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May 24, 2024
Trigger Warning: Please listen with your best interest in mind
In this episode, Dr. Melody draws from her vast experience to provide crucial guidance on selecting the ideal web developer for your project. She emphasizes the significance of reliability and expertise, advising listeners to proceed with caution based on her own experiences. Her insights are aimed at helping you make an informed decision, ensuring your project's success.
You can listen to the full episode via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Key Highlights:
- Choosing a Web Developer: Melody discusses the importance of getting multiple bids for your website project and the factors that can affect the price and quality of the work. Whether you opt for a professional contractor, a family member, or a major store, the choice can significantly impact your project's outcome.
- The Risks of DIY Web Development: She shares cautionary tales of clients whose websites vanished, highlighting the risks of entrusting your project to someone without a proven track record of reliability.
- Dr. Melody's Commitment to Reliability: With a remarkable consistency in her contact information for over 20 years, Melody illustrates her dedication to being a dependable resource for her clients.
- The Importance of Experience: Dr. Melody's long-standing experience in the field since 1996 provides a strong foundation for her advice and services, offering peace of mind to her clients.
Check out the full transcript at the end.
Dr. Melody White
https://www.onyoursidetech.com/
Office Number: 214 231 4115
Jennifer Wiley
https://www.thejenniferexperience.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thejenniferexp
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thejenniferexperience
TikTok - @thejenniferexp
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejenniferexperience/
Until we meet again, we wish all our listeners well and peace. Thank you for tuning in to this important conversation.
Full episode transcript:
[00:00:10] Jennifer: My guest on today's show is Dr. Melody White. She is a distinguished expert in information systems and technology with a profound career that spans decades, marked by innovative spirit and deep rooted profession and passion for technology. As the visionary founder of On Your Side Technologies since 1996, she has been on the forefront of providing cutting edge technology solutions and services to a myriad of clients, emphasizing small businesses with a tailored IT support. From her earliest interactions with a tandy computer in 3rd grade, Melody's journey in technology has been fueled by her curiosity and a relentless drive to understand and innovate. Her childhood enriched with gadgets, robots and video games alongside traditional choice showcased her affinity for technology. This early interest blossomed throughout her academic and professional career from programming and networking computers in high school to pioneering software for mobile technology as an engineer at Sprint and Ericsson. Holding an advanced degree in MIS from Southern Methodist University, a master's in business, and a Ph. D. in Information Technology, Her academic achievements lay the foundation for her professional expertise. Her research has significantly contributed to coding for novice and artificial intelligence, fields that are at the heart of technology advancement today. Dr. entrepreneurial journey began with the simple realization of her ability to monetize her skill in building websites from scratch, a skill she had self taught and is a mastery over HTML. This revelation led to the establishment of On Your Side Technologies, which has since offered comprehensive consulting and technology integration from business process re engineering to the development of custom websites and mobile applications. Dedicated to demystifying technology for our clients, Dr. White excels in creating solutions that align with their mission, with specialties in website design, maintenance, SEO, and mobile app development. Her approach is not just about providing services, but also educating and empowering business to navigate the complex digital landscape confidentiality. Beyond her professional endeavors Melody is deeply committed to her community, actively participating in her church, sorority, and family activities her work is driven by a genuine heart, a client centric philosophy and embodying the essence of On Your Side Technology's mission to simplify technology. Enabling clients to focus on their core business while without the technical overhead. In a world where technology is ever evolving, Dr. Melody White stands on a beacon of innovation and expertise and compassionate service, making significant strides and bridging the gap between technology and those it serves. Their slogan, On Your Side Technologies, we make technology our lives so you don't have to make it yours. I'm proud to say Dr. Melody White is my friend and I want to welcome her to our show today. Everyone, Dr. Melody White..
Ladies and gentlemen, it's another episode of Different Perspectivez. I have with me today, Dr. Melody White. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a doctor, not in medicine, but in technology. And I am very proud to know her and call her my friend. And not only is she my friend, but she is a trusted partner in The Jennifer Experience. And so I want to welcome her to the show today to give us some little tidbits, and some good tips on technology. Especially if you're an entrepreneur, I urge you to listen to this. I can assure you, you will learn something.But also, it is not common for African American females to have a doctorate in technology. So this is amazing that we get a chance to have this conversation and talk with her today. So ladies and gentlemen, round of applause. Dr. Melody White, everybody.
