WARNING: Archival Site
This is an old website that exists for archive purposes only. Visit https://gutensite.com for our real live site, website builder and digital marketing services.
Gutenblog
June 2022
June 2022
When is migration required?
Your website on the retro 1.0 version of our platform will continue to function until at least June 2023, and after that we will keep the old platform working as long as is necessary/reasonable to prevent sites from going offline. So in the next year we would love to help everyone migrate to the new platform, because it's just better for you (new functionality, new designs, etc). And we are encouraging that transition sooner than later particularly because the legal ADA compliance requirements for disabled persons are urgent.
Is there a learning curve?
The new version of Gutensite is easy to use. We have a simple introductory training video and our proactive support can continue to assist you as usual. Most editing/management tasks are very simple, so after you learn the basics you'll have no problems.
Is migration free?
We will automatically create a website account on the new platform and migrate all your data/pages from 1.0 to 2.0 for free. But ...
June 2022
June 2022
Over the last few years, we have been working on the overly ambitious project of rebuilding our Website Builder and Content Management System based on modern coding standards, cutting edge design, and advanced functionality. It's been an incredible challenge for our small team, but we're super proud of what we've created. And when our automated billing system is complete in the next few weeks, we will be ready to launch!
The beta testing phase with the first 25 clients was successful and we are now ready to migrate all current client websites from the 1.0 platform to 2.0. Keep in mind that we have limited capacity, so you should start the process as soon as possible to get on our schedule.
Did you notice our new website? It is a great example of what your site can look like on the new platform with a little planning, or look at our home page to see a few other featured sites.
If your website is more than a couple years old, that's reason enough to upgrade, because you are ...
June 2022
June 2022
Did you notice we just launched a new version of our website? Go to https://gutensite.com to see what's new. Look around and imagine how your business could be helped if we transformed your website in the same way. This new site represents a model of how we want to help you leverage our new 2.0 platform to human optimize your website through good strategy, writing, design and functionality, so that it becomes the hub of your Digital Marketing Strategy and funnels visitors to your clearly defined conversion goals.
Read more about how we can help you create your own Website Strategy to be more successful online. Then let's discuss your personal goals and how we can set a scope and budget that will provide you the maximum return on investment.
October 2021
October 2021
In the last few months clients have had a growing paranoia about a growing number of ADA lawsuits (Americans with Disabilities Act) for website accessability. There have been reports of "serial plaintiffs" (driven by profiteering lawyers) filing hundreds of lawsuits against small buisnesses in order to extort settlements. These lawsuits have generally not been filed in good faith by disabled persons truly prevented from accessing services (they could call to receive service if they wanted), most likely are not valid against most marketing focused websites, and most are likely not defensible in court (see below), but the fear alone urges businesses to settle, which prevents clear precedent from being established.
To be absolutely clear, Website Accessbility for disabled persons is very important. It's not only legally required (in some cases), it is morally correct, and it's also in the interest of every organization and business to provide services to all people equally.
But ADA ...
September 2021
September 2021
As part of our ongoing efforts to improve our system and also stay up to date with the changing technology requirements of each MLS, we have created an entirely new IDX Widget that was released to half our clients back in January.
Now it’s also mandatory that we transition the rest of our Realtor clients as well (i.e. MLS Listing, CCAR, Bridge MLS). This transition will happen October 1, 2021, so you have time to migrate any existing Listing Alerts to other systems (most of you already use these features provided by your broker or MLS organization anyway).
This new widget/system is a major improvement over the old system, it has a modern layout with a beautiful large map (and many layout options), better search filters, and is much, much faster. But there are a few rarely used features (specifically "Listing Alerts" and "Favorites") that we have not yet been implemented on the new platform (because they are used only by a handful of people), so these will be temporarily unavailable ...
January 2021
January 2021
We are getting a lot closer to our 2.0 launch, and in the process we are finishing up the new versions of the functionality required to fully replace all features on the 1.0 system. And we are also porting some of these features back to the 1.0 websites. One important feature for Realtors is the widget to search Properties from the local MLS. Our new widget is much improved and has been working wonderfully for the past 8 months on the websites of the private beta clients using our 2.0 platform (see Geoffrey Nelson's Hillsborough Blog or Steve Lessard). This new widget has major improvements over the old system, it has a modern layout with a beautiful large map (and many layout options), better search filters, and is much, much faster.
The new widget is being activated on 1.0 websites in phases. Starting January 19, all BAREIS and SFARMLS feeds will receive the new widget. This is mandatory because they are phasing out their data feeds used by the old system (and only the new widget ...
July 2020
July 2020
We've gotten a lot of inquiries lately from business owners concerned about being sued over website accessibility by disabled persons. This is a complex situation that deserves some attention.
Websites Should be Accessible to All
We want all our websites to be accessible to people with disabilities, so that all visitors can use our client’s services equally. It’s good for disabled visitors and it’s good for our clients, because people with disabilities represent an important customer base. It’s a win win situation for everyone.
If you are aware of any errors on our websites that are in clear violation of ADA compliance or WCAG standards, please alert us and we will immediately evaluate and fix.
Current Gutensite Websites Implement Accessibility Standards
Your current Gutensite website already implements the basic accessibility best practice standards (as a principle, although there could be instances of a few images or links missing some critical code). You can download the ...
June 2020
June 2020
Our 2.0 platform is almost ready for public use! We are finishing up some of the final MVP admin control panel features, working on stabilizing the code and optimizing performance. At the moment we are working with a select few clients who need a new website and are willing to be private beta testers.
We've just finished launching one of these new sites, for a client that has been with us for at least 14 years!
Check it out directly at Geoffrey Nelson's Hillsborough Blog website to see the elegant and modern design, which is mobile responsive with subtle animations and finishing touches. This design is called "Sken" and is free to all users, although Geoffrey has made some minor personal changes to customize it to his taste and communication strategy.
Let us know what you think! And if you are interested in a new website that is modern, beautiful design, built on a robust, enterprise level platform with a powerful API, granular team and visitor user permissions, content ...
March 2020
March 2020
UPDATE April 1, 2020: fill out the new, faster Streamlined COVID-19 Application Form which can include a $10,000 quick advance on the traditional loan.
If you are a small business in an area that has declared a state of emergency related to the COVID-19 crisis, then you are eligible to apply to the Small Business Administration for a Disaster Loan Assistance from the federal government (PDF Fact Sheet). This loans can provide your business $25,000 of working capital (at a reasonable 3.305% rate) to take care of your employees, pay bills, and weather the storm. The SBA usually only denies loans for reasons of low credit (50% approval rate). NOTE: it's unclear if you need to fill out the longer Disaster Loan Assistance if you also filled out the Streamlined Application. For certainty, it's probably worth filling them both out.
You could also use this money to adjust to this new reality, and adapt your business to become more digital and disaster proof.
We don’t know what the future ...
March 2020
March 2020
Could that meeting have been an email? That support phone call, a better online dashboard? That consultation, an e-book? That sale, an online order? How much of what you do in the physical presence of customers could be done virtually?
It’s great seeing each other face to face, and we definitely don’t want to lose this beauty of human contact in life or business. But the world is changing. And whether you and all your customers are under coronavirus quarantine, or you just want to empower your customers under normal circumstances to save time, by giving the option to manage their account or buy your product/service online, it’s time to start thinking about how to expand your business’s digital capacity.
A powerful website should be able to increase leads, facilitate sales, empower self-service, and even augment your revenue by expanding new digital products and services that you haven’t even considered.
If you have a business, you already have the legal and administrative ...
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