Rep. Pomeroy recently spoke here on the importance of small businesses in job growth. Small businesses have created over 22 million new jobs in the past 15 years, so it's no surprise that experts on both sides of the aisle agree that small business is the growth engine for jobs.

There's also widespread agreement that the web is the growth engine for small business.

How can the internet help you grow your small business?

First, you can open your doors  online for much less than what it costs in the physical world. Even if you plan to grow someday to the point where you need a big building downtown, a business can get started with a good website. As you grow, your website allows you to communicate with customers, get the most for your marketing dollar, and maintain a 24/7 presence where your customers are.

 Second, you can save time and money with web applications. Onsharp offers electronic billing with SmartPay, customer relationship management with SugarCRM, and a myriad of services with the Onsharp Core,including email, calendar management, geocoding, content management, e-commerce integration, and much more. Beyond these basics, Onsharp's crack development team can create solutions just for your company. 

This robust functionality lets a small company look and feel like a bigger company to clients and prospective clients. With the savings in time and money that result from having so many of the basic business functions take place on the web, your company can concentrate on growth.

Call Onsharp today to begin the conversation about what our business can do for your business. 

 

When you need your computer or your website to do something new for you, there's one essential decision you have to make first. It's not how much room you're willing to give to the new software or which software company you should support or even how much to spend. It's this: do you want an off-the-shelf solution, or something designed for you?

Many businesspeople don't even consider this. After all, when you need a chair, you don't begin by contacting carpenters and upholsterers. You go to the store and buy a chair. Just so, when you need new software or a new application, you may go to the store and stand in the software aisle. You read the packages, ask the clerks for advice, or perhaps call friends to see what they think. Eventually, you pick the thing that seems best and install it.

This is not the only way. And it isn't necessarily the best way. Off the shelf solutions can have drawbacks:

• They may not do what you want. You may have a list of characteristics and functionalities you want in a solution, and you may not find anything that has all those characteristics. You may just have to choose the closest thing, or put together several different packages in order to get everything you want. Often, you'll find that the exact functionalities you want don't seem to come in your price range, or that you have to have other software in order to do what you want with one package.
  
• They may do more than you want. This may not sound like a bad thing. Often, we buy a software package for one thing, and we think of the other stuff it does as free add-ons that we might use someday. However, we're paying for all those added things. If we want an invoicing package, should we have to pay for the calendar that comes with it, which we'll never use? It isn't only the cost of the solution, either. A software package with lots of options can mean a steeper learning curve for your staff and use of more resources in your computer.
• They may not suit you or your company. A solution designed for lots of people to use may not work quite right for you. A solution designed for you will mesh with your workflow, not require workarounds. It won't look as though you've patched it in. Onsharp's SmartPay, for example, is an electronic invoicing solution with a customizable portal. That means that your customers see something recognizable when they go online to pay their bills. This makes them feel secure and makes you look good. "Customizable" means that you save, compared with a system completely built for you, but you still get the benefits of a solution designed with you in mind.

You might find the perfect software package or application ready-made. If not, don't feel that you have to compromise. Call Onsharp at 701.356.9010 to discuss your needs. You may be surprised at how much difference our solutions can make for your business.

The Research and Technology Park and the College of Business at North Dakota State University hosted the inaugural Innovation Week January 25-29 at the campus. The vision for the meeting, which is to take place annually, was to bring together entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and other innovators with NDSU students to increase awareness of and dialogue about new technologies, business start-ups, and innovative approaches to business.

Sandin conducted one of the break out sessions with "Bootstrapping a New Venture While in College: You Can Succeed!" Sandin drew on his own experience with Onsharp for this presentation.

Sharing this information with the campus fits perfectly with Onsharp's mission: from its clients to its employees to its community, Onsharp strives to create success in the lives of all people, businesses and communities that it serves.

 

At Onsharp, we're committed to remaining at the cutting edge of technology. This is important to our clients because it means they can be sure that the solutions we provide are the best possible, and will last the longest without needing to be replaced. 

