Karl Craig-West's self-employed blog

Well www.spreadbettingcommunity.com is almost finished, in fact I have the site's first proper member. I just need to add a intro to spread betting and finish the user guide and then it's all about promotion. The traffic is steadily increasing and I'm adding two or three inbound links each week.

So, my next challenge is to redevelop my business website (this one) in Drupal CMS. This will enable me to more easily create content and also give me much greater flexibility with what I'm working on. I've already started moving the content over to the development site and I'm almost settled on a design too.

Work-wise things are coming along. We've almost decided on the graphic design for the website (even though it's 6 weeks behind schedule in my opinion) and we're close finalising the site structure. However, I only have another 9 weeks left to run on my contract and at the current rate the website is unlikely to be finished. I guess time will tell.

As those who read this blog regularly will know, I've done a fair bit of website development over the last year. My latest project is a website about spread betting and it's almost finished.

However, I'm regularly asked why I insist on using a full Content Management System (CMS) for even the smallest of website. So here's my explanation.

Why use a content management system (CMS)?

It’s rare to find a business today that doesn’t want a dynamic and scaleable web presence, especially in light of the increase in multimedia digital content such as blogs, forums, podcasting, news feeds, audio and video. The only way to properly manage all of this is to use a modern CMS.

A content management system enables the easier management of websites and web content.

What is a CMS?

In short, it’s a database-driven software that sits behind a website that enables the site manager to quickly and easily update the website pages and structure (the content).

With a CMS, a page can be easily added. You simply copy (or type) in the text of the page that you’re adding, tell the CMS where you want the page in the site menu structure and then click on the submit button. The software automatically adds the page according to the settings you’ve specified, in the global design of the site.

Using the more traditional method a website manager (often an external supplier) would have to create the page, create the menu links (along with all the links to the page on the rest of the site) and then submit it to the website.

By doing all the technical work for you, a CMS reduces (and often eliminates) the need for a web programmer to manage website content. Long-term this reduces costs associated with website management and makes the process much quicker, since content goes live when submitted by the site manager.

What kind of CMS should you use?

There are many different CMS’s available today. The majority of the CMS software used on the internet at the moment is what’s known as ‘Open Source’.

An Open Source (OS) software is one that’s been developed by a community of developers around the world, using widely available technologies and is released as a free download. Any changes and improvements you make to the code behind the software have to be released back into the OS community.

The benefits with using OS software are that it’s free and there’s a huge and ready supply of support available through the OS community. The code behind the software is accessible to the developer and, therefore, highly flexible. Also because of the size of the OS community it’s always possible to find someone to help, even if your website development provider goes bust.

Many website development companies write their own CMS according to the requirements of clients. The danger with this approach is that if the website company goes bust, the code behind the CMS will be hidden and it can be difficult and expensive to find support. Not only that but many web development companies licence their CMS and if you stop using them as a supplier they then withdraw the licence and thus your website.

It’s also possible to buy a commercial CMS off the shelf. Again this means that the code will, most likely, remain hidden and most of the time the software will only be provided on a licence basis.

So what’s the best option?

These days I use software called Drupal. This is an open source CMS package available at www.drupal.org .

However, it's not the only open source CMS available. Wordpress and Joomla are also very popular.

I like Drupal because it’s very modular and highly flexible as well as being well supported by the huge Drupal community.

It gives all the functionality I require as well as giving me opportunity to add functions as my (or my clients') requirements change.

So, if you've any questions about Drupal then by all means let me know.

Labels: cms, content management system, spread betting

I often get very frustrated by the fact that I'm good at coming up with ideas but I've had to realise that I just don't have enough time to make them happen.

The good news is that my new website www.spreadbettingcommunity.com has been picked up by Google and has started attracting some traffic. Even better is that I've started to put together a team to develop the site and it's content.

Workwise things are going very well. I've been writing content for the company's new website and also trying to get some decent articles together for the newsletter. One of the biggest challenges is not that I'm having drive half an hour each to work for someone else, it's that it takes a while to get decisions and get things done.

My website has been doing overtime winning traffic and developing leads, which is quite exciting. I'm in the process of redeveloping the site and moving it onto a content management system (CMS) called Drupal.

Later this year I'm going to start selling my training products online, which should be a good way to bring my business.

Labels: content management system, spread betting

Gosh, has it really been 2 months since my last post? Well it certainly looks like it.

The biggest news is that I've been working almost full-time for the pensions company helping them to develop and implement a marketing plan, including a comprehensive online marketing strategy.

