Business 2013 news

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Fast-Loading Attractive Efficient Low-Cost Websites

33 Dimensions Newsletter for December 19, 2013

Winter Solstice ImageAt 33 Dimensions, our goal is to provide custom website solutions and online experiences for our customers which best conform to each client’s specific business model. We encourage our clients to establish and maintain complete and total ownership of all their content, including logos, branding, copy, and media.

It is also important to us to provide the most efficient methods and technologies and we do not attempt to over-sell or over-promise. We guarantee the best price to value ratio for any comparable service.

Being that technology is constantly changing, we recognize that client needs may quickly change, so there is no long term contract required to get the best possible price for our services.

Check out our Online Portfolio and you will see that there is no job too complex or too small for us to handle for you. Feel free to give me a call at (717) 829-4221 or email me ric@33dimensions.com and I will personally negotiate a great deal to fulfill your online needs.

Ric Albano
Owner and Chief Web Designer
33 Dimensions LLC

The Perfect Christmas Gift

Winter Christmas ImageThere is no more perfect gift this holiday season than giving someone their own piece of “online real estate” to serve their business, hobby, or charitable causes. Call us at (717) 829-4221 or email ric@33dimensions.com to get a great deal in time for the holidays!

Two Website Lessons from 2013

1. There is absolutely no such thing as a “free” website!
2. A website should not cost over $600 million!

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33 Dimensions
P.O. Box 126
Highspire, PA 17034
info@33dimensions.com

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Two Website Lessons from 2013

Free Website - not!If there are two lessons that everyone should come away from 2013 learning about websites, I would say it would have to be these:

  • 1. There is absolutely no such thing as a “free” website!
  • 2. A website should not cost over $600 million!

I will tackle the second point first because that is much easier to grasp. Of course, what I’m referring to is the “Obamacare” website Healthcare.gov, which amazingly did not work when it was launched on October 1st (it is now about 75 days later and the jury is still out on whether it actually works).

To be exact, it was reported by Digital Trends that the contractor CGI Federal received $634,320,919 to construct Healthcare.gov. Now to appreciate this amount, it is more money than Facebook spent in its first six years of existence (you know, the years went it went completely viral) and it is also more than the amount spent building two more recent services – Linkedin and Spotify – combined. All that money spent and it didn’t work for at the least its first two months of existence.

As a small business web developer, I’m sure I could have figured out a way to get competent developers to complete the site on time and working for, I don’t know, about 1/1000th of that cost! But they never asked me.

Now for the first point, the opposite end of the money spectrum. There is absolutely no such thing as a “free” website! Whenever you hear such a claim to “build a website for free”, what you are actually getting is a new example of an old trick that big companies do to try and squash small competitors (in this case, small business web developers like myself) by cleverly masking a false offer. You’ve surely seen or heard of these free website offers, many from three-letter companies that start with the letter ‘w’ and only disclose the fact that you have to pay a monthly fee in order to keep your “free” website in the cluttered disclaimer at the end.

For companies who are serious about starting and staying in business, such offers do not stand up in the long run for two primary reasons. First, you lose the ability to expand unless you pay the fixed price arbitrarily set by the company. This ties in well with the second reason, you ultimately do not own anything – neither content nor domain name. It is almost akin to those fake houses on a Hollywood set, nice enough to look at but totally impractical to live in.

So, if you’d like a website which is neither free nor $600 million, check out a quality website developer like 33 Dimensions and you will actually get what you pay for (if not more!)

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Small Business Saturday

Small Business Saturday logoThis year marks the fourth Small Business Saturday, a shopping holiday following “Black Friday” with a mission to steer holiday shoppers towards small and local businesses instead of national, “big box” retailers. The holiday was conceived by American Express in 2010 as a promotional campaign, but it soon took on a life of its own as thousands of small businesses and consumers joined in, and it has grown ever since. This is a very positive development, as Small Business Saturday brings awareness to businesses which often have limited advertising budgets.

Perception is very important in business. Customers and clients will make a decision on where they spend their money based on level of comfort or simplicity just as much as for reasons of value or service. Beyond mere comfort or simplicity, people tend to simply go with the choice that has been validated by others and this is one area where small businesses have to spend a lot of time and energy to improve their lot. For those consumers who do choose a small business, the rewards can be great, especially when it comes to great personalized service. However, there can also be a downside of this great service and that is when customers feel comfortable to the point that they forget it is a business arrangement.

And there are also economic benefits, as small businesses employ about 50 percent of all private sector workers, including about 40 percent of high tech workers. Over 60 percent of net new jobs created over the last decade have been by startups and small businesses.

Working in concert with the small business movement is the “buy local” movement. Here, you have what is called the “local multiplier effect” where buying from a local, independent small business creates a ripple effect which helps to strengthen the local economy at a much higher rate than larger corporate chains. Further, independent businesses help keep communities distinct and unique, with products tailored to the interests and needs of local citizens.

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Broderick Crawford Day

33 Dimensions Newsletter for October 4, 2013

Broaderick Crawford as Dan Matthews“10-4”

A friend of mine always calls this day “Broderick Crawford Day” in honor of the actor who portrayed the fedora-wearing character on the 1950s television show Highway Patrol. One of the signature shots of that series was Crawford’s character barking rapid-fire dialogue into the police radio, using brevity codes such as “21-50”, “11-27”, and of course “10-4” (meaning “acknowledged”). While these codes must have at first seemed like jibberish, millions of children from the fifties soon learned the lingo.

With the fast moving world of technology today, much of the lingo and newer terms may be confusing at first. This causes many to shy away from pursuing new technological pursuits and using the tools available. 33 Dimensions can help make sense of these technologies and guide you towards the appropriate channels to make your online presence a success. If you check out our updated Services page, you will see that there is no job too complex or too small for us to handle for you.

Ric Albano
Owner and Chief Web Designer
33 Dimensions LLC

33 Dimensions Services

Whether you are launching a website for the first time or you want to update an existing site, 33 Dimensions will work with you through every step of the process. From the most basic fundamentals of registering a domain name and finding a hosting service, to the more complex details of tailoring a site which meets the specific need of your customers, we will provide a clear and concise path to meet your goals.

More info on our services

Client News

The BadleesThis week. The Badlees are releasing their long awaited double album Epiphones and Empty Rooms, with a massive CD release show tonight (10/4) at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. To prepare for this release, we have recently redesigned the look of the website Badlees.com.

Big Blue BullfrogA full re-design of the entertainment site Big Blue Bullfrog has been completed, with version “3.0” of that entertainment site launched on October 1st. Also, this long time staple of the 33 Dimensions family is the latest site to becoming fully responsive.

Sound Off for VetsA Sound Off for Vets benefit will be held this year, afterall! On Saturday, November 9th at Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, a free benefit concert will be held with proceeds going to Operation First Response, an organization which helps wounded veterans. The all ages show will be held fron Noon to 4pm, with live music provided by fine rock musicians. If you’d like to help out at the event, please contact Chris Nelson at nelsoncl36@hotmail.com.

 
33 Dimensions
P.O. Box 126
Highspire, PA 17034
info@33dimensions.com

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