Alan Boris LLC

Welcome!

alan — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 17:39:03 +0000

Thanks for stopping by. Here you’ll find examples of a few recent projects and learn about how I can help your business grow through the use of technology. Feel free to get in touch and discuss a potential project or just talk tech.

If you are looking for information about my Philadelphia radio book or website, please visit www.phillyradioarchives.com.

What Web Services Can Do For You

alan — Thu, 12 May 2011 22:50:44 +0000

Web services allow your website or application to communicate behind the scenes and obtain or exchange information with another website or information source. Some examples can best illustrate this powerful resource. Alan Boris LLC recently used a web service that allowed a client’s website to communicate with a vendor’s systems to transfer fulfillment information automatically and in real time. This frees the client from having to submit each order manually to their fulfillment house. During the transfer process, a tracking number is automatically received so that the client has this information in their system.

Another example of a web service is having your website automatically deposit funds into one or more PayPal accounts. PayPal “exposes” this functionality for its users so they can program almost any type of operation that needs to be performed on a repeated basis. Many websites make their functionality available to programmers to incorporate into their own sites and applications. At Alan Boris LLC, we have experience on both sides of this equation. We have successfully connected client’s sites to vendor’s web services, and also made parts of our client’s sites available as a web service to others that need to make use of it. Contact us for more information about how web services can streamline your business operations.

Ordering System

alan — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:18:16 +0000

We recently completed a large web application for a locally-owned farm that sells directly to the public. While there are many off-the-shelf ordering systems available, this client required very specialized back-end functionality and reporting. A custom system was built using ASP.NET and SQL Server 2008 to vastly improve the farm’s efficiency and customer service operations.

Before the new web application was created, farm staff had to write invoices by hand, mail Excel spreadsheets to customers for ordering, and aggregate data from dozens of documents just to fulfill one batch of orders. Now all invoices are generated and e-mailed to customers automatically, and farm staff can see inventory levels on the web in real time.

We take the time to learn our customer’s businesses in order to create web applications that save time and money.

SeeMeGetFamous.tv

alan — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 07:48:31 +0000

In 2010 Alan Boris LLC led the technical development of an exciting new venture called SeeMeGetFamous. A site was developed that allows users to upload videos portraying their talent to be considered for inclusion in a national TV show. I led a team of designers, copywriters and developers to build and deploy the site. Instead of using off-the-shelf software or content management systems, the unique requirements dictated that we develop from scratch using ASP.NET. I coded all of the forms and the backend SQL database, while another developer coded the video upload portion. Yet another developer helped create the intricate back-end administration system used by SeeMeGetFamous staff to evaluate the uploads, respond to inquiries, bill customers and build the show’s edit decision list. This was a fun project where we had the opportunity to integrate a lot of interesting video technology. Because the client was starting from scratch, I also sourced all of the video editing software, stock footage and royalty-free music. In addition, I personally edited together the first episode which aired on three national cable networks!

Legal Website

alan — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:15:56 +0000

Another website project in 2010 included custom programming for an existing legal website. This website, which prepares key legal agreements for upstart businesses, also required some user interface improvements and enhanced usability. Alan Boris LLC worked with the owner of the site to come up with an improved “wizard” style interface to make it easier for users to step through the process of signing up. This helped improve visitor retention and resulted in the closing of more sales.

Other features we added were the ability to accept credit card payments through the site, a streamlined back-end administration system, and SEO bolstering modifications.

All Star Memorials

alan — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:43:18 +0000

Portion of newly designed site

In 2010, I was asked to improve a static, one page website for All Star Memorials, a company that sells headstones and grave markers to the public. On a tight budget, I brought in a designer and a programmer to create a more pleasing site that also contained a full interactive catalog of the company’s offerings. I concentrated on SEO and making sure there was a clear call to action for capturing leads. Within three months, the new site was unveiled and it soon provided a steady stream of interested leads due to its favorable search ranking on key terms. The site redesign also included the creation of a few administration pages for All Star staff to easily modify some of the site contents.

Mash My Data

alan — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:46:29 +0000

In late 2009, I developed a web-based application for the Consumer Electronics Association’s “Apps For Innovation” contest. The goal was to demonstrate how innovation and entrepreneurship are impacting the U.S. economy. I chose to focus on the FCC radio spectrum auctions and how business of many different sizes were impacted by these transactions.

The site still stands, so check it out!