The Holewinski Group

Press Releases are for the Big Guys – NOT!

January 25, 2010

Filed under: Media — webmaster @ 1:17 pm

Have you launched a new website or product lately? Hosting an event or won an award? Are you speaking at the local library or Rotary Club? If so, your local news wants to know…really they do!

Small business owners often feel intimidated or uncertain about submitting press releases. If that’s you, just stop it now! It’s time for your 15 minutes of fame.

Writing a press release isn’t as tricky as you might think; thinking of a newsworthy topic doesn’t have to stop you either. Let’s look at some of the common myths about press releases and next week we’ll go through the how to behind the art of an effective press release. (more…)

Google Analytics Issue

April 7, 2009

Filed under: Projects — webmaster @ 9:52 am

I am working on a project, where there is:

  • the main website (http://examplewebsite.com)
  • a subdomain (http://sub.examplewebsite.com), and
  • a blog (http://examplewebsiteblog.com).

I want to throw Google Analytics onall three sites and get them working together.

From the Google Analytics documentation, it illustrates what needs to be done to add the code in situations like this. The coding is below.

In this scenario, you might want to enable tracking across a given domain and its sub-domains, and include a separate domain in the mix. For example, suppose you have an online store and you also want to track visitor and campaign data to your blog. The following shows key tracking code customizations for three example URLs.

  • Primary: www.example-petstore.com
    var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-12345-1");
    pageTracker._setDomainName(".example-petstore.com");
    pageTracker._setAllowLinker(true);
    pageTracker._setAllowHash(false);

    In addition, you would use the _link() and _linkByPost() for any form or links to www.my-example-blogsite.com. This is not required for links to the sub-domain of this site, since the _setDomainName() function defined .example-petstore.com as the domain to enable cookie access for any other subdomains.

  • Secondary: dogs.example-petstore.com
    var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-12345-1");
    pageTracker._setDomainName(".example-petstore.com");
    pageTracker._setAllowLinker(true);
    pageTracker._setAllowHash(false);

    In addition, you would use the _link() and _linkByPost() for any form or links to www.my-example-blogsite.com. as well as to the primary domain.

  • Terciary: www.my-example-blogsite.com
    var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-12345-1");
    pageTracker._setDomainName("none");
    pageTracker._setAllowLinker(true);
    pageTracker._setAllowHash(false);

So for the main website I added this code:
<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8230059-1");
pageTracker._setDomainName(".examplewebsite.com");
pageTracker._setAllowLinker(true);
pageTracker._setAllowHash(false);
_link();
_linkByPost();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>

For the subdomain I added this code:

<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8230059-1");
pageTracker._setDomainName(".examplewebsite.com");
pageTracker._setAllowLinker(true);
pageTracker._setAllowHash(false);
_link();
_linkByPost();
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>

And for the blog I added this code:

<script type="text/javascript">
var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
try {
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-8230059-1");
pageTracker._setDomainName("none");
pageTracker._setAllowLinker(true);
pageTracker._setAllowHash(false);
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}</script>

The code is pulling, but incorrectly. The main website is the blog, and nothing is pulling from the main website or the subdomain. I feel I am missing something with the _link() and _linkByPost(), but just not sure.

So are there any Google Analytics Masters out there that can shed some light on this issue?

Blogging, Social Media and Dentistry?

December 15, 2008

Filed under: Projects — webmaster @ 8:28 pm

The dental community is now blogging. Yes…you heard me correctly!

One of our new clients, Artistic Dentistry is utilizing WordPress and spreading the good word on cosmetic dental procedures through numerous articles and blog postings. These types of businesses are seeing the positive effects of niche blogging, social media applications like twitter, and building links throughout the web. The effects are converting into patients; from routine cleanings to dental implants.

The owner of Artistic Dentistry is Dr. Peter J. Pagano, who is the author of the upcoming book Ageless Smile: What You Need to Know About Midlife Dentistry. He describes some common signs of aging that can be reversed with “Midlife Dentistry.” This is not a recognized specialty of the ADA, but a set of symptoms and dental procedures that Dr. Pagano has found common to men and women at midlife.

