Does Your Website Build Your Brand?

Featured Speaker: AMRCON Partner, Mariano DiFabio

mariano.difabio@avelient.com

Mariano DiFabio, the featured speaker for the January Partner meeting, is the President of Avelient, a website company that provides website design and development, and social media consulting.  As an integrated AMRCON Partner, Mariano is the force behind the AMRCON website and websites developed for AMRCON clients.

“Websites are no longer billboards for your business,” said Mariano.  “In today’s web focused market, websites must be dynamic and express ideas that help companies build their brands.”  When a company uses its website along with social media such as Facebook to build relationships with customers, the customers will continue to come back and the sales will spring from there.  “The web is interactive – it can’t only be about a company selling a product.  Customers want to be involved and have an exchange.”

So, what are the website basics?  “Websites should have all information available within one or two clicks,” said Mariano.  “You really only have up to 30 seconds to entice people to stay on your site.  If they don’t find what they’re looking for, they’re gone.”

Since people are on, and sometimes off, sites very quickly, Mariano also suggests that clear, succinct language is imperative.  “Use bulleted lists and simple language.  Try to tell the whole story in as few words as possible.”

Another basic rule is to write for Search Engine Optimization.  “It is important to properly tag all the pages in your site and use key words that are related to your business,” Mariano said.  “Having a nice-looking website is great, but the content plays a much more important role.  Your content should be written to direct users, and it should be information you need them to see.  And, help search engines determine the key words with which you want to associate your site.  Proper copywriting and tagging enables you to have your message communicated more effectively.”

What is the best visual design for a website?  “We use the rule of thirds when it comes to design,” said Mariano.  “Splitting a page into any combination of thirds provides the most visually pleasing website.”

Finally, Mariano encourages all businesses to invest in a well-designed website that can make all the difference to the bottom line.  “There are many ways to design a new website, or upgrade a tired site, that can fit into available budgets,” said Mariano.  “An easy way to enter the World Wide Web can be using a template design that is more affordable than a custom site.”

Contact Mariano directly if you need help with your website, or check out Mariano’s blog for a host of informational topics about using the web for business:  Avelient.co/blog.  Mariano also leads a popular Meet Up group to help business owners build a better understanding of the power of the web.  The next “Web and You” Meet Up is Friday, January 28 at 12:30 p.m. at Espresso Joe’s Café at 50 West Front Street in Keyport.  Click  here for more information

Happy New Year everyone! I waited to get my final note for 2010 until the year was over. January is always a time to reflect, get through the holidays and regroup to stay on track for the new year.

We’re very lucky that even with family that were in and out of hospitals, everyone closed out the year with good spirits and health in their line of site. What is it with the holidays and some of our precious family icons needing to spend time in the hospitals? Do they know that does not count as a siesta? I want to wish my grandmother Anna, or Baba as we call her in Ukrainian, good health for 2011.  I wish to extend good health to everyone needing that extra prayer for 2011.

Each year we have Santa make a special visit to the house for our annual Christmas party. We have our close friends and family over to meet with the big guy and take some pictures. We also have the pleasure of celebrating little Deeko’s birthday. So as you can imagine December is quite a busy month, as I’m sure it is for most with little ones. The holidays were a terrific time for the Rudko’s. We even had a little extra gift that the guy upstairs provided us with this year. Yes, we’re going to have our third little one by July of 2011. We’re quite excited and closing the gap for our 4-5 goal and yes my wife knows the goal, lol. We’re truly blessed.

So we had another amazing year at AMRCON. We have so many things to be truly grateful for. It’s amazing to be in our 6th year of operation and in our new office.  We’ve extended priority on a few verticals this year and are very excited to already have strong case studies in these areas. Watch for news to come. AMRCON will also be breaking ground on an extension of our offices here at 1070 State Route 34 in Matawan. We will be building out an office primarily for our ODS Managed Services Partners but will also be used for overflow that we are expecting in the next year or so that we have planned. New products will be announced shortly as well. Our 2011 company kick off dinner is going to take place next week, so I can’t spill the beans on everything now, but keep looking out. We have some big plans coming through. Thank you to all of our valued clients, friends and family. I wish all the best for you in 2011. Dee Rudko – CEO

SCS Commodities, the largest independent floor and OTC energy broker on the NY Mercantile Exchange, has trusted AMRCON to manage its IT support since 2008.  So, when executives at SCS decided to move to a larger space, they called upon AMRCON’s expertise to manage the build-out process of its IT infrastructure and data center solutions.

