It’s just a few more days, and if you are like me you are not only under a pound of snow (well not really in Texas) but under a mile high of to dos you need to get done before year end.  Still need to send something to a friend or family member?  Here are some ideas on the web for you!

1. Cards Created and Mailed Online

It takes just a few minutes to upload a picture, slap on a message and enter mailing addresses for loved ones to hear how 2008 went for you.  Some options include:

• Card Store – Not only can you mail a card, but you can also mail a gift card!
• Ashtonishing Cards
• Picaboo
• Zazzle

2. Free eGreetings

Penny pinching?  Here are some eGreeting sites that provide free greetings to send:

• 123greetings.com
• ecardica.com
• Blue Mountain
• eGreetings

3. Throw Them a Sheep or Super Poke with a Fruitcake…

…or send an “O Christmas Tree” request, virtual Chicken McNuggets from McDonalds or one of other many eThings on Facebook.  Gotta love it!

There is really no excuse with the Internet today to at least say “happy holiday” via email, a text message or some other form of eLove.

Kel Smith is a longtime advocate of user-centric web design. In his blog, he writes

The use of technology as a means to aid people with disabilities can sometimes occur in surprising contexts. As an example, consider a recent research project presented yesterday at the IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference in Baltimore. Rehabilitation therapists have re-purposed the popular Guitar Hero game into a tool for amputees to develop facility with prosthetic limbs.

Weeks ago I decided to contribute a post on web accessibility. As the research was piling up on my desk and in my head, I caught an episode of 60 Minutes which, like Kel Smith’s blog, made me think of accessibility not just in terms of web access. It made me think of web accessibility as one crucial component in our cultural resolve to use technology to bring us together.

In the 60 Minutes story, a brain researcher with ALS is trained to think letters which then appear on his computer screen; it is nascent research, but the locked-in syndrome which inevitably robs ALS patients of their ability to communicate may someday be trumped by this most exquisite interface—that of human intelligence to artificial intelligence.

The re-purposing of Guitar Hero from game to learning tool is likewise a means of effecting a ‘leveling the playing field’ outcome. The potential for amputees to ‘communicate’ with their prosthetic limbs is not unlike the brain researcher’s ability to ‘communicate’ with his computer. Both are engaged in activities that enable them to participate more fully in the global community. And in both cases, we are not only leveling the playing field from human to human, but leveling it in terms of user experience against astonishing and previously crippling odds.

We as designers and developers may not be involved with effecting such profound changes in our clients’ and end users’ lives, but we can and should approach our role as integral to a more robust user experience and the evolution of a more level playing field for everyone.

To that end, here is a brief primer on designing accessible sites.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the World Wide Web Consortium’s response to calls for improving and increasing web accessibility to people with disabilities. These guidelines are spelled out nicely, succinctly, by WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) on its website. The principles are conceptual, not technical, in nature, but give us a solid foundation on which to think and build.

• First, a website must be Perceivable: Can your information be seen, heard, or, in some cases, touched? Can it be accessed by changing text into audio or Braille? Can audio files be read? A basic tag can help blind users navigate your images. This “perceivability” is another fundamental argument for the use of CSS to separate form from content. Once all the bling is stripped away, can a user still extract meaning from your site?
• Websites must also be Operable: Some users are not able to manipulate a mouse. Since most adaptive devices emulate the functionality of a keyboard, keyboard accessibility is critical. Tools such as site maps and “skip” directives (i.e. “skip to main content,” “skip navigation”) are helpful to the disabled user for whom access is already a time consuming and in some cases, physically painful undertaking. Following this thought: users with disabilities are sometimes up against impractical time limits when performing online tasks such as banking. Solutions to this problem are prickly, as they are bounded by security considerations, but we must seek them. Finally, when a user makes an error, particularly while using an e-commerce site, there must be a means of error recovery. We might think about making error recovery, confirmation screens, and “are you absolutely SURE?” systems more redundant.
• Sites must be Understandable: Write clearly and simply. Label all interactive elements clearly and simply.
• Sites must be Robust: Sites must function across different browsers and operating systems. This is obviously important for all users. But users with disabilities are more likely to experience economic strains related to their other challenges. They may not have current browser versions or they may be using older operating systems. Code validation is one of the easiest and fastest ways to check functionality. The W3 offers a free markup validation service; it might be wise to validate our code as part of our design protocols.

The W3C’s quick tips on accessibility and the book Web Accessibility: Web Standards and Regulatory Compliance have been valuable tools in my own fledgling pursuit of more accessible site design; Kel Smith reports regularly on his own enormously readable, insightful Aniktoblog. In short, there are a million ways to access accessibility. (You knew that was coming).

The push toward accessibility and usability is not strictly a function of altruism. It also makes for sound business practice: more usability equals more users. And other economic incentives may ultimately nudge the ship of commerce: the recent settlement of the Target class action suit brought by the National Federation of the Blind, will ensure that visitors to the Target website will be soon able to navigate it using adaptive technologies.

But, at heart, we simply need to design websites that all of our neighbors and all of our children can use. We can play an integral role in leveling the playing field. It’s the right thing to do.

As uncertainty continues to loom, it is critical that you are prepared for anything that could come your way in 2009.  So where’s your ‘safety net’works and have you been staying visible?  Better yet, what’s your networking strategy in general?  Here are some tips and tricks to build and maintain your physical and virtual networks.

Safety Net 1 – Your Professional Network

When was the last time you either attended a meeting of a professional organization you are part of or looked to join a new one?  What about getting involved and volunteering for a committee, or for further visibility, lead a committee or run for a leadership/board position?

