In 2011 more than 100 million North American users accessed the web via iPhones and other web-ready devices. Web retailers are no longer able to wait and see how this trend will affect Ecommerce.  In fact, mobile Ecommerce has been a powerful force for some time and I expect the U.S. Ecommerce market as a whole reach the $200 billion range in 2012.

For online retailers an Ecommerce site built specifically for mobile users may have been a value-added feature in the past, but stores that make it difficult to purchase on mobile devices are losing an increasing number of opportunities. Totera customers taking advantage of our Shopsmith Ecommerce shopping cart software already have mobile editions of their storefront. The current version of our shopping cart software comes standard with a mobile site which is automatically deployed to customers using mobile browsers and also gives users the option to explore the standard version of the site if they prefer. Categories, products, and branding remain consistent on both sites and all content, sales, and inventory data is managed within the same easy-to-use control panel.

Online tools like http://www.testiphone.com/ enable you to test how your site performs on mobile devices. If you are serious about your online store, I recommend partnering with an Ecommerce firm that can provide you with the tools, training and marketing required to make your online business a success.

Tags: ecommerce, mobile web design

Have you thought about expanding your reach and servicing more of your clients’ needs? Establishing a relationship with an experienced IT firm might be the smartest business move you make this year. But what should you look for when hiring a tech firm?

Customer support
Make sure the IT team has the best interest of your customer in mind with every decision. If your customers are used to getting quick phone response from you, but you get a slow email response from your provider, it could make your customer lose confidence in your ability.

Fist you need to decide how your relationship with your customer and IT provider will work:

• Will they be contacting the customer on your behalf? Or will you be the only point of contact.
• Sign a non-compete agreement and work out the details of how any future sales will go. For example if your customer contacts the IT company directly to perform services, we provide 25% commission for 12 months.

Communication skills
We are in the communications business. Choose an IT team that can help you understand the technology that you are providing to your clients.

• Are they able to clearly explain the technology? Is it scalable? Secure?
• Are they able to provide valuable suggestions for new technology.
• Are they able to explain the technology without sounding conceited or making the client feel stupid?

Appropriate company size
When searching for an IT team that is the best fit for your needs, ask yourself, “What size should my IT team be?” Will you need backup staff with 24/7/365 support, or will a one-person shop be enough?

• An IT firm that is too large for you may not provide the level of customer service that you need. Imagine your customer calling because they need a change and your IT service provider not getting back to you for three days. That reflects poorly on your business.
• A firm that is too small might not be able to manage your project effectively. While forming a relationship with a single programmer can be beneficial, you have to keep in mind what that individual will be doing in 2 years? Will they take a job with a larger firm? Will they still be available when their work needs to be updated?

Decide what staffing your IT team should have:

• Will you need a dedicated project manager to keep the project on schedule?
• Is it easy to get in touch with the CEO if your project manager is not responsive?
• Will you need a backup programmer, or project manager to keep you covered when IT staff are on vacation or sick?
• Can they grow with your team to keep pace with you and your client as your success grows?

Dependability
We all are human and humans make mistakes – will they make it right? Don’t be afraid to ask, “So what happens if this thing fails?” When I was just starting out, I remember the first time a customer asked me, so what happens to our website if you die?” I wasn’t prepared for that, but I have since put a contingency plan in place to make sure the world keeps turning long after I am gone.

Project management
Does the IT team have a good process for managing projects. Some projects last several months and have many revisions. Make sure your IT team has proven methods for tracking progress, storing important files, passwords and data, for keeping the project moving in a positive direction. Someone has to manage the project.

Check references
Of course you wont get references from them from unsatisfied customers and, even if you do, people aren’t likely to dis their web provider, so be sure to ask specific questions:

• How long have you been working together?
• What is your strongest attribute? Let this answer come and keep digging until you get to the positive compared to the negative attributes.
• What kind of work have you done?

The truth will set you free.
Maintain transparency with your customers. My company has provided web programming services for a variety of design firms. Although direct contact between the programmer and the customer isn’t always imperative, good communication is. If there are too many steps in the communication process, then there are more likely to be errors. I recommend introducing everyone involved at the beginning of the project via phone, email or chat. Then appoint one point of contact on each team. It’s okay that your customers know that you are not the geeks behind the website. The reason they work with you is because of your style, skill, or whatever reason makes it a good fit. They will most likely be relieved to not have another company they have to deal with and that you will be there to make sure their brand and message are consistent across all marketing channels. So, build on your existing relationship and create more work.

