10 Pin Bowling

Bowlers roll a heavy ball along a smooth lane and try to knock down as many of the 10 pins as possible. Points are awarded for the number of pins demolished. Bonuses are given for a "strike" when every pin is knocked over in one attempt.

Player Profile

The only essential is the ability to learn, though endless practice, the techniques of ball control. Age is no barrier: American Dick Weber was 72 when he won the 2002 professional Bowlers Association title.

Equipment and Protection

Come as you are - The only clothing required is that it allows easy movement of the arms and legs.

Sure Footing - The shoe on the leading foot has a rubber sole to give traction: that on the back foot has a leather soleto permit sliding.

Bowling Ball - Balls are traditionally plain black, but many now are finished in any colour and sometimes have patterned designs.

Need2Know

The game emerged in the United States in the 1920s. The first British alleys opened in London in 1960.

One of the most prestigious competitions is the annual Weber Cup. Team Europe compete against Team USA in the equivalent of golfs Ryder Cup.

Pins and Balls

Pins and Balls were once made simply of wood, but the former are now synthetic or plastic - coated wood, while the latter are made of plastic, urethane, epoxy or a combination of these materials. For recreational 10 - Pin bowling, balls come in various weights to suit the strength of the player

The Ball - A full size competition ball weights 7.25kg (16Ib). Its surface is entirely smooth apart from grip holes for a thumb, middle finger, and ring finger.

The Pins - The pins are all uniform height and shoulder be 11.4cm wide at the belly. They each weigh 1.47 - 1.64kg (3Ib 4oz - 3Ib 10oz)

Life in the Fast Lane

The bowling lane is made of 39 planks of polyurethane or wood. On either side of it are semicircular gutters to collect off-target balls. Most public bowling alleys have retractable guard rails that can be lowered into place on the lane-side of the gutters: these are normally brought down to assist players who lack the strength to control the balls. Contestants must release the ball before reaching the foul line, and having bowled, they must not overstep onto the lane.

After every turn, the balls are automatically returned to the approach area along a raised, sloping trackway mounted on the rightand side of the lane.

Lane Law

In competitive 10 - Pin, each player has 10 frames, each of which consist of two attempts to knock down as many pins as possible. One point is scored for every pin that is knocked down. Contestants who demolish all 10 pins at the first attempt are awarded a strike, for which they earn a bonus of whatever they score in the following frame. So the points scored for the two balls after the strikeare counted twice. If the player knocks down all 10 pins in two attempts, he or she is awarded a spare, the bonus for which is double the number of points scored with the first ball of the following frame. If there is still at least one pin standing sfter the second attempt, it is called an open frame

If You Ain't First, You Might As Well Be Last.

Most of us are at an age where we can appreciate advances in technology, but still remember simpler times.

What if phonebooks were still the lifeblood of your customers’ business searches? Where would you want your business to be listed? Buried under a misspelling in the white pages? Among a list of hundreds of similar businesses in the yellow pages? Prominently featured on the cover? If you were in business 20 years ago, you may even remember some competitors intentionally starting their business’ name with an “A” or “B” because they wanted to rise to the top of searches by the way people were looking for them—alphabetically. A business could be lost in a sea of names if it wasn’t positioned to be found.

Fast-forward to the digital age and online rankings are much like the phone book. If people know the exact title of your business, they can track you down fairly quickly. However, if people are searching for someone in your business category on the web (as is the number one search method), there may be hundreds, thousands, and yes, sometimes millions of businesses that trump yours in the search results. Is it your habit to click through multiple pages when you do a search? If people cannot find what they are looking for on the first or second page, they generally don’t keep scrolling through other listings, they re-phrase their search words. Roughly translated, this means if you aren’t first, you might as well be last.

Did you know?

- 8 out of 10 people search online when looking for product information
- 85% of people ignore paid links
- 63% of the links naturally listed at the top of Search results are opened
*source: Search Engine News

Your Design Online partners with you and takes a personal interest in making sure your business shows up correctly in the “white pages,” outranks your competition in the “yellow pages,” and is placed in front of other businesses through a prominent feature on “the cover.”

Seeking LT Meaningful Relationship With An SEO And Design Firm?