“There are so many issues that must be thoroughly examined when moving any business from one location to another,” said Dee Rudko, CEO of AMRCON.  “But, when you’re talking about moving the highly technical and sensitive aspects of a trading floor with no disruption in business, it is extremely complex.”  SCS is moving from a 6,000 square foot space to a 19,000 square foot space with 103 trading seats to accommodate the company’s current 65 traders and allow for future growth.

Luckily for SCS, Rudko and his partners at the Schneider Electric and American Power Conversion (APC) have handled the project management for many build-outs, with particular experience working with financial companies.  Preliminary planning for the SCS build-out began in November of 2009, and the first phase of the build-out just started mid-October.

To coordinate all the electrical and teledata needs for the new location, AMRCON called in Schneider Electric, the world leader in energy management.  Schneider Electric is well-known for working for high-end security companies like those in the financial, educational, and healthcare industries.  Joe Metcalfe at Schneider is managing the first phase of the build-out. 

“We’ve just begun the demolition work on the floor,” said Metcalfe.  “We are pulling old wiring and beginning to set-up the electrical and teledata needs for all of the trading desks on the floor.  This process should take about six weeks, and then once the floors and walls get put into place, the project gets handed over to APC.”

APC, a subsidiary of Schneider Electric, is the industry leader in developing and building the physical infrastructure to support critical data needs.  On the SCS project, Andrew Conte of APC, is managing the data center design for the new trading floor. 

“Once the electrical and teledata are ready, and the walls and floors are built, then we will come in and build the data center,” said Conte.  To support such a large trading floor, the data center itself will be quite big, requiring 800 square feet of space alone.  And, it will feature the latest in green technology to reduce energy waste and save money.

In terms of the green initiatives, the SCS data center will feature UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) technology developed by APC that will create 96% efficiency on a 36% load, compared to older technology that can only create 75% efficiency on a 36% load.  “So, SCS will realize huge energy savings on their power consumption,” said Conte.  “But, they’ll also be saving on the cooling side because we will install row and rack-based closed couple cooling.” 

Row and rack-based closed couple cooling, invented by APC, enables a data center to receive the proper cooling it needs by cooling row by row rather than cooling an entire room.  “Energy is wasted when a room is over-cooled or under-cooled,” said Conte.  “With our unique cooling system, we will be dedicating the cooling to exactly where it is needed, thereby saving energy and reducing energy costs.  It is also scalable, which means that in the future if SCS finds it needs more capacity, we can always add it.  We call it, ‘pay as you grow’ technology,” said Conte.

“We anticipate a seamless move with absolutely zero downtime,” Rudko said.  The SCS build-out will continue through the rest of the year, with a projected move date of February, 2011.

Busy month, end of year rounding the corner and projects getting pushed to close before the end of the year have simply left me in a time deficit. My beautiful wife Sunny and I still managed to spend some time together. We were very grateful to be invited to the The Silver Hill Hospital Gala held at Cipriani’s 42nd Street NYC, for a benefit dinner. It was attended by about 200 people to include some celebrities and many other supporters. The event was a huge success and benefited the lives of children suffering from mental and substance abuse disorders. Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan Connecticut devotes an entire segment to such adolescents. Sunny and I have been active supporters for several years.

Yes, some fun and games went into my business trip to Florida for the IT Nation Conference. I already spoke about the business end. This picture to the right is of my little guy Deeko and myself by the pool watching Santino go down the water slide at the Waldorf-Astoria in  Orlando. He looks like he’s thinking “hmm, when do I get to do that”. I think Santino went down the slide at least 10 times. I feel like I’m getting pretty old! Not getting used to those crows feet next to my eyes. Will someone please comment and tell me if those go away?

