Little did I know, I was also learning how to build effective and usable websites for all types of people, not just musicians.

Over the last few years the web has become an everyday extension of brand marketing and everything that makes up the digital ecosystem that we have all come to experience on a daily basis.

Naturally, from web designs for musicians came businesses and non-profits and eventually I realized that I needed to branch out and build websites for all types of people

Recently, I launched my freelance portfolio and I have been shocked at the response I’ve received. My inbox is full of requests for web designs.

This is really an exciting time for me. I’m trying something new and I can’t thank my friends and family enough for your encouragement and support.

So what is all this stuff?

What is a domain? What is hosting?

DOMAIN

Dub. Dub. Dub. (aka. WWW dot.) www.example.com. Double-U, dOUBLE-u, Double-u DOT.

Your domain name is your web address. Think of it just like your home address. When you buy a domain name, you are buying a plot of land on the World Wide Web. Once you’ve got the plot of land of the web, you can start building the house.

HOSTING

This is the house. This is the architectural structure, the behind-the-wall framing. All of your website pictures and videos and text will need walls to hang on, won’t they?

A web hosting service is a type of Internet  service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web.

DESIGN

This is paint, the colors, the decoration. When most people think about building a new website this is the first thing they think about. In reality, the design is a culmination of the creative elements and the architectural elements coming together.

My Design Process

To kick things off, I work on the overall layout/ architecture of pages, content, photographs, links etc. I develop a prototype/ wireframe which helps illustrate a few page layout options.

Then we focus on the creative elements.  Things like:

• colors
• photography
• imagery
• branding elements.

Once I have the architecture mapped out AND and the creative elements agreed upon, it’s time to Build the Website.

On the SEO front,  I help determine what you need to write about, what keywords to use and how to link it all together so that Google will find and index your website.

If you are in need of a website, a blog, heck- even an app, that’s right, I can even help with building iPhone apps. Let me know- And thanks again!

Hire Me

photo credit: twm1340 via photopin cc

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

Don’t worry, I haven’t moved far.I am still living in Arlington, although my commute has gotten slightly longer as I am working from the Corporate Headquarters in Falls Church, Va.

As the Web Content Manager  for this industry-leading IT integrator and service provider I have an opportunity to showcase my talent for creating and overseeing digital marketing content in a dynamic and fast paced work environment.

I am creating SEO best practices for on-page content generation, particularly with regards to keyword optimization and content generation, title/meta tag creation, and internal linking strategy. All fun stuff.

When I was interviewing for this job I remember taking a few days to write out the pros and cons- both of leaving my previous job at Business Wire as well as the risks associated with taking a new job.

After taking a highlighter to the job description, I was blown away how well everything lined up for me. It was a perfect fit:

It fit. After 1 month in it’s safe to say that I’m having fun, learning a lot and really excited for the challenges ahead. In the end, we are building a world class marketing model for a $16 billion company. Who wouldn’t be excited?

You Can’t Move Forward Without Looking Back

I spent 5 great years with Business Wire and I learned a lot from my first job after college.

Business Wire allowed me to explore my interest in all things ‘digital’, from SEO and social media, to marketing and online strategy. In 2009, for a period of 6-8 months, I was even conducting national webinars for Business Wire’s Award Winning webinar series.

This access and transparency on what Business Wire was building and how we were building it allowed me to feel a part of the process.

My relationship with with my boss, Josh Rehrer was the hardest factor to overcome mentally when deciding to accept a new job- knowing that I was walking away from a great mentor and partnership. Josh and I developed a very close and unique professional/personal relationship- he was the best manager and friend I could have ever asked for.

This new challenge will undoubtedly broaden my skill set in all things digital. From SEO and Social Media, to Demand Generation and Content Creation; I am truly at the intersection of content, design & delivery  of news & information on the web.

Wish me luck!

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

Last year, whispers and gossip of industry influence filled every room.

Ideas and opinions of the web and Investors Relations spread like wildfire, while social media and twitter filtered into a quiet back-channel of web savvy individuals interested in the use of Social Media for IR.

The National Investor Relations Institute Annual Conference is a melting pot of information and ideas for the Investor Relations community to think on over the next year or so.

Well- here we are a year later and we’re still talking about Social media and IR.

I consider the use of social media and the web for investor relations a likely avenue for future Investor Relations efforts- however social media is a relatively new communication channel which will continue to evolve.

As part of this learning curve, PR pros and IR pros alike will continue learning the skills necessary to effectively communicate online in partnership with all of the existing communication channels.

The most effective communicators are experts at ALL methods of interaction- phone, email, online, they are able to use all forms of communications be it oral & written; online & in-person.

You don’t stop calling someone- just because you can text them. You don’t stop calling someone- just because you can email them.You spread the communication methods to broadly reach the maximum audience.

