WordCamp is going down this weekend in Salt Lake City, and a few of the 12H crew will be in attendance. In fact, we are pleased to be a sponsor. If you plan on attending reach out and say, what’s up! We’ll be the folks wielding cameras and causing trouble for our next episode of Horse Power. That will be forthcoming, so stay tuned!

Our president, Steve Spencer said it well on Utah Tech Spotlight. WordPress is an incredible story of a business that is more than a business. It is an idea that evolved into a community of users and contributors that has empowered millions of people to communicate and express themselves more effectively and efficiently. It has certainly changed my life, and many of those around me.

So Blog On! And come on down if you are around on Saturday.

When? Saturday 27 September 2008

Where? Novell (1800 Novell Place) Open Source Technology Center in Provo, Utah — Map

Why? Bring together people interested in WordPress, blogging (and the web in general) to talk about what’s possible, where’s it going

TJ Crawford has been with Twelve Horses for almost eight years now, and in that time he has implemented many complex business automation and multi-channel marketing strategies for a variety of our enterprise level clients. With more than twelve years of experience in website design, application development, and integrated online marketing, T.J. is a master of melding web applications and technologies with database management and customer interaction. Whether the conversation is centered around multi-channel marketing, data replication, content management, ecommerce, Salesforce integration, or an amalgamation of all of the above he has plenty to share. It is for these reasons that I thought I’d chat a little with TJ to see what he is up to.

What are you most excited about right now?

It is not any one item, product or industry but technology period. There is a lot of fantastic innovation and discovery going on. I just saw the Space Cube, which is a computer condensed into a 2-inch cube. It has decent memory, USB, VGA output, Linux operating system etc. Something that used to take up a whole room can now easily fit into your hand. A large number of our cell phones have more computing power than NASA had when we went to the moon. There is just a plethora of technological innovations going on out there. Moore’s Law is in full effect for not only hardware but innovation as well. And where I get excited is finding that innovation and bringing it to use.

What changes have you seen in the company since you first started?

I actually have the proud designation of being the first Twelve Horses North America employee going back to when we merged in 2002. It was at that time that we went from being a 12-person web development shop called, Aztech Cyberspace to an international email marketing company…overnight. At first we focused on email software solutions but quickly found that people still need web services and integration; so we made sure those areas had the proper people and resources. We had our MessageMaker platform and Content Management System already, but over the years we developed quite a few more systems (Compliance, Automated Alert Systems, Membership Managment, Ticketing etc.). We went from being a web service company to a software company, to where we are now, which is a full-scale web development company helping automate and streamline all of the above. We have the brains (the people) as well as owning the development and IP for several software platforms.

And it makes perfect sense for us when you look at it from a competitive position. Most interactive companies don’t own their own solutions. They have to go out and find an email provider, a website designer, a content management system. Because we own them we are not limited to some 3rd party’s off-the-shelf feature sets.

What is new in enterprise-level application development?

Different industries are asking for different things. For instance, the financial industry is very focused on security. If they send an email they want to be sure the information in that email is secure. Having data portability is also really important. Sharing information internally, with 3rd parties and vendors, but doing it securely. Also, where the data is actually stored.

We are still very focused on technology systems that allow us to  alleviate physical resources. Figuring out how we can automate and pull the labor out of it so the company can focus on how to make the business better, not just simple execution of processes.

Also, the ability to track data and put together actionable items. Just tracking is no longer enough. Don’t tell me I have 10,000 visitors, but tell me what they want. You not only have to provide insight, but you need to integrate it with multiple applications so you can get more of a holistic and aggregate view.

Tell us about a difficult challenge you’ve recently been faced with?

It is really the people equation. We can’t automate  a solution around people acting differently depending on the variables within a situation. While there is fuzzy logic built into many systems, we can’t really automate a relationship decision, or a decision that is based on loose variables involving the human element.

For instance, clients place value on the relationship – the history, loyalty, and personality – you can’t automate that. We use Salesforce, love Salesforce, and have dedicated employees who only work on Salesforce; but Salesforce cannot go out and meet with a client.

What are you currently working on?

I have taken a very active role in business development because of our recent product developments. For instance, with our CMS system we have done 3 major new releases since the beginning of the year. Going out and talking to our customers is very important. Internally, you can talk to project managers, developers, and designers, and while they can give you great feedback, you have to get the full balance. You’ve got to know what your clients are doing, and what they are struggling with. You need their feedback. If you are not out in front of your customers hearing what their needs are, what their goals are, then you can’t build a great solution. That is how you bring real value.

We have a lot going on particularly with our CMS and supporting application development. The applications are much like plug-ins. For instance, we have a lot of CVB clients, so we have developed a stakeholder application for them. It gives the hotels, eateries and other businesses within the community access to manage content on the CVB’s site. It gives the stakeholder control of their interest and removes the labor component from the CVB.