Yes, a trip to Orlando would not be complete without a visit or two to Downtown Disney. Buzz lightyear and crew are well represented here. Even little Deeko almost jumped off a bench yelling “to infinity and beyond”, I was lucky to catch him and explain he shouldn’t try that again, lol. That wasn’t the last of it. This page makes it seem like I was on vacation but I really put in about four 12 hours days, really I did! Only a few days were spent on leisure time. I got bits and pieces while Sunny ran around entertaining these guys. Not sure how she has the energy, maybe that’s why we’re such a good fit, we’re both high energy.

I’m going to cut it here and hope everyone stays calm and relaxed with the holidays coming up. Talk to you next month. Dee Rudko, CEO

 It seems like everything went into turbo mode this time of year. Not sure what it is, but I’ve hardly had time to sit at my desk. Halloween is always a little busy for the Rudko’s. Before the 31st I think we take part in at least 3 events where costumes are required. The biggest hit is our trip to Hershey PA for trick or treating. If you have children it’s a great little escape and it’s become more and more popular each year. Hershey does quite a bit around the park and they keep adding new things each year as it grows in popularity. They even have a section just for trick or treating. The guys love it.

We also had another big occasion in the family with the Christening of Douglas Thomas Hay. Congratulations to the Hay family and please let us know what you’re feeding that little guy? I think he’s as big as Deeko already.  It was nice to have the entire family together. It seems events like this are far and in between.

I am sorry we’re late this month with getting all of this out. Between traveling and all that we have going on at the office it’s been tough. Expect quite a few new announcements from AMRCON from now until the end of the year. Not to mention our new website will be completed in just a few more weeks. We’re very excited to have it completely overhauled once again. It seems I’m just never happy with technology for too long before I have to redo it all over again. This is a good thing for all friends of AMRCON. It means we’re providing a better experience for you. Thanks everyone for following us.

 Large companies typically have significant technology needs, and that is definitely the case with Chilworth Global, a world-renowned chemical safety and testing company.  Employees in its Plainsboro, NJ office and its Chicago office need workstations that run efficiently and a dependable backup system to safely store their data.  But up until six months ago, these needs were simply not being met.

 “We were working with an IT support company that just was not attentive to our needs,” said Norman Ferstenberg, Controller at Chilworth.  “Whenever there was a problem, we would wait a day or more for someone to come out and assess the situation.  But, that person usually couldn’t help and would end up spending hours talking on the phone to a technician to find out what needed to be done.” 

 This lack of response, skill and expertise led to days of downtime – unacceptable and frustrating to say the least. 

So six months ago, Ferstenberg called AMRCON for help.  AMRCON conducted a diagnostic review of Chilworth’s systems and immediately got the company up and running on ODS Managed Services.  Since AMRCON has taken over IT support for Chilworth, it has been like night and day. 

 “You just can’t compare the two companies at all,” said Ferstenberg.  “AMRCON responds to technical problems within minutes, and they do it remotely.  We no longer have to wait days for people to come to the office to assess the problem.  Instead, AMRCON can do it instantly and then let us know right away what needs to be done,” Ferstenberg said.

 “The previous IT company that Chilworth used was just not capable of handling their needs,” said Jeff Surofsky, Support Engineer at AMRCON.  “When we stepped in, we brought with us a managed services platform that can handle IT problems, large and small, with such speed and efficiency that it sometimes baffles our clients.  As a matter of fact, they told us it was like going from the ‘Flintstones to the Jetsons’ in one day,” Surofsky said.

 In addition to managed services, AMRCON also got Chilworth on board with its exclusive backup system.  “The system they were using was so antiquated that no one knew for sure if backups were running at all,” said Surofsky.  “Now, in the event that there is an equipment failure that affects their data, we can retrieve it quickly.”

 “AMRCON’s service is leaps and bounds above the rest,” said Ferstenberg.  “Now, we no longer worry about our IT needs because AMRCON is definitely taking care of them.”

