I tend to ignore all the check ins I see come across my feeds. I really don't care that “Jim” is at Starbucks. Really, I don't. Do you? I see the customer getting all the benefit (freebies and discounts) and the merchant not getting much in return. I equate check ins to commercials – you can reach a lot of people, but how many of them are actually paying attention?

While I think as a general rule, participating in check ins has limited benefit, I do think for some niches like bands (“I'm at the Grand Rezerva concert”) can work, and it's success is critical to how the strategy is executed.

The location game needs to move beyond the simple check in, there are rumors of Facebook getting into the check in game, and it will be interesting to see how they work that, and if and how it will fit into the Open Graph.

I also think that Geo-location can make things really interesting. Finding topics based on a certain location, or being able to identify hotspots are some things that we are looking at. What do you think?

Before we go on, I want to make it clear that the advice, tips and tricks I give you below is meant as a starter, a temporary solution, until you can afford to do it up right. OK, now that we have that out of the way, let's get to the good stuff.

Web Site Hosting

Let's start with your foundation- the hosting account. You need to find a web hosting company that runs on the cPanel software. cPanel is what you use to manage your hosting account. You can use it to set up email accounts, subdomains, redirects, and check your stats (AKA analytics). Make sure your cPanel installation includes "Fantistico", which is an add-on that allows you to install programs onto your server automatically. It may cost a buck or two extra, but it will be worth it.

Hosting accounts aren't created equal, and you should be careful who you choose. You need one that is big enough to meet your needs, but small enough to give you personal service. What about features you ask? Well, something like our Gold Account is a great place to start (I mention it only as a reference point- this post is to educate, not sell - but I'll give you a free month if you wanna give us a shot, just sign up and send me an email mentioning this post).

So why cpanel? Why not Plesk? Easy, growth. cPanel is used more on webservers than any other software. That means, if you need to move to a different host, things are a lot easier. You can essentially just move everything over to the new host (your hosting company can do this for you), and things will work great. Other reasons include ease of use and feature set.

Getting WordPress (and other software) Installed

WordPress is the most popular blogging platforms out there. They have two versions (well, actually 3) - Wordpress.com (the hosted solution) and Wordpress.org (the downloaded solution). The third is actually called WPMU, which is the software that runs Wordpress.com which power users can download and install.

After you get your hosting account set up, and you have your log in information, log into cPanel, and find the Fantistico link/icon. From there you can find WordPress, click on that link, and you'll be sent to a form that you fill out a couple of things. Fantistico does the rest (creates the database, installs the software, makes the necessary configurations, and even creates the admin user).

You'll see that Fantistico has several programs that you can install in the same way, but Wordpress should be enough to get you started. One word of warning about installing software using Fantistico - some say it poses a security risk, and it doesn't always contain the latest version of the software.

You can use the "extend" link at Wordpress.org to find themes that give you a bit (not a lot) of originality that are easy to install (most have install directions). Please, don't just use the default theme. It's just not right!

Need Help? I'll be in the comments answering questions... see ya there.

Actually it's not. Remember the old adage, you get what you pay for? While it doesn't hold true all of the time, in this case it's dead-on-accurate. Hosted blog solutions (including the self managed products like the one Yahoo offers) allow the novice to create a website in a flash, it also creates problems that will actually hurt your business, such as:

SEO Problems
Search Engine Optimization is a process that uses certain techniques on a page, like adding or tweaking the H1 tags, Title Tag, Meta Tags and other HTML so search engines like Google know how and when to show your site in search results. The problem is that many of these sites prevent you from accessing the files needed to do even the basic of SEO. What does this mean? People won't be able to find you via search engines.

Branding
Building your brand is critical. Being able to have a custom design and the ability to use your logo is something you shouldn't sacrifice. Why have the same blog theme as one of your competitors? That's just blending in.

Expansion & Growth
What happens if you want to add "X"? Is that possible? One of our clients used a "homegrown" newsletter service from a small little provider. She outgrew the software, but there was no mechanism to upgrade, or move to a more robust service. She had two choices, stay put and stay stagnant, or start over with a new system. It's not a situation you want to be in.

Censorship
Recently, Google deleted several music blogs from it's Blogger/Blogspot service. If you rely on your blog, and Google decides your blog violates some TOS, then you're out of business, with little or no recourse to get things live again.

Trust
You can lose a lot of trust by relying on others for your platform. People may not take you seriously if you aren't willing to "anti-up" for a "real site", or eCommerce platform. If you don't have trust, you lose.

the solution

Hire a professional. Yeah, I know what you're thinking- I'm just saying that to get business since we are a web services company. That's simply not the case. Would you do your own surgery? How about fix your car? What about that bathroom remodel, you could knock that out in a weekend right? Unless you possess the skills, the answer is no, you would go to a professional because they know what they are doing, and you want it done right. Why should your web project be any different? There is a lot more that goes into a web presence that just the HTML behind it; proper code, SEO, SMO, Usability, Accessibility (for those with disabilities) are just a few things that go into building a web presence.

