So you’re a web worker, but you still meet people in meatspace that you want to network with, and making them type an email into their phone or handing them a plain jane business card either feels awkward or isn’t getting results.
There are other things you can do, things that are far more representative of your trade than a lifeless rectangular slip of paper with some contact information printed upon it. That’s not to say that all rectangular slips of paper are without merit, just that most traditional ones just aren’t getting the job done like they used to, following the demise of the Rolodex. Here are some alternatives you may want to consider. Read the rest of this entry »
What methods do you provide for people to contact you through your web site? Generally, providing more ways for your visitors to contact you is better, but including everything on your site can get messy, and can also leave your details open to spammers. VisitorContact is a free service that makes it easy and fast to add a smart and stylish customizable contact form to your site. The form is accessed through a nonobtrusive yet noticeable button on the side of your web site and gives your visitors an easy way to get in touch with you though a variety of methods (through email, Twitter, Skype and more), yet also includes some spam protection. Read the rest of this entry »
When I take short, casual-rate jobs I tend to contact the client on a needs basis. But on contract or permanent jobs, I try to be a bit more rigorous. Obviously the need for contact depends on yourself, the client and the work situation. But even if I’m working completely solo, on longer contract jobs I like to try to check in with the client once a day.
Sure, checking-in ticks all the boxes you’d expect: it helps me build client relationships, ensures I don’t miss any project developments I need to know about, and can help with problem solving. But it achieves two other goals that are equally as important, if not more so.
First, it helps remind your client that you’re there. It doesn’t just remind them you’re alive, or that you’re actually doing work. Checking in once a day gives you the opportunity to discuss the sorts of smaller issues that you might not actually set down in email. It gives clients insight into how you work, what thoughts you’re having about different aspects of their projects, and how you might be of value to them in other ways, or on other jobs. Read the rest of this entry »
Despite my best efforts, I can easily get lost on the web. And in doing so, I let some things fall into neglect, like social network identities that I should tend to, or blog content that I should update. It would be really great if I could keep everything in one place. There are sites that try to aggregate these kinds of things for you so that you don’t lose track of them, but I haven’t yet found one that was comprehensive and simple enough to prove useful on a continuing basis. Chi.mp is a new identity management service that looks like it will provide a solution.
Read the rest of this entry »
CloudContacts, a startup aiming to make the information stranded on business cards more accessible, added a new service to its offering this week.
While they may seem archaic, business cards are still the de facto way of sharing contact information. After attending a conference or event I usually have quite a few of them tucked away in my pockets. Extracting that information accurately into my contact manager after the event, however, is a real chore. CloudContacts already offers a pretty innovative service that involves mailing in those business cards you have cluttering up your desk. CloudContacts enters the data on the cards to its online contact management service, which then allows you to export the information to your email app, CRM system or contact manager.
The new service enables you to submit your cards via email. You simply take a snap of the business card with the camera on your phone, email it to the service (via a unique email address generated for your account, similar to the way that TwitPic works) and the information on the card is extracted added to your CloudContacts contact manager. Read the rest of this entry »
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
