General

Format and Design of a Webinar or Digital Meeting

On August 4, 2020   /   Design Tips, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Most of us never thought we would be responsible for the format and design of a webinar. Nor did we expect we would be spending entire mornings in digital meetings with colleagues we use to share a cubicle with.

Historically, webinars have been embraced as lead generation tools. As a result of the pandemic, webinars and Zoom meetings have become the solutions for all forms of business communication. Today many customers have gone beyond merely attending Zoom and GoToMeeting events to now creating their own webinars. To help in this effort we have put together an outline of things to consider as you create webinars and online meetings.

We will touch on:

  1. Determining the objective for the webinar
  2. Create a webinar format and plan
  3. Establish deadlines
  4. Developing webinar content
  5. Pre-Webinar marketing and advertising to gain attendees
  6. Post-webinar follow up
  7. What to do on the day of the webinar
  8. Creating a webinar registration page on your website or email
  9. Following an outline for webinar creation.

Your first step is setting clear webinar objectives. How will you know if the webinar was successful if you have not defined the objectives beforehand?

#1. Determining the objective for the webinar

  • Are you introducing a new product?
  • Do you want attendees to purchase a product or service at the end?
  • Are you seeking input on new features or training attendees on the use of a product?
  • Do you hope attendees will view you as an expert in your industry by attending your webinar?

Determining the objective for the webinar will help define what content to include, what format the content should take, how you market to prospective attendees, and the results you hope to receive.

#2. Format and Design of a Webinar with a plan and deadlines

Determining the format and design of a webinar comes next. Will the webinar consist of one person going through Powerpoint or pdf slides? Will you have a panel of experts in various departments or companies sharing insights or extolling the benefits of working with you? Will people need to access it live for the best results? Will recordings be available?

Once the format and design of a webinar is determined it’s time to recruit speakers. If you are the presenter or will serve as the facilitator, you can begin to organize content or questions for panelists.

#3. Establish Deadlines for each Phase of Webinar Development

Once guest speakers are secured determine a date and time for optimal attendance. Make sure you avoid holidays, popular industry events, etc. Then work backward from the presentation date to set deadlines for marketing your webinar and completing content.

Consider the following when establishing deadlines:

  • Consider time zones for your prospects
  • If you are delivering a series of webinars can you set them to be consistent with the time of day and day of the week?
  • If guests will have slides, set a date to receive them in advance to avoid any concerns on the day of the webinar
  • Choose dates when announcements will be ready to send out for registration
  • When will registration and website support pages be ready to launch?
  • Determine the last date to enroll

#4. Finally, we get into the Webinar Content

Whether you’re developing webinar content for a software product, professional service, publishing, manufacturing or packaged goods your actual content will vary. Do some research on the content that is getting the best results in your industry.

  • Can you offer a full demonstration of your product?
  • Are there popular highlights of your product or services that all attendees will benefit from learning?
  • Will you let your attendees guide which aspects you will cover through their questions?
  • Should your content be adjusted depending on the audience/demographic, etc?
  •  Do you have a clear niche or unique offering to share that will set you apart from the completion?
  • Will you be explaining your pricing model?
  •  How do you want attendees to interact with you? Can you create leading questions to increase involvement through chat?

5. Creating a webinar registration page on your website

Before you begin marketing your webinar create the supporting pages and links. Create a landing page on your website that all webinar promotions will lead the prospects to. Consider the format and design of the webinar when you create the supporting promotions.  You also do not want to put a webinar/meeting login information on this page. That will be shared in a follow-up email once the attendee registers.

This page should include:

  •  title of the webinar,
  •  brief description of the webinar content
  •  benefits of attending (special offers/discounts to attendees?)
  •  date and time
  •  speaker information
  • simple registration form (Least requirement is name and email. You may want to include company name, role in the company, and other fields depending on your objective.)

Be sure to copy this page URL to include in pre-webinar marketing and advertising.

6. Pre-Webinar marketing and advertising campaigns to attract attendees

To increase webinar registrations you can use a drip campaign to lead visitors to your website through a funnel.

  • Email announcement to current contacts about the upcoming webinar
  • Social media posts with messaging about the webinar and a link to the registration page
  •  Website messaging including banners, pop-ups, buttons, graphics and website sections that link to the registration

Be consistent with your messaging and be clear on what attendees will receive when they register. Consider offering a value-added incentive to attend or to register by a specific date. A discount on a purchase or the opportunity to have questions answered personally, a giveaway to the first 20 enrolled, etc.