For investor relations, the main takeaway is: how do you communicate with investors?

There is such a fine balance between the hard and soft skills required for an IRO to effectively communicate. It is important to understand the PR side of how to tell a story and impart information to listeners. It is also important to maintain an understanding  and use the financial data to tell that story from the IR point of view.

Widely distributing and effectively telling a story is the name of the Investor relations game. Social Media and the web are simply a new piece to that story-telling puzzle.

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

Organizations are learning what is most important in managing social media- namely, being agile enough to take an opportunity and use it to respond and engage with customers online and make social media valuable.

[box]Social media is rapidly transforming the way organizations communicate with customers. As a cost-effective way to engage online, social media gives companies broader reach beyond traditional communication methods like email. With a simple post or tweet, businesses can promote products and services, provide instant feedback or support, creating an online community of brand enthusiasts. Staying competitive in today’s fast moving business landscape requires a solid social media strategy.[/box]

The online landscape is more transactional than ever before. As communicators, we have to focus on engagement and what customers do with our products or services. This emerging conversation is facilitated through social media tools- however the tools themselves don’t do your job for you.

“Hitting send on a tweet, or posting a status update on Facebook isn’t the same as doing your job.”- Mike Toner

Nielsen says “people visit 2.9 sites a day, and one of them is Facebook.” In making the case for social media as a business/ communication tool- you will not hear anything more significant than that statement.

If you’re not on social media then you’re ignoring where your best customers spend one-third of the day.

Below is an great infographic which illustrates the WHY, the HOW  and the WHO of social media.

• WHY should we interact with potential customers on social media?
• HOW does social media integrate with your businesses communication strategy?
• WHO is already integrating social media as part of their overall business objectives?

Source:  #E2sday, Social Cast Blog

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

I decided a few years ago that there was a need for a new type of record label. I wasn’t sure why or what I thought the music industry needed, but I know everything was changing.

I founded Renot Records because of two main reasons:

1. I love music
2. I know how to build websites

I am musician myself. That’s me on the drums

[box]“Renot Records has been a work in progress. I decided it was time to just put it out there.”[/box]

I’ve designed and launched more than a dozen individual websites including miketoner.com, twittersongs.com, joshknightmusic.com, constantrevision.com, pixandtoner.com, soapostrophe.com

I also happen to be heavily invested in new music and up and coming bands.

This combination led me to the creation of a web design studio for musicians. Musicians tend to have a funky relationship with the web. I’m focused on making the music shine- let the musicians focus on being creative- that’s my motto.

So here’s the idea:

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

SEO is Measureable:

Tracking the effectiveness of marketing dollars has always been the hard job of advertising and marketing departments.

It’s difficult to track how billboards, print ads and TV commercials bring in customers, and if sales are a direct result of traditional marketing campaigns- “what’s the ROI?”

It makes sense that marketers would move towards SEO and search volume/analytics on keywords. Whether it’s PPC, SEO, Social Media, or Conversion Optimization, through analytics, you can track how a particular campaign directly influences website traffic, leads, and sales. Everyone involved can see the statistics and can change plans to
improve performance.

SEO is Targeted:

Every month, there are 14 billion online searches.Many of those searches are for products and services.

Each industry has keywords that are searched on thousands of times.

Top rankings in the search engine results has the potential to capture a massive demographic that is looking to buy specific products.

As reported in Cornell University’s Eye Tracking study- 56% of searchers click on the 1st search result.

A big difference between traditional marketing/advertising and digital, is search marketing directly hones in on a demographic of customers who are looking to buy a specific product.
While traditional reaches a vast, ambiguous audience, search marketing reaches the right customers at the exact moment they want to buy. Traditional marketing is like blindly casting a wide net.

SEO as Strategy

Good search marketing campaigns achieve a balance between SEO, Paid Advertising, Social Media, and conversion strategies that drive website traffic and turn that traffic into sales. When each of those strategies blend together perfectly, website revenue increases dramatically.

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

From Jan 6- Jan 9, 2011 I will be attending the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow.

The International Consumer Electronic Show draws more than 120,000 attendees with the exhibit space covering more than 1.5 million square feet of the Las Vegas Convention center.

When I first attended CES in 2009 Netbooks were just making their big splash and the big debate was LCD vs Plasma. Their were no Droids, no Tablets and most certainly no 3-D tv’s.

Here’s a quick look at the products that have debuted at CES over the past 20 years:

I am not overly excited about the possibility of tablet computers being the highlight of CES 2011. I already know that Apple will not be exhibiting at the show- (Apple never goes to CES) and the ipad will most likely continue to dominate the market for some time, especially with the prospect of an iPad 2 in the coming months.

It’s hard to tell what will catch my attention this year. I hope to see some amazing 3-D TV’s although I think the manufacturers still need to find a reason to make me WANT a 3-D TV…as I already know that I don’t need it! I also don’t want to wear those stupid glasses.

