General

How much do you love those pop-up forms when you land on a Website?

On October 24, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   Leave a comment
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inbound-marketing-tactics-samples
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?…

inbound marketingg form graphicsYou 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.

example of an exit pop up formSome 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.

  • 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.

    Of course, if you already know you want to continue our relationship subscribe to our email for small business tips plus marketing and design tips you can use.

    Stay connected!

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Experience The Power of Transformation

On September 15, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   Leave a comment
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brand marketing consultation lansing graphic sept blog

Be Your Own Marketing Consultant

Start with a quick SWOT Analysis

You know the definition of insanity, repeating the same action and expecting a different result? Taking a few steps back from your day to day tasks to meet with a brand marketing consultant and look at your business with different eyes can provide clarity. A professional brand marketing consultation will take a comprehensive overview of your company and brand marketing efforts.

A professional brand marketing consultation will consider:

  • your products or services
  • your brand message
  • corporate philosophy
  • corporate climate
  • client demographics
  • marketing goals
  • future plans
  • business goals
  • media preferences
  • and so much more…

A brand marketing consultation often starts with a quick SWOT Analysis.

SWOT stands for Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. You may be surprised how much insight you will gain by investing a bit of time answering the following questions about your business. Get a quick glimpse of your business as it stands today, Doing this homework before your brand marketing consultation can help you hone in on the area you would like to address first and keep your time targeted to get the best results.

  1. What are your products/or service?
  2. Who is your customer (demographics – gender/age/location…)
  3. What are your company strengths?
  4. What are your company weaknesses?
  5. What are your company opportunities?
  6. What are your company threats?
  7. Who is your company competition?

Upon review of all the questions what are the considerations / recommendations?

Now how will you tie all this into your annual business marketing goals?

You now have a current snapshot of your business. It’s time to take the next steps. Select the most critical items or the items that are the most likely to have the biggest impact on your goals.

Answer the following questions:

  1. How can you use your strengths to take advantage of your biggest opportunities?
  2. How can you use your strengths to overcome your biggest threats?
  3. What can you do to reduce or eliminate your weaknesses to make the most of the opportunities available?
  4. How can you minimize your weaknesses, so that you are better positioned to overcome your threats?

Many of the answers to these questions will seem obvious to you – even basic. Once your SWOT analysis is complete and you schedule your brand marketing consultation  you will see the power of how putting it all on paper and setting planned goals and actions can truly change your business.

Online Brand Marketing Consultations

Connection Group provides in person brand marketing consultations to local Lansing, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Michigan clients and all areas in between.
For businesses outside of lower Michigan, online brand marketing consultations are available. We will review your website, business social media profiles, all internet advertising and digital marketing. When applicable, we also request all print materials and promotions be mailing or emailed to us for previewing prior to meeting with a brand marketing consultant. Getting a comprehensive view of all company branding and marketing, both in print and web, will help us offer the best brand marketing guidance for your company goals.
 

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The 5 Dharma Types of Brochures

On July 20, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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types of brochures July 2015
Print has been resurrected.

Do you have an upcoming event, new product or service? Are you or your staff attending trade shows, marketing events or sales meetings? There are many types of brochures to select from to communicate your message.
postcard-design-and-landing-pagesA custom designed and printed brochure can offer flexibility and credibility for; face to face meetings, follow ups from phone inquiries, and website visits. Print items serve as reminders to prospects and customers and work to build brand awareness. Print communicates clearly by including brand visuals, contact information, specifications of products or services, diagrams, photos, dates, maps, and forms to be returned, and more.
For a brochure to be effective it needs to be designed well and incorporate consistent use of your brand elements. Eye catching graphics, clever messaging and subjects of interest to the audience, will entice prospects to pick it up. When designing a brochure it is important to align it with your brand promise and in a form and style that relates to your target audience.

Types of Brochures

1. Leave Behind / Informational Company Brochure

This brochure type serves as an initial introduction to prospects.
What information can paint a clear picture and allow people to contact you easily?

2. Sales Support / Product Brochure

Contains information company representatives can use as a sales tool. Don’t assume sales staff memorizes all the key messages for each product or service they pitch during a presentation. Include important information in a sales support brochure to make sure everything is covered accurately. The brochure or sales tool will be left behind for prospects to review after the account representative is long gone.
What product information is most important to prospects?