[00:04:25] Melody: Thank you, Jennifer.
[00:04:27] Jennifer: You're welcome. You're welcome, my dear. So listen, let's talk about the first thing. What made you be a doctorate in technology, girl? Are you a nerd or what? Tell me.
[00:04:36] Melody: I am a nerd, very much so a nerd. Touched my first computer in third grade.
[00:04:41] Jennifer: I touched.
[00:04:42] Melody: Yes, yes.
[00:04:45] Jennifer: You touched.
[00:04:46] Melody: was a Tandy,
[00:04:47] Jennifer: Yes. who?
[00:04:48] Melody: A Tandy, a Radio Shack Tandy computer and after we finished our work, we could either go to the toys and play or we could go play on this computer. And the thing about the computer though, the only thing it had was timetables on it. So you, you were practicing your times table, but I was so infatuated with this box that I would go over there and I would play on it.
[00:05:13] Jennifer: So you knew all your timetables?
[00:05:14] Melody: I did. Yeah. Just play with it. Nobody else wanted to though. So
[00:05:23] Jennifer: So the Tandy was yours?
[00:05:24] Melody: Tandy was mine.
[00:05:26] Jennifer: Okay. Okay, you remember your second computer?
[00:05:29] Melody: The second computer I ever purchased was I worked for JCPenney's, my first job in high school and saved my money
[00:05:39] Jennifer: Hmm.
[00:05:40] Melody: Bought my first computer, which was uncommon at that time for people to have computers because they were expensive. And this particular computer had a whopping 250 megabytes of RAM
[00:05:55] Jennifer: Whopping, ladies and gentlemen, two hundred and fifty.
[00:06:00] Melody: And cost 3, 000.
[00:06:02] Jennifer: That is expensive.
[00:06:03] Melody: It is. And first thing I did, I brought it home and I took it apart. Cause I want to know how it worked, but I did put it back together again. My mother was very upset with me for doing that, but as a child and even growing up, I would get in trouble because I wanted to know how things work. So I would take things apart, alarm clocks, thermostats, all kinds of things. And when I asked my father how the television worked, he hid all the tools.
[00:06:31] Jennifer: My,
[00:06:32] Melody: I just wanted to know how it worked.
[00:06:36] Jennifer: My, my. Okay. Okay. I mean, I can see the fascination, but how long did it take for you to become a doctor in tech? Cause I know when we think a doctor, we think medicine, and I know that takes eight, 10 years. So how long did it take for you to get your doctor in technology?
[00:06:52] Melody: I mean, ultimately it took me 15 years,
[00:06:55] Jennifer: Hmm.
[00:06:56] Melody: But that was because I had to go, off and on,
[00:07:00] Jennifer: You took some breaks. Okay. Like most of us do. Okay.
[00:07:03] Melody: Yeah, single parents taking care of mom, taking care of relatives, just life.
[00:07:10] Jennifer: Right.
[00:07:11] Melody: If I could have just did it like a regular person probably would take me about five years.
[00:07:17] Jennifer: Five years. Okay. So for the next generation coming up, if you want to go and be a doctor of technology, five years, ladies and gentlemen, you can obtain this. You heard it here first. All righty. All right. So how many other African American women did you see in your class? Your doctorate class.
[00:07:41] Melody: Not many, but, when it got to the point that I was writing my dissertation, I really didn't interact with anyone but my chair and my dissertation committee,
[00:07:54] Jennifer: Any of those people, African American?
[00:07:56] Melody: No.
[00:07:57] Jennifer: And that didn't deter you, huh?
[00:07:59] Melody: It did not deter me, no.
[00:08:01] Jennifer: That's what I like to hear. Alright.
[00:08:03] Melody: In a way, I was used to it because my undergrad is in MIS, which is Management Information Systems. So, yeah. It's also IT, and when I majored in this, it was a very new major, so some of my classes were taken in the business school, and some were taken in the computer science building. And so MIS, we're supposed to be the bridge between business people and technology people, computer scientists, because they couldn't talk to each other. Because they speak different languages, but I actually can and have done the same thing that somebody with a computer science degree has done when I was a switch engineer for Erickson. And when I was taking my classes, sometimes I was the only woman, the only African American, and the only American. In my class.
