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The Digital Conversation
Website + Social Media
what needs to be said and where
By: Lisa Girard
Digital Destiny, LLC
April 6, 2011
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“Web 2.0” & the modern website

What is a modern website?
 Visually
appealing
 Content-driven with interesting,
interactive content
 Dynamic – “changing” and not stale
 Conversation platform – a social
media landing spot and jump-off
point
 Plug-ins & extensions for added
functionality
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Web 2.0 Design
 Newer
design
Rounded corners
 “Shiny” buttons, shading, shadows
 Central layout with 2-3 column layout
 Top navigation and right side
navigation
 3-5 mini columns at bottom of page
 Rich surfaces and textures
 Gradients and reflections
 Cute vector icons

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Web 2.0 Design
 Newer
design
Bold color, eye-catching graphics
 CSS for styling and flexibility
 Grid layout
 Social media platforms
 Smaller type for text content (10pt or smaller)

Big
bold headings, logos and headers
(40pt or bigger)
Illustration with photo-collage
 Interactive elements/components (image sliders,
litebox popups, rollovers)

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What is NOT modern?
Flashing text
 Colored text
 Animated gifs
 Framed content
 Stale, outdated content
 Midi-music on the site
 Text on page, no images

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How do you make a website?

Files shared on a server (“hosting”)
Domain name registration (‘online address’)
Files written in a specific language computers
and browsers understand
 HTML
-Javascript
 PHP
-Flash
 CSS
-XML
Static pages – coded in HTML

Dynamic pages
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(communicate with a database)
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Content Management System Website

CMS

A content management system is a system used to manage and
publish web content, without having to manually edit HTML code.

Database driven - uses language that pushes and pulls info from a
database to a web browser

Content changes on the fly

Web-based – no special software needed, accessible by any computer
connected to internet

Allows site owner/admin freedom in content management

Permission level administration, front-end, back-end editing capability
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CMS continued

Various CMS Systems
Open source (source code available to all)

WordPress
“beginner” CMS
 more of a “blog” platform
 not as many extensions available
 user-friendly interface
 several modern templates available
 easy to deploy

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CMS continued

Various CMS Systems
Open Source (source code available to all)
 Joomla!

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CMS “on steroids”
1000s of extensions for added functionality
moderate learning curve for developer, slight
learning curve for a content manager
huge community of support for design and
development
user-friendly interface
several modern templates available
easy to deploy
designer friendly
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CMS continued

Various CMS Systems
Open source (source code available to all)

Drupal
‘a developer’s CMS’
 code intensive
 huge learning curve
 less templates available
 for “hand coders and hackers”
 not designer and user friendly
 time-intensive to develop (time-money investment)

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CMS continued
Proprietary

SquareSpace -- A fully hosted, completely
managed environment for creating and maintaining a
website, blog or portfolio. (( hosted, developed &
managed in one place ))

Capable of creating community/enterprise scale portals
and uniquely enables different content available to
different user groups via a sophisticated permissions
group method. (( permission levels to support access
and content management ))

Artistic, non-templated look & extensive support
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CMS Extensions – added functionalities

Extensions, Widgets & Plug-Ins
 Any
additional program or application that you add to
your website to make it do something special

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Photo slideshow
Invoicing and billing
Newsletter management and distribution
Text editor
Site backups
Calendar of events
Custom forms
Mobile blogging
Site maps
Online advertising distribution and tracking
Online community and social networking
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CMS Extensions – added functionalities

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E-commerce
Video library / gallery
Multiple language site
Site permission and security
Document creation, management and distribution
Interactive maps
Tag cloud
Search engine optimization
MLS integration (real estate sites)
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CMS - Ease of Use

Administrator/Site Owner
 no
coding or computer language skills needed
 basic computer skills needed
Open/close/navigate file & program locations
 Web-savvy – open web browser and navigate the
internet
 Word processing skills – open a document, type
text, change font and color, save document
 Upload/attach photos

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CMS - Ease of Use

Designer/Developer
 CSS
style sheets allow for site modification of
layout and color schemes
 Frameworks allow for easy to use gridding
and modification as needed
 Extensive support networks and
documentation allow easy(ier) troubleshooting
of errors and issues
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CMS - Ease of Use

END USER
– user can’t tell the difference
between a static site or a CMS site
 Interactive content & extensions encourages
engagement
 Contemporary designs
 Seamless
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CMS – Pros

PROS
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Added functionality with 1000s of extensions
Web 2.0 designed templates
Ability for admin content management (no reliance on
webmaster or need to know code languages)
Easy to use interface for admin and developer
Multiple users can manage content, various permission
levels
Front end / back end content management ability
Web-based – can edit site from any connected computer
Huge community of support for certain CMS platforms
(Joomla!)
Many CMSs are “free” – as in you don’t have to purchase
software or licensing
Consistent look throughout all pages of site
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CMS – Cons