3. Event Brochure

Create a brochure to promote your event and another brochure to distribute during the event for attendees to reference, (consider accommodations, maps, schedules, etc.). Remember to include dates, times, locations, contact information. Ever seen a brochure or event advertisement that didn’t include the location? Or the start time? Unfortunately it happens too often. (You may want reference a print checklist when creating your print material.) With all types of brochures there are elements that should always be included. It is easy to forget even obvious content  when you are too close to the project.
What information do you need to include in each brochure?

4. Direct Mail Brochure

Of the many types of brochures direct mail brochures are the most popular request by our customers. According to Direct Marketing Association direct mail boasts a 4.4 response rate. Does 4.4% seem low to you? Compare it to the average 0.12% for email campaigns  and you may change your mind!  These statistics on average direct mail response rates is from 2012 when print was at an all time low. Yet it was still beating digital response rates. Now that print is gaining in popularity again the number may be higher.
Who do you want to reach? What product or service or special offer will you feature? What database/mailing list will you use? Do you need to purchase a list? What size will it be? Self-mailer or envelopes? Have you considered postage and handling fees into your budget?

5. Point of Sale

Prospects pick up these brochures to read later. Companies place them at check outs, in point of purchase displays, statement stuffers, as product inserts, they may include product instructions, warranties,  etc.
Can you promote additional products/services as part of a sale? Can you introduce a new product or service to a clientele who are already engaged with your product or service?  Could you increase the value of your product by suggesting multiple uses of products or services? Share new policies, promotions, etc.
Whichever types of brochures you decide your company needs, get clear and concise. Don’t skimp on the attraction quotient! Communicate your message, market your brand, and make a good impression by paying attention to the details. If you need help determining the best print solutions for your budget give us a call or complete the inquiry form here.
If you think print marketing is a good option for  your company don’t hesitate to connect with us!  For the remainder of this month postcard design and printing is 25% off. Respond by July 30, 2015 and save.
 

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Authentic Website Content and Blogs – The Tao of Enlightened Story Telling

On June 16, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   1 Comment
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authentic website content and blog posts - June image
Content, content, content. What Google wants, Google gets.  The best part of feeding Google accurate, credible, relevant and authentic website content is that search engine inquiries return fairly accurate results. Local companies can compete with national chains, customers can find you quicker and they keep coming back because your information is current and is trustworthy.

Blogs

One of the most powerful ways to drive traffic to your website are blogs. Rich with keywords, when updated regularly search bots love to crawl and index blogs. What topics are of interest to your customers that also highlight company products and services? Make sure your blog is part of your website and is not a separate blog with a completely different domain name. Share industry information and make sure you have the same voice each post. Add some personal anecdotes in there – personal to youauthentic website content categories or situations your company has encountered. People want to read stories, not just statistics. Truthful, authentic website content will resonate with your audience.

List a few blog topics of interest to your customers. Can you cover multiple categories (products, local news, upcoming releases, etc.)?

Page Content

Let your website work for you. Websites should also serve to help your visitor make a decision. Be proactive and consider what questions your customers typically ask and answer them on your site!
Do some research. What do people call and ask you most often? Can you include these answers on your website? Do you offer a unique service or go the extra mile with customer service or off referral discounts. Share this information on the pages of your company website – blogs are not the only parts of your website that get crawled by search engines. Having clear, authentic website content that answers your website visitors questions will get you further ahead.

What website information can you expand on?

Keywords

Still powerful generators for standing out in search engines, keywords perform best in search results when they are included in paragraphs such as articles, bios, descriptions, etc. What are known as key phrases are the best for search results these days.
For instance instead of saying we provide content writing and use content writing as the keyword the suggested approach is we write a longer phrase.  For example: we develop authentic website content for Lansing area businesses. Note website content for Lansing area businesses is more targeted than just blog writing. By adding a targeted phrase to our local market we reduce the amount of websites we are competing against when people search for content writing for Lansing area businesses.
Consider how you would search in Google for your product or service. Choose words and phrases that are relevant to your product or service for a higher return. For example since we design responsive websites for small businesses, we could use mobile friendly website designs for Lansing area small businesses as a relevant keyphrase. Writing about my vacation in St. Petersburg Florida or penning a how-to on business networking is not relevant to our responsive website design service.  Google will not return our website in results when people search responsive website design for small business in Lansing, MI if we only write about the fabulous sunsets in St. Pete . Remember to feed the keyword and keyphrases in your blog and the pages of your website. You can also use Google’s Keyword Tool to get some ideas on search volumes for particular words and phrases.

