio buttons or checkboxes, and after completing the survey I feel good about completing the survey.

By the use of the word Hell in the subject, you can guess I am not winning with many of these surveys.  Most times I click on a link, answer a few demographic questions, then I am onto the bulk of the survey.  And bulk is the right word, as I am presented with a page jammed packed with radio buttons – typically to answer questions on a scale of 1 to something – and checkboxes.

The problem is there is usually too many, tightly spaced, and I always miss some if not many.  There are usually no visual elements, like different colored backgrounds or lines, to differentiate each question.  When I am confronted with such a page, I usually click the “X” in the browser tab and close the survey, never giving my answers.

If I do make it through the survey, many times I have an empty feeling that I didn’t really provide any information, rather satisfied someone who was looking for some response unknown to me.  I once was told you can write a survey to get you pretty much any result you are seeking, and I believe it.  Surveys that either do not offer a general text box or offer too many seem to fit the bill.

When someone asks you for an opinion it generally gives you a good feeling.  Perhaps the real reason I find these surveys painful is that I never see any changes or results from them.

What do you think?  No radio buttons necessary for the response.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Should Entrepreneurs Reach Out To Their Customers For Help?

There’s that store over on the corner.  It is one of your favorite stores or you just go there once in a while.  But the next time you go by, it’s closed.  Not just closed for the day, but closed for good.  You feel bad as you liked going in there, but you may not have gone in there that often.  You think to yourself if you only knew that they were near that point you could have done something – blogged on them, told your friends or simply went in there more.

For me there were 2 such places, an awesome Vietnamese/fusion restaurant and a coffee shop.  Now a jeweler and a check-cashing store stand in each respectively.  But what if each owner reached out to its customer base for help, would I have responded?  I asked myself as I read about Toscanini’s, an ice cream shop I have visited in Cambridge, MA in a recent issue of Inc. magazine.  In this case, getting behind on paying their taxes resulted in the store closing, and after an Internet appeal they were able to raise enough money to reopen.

As I said before, you can’t mess with the numbers.  However, they did and paid the price for it, literally.  Had they reached out earlier to their customers, how would they have reacted?  How would I have reacted?

It’s times and events like this I appreciate the business networking connections I have made.  As astute of a businessperson you are, it is easy to get caught up in the minutiae of your business and sometimes not see things with clear vision.  This is when it helps for others to step in and offer advice, sometimes merely describing the situation as they see it.  For Toscanini’s, they could have had an ice cream festival or some other event to bring in people and have a spike in sales, which could have helped their bottom line.  With their stores being literally feet from the MIT and Harvard campuses, who knows what ideas could have been presented had they asked?

Your business may be yours, but it is also part of your community.  Keep this in mind in good times and in bad.  Where it takes a village to raise a child, those same villagers are integral to your business.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Don’t Mess With The Numbers

So how was your tax season?  For myself and Dunkirk Systems, LLC, it was not bad, namely because we have a certified public accountant (or CPA for those of us acronymically inclined) who is also a certified QuickBooks consultant.  As a result of the guidance and consulting he has provided over the years, year end is extremely straightforward.

When I started out in business, I realized I knew my strengths, and numbers isn’t one of them.  I am not completely inept at accounting, but I just didn’t want to be laboring over numbers, I wanted the numbers to be laboring over me!  I sought out such a professional, found one, and it is one of the best decisions I made.

There are many ways to run your business, and many ways to not run your business.  Having a firm grasp on the numbers – not just your bank balances but what you owe in taxes as well – can be one of the best indicators on how you are doing on a day-to-day basis, as well as telling the overall health of your business.  We hire lawyers for legal help and we go to doctors when we are sick.  A good CPA who understands your business and how you manage it financially can be a trusted partner to your success.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Next likemind coffee in Chicago on Friday May 16

The next likemind coffee will be next Friday, May 16, 2008 in dozens of cities around the world.  In Chicago, it will be at Gallery 37 Cafe, 66 E. Randolph, at the corner of Wabash in the Loop in the Gallery 37 building.  Note it opens at 8.