[00:08:53] Jennifer: Wait, say that again for the people in the back that didn't hear you.
[00:08:57] Melody: The only African American. The only woman and the only American in my class. So, if I wasn't in class, everyone knew.
[00:09:07] Jennifer: I take it you weren't absent. Hardly.
[00:09:10] Melody: No.
[00:09:11] Jennifer: Got it. Listen, I'm so intrigued by this. Okay. So now you have your doctorate. You own a company called On Your Side Technologies who, by the way, The Jennifer Experience exclusively employs as our technology company to help us with all of our stuff. What would you say as entrepreneur starting out? Because we really want to talk to entrepreneurs specifically in this moment. When we start out, there are all kind of things thrown at us that we supposedly need right? You know because when you get your website up and running most of us We get a domain and we get with Wix or GoDaddy and all those type of things. In your recommendation as a doctor in technology, what would you recommend for the entrepreneur who's getting a website up and running, for the basic necessity of needs to do that? What would you recommend they do?
[00:10:05] Melody: The number one thing I would suggest for anyone getting their website up and going is to make sure that your domain name is in your name. If it is not, whomever's email address is attached to that domain name. That's who it belongs to. So I have helped clients before where they had a friend that helped them. They had college students, just helped them set up their domain name and their website. And then something happens, either they have a disagreement or the person disappears, the person changes their telephone number or they can't find them anymore. Now they want to do something different with their domain name or their website and they can't do it because they can't even get into the login credentials for the domain name. And if it belongs to someone else, there's literally nothing you can do to get it. Unless they let it lapse, and even then when they let it lapse, the company that maintains domain names kind of keeps it in limbo for about 90 days. So even if that elapsed for about 90 days, it's unavailable. And then if somebody gets it before you do, then you just lost your domain name.
[00:11:32] Jennifer: Now? I could tell you, and shout out to Nicole D Harrison company, because when I first started, my website, she did my website and I know what you're saying is true. Because I recently had to renew my, yearly domain fee and it came up to where I had to switch it over, I guess, from when she started it. And again, this is what happens when you, you deal with good people. Now, her email was on there and of course she had to authorize them to change the email from mine to hers. Which was no problem because again, I deal with good people. But to what Dr. Melody is saying, if you deal with what she was talking about, then you'll be in a world of trouble because there goes your domain. And like, for instance, with me, if I didn't have thejenniferexperience.com, I mean, that's the name of my company. I'd be in a whole lot of trouble. So first you're saying, make sure that your domain is right. Okay. Do you think. GoDaddy or Wix is, one is better than the other. Do you recommend starting off with the big package? Cause you know, they have packages. I think they have like a basic package and then they have like a business package and they have like a premium. Like, do you have a preference of those? You have a recommendation?
[00:12:38] Melody: My recommendation is to know what you want your website to be used for. Websites have a lot of different functions. Some people they're just using their website for information. Some are showing their work. Like if they're an artist or like me on my website, I have pictures, a gallery of my work. I also use my website to tell people about my company so that they will hire me for their technology needs. Non profits really need a website because anytime you try to get a grant, the first thing they do is look at your website. And I have several website, non profit website clients, so I know this is true. I get referrals from them all the time, especially when people are just starting their non profit and they're applying for these grants and they always say, what's your website? They want to see your information. So just make sure you understand because once you know what you want your website to do or what the purpose is from there, you can kind of decide what package you need, if any package, because technology is a tool to help you with your business. And many people just put up a website and they don't think about what this website is supposed to do for my business. And so sometimes they get sold too much or they have too many tools and they're not interacting because everybody has a recommendation. Everybody says get this or get that. You need this kind of app. You need that kind of app. And they throw all these things at you. And if you're not a technology person, you may not know this is not necessarily what I need. One thing I really try to do is be very honest with my clients, even to the point that sometimes I've had people tell me that if I was just a little bit less giving, I would probably make more money, but I do not like people to be taken advantage of. And I really care about my clients. I really want to make sure that they have what they need to be successful because technology can get expensive.