What are some keywords and key phrases to start with?

graphic54d91c52c35e6-800x800.jpgPhotos / Graphics

Looking for attention? Want to stand out from the millions of website content shared each day? Post a photo or create a graphic. Product photos, image and text slides in a moving slideshow can help with promotions, or services. Sharing statistics in visual formats keep visitors on your website twice as long. Can you add professional custom photos of your building, staff, products or even stock art that represents your product or service? Can you create a graphic with an inspiring quote to post to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and include your company logo on it? How about adding interaction with an automated slide show?  Authentic website content is not just copy, website content includes images, moving or static, photographic or illustrative.

Make a list of photos you have to use on the website and a wish list of photos that would add relevancy and visual interest.

Now search your harddrive, get out your smart phone or search Google for a local photographer in your area.

Videos / Animations

Google owns YouTube. Need we say more? Post videos on your YouTube, channel and link them to your website. Share them on other social media sites and increase your search result returns. Videos increase your search ranking and get higher page feeds in Facebook’s current algorithm. Create instructional videos, product videos, video tips, video testimonials, compile photos for products or your your office and stream them together in a video app.. There are so many options these days, you don’t have to be a professional videographer – although a professional quality video with good sound and story boarding is always best!

Which type of video will benefit your customers and your business?

Social-Media-Infograph.jpgCustom Infographic Creation:

Everyone loves a well designed infographic! Why? Because they are visual and pack a ton of information in a clear, concise manner. Design some infographics just for fun and see how far they travel in social media when people share them. What industry or local statistics of interest to your customers could be converted to
an infographic? Make sure if you are sharing stats that they are accurate and cite your sources!

Do you have stats for your company or industry stats that are impactful? What types of stats are of interest to your customer?

 
Now you have a lot of ideas for website content to drive searches and answer client questions. No time to develop all of this important content? Connect with us today. We will meet with you to discuss best options for your company website content and develop copy and visuals to increase your credibility and drive  targeted web traffic.
God luck and stay connected!

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Connect with Your Inner Marketer – Learn to Pitch to Media

On May 21, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   Leave a comment
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Action Beats Intention

Ready for growth? Slow down for a moment and think about what your company does best:

  • What are customers asking for?
  • What do they appreciate most?
  • Who are they?
  • Where do they hang out?
  • What’s hot right now in your industry?
  • Can you pitch to media?

Once you have the answers determine which channels will be best to  broadcast your message and reach your target audience. Online, print, conferences, tv, radio, social media, blogs, e-newsletters? Do you have media contacts?  Is your service or product available in a small geographical area, do you sell throughout your state or internationally?
As much as we’d like to offer a step by step marketing formula for you to follow, all business marketing solutions are different. From retail stores, e-commerce shops, member based nonprofits, trade associations, healthcare, higher education, or service companies, each has a unique selling proposition. A thorough understanding of your business and your market is critical to discern the best  approach and components for a successful PR, advertising or marketing campaign to bring positive results. If you can take the time to connect with your inner marketer you will have the answers you need to put a plan in place customized for you.r business.
What is your company doing currently and what has worked in the past? Although internet marketing. social media, email marketing, and cable tv has changed the marketing  and PR landscape, traditional media such as tv and radio can still be effective for many industries. Combining traditional and non-traditional marketing channels with advertising and PR, can help you reach multiple markets all the while keeping your brand messaging consistent.
Regardless of your budget and your goals adopting integrative marketing practices is the best approach for small business marketing campaigns. By coordinating different promotional methods that reinforce each other, your marketing objectives can be achieved. For instance, create a targeted email to your contacts and design a website landing page with a strong call to action. Or volunteer to speak at a local event and reach out to media for local radio or tv interviews to increase exposure for the event and your brand.

How do you choose the media channels for your campaign?

One of the best ways to begin, besides working with a marketing firm, is to know where your customers get their information. Another way is to take stock of what your competition is doing. Where are they advertising? Do they have an outside sales force? Are they selling to customers in a unique way? For instance are they offering package purchases or free items, extending credit, etc.? Are they getting interviews in media? Are they filling the radio airways with radio spots? Even if they have a higher budget for marketing and advertising you can adopt some of the marketing methods they utilize to reach your customer just on a lower scale.
Are you a member of a trade association or do you subscribe to industry publications? These are also great resources for learning what similar companies are doing successfully. Keeping current with your industry news can also offer newsworthy tips to pitch to media for free PR.
Another helpful way to choose your approach is to answer the question:  Do you have more time or more money in this stage of your business? If you have more time than money PR may be your best option. If you have a good story to pitch to media and it gets picked up the return can be tremendous.
Not sure how to pitch media? Or are you nervous about being in front of the camera? Check out our favorite media coach, Michigan’s own media goddess Shawne Duperon at ShawneTV.com.  Shawne speaks to groups and offers media mastery bootcamps where you can learn what to do and what not to do when pitching to media. She has cds and programs with Michigan media contacts, on camera tips,  and even tips for make up application for tv spots. Follow Shawne on Twitter or sign up for her email announcements that contain seasonal pitch ideas for a variety of industries.