If you are just beginning to build your contact list or if you are seeking a large number of attendees right away, consider paying to advertise your webinar. If you choose to purchase pay per click (PPC) advertising on social media, search engines, or targeted websites double-check that links are included for registration. If you are implementing traditional media including tv, print publication, direct mail, etc. double-check that the steps to register are accurate and functioning prior to running any ads. Always ensure your messaging is consistent.

7. What to do the day of your webinar

You can choose to send login information when people first register or you can hold off until a few days before the webinar. It is also advised to send a reminder email on the day of the webinar. Include a contact phone number and or email for troubleshooting issues.

  • Check your system to make sure everything is functioning as expected.
  • Check-in with speakers, you have lined up to remind them of timing and log in contact.
  • Do a test-run with all presenters. Have them share their screen and their presentation.
  • You may also want to share an agenda with everyone in advance so that they know what to expect.

We recommend to skip updates of webinar or meeting software within 24 hours of your scheduled webinars. Functions and features can change and software incompatibilities can arise. Rather than becoming flustered and appearing unprofessional hold off on any updates if you can.

8. Post-webinar follow up

One of the greatest benefits of webinars is the ability to capture the contact information of each attendee. Be sure to request attendees to opt-into future correspondence. This will allow you to reach out to them in response to this webinar and long into the future for other opportunities.

Determine what information or call to action you would like from attendees when you set up your follow up plan.

  • Do you want to survey attendees about specific elements of the webinar?
  • Will you have a drip campaign created that is in line with the webinar topic to continue to keep attendees engaged and interested?
  • Will you offer a limited-time or exclusive discount for purchase or enrollment for attendees?
  • Can you provide a value-added download or membership that is aligned with the webinar topic?

If the survey is most important send that follow up first. Then remember to pace your correspondence. If attendees become overwhelmed with communications from you they may choose to opt-out and you will lose the lead entirely.

We hope this content is helpful to you. Please let us know if we can help you create registration landing pages or format and design of a webinar presentation and slides.  Webinars and online meetings have been forced upon all us in response to the pandemic stay-at-home-orders. Although it may not be the preferred format there is value in adopting digital communication. Companies and organizations, large and small, are seeing cost savings with reduced meeting travel and in-person training begin with addressing the format and design of a webinar. Getting comfortable with the ‘new normal’ of digital meetings will help you stay connected now and in the future.

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Essential Businesses and Michigan’s Stay-at-Home Executive Order

On March 27, 2020   /   Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   Leave a comment
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If your company or organization has  Essential business designation in Michigan’s stay-at-home order, remember to communicate as outlined under Executive Order 2020-21 (COVID-19).

Connection Group is not considered an essential business under the order however we are open and working remotely. We are busy posting website alerts and creating email announcements, for some of Michigan’s essential business in an effort to meet the March 31, 2020 deadline.

As stated in Michigan’s Stay-at-Home Executive Order:

Businesses and operations must determine which of their workers are necessary to conduct minimum basic operations and inform critical infrastructure workers under that designation. Businesses and operations must make such designations in writing, whether by electronic message, public website, or other appropriate means. Such designations, however, may be made orally until March 31, 2020 at 11:59 pm.

On March 26, 2020 clickondetroit asked Governor Whitmer about the businesses who are opened and the considerable traffic on the roads, Governor Whitmer stated:

“If you are not a life-sustaining business, you’re in violation of the law and you’re unnecessarily exposing your employees to COVID-19 and you’re needlessly endangering our communities by putting more pressure on a healthcare system that is very close to the max already,” Whitmer said.

Michigan’s Stay-at-Home Executive Order is Not Just a Suggestion

Let’s do well with this mandatory time-out so we can get it over with quicker. Thank you to the first responders, health care workers, hospital staff, and all of the essential companies and workers. Essential businesses that need help getting their COVID 19 announcements in place for customers and staff, contact us if we can help.

Be well everyone, reach out to your loved ones and stay connected with your people.

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Most Common Questions of Website Design Bids and RFPs

On July 23, 2019   /   Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   Leave a comment
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1. Difference between hosting and maintenance.

Many understand the main difference, the innuendos are what cause the cost variable.

