Technology Update: A Basic Primer on NFC

Those of us who work in the Internet world are always learning about new technologies, usually clever names or acronyms like NFC or cloud computing or QR codes.   Since we’re in an industry where you wear the “Geek” moniker with pride, we know it’s our duty to explain the more relevant technology terms.  Today’s lesson focuses on NFC.

NFC stands for Near Field Communication.  It’s similar to bluetooth, and is used on your smart phone.    Wikipedia  defines NFC as a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology which enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 centimeter (around 4 inches) distance. 

The are a few notable uses of NFC on your phone.  One is to make your phone an RFID  (radio frequency identification) tag which would let you  make your phone act like a credit card or even an ID card.  Another use is to add an RFID reader attachment to your phone so that it can then interact with other NFC (near field communication) devices.  The interaction could range from accepting payments on your mobile phone to getting more information about a product that could be informative or even entertaining.   For example, you can put your phone reader next to a band’s poster and either see a short video about the band or buy tickets to their next concert.  The possibilities for usage are endless!

Too technical?  For now, it’s important to understand that there is a brand new industry being created that is tied to mobile phone technologies and how they will play an even more important role in our day-to-day lives.

Check us out online on your mobile phone – http://bluetangerinesolutions.mobi or visit us at www.BlueTangerineSolutions.com to learn more about the website hosting and development and PC and network suport services that we offer.   Or, call us at 321-309-6900.

Starting in late July, there is now a new top level domain extension available that you need to know about, so you can properly control and manage your online brand.

The ICANN, a not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder organization dedicated to coordinating the Internet’s addressing system, has released a new top level domain:  .co.  This is a critical domain to register, particularly to capture any typos that people have when they are trying to reach your “.com” site.

It’s really a minor investment to register this URL, as you want to be able to control your brand — and that means you need to ensure that your competitors do not register your company name with the “.co” – thereby basically  hijacking your brand.

Not sure how to register the domain, give us a call and we can take care of it for you.   321-309-6900.

So, you have a good website.  (Lots of your competitors do, too.)  Now you need to make your website stand out from your competitors.   If you can provide a fun, interactive experience for your visitor, then that’s one step closer to winning them as a customer.  But, how?

One way to create a very memorable web page is by using Flash to create an interactive experience for your visitor.  In the following example, 4CornersOK.com has created a very cool page that describes the process of purchasing a new home.  We used Flash to make their artwork interactive, and the visitor can click on each of the “steps” to see a short description that describes the next step in the home buying process.

In retail shopping, one of the ‘buying signs’ is touching/feeling the object.  Similarily, in web shopping, one of the ‘buying signs’ is interacting with the site.  Creating an interactive flash page on your website is a great way to connect with your customer.  (Caution: The use of flash on your website should be very strategic as we do not advocate ‘all Flash’ sites at this time, but we support the use of Flash in the right places on the site.) 

Call Blue Tangerine Solutions today if you want to implement more interactivity into your website.  321-309-6900

Last week, I was fortunate to attend some very informative seminars at the Southeast Builder’s Conference in Orlando, FL.   My favorite topics were those related to the Internet (of course) and social media.    Here are a few ‘fun facts’ and recommendations that I felt were worth sharing:

* If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest with over 500 million users.

* 85% of all realtors are active on social media. (They have quickly caught on to what a great medium it is. Have you?)

* It is recommended to use a 15:1 ratio of content of interest to business push. (In other words, 15 posts/tweets related to information and the 16th can be more of a traditional marketing/sales message.)

* Remember that social media is about listening and interacting in the conversation. You need to participate to benefit.   (Don’t be the quiet gal/guy in the corner at the party…)

* Once you set up your social media sites (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn), be sure to promote them!   Add your links to your business cards and eMail signature. Add links to each page of your website.  Work to drive traffic to your social media sites!

* Set up a corporate policy for the use of social media.  If you have preferred or required modes of conduct for your staff, extend that to how they conduct themselves online.  Your staff should be the biggest supporters of your social media efforts.

* Be sure to monitor your social media presence.   Set up a Google Alert for your company name to receive automated reports.

What other fun facts or recommendations would you like to share about social media?

If you need help in creating your online presence (either website improvements, SEO or social media help) — give us a call to talk to our Internet consultants.   We can be reached at 321-309-6900 and online at www.BlueTangerineSolutions.com or via eMail to info@BlueTangerineSolutions.com.

You can follow Marie O’Brien at Twitter.com/BTSMarie or friend her on Facebook.com/MarieOB. Visit our YouTube channel for Blue Tangerine Solutions.

Facts:

                 There are over 2.6 billion (yes, billion) mobile devices.

                 Mobile devices provide internet access immediately – almost everywhere.

Questions:

               Are you reaching out to this audience?

              Does your business have a good mobile presence?

It’s not as hard as you think.  Here are the top three issues to consider when creating your mobile site.

