At SpinWeb, we are big advocates of hosted solutions. This philosophy of outsourcing hosting and software is also sometimes called "Cloud Computing" or "Software as a Service" (SaaS). Despite the current trends and data that support the wisdom of a hosted solution, I still frequently encounter resistance from some business owners and, more frequently, IT people.

So why the resistance? I can't figure it out. The advantages of an outsourced hosting and software infrastructure are so compelling that it can sometimes be difficult to understand why it's not considered more often.

So what are the advantages of outsourcing your hosting and software? Here are a few:

1. Reliability and Security. Is your office designed to store and protect mission-critical web servers? Do you have fire protection, biometric security, 24/7 monitoring, and redundant Internet connections? What happens in the event of theft, fire, water damage, and Internet connection problems? Wouldn't your website be safer in a location designed to protect your data?

2. Maintenance. Who is maintaining your server and software? Do you have a full-time systems administrator that keeps up on the latest software patches and upgrades your systems on a continuous basis?

3. Cost. Purchasing, maintaining, and upgrading your own hardware and software can be very expensive. Compare that to the cost of a low monthly subscription and it quickly becomes apparent that a hosted solution is much less expensive.

If you're an IT professional, these are points that you should be prepared to talk about with your vendors and your employer. More and more organizations are realizing the benefits of a hosted solution and embracing this trend rather than fighting it can actually make your job easier. Be a hero and go home early. Outsource your hosting and software and save your company time and money.

I meet a lot of business owners and department heads who are curious about social media. Some embrace online tools and immediately see the value. They enjoy using social media to promote their businesses and make connections. Others approach it from a different perspective: it looks like work to them.

As I educate others and evangelize social media, it occurs to me that there is a missing element in most people’s approach to social media for business: fun!

Yes, social media for business must be fun or it’s not going to work. If you approach it with an attitude of “I don’t have time for this,” or “this sounds like one more thing to take up time in my busy day,” then it’s going to be a chore. However, if you approach it with an intention to integrate social media into your habits and lifestyle and make it an enjoyable experience, you will achieve much greater success.

Remember when you first started your business? Think back to the excitement of getting your first customer, building your first website, setting up your first office, and bursting to tell the world about it. Or maybe it was that shiny new job as marketing director of a great company. Think of the passion you had for promoting your product or service and how you could barely keep from bringing it up in every conversation. That’s the kind of passion you need to succeed in social media. You have to genuinely enjoy what you do. If you are having fun at your job, then social media will only amplify that passion.

It should not feel like work. You should want to look for opportunities to talk about your business on social networks. You should enjoy telling people what you do and how it helps others. Telling stories about the value you bring to your customers should make you happy.

Marketing your business using social media is fun. Does it take time? Yes. Can it lead to increased business? Definitely. When approached correctly, it is a remarkably scalable extension of the passion that you should already have about your business. Let it come naturally. Don’t work so hard at it. Don’t over-analyze it. “Play around” on Facebook. Have random conversations on Twitter and see what happens. Make connections on LinkedIn simply because you want to learn more about someone. Let your social instincts take over and the business benefits will come more naturally over time.

If it feels like work, there is something wrong.

I've been asked many times recently what the difference is between a Facebook fan page and a Facebook group. It's a great question and the two are similar enough that it can sometimes be confusing.

Here's my short answer: if you have a logo and a legal entity, you probably want a fan page. Otherwise, you probably want a group.

Fan pages are more appropriate for businesses, non-profits, organizations, or any entity that has a legal presence and a brand. For example, SpinWeb has a fan page because it's a company. Many of our non-profit and association clients also have fan pages, such as the AMTA Indiana Chapter. These organizations have legal status and a brand and therefore are appropriate candidates for a fan page.

Groups are designed for decentralized common-interest communities. They are great for clubs, topics, and any community that doesn't necessarily have a "home office" but needs a place to host a discussion and post information. Groups are frequently used for causes, common interests, and events.

