The Best Tool We Use For Project Collaboration
Have you ever used a formula that starts with “=VLOOKUP”? I am guessing some of your eyes just lit up. Some of you are ready to hit the reply button to tell me you know exactly what I am talking about, and you want to commiserate together about the hours of painful memories trying to figure out how to make this formula display the results correctly.
If you don’t know what I am talking about, it’s a formula used in Excel spreadsheets that lets you search an entire database to look for something very specific, which you can then use to find an Approximate (TRUE) or an Exact (FALSE) match….blah blah blah.
What’s my point? My point is that I love Excel. I love spreadsheets. I love the simplicity of how it functions, and the complexity that allows you to manipulate your data toward any result you want. It’s brilliant. I’ve seen everything tracked this way — client lists, project status, project budgets, and even compliance reports for Oklahoma online gambling operators who need precise audit trails. The same tool that runs a marketing budget also keeps multi-million-dollar betting platforms organized.
Is this you?
Confession: I created a monstrous formulated database on Excel that I input all my stats after a round of golf and it spits out all the goals I hit, all the goals I didn’t hit, and a list of what I need to work on. In fact, it calculates 25 different aspects of my game and tells me how I am doing in each. Ridiculous, right? Or…brilliant?
Well, going along with the “Best of” series this month about all the business tools we use, I would like to introduce a tool we use at BOS Media Group that I love even more: MONDAY.com.
What do I love about MONDAY… where do I begin? First of all, it looks and acts just like Excel, but even prettier and much more intuitive – seriously, you gotta check it out for yourself. Again, I am not an affiliate and do not make any money promoting these products. I just want to pass along what has helped me simplify my life as an entrepreneur.
Features I love about MONDAY.com:
- Collaboration: Okay, yes, Excel lacks collaboration but Google Sheets (an online spreadsheet that Google basically stole the idea from Microsoft to create as their own) figured out a way for teams, clients, or anyone else you share the document with to collaborate together. But MONDAY takes it to another level. It allows you to assign tasks to others, create conversations, provide feedback, and even approve changes. It’s a full collaboration tool for any project. Find out more about the collaboration here.
- Automation: Interestingly enough, everyone that’s used MONDAY says this is what sets it apart. So, practically, how is automation used? Great question – here’s a simple example of something built into a project called “status.” Let’s say the project manager assigned to this project changes the status from “pending clients approval” to “client approved.” You can create a simple automation where as soon as the project manager makes that change, MONDAY notifies the rest of the team and sends an email out to the client with the next steps. Pretty cool, eh? Another example of automation: when you assign a task and it gets completed, it could automate another task and assign it. That way, if you are the boss, you can keep your team busy for days while you are playing golf. Hahaha. Find out more about Automation here.
- Integration: It works with a bunch of other apps and software you might currently be using. For instance, Slack, Zoom, Outlook, Gmail, Dropbox, Calendar, etc. Why is this important? Because MONDAY wasn’t created to replace something you currently like working with and are familiar with, it helps connect everything in one place and helps you do your job more effectively and efficiently. Find out more about Integrations here.
One last thing I love about it is the name. MONDAY. This might sound weird to some of the haters out there, but Monday is actually my favorite day! I like to say that Monday is basically the New Year’s Day of every week – it’s the beginning of a new adventure, and a reminder that our work is not something we HAVE TO do, it’s something we GET TO do. Loving Mondays is really about loving your normal, daily life!
If that sounds nerdy, maybe you just need to try MONDAY.com… I hope this is the year you discover just how magical Monday can be!
Best Online Software We Use That We Love
I remember the days when I would walk up and down the aisle at a store looking for the latest software to install on my computer. It came in a disc form and had really great packaging. They had accounting software, graphic software, spreadsheet software, and even the latest games. I would buy it for around $19-$49 depending on what it was and couldn’t wait to get home to install it on my computer. Two things that were annoying though. First, every software I purchased took up more and more memory space in my hard drive (and I didn’t have that much room in the first place). Second, anytime there was a bug fix or a feature update, I’d have to go back to the store and buy an updated version and guess what? I’d have to install it again, taking up even more room in my hard drive.