[00:14:57] Jennifer: You know, technology is expensive. As a business owner, Dr. Melody, technology is expensive. but I can attest to what she is saying, because even I with her working with me and for me, she saved me some money. And I know this. And hasn't probably had the heart to charge me what she should. But we bless God today for that. Thank you. And so, you know, I want to know also when it comes to setting up your business, because you didn't really say, do you prefer Wix over GoDaddy? You don't want to say?
[00:15:31] Melody: Well, I'll be honest with you.
[00:15:33] Jennifer: I prefer Wix.
[00:15:34] Melody: She prefers Wix.
[00:15:36] Jennifer: And I, I prefer Wix because GoDaddy did my nonprofit not very well. So I am going to say, I don't care who hear, I prefer Wix because my experience with GoDaddy was not a good one and GoDaddy you can reach out to me at the www.jenniferexperience.Com if you want to compensate me for that. But as of right now, GoDaddy, I don't like you. I prefer Wix. Wix has served me well. Dr. Melody, your opinion?
[00:16:02] Melody: So I typically do custom websites. If someone has a Wix, Weebly, or GoDaddy site builder
[00:16:11] Jennifer: Oh, did you say, what was the other one? Weebly?
[00:16:15] Melody: There's lots of different site builders, but those are some of the main ones that most people will probably be familiar with, but there's tons of site builders. If someone's site is already built and they want me to maintain their site, I will do that, but I don't build sites in Wix, like from scratch. And it's mainly because Wix and Weebly and those site builders are made for people who kind of really don't do websites. It's kind of very constrained as in. It has templates for you to use and boxes for you to put stuff in, which is fine. You can build a very nice website in Wix. Again, it's preference, but if people would go to my site and look at some of my work and they will want that particular work in Wix, the programming I'd have to do in a background and make that stuff work would be better for me, for them to just pay me to build a new site.
[00:17:15] Jennifer: And your site is?
[00:17:17] Melody: onyoursidetech.com. It's T E C H, short for On Your Side Technologies
[00:17:23] Jennifer: So let me get to show you what you're saying is. as a custom website maker, you prefer to use.
[00:17:30] Melody: Wordpress.
[00:17:31] Jennifer: WordPress. I see. Okay. And so Wix and Weebly, I think you said,
[00:17:37] Melody: Weebly
[00:17:38] Jennifer: Those are considered what? Hosting sites?
[00:17:41] Melody: So they actually have their hosting and their builder built into one because your website has three parts. You have your domain name, which is like the address to your house. And then the hosting would be like an empty house. And then your website would be like the furniture in the house. And you can actually have a domain name without a website. Without hosting, but you cannot have a website without hosting because, when there's hosting, it's put on a specialized computer that's attached to the internet that then allows people to find your website because most people don't have a server in their house to do that.
[00:18:25] Jennifer: I hope y'all are listening because she's really, educating us. So let me go back to one thing that you said, and I want to do a little bit more education for the people on this too. I'm assuming what you're saying is and correct me if I'm wrong, cause you're the doctor in this. I'm not. What you're saying is certain people need certain types of sites based on how and what they're selling. Is that what I'm hearing? So for instance, like with my site, I do sell some type of services. But I also have stuff for you to look at and read to a certain extent. and then you have some people who don't sell anything at all.
[00:19:02] Melody: Right.
[00:19:03] Jennifer: So tell me what's the difference in the type of site they would need?
[00:19:07] Melody: I mean, their site would be like an informational site.
[00:19:10] Jennifer: Okay.
[00:19:11] Melody: When you build your site, you have to think like your customer. Why would my customer, my target market go to my site?
[00:19:19] Jennifer: That's good. When you build your site. Ladies and gentlemen, think like your customer. You heard it here, Dr. Melody said, when you build your site, think like your customer. Got it. Point one, go ahead.
[00:19:34] Melody: I mean, think like your customer and then know from there that should help you start building what kind of content you want on your site. And really that's the best place to start because oftentimes. People will go to your website and look for information before they even call you. And people ask for a website. Sometimes people might see your email address. If you have an email address that has your domain name at the end and they might from there go to your website and just look you up and see what that's all about or what you do.
[00:20:07] Jennifer: Do you think it's important to have an email address hooked to your website versus having just a regular Gmail address?
[00:20:12] Melody: Gmail has become popular because it's free. Most of the time domain email addresses are not free. There are some places where you can get them free, but in most part, they're not free.
[00:20:25] Jennifer: No, they're not. I pay for mine.
