SpectrumConnection.org

Toni Lapp runs Spectrum Connection, a site providing news and education for families in the Kansas City area affected by autism. The site includes blogs, feature articles, a Q&A column with a special ed specialist and a calendar of events.

Toni’s work definitely qualifies her as a “Good Karma Host,” and she has a question:

I’m trying to get in the habit of sending monthly updates to my site’s visitors to let them know about new content. I have a mailing list of about 500 names that I’ve collected over the months.

Can you recommend any e-newsletter programs? Also, can you suggest how I can get people to subscribe on my site so I can collect e-mail addresses automatically? Would love to hear any suggestions you may have.

What a fabulous question! First off, major kudos to you for being smart enough to be collecting those email addresses in the first place. So many people don’t realize the power of building your email list, but if you’ve got 500 contacts already, you clearly do get it. It’s also very smart to be planning to automate the process as much as possible–this will allow easy scaling as you grow your site and your list. And that’s the point, anyway, right?

The two approaches to managing a newsletter are doing it yourself with the help of some email list software, or utilizing an email list service. [1]

Do-It-Yourself Email List Management

Many email publishers start with the DIY-route hoping to spare expense. Programs like the free version of Email Marketing Pro offer basic list management and tools for creating emails; with any free bulk email program, expect limits in functionality and possibly ads in your emails, or nags to buy the more capable, paid version. A paid program like e-Campaign will offer a slicker user experience and more extensive options than free tools–but starts with a more extensive price tag. (Since you have a WordPress site, you may also want to check out some of the available newsletter plugins, which can send emails to people who register with your site.)

What these programs generally do is store your list and offer some mechanism for writing and sending your emails. Some will help manage bounces and unsubscribes. The emails will be sent either through your internet service provider’s (ISP) account, or more likely, through your hosted domain’s email account.

“Gotchas” to look out for when going DIY for bulk email:

• Email limits. Any responsible ISP or host will limit the number of emails that can be sent hourly to avoid misuse by spammers and limit the demands on the server. Limits of anywhere from 100 to 500 emails per hour are common. Do NOT use any program that cannot throttle the email delivery, allowing pauses between emails sent (unless you don’t mind maybe getting your account suspended).
• Automation limitations. The more you can automatically process subscribes, unsubscribes and bounces, the more time you can spend on content instead of  list administration. Favor solutions that manage as much of clerical work as possible. You’ll be glad you did.
• HTML vs. Plain Text Capabilities. HTML email is considered more effective than plain text because of generally better response rates, but you need to be able to provide plain text as well for those that cannot read HTML email. While it’s best to let your subscribers decide their preferred format, a program that creates multi-part Mime email–serving a plain text version to those who cannot see the HTML version–is a minimum must-have requirement for anyone sending HTML email.
• Sender Authentication. With the ever-raging war on spam fought by system administrators everywhere, just making it to an inbox can sometimes be an accomplishment! The sending domain needs to be set up properly with all the records in place to show who is emailing:  SPF records, Reverse DNS, and Domain Keys all help authenticate the sender and make your emails less likely to get spam-trapped. [2]
• Email Reputation. Did you know you have an email rep? You do! Factors like spam complaints, percentage of email bounces, widely fluctuating volume of email, your sending history, sender authentication (as described above), or being in a “bad net neighborhood” all contribute to your overall email  reputation. Think of it like an Email Credit Score. The better it is, the more consistently your email will be delivered. If you’re on shared hosting–especially those dirt-cheap shared hosting plans with lots of neighbors–blacklisting, where your emails are rejected because of another webmaster’s spamming history–is a common problem.
• Best Practices or Just Junk? Desktop and web-based email programs vary substantially in how they render content. Likewise, mail scanners search for specific indicators in the message (such as text size, use of color and images) to determine if an email is likely spam. If you’re sending HTML email, it’s extremely important those emails are constructed with a good understanding of both how email programs render email and how email systems tag spam–best practices help assure your readers get your message.
• Tracking Lacking? Knowing how many people are opening your email, visiting each link, or forwarding the message is important in understanding your subscribers’ interests and providing the most effective content. Most DIY solutions are conspicuously lacking in tracking features.