This article first appeared in the August 2011 issue of Media Inc.

Tags: choosing IT support, creating a web team, customer service, IT support tips, outsourcing

We’ve been partnering with the Northwest’s leading design firms to provide custom programming, development and ongoing support to their existing client base. The result? High-impact online branding that conveys a consistent message throughout the client’s marketing channels.

We’ve expanded our service beyond PSD-to-HTML conversions to provide our design partners with SEO, database programming, form handling, and custom software. So, if you are looking to expand your offerings, please contact us – we’d love to be your new on-call IT department.

Let’s build business together!

Examples and information at www.totera.com/vision

Tags: Programming, psd to html, SEO services

A Quick Guide To How We’ll Manage Things Together

There are a million ways to communicate.  We call.  We email. We send text and instant messages.  It can get a bit overwhelming.  With more people contributing more information about more ideas every day, it’s very easy for communication to get buried, sidetracked, or lost.

Totera’s manages projects using a system called Basecamp to communicate and track our progress, and it’s easy to use.  If you know how to go to a web site, send email, or use a mouse, you can use our Project Extranet. Basecamp is designed to keep everything–files, communications, timelines and more–in one place.

Using this system will:

•    Keep all of our communication together over the length of the project

•    Organize each step of our process by topic

•    Archive all of our progress by date

•    Make our project accessible all the time, from any computer

Think of  Basecamp as our project’s office.  

The Totera Project Extranet has 6 different sections:
Overview | Messages | To-Do | Milestones | Writeboards | Files

You can move between sections easily by using the tabs near the top of the page. Each section has a different function, and together they cover all of the things we’ll have to communicate and share during our project.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Tabs:

Overview

The Overview shows everything that’s happening in our project.  Here’s what you can see:

•    The name of the project

•    Shortcuts to the other 5 sections

•    A timeline for the project, if one applies

•    All recent activity in every section, arranged with the most recent at the top

•    An RSS feed for the project, so you’ll know each time something is added

•    The names of everyone involved in our project

Messages

This is email for our project.  It works because everyone can share communication in one place (that way we don’t have to go digging around in your personal inbox).  To post a message:

•    Click “Post a new message”

•    Write something

•    Click “Post this message”

•    That was easy, wasn’t it?

To Do

The to-do list might be the easiest way to keep track of our project’s progress.  Basecamp lets you add, cross off, and move around items in a way that, frankly, makes you want to get more done just to use the to-do features.  Click here to see how easy it is to make lists with  Basecamp.

Milestones

This section is for keeping track of things that need to be done by a certain date.  It’s divided into 3 parts:  Past due, Upcoming, and Completed.  There’s a calendar in the margin of the Milestones section that’s color coded to reflect each list.

Writeboards

If there’s ever a need to create a document collaboratively, we’ll use a writeboard.  It’s an easy way to keep track of all the versions of a document that we might need.  Because we create content using different software, we don’t use writeboards for most projects.

Files

Here’s where we keep any and all files pertinent to our project.  Again, the big draw is that they can be accessed and updated by anyone in the project.  We keep all content for projects in the files section.

That’s all.  The way we’ll use the Basecamp is very intuitive.  It won’t take long for you to see how collaboration is simplified with this one tool.

We’re looking forward to getting started!

*originally posted 06/08/2009

Tags: basecamp, collaboration, how to, Totera

The past year has been very exciting. By expanding our existing client relationships and forging new connections we experienced double-digit growth for the 4th year in a row.

The best business strategy is built on a clear understanding of our expertise and where we stand in the marketplace. Totera’s role in the market is to help our customers grow and prosper. As our customers prosper, we prosper. And that is the way we believe it should be.

A proactive approach to 2009

As some businesses are cutting costs and waiting to see what happens next, we believe that the best approach during this economic climate is to leverage our current success and expand our reach. Our goal is to give our growing client-base every advantage technology has to offer. That is why we are continuing to hire additional programmers, SEO consultants, and project managers.

Longevity in a changing market

Our relationships are based on mutual trust and benefit. And relationships built on such interests are the ones that last. If you are an existing customer, Thank you. If not, we hope to add you to our list of success stories for the upcoming year.

From all of us at Totera Web Systems, have a wonderful Holiday season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

*originally posted 01/01/2009

Tags: business strategy, internet marketing, Totera