tutorials

OpenTable.com, Online Dining Reservations

OpenTable.com is one of my favorite websites today because you can book almost any Chicagoland restaurant in about one minute. Additionally, you can read hundreds of real reviews about a restaurant before you decide to dine there. I recently took my girlfriend out to a very nice restaurant called Catch 35, in Naperville, Illinois – and used OpenTable to book my reservations. Great dining. Very elegant…romantic… you know, that crap. But the obvious point I’m trying to make here is that OpenTable.com revolutionized the restaurant industry by making it as easy as pie to book reservations.

Just like the banking industry and ATMs, OpenTable.com provides the transition to the digital age for the restaurant industry.

Of course you can’t give OpenTable.com all the praise. It’s not like they invented the technology to book restaraunt reserverations online, but they certainly seized the opportunity – and succeeded.

SEO Website Rap

This video really speaks for itself, and I love it. My buddy showed this to me (thanks Three-J).

Lyrics:
Your site design is the first thing people see
it should be reflective of you and the industry

easy to look at with a nice navigation
when you can’t find what you want it causes frustration

a clear Call to action to increase the temptation
use appealing graphics they create motivation

if you have animation
use with moderation

cause search engines can’t index the information
display the logos of all your associations

highlight your contact info that’s an obligation
create a clean design you can use some decoration

but to try to prevent any client hesitation
every page that they click should provide and explanation

should be easy to understand like having a conversation
when you design the style go ahead and use your imagination

but make sure you use correct color combinations
do some investigation, look at other organizations

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Scammed Online? How to Get Your Money Back!

I wrote about my recent experience getting scammed on a Sitepoint.com Domain Auction, and how I got my money back. If you’ve been scammed or are scammed in the future, you can too so don’t immediately give up hope!

Read Scammed Online? How to Get Your Money Back.

Remember, always use caution when using the internet for any kind of financial transaction.  I didn’t think I would have fallen victim to it either, so always be on your guard.  In other words, don’t get too sloppy :P .