Small business owners get to wear a bunch of hats, one of which is the website administrator. Although I highly recommend letting the web development company who you work with keep tabs on the technical aspects of the site, here are 3 websites that will increase your web I.Q., 1 site that will save you money and 1 site that is just fun.
1. W3Counter Global Web Stats - This site features market share stats for web browsers, operating system, countries and screen resolutions. Why does this matter? We like watching the slow death of IE6 and the associated extra coding time needed to make it work with a modern site. Also, checking the latest trends in screen resolution helps our design team create sites that are usable to the masses, but also appealing to the average screen size. As J mentioned in last week's blog, it will be interesting to see how these numbers change with the introduction of the ipad.
2. Pingdom Tools - Ever wonder how fast a website loads compared to its competitor? One factor in maximizing conversions is the speed at which the site loads. Of course, this is weighed against the quality and interactivity of the site content. But having information that is useful and loads quickly is very helpful in making users happy. To see how a website stacks up, just follow the link and put in a url. My personal favorite it checking Google.
3. Local Search Ranking Factors - How does one business get ranked above another for local search? As more people go to the web over the phone book, local search is more and more important. When a local business website is on a budget, or even if it isn't, some of these local search factors are important to understand. Although a little techy, this site is great resource for trying to understand a vague concept.
4. Ebates - Although there are some web grumblings over the linking practices at Ebates, this is an easy way to save a little money on things most people buy online anyway. Ebates takes advantage of affiliate payouts and gives some to the user. Using Ebates doesn't preclude the user from taking advantage of other coupons, sales or discounts, so when times are tough it is another way to pinch pennies.
5. Woot! - As they say, "one day, one deal." Something new every day. Even if you don't need some of these bargains, it is fun to check out the low prices on random items.