What is the message you want to pitch?

Determine your marketing goals and determine the next steps to  reach them:

  • If you want to increase sales, do you need to increase your customer pool?
  • Have you added new products or services that could benefit your current customers?
  • If you want to increase brand awareness, what topics are hot right now that relate to your industry? Can you pitch  to media?
  • Are there trade shows, expos or networking events your company can attend or sponsor?
  • What other marketing channels/methods can you integrate for a greater return?
  • Historically what sales and marketing efforts have worked best? (advertising, brochures, etc.)
  • What is your competition doing?

Marketing and media options:

Advertising:

TV, Radio, Magazines, Internet Advertising (Google Adwords, Yahoo, Facebook, Niche Websites/forums, etc.) Billboards, Newspaper and Directory advertising, etc.

Marketing:

Internet marketing, Social Media Marketing, Print Marketing, Direct Mail, Network Marketing, Marketing Research, Market Analysis, Specialty Promotions, etc.

Public Relations (PR):

Press Releases, Writing & Media Distribution, Interview Opportunities, Publicity Campaigns, Consulting and Strategic Planning, Product/Service Launches, Press Kit Creation, Event Publicity and Promotion, Event and Trade show Management, etc
Sometimes you have to dive deep for the answers to all of the questions above but they are always there. If you are having a hard time tapping your inner marketer, take a good customer to lunch and ask them the questions you need to know. Contact us it you need help creating your marketing plans or cleaning up your corporate brand visuals.
Stay connected and pitch to media!
 

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Choosing Best Font – DIY Brochure Designs

On May 18, 2015   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Choosing the Best Font for DIY Brochure DesignsChoosing the best font or knowing different names of fonts wasn’t high on most business owners mind when I first launched my graphic design career. Most didn’t know what a typeface or font was.  With the advent of desktop publishing the world finally understood how dramatically the tone of a magazine or brochure could change based solely on font selection. Today new fonts are introduced daily and small businesses grapple with choosing the best font for DIY brochure designs.

A font by any other name is still a font…

Let’s address that statement that new fonts are created everyday. There are a plethora of fonts out there and a large number of free fonts on the internet. Designing a professional typeface or complete type family is a very technical and precise skill. Take caution when you are choosing fonts for your graphic designs.  It’s best to choose a font from a well known font foundry when you can. Some of the free fonts you find online have issues such as not having glyphs or punctuation marks or even numerals. Other concerns may arise with free fonts when turning your promotional materials over to a print professional. If the font you chose is inferior there may be issues.  If the chosen font for your DIY brochure design crashes the printers equipment you may encounter most costs and delivery delay. There are also viruses that weasel their way into downloadable free font files – take caution.

example of poor taste in fonts breaking 10 commandments of font useHere a font, there a font, everywhere a font font…

Fonts are to graphic designers as shoes are to women. So many fun, grungy, vintage, classic, groovy, elegant, contemporary, stylistic fonts out there! Fortunately, cloud storage and hard drives are much bigger than standard closets. Font hoarding has yet to become the next reality TV show. I must still caution constraint! Just because you have a few hundred (thousand) fonts at your disposal does not make it okay to use them all in one event flyer or postcard. Step away from the type tool.

You’ve seen the flyers in local venues. The ones with purple script font headlines with green BOLD heavy san serifs with cowboy ugly fonts for the body copy. And let’s not forget the Old English script in all caps.  Every graphic designer dies a little when we see these freaks of nature. Rules people – follow the rules!

10 Commandments for choosing the best font

  1. Keep with two main fonts for professional promotional print materials
  2. Choose fonts that either contrast or conform with each other
  3. BOLD is for emphasis – do not bold your entire brochure
  4. Is it legible? Frilly fonts with lots of swooshes can be hard to decipher – especially when used in small point sizes such as body copy
  5. Opposites attract – pair a thin font with a fat font or a clean sans serif with a frilly script
  6. Matchy – matchy – choose an elegant san serif for your headline and similar in weight serif font for body copy
  7. For print items body copy is most legible in a serif font
  8. Online studies show san serif fonts are preferred for quick reads and legibility
  9. Ornamental fonts (like Old English) were not designed to be used all caps (see #4)
  10. Match font style to your message. Example: Don’t use comic sans for serious information and don’t use helvetica for a party invitation headline.

