Author Archives: smeade

Sometimes a slicker ajax-y UI is not the best choice. For instance, every LeadsOnRails contact can be tagged with an unlimitted number of tags. To add a tag, users either enter a new one in a text box or select an existing one from a drop-down box. An alternative design would have been to useContinue reading “Design Decision: Tags”

The Blank Slate 37signals’ Getting Real has a section on The Blank Slate. The Blank Slate stage is that stage of an application or screen in which no or very little data has been populated. The problem is that most designers design around a fully populated screen. And though that may be how the userContinue reading “Design Decision: Learning the Blank Slate Approach”

I wrote about why the Software as a Service model appeals to us as a software vendor (recurring revenue) and also wrote about the biggest SaaS benefit to our customers (the continuous expectation of excellent customer service even after the initial “purchase”). Here now is just one reason I love SaaS as a user. AsContinue reading “1 Reason I Love the SaaS Model as a Software User”

In Low Tech Local I wrote about the importance of local marketing efforts saying “why not take a few moments from global-domination SEO efforts and give good old local customers a shot.” Build a Business with Referrals outlined six steps to lay the foundation for a referral strategy. And 7 Steps to Improved Small BusinessContinue reading “Business Network International”

Juuso Hietalahti (Game Producer) had a blog entry today entitled How to Stop Getting Sidetracked in which he shares the 1 hour solution. In the 1 hour solution you make a commitment to yourself to keep working no matter what. This is similar to my articles In Praise of Single-Tasking. Don’t stop to take aContinue reading “The Number One Reason People Get Sidetracked”

37Signals’ blog made mention of a post about the counter-productivity of multi-tasking. Scott [Berkun] brings up the latest research that casts multi-tasking in a counter-productive light. He ultimately suggests that if we want to achieve greatness that we should pay attention to how the great people who came before us paid attention—by blocking distractions outContinue reading “In Praise of Single-Tasking”

In the last entry I shared why Synap Software chose to produce hosted software solutions often referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS). One reason mentioned was benefit for subscribers. SaaS is really a win-win and an example of what I mean when I advise folks to consider marketing efforts from the very startContinue reading “Business Decision: Customer Benefits of the SaaS Model”

In a recent Duct Tape Marketing blog entry , John Jantsh shares that since creating an active and popular blog, he has stopped being asked to submit proposals and now is simply asked if he is available. That is the power of having an educated audience. He goes on to say ”So, what if youContinue reading “Market Your Benefits, Not Your Features”

Technorati Profile No need to click the above link – there is nothing interesting there. I finally took the two minutes it takes to claim my blog on Technorati. This post can be safely ignored. Creating a post with a link like above in it is one way to verify ownership of the blog. HereContinue reading “Claiming my technorati blog”