  • For large content management system (CMS) based sites you need individual (not shared) hosting.
  • Host server speed and reliability are the next considerations.
  • Although your Small Business, City, County or Government website may not have large traffic volume normally, you may have an increase if there is a storm or a major event that drives people to the site all at once. It needs to handle that. Most professional bidders won’t be working with a personal server in their home office. There may be some clarification needed once you get down to the chosen few bidders.

    2. Design Development Platform (WordPress, Drupal, Custom CMS, etc.)

    Big debates on this one.

    • WordPress is the most recognized, so is the most likely to have features desired now and in the future. Also if there is an issue there are many local experts to fix or update and not have to hit the budget hard.
    • Drupal – is a strong CMS, it is a good program. Some of our clients have found it is not as easy to learn. There are also not as many developers available resulting in higher pricing and harder to find experts.
    • Joomla! – We don’t see as much about this one anymore but it is still out there – not as many developers supporting it as previous.
    • Custom CMS – Many developers can build their own CMS. Before we embraced the simplicity and ease of updating of WordPress we also did so. However, the code is proprietary, and if something happens to the developer or someone else has to step in, it can get costly to pay someone to decipher what the original company did. The other caveat is if you want to move away from it, you are starting from scratch again. With WordPress and Drupal you can move to a new template, a new host, a new developer, and you can do as little or as much as you want. You don’t have to start all over.

    There are other free CMS systems such as WIX, Weebly, Chamilo. Dotclear, Serendipity, Typo3.. etc. Typically these systems are very basic. They are great for individuals or small businesses with little to no budget, but hopefully are not recommended by any responders for your Small Business, City, County or Government website RFP.
    We are partial to WordPress, we have chose it as the best CMS for our customers for over 10 years and have not regretted it due to its ease of use (front and back end) and high level of customization.

    3. Maintenance – look for clarification on this line item.

    Maintenance can be a developer/designer posting every meeting, street light out, etc. or just updating software and maintaining backups. There is a wide range. When you are closer to the chosen few RFPs or bid responders, make a list of what you think you are going to need (example: Updates, File Back-up). You may find some for the maintenance estimates include more than your Small Business, City, County or Government website needs and there could be a considerable cost savings per year.

    We are happy to answer any questions when we bid on your website project as are most designers and developers, so don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.

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Increasing Sales and Improving Marketing Results Top Goal

On January 23, 2019   /   General   /   Leave a comment
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Connection Group - Improving marketing results

Every year, the majority of business blogs and articles in January focus on business goals. One of the biggest goals identified by business is improving marketing results. As a marketing and design firm, we hear this a lot this time of year. Full disclosure, we say it ourselves!

If improving marketing results is on your 2019 business goal list we hope the resurfacing of Connectivity, Connection Group’s monthly newsletter can help you.  Although it can take a fair amount of time to create valuable content each month, resurrecting the e-newsletter achieves multiple goals:

  • Offering valuable timely information helps our customers grow
  • Connecting with our existing customers and prospects regularly increases awareness of our services
  • Finally, connecting regularly through email is less intrusive than cold calling and it is one of the actions we have identified to help improve our marketing results.

If improving marketing results is one of your company goals for 2019, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Why do I want to increase my marketing results?

  • improve awareness of services
  • increase sales
  • capture more followers / prospects / customers
  • other: ___________

2. What marketing and advertising efforts have worked in the past?

  • direct mail 
  • emails
  • cold callls
  • billboards
  • presentations / webinars
  • print ads / internet advertising
  • other _______-

3. Where do your customers hang out?

  • Facebook? Instagram? Linkedin? ….
  • do they watch local news?
  • gamers, YouTubers, Snapchatters ….?
  • local events?
  • subscribe to publications or podcasts?
  • what are their interests?

4. What demographic are you targeting?

  • how old are they?
  • where do they work / live / shop
  • how much money do they make?
  • what education level have they achieved?
  • does your product or service help a specific gender or race?

5. What sets you apart from you competition?

  • have you identified your unique value proposition?
  • what do your customers always say they love about working with you? (Don’t know? Ask them!)
  • is there something you are doing right that your competition is missing?
  • or, what could your company easily implement in 2019 that your competition excels at?