But this can mean that some of what we do seems a bit mysterious.  If you hear someone here saying, "Hey, can you build that site in php?" -- well, just what does that mean?

Here's a quick guide to the computer languages we use here at Onsharp:

• HTML: Hypertext Markup Language. This is the language that tells your computer's browser how to show a page to you. The English on this page has been marked up (that's why it's markup language) so the computer knows which parts ought to be in a list and which bits should be emphasized. HTML also directs your computer so that you can see pictures and click on links to go to other places on the web (that's the hypertext part).
• CSS: Cascading Style Sheets. This language works with HTML to make beautiful computer pages. The colors, shapes, and where things are on the page are all up to the CSS in a properly-built web site. That's the "style" part. The "cascading" part refers to the fact that your computer follows special rules to determine which style information to apply in particular cases -- that's rather technical, and doesn't affect your experience of the website. But the style part sure does; if it weren't for CSS, this page would just be plain blue letters on white, straight down the page. This is where the art comes in.
• XML: Extensible Markup Language. XML is similar in some ways to HTML, and there is a fusion of the two called XHTML. XML is more versatile than HTML, but it's still a markup language, so it's still used for making pages of English (or other human languages) do what we want them to in a computer. 
• PHP: PHP Hypertext Preprocessor. PHP doesn't exactly stand for something the way HTML and CSS do; it originally stood for "Personal Home Page," but now it's used for much more than personal home pages. It's a language that lets developers put commands into a web page, making a dynamic web page -- that is, a web page that does something. This allows things like searches and calculations to be done from a web page.
• C# and C++: C# is a programming language -- a language that tells the computer to do things. With C#, a programmer can make a button that does something besides go from one place to another in the internet. C# communicates well with databases, so it's great for applications that need to sort through data and make decisions. C# is especially good for the internet, so we also use C++, a related language that will work well in other contexts, too.
  
• Javascript: Javascript, and the related Jscript and Jquery, let designers and developers add extra things to HTML. This is how we can put Google Analytics into our websites, for example. There's a script, a set of instructions for the computer, that tells the computer to count the number of visitors coming to your website. Since Javascript lets the browser respond to things that computer users do, we can use it to make a website let people know when they make a mistake filling out a form, or to build a site that automatically updates a calendar.
• SQL: Structured Query Language. SQL is a database language. A database is an organized collection of information. SQL lets your computer go and find information. You can ask for all the carburetors at a particular price point, or all the accounts that are past due, and the computer will track down that information for you. SQL can be used for a lot of different things.

That's a lot to know, isn't it? Fortunately, you don't have to know all of this. Onsharp has a great team of developers, designers, and web professionals who will use these languages (and new ones, when they're developed) to make sure that your web projects, from webpages to Web 2.0 applications, do exactly what you need them to do.

 

Onsharp offers a range of web 2.0 solutions for your business, including Sugar CRM and our own SmartPay e-billing solutions. Our goal is to offer you the best online tools to keep your business running smoothly.

Recently, we've made some changes to our pricing structure that we think you'll like.

First, we've made changes relative to merchant accounts. Your merchant account allows you to accept ACH debit and credit card payments through your SmartPay system. We still recommend our partner, Intercept EFT, for your merchant accounts, but we've adjusted our system to work with your current merchant account if you prefer it. You won't have to make changes if you already have a merchant account.

Second, we offer a new tier of services for those with smaller numbers of invoices. You can send out as many as 35 invoices for the low price of $19 a month.

This means that consultants, freelance professionals, and small companies can have thecustom look and power of SmartPay at a very affordable rate.

It offers larger companies a chance to try SmartPay out, too. Some businesses like to use SmartPay with a segment of their customers first, to let staff become accustomed to the system before making changes across the company.

Since there's just one low set-up fee and you're charged simply for the number of invoices you send out each month, you can ramp it up and roll SmartPay out for all your invoices as soon as you're ready, with no additional set-up or changes.

The first pricing tier is also great for seasonal businesses, since your monthly fee automatically adjusts to your needs.

