Buildicus Blog

How to be a small business success: taKo BBQ

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 03:34:00 -0700

At Buildicus, we’re super interested in small business success stories, because we’re a small business too.

This small business success story is particularly close to our hearts because the owners, Tony and Eun Joo Mullings, were our first customers.

[caption id=”attachment_5158” align=”aligncenter” width=”917”] image via takobbq.com[/caption]

taKo BBQ is Korean fusion barbecue cuisine, and it’s as delicious as it sounds.

In early 2012, Tony and Eun Joo started bringing their short rib tacos, kimchi quesadillas and taKodogs (a hot dog served with spicy pork) to the masses. Tony was confident the business would take off. His parents had owned their own businesses, and he knew what it took to run his own shop.

[caption id=”attachment_5167” align=”aligncenter” width=”453”] Philly cheesesteak with fried kimchi, via taKo BBQ[/caption]

Inspired by the massively successful Kogi food truck in Los Angeles, Tony and Eun Joo decided to use Twitter to connect with customers.

As the business grew and taKo became a huge hit, Twitter turned out to be a blessing and a curse.

Customers would flood the couple with questions about where the truck was going to be, what items they served, and how much the food cost — standard things folks want to know before they visit.

Creating a website just made sense.

[caption id=”attachment_5164” align=”aligncenter” width=”772”] Pork belly sliders with kimchi slaw, via taKo BBQ[/caption]

In 2013, Buildicus created a website for taKo BBQ to take some of the pressure off customer demands.

The website includes a contact form for those interested in catering services, information about where to find the truck weekly, streams from the Facebook and Twitter feeds for updates, and the most important thing any business serving food needs to have: a menu.

[caption id=”attachment_5170” align=”aligncenter” width=”636”] taKo BBQ makes a stop at Bitwise Industries, home of Buildicus[/caption]

When small business owners tell us they don’t need a website, we point to stories like Tony and Eun Joo’s, and show them how a simple website can do some of the heavy lifting when it comes to customer communication and satisfaction.

taKo BBQ can be found at Cart Hop in downtown Fresno every Thursday. See you there!

Introducing the new Center for the Arts & Technology art website

Thu, 28 May 2015 03:34:00 -0700

[caption id=”attachment_5137” align=”aligncenter” width=”700”] Image via UCP of Central California[/caption]

The Buildicus team is so excited to have recently had the opportunity of generating a website for UCP of Central California’s Center for the Arts & Technology.

The center, located in Fresno, serves adults with a broad range of disabilities and special needs including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injuries, and developmental disabilities.

Students at the center take classes in a variety of visual arts, such as watercolors, ceramics, canvas and mosaics. The art created by the students is then put up for sale with all proceeds going directly to each artist.

For many of the students, the money generated through the sale of their artwork enables them to earn a paycheck they otherwise would not be able to receive.

The website generated by Buildicus was built specifically to allow the public to purchase amazing art such as this:

There’s more artwork for sale on the site, which you should definitely check out.

We’re so proud to have been able to generate this art website for the UCP of Central California’s Center for Arts and Technology at no cost to the center.

We appreciate the opportunities the center gives to its students, and love being able to share in the incredible artistic talents these students bring to our community.

To learn more about the Center for Arts and Technology students who create this fantastic art, click here.

Why you should absolutely be reading the Buildicus blog

Tue, 26 May 2015 06:21:00 -0700

I am so excited to share with you some recent changes to the Buildicus blog that I believe will change YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

Okay, maybe that’s overstating things a bit, but at least your experience reading this blog should be vastly improved.

Let’s take a tour of what’s new, eh?

1. Blog updates sign up box

This is the update I am most excited about. If you like reading this blog but sometimes forget it exists (no worries, I forgive you), you can sign up for email alerts using the box at the top of the right column.

Every week, I’ll let subscribers know what’s new on the blog. That way you can check in whenever you feel like it.

2. Complete images

Before, when looking at the blog homepage, you’d see only part of the featured image, which was weird and confusing.

Now, you can see the whole dang image, plus read the beginnings of each blog post.

