There are some amazing new statistics about mobile phone usage.  With these numbers, there is no doubt that mobile must be a major aspect of small business’ web strategy and will only become more important.  In this next phase of Internet evolution, how will your business be affected?

At LimeCuda, our biggest pet peeve is seeing our clients and other small businesses getting wooed into spending lots of money in the pursuit of false hopes.  Although mobile design has a much lower risk of underhanded marketing activities than services such as SEO (we are not degrading SEO as a service, only certain SEO “experts” that do their clients more harm than good) there is still opportunity for salesmen to capitalize on the “need to get your site mobile” without putting the specific needs of your small business first.

Here are a couple of things to think about when considering the development of your approach to the mobile web.

Track YOUR Analytics!

Take a look at the statistics presented in the mobile marketing video above.  These statistics further show that mobile IS the current (and future) trend in Internet use. However, what is the trend for your website? Are your analytics showing you what you need to be focusing on a mobile site design? Or are your analytics telling you that your current web budget is better spent on SEO or Social Media strategies?  Just because there are a large number of people searching for local businesses from their phone, what good is it for your business to have a mobile website if you don’t even have a Google Place page?  Focus on your goals and utilize your budget to best reach these goals. Be tactical with your budget.

Mobile Analytics Examples from our Clients

Mobile Visitors from Jan 1st 2010 – April 30th 2012

We ran some analytics reports from a few clients that have data going back to 2010. These are a good applicable sample.  Other clients’ analytics show similar trends. The below graphs show mobile visits over time. (each dot is a month)

First Four Months of the Year

(mobile as a % of total visits)

You might say that 10% of your visitors isn’t massive but the trajectory is increasing. It is not a stretch to predict that by next year a solid third of your traffic might be mobile!

Have you determined your goals for being online?  

Do you know how to track and understand your analytics?  

We would love to discuss these issues with you directly!  Contact us today!

What are your customers looking for?

So you have determined that you need a mobile website now!  What next?

You need to determine what people are trying to accomplish when using your site from a mobile device.  This is definitely more difficult to determine and relies on educated guessing, however there are some great clues that can be found within the search terms and traffic flow in your analytics.

For example, imagine you run an upscale Italian restaurant in a major city (we’ll say Atlanta since that is the world outside my door right now).  A sample of your customer base might be:

• Wealthy locals
• Locals celebrating special events (anniversaries, engagements, etc.)
• Tourists (everyone budgets at least one “fancy meal” for their vacations)
• Business Travelers

Your website has an elegant design which entices the visitor with the feel and atmosphere they’ll experience when visiting your restaurant.  It showcases your world-class chef, large, elegant images of your featured dishes, and a quick way to contact or book a reservation.  What does a mobile user want to do?  Some possible intentions:

• Get directions to your restaurant (they’re already in the car!)
• Find your number to call
• Book a reservation
• Browse your menu
• Find out if you have any specials running

While these are just educated guesses, your analytics might give you good insight into what the mobile user wants.  Why not give them this information more immediately, while still providing the same feel and atmosphere from the main site design?

Effective mobile web strategy must begin with knowing what is most helpful to the mobile browser.

Do you need a mobile web strategy?  Contact us today about developing and implementing your mobile strategy!

Thanks for reading. How the Mobile Web WILL Affect Your Business is a post from LimeCuda

Google search/spam guru, Matt Cutts, recently threw the SEO world into an upheaval when he said…

This is related to the so-called Penguin update to Google’s search algorithm that happened on April 24, 2012.

Should you be concerned?

If we have been guiding your SEO, you will be just fine. Here’s why…

• We have always emphasized user-centric SEO – if your content looks spammy, you are doing it wrong
• One of the main purposes of our SEO is to accurately convey to machines and users what your content/site are all about
• We never engage in shady or low-quality link-building tactics and those are part of what is getting hit hardest

This update may actually help many of you as it will level the playing field some.

