web standards

Why Is Your Web Designer Wearing a Blue Hat Today?

Alissa Walker — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:32:31 -0500

You might have already noticed that the avatars of your most Web-friendly friends have donned a real (or Photoshopped) blue knit beanie today. Sure, the weather's getting cold, but November 30 has also been deemed the third annual Blue Beanie Day for Web designers and developers who support Web standards.

Employees Employing Cosmetic Procedures?

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:57:36 -0400

Hitting the media recently have been reports saying that many people are utilizing cosmetic surgery to climb the corporate ladder.

And yes, new avenues open for cosmetic surgeons everyday it seems.

Whether trying to look less tired or fighting off young, perky newcomers at work - the general public is still demanding cosmetic procedures to gain the upper hand.

Plastic surgeons should take note of such motivation for surgery by employing marketing campaigns that effectively cater to these demands.

Cosmetic Surgery and Europe: Striving for Homogeneity

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:51:28 -0400

Apparently, South Americans that live in Europe undergo cosmetic surgery to achieve a more European look, says Gadling.com.

As overseas cosmetic surgery retreats are getting more popular, Western and American plastic surgeons should seriously consider opening up aggressive Hispanic marketing campaigns in order to route business into their practice - earning international reputability and favorable exchange rates.

What would an effective hispanic marketing campaign entail?

An Open Window for Marketing Opportunities

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:43:58 -0400

Recently a report from Long Beach's Press Telegram stated that more and more cosmetic surgery patients are taking larger block of time off between doctor visits to compare the prices and service offerings of other cosmetic surgery practices.

While one may want to blame the economy for such activity, some rather should thank it.

Think about it. This is your chance if this said patient was not your incumbent, to grab a hold of a new population of clients if your localized marketing tactics is up to snuff.

When is a Trend a Scam?

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:36:51 -0400

One must have a discerning eye to spot unethical marketing attempts in today's world.

Now, I am not entirely sure if what follows is bogus, however, it is food for thought for those interested in online marketing, popular celebrity figures or cosmetic surgery:

A new trend was recently announced in an online press release that touted shoulder liposuction as the new 'in'. Patients, they say, are trying to achieve the skinny shoulder look like celebrities such as Madonna and Kiera Knightley.

Who is Earning Money In Our Economy?

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:27:20 -0400

Recently Artes Medical posted a $1.1 million increase in revenue for the last fiscal quarter.

Now, what Artes is vested in is medical aesthetics - so plastic and cosmetic surgeons take note.

You see, such a report shows that even in our current economic recession, there is widespread demand for cosmetic surgery - especially for the products associated with cosmetic procedures. This is what Artes deals in, namely noninvasive products and injectable treatments.

The Internet-TV Connection: Looking Towards the Future

Jeffrey Olchovy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:33:02 -0400

I honestly doubt that there will ever be a time when American families trade the old living room television set for a broadband connection and an IBM.

Having both? Sure, it's been like that for over a decade now, but the chances that Internet will replace TV entirely are rather slim.

Instead, look for the Internet and TV to become integrated beyond their traditional recognition. With new technologies being worked on at manufacturing firms like Sony, we will soon see television sets that will be able to stream content from online sources in a seamless fashion.

Analyzing Internet Search Engine Usage

Jeffrey Olchovy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:25:06 -0400

With news of just about half of all Internet users turning to search engines at least once a day, business owners should find that having an active search engine optimization campaign is integral to remain competitive in their respective industries.

As of now, just cleaning up your Web site and adding, original unique content on a regular basis won't get you very far - but it will at least set you apart from the pack and keep you primed for frequent, aggressive Internet marketing endeavors.

Keep Pace in Your Industry By Utilizing a Blog

Jeffrey Olchovy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:16:08 -0400

Not a week goes by where I don't espouse the virtues of corporate blogging somewhere on the Internet.

Frankly, it's a topic that I blog about probably once a week at our plastic surgery marketing blog, cosmeticSEO.com.

Cosmetic Surgery Still On the Rise? No Surprise.

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:02:54 -0400

It is without doubt that plastic surgery remains a cornerstone of our rather vain society. What's more is that it's popularity is ever-increasing on the global scale.

Across the Atlantic, for instance, there has been a 35% increase in the acceptance of cosmetic surgery in the past year. Popular procedures in Europe tend to follow suit with those in America, with breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, and liposuction leading the most sought after treatments.

What this means for surgeons in America is that it's a ripe time to conduct overseas marketing campaigns.

Building SEO and Internet Marketing Campaigns

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:54:48 -0400

When entering into a service contract for seach engine optimization and Internet marketing, one has to know the ins-and-outs of their selected service package. A divide between you contract and your expectations can wreak havoc on your budget and your business relationships.

For example, ask yourself these questions:

Is Web site design and/or redesign covered in this cost? What about custom programming to avoid duplicate content and to remap URLs?