Here’s a little video from my time out at the 2009 Consumer Electronic Show:

And here are few thoughts on what to expect at CES 2011:

http://mobilelocalsocial.com/2010/what-to-expect-at-ces-2011/

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2010/12/ces-2011-preview-what-we-expect-to-see.html

Let me know if you are going to be at the show- @miketoner on Twitter

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

Tonight, I am speaking to a group of business students at Howard University who are dedicated users of web 2.0 but are looking to be the next ‘gatejumper’ in the world wide web. I plan to talk about Reputation Management online AND the human aspect of becoming a web aficionado. The first point will detail ways you can build online influence using the internet.

“The Internet has leveled the playing field for media, merchandise, communication, location and many other areas.” – Trust Agents

My second point will talk about how involvement in social media will inevitably lead to the risk of “one-way intimacy”- when you are simply pushing your message out to an audience. The important point here is that brands earn our attention through personal intimacy, we must maintain that human touch. We all recognize that companies need to change and begin participating- your job is to find out how to make twitter valuable for your employer or for your own business.

Here is the secret, tie in social media to the overall business goals, not just web-related goals. Track leads and sales from social networking to understands the true impact.

Listen Listen Listen

Lastly and most importantly, don’t focus so much on you and your message.  Figure out how you can help FIRST then speak up.

Website Resources:

Mixergy – Online Business Tips from Successful Entrepreneurs

FastCompany.com – Where ideas and people meet | Fast Company

Books:

Here’s a book I read recently and one that should be in any entrepreneurs bookcase:

Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

My mission is to share with you information and opinions from other people that influence me. I believe that if I can share their passions I can help create a more positive influence in the lives of those around me.

“If you get it, share it” sorta‘ thing…

Here’s a look inside my friends and heroes and while some may not know this firsthand, I admire and learn from you and get my daily dose of humor from you:

These are professionals, leaders, comedians, photographers, teachers, in no particular order:

Tripp, in Living the Truth, your demeanor and outlook always remind me of something larger than myself. Tripp sums a lot of my unwanted anxiety when he writes, “My stress and my worries are often slightly out of perspective.”

Jake: The future is safe with you teaching the next generation of leaders.

Lackeyman, you had the guts to change your major, pursue your dreams and turn your passion for photography, video and allthings multimedia into your life’s work.

Rob, you continually push the envelope with your comedy and your writing.

Geoff, you are a true social believer in social media for social good. I continue to learn the importance of putting the team before the individual- something I believe in and understand the challenge it has become in public relations.

Jonathan, I admire your entrepreneurial spirit.

Meghan: You have an opportunity to influence the direction of the US Army‘s future social media policy and how we learn and communicate with soldiers and their families and all American’s via these new mediums.

Mike: You rocked the DC Improv- keep making jokes.

The past few weeks have been alive with inspiration and hope for me. I am working on blog post which I hope to share sooner than later that involves an editorial calendar and the best way I can convey what this blog is supposed to be about.

I’ve got my mission.

I’ve got my outline.

Stay tuned…

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.

    

For those who think facebook is the extent of your online persona – think again. We are entering a new era and those migrating into social networks are quickly learning how to communicate online.

I like the idea that we are collectively learning and brainstorming how to use social media. Do you think it is a learned skill…?

In Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, Clay Shirky discusses the mass amateurization that comes with social media and what “happens when people are given the tools to do things together, without needing traditional organizational structures.”

So, are you ready to dive in?

S is for Social

Social Media has given individuals an online platform to facilitate the sharing of information. We share ideas, songs, powerpoints- you name it, you can find opinions and ideas about that topic online and this information is now within your social network.

O is for Openness

The social web encourages transparency. There is no way to hide what you say online, everything is searchable and archived. The Freedom of Information age is upon us.

U is for Ubiquitos

Access will be mobile, allowing for constant interacting among individuals through virtual, online portals.

P is for Privacy

The internet and the information being gathered by google, facebook, linkedin, gist and twitter is a gold mine for marketers who want to anticipate our next move and find creative uses of GPS enabled location-tracking devices, like cell phones. When and where I’ll be hungry is a great place for a sidewalk lunch-special sign, isnt it?

What does all this lead to?

Well, it leads to the to optimization of the optimizer or a place where machines can analyze all the data on the Web, and computers behave like personal assistants and ultimately can respond to my questions and recommend my likes and dislikes based upon our prior behavior.

What is your next move online?

-Mike

www.MikeToner.com

Mike Toner

Mike Toner is a freelance web designer from Arlington, Virginia. During the day he works as a Web Content Manager for CSC. By evening, he’s a husband, dog owner and runner. Toner writes about Social Media, SEO and overall online visibility as well as digital marketing trends.