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Posted 7/27/2008 by Geoff, Pres/CEO
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One of our clients is in an internal argument with his IT department as to whether Web development projects should be outsourced to a company like ours or performed in-house by IT. To help him win his argument, I compiled this list of reasons why outsourcing Web design and development is advantageous:
Competitive Environment
Because of the highly competitive nature of the Web development industry, Web development firms must perform at a very high level at all times in order to keep their clients satisfied. This constant pressure to succeed, which produces outstanding results on client projects, rarely exists amongst in-house IT or marketing staff.
Cost Savings
As you only pay for time used, outsourcing Web development frequently results in significant savings.
Economies of Scale
In-house IT and marketing teams are frequently backed up and projects progress slowly. A professional Web development firm will have the resources to start projects immediately and complete them quickly.
Better Service Quality
As Web development is handled on a client/service provider basis, service tends to be better than that provided by in-house staff.
More Experience
Top professional Web development firms have an entire team of experts who offer vast experience and expertise.
Fresh Perspective
Working with an outside Web development firm can provide fresh perspectives and new ideas which can ultimately enhance your marketing message and functionality.
Keeping Up to Date
Technology changes rapidly, and top professional Web development firms have greater appreciation of Web technology developments and can determine which emerging technologies can be beneficial to your company.
Subject Matter Experts
Top professional Web development firms have a variety of specialists in important niches such as usability, information architecture, accessibility, etc.
Better Risk Management
Risks are reduced as the Web development partner will have prior knowledge and experience on projects and only offer proven working solutions. Not only will they have more real world experience, but they will also be better at mitigating the risks involved in handling delicate tasks like upgrades and security management.
Professional Project Management
Top professional Web development firms will provide an experienced Project Manager to oversee your project and ensure it is completed on time and within budget.
Less Bureaucracy
Web development projects, when outsourced, generally won’t go off track or get derailed due to internal politics or conflicting IT priorities.
Training Services
For projects that must be handled in-house, top professional Web development companies can assist in training staff to ensure they have the appropriate skills as well as developing best practice standards for them to follow.
I hope this convinces you to work with us!
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Posted 7/15/2008 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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Can you believe it? Three months after writing this post (
Apparently We Are Your Typical Web Development Company) about blatant plagiarism of our Web site, and nothing's changed.
"Liquid Eye Media" I'm not surprised at. I'm mean just look at their site -
www.liquideyemedia.com. They clearly haven't had an original idea in years. There are so many things the anger me there from the animations to the repetitive sound effects. What is especially interesting is how the text they copied from us is below the copyright line. It's not intended for human consumption, but rather for search engines. They've no doubt seen our great rankings (which were earned the old-fashioned way) and wanted a taste for themselves. Too bad google frowns on duplicate content.
But "Cubic 360", I expected more from you. I actually left your name and Web site,
www.cubic360.com, out of my previous post because you responded to my email with an apology and promise to rectify it. You even asked for work. I felt bad, but now I don't. 3 months later and the duplicate content is still there.
Do you remember your promise to me? Here it is as a reminder:
-----Original Message-----
From: Mads Moller [mailto:pda@cubic360.com]
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2008 12:50 PM
To: Peter VanRysdam Subject:
Re: Please Remove Content
Dear Mr. VanRysdam,
Thank you for your email and bringing this to my attention.
I do appoligize for this and will take the appropiate actions in respect to the copywriter creating content for the site. I will also make sure that the content will be changed and uploaded within the next 48 hours.
Being a creative web design and development company I look very harshly on plagarism of design and content since it's our finest job to provide our clients with the best and most unique solutions.
I took a look at 352media.com and you sure have some excellent work. If you should ever be in the situation where you need to outsource work we do have the expertise within custom programming (web / app), Flash Design, Action Script, Flash Media Server, Graphic Design, SEO and much more.
Once again, thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Kindest regards,
Mads Moller - CEO Cubic360.com
*UPDATE*
(7/29/09)
After my followup email to Mads at Cubic360.com, the content has been edited. I'll take his word for it that it was an oversight, however "liquid eye media" is still on the hook. May I suggest a boycott? :)
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Posted 5/5/2008 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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The Internet is a great tool for millions of people. However, there are still some wild west aspects out there to be weary of. The anonymity has allowed criminals around the world a new frontier for a host of new scams, as well as old scams reinvented. I came across one this weekend I thought I'd share not only because it's pretty funny, but because it may help you avoid a similar trap.