[00:20:27] Melody: it's better if you pay for it.
[00:20:29] Jennifer: Why is it better if you pay for it? So you're saying the one that I pay for is better than my Gmail?
[00:20:33] Melody: Gmail is good. is good. I I think Gmail owns the internet because I can send something from my Gmail and it'll get to people like so fast. But sometimes when I send from my on your side tech, you might take it a few more minutes more
[00:20:48] Jennifer: Why is that?
[00:20:49] Melody: Because Gmail owns the internet. Google has their own dedicated stuff somewhere, but, having a Gmail is fine because Gmail has become so mainstream, kinda like PayPal, you know, in the beginning people's like, oh, I don't do PayPal. I don't like that PayPal. Now you can go into a store and pay with PayPal, like a brick and mortal store, and they'll let you pay with PayPal.
[00:21:12] Jennifer: I'm not a fan of PayPal, but don't get me started on that right now.
[00:21:15] Melody: Well, I'm just saying, but now PayPal is so mainstream that if your business takes PayPal and you use PayPal, people are like, okay, PayPal. And that's the same with Gmail.
[00:21:27] Jennifer: Okay.
[00:21:27] Melody: I do believe that people should, if they can have a email address with their domain name. For one, when people type it, it reminds them of your domain name, reminds them of who you are, especially if you use a Gmail that doesn't have your website or your company name in it at all. Some people, they use a personal Gmail or their Gmail. If I was looking for you or looking for a service and you had emailed me before, I wouldn't be able to tell from your Gmail what that is.
[00:22:02] Jennifer: On your flyer for you, we have your specialties listed as, you've already talked about your website design, your mobile app development. Tell us about your mobile app development.
[00:22:16] Melody: Mobile app development, some people want an app for your phone and apps are not cheap.
[00:22:23] Jennifer: I was about to say, are those costly? Cause I thought I asked you for one, one time and you was like, Jennifer, those are expensive.
[00:22:29] Melody: Like the apps are expensive.
[00:22:31] Jennifer: Ladies and gentlemen, don't you want to know what apps run for? Yes, Jennifer, we do. Yeah. See, they want to know what, what do apps run nowadays?
[00:22:38] Melody: To create an app. I charge $5,000a and a monthly fee of $125.. And we do it for both the iOS and the Android systems. We help you get it into the app store
[00:22:53] Jennifer: Wait a minute, it doesn't automatically go into the App Store?
[00:22:56] Melody: No,
[00:22:56] Jennifer: that's not included in the 5, 000?
Like when you create an app, it don't automatically go into the App Store?
[00:23:01] Melody: No. I mean, including in the 5, 000 is me helping you get it into the app store.
[00:23:08] Jennifer: No, I meant like the App Store don't just automatically take whatever app is made?
[00:23:12] Melody: No, so with iOS, iOS is very picky. So when you submit to Apple, they actually test the app and they do a lot of things before they'll put it in the app store. Now the Google play store, when you submit it, they will go ahead and put it in the store. But every time your operating system updates, have you ever noticed that all of a sudden you have all these updates for your apps?
[00:23:38] Jennifer: Yes.
[00:23:39] Melody: So that's what that 125 is making sure that every time there's an update, it's updated.
[00:23:45] Jennifer: So every time my phone updates, if you were doing an app for me, that would mean you have to go behind Apple and make another update?
[00:23:53] Melody: Mm hmm.
[00:23:54] Jennifer: Oh my. That's a lot of work. It sounds like.
[00:23:57] Melody: It is. And, it's coding and, things like that. So that's what it is. It's time consuming. It's coding. And again, with the app, you have to think about it. Why do you need an app? What are you going to do with that app?
[00:24:12] Jennifer: I hear you. Trust me, ladies and gentlemen, she asked me all these questions. She was like, okay, so why do you want it? Okay, um, SEO and social media. I wondered what SEO meant.
[00:24:27] Melody: Search Engine Optimization.
[00:24:29] Jennifer: Oh, okay. I should have known that. Okay.
[00:24:31] Melody: You know, everybody wants to be on top of Google. You know, when you search, everybody wants to be at the top.
[00:24:37] Jennifer: Okay. How do you make sure we get to the top?