This is how images looked before (dumbsauce):

And how they look now (awesomesauce):

Much better, amirite?

3. Can't-miss posts

Under the blog updates box, you’ll find a list of must-read posts under the heading “Posts you should definitely read.”

Some folks include a “popular posts” list on their blog. My list includes popular posts but also posts I feel should be more popular.

I’ll be swapping out these posts from time to time, so make sure to give the list an occasional glance for something you may have missed.

4. Read only what you care about

Before, the list of categories was all over the place. I admit it.

I’ve gone through and recategorized each blog post to fit into one (or more) of just 6 categories, which you can see listed under the heading “What interests you?”

If you’re interested in productivity and wellness but not so much in blogging, for example, you can read only those specific posts.

5. Social share buttons

Hey, do you know I’m on Facebook? Also Pinterest? And Instagram?

You do if you look toward the bottom of the right column where you’ll find buttons leading to the Buildicus Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram pages.

I highly encourage you to click on each of those links. The content I post is funny and wonderful and amazing, if I do say so myself.

6. You CAN go home again

On each individual post, you’ll see the following image:

Clicking on this image will get you back to the blog homepage. You could also try clicking your heels three times, but this way is definitely faster.

And there you have it: some very simple changes that will make the Buildicus blog reading experience a thousand percent better.

Please tell me what you think of the changes in the comments below. If there’s something you think I could be doing differently or better with this blog, let me know that too.

How to improve your Instagram account in 5 simple steps

Mon, 18 May 2015 23:03:00 -0700

Visual content is sooo hot right now.

More and more businesses (the smart ones) are hopping onto Instagram in an effort to get a piece of the over 300 million users drawn to the picture-sharing app.

You’re smart, so you’re probably on Instagram already, and you know what it’s all about. But chances are, there are a couple of things you could be doing to draw in even more visitors to your page.

Here are 5 simple things you can do to improve your Instagram account today.

1. Write a better bio

When I’m searching for new Instagram accounts to follow, the first thing I do is take a look at the user’s bio. If it’s a quote, or it’s littered with hashtags, or it’s only directing me to follow other @addresses, or there’s no bio or at all, I move the hell on.

I want to know three things about your account, and I want to see it in a glance:

1. what you’re about

2. where you’re located

3. what I can expect from your feed

So make sure your bio is a complete picture of your account. (But still brief!)

2. Write meaningful captions

There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a glorious image on Instagram, wanting to know more about what I’m looking at, and finding no caption at all.

Take restaurants, for example. If you’re a restaurant or a bar owner and you post photos of your food and drinks without saying each and every time what it is and how to get it, you’re failing at Instagram.

Customers don’t just want to marvel at pretty, pretty pictures. They want to know that what’s in the image ca be theirs. They want to BUY.

So make it easy for them by giving them the info they need to do that.

3. Stop with the hashtag abuse

I get it. You want your posts to be found by the masses, and you know using hashtags is the way to do that. But no one anywhere on this green earth is searching #booyahknittingisforwinnersamirite. No one.

Keep your hashtags simple, and for god’s sake, limit yourself to a few at most. If your posts are extra long due to an insane number of hashtags, it messes with the flow of my scrolling, and I will unfollow you. Boom.

4. Have others do the hard work for you

One of the hardest things with any social media network is coming up with stuff to post every single day. So why not make it easier on yourself: have others create the content for you.

Invite followers to take a photo of your business or product, then post it to their Instagram accounts and tag you with an @reply in the comments or a hashtag that you specially create. (And which you can list as part of your bio.)

Then, post followers’ photos to your account, giving the users all credit for the image. It’s called “regramming,” and not only does it give you access to free content, it makes followers feel special when you choose their images. Double win.

An example: Disneyland on Instagram. More often than not, the images Disneyland posts are from visitors who have posted images on their own accounts and then tagged Disneyland.

Brilliant on their part, as the photos are usually great, and the followers feel like a million bucks to have their picture hand-chosen by Mickey Mouse.

5. Think outside the box

It’s tempting, when trying to promote yourself or your business on Instagram, to want to post only images of your product. But this can be boring, even if your product is amazing.

