The Latest

Is Social Media a Fad?

On February 15, 2012, in Marketing, Small Business, Small Business Advice, Social Media, social network, social networking, Web Design, YouTube, by Chad
1

I speak with business people every day – and because of the nature of my business, I listen to business strategies of all different kinds.  One common theme I’ve been hearing is, “I don’t have time for Social Media”.

Business owners find time for anything that makes them money.  So I doubt time is the issue.  I really believe that many owners still underestimate the value of Social Media.  They are the ones missing out, because I assure you, it is not going away and it is an effective marketing strategy.  It’s not a fad.  It’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. (more…)

 

How Does YOUR Website Grade?

On January 19, 2012, in Small Business, by Chad
0

We use a tool from Hubspot to grade all our websites before we begin a new project (http://marketing.grader.com ).  This nonpartisan grade gives us a really good feel for where you are at with your website in its current state.  You wouldn’t believe how many sites we see that are under 20 out of 100.  The lowest being a 7.  Yeah,  yikes!

The majority of the low scores come from the do-it-yourselfers.  We’ve all seen that 1&1 commercial, right?  It’s so easy to create a website yourself!  As they say, you get what you pay for.  And a $0 website gets you a grade of 7 out of 100.  I’m willing to bet all the change in my pocket that they are yielding little results from their website as well. (more…)

 

Is Bad Web Design Affecting Your Bottom Line?

On January 2, 2012, in Small Business Advice, Social Media, Web Design, by Chad
0

Is Bad Web Design Affecting Your Bottom Line? Back in 1998, when I first started in this industry, web design was very basic. The tools used to create web graphics and the lack of bandwidth was major bottle-necks back then.

Fast forward to today. Graphic design tools have grown in sophistication and many are aimed directly at the web designer. Bandwidth is hardly an issue anymore. Open source projects such as JQuery have really advanced what a web design/programmer can accomplish in a short amount of time.

So why do I still find so many business sites that look like they were designed in 1998? (more…)

 

On your Website, Content is King

On January 2, 2012, in Small Business, by Chad
0

Word-Power is persuasive power. The power to grab attention, make hard-hitting points and generate immediate response from your targeted market. Carefully chosen words build credibility for your website, your business, your products or services. They are vital tools that can be artfully used to create the specific response or action you want.

Selling, regardless of what the product or service, is an emotional process. A process of learning to push the right “buttons” in your prospect to get the desired response. Expert copywriting is the tool to create that outcome. Yet far too few businesses understand the impact and value of well-chosen words and how they can attract, motivate and sell. (more…)

 

Do you Facebook for Business?

On December 26, 2011, in Small Business Advice, Social Media, by Chad
1

I speak with business people every day – and because of the nature of my business, I listen to business strategies of all different kinds. One common theme I’ve been hearing is, “I don’t have time for Social Media”. Business owners find time for anything that makes them money. So I doubt time is the issue. I really believe that many owners still underestimate the value of Social Media. They are the ones missing out, because I assure you, it is not going away and it is an effective marketing strategy. It’s not a fad. It’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.

Don’t take my word for it… Consider these facts…. (more…)

 

If you hire an SEO Expert, you are doing it wrong.

On October 14, 2011, in Small Business Advice, by Chad
1

So your marketing team gets together and someone says “We need to be ranked higher in the search engines”.  The next day you search and search for a good SEO company. You hire them. They make some changes to your website.  You pay them a lump sum and they leave.

This is what my kids would call an “Epic Fail”. (more…)

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Social Media: Time to get creative?

On September 14, 2011, in Small Business Advice, Uncategorized, by Chad
10

Most of us are using Social Media, but the real question is… are you using it to its fullest potential?

The benefits of social media are unprecedented.  The biggest benefactor is that it doesn’t cost you anything - at least nothing but your time.  It’s easy to keep your brand in front of hundreds or thousands of people - every day. (more...)

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Customer Service May Affect Your Bottom Line.

On June 24, 2011, in Small Business Advice, by Chad
3

Dorsch Ford is badHow much does it cost for you to bring in a new customer?  Do you even know?  Most companies spend thousands of dollars on their marketing campaign just to bring in another customer.  When that customer comes in through the door, you are proud of yourself.  Your marketing campaign is working.

But how much will you spend to keep a customer? There is a fine line between going too far to keep a customer happy and knowing when it’s best to let a customer go.  Every case is different, but creating a culture for customer retention is more important than what I see happening in the real world. (more…)

 

What to look for when selecting a Web Team

On November 23, 2010, in Small Business Advice, by Chad
8

Why is this important, can’t anybody do it?
Your website is your identity on the web.  Many times, it’ll be the only chance you have to make an impression on a customer.  A properly designed website can be the difference in bringing in that all important lead.  A typical internet user has a short attention span when they are searching for a company that they want to deal with.  Long load times, difficult navigation, and below average design are all reasons for the customer to leave immediately, never to be heard from again.

Selecting your web team is an important decision and it’s best to get it right the first time. (more…)

 

“Good” Versus “Bad” Web Design.

On November 22, 2010, in Small Business Advice, by Chad
19

Back in 1998, when I first started in this industry, web design was very basic. The tools used to create web graphics and the bandwidth were major bottle-necks back then.  With 28K or 56K modems (if you were rich), images had to be reduced down to under 10K of space.  If not, load times were exhausting.  Web designers knew that if the page took too long to load, the customer would move on to another site.

Fast forward to the modern day…  Graphic design tools have really come around and some are aimed directly at the web designer.  Bandwidth is hardly an issue anymore.  Open source projects such as JQuery and Mootools have really advanced what a web design/programmer can accomplish in a short amount of time.

So why do I find so many business sites that look like they were designed in 1998?

(more…)

 
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