CPAReviewMaterials.com Launches

On March 2 we launched CPAReviewMaterials.com, a website devoted to helping people pass the CPA exam. Help is offered through articles, a forum and a store that offers discounted study materials.

This was an especially fun project because the owner of CPAReviewMaterials.com is my brother, Andrew. This was the first time working with a family member on a business project and despite what some people say about working with family and friends everything went smoothly.

Andrew came up with the idea for the website after studying for the CPA exam himself. While studying for the tests Andrew realized that there were no websites that offered everything he needed in one place. He wanted to create a place that people could come to find advice, discuss issues, ask questions and purchase the best review materials.

Since the launch Andrew has been very actively promoting the site though Twitter, Facebook and on other related websites. Overall it's been a very successful launch and it will be fun to watch the site community grow over time.

Website Rip-Off

This story has been covered by many already so I won't go into great detail about it but I do want to mention it. Basically Les Otten, who is running for Governor of Maine, has put up a new website. The problem is that it looks shockingly like the website for President Obama (I also think his logo looks suspiciously like Obama's).

Now, it's understandable that someone would want to emulate Barack Obama's website. Design experts agree that the Obama site has a fantastic design and the interactive aspects probably helped him win the election. The problem is that Otten and his design team didn't just draw inspiration from the site, they completely ripped it off. From the layout to the color choices, the sites are a match. To see side-by-side images and further analysis check out this blog.

Of course politicians on both sides have begun turning this into a political issue. To me the issue is stealing a design. I'd be equally upset about a Democrat stealing from a Republican or one business stealing from another. Designers work hard to come up with a design. Yes, we sometimes draw inspiration from others, but a blatant rip-off like this is disappointing to see.

Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Is cheap design worth it?

A plastic sign on the side of the road here in Corona got me thinking about design pricing. The sign was advertising cheap websites. Like most other things, design prices can range from laughably low to outlandishly high. And, as with most other things, you get what you pay for.

There are many web-based design businesses out there that sell themselves based on their cheap work. They'll offer logo design for $100 or a website for $250. Think about those prices for a minute. A good designer or design firm will spend 20+ hours on a logo including client consultation, research, concepting, sketching, revisions and creation of digital files. Clearly parts of that process must be cut in order to offer a $100 logo.

Which part would you want left out? Should the design firm skip the discussion with the client about their goals? Should they skip the research, ignoring what others in the market are doing and avoiding any analysis of target customers? Maybe the initial sketching should be cut and the designers should just present the first logo that comes to mind.

A good design doesn't leave out any part of that process. It is vital, whether in a logo, a website, or a brochure, that a thorough process is followed. Design isn't just about making something "pretty," it's about communication. Using budget design solutions may seem tempting at first but if they don't open lines of communication with your customers then it's really just wasted money.

2 Ways You Can Utilize User Generated Content

Below are 2 simple ways that your business can utilize user generated content on your website.

Blog — Everyone has a blog these days and the last thing the world wide web needs is another blog that no one reads. However, if you've got something to say then a blog can be a great way to keep in touch and start to build a community amongst your customers. Hopefully after some work you'll have customers posting responses to your blog and contributing content of their own.

Adding a blog to an existing website is generally a fairly quick and inexpensive process. Existing blog software can be installed on your website then it's just a matter of setting it up to fit in with the look of your website. Popular software includes Movable Type and WordPress.(we use Wordpress)

Forums — Providing an area for discussion on your website can be seen as a great community service and will keep people coming back to your site. As mentioned in my previous post, an active community can provide support to your users, provide feedback on your company and help gain repeat customers.

There are many forum software options out there such as phpBB that allow you to quickly and easily set up a forum on your website. Again it's important to "skin" the forum to make it fit with the design of your website but that should be a relatively simple process for your web design firm.