Case in point: I was thinking about following a certain restaurant because I saw an image of an amazing-looking hamburger they make. But when I looked at their feed, it was ONLY pictures of that hamburger, the same one over and over. Hard pass.

I want to see images of the restaurant itself. Or of the staff having fun behind the scenes. Or of the customers enjoying the food. Or artsy shots of the ingredients or cocktails served or even pictures of the neighborhood or city where the restaurant is located (Chicago in the case above. I mean — come on).

There are a million ways to make your business look good, so be creative with it. Variety adds to the bigger picture of what your business is about, so throw in images of anything that will add depth and interest to your feed, even if you think they’re not directly tied to selling whatever it is you’re selling.

Instagram is about inspiring want in others. You want them to look at your images and think, I have to have that — “that” being a product, or a lifestyle, or even a certain feeling.

So think about what it is you like to see on other people’s Instagram accounts, what makes you want, and follow suit.

5 online marketing influencers you should follow right now

Tue, 12 May 2015 06:16:00 -0700

If you’re new to online marketing, you need help. I know I did. (Still do, actually.)

It’s important when you’re starting out to learn from the experience of those that have been in the business for awhile. That way, you can try everything, and see what works for you.

So with that in mind, here is a list of 5 online marketing influencers to give you a helping hand.

1. Rebekah Radice

Rebekah is a digital marketing specialist and social media expert. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned about social media strategy from reading her blog, which she updates once a week. From general social media tactics to specific tips on Facebook, Instagram, etc., you won’t be disappointed by her wealth of knowledge.

[caption id=”attachment_5090” align=”aligncenter” width=”300”] image via Pinterest[/caption]

Sample Rebekah post: A Visual Guide to Social Media Etiquette

2. Neil Patel

I will admit, when I first started looking for online marketing influencers, I was put off by Neil’s “I’m kind of a big deal” tagline (truth: still am). But although the guy’s writing style is cocky, he puts out frequent, consistently good advice that’s worth checking out. If you want to increase the effectiveness of your online marketing, Neil’s your guy.

Sample Neil post: 1o Ways to Make Your “Most Popular” Posts More Popular

[caption id=”attachment_5081” align=”aligncenter” width=”236”] image via Pinterest[/caption]

3. Hubspot

Hubspot is an inbound marketing company that is really, really good at creating free, downloadable marketing tools. Seriously. Subscribe to its email, and you will get stuff sent to your inbox all the time. Plus, they publish really helpful blog posts on everything from marketing to web design (and in Spanish!). Subscribe to their email and you won’t be sorry.

Sample Hubspot post: 15 Email Newsletter Examples We Love Getting in Our Inboxes

4. Kim Garst

Dip your toe into online marketing and immediately you'll see the name "Kim Garst" everywhere — with good reason. She's a social media powerhouse. Learn everything you need to know about social selling from reading her blog and downloading her free ebooks.

Sample Kim post: How to Get 1000 Blog Subscribers in 30 Days

[caption id=”attachment_5078” align=”aligncenter” width=”300”] image via Gary Hyman[/caption]

5. Ann Handley

Ann Handley is Chief Content Officer for Marketing Profs. You want to know how to write content that sells? Check out Ann’s blog. Simple as that.

Sample Ann post: 8 Writing Tools I Use Every Day

[caption id=”attachment_5087” align=”aligncenter” width=”300”] image via Invoca[/caption]

To become a better marketer, you have to learn from the masters. Start following these five influencers as you navigate the world of online marketing, and soon you’ll be on your way.

Improve your social media strategy in 5 easy steps

Thu, 07 May 2015 09:20:00 -0700

Since I’ve been blogging for Buildicus, our website traffic has increased. pauses for clap on the back

But it’s not nearly as high as it could be. pauses for “awwww”

So I decided to take a look at my social media strategy to see what I could be doing better. The answer? Pretty much everything.

Since the prospect of overhauling my entire social media strategy is pretty overwhelming, I have decided to break it down into manageable chunks by coming up with a 5-step action plan.

I’ll be focusing on Twitter only for the following action plan, but eventually I’ll apply the steps to each of the other social networks I use.