Growing a business. Becoming a leader in your industry. It takes guts and gusto, perhaps a bit of trial and error, and a definite willingness to break away from the pack and step out on your own.

If you’re a master chef who wants to open an exclusive restaurant, an inventor who wants to open a widget shop, a top-notch consultant who wants to increase business—you have a special talent to share with the world and may not have the time or wherewithal to become a jack of all trades in related business matters.

This is where engaging other go-getters in long-term business relationships is essential. There are two areas no business can afford to be lax in: establishing your presence and communicating with your customers. And if that’s not your forte, then it’s time to partner with a company whose specialty is just that.

Can you do it yourself? Many novices try. There are even templates out there to help you. But have you ever noticed that not even those who sell templates use a template to market their own business! If you are serious about your business’ image and reach, you need to place your signature on the industry and stand above the crowd. How can you do that?

Seek out a design firm that

1)    Wants to get to know and understand your business

2)    Has the time and staff to dedicate to your needs

3)    Can show you specific examples of other businesses they’ve branded and marketed

4)    Exhibits good communication skills

5)    Will work to continually grow and groom your web presence

6)    Speaks in layman’s terms and has a plan that makes financial sense

7)    Is well-rounded in design, marketing, and social media

8)    Can reasonably maintain a long-term, personal relationship with you.

You can attempt a relationship with anyone. Like all successful long-term relationships, it really boils down to finding someone who really sees and can bring out the very best in you and who will champion who you are. Where will you look for that kind of relationship in the business realm?

Welcome to YDO. It all starts here.

To learn more visit www.yourdesignonline.com.

Up Next: The Path to Enlightenment: Harnessing the Power of the Internet to Grow your Business

SEO, Website Design, & Social Media: Don’t Go At IT Without A Plan To Customize

Choosing a web development group to build and optimize your website, run your social media, shoot video, and truly be the media push your company needs is a very important decision. Reallocating yesteryear’s print media dollars to the new online media market through a web firm that promises to get your business noticed on the Internet is a necessary, albeit risky decision. On one hand, we contend it is the best advertising money a company can spend. On the other, it is also the quickest way to flush your budget if you choose a web development group that cannot deliver on its promises.

The number one thing we’d encourage you to address when interviewing search engine optimization (SEO) companies is CUSTOMIZATION.  That’s because as much as website optimization companies tout that they offer the golden ticket to high Internet rankings and traffic galore, the reality is there is no one special formula.

You heard us right. Believe us, we wish there were a magic bullet to bring all of our beloved small to medium sized business right to the top of the heap—and don’t get us wrong, we can and do help our clients achieve the results they desire. However, we do it through a very detailed and customized strategy built specifically around each company and its objectives.

Can you run your business through the template mill and come out with something decent? You bet. But looks are only screen-deep. When you have something all flashy and pretty that still doesn’t come up in your customers’ search results, something is not right.

Look for a company that builds the back end of the website as well as the “front end” pages that your customers see. This includes planting key words and constantly cycling fresh and relevant content through your site. It means interacting with your readership and interlinking all of your efforts so you can rise to the top of the holy grail of Internet rankings: Google’s search results.

Most importantly, look for an SEO firm that will take the time to sit down and get to know your company from the inside out. Be open to hearing anything from your SEO team: from challenging your current messaging strategies or company image to tweaking the finer points of your delivery.

Finally, look for a company with an expansive portfolio, proven results, and longevity. Believe us, the only way to stay in business for any length of time as an Internet advertising agency is to constantly deliver outstanding results to our client base. And we do.

Are you in search of an SEO or website design firm? Start here. We’ll help you get the answers you need and the results you desire. Where can we help you start?

What Have You Done For Me Lately, Web Designer? Welcome To THe Advent Of New Web Advertising

Did you have your website built or revamped last year? Has it been longer than that? If you’ve been looking around and putting two and two together, you’ve probably figured out it’s missing some pretty significant upgrades. Have you noticed “Like” or “Like us on Facebook” suggestions everywhere from physical media to websites? Just 12 short months ago, there was no such thing. How about those QR codes you see stuck on the bottom of posters and on magazines and newspaper inserts? Those little black and white squares offer people a chance to hop on your website with a simple scan of their smart phone.

If you don’t have either of these features associated with your business, it’s time you ask your development team, “What have you done for me lately?” and it’s time to integrate those features into your web-marketing plan.

