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Google Chrome – The New Web Browser

I am writing this post on Tuesday to publish on Friday and I am hoping that by then the Google Chrome link will be active for you to check it out.

Matt Cutts of Google just mentioned on his blog that Google is releasing a new browser called Google Chrome. Matt had not even taken the new application for a spin yet so that’s alone is big news!

When Google does anything it can be big, not always though, remember click to call, how about AdWords radio ads or AdWords print ads. Even better how about Google Friend Connect? Google Chrome may be another ringer or it may be another winner. Either way I just bet if you read the EULA that your browsing history gets reported to Google.

I’ll check out the link on Wednesday. If it looks good I’ll do an extra post this week to review the application.

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Holding Your Breath For Payment

Well holding your breath and throwing a fit does not work when it comes to making a client pay you for services. With the economy really pinching some businesses, creative ways to keep connections with slow paying customers is important and can build or burn a relationship.

Things happen to all of us, but not being paid on time is something that no one wants to happen to them. So what do you do when a client does not pay on time? Here are a few suggestions that I can recommend. Leave me a comment below if you have others that have worked for you.

  1. Get proactive. Don’t wait until a client owes you a significant amount. Set credit limits for new accounts and stick to them. This way if you don’t get paid, it is not for a huge chunk of cash that you were really counting on to keep your own business afloat.
  2. Institute easy payment options. I have found for slow payers that the ability to have them authorize us to auto bill their credit card for services on the due date has really slowed my collection issues.
  3. Don’t offer credit quite so quickly to new clients. Have them pay up front for the first services, then slowly allow credit. If they go beyond your due date, stop services and ask for payment before continuing.
  4. Be flexible. Things happen to people that they had not expected. Sometimes this does delay how quickly you get payment. But that being said, you don’t have to extend credit to someone in the future who has had a habit of slow paying. Move to auto billing for that client or choose to not do further business with that client once you get paid. Be open to listen, but don’t be a softie. People who are in financial trouble are struggling and you do not want to be taken down for a dive by them.

Got other words of wisdom to share on this topic? Leave me a comment below. For me, this last several months has been the first time in nearly eight years where I have over 4 clients who are possibly going to be bad debts. The economy is really squeezing some businesses so get proactive and don’t be one of them!

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How to Successfully Use LinkedIn for Business and Networking

I’ve just published my September e-newsletter and it is a special feature on how you can use LinkedIn for business. This special edition is interesting reading and my candid viewpoint on social networking.

If you have been pooh-poohing the value of social networking or thinking that Facebook and LinkedIn take too much time, you really need to read what has happened to me as I researched this article. From my perspective, I have a whole new take on social networking and am actively and aggressively growing it not to move my business forward.

Here’s just a snippet to get you thinking…

“What I found out in my testing was, well, shocking. So much so, that it has dramatically changed my viewpoint of social media and social networking. Here’s my candid experience and story. …In under 12 hours from my large list invitation my LinkedIn network contained over 90 connections. Less than one week later I am at 140 connections and still growing. In the first 24 hours, I also picked up a possibility for a new speaking engagement in front of 60 local area public relations professionals and a potential new subcontracting partner project for search optimization, ghost blogging, and Google AdWords management. All this with a wee bit of time investment.”

I now as of today have 178 connections and am looking to break 200, and that seems very doable. I have made business connections with three resources which should turn into remarkable business endeavors and have reconnected with clients and friends in a fun new way.

Read my story and see what you think.

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Even the Web is Not Immune From Bad Behavior

I watch a number of blogs and I found this post at the Blog Herald interesting reading and wanted to share it with you. I live in the Washington DC area and bad behavior on the road is typical here. We have some of the rudest drivers in the nation, as documented by the Washington Post. Not only will someone flip you off for following the law, but if you move into their lane when they are 10 car lengths behind you, they may get incensed as you are slowing their commute down, that you are sure to get honked at and maybe even flipped off. This post at the Blog Herald talks about similar rude behavior on the Web specifically on Twitter and on blogs.

Although I have never had a situation on any of my platforms with rude comments, bigotry, and flaming exchanges between participants, I know that bad behavior like this exists. I have seen it first hand on several webmaster professionals forums. It is unfortunate that the larger you get, the more readership you garner, and the more visible your platforms become, you do become targets for people who really should take a deep breath, step back, and review what they have written before they click publish. 

People who exhibit this type of bad behavior on forums and blogs are called Trolls and you really don’t want them commenting on your own media platforms. Yes, controversy can be good for traffic, but when controversy steps over the line to rude behavior, then it must be stopped.

The post that I mention in the first paragraph speaks on the topic that should you block comments from certain individuals due to their history on other blogs and forums that you are aware of or should you wait it out. So based on all of this, should you turn off commenting on your own blog? Should you enable comment moderation? My recommendation for the majority of blogs still is to let comments come and to not moderate them. If rude comments do be come a pattern, then turn on comment moderation, but only once you’ve had a documented problem. The free exchange on your blog or forum should not be hampered by possible bad behavior until you really need to address it.