Well, we certainly have advanced with this invention of the internet and the technology of the cloud. Everything is right here at my fingertips and I don’t even have to get out of my PJs… which by the way, I am wearing now (no joke).
So I was thinking, since it’s so easy to try out new online software, and I am constantly trying out anything and everything that would make my life more interesting and efficient, why don’t I tell you guys about some that’s really worth trying out? And don’t worry, these are not paid promos or my affiliate-sponsored software… these will just be my honest, unbiased opinions on why I like them so much. So, are you ready? Let’s dive in.
For this week, here’s the number 1 software I want to highlight. It’s called Typeform.
- What is it? It’s an online form. Simple as that. It asks questions, and you collect the answers.
- What problem does it solve? Most forms are impersonal and boring. Some are just blank fields you fill out and it’s tedious. Also, with most online forms, you are most likely to get them filled out by bots and end up getting a lot of spam emails.
- How does it solve it? It asks one question at a time, just like a normal human-to-human conversation. It keeps the audience engaged, and therefore, you’ll get more thoughtful responses and higher completion rates.
- What features are surprisingly useful or cool? I love the personalized feature where it addresses you with your name. As you continue through the form it will say something like… “So Hanju, what’s your email address?” Also, there’s this cool conditional logic feature where you can route to a different set of questions depending on how you answer the previous ones.
- Where do you use it? We use it for all of our design questionnaires or surveys we send out to our clients. Again, it feels more personal and engaging.
- How much is it? There are 4 levels. Free ($0/month), Basic ($25/month), Plus ($50/month), and Business ($83/month). We have a basic option, it’s been great so far.
Here’s an example of how we use this form with our clients. Click on this link and go through the first couple of questions for fun and you’ll get a feel for it. Don’t worry, it won’t submit anything back to us unless you fill it out completely and hit the submit button at the end. https://bosmediagroup.com/website
My plan is to share more of these recommendations throughout the month – I hope it gives you a few tools to help get your new year started right. Here’s to making 2023 the best one yet!
What Kind Of Goals Are You Setting For 2023?
I am officially obsessed!!
For the last couple of months, I’ve become fixated on two things: Camper Van Conversions & Vanlifers. There’s something so satisfying about watching an empty van come to life. I am talking about adding insulation to every nook and cranny, detailed wiring for lights, solar panels, inverters, plumbing for the kitchen sink, drainage, freshwater tank installation, shower tiling, dining set to bed conversion, window cutouts, upper deck install for sitting up top for an incredible view, cabinet hardware so your doors don’t fling open while driving…I am even going in-depth learning about composting toilets… seriously, the list is endless.
I am also obsessing over the freedom of Vanlife. I follow a ton of people who are documenting their full-time journey of traveling the road and living in the van while working remotely. This absolutely fascinates me. I am learning the good, the bad & the ugly of it all… and it seems very tempting in so many ways.
Last week, I watched a full 3-series documentary of this dude driving in his van to the Frozen Artic Ocean in the middle of winter. He reached the “Insanity Zone.” Do you know what that is? That’s when Celsius equals Fahrenheit. Look it up. There’s one point where they intersect, at -40 degrees. CRAZY!! But, there’s something about it that gave me some weird type of inspiration. I haven’t unpacked it yet, but I am processing it as we speak.
Why am I sharing all this at the end of the year during our “Goal” series? Is Vanlife my goal for next year? Nah. Is it my goal for someday? Yes. Well, maybe not the Arctic Ocean Insanity Zone, maybe not even the full Vanlife…but I do love what it represents. And that’s definitely my goal. It represents freedom for me, it represents youthfulness, it represents carefreeness, it represents exploration, it represents curiosity and it represents life…life to the fullest. Sunsets and rainbows, I want to experience it all. And maybe this Vanlife brings it all out on me. Building it and exploring it.
