Surfing the Internet has quickly developed over the years into one of the top things that people like to do.  However, nothing turns Internet users off faster than those web pages that have too much or too little going on.  The following is a list of some of these things that annoy us:

Ten Web Design No-Nos

1. Flash-  Flash introductions are usually met with a click of the mouse.  While many people think that flash introductions will make their page stand out, quite the opposite is true.  Even if your page loads your fancy introduction quickly, the same may not be true for others with varying computers and high speed access.  Impatient Internet users won’t have time to wait around for the “page loading” bar to disappear before they do.
2. Text Size- As if reading text on a computer isn’t difficult enough, some web pages contain text that is way too small.  For most, this problem is corrected simply by holding down the ‘control’ button and then pressing the ‘+/=’ button to enlarge the text.  But, why should you have to go to these lengths?  Small text can turn off an Internet user who doesn’t want to sit there and squint or figure out how to make the text bigger.
3. Images & Color Schemes-  When people click on your web page, does it look like you’ve just taken a trip back to the 1980s?  People are incredibly smart.  They can spot a crappy picture a mile away.  If your images are lacking in quality and the only color on your page is the white spaces inbetween your text, then you’ve got a problem.  You want to have a good balance of white space on your pages in conjunction with a good balance of imagery so that readers don’t feel overwhelmed by text, text, text.
4. Pop-ups-  Perhaps the most annoying thing to any Internet user is having to wage a war against pop-ups.  Not only are they distracting, but all it will take is one pop-up to turn a reader off to your site.
5. Horizontal Scrolling- People who use the Internet tend to be one-dimensional- or should I say- ‘one-directional’.  We hate having to scroll horizontally and avoid it at all costs.  Typically, most web pages are created so that users only have to scroll vertically.  Know what the standard size pixels are for most windows and try to adhere to it!
6. Opening New Windows- Cross-linking is great because the thought behind it is that it keeps the user on your web site.  However, if when people click on a hyperlink, it opens up a new window, things can get hairy fast.  I don’t proclaim to be a web designer by any stretch of the imagination, but if you’re using a laptop or a computer with a smaller monitor/screen, having too many windows open can add up pretty quickly.  In most cases, when someone clicks on a hyperlink, it should refresh the page so that the new content appears on the same page that they’re looking at- not in a separate window.  Get it?  Nowadays, most Internet users are savvy enough to know that if they DO want to have something open up in a different window, all they have to do is right click on the hyperlink and choose the option to do so.
7. PDFs-  If there’s anything Internet users hate coming across, it’s a PDF file.  If you’ve ever seen those commercials for the Visa checkcard then you know what I’m about to say.  Coming across a PDF file while your out and about on the Internet is akin to what happens in the Visa commercial; it interrupts your flow of web browsing! Often, if you are brave enough to open up a PDF, it will take a little time to load and then once it comes up, it is often not formatted properly which means that you will have to resize it so that you can actually read the text. Whenever you have the chance or option, convert PDFs so that they are readable on the web.  It’ll keep your readers happy!
8. Scannability- Most people reading things on the Internet don’t actually read everything; they scan it.  Keeping this in mind, it is important to remember when you are writing web content (i.e. blogs or actual content pages), make sure that you include bold text along with italicized or underlined (whatever is appropriate).  Remember the rules that you learned when you were in elementary school about how sentences and paragraphs are formed?  Now would be a good time to use these rules.  Know how, where and when to recognize that a sentence is getting too long or when a group of sentences need to be broken up into two paragraphs.  All of these things contribute to the usability and readability of your web page and will make it easier on the reader.
9. About Me- I certainly can’t speak for everyone out there, but one of the first things that I look for whenever I visit a new site or blog is an “About Me” tab or link.  If your web page doesn’t have one yet, I highly advocate creating one.  The “About Me” section should include a little more in-depth information about you and your site and what it’s all about.  Some people choose to disclose more personal information here although it is certainly not necessary.  Sometimes, I will click off of a web site if it doesn’t have an “About Me” section because it raises suspicion as to ownership and what the intentions of the site/person/persons really are.
10. Linking-  When it comes to website design and usability, the attention truly is in the details.  This brings me to hyperlinking.  When linking to other pages, ALWAYS make sure that the link works and that it is linking to the page you intended.  Additionally, it is sometimes helpful (although certainly not necessary) to have the links change color once the person has clicked on them.  This sort of acts as a reminder to the user that they have already looked at a particular link (just in case they forgot).

The year 2009 is rapidly approaching and is promising to be a year of changes: a new president, a new resolution to lose weight and hopefully- a new job..

