Craig Crook & I started a new series called RE.MIX [exploring how business is being reinvented]. You don’t have to look far to see advances in technology, communications or in scientific management & operations. This is creating huge business development opportunities for organizations of all sizes and we’re picking the top trends from our work in helping companies execute these changes. This episode – we are talking about one trend in using online video and how it’s driving down costs and opening new markets.

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Recently I sat down with my associate Craig Crook and we talked again about how technology is changing business.

This time we focused on phones. Phones have evolved into complex systems for communication and the lines continue to blur between virtual and hardware solutions.  Together we explore communication platforms for organizations with growing and changing needs

In this episode, we feature:

• Google Voice
• Onebox
• Grasshopper

Need more help?  Still have questions?  Connect with us and let us Review your needs!

We’ve all faced the same problem: too many emails, too many requests for help, too many follow-ups.  And, we’ve all face the same results: lost emails, slow response, failure to respond.

It’s a common problem.  Whether we work solo, in a small team, or in a huge organization, we all face the same problem – how to stay on top of client emails, responses to problems, etc.

Personally, I have several “solutions” I use to try and stay on top of the never-ending onslaught of requests, complaints, emails, and more.  One solution that I’ve now rolled out into several organizations I work with is the use of a “HelpDesk” / “Ticketing” application.

What exactly is a HelpDesk application? It’s a program that “intercepts” incoming emails and keeps track of them for you.  Say, for example, that you run a small software firm.  And, your firm has an email address for people to report any problems or troubles that they face with your software (let’s imagine that it’s help@mycompany.com).  Instead of all of these emails going to one person on just one computer, a HelpDesk application would “intercept” these emails.  Any time a new email comes in, the HelpDesk program grabs it and lets you (or several you’s) know about the new ticket.  You or anyone in your department can then log in and respond to the ticket.

So far it sounds pretty much like a normal email program, right?  Well, suppose I’m the one responding to all the emails.  And, I decide to go on vacation for a week.  What happens now?  Who responds to clients when I’m gone?  And, when I get back, how do I know what this fill in person has said in my absence?  Or, suppose that the amount of emails coming in everyday is too many for one single person to answer.  How does this get handled?  How do two, three, or more people respond to just one email?  How do we all work together?  How do we know what others have said?  How can we have “canned” answers to the most typical problems?

In all these situation, the answer is a good HelpDesk type of application.  This app lets me respond to emails, then when I am off, someone else can pick up right where I left off.

And, when we want, we can make things even more “advanced” (or maybe complicated) by setting up several emails to be handled by the HelpDesk program.  Now we can have BILLING@mycompany.com and HELP@mycompany.com and SALES@mycompany.com all go into the HelpDesk.  The program is smart enough to notify the Billing Department, the Support Department, and the Sales Department ONLY of the relevant emails.

But with just the click of a mouse, a manager can easily see what each department is doing, and even transfer tickets to other departments as needed.

It’s really a great way to for a team to collaborate.

Here’s a screenshot of the IT Department at my kids school:

As you can see, recently teachers have asked for help in areas such as transferring videos, DVD players, emails, and a broken computer.  While this might look similar to any standard “INBOX” – this one is different.  The key difference is that more than one person can monitor it.  In this case the entire IT Department can monitor all requests for help.  While the IT Department is not large (3 people), they are separated onto 2 different physical locations and often work different hours.

My personal favorite HelpDesk app is OS Ticket.  OS Ticket offers all the flexibility and features described above.  And, the best feature is that the program is Open Source.  What does this mean?  The simple answer is that the program is completely free to the end user.

So, are you involved in a service business?  Do you regularly interact with clients and need to keep track of incoming and outgoing communications?  Do you have a team or department or even several departments that respond to “help” type of questions from clients?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then maybe some type of a HelpDesk app would benefit you.  We’d love to help get it set up and customized for your specific needs.  CONTACT US and let’s start the conversation!!

Just about an hour ago, I finished speaking at the Fort Wayne Social Media Breakfast.  I was one of three “speakers”.  We were on a panel, talking about blogging tips, tools, techniques, etc.

Now for anyone who knows me, it’s no surprise that I talked a decent amount about WordPress.  One of the questions coming from the room was favorite / most used plugins, themes, etc.

So, I ran home and put together this post featuring some of my favorites.  Favorite plugins, favorites tips, and just random thoughts about wordpress.