I just finished setting my goals for next year and I broke them down into the following categories: Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Marital, Parental, Social, Vocational, Avocational, Financial, and Spiritual. I picked one goal for each. Why? I think balancing these categories and assessing where I am in each will help me prepare for the ultimate freedom…the kind of Vanlife freedom I’ve been talking about. You know…the one that involves composting poop.
And do you know why am I so crazy about goals? “Because you don’t usually drift to a destination you would have chosen. Instead, you have to be intentional, force yourself to get clear on what you want and why it’s important, and then pursue a plan of action that accomplishes your objective.” I love that quote. It speaks life to me.
Happy Holidays From BOS Media
As we come to the end of 2022, all of us at BOS Media want to say one more huge THANK YOU to everyone we get to work with.
You’ve probably heard me say this a hundred times, but more than anything else, BOS Media is about RELATIONSHIPS. Our business is personal, and I never take for granted the fact that this job has allowed me to connect with so many amazing people who are on the receiving end of this email.
In some ways I feel like the work I get to do is almost just an excuse to have all these meaningful connections. Thank you for being part of that.
I hope you have some time this week with family, and maybe get to open cool presents, but in the midst of all the festivities just know:
The best gift of all is YOU!
To paraphrase “It’s a Wonderful Life,” here’s to being the richest people in town because of the friendships we get to have.
Looking forward to 2023 together!
We appreciate you!!!
I Screamed My Goal Out Loud
Okay, golf talk. Don’t go away yet, it’ll get interesting, even if you hate golf.
I’ve been a golfer for 40+ years. And in golf, there’s a handicap system. You play 18 holes and keep an accurate score, and you have to submit the score to an organization called USGA. They rate the golf course difficulty at every golf course ever built. And they are in charge of calculating your score vs the level of difficulty of the course you played and they spit out your official USGA Handicap Index. Just for reference, the US golfer’s most common handicap is between 13-13.9. Remember, this is golf, so the lower the handicap, the better you are.
When I was in high school, I played Junior golf and with all the free time I had, I played and practiced almost every day. In fact, my weekends looked like this. Wake up early, go to the practice range, and play 18 holes. Come home, eat lunch. Go back to the course. Play 18 more holes or until dark. Come home. Wash up. Get in bed. Dream about golf. Repeat. I had a Handicap Index of 7.
Let’s fast forward 40 years. Since then, I have labored through thousands or more practice sessions, played thousands of competitive and noncompetitive rounds, gained huge mental maturity, experienced so much for my own internal growth of the sport, and built so much more confidence, I am even smarter when it comes to strategy and I am using all the latest technology and innovation on equipment and balls that have advanced over the years. Do you know what my handicap was last year? 7.
So, after another very frustrating round, I screamed out loud…”Aaaahhhhhhh!!!” And I made a declaration. I made a verbal promise to myself. I said out loud, “By my next birthday, I will be a scratch golfer!!” (Scratch Golfer = a Handicap Index of 0). I have unknowingly, out of pure frustration, and out of my desperate desire to improve, set a GOAL.
I heard this the other day: “Goal setting is the most compassionate and the most wonderful thing we can do for ourselves.”
So, I started my journey. I am a year into my goal and I am proud to say that my current handicap is 2.9. This goal setting and execution is a lot of work and effort but I am also learning a lot about myself along the way. I am not there yet and the journey has had a lot of ups and downs, but I want to list what I’ve done and how I am currently making progress.
If I could sum it up, it would be two things.
- Make your goal measurable
- Measure it often
But to elaborate more, here are some steps I’ve learned and been taught about setting goals and making them come true.
- On a blank piece of paper, for 10-20 minutes, do a thought download – empty your brain by listing everything you want to DO in your life. List what you want to accomplish, and what you want as the end result.