[00:24:39] Ad: Almost anyone can throw together a website or other IT service. But then what? On Your Side Technologies was established in 1996, and we're here for the life of your business. From startup to expansion, we take care of your information technology needs so you can focus on growing your business, not cleaning up a mess left by amateurs. Services include custom website design and redesign. Mobile website and app development, technology consulting, website hosting and maintenance, social media consulting, e commerce sites, and responsive sites. Ask your representative about any monthly specials.
[00:25:19] Jennifer: Okay. How do you make sure we get to the top?
[00:25:21] Melody: So SEO is a whole different service, than websites. It's very labor intensive. There's lots of things that you put in what they call meta tags, which are things that humans don't see on a website, but computers see. Making sure your website gets indexed, making sure the content will allow the spiders to find the website.Because you will get indexed, you will get into Google, but the question is, what page are you on?
[00:25:51] Jennifer: So for the people that do not speak technical language, cause we want to make sure everybody understands you. Cause see, you, you said index. I don't know what that means. So for the people who don't speak tech, what you're saying is, essentially, if I type in The Jennifer Experience and I hire you to do SEO work, what does that mean? You're going to do with The Jennifer Experience. Like what's the difference if I don't hire you to do the SEO work and I type in The Jennifer Experience on Google search.
[00:26:18] Melody: The goal is to get you toward at the top of the search results.
[00:26:22] Jennifer: So I wouldn't be at the top right now.
[00:26:24] Melody: You would be at the top for The Jennifer Experience, but would you be at the top for counseling? Because the thing about SEO is if you were to type in your specific website native. Most of the time, this could be on the top because it's very specific.
[00:26:43] Jennifer: My website, who?
[00:26:44] Melody: Like, if you was to type The Jennifer Experience, it should pop up as the top one because it's specific. It's very specific. The Jennifer Experience. On Your Side Technologies, On Your Side Tech, it should be at the top. But what if somebody doesn't know what On Your Side Technologies is, and they just want a web designer, a web developer. Well, The Jennifer Experience, we want counseling. We want someone to marry us and we, a gay couple, you know, that's what SEO is about.
[00:27:19] Jennifer: So you put the back ties to me.
[00:27:22] Melody: Yes.
[00:27:23] Jennifer: So that when people type in whatever it is that goes with my company or my services, then my name will come up.
[00:27:29] Melody: Yes,
[00:27:30] Jennifer: Oh, that's brilliant.
[00:27:32] Melody: That's what SEO is all about. SEO is you constantly doing it.
[00:27:36] Jennifer: Is that expensive too?
[00:27:38] Melody: Yes, I mean to start to set it up we charge $1,000 and then there's a monthly fee because you have to do SEO
[00:27:46] Jennifer: Often. Yeah, I would imagine.
[00:27:49] Melody: Because Google is like, every time somebody pops up, Google will say, okay, this is a new site. This is relevant. So this is going to show 1st, but over time. If there's no activity, or if there's no keywords that match that site will begin to be moved down and down and down. And I don't know how many people look on the 2nd or 3rd pages. For whatever they're trying to trying to find.
[00:28:11] Jennifer: Not I. I'll be honest. I don't look past the first page. Oops.
[00:28:15] Melody: Most people don't. Most people don't. And trying to get it to show up organically without necessarily having a paid spot. Because some people pay to be at the top and depending on your keywords, which means what you want people to type in to find your sites. Some are harder to SEO than others.
[00:28:36] Jennifer: So ladies and gentlemen, if you're trying to figure out can you be SEO you need to schedule a private consultation with Dr Melody and she can let you know whether you can be SEO Some of you have businesses that are so unique. We can't guarantee. Just a private disclaimer there. Thank you.
[00:28:52] Melody: Unique is actually easier to SEO and things like lawyer. How many lawyers are there when people type in lawyer
[00:29:00] Jennifer: Well, but it's all different kinds of lawyers. So if you're a lawyer that defends marijuana charges,
[00:29:08] Melody: Right.
[00:29:09] Jennifer: You probably could do something special with that. Right. Okay. and then for the social media, what do you do?
[00:29:16] Melody: Social media. So that in turn is your LinkedIn, your, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, there's actually hundreds of different social media sites. There are some very specific ones. Social media and SEO kind of go hand in hand, because when Google sees activities, when Google sees videos, and things like that, it's okay, so this is an active site, they're actually doing something, so let me show people if they type in a keyword. So, having an active social media site helps with your SEO and with people finding your site. And even, setting up your social media site, you can put in there your company information. Making sure you have the correct company information so that Google can find you and I say Google, but also search engines.
