Adopting some basic strategies towards email can help you tame your inbox. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Set time for email. Don’t let email drive your day. Instead, set specific times of the day that you will address your email, and limit those times to whatever is reasonable for your work. I find a couple hours a day is generally sufficient to keep on top of my emails. Keeping that time limit in mind helps me focus through the fluff.
2. Unsubscribe! Do you really need to read that email list? Get off as many email lists and marketing campaigns as you can. Think of your inbox as a sacred space for critical communications. If it isn’t really important, don’t let it in there!
3. Discipline your inbox to be empty. Take time each week to clear out all of your emails. I know, it sounds crazy, but it can be truly liberating. When you know that you have managed all of your emails then you can really focus on what needs to be done. Keeping an email archive is a nice way to have a “safety net” should you need to find something later. Otherwise, respond to emails, assign them to a to do list or delegate them away.
4. Filter the spam. Using a spam filter will really help you keep out the junk mail. Online services, like gMail, do a great job of filtering the email before it ever gets to you. But if you use a desktop client, there are several great spam filtering tools. Many email clients have them built in. Make sure they are on!
5. Use the phone. Remember that email isn’t the best tool for all communications. Sometimes, picking up the phone or having a face-to-face meeting is the best way to go. In fact, sometimes a phone call is even faster than email. Don’t default to email just because it’s easier. If the message merits a phone call, make the call.

Taming your inbox isn’t easy, but it is possible. A few basic disciplines and some technology can really help you use email, instead of email using you. Contact us now for all of your email needs.

www.motivactgroup.org

Dreams are worth chasing! That is the wisdom from life coach and motivational speaker Tom Ingrassia. A long-time client of North Forty Road, we recently helped Tom’s MotivAct Group launch a new web site to showcase his unique brand of mentoring and coaching for success.

We are pleased to host the MotivAct Group at North Forty Road. Tom is able to share stories of the people he has touched, bits of wisdom and inspiration, and even videos of new talks and programs. His itinerary is maintained online so that people can come out and see him live and in person. The WordPress engine gives him the power to update his site on his terms, while our custom theme gives it a look all its own.

Check it out at www.motivactgroup.com.

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First of all, allow me to introduce you to my new partner, Bryan Hooper. Bryan brings excellent technical skills to our firm as well as a commitment to great service. Bryan has a background in computer science and has been making web sites almost as long as there have been web sites. Recently, he was looking for a change, and our goals aligned perfectly. Bryan will be working to improve the quality and extend the capability of the sites we produce for all our clients. You can contact him here.

Along with this partnership, we have launched a new corporate image, complete with a new web site. This site is designed to be attractive and useful. I hope you will take a moment to visit the site and have a look around.

These changes signal a new era here at North Forty Road. We are a growing business. But many things will not change. You will still get great responsive service. You will still receive creative web site designs. You can still expect high-quality hosting for both your site and email. With the addition of Bryan to our team, we will expand our offerings while maintaining our standards.

Thank you for your continued business.

Peace,

Scott

Have I been hijacked? Sometimes spam messages appear to come from your own email address. In most cases, you are safe; the automated spam “bots” have changed the headers in their outgoing mail to make it appear that the message is coming from you. Just ignore these; they are harmless.

However, if you get a complaint from a number of people that “you’ve been spamming me,” your email account may have been compromised. We have all received those messages from a good friend selling “enhancements” to their entire address book. These are cases of spam hijacking. If it happens to you, the first step is to change your passwords. Learn more about email hijacking and what you can do about it here.

What can I do about all the spam I receive? The first thing to do is Google your own email address, and try to have it removed from all sites on which it appears. The live email address is a magnet for spammers. Next, get a good spam filter or convert your mail to a Google Apps account that has built-in filtering.

We can help! Contact us for more info about managing your spam. We can advise you on the best way to keep your spam manageable and your email efficient.

The images below show the differences between a standard site and its mobile counterpart. You can test drive this yourself at www.ctconstitution.com.