- Pick one to focus on. One that you really really want to go after. For me, it was being a scratch golfer.
- Now, this is important: Write it in a 90-day outcome. Write what you can do and what you can measure in the next 90 days. Make sure it’s something that is measurable. (Quantity). And be as clear and specific as possible. For me, I kept detailed stats of my game and I set goals for each stat (% greens in regulation, % fairways hit, # of putts, score, etc – I have 25 goals in total).
- Write down everything you’ll need to do in the next 90 days that can help you reach your goal, with as many details as possible. What you need to learn, what you need to know, what you need to do. Make an action list. (I created a practice log that I can focus on if I’m having a difficult time reaching the set goal).
- Create an order of execution, again being as clear and as specific as possible. (Basically, after writing down everything you’ll need to do, put them in order that they need to be accomplished).
- Calendar them in 2-week increments. (Schedule everything you can do in the next two weeks).
- Keep scheduling until you get to 90 days.
Here’s the beauty of all this. Once all the prep work is finished, it’s as good as done. You’ve made all the decisions ahead of time, so it’s like clockwork. Honor what’s on the calendar. Follow through on what you said you were going to do.
As long as you are willing to do the work up front, and monitor your progress, you can have it. You can have what you want. How’s that sound?
I know I still have more work to do, so I am going to keep moving forward. But I know I will get there someday, and I can’t wait to share it with you. I am proud of the progress I’ve made and it also made me realize that this really does work.
For 40 years, I stayed idling without any significant progress and just dealing with a lot of frustrating days. But having this focus and goal has revived me. I feel alive and this slow progress is keeping me excited and motivated.
What do you want to go after next year? What do you want? Who do you want to be? Share with me. I want to know. Let’s encourage each other – reply to this email, and I will email you back. I want to help. Because I heard it’s the most compassionate and the most wonderful thing we can do for ourselves. I want that for you.
2 Huge Problem With Setting Goals
If you know me, I might get a bit annoying when the year is approaching the end. I start talking about new year’s resolutions, setting new goals, going over last year’s goals, reflecting on the past, dreaming about the future…etc. I am just wired that way and I am somehow surrounded by people who are not. “What’s the point?” they say. “Why spend the time and effort creating something that you’ll forget all about in mid-February?” They are right. In fact, a record number of people Google “how to get out of gym membership contract” in February since they’ve only stepped foot in there only twice in January. January 1st and January 2nd. LOL.
If you are not a goal-setter, you’ll love what I am about to say. This quote came from Emmanuel Acho (Retired NFL linebacker, sports analyst, activist and author).
“Reaching a goal is a penalty you receive for setting one.”
What does that mean? He further explains, “People live life in a box that the world put them in. And my objective is to break outside that box.”
Nobody had ever run a mile in under four minutes. That was the box. The box says you cannot run a mile in under four minutes.
Scientists thought it was physically impossible. Some even suggested your heart would explode if you attempted to. Then Roger Bannister breaks outside of a box, runs a mile in under four minutes. But the sweetest part of the story for me, that is not told often enough, is that within the next two years, ten people ran a mile in under four minutes.
What that told me was that we had the physical ability to do it, we just did not have the mental ability to do it. And once we saw that one person do it, then all of a sudden it quickly became possible.
These boxes need to be broken, but there’s still no avoiding the two problems we’ll face in setting our goals:
- You don’t achieve it and you feel terrible.
- You do achieve it but you realize you aimed too low.
So, should we just get rid of our goals altogether?
No – according to Emmanuel, Don’t set goals, set objectives with no limitations. How is that different? Well, each goal has an end, it’s limiting, so Instead, set an objective with no limitations. Instead of trying to build a $5 million business, make it your objective to grow your business. Instead of trying to become a CEO, make it your objective to become a better leader. Instead of trying to run a marathon, make it your objective to become a better runner. Do you see his point, none of these goals/objectives has an end. You can become an amazing runner and run a 1/2 marathon, then compete in a full marathon, then an ultra, then an ironman…it goes on and on. No limitation.
