Technology Compatibility Consultation/Custom-Built Computers
Technology Support and Maintenance
Computer and Technology Education
Digital Security and Data Protection Consultation, Workshop, or Seminar/Security Implementation
Digital Security
Data Protection
Website Design and Development
Website Overhaul/Website Accessibility and Usability Optimization
Web Hosting and Support
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Social Media Networking
Press Releases and Copy Writing
Proofreading and Copy Editing
Translation and Localization
Audio-Visual Services—Professional Filming, Recording, and Media Services
Technology Compatibility Consultation/Custom-Built Computers
Are you wondering which computer, tablet, or cool new toy is right for you? Questioning if a piece of technology is compatible with what you already have? Thinking about getting an upgrade to your system, but have computer-store-o-phobia? Customer-Driven Computing can help! When technology seems overwhelming and the choices seem infinite and intimidating, our Technology Compatibility Consultation will help you figure out the technology you need and help you select something that is compatible with you, your other devices, and your budget.
Computer stores and electronics departments tend to offer computers for the average user. This means that the off-the-shelf machines you find in stores will include features you don’t need (and wish you didn’t have to pay for) and not include features you wish you had. Depending on how you plan to use your computer (i.e. to do more or less than the “average” user), you can often get a better deal by customizing your own. If you want a gaming machine, for example, custom-built is a better choice for you because you can get a more powerful graphics card, dedicated graphics memory, and a quad-core for fast processing. On the other hand, if all you want to do is send e-mail and view photos of your grandchildren on Facebook, a regular, store-bought machine may be too fancy for you. Either way, Customer-Driven Computing can both help you figure out what you need and custom-build it for you at a custom-built price.
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Technology Support and Maintenance
Not-so-long ago, in a city not-so-far away, we were told (too late!) that an exasperated computer user threw her non-working machine into the trash and bought a new computer that she hoped would work better. What was wrong with it? We will never know, but from her description of the problem, it sounds like the problem could have been resolved by a simple format/reinstall. It pains us to hear stories like this because these things do not need to happen! Please do not let your computers or other technology—and therefore also your wallet—suffer a similar fate!
Many people just don’t know how easily their technology problems could be resolved…even inexpensively. An hour or two of attention from someone who knows what they’re doing can usually restore a computer to factory-new condition. And there are other options than the expensive computer repair franchises. Customer-Driven Computing is a reputable, experienced company that will be glad to bring your computer back to life and save it from the trash at a fraction of the cost that the large repair chains would charge. Whether your machine doesn’t work at all or just needs a few bugs worked out, CDC is your choice for affordable service with a personal touch.
There are, of course, also precautions you can take to minimize the likelihood that your computer or other technology will ever need to be resurrected or taken to the tech doctor. CDC can show you how to care for and perform the needed maintenance on your technology (see Computer and Technology Education below) or, if you’d rather we just take care of it for you, we offer both one-time and sustained technology maintenance packages.
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Computer and Technology Education
If you didn’t grow up with computers, the Internet, and all the other technology that drives the world today, chances are, you find it all rather overwhelming. You may be perfectly content being blissfully ignorant of it all, but more likely than not, you wish you knew at least a little more. You probably don’t need to become a technology expert, but understanding even the basics could be very helpful and save you lots of frustration. Benefits include everything from keeping up with friends and family, to distinguishing yourself in the job market. Customer-Driven Computing is here to help you overcome the technology-intimidation barrier.
Our customer-driven approach makes our Computer and Technology Education programs all about you: We will teach you practically whatever you want to know, however you want to learn it—anything from basic familiarity with Windows, to using smart phones, to advanced web design features. Lessons can take as much or as little time as you like and can cover as much or as little material as you are interested in learning. Generally, though, we recommend 1 – 2-hour lessons, taught at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home, the cozy atmosphere of a coffee shop, right at your desk at work, or wherever you prefer. The content of each lesson depends on the individual, but possible topics include, among others:
| *Using a digital camera | *Microsoft Office – Basic | *Safety on the Web | *Buying and Selling on the Web | *Basics of Computer Hardware |
| *Using a smart phone | *Microsoft Office – Intermediate | *Using the Internet – Basic | *Using social media – Basic | *Computer Maintenance – Basic |
| *Using a tablet | *Microsoft Office – Advanced | *Using the Internet – Intermediate | *Using social media – Advanced | *Computer Maintenance – Advanced |
| *Using a scanner | *Graphics & Images – Basic | *Using the Internet – Advanced | *Open Source Resources | *Troubleshooting – Basic |
| *Technology Setup | *Graphics & Images – Advanced | *Researching on the Web | *Web design – Basic | *Troubleshooting – Intermediate |
| *Basic Windows Familiarity | *Avoiding Identity Theft | *Resources on the Web | *Web design – Intermediate | *Troubleshooting – Advanced |
| *Windows Shortcuts | *Avoiding Data Loss | *Advertising on the Web | *Web design – Advanced | *Other Topics of Interest |
This coaching is ideal for individuals interested in learning more about technology, as well as for companies and organizations whose employees or members need to further their technology-related skills. We can present the material just as easily in a workshop or seminar as we can one-on-one. Contact us to set up a time to learn more about the technology you come in contact with every day!