Here’s the plan, step by step.

Step 1: List the problems

The first thing I need to do is figure out what are the specific problems I’m having with Twitter.

Problems:

Not enough engagement from followers in the form of conversations, back-and-forth.
Not enough sharing of Tweets with links to my content.
Not enough Retweets.

Step 2: Identify how to solve the problems

Now that I’ve identified the problems I’m having with Twitter, I need to figure out how to solve them.

Problem 1: Not enough engagement from followers in the form of conversations, back-and-forth.

Solution: This is all on me. I have to take the time to initiate conversations. How?

• Asking questions of my followers.

• Answering questions posed by the people I follow.

• Commenting on links posted by others.

• Retweeting content posted by others.

Problem 2: Not enough sharing of Tweets with link to my content.

Solution: Instead of just Tweeting the title of my latest blog posts with a link, I need to get better at crafting Tweets that pique interest. But before that, I need to take a look at my blog posts themselves. So, I’ll:

• Create better-quality content.

• Create more shareable content (images, infographics, video).

• Tweet more often.

• Craft better Tweets.

Problem 3: Not enough Retweets.

Solution: In order to get Retweets, I need to give Retweets. And although it sounds kind of needy, I need to ask for Retweets. I will:

• Retweet the content of others.

• Ask for Retweets.

[caption id=”attachment_5065” align=”aligncenter” width=”600”] via The Genie Lab[/caption]

Step 3: Create an action plan

Now I need to come up with a plan for implementing all of these solutions and break it down by daily, weekly and monthly tasks.

Daily:

Spend a half hour in the morning engaging with followers, and again in the afternoon.

I really want to grow engagement, so I need to spend some serious time on Twitter making this happen.

During this time, I will create engagement as well as make sure to respond to all engagement. This includes thanking folks for Retweets, asking questions, answering questions, commenting and sharing content.

Weekly:

Take 20 minutes to find people in my field to follow.

I will also add them to lists to make it easier to find their content in the future. More on how to create Twitter lists: The simple & brilliant way to increase Twitter exposure

Take 20 minutes to schedule links to my content throughout the week.

More on the benefit of scheduling Tweets here: How to schedule Tweets (& save your sanity)

Monthly:

Take 20 minutes to unfollow people.

There’s no point in following those who are giving me no engagement back, or who I’m not getting any value from in the form of quality information. Right?

So I’ll use Tweet Adder to find out who’s not following back, or who unfollowed me, then cut them loose.

Step 4: Add action plan to calendar

Next, I will assign times, days, and dates to these tasks, and add them to my planner.

And I will stick to these dates. The plan will only work if it is followed diligently.

Step 5: Re-evaluate the plan, make changes

I will give this action plan three months, and then I’ll take a look at the numbers to see whether or not it is a success. If necessary, I’ll adjust or make any changes, then test those out as well.

And, of course, as I said at the top of this post, I will adapt this social media action plan to each of the other social networks I use.

I think this will make a huge improvement to my overall social media strategy, and I’ll be sure to follow up with this post in the future to report back on my findings.

You're not a bad writer, you just lack confidence

Tue, 05 May 2015 09:07:00 -0700

One of the most intimidating things someone with a website can face is writing content.

It seems like reluctance to write for public consumption can be attributed to two things: Fear of messing up, and of the inevitable ridiculing from the grammar police.

But do not fret, my friend. There’s a way to combat these fears.

If given the opportunity to correct, people will pounce

I’ve been writing publicly for a decade. In that time, I’ve had lots of people call me out on errors — some of them legit, some of them a figment of my critic’s imagination.

There’s one thing these criticisms all have in common: they were delivered in the kindest way possible.

Just kidding. They were delivered in snide, sarcastic, going-for-the-jugular ways.

Because people who criticize others’ grammar aren’t really trying to be helpful. They’re aching to prove that THEY ARE SMART and YOU ARE DUMB.

(Clearly I’m generalizing here; certainly there are folks who really want to be helpful, but they get lost in the sea of people waving their SMARTER THAN YOU banners.)

