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Responsive WordPress website designs are an affordable, versatile solution for small businesses seeking a new or updated website they can update themselves. Those who already have a WordPress website know that WordPress works great on many levels. The biggest concern with choosing a WordPress website and managing it yourself is that the regular WordPress website maintenance is often neglected.
WordPress software is updated by WordPress programmers regularly. As any software, some updates are minor and you may not detect a difference on your site. Other updates are more robust. Some WordPress website updates offer new web functionality or a couple just-for-fun features, like falling snow in Winter. You can choose to implement all the new features or just a few. What is most important in each WordPress update is the added security. Security updates protect from hackers and malware that can take down your website or infect others systems.
Installing WordPress updates is a necessity for keeping your website safe
WordPress is the top content management website platform across the world. It offers great benefits, especially to small businesses. For all of the benefits to choosing WordPress there is a drawback. Hackers love to target it. (Then again it’s not just WordPress that has this concern. Hackers target Joomla websites, Blogger websites and custom built content management systems also…) To avoid issues, Wordpress website maintenance is a critical practice to keeping your WordPress website or WordPress blog in optimal working order. 
WordPress programmers are proactive in protecting customers against these attacks. New walls of code are built to keep predators out when vulnerabilities are detected. Once the code is developed a free update is available to all WordPress users. When a new WordPress update is available, there is an alert posted clearly at the top of the administrative area at log in. The date when it was first available is noted as well.
When should the WordPress software be updated?
We will often wait a day or so after a new WordPress version is posted before we select to update. This is because many of the responsive WordPress websites we design include 3rd party plug-ins. Wordpress plug-in developers may need a little extra time to unsure their plug-in code is compatible with the latest WordPress version. If the plug-ins haven’t updated yet some may not function correctly. Within a few days most plug-ins have caught up. At that point we’ll update to the latest WordPress and plug-in versions. If plug-ins are not updated within a few days of the release of a new WordPress version, install the update but check your website very closely and make sure all plug-ins are working correctly.
Caution: plug-ins are also susceptible to hackers. New versions are made available and alerts are posted in the administrative area of the WordPress websites for plug-ins also. Plug-in developers may offer a new version with increased features and functionality in addition to added security protection.
We recommend updating plug-ins one at a time. After you update each one, check your website to make sure the update is compatible and all functionality is in place. If you choose to update your plug-ins all at once and there is a conflict, it can be difficult to pinpoint which plug-in is causing the conflict.
What happens if I don’t update WordPress regularly?
- hackers can invade it
- malware can be installed on your site
- Google is alerted and will black mark your website
- your website is rendered harmful to visitors
- prospective clients and visitors will get a scary alert stating your website may be harmful to their system
What do you do if your website was hacked?
You send a frantic call to your website hosting service or website design firm that your website was hacked, it’s not live and clients can’t reach you and… worst… you don’t have a current back up. Your website will need to be taken down. Once removed from viewers, a temporary screen is posted, and clean-up begins.
What does it cost to fix a website that has been hacked?
- your website is removed from view from all prospective and current clients
- you will now be paying hourly website developments fees to comb through each file to find all corrupt code
- developers clean / remove bad code
- the cleaned website is uploaded as a temporary page
- website is tested
- website is tested again… again… and again
- once clear the new files can be uploaded
- your web host is alerted that your website is safe to go live again
- submission requests are sent to Google and other SERPs to remove the blocks that have been put in place for your website
- requests are sent again… again… and sometimes a third time before alerts are completely removed and your website gets the all clear
This whole procedure can take days or even months to resolve, it depends on how quickly you are alerted of your compromised site and the size of your website.
What is the best way to help keep websites safe from hackers?
By practicing regular WordPress website maintenance. Log in to the administrative area of your WordPress website frequently and make sure everything is up to date. Consider changing your admin password regularly also. Do not assume your web hosting company or your website design firm is maintaining your website. Web maintenance is usually an additional feature because of the time commitment. Look at your plan or agreement, or send your web hosting or design firm an email of phone call to be sure.