The bigger you hope to grow your list, the more attention you need to pay to potential gotchas. Doing it right from the start will save you headaches down the road. For small lists unlikely to grow much, the concerns are not as pressing. But who starts a mailing list to “keep it small?”

Email Marketing Services

If the DIY-gotcha-list leaves your head spinning, you’re not alone. That’s why there are a number of email list services out there competing for your business! Almost any professional email list service will directly address pretty much all the potential  problems of the DIY route, so that’s a given. Thus, you’re now looking at what the service itself offers above and beyond avoiding problems. 

If you’re ready to graduate to a full fledged email list management service, here’s what to look for:

• Price, of course. Make sure fees are reasonable and expect to pay by the number of subscribers, with the ability to upgrade as your list grows.  (Hint: It’s more affordable than folks may think.)
• Support matters! Sure, check out the FAQs and knowledgebase, but go further. Peruse the tech support forum if one’s available. Look at how staff interacts with customers and the type of complaints as well as the praise to get a feel for what you can expect as a customer.
• Learning the ropes? Speaking of support: look for training material for help both in using the service’s features and creating the most effective email campaigns. You want to work with a company that’s invested in helping you achieve your goals.
• Can you import your existing list? Will it require a new opt-in confirmation? Even if you don’t need to worry about email rep, your list service better be! That translates to some companies not allowing import of current, permission-based lists without making your subscribers respond to a confirmation request. If you don’t want to lose subscribers with this requirement, check first.
• Automation exhilaration! Email services will provide forms you can add to your website to allow visitors to be automatically added to your list.  Also look for various tools to import and save contacts to make managing your list easier.


Stats to Track

• It’s all in the numbers. Check statistical and reporting tools to see what info you can track.
• Keep it sharp! A wide array of professionally-designed templates, email wizard, and the ability to customize your mails to match your site are all desirable features. Great-looking email adds credibility and improves results.
• How about the extras? Look for bonuses like newsletter archives, an image library, list segmenting options, or survey tools to maximize value. You should also be able to send either newsletters or autoresponders–a series of emails sent over the course of several days.
• Test-Drive it. While pretty, shiny websites may leave you anxious to get started, amazing bells and whistles do no good whatsoever if you can’t figure them out! Select a service that gives you a test-drive, and you’ll quickly see if setting up and sending your emails is an intuitive and pleasant experience.

Recommendations

If budget allows and you plan to grow your list, I  recommend using an email service–it’s more scalable, more automated, removes tech hurdles, provides tracking, and just makes it easier for you to produce great-looking messages.

If you’re not there yet, that’s okay. Go ahead and start with a free or paid program that suits your current needs, planning to trade up down the road as you get there. But with 500 contacts already, I wouldn’t put it off too long.

With these guidelines in hand, you should be able to make an informed choice about what option will be the best fit for you.  I invite visitors to share their own favorite tools, comments or questions below.

Good luck with your newsletter, Toni. And thank you for being a Good Karma Host!

Do you use your website to serve–and have a question? Ask it here!

Courtesy Good Karma Host

How Do I Manage my Email List?

1. When faced with the same questions as Toni in managing our own email lists, GKH tested several options, ultimately choosing Constant Contact. We liked it so much, we became a business partner to offer it to our clients! Many links in this article point to our business partner site.
2. If this sounds like a lot of techno-mumbo-jumbo, it is. But it’s what mail server administrators often use to decide which emails to let through and which to condemn to email spam purgatory. Blame those spammers, man.

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Good Karma Host is proud to be profiled on The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur Blog–The Magic of Inbound Marketing: A First Million Success Story!  The article talks about marketing, which has long been a weak point of mine, and how I’m turning it around with what I”m learning in The First Million Club–a training program for entrepreneurs.

An excerpt:

“When you get a client that fits, it’s like a breath of fresh air. I’m at a point in my life where I want to work with the kind of people who get me, and I get them, and we make each other happy. With the First Million Club approach, that’s exactly the type of customer I’m attracting.”

