Creating Something New?

I work with such a variety of businesses.

I have businesses that are in their third generation and those that are looking for guidance as they are just starting out.

The past few months I have been working on my own "Something New".

Since 2003 I have been writing and sharing online via a few ScLoHo blogs.

ScLoHo actually began as an email address in the 1990's and became my online identity as there are many, many Scott Howards and ScLoHo is a mashup of my first, middle and last names.

As ScLoHo, I have posted over 9000 blog posts and was recently challenged to recreate my brand.

This new brand is a stronger merger of Scott Howard and ScLoHo, although I really didn't have a split personality, it only seemed like it at times when some people only knew me from my online presence or from my face to face relationships and not the other side.

So, I have been creating a new website which you will be redirected to in October, It has taken a number of hours to organize and prepare for this debut and I have a lot of respect for those that I work with who create websites 40 hours a week.

The new site already has over 100 articles published and will be featuring updates 5 days a week plus a weekend update. It will be a merging of the 4 blogs that are currently being updated 40+ times a week.

I'll have links to the archives, and this feature, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo will move to Wednesday updates instead of Tuesday.

For a preview, go to ScottHoward.me and save in your bookmarks.

The words of Scott Howard aka ScLoHo

Every Day a Decision is Made

No one cares how many hours you work.

No one cares if you are working 2 hours or 16 hours a day.

What they care about is if you are available (working) when the decision is being made.

Do you have the answers?

Do you have the solution?

Do you have it when they need it?

This is part of the beauty of the Internet.

It is why Google beat Microsoft, Yahoo and all the others as a search engine.

Google connects people to answers.

Do you have a website that provides answers?

Does Google connect people who are looking for answers to your website?

Is your website designed to move people from the visitor stage to the customer stage?

Are you sure?

Every day someone is looking for what you have to offer.

They are spending money, every day.

Once they buy from someone other than you, they are no longer going to buy from you.

You lost that one.

You can win more than you are right now.

This year I joined Cirrus ABS, the regions largest website development company that impressed me with their focus on net-centered marketing.

I can help, we can help.

Contact me at 260-255-4357 or SHoward@CirrusABS.com

The words of Scott Howard aka ScLoHo

Old Fashioned & New Tech

When I first entered the media world I was a 16 year old high school student who was paid to babysit a radio transmitter and take meter readings every two hours.

The Federal Communications Commission required a properly licensed individual to be on site at all times when a radio station was on the air.

This was 1976.

35 years later, due to a combination of rule changes working hand in hand with tech changes, this type of job no longer exists.

Radio stations still exist, however.

The best ones still use human beings talking and sharing local events and information, just like they have for decades.

Now, think about your business.

What are the old fashioned elements that will be required to keep you successful for decades into the future, even with new tech popping up every few years?

The words of Scott Howard aka ScLoHo

The Truth?

Recently I was doing some exploratory work at a car dealership and was amazed at how they manage inventory, and their internet presence.

They can tell how many people have visited their website, which vehicles they looked at, what links they clicked on, etc.

I mean, this is one slick technology rich business.

But there was one part that stuck out as a fatal flaw.

The final tracking device.

They hand the customer a piece of paper with several options of how they heard about the dealership and ask them to circle one.

At first I thought using pictures and drawing a circle was clever. It is.

But.

It's not accurate.

It relies on a customer to recall something that they really don't care about.

And this type of tracking is highly unreliable.

If you have the technology to track but then end up with a flawed link, then you better find a better way, or at least realize that you're dealing with bad data.

The words of Scott Howard aka ScLoHo