Some people say I’m a bit nuts for doing this but I’ve always wanted to learn how to fly! So starting in August I began training on the helicopter in the picture. Now I’ve flown small planes before so being up in the air in a small aircraft is nothing new. I will say a helicopter takes a bit more coordination and control. It’s been a lot of fun and hope to continue toward my license through the year when I have time of course. That’s usually the only part that gets in the way, my schedule. However, it’s a bit more time efficient then playing golf. It only takes a few hours of my day, so its a lot less time and you don’t need to coordinate with other people other than the instructor. So I can schedule a flying lesson much faster making it an efficient hobby. My hope is to be able to someday avoid the traffic going upstate to the house, or to CT to visit family. In the next couple of months I will test both routes to see how long it takes and learn the route. I’ve flown over CT quite a bit in the past and its pretty neat that before I could only circle my family property, this time I get to land in the yard!

We have a very happy family announcement to make this month. My little sister Motria was married to Robert E. Grasing II late this month. I think she’ll always be a little sister though. They are currently all over Europe and Facebooking their days which is pretty cool. The ceremony was absolutely perfect, as it should be for my little sister. I think both sets of parents were a part of quite an amazing union. I only had room for one picture, so here it is. I think this is the one that sums it up. Everyone is very happy for the new couple and wish them many years of happiness. Friends & Family who want to see more, please visit “Motria Grasing” FB page, where you will find 1.1M pictures.

So with September coming to a close, we have one more quarter to year end. This is always an exciting time of year, but none the less stressful as well. The holiday’s are coming though, and I always look forward to them. It seems during the year everyone is so busy with their own lives. Even my side of the Rudko family, now with 2 sons, have mini vacations, the Jersey Shore, upstate and all kinds of busy trips planned over the weekends. I generally work nonstop during the week, so no one really sees me. The holiday’s are the times that really bring the extended family together. It seems the cold usually slows everything else down just in time. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming months. Regardless of how fast and crazy this year went by, I think we’ve been really blessed. The holidays are a nice time to share that all around. This image kind of sums it up, walking along the boardwalk in Keyport on the water.

When Jennifer Woodruff and her partner first started their Matawan-based Commercial lines insurance agency 20 years ago, they managed their own computer problems.  When computer issues got real complex, they asked a computer-savvy friend to help who could sometimes fix the problem, but not always.  Eventually Woodruff hired a break/fix consultant to come in when her system was down, but it would often take a week or more before he arrived to even diagnose the problem, let alone fix it. 

 Woodruff was at her wit’s end when she met Dee Rudko, CEO of AMRCON three years ago through a business networking group.  “Dee and his professional technicians came out to talk with us about how they could help fix our problems,” said Woodruff.  That was the moment her computer problems turned into solutions. 

 “The insurance industry was always a bit behind other industries in automation, but has advanced in technology over the past 15 years,” Woodruff added.  “Over the years, we’ve had to expand our systems to include email capabilities, insurance agency software programs, and the capability to interface with our insurance carriers to quote and issue policies on-line.” 

 With an increased on system demands, there is inevitably an increase of potential problems.  “If we had to rely on a break/fix consultant, we would be down for days at a time and that would be totally unacceptable,” Woodruff said.  Instead, AMRCON updated all of Woodruff’s systems so they could handle the latest technologies. 

 AMRCON also eliminates viruses, updates software when the updates are beneficial, and backs up our data nightly – on and off-

 “First, we suggested that improving their back-up was a necessity,” said Jeff Surofsky, Support Engineer with AMRCON.  “We beefed up their on-site back-up and then added off-site back-up to protect their data in case of an office crash.”  AMRCON then recommended protecting Woodruff’s network with ODS managed services which manages software updates, proactively monitors for potential problems and corrects them in real time. 

 “They have helped us with updating our computer systems and given us advice on what to purchase,” Woodruff said.  “And, when AMRCON does the purchasing, not only are their prices competitive, but AMRCON also handles the installation.”

“The folks at AMRCON are like a family,” said Woodruff.  “And when I call them, I don’t feel like I’m just another customer.  Instead, I really get the feeling that I’m their only customer.”