The point is this: You are not dumb. YOU ARE NOT DUMB. You just lack confidence. But that can be fixed.

Oh, and because it must be said: Correcting someone’s grammar doesn’t make her think you’re smart, it makes her think you’re an asshole. [Click to Tweet]

Believe it.

My deepest secret revealed

So you want to know a secret about me? It’s a big one.

I don’t really know how to write.

I don’t know grammar rules. I don’t know punctuation. Commas and hyphens are a damn mystery to me. I misspell words all the time. I use incomplete sentences and slang and swear words.

And you know what? I don’t care.

Not knowing the rules of writing has not stopped me from doing it, and even getting paid to do it.

You know the saying, “Fake it ‘til you make it?” I’m living it, pal.

So what gives me the confidence to write even though I don’t know what I’m doing? How do I combat the fears of messing up and of being ridiculed?

The key to not messing up (or messing up less, at least): part 1

So here it is, the big secret to my writing success. Here’s how I manage to write things that are somewhat readable:

I look everything up.

When I’m not sure if a comma is needed, I look it up.

Don’t know how to spell a word: I look it up.

Is this word hyphenated? Look it up.

Want to use a phrase I’ve heard before, but not totally sure it’s appropriate for the situation: I look it up.

Look it up, look it up, look it up.

Dictionaries, thesauruses (thesauri?), grammar blogs, books. These are my best friends.

I look up things I’m pretty sure are right just to make absolutely sure they’re right. I look up EVERYTHING.

It sounds time consuming, all this checking of references. It’s not. Mostly because the Internet exists, and it’s easy to type in what I want to know and wait for the answers to pop up.

To speed things up even further, I have some frequently used resources ready to go.

[caption id=”attachment_5051” align=”aligncenter” width=”640”] My copy of Mortal Syntax. Also, maybe I need new jeans?[/caption]

Where to look things up

Here are some of the resources I keep on standby:

Grammar Girl/Quick and Dirty Tips. This is a great blog with lots of good tips. You can read the latest posts or search for the specific thing you want to know.

Mortal Syntax by June Casagrande. A friend gave me this book years ago and sadly I’m just now getting around to reading it. It’s very helpful for knowing why something is or isn’t ~~write~~ right.

Merriam Webster Dictionary. This is a free dictionary app for your phone. Free! I’ve used it many times, even while constructing a simple text.

Thesaurus.com. Tired of using the same word over and over? Change it up. Alter it up. Swap it up.

Hemingway. I once wrote a blog post about this cool app, which grades the readability of your writing. It will tell you if you’ve got a run-on sentence or if you’re using a 50-cent word when a simpler one will suffice.

Punctuation guide. Again, I found this useful enough to write about. It’s a guide that tells you how to use certain punctuation. Worth taking a look if you’re constantly flummoxed by those damn commas.

Other people. That’s right. If you want to know if something sounds correct, send it to someone you trust to read.

The key to not messing up (or messing up less, at least): part 2

So, while you’re doing all of this looking of things up, it might help to actually keep a small list of things that consistently trip you up.

If you can never remember whether it’s “loose” or “lose,” write examples of each proper usage on a sheet of paper. Eventually you’ll learn the difference by heart, but until that happens, refer to your list while writing.

I find that physically writing things down often helps me learn them faster, so there’s that benefit, too.

A few tips to get you started

Here are some things are easy to screw up.

1. Loose vs lose

Not "loosing." Never "loosing."

My pants are loose.

I hope we don't lose this game. He is losing the game for us.

2. It's vs its

If it doesn't make sense in the sentence to say "it is," don't use the apostrophe.

It's (it is) a nice day. It's (it is) my dog.

Its roof is caving in. Its fur is wet.

3. Could've/Should've/Would've

The "'ve" part of all of those words is have, not of. See? It looks like the second part of have.

I could've (could have) gone to the movies.

I should've (should have) had that second hot dog.

I would've (would have) invited you, but you're awful.

4. Everyday vs every day

Everyday = commonplace. Every day = each day.

These are our everyday (common) dishes, not the good stuff.

We use these dishes every day (each day).