In fact, the  training from the First Million Club has been utterly awesome, and I’ve felt very privileged to access business coaching at level a rockstar entrepreneur like Mike Michalowicz can provide. Those kind of opportunities don’t come along every day, y’kno? I’m doing my best to make the most of it.

But the best part is I’m using all the great info I’m learning to help more people do more good in the world. We’re amplifying the good karma, man. How cool is that? It just doesn’t get any better.

And yeah–it absolutely rocks to be working with the kind of folks who want to spread light. Thank YOU for being a Good Karma Host, too.

Read the rest on the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur blog.

Courtesy Good Karma Host

Good Karma Host Business Profile: Magic of Inbound Marketing

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Content management systems (CMS) are database-driven website software that allows you to update your site through web-based forms. If you’re choosing a CMS for the first time, the search can be utterly overwhelming–particularly if you have no idea what choices have what implications. Knowing what questions to ask can help you make a decision that you can not only live with, but thrive with, hopefully for years to come.

Need to select a content management system for your company or project? Here’s what you need to know to make an informed decision.

Do you Need a CMS?

First things first: Do you even need a CMS? Despite the fact I love me some CMS, I do not recommend them for everyone. If your site is remain primarily static–offering basic business info or serves as an “online brochure” setup–and you have access to a dependable person to make your updates for you, you will probably be more happy with a static site. In your needs are simple and updates infrequent, then having yet another management interface to learn is just going to be annoying.

On the other hand, if you want to have a frequently updated site (and don’t want to wait on outsourced help or an overworked IT department to  keep your content fresh), you’re comfortable learning new software, or you have several people who need to be able to contribute to content, then CMS is going to make your life a whole lot easier.

Paid Vs. Free CMS Solutions

The next question is whether to go commercial or use free (aka open source) software.

Paid CMS solutions are not always better.

Despite the oft-true axiom “You get what you pay for,” there are many times when an open source is not only a great option, but by far, the best option for your project!  [1] The strength of open source software is often in the diversity of the community behind it.

Some situations where open source CMS may be a good bet:

• Budgeting is an issue. Open source touts some amazing tools, with tons of extensible pieces of functionality (usually called something like “modules” or “plugins”) that can rival or, in some cases, blow paid CMS packages out of the water.
• The software out there already is a good fit for your needs. If your site is going to be in large part a blog, for example, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than Wordpress.
• There are already plugins to do what you need to do. Because some of these options are so widely used, there are plugins for almost every conceivable customization or need. That makes your life easier and contributes to your bottom line by avoiding the need for custom coding.
• A significant user base exists. The expected longevity of the software you use to run your site is an important issue. The more people using and supporting a project (or add-ons for the project), the better the odds you’ll be able to continue using the software, and get the help and functionality you need both now and in the future.

Free CMS solutions are not always better.

In particular, specific needs will often warrant paid solutions:

• You need a guarantee of prompt support. Since open source software is often primarily supported by the user community at large, there is no guarantee your questions will be answered quickly–or at all. Add plugins to the mix and you have even more variables, with a smaller base of help, consisting of perhaps the plugin developer and maybe some other users. And some communities have little patience for inexperienced users.
• Many open source CMS’s are lacking in coherent, cohesive documentation. While not true across the board, this can be a major challenge at times. The most widely used open source options have tons of resources online, but you can expect to sometimes find yourself wading through pages upon pages of search results to find an answer to your question–if it is still applicable to the version of software you use.
• Your needs are highly specialized and specific. If your needs are  niche, using a niche CMS may well bring you the best value. Something that was made specifically to do what you need to do will probably work better for you than something that “can be” made to do what you need to do. Look for a square peg if you’ve got a square hole.
• You don’t have a geek on call. If you don’t have the skills or staff to figure out the nitty-gritty of making your CMS do your bidding, you’re probably going to experience some frustration–to put it mildly. Some of this stuff has a major learning curve! A paid support department isn’t going to get snippy with ya when you ask an unsophisticated question (we hope!) or tell you to “Google it.” Open source CMS support communities will. And since the quality of coding for add-ons varies greatly, having someone who can knowledgeably help you judge the quality of add-ons is a Godsend.