CONS

Learning curve for admin and developer (some CMSs are easier than
others)

Troubleshooting depends on a community of other coders, developers,
and users (no central go-to organization to ask questions to)

Hosting company has to support CMS, including PHP and MySQL
databases

OpenSource CMS can be more vulnerable to security issues and site
hacks – “code is available to any & all”

Version updates are required for proper functioning and security

Specific extensions and aesthetic look will require extra time and money
invested (not all templates and extensions are free)
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Typical Costs

Most OpenSource CMS platforms are free to
download install (given your hosting company
supports the chosen CMS)

Templates & extensions can be free or commercial

Hosting generally runs about $100 a year,
including one domain registration

Domain names are


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~~ $10 without privacy registration
~~ $20 with privacy to protect your personal
information
Labor – you will have to pay someone to build out
your CMS if you are not considerably advanced in
computer skills, web languages and web
interfacing
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Web Manager Role

Do you still need a “webmaster”?
– if you are not considerably advanced in
computer skills, web languages, and web interfacing,
or if you don’t have the time to commit to learning it.
 Yes

As a Web Manager – I do this:
 Domain
management
 Hosting set up
 Custom email address set up and configuration
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Web Manager Role
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Secure a template for the site
Create the database that contains the site data
Install the CMS platform core files
Modify the template as needed
 Code hacks
 Image manipulation
Load content
 Modify template as need to fit content
 Image manipulation
 Write and review copy
 Search Engine Optimization awareness
Research, install and configure extensions
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Web Manager Role
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Basic SEO
 Alt tags (backend coding)
 Content keyword saturation
 Metadata (backend coding)
 Google Analytics
Advanced SEO
 Directory listing
 Places verification
 Research/consult SEO practices
 research/consult backlink opportunities
Train client, including training manual
Troubleshoot errors
Upgrade and add on products/services to site
Make changes as needed (design or content)
Consult best practices and innovative ideas
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Web Manager Role
You are paying a web professional to speedily and accurately do these
things. Anyone can learn this, but paying a professional developer
gets it done fast, accurately, and aesthetically pleasing and it frees
up your time to do the thing that you are best at.
Reasonable fees:
Stateside - $35 to $90 an hour
Offshore - $10 to $50USD an hour
I charge:
$75/hr - new business
$35/hr – non-profits
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Social Media – sharing the message
Let’s get personal and talk business
…at the same time.
Facebook
 Twitter
 LinkedIn

All of these are platforms allow you to share your message
and skills/product to an
interested, active, and engaged audience.
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Social Media – sharing the message
 Facebook
is a social media network. It brings together
people with the same interests into the same circle
into the same cyber space – this includes social
promotion of your business
 Platform to convey a message
 Facebook is what you make it. If you post regularly,
and you post quality - then Facebook can work for
you. Stale, outdated content will probably not do your
business or personal profile any good.
 Regularly posting content on your FB profile will
provide you another outlet to reach an interested and
engaged audience.
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Social Media – sharing the message
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Twitter – short message blogging or “microblogging”
–say what you need to say in a 140 characters or
less – “tweeting”
Tweet a short message about your business or
service to an interested audience that have sought
you out via keywords, and/or applicable terms, or
general interest
Tweet with your phone or online website
Follow other’s tweets and others follow your tweets
Tweets are displayed on your profile page and on
the home page of each of your followers
Make serious or silly tweets
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Social Media – sharing the message

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LinkedIn – the online network for professionals –
built to be a place where business professionals
could display their resume and services to share and
network with others in same or like industries
LinkedIn has evolved now to be a job posting/skillsposting arena where employers and those seeking
services can search through LinkedIn members to
find someone with the skillset they need
LinkedIn also provides a commenting platform
similar to FB and Twitter.
LinkedIn also has “Groups” of interested and
engaged members
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Social Media – sharing the message
OMG – 2 much 2 follow. WTH?
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Hoot Suite – feed reader that puts all posts in one place
Every SM platform has an app that will connect to your
other SM accounts for cross-platform posting
Every SM platform has an app that integrates with a
smartphone
All SM platforms offer an extension that plugs into your
website – this either rebroadcasts your posts or is just a
icon/notice that you belong to that platform as well
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The Digital Conversation

Websites are no longer just a brochure site
about your services and products – they are a
starting point for a conversation

SM platforms are the places to have those
conversations. Your website then becomes the
“reference book” or “the librarian”

Social media marketing is what you make it.
Put a lot into it and see a return – let it sit, and
it will rust.

Your website needs to be current and
accessible for easy edits and ready for
dynamically changing content. Your SM
conversations need to stay on topic, active and
current.

This is especially important in today’s
hyper-mediated space - constant flow of
information in the palm of your hand, literally.
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