Edmond Technology Cooperative

The Family

Adam White — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:14:21 +0000

I am really proud to be able to say that I don’t have a client list. Just a hodge podge group of friends and acquaintances who have invested a little trust and strange local community activist to enhance their web presence.

Tech Talks This Summer

Adam White — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:14:39 +0000

I would like to have a two hour meet-up to allow Edmond business owners to ask questions and learn about some of the latest technology for web based marketing. If your interested in attending a meet-up like this, then drop me a note. Dates are yet to be determined but looking toward the summer months. This may be something we can do twice a year or so. It would include demonstrations and hands on training, as well as one on one consulting and discussions.

The Dream

Adam White — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:48:46 +0000

Every once and a while, I admit that I get a little upset with the traffic in Edmond. I know other communities that are much worse. But growing up in Edmond, I can remember when the neighborhood behind my house was an empty field full of horny toads and driving across town at any time of day took no longer than 15 minutes. I love that Edmond has grown so much in these last few years. I see new development’s popping up here and there and I’m encouraged that so many are finding Edmond a place to call home. But part of me misses knowing the manager of the grocery store or knowing the owner of the video store. Being able to know and trust people is a blessing that comes from living in a small town. I have a vision for Edmond. I want to see us continue to grow while keeping ourselves as connected as we once were. I want every store front to be connected to a name and face and every citizen to feel they have a voice in their community. I believe that taking grasp of internet technology through social networks and interactive websites, that we can keep our community closely connected through efficient communication. It’s about using technology to build relationships that can mold and strengthen our community, not just technology for technologies sake. This is my vision. As a self declared advicate for technology, I will fight for this vision of purposefull technology and along the way, I hope to make a few friends and enhance my own view of who my community really is.

Questions to ask your web developer

Adam White — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:36:53 +0000

There are a lot of good web developers out there. When picking a good web developer, there are a few questions I think everyone should ask of their developer.

How long have they been in business? Young isn’t bad, but it is risky, and the work will probably reflect the maturity of the developer.
Ask for a few references and CALL THEM, don’t just look at the online portfolio to see if it looks good. Lot’s of people can make good looking sites, but you want a SUCCESSFULL site. There is a difference, and you will find out when you talk to their clients.
Find out the cost of the project, and the recurring fees (monthly hosting). Some systems offer low upfront costs, but charge a lot of hosting fees. Others have large upfront costs, but minimal hosting fees. Also find out what kind of ongoing support is included with the hosting.
Watch to see how much they ask or know about your business. If they are not interested in your business then they won’t give you a good web marketing solution.
Ask about the Content Management System. I wish everyone would use WordPress, but there are other systems out there that work just fine too. I recommend familiarizing yourself with the features of WordPress and using that for comparison. More at wordpress.org.
Ask about what would happen to your site if the company went under. It’s not a pretty conversation, but most web developer businesses last a couple years and then disappear sometimes leaving clients in the dark. Don’t let them tell you, they don’t plan on going out of business, that is not a plan.
Ask to use Open Source Software whenever possible. This will allow you freedom of choice in the future, should you go with another website provider or host. Proprietary software will tie you forever to the vendor you choose.
You usually get what you pay for, but in general terms, most website projects should run between $1000 and $3000 for a small business website. You can get a few quotes, or just ask around to see if that is a fair price.
Get a firm idea of the timeline of the project and what milestones you should expect along the way.
Join the Coop on facebook, it’s free and you can get advice from others, and find out what developers and designers they use.

I will probably add to this list from time to time, but I wanted to get something out there for people to start using.