We understand staying current with WordPress and 3rd Party plug-in versions can eat up a lot of time. We also feel horrible getting the call “My website’s been hacked, what do I do?” from a small business. Before that happens, set a weekly or monthly timer to log in to your admin panel and keep your software updated. If you don’t have time or the due diligence to do this, you’ll want to look into website maintenance options for small businesses.. Our basic web maintenance package is a perfect entry point for most small business WordPress websites.
Basic WordPress Website Maintenance Package includes:
- updating all WordPress, Theme and plugins
- techies handle the technical stuff
- website protection -security protection from Securi,
- scheduled back-ups,
- included Maintenance time / Email support,
- 1/2 hour of styling and updates.
- peace of mind
Knowing your site is protected from potential hackers and will not be a concern to visitors or scare clients and prospects away from working with you is the best return.
Call us today to discuss which package is best suited to you or sign up for a website maintenance package..
Connection Graphics, Michigan based Design and Marketing Firm Receives Certification as Women’s Business Enterprise by WBENC
December 15, 2015 – Connection Graphics, LLC receives national certification as Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
“The Great Lakes Women’s Business Council is proud to have Connection Graphics as one of our newly certified women owned businesses. They have tremendous talent and promise that we are excited to see soar even higher,” according to Michelle Richards, President, Great Lakes WBC.
WBENC’s national standard of certification provided by the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council Certification Committee is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and a site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm that the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. According to WBENC, by including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and continued development of supplier/vendor diversity programs.
“We are pleased to receive this certification by WBENC. We look forward to fostering the growth of other women-owned businesses while continuing to provide marketing and design services to successful corporations,” said Connie Sweet, founder and CEO of Connection Graphics.
About Connection Graphics:
Connection Graphics is an integrative marketing and design firm located in the Lansing, Michigan area. For nearly 20 years, Connection Graphics has provided expert website development, graphic design, and marketing solutions. Connection Graphics offers guidance for the most cost-effective and creative solutions available to achieve maximum results. Serving a diverse clientele of large corporations and manufacturers to start-ups and non-profits clients extend across Michigan and the United States. Connection Graphics works in person or digitally, to develop a strategy and visual signature adaptable to each stage of a companies growth.
Certification as Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) from Great Lakes Women’s Business Council means Connection Graphics can help more corporations. If corporations have marketing services, graphic design, or website design and development needs, this certification can help to meet supplier diversity program goals with an experienced, responsible design firm.
The certification achievement is an important milestone for Connection Graphics as we continue to grow and to improve our corporate relationships while fostering the growth of diverse and other women owned businesses. Through a culture of continuous improvement our mission is to create partnerships by delivering cutting edge marketing and design solutions combined with incomparable service that brings results and makes everyones job easier.
About WBENC:
The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council is the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. WBENC is a resource for the thousands of U.S. companies and government agencies that rely on WBENC’s certification as an integral part of their supplier diversity programs. www.wbenc.org
Media Contact for Connection Graphics:
Connie Sweet
517-645-4387
WBENC Women owned business certification
Mastering the Art of Print Marketing
Our new ebook covers tips on print marketing for small businesses. Printing has different rules than digital or web design. Over the years we have received countless questions on preparing items for print. Whether you are producing your own print marketing pieces or preparing items to turn over to us the tips in this book can save you time and money.
Some of the topics covered:
- Color Modes
(RGB, CMYK, Pantone…) - Graphic File Formats
- Print Resolution Graphics
- Proofreading Marks
- Postcard Design, Brochures and Direct Mail
On the Blog:
How to [Be Your Own] Brand Consultant – It’s Not Just About Brand Visuals
Many people confuse branding with company logos, corporate identities and websites. It’s true, consistent brand visuals are important to establish a brand identity. The company brand though begins with the intangible elements a company is built on.
Questions included below… Read More…
Taking Care of Business
Choosing Web Hosting
Some things to look for:
- Adequate Space – Some hosting companies only allow so much space per website, be sure there is enough for your needs, also consider whether you plan on uploading lots of photos as these can add up over time.