1.  Who are your visitors and why are they coming to your site? 

• Are they looking for directions or office hours?
• Do they want to find online coupons to use for admission or purchase discounts?
• Do they need to see a schedule of events?
   

2. How does your current site display on a mobile device?

• For example, pages with Flash might not be displaying on the mobile screen so you will want to create a new page.
• Long pages of text or lots of graphic images will create a problem, since you’re dealing with such a small screen.
• Are your pages displaying as one or two column?
   

3.  Is it easy to navigate? 

• Are you displaying phone numbers as clickable links that can be ‘touched’ to call?
• Are you displaying a reasonable number of navigation links, usually less than what is on your website home page, so your visitors do not have to scroll?
• Have you created your forms with drop down menus, so your visitors don’t have much typing to do?
   

Next Steps:

 Set up your site with an appropriate mobile URL such as http://m.bluetangerinesolutions.com or http://bluetangerinesolutions.mobi

Review your current site to see if it works on the mobile device or if it needs to be scaled down in terms of functionality or  copy or graphics.

Take the next step and set up page or full site that is mobile friendly.  Include a browser recognition to recognize if it a visitor is coming to you from a mobile device, and then redirect them to the mobile page.  If you find that your current site works pretty well on the mobile device with the exception of having some Flash on the home page, it may be easier to set up a redirect to go to a new mobile version of your home page than to build a new mobile site.

We’ve been talking about mobile sites for several years now (as you can see from our general business webinar held back on 2/28/2008).  While we were a bit ahead of the game back in 2008, the time has definitely come that your business needs to have a good mobile presence.  Give us a call if you want more information, and one of our internet marketing consultants will be happy to talk with you about your mobile presence or other internet needs.  321-309-6900.

Attention Business Owners and Managers:  Stuff Happens! Is your data protected?

Hurricanes, Tornados, Lightning, Fire, Water Leaks, Power Surges, Theft, and Human Error threaten your business data.  (Hurricane Alex is barreling toward the Mexico/Texas coastline as we write this blog article.)

Your data is the most valuable part of your technology infrastructure. A comprehensive data protection and disaster recovery plan requires that your data not only be backed up regularly in your office, but also that copies of critical business data are stored at an offsite location away from your office.

Let Blue Tangerine Solutions’ Data Backup Services give you the peace of mind you deserve.

Our Service Features Include:

• Online console to manage backup schedules

• Choose compression level

• Up to 256-bit AES encryption for privacy protection

• Easy file restoration

• Full disk image backup and/or Folder level backup

• Email alerts for failed backups

• Free Unlimited Support during first 30 days of service

• Store data “in the cloud” for additional protection

Storage prices as low as $1 per GB per month.

Call Today to ensure your data is protected!

Phone 321.309.6900 Ext 314 or 772.643.7094

1380 Sarno Rd., Suite B, Melbourne, FL 32935 – Fax 321.821.1876

Please join us Tuesday, July 20th at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 pm Eastern, for our ASK THE EXPERTS Webinar with industry experts Jeff Shore and Jason Forrest.

There is no denying – your effectiveness is only as strong as the people on your team. Bringing out the best in your sales professionals is critical to your own success, but sales coaching and sales motivation continue to be seen as a great mystery for many sales leaders.

Jeff Shore and Jason Forrest can help you with that in this highly relevant and head-turning look at the principles of coaching and motivation in challenging market conditions. For those who are looking for something more than mediocre performance; for those who are looking to take their sales teams to a higher level; or for those who are frustrated with inadequate sales results – this webinar can help.

Some of the topics:
* Why the Majority of Compensation Programs are Flawed
* Common Myths about Motivation
* The Secret Behind Great Talent
* Three Consistent Keys of Top Performers
* Why “Successful Failure” is Essential to Growth

Jason Forrest is a salesperson first and foremost and understands sales by selling rather than observing. He is the former National Director of Sales Development for MDC Holdings/Richmond American Homes.

Jeff Shore is a contemporary expert in the area of new home sales and management.  He proudly admits to being a “homebuilding junkie” and his passion is in bringing out the best in sales professionals.  A 25-year industry veteran, Jeff has seen and done it all – from front-line sales to corporate leadership and everything in between.   Most importantly, Jeff has a track record of sales success in a challenging market and is the author of “Tough Market New Home Sales.”   Today, Jeff and his team at ShoreSelect work with outstanding home builders all over North America.

Register today – as seats are limited!

Please visit www.BlueTangerineSolutions.com to learn more about our other free “Ask the Experts” Webinars and sign up to receive our weekly Internet tips and tricks on our Blog at http://TheJuice.BlueTangerineSolutions.com.  For more information about the Web site development and Internet marketing we provide, please contact us at info@BlueTangerineSolutions.com.

Who are:  Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston . . . Do these names sound a bit familiar?

This year, the same list of hurricane names from 2004 will be used to list the tropical storms and  hurricanes of 2010.  Four of those names will be missing, though, as they have been retired after the devastating 2004 hurricane season.  (Charley will be replaced by Colin; Frances by Fiona; Ivan by Igor and Jeanne by Julia.) 

