The Webworker
a blog for the committed and casual webworkers among us
Our Trip to the MPIBA Trade Show in Denver, Colorado
Cally and I just returned from a (lightning-quick, whirlwindy) trip to Denver, Colorado where I gave several presentations to room-fulls of booksellers and book publishers at the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association annual trade show. The good folks at MPIBA are currently working on two very exciting web site projects with us, and have worked with us in the past on a consulting basis. We were delighted when they asked us if we’d come out to Denver to present our web marketing strategies at their trade show—not...
read moreCatalyst Webworks: The Orange Album
We’ve been brown. And tan. And now, ladies and gentlemen…we’re orange! As you can see, our logo, web site, and marketing materials have gotten a good old-fashioned design overhaul this month. Thanks to Cally’s super-human ability to maintain her design talents at 11:44pm, and my ability to quickly consume large quantities of caffeine, we’ve been able to grind out an update of our own materials—which, as any design team will tell you, is not easy! We’ve also scaled back our web site quite a bit. We’ve...
read moreHow Much Does A Bridge Cost?: Pricing for Designers and Asking the Brave Questions
I am in the web business. I build, market, and think about web sites all day long. Nearly every day I am asked by potential clients and hobbyists and casually-interested people, “How much does a web site cost?” It’s a question that I’m sure is cringingly familiar to any developer, designer, or artist. And—there was a time—when I struggled for an answer. The correct answer is not simple. It is not “X number of dollars”—like it would be for a pack of gum. The correct answer requires more work and thought...
read moreThe Upper Valley Hashtag Haiku Celebration
As many of you know, I’ve long been jealous of the impressive organization of Burlington’s Twitter community. Their unified use of the #BTV hashtag makes it very easy for me to keep my finger on the pulse of the Burlington community “goings-on.” After talking with @nhkaren at a recent Social Media Breakfast, I decided that the time had come to pick an official Twitter hashtag for New Hampshire’s and Vermont’s Upper Valley community. Burlington’s choice was obvious. They simply (and wisely) co-opted the...
read moreThe First Step in Avoiding Major Web Marketing Mistakes
This year I have the pleasure of writing a column for Book Business Magazine about web marketing. The idea behind the column is simple: Explain the steps required to build an effective web marketing plan in the order in which they need to be addressed. My hope is that I can lay out a clear process that helps businesses and organizations build a strong web marketing foundation. The articles will be appearing in both the print and online editions. The first article was published online this month, and the folks at Book Business have done a...
read moreThings to Remember in December
Here at Catalyst Webworks, we understand that the holidays can be a hectic and stressful time of year. Many tasks that are usually important (jogging, tooth-brushing, vacuuming) tend to get skipped over in favor of holiday preparations (shopping, wrapping, …vacuuming). So, in an effort to help you keep up your web presence through these busy weeks, we’ve put together this list of 3 simple things you can do this month to improve your web presence. 1. Send out an email newsletter. This is a great time of year to remind the special...
read moreUsing “Twitter Links” to Improve Your Social Media Tracking Efforts
Twitter—the wildly popular “micro-blogging” service—is making a giant impact on the internet, and joining the ranks of internet giants by doing so. If you’ve watched any cable news program in the last year, you’re probably already familiar with how it is helping to cure us all of the reckless habit of using sentences longer than 140 characters—this one is 163! (E-Gasp.) But, the lesser-known—and possibly more important—impact is how Twitter is helping to improve the traffic tracking tools online. The Back...
read moreJesse, Video, and a Funky Chicken (VIDEO)
I made this video a little over a year ago with help from two friends of mine—one luckier than the other. At the time I thought that the Catalyst Webworks web site was just a few weeks away…*cough*…and that this video would be a great element for the front page. Well, here it is, finally—after a brief stint on the now-defunct jsmcdougall.com—a world debut of the first Catalyst Webworks commercial. Please watch, laugh, enjoy, and pass it on. Thanks to Ed Dooley of Mad River Media (lucky friend behind the camera), and Morgan...
read moreA Web Site Company…with a Company Web Site!
Finally, after nine wonderfully successful months in business, our intrepid web site company has a company web site! We’re very excited to finally be live. We have so much planned for this site and we can’t wait to begin rolling it all out. Here’s a quick tour of what’s already on the site… Our Process: When dealing with complicated topics—like web design and programming—we find it’s good to be clear about how the process of development works. For the benefit of our clients, our potential clients, and...
read moreBuilding Reader Communities: A Q&A with Follow the Reader – Part Two
Charlotte Abbott released part two of our interview today—freeing it from the torment of pre-stage jitters. I have excerpted a few of the questions (and my responses) below. Please read the complete conclusion to this gripping yarn at Follow the Reader. What are the top two or three technologies have you found most valuable in engaging audiences online? Twitter for daily conversation. A blog as a conduit for book, author, and community content. Blip.tv for serving up high-resolution video with no size or time restrictions. For tracking...
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