Call us today to discuss your needs, and to learn how SmartPay can work for you, or visit SmartPay for more details.

Starting the new year with a new web design? Onsharp always begins by sitting down with you and determining your needs. But you might like to think about it yourself first. If so, here are some things to ponder. 

First, what is your website going to do for your business? The design for Wildlife Pursuit TV grabs the visitor's attention. Then it hooks fans up with the facebook page, videos, the gallery -- it's a general invitation to join in the excitement of Wildlife Pursuit, but it also allows visitors to join the community and buy products. With music and info for fans, it's a fun place to hang out.

Next, think about your brand. Your website is often the first point of contact with your customers. The overall look communicates what your company is like -- and studies show that you have just a few seconds to make it clear before your visitors make up their minds whether to go or to stay and explore further.

Daub & Bauble's site has a fashion-conscious look that suits their home decor and care products. Vistors can tell immediately that Daub & Bauble make hip, elegant things for the home.

Just imagine if the colors and styles of these two designs were switched -- both would be far less effective. Give some thought to your company's image and identity. Of course, choosing a local company like Onsharp means that we'll probably know your Fargo business, but pulling out a few words that describe the impression you want to give your visitors can help you articulate your ideas  to our designers.

Finally, consider the emotional impact you want to make. While the message communicated by your website has to suit your industry and make it clear what your company does, no two companies are just alike. You want to appeal to your customers -- both your current customers and those who don't yet know that you're just perfect for them.

The site for Creative Curb Appeal, above, is designed to evoke a sense of calm. The photo and the color scheme create a peaceful, luxurious image that is designed to appeal to homeowners.

 

Peterson Salt has a clean, fresh look and a lively, energetic feeling. Both sites are for companies that provide essential services to homeowners, but the feelings evoked by the sites are different.

Give some thought to your new website's purpose, the main point you want to communicate, and the feeling you want visitors to have when they arrive. Then give us a call, and meet with us to take the first step toward a website that does exactly what you want it to do.

Happy New Year! You've had a look at your website reports, and now it's time to plan your online marketing strategy for the upcoming year.You may be looking at a morass of numbers and charts and graphs, some of which don't mean that much to you. 

How can you use the information from your reports to determine the best strategy for your website?

• Do you like what you see? If your traffic is increasing, your rankings are where you want them, and business is good, then it makes sense to do more of the same. If your strategy doesn't seem to be getting the results you want, then it's time to think about doing something different. Too often, decisions about updating your web site are based on emotional responses. Onsharp's 3-D process can prevent that by making sure the Discovery phase, using measurable data, precedes the decision making.
• What's working, and what needs work? Your web analytics can tell you a lot about your visitors. In order to fine-tune your strategy, you should look at things like the conversion rates of visitors arriving from different sources, the cost per conversion of different Adwords campaigns, and the bounce rate (the percentage of people leaving without exploring your site) on different pages. Then you can do more of the things that work best, and less of the things that don't work as well. Streamlining your web strategy, and responding to changing conditions, can maximize the return on your investment.
  
• Success builds on success. Increased user-friendliness at your website, more valuable content for your visitors, and updated design or development when you need them -- all of these things not only make your website better and more appealing to your visitors, but also increase your website's success with search engines. If you have an inspiration, let us make it a reality.

Onsharp can help you understand your analytics and make SEO decisions. We can also help you get from a strategic plan to a successful website. Contact us at info@onsharp.com or 701.356.9010.

For 2010, don't mess around with resolutions to get organized or laugh more often. 

Jump right into the serious stuff. The second decade of the 21st century is beginning, and it's time for all of us to get our businesses online and flying.

Onsharp has ten resolutions that will make a real difference for your business, and we'd love to help you achieve them. 

Choose one or all, and call us today to get ready for your profitable new year. 

• If you don't have a website, get one. No excuses.
• Make sure your design is a modern one that enhances your company's image.
• Get your website's code updated to current standards, for accessibility and predictability.
• Get your content updated -- no more outdated information, typos, or text copied from your company brochure.
• Make usability the #1 priority at your website -- your customers will love you for it.
  