Further Reading:

• Google’s Upcoming Algorithm Change: “Overly-Optimized Sites”
• Alert! Google Announces a New SEO Over-Optimization Penalty
• 6 Changes Every SEO Should Make BEFORE the Over-Optimization Penalty Hits – Whiteboard Friday
• How To Survive Google’s Unnatural Links Warnings & Avoid Over-optimisation

(are you a fan of us on Facebook? Like our page to keep up-to-date on new changes in the Web industry)

Thanks for reading. SEO Over-Optimization? is a post from LimeCuda

Without dragging you through the boring details just know that this means better security, improved usability, and a beautiful new interface.

Never used cPanel? Here are some of the ways it can be used…

• Creating webmail accounts (unless you are using Google Apps for Domains as email)
• Create subdomains
• Create redirects
• Edit DNS
• Create MySQL databases and edit them with phpMyAdmin

You can log in at yoursite.com/cpanel – so basically just add a /cpanel to the end of your domain and you should be presented with this screen:

Nota Bene: Just because you can access this, it might not be a good idea to just change things unless you know what you’re doing. When in doubt check with us and we can give you some direction. :)

Thanks for reading. New cPanel Upgrade for Hosting Accounts is a post from LimeCuda

Working email support for a popular WordPress theme developer, I’ve come across a lot of inexperienced design firms that promote themselves as “experts”.  With advances in technology, the entry into the web development industry has never been easier.  A reality that has created many opportunists trying to make a quick buck.  Although it is easier to become a “web developer”, it is now much harder to be a good web developer.

This being the case, not all young web developers are bad.  There are a lot of quality web developers that can provide you a great service at a great price.  Naturally, everyone must start somewhere and we can’t condemn all newcomers as scam artists.  But, how do you determine whether someone is a quality developer or an opportunist looking for a quick buck?

A Couple Things to Keep in Mind

A single person can NOT be an “expert” at everything needed for your web strategy. 

If you are reviewing a freelancer that claims to be an “expert” at web development, web design, branding, social media, inbound marketing, and analytics… RUN AWAY!  It is a full-time job just staying up to date on one of these topics, this means that anyone claiming to be an expert at them all is most likely a hack at them all.

But this is where the trade off of cost and reward come into play.  To truly have experts in all of these areas manage your web strategy you will be spending a minimum of $20,000.  So, knowing that you only have a $2,000 – $5,000 budget for your web presence, you must determine what will get you the most bang for your buck.  Just keep in mind, people that promise everything will most likely leave you with nothing.

Note: LimeCuda has a team of experts, each well-qualified in their particular niche. Each person also understands the big picture and how the different niches must work together.

Why not get some referrals?

No matter how new someone is to the industry, if they are charging you, they should have some referrals.  It is a common thing for people to request referrals from someone providing them with a service.  This is a big step for your business, don’t hesitate to find out about the experience others have had with a certain developer.

Review their portfolio

Take a look at the websites in their portfolio and keep a couple of things in mind:

1. What kind of businesses do they serve?
2. Imagine yourself as that business’s customer, is the site simple and intuitive? Does it draw you in and make you want to do business with them?

If the answer to these questions is no, you might want to look at other developers.

Are you currently looking for a web developer?

If you are currently looking for someone to handle your web project, we happily invite you to take a look at:

1. Meet our team
2. What our clients have to say about us
3. See some samples of our work

We would love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading. Looking for a web developer? is a post from LimeCuda

Thanks for reading. Natalia Livingston, Emmy Award-Winning Actress/Photographer is a post from LimeCuda

We’ve been busy helping clients move to the new design. If you want to have a go yourself, check out the below links. Here is a particularly helpful one that has the dimensions for the new images. We switched the LimeCuda fan page over last week. Do you have a favorite example of a new page?

The following collection of links is brought to you courtesy of the social media savants at Marketing Savant

