Lots Are On It (Social Media Sites), Yet Lots Are Leaving &/Or Grieving
You heard the hype, you got on the bandwagon, so you created a Twitter, Facebook, & LinkedIn account, and now its there, but you still haven't leveraged what you got and wonder why you spent so much time and some money on it and you're not seeing results.
You need to understand that social media is just another communication tool, and like any other tool at your disposal, it needs to be mastered. So here are some tips you can take to heart in hopes that you can navigate this crazy world of social media madness:
Write down or type in your Goals! - Every time I do anything, I think of the beginning and the end result. This allows me to manage what I do, and how effectively my time is being spent. List your goals as to what you want to achieve. Whether it is building a following or a fan base, or even increasing your traffic. Whatever it is, track it.
Learn From the Right People - Tons of people call themselves experts, and very little of them deserve it. So how do you discern. Look at their track record, the work that they do, and if they themselves practice what they preach. No use emulating someone who's not doing it right.
Many People Are Communicating, Not Many Are Connecting - If you just tweet or update about what you do, and don't engage with others, you are just adding to the noise. Be human, talk to others, add value first. You see people in need, help! Get those experience muscles working, and build a name for yourself.
Bad Networking Moves Online - You try to sell without really listening first. By listening first, you'll know how to engage people. You'll know what peoples interest are. Imagine someone comes up to you and starts talking about their business, giving you only 2 words to say in response, hands you a business card when they are done talking & asks to give them a call and just walks away. Seriously, do not be that person online!
So Many To Manage - There are many social sites, you get an invite via email each day. Focus, focus, focus. Figure out where your target audience is hanging out. Know who your target audience even is. The top 3 I mentioned above is really essential though. Yes even Twitter. At least have a LinkedIn account and a Facebook Fan Page for your business. Leverage your friends and family first, then branch off to Twitter once you get those two down.
Lack Of Real Transparency - If you want people to know, like, and trust you, you need to show them who you are. Put some character on your blog, website, profiles, wherever you like. Gone are the days of hiding behind corporate walls of ambiguity.
Patience is a Web Virtue - Rome wasn't built in day, so don't expect that you'll be successful right away. Most recognized leaders in social media, have been doing their craft for years. Successful companies that have leveraged social media got their winnings from consulting with the best. Do what you can, but do it consistently and patiently.
Leverage Any First Time Initiators - I am talking about those who connect with you. If someone comments or sends you a nice post, reply back. That's the whole point is it not. If you have a LinkedIn profile and "good" people want to connect with you, why shouldn't you. Build your inner circle fast, and engage with your early fans, they will help you get where you want to go. If you ignore them, you end up with nothing.
Keep Learning Stop Crapping - Okay, that needs an explanation. What I mean to say, if you get content or complacent about things you need to know, eventually, what you know won't work all the time. You need to keep investing on your noggin. Knowledge is power, when practiced & maintained. Crapping is when you basically stop learning and start complaining about the world. That's my interpretation at least.
Get Social Online & Offline - This is such a crucial step. We are humans, we need to meet face to face. I challenge you to meet those you have met online and further connect with those people. Its an amazing feeling to put an face on an avatar.
The truth of the matter is, social media is a great tool, when used properly. The ugly truth unveils, when you don't put good etiquette into practice. Leverage this very cost effective means of interacting with customers, friends, partners and the like. You'll see the benefits rolling in, in the near future.
I hope this reaches out to you in a deeper level. I would hate to see you not succeed simply because no one told you. Now do something, anything, connect, engage, and change the world!!!
Best wishes to you and your endeavors...comment below and let me know how it goes. Would love to hear your response.
Recently, we had the pleasure of working with Burg Communications, the marketing company behind Bob Burg, a renowned author and speaker of, "The Go-Giver" book. For those of you not familiar with the book, here is a small description:
"Joe learns that changing his focus from getting to giving—putting others’ interests first and continually adding value to their
lives—ultimately leads to unexpected returns."
Ultimately, the book goes through a series of laws that can lead anyone to success. Its a great display of how one can be a go-giver rather than a go-getter.
You can visit the new website, and have the opportunity to reward a "Go-Giver" in your life.
This is a very special blog posting, being that SDG is part of the Space Coast, but not only that, we believe in NASA's contribution. So help us spread the word. Yes, lets spread the word by letting our government officials know that the Space Program should stay. If you did not know, but its one of the few government funded programs that actually reaps profit, results and value to this country.