I am still processing this idea. It’s so different from what I’ve been told and taught…and even implemented for most of my life. But one thing I am coming away with is the idea of thinking bigger, the idea of having no limits. It’s a compelling thought.
I would love to know what your thoughts are on this. Are you a goal-setter? Do you have an insight that’s been helpful to you in the past? Or, is this all just annoying? Hahaha! Have a great week. Shoot me an email, and let’s chat.
Does Email Marketing Really Work?
The quick, simple answer to the subject line is YES!
I totally believe one of the most important things we can do as a business owner is to grow a solid, relevant, and valid email list.
I realized the importance of this when a good friend of mine, after being pushed out of an insurance firm that he was a partner of, spent over a couple of hundred thousand dollars in legal fees to gain back the “book of sale.” I assumed that the “book of sale” in his industry meant the actual paying customers since he spent so much money fighting for it. But he told me it was just a database of strong potential clients that showed interest, worked with him in the past, or were just referred. What???? Yup, he said it was worth every penny. He started again from scratch with that book of sale and grew it into a thriving business that he currently owns. He worked hard to get it there, but it took a solid database to work from.
As you work on building this solid foundation, it’s also essential to pay attention to your overall online presence. Vineyard Growth is your SEO partner that can help you elevate your website and digital content to ensure you’re not just reaching your email list, but also attracting new leads. Effective SEO is the silent engine behind successful marketing efforts, driving traffic to your site and ensuring that your email campaigns reach the right people. With the right SEO strategies in place, your email marketing can be even more powerful, attracting organic traffic and expanding your reach.
A recent study shows that a higher number of subscribed emails correlates with higher revenue. Here are some additional cool statistics: https://www.outboundengine.com/blog/20-shocking-email-marketing-stats-business-owners-know/
And continuing our series, here’s how we answer the FAQs we get about email marketing:
What should I do first to start email marketing for my business?
Grow your email list. Not just any emails, but the real people who really really want emails from your company.
Once I have a handful of subscribers, what should I do next?
Engage with your subscribers.
- Provide Value!
- Educational Value so that they will always learn something from you
- Monetary Value so that they can get special deals from you
- Emotional Value so that they can be inspired by you
- Entertainment Value so that you can help create a laugh
- Provide a real authentic and genuine relationship (sharing personal stories, etc)
- Provide trust (all the above bullets will help you build that)
When should I sell to my subscribers?
Not right away. Focus on trust first.
So, how do I grow my email list?
There are so many ways. Here’s a resource link. But ultimately, what I find most effective is offering something for an email in return – an opt-in landing page that immediately creates value for them.
Do you have any examples?
Yes, here’s my own personal example.
- I wanted to create a solid database of potential clients. The niche I tried was for people looking to learn how to do Facebook marketing. I figured these people were interested in growing their businesses and I needed to find a way to help them.
- So, I did a free educational video. The most watched video on youtube is a “how to” video – here’s the “how to” video I made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPAcKJb-XBc
- Then, I created a free offer that the audience would probably want after watching the video… it led them to this landing page: https://bosmediagroup.com/target
- When they click on the free download button, it will ask them for an email address – once it’s captured it is added directly to my Mailchimp database, and voila!! I have their email address.
- Now I can start my relationship with them by adding value to their life, and earning their trust so they will eventually buy from me.
Could you do this for me?
Yes, yes we can, Reply to this email and let’s connect!
Like the photo above, email marketing is the way to stay multiple chess moves ahead in business. This of it like a bakery that leaves their front door open so that all the delicious aromas waft out and draw new customers inside.
That’s the power of our digital marketing – we can even make you smell good online.
