When I first started riding, I would remind myself of that every ride.  As time passed, I found myself remembering that less and less.  After two years, I can be daydreaming about something for work before I even leave the addition.  I’ve been very lucky to not have any close calls yet.  That is as much dumb luck as skill.

I think all this applies to business as well.  You have to search for opportunities.  You have to evaluate those opportunities and have you to execute on the decisions you made. Just like on the bike, you have to do all three to be successful (and maybe stay alive).

On the business side of things, my biggest fault as been in the execution.  Part laziness and part self-confidence I think.

Those that succeed are the ones that are at their best with execution. What separates the Google’s from the HotBot’s is execution.  There are very few great ideas left on the web.  What determines who succeeds and who fails is execution.

So, do you SEE?

If not, one what step are you failing?

What are you going to do to get better?

Search   Evaluate   Execute

This is a great book that walks through everything from start to finish be it planning, designing, content, usability, getting traffic and much more. This isn’t a technical book. It is written for business owners that either have or want to have a web site and want to know more on a conceptual level about planning, designing, building and maintaining a successful web site.

Learn more at Amazon.

Good is good enough.

First, what does that mean?  To me, it means perfection isn’t possible so why try.  I can’t control everything and I don’t have the time or money to even try to pursue it. So good is good enough.

In the web world, I hear this a lot. It could be the design, the copy, the functionality, anything…

Is it good?  Yes!  Is it good enough?  Well….

10 years ago (maybe even 5 years ago), having a web site was enough.

Today?  Not a chance.   In my business, the number of amazing designers/developers is staggering.  The quality of the sites produced now makes sites just a couple years old look out-dated and hard to use.  With the ability to out-source to overseas firms that charge less than half the going rate, your product / service can not longer be ‘good enough’.

It better be outstanding.

The ease of getting a web site combined with the power of search engines has made your competitors just a search and click away.  Whether you’re selling artwork, consulting services, web applications, anything…your site better stand above your competitors.

Good IS NOT enough when it comes to web sites (unless your Craigslist…).

It starts with appearance.  We can all say we are not that superficial, but we’re lying to ourselves. Say you’re looking for a consultant to help you with your storage and backup needs.  You find a couple in your area through a web search and are now looking at their sites.  Assuming you don’t have prior knowledge about any of the consultants, I would bet a lot of money that your initial choice will be the site that  is easy to navigate, answers your most common questions quickly and most importantly, has a well-organized and professional design.

Does the quality of the site mean the Consultant will be the best?  Not at all.  But it does suggest a few things.

• They care about their image
• They spent the money to have a site that was professional and easy to use
• They took the time to research their target audience
• They care about the people they serve

They decided good was not good enough.

Now I know most of us (me included) don’t always have the time or money go beyond ‘good enough’.  So the question is…

Is it better to put something out there (there being the internet) that is just good or is it better to wait until you have the time and money to do it right?

I think it comes down to a few things.

• What your competitors are doing
• What your price point is
• What your customers need and expect

If the site isn’t meeting the needs and expectations of your customers, they aren’t coming back or giving you a second look.  If your price point suggest Ferrari but your site looks Yugo, well….  If your competitors have sites that make yours look like it was done by a 15 year old using FrontPage, then you have problems.

It’s better to have a web site with one great page then 10 crappy ones.  It’s better to send one quality email a month than 6 crappy ones.  It’s better to sell one great product than a bunch of useless junk.

Perfection is impossible, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for it.

Good is not good enough.

With that, here are two resources that are quick to read and more importantly, provide guidance on how to write content that your visitors will actually read and love (it will also help your search engine rankings as well…).

How to Write Great Copy for the Web
by Donna Spencer.

Read this and you’ll…

“Learn about how writing web copy differs from other forms of writing, and how writing useful, functional and concise copy can both help persuade your readers, and also help with search engine optimization!”

Too many web sites fail to tailor their copy to the medium. Reading something on a web site is dramatically different from reading something in print. What you write and how you format that information needs to be different. With Donna’s help, you’ll be able to do that.

SEO Copywriting E-Book: The Unscary, Real-World Guide
by Ian Lurie.

Ian says…

“The book’s short, sweet and to the point: 30 pages, 6 rules for better SEO copywriting.”

I’ve been following Ian’s writing for years and I like the way he writes. You should also check out his blog. He recently wrote an informative and funny post on 19 ways to be a good marketing copywriter.

