This is the first blog post on our long overdue, redesigned website built out on the robust Kentico content management system that we launched last week.  This was a classic case of the cobbler’s children syndrome – we were too busy working on our client’s projects that our own website kept getting pushed to the back burner.  Throw in a rebranding and the process became much longer and more arduous than we had anticipated!

This project was a little bit of an experiment as we attempted to approach it as if we were a client and follow the same processes we have in place for client projects.  This was good for us to understand our processes from the perspective of a client.

The website was designed with the intent of making it easier for visitors to find exactly what they are looking for and to present information that is relevant to them.  We also wanted to show off more of what we call our “Business Acuity” services, or the front end strategy and planning services we offer.  The site was also designed to show more of the successes our client’s websites have had along with showcasing various industry experiences.

We’d like to give a big shout out to a few people who helped us tremendously with our new positioning:

Raquel Richardson, Silversquare
Doug Karr, DK New Media
Daren Tomey, Slingshot SEO
Dave Morse, Delta Faucet
Jen Arthur, Interactive Intelligence
Nick Simulia, MAC Presents
Rebecca Scholer

We’d love to hear your feedback on the new design and layout so let us know what you think!

As the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee prepares to host the big game in Indianapolis next February, weather preparedness is a key area of focus. On The Grid Communications, a communications management and volunteer scheduling software offered by Indianapolis based, BitWise Solutions, Inc., will provide key technology as part of the overall volunteer management. This technology will assist with changes in volunteer deployment plans due to weather, event schedules, traffic and parking issues, or other unforeseen circumstances.

On The Grid Communications is an emergency communications platform enabling its clients to combine all means of communication (telecommunications, text messaging, Internet, email, etc.) to facilitate immediate interaction with the right people at the right time. “This is the first initiative of its kind utilizing the level of communications software that On The Grid Communications provides. Should a major weather event play a factor in the preparation and execution of the Super Bowl, the Committee will be able to instantly communicate with the 8,000 volunteers who will be available to help in whatever way necessary to ensure the event is a success,” said Ron Brumbarger, President and CEO of BitWise Solutions.

Sheila Bradley, Director of Volunteer Services for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee added, “An automated process like what On The Grid offers will ensure we are prepared for the scale and complexity of the volunteer efforts for the Super Bowl. The automation will help mitigate the risk of certain situations such as weather or volunteer attrition.”

On The Grid Communications recognizes when there is a need for volunteers and will automatically communicate with volunteers to decipher their availability and intelligently fill gaps in the schedule based on the credentials of the volunteers needed. Additionally, the system will allow instantaneous communications with the volunteers during the Super Bowl in the event of an emergency or if more volunteers are needed in real time.

Based in Carmel, Indiana, On The Grid Communications is a product of BitWise Solutions, Inc. For over 17 years BitWise Solutions has been the trusted partner for hundreds of companies who face complex business challenges by delivering strategically focused and reliable Web based solutions.  By utilizing a unique, time tested process, BitWise has consistently delivered innovative business solutions for its clients that create opportunities and achieve efficiencies via the Internet.

About three weeks ago, Google Analytics made some changes to their analytics package, most of them user-experience oriented and rather inconsequential.  However, there was one small change they made on the Search side that will significantly impact businesses who are serious about their online marketing.  Most people will not notice until it’s too late.

For any business engaging in search engine optimization for keywords relative to their business, it is very important to know just how well those keywords are performing on your site and what kind of traffic each is sending to your website.  Until now, Google Analytics and other analytics packages have reported information on the specific keywords and phrases that send traffic to your website, but this small change to Google Search a few weeks ago means you will be flying blind as far as understanding the results of your SEO efforts.

We have been seeing that as much as 30% of our client’s non-brand related website traffic is now grouped into a “(not provided)” bucket in Google Analytics (see image).  These are the keywords relative to a company’s products and services, for which they have spent a lot of time and money competing to get ranked higher on Google – and they’re all hidden now.  So, if you are an Google Analytics analytics user, you now have no way to track and measure how well those keywords are performing and determine what changes you need to make in order to boost your search engine rankings, that is, of course, if you don’t want to spend the $150,000 annual fee to upgrade to Google Analytics Premium.  Ouch!!  This change appears to be made to the information Google sends to your website - due to "privacy policy" changes, they are no longer providing the keyword data to your website when someone clicks on your Search result.

