The good news:

It can import and export most vector file formats, but it plays best with it’s native SVG file format. As of now, Inkscape can import SVG, SVGZ and PDF and export SVG, SVGZ, PDF, PostScript, EPS, EPSi, LaTeX and POVRay. It also has partial support for AI, CDR, and SWF.

I’ve used Inkscape on several projects and the quality of the software is remarkable. It has a significantly smoother learning curve than does Illustrator or CorelDraw. The creation process is actually fun because you aren’t bogged down with gritty controls and such.

The bad news:

The newest version seems to have some stability issues on Vista. I didn’t have these issues when running on Linux or OS X.

Some of the higher end functions are rather technical. So, to be able to use Inkscape to it’s fullest potential, you’ll have to do a bit of learning.

The bottom line:

There may be a few functions and such that Illustrator can do that Inkscape cannot, but they are hardly worth the $300 you’ll have to shell out to get them. Hit up www.inkscape.org and start playing around.

Oh, and did I mention that the maximum page size in Inkscape is 304.8 X 304.8 km. As in over 189 miles. Might not be terribly useful, but that’s really cool. No other program even approaches that size.

Erin Weinger recently published an article in Entrepreneur Magazine’s February issue entitled What You Don’t Know About SEO. As an Search Engine Optimizer I found the article both extremely helpful and  somewhat misleading. Below are just a few of my own thoughts as I consider the article in light of working for an SEO company in Greenville, SC (Yeah, I’m totally loading this article with keyword phrases).

The BS-Free Paragraph.

But in all honesty, we work really really hard to be part of that 20% that is not a scam in the SEO world. We have had some amazing results with our clients and we are excited about the work to come. If you are looking for both a great design team and a hard working SEO team, contact us. We’d love to talk with you about what can honestly be done to help your company and offer it to you at a reasonable cost.

Josh Fink

I hadn’t realized how (relatively) useless my computer has become without a connection to the web. I do EVERYTHING online. For example:

• I store all my documents and pictures online.
• Some of my business meetings are conducted online.
• I talk to my friends and family all over the world using VoIP.
• I do all my banking online.
• Before choosing a laundry service, I read reviews on Google user reviews.
• Before going to eat at a restaurant, I look at the menu and make an online reservation.
• All of my event invitations and social events are organized online.
• I watch all television and movies online.
• I listen to music online.
• Before grocery shopping, I look up recipes and nutritional information.

Basically, if I need any service or a product, the hours of a business or directions to it, I can find it online in about 20 seconds – and then I can usually send the necessary information to my phone or purchase it right there online.

I found a Yellow Book last week while unpacking. I immediately put it in the recycle bin. I think the only time I’ve looked something up in one was when requested to do so by an 87 year old.

Being on the other side of the digital divide for a couple of weeks (excepting working hours), felt very strange. After a days of sitting around reading real books with pages and calling old friends to catch up with a phone, I realized a little why some people refuse to transition to web-based transactions (personal or otherwise).

Business owners resist new media because:

• They don’t understand that most of the population under 35 spends a significant portion of their lives online, like I do.
• They don’t want to lose the personal aspect of their businesses.
• They don’t want to be intimidated by 20 year old computer nerds.

But it doesn’t have to mean that.

An online presence for you or your business doesn’t mean distancing yourself from people and things that matter. It gains you a wider audience for your message and a large demographic for your products or services. It actually makes it easier for you to connect with your customers. When you’re online with a comprehensive SEO plan, your customers can publicly praise you for your customer service or the quality of your work.

Wouldn’t it be great if the customers that are already loyal to your business could help you in that way?

I know we’ve talked about this before around here, but an online prescence for your business is an essential part of survival in the contemporary economy. If you aren’t joining the online conversation, your competitors are – and they are the ones I find and use.

Since it’s debut, Cargo has been performed as the centerpiece of anti-slavery and human rights events across the UK and the US, and this spring Cargo is coming to the Upstate. We are in the process of building a website to promote these local performances, and we’ll let you know when the full site launches. For now, you can visit the temporary site for event times, locations, and registration. The full website will give complete event details and more information on how you can get involved in the fight against human trafficking.

I just acquired a Droid from Verizon in January and I have been amazed at what the latest ’smart phones’ can do.  If you already have a smart phone then you know what I’m talking about.  If you don’t and you’re a business owner, then you owe it to yourself to at least find out what they can do. It’s still a phone, but I find myself using it less as phone and more and more as EVERYTHING else!  Here is a short list in case you were wondering…

• Web browser, Camera, Music player, Calendar, Organization tool, Email, Phone Book, Alarm clock, Flash Light, Gaming device, Social Media hot links, and much more including a Local Search device.