- Advertising – Most all free hosting and some less expensive hosting plans are only able offer plans at these rates because they place there ads on your website. They place a large ad on your site to cover hosting, but you can get hosting for $10/month, They are getting very cheap advertising out of you.
- Bandwidth – This is a limit on the amount of traffic to your website. Some companies impose a limit on how often your site is loaded by visitors. If it surpasses the limit for the month, they can disable the website or send you a bill for the amount of the overage. Check the bandwidth limit of your web hosting company and what happens if you go over. Then you’ll want to track your usage to see if need to move to a more advanced plan.
If you specific hosting needs and would like us to help you in determining a solution, contact us.
Many people confuse branding with company logos, corporate identities and websites. It’s true, consistent brand visuals are important to establish a brand identity. The company brand though begins with the intangible elements a company is built on.
Questions included below are important to ask before you start your company and well before you begin your marketing and promotions. Some of them will be easy, some may need to be honed in over time.
These questions can be used by start-up businesses or existing businesses that needs to evaluate their brand presence and definition. Grab a cup of coffee, pen and paper or open a text document and start noting answers for each section.
Brand Position
- What unique value do you bring to the market?
- What does your company do?
- Who are your customers?
- How does it benefit your customers?
- How are you different from your competition?
Brand Promise
What does your company stand for and offer to your customers every single time? All brand decisions are based on this promise to prospects, customers, employees and partners.
Do you want to be known for:
- high quality product or service
- giving back to the community
- niche market
- 24/7 service?, etc.
Brand Personality
What are the specific personality traits you want your company to be known to provide or represent?
- sophisticated
- passionate
- daring
- sincere
- strong
- dynamic
What is your brand story?
Did you open an e-commerce shop with all Michigan made products to support local artisans? Did you author a book on a parenting because you want to help young mom’s and children? Are you a manufacturing company built on a strong work ethic and safety who has achieved ISO certification?
Share your company history here:
- Why were you founded?
- What value do you bring?
- What products and services?
- How does your story build your credibility?
Brand Associations / Visual elements
The physical assets of your brand; name, logo, website, font, tagline, business cards, print collateral, etc. When you are choosing images, fonts, colors for your brand visuals consider your market and message. Reflect your brand promise, personality traits, and support your unique selling position.
By all means be consistent! Start up companies may select brand visuals that are trending in the moment. Quickly they discover they don’t relate to their brand, they don’t stand out and are quickly dated. Take your time in this step and be sure to ask people outside of the company their thoughts on brand visuals you are considering.
You may find everything falls into place very easily. Some companies may find additional help of a brand consultant or a graphic designer with a strong grasp of brand marketing is helpful. We help companies at this stage and there are firms that have made brand consultation their specific niche. If you are a start up company without a budget to outsource a professional brand consultant, don’t let it stop you from answering the questions. Your answers don’t need to be award winning script others see. It is more about defining your brand to yourself first to help you to live it with your customers, staff, vendors and your community.
Stay connected! Which question is the most challenging for you? Did any of them give you new insight on your company brand? I’m interested in hearing how the process was for you.
May peace and gratitude fill your homes this holiday and everyday. Connection Group will be closed November 26 and 27th for the Thanksgiving holiday. You may find us on our social pages though, stop in and say hello!
On the Blog:
Designing a Small Business Logo – Tell Your Story Authentically
The logo is a visual symbol of the brand personality and message. It is often the markets’ first impression of a business or product. If your’e designing a small business logo, here are a few tips to consider. Read More…
Taking Care of Business
Year end ritual: Reflect and ring in the new year with conscious intention
Before each new year: - Schedule an hour or more of uninterrupted time.
- If you documented business goals at the beginning of 2015 review now.
- Note your 2015 achievements.
- Consider how they came to pass and how each has affected your business?
- Who helped you meet your goals?
- What did you do differently this year that helped you reach these achievements?
- Have your achievements affected other areas of your life? Spiritual, home, family, social, health?
- Now, set ten new business intentions for 2016.