Plugins

• Gravity Forms – without any question, this is what I think to be the best contact form plugin.  It is simply awesome.  Super easy to use, very powerful.  It really does everything you want.  However, it is not free.  It is $39.00 for personal use, $99.00 for business use.  My favorite feature is that in addition to sending you the contact information via email, it stores all the contact information in a database.  So, at any time, you can log in and see a record of everyone who has submitted your form, when they submitted it, etc.  You can then download this information into MS Excel and analyze it, etc.
• All In One SEO – this is my favorite plugin for Search Engine Optimization (appearing higher on Google, etc.).  It allows you to set TITLE tags for each and every page and post, etc.  It is very simple to use and very powerful.
• Sexy Bookmarks - this is my favorite “social sharing” plugin.  It lets you have links to just about EVERY social network.  It will also add the goole +1 buttons, twitter share buttons, Facebook buttons, etc.  Super simple to use and it looks great (hence the name).
• Next Gen Gallery - the best photo gallery available.  Upload photos, add new galleries, create super cool slideshows, and more.  All of this is really simple using Next Gen.  If you have photos, you need Next Gen Gallery.
• Ultimate Google Analytics - my favorite Google Analytics plug-in.  It’s my favorite because it is so “lightweight”.  It doesn’t do much – it simply add Google Analytics code to your site.  Very small in size, etc.
• Google Sitemap Generator - this simple plugin automatically generates a google site map and submits it to Google for you.  It adds nothing to the “front end” (what people see) of your site.  It simply creates the site map and submits it on a regular schedule.
• WP Database Backup - this plugin does exactly what it says – it backs up your database for you.  It can then email this backup to you or save it on the server.  I STRONGLY suggest using this plugin and having it email you regular backups (I suggest weekly).  Once you get the email, save the attached file somewhere and then forget about it.  You might not know what the file is, but should disaster strike, a developer will know EXACTLY what to do with it.  A must have!!!

While I have a bunch of other plugins I love, that’s a few for now.  I didn’t bother linking to any of the plugins’ home pages.  Just go into your wordpress admin and click on PLUGINS -> ADD NEW.  Form this location, you can simply search for the plugin and install it.  Like most things on WordPress – super simple!

Tips

In addition to plugins, here are a few random tips to getting the most out of wordpress – mostly from a semi-technical point of view.

• Use WP SUPER CACHE – ok, I know this is ANOTHER plugin.  But, it is different.   What is does is make your site faster.  If you notice your wordpress site or blog is loading slow, try installing this plugin.  Basically, it creates static HTML pages for all your pages and serves up these.   By doing this the site has to make A LOT less calls to the database.  Therefore, the site runs faster.  Make sense?  If not, don’t worry.  It’s a great plugin that will speed up things!
• Get a Good Host  – the number one most important thing to think about when it comes to site speed is your web host.  NOTHING will impact your site’s speed more than who you choose for hosting.  A few of my favorite hosts are Host Gator, Media Temple, Midphase, and Blue Host.  I purposely didn’t make links to these guys as I don’t “endorse” any of them.  Just google them and try them out.  I’m not getting any kickbacks from them…
• Update –  as with any computer program, it is super important to stay up to date.  Once you install wordpress, be sure to update it any time you have the choice.  You’ll see the update notice immediately when you log in.  Typically these updates patch security flaws and are critically important.
• Use Strong Passwords –  this is true every time you use a password, especially on WordPress.  Assuming you do not want your site hacked, use a strong password.  What exactly is a strong password?  Here’s a few simple thoughts:
• The longer the better – use a MINIMUM of 8 characters
• Use small case, upper case, numbers, and symbols – mix it up a lot
• NEVER use a dictionary word.  Trust me, people will guess it.
• Try using the first line from your favorite song – yeah, the ENTIRE first line, including the concluding punctuation
• Backup - I know I mentioned a backup plugin above, but it’s worth mentioning again.  THREE things need to be backed up: your database (use the plugin), your theme (unless you can download it again somewhere), and all your uploads (like pictures, etc.).  Typically making a one time backup of your theme and saving it on your computer is good enough for that.  Also, your uploads are usually pretty easy to recover.  What is SUPER important is a regular (i.e. weekly) backup of your database.  Use the plugin I mentioned above.

So, that’s my first thought about using WordPress – 7 plugins and 5 random tips.  What about you?  Do you have favorite tips, tricks, hacks, etc.?  If so, leave me a comment so we can all learn.

And, should you need any help, support, consulting, etc.  Contact Me today and we’ll talk!

Here’s our fourth installment of our Tech Trends vlog.

Craig and I talk with about some of our own personal favorites in the area of cloud productivity.

In this episode, we feature:

• Podio
• 37Signals
• Evernote
• DropBox

Let us know your thoughts!

Our second installment of our own little video blog – Tech Trends.

This time Craig and I talk about iPads, Laptops, and Smart Phones – when to use each one, which one is better, where the technology is going, etc.

Let us know your thoughts!