[00:30:07] Jennifer: Right, right. Okay.Do you have any, like any major, major tips that you would give entrepreneurs besides what you've already said before I move on to my last question for you?
[00:30:21] Melody: Major, major tips.
[00:30:23] Jennifer: Like things that you've seen recently that you like just really shaking your head like wow, that would help people save them some money here Because obviously when you're an entrepreneur and you're just starting out and I know this is being one I had to realize that you have to spend money to make money, but you can get duped very easily. Very, very, very easily by people selling you things that you don't need that you think will make you more efficient and it doesn't, especially if you don't know how to work it. The worst thing you can do is buy something that you do not know how to work and then end up not using it. It's terrible. Dr. Melody, am I lying?
[00:30:56] Melody: You're not lying. The people do it all the time.
[00:30:59] Jennifer: All the time, so we don't want you to do that. So is there anything that you can add to the people that they will help them?
[00:31:07] Melody: Ask why questions. When someone is trying to sell you a service or when someone is suggesting a service or coming up with a technology plan for you. Just make sure you ask yourself why. And make sure they understand why. I always caution people when I speak to people and they give me their requirements, I ask them a lot of why questions, but that's the way I am because I want to make sure that when I get their requirements, that I am actually delivering what they need, and not trying to sell them everything, and not trying to set up everything. And I always tell people, start simple. You can always add. You don't have to start out with every technology thing there is. You can always add and build. As your business grows, it's like, now I'm going to spend money on this. Now I'm going to spend money on this. Now I'm going to expand this. Now I'm going to do this. Just take your time, get the basics, make sure you understand, you know what you need to start out with and then grow from there and find somebody trustworthy to work with you. That's very important.
[00:32:20] Jennifer: All right.So my last question is, I mean, cause you have a doctorate, obviously. And I'm sure you wouldn't say that you have to have a doctorate or you don't have to hire somebody who has a doctorate, right? To be your technical person. It would be lovely if you can, right, but you don't have to hire somebody that has a doctorate. But I do want to know for entrepreneurs that are starting off, what is a going rate for someone who is, getting a website built for the first time? What is a reasonable amount to pay in this day and age? Because I could tell you, I started mine in 2015. What I pay now, you won't pay. Let's give people a range just so they won't get bamboozled.
[00:33:01] Melody: A range is interesting. Should I say what I charge to build a site?
[00:33:06] Jennifer: Yeah. I mean, you could say what a range is. I mean, you're a doctor, so we can say what you charge as a doctor, but I mean, let's say what you think the bare minimum would be, because you're an expert. So in your expert opinion, what do you think the bare minimum would be for a good site? And I mean, what's the low end? What's the high end?
[00:33:23] Melody: That's a good question
[00:33:24] Jennifer: I mean, for 2024.
[00:33:26] Melody: I mean, I charge a thousand.
[00:33:28] Jennifer: Okay. As a doctor, if she charges a thousand and you're getting charged four, then obviously. You might want to pause, but if you're only getting charged two and it's not your son or your cousin doing it or somebody that don't really know what they're doing, then you might want to pause too.
[00:33:43] Melody: And my prices are probably going to go up.
[00:33:46] Jennifer: Her prices are going to go up. She's a trusted partner at The Jennifer Experience. Her prices are going to go up, ladies and gentlemen. So she just said her prices is a thousand dollars. If I was you, I would contact her this week. Cause probably next week, her prices will not be a thousand dollars. So yes, that's a wonderful thing. A thousand dollars to build a website. Interesting.
[00:34:06] Melody: So if you want a range and to be honest with you, to go back to the original question, what is a good range? It kind of varies. I've seen people charge $500. I've seen people charge $3,000. Website development. The prices are kind of evening out because of sites like Wix and Weebly and GoDaddy site builders where people can do it themselves. I have found that a lot of people don't want to do it themselves. Websites are more complicated than people think.
[00:34:39] Jennifer: Please say that again. Please. Cause listen, y'all with these canvas. Oh, oh.
[00:34:46] Melody: Websites are more complicated than people think.