I consider myself a bad target for scams. I'm not too gullible when it comes to "too good to be true" web deals, and I'm almost sure Bill Gates won't pay me a dollar for every person I forward an email to.
So here's my story. I have a kegerator, one of those amazing beer dispensing machines, that I use for tailgating during football season. Not only is it glorious, but it's more economical than buying beer by the case. Anyhow, I'm upgrading to a full-size unit, as mine only holds a pony keg. I posted mine on www.craigslist.com, and got this response within two minutes (literally):
Is the item still available?
To which I replied:
Yep. Want to come see it this weekend?
No problems yet. Until his next email, which raised the first red flags:
Hello,
I am quite satisfied with the condition of the item and price.Am very much interested in buying the item from you and I would like to make an outright purchase immediately so I will advice that you withdraw the advert from the web ,I don't mind adding $50 for you to do that.I will be paying with a certified check.Furthermore my mover will be coming over for the pick up as I might not be available for the pick up myself I would have love to come and look it up but presently am not chance to do that but am OK with the information from the ad.I will need the following information details to make payment arrangement done asap today.
1,Your full name to be on the Payment.
2,Your mailing address including zip code.
3,Your phone number both land and mobile.
Get me the following information as soon as possible.
Warmest Regards,
Gerald
OK, a few red flags there. For starters, who buys an item like this site unseen? No questions about it's condition? Second, there are some issues with his English. For example, the term "advert" as well as the commas after the numbers is very European. However that in and of itself isn't a huge issue here, since I live in a college town with plenty of international residents.
So at this point I was about 85% sure it was a scam. But I figured why not take the next step just to see? He already has my name from my email. I'll give him my office address and see what happens. So here was my reply:
Gerald,
Thanks for the generous offer! Just want to clarify one thing. As I'm sure you figured, I'll need to wait until the check clears before allowing your mover to take the item. If you're in a bigger rush, I'd glady accept paypal or cash. Do either of those options work for you?
Looking forward to your response.
Thanks!
Peter
To which he responded:
Yes Ofcourse. We will await the clearance of the check..Let me have the infoirmation to have the check sent to without delay.
Gerald.
So I gave him the info. I know he can't do anything without my routing number, and so far I had very limited exposure. I still couldn't figure out the scam. That is, until his next email came later that night (must've been morning in Nigeria):
Hi Peter,
It was just brought to my notice that my secretary has posted the payment already, but there was a slight error which I guess we can handle with care, instead of the $400,the actual amount of the item,she made out the check for $3400, she claimed that I requested that but she didn't get that straight and the payment was already posted before I was notified.
So once you have the check please cash it and deduct the money for your goods plus $50 that for your running around expenses.The excess fund should please be sent to my mover via MoneyGram.This fund will be use in offsetting the cost of the shipment he has undertaken for me recently. **Please email at once to let me know that i can trust to have the excess funds sent to my mover**
Regards,
Gerald
For anyone still thinking this is a great deal, let me explain. I cash the check, send him the excess, and seven days later the check bounces because it is 100% fake. It's sad to think how many people actually fall for this type of thing.
So at this point, I know it's a scam. I should really walk away. However, it's my belief that the more time he spends on me, the less time he's scamming someone else. So I'm going to have some fun with him. I sure hope the check gets here soon! Don't worry...I won't cash it. Here's what I replied:
Ill just give the excess to the mover. No need to pay for a moneygram. Don't worry, I won't screw you out of the excess.
Peter
I may have played my hand too far there with the last comment. Hopefully he still thinks I'm on the hook.
So there are two lessons to take away from this. First, beware of deals online that are too good to be true. Because they are! Second, I still have a pony kegerator for sale. Check it out here. Nigerian Bankers and exiled Liberian Princes are welcome to make offers!
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Posted 4/21/2008 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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Awhile back, Declan posted about online plagiarism of our site. Until he opened my eyes to the truth, I believed what our site told me: That "At 352 Media Group, we aren't your typical Web design company. With a staff of almost 50 people, we have the ability to dedicate an entire team of specialized professionals to each of our custom Web design, Web application development, CD and DVD production and motion graphics projects.
We serve clients in every region of the country through our Web development production offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Gainesville, Florida, and our Web design company sales offices in New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Jacksonville, Florida. Our numerous professional Web design awards (14 Addy Awards in 2006!) and our unique team-based approach to custom Web development set us apart from other professional Web design companies.