Our team at Blue Tangerine Solutions is somewhat sensitive when we hear the names of Frances and Jean, as those two hurricanes caused severe damage to our area and we were forced to relocate our offices from Vero Beach to Melbourne, FL and many of us had to move from our homes as well.  

We do have a fond memory from that season, though, as we are proud to say that we did not lose our network data and that we were able to continue working throughout the storm and rebuilding processes. (I can’t say that we didn’t lose any printed data, though, as Hurricane Jeanne pretty much destroyed our offices and some paper files.) 

Through experience — we know that while a disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, electrical fire or even disgruntled employee, is damaging to your business, your clients expect you to have backup plans in place and to continue providing them with the services and products that you offer.  Additionally, most businesses can NOT afford days or weeks of downtime.  For these reasons, it is critical that you create a disaster preparedness plan for your business! 

Through our background as technology experts, we understand how to implement business tools that will keep your business running in the event of a disaster.  These tools range from offsite back ups to VOIP (voice over IP) phone systems to easy-to-update websites (where you can post new hours and status updates.)  In mid-May we provided a webinar program that describes  how to create a solid disaster prevention plan for your business, and it is available in our on-demand ASK THE EXPERTS webinar library.  Visit the recorded webinar to hear our President, Greg Bray, speak about the steps to take to ensure your  business will survive with little or no downtime.

If you can’t afford to lose your critical business data or to have days or weeks of unproductivity in  your business, then this Webinar is for you.  If you’d like to talk with our consultants about how to implement any of these technology tools to protect your business, please give us a call at 321-309-6900 or send an eMail to info@BlueTangerineSolutions.com.    It’s supposed to be a busy hurricane season. . . make sure you are prepared!

If you’re a regular reader of this Blog, you know that we’re very intrigued by social networking sites like Foursquare, that tie into the geo-location aspect of networking.  That’s why we were very excited to learn about WeReward, a new application that works with FourSquare to actually “pay” you for your visits (check-ins) with nearby businesses.

According to their website here is the definition of this new tool:   ”WeReward, a mobile incentive platform that pays cash to consumers for actions they take in the real world, enables consumers to discover local businesses and earn rewards for their patronage.”

Basically, businesses can set up a budget with WeReward that will let them “pay” their patrons for frequent visits.  It’s a unique form of interactive advertising, that requires a lot of ‘interaction’ by the consumer. 

The consumer will find a nearby business (restaurant, retail store, etc.) and “check in” online by uploading either a photo of themselves at the establishment or their receipt.  The business (advertiser) can then verify it, thereby approving it to be eligible for payments.  (Yes, it seems that you need to make a purchase to be eligible for the program.)  The payments are tied to point values, and typically one visit equals one point which equals one cent.  At this time, Dominos Pizza is participating in the program and they are offering 25 points.  (Just think, four similar businesses offering 25 points will bring you one dollar . . . and it only adds up from there!)

The application is currently available on the iPhone, and it does work with Foursquare in that you can share your comments/recommendations as well as tie it into your Facebook or Twitter account so that you need only update in “one place” and the update will be shared across your social networks.  The customers can earn cash through the WeReward program and also unlock their Foursquare badges, etc. 

This is an interesting and seemingly viable use of mobile marketing.  It is such an exciting time in the internet industry, to be on the brink of so many new tools and technologies that are truly changing the way we do business.

The program was created by the bright minds at IZEA, parent company of WeReward, and it well worth learning more about.

Are you using Foursquare or WeReward yet?  Let us know what you think and how it’s working for you.

I’ve started to receive eMails from my favorite online stores, announcing their upcoming Memorial Day sales.  It reminded me of the true  power of Internet marketing, and I’m now contemplating whether we at Blue Tangerine Solutions will run any type of “Memorial Day” promotion.

It seems like a good idea.  In our company, we strive to deliver excellent service and expertise so that our clients see great value in what we offer.  We realize that price is also a key component, and it is also a determining factor in whether a new project can get started *now* or if it needs to be put on the back-burner.  That’s where a “sale” can be useful, to drive more business.

What’s most exciting about offering a “sale” is how Internet technology can be used to promote it.  (Since our core business is building Internet sites, it’s great to see how the tools we build can be so critical to business.)  Any new “sale” should first be promoted on your Website’s home page, with a link to a detail page that describes it.  You also should send out one (or more) eNewsletters announcing the sale.  Don’t forget the power of your social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and even LinkedIn to promote your sale.  If you’re really progressive, you can incorporate an offer using FourSquare as well.

In many industries, it is still important to utilize more traditional marketing methods to promote your sales such as posting notes about it on your client invoices or advertising in the local papers.  The key to successfully promoting your “sale” is by using all of the means afforded to you — from Internet tools like eNewsletters and Facebook to local advertising and even voicemail message updates. 

Are you planning a Memorial Day sale for your business?  If so, how will you be promoting it?   Share your creative ideas here.