What can the Like button and QR code do for your business? Certainly help you keep up with your competition and offer you a lot of credibility. How so? According to Entrepreneur magazine, Americans spent over $3.4 billion on mobile shopping last year. The same study indicates that spending on mobile phones is expected to reach $163 billion in the next four years.

How much of that should be your piece of the pie?

Additionally, consumers feel confident when spending with a company who has a strong likeability factor on Facebook. Peer approval places you eons higher than self-promotion and is truly priceless in the world of advertising.

Remember, when seeking a web developer to brand and promote your company, it’s important to look beyond brilliant designs and understand exactly how the company can work with you. Your presence on the Internet should keep up with the constant evolution of the web and the ways your customers use instant media to find your company and spend with you.

If your social media and web design firm hasn’t offered you these vital features, talk to them about it or start interviewing other Internet design companies. Your business cannot afford to be in the wrong hands!

We’re happy to answer any questions, any time. We can also help you link your Twitter account into your business so you can tweet breaking news, company specials, fun quips, announcements, and more. We can do the same with Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many more!

Many thanks for your readership!

~Your Atlanta web development professionals at Your Design Online

The Number One Key To Continual Online Business Growth

Companies approach Your Design Online all the time with one main objective behind their web development and social media marketing: Grow my business!

Much like considering medical options with your doctor, website marketing and design is built around professional opinion that stems from previous case studies and an educated point-person.

Take for instance, a person who has heart trouble. A doctor will assess that person’s health, explain their medical condition, and then make recommendations based on his or her findings. The recommendations could range from a change in diet and exercise, to incorporating stress reduction techniques, taking medication, or having surgery. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to health, just as there is no one-size-fits-all approach to website development and marketing. Both scenarios, whether it’s your personal health or your business posture, require a long-term commitment to goal-oriented, productive behaviors.

What kind of long-term commitment are we talking about when it comes to website design and marketing?

For one thing, contrary to popular belief, you can’t just build a website, hit the “launch” button, and forget about it. That was all good ten years ago when the Internet was still one-dimensional and less interactive. Websites that function well today require attention. This can come in the form of:

•       Fresh video content

•       Regularly scheduled blogs

• Updated news feeds
• Active social media links
• Inviting and responding to guests’ comments
• Posting helpful tips
• Linking valuable and relevant sites
• Rotating customer-centric promotions or sales
• Featuring customers and testimonials
• Games or contests
•  Live video webinars
• Moving “ticker” updates and industry news trends

What are your impressions when you stop in a brick and mortar store and their parking lot is empty? Do you believe that the business is floundering? That’s how most people perceive stagnant websites. The number one key to business growth today is to keep your message in motion and appear “alive and responsive” through your online presence.

Your Design Online can train your internal team to keep your website rolling with fresh content, or we offer website maintenance in various packages designed to meet your ongoing web marketing goals. We even work with independent business owners to help them maximize their time, message, and presence while building their business.

What are your favorite websites, and why? How can you capture those elements and raise your website to the next level?

Let’s start the conversation. Meet us on Facebook or call one of our team at 1 (800) 698-5859 to learn more today.

Using Your Monitoring Program

So you’ve decided to implement a monitoring program. Whether you went with a small entity like Trackur or Hubspot, or a mega-engine like Google News or IceRocket, you are on the right path by monitoring what is being said about your business and what is trending in your industry. Now that you are onboard, your work is not done. Consider this the largest of all customer service arenas—where your reputation can flourish or sour depending upon how you choose to play. We’d love to share some winning tips with you:

Don’t Come up Empty-Handed

Say, “So long!” to the old days of no news is good news. Today, no news is a message to people that your company is irrelevant or non-existent. Think about how you use the Internet. You likely look up hotels and restaurants where you plan to vacation, and compare airline prices and rental deals to get you there. You may even search for local stores and service providers by typing “lawn service, Atlanta” or “dentist, Tucson” into your search bar. Once you come up with a few choices, you’ll likely research their reputation and ratings. You hardly have to stroke a key to do that anymore, because so many rating services are tacked onto search results these days that it’s there before you ask for it! If there’s NO buzz about your business, try to generate some. This leads us to our next point:

Invite People to Connect

Invite people to share their positive experiences about you on social media. You can do this by asking them to “Like” you on Facebook or suggesting they share their experience on your industry’s review sites. If they aren’t inclined to do this out of the kindness of their hearts, reward customers through a contest, a freebie, or a coupon—Facebook is the perfect place to run promos like these and generate buzz. Bonus? You’ll have a strong list of your customer base to send future promotions and news.