Just tell me the best font for DIY Brochure Designs already!

samples of font types and font stylesI already did. I will be more concise – there is no one-size-fits-all best font for every DIY brochure design. It is all so relative, don’t you see? The best font for a DIY brochure design for a restaurant could be a flowing script or a weathered grunge font – what kind of restaurant is it?

Maybe you’re a professional business consultant who advises senior care facilities on end-of-life concerns? The best font for your senior care facility brochure would be a clean, clear font that can be read easily by aging eyes. Are you a home builder or construction company in need of a brochure that speaks to both the man and the woman of the house? Maybe a mix of a script font with a heavier block sans serif font will work? Because of the  many variables when it comes to the message, your prospects, and the product or service you are offering there is no true best font for your DIY brochure.

The best approach to choosing a font and designing your company brochure is be sure it is legible.  Be clear, legible, and sane – no dysfunctional color and schizophrenic font use! You don’t want your prospects running away screaming amateur, amateur! Keep the information you want to share and the people you want to share it with in mind as you design your company brochure. Remember what your company brand message. Marry the fonts and visuals with the brand message and you’ll make a connection with your target audience.

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Google Has Done it Again… small businesses need mobile friendly websites – STAT!

On April 27, 2015   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Stats showing small business need mobile friednly websites diesgn. Smart phone search increase 17%, tablets 28%,, desktop searches down -1%

If you haven’t heard already you may be one of the few left on the planet who doesn’t live and breathe all that is the internet. What is being referred to as  “mobilegeddon” (don’t you love tech-nerds?) or, Google’s mobile website algorithm change launched last week. Small businesses need mobile friendly websites now more than ever. The algorithm change was announced two months back very clearly by Google and they actually went ahead and launched it on the pre-determined deadline, Tuesday, April 21, 2015. What the change means to small businesses who do not have mobile friendly websites is that your company website will either not come up in mobile Google searches or if it does, it will come up so far down it might as well not come up at all.

I can hear some of you now, ‘So, what? Most people search our site from a desktop computer.’  ‘We provide a service, people don’t search for us on their smart phones or tablets, they wait until they get home and research on their computers.’ Not so my friends. “In the final three months of last year, estimated 29 percent of all U.S. search requests – about 18.5 billion – were made on mobile devices.”   – comScore.com

The increase in numbers from desktop to mobile searches will continue to grow. The largest percentage of mobile searches currently are done by people shopping for products, however local services searches are not far behind. “Searches with local intent are more likely to lead to store visits and sales within a day. New Google research says that 50 percent of mobile users are most likely to visit (the store) after conducting a local search, while 34 percent of consumers on tablets or computers will go to a store.” – Search Engine Watch

Mobile searches are steadily increasing for local services including, home healthcare services, restaurants, home improvement services and more.small businesses need mobile friendly websites now to come up in those search inquiries.

  “According to Google, 56% of searches on smartphones have local intent. ” – Wordstream

Searches-Infographic2Google is the top-ranking search engine claiming two thirds of United States web searches and even more in other countries. Mobilegeddon has the potential to effect sales volume especially for small businesses who have not had a strong reason to upgrade to a mobile friendly website yet. If we give an example of  a residential home builders website in Lansing who has not upgraded the website since mullets were in style, compared to a national residential home builder with a mobile friendly website targeting Lansing clientele – where would you place your cards on search results?

Not sure if your small business website is mobile friendly or not?

Check out Googles “Mobile-Friendly” test page in its developer section. Type in your website URL (domain name) and see the results. (https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/.

Mobile Friendly Website Solution for Small Business

If you do not have a mobile friendly website and you are ready to make the change, you have a few decisions to make. First you can choose to keep your desktop website as it is and create a completely separate mobile website to satisfy mobile users (and Google!). The drawback to this solution is you now have two websites you must maintain. The other option is a responsive website. Responsive WordPress websites format to fit which ever screen size a visitor is using. On a desktop monitor the website looks good on the screen without unplanned scrolling or clicking. On a tablet it condenses slightly to fit the screen with limited scrolling and on a smart phone the navigation will collapse to a drop down screen. All of this is automated with a responsive website design. The other benefit of a responsive website design with WordPress is small businesses can now update their own website without programming knowledge. Updating is also easier because you only have to update one site instead of a desktop website and a mobile website.