I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, et. al.

We will experiment again with some form of social networking for those who can’t make it.  You can follow us on Twitter @likemindchicago.  No RSVP is required but is always welcome, and you can by commenting to this post or at the likemind Chicago Facebook group.

Friday, April 25, 2008

My Take-Aways From The Book The Age Of Conversation

Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?  It can happen to anyone, and the remedy is to engage in the conversation of the room.  So not to look like a bull in a china store, you put yourself out there, introduce yourself, listen and participate.  Soon you will shed the wallflower costume.

Broaden the scope of the room to the entire planet, and that is the idea behind the book The Age of Conversation.  If you are reading The Hot Iron or other blogs, you may have seen the word “conversation” used a lot.  Rather than people posting static comments on a Web site, they (as done here) open it up to comments, thus making the post a topic of conversation and comments the interaction of the conversation.  In this book, Gavin Heaton and Drew McLennan posted a topic – on conversation itself – and received 103 comments, which are compiled and presented in book form.

My greatest takeaway is that, at a high level, conversation online is not much different than offline.  Norms of having a dialogue with people you have just met or really don’t know still apply, and the idea is to engage with others.  Of course the online medium provide greater advantages you don’t get offline, such as engaging with people on the other side of the planet or typically untouchable CEOs.

Another takeaway is that we tend to gravitate to people we share a common opinion or approach with; likeminded individuals.  With 103 ideas presented, naturally you won’t agree with the content or approach of all of them, and that was the case with me.  Ideas presented by people that were practical or less prophesizing resonated with me more as I tend to take a more practical approach.

A final takeaway was the need for such a book.  More and more I find myself explaining social media and networking to people, whether they are friends, clients or colleagues.  In the grand scheme of things it is still a new topic.  A book like this can serve as an introduction to what you can gain from having such conversations, as well as be a catalyst for creating your Facebook account once and for all.

I recommend The Age of Conversation for both folks in the conversation and not.  It is not all words either – there are several illustrations, with my favorite being from my friend AJ in Sydney, Australia.  Interestingly, through AJ I met Gavin Heaton several years back.  Through this book, I have reconnected with him, as his name rang a bell when several other people recommended the project behind it to me.  Which is the whole idea, isn’t it?

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Reevaluate for Earth Day

Today, April 22, is Earth Day.  It is the one day designated each year, since 1970, to become more aware of our Mother Earth and how to be better inhabitants.

Myself, I believe I am doing good to my planet.  From everyday recycling to the steps I outlined in my draft Dunkirk Systems, LLC environmental plan, I try to work environmental protection into my everyday decisions.  Interestingly, these often relate to cost savings.

So what are you doing for Earth Day?  If you haven’t come up with anything, allow me to make a suggestion, adding a 4th “r” to the list – reduce, reuse, recycle.  By reevaluating decisions you make, this will make the other subsequent steps easier or even moot.

Here’s an example.  By deciding not to accumulate grocery bags I decided to get a reusable, durable Reisenthel nylon shopping bag like the one pictured here (I bought mine in Germany, but they carry them at The Container Store too).  By reevaluating, I am thus reducing and reusing.

Small steps, done by many, add up to a lot.  Please share anything you are doing for Earth Day.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Professional Colors

Is there such a thing as a professional color?  This is something I have talked about with several people over the last few weeks.  When shopping for a briefcase, luggage, or even computer products, should you select a color, or go with something neutral (read: black or silver)?

One colleague was questioning if they should purchase brightly colored luggage, namely so it sticks out from the sea of black suitcases and Pullmans coming down the conveyor belt at baggage claim.  However, as she usually goes right to a client site from her flight, she didn’t want to stand out for her color choice over her professional qualifications.

Another colleague pondered if he should get a brightly colored case for his computer, namely orange, as shown in the accompanying photo.  There are other options, but one reason for getting a standout color was in the unfortunate event it gets stolen, he may see the computer being taken away with its bright color.  But similar to my other colleague, he didn’t want to be known as the “orange computer guy.”

What say you – is it ok to liven mundane things up with color, or not, or does it just depend?