My entrance into the 21st century re: the use of facebook, twitter and even understanding the full potential of having an online version of Athens Now has been a painfully slow one, that is, until Teddy Wolcott came into my life. Teddy, at 71 years young and who describes herself as “older than dirt,” is in my view, the “engineer” of what I have come to call “The Little Search Engine That Could.” More on that later.
Teddy and her brothers are the children of artists, and possess minds which work like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. They’ve been “at it” (i.e. involved with everything that pertains to computers,) a long time, and Teddy totally got my attention when she told me she could build a website from scratch in 12 hours. My ultra-professional response was, “Whoa.” I had been told that our original Athens Now site was going to cost several thousand dollars to renovate, and a common complaint when it comes to website building is how long it takes for a web designer to finish the project. It can also be very difficult to explain what it is that you want, and if you decide to go with a web building kit, the chances are quite good that someone, after observing how you are floundering about, will borrow Dr. Phil’s line and ask, “How’s that workin’ out for you?” In our case, it wasn’t. We were stuck, and the day Teddy called, God smiled on the whole crew at Athens Now.
So it is with total pleasure and gratitude that I announce the “birth” of our new website, WWW.AthensNowAl.Com. It is beautiful, user friendly, linked to everything, and even has a button that lets you read the whole paper while “turning” the pages, much like amazon’s Kindle. It also did not cost me my yet-to-be-born grandchildren to build, for which I am thankful! In a word, the work was exquisite, the price fair, and I am a highly satisfied customer.
Teddy also has her own online “paper,” called WWW.AthensShopLocal.Com, and we are linked to each other, having seen the value of entering into a joint venture relationship. She also is the owner of WWW.TruWebHost.Com, is the manager of more than 100 sites nationwide, and owns her own server. With the launch of the Athens Now website, Athens business owners can get even more traction through the use of what is known as “Search Engine Optimization.”
Because some of our readers are not interested in the Internet and how it can be a powerful marketing tool, I will keep this brief. “Search Engine Optimization,” (or SEO,) is a term that refers to how outfits like Google and Yahoo use and position your Internet ad or entry. The object of the Internet marketing game is to get listed as closely to the top of the Google, Yahoo, Bing or other page as possible, because that is where most folks go to find you. The way to “win” is through the use of what are called “key words.” Key words are a mathematically formulated list of how often certain words show up in your work. The more often the key words show up, the higher up on the Google, etc, list you go. Is your head swimming yet? If it is, that’s why you need Teddy. She “gets” this stuff like you and I can say our ABCs.
Speaking of ABCs, that is the last of Teddy’s projects I would like to talk about. Athens Business Connection is a newly formed business cooperative that is patterned somewhat after BNI, (Business Networking International,)the world’s largest business networking and referral organization. ABC meets every other Tuesday at the HG Asian Bistro on Hwy 72 near S. Jefferson, right next to Taco Bell. The time is 11:30 am til 1pm, and I have both thoroughly enjoyed the contacts I have made, the challenging personal growth I have experienced, and the business I have garnered. Who do I have to thank for getting me into this? God and Teddy, in that order. To contact Teddy Wolcott for your advertising or web building and management needs, or for more information about Athens Business Connection, please call 256-729-0916, “like” her on facebook, or email her at Smartbird@Hughes.Net. You’ll be glad you did!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