Blog Posts & Articles

• 15 Must Know Tips to Rock Your New Facebook Timeline Business Page [Social Media Today] This is a great primer that also includes a nice Timeline Cover Image Template that you can download in Photoshop and Illustrator formats. Very cool.
• Facebook Timeline Tutorial Infographic [TechJournal] One of several obligatory infographics on Facebook Timeline.  You can find more Facebook Timeline Infographics here. (Each of the previous 4 words links to a different Infographic…they’re everywhere!)
• Facebook Timeline for Brands: 10 Things to Get Right [Social Media Today] Another post from SMT on the things you need to really pay attention to in order to really make Timeline sing for your company.
• Top Ten Changes for Brands on Facebook Timeline [Envano] Our friends at Envano (local to Green Bay) put together a nice concise post with screen shots that walks you though the finer points of Timeline.
• Facebook Commerce Success Stories and The Impact of Timeline [V3] This post talks about how Facebook Timeline will impact F-Commerce (Facebook Commerce)
• Introducing Timeline from Facebook.  The original page about Timeline when it was introduced for Personal Profiles.
• Facebook Timeline – 5 Strategies for Business Success [Ressac] This is a quick post but it has a few ideas that go beyond the technical and tactical of how to “cope” with Timeline and gives some ideas on how to really leverage it to tell your brand story.  I like the idea of “getting your brand history” in order like the way the New York Times has done when the put a post on their timeline stating they were founded in 1851. Very cool!

E-Books, PDFs, Downloads [PDF or registration links below]

• The New Facebook® Pages Brand Timeline: Everything You Need to Know [Hearsay Social] A well designed, well thought out and very informative guide. This is something that we’ve used in FB classes since it came out.  A great resource and a ‘must download’ item.
• Facebook Pages Mission Control Overview/Product Guide [Facebook] Right from the horse’s mouth. This is Facebook’s 8-page guide on everything they think you should know about timeline. Also a must-print resource to have on hand when working with Timeline.
• The CMO’s Guide to the New Facebook [iCrossing] These guys put together a nice executive level resource on Timeline and how it can be best used by large brands.  Complete with a few great examples of how large brands are using the new Timeline features to the fullest.
• Facebook Timeline for Brands: A Marketer’s Guide [Virtrue] Virtrue put together a great 13 page deck on the technical aspects as well as some of the more innovative ideas that marketers can employ to leverage Timeline.
• Facebook Timeline Tip Sheet [Eric Mower + Associates] We always like the EMA work and like the tidy tip sheet they put together on Timeline.  Good stuff and simple.
• Step-by-Step Guide to New Facebook Business Page Timelines [HubSpot] Of course, HubSpot has a great guide on Timeline.  It’s the granddaddy guide of them all with 31 pages (some of it’s HubSpot propaganda) of insights, ideas and tips you won’t see anywhere else.

Templates & Guidelines

• Facebook Cheat Sheet: Sizes and Dimensions [DreamGrow Digital/Social Media] I love these guys! They did this nice ‘wireframe’ blueprint for the last time Facebook changed up dimensions and they’ve updated their handy PDF of Facebook Timeline image dimensions for this most recent change.  Send this to your designers who work on your Facebook imagery.

Bonus

• Here’s a quick Facebook Timeline Pinterest Board that Marketing Savant put together on their Pinterest page that links to some of the better infographics, guides and resources that they’ve found for Timeline.

Thanks for reading. New Facebook Timeline, What You Should Know is a post from LimeCuda

Stealing this unashamedly from my dad… we try very hard to be “fun, friendly, and helpful.”   This manifests itself in: the calls we have with clients,  our state-of-mind while at our desks, and how we communicate in email.

Life is hard enough, so we always try to keep a positive and upbeat attitude. You wouldn’t think, so but creating or transforming a company’s web presence can be stressful and high pressure. People entrust their businesses to us all the time; being alert and thorough is key. However, in order to not let this responsibility turn us into uptight, stressed-out, robots, we mix a healthy dose of fun, humor, and joy into our work.

Don’t be mistaken, this surface casualness is how we keep our work full of joy, meaning, and we don’t end up in padded rooms scribbling “Die Internet Explorer, Die!” We are still professionals underneath the jeans and un-tucked dress shirts.

Yada yada yada, so what do we mean?

Phone Calls

If we chat on the phone, we try to be direct and not waste your time, while being fun and interesting people. I do far too much rubbing in the face of my northern clients, the warm weather and sun that I suffer through. (sorry!)

Posts / Content

When we interact in the online world with Social Media, mailing lists, website content, and blog posts, we may be more casual and entertaining than you are used to. And that is exactly why… we would put you to sleep at your keyboard if everything from LimeCuda was “what you are used to”.  Have you ever seen the face of someone who fell asleep on their keyboard? It ain’t pretty.