This includes a new website, an AdWords campaign, networking, referral marketing, advertising, cross-selling and up-selling and also some press marketing too. It's quite an exciting opportunity to help write a plan where no plan has existed in the past.

Otherwise, I've been on a few web marketing courses and am working on a few website projects. I'm working on putting together a small team to help with this, not an easy task for sure. Last week I went to the NLab Social Networking conference at DMU, which was very inspiring and educational. So now I'm looking at how I can incorporate what I've learned into my own business strategy.

My website has done a good job of being found in the search engines with 2 new training clients over the last few months. So again my web marketing efforts are paying dividends.

On a slightly different note I've decided not to do any more lake swimming for charity this year. Instead I'll be cycling from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle in aid of the Princes Trust in early September. Having said that, I'm not sure that cycling in London is any safer than swimming in the Lake District.

That's it for now, I'll be adding more in the coming weeks and I'll be setting up a sponsorship page for the cycling so you can sponsor me.

Labels: marketing plan, social networking conference, web marketing

Well my accountant, Lee, and I have fallen out. Not for any professional reasons, (she's incredibly good at what she does), but for personal ones.

So it means that I'm going to have to find another tax adviser before I have to fill in my 07/08 tax return.

Something else to add to the, (already lengthy), list of things to do.

Things just seem to fly past, and time seems to be no exception.

The latest development is that I've been offered a 6 month contract working for the financial services company I mentioned in my last entry. So when that's all confirmed etc I'll let you know more. I'm due to start on the 6th of May and I admit that it's quite an exciting opportunity to work with a company that's aiming to go places.

The role involves me developing the marketing strategy to reach more clients directly rather than through intermediaries (such as accountants and IFA's). So the next 6 months really ought to put my extensive marketing knowledge to the test.

I'm also being tasked with managing the company's website development project, something I know a fair bit about.

Speaking of websites; my relationship with my tree surgeon website client has gone sour. He's pulled the plug claiming (completely out of the blue) that the work I had done was not up to scratch, even though he didn't actually tell me what was up to scratch in his view. I strongly suspect that it has a lot to do with the breakdown of the relationship with my accountant who is also his accountant, but that's just speculation on my part.

I'm disappointed though. I've been in business for nearly 6 years and this is the first time that a client has been unhappy with my work. Still, I'm sure that those who've been around for a while will confirm, it was inevitable that someone somewhere was going to complain.

Having said that, I've had a good few enquiries and one confirmed booking for training as a result of being found in the search engines, which is great news. So my search engine optimisation and web marketing efforts are really starting to kick in now.

Also I've been confirmed as a workshop presenter at the NLabs Social Networking Conference in June. A great opportunity to share how I'm helping the makers of the film Zombie Undead to raise funds and awareness through social networking media.

The websites are coming along. Spreadbettingcommunity.com has been started and I'm looking for a decent design to attach to it to make it more visually appealing. I've even started its pre-marketing.

On a personal note, I went to Chester at the weekend on rugby tour and I'm still suffering as a result of it. Still not saying "never again" though, in spite of the effects.

Labels: search engine marketing, social networking conference, zombie film

Not sure why I wrote that title, maybe I'll write a song about it sometime???

However, the last month has been quite eventful. I've applied for a couple of jobs and didn't get either but visited a financial services company earlier this week and there's some scope there (hopefully a job too).

I've also been on a few trips away. Went to London for a weekend training session about spread betting, so that's quite an exciting development. I also had a half-day fine-tuning session last week which was even better still. So, as a result, I've started spread betting which is great fun.

Went to London (again) for the national FSB annual conference and it was great fun. Thursday evening was dinner with other attendees from the Leics/Northants/Rutland region. Friday was great, I had a say in a number of debates regarding motions brought by members.
Friday night was superb because I was a member of the regional team in the inter-region darts competition and we won it. So well done to Paul Lashmar, Bill Perkins and John Hill (pictured right) for making the region proud. A bottle of champagne for each of us has been received.

Saturday was good too, took part in more debates and had a very entertaining time at the ball and casino night to finish off the conference.

On a work note, did a bit of training for a manufacturer in Mansfield. Enjoyed that greatly.

Finished the website for the delivery service in Hinckley and I've almost finished the tree surgery website. That one has taken an unnecessarily long time because of design challenges, nearly there though.

Also started a website for the team that I was in during the spread betting training and I'm going to develop a forum website for the spread betting community as a whole.

So that's where I am at the moment. Looking for a job while trying to fit everything in.

Labels: FSB conference, spread betting, website development