www.CarmelWestDentistry.com

1. Know why you want a website. Some people want one just for the sake of having one, because everyone else is doing it. This is the wrong approach. Every site should have a focus.

2. Choose a domain name and hosting. Your website will need a name and a place to live on the internet. Most hosting companies will let you register for a domain name while signing up for hosting. A few good hosting companies are Bluehost and Hostgator. They will give you lots of server space for you to store the files that make up your website, and plenty of bandwidth for people to visit your site.

3. Design your site. At this point, you may need someone to help. There are hundreds of do-it-yourself pieces of software that are easy to use if you want to try out web design for yourself. Some people will enjoy this, while others will find it frustrating and want help from an experienced designer.

4. Upload files to your server. When you are happy with your site design, you’ll need to upload all of your files to the server space you purchased through the hosting company. Most companies provide a basic FTP service to make this easy.

These are very simple instructions, but should give you a starting point on how to start your own site. Of course, there are many other ways to accomplish the same goal and you should do what works best for you. An even simpler solution is a self-hosted site. Examples would be wordpress.com, webs.com, Yahoo site builder, etc. These don’t offer as much control over your site design, but far easier to use. You only need to sign up for the service and follow the steps they provide.

1. Emptying my mind – This seems counter intuitive, but it definitely works. Why do you think your best ideas come in the car or shower? If I’m stuck on something I’ll sit quietly for a few minutes and focus on my breathing or watch the cars drive by outside my window. Turning on some music or the TV for a little bit helps, too. Anything to get my mind off of what I’m working on, so I can come back to it with fresh eyes.

2. Looking at other designers’ work – Obviously not to copy them, but to see what else is out there. Sometimes my mind can get stuck on one concept, and I need to take a minute to look around and see the other many techniques.

3. Looking around my environment – There are so many shapes and textures in nature that can provide inspiration. Everything around you can be intriguing if you slow down and take a look: tree leaves, rays of sun light, the grain of the wood on the deck, etc.

4. Brainstorming and word association – This is one of the fastest ways for me to come up with a good idea. There are many ways to do it; I like to write lists. I start with one key word and write down anything that comes to mind, whether it’s stupid or not. Letting my mind flow freely and putting it all down on paper helps me find creative solutions.

I think the key element between these is to not force creativity or inspiration. You have to let it come to you. Trying too hard and getting stressed out will only make matters worse and stifle creativity.

I still haven’t found the perfect system, but reQall comes close. I’ve been using it for a week so far, and it’s already helped me to get a lot of things done. But the great thing about it is that it’s not just a to do list manager. It categorizes items into “to dos,” “notes,” and “shopping lists.” This helps me because sometimes I just want to make a note of something to remember later. ReQall doesn’t add it to my to do list, but it’s still stored with my other notes. You can also assign tasks to other people, set due dates and times, and specify a location (home, work, etc.).

My favorite thing about reQall is the “Jott-like” system that allows you to call in and leave reminders from your phone. I tend to remember things at the worst times, especially while driving. I can just call in, leave my note, and it will be waiting when I get back to my computer. As an added bonus, specific dates and events are automatically added to my Google Calendar.

Of course there is still room for improvement. I’d like to be able to add items by text, not just phone or email. My second criticism is probably nit-picky, but still bothers me. When I add an item, such as, “meet Joe Smith for coffee tomorrow at 5pm,” it leaves that exact text as the note. Systems like Google Calendar and Remember the Milk will strip out the last part “tomorrow at 5m,” and use it set up the day and time, while only leaving “meet Joe Smith” as the body of the note. Finally, a good mobile version of the web site would help a lot. I don’t have an iPhone or BlackBerry, so I can’t get the app. The site works on my phone’s browser, but it isn’t pretty or easy to use.

Overall, it’s a great system and I’ll most likely pay for the pro service when my free trial runs out. It has a lot of other features that I didn’t list here that are worth checking out. I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops, and hoping they keep adding more accessibility and functionality.

My question is, isn’t that a good thing? If a coupon is going to bring in new business, does it matter if it was the exact business it was inteded for? My husband and I would have taken the coupon in for dinner this week and spent additional money on another dozen wings, beer, and probably cheesy fries.

My point is, it’s not the best idea to turn away business, especially when the cost to you is so small. People were enthusiastic about promoting Buffalo Wild Wings by passing on the coupon and talking about it. This is what social marketing is all about. As my fellow tweeter, @noahwesley said, “Look out! Social media almost got us more customers! Abort! Abort!”

A couple of weeks ago I came across the Problogger 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. I knew this is what I needed to concentrate on my blog. The first day’s challenge asked us to come up with an elevator pitch. A short, to the point, description of your blog. For me, I would say my elevator pitch is “Continuing the conversation in Indianapolis.” I’m not trying to teach specific skills or promote myself as an expert on a topic. I just want to be a part of the Indianapolis conversation, helping where I can, and raising questions when needed.