Emails

We all get faaaaaar too many of them. We feel your pain. In our correspondence we try to be to-the-point and not waste your valuable time. You also might get some humor. We’re also certainly no strangers to the emoticons like: :) or ;) and if you are a cheekish client maybe even a :P  (don’t be alarmed if you see an lol, only 30% of the time are we laughing at you)

Why do we engage in such frivolities? Experience. There is a very real danger when communicating with someone online as you immediately lose the  90% of communication that is non-verbal. By adding a smiley face we are trying to bring back some of the meaning and intent that is lost in written communication. This isn’t us being goofy, this is us trying to make sure you know that we aren’t mad or frustrated.

Note: in case you weren’t aware, ALL CAPS is the online equivalent of screaming, so unless you are very mad or very excited about something, don’t use it. Don’t leave us guessing what you meant when you said “THE FONT IS WAY TOO SMALL” :)

Now it’s your turn… Any tips you want to share for communicating online? Have a different style philosophy? Please share in the comments!

Thanks for reading. Philosophy of Communication, A Look Inside the LimeCuda Culture is a post from LimeCuda

Although web sales are generally thought to be non-taxable, if your client has a physical location they will have to pay sales tax for all of their in-state sales.  Not only are there state taxes to process, there are additional county-based local taxes which have to be accounted for in your e-commerce solution.  I know this sounds like a huge pain, and it somewhat is, but it is a necessary thing to consider in order to ensure that your client does not receive any unnecessary headaches while running their new e-commerce website.

There is however a kink to this process when considering online sales.  Local taxes are county based.  When was the last time you saw a “County” line on a checkout form? Since it is rather unconventional to include a “County” line on your checkout forms, these rates are typically calculated based on the zip codes provided when customers are purchasing items.

SPOILER ALERT!  The remainder of this article deals specifically with Sales Tax issues for the state of Georgia

Georgia Tax Rates for Online Sales

In reviewing this situation for a current project we are working on for a company based in Georgia, we decided to add a 7% tax for all items purchased from within the state of Georgia (4% state tax + 3% Local Tax).  Since there are only 9 counties with a lower local tax rate, we then determined (conservatively) the zip codes for all the counties that had a lower Local Tax rate (2% rather than the traditional 3%).  We then created a negative tax rate criteria for all orders from these zip codes, so when someone made a purchase from a zip code that fell within the lower rate it would reduce the tax amount by 1% (2% in the case of Whitfield County since they only have a 1% local tax bringing the total tax rate to 5%).  We’ve provided a breakdown below of all the Counties and associated zip codes with the lower rates.

Counties & Associated Zip Codes with 2% Tax Rate

Counties and Associated Zip Codes with 1% Tax Rate

Whitfield County

• 30710
• 30720
• 30721
• 30740

We hope this helps you and maybe saves you a little time!  If you happen to be looking into an e-commerce solution for your own company, we would love to talk with you!  Contact us and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.

Thanks for reading. Georgia E-Commerce Taxes by County (Zip Code Breakdown) is a post from LimeCuda

Who is this Josh Mallard?

Josh and Blake have been friends for nearly 10 years and have worked together previously on and off the web.  Josh has been doing web design for several years, with the majority of that time spent juggling web design and a full-time job as an accountant.  After starting and running his own company full-time, Josh quickly realized the need for collaboration.  Joining LimeCuda was a natural fit and Blake and Josh both look forward to how the collaboration will push them professionally and creatively.

Josh lives in the Atlanta area, plays the drums, has a wonderful wife, and a black lab. Josh is super-creative and likes to push the limits of design.

How will he fit in at LimeCuda?

The specialties that Josh brings to LimeCuda… creative eye, proficiency with Adobe CS5 (Photoshop et al), a diversity in design approach, and an insider’s understanding of the accounting, photographer, and artist niches.

Thanks for reading. Meet Josh Mallard – New LimeCuda Creative Strategist is a post from LimeCuda

Thanks for reading. Jodi McKinney, Director of Corporate Communications is a post from LimeCuda