Lets make sure we continue to reach the stars and focus on our path to innovation in technology and way of life. Here's a great video to watch about NASA's contribution.
There are times when we get contacted by an employee of a company, and they are looking to inquire about website redesign, and often times they are the ones pushing for it, and not the owners or managers of the business or organization. So here's a quick blog if your in that position. You believe that you can do a better job, if your company will just update the website. Here's what you need to know.
Reasons Why Everyone is Not Onboard About Updating Company/Organization Website:
Management/Owners are Unfamiliar with the Technology - believe it or not, what someone does not know, fears them, and having to learn something new can be intimidating.
Do Not See the Benefits - spent a lot of money on a website years ago, and it still has not paid back.
Think They Can Not Afford to - what they spent years ago, may not cost as much, and certainly technology capability has changed.
Business Does Not Need It - major purchases happen through research online by nearly 93% of Americans, can your company afford not to be part of the discussion?
Think That Customers Will Always Stay Loyal - economy sucks, so loyalty is out the window (up to a point), but if your products and services are pretty much the same, savvy buyers choose price most of the time. Your website can help make sure you stand out.
Technology Implementation is Costly - yes it can be, but its worth the investment, when implemented correctly, adding to a streamlined business that is efficient and competitive, your company can grow.
Only Do Business Locally - most businesses service those within a 50 mile radius of where they do business, if not less, so being online is pointless, at least that is what they say. But if everyone is getting online and not driving to your business, how are they know you exist? Hopefully not by junk mail!
Okay, so these are legitimate reasons here, but it is unfortunate if not dealt with. A great CEO once said, if you are not growing your business or if your business is stagnant, you will be out of business soon enough. Especially with the speed of how technology is growing, most businesses can not compete with other businesses that have the competitive technological edge.
Walmart is a great example of this. This company is known to be the leading purveyors of implementing new technology. They use critical business information to the fullest, allowing them to predict, prepare and respond with blazing speeds on market shifts.
Okay so technology is important, but what do I tell the powers-that-be on how to get a new website, because its not helping me sell their products and services with this outdated, misinformed, and unprofessional looking website.
So What Can I Tell My Boss, To Update Our Website:
A Website Is Sometimes the First Impression You Make - like we mentioned, people research online first, so if they stumble on your website, what impression are you making? This can deter or win-over a potential customer. Can you say, lost sale?
Internet is the Best Marketing Tool - compared to all the traditional marketing mediums, the internet is by far the most cost-effective due to its ability to reach people and availability.
Information On the Website Is Outdated - and therefore visitors to your site are not getting the information that you need and your credibility decreases. An outdated site gives people an impression that your business may not be stable so they'll chose a more stable company that will be around for a long time.
Improve Customer Loyalty - by constantly being in your customers mind. Send out highly targeted newsletters to your customers and give them a reason as to why they should have your loyalty.
Improve Customer Support - you can use your website to minimize unnecessary calls thus improving
efficiency or allowing for a better allocation of your workforce.
Improve Business Operations - by managing your online presence more effectively and streamlining your process when dealing with customer data. From site reporting tools, CRM tools, to even database management. Your website needs to be working for your business.
Test/Capture New Markets - by having a search engine friendly website. Optimize your site so when your potential customers are looking for you online, you can be found. By doing so, your business can reach new markets, and your business can grow.
These are good reasons to improve your website, especially if its not doing anything for you now. Like most relationships, your website needs the attention it needs so that it can perform as it should.
Tell us if this blog article was useful, we want to hear your thoughts. Thank you.
Obviously, as a business owner or an employee of a company, your main goal eventually, is for your business to make money. Our opinion, is that if your website is not making you money, then its costing you money. Plain and simple.
This blog is not here to convince you whether a website is crucial to your marketing. That's for another blog. Hopefully, you do know its importance, and want to continue on reading, to make sure your website is not costing you money.
What does a costly website looks like:
Old Content - is one of the biggest plagues of websites have out there. Content does not have to be that old, the content (images, text, documents) can be a few weeks or a few months old, but once the content needs to be changed, and it does not, it becomes useless. Unusable content does not benefit your users, when they leave your site they become misinformed. This misinformation can cost your company money and not to mention a lost of credibility, something that is hard to earn to begin with, when it comes to winning new customers.
Information Absence - means the lack of information on a website for users that need it. So think decisively, what kind of information do your visitors or prospective customers need from your website about your product and/or service? Instead of having them call you directly, make it available for easy access. This method can save you time and money from having someone answer phones to common questions that can be on your site. Do leave some data for the imagination, so they are encouraged to complete an inquiry. So use your better judgment on that regard.