Also, I’ve been working for quite some time on a ticketing system. The ticketing industry has been going through a lot of changes. Technologies have improved dramatically since the early 90s when many of these original ticketing systems were being built. A lot of old ticketing systems focused on the operational side, but they overlooked the marketing piece of it. Also, if you don’t provide some of that data on what your customers are buying and their demographic information, purchasing habits, etc, then you’ve really falling behind. There is also a lot of opportunity to take these transactions to the mobile environment, both on the payment side as well as using your mobile device as the ticket itself.

What would be your one piece of advice for database and online marketers out there?

Work smarter not harder. Find ways to bring exponential value to your clients both internally and externally. Don’t just implement changes to save a penny but sacrifice your brand by ticking off a client. Also, over the years I’ve seen companies invest a lot of money developing or buying closed systems. But to get into a system that does not take into account the other systems within your company, or integrate with them, is shortsighted. If they don’t play friendly with other companies and other solutions then you should be suspect. Getting locked into these long term contracts with closed system means they basically don’t have to develop new solutions and features and compete for your business as aggressively. That is why companies like Google have done such a great job. Many of their systems are open and continue to add value. They continue to innovate at a breakneck pace.

Custom vs Out-of-the-Box?

A lot of clients think they need a custom solution, but they really don’t. You have to ask, what is the cost vs benefit? Sometimes we have customers that come to us and the solution just doesn’t exist. So we have to determine whether or not it makes sense. An example of that is an economic development authority we recently worked with. They were shopping for an event management solution. We showed them what we could do, as well as what some other competitors were doing. They did a considerable amount of research and after that came back to us. They couldn’t find one that fully integrated with their systems or managed their groups the way they wanted. So we built it; and the ROI has far exceeded their and our expectations.

When TJ is not busy strategizing, scoping, and architecting technology solutions, he can be found playing golf or hanging out with his wife and twin boys. He even on occasion finds a little time for abstract blogging.

This morning I had the opportunity to sit down with one of our resident Search Engine Optimization (SEO) extraordinaires, Mr Eric Morgan. The guy practically drinks Google Juice for breakfast, so I figured he would have some interesting information about SEO that I could share with you. Eric works out of our Salt Lake City office, so what transpired was a little phone interview on the current state of his practice.

How long have you been in the SEO game?

I’ve been working on SEO for 8 years.

How do you get into it?

My mother-in-law asked for some help on her adoption site, and I wanted to drive more traffic to it. So, I started researching how to get that done. It was then that I realized I could make a living doing it.

What are you currently working on?

I feel very fortunate in my position with Twelve Horses because I get to work on a variety of different clients. Many SEO managers work on just one specific industry where I get to be exposed to a lot of different companies.

For example, ski resorts like Alpine Meadows, Homewood, and Heavenly are definitely fun. I’m also working on Solera Networks, which is a company that provides network monitoring services and network appliance products. It’s a unique challenge because their products and services are new and relatively unknown, so I can produce some real results for them by building up their rankings from the ground level.

Uppercase Living is another one. They do vinyl lettering for home decor, which allows you to decorate your home for very little money. It is an exploding market, and they are probably the biggest player in their industry. Finally, another example is Set Point. They do industrial automation for faster and efficient manufacturing processing.

Wow, you really are working with wide array of different industries. How does a company like Set Point benefit from SEO?

You’d be surprised at the amount of people that are researching what Set Point has to offer. It really opens your eyes to how many people are typing in terms like, ‘custom automation solution‘ or ‘industrial automation‘ to improve their business. Where I come is helping make sure they get introduced to a company like Set Point.

What tactics are producing the best results for your clients?

Link building has the biggest impact on SEO, specifically from bloggers and copywriters. It also really helps to get fresh content on new topics, which in turn expands their website. Another one that you may find surprising is educating the client on SEO. Ingraining these fundamentals, truly getting the client to think in terms of SEO, makes a huge difference when they go to make changes to their own website or blog. It is often things they do every day that can make significant impacts on SEO.

What are some common mistakes that businesses make when it comes to SEO?

Biggest one is they fail at the very basics of SEO…ones that are well known. For example, the first thing we fix are title tags and meta description. The next thing we find is that companies did not do their keyword research well enough. That, or they focused on keywords that are not obtainable, do not represent significant enough search volume, or they are simply not relevant.

Others common mistakes are embedding text in graphics, which the search engines cannot see.

The URL structure is another fundamental mistake in the sense that they just don’t take it into consideration. Search engines don’t index dynamic pages as well as static pages. Also, I will often see random variables in the url as opposed to logical words that pertain to the specific page and company offerings.

How does SEO relate to website architecture?

That is another common mistake. Companies focus on just SEO, but if the traffic is being directed towards poorly constructed pages then they don’t convert. If the customer is directed towards a web page that has nothing to do with what they are looking for, or if it is too confusing, then you lose them. But if they are directed towards a well-constructed web page that is optimized to encourage them to take an action on the website, the chances are much higher that they will.

How often do use PPC or SEM in combination with a SEO strategy?

It is ultimately up to the client and their budget, but about 65% of our client are engaged in both.

Why is it important to do both?