Mobile-Friendly Website Design considerations:

  • design web pages so that they load quickly
  • make content easily accessible
  • page scrolling up and down (as opposed to left to right swiping)
  • make call to action buttons (like BUY NOW!) easily seen and touched even on small screens
  • make your contact information clickable – click to call, click to map location
  • make your text size large enough to read on small devices

No budget for a small business mobile-friendly website right now?

Or do you have a mobile-friendly website on order but all the local website design firms in Michigan or your state are booked solid a few months out? Since Google searches do show local listings first make sure all your local information is current. Get a Google+ page set up if you haven’t already, check your Yelp listing. Get your website listed on Google in Google MyBusiness section. These steps will help while you are working toward upgrading your website to mobile.

If you’re one of those small businesses who need a mobile friendly website right away, give us a call today! We are taking  orders and turning custom designs around as quickly as possible. We also provide mobile-friendly  Wordpress responsive website design solutions for those of you who want the freedom to access and update your own website .

Stay connected!

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Is there value in getting listed in local web directories?

On April 16, 2015   /   Branding - Marketing, General   /   Leave a comment
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website marketing solutions

I know you’re getting the calls too. Internet marketing companies calling offering you website marketing solutions, asking if you know the value of getting listed in local web directories. We get them too.

What’s the big deal about getting listed in local web directories?

Although SEO protocol has changed and it is said there is not as much SEO value in being listed with directories there is still value in directories, especially niche directories and local directories. High traffic directories such as Yahoo Local,  Bing local, etc. increase your website exposure to visitors searching those sites. Also the more links you have directing back to your site the higher your website rank.

Can the guy on the phone help increase my website exposure?

After receiving call after call and claims Connection Group could be listed on all the top directories for $100 I decided to give one of the a shot. The package also included website SEO consultation and benchmark progress reporting for the lsitings. Since I had purchased other products from this particular company in the past they offered me a 50% discount – score! What American can resist a sale?

When the contract started they did a report to show where connectiongraphics.com stood at present with our listing and referral links. We received a grade of 87%. They confessed that was a pretty high percentage. Then my competitive nature kicked in. I thought if we had gotten this far on our own, maybe this top 100 corporation had some magic sauce that could get us to the coveted 100%! (Now is when you remind me how many times I have shared with you that there is no such thing as miracle marketing sauce – I hang my head in shame.)

In 30 days I received a report that our numbers had actually slipped one point even though they reported to have listed us a in a couple new directories. They explained that it was too early to see results but within 3 − 6 months we would see improved numbers. Paying $100 each month for 3 − 6 months. This is just to get 13% higher – remember we started at 87%.

At this point I am skeptical but you know I am going to get my $50 worth so I give them a call for the website SEO consultation that was included in the contrast. I was happy to know we were already implementing the suggestions they offered for website SEO. Sadly, the SEO questions I had for them were not answered. I continually heard “Well, that’s a good question! I don’t know if that works or not.”

Hmmm, no offer to look into my inquiry and get back with me, just, ‘I don’t know, good question’. I chose not to continue the contract after the first 30 days.

How hard is it to get listings in local website directories?

There is value in getting listed in local directories and optimizing your website to come up higher in search results and it does honestly take time to implement. Getting listed in the top local directories doesn’t require a recurring $100 monthly fee through perpetuity. In many cases submitting your company to directories can be handled by an in house staff person. Here is a list of the directories we recommend getting starting with.

The basic free listings on these websites will work for most business needs. There may also be paid directories that are of value to your business. We recommend getting the free listings set up first and if a particular directory is driving traffic a premium listng may be of value.

If you find you don’t have the time to get this going we can dedicate the time to get you posted to all the directories on the attached list for $300.00. If you would like to continue and have us get you listed in custom directories for your industry or your locale we may need to add some more time and increase the investment – but I promise you you won’t be paying $100 a month indefinitely to get listed in only 5 new digital directories a month.

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Professional Printing Checklist – preparing a digital file for print

On March 14, 2015   /   Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General   /   2 Comments
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Professional printing checklist grpahic by Connection Group

In the age of digital apps, conscious budgeting and google images, small businesses are creating print marketing materials in-house. This isn’t always easy to do, but it can get simpler. Follow this professional printing checklist to prepare a digital file for offset or digital printing.

