NJ Creatives Network May 2004 Meeting

Computer Whizzes De-Mystify System and Software Challenges — and Take on Internet Marketing

by Irma Chazotte

Written Communiqué
Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey
201-573-1581

chazotte@carroll.com.

Synopsis    Comments    Photos    Press Release

Ken Kowalsky & Stan Cohen Notes     Ray Forgy Speaker Notes

This Meeting    Next Meeting    2003-04 Meetings   2004-2005 Meetings    2005-06 Meetings

Guest Speakers: Stan Cohen, Ray Forgy, Bill Kelly

As esoteric computer terminology tumbled from the lips of the evening’s speakers at the May NJ Creatives meeting, it was touch and go there for a while for this member of the audience.

Experts Ray Forgy, owner of CT&T Systems, member Bill Kelly of William Kelly Design, and member Stan Cohen of Graphic Visions, who maintains the NJ Creatives Web site, spoke about everything you want and more importantly — need — to know about computers. What they had to say soon became perfectly clear as they identified problems and offered strategic solutions to the diverse range of professionals who use computers in their businesses.

Bugs, viruses, spyware, hardware upgrades, and data protection comprised the meat of Forgy’s presentation about PCs.

“While a bug is a piece of code, a virus is software that invades your computer,” he said. “Anti-virus software targets those nasty strings of code.”

Spyware is free software that comes along with programs you might download, but it may also report your personal data – like passwords, account numbers, or your social security number – to the spyware’s author. Programs including Norton 2004, and Spybot Search and Destroy can help rid your system of spyware. Using Safe Mode is an effective way to completely eliminate spyware, he added, noting that cleaning and deleting these pesky files is the objective.

Never give personal information out on the computer, he warned.

Regarding hardware, know what your system is supposed to do — how long it takes for a program to load, for example. A change in the workings is evidence that something may not be right. Since lack of space on your hard drive may be the culprit, Forgy suggested checking the amount of available hard drive space. Upgrades in software may require enhancing hardware, he noted.

Protecting data involves backing up the hard drive, should it fail. Forgy suggested storing backups on tape, CD, DVD, or external hard drive.

Bill Kelly’s comments focused on MACs.

“Don’t think you’re home-free if you have a MAC,” he said. “Get virus protection if you have System 10, and get an external hard drive to back up data. Murphy’s Law applies when it comes to saving data.”
If you’re using System 10, he advised, de-fragment your hard drive; it needs a contiguous system. Be sure your hard drive is big enough to accommodate programs.

If you are having problems, check USB ports and bad RAM modules, and run Disk First Aid. Adding new programs can create conflicts on a system. Rebuilding your desktop twice a month has many benefits.
Stan Cohen, changing the subject from computer maintenance and safety, focused on marketing. His presentation was fortified with information from Ken Kowalsky of Blurt Inc. at www.PromotionIsMyBusiness.com, with whom he maintains the NJ Creatives Web site.

“A Web site is a necessity today,” Cohen said. “Four out of five businesses in the United States today have one. It shows you are in tune with the times.”

You can use it to promote yourself and communicate with your customers. Zones can be set up for specific clients, so you don’t have to send out large files. To attract people to your site and make it easy to navigate, design it so it is indexed properly and search engine-friendly. Keep the site trim with as few bells and whistles as possible, including Flash, animation, and sound, to enable visitors to move about easily.
Your Web site is more than a showcase — it demonstrates that you have the necessary skill set required for solving problems. He suggested incorporating a contact form to request a visitor’s name, address, phone, and e-mail as a convenient, non-threatening method to generate inquiries and response.

Web site promotion includes advertisements and business cards that include your Web site address. Online promotion is fueled by search engines that operate organically through key phrases or pay-per-click. Indexing, content, and the number of other sites referencing your site influence organic results. Your site’s interest and relevance influence rank.

How the search is structured also influences results. Using quotation marks brings up results exactly as typed in. To come up, the word needs to be in text, not in graphics or frames. Successful optimization yields top results for key words and can produce traffic for a long time. Updating key words every few months can help.

Organic traffic is free and has benefits on a long-term basis, but it can take weeks or months before information on your site is absorbed into the search engines. With pay-per-click, you can control how many people view the site. It can, however, become expensive. Converting potential customers to clients requires a call to action on the Web site and further action on your part, such as telephone calls, offering subscriptions to newsletters, sending samples, and setting up meetings.

In other words, closing the sale is still up to you.

Irma Chazotte is a business writer and publicist who heads Written Communiqué, based in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. She has samples available at www.NJCreatives.org/writtencom and can be reached at 201-573-1581 or chazotte@carroll.com.

# # #

Top of Page