5. Who vs whom

Unless you're talking to a British writer from the 1800s, just use "who." Seriously. Whom cares.

And speaking of not caring …

The art of not giving a crap what others think

As for that second fear I mentioned at the top of this post, the fear of being ridiculed, the key is to simply not give a crap.

Because here’s the thing: most people don’t know grammar rules. And if they do? So what. We already established that they’re probably assholes anyway.

Your message is what counts.

Focus on what you’re trying to say, present it the best you can using resources like the ones mentioned previously, and eventually you’ll gain the confidence you need to write without breaking into a sweat every time.

And if you mess up once in awhile, you mess up. The world will continue to turn.

Take it from someone who just cranked out 1,100 words while knowing nothing about writing.

How to write a Twitter bio that gets followers

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 23:38:00 -0700

How’s your Twitter bio?

Good? Bad? You don’t know because who cares?

If you’re trying to create a successful social media strategy, and attracting Twitter followers is part of that strategy, you need to make sure your bio is on point.

But what makes a Twitter bio good or bad?

Good: Words are spelled correctly

I mean, this is true for everything you write. Typos are amateur hour.

Bad: Text speak

Yes, you are only allowed 160 characters in your bio. But abbreviating in order 2 save space in ur bio makes u look like a teenager. Srsly.

Bad: Symbols

~~OMG this is $o cutesy ~~

Like text speak, symbols make you look like a teen, and that doesn’t inspire confidence in followers/potential customers/business associates.

Good: Short descriptors

You want to get across what you do and what will be the focus of your Tweets, but again, you only have 160 characters. Complete sentences are not mandatory here.

If you take a look at my bio, you’ll see the three main focuses of my tweets separated by vertical bars:

With four words and some strategic punctuation, I’ve created a clear picture of what my tweets will mainly be about.

Bad: Third-person speak

“Heather McLane is content marketer for Buildicus. In her spare time, she builds suspension bridges and hand feeds orphaned birds.”

This is your bio, and a Twitter bio at that. Why pretend it’s been written by someone else? Doesn’t make sense, and you’re not fooling anybody.

Good: Keeping it real

Want to be funny in your bio? Or talk about your dogs? Go for it. Letting folks know a little about you makes you relatable, which is a good thing.

I follow a guy whose bio claims that, among other things, he lives in haunted house. That piece of information right there is what made me follow him.

My bio includes the line, “Sometimes there are swear words.” I feel like that gets across the point that I like to have fun with my Tweets, and I don’t take things too seriously.

Bad: "Tweets are my own"

No doy.

Some people put this claim in their bios to protect the company they work for. If your Tweets are that offensive, don’t mention your company in your bio at all. Or maybe just delete your account entirely because yikes.

Bad: Hashtag shrapnel

When your #Twitterbio is #unreadable due to #hashtags, you’re #doingitwrong. #blessed #marketing #LOL #why

Good: Talking yourself up

The point of the bio is to make yourself look attract enough so that people will be compelled to follow you. So, is bragging okay? Sure.

Letting people know you’re a superstar (without actually using the word “superstar,” thank you) isn’t easy, but it can be done.

The worst: No bio at all

If you can’t sum up in 160 characters what you’re about, I’m going to assume you have nothing of worth to say at all, and I won’t follow you. Simple as that.

Don’t forget, you can change up your bio at any time. Write out a couple different versions and test out which work the best. And feel free to have fun with it — you might even get a follow from me.

Why you should use Google Analytics to track website traffic

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 23:14:00 -0700

I recently asked our Client Specialist, Richard, if he would recommend Google Analytics to new website owners. His answer?

"Yes! Google Analytics gives you so much information about the customer's experience!"

See that? Two exclamation points. That's how you know he means it.

What is Google Analytics?

Put simply, Google Analytics is a service that measures website traffic.

It can tell you how many users view your website, and where that traffic is coming from (for example, Google or Facebook or Linked In).

Google Analytics can break down your traffic by page. It can tell you how long customers stay on each page. It can tell you if customers “bounce” after reading that page — leave your site entirely, in other words.

Why do I need to know this stuff?