Let Us Answer Your Logo Design Questions
A logo is so much more than just an image, text or a symbol; it’s a representation of who you are, what you value and what you believe. If you do it right, it can capture the whole story of your company in a meaningful way. A well-designed logo will help customers remember you and build trust, which is the foundation of great marketing.
Starting the design process can be a bit tricky, but don’t worry. We’re here to make it clear and easy for you – here are the questions we tend to get asked when it comes to logo design.
What is your typical design process?
We guarantee that you’ll end up with a logo design you’ll love. Here’s how.
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After getting some information from you from a detailed questionnaire, we offer up to 7-10 different conceptual designs for review. We present the design via zoom call or by video presentation. We want to make sure you understand how the designs were derived and give you insight on our creative process.
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From these designs, you then can either pick a concept to modify or offer feedback to come up with additional options.
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We can even offer more conceptual design if you are not 100% satisfied with the first set…but with lots of feedback and collaboration, we’ll get it nailed.
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Sometimes, there’s a detour…you might change your mind on the direction and ask to start over. (This can get a bit tricky, depending on how much work has already been invested and how clear the new direction is…) This does not happen often but it can occur. Again, we are all about creating something you love, so we stay flexible.
How many rounds of revisions do you offer without extra fees?
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When the concept is chosen, we offer 3 sets of revisions.
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After the 3 sets of revisions, we offer 3 more. (usually these are minor tweaking, different color options…etc). These are a guide to keep it from getting out of control. But again, we stay flexible.
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We usually won’t nickel and dime nor even charge extra for minor edits beyond the 3 sets of revisions. But sometimes, the revisions can get out of hand due to the client’s redirection or indecisiveness…which we understand fully because it’s a creative process. We just ask for fairness about any additional fees since the workload and the labor is unexpected and out of scope. We can discuss this more if we arrive at this point.
Are the Brand Guidelines provided?
We offer several different packages depending on your needs. Our basic package is for logo design only, but for an additional fee, we provide a detailed branding guide. We can show you some of our branding guide examples we’ve done for our previous clients per your request.
What file format will be provided when complete?
We will provide whatever file you need, including vector and high resolution image files. (.ai, .jpg, .png, .svg, .pdf, .tiff, .psd, .eps).
How much do you charge?
For a basic logo design including: New logo, Color Palette, Font and Typography, we charge $2500. Additional options can include detailed branding guidelines, messaging, visual identity, defining cultural ethos, etc, and will be custom quoted upon request.
One of our favorite things in life is to truly GET TO KNOW YOU, then translate that into a customized look for your business.
Logo design is almost like letting BOS Media be your personal stylist. In the words of Vidal Sassoon, “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.”
Our mission is to make you SHINE. Let us know whatever we can do to help!
Questions You Should Ask Your Website Designer
As part of our current FAQ series, we couldn’t forget about all the website inquiries we get – it’s really the bread and butter of what we do. So without further ado, here are the questions that most people have before getting their website designed, developed and launched.
What is your design process?
Here are the 5 quick steps to get you started from idea to production.
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Step 1: We gather information through a detailed questionnaire that gives us a good look and feel of your vision for the site.
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Step 2: From the questionnaire, we create a customized design mockup and present it to you in a visual website format. (This is not a developed website but it looks and feels like one). We use our own resource of professional licensed images to match your style and feel.
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Step 3: Once the mockup is starting to take shape into a product that you are loving, we send a form to gather content for the site. (This includes team profile images, office photos, bios and additional copywriting for the site). We’ll add all the content and present it in the final website format for approval.
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Step 4: Once the design is approved, we go into full development mode, where our nerdy coders and developers beautifully make the design come alive on a live site. (This is developed on a dedicated server with a temporary url).
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Step 5: We test the live site and then launch it on your own domain by redirecting your domain IP to the new server where the new website files are located. (We will just need access to the account you purchased your domain from).
How long does it take?