Giving Your Patients Options

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:40:41 -0400

An interesting discussion was had at the cosmetic surgery marketing blog on cosmeticSEO.com on August 3, 2008. [Read the full entry Anti-Aging Cosmetic Procedures: The Patient's Options]

Women and Plastic Surgery: A Study on the Target Demographic

Jeffrey Olchovy — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:56:18 -0400

On August 2, 2008, cosmeticSEO.com ran an article regarding the frequency with which women take to cosmetic surgery and what effect it has on both long-standing social stigmas and our nation's economy.

For the full article, head over to the plastic surgery marketing blog - "The Dynamism of Women in Plastic Surgery: Studying the Target Demographic."

Educating Your Patients - A Must-Do For Cosmetic Surgeons

Jeffrey Olchovy — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:48:13 -0400

According to the latest reports in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal,
over 360,000 body contouring procedures were performed in 2007.

These numbers point to a huge increase in patients who are seeking treatments that deal with hard to target areas such as the thigh, buttock and upper arm. Many of these patients suffer from mild obesity and can be considered overweight
based upon the metrics of the American BMI scale.

Connection Divide: The Speed of Access

Jeffrey Olchovy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:17:50 -0400

According to the New York Times, only around half of the residents of large metropolitan cities have broadband access to the Internet.

This is worth noting for Web developers or anyone contracting/maintaining a corporate Web site. Web sites should be developed so that even those with slower than average connection speeds can still access them and use them flawlessly.

Humility Wins Amidst Vain Industry

Jeffrey Olchovy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:12:52 -0400

Marketing firms can and should capitalize on their clients' good deeds without jeopardizing the humble nature of said clients.

In the medical field, where doctors are constantly doing pro bono work for worthy causes, a righteous marketing firm will proactively generate press releases on such topics and make sure the general public knows that their client is first and foremost a servant of the community.

The respect that this will bring unto your client will pay off for years to come by increasing both yours and their book of business.

Ethical Divide: Teens and Plastic Surgery

Jeffrey Olchovy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:08:21 -0400

Plastic surgeries seen in teens ages 18 and younger has notably increased to over 200,000 procedures within the past ten years.

The question, however, is should cosmetic surgeons directly market to this young adult demographic, as these young patients look to heal emotional pain rather than bulging waistlines and visible cellulite?

General Practictioners Beginning to Market?

Jeffrey Olchovy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:02:35 -0400

As more and more doctors are starting to offer cosmetic treatments to offset the growing prices of insurance and medical bills, don't be surprised if you begin to see regular internists advertising their services to the general public.

Doctors should not be ashamed to promote their background and their practices. For all the good that they do, we should be understanding of what needs to be done for doctors to pay off their insurance and medical bills admist this stagnant economy.

Are Your Sites Cross Browser Compatible?

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:59:39 -0400

I still whince whenever I open a small business Web site in multiple browsers.

I'd like to say that most Web sites, by now, have adjusted to becoming cross browser compatible. However, it only seems this way because we - the Internet users of the world - typically choose to visit sites that pay careful attention to their design and development.

Which Javascript Framework to Choose?

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:41:55 -0400

As a developer that tries to maximize the time efficiency of my projects, I highly recommend scripting the behavior layer of your Web sites with the aid of a Javascript framework.

Promote Your Relevant Content - Block the Rest

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:29:53 -0400

Duplicate content is the bane of search engines and, as such, they have no problem taking it out on corporate Web sites that refuse to take proper precautions when promoting their online Web copy.

It is not by penalty, but rather by specialized filtering that search engines lower your site's rank for select keywords if measures are not taken to minimize identical pages or gateways that reproduce many versions of single pages, entries and articles.

The Hard-Sell Approach Is Out

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:12:53 -0400

I recently covered this topic on my specialized physician marketing blog, but felt that it was worth a reprint on Fast Company. You can read the original "Are You Selling Your Cosmetic Services Too Hard?" entry, for a more focused discussion on how you should be selling your services on the Internet.

Keep With the Times - Blogging on Timely Events

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:52:39 -0400

Not a week goes by where I don't espouse the virutes of corporate blogging. Blogging regularly every week is perhaps the easiest way to add fresh, newsworthy content to your Web site. These updates are key for market visibility, as search engines count a total number of pages indexed on a domain and new additions to a Web site as key metrics when determining your position on their results pages.

Using APIs to Spice Up Your Web Interactivity

Jeffrey Olchovy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:43:23 -0400

For front-end developers and Web designers, now is the time to no longer to feel initimidated by server-side scripting languages. Since the early 2000s when big Web companies began opening their stores of data to developers via simple APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) there have been clever ways in which Web masters can take advantage of such dynamic data harvesting.

Better Headers - Examing Proper Semantic Markup

Jeffrey Olchovy — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:26:54 -0400

Since I inundate myself with code on a dailly basis - be it procedural or declarative - it is quite alarming when I realize that many Web designers and developers are still using simple HyperText in error.

One of the prime mistakes I see rather often is the misuse of the hierarchical header tags. These header elements are referenced by the h1 through h6 tags and have the ability to separate your pages content into contextually relevant chunks thereby also giveing your code more linguistic meaning.