by Andy Brudtkuhl on August 1, 2009
Well, to be exact check out the insurance application level confusing FAQ on the topic. We geeks and developers know what that means but business people like Doug Mitchell turn to me and ask “What Does That Mean To Me?” Amazon has a killer lineup of web services that are popular in our industry but there exists a lack of marketing material like “Amazon S3 for business” – where it explains its amazing benefits in business speak, rather than geek speak.
One of the first question our web strategy clients give us when we suggest using Amazon S3 as a way to lower costs and increase productivity is – “Well, what does it really cost?”. Amazon does a poor job of explaining this to “business joe”.
My answer: $2.87/mo
That’s our bill from Amazon Web Services every month. And here’s what we do with it…
- Store and Distribute our internet business podcast using Amazon S3 and CloudFront
- Store and Stream videos to our members and clients
- Our company file server – including documents, images, client stuff, templates, etc
- Image Server – almost all our website images – from blog posts to stock are on S3
- Code – We store commonly used CSS and Javascript files on S3 for all our sites to use
- Backup – We backup our computers and websites to S3
So that’s how much Amazon S3 costs.
Have questions or comments? What’s your Amazon S3 bill per month? Let us know below!
by Andy Brudtkuhl on July 7, 2009
In the 18th episode of our internet business podcast we discussed how the iPhone was more than just fun and games and how it has turned into a very important tool in managing our businesses. Here are 5 iPhone Business Apps I use every day.
1. Evernote
Allows you capture ideas with voice, text, pictures… How do I use it? Whenever I have an idea I record a voice note and upload it. Whenever I draw something out on the whiteboard in my office, I take a picture and upload it to Evernote. The possibilities are endless… Free your mind.
2. GroundWork
We use Basecamp for project management (you should too). GroundWork allows me to manage these projects via the iPhone. ‘Nuff Said.
3. AnalyticsApp
At 48Web part of our internet marketing and web strategy consulting is analyzing client’s web analytics. With AnalyticsApp I can do that on the fly. If I get an email with an analytics question I can quickly jump into that client’s web analytics to answer the question. For an analytics & stats junkie this is a great drug.
4. Less Accounting
Even though we loathe and despise accounting – it’s something we have to do in business. Our app of choice is Less Accounting and they have an iPhone App! Now I can do the thing I hate the most whenever I want! Damn.
5. Remember The Milk
What was I sposed to do today? Hmm… I’ll check RIM on my iPHone to find out! I’ve been using Remember The Milk for a long time and it’s earned a spot on my iPhone as well – to keep track of tasks on the go.
Email goes without saying – so I did not include it in the list. If you are looking to sync your iPhone with Google as I recently have – check out this great tutorial from Jesse Stay…
What apps do you use everyday to help run and manage your business? Let us know in the comments!
by Andy Brudtkuhl on June 16, 2009
Barry Diller says the future of the web – within 5 years – is a paid system. He says the only thing missing right now is a streamlined billing system – like Amazon’s “one-click” buy now option (which is actually patented by Amazon).
Barry Says
“I absolutely believe the Internet is passing from its free days into a paid system. Inevitably, I promise you, it will be paid,” Diller said in a keynote discussion opening up the Advertising 2.0 conference held at his company’s futuristic glass building alongside the Hudson River in Manhattan. “Not every single thing, but anything of value. “
The fact that content and services on the Internet so far have been largely supplied for no charge is “an accident of historical moment that will be corrected,” he said, in an era of “creative chaos” that will span the next three to five years.
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by Andy Brudtkuhl on June 10, 2009
It’s nice to know I’m on the same wavelength as Jeremiah Owyang. You see I had this post in the oven a couple days ago and he drops a post on the exact same topic – “Hotels: Don’t Charge Us For Internet Use“.
I am traveling the rest of this week and need to get some work done – but I am dreading the $10/day WiFi charge that is likely to await me at the hotel. Jeremiah makes some good points on why your hotel should provide free WiFi. His first point is that providing free WiFi will likely keep him on the property longer, which means he’ll spend more money and have more meetings there. The second point is even better – free WiFi will encourage guests to rate, register, etc your hotel and surrounding areas – which will only help your presence and reach on the web.
For some that’s not enough ROI and for that I have two additional suggestions. First off, have your guests opt-in to an email newsletter before granting WiFi access. By having them opt-in to your email marketing campaign you get something in return for the added value of free WiFi. You can now send them permission based promotions, deals, coupons, and “sponsored attractions” (see below).
Another option is to send the free WiFi surfer to a landing page before they are “let out” onto the internets. On this page you can sell advertising placement to surrounding restaraunts, bars, and attractions. This will more than pay for the free WiFi.
So if just being a good host doesn’t give you enough ambition for providing free WiFi – here are some real business reasons for doing so. Now go – take down the walls.
For fellow travelers – here’s a Guide To Hotels With Free WiFi (and a list of of those that have fees)
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by Andy Brudtkuhl on April 2, 2009
Everyone loves the membership model, aka “subscription” model. Businesses love it because it is guaranteed residual revenue. Consumers love it because it is easy for them to get what they want at a fair price with the opportunity to opt out at any time. The also like it because it helps eliminate additional choices. The model is universal and the web facilitates it better than ever.
As an example we have recently launched Web Strategy Workshop – a blog/community site with a business model. That business model is based on a freemium membership model. We give you tons of value and interaction for free. But we will also be providing premium content to paying members. Sounds simple enough and its easy to implement with information products – but how can the model work for existing businesses? Here are some examples I have been thinking of recently…
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