I hope that both of these resources will help you write great copy that generates sales as well as makes the search engines love your site.

So far in 2010, SamRhine.com and JDHostetter.com have updated their site with additional sections and content. Another client spun off their product sales to Self-StudyCourse.com.

Just a couple of weeks ago, iDesmo.org launched. I built a front-end marketing site to compliment their forum.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be launching a new site for a commercial real estate company from New Jersey, a refreshed version of TheGolfClassifieds.com as well as some additions to NorthForkMtnInn.com.

If you have some ideas for your existing web site or a new web site, give me a call at 317-513-0920 or visit my web site.

Anyway, I was following the hype of the iSlate, er iPad since the beginning.  Apple being Apple, I expected something that would make me come out of the closet.

Not today I’m sorry to say.  The iPad looks great as a shiny piece of metal and glass, but beyond that. it is a lot of sizzle and not a lot of steak.

Here is what it is missing…

• Forward facing camera for video chats
• Slot loading DVD
• Mini Display Port (think about this – a second monitor for a laptop or desktop)
• More frik’n storage capacity
• Stylus and handwriting recognition (duh….)
• FLASH (Really?, Seriously? WTF?)
• USB and/or SD slot (You know, like to be able to plug in a  camera and download pictures)

The thing is already too expensive, but how much more would it have cost to at least have a camera, stylus and a USB port?  FLASH and handwriting recognition is a software thing.  It doesn’t even need handwriting recognition, just the ability to write out notes and save like a whiteboard.

Also, another data plan?  No thanks.

Picture this…

You’re going on vacation and don’t want to lug the laptop (because then you’ll probably think you should do some real work).

In steps the iPad (V2 – with all the goodies above and after you unplug it from your laptop – the second monitor thing, remember?).

Here is what you can do…

Watch 4-5 DVD’s (because really, who has the forethought, software, knowledge and time to rip and convert before you leave).

Transfer those beautiful pics of the Grand Canyon to the iPad for backup and for viewing.

Video chat with family and friends with Skype

Keep a little hand-written journal of what you see.

Read a book or two.

Catch up on email, the stock market and Tiger’s latest mistress.

With a few additional pieces of hardware and software, the iPad could be…

The ultimate vacation device.

The ultimate device for doctors and nurses.

The ultimate device for business meetings.

The ultimate device for college students.

Right now, the iPad is a novelty with no market beyond the flaming Fanboys and the early adopters.

Here is to hoping V2 is everything V1 could have been.

I have had problems with waking the machine from sleep and it seems to get bogged down at times for no reason (updating iTunes Podcasts for example).  I’m still not comfortable with the way Explorer works or the Start Menu.  I’m sure those are things I can change though.  The security thing confuses me as well.  I still can’t get a local web site running under IIS. Again, I’m sure it is something simple….

During this time, I purchased a MacBook Pro and I’m really liking the OS.  I’m all about function over form, so I like the consistency of how things work on the Mac (it looks kinda nice too). The OS boots, sleeps and recovers so much better too!

I’ll always be a Windows user on some level, so I was hoping for more with Win 7.  Maybe the next SP will make things better.

I ran the Windows upgrade utility and it said I might have issues with my graphics card (for Aero) and my sound card. Aero works great as do my speakers.

I never used Vista (I’m coming from XP Pro), so getting around the interface is going to take some time.  I don’t know if Windows Explorer had this in XP, but the preview pane in 7 is awesome.

The last big hurdle is getting my network attached Printer/Scanner/Copier working correctly.  I’ll tackle that tomorrow.

All in all, I’ve been completely and pleasently surprised.  I hope that feeling lasts…

In my particular case, I think phones/MP3′s/GPS’s etc… have gotten way too small and difficult to use.

The iPod Nano.  If I didn’t loose it in the first 3 days I had it, I’d probably break it.  It feels like a toothpick.

I have a Sprint Treo 755 phone, one of the biggest out there and it is still too small.  The iPhone is much better, but it still needs to be thicker.  The new Palm Pre?  Forget it.  The first and only time I tried it, I felt like I was holding balsa wood.

Right or wrong, I associate heft with quality in electronic devices. I want something that doesn’t shatter the first time I drop it.  Something that lets me know I’m still carrying it.  Something that is more concerned about working correctly over being small, light and pretty.

Bring back the High Definition.  I’ll pay for it.

Seth finally put it out there.