These are just a few of the questions to consider when you begin to develop a marketing plan that can bring results.  If you are serious about improving your marketing results in 2019 subscribe to our monthly newsletter. We will continue to provide tips on SEO, graphic design, website design, social media marketing, content development digital advertising and the many tasks and details related to effective marketing and design.

If you find yourself overwhelmed or procrastinating taking those next steps, a marketing consultation may be beneficial. I offer a free half-hour phone consultation with existing customers. Because I also still enjoy designing and meeting with my customers personally I limit consultations to three per week. Consultations are by appointment only – so call early to get in the queue! For businesses who are not current customers a 45 minute to an hour consultation is recommended for the cost of $150.

Cheers to a new year, new goals, new successes, for all of us hard working small businesses. Please let me know if there are any specific tips or marketing questions you would like us to address in a  blog entry or in Connectivity, Connection Group’s monthly e-newsletter. We are committed to helping you connect with your target audience!

CG staff is also working diligently (between customer projects and in-kind donations that is…) on a fresh new website design for Connection Group! We can’t wait to launch our new updated website design. We will keep you posted. And as always…

Stay connected!

 

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New Year, New Social Media Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses on Facebook

On January 16, 2018   /   Branding - Marketing, General, Social Media Tips   /   1 Comment
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strategy for small business social media marketing on facebook

A  strategy for small business social media marketing was turned upside down last week when Mark Zukerberg announced changes to the Facebook newsfeed. Aimed to enhance the user experience, Facebook will begin to prioritize newsfeed posts from family and friends.

A large percentage of users may not even notice the increase in cat memes or teenager selfies. Those who will be affected are small businesses and social media marketing strategists. As of 2016, there were 60 million Facebook business pages. For some Facebook just cut off their power.

A New Strategy for Small Business Social Media Marketing

Facebook pages with thousands of active followers will continue to be posted in their follower’s newsfeeds, just not as frequently. Active followers aren’t just liking a post they’re having a dialog with other followers on the post. A ‘like’ is not equal in value to actively commenting. Facebook wants to see engagement – the more people engaged the higher chance the business page will hit followers newsfeed.

Small business facebook followers mark see firstAnother strategy for small business social media marketing on Facebook is to ask followers to select “See First”  under the “Follow” tab.  This will help business pages continue to get into the newsfeed. Currently, Facebook users can only select 30 total people and pages to ’See First’. Small brands may have a hard time selling the “See First” option. If followers have selected family, friends, or other pages to see first already, new pages lose.

What options do really small business Facebook pages have?

Small businesses who have 300 or so followers who are lucky to even get likes on their posts – let alone dialogues – are going to lose the organic target they once received. So what is a small business to do?

social media strategist boost postSpend money. Facebook is a business, they’re going to continue to post advertisements in the newsfeeds. Boosting page posts, and investing in Facebook ad campaigns is another strategy for small business social media marketing. It doesn’t have to be a lot of money. It can be time-consuming though.

Essentially there is no more free ride for small business Facebook pages. But, this industry is anything but static. New platforms and new strategies for small business marketing may eliminate Facebook marketing.

I must admit when I heard of the changes I thought of the question I get most from small businesses: “Do I need a website, I have a Facebook page’. My answer is and always has been, invest in your brand, not somebody else’s. Using Facebook for your online presence is like having your customers call Facebook to reach your business phone. It’s time for small businesses to take back control of their brand. Find new ways to stay connected with your audience. If you need help, connect with us, we can help get your small business online.

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Resort and Vacation Rental Website Designs

On January 18, 2017   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Love of travel and web savviness had us viewing resort and vacation rental website designs long before it was the standard that it is today. As timeshare owners, we search resort and vacation rental websites regularly for new travel experiences. We seldom stay at the same venue twice – not even our home resorts. Why bother when of timeshare exchange companies like RCI and Interval International and vacation clubs such as Global Connections, offer web portals and we can view thousands of resort and vacation rental website designs all in one spot.
In addition to our timeshare travels and online vacation planning, we list our own vacation rental property. Our vacation property guests book online through our Michigan cottage rental website. We are not in a highly-sought Up-North Michigan location. We are not on any of the Michigan Great Lakes. Lake Michigan is at least an hour and a half away from our rental cottage. Our rental is just a kitschy one bedroom cottage on a small lake in mid-Michigan. Yet, each season we have to turn people away because we get booked up so early.