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Digital Security and Data Protection Consultation, Workshop, or Seminar/Security Implementation
Do you know how to digitally protect yourself and your data? Identity theft and data loss or data corruption can become huge problems if you don’t take the proper precautions to safeguard against them. Do not assume these things only happen to other people—they can happen to you. In an informative one-on-one consultation or in a professional workshop or seminar, Customer-Driven Computing can show you or your organization simple steps to keeping your digital identity safe and keeping your data from vanishing. You will learn:
Based on what you will learn about these important digital security and data protection concepts, you will have an excellent idea of the precautions you need to take in order to safeguard yourself and your data against loss, corruption, or theft. You will be equipped with all the knowledge you need to implement these precautions yourself, but if you prefer, we will be glad to put some of the more complex ones into place for you (partitions, etc.)
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Website Design and Development
What’s the best way to share your ideas with others or to make information available and accessible to a wider group of people? Have you just started a new club, organization, or business that you want your campus, community, region, or even the whole world to know about? Thinking of marketing your famous desserts, the jewelry you love to make in your spare time, your amazing skills as a mechanic, or your expertise with lawn care? Let Customer-Driven Computing design the perfect website to showcase your products, talents, skills, and expertise! We can create anything for you from a simple blogging site to a complete commercial vendor online solution.
If you already have a website, but are dissatisfied with it, no problem! We can help with that, too. We’ll be happy to redesign your site to feature your products and services in a more professional or more aesthetically-pleasing manner.
With thousands of online competitors battling for your customers’ attention, make your online presence stand out through Customer-Driven Computing’s professional custom web design!
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Website Overhaul/Website Accessibility and Usability Optimization
Make your website easily accessible and usable for the maximum number of visitors!
Have you ever thought about how the color combinations and images on your website look to colorblind viewers? Can your content be read accurately by a text-to-speech tool or be converted legibly to a Braille display? Will a shaky, elderly hand have trouble selecting options from your dropdown boxes? How likely are you to get your point across in Estonian or Zulu, after an end user runs your webpage through an online translator? All these things and more are matters to consider when creating or optimizing your website.
Don’t let these little details cause you to lose revenue! Let our professionals make a big difference in your marketing by taking care of accessibility and usability for you! Whether you want a website built to be accessible and user-friendly from the beginning or would simply like an accessibility overhaul to your existing site, Customer-Driven Computing can design or redesign your website to accommodate the widest variety of guests possible. Allow your guests an equal-opportunity browsing experience.
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Web Hosting and Support
So, you’ve got your website all designed and ready to go online, but where on the Internet do you want it to live and what will you do if there’s ever a problem with your site? Whom would you rather have host it for you? One of those companies that will host your site for free, in exchange for adding huge banner ads of their own that will deface your webpages and distract your visitors? One of those free services that offers little-to-no support and will leave you to figure things out on your own, if your site goes down, gets hacked, etc.? A company that you’ll pay to not bother you or your guests with ads, that will provide support, but will charge you an arm and a leg to do it and—because you’re only a number or dollar sign to them—will take forever to resolve your problems and to close your support tickets?
How about this? A small company that for a reasonable price will give you and your website individual attention and will add a personal touch. A company that will not simply consider you a number, but a valued customer. One that knows what to do to prevent security problems and other difficulties and that will ensure your site has the latest security patches and software updates. A company proven to offer the highest quality in hosting and security. One that will manage your website for you, so you can manage the more important things in life and business. Sounds great, right? The name of that company: Customer-Driven Computing. Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions to find out why CDC is the right hosting solution for you!
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Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Don’t forget that just because you have a website doesn’t mean that people will be able to find it or will know about it. What is your plan to advertise your website? Do you know how to improve your website’s rankings on search engines? How to get your site listed on the first page of Google’s search results? Even more importantly, do you have time to do everything that’s required to raise those rankings and keep them high? If not, leave it to Customer-Driven Computing! We know what to submit where and to whom, what metadata to include in your webpages, etc., and we are happy to take care of time-consuming SEO tasks, so you have time to focus on other aspects of your business or of your life.
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Social Media Networking
Is your organization or business getting adequate attention on social media networks? Social media offers amazing opportunities to advertize your business or group! Articles, events, promotions, etc., posted on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the many other social media sites can draw enormous attention to your products and services and can create a whole new source of revenue and support for your company or club. However, creating and maintaining well-rounded and up-to-date profiles on all the major social media scenes also takes time. If you already have too few hours in your day, Customer-Driven Computing will be glad to expertly take on the challenge of social media advertizing for you. Keep your business on the cutting-edge and get your name out onto the World Wide Web, where it should be, with the help of CDC.