So what do you do if you can't afford a professional? Well, that a subject for a another post, but start with getting your own hosting account. You can get them fairly cheap, but you have to do your research. Not all hosting accounts are created equal - in fact some (like Godaddy) create issues like the ones mentioned above. Don't get an account for less than $10/month. The $5/month services oversell, and you'll end up with a site that goes down often, and pages with very high load times.

Got questions? I'll see you in the comments.

Think of traditional advertising; commercials, billboards, banners and print ads. These things talk AT you. They deliver a message, with no way for us, the consumer, to holler back. I was watching a TV show the other day, and a commercial for the Swiffer came on. It included an animated mop, in bed, having nightmares. I’m thinking, “do they think I’m 4 years old? I’m not sure who the target was for the ad, although they did use the stereotypical housewife in the beginning. Are they saying that all housewives are stupid? I’m not sure, and with no way to interact with them directly, it fails.

Now, think of a discussion. By definition, it’s an interaction, a TWO-way interaction. You get to know the guy or gal behind the Twitter ID. Have a problem or question? You can “@” them, and get a response. The business talks WITH you. That’s Branding.

Some companies like Pepsi are starting to do both. In fact, this year Pepsi decided to forget the advertising for this year’s Superbowl (can I say that? Big Game? I can say Big Game right?) and went straight for the branding.

What do you think? Is there still room for advertising in the traditional sense, or have we moved on to branding? Let us know in the comments- we’ll see ya there.

Below is a checklist to complete that you could probably complete in a weekend:

Base, or Home

Outposts

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.

So, if you’re ready – let’s begin…….

1. Phibble

I didn’t list our site first because I want the limelight, rather I think we’ve built something better than the ones that follow. We’ve built a community that lets you
build relationships, build your brand, learn, and even relax a bit with some quality entertainment. Some of the things you can do on Phibble include:

• Build a profile with an avatar, music, video, photos, links to your outposts, and more (Here’s mine)
• Post comments on Blogs, Forums and Pages
• Participate in groups
• Create Blogs, Forums & Groups
• Post on any Blog that you are a member of
• Create / Post your own Radio and/or TV show
• Communicate with other members through email, chat and groups
• Search for members (likes, location, profession, name)
• Enhance your knowledge through Phibble uLearn
• Sell your wares in the Phibble Store
• Upload media (audio, photos, video) to your profile

The biggest thing that sets us apart, is that we care. You always get a personal response (sometimes within minutes) from someone who can help you. We really want to
help you succeed, and we work really hard to help you reach your goals. Customer service is #1.

2. Twitter (http://www.twitter.com)

They hype has died down a bit, but there for a while, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about “Twitter”. If you aren’t familiar with it, Twitter is a place where you
post blurbs on whatever interests you. Like-minded people will “follow” you- creating an enviroment for discussion and relationship building.

Many people don’t understand Twitter, or use it wrong. While some people like Guy Kawasaki have been successful “broadcasting” on Twitter, it’s usually the wrong way to go.
Just like you wouldn’t walk into a cocktail party yelling “Hey, buy my stuff”, you shouldn’t do that on Twitter (or anywhere really). You have to earn that right, which is only after
that relationship is built.

For more about Twitter, check out my “Twitter 101” post on the Technology Page.

3. Facebook (http://www.facebook.com)

The Facebook phenomenon is something I’ve struggled to understand. It’s great for connecting with old friends, but how does one go about using it for business? Things like fan
pages are great, but how do people find it? That’s what I hate about Facebook – it’s not easy to find who you’re looking for, and it’s impossible to “discover” people and
brands on Facebook.

There are techniques that you can combat the shortcomings of the service – the key is to create a strategy that gets your message into your “fans’” stream. Combining that with
a well crafted fan page, will help you reach your audience.

4. LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com)

LinkedIn is a great site for business networking. Much like the other social sites, you can create a profile that is focused on business, and your achievements. You can
demonstrate your knowledge and expertise on forums and groups. LinkedIn is also tied into Twitter, so you can cross post, although you should make sure that’s right for
you before you add that functionality to your account.

5. MySpace (http://www.myspace.com)

MySpace has gone through a lot over the last couple of years. Execs have come and gone, and some people have gone as far as saying that the site is dead. MySpace still gets
millions of hits, mostly to it’s music property. I personally find the site frustrating to use as it constantly errors out and the music players always have some problem that
prevents me from experiencing the music. If you’re not in music, I would think seriously about creating a presence there (if it’s worth the time and sweat). Right now the only value seems to be music, and with the money the are shelling out in royalty payments – I don’t see them lasting much longer unless they really turn things around.