If you’ve found yourself among the millions of unemployed people, there’s still hope for you yet.  People who went to college for one degree, thinking that it would provide them with the background knowledge they would need for a financially secure job, are now finding themselves back in college once more.  Just because you lost your job doesn’t necessarily mean that you should run to the nearest university.  However, in these changing economic times, it may not be such a bad idea either.  That being said, if you’re pressed for time, there are some great jobs out there for those who possess a two-year degree.  According to AOL Find a Job (via Careerbuilder.com), the following are the 10 best jobs for those with two-year degrees:

Top 10 Jobs for 2-Year Degrees

1. Computer Specialists: $71,510
2. Dental Hygienists: $64,740
3. Fashion Designers: $62,810
4. Registered Nurses: $60,010
5. Environmental Engineering Tech: $40,560
6. Radiologic Technologists and Techs: $50,260
7. Industrial Engineering Techs: $47,490
8. Paralegals and Legal Assistants:$44,990
9. Occupational Therapist Assistants: $45,050
10. Computer Support Specialists: $42,400

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

Here’s the lineup of noteworthy blogs for this week:

1. Laurel Papworth- Laura Papworth is a social network strategist based out of Australia.  She is also well known and respected throughout the social media spectrum.  She is in the top 150 Media and Marketing Blogs globally, a Top 100 Australian blogger and mentors TV and Film social network projects- just to name a few things she is known for.  Definitely check out her site!
2. Logic + Emotion- Written by David Armano, who has over 14 years of experience in digital marketing and design, this blog is ranked among the top 20 media and marketing blogs (Advertising Age). A definite ‘must see’ for those looking to pick up a some ideas!
3. Matt’s Musings- Written by Matthew Hodgson, this blog deals with the impact of technology on social change as well as the various roles that interpersonal communication and knowledge sharing play in the digital world.
4. Network Public Sector Communicators Blog (NPSC)-This is the blog for the NPSC.  There are approximately 10 people who regularly contribute to the management of the blog and site, which is based out of New Zealand.  The goal of the NPSC is to provide a professional forum to share information, contacts and experiences. Each year, the NPSC organizes up to six seminars on topics of special interest to people in the communication business. It’s definitely worth checking out.
5. Signal vs. Noise-is a weblog written and maintained by a company called 37 Signals.  The blog deals with design, business, the web and communication.  It’s really informative and worth taking a look at.

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

It’s no secret that people all over the world are being negatively affected by the economic downturn.  With all of the job loss and worries, more people are looking for new and innovative ways to help their businesses stay afloat- not to mention keep money in their bank accounts.

According to a recent press release, Stockopedia, a London based startup, has announced the launch of the first social network for private investors in the UK stock market.  The goal is to use social media to help investors make better, more well-informed investment decisions.

Not a bad idea.

Similar to other social sites like Wikipedia, Stockopedia takes advantage of tagging, wikis and forums to help foster discussion and communication among people. Stockopedia monitors users investment interests, thereby recommending pertinent companies to users where applicable, much like Amazon.com recommends books and music to you based on what you’ve been searching.  This really seems to be a novel idea.  The article goes on to quote Edward Croft as stating:

The site allows users to easily follow themes and investment trends.  By using tagging to categorise the market, we are challenging the traditional top down hierarchy of sector categorisation.  We aim to introduce our users to more laterally related companies which they would otherwise miss.

The news of Stockopedia’s ideas and plans is exciting in a time where there is so much economic uncertainty and job loss.  Many professionals are turning towards social media with the hopes that it will level the playing field, not to mention soften the blow that’s being doled out by the current financial crisis.

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

[photo credit: katrinakatrina on Flickr]

Twitter has continued to grow in popularity since its inception back in 2006.  Today, many people and businesses are utilizing this free social networking/micro-blogging tool in a variety of ways.  Whether it’s to give a little boost to your site’s traffic or whether it’s just to let your friends know you’re alive, Twitter is definitely a must for anyone looking to get a leg in in the social media world.

Equally as popular as Twitter are the growing variety of sites that have sprung up to work in conjunction with it.  This is where the idea of groups comes in.

Joining & Creating a Twitter Group

Joining a Twitter group is a great way to connect with a specific group of people.  For instance, if you like conservative politics, you may want to find other people who like conservative politics, etc.  Joining a Twitter group is also great because it puts your name out there, making it easier for others to find and follow you. Fist, however, you must be a registered member of Twitter!

There are countless ways to find Twitter groups out there.  One way is to simply use the Twitter “search” tool on the homepage, type in the word “Groups” and hit the search button.  I have found one Twitter Groups page to be especially helpful when it comes to joining or creating your own Twitter Group.  You can find the link here.

The Twitter Groups web page provides a fairly lengthy list of the most popular Twitter Groups in order of how popular they are.  The most popular groups are listed near the top and so on.  Along the right hand side, in the side bar, there is a list of links.  Here, you can find a link to “create a group”. Click on the create a group link and simply follow the instructions.  Once you’re done creating your group, a new window will pop up, bringing you back to your Twitter homepage, and in your “update” box will be the following (Keep in mind that the following is an example; Obviously the link for whatever group you created would replace the link below):

I just made a Twitter Group at http://twittgroups.com/grou… for our running group. Please Retweet.