- If you you have time make lists for other the areas of your life too – remember everything is connected!
- Now review your 2015 achievement list again. Feel the gratitude and satisfaction of hard work rewarded.
Those of us who are goal driven are good about making lists and crossing items off. Once the list is complete, we start another list. Stopping for a moment to enjoy successes (and expressing gratitude for all who have helped) lightens disappointments and energizes growth.
All the discussion about the red cup and the sans serif Google logo got us thinking about how large of a role graphic design plays in our world.
[mediagrid cat=”662″ r_width=”400″]
Life just wouldn’t be the same without it. Can you imagine running shoes without a Nike swoosh? A holiday tree without a Hallmark ornament? Jonathan Goldsmith without a Dos Equis? Or heaven forbid a frat party without a red solo cup?
The desire to make things pretty while adding a semblance of order is why I went into graphic design to begin with. Recognizing the difference it makes in peoples lives gives me purpose. I’m not a surgeon saving someone’s life or a Peace Corp worker feeding the hungry. I am a graphic designer who creates the annual giving campaign for an environmental education center, and a website for a non-profit who helps to feed and educate children in Africa and brochures for sustainable building products. I make things pretty and hopefully catch peoples attention and get positive messages out to the world.
So go ahead, change your profile pic to an Eiffel tower with a peace sign in support of France, throw some change in a red kettle, catch the Macy’s parade and dance all night in your Manolo Blahnik’s. However you choose to express yourself, love your brands, love the world, love graphic design and art and how it connects us all.
What would your world be like without graphic design?
Share with us what you would miss most if there was no such thing as graphics design? We’d love to hear.
The logo is a visual symbol of the brand personality and message. It is often the markets’ first impression of a business or product. If your’e designing a small business logo, here are a few tips to consider.
Missing the mark with brand imagery can be lethal to the growth of your brand. The goal of designing a small business logo is for it to stand out. To pop, it needs to be clever but also clear and designed for longevity. Various iterations may be needed to keep the logo from looking dated over the years and starting with a strong, evergreen style will help keep brand recognition consistent.
What comes first the logo or the brand?
Small business logo design for consignment shop in Oldtown Lansing, Michigan
Do you want a logo or a logotype for your business?
Pinterest is an example of a logotype
What are the next steps to designing a small business logo?
Copyright and registration mark icons on QR code.
Search the internet for powerful, attractive, award winning, and stylish logo designs. If you have a particular style you are drawn to, search for those samples. Many logo designs and logotypes are copyrighted or trademarked. Your research is for inspiration not to plagiarize! Check the competition, check other brands and companies who are targeting the same audience. What design approaches are they using successfully? Think creatively to break away from the tried and true industry icons in the same style everyone else is using. Remember the goal is to stand out from the crowd.
Contemporary coffee shop logo
What styles do you keep going back to? Are you attracted to formal styles, contemporary looks, strong or powerful imagery? Be sure to distinguish if you are gravitating toward a style that will represent your business best and not just one you personally like. Consider all the ways a logo will be used; on different colored backgrounds, in various sizes from billboards to web apps, icons, avatars and print, a company logo must be flexible in size and keep crisp clarity whether super sized or miniscule.
Color
Three different copmanies under one corporation use the same logo and we switched out the color.
When you are determining the colors to use for the logo consider the personality of the brand. Soft muted colors are usually used for services and products in a more reserved, compassionate setting and industry. Pulling off a pastel blue and pink color palette for an energy drink may seem incongruent. Think about how a color makes your feel, what reactions they inspire. What colors can be combined together that will compliment the brand personality? Red is a power color, blues are associated with professional, trustworthy messages. Take a look at the list of colors and the qualities associated in the Resources section in the back of this ebook.
What logo colors quickly identify the personality of your brand?
The mixture of sans serif and script in this logo adds creativity without looking overly feminine or formal.