Google Analytics is useful for anyone who wants to use their website as a promotional tool for their business. Knowing where your website traffic is coming from can help you maximize your marketing efforts.

For example, if you’re pouring time and money into Facebook ads and Google Analytics shows you that you’re receiving more traffic from Twitter, you’ll want to switch your efforts to Twitter. Go where your customers are, right?

How much does all this cost?

Google Analytics is free. You do have to have a Google account, though, which is also free. The only cost is time spent in signing up for a Gmail account, and then connecting Google Analytics to your website.

How difficult is Google Analytics to set up?

Google is pretty good about providing detailed instructions on how to set up and get started with Analytics.

If, like me, you’d rather someone else do the heavy lifting, that’s always an option. Buildicus will set up Google Analytics for any client who needs help, because we’re cool like that.

We’ll also give you a head start on figuring out which analytics are important to your business, and how to find those. Though, again, Google itself can help you with this.

[caption id=”attachment_5021” align=”aligncenter” width=”808”] From Google’s set up instructions[/caption]

Do you, Heather, use Google Analytics to track website traffic?

I sure do. My main interest is in seeing how much traffic my blog posts draw in, and where that traffic is coming from.

If you use the above photo as a guide, you can kind of see how it works. Here’s what I do:

1. I choose the time frame I’m interested in monitoring (day, week, month, etc.). You can see the time frame drop down menu at top right.

2. From the menu at left, I click the Behavior drop down, then Site Content, then Content Drilldown. This gives me a list of the top-performing content.

3. I then click on a specific post, then click from the menu above it Secondary Dimension, then Acquisition, then Source.

And that shows me where traffic is coming from: Facebook or Get Response or Google or wherever, and how long folks are staying on the page, etc.

It may seem complicated when you read the instructions like that, but I assure you once you get in there and learn your way around, you’ll find Google Analytics most useful.

And again, if you ever need assistance, Buildicus (and specifically Richard, Client Specialist extraordinaire) has got your back.

Why are you still working an 8-hour day?

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 01:57:00 -0700

I recently saw an article on Inc. titled, “6 tricks to make the 5-hour workday work for you.” It made me think about just how arbitrary working 8 hours a day really is.

As the post says, working 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. has “been used for so long that it’s become immortalized in song.” True. But did you ever stop and think, Why those hours? Why so many?

[caption id=”attachment_5017” align=”aligncenter” width=”640”] Fewer work hours means more surf hours. Or, you know, doing laundry and spending time with the kids.[/caption]

Somewhere in the distant past, someone decided if your employees aren’t working 40 hours a week, you’re not getting your money’s worth. But I’d be willing to bet you aren’t getting that anyway.

How do I know? Because I’ve worked 8-hour jobs before. It’s a lot of sitting around staring at the clock, willing time to move faster.

Are people more productive because they work longer hours? No.

Do a search for “working less hours makes employees more productive” and see how many posts pop up with real-life examples of how working fewer hours makes employees more productive and overall happier with their jobs.

Go on; I’ll wait.

See?

Treating employees like grown-ups: the next frontier

The amount of hours employees are required to work rarely matches up with how much work actually needs to be done. Again, drawing on personal experience, I can say that some days require fewer than 8 hours, and some days require more.

In my post “How essential is it to go to work?”, I touched on the idea of treating your employees like adults capable of knowing how and when to get their work done. When treated like grown-ups, many people will actually act like grown-ups.

Who can blame an employee that grows to resent being treated like a child that needs to be told when to work, when to take a break, when to eat lunch, when to go home? That’s when loyalty to the company drops, as does productivity.

A different set of rules for a different world

It boggles the mind that many companies stick to rigid workplace rules set eons ago, before technology changed the way we get work done (faster, more efficiently). Especially when one considers how happier employees are more productive, and productive employees make for a more successful business.

In my opinion, a smart business owner is one that is willing to examine how her employees get work done, and is flexible enough to throw out the old rules in favor of a plan that helps employees be the best workers they can be.

What do you think? Time for companies to ditch the 8-hour work day? Check out the Inc. article linked above to see how manageable a 5-hour work day can be.