Smart phone users can instantly search for local products and services, read about business details, get a map link for instant directions, read reviews on the business and more.  This is all great news…if your business is listed.  If you’re not listed, then someone else is and you’re losing business.

The good news is that most small business owners will be slow to react and by the time they do it will be too late.  Savy business owners will have already claimed their online real estate and optimized it to ensure they keep it. We all know the yellow page directories are dying and local search with smart phones is only going to expedite their demise.

So what are you going to do?

If you’re not sure where to start, here are few quick tips.

• Search for your business on your smart phone. Can you find it?  Can you find your competitors?  If you don’t have a smart phone, borrow one from a cool friend.
• Claim your Google and Yahoo Local directory listings NOW!  Populate them with as much information about your business as you can.
• Claim your Business on Customer Review sites like Yelp! and Merchant Circle.
• Develop a plan to get your Customer Reviews in order.
• Enlist the help of a Local Search Engine Optimization specialist

Don’t wait. I think this shift is coming extremely fast and you have a golden opportunity to take advantage of it now.

One of the huge advantages of the internet over traditional media is that you can measure everything…if you have an analytics program. Google Analytics is a FREE program gives the average business more information than you’ll ever need.

Once you start gathering data, then you can answer questions that drive your future decisions on web design and search engine marketing. Questions, such as:

• How many people are visiting my website?

• How are they finding your web site?

• How long are they staying?

• How many site visitors convert and become real leads?

Your focus should be on conversions, leads and sales – not just visits. Once you start gathering data and determine your current results, then you can put a plan in place to improve the results.

Need help?

WSI is offering a Special Deal through January 2010 – Install Google Analytics for $88.  Sign up for this special offer.

Social Media was all the buzz in 2009 and it will likely increase in 2010.  For most B2B businesses, the return on investment is still low at best, especially when compared with other forms of online marketing, such as SEO, PPC, and email marketing.

Ignoring social media should not be an option for any business.  I’m not saying every business should be doing it all. In fact, my opinion is far from that.  For most B2B businesses, I still think the direct impact that social media can have on your business is minimal. My advice is understand it, educate your employees and participate where it makes sense. I’d rather see you spend time on online activities that offer a significant ROI, i.e. SEO, PPC, email marketing, conversion architecture and web analytics.

However, there is no denying the fact that social media is “where the eyeballs are”.  People are spending a large chunk of their time online (over 50%) on social media sites like Facebook, Youtube, MySpace, Blogs and more. As a result, EVERY business needs to have a strategy as to how you’re going to address it.

At a minimum, every business’  Social Media Strategy should address the following items.

• Educate yourself and your staff on social media
• Ensure social media policies and guidelines are established
• Ensure your brand is protected and consistent
• Monitor your online reputation. Setup Google Alerts at No cost.
• Create a social presence and community

Contact WSI for assistance in developing a Social Media Strategy kit for your business.

Method has done a pretty good job of removing the commercial from everywhere it’s been posted. Here’s the only place I could find it online: Watch Video.

Read more about it here.

As a female that is somewhat interested in preserving the environment, I represent their most likely consumer. And as much as the commercial bothered me, I still bought an all-natural shower cleaner the next day. However, I didn’t buy their brand.

The whole thing is a good reminder of the importance of not just knowing your audience, but knowing how to communicate with them. The same applies to web design. A cool flash website may have all the information necessary to sell your product or service, but is it alienating your customers with too much trendiness or loading time or just annoying music? Clean page formats that present your information in an accessible way may be boring to a web designer that stares at designs all day, but you have to design with your customers’ communication needs in mind.

If your website has great information that’s presented in a way that turns people off, you’re advertising for your competition.

Email marketing remains the most cost-effective marketing tool available. More importantly, it allows you to create ongoing awareness of your brand and offerings with your clients and prospects.

Email marketing is often forgotten in the Social Media buzz, but it is a form of social media. 90% of people use email daily while less than 40% visit social media sites each day.  Here are some simple guidelines.

• Start building a permission-based list NOW – No spamming
• Send a newsletter one time per month.
• Develop your plan for the next six months now. Don’t make it a last minute chore each month. Tie it in with the rest of your marketing plan.
• Give your readers useful information or something of value. You want to keep them reading. It could be Tips, Discount Offers, or just interesting info.
• Keep your messages short and to the point.
• Drive visitors back to your website where they can get more detailed information.

Email marketing systems, such as Constant Contact, start as low as $15 per month. What are you waiting for?