Zadling's Google Blog

I love storing all of my files in Google Docs because I can access them anywhere regardless of where I am or which computer I’m using. All client files for my business are stored right in Google Docs and I frequently store PDFs, which end up taking up a lot of storage space. None of your Google Docs file formats count against the 1 GB of space that Google grants to you for free, but if you’re storing PDFs and other file formats, these PDFs end up eating up a lot of storage space.

Many people have asked me whether they can expand the 1 GB of space that’s allowed in Google Docs. If you want to expand the amount of storage you have, you’re able to purchase extra space from Google at very low rates. 20 GB of storage will cost just $5.00 per year and you’re even able to upgrade to as much as 1 TB. You can uprgrade your storage here if your interesting in upgrading. The upgraded storage applies to all of your Google accounts including Gmail, Google Docs, and Picasa Web Albums.

Here are Google’s rates for expanded storage:

• 20 GB ($5.00 USD per year)
• 80 GB ($20.00 USD per year)
• 200 GB ($50.00 USD per year)
• 400 GB ($100.00 USD per year)
• 1 TB ($256.00 USD per year)

I wanted to share a neat website trick with you that I recently came across. The problem I encountered was this: I would add new styles to my website’s stylesheet, but when I would go back to the page, I wasn’t able to see the changes that I made until I clicked refresh.

This doesn’t sound like a big deal until you realize that hundreds or thousands of people who have already visited your website will likely return to your website and will think that your website is (1) really ugly; or (2) that you don’t know what you’re doing.

You end up wishing there was a way to “force” those visitors into seeing your new stylesheet so the website looks the way it is supposed to. The problem with website stylesheets is that they are downloaded onto your computer, a process known as caching files. This was a clever way to speed up website load times because each time you returned to a website that you visited previously, you no longer had to wait for it to download all of the website’s images and stylesheets. Your computer simply pulls those up from your hard drive so the website loads faster. The problem is that when you add elements to your spreadsheet, the computer won’t know that it has been updated until either: (1) the user clears their cache; or (2) clicks refresh.

Now you’re looking for a way to force your visitors to refresh your website so they can see the changes that you made to your stylesheet. You think that this could be accomplished using a piece of code known as a meta refresh. However, rather than using a meta refresh which will make your visitors think that your website is buggy, simply add a ?v=2 to the end of your stylesheet’s URL. If you update the stylesheet again, change the number to a 3, then 4, and so on. By adding this simple line, it will “trick” the browser into downloading the new stylesheet rather than relying on the old one.

Your stylesheet’s URL should look like this: http://www.yourwebsite.com/stylesheet.css?v=2

Hopefully that saves you a bit of aggravation in the future.

Google Docs recently rolled out three new features into Google Docs.

The first feature is auto-linking of items that are recognized as web addresses, which can also be disabled for those who do not want their documents to contain links.

Google has also added more page sizes to their print options for those are printing on paper other than standard letter size (8.5″x11″) such as legal-sized paper (8.5″x14″) or executive-sized paper (7.25″x10.5″).

Lastly, spellcheck has been added to Google Spreadsheet.

For clients of mine who are interested in email marketing, I always recommend Mail Chimp because it’s absolutely free for up to 500 subscribers. Not only does Mail Chimp provide an excellent free service for building an email list, but they’re now developing mobile applications to help you grow your subscriber base even more.

I recently came across a unique new way to expand your subscriber base through the use of their iPad app called Chimpadeedoo, which is an iPad application designed to obtain people’s email addresses. The App was designed for retail stores in mind. Retail stores would be able to place the iPad right by their register where purchasers can sign up for the store’s email list.

Not only can the app be used by retailers, but this is a great tool for those who give presentations in front of businesses or networking events. Imagine how impressive it would look the next time you’re giving a business or networking presentation and you whip out an iPad and ask for people sign up for your email list.

Google has released their official Google TV icon and we also have a video of their first live demo. Here’s the logo. The release date is still on target for Fall.

We’ve gotten a lot of details about Google TV over the last few months, but we haven’t seen a live demo just yet. Check this out.

Still not convinced in the trend towards mobile internet or what has been dubbed by Jim Cramer as the “mobile internet Tsunami”? According to the Google Mobile blog, 100 million users per month are using Google Maps for Mobile.

I frequently use the Google Mobile app for Blackberry. It’s great for getting info on restaurants when you’re on the go. You can get directions, the telephone number, restaurant reviews, and more.

As I’ve stated in the past, if you’re a website owner, you better make sure your website is optimized for mobile.