Professional Printing Checklist – Print File Preparation

  1. proofread it
  2. have someone else proofread it
  3. check with your printer about pricing options
  4. make sure document is created in the correct size (consider proportions)
  5. quote any original text (cite author)
  6. use only photos and graphics you have permission to use
  7. photos and images must be in cmyk format or a specified Pantone ink or black
  8. images must be 300dpi resolution at 100%
  9. Print your file on a desktop printer check color, layout, flow of information
  10. Check the fold. Are copy and images formatted in the panels as intended?
  11. Save the file as a high-resolution print quality pdf (Adobe Acrobat file)
  12. Send to print vendor

(Professional Graphic designers see note below)

Whenever possible it is helpful to receive a physical proof of the document from your print vendor. If an in-person proof is not possible a digital proof from the print vendor helps verify the file transferred as designed.

Talk to you printer if you need help preparing a document. Graphic designers and printers can make adjustments to your layout if you request these services. Layout and design services are based on an hourly service fee. After the initial proof, industry standard is time-based billing for additional editing and proof services.

If all of this sounds greek to you Connection Group and other graphic designs firms can print and design sales sheets, brochures and postcards for you. When hiring a professional design firm  expect expertise in design and print.

Design:

  • professional layout
  • font and color selection.
  • create custom graphics
  • photo art selection with licensed access to stock photography and art

Print

  • recommendations for print cost savings
  • choosing standard paper sizes (for cost savings – unique sizes can be used also)
  • paper weight
  • follow US postal service print regulations for first class and bulk rate mail

Additional Print Preperation Step for Professional Graphic Designers

Along with the above professional printing checklist, there is a couple of extra steps of file preparation for graphic designers who are preparing files for publishing. You already know to choose quality fonts and consider graphical effects,  color theory  and the type of digital art, vector vs raster, which software is the best to use for page layout,  etc.

If you are using Adobe InDesign for preparing page layout files for professional printing projects always package the folder prior to sending the final file to the printer. Choosing package under the file menu in InDesign will create a complete folder for your final document. There will be a copy of all the files, fonts, graphics and photos used in the document nested in this folder. This helps for future retrieval when the document is re-ordered and requires changes.

The other benefit of packaging a file is that InDesign runs a test for pre-press of the entire file. This pre-press test looks for missing fonts, missing graphics and photos, use of  RGB  or other color models in graphics and photos within the document. This pre-test allows you to go in and make edits to the print file elements prior to sending it to the printer vendor. The more work you can do to create a trouble free file, the lower the printer fees, time delays and  the higher quality end product.

Remember to add crop marks, printers marks, trim marks and bleed on your final pdf before sending it off to your printer too. Good luck with your print project, call us if we can help.

Stay connected!

Connection Group is located in mid-Michigan. We love to work face to face with our clients in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and everywhere in Michigan in between. Our digital design and online print service ordering area serve St. Petersburg, Florida to Vancouver, Canada from south to north and New York, New York to Big Bear California east to west. National on-time service paired with genuine small business attention.

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7 Chakras of a Connected Website – Keep your website updated

On March 2, 2015   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Having a website with a content management system (CMS) that is also a responsive website design is the best type of website for small businesses. CMS sites, like WordPress websites, allows you to keep your website updated even if you don’t know coding. CMS sites that are responsive can be updated easily and can be navigated smoothly on all devices. Contracting a local web design firm to create a responsive webiste with a content management system is the  smartest marketing investment a small business can make right now.

The main components and considerations of a website:

Websites are like hairstyles, you can pinpoint the decade or year they were created at first glance. Your brand image can quickly look outdated with the ever-changing technological advances in online marketing and digital communications these days.

Don’t be accused of having a mullet or big hair website. Update your outdated site to one that is easy to navigate and can be updated easily to keep it current and inspiring.

Responsive websites are the latest and greatest way to present your company web content professionally to people, even when they view it on various devices.  A responsive website will format to fit on a desktop computer monitor, laptop screen, tablet, or smart phone. Responsive website designs for small business are becoming the industry standard because they adapt to the users devices. Small businesses benefit because they eliminate the need for two separate sites; a stand-alone mobile website and a stand-alone desktop website that each require their own updates. Many responsive website designs utilize the widely accepted WordPress content management system (CMS). CMS allows for ease in updates by companies who want to update their site in-house but do not have staff who are trained in web development or coding.

1. Home Page

Typically the home page is the first page visitors will come to on your website. If a visitor enters in your domain name they will come to your home page first. Because your home is usually the first impression a visitor has of your website  your home page needs to be eye catching and hold attention. Contact information and site navigation should be easily identified.

When a visitor lands here they should have a clear understanding what your site is about right away. Consider how to add an interactive element like a video or slideshow to keep visitors on the page longer.

