Web apps for small businesses

Nice post from  Don Reisinger at Webware.com - with succinct run down of useful web applications for small businesses (or those with no budget):

Basecamp - Project Management

Evernote  – Add notes, post-its, media everything includes handwriting recognition – one of my personal favourites

FreshBooks  – for online invoicing

Presently – Twitter for business

Shoeboxed – US service for scanning your receipts for filing Tax submissions etc – Possible very useful for UK consumers in future as Don mention’s they’re tying into Freshbooks and Evernote

Google Street art readies guerrilla marketing?

An interesting post from Webware’s Josh Lowensohn popped up on the 5th November 2008 about organised performance art popping up on Google’s Street view.

Could this be unlikely catalyst for guerilla marketers to grace the Google streets with  their message?

Quick look media stats

Some useful stats on the total number of TV stations in the UK here and overview of the broadcasting sector here

Impact of social media on UK newspapers – drop in readership of hard publication of 15% but online reading up click here

Metro Newspapers using Yudu

Metro20081023 Metro Newspapers, the free daily UK newspaper, is using Yudu. It’s the first time I’ve seen a genuine big hitter using something other than some of the costly alternative page viewers. Interesting and appropriately branded it gives a good idea of what you can do with the application.

Company Only Videos Via Google

It’s Google once more – world internet domination – with a new product that enables Businesses to share videos only within the confines of their own employees, Google Business Video. This comes as part of their premium package but at $50 this really doesn’t seem too much of a barrier.

This is something which is likely to be a hit and open up the less thought of private sharing world of internet services for businesses. The likes of issuu have done similar things for the flashy online publication section (free) but the overall concentration seems to have been public sharing rather than private. I feel that if some of the existing web ware businesses concentrate on this to ensure a viable financial model rather than depend solely on the advertising market their’s a possibility of truly opening the internet up and possibly even challenging the Microsoft Monopoly(?)

A couple more Smashing Website Tips

Some more useful links that I’ve dug out from the Smashing Magazine posts:

Simple Webdesigns benefit online shops

Creative online shops!

Justifying design in a business world – some useful points if coming up against the age old argument of what does design do for us and our bottom line?

Desktop Blogging Software – Review of software which allows you to write posts on your desktop without going online – then press the button when ready to let it go live across the world

What blog software to use? Smashing Magazine can help!

Yep thanks again Smashing Magazine – a simple quick overview of what’s available:

Post from Glen Stansberry click here

Get your own personal barcode…

…Care of Scanlife and TechCrunch – article here

The perfect sign-up form?

Yahoo sign up form – the perfect sign up form

It seems I’m drawn once more to a Smashing Magazine post for useful examples!

A nice piece of research comparing 100 sites and their sign-up forms – Part 1 click here

Part 2 – click here

Like a lot on the web it appears a balance between art and science and up for pure debate.

This article is a great source for those that want a quick fix and do what the [perceived] best are doing saving time and a certain amount of research money. It’s certainly a starting point but I’d be wary to ensure testing on specific groups to satisfy curiosity for perfection – there are many instances in consumer psychology where increased complexity actually gives a better return.

However, enough said some helpful work which saves everybody else having to do it!

In need of creative examples for booklets?

Creative Brochures (Russian bank annual brochure)

Look no further!

C/o Smashing magazine – I’m always on the lookout for examples to inspire/guide me – here are some useful pieces