Searching for Dynamic Forms

December 12, 2008

Filed under: Projects — webmaster @ 11:17 am

Someone must know how this done, a product must be out there. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

  1. Users complete current ‘request a demo’ form but add dates/ times like this:
    http://www.centraldesktop.com/register_webinar
  2. User gets auto email confirmation that demo form’s been received.
  3. User gets auto reminder 3 days out — depending on date selected.
  4. User gets auto reminder on morning of demo — depending on date selected.
  5. User gets auto follow up with survey questions about demo.

Investigating the Niche Blogging Scene

December 2, 2008

Filed under: Projects — webmaster @ 12:52 pm

The Holewinski Group is proud to be working with Carebuzz, an internet marketing firm for the senior home care industry. Started by Carol Marak, this is a perfect example of niche blogging and filling a void in a market. When questions arise about senior home issues, there is little in the form of current information and resources. Carebuzz is providing a service that many people will utilize by creating discussion, relationships, and providing information for adult children and seniors in search of quality home care services.

CareBuzz

An infinite amount of resources can be obtained from their numerous city blogs which are updated on a daily basis. Take for example, Home Care Phoenix, which has posted a checklist for family caregivers. This allows the reader to work with their parents or other seniors in making the holidays less stressful. Another blog, Home Care Dallas posted a tips article on creating a safe, accident-free environment for seniors. Great information in a blog format!

As Carebuzz continues to grow in the number of city specific blogs, the amount of useful information will continue to be archived. If you ever have any questions or in the need of specific information, Carebuzz can help you out.

Wimberely Texas

June 13, 2008

Filed under: Projects — webmaster @ 9:13 am

Recently, two projects have come through good friend and social media king, Tom Parish. Both clients are in the Wimberely, Texas area. One is Miss Britt’s Perfect Fit, a business built on unique fabrics and children’s cloths. The other is Cool Houses Austin, a local realtor specializing in the Hill Country of Texas.

Both projects were very enjoyable, as they both were newbies to the blog scene. Now, both see the potential of blogging and the types of traffic they can bring in.

So if you have time, take a look, and make some comments to help them out.

A Better Event Calendar?

January 17, 2008

Filed under: Plugins — webmaster @ 10:44 am

The WordPress Event Calendar is a plugin that needs some revamping. The problem is that the posts are not sorted by event date, but rather by post date. We are in the process of building a more robust calendar that will sort posts by event date. It will be integrated into the post much easier, be widget-ready, and give WordPress owner’s another option for displaying their events. Keep checking back, as we will continue to update the process and test results.

New WordPress Plugin in Development

December 1, 2007

Filed under: Plugins — webmaster @ 1:35 pm

Do you have multiple administrators accessing one blog, possibly trying to edit one specific post? In this situation, the last person to save the post has their own changes accepted, while the other editors have lost theirs. The Edit Post Locker plugin will lock posts for editing so that multiple users cannot edit the same post. This is a perfect plugin for large multiple administrator blogs/websites.

Plugin Specifications

  • Tested on WordPress 2.3.1
  • Multiple browser compatibility (Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer)
  • Javascript enabled
  • Download available soon

More WordPress, PHP, Designing

November 29, 2007

Filed under: Projects — webmaster @ 3:31 pm

The past couple months have seen a jump in projects. Besides the constant flow of work (see below), a friend from my university days has been helping with some tip-top PHP programming, flash work, and website design! This has propelled The Holewinski Group into more project areas and can only strengthen our position in the market.

We have also purchased a server to host some of our sites. In addition, we can take on any extra sites who need that personal touch or just better service. Believe me, you pay $7 a month for hosting, you get what you pay for (i.e., site down times, SQL issues, CPU timeouts, etc.).

Recent Projects:

Some Projects Here and There

September 10, 2007

Filed under: Projects — webmaster @ 9:44 pm

The past several weeks we have been working several small but meaningful projects. These range from a couple WordPress installs to adding several plugins (enhancing websites), and even incorporating a WordPress post into an existing HTML site. All of these projects have helped build our portfolio and showcase what we work on daily.

Lastly, PokerPlasm has been tweaked this past weekend. The main issue were the numerous php queries on the front page (i.e., slowing the website load time). We were able to cut the number of queries by 40% by deactivating unnecessary plugins. We also worked on viewer priorities on the sidebar and visuals on new posts. The changes needed to occur and makes the site more readable to members and visitors alike.