Liking and Subscribing on Facebook

If you can't keep up with the changes in Facebook, I don't blame you. It seems like there's always a new feature or a change in a privacy setting. I'm not listing everything new in this post, but want to point out a couple things of interest.

The Importance of a Web Presence

Today I had the opportunity to speak to the Charleston Grant Professionals about the important of having a web presence.   This slides reference different tools I use and are generally free.

View more presentations from Coastal Community Foundation.

Google Analytics: Know your questions before you measure

I'm speaking at Geekend this weekend on Google Analytics.  Anyone who has used this tool will probably agree that the amount of data it provides can be overwhelming.  To keep yourself from becoming inundated with all those numbers, it's important to start out with some questions.

Are people clicking through the links in your e-mail newsletter? If not, you may want to reconsider the type of content you provide or the anchor text of your link.

Are people bouncing on a key page?  If you have a page where people are taking a quick visit, then leaving your site, you should check if there are any issues with it.   Also, look at how people arrived on that page.  It is possible the referring site represents that page as being something that it's not.

Is your AdWords campaign driving useful traffic? Do these visitors make purchases or indicate interest another way, such as using your 'contact us' form?

There are a lot more questions you can ask and hopefully the above ones are enough to get you started.

Do you really need all that data?

I attended GAUGE conference recently; an event that’s all about Google Analytics.  In addition to the great suggestions on using an analytics account, I noted two great takeaways about working with data in general.

Collect only the data you need.  It sounds obvious, but do you really need to know every single thing about a person?  Too many questions may come across as intrusive, so think about what you really need before you request certain information.  When you are looking at your analytics account, you probably don't need to review every available report to answer your specific questions.

Don’t just report out.  Are you displaying data in colorful charts and graphs, but not doing anything with it?  Do you show numbers at your board meetings with no action plan?  Make sure you are using data to make decisions about your organization.  Again, these takeaways don’t just apply to your analytics account.  They are also relevant to any data you have on your constituents or customers.

Volunteer at a professional level

There's no shortage of volunteer needs.  You can tutor a child in the afternoon, help out at the soup kitchen, or answer phones for a busy nonprofit. But what if you are looking to use your professional skills for a more complex nonprofit project? Catchafire is one option for time limited, project-based work.

Although based in New York City, they now offer virtual opportunities for professionals interested in pro bono work.  Potential volunteers fill out a profile listing their qualifications and causes of interest.  Catchafire then makes a match between the professional and an appropriate nonprofit project, which includes accounting, graphic design, and public relations.  Each project is clearly explained so you'll know the time commitment and required skills up front.   If you're ready to take your volunteering to the next level, visit their site. You may find a good match based on your professional experience.

Give.... but not to a charity

I've been thinking of creating a community based site where people "join" by giving a few bucks a month and the collective money is given to a chosen charity at the end of each month. It's been on my list of random-ideas-I'd-like-to-try for a while now.  Recently, I discovered Love Drop, a group that's already doing it, but their focus is on specific people rather than an organized nonprofit.

On Love Drop's web-site , you can sign up to give as a little as $1 a month which will go to an individual or family.  Anyone can nominate someone who needs some financial support and the Love Drop team reviews suggestions to determine the monthly recipient.  I love the idea that anyone can help with a small amount of money and you can track their monthly goal on the website.  Check out the site when you get a chance.  I signed up to give a small monthly amount..... but I still think it would be awesome to do something like this specifically for our community.

Staying safe online - Part II

I did a "staying safe online" post awhile ago, offering tips for using Facebook, responding to password requests.  I recently came across some additional tips worth posting.

Sharing on Facebook: You need to be extremely careful about sharing information on Facebook, especially if you have "friends" you don't well or maybe never met.  Do you use your hometown or pet's names for passwords?  If so, you may want to use caution before sharing that information online.  It's like giving your password hint to a stranger.

Job hunting:  It's very easy to job search without leaving your computers.  As more sites become available, it's an easy harvest for scammers.  If you're asked for a social security number before you are even called in for an interview, run... quickly. 

Wi-Fi:  Are you using a "secure", public wi-fi connection?  Think again.  Fake hotspots have been set up which allows hackers to view everything on your screen.  Stay safe and do not do banking at a public wi-fi spot. 

Stay alert when using the internet and read about scams happening online.  The intention is not to make you  paranoid, just to keep you safe online.