Poor Design - is not just about the look and feel, but how the site is laid out and where the information is placed, and how users access the information. On the aesthetics part, the overuse of color, images, and text can overwhelm users. Making the site too busy too look at. It's like having a bunch of pictures tightly spread on the floor, all of them trying to grab your attention all at once. Information architecture & usability both deal with how the information flows from left to right, up and then down. Tell your story systematically and strategically.
No Control - entails the website owners having to call or ask a web designer for minor changes to the website. Hourly costs can accumulate, eventually costing you a fortune over time. Why not have a CMS or SaaS be setup that allows you to control some aspects of the site, so you can change content, post a blog, create a news article and so forth? More control, saves you money over time.
Confusing Navigation - can get users frustrated and confused, making them leave your site quicker than anything else. Navigation menus, sub-menus and links need to be consistent, recognizable, clickable and readable.
Choose Stock Images Wisely - or they can convey a lack of professionalism and credibility. Choose images that complement your page and not be used just for decoration. Everything needs to have a purpose for being there especially when it comes to images. But use sparingly. Refrain at all costs from using clip art, pixelated or distorted images, and images that can be offensive or deemed inappropriate.
Inefficient Data System - has to do with data that is captured by online forms that contain valuable customer information but cannot be viewed or arranged to your liking. Obtaining the data is one thing, now organizing it and structuring it so it can be manipulated to provide you with statistical data, can save you valuable time when making business intelligence decisions for your business. Give your data meaning, by knowing who your customers really are.
Taxing E-Commerce - is a term that would be described as having an e-commerce website that makes it hard for buyers to find a product, view their cart, and pay efficiently. Making customers jump hoops can make a difference between making a sale or not, so make sure it is easy to buy from your website. An easy sale is a good sale, you want more good sales.
Not Search Engine Friendly - is a website that search engines do not like, thus making your site invisible to your audience. If no one knows you exist, they will not buy from you. Make sure that your website is search engine friendly by choosing a web design firm or web designer that knows how to create search engine friendly websites.
Blind Advertising - entails website owners that spend money on advertising their site on 3rd party sites or on search engines, but when their ads are clicked on, the page either does not work, is not relevant to the ad, or just plain not captivating visitors from doing what their suppose to do, which is to convert them to a customer. Stop advertising and fix your website first.
Built By Inexperienced - is another unfortunate and highly practiced method. Often times this route is provoked by the initiative of trying to save money, and its a legitimate reason. If you are going to take this route, choose someone with experience, preferably someone that practices common web design standards. Ask for proof of work, and ask them many questions, this usually reveals experience.
In conclusion, an unsuccessful site is a costly site. So if you are practicing these methods, make sure to hire a professional to fix your website. Your website is a cost-effective marketing tool, that is available for all to see, 24/7, without the need of an hourly or salary based employee watching or running it. So take advantage of this digital medium that has made many companies successful.
Hire a professional web design firm that will build your website and turn it into a well oiled online business machine.
This is what every customer who wants a website ask. How much does a web site cost? And not to say it's not a legitimate question, because it is. The only problem is, it may not be the right question. It's like asking a used car salesman, how much a car is? Of course he would say, "Well what type of car are you looking for?" and a bunch of other related questions that ultimately would lead to the car, they would recommend for the specifications or choices you just told them.
How Much Does A Website Really Cost?? Well that depends, on these factors:
Experience of the Web Firm/Web Designer - how much real experience does your web site firm/web designer have? The more experience, the more costly they would be (Hourly rates start around $50 - $125). Factors to consider as well, a fully staffed web design firm has it's benefits, but you are most likely to pay top dollar for your site, a freelance web designer are often less expensive. A growing trend for web firms, is a company with a flexible team of professionals. A hire by demand kind of team. There are pros and cons for each as you can imagine, it just depends on the scope of your site.
Strategic Design Elements - we are talking about visual elements contained within the site. Well designed sites not only have appealing and custom graphics, but they are also well structured. So combine compelling design elements, usability considerations, and call-to-action approaches, this stage of development can take considerable time. This can also determine the success and failure of a site, whether or not it appeals and meets user expectations.
Flash Animation - is great feature when used properly. Create compelling animations with sound, moving video and graphics, and capture your audience. Depending on the length of the animation, and it's complexity (sound, buttons, and transitions), this can be a hefty price to pay to have on your site.