By “retweeting” this message, you are letting the Twitterverse know that you created a new group, thereby making it easier for people to join.  All of this is done to draw attention to yourself as well as whatever your web site happens to be (which people will inadvertently look at if they’re interested in what you have to say!)

At the heart of the whole Twitter craze, however, is the need-the desire to reach out to others.  It’s about building relationships and networking using a relaxed, conversational tone.  It’s about finding people who share common interests and exchanging knowledge, information and ideas in a casual way.

Informal conversation is probably the oldest mechanism by which opinions on products and brands are developed, expressed, and spread. – Johan Arndt

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

[photo credit: carrotcreative on Flickr]

Here is the list of noteworthy blogs for this week!

1. Chris Brogan-Chris has around 10 years of social media and tech experience, and his blog deals with issues that revolve around social media and its role in the digital age as well as within the community.
2. Going Social Now-Written by Shiv Singh, this blog covers social media as it relates to businesses and the behavioral patterns as well as cultural impact it has on a broad base of users.
3. Scott Gavin-Scott works as both a social software for business consultant as well as a Project Manager/founder of Applied Trends. His blog deals with web technology and how it generates revenue for businesses.
4. Extended Reach- Written by Justin Kerr-Stevens, Extended Reach discusses issues related to communications, government and social media.
5. HorsePigCow- is a really entertaining and interesting blog written by Tara Hunt.  In her blog, she covers a variety of marketing issues, specializing in community marketing and Internet marketing.

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

When it comes to having a professional profile online, many business savvy folks opt to use platforms such as LinkedIn or Facebook.  However, I recently came across a site called QAlias which has been creating a buzz among business-minded people.

What is QAlias?

QAlias stands for “Query Alias” and is a type of service similar to LinkedIn where users are provided with a professional setting in which they can set up a business profile or professional profile for other business like-minded individuals to find them.  According to the site:

[QAlias gives you a professional environment in which to place a bio, email-able bulletin, business cards and earn priority presence on search engines withoug having to create a costly, elaborate website.

The site claims to make your name more searchable on search engines such as Google and Yahoo, but I haven’t tried it out to see if is actually true.  The nice thing about QAlias is that the format is simple.  Users have a bio page that allows you to include do-follow in-body links back to your website.  There is also a separate tab in which people looking at your profile can contact you directly if need be.  There is also an additional feature that allows you to create a sort of online business card for others to see.  Below is an example of one user’s profile:

The only downside to QAlias is that unlike Facebook and LinkedIn (both of which are free), QAlias charges a fee of $9.95/month for its services.  As for its networking potential, at the outset, it doesn’t appear to be quite as interactive as something like LinkedIn or Facebook.  For more information about QAlias, check out the video below:

For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!

December 10, 2008

Highlights of the Tax Law Changes for 2008

For tax planning, it is always helpful to look at tax law changes at year-end to see what changes may affect you and to consider what actions you may be able to take in order to take advantage of these changes, thus, saving taxes and money.

To see a summary of the changes that impact most individual taxpayers in 2008, please visit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-07-66.pdf .  Also included are some key provisions of the “Economic Rescue Bill” and the “Housing Assistance Bill”.

Marriage Penalty Relief.  Current law makes the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly and qualified widowers to be double that of single tax filers. This puts the standard deduction for 2008 at $10,900. In addition to the increased standard deduction, the 15% tax bracket has been increased for married tax filers to further reduce the impact of the marriage penalty.

Child Tax Credit.  The child tax credit is $1,000 through 2010. The credit is, however, phased out for higher incomes.

Dependents.  A dependent is someone you support and for whom you can claim a dependency exemption. In 2008, each dependent you claim entitles you to receive a $3,500 reduction in your taxable income (see exemptions below). In 2008, each dependent under the age of 17 also receives a tax credit of $1,000. The credit is, however, phased out for at higher incomes.

Exemptions.  Each exemption you claim reduces your taxable income by $3,500 for 2008. You receive an exemption for yourself, your spouse and one for each of your dependents.

“Kiddie Tax”.  The Kiddie Tax amount for 2008 is $1,800.  The “Kiddie Tax” applies to a child’s unearned income regardless of source and requires a calculation of the parents’ allowable tax, which is the increase in the parents’ tax liability that results from adding to the parents’ taxable income the net unearned income of all of the parents’ children under 18.  The parent of a child under the age of 18 (some rules apply to full-time students under 24) may elect to include the interest and dividend income of the child in excess of $1,800 in his or her gross income for the 2008 tax year by filing Form 8814.

Education Tax Credits.  The Hope and Life Learning education tax credits are $1,800 and $2,000, respectively, for 2008.