[00:34:49] Jennifer: Everybody wants to try to make their own flyers these days. Please y'all. That's why we have all these flyers that look like everybody is at a funeral. Stop. Stop. I'm gonna say it. I'm gonna say it. Please stop. Everybody is not gifted in that way that you can just make a flyer. So you wonder why people scroll by your stuff and don't like or even look or, it's because it's ugly. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. Stop it. Canva is not as easy as they want you to think it is. That is a program that they want you to buy something, I guarantee you. By the time you buy everything that you need to really make a good flyer, you could have paid someone to do it, a professional. That's really the truth. Am I lying, Dr. Melody?
[00:35:33] Melody: You're not lying.
[00:35:33] Jennifer: It's the truth. But some of the flyers that I see, they're ugly. They're ugly. Stop y'all. Stop. You're ruining your good businesses that you built. Stop it. Cause you're trying to be cheap. Stop it. I'm sorry. I got off on a tangent star. Excuse me. Let me, let me mute my mic. Go ahead.
[00:35:50] Melody: So my suggestion is also to get multiple bids on your website. And the thing about websites, she wanted me to give a range, like we mentioned, my prices are going to go up, but the thing about it is, think about websites in technology, almost like if you're getting something done at your house, like say you want to get your house painted or you want to get some floors done in your house, there's a big range there. It depends on who's going to do it. Do you have a professional contractor that this is what they do? Do you have a cousin who's gonna come over and do the floor for you? Or are you gonna have a major store like a Home Depot do that for you? All of those are going to be different price points for sort of the same service, but also what are you getting. If your cousin puts the floors down and something happens and they can't fix it? What are you going to do if your cousin does your website and there's something specific you want done? Are you going to be able to find your cousin? So I have to say, I have to be careful when you're picking a web developer. Cause I've had clients that have, I do want to say I've been doing this since 1996. I've had clients that have had websites built and their website disappeared. And they could not find the contractor or the person that did it. And they called me. My number has been the same for over 20 years. And I ended up rebuilding their site for them.
Let me say wow that your number has been the same for over 20 years, ma'am.If you look in your phone under contacts, you will only see that one number for me.
[00:37:39] Jennifer: Probably. I'm sure you're telling the truth. Again, I also know the feeling of having a website that was built and then you go to the, wherever it was supposed to be and it's not there anymore. Hence, again, why I don't fool with GoDaddy. But anyway, listen, Dr. Melody, this has been so enlightening, so enrichful, what you have taught us today is amazing. We appreciate your knowledge. I am just a super duper proud that you are doing what you're doing and I appreciate your help with The Jennifer Experience for sure. And I think the people will appreciate what they've heard today. Now, again, ladies and gentlemen, she said her prices. I can tell you for sure next week, they will not be the same. So I would suggest that you contact her. And she's going to tell you right now, how you can find her, where you can find her, all of her information. You just heard her say her number has been the same for the last 20 years. So if you already know her, then I suggest you call her. But for those of you that don't know her, she's going to tell you how to find her all of that right now.During this broadcast, you should hear her commercial. So if you're paying attention, you'll write down the information. If you're an entrepreneur, I highly recommend, you get her to work on your stuff that you need. As I said, I can testify because I do have her on my payroll that she does a great job. So Melody, tell them how to find you, get contract with you, hook up with you, all that stuff.
[00:39:03] Melody: So my website is onyoursidetech.com.That's O N Y O U R S I D E T E C H dot com. The office number is 214 231 4115. Should I get my mobile number?
[00:39:28] Jennifer: Now y'all know I'm not gonna let her give y'all her mobile number so y'all gonna be calling her in the middle of the night. No, ma'am. No, ma'am. Listen, we have enjoyed today. It has been great chatting with my friend. I thank you for listening to this episode of Different p Tune in next time. We're gonna get to more and more nitty gritty and give you a different perspective on something else that you've never heard before. As always, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for listening. You can find me at The Jennifer Experience, www. thejenniferexperience. com. You can also find Melody there too, because she is again, a trusted partner. So just in case you missed what she said, if you go to thejenniferexperience.com, you can scroll down to trusted partners and click on her name and you will see her, you will see her information. And that way you can get in contact with her and utilize her services. Again, thank you all for listening. Peace and take good care.