I’m just waiting for the day when mobile speeds are equivalent to modern-day cable mobile speeds. Can we please get there soon?

After the hype surrounding the Facebook movie, The Social Network, and the spoof trailer for the YouTube movie, Google may be having a movie of their own.

Groundswell Pictures and John Morris have already acquired the movie rights to a book on Google, Googled: The End of the World as We Know It.

Details on the movie have not emerged as no writers, directors, or actors have been assigned to the project.

The founder of Groundswell Pictures, who backed the movie Milk, had the following to say about the movie:

It’s about these two young guys who created a company that changed the world, and how the world in turn changed them.  The heart of the movie is their wonderful edict, don’t be evil.”

At a certain point in the evolution of a company so big and powerful, there are a million challenges to that mandate.  Can you stay true to principles like that as you become as rich and powerful as that company has become?  The intention is to be sympathetic to Sergey and Larry, and hopefully the film will be as interesting as the company they created.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted as details come to light.

If you’ve always been interested in starting your own website or blog on your own domain name rather than using WordPress.com or Blogger.com, you’re probably wondering, what do I need to know in order to start a blog?

For the novice, creating a website can be an overwhelming process. Not only do you have to register a domain name and find a webhost, but you’ll also have to learn how to actually install WordPress. Here is a simple guide on how to install WordPress.

1. Register Domain Name – I always GoDaddy.com since they offer domain names for $10.69 a year and by Googling “Go Daddy coupon” you can also find coupons for $7.49 domain names or at least 10% off your purchase.
2. Find a Website Host – There are tons of domain providers out there and domain hosting is pretty affordable for starter plans. You should be able to find a website host for $10/month. GoDaddy also provides hosting as well, but I’ve found that other companies provide better prices and service.
3. Change DNS Records – In your domain control panel, you’ll have to change your website’s DNS, which is just a technical way of saying that you need to direct the domain name to the entity that is hosting your website.
4. Download WordPress – WordPress.org is where you have to go to download the files necessary to install WordPress.
5. Upload WordPress – You’ll need an FTP program and know how to log into your website in order to upload WordPress onto your website.
6. Create a Database – Your webhost should provide you with access to a Control Panel where you can create databases and create users to access the database.
7. Install WordPress – After giving your database a name and assigning a user to it, you’ll need to enter this information during the WordPress installation so WordPress can connect to the database.
8. Configuring WordPress – Once WordPress is installed, you’ll need to configure it to your liking by installing a customized theme and plugins.

There’s the simple guide to installing WordPress. It seems rather simple, but many people can end up experiencing a lot of headaches getting it set up. If you’re looking to start your own website using WordPress, I would be happy to register your domain name, host your website for you, install WordPress, and make all necessary configurations, so you are instantly “good to go” without any headaches. We are currently running a special for instant WordPress installations for $199. This price includes the purchase price of the domain name for two years and three months of free hosting, which is a $50 value. If you would like to get started, please visit our WordPress installation page for more information.

Do you have multiple Google accounts? Perhaps a personal account and business account? If you’re in this camp, you know about the aggravation of signing in and out of multiple accounts or opening a different browser so you can use both accounts at the same time.

Google has now enabled multiple sign-in! With multiple sign-in, you can jump between accounts by selecting your email address from a drop down at the top of the page rather than the old signing in and out of accounts.

To enable multiple sign-in, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Google Accounts page: http://www.google.com/accounts/
2. Turn multiple sign-in “On.”
3. To add another email address, look for your email address in the upper right-hand corner of the webpage.
4. Click your email address.
5. Click Sign into another account.

Note that multiple sign-in does not work with all Google products. It currently only works for Gmail, Calendar, Code, Reader, Sites, and Voice. The one product that I would need this to be added to is Google Checkout, which I have linked to my business email rather than my personal email which requires the old sign out, sign in solution. I’m sure Google is working on expanding this to their other services.

Google Places is a very valuable asset for any business. Google Places can drive tons of traffic to your businesses website by being featured on Google Maps. However, just as easy as it can help your business, all it takes is one bad review to hurt your business.

What is a business owner supposed to do when they receive a bad review? In some cases, bad reviews may even come from a competitor trying to tarnish the rival business. What recourse is available when someone receives a bad review?

After listening to feedback from business owners, Google has now integrated the ability to respond to reviews. Now the next time somebody leaves a review that you take issue with, you can respond personally. If customers see that you are listening to your customers and taking remedial measures to correct any issues that your customers have, they will end up seeing that as a positive. For positive reviews, the ability to simply say thank you can help build a better relationship with your customers as well. Be sure to take advantage of this new feature and start responding to your reviews.