It’s not a surprise to anyone that a sexy homepage creates curb appeal for your company. One CurrentTrack® client recently landed a national account because “[they] liked [our] website.” If we all know how critical it is to your business, then my question is: why do some (a lot) of ad agencies, who are trying to help clients promote their goods and services, have confusing (even irritating) websites? I have a couple guesses as to why agency sites go out of control, but that’s not what this article is about.

Here are my top 5 web-peeves (sorry):

1.) Intro – If you give us a flash intro and include [Skip Intro] at the bottom of the page, everyone’s going to skip your introduction. If it’s not important, and can be skipped, should it even be on your site let alone the first thing visitors see?

2.) Flash – It simply doesn’t run well on computers and isn’t built for the mobile web. Apple® sold 15 million iPads over the 2011 Holiday season and I assure you not a single one of those users will be able to visit your site if it’s built in Flash. Avoid this technology.

3.) Music – Midi versions of elevator music are decidedly unhip. I provide my own music when browsing the web, you should suspect that many people do the same and avoid jarring them.

4.) Spelling and Grammar – Maybe working with a grammarian proofreader has turned me into a stickler but really, proofread your site’s content; then proofread it again.

5.) Updates – Old blog posts are sad, irrelevant and leave visitors searching for a pulse. If you’re not going to regularly update content, don’t post a blog or space for updates to go stale.

Incidentally, the Second Wind Network has put together a handy new website guide.

Agree? Disagree? Email me or comment below!

We are deeply saddened by the loss of our generational genius Steve Jobs of Apple. His contributions to the computer industry are beyond measure. Apple products, imbued with his spirit, impact our lives at work and at home in amazing ways. The gifts of his vision remain with us but the world will sorely miss this remarkable man.

Executing this concept is tough. On the one hand if a system lacks table stakes functionality the marketplace will pass on a product when they complete their feature comparison grid. On the other hand if too much is added, you might earn those check marks at the expense of usability; a cluttered, difficult-to-learn system will slow adoption and end users will hate the product. Finding the right mix is like getting the water temperature just right.

Other industries have experienced this as well. Remember when fast food chains seemed to offer an ever growing menu of options to the bewilderment of their customers? Go to Jack in the Box and you can purchase egg rolls alongside your french fries and tacos. Besides confusing the customer about what exactly defines Jack in the Box as a brand, none of the food was executed very well.  Then along came Chipotle with it’s minimal menu of just a few interchangeable ingredients. It not only enhanced their brand but it also let them focus on their core competency: delivering consistently fresh tasting food at fast food prices. They accomplished this by keeping their menu and list of ingredients “lean.”

When looking for a solution (agency management or otherwise), before getting hung up on feature comparisons, consider thinking about which system will complement and enhance your existing workflow while not disrupting your employees’ day. Select the solution that addresses your explicit needs most efficiently and cuts the clutter. While a taco with fries can be tasty, sometimes all you’re looking for is a burrito.

At Developware, we often tout CurrentTrack’s universal accessibility through an array of browsers and devices as a significant benefit. Our clients tend to agree!  Access to information about your business when you need it most is one of the marquee promises of cloud based software services and we’re proud we chose to develop in this direction a decade ago.

We’re in good company too. Google has experienced tremendous success with their cloud-based office suite and in what is perhaps a more significant move, Microsoft just introduced Office 365, a web-based version of their bread and butter Office package. This is a move in the right direction but there are still applications that haven’t made their way to the web just yet. I’m talking about the myriad creative tools we use to create great work for clients.

While InDesign and Photoshop are terrific tools, it’s still up to us to figure out a way to store and share the files we create.  One solution a number of our clients have mentioned is Dropbox.  Dropbox, if you’re not already familiar with it, is an app that resides on your computer as a folder. Simply place your project files into the designated ‘Dropbox’ folder and your data is backed up to the cloud while you continue on with your day. You also have the ability to share folders with your teammates so you can easily collaborate internally. It’s also a relative bargain compared to some of the pricey storage hardware solutions in the marketplace. Dropbox doesn’t solve all problems, however. You still need a method to share data with your clients and vendors which is where a solution like CurrentTrack’s Client / Vendor Portal shines.