As a full service interactive agency, we offer a wide range of award winning services, including Web design, information architecture, ASP.NET Web application development, Intranet and Extranet development, Web marketing, Flash animation, E-commerce, and more. We also offer cd production and cd business card design, and our Web marketing partner firm delivers best in class search engine optimization. Our breadth of interactive services and our 10 year record of success set us apart from other Web development companies and interactive agencies."
Apparently I was wrong.
According to www.copyscape.com, several companies aren't your typical Web design company. Along those same lines, several other organizations have the ability to dedicate and entire team of specialized professionals to each of their custom Web design, Web application development, CD and DVD production and motion graphics projects. Dang.
My favorite site providing eerily similar services and promises is (I actually decided to remove another company from this post because as I was writing it they responded to my email to remove the text in a very professional manner):
www.liquideyemedia.com - At Liquid Eye Media, we aren't your typical Web design company. We have the ability to dedicate an entire team of specialized professionals to each of our custom Web design, Web application development, CD and DVD production and motion graphics projects.
We serve clients in every region of the country through our Web development production offices in Sarasota, Florida, and our Web design company sales offices in New Jersey, New York City, Tampa, and Miami, Florida. Our numerous professional Web design awards and our unique team-based approach to custom Web development set us apart from other professional Web design companies.
As a full service interactive agency, we offer a wide range of award winning services, including Web design, ASP.NET Web application development, Intranet and Extranet development, Web marketing, Flash animation, E-commerce, and more. Our breadth of interactive services and our 10 year record of success set us apart from other Web development companies and interactive agencies.1
Not sure what the "1" is at the end of that content. Maybe a secret footnote to reference Geoff and I for writing that content? Who knows.
Anyhow, thanks to copyscape.com for the heads up on these. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when it comes to business it would appear that imitation just seems to piss me off. Oh well.
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Posted 4/10/2008 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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OK, so everyday or so I get my tech news from Yahoo News. I'm just looking for a snapshot of the day's stories in the tech sector, and that site does a good job. My one criticism if I had to give one, which I do based on the name of our site, is that it doesn't do a good job detecting duplicates (it is just an aggregator for various other news outlets like AP, Rueters, PC World, etc).
Today is a perfect example. And what better story for Yahoo to report ad nauseum than the takeover bid from Microsoft that they seem so against. Thanks to Yahoo for over-reporting their impending collapse.
Just take a look at a real screen cap I just took. The only other article to make it on the front page? Google's battle with Brazilian porn. Which reminds me of a joke.
Dick Cheney: Mr. President, there was a plane crash in Rio this morning. 20 Brazilian people were killed.
President Bush: Oh, that's terrible! How many is a Brazilian?
Thank you, thank you very much. Now back to the screen shot.
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Posted 4/9/2008 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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I never thought any of the things in that Alanis Morissette song were actually "Ironic." For example:
It's like rain on your wedding day (no, that just sucks)
It's a free ride when you've already paid (also just sucks)
It's the good advice that you just didn't take (just dumb)
Who would've thought ... it figures (no, it doesn't)
Irony is actually an incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs. So the good advice you just didn't take isn't ironic. The good advice that you just didn't take...after reading Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking and resolving that the key to success is making your own decisions...that's ironic. Credit to B Rock for that one.
Another example of irony? A fire in a laptop battery plant in South Korea. I'm of course referring to the recall of many laptop batteries that caused explosions like this:
http://www.pcpitstop.com/news/video/pcsafety.asp.
What's not funny is the shortage of laptop batteries it has created. See the article about that. What's also not funny is the battery in my laptop. I sprung for the extra power, and regardless of my computer settings, I can't get more than an hour out of this beast. Crappy batteries are really dragging down the entire personal tech industry!
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Posted 3/14/2008 by Geoff, Pres/CEO
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Rule #1 of blogging: Keep your blog fresh, interesting and up to date. This is true with Web site content in general, but it is particularly true with blogging. If you are going to setup a blog on your Web site, you absolutely must add fresh content to it often -- at least once a week, and ideally several times a week. If you don't, your customers will stop reading.
I have advised our clients on the importance of this, but I have a little egg on my face right now, because it has been more than 2 months since my last blog post! I went out of town for the holiday and then got extremely busy the first part of this year with strategic planning, goal setting and other initiatives. Blogging fell to the bottom of my priority list. But that is absolutely no excuse, because that is how blogs fail! If you aren't committed to keeping your blog up to date, then don't have a blog at all.
Thankfully for me, we have several other key staff members in our company who have kept up with their blogging. Special thanks to Peter, our VP of Marketing, who is a blogging machine and always has interesting, well written posts. He and others have picked up the slack during my absence.