Use It or Lose It

There is no sense in a monitoring program if you don’t utilize the findings. Once you learn about your company on the Internet, work your findings. Use positive press to generate more press, and quash negative press by killing them with kindness, apologies, explanations, a “thank you” for the feedback, and a promise to do better—and then do so.

Monitor Your Competition

Learn not only what’s being said about your brand, but about the industry as a whole, so that you can proactively respond to positive or negative press. If there’s been a new development in your industry, take the opportunity to weigh in on what’s happening and how it will or won’t affect your business. If your competitor did something to garner negative press, consider staying on the high road by not adding to the negativity, but do combat any transfer of credibility issues if they exist.

Accept this New Groove

Social media is here to stay, much to the chagrin of traditionalists who miss their now defunct local newspaper and resist technological addiction unlike many of their younger counterparts. Instead of detesting media’s rapid evolution, embrace its possibilities. A good Internet solution provider can help you customize and focus your goals so you’ll soon be a leader in your market. Talk to your media expert or website designer about how to integrate and use a monitoring program to cultivate social media topics and stay in touch with your consumer base.

Work It..Own It! Fostering The Relationship With Your Online Customers

Today we’d like to take a look at the psychology of online consumerism since so many of our Internet clients are in the business of selling a product or service. When you’re on the other side of the register as a consumer:

·         When will you opt to purchase the more expensive of two similar items?

·         When do you drive out of your way for a particular service?

·         What prompts you to spread the word about an experience you’ve had with a company?

The answers to all three questions are similar. Something sets the company apart as extraordinary.

We’d like to share Scott and Linda’s story. They wanted to freshen up the look of their kitchen without incurring a lot of expense. We think their story will aptly demonstrate how a buyer approaches Internet purchasing:

After seeing a segment about countertop refinishing on a morning show, Linda researched countertop refinishing kits on the Internet. Of course she came up with many search results, but like most people, stuck to the first two pages of the 159,000 links that appeared.

Linda quickly discovered that there were an abundance of companies that offered these kits. Now she had to educate herself about color selection, durability, application techniques, and price-point expectations.

She was led to YouTube where she watched several videos about product application. She read through people’s feedback and opinions, viewed samples, and selected the look she liked and the application method Scott would prefer (considering this would move to the top of his honey-do list!).

Now that Linda knew what she wanted, she refined her search to select the company from which to purchase the materials. The one that continually caught her eye during her search to purchase was also a website she’d frequented during her research phase. The company was very professional, clear and concise in its demonstration videos, had pages of customer-submitted before and after pictures, and listed scores of glowing reviews from their customers.

The spokesperson on the website even showed customers how they could create their own color and pattern variations if they did not like the standard ones available in the kits. This was a feature both Scott and Linda loved because they wanted to achieve a look that was a cross between what two kits offered.

None of these benefits closed the deal, however, until Linda came across negative reviews on the website. Customers who had complaints about the company’s product or service ultimately led Scott and Linda to decide to purchase from this company. Understanding why is where businesses like yours can overcome a marketing flaw that so many people make—removing negative feedback in an effort to save face.

This company left customers’ negative comments in their feedback section and then tacked on all of their correspondence regarding the matter. What this demonstrated to Scott and Linda was integrity and ownership. It proved that the company didn’t scrub their site (remove any negative remarks) in the name of making themselves look better. They addressed everything from product complaints when they switched suppliers, to shipping snafus when they were overwhelmed with orders after appearing on the morning show. Any potential customer could clearly see that if they encountered a problem, the company would take care of them promptly and to their satisfaction.

To Scott and Linda, this peace of mind was worth the extra 30% they wound up paying by ordering the kit from this company versus a less expensive competitor with kits that looked the same. The alternate company appeared to have the same type of product line, but had a minimal online presence that indicated that it would back its products if their customers encountered a problem. This example illustrates that what a company doesn’t say can be detrimental to their sales.