How to Choose the Right CMS

When choosing a CMS, start at the beginning. What do you need the site to be able to do? Always begin with functionality requirements. You won’t know you’ve found what you’re looking for unless you know what you’re looking for. Have your priorities clearly defined and, well, prioritized–into must-haves, really-wants, would-be-cools, and not-a-biggies.

Coming up with the CMS Short List

Do some searching. Google up yourself some options by doing a search for what you need like “Real Estate CMS” or “Forums CMS.” You’ll get some ideas right off the bat if you see either specialty setups or add-ons for commonly used systems that meet your needs.

Focus on primary functions first. If your site is first and foremost a blog, check blogging software first. If your project is a community, check community-oriented software first. The more it was designed to do what you want to do, the better fit it will probably be.

Check what you already know. If you have experience with a certain CMS and like it, then by all means check out the plugins for that software to see if there are options for what you want to do already waiting for you. You’d be surprised what you can find that way.

Window shop. Check out what you’re finding in your searches and just look at the sites for these products. Read the features list and get yourself oriented on what will work out best for what you’re doing and who’s going to be doing it.

Evaluate the support community. This step is easy to overlook, but oh-so-important in ensuring that you and your CMS will have a long and fruitful partnership together.

• Commercial CMS Options: review the FAQs, support knowledgebase, and especially any community support form. Is there clear documentation? Does there seem to be a team of developers, just one or two folks? How do they interact with the community if there is one? What support options exist, and how accessible are they? Having a solid structure for support can make or break the quality of your experience.
• Open Source CMS Options : again, review the FAQs, documentation and support communities. In particular, look at your level of understanding of docs and support discussions. Since open source software is often put together by the hard-core geeks, you want to make sure the help you may need is both understandable and accessible.
• Plugins/Add-ons – If your site will rely on additional modules to perform important tasks, evaluate the support community for these bits of community-contributed code just like you are the CMS itself. How long has it been around? How frequently is it updated? How actively is it supported? Are there resources for help available when the need arises? You are looking for code that is actively maintained and supported to enhance the likelihood it will continue to thrive as new versions of the core software are updated.
• Aesthetics - Check out available themes for your finalists. This will give you a good idea of the flexibility of the setup, whether you’ll use an available theme or have one custom-made. Do allow for design time in your planning. Even if you’re using a ready-made template, you’ll most likely have some customization needs, so don’t forget to schedule it.

Test Drive your CMS Finalist(s)

Once you’ve exposed yourself to alternatives and have some idea of options, test drive your shortlist. If you’re considering an open source option, the Open Source CMS site has oodles of test installs for you to explore. Most CMS’s will also have demo versions you can try out at their own websites. Take advantage of this! How intuitive is the interface?  What’s it like moving around and trying to accomplish simple tasks? You don’t have to understand it all right off the bat (and shouldn’t expect to), but if it’s painful to test drive, you can bet it’s going to be painful to use.

When you’re down to one or two options, if at all possible, do a test install (in a publicly inaccessible location). If it’s an open source CMS, you download the software and just set it up. For paid options, look for a demo download if you can, or at least spend some quality time on the site’s demo installation. Looking at documentation, feature lists and screenshots is all good and well, but there’s nothing that will give you the low-down like actually using the software.

Make a Commitment

So, you’ve evaluated your needs, done your homework, shortlisted and test-driven your potential CMS partners–time to set that puppy up and get started. Don’t become discouraged if you hit a snag or two along the way–it is to be expected. But if you’ve carefully gone through the research phase, you can rest assured you’ve made an informed choice and can expect a positive CMS experience.

Good luck! (And let me know if I can help.)

Courtesy Good Karma Host

How-to Choose the Best Content Managment System for Your Project

1. More about the Open Source Initiative or read about open source on Wikipedia.

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You wouldn’t think something that should be so easy as adding a script to a page would require a trip to the Drupal API documentation. But Drupal, like most Content Management Systems, has security systems in place to filter most javascript during submission so site members can’t do ugly things via scripting. In most cases, that’s a good thing. When you’re scratching your head trying to figure out a way around it, not so much.