Amateur or professional, when it comes to resort and vacation rental website designs seeing is believing

Responsive website design for resortWith resort reviews, beautiful photos of every suite, villa, view, and amenity offered, finding a premium vacation rental is just a click away. Sadly, many very desirable resort destinations neglect to present their property and amenities effectively. When resort and vacation rental websites show views of a pristine beach or bright lights of the city with luxury designer furnishings, travelers feel confident booking their stay. When another beachfront resort has a website that doesn’t function on mobile devices, lacks standard features, or has outdated content and photos, visitors are not as confident and they search other options.
Many vacation properties and resorts assume listing with RCI, II, Travelocity, TripAdvisor, Homeaway, AirBnB, etc. can serve as their online marketing. When travel or vacation rental referral sites suggest a property, visitors will still visit the actual resort and vacation property website. Even when photos and property descriptions are posted on the referral site, vacationers practice due diligence.
vacation rental property website designRecently, we were seeking a resort destination for spring break. We searched for a resort within driving distance and planned to use some of our RCI points. I searched through RCI and found a resort with availability. When I showed the photos and the resort website to the 13 year old she was mortified. “Look how old the furniture is! Ewww they probably have bedbugs!.”
Granted we stretch our points and seldom stay at 5 star resorts, but this kid has never stayed at a resort where there was a concern about cleanliness, let alone bugs. I share her response only to demonstrate how important visuals are in this world of internet shoppers. Even if resort furnishings aren’t top-of-the-line updating your resort and vacation property website designs can go a long way.

Work with a company who gets you.

It’s time to take charge of your online brand and improve your resort and vacation rental website designs. Give us a call today and let’s review your current website design and functionality. We can put together a cost effective, timely solution, within budget that exceeds your goals.

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Connection Graphics is Now Connection Group (CG)

On January 3, 2017   /   General, Press Releases   /   Leave a comment
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Why change the name to Connection Group after 20 years?

In addition to the award winning graphic design and web design specialties, marketing services have increasingly been added to bring additional value to our customers. As these marketing services continued to answer the needs of an ever changing business climate, customers and prospects consistently remarked that the name did not indicate the many benefits they received.

From administrators, to designers, to writers, to website and app coders, Connection Group staff and contractors are unified in the effort to achieve the highest results in the most efficient manner. We are dependent on each other and appreciative of each others skills and talents. The new name, “Connection Group” better represents the company mission to help customers reach their goals.

How will the name change to Connection Group impact existing customers?

Connection Graphics, LLC will be retained as the corporate name and we will be doing business as (DBA) Connection Group. The name change will not impact established business relationships. Pricing and agreements will not change.  Payments can still be made to Connection Graphics.

Essentially there will only be minor changes to note:

  • new website address is www.connection.group (connectiongraphics.com will be retained also and will point to connection.group
  • new name will be placed on correspondence and marketing items
  • company email addresses will be forwarded from the old address

What else can companies expect from the new Connection Group?

Founder and President, Connie Sweet said “We know small business owners are busy running their business. Keeping their website updated, designing leave behind materials or determining what marketing and advertising methods offer the most value is not an efficient use of their time.” In answer to this challenge, Connection Group has developed affordable packages that combine design and marketing services to keep small businesses current and connected to their customers. From brand design packages to quarterly or monthly website maintenance, customers can select one package, multiple packages or customize packages dependent on their goals.

How will businesses benefit from this change?

Any business, from start ups, to established businesses, large and small can take advantage of new services. With over 20 years of design and marketing experience, Connection Group dedicates efforts to increase brand image and maintain brand presence affordably and efficiently. From logo design to brand and website maintenance, each business message can be streamline to get noticed.

In 2017, Connection Group will update their marketing materials to reflect the name change. To keep clients up-to-date on industry changes and mandates a monthly e-newsletter, regularly posted content to connection.group, social media outlets, and regular published blog posts will help keep customers informed. Sweet says, “The name has changed but the commitment to bring the highest level of service while continuing to stay connected to our customers and the communities we serve remains.”

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A Fresh, Smarter Website On A Safer, Friendlier Internet ?

On December 7, 2016   /   Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General, Graphic Design and Web design, Web Hosting Web Security   /   Leave a comment
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A Safer, Friendlier Internet AND Discounted Website Maintenance

WordPress rocks as a responsive website solution that non-coders can update easily, the challenge is that, it eats up space. It’s popularity also leaves it susceptible to hackers when it is not maintained properly. New website hosting features, discounted website maintenance and website security solutions are affordable and necessary solutions for small business websites.