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Press Releases and Copy Writing
Does your company have big news to share? Need to get the word out to the press, but you’ve never tried to write a press release? Do you know how to increase the likelihood a journalist will report on it? You’ve worked hard and now you deserve to be recognized for it! We can help you get your name, your brand, and you news out there.
Do you have a lot to talk about on your website or blog, but you’ve never been good at writing out your thoughts? We can help you with that, too. For those of you who would rather focus on the non-written side of your business and leave the writing, advertizing, etc. up to the professionals—that’s what we’re here for! Customer-Driven Computing will get the perfect content up for you on your website in no time! Let us help you show your customers why you are right for them with just the right message!
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Proofreading and Copy Editing
Ever been to a website that seemed to offer a good product or service, but you hesitated to give them your money because their website was filled with typos and grammatical errors? You are not alone. The higher a potential buyer’s education level (and therefore often the higher his or her buying power), the more likely the person is to find typos offensive. Typos and other such errors demonstrate a lack of attention to detail and prevent the site from looking professional and reputable. Fair or not, the reasoning is: If you don’t care enough to make sure your website is error-free, how likely are you to make sure your product or service is error-free?
The amount of effort you put into every aspect of your business—including the text on your website—says something about your work ethic, but at the same time your specialty is woodworking or linoleum, wedding planning or limousines, weight lifting or longbows, not wordsmithing and linguistics. You spend all your time perfecting your own skill; there’s no time left to focus on writing and lexemes—nor do you want to worry about those details on top of your other responsibilities. Yet, the truth is that typos and bad grammar cost money—lots of money. And if spelling was never one of your strengths, you are likely to be losing profit. It’s hard to see mistakes in your own work, even if you’re a good writer (often, especially then!), but whether writing comes easily or not, hiring an editor is always a smart business decision.
There is also another reason to have your website edited: Effective online advertizing can direct guests from any country (who speak any of the thousands of languages in the world) to your website, but obviously, attempting to translate your website into every language is rather absurd. This does not mean, however, that you can’t make a reasonable attempt to communicate with everyone. While professional translation is the best option for a targeted group of non-English-speaking customers, content that is pre-edited for machine translation will render higher-quality results when put through an online translator. If you would like to expand your business internationally or help your organization reach out on a more global level, let Customer-Driven Translation review your website’s content to help your message better survive the ambiguities inherent in machine translation, which cannot help but garble the quirks and beauty of human language.
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Translation and Localization
Thinking of expanding internationally? Here’s some advice: Machine translation is notoriously inaccurate without post-editing. If you want your site to appear professional to international users, do not simply run it through a machine translator! These programs are good for getting the general gist of a site and can be useful to users who are referred to interesting sites in a language they cannot read, but opting for a low-quality text should be their decision, not yours! Absolutely no potential customer will be impressed by your website if, though already in the reader’s language, it contains grammatical errors left and right, along with incoherent sentences, and the other common problems generated by machine translation. Studies show that customers are less likely to buy from vendors online, if the websites are poorly-written. The cost of a good-quality translation or even of a professional machine translation post-edit is well worth the revenue it will generate for your company.
If you plan to do significant business in another country, you need your website content translated and localized by a trained professional to ensure that you communicate in a grammatically correct and culturally appropriate manner—not only in words, but also through the graphics, color schemes, and other elements that make up your website. Do not try to shortcut this process by contracting with someone who is inexperienced—neither an eager employee, friend, or family member with college-level French, nor even an untrained bilingual Spanish-speaker is consciously aware of the linguistic and cultural intricacies required to bridge the gap between cultures and to convince potential customers in French- or Spanish-speaking areas that what you have to offer is just exactly what they need! This level of translation and localization requires training, experience, exceptional communication skills in the target language, and a passion for pairing people with just the right product or service.
The expanding global online market has recently prompted Customer-Driven Computing to add a new division, Customer-Driven Translation (CDT), to help meet the growing need for quality multi-lingual websites for businesses and individuals with a global vision. With the addition of CDT to Customer-Driven Computing’s web design solutions, you will now receive quality language services by trained and experienced professional to localize your website for maximum appeal to speakers of French, Spanish, German, and/or other languages upon request. A comprehensive website design, hosting, and localization package is the best possible move for your internationally expanding business! Contact us to find out more!
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Audio-Visual Services—Professional Filming, Recording, and Media Services
Do you have a wedding, graduation, concert, conference, or other special event coming up that you would like professionally filmed or recorded as audio? Do you need a DJ or someone to run your sound system for a particular event? CDC also delivers proven high-quality video and audio production services. To receive a quote, contact us with the details.
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