As long as it has a positive ROI, why wouldn’t you do it? But many people think that PPC will help SEO ranking – they are not directly related. Where it helps is keyword research and retooling the website to better handle those conversions. It also helps test specific keywords up front instead of getting 3 or 4 months down the road with an SEO campaign and finding out that those are not the best words to focus on.

What are some new tactics that you are employing and testing?

Lately, we have been doing a lot of testing with bloggers and link building; interlinking where we make sure copy is linked to other pages within the website. This has also had a big impact on persuasion architecture.

How do you stay informed about SEO?

Mainly from other blogs and website such as SEOMoz, Marketing Experiments, Marketing Sherpa, and Grokdotcom.com. But there is no better way to stay informed, especially about your website, then practicing SEO, studying the results, and rinse and repeat.  I like to focus on experimentation, trying new things and constantly assessing what works and what doesn’t, and then applying those strategies to other websites.

Has there been any news lately that has gotten you excited about the industry?

The news that Google can better index flash files is pretty cool, but it still has a ways to go. Google Adwords has started to release search data through AdWords, where before you could only get that through WordTracker. But the fundamentals have not really changed that much.  Trends come out like social media marketing, but it is still the same fundamentals such as link building, html, and content. Often companies just don’t focus on the basics and instead get caught up chasing the latest fads that are kind of worthless in many instances.

What is the benefit of a business outsourcing SEO as opposed to doing it in house?

What you should get by outsourcing SEO is not only a deep level of experience with what works and what does not, but also a clear set of deliverables, a dedicated resource, and a fundamental understanding of web design and web architecture. Not only that but also how to effectively convert qualified traffic, and finally, how to interpret the analytics and create a dashboard that serves as a guide going forward.

It takes time, patience, and perseverance, and frankly, not everyone is cut out for SEO, but I enjoy it. It’s great to see results!

Eric Morgan can also be found blogging on SEO and web related topics at Marketing Morgan.

We never get this from our clients when it comes to their online marketing initiatives…never! Happy Friday!

These days I’d be surprised to find a person in charge of a company’s marketing who didn’t know the pros and cons of Flash. (Even though I still come across websites built entirely in Flash, which is awful for search engine optimization). However, I’m not sure they would necessarily know the benefits of Flex and how it relates to Flash. Let’s take a closer look.

Flash

Flash is great for designers who are looking to create graphics and animation. They can building everything from the ground up to create:

• Visually stunning web pages with capabilities for intermixing rich media such as video, graphics, and animation.
• Interactivity that is persuasive and creates a positive user experience.
• Flexibility for use in many different business applications.
• Extensibility for use in different platforms and devices.
• Small file sizes for quick initialization and load times.

Asynchronous Flash and XML give you greater control over applications, and it can also be used to trigger additional interactions, launch supporting communication channels like email or sms text messages, and store valuable data for reporting and analysis.

Early on, Flash presented many positive use cases but faced significant hurdles dealing with compatibility and lack of installs amongst personal computers. These days 98% of computers have Flash installed, and it works seamlessly with a variety of different programming languages and devices. Furthermore, recent news from Google reports they have made significant steps towards improved Flash indexing for search engine optimization (SEO).

Now enter Flex.

Flex

Think of Flex as Flash for web developers. Instead of using it for visual design, Flex is better suited for business applications that require data manipulation and visualization. It has more components than Flash for achieving this, and the resounding feedback from our Technical Services team is that it is much faster and easier to use. Flex can integrate into any database or work with any web programming language. Flex is a framework for Flash, so you can build something in Flash and then export it as a Flex application. It will work with Mac or Windows, so you don’t have to create separate versions to work on both.

Part of the framework of Flex is that it gives you a lot of different libraries that are at your disposal. For example, Flex easily consumes RSS and XML to parse the feed to display whatever information is needed. This is great for something like a widget where you would want it to check for the most recent information to display.

Sound complicated? Here are a couple of use cases to give you a better idea.

Kiosks

One of the ways Twelve Horses has been using Flex is for Kiosk interfaces. It works very well for getting things to work like.

• Touchscreen Technology
• Text to Speech
• Ticket Scanning
• Credit Card Scanning
• Printing
• Braille and ADA Compliance

Flex also works well for the backend management of the Kiosk. You can check the status of the Kiosk, as well as update it with new content from anywhere in the world. Because all of the interactions with the Kiosk are fed into a database, you can also use it to run reports based on customer behavior and total sales generated.

Project Management

Because Flex does a great job of visualizing data, it works really well for running visual reports like Gannt Charts and graphs related to new business, productivity, status, resource forecasting, profitability analysis, and so on. Combine this with the Salesforce.com toolkit for Flex, and now you can pull data through their API for any object in Salesforce.com. Ordinarily you have to build all those functions into the application, but instead it is done for you. Combine Flex with Adobe Air, and now you have a desktop application that is easily deployed across the entire organization to facilitate everything from time entry to new business opportunities.

As you can see, Flex is another great tool in our quiver of programming languages and frameworks to pull from. It is fast, flexible, and capable of being customized for a variety of different business applications. Contact us to find out how we can further integrate your online marketing endeavors with Flex.