Just like colors, fonts have personalities too. Choosing a font that represents the personality of your brand sends a cohesive, unified message. Stay away from trendy fonts and fonts that are not easily legible. Look at the font from a distance, will it read well on a sign with drivers passing by at 70 miles per hour? Will it be legible when reduced to fit a business card or social media profile icon? What about style? Do you love the formality of a flowing calligraphy font? Does a thick graffiti style script font seem appropriate for your message? Can you find a way to customize or tweak a font to make it your own? Please keep in mind fonts can come with copyrights too!
What fonts or font styles do you think will work best for you logo?
We use our logo symbol or icon everywhere.
We also customize it for specific products and services too
Designing a symbol that will represent the brand can be the most challenging. If you have a product that can be illustrated cleanly and be quickly identified, give it a try. For abstract concepts such as insurance company logos or professional speaker logos understanding the brand personality can lead you in the right direction. An insurance company may want to present a solid, established, formal image. A solid rectangle with the initials of the firm reversed out of it to resemble traditional engraving could give the illusion of a century old firm. A professional speaker who offers a lot of humor could be represented with a cartoon or caricature. Another professional speaker logo for a speaker with an energetic, motivational style may use abstract graphics that depict movement and energy.
Logo design for professional speaker company
There are plenty of resources online to order inexpensive logos or even build your own from a catalog of standard clip art. Keep in mind some of these DIY logo design websites only allow you to create one format and size. The format may work for your web marketing but they are not high resolution logos for reproducing professionally in print. In addition you will usually be limited to stock images that others have used and your logo will not be unique in the marketplace. This may present challenges for trademarking if you choose to protect the symbol later.
When you have a few logo concepts in place be sure to show the ideas to others. Get feedback and try not to share which is your favorite. Don’t risk ‘tipping the scales’. We also recommend showing the logo to people who may not be aware of what your business is. This is a great opportunity to see how clearly your logo concept is communicating the correct message – and if they can accurately read the font!
Nursery and gift shop logo with leaf ties in the nature theme of the shop.
emotionally connected to your logo choice to make a rational and smart decision.
If there is a close call between the one you like and another logo concept, chose the one you like, even if it wasn’t the one with the most votes. The logo is going to be your small business identity for a long time and it really needs to resonate with you.
Please remember your small business logo will not be instantly iconic. Brand and logo recognition takes time and consistent use. Follow your style guide in all your marketing and advertising formats, and you will build market awareness. List some examples of company logos that you like and what you like about them:
Spotlight – Free Printable 2016 Calendars
Have you started your 2016 Planning?
Each year we print and snail mail calendars to customers who are interested in staying connected throughout the year. The printed 2016 calendars are sold in our Etsy shop and local retail. However our customers and e-news recipients can receive one free. Please be sure to send us your snail mail address if you would like one mailed to you.
The 2016 print calendars are underway. For those already setting appointments into 2016, get a jump start with free printable 2016 calendars to download and use. Choose from a variety of designs. Each month is on a letter size sheet for ease in printing to a desktop printer. Share the link with friends and on social media!
Looking for a custom client give away?
Let us design a print or downloadable calendar that will include your logo and contact information.
Give us a call today and get in the schedule. Receive a 15% discount on calendar designs ordered by November 30 , 2015. Be sure to mention the discount when you order!
On the Blog:
How much do you LOVE those pop up forms when you land on a Website?
How about pop up video advertisements you are forced to watch before getting to the website content you really want to view?
They’re everywhere. At first they were an occasional annoyance as we traveled around the internet. Then national brands and publishers began forcing pop up advertisements to play before they let you see the web content you want. Don’t they know we don’t like it? Haven’t they joined friends for coffee or a beer and heard the moans and groans about the ‘stupid pop up’? Read More…
Taking Care of Business
Business owners and managers can always benefit to take some time to look at core elements of business. Last month we talked about the appearance of your workplace or shop. This month let’s take a look at your email etiquette:
E-Mail Etiquette:
1. Include a clear, direct subject line.
2. Use a professional email address
3. Respond promptly
4. You don’t always have to ‘reply all’
5. Use professional salutations
That’s not all, find 10 more email etiquette tips and details here.