Safe surfing for everyone 

Earlier this year we penned a blog about Google’s plans for a safer, friendlier internet. In short, member-based websites, e-commerce sites, any website that requests customer log-in or visitor information will be required to have a secure website (https vs http).  Beginning in 2017, Google will begin putting warnings on all non-secure websites that request log in information or websites that offer items or services for sale. As a result, these warnings will effectively shut down website visitors.

Google prefers all sites be trusted and certified.

Finally, after the initial phase, the plan is to target other websites in an effort to increase security across all of the internet. As a result, it is recommended all websites include an SSL certificate and choose secure website hosting.

Cost for SSL Certificates and Set up

Secure Security Socket (SSL) certificates for small business websites vary from 128/256 bit to 2048 bit encryption. If your website doesn’t retrieve personal information you could choose a lower level of coverage and see a cost savings. If your website accepts payments, customer or member information, and if you have a large amount of visitors monthly we recommend the highest security level.

Additional Benefits of Secure Websites:

  • Higher search engine rankings
  • Increased credibility and relevancy ratings
  • Referrer data – creating more accurate website analytics

Discounted Website Maintenance for Hosting Customers

Website hosting means your website and domain emails are stored on web servers. Web servers share your website content with the world. That is all basic website hosting is. If you would also like to reduce susceptibility to hackers, have regular back ups, and assistance with website updates and staff emails, a website maintenance plan should be added .

Connection Group offers our hosting customers  an exclusive quarterly maintenance plan . Small business customers who do not need a lot of updates or who don’t receive 1000s of visitors each month are eligible for the discounted website maintenance. Small website hosting customers can receive the benefits of website maintenance with all of the services listed in our basic plan for $100 per quarter ($400 annually) instead of paying $75 per month or ($900 annually). Please review the quarterly plan to see if it suits your company.

Benefits of Website Maintenance

  • Increased search engine placement (SEO)
  • Current content on your website helps your visitor stay informed
  • Website updates show visitors that your company is progressive (and still in business!)
  • WordPress version updates helps to keep your website running smoothly
  • Google Analytics integration and access helps you see website visitor trends
  • Daily back ups help protect you in case of unforeseen issues
  • 3rd party plug-in updates keeps your website safer from hack attacks and compatibility issues
  • Email control allows you to create, delete, back up all company email or ask us to help you

Reap the benefits and savings of discounted website maintenance. Websites that have current information instill visitor trust. The majority of websites that get hacked are those that are not maintained. In conclusion, take precautions, maintain your website, have staff check it regularly or outsource the service. The time to clean up a hacked website can take many hours or days. If you sell directly from your website the cost in lost sales alone can be devastating.

Please give us a call today. We’re here to help.

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Lansing and Charlotte, Michigan Small Business Marketing Solutions

On November 17, 2016   /   Branding - Marketing, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Looking for small business marketing solutions? We receive calls everyday from small businesses looking for answers to their marketing needs. We also receive phone calls from other marketing companies trying to sell to us! I am amazed by the volume of calls (some robo calls, don’t get me started on those-ugh!) from marketing companies. Each call promises increased  Google rankings, website visitors, social media followers, decreased pounds   – wait, no, that is a call that could actually be helpful…

I met with a customer this week who received one of these calls. The call spurred a discussion about Google rankings and how we could help. We’ve also met with a couple of small businesses in Lansing and Charlotte, Michigan have monthly marketing package agreements with Town Square Media. Town Square Media have a large sales forcey, targeting small businesses in mid-Michigan and throughout the country who need help with web design and marketing. They build responsive websites and offer social media management. They also promise search engine optimization (SEO) and monthly edits to small business websites for a set monthly fee.

Marketing Packages for Small Business

Marketing packages are beneficial small business marketing solutions if they offer consistent, fresh, customized content, at a set affordable cost. We were surprised to hear Town Square Media customers were paying twice as much per month as we charge. Plus, their customers were getting a very  small percentage of the service we provide. Some of the small businesses who had WordPress responsive websites built were paying over $200 a month. They also told us that if they wanted to cancel they would lose their website. After over a year of paying for a website the didn’t even own their website!