Well, it depends. Typically, a 5-7 page custom website takes about 2-3 months. It mostly depends on you. If you love our initial design and approve it quickly, we can get it developed and launched in 1-2 weeks after the design phase. In those cases, the sites can go live in a little over a month. Some clients take a bit longer to decide and some sites can get complicated… there was one site we designed and developed that took over a year. The important thing is that you love it when it’s ready to launch. Our recommendation is not to be in a hurry.
Should I provide my own written copy for the website?
Are you a great content writer and love to write? If so, you should take a stab at it; if not, no worries, we have a professional writer on our team that will work with you to create the content on all of your pages for you. This is an additional fee of course, but we do recommend it to make the design flow faster and more cohesive.
Do you build a custom site or use a template?
All of our sites are completely personalized and custom to you.
What training/support do you offer when the site is launched?
Our website design and development is a full service package, meaning, we will do the hosting as well. We take full responsibility and accountability for your website. We don’t just design and walk away; we continuously update, revise and fix. This way you can feel confident that we are standing behind what we do, and you won’t have to wait 45 minutes to get an answer from some random website provider’s technical support personnel…you just call us and we’ll take care of everything, and all those changes are included. For instance, if you have a staff change, we will simply update the staff bio and replace the image at no charge to you. Also, with the monthly hosting, here’s what is included:
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Daily Virus Scan and File monitoring (This is super important to prevent from possible hacking and malware attacks).
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Full service including if there are any technical issues, malfunction, or shutdown of the site – we take care of and fix everything for you. We work on your behalf with the technical team to resolve the issue.
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Daily backup up to 30 days, which means that you can always roll back the site back 30 days. This feature is also important if the site goes down for whatever the reason, we are able to have it up and running in no time.
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Unlimited revisions and modifications. However, this does not include new design pages, features or implementations. These will be given an estimated time to complete at a fair rate. For reference, a simple new design page could take 2-5 hours to design and develop. Other simple implementations that can be done quickly are taken care of as a courtesy.
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Plug-in and Operating system updates. As you know, software is continuously evolving. Just like a typical iPhone, if you stop updating the software, the apps will later stop talking to each other and eventually stop working. It’s important to keep all the backend software updated and functioning.
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We won’t nickel and dime. Our philosophy is to do our best to meet your expectations and needs without charging for extra stuff. Most of the tools you need will be included in the initial design and development stage.
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Hosting
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Oh, and we offer full training via video tutorial if you want to make changes yourself. No extra cost.
Do I own the site and all of its content after it goes live?
Yup. Everything. We give you full access to the backend and any files or databases you need or want. It’s all yours.
What technical things do I need to know or do before I get started?
Great question! Website requires 2 essential things. Domain and Hosting (Domain = The name of your website URL and Hosting = The Server where all the design files are located that launches you out to the world wide web). That’s it!! We recommend purchasing a domain yourself. You can easily purchase one through godaddy.com for about $10-20/year. This way you’ll have complete control and ownership over your own domain and no one can take it away from you. We take care of the hosting. We use WP Engine as our Server provider – they are known as one of the fastest, safest and the most robust servers in the market. We only ask that you give us access to your domain configuration when your site is ready to launch so we can point the domain to the server where all your design files are located. We’ll give you step by step on how this is done.
How much do you charge?
For a standard 5-7 page website, we charge $4000 minimum plus $95/month for Hosting and Maintenance. We do have more budget friendly options for simpler single landing pages and we also have higher packages for more complex or e-commerce sites. We are also flexible to work with your budget and can offer financing.
There are so many website designers out there, why should I pick BOS Media Group?
As you may observe, all the above answers sound pretty standard and it might be similar to what other companies offer, but where we shine is what you don’t see written out in the process. It’s our full commitment to you along the way.