Email etiquette for business has some subtleties and it’s helpful to get a fresher course on occasion. Email is critical to successfully communicate in business. The convenience of quickly reaching out to someone any time of day or night, sending digital files, keeping all members of a group informed streamlines business transactions. Just as there is finesse in international business, there is also finesse in composing and responding to business email communications.
- Include a clear, direct subject line. Let the reader know what the email is about so they can prioritize response.
- Use a professional email address. It is most professional to use a company name based email address YourName@YourBusiness.com. Even if you are a freelancer, independent representative, etc. you will appear more professional by using a company domain based email address. When you create your email please lose the school nicknames or names that can portray a less than professional side of you. (beerlover@coolmail+com, littlegirl@myspace.not, etc.)
- Respond promptly – email business etiquette says let the recipient know they received their correspondence and that it is important to you. Even if you can’t answer everything in the email completely let the sender know you received it and you will respond in good time. Responding promptly also helps you be more organized.
- You don’t always have to ‘reply all’ – In group emails use discretion when responding to all. Most professionals are all too busy with full inboxes and don’t need more frivolous emails . If your response is not a decision, information, or a change that effects the whole group just send your comment to the people involved in that topic.
- Use professional salutations – Resist getting too familiar – especially to quickly. Choose hi or hello, not hey or whatzup?. Address people with their full names, don’t shorten someones name if you don’t know the name they prefer.
- Punctuation – Exclamation points should be used sparingly so as not to appear immature or overly emotional. When emailing from smaller devices like smart phones although it is extra work, use commas and other punctuation you would use in hand written correspondence.
- Be cautious with humor – Email is behind the screen and there are no facial expressions or tones to interpret that the communication is meant to be funny. Humor can get lost in translation in written form, be careful.
- Reply to emails you receive — even if the email wasn’t intended for you. If an email is accidentally sent to you, especially those seeking a response from the recipient it is good business email etiquette to respond. Let the sender know you received correspondence from them that they may have intended for someone else. By doing so they are able to connect with the person they intended and not assume that the intended recipient just chose not to respond.
- Proofread every message – Spell check doesn’t catch all errors. Read through your email a couple of times to catch errors in grammar or use of a wrong word before you send it.
- Double-check that you’ve selected the correct recipient – With auto fill It’s easy for someone else’s name to pop up before your intended recipient. Look before you send before you find yourself in an embarrassing situation.
- Blind cc when you are sending to a large list – especially when there are people in the group who don’t know each other. It is a breech of privacy to share peoples emails. Read more about how to bcc in your mail program.
- Refrain from too much formatting – use of too many colors and graphics in an email can appear unprofessional. Withemail etiquette for business,attaching a lot of backgrounds or graphics, or using a variety of fonts and colors can trigger spam filters and appear immature. Also, formatting may not be consistent on all systems either and your email may not be legible by some.
- Attachments – Check first and ask if it is okay to send attachments. Check the size and the file format to make sure your message isn’t too large and it is in a universal format that your recipient can open.
- Change the subject line – When sending a new email to a recipeint you have emailed before but you are now emailing for a new reason be sure to change the title. Most email software will thread emails with the same title together.
- Limit what you include in your email signature – don’t add every designation you’ve ever earned along with emails and photos or more then 4-5 lines in your signature . Better yet just include your name business name and a website link to your contact page that holds all your contact information.
Most of the above have been in place since email was created. Email programs are constantly changing, new features are added and new rules results. Keep current on email etiquette for business and your communications will always be viewed as professional.
They’re everywhere.
How about pop up video advertisements you’re forced to watch before getting to the website content you really wanted to view?
At first pop-ups were an occasional annoyance along a few stops on the internet. Then national brands and publishers began forcing pop up advertisements to play before they let you see the web content. Don’t they know we don’t like it? Haven’t the in-bound marketing experts joined friends for coffee or a beer and heard the moans and groans about the ‘stupid pop ups’?