There is good news though for businesses who are serious about the success of their SEO efforts – Google is not the only provider of analytics software and you don’t have to spend big money for a great alternative.  Gasp!!  I know, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.  Webtrends Analytics is a great analytics software solution with the deep, rich insights one expects with an analytics package, wrapped up in an extremely easy and slick user-interface…at a reasonable price.

Now, we usually try to stay away from blatant “selling,” but this alarming change to Google Analytics makes it so hard not to yell, “Hey!  We have a solution!!”  So, since BitWise Solutions is a Webtrends partner, we want you to know that we are able to offer world-class analytics reporting for an extremely reasonable fee so that our clients can obtain all the data they need to maximize their online marketing campaigns.  When incorporated with our top-notch web analytics consulting to help make sense of the data, we are able to provide something that Google Analytics alone can never compete with: insight and action that lead to real ROI.  We want to help businesses be successful and that is exactly why we’re speaking so boldly about this change to Google Analytics.  If you’re using Google Analytics and you’re serious about your online marketing efforts, please don’t wait to give us a call to get your web analytics back on track.

After some additional research, we have found that the change is not just within Google Analytics but rather it is a change within Google Search, meaning that it affects all analytics software providers the same.  We did some digging and discoverd that Webtrends now shows a "Not Provided" category as well.  We are terribly sorry for relaying this misguided information.

This means the change is even more devastating becuase now there is no way (can't just switch analytics provider) to find the information necessary to determine keyword performance on your website.  You can obtain some, very limited information through Webmaster Tools but the data is highly inaccurate and only gives you data about keyword performance before the visitor comes to your site - that's where the information stops.  No longer are you able to determine if specific keywords you are competing for are actually converting on your website and turning into new business.

To be clear, this change is only affecting non-paid Google traffic.  The Adword side is still reporting the same information as it used to, so that's a small glimmer of good news amidst this troubling change from the Grinch (Google) who stole the ability for marketers to effectively track and measure their SEO performance.

It’s that time of year again.  Didn’t we just finish doing this?  We're in Q4 and I've start thinking: “What can we do next year to prevent doing what we’ve always done?”  I ask myself this routinely.  You know, it’s hard work to create new goals, especially audacious ones.  How do you approach goal setting for the next year?  I’m not talking about just budgeting, I’m talking about serious stretch goals – the hard ones.

As I was preparing for BitWise’s 2012, I took an inventory of things I should and should not do while looking to set some major goals.  Here’s a quick list of thoughts I worked through:

• Do more of what works – if you have a strong, working business model, focus on your competencies.  Straying too far afield into new ventures, unless you’re just flush with disposable cash (if so, by the way, call me), best to go deeper into a proven model versus taking on new ventures.  I know…this one actually hurts to write as I am all about new, but these economic times are crazy and uncertain; producing unchartered waters in which to sail.
• Innovate on the edges – I believe goals need to be innovative, causing you and your leadership team to think and behave differently.  In keeping with the above item, I suggest innovating around the edges of your core business.  In other words, what are you doing today that, with minimal new investment and with a degree of surety, you can accomplish with existing staff and customers.
• Think macro, think global – All business is now global.  Don’t believe me?  Ask the local florist where the flowers he sells originate.  Now more than ever, macro trends and global influences are impacting our businesses.  I’m continually amazed at the breadth of international business and relationships BitWise has developed.  We have deep relationships with firms/partners in Rotterdam, Stockholm, Prague, Kiev and Quito – just to name a few.  Just a few short years ago, such relationships were nowhere to be found.
• Instill change and remove artificial and perceived barriers – Ever wonder why it is so hard to create change within an organization?  Be honest, you know you do.  Even the most agile and nimble firms struggle with change.  Humans greatly dislike change.  It causes disruption, uncertainty and a divergence from habits.  Call us old dogs.  As I consider changes, I often think about what perceived barriers exist to introducing new ideas.  It’s your job, Mr./Ms. Leader, to identify and eliminate those perceived barriers – even if it means it’s a bit unpopular to do so.  Working on your business, and perhaps a bit less in your business, can help you gain clarity on these opportunities.

With the pressure in today’s market to increase revenue from already limited resources, there is increasing need for corporate websites to be a passive “salesperson” and help drive revenue.  Gone are the days when your website is just a “digital brochure.”  It’s time to start viewing your website as another sales tool; a living, breathing digital sales and marketing tool that can put serious dollars to your top line.  So what are the most important factors in the design of your website to please your audience?  Here's what a recent Hubspot article showed: