Archive for General

Dec
15

Training at New Horizon’s

Posted by: John Dawe, CFRE | Comments (0)

Attention Teachers and Students:

New Horizon’s Computer Learning Center, Dawe Consulting Group and Penn State Worthington Scranton instructors will present important information about this year’s contest in a half-day training at New Horizon’s Learning Center in Pittston, PA on January 7, 2011 in the morning.

Given the timeline involved, please be sure to plan to attend NOW… as we know that getting a substitute and transportation paperwork can take a while.

Categories : General
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Jan
04

The Web 2.0 Component

Posted by: John Dawe, CFRE | Comments (0)

Part of the contest is adding a Web 2.0 component to your website.  Here are three suggestions.

  1. Create a Twitter Account for your client.  Add a Twitter feed to the client’s website and teach them how to update it.  It’s a quick way to post updates without knowing any programming.
  2. Create a Facebook Page for your client.  Incorporate the client’s logo and messaging.  Add a “Facebook Connect” button to the main website to encourage visitors to connect.
  3. Do a video tour of the business.  Create a youtube account and embed the video tour on the website.  Do this for your client’s existing TV commercials.

One note about video and load times:
Stay away from embedding Windows Media.  With services like YouTube, there is no reason for you to host or stream media from your server.  Upload the video to YouTube and use the embed code to make load times fast and efficient.

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Feb
16

Project Management 101

Posted by: Fred Aebli | Comments (0)

Project management is necessary for your website to be delivered to your customer.  It allows you to manage all aspects of development and keep communication flowing with your team members. Not doing this will make the project seem difficult and ultimately let your customer down and all the team members.  If you follow some of the basic principles set forth in our Project Management 101 talk, you raise your chances of success!!

At a minimum, you need a plan.  This plan, however detailed, should at least provide the following:

  • Communication Plan
    Know how you will communicate with other via email, txt messaging, online meetings, etc.
    Know when you will meet.  Set at least one day a week to meet at a set day and time.
  • Timeline
    Know when the project needs to be completed, then work backwards to fill in all the deliverables such as the framework of the website, content pieces, graphics, scripting for functionality, video, etc..
    Be prepared for things to not always go well.
  • Delegate
    Everyone on the team has a role to play, otherwise you wouldn’t need a team.  Use your team wisely by knowing who is capable of what and tasking them.  Once you give someone something to do, make sure they know when to turn it in!
  • Status
    Eliminate surprises by having status updates for all to see.  Everyone needs to report to the team lead as to what they have or have not accomplished.  If you find out you still have much to do, reassign people who are done to a task that needs help.

Communication is the key to project management.  If you can all work together and communicate well, there isn’t a project that you can’t handle.

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