How to change the width of a Google Form to make it user friendly (less scrolling) on cell phones.

 I use Google Forms for two of the 4 companies I personally manage. I find Google Forms to be a nice and easy to use basic service. It's also Hipaa compliant when used through a G-Suite Google account. 

Adding the forms is very easy. For example in Wix, you choose "add" and then you choose to "Embed a Widget" using HTML code. Regardless of the website software, select adding HTML code. 

The code in Google Forms creates an IFrame which is an item you embed into a webpage. The iFrame is a smaller window in your page and the HTML code controls the size, colors, content and format of the smaller frame in the page. 

The problem is that if you view it on your cell phone, the form is not user friendly because it is smaller or larger than the average phone and requires a lot of scrolling. 

To find the HTML code for your Form, open your Google Form and hit the send button in the upper right side. Choose the brackets (3rd option next to "send via"). This opens the line of code starting with the word <iframe.... 

Copy the code and paste it in the appropriate space on your website. In this code on your website editor, you should see width="700" height="520". Here's where you can adjust your data. I like to change hight to '700'. For my forms, this makes it the perfect  height on most phones. Then I change the width to '100%'. Having the percent sign is important because this makes it a flexible number and the Form will flex to any width depending on the phone, tablet or computer that is viewing it. Note - you can not change it to 100 in the Google Form Send area because "percent" isn't an option there. You will be changing it to 100 px. 

Publish your site. Revel in your coding skills. 

4 BIG changes to Google Adwords and PPC

In July 2016 Google announced 4 new SEM ad changes that are natural flows to the new mobile centric world we live in. 

Well, what's new?

1. Expanded Text Ads
Text ads were very conservative sized ads. Smaller than tweets. We used to have to be wordsmiths to make our ads work. NOW - we have 5 more characters in the headlines area. There is also a new second headline with 30 characters.  
The path (url area) is longer and you can choose 2 new 15 character URL paths. You can ad your top keywords here.These words will make the URL look so much more relevant but don't actually change the path 
Additionally we are getting 10 more characters in the description field for a total of 80 characters. 
The resulting expanded SEM ads are bigger and more compelling. So now SERP results are dynamic across tablet, desktop and mobile. 47% bigger ads!

Action item - Standard ads will be going extinct. You have a few months to get comfortable with the new Expanded SEM ads. In October 2016 (or at least sometime in Q416)... you will no longer be able to create or EDIT old standard ads. Expanded ads will become the norm. This is what we know so far. So you have to start addressing your current ads. Don't pause your currents ads right away, you can use this time as an A/B testing platform. While you are replacing all standard ads with expanded ads, leave the standard ones running. 

Ads will appear differently on different devises. Sometimes the headlines will be one line, sometimes two. It depends on the device size that the searcher is using.

2. Enhanced ad bidding
This throw back feature allows us to set bid adjustments by device (again). Tablets with full browsers, Laptops, and Mobile with full browsers. This is NOT your chance to just start bidding on cheaper platforms. Cheaper isn't better. You should be analyzing your results compared  to your goals in your Analytics. If you haven't set those up yet, take a peak at this article.

3. Responsive display ads
flash will be gone by 4Q16. this should not be a big surprise. The responsive ads that they build are more robust. you can choose this option if you run Google display ads by clicking on . and you can upload your own image! Yay!

4 Price extensions
All extensions are free in Adwords. You're crazy if you don't take advantage of them. They give you search result space and added value. So you should be using them anyway. Price extensions are an added bonus extension that you can use, similar to shopping ads. A few things to think about... this extension is relevant to tablet and phone only, not desk top (or at least not yet) AND you must be in the top position for your price extension to show. So you have to really pay attention to your keywords, quality score and bid amounts to take advantage of this extension.

All of these features are live and rolling out. If you don't see them yet, hold on... they are coming. Roll out often is like literally watching something roll across the country. Not every spot is hit at once, but it's coming. 

As always, feel free to ask us any questions or comment on your experience with this. Join our tribe on Facebook here. 

Scanning and Saving Business Cards using Evernote and Even Hooking it up to LinkedIn

Did you know that you can scan and save business cards in Evernote?

If you're a regular Evernote user, this is a great way to save business cards. 
I have a folder in Evernote for each of my clients. I have notes (obviously) for each of those clients in those folders.
And now I also have a photo of their business card in their folder.
PLUS (this makes this all worth it to me) when I scan their business card I have the option to add the information directly to my contacts on my phone.

So this allows me to:

• Add the contact to my phone list (or Gmail contacts)
• See their business card without carrying it with me
• Plus you can also connect it to LinkedIn if you have that app installed on your phone which will pull in a photo and any other details that LinkedIn has.

Sweet!

How do you do this?

Have the Evernote app on your phone. Sign in.
(if you're going to connect it to LinkedIn, make sure your app is downloaded)
Hit the plus sign to make a new note.
Choose the camera icon. 
The camera will size, straighten and read your business card.
It automatically take the photo, too. So have the card on a clean surface, Hold your phone so the edges of your card are visible on your screen. Give your phone a minute to grab the pic.
Double check the info in the fields that will show up.
Click save and choose whether to add it to your contacts. or scan another or done.
I choose save to contacts here. 

*** helpful side note... when you choose to save it, make sure it's saving to your Gmail account if you use a droid. it may default to phone contacts. Phone contacts usually don't sync. I had that problem after getting a new phone.

Click save and the back arrow to get back to Evernote. Then you can scan more or be done.
I also really like having a copy of the image of the card in their folder, just in case any info wasn't transferred correctly.

I do love technology!

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