The lesson you can apply to your business marketing is this: Embrace opportunities to show your potential customers how they will benefit from doing business with you. Prove that customers should go the extra mile or pay a premium price for your product or service. Set yourself apart as extraordinary. Work your site and publically own and correct your mistakes, proving that while your company may not be infallible, it will make things right with the customer every time. This has turned out to be marketing genius for the companies who do it right. Will yours be one of those companies?

If you want to take your website to the next level, integrate your social media platforms, or set up a customer feedback or photo submission page, please contact one of our web design consultants to learn more.

Yikes! So You're Catching Some Bad Reviews Online: Here's What To Do

We get a lot of questions about how to counteract negative online reviews so we thought we’d give a more detailed brief on the topic.

Of course the first you may hear about a serious complaint is through an online customer review board or service-rating site, and then your reaction is understandable: Yikes! There’s no telling how much damage that’s going to do to your business, and you can hardly take an eraser to the Internet. Why didn’t this person address it with you or one of your managers personally? Here are some suggestions to counter negative online reviews.

Fix It

The first and obvious suggestion is if you are hearing a common complaint, stop defending it and fix it. Perception is people’s reality so regardless of the excuse, if you are receiving multiple complaints about the same thing, it’s going to hurt your reputation. Listen to the repetition. Sure, you’ll get a few people who are snarky and just have to spout off their opinions to the world because they think they have something clever to say. But if you keep hearing the same complaints about being overpriced, delivering poor quality goods or services, or having a complacent or rude person on staff, make those online review boards your best friend. Start by a) heeding the repetitive feedback b) correcting the problem c) publishing a response to the review that acknowledges the feedback, letting the world know you care and have addressed the problem.

Apologize

Many reviews have an online user ID they must associate with their comments. Reach out to your complainers and ask them how you can make it right. That doesn’t mean you need to give them something free, but rather, listen to them, take note, thank them for their feedback, and tell them you are interested in fixing the problem. Ask them to give you another try, and tell them to ask for you or a manager by name during their next service or buying experience.

Monkey Pile on Top of the Bad Ratings

Few companies will admit to doing so, but some will have their trusted friends and employees hit the ratings charts and brag up their company. You can usually spot those reviews when you see many reviews in a short window of time and the reviews don’t have any suggestions or even a slight comment of negativity. Even glowing reviewers tend to leave a short comment about a needed area of improvement.

Instead of falsely inflating the buzz about your company, run an in-house campaign so that when customers mention they’ve reviewed you online, they receive, for instance, a free spot remover kit with an in-home carpet cleaning.

You can turn Internet rating sites into your friend. They can be very useful if you open your mind to what is being said about your company. Are you ready to give it a try? Start by Googling common terms associated with your company plus the word “review” and see what others are saying about you.

Should You Blame The Designer If Your Website Doesn't Feel Right

Not really. What browser are you using and which version is it? Funny how most websites look funky on IE (Internet Explorer), particularly the older versions i.e. IE 6, 7 and 8, yet everything looks fine on other browsers. Keeping it simple, the look and formatting of your website is contained in a CSS file (cascading style sheets). Problems occur when some browsers interpret the CSS differently. This has been and still is a challenge for web designers. Unfortunately, IE holds over 40% of the web browser usage share worldwide so we have to deal with it.

Part of our website launch process includes cross-browser compatibility checks, and we do our very best to get rid of the inconsistencies. Occasionally there may remain tiny irregularities, but the essential elements of the site are not compromised.

Technology moves very fast and so are the standards for web design. Ideally, sites must look pixel prefect on the newest browsers although we remain perceptive that there are still people using the older versions of these internet browsers.

For our clients and internet users alike – staying up to date as far as the operating system and web browser is always beneficial. Not only do we get more security while surfing the web but it substantially adds to positive user experience. If you are curious how your site looks like when viewed on other browsers, you may install other browsers on your computer or try some online tools like Browser Shots and Browsrcamp. You’ll be able to get a feel of how web designers and developers diagnose most site flaws.

Anyway, we try to get this covered as much as we can so our clients don’t have to worry about it and we are constantly working out solutions to combat issues such as this. Your Design Online goes all-out to deliver quality websites at all times.