They’re almost as annoying as the pre-recorded sales call that have become the norm for cold calling on business land lines. With robo-calls you can hang up right away (it’s not rude if it’s not a live person, right?). With the pop-up internet ad you have to sit through to see desired content- well, unless you are as impatient – I mean busy – as I am and you click over to check email while the ad is playing. (Don’t judge, you’ve done it.). Cursed pop-ups.
But if people are irritated by the pop-up alerts and pop-up email subscription forms why does it seem like every website is doing it?
It’s called inbound Marketing and it’s the hottest thing online.
To explain it simply, inbound marketing attempts to capture visitors, customers and prospects who have inquired about a product or service online. Pop-up forms grab the data and a list is born.
When visitors come to your company website:
- Do you know them by name?
- Do you know why they chose your site?
- Did they contact you or buy from you?
- Will they ever come back again?
When you study the Google analytics or other website tracking software for your small business you see all these website hits but you have no idea who they are. The ISP tracking isn’t associated with real people. (we do have a tool to track companies who come to your site, call or email about B2B website visitor tracking) You may be able to track pages that individuals visited on your site and the site or URL that referred them, but that’s it. True ships that pass in the night. Every sales representative and small business owner and manager wants to find out who their website visitors are, talk to them, thank them for stopping, and sell to them. But how?…
You guessed it, inbound marketing forms.
Of course we all know why nearly every website out there is demanding our email. We know it’s because they want to stay connected to us. But how can it be working when so many of us feel violated each time that pop-up flies on the screen?
In-bound marketing banks on those times you visit a website and love the product or service so much you want to stay connected with them. Subscribing to the RSS feed of a blog, subscribing to an e-mail list, or completing a contact form for the company to reach out to you via phone, snail mail or email allows this. Your information feeds their database and you get to hear from them on a regular basis. Your inquiry came into their site and they have put systems in place so they may communicate with you in the form(s) you have selected, email, phone, etc.
Now you’re probably thinking, wait a minute, Connection Group is an integrated marketing firm, that uses inbound marketing tactics, and responsive website design solutions. Haven’t you jumped on the in-bound marketing wagon and start pushing pop-ups?
- not all in-bound marketing tactics are for everyone or every business
- we don’t push trends just because it’s the hot new strategy
- we don’t like the pop-up tactic interrupting our web experience
There are ways to integrate inbound marketing tactics into internet marketing efforts without being intrusive to the viewer.
Some ways pop-up could be used more effectively:
- when a visitor has been on a page a while. – They must be interested because they’re still on the site, maybe they like you and want to stay connected?
- when someone is leaving the site – Thank them for visiting and suggest related pages based on what they have viewed.
- on exit – The exit pop-up can remind them to stay connected and leave their email, phone number, etc. to receive updates, coupons, warranty information, etc.
- custom to audience – design inbound marketing tactics and pop-ups as an integral non-intrusive website element.
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When inbound marketing works
There are times when a pop-up comes up on a website with great content and I sign up willingly. I am grateful they have a newsletter or a list I can join. I can continue to receive their content will little to no effort – love that. I may get reeled in by a free download of an e-book, or e-news sign up. They give me something of value and exchange my contact information. A relationship is born.
Why do many pop-ups rattle our cage?
- on websites that are serving as distractions for the moment
- on websites with products and services that we don’t use often
- on websites (brands} that haven’t earned our trust yet
Build a relationship first. Jumping in and pushing for personal information when the visitor first arrives is like proposing marriage on the first date. Slow down there bucko.
There are many facets to inbound marketing, pop up forms are just one small feature. Integrating inbound marketing as an online marketing strategy for business to business (B2B) companies and especially business to consumer (B2C) companies can be highly effective. It can also be be very costly depending on the company you choose to work with. Companies such as HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot (used within Salesforce the popular CRM software) have software and contracts available. These companies provide the software but you still have to do the work – and there is a steep learning curve. The time and cost investment can be higher than many small business owners and managers can add on.
Share comments, is inbound marketing a good solution for your business or customers? Or shoot a call or email with questions. We promise not to throw a pop-up in your face.
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