So what's the difference? Here are some basic technical differences:

Fan pages

• No limit on number of fans (members)
• Can install applications
• Indexed by Google
• No privacy controls
• Announcements are sent as Facebook updates
• Geared toward business

Groups

• Limit of 5,000 members
• Cannot install applications
• Not indexed by Google
• More advanced privacy controls
• Announcements can be sent as Facebook messages
• Geared toward personal

Take these things into account when deciding whether to create a fan page or a group and you will get more out of your Facebook presence. Does anyone else have any creative examples of fan pages or groups? Comments are welcome.

I've been asked by many people recently to describe what a Facebook fan page is. For this reason, I thought I would write a short explanation.

A fan page on Facebook is a miniature landing page or micro-site on Facebook that serves as a "home base" for your business or organization. It is different from a Facebook profile (which is designed for people). While your Facebook profile represents you as a person, your fan page represents your business or organization.

Fan pages contain information such as business contact information, website, hours, location, and other basic business information. A fan page is also a great platform for posting your blog articles, events, and photos.

Fan pages are also designed to collect Fans in the form of other Facebook users who have subscribed to updates from your fan page. This means that your fans will be notified of new updates to your fan page.

Fan pages also get indexed by Google, which is a great way to drive additional traffic to your business.

Fan pages are also great places to engage with your customers. Some companies carry on discussions with customers via their fan pages and embrace the transparency it provides. Customers who have an easy way to offer open feedback are happier and more satisfied.

A fan page is easy to set up and free. If your business does not maintain a Facebook fan page, consider setting one up and becoming active in posting information. It can be a great way to expand your brand presence.

To see an example, consider becoming a fan of SpinWeb's fan page.

To set up a fan page, scroll to the bottom of any Facebook page and click on "Advertising". Feel free to comment here with any questions.

All websites are not created equal. At SpinWeb, we know this and take great care in crafting association and corporate websites that provide clear benefits to site visitors and assist our clients in meeting their marketing and communications objectives. So what makes an effective website?

1. Design. Good design matters. When prospective customers or members visit your website, they are making a snap judgment about your organization. I have lost count of how many times I have heard my friends say (when talking about an organization) "Have you seen their website? It looks terrible!" People notice your image. It matters and it makes an impression.

2. Content. Along with good design, quality content contributes to the impression your website visitors have of your organization. Not only should your content be grammatically-correct and well-written, but it should be current. If you are posting news items, blog entries, or time-oriented items, be sure that these areas are kept up-to-date. Otherwise, your organization looks stale. Consider hiring a content writer to ensure that your organization is presenting itself professionally.

3. Usability. Resist the temptation to cram everything on the home page. Instead, craft a logical navigation structure that allows your site visitors to progress through information in a way that makes sense to them. This can be done through a simple card sorting exercise or by consulting with your website design agency (who may use card sorting as part of their process).

4. Transaction-ready tools. Today's websites must be far beyond the days of the "online brochure". Site visitors today demand interactive tools that allow them to purchase items, register for events, get answers, communicate with others, pay bills, and acquire content. In order to be competitive, your website must provide these tools and process data in real time. These tools must also make it easy to capture information and process it for later communication so that you don't lose touch with visitors. Don't make visitors call to register, fill out a paper form, or wait three days for an answer. These activities must happen in a matter of minutes via your website.

5. Structural quality. Most people don't ever see the code "under the hood" that makes up a website, but how that code is structured makes a difference in the user experience. Clean, well-crafted code will result in a website that loads quickly, is search-engine friendly, and is accessible to users with disabilities.

6. Social media integration. Today's websites must integrate seamlessly into social media in order to have an effective presence. Be sure your press releases, blogs, events, and other content items include a "Share This" button to allow site visitors to easily share your content. Your website should also automatically post content to other networks to automate the distribution process (done via Ping.fm). After this, be sure your employees are re-posting and participating in the resulting conversations.

7. Search engine marketing. Where do people go to find information? You guessed it: Google. If you are not targeting topical keywords and aligning your website with these terms, you are missing a huge opportunity. Creating a well-structured website is one prerequisite, but your organization must also invest in a systematic search engine marketing strategy that targets your audience correctly and collects leads from the resulting traffic. Organic search marketing is the most effective but AdWords are also effective.

While not a comprehensive list, these are the minimum requirements for an effective website. Whether your organization is an association or a corporation, these guidelines will help maximize the effectiveness of your website.

Are there other habits that you would like to add? I would love to hear your comments.