Feedly, Prezi and The Secret Formula to Internet Riches

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David Carnes

CEO, ArcStone

-- Technology Translated - 10.13 --

Feedly

Feedly is a web-based RSS reader that I highly recommend. I replaced my old Google Reader with it when Google dropped their Reader product. If you don't use an RSS reader, you should try it.

Feedly is nice because:

It syncs all your favorite site content across laptop, phone, and tablet (I use all three with it).
You can follow all your favorite writers / websites / magazines in one spot.
It's a great way to stay caught up and leverage little pockets of time.
It's very easy to add new feeds.
The reading format has a magazine style that's user-friendly and varied.

I use this tool at least 4-5 times per week.

Twitter and Blogger Co-founder Ev Williams Reveals The Secret to Online Riches

I ran across this story today in Feedly (imagine that!) and thought it was important enough to include. This is a basic lesson that so many online entrepreneurs miss. The big Internet successes are about connections and efficiency - Amazon, Google, Facebook - not about creating the next new thing.

As Ev stated in a recent talk, “Take a human desire, preferably one that has been around for a really long time…Identify that desire and use modern technology to take out steps.”

This principle is absolutely true in every online project that I've seen generate real money.

Great Tips for Note Taking

As fancy-pants as I am with my various devices, I prefer taking notes and keeping my to-do list on paper. I think having a screen open during meetings for personal note-taking is distracting for everyone - especially the notetaker. IMHO nothing beats a good notebook and pencil.

Tom Tunguz, a former Google project manager, offers up his artful advice on taking notes. If you're a fan of good design and note taking the old-fashioned way, this article has some great tips.

Prezi - Powerpoint Killer

Prezi is interesting new presentation software that makes Powerpoint look like your Grandma's poster boards. I really appreciate that it enables your audience to get a high level overview of a presentation / concept and then allows you to dive deeply into any area. A few weeks ago I built my first presentation in a couple of hours and then used it to present to a prospective client that afternoon.

It's difficult to describe, but if you're bored with static Powerpoint presentations (and who isn't), check out Prezi - well worth it.

Hummingbird, Google's New Search Algorithm

Last week, on its 15th birthday, Google announced Hummingbird

- an entirely new version of its search algorithm. Designed to focus less on keyword phrases and more on natural, plain spoken search queries (the SEOs call them semantic queries), Google anticipates this update will provide users with a more natural, faster and accurate search experience.

This update has many ramifications - here are my top three:

Trying to game SEO by focusing on Keyword phrases isdefinitely over. Focus on high quality, shareable content that answers questions and positions you as the expert.
Trust signifiers like social media participation are more important than ever.
Position content in terms of questions and answers. For example, keep track of questions asked by your customers and write blog posts answering them.

To learn more, check out Lisa's Hummingbird blog post on ArcStone.com.