CMS & SaaS Solutions -CMS stands for Content Management System, which is an application in which can use to create, edit and manage your site's content. There are many CMS's out there, and they all vary in capability, cost, ease of use, cost of ownership, etc. SaaS stands for Software as a Service, which is a paid license service for robust and turnkey applications. They are more robust and often are more complex than a CMS. Depending on what you get, prices vary and so are the features. Some of the common features are content management, blogs, photo galleries, article management, search feature, e-commerce, bookings and more.
Custom Application - are custom built websites that are built often times from scratch or a software framework. This type of website building allows site owners to get exactly what they want in terms of how a website works and functions.This type of venture requires great capital to build at first and some to maintain as well. The advantages are huge, but the costs can often detract most businesses.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - is a type of service that enables your website to be found by search engines. The process or techniques to do this, vary for each SEO firm, some are legitimate others are not. The concept of "built and they will come" does not apply with the web. So building a website is just the beginning. Getting it found by your target market is another. This is just one aspect of internet marketing.
Internet Marketing - is required and often neglected as part of the web design process, due to the importance of driving traffic to your site. Whether you choose an SEO route, as mentioned earlier, or PPC (Pay-per-click) advertising method, which entails paying to be on search engines through chosen keywords, or Banner advertising, in which an ad is placed on a third-party site once clicked on goes to the specified page within your site.
Social Media Marketing - is a fairly new internet marketing method, but quickly gaining momentum, due to the overwhelming response and interaction between social media sites such as LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, MySpace.com, and YouTube.com, to name a few. The difference between this type of advertising, is trying to make it less obvious that it is one. This requires further explanation on another blog, but lets leave you with this thought; social media marketing is all about the user having dynamic interaction with a site and choosing to be so.
Now that we have laid out most of the major factors that can affect the cost of a website, it is up to you to choose what you want included. So talk with your web design firm/web designer and discuss your goals and objectives, and the options or factors that are applicable to you. Depending on what you want on your site, how you want it done and what makes it work behind the scenes, affects the cost of your website. So get multiple quotes that outline the cost and you figure out what approach you want.
Building a website is much more than just having a few pages with information about your company and the products and services it offers. Your website needs to be an extension of your business tied in with your overall marketing plan.
Your website can be the first thing your potential customer sees of your business, so ask yourself:
Does your website reflect your company image?
Does it tie in with your other marketing ventures?
Is the information on the site accurate?
Is your website selling your product or service effectively?
Here are some characteristics of a Web Business:
All company communications reflect on your website and in all your marketing efforts
Branding consistency is apparent (Is your message the same in all media?)
Content on your site needs to be worth looking at and is constantly changing and growing
Capture visitor information (Got a Newsletter sign-up or Contact Form)
Data is compiled and analyzed for strategic business decisions
Give Customers a voice (Forums, Comments, Blog, etc)
Voice out strategically and get feedback immediately (Newsletter Marketing Reporting)
Sell with confidence (Well organized products and services with Call-to-Actions)
Search Engines can actually find you online (Especially locally!)
Your website needs to be working for you on a daily basis, earning you money and increasing in value for your company.
Stay tuned to find out more about building a web business, or contact us today.
Yes, the US economy is not looking good, that means your business may need to take precautions to handle the slow flow of business, if you haven't already. As a web design firm. Here are a few tips that can help your business in these trying times.
A Hard working Web Site Can Save
Here are some simple tips that can help save your business:
If you can do the changes, do it yourself, why pay a web designer $$$ (Need a CMS?)
Update your site where you can make simple text changes yourself, or manage your store products easily with a website that gives you control. Without a Content Management System (CMS), you are burning money away.
Provide good content that saves you time (FAQ's help customers find what they need)
Does your website provide useful information that your customers can easily access and find? Have an FAQ area, a Forum for open discussion, or a help center area so that customers are not taking up your precious time on the phones.
Improve Customer Relations (Stay connected with your customers, or your competitors will)
Cost of acquiring new customers is higher than keeping one. So invest in your customers. Keep yourself in their radars by sending them useful and timely newsletters by email.
Get famous and become a Social Butterfly (Is your website search engine friendly?)
Believe it for not, having a blog, is not just about your escape to talk, but you can use it to get your customers engaged and excited about your product and service, while at the same time, giving your site the traffic it needs. Write carefully and strategic. It needs to be interesting.
Stay tuned more tips coming soon.
Do you want to have more control and effectiveness? Contact us today, and get a free no-obligation web site consultation and we'll help you save your business by using internet technology that is cost-effective.
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