Questions to consider for your website home page design:

  1. How will the visitor know what your business is and what the website contains?
  2. What needs to be included in the main website navigation (products, services, shop, gallery, etc.)?
  3. What photos, graphics, or messages will be used in a photo slideshow that depict your product or service well? also link to website content on internal pages?
  4. Do you have photos for each category of your product or service that link to website content on internal pages?

2. Web Forms and Contact Forms

The web is 24/7, most businesses are not. Web contact forms can be your 24/7 administrative professional or sales representative. Visitors who don’t want to call or wait until you are open can fill out a form quickly, provide their contact information and
ask specific questions. The form will be waiting in the employee email that you designate to receive each online web form inquiry.

What Web Forms Will you Need?

  1. How many web forms do you need?Who will the web form be sent to (identify the email of the person who will receive
  2. Who will the web form be sent to (identify the email of the person who will receive
  3. the inquiry form in their email)?:
    Do you just need a contact form?
    Do you need a quick quote form or detailed quote form?:
  4. Do you need an order form?
  5. How about an application form for membership or employment?

3. Product / Services Page

Even if you only offer one product or service you should have a designated page for it. Customers shopping for your company online want to get as many answers as possible on their first
visit. Your product and services page should include photos, detailed information (preferably keyword enhanced!), how to order, possibly pricing, shopping cart, web inquiry form, and a direct way to contact someone.

Products and Services Page Content:

  1. How many products and services do you have?:
  2. Do you have various product or service categories to include? Get the list together
  3. Do you have photos, descriptions and/or prices for each? Share as much detail as possible!

4. Landing Pages

When you have a specific intent such as a product or service feature or giveaway, landing pages are ideal for getting action. Landing pages are a stripped down home page or product / service page with a clear call to action. Promoted through various media like direct mail, tv advertising, radio, magazine ads, email marketing
or online advertising they offer clear direction to the customer and opportunities to target tracking.

Landing Page Planning:

  1. Identify featured giveaway, contest, product or services for sale
  2. Are downloads or online purchases available or who will receive email inquiries?
  3. How will customers find your landing page?
  4. What media will you use to promote it?

5. Content Management System (CMS)

Websites that have an administrative back end access allow for easy website changes and updates for small businesses. Website changes can be made by people who don’t know code. This is a great service for small businesses to help keep your website updated and keep outsourcing costs down. Administrative roles can be set with varying levels of permission. Staff with access can add photos, articles, blog entries, videos, etc. as easily as they can in a word processing software. The main administrator can add or delete users and their level or access.

How will you keep your website updated?

  1. Who in your office will be in charge of updating?
  2. How many people will need to be trained in the CMS?
  3. How frequently will your website be updated?

6. Blog

A web log holds company information, news and updates that is tied to your company website. Blog entries help to provide informaiton to cusotmers and visitors to your website. If you offer valuable content visitors can subscribe to blog entries in an RSS feed or receive email alerts. Blogs also help bring your website up in search engines better than sites without blogs. You come up in searches better because search engines like it when you keep your website updated with frequent posts. The other reason is relevant content, search engine inquiries response is based on a websites relevant content. When you post information that is connected to your product or service in your blog the content will be of value to search engines and your site will be more apt to come up when inquiries are made that match your blog content.

Is Blogging in Your Futue?

  1. What types of blogs will you write?
  2. How frequently will you post new blogs?
  3. What categories should be included for searching blog content (general, product names, press, etc.)
  4. What are the primary keywords for the website

7. E-Commerce Portals / Member Access

If your website is going to serve as a shop for people to buy online there are a number of decisions to make right away as you are planning the site.

Specialty stores, publications, trade associations and other groups often have an area of the website where members can log on with a password or user name to gain access to specialized information.

Some of the questions to ask yourself when planning these types of websites:

  1. Will visitors pay online?
  2. With Paypal or another payment portal?
  3. Approximately how many products or product categories will you need to include?
  4. Have you considered what your shipping cost will be for each item?
  5. For password protected members, only areas on websites what content will be included?
  6. Who will manage the database of members?
  7. Are there dates when memberships will expire? How will the member be alerted to subscribe again?

You have your homework. Your test will be determining if people will find your website, if they find it easy to navigate, and visually appealing and if you keep your website updated with relevant content. If this all seems overwhelming to you contact us. We can provide consultations. We can help you organize your website content, determine navigation and of course build and design your website – whether you choose to keep your website updated or you would like us to help you with that marketing component as well, we’ll get you connected.

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