So what has gone on these past few months while I have been silent? One notable news item was the revelation that Google is now trying to index the text that appears inside images and videos. This was uncovered by looking at Google's recent patent filings. This is great news, actually, because it means that graphical menu bars and page titles, which previously never got indexed, will now be picked up by Google. There is no timeline as to when Google's search will be updated with this technology, but hopefully it will be soon.
Another noteworthy item was that the iPhone also recently released its SDK for developers. Our staff here is excited about this release because we hope to venture more into mobile media production in the future. Unfortunately Apple only released a Mac version of it, but hopefully they will have more versions available in the future.
Around our office, we recently upgraded our revision control system from CVS to Subversion. Subversion is a pretty big upgrade from CVS -- if you use CVS currently, you should definitely consider switching.
And then of course there was Microsoft's MIX Conference, which has already been blogged about a ton in our blog, but it was definitely a great event for everyone who attended.
So that's the update for now... stay tuned for more... and keep blogging!
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Posted 3/14/2008 by Declan, Acct Mgr
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Today I was looking for a website that we launched recently so I could review it for a presentation I'm giving later today, I typed what I thought was the correct URL into Internet explorer. I spelled it incorrectly by one letter not a huge mistake and I'm sure that many others would make the same error, my spelling is not the best but this amplified by Merriam-Webster US dictionary vs. The Oxford English dictionary.
Examples of the difference
US - (English) / Ireland (English)
Color - Colour
Check - Cheque
Program – Programme
Tire - Tyre
There are a ton of others so when recieveing mails from me you may see viariations in the spelling.
Now if I didn’t double check this link, I may have added a XXX rated link to a client presentation.
Here's the tip - You should really check all possible variations of your domain name in case of spelling mistakes, mis-typed URLs etc. So that your URL is not similar to other URLs that may not be suitable for a general audience.
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Posted 2/29/2008 by PeterV, VP, Marketing
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Just read this on Yahoo News, and it made me think. It was put out by Reuters, but do you think any newspapers actually picked it up? Let me know if you came across this in print. I'd be very surprised!
More Americans turning to Web for news
Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey.
While most people think journalism is important to the quality of life, 64 percent are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities, a We Media/Zogby Interactive online poll showed.
"That's a really encouraging reflection of people who care A) about journalism and B) understand that it makes a difference to their lives," said Andrew Nachison, of iFOCOS, a Virginia-based think tank which organized a forum in Miami where the findings were presented.
Click on the article headline for the full version.
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Posted 2/12/2008 by Caroline, VP, Finance
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Yeah, you heard me. I have a problem with your crack, Blackberry. RIM, you f'd up. That's right, my normally dainty mouth can't quite wrap itself around the full expletive, and yet, you - oh enabler of my electronic OCD -- deserve much more than an "oops golly gee you had a hiccup, teehee!"
That's because you let me down yesterday. You left me and millions of others with vague euphoria for a few moments as we naively thought that we'd lucked into a few moments free of email harassment. Then the sneaking suspiscion began to grow... no, it couldn't be, could it? Twenty minutes without an email. Odd, but theoretically possible. An hour? Oh no, something must be wrong! Two hours? AHHHHHHHHH CRACK WITHDRAWL THE SKY IS FALLING THERE WILL BE SO MANY EMAILS TO ANSWER WHEN EMAIL IS AVALABLE WHATWILLIEVERDOFREAKOUTFREAKOUTFREAKOUUUUUUUUT!!!
Ahem. But I digress. RIM, purveyor of Crackberry delight, you failed us. Not only did you let us down by refusing to serve up email-y goodness, you also decided to notify us of this via email. That's right, email. You know, the thing that wasn't working on our handhelds? Right, good job there guys.
Why would you not trigger a blatantly obvious error message in the handheld, instead of hiding behind an email notification? Why must you tease me with glee at thinking I had an empty inbox, only to dash those hopes and dreams against the rocks of your broken infrastructure? It was a slap in the face, really.
Don't let me down again, crack dealer. If you do, I might be forced to rely on one of your competitors. I'll feel like I'm cheating, but I'll do it if I have to. Don't make me do it. All I ask for is honesty. Be honest if your service goes down. Tell me. Be clear with me. Don't assume that if I don't see you bring me flowers I'll know that you're hiding something. We can go to counselling if we have to. But I just want to know. I just can't deal with not knowing the status of my crack.
Jerks.
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