CurrentTrack allows you to post your creative files, task lists and calendar events for review and comment by your clients. The data resides in the job folder in CurrentTrack, which makes this functionality a seamless part of your workflow. You can also use CurrentTrack to post completed work for vendors to access when ready; it’s an intuitive replacement to maintaining an FTP site.

Cloud services are reducing the headache of data management and with the right approach and solutions your agency can leverage cloud architecture to make information more open and accessible.

For more information about Dropbox visit www.dropbox.com.

Half of our staff is out today, literally. During the summer months, our managing partner blesses us with “partner days.” We’re each paired with another employee and, on every other Friday, one of us has the day off.  What an incredibly productive move on her part.  I mean that, sincerely.

When I’m in the office on a partner day, my productivity increases exponentially. I’m focused, able to accomplish the little things that get put aside during the week and, with just a few clicks, in the loop on all of my partner’s projects. I don’t have to rummage through paperwork or bother him on his day off. I have immediate access to his tasks, budgets, change orders, and even creative assets through CurrentTrack®. And, because it’s web-based (and he’s a workaholic), he can log on from his iPad® – poolside – and see what’s happening in his absence.

“Partner days.” Reason number 1,000,000,001 why I couldn’t live without our workflow system!

Since the time of their inception, the majority of agencies have used a paper job jacket system to keep documents together in a single place. Whether a large manila envelope or custom-printed file folder, the paper jacket has served its purpose well. But, is it quickly becoming a thing of the past?

While web-based project management systems have flooded the market within the past five to ten years, many agencies have held fast to tangible job jackets. It took me years to “go green” in the workplace and stop printing every single thing that came across my desk. Believe me, it wasn’t easy. Now, I only print what’s absolutely necessary.

Although an agency has implemented a web-based system, I don’t think it can completely do away with paper job jackets. They’re still useful for keeping track of things like disks, client sign-offs and printed samples. The size of the envelope used can, however, get smaller. Consider using an eco-friendly envelope.

When moving a project through the agency, ask yourself, “Do I need to print this or is it in the system?” If it’s in the system, step away from the print button… The Earth will thank you!

The primary responsibility of the Accounting Assistant (AA), is to ensure accurate processing of financial information. The AA reports directly to the Accounting Manager (AM).

Responsibilities:

• Possesses knowledge of accounting, bookkeeping terminology and practices

• Establishes and maintains productive relationships with senior personnel

• Frequently meets with AM to review his/her activities

• Works with Account Executives, new media team to ensure accurate billing

• Reviews estimates, invoices prior to release and ensures prompt collection of AR

• Prepares and processes Purchase Orders (P.O.s), invoices, check requests, contract payments

• Ensures P.O.s and invoices are accurately matched

• Assists AM with year-end processing of Accounts Payable

• Works closely with AM to resolve day-to-day budget issues

• Provides reports as requested by AM, senior personnel

• Makes bank deposits on behalf of AM (as requested)

• Assists with processing of employee reimbursements

• Verifies items billed vs. items received; reconciles differences with vendors, employees

• Designs, prepares, maintains spreadsheets (as requested)

Why is the prospect of writing a blog entry so intimidating? It doesn’t have to be. Readers aren’t looking for a dissertation or long-winded rant about a particular subject. They’re looking for useful, entertaining information about workflow and traffic management, in this case.

Darren Rowse, founder and editor of ProBlogger Blog Tips, offers “Ten Tips for Writing a blog post.” Likewise, Blog Traffic Exchange shares, “5 Elements for Successfully Writing a Blog.”

Having reviewed both articles, I feel better about composing blog entries. The process is not nearly as intimidating. But, I think I’ll keep the brown paper bag in my desk drawer, just in case!

Below is a Critical Path highlighting several important steps in the new hire orientation process. It includes estimated turnaround times — leading up to and after his/her first day — and recommendations regarding which existing team members should be involved.

Rather than re-inventing the wheel each time an employee joins your team, create a template within your project management system; open a “job” bearing the name of the new Employee (e.g. “Employee Orientation: Dawn Travelstead”). As each step in the process is accomplished, mark it complete and move on to the next one.

By outlining key orientation steps and involving multiple team members in the process, you’ll find new employees become acclimated (and billable) much more quickly than when “baptized by fire.”