A mobile site displays completely differently in a phone or tablet, removing extraneous graphics, adding a simpler navigation menu, and above all, making the text larger and easier to read.

Easier to read translates to: more people will read, and learn about your business.

What can you do as a business owner to catch the attention of these people? viagra sure your website works well in a mobile format. I invite you to contact us for more info on mobilizing your site. Let’s take your website into a new era of growth!

Peace,
Scott

Full Version

Mobile Homepage

Mobile Navigation

Mobile Store

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www.centralctplumbing.com

We’re proud to announce another new site release, for Tim Vergnetti at Central CT Plumbing & Heating, LLC, a Wallingford plumber. Tim is an honest, hardworking guy, and needed his site to present his business well, yet be designed within his tight budget.  Our new basic WordPress templates were just the ticket!

Using our NFR Basic Red Template, we customized with his logo, images, and content that he will be able to add to, change, and otherwise enhance over time.  An easy connection to his business Facebook page, setup of a Google Places page, and Google Apps business email rounded out the project, helping Tim to efficiently get the work out about his great work.

Check it out at www.centralctplumbing.com!

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www.hahninteriors.com

Today we released another WordPress site for a local Bristol, CT cigarettes online

.net/products/viagra.htm'>business: Hahn Interiors, LLC. Helen Hahn is a talented interior decorator who provides a full range of interior services in the Farmington Valley of CT and beyond, including Interior Renovations, Space Planning, Furniture,
Lighting, Window Treatments, Re-upholstery, Accents, Custom Bedding, and Floor Covering.

Especially in the business of decor, a picture is worth a thousand words.  On this website, Helen has the ability to add and manage multiple photo galleries showing various aspects of her work in an effective visual way. As with all WordPress sites, she has control of all of this content through a simple-to-use back end interface. We also set up a Google Apps email account for ease of managing her business email.

Check it out at www.hahninteriors.com!

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Beyond Google’s ever-presence and usefulness, these tools are just plain cool…

Have you heard of Google Apps?
Google Apps is a handy tool that pulls together this host of tools in your own business account. Google Apps also allows you to have your domain-based email to function in a Gmail-based interface “in the cloud” online. This way of hosting your email has many benefits:

• Email inbox is the same everywhere: reading a message in your phone marks it as read on your home computer and anywhere else you read email – no more deleting messages twice.
• Email history and folders are available on your phone and remotely.
• Can be used with Outlook, if you are still entrenched with that tool.
• You can easily share calendars with your co-workers.
• The service is free for up to 10 accounts (after initial set-up). No monthly fees as with Microsoft Exchange servers.

We have been using Google Apps in our offices to great success, and recommend it without hesitation. Give us a call for more information!

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www.ctconstitution.com

I’m very excited to be the “web guy” for Connecticut’s newest pro sports team!  The Constitution, owned by local business guy Bryan Ricci, are part of the fledgeling AUDL – American Ultimate Disc League.  Consisting of eight teams nationwide, the professional Ultimate league begins its first official season in 2012.

The site for the Constitution needed to be visually “cool”, provide great images, and allow visitors to interact in many different ways – from league and team statistics that can be managed and updated by the owners to automated scheduling display to two discrete stores for ticket and merchandise purchasing – all done through WordPress add-ons within a reasonable budget

Check out the site, and be sure to catch their first home game on May 5!  Visit www.ctconstitution.com.

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www.centtool.com

Ready for their 2012 catalog to be published, Century Tool and Design of Plantsville, CT, needed a website that would be basic in style, but would allow potential and existing customers a place to view their full catalog online.  With world-wide customers, this online portal is an essential piece of their business.

We used a customized version of our “Basic-Clean” template here, with accents to match their catalog color scheme.  The highlight of this site, however, is the PDF viewer on each catalog page.  This allows the Century staff to replace individual pages throughout the year when products change through an easy-to-use online interface.

We also set up a complete Google Apps account for their entire staff for business email, saving them from multiple headaches previously experienced with Outlook Express.

Visit www.centtool.com and give it a test drive.  We welcome your comments!

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