Design and branding tips to help grow your business.

Archive for the ‘Marketing Tips’ Category

Turn Your Static Website into a Social Media Powerhouse

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Imagine you’re just arriving at a party. You reach the front door, ring the doorbell and…no one answers. You let yourself in and try to find your friend, the hostess. She is no where to be found. Instead, you find a small group of people huddled around a sad excuse for a party spread. You throw your coat on the pile in the corner. Your hostess has been tied up in conversation with one guest for a while now, and you find it hard to mingle with the other party-goers. You decide showing your face is enough, and awkwardly slip out of the party without saying goodbye.

Now imagine another party. As you approach the front steps, you find the hostess is already at the door to greet you. Taking your coat, she warmly welcomes you into her home. She introduces you to some fellow party attendees so that she can tend to the refreshment table, which needs to be restocked. The hostess effortlessly works the room, asking if her guests need anything, ensuring that they are having the best time possible. She engages her guests with lively discussion and even leads some fun party games. At the end of the night, she presents you with a party favor, a permanent reminder of your wonderful evening.

Which party would you rather attend?

Pretty obvious, right? The same applies to your business’s website. A static website filled with basic information is a good start, but if you’d like your visitors to linger longer, interactivity is the key. In his article, Powering Your Website with Social Media, Stu Green recommends utilizing the following social media applications:

  1. Build Community
  2. Get Feedback
  3. Offer Interaction
  4. Offer the Best Customer Service
  5. Let Your Users Create the Buzz

These are some great techniques to bring a vibrancy to your website by using social media. Allowing comments and adding forums to your website makes it seem more “alive” and current, while you collect useful demographic data for further marketing efforts.

Implementing website feedback forms shows your visitors that you truly care about their experience at your website, and beyond that — you care about their experience with your product or service. This leads to stronger brand loyalty, which you can help visitors express with buttons and widgets.

Remember, your visitors are like guests to the party that is your website. What kind of host do you want to be?

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Posted in Branding, Branding Tips, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Social Media for Marketing, Social Networking | No Comments »

Creating a custom landing page for Facebook

Monday, March 8th, 2010

So you’ve just created a Facebook fan page for your business, brand, or idea. (You haven’t? Check out our article on creating a Facebook fan page.) Are you looking to take your page to the next level? Try creating a custom landing page next.

A Facebook custom landing page is a built-in first impression of sorts, and the kind of thing that takes your social media marketing to the next level. It will act as the first page that non-fans will land on, rather than initially seeing your Facebook wall. You don’t have to be a web genius to create a landing page, as Facebook has already created an application to do the dirty work for you! Just follow these steps:

Step One: Add the Application

  1. Log into your Facebook account.
  2. Click on the Applications link. (This will be on the bottom left of your browser, or in the left-hand margin on the new Facebook layout.)
  3. Click on Browse More Applications. (On the new Facebook layout, skip to the next step.)
  4. Type “FBML” into the search box and click on the result, Static FBML. (FBML stands for “Facebook Markup Language.”)
  5. Click Add to My Page

Step Two: Create the Landing Page

  • Go back to your fan page and click Edit Page (under the user pic).
  • Scroll to the FBML application and click Edit.
  • Customize the FBML tab. This is where you can create the magic. Type in your page title and HTML codes for whatever you wish. Here are some ideas:
  • Ensure this application will be added to your fan page’s tabs by going back to the “edit applications” screen and changing the status of FBML from “Available” to “Added.”

    • Step Three: Make the Landing Page the Default for Non-Fans

  • Click on the Wall tab and click Settings.
  • In the drop-down menu for “Default Landing Tab for Everyone Else,” select the tab you just created.
  • Check the functionality of the landing page by logging out of Facebook and then entering the URL for your fan page. You should arrive at the landing page you just made.

    • With just a little bit of time and know-how, you can have a great welcome page for new fans that will showcase what your business is all about.

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    Posted in Branding Tips, Internet Marketing, Marketing Tips, Social Media for Marketing, Web Marketing | 1 Comment »

    Avoid Client Problems with a Design Questionnaire

    Friday, March 5th, 2010

    When a web developer and client meet for the first time, it’s not uncommon for one question to be front and center: How much is this going to cost me? It’s not surprising, given these tough economic times and ever-dwindling budgets — we’re seeing it a lot here in Houston. Still, the relationship between any web designer and or social media marketing consultant and client must be a close one. They must share the same vision, and the consultant must act as another arm of the business, another player in the client’s goals. So how can an Internet marketing consultant move past a fixation on cost and get to the heart of the matter?

    Martha Retallick at Freelance Switch provided a great tool that she frequently implements into her initial client meetings: a web design client questionnaire. Retallick has a list of about 25 thought-provoking questions that drill down to the desired aesthetic and purpose for the website.

    Here are a handful that go beyond, “Tell me about your business,” and help define realistic boundaries and expectations of a project.

    • How can your particular work background help prospects, compared to others in your industry? What’s special about your work experience?
    • Please describe your potential customers. Pay special attention to their income, interests, gender, age, even type of computer they use, e.g., old with dialup account or newer with broadband. If your website is a business-to-business site, what sort of companies are you hoping to attract?
    • What staff will be involved? What are their roles? Is there a webmaster on your staff?
    • Please list the names of five other sites that you like. Why are they attractive to you?
    • How much time will you be able to spend online, responding to inquiries that come in via your website? Once a day? Several hours a day?
    • If you were using a search engine, what words or phrases would you use to find your site? Which of these words or phrases is most important? Second? Third?

    These questions do a great job of highlighting issues like brand benefits, target demographics, internal communication, and the client’s web savvy.

    In the time I’ve worked as a web designer in Houston, I’ve found a system like this to be a great way to find out client expectations and requirements. It has really helped me on numerous occasions.