Student Loan Interest.  Student loan interest, up to $2,500 in 2008, may be deducted “above the line” by qualifying taxpayers.

Additional Standard Deduction for Homeowners:  Under the “Economic Rescue Bill” (The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008), homeowners (who do not itemize) may claim an additional standard deduction for real property taxes, up to $500 ($1,000 for joint filers).

Other key provisions of the Economic Rescue Bill relating to individuals:

1. The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) exemption amount for individuals is increased for tax years beginning in 2008, to: $69,950 for married individuals filing a joint return and surviving spouses; $46,200 for unmarried individuals; and $34,975 for married filing separately.
2. For tax years beginning in 2008, the nonrefundable personal tax credits are allowed to the full extent of the taxpayer’s regular tax and AMT liability.
3. The election to deduct state and local general sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes is extended to tax years beginning before January 1, 2010.
4. The deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses is extended for two years, through December 31, 2009.
5. The deduction for educator expenses, up to $250, has been extended to tax years beginning in 2008 and 2009.
6. There are changes in the allowable child tax credit and the definition of a “qualifying child”.  Please call for more information, or consult with your tax expert or preparer.
7. There are new tax credits for tax years beginning after December 31, 2008 for new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles.  $2,500 plus $417 for each kilowatt hour of traction battery capacity in excess of four kilowatt hours.  (We are sure there will be more on this as Congress has been providing relief to the “Big 3” automakers and attempting to encourage the automaker to develop new “greener” vehicles.)
8. There are many other provisions in the Economic Rescue Bill, including numerous provisions that apply to small businesses.

Please call for more information, or consult with your tax expert or preparer.

Reduced Taxes on Capital Gains. Capital gains tax rates (long-term) reduce to 0% and 15% respectively, for 2008. These capital gains rates are for property that was held for at least one year.

Capital Gain or Loss.  This is the total capital gain you realized from the sale of assets.  Any short-term capital gain is taxed as normal income. Any long-term capital gain is taxed as follows:

Long-term capital gains are taxed at either 0% or 15%. The tax is 0% for the portion of your gain that would have been taxed at 15% or lower tax if it were a short-term gain. The tax is 15% for any of your capital gain that would have been taxed at a rate higher than 15% if it were considered a short-term gain. However, there are different rules for capital gains that come from collectibles, section 1202 gains or un-recaptured 1250 gains. These types of capital gains are taxed at 28%, 28% and 25% respectively (unless your ordinary income tax bracket is a lower rate).

Reduced Taxes on Dividends. The current law applies the capital gains tax rates to qualified dividends paid from most U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations. All qualified dividends will appear in column 1b of Form 1099-DIV, which should be sent to you in January of the year following the dividend payment. Taxpayers in the 10% or 15% bracket pay 0% percent in 2008. Taxpayers in tax brackets above 15%, pay a 15% rate of tax on dividends paid through December 31, 2008.

IRA and Retirement Plan Deductions. The IRA deduction and contribution limits are: for most individuals, $5,000 for 2008. Those age 50 and over can contribute $6,000.
Miscellaneous. The 2008 OASDI wage base for FICA and self-employment purposes is $102,000.  The 2008 wage threshold for the “Nanny Tax” reporting is $1,600.

Mileage Rates.  The standard mileage rates for all business use of a car are: 50.5 cents per mile for 1/01/08 through 6/30/08; and 58.5 cents per mile for 7/01/08 through 12/31/08.
Housing Assistance.  Due to the continuing slump in the housing market, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  One key component is a credit to a first-time homebuyer who purchases a principal residence after April 8, 2008 and before July 1, 2009, up to $7,500.  The credit is recaptured over 15 years, but with no interest charge.  Note that this credit for first-time home buyers expires June 30, 2009 (closing/recording date) under current law.

Information provided herein is general and not intended to provide investment advice. We cannot and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.

About Peter H. Lunding, PLLC: Lawyer, Attorney at Law, proudly offering business, tax and corporate law, and estate planning representation to clients.  Serving Wake Forest, NC, Raleigh, NC, Youngsville, NC and Rolesville, NC.  Also providing Tax Returns, Tax Accounting and Tax Preparation Services.  Call (919) 562-5377 for an appointment to discuss protecting and preserving your business and personal assets.  (919) 562-5377

[photo credits: dizznbonn and x_jamesmorris on Flickr]

We have a very detailed post provided to us from a Business and Tax Attorney (Peter Lunding of Wake Forest, NC) about 2008 tax laws that will be posted here on Monday. The title is “Start Preparing Now! Tax Law Changes for 2008.” Please be sure to bookmark our blog or better yet subscribe to the feed to see the post on Monday.  You may need to make some last minute adjustments to your tax planning since this is the last month of 2008.  Wow!  It’s the last month of 2008.  Where did it go?