• Install analytics so you really know how people are using your website.
• Include your website, blog, email, and social media in your marketing plan.
• Use your online presence to support your brick and mortar shop, and vice versa.
  
• Encourage staff to get engaged with customers online.
• Use online applications like SmartPay and SugarCRM to make your business more productive.

Happy New Year!

It's the time of year for merriment and good cheer. It's also the time for reviewing the past year for your business and making plans for the next year. For many businesses, those plans include creating a new website, updating a current site, or improving web services of various kinds.

These are good plans. The internet is now the primary source of information for American consumers, and more than two thirds of us browse online before we head out to visit a brick and mortar business. Your website is the first contact many people will have with your business. In fact, it may be the only contact many of your customers have with you. Very few things are as important to your business as your online presence.

So you've decided to invest in that online presence, and you're looking for someone to design and build your website, or to redesign or update it.  One of the first questions you have to consider is whether to go with a full-service web firm like Onsharp, or with an individual designer. 

Here are some factors to consider:

• The past. Onsharp has grown over the years as the company has gained experience and succeeded.  This fact can give you confidence. We also have a portfolio of proven results and happy clients you can examine for yourself. If you choose to hire a student or an inexperienced individual, you may think you're getting a bargain -- until you end up with something you can't use.
  
• The present. A full-service web firm will have the skilled professionals and the infrastructure to take care of all your web needs. Ideally, your web professionals will begin with a thorough analysis of your current circumstances and needs, and a specific strategy to get the results you want. At the very least, your web site will need content, design, coding (that is, it has to be written up in the language computers can read), and hosting. You may also want other kinds of development, such as animation, video, or sound. You may choose to invest in SEO and advertising to get faster results. Think of the time involved in finding individuals to do all those tasks, communicating with and supervising all those individuals, and paying all those individuals-- then think of letting us harness all the specialists at Onsharp to meet your needs. That's a much more pleasant picture, isn't it?
• The future. As your business grows and changes, Onsharp is there to support you in your needs. Email marketing, customer relations management, electronic billing, ongoing SEO -- these are just a few of the services we offer. We keep up with changing technology and online trends, too. When you are ready for changes, you can simply call us and we'll see to it for you. Compare that with having to do your own research, starting over every time.

Don't underestimate the value of having a full-service web firm to partner with you in meeting your online marketing and communication needs. It can make everything smoother and more successful -- and that's a great way to start the new year. 

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, but we still need to look ahead to 2010. At Onsharp, we're trying to help all our clients get their plans set for 2010 so we can hit the ground running in the new year.

"Our focus on an unparalleled customer experience is driving us to focus upon meeting people and discovering their potential to reach their business objectives using the web and web-based programs," says marketing manager Tami Dowers.

Tami loves to sit down with you as an individual and develop a plan for your particular needs. But she also has some general advice for all businesses.

• Make sure your landing pages are in good shape. The landing pages are the pages on your website where people first arrive. Often your homepage and your blog are your primary landing pages, but Onsharp's experts can determine the most common landing pages for your website. Once visitors arrive at your site, they decide within seconds whether to stay and look around or to go elsewhere. We can help you make sure that your landing pages are appealing to your visitors, encourage them to explore your web site, and lead them to take action.
• Make sure you're working on the right keywords. The keywords are simply the words or phrases people type in at the search engines when they look for the products you offer. It takes careful research to determine the keywords that will work best for you, and to make the best use of them once you've chosen them. Taking the essential step of developing and using a list of targeted keywords can do wonders for your online visibility.
• Have well-designed ads for your Adwords campaigns. The right ads in combination with the right landing pages are the key to success with online advertising. Don't take a chance with this important investment. 

Tami says that these three items ensure that "when our networking connections search for us they are sure to find us online." The right online presence combines with your networking to create the best outcome.

There's still time to set up an appointment with Tami to plan your strategy for the new year. Call us at 701.356.9010 to make your appointment today.