Fortunately, we have been able to help these Lansing and Charlotte, Michigan businesses. They now own their website designs and have control of their internet marketing. Can we help your small business save money and get more ROI and higher brand recognition?

If you are a Town Square Media customer in Lansing or in the surrounding small towns please give us a call today. We believe in small businesses and we relish the opportunity to help you grow. For those of you who are paying monthly for a responsive e-commerce website or other small business website that you will never own – cut your losses.

Affordable Small Business Marketing Solutions

We will build a custom website for similar or less cost than you have paid and you will own it once paid in full. We will also train you on how to edit your responsive website. Have problems with edits? Call us, we’re here to help and we will walk you through updating your website. We’re here for you if you have major changes you prefer not to attempt. We will provide an accurate time-based estimate to get your website design developed quickly. You don’t have to take our word for it, our reviews speak for themselves.

For small businesses with professional websites who need answers about social media management, email marketing, SEO and getting reviews posted on Google, etc. please give us a call. Don’t sign on with a company you haven’t researched or with a company who doesn’t know you, or your local area.  We will meet with you over the phone or face to face. After the meeting, we can develop a custom plan. Plans can include fee based services, or we train you how to achieve similar results. Take back ownership of your brand, connect with us today!

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Get Website Security In Place or Get Penalized by Google

On October 5, 2016   /   Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   1 Comment
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website security for small business michigan

As of January, 2017 website security for member log in websites and all websites that accept and/or store credit card information must be secure (HTTPS). Google will begin to penalize e-commerce and member-based websites if they are not secure.

Main difference between HTTP and HTTPS

HTTP is the protocol that allows the web server to communicate with a web browser. HTTP web data is transferred as plain text. Credit card numbers, passwords and social security numbers can be mined by hackers. Alternatively, HTTPS is not text based. Instead, HTTPS uses SSL (secure socket layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security), data is encrypted and is impenetrable to the outside world. Another benefit of website security is faster page loads.

Website Security Increases Online Sales and Business Credibility

A 2014 survey by Global Sign indicated 85% of people who buy items online will only buy from websites they know are secure. Chrome and Firefox web browsers show a lock in the title bar on secure websites. The lock graphic assures the website is secure and the company is credible.

 eventual-google-red-triangleGoogle will begin flagging non secure websites that gather log in and or financial data with a red triangle “Not secure” warning. By adding the red triangle to non-secure websites, Google will effectively shut your website traffic off.
Have you seen a Google warning to stay out or “harm may come to your computer” on a website? As web developers, we know that these sites have been hacked. Even though they may already be cleaned, we still respect the warning and stay away. Often, if a site is hacked once, it will be targeted again. Similarly, the red triangle will be a digital stop sign.

Will Your Company Website be Affected?

Eventually all HTTP pages will be labeled as non-secure. Even if your small business website doesn’t collect member or financial data you’ll need to have website security. Hackers are becoming more sophisticated and even small websites with low traffic are targets.
Google has not released the date in which they will be marking all non HTTPS compliant websites as insecure. They have set January, 2017 as the date they will begin rolling out the penalties to websites that gather personal or financial information. We will share critical dates in emails.

How do you know if your website is part of this first phase?

Organizations and small business websites that accept payments online and websites with membership portals, are required to have website security.

Types of Member-Based Websites:

Trade association websites, non-profit organization websites, website directories, web forums, all websites that ask for a log in. This includes small business websites that may not receive payments. For instance, if you have a website that sells yarn or fabric and all of your sales go to Paypal you wouldn’t need HTTP right away. That same website can be aa member-based website if it requires a member account for free access to pattern downloads. You will need HTTPS designation for your small business website.

E-Commerce Websites or Web Shops

An e-Commerce website is any website that offers products or services for purchase on the website. Selling products online such as photos, handmade art, hunting supplies, and any product available for purchase online falls under e-Commerce. In addition, services like our individual brand consultation and our monthly website maintenance are also. If a website maintenance customer chose to pay online through our website and not through snail mail or Paypal, our site would need website security.
As you can see, it doesn’t matter what items you offer. Your items for sale can be a products or services, as large as an RV or as small as a brand consultation. If customers log in to your site or if they can send payment through your website you need a secure website. If you do not have website security, call and  connect with us today. Don’t wait until your customers get scared away.
 

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