You can hard-code a script into the template, if you need it on all the pages and it works. But just adding a a single, inline javascript into a Drupal node was much harder than I expected. Since I wasted plenty of my own precious time figuring out a workable approach for this–don’t laugh, you coders!–I thought I’d share it with others. Maybe it can save you from feeling foolish.

It’s easy – as 1, 2, 3! First,  put the script on your server, someplace it’s easy to find. I opted to make a “scripts” folder in my sites/all folder in the Drupal installation because I knew that’s where I’d be most likely to look for it later. Y’kno. In case you get lazy with the documentation. (But you’d never do that, right? Ha!)

Second, when do your post, set your input filter to PHP, and third, do a php include where you’d like to place the script. Something like this:

<?php include('sites/all/scripts/my_javascript.js'); ?>

That’s it! You now have instant javascript, with no API-scouring-induced drowsiness. Happy Drupalling!

Courtesy Good Karma Host

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I’m a big fan of the Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and thought some of these tips may be helpful to others under stress right now.

Check out How To Survive The Entrepreneur’s Dark Days – I contributed tip #90 to this list. (And it absolutely is what helps me through difficult times.)

photo credit: James Jordan

Courtesy Good Karma Host

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I’ve been lucky enough to run across the work of Mike Michalowicz, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur (TPE), host of the business reality show Bailout! and champion of small business founders like me–do-it-ourselves-types who run a business in the real world!

I know many of my clients are among this group; I’m happy to recommend Mike Michalowicz’s work to any business owner looking for encouragement, practical advice, and inspiration, from a successful entrepreneur who clearly enjoys helping others find success. I  especially like Mike’s energetic “On a Roll” video series, because he answers business question with tips and advice that can be put to use immediately.

I’ve made a few modest contributions to the TPE blog (and look forward to more):

• Learn To Relax – How To Take A Short Break From Being An Entrepreneur – I’m #25
• Members Of The First Million – The Best of The Best – #23
• SHAMELESS PLUGS – Products And Services That You Can Use – #25
• How To Survive The Entrepreneur’s Dark Days – #90
• SHAMLESS PLUGS – More Products and Services That You Can Use – #6
• Check Out These Businesses – #1

I encourage you to check out Mike’s blog.  I’m betting you’ll find something to help your business there, too…

Courtesy Good Karma Host

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“We have worked with Dixie for years and found her to be absolutely fabulous. She is eternally patient, responds quickly and gives solid honest advice.  Professional and personable, she knows her stuff and gives 100%.”

–Christopher Fanning, Attorney, Fanning & Hughes PLLC

Courtesy Good Karma Host

Gives 100%

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“I regret to say I am not a computer person; however, I am a business person, and Dixie is my solution! In the ever expanding techno-computer age, a web presence is a must for any home business. Dixie has created, managed, updated and maintained my web site for years. Her innovative ideas keep my web presence professional and beautiful, and me on top of the internet game! Thank you Dixie for using your wisdom to bless my life!”

–Cyndy Green, Non-Denominational New Thought Minister, Cyndy’s Angel Messages

Courtesy Good Karma Host

A Blessing

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“Headquarters Counseling Center provides free counseling 24/7 for kids and adults in Douglas County, Kansas as well as suicide prevention counseling for the entire state. As a small non profit with limited personnel and financial resources trying to meet increasing and critical needs, our time for working with our website and our webmaster is very limited. Yet our website is critical, as it often serves as “the face” of our agency for people who are deciding whether or not to reach out for help, as well as those who are deciding where to donate to keep that help available. Good Karma/ Dixie Vogel is responsive to our vision, our needs, and our limited resources. She understands our work and our center and works closely with us to translate that into an attractive and educational website. She is a great listener and an excellent advisor to those who are less tech-knowledgeable. She is quick to respond to additions and changes in content to keep our website timely. I can’t imagine a better person to meet our website needs.”

–Marcia Epstein, LMSW, Director, Headquarters Counseling Center

Courtesy Good Karma Host

Great Listener & Excellent Advisor

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“I have been very satisfied with the service I have received from Good Karma Host. Dixie has a real creative flair that keeps our website looking great. Turnaround time for making changes is super.”

–Anna Jenny, Executive Director, Douglas County Child Development Association

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