If you aren’t into the administrative side of professional organizations, what about focusing on thought leadership activities like blogging and public speaking – maybe you can be a keynote speaker at an upcoming meeting?

How about former colleagues from old jobs, how are you staying in touch with them?

Your professional network should continue to grow through your lifetime, and it is important to keep in contact with not just those you see often but past bosses and peers as you never know when you may have an opportunity to work with them again.

Safety Net 2 – Your Personal (Family and Friends) Network

When was the last time you consciously made an effort to befriend new people versus hang out with the same crew?  What about sending an email, card or picking up the phone with an old friend?  Or asked a friend if you could help them with something?

It’s important to keep lines of communication open with friends you cherish for life while finding new gems to spend time with and connect.

Safety Net 3 – Your Virtual (Career and Social) Network

Is your profile up to date on all personal and career web sites so you can be easily found when an opportunity that screams your name comes up?  For the tech women out there, here are sites to get to know, love and nurture with your up to date information:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• 85 Broads
• Monster
• Career Builder
• Dice
• Hot Jobs
• Jobster
• Meetup
• Local and National Recruiters Specific to What You Do
• You Alma Mater’s Virtual Presence
• Former Employer Networks (maybe a Yahoo! Group, Bright Star, etc.)
• Profile on Organization Websites
• WebGrrls!

Also, when you “Google” yourself, what are the results?  Are you happy with them?  If you are not here you may want to join more networking sites or throw in the towel and become a blogger, or at least join sites like Digg and give thumbs up to other posts out on the Internet.

Remember, you can’t build a network when you need it overnight, nor can you rekindle one overnight as well.  You have to build a network in great times to leverage when the times are tough.

Webgrrls, industry insiders, and their friends and colleagues came together in festive revelry for the evening on December 3 in San Francisco and December 4 in NYC. Webgrrls gathered in San Francisco & NYC for a year-end celebration of the achievements of women in technology and business.

The festive Holiday spirit, revelry, camaraderie, and connections, together created the theme of the Webgrrls Holiday events. With revelers reveling, the raffle drawings creating excitement, the great food soothing the palette, and drinks all around, everyone had a couple of great evenings of fun and networking.

Thank you again to our sponsors who helped underwrite the cost of the events: NewTek, TrendMicro, Freshbooks, UltraDNS.  And to our great product sponsors: Casauri, Logitech, Mimoco, Seagate, Mitias.

• Read the recap and see photos of SF Webgrrls Holiday Celebration.
• Read the recap and see photos of NYC Webgrrls Holiday Celebration.

It was nice to see everyone and thank you to those who attended and for the great feedback.  The events were a great success!

Happy Holidays from the Webgrrls team and GREAT SUCCESS to everyone in 2009!

This week I presented at the NextWeb event about monetizing in social media…beyond the ad model.  When we think of making money in social media, we are all hearing about advertising….demographical advertising,  behavioral advertising, contextual advertising.  In my opinion, a straight advertising model is a troubled model as 95% of all advertising goes to the top 10 sites.  We have to have multiple revenue streams if we are going to thrive and prosper.

The Problem with Advertising Only Model

By 2010 – According to eMarketer
-    Global Online Ad Spending will be $62 billion
-    Global Social Media Ad Spending will be $3.5 Billion
-    In the US, user-generated content sites will earn $4.3 billion in 2011 in ad revenues.

The problem…MySpace and Facebook are slated to take 74% of that Advertising revenue.

Also, because of all of the user generated content there is an over supply of ad inventory, which makes CPM rates dismal at best.  Facebook &. MySpace Ad rates are $0.13 per CPM.

To get your hands on the leftover $1.2 Billion advertising dollars, we have to create niche content, niche sites, and work in niche markets.  What do niche site demographics get for you?  Higher Ad Rates…and higher ad rates = more money.

OK – We all “get” advertising but what about other revenue streams that we are not talking about…In my opinion, a straight advertising model is a troubled model as 95% of all advertising goes to the top 10 sites.

Some Other Revenue Streams

Donations – So far this year Wikipedia got donations of over $3 million. Many independent news sites operate this way and depend on donations. Open Source has always worked this way.

Membership/Subscription/Freemiums Fees
Offering a paid membership or subscriptions is a good way to earn recurring income online. LinkedIn has made around $75 million – 100 million in 2008 so far – 1/4 of that is advertising, 3/4 is tiered subscriptions including corporate services with Job Search.

Expansions and Upgrades – Does your company offer software?  You can charge for new features & updates.

Merchandising of real life products through sites like CafePress and Zazzle, allow you to create an additional revenue stream from user customizable products on demand.

API based sales

• eBay allows members to trade on their own sites rather than forcing them to set up their stores on eBay. Their revenues increased by 86%.
• 40% of Salesforce revenue comes from external sites that use their API, not their own website.
• $490 million per quarter comes from Amazon’s API, not their site.

Online & Offline Events – webinars, tele-seminars, games, networking, workshops, conferences all have have an admission fee and if you have a targeted demographic, you can sell sponsorship.

Affiliate programs offer a revenue stream from revenue sharing programs.

Virtual Worlds
Gigaom forecasts Virtual World revenues to be $6 Billion by 2012.  Anything from Virtual goods, virtual real estate, & product placement and endorsements can be a great source of revenue.

There are many more revenue sources out there and there is money out there in Social Media you just have to look at your model and determine what you have that you can monetize.