6. The Many “Others”

There are many other sites out there that could be considered “social”, but aren’t social web sites per se, but are sites that have social tools built into them to enhance
thier offering. I list them here because these are targeted to a certain audience that won’t pertain to all personalities like the others.

• Video: YouTube, Blip.Tv, Viddler
• Live Video uStream, LiveStream (formerly Mogulus)
• Photo: Flickr
• Link Sharing : Digg, Reddit, Stumble Upon
• Entertainment: Plaxo

7. Niche and Hidden Communities

Items one through five are the “biggies”, but there are thousands of sites and communities out there that you can find an audience. Start looking at niche sites that pertain
to your expertise that you can target. Also look at smaller communities that still have an audience that can be tapped.

What sites have you had success on ? What did you do that others aren’t? Let us know in the comments.

OK, let’s get into it…

1. Tweetdeck (http://www.tweetdeck.com)

Tweetdeck is an application that allows you to listen and post to several social media websites. You can create colums that lets you sort and manage the streams and
information that matters most to you. It supports Twitter (multiple accounts), Facbook and MySpace.

2. TubeMogul (http://www.tubemogul.com)

If you do video, TubeMogul saves you a bunch of time. You upload your video once to TubeMogul, and they will put it on all of the other
video sites like YouTube, Viddler, etc.

3. WordPress (http://www.wordpress.org)

There are two versions of WordPress, hosted (wordpress.com) and self hosted (wordpress.org). WordPress is the most popular blogging platform and you can
download the software and install it on your own website. WordPress has add-ons (called plug-ins) that let you extend the functionality of the platform, which lets you
create almost any kind of website you want. To give you an idea of it’s power, this site is built entirely on WordPress.

4. Bit.ly (http://www.bit.ly)

Bit.ly is a URL shortenr that allows you to take long web site addresses and shorten them so they fit into your micorblogging posts like Twitter, and
Facebook status updates. Bit.ly also includes some pretty good analytics so you can track click thru’s.

5. Thunderbird eMail with Fox Clocks & Lightning (http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/)

For email I use Mozilla Thunderbird. I manage about 6 different email accounts with Thunderbird and just like FireFox (which I use as my primary browser), Thunderbird allows you to use plug ins which lets me customize it for my needs. I use two plug ins every day. The first is Fox Clocks. Fox Clocks lets me know what time it is anywhere in the world which is useful to me because I interact with people all over the world. The other is called Lightning. Lightning is a calendaring/task management application that acts much like any other, but is embedded into my email so my events/tasks are always visible to me.

5. RSS Feeds and Google Alerts

To be effective, you need to listen – get the pulse of what’s being said about you and your industry. I use four methods to listen; email newsletters, rss feeds, Google Alerts and Social Media Web Sites. Each of these tools carry a different listening tool, and which tool you use is personal preference. Many use Google Reader for RSS Feeds, but I prefer Yahoo. Google Alerts is a great feature of Google News that lets you set up Alerts on topics you choose that get emailed to you daily (or when they find a match). Make sure you set up an alert for both your name and your business name.

What tools do you use? Let us know in the comments.

Recently, Walgreens promoted a "special deal" for all of their Facebook fans. In order to get this deal you needed to be a fan (they gave out a special coupon code). Well, the day came, everyone in the savings community was all about this "Great Deal That Walgreens was going to give them". Bam, the curtain lifted, and what is the magical deal? Free Shipping! Now, to understand what an epic fail this was you need to understand the average Walgreens customer. They shop in store, not online. They use coupons in store that they cannot use online. Second, everyone is offering free shipping these days, so really, the "Special Deal" wasn't so special as the outpouring of negative comments shows:

People were hoping for a photo special (after all it's the holidays, pictures go over well this time of year) and expressed so in the comments. I watched this and expected Walgreens to intervene and say something. Nope. They didn't respond until the next day- with a 50% off poster special. Yes it was picture related, but it wasn't what people were asking for. They didn't listen the first time, and they only half listened the second time. Epic Fail.

While I can't tell you what the specifics of your plan should be (well I can, but that's a different matter), I can tell you that you should listen first, talk second. What I mean by that is that in order to find out what your audience needs from you, you first need to listen to what they are saying. Once you've listened for a while, you can start engaging. Start by promoting others, not yourself. By doing this, you build trust with your audience, and when it comes time when you need to promote yourself they will listen because you haven't badgered them with "buy this" offers.

What are some of your customer service horror stories, and had you been the merchant, how would you have handled the situation?