So far August has been very good to us. The picture to the left was a great  long weekend in Seaside, along with my nephew Anthony and niece Arianna, yes we did see Snooki. I just can’t believe summer is almost over. We still have a few nice weather weekends to go and that should carry into September! AMRCON had a sponsorship at the Matawan Idol night, it was a lot of fun and was amazing to see the amount of people that came out to support it. They had some great talent. We look forward to being a part of it again next year. Thanks to all the visitors that stopped by our table and remember to come and visit AMRCON the first Friday of any month from 8:30 – 10:30am for our Open House Free Breakfast Tour.

 The Rudko’s have a few more trips up our sleeves. We’ll be in Lake George this week and in Connecticut in September. My sister Motria is getting married and everyone will be there, here is a picture of Deeko already pulling his tuxedo out of the closet. Yes, he does a lot of black tie events throughout the year so he has his own tux. I guess they really due emulate their father, I just didn’t think it would be this soon! My cloning project is working perfectly. We all hope Motria & Robert have a terrific day. It will be a great time, looking to report on it next month.

 We had a great time with my BNI networking group “Sweet Success” at the Blue Claws game. I don’t think Santino will be much of an athlete. He spent much of his time more interested in the bounce house and walking around. Deeko on the other hand has quite an arm and watched most of the game, waiting for a ball to come his way. Although I’m glad that the close ones we had were just out of reach since he didn’t have a glove! They have quite a stadium if you ever have the chance to go to a game. Plenty to do, even if you can’t sit still for the game. Here’s a shot of Santino and myself over in the outfield. Yes, it was just to the left of the bounce house, it’s the only way we got him to walk around for the shot.

 I’m looking forward to spending some final days on vacation with the kids. It’s all business for me until the end of the year. Well maybe not completely, but for the most part. We have quite a few projects to finish up and I always start thinking about end of year once the 3rd quarter ends. My wife Sunny laughs because she says I managed the family on the fiscal year. I guess I do, but what other way is there? Suggestions?

July was a busy month. From 1st hair cuts to me getting on a wake-board for the first time in a few years. Gees I’m starting to feel a bit old! I hate it when old TV shows, children’s toys, or other fun things come up in conversations, and I go and mention something no one else remembers! What happened? Didn’t everyone grow up enjoying the same things I did? I guess not. I can’t believe I have people who work with me that were born in the 80’s. My wife even looks at me funny sometimes when I talk about my youth, or telling jokes about things she has no idea what I’m talking about. I guess I always was a bit ahead of myself. The worst is when I can relate to someone that has some years on me. So why the good old day reminders? I really just want to make sure all of this is normal! Can someone respond?

What will my kids talk about when they’re my age? Will it be Thomas the Tank Engine, The Wiggles, or maybe Buzz Lightyear? I wish I could only explain to them to stay where they are and grow up slowly.  For my sake and their own. I can’t believe my oldest is already 4, and the little guy is not so little anymore. I was always too ahead of myself, never in the moment. I lived my youth wanting time to go by quickly so I could start making my own decisions and get my career going. I think I started thinking that way a bit too young, at 10 or so. I’m just thinking that I hope my boys don’t follow that part of my footsteps. Any ideas on how to keep them right where they are?

We welcomed a new member of the family this month, congratulation’s to Douglas and Jenna on the birth of Douglas Thomas! I hope you guys get sleep soon, lol. It’s been so much fun to watch their oldest Nicolette and Santino grow up together. I’m still not used to being called Uncle Dee by 6 people ranging from 5 to 25 years old. I really got a jump start when I joined this family. It’s funny when Santino hangs out with my nieces and nephews and comes home calling me Uncle Dee.

So August seems it’s going to go by too fast. I hope everyone finds the time to get away and enjoy some summer before it’s gone. I think we have a few trips still planned, although scheduling them has been difficult. But I can’t complain, the year has been good to us and we’re all very thankful. More to come, be sure to comment on my questions. Come out and see us at our upcoming events. The Matawan-Aberdeen Idol Singing Contest will be August 3rd at 6PM on Main Street in Matawan, we have a few others before the end of summer so take a peek and come visit.