It’s the way we resolve trouble spots with solutions and suggestions. It’s the way we listen to your needs and wants and make that our priority. It’s the way we, without question, re-design something if you don’t like it. It’s the way we give you resources on best practices and our expertise on what works and what doesn’t. It’s the way we don’t put limitations on revisions nor nickel and dime on hidden fees. Of course, if the project goes beyond the scope of the original contract, there will probably be a fair conversation or renegotiation of the new costs, but we will work hard to make sure you are in full agreement. It’s the way we make sure at the end of the project, you have a website that you love! It’s the way that we make strong efforts to both enjoy the journey and have fun along the way. I think that’s priceless!!
We say this all the time, but more than anything, BOS Media is about relationships. Our goal is to treat you like our most valuable client, and it’s our sincere desire for you to be a client for life. With all these FAQs, our personal commitment to you is the one thing you’ll never have to question.
Why Am I Getting So Many Unsolicited Emails?
You might be laughing at this subject line – why am I getting this unsolicited email to ask me about unsolicited emails? Well, first let me assure you that I am a real human writing a real email and that I am doing it to help you and not hurt you. Do you trust me?
As someone who works in digital marketing, I get this question a lot. Instead of “unsolicited emails,” people usually call it SPAM. (Special Processed American Meat)…wait, that’s the wrong acronym. But speaking of acronyms, we are still in our FAQ series, going through and answering the Frequently Asked Questions people have about the online world. So, let’s start.
Why do we call it spam?
Back in the day…1970’s, some people (enormous geeks) started using the term “spamming” to apply to several different behaviors. According to Brad Templeton, who has done a very in-depth study on this writes: “The term spamming is used to describe flooding the computer with too much data to crash it, and another was to ‘spam the database’ by having a program create a huge number of objects, rather than creating them by hand. and the term was used to mean simply flooding an online session with a bunch of text inserted by a program, commonly called a ‘bot’ today.”
Why is spam still a problem today?
Back in 2004, Bill Gates from Microsoft famously said “two years from now, spam will be solved.” Well, according to some data out there, 70% of our emails are still spam. Why? It’s very complex and even if Microsoft changed the way the emails were handled, having them convince an entire industry to change it to a new standard for sending messages with anti-spam built-in features would be an impossible task. We just cannot stop someone or something from sending emails. So, spam continues to be part of our lives.
How do we deal with spam? I hate them.
Every email platform (Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, iCloud, AOL) has been forced to develop better spam filters to block it. Although it’s not 100%, it captures a bulk of obvious ones and gives you the option to add your own criteria to capture the ones that it misses. Here’s an example of how to add a filter if you are using Google for your email service. Click here.
Is there something you can do to help eliminate spam coming from my website?
Great question and thanks for asking. Although we can’t outsmart bots that do what they do to scrape your website for information, we can try to not give them all the information they want, or make it harder for them to automate their process by adding more intelligent features to force the bots to think. Here are some of our fixes that have been successful in reducing (not eliminating) spam emails.
- Remove all email addresses from your website. Basically, you create forms for people to submit questions/comments rather than giving them your email address. The form submits the answers and forwards them to your email.
- Remove all online forms from your website. We don’t recommend this since this is pretty dramatic and defeats the whole purpose of your website generating leads. But, what we can recommend is adding a different type of form that takes you question by question. We use Typeform for this type of solution. Check it out here.
- Add a reCAPTCHA on your forms. This makes the bot do extra work and can automatically filter out a bunch of dumber bots.
- If the above reCAPTCHA isn’t good enough for your standards, there’s another that really makes the bots think and be more human-like. It’s the CAPTCHA Image Option. The problem with this is that it’s ugly and annoying for the real people (your potential customers) that want to fill out the form.
Most of our clients choose option 3 and it eliminates just enough spam to make it bearable.
I’ll close with one final question that is not frequently asked, but it should be:
Do you have a good recipe for Spam Musubi?
Here you go, straight from the SPAM website. If you’ve never tried this before, you’re welcome – I hope it makes your next dinner feel like a luau. Plus it kind of fits a philosophy I live by: “When life gives you spam, make Spam Musubi.”
Aloha!