NCET Biz Tips: Working From Home and Website Redesigns

hal-gatewood-tZc3vjPCk-Q-unsplash-1-1-700x467.jpg

Have a business or technology question?  Send it to ask@NCET.org and if selected, NCET’s panel of business and technology experts will answer it in our new monthly column.

I’m working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak and I find it hard to “leave work at work” when I’m done for the day.  How can I disconnect after work ends?

According to FlexJobs’ recent annual survey, 65% of respondents feel more productive at home during the workday than at their traditional office, mainly due to fewer distractions.

The caveat: it’s easy to work through breaks and after 5 pm while in the comfort of your home. Here are ways to turn off your work brain after working from home:

  • You wouldn’t ignore any normal work meeting on your calendar, and the same rules should apply for your breaks.

  • Grab a snack. Stretch your legs. And of course, if you feel sick, don’t be afraid to take time off, especially during this public health crisis.

  • While non-essential businesses are closed in Nevada, this doesn’t mean you should neglect outdoor time. Breathe in the alpine air and soak up the sun.

  • Unless there is a pressing timeline or emergency, stick to a promise of shutting off your computer, work phone, etc. at the end of your working hours.

Alana Ridge

Alana Ridge

Need more tips? Read Forbes’ recent article for some great insights.

Alana Ridge is a public relations professional in Reno, and NCET’s Vice President of Public Relations.

 

I know I need a new website. What do I need to consider before I hire someone to redesign and rebuild it?

Ninety percent of the new business websites only need to accomplish a few things: show people what you do, how it benefits them, what it costs, and how to reach you. Stick to simple designs that shows people those things as soon as the page loads (and it should load quickly), use navigation they recognize (like scrolling down for more info), and is cleanly indexed by Google (that answers customer questions in a no-click search) will yield a higher ROI than an esoteric website with unusual navigation.

Before approaching a web designer, you need to know the top three things people visit your website to learn. You can use Google Analytics to see what pages people visit the most to answer this. Example: for a restaurant, it’s usually Menu, Hours, and Address/Phone. People don’t usually spend time on an “About” page learning your philosophy or history. Keep it simple.

You need to choose a budget and a desired launch date. Review the work of a few agencies/designers, pick three to five who have designed things that you like, and then reach out to them for a quote while mentioning your budget range and timeline. This saves time and leads to happy business engagements.

Wes McQuillen

Wes McQuillen

Wes McQuillen is Principal of ALTER Strategies and NCET’s VP of Email Services for Tech Wednesday. He started branding hypothetical companies for fun around age 11, but his parents didn’t notice the early warning signs and missed their chance to intervene.

Chris Ewing