There is so much more to Google Apps than a branded email solution. Once you start looking into everything the entire free suite can do, you will be just as amazed as I was.

Email

Google Apps gives you a stable and branded email solution that complements your website.  It’s your own email, addressed to your domain, and stays with you for as long as you own your domain. (more…)

I know you’re excited. We just installed Google Analytics on your site and the dream of increased conversion rates glows brightly in your eyes.  You login and… uh-whaaaaa?  What is this jibber-jabber?  All you see is squiggly lines and a page full of numbers and links to more pages full of even more squiggly lines and numbers.

This is a common reaction to the Google Analytics Dashboard. The numbers look intimidating but with a little help, they’ll soon be your best friend.  The first step of being able to release the power of your site’s analytics is to understand the terms used.  After we get you familiar with what the terms mean, we’ll move on to understanding the way they interact with each other.  But that’s for another time.

So, put on a pot of coffee, grab your spectacles and settle in; I’m going to teach you some key definitions that will help you get the most out of Google Analytics.
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Want to deliver content directly to your shoppers instead of relying on them remembering to come back to your site?

That’s what this series article is all about.  I’ll give an overview of seven different ways to deliver content to your users instead of waiting for them to visit your site.

In this part I’ll explain how to use RSS feeds and product feeds to attract customers.
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AspDotNetStorefront has a built-in Google sitemap that not many people know about.

Google allows website owners to submit sitemaps via Google Webmaster Tools. Submitting a sitemap to Google helps ensure that Google knows about all the pages on your site.

The built-in AspDotNetStorefront Google sitemap is dynamic; it changes as you add new categories, topics, and products to your site.

To get to the Google sitemap, type “googleindex.aspx” onto the end of your URL: www.YOURSITE.com/googleindex.aspx

You should see a page that looks something like this: (more…)

In an earlier post, Ryan posted a few links to some tools to help you increase productivity. Here is a similar list of development related tools that I simply cannot live without.

In development, especially for AspDotNetStorefront, there are two tools which you absolutely must have in order to do any kind of extensive development in the .Net Framework. (more…)

Using your computer effectively takes some practice. These tips save me time and headaches each day and I’m sure they’ll do the same for you.

Read through and give these a try – you’ll be surprised at the great tools available and what you can do with them!

Get the Tools:

1. Desktop Search – Google or Microsoft, they’re both good. The second you don’t know where something is, search for it.
2. Application Launcher - Launchers allow you to get to the screen, folder, or application you want without taking your hands off of the keyboard.I use Slickrun. Another launcher that is used around the office is Launchy.There are lots of these applications available for free.  Find one that works for you and set up your browsers, email, business applications, common folders paths and anything you use on a weekly basis. Get comfortable with this app and read the manual or help file.  You should be using it all the time.
3. A New Text Editor – For me, Word is too slow to load and Notepad is too limited in options. I use Notepad2 and I am very happy with it.  I use Textpad as well, but mostly for searching text within a bunch of files.  If you need to search many files in a folder, Textpad is still the best I’ve found. Notepad++ is also a very good alternative to Notepad2.
4. Multiple  Monitors - Ultramon gives you a taskbar on all monitors and helps you manage your windows on multiple screens.

My new favorite browser is Google Chrome.  I like the way it uses space, the flexibility of the tabs, and plenty more.  I also have the latest releases of Firefox and IE7 on my machine.
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AspDotNetStorefront has a feature that will get your products in front of a whole new audience, and you’re probably not using it.

Setting up product feeds for GoogleBase lets you keep Google Shopping updated on your products automatically. Buried at the bottom of the “Products” section of the ASPDNSF Admin section, you’ll find an item called “feeds.” Then click “Create New Feed” and configure your XML file. After that, set up a GoogleBase account, submit the feed and you’re set.

But, that’s just the beginning. Getting your products placed highly is another story completely.
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