    One thing I didn’t see on this list that I think would be helpful to ask: What would you deem a “success” in terms of offline results? This moves the client’s focus off of hits/average monthly visitors to give the developer an idea of their true business goals. What other questions should a web developer bring to the table before starting a project?

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    Posted in Branding, Branding Tips, Graphic Design, Internet Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Tips, Social Media for Marketing, Web Marketing, Website Designer | No Comments »

    So You Want to Make a Facebook Fan Page. . .

    Monday, March 1st, 2010

    In today’s social media landscape, Facebook goes beyond reconnecting individuals — it can act as a great promotional tool for any brand. Creating a Facebook fan page for your business is truly one of the easiest ways to establish a social media marketing presence. And best yet? It’s absolutely free.

    Here’s a quick how-to guide:

    Step 1: Create Your Page

    1. Log into Facebook. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage and click on the small link labeled Advertising on the right-hand side.
    2. In the left-hand margin, click Pages, and then Create Page.
    3. Choose the most relevant category for your business and type in your desired page name.
    4. Confirm you have authority to create the fan page, then click Create Page. This will take you to the next phase, which will give you options to edit individual sections of your Facebook page.

    Now that your fan page has been created, the next step is to develop its design to maximize its appeal to potential fans. The more information you add, the better — not only for your users, but for your Google search results, because Facebook fan pages are searchable through Google.

    Step 2: Design Your Page

    1. Hover over the user picture and click Change Picture to upload your logo or any other image that best represents your brand. Does this image also look good as a thumbnail? Keep this in mind, as your main mode of contact with fans will be through their newsfeeds.
    2. Under the user picture, click Edit Page. Here, you can change any settings for user restrictions, wall posts, and mobile options.
    3. From here on out, update your fan page like you would any Facebook profile. Add information about your business by clicking on the Info tab, including website, company overview, mission, and products. Share photos that best show what your brand is all about.
    4. Make your fan page more dynamic by adding applications. Click on the “+” plus sign tab to add discussions, links, events, notes, videos — all viable options to reach out to your fans and encourage them to interact.
    5. Remember to click the Publish Your Page link, which will officially take your page “live.”

    While your Facebook fan page takes mere minutes to establish, it won’t work for you, unless you work for it. It is not enough to simply create a page — you must maintain it. Take the time to update and promote your page, as well as engage with users, and you will begin to see why many businesses turn to Facebook as part of their online marketing efforts.

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    Posted in Internet Marketing, Marketing Tips, Social Media for Marketing, Social Networking | 1 Comment »

    Have you got the commitment and determination?

    Monday, January 18th, 2010

    You will need commitment and a determination to succeed in order to start a business. Those personal traits will also need to be complimented by passion, innovation, courage and the ability to set yourself goals.

    Passion

    Are you totally passionate about your business idea? Do you absolutely believe in what you are selling, or the service you are providing? Have you got an in–depth knowledge of your product, your competition and the market you are entering? And, once you’ve got your venture up and running – do you have the passion and the energy to keep going when others are feeling tired and want to give up?   Passion is an essential trait in any entrepreneur.

    Innovation

    While not necessarily ‘inventors’, entrepreneurs are highly innovative and creative individuals with the vision and insight to spot opportunities and act upon them. They have the ability to carve out a new niche in a market where others might not have seen it – and turn ideas into a solid business strategy.

    Commitment

    Have you got the commitment and determination to make your venture a success? Planning, setting up and running a business requires endless hard work and 100% of your time. Your family, friends and leisure activities may have to take a back seat, while you’ll have to give up security such as a monthly salary or a pension. Are you sure you’re willing to make this commitment?

    Courage

    A successful entrepreneur is prepared to make big decisions and take on tough challenges. There will be times when things are not going so well – when the sales aren’t coming in and bills are overdue – so you’ll need the courage to dig deep and not crack under the strain (no matter how much you feel like turning your back on it all!). Having courage also means making the right decisions for your business, no matter how unpopular they may seem at the time.

    Ability to set goals

    An entrepreneur will set specific and realistic goals and have a clear plan of how to achieve these. Your venture won’t be a success if you don’t do this as you won’t have specific targets to aim for or measure your performance against. Further, having clear goals will enable you to formulate a sound business plan.

    Posted in Branding Tips, Inspiration, Marketing Tips | No Comments »

    Marketing Tip #2 – Branding 101

    Monday, March 30th, 2009

    In my mind Branding is all about 3 things… words, Images, and emotions. Consumers will remember what you say about your brand or even what they’ve heard. This could be a radio spot or even a word of mouth referral. They will remember what they’ve seen. This could be an advertising campaign, logo, brochure, and web site. But mostly they will remember how the combination of those make them feel.To succeed in building a brand, it is necessary to understand the needs and wants of your customer. So, do your research and create a message that separates you from your competition. Then repeat that message over and over again using every form of media you can.

    Posted in Branding, Branding Tips, Marketing, Marketing Tips | No Comments »

    Marketing Tip #1 – Niche Market and Brand Position

    Monday, March 23rd, 2009

    Create a niche market and brand position.

    In today’s business environment, you’ve got to separate yourself from the pack – you’ve got to create a niche and a memorable brand.  Your brand is what you stand for, what makes you different, its the first thought you want to enter into your prospect’s mind. Brands are mental associations that get stirred up with the use of words, images, and emotion. Contrary to what some may think, your brand is not your logo. Your logo is part of your brand.

    Ask yourself, how can I differentiate my business from competitors? How can I create a perception that my target market simply can’t live without me? What do I have to offer?

    Posted in Branding, Branding Tips, Marketing, Marketing Tips | No Comments »