Don’t Get Left Behind

Posted on January 27, 2012 by delos

You may recall a time when Ma Bell was the only game in town. Alternately, you might remember when KMart was bigger than WalMart. And even now, Sears is closing stores and the USPS is closing Post Offices.

But you may be shocked to learn that Microsoft isn’t as healthy as it could be. It could also crumble. And not just for purely business reasons.

Now is a good time to think about having some backup plans for any necessary computer systems you have. You don’t have to switch just yet – just be aware of what some of your options are.

There are free word processors and spreadsheet programs that can replace Microsoft Office.

If you are adventurous, you’ll research Linux and find out that there are free and robust operating systems available. Or maybe you’ll see how Google plans to replace your computer with a stick.

At least go into the Apple store and tinker with the computers there – you’ll see they aren’t so different from Windows computers.

Even if Microsoft doesn’t collapse, at the very least, you will know you have other options besides paying $150 for the next Windows upgrade or the $499 Office Professional.

Have you taken your place in Google’s search results?

Posted on January 24, 2012 by delos

No, this isn’t an advertisement for Little Guy Creation’s SEO work. This is about how you, personally, can help influence your website’s search rankings.

That’s right. If you have a Google+ account, you can contribute to your own success.

Google+ is Google’s social media service. And it’s more and more tied into the search results – much moreso than Facebook or Twitter (though these are still places you want your business to be found.)

Now, the article linked above is TWO MONTHS old as of this writing. Imagine if you had already been promoting your business with Google+ while your competitors don’t even realize how far they are falling behind you.

If this is the exciting news to you that it should be, then go to Google+ and get started.

StarBucks

Posted on January 18, 2012 by delos

Why is a web designer posting about the Starbucks logo? We’ll come back to that.

As you may have heard, Starbucks changed its logo last year. They took the outside ring and words away and featured the “siren.”

If you read the comments below the corporate statement, you’ll see a lot of reactions, most of them negative. A lot of people are really upset about this change. Why do you suppose that is?

Remember your favorite meal that your mother, spouse or whomever cooks for you? It’s comfort food. And coffee is comfort food.

By changing the logo, you change the symbol of the company, right? You are changing what the company stands for. You are changing what people are comfortable with.

But Starbucks wants to move beyond just selling you coffee. It’s a global brand with a lot of potential. You might even like to have other Starbucks products because you like their quality, so you want them to grow and expand what they offer. If you’re a shareholder, then it is very likely you want them to be successful at this.

The problem comes in that the mermaid visual doesn’t really embody the culture, the spirit of providing people their comfort food. So people feel like Starbucks is abandoning them. They won’t be able to get the coffee they NEED.

Yes, we understand that the siren is supposed to represent seafaring Seattle history with a touch of history, mystery and the muse. However, singing sirens from myth drowned and ate delirious sailors while mermaids symbolized lustful temptation, love of the sea and the nature of the sea itself. The sea can be breathtakingly beautiful, tender, violent and deadly. Even if the average person isn’t consciously aware of all these cultural influences, they are still affected by them. Perhaps, to a degree, this new image has a slight feel of the unknowable or potentially dangerous, to some small degree. It’s all just murky enough association that it inspires a momentary hesitation before first accepting it.

After a while, the new logo no longer threatens. Customers will find that the “new” Starbucks is not trying to separate people from their coffee. All’s well that ends well.

So why is a web designer talking about Starbucks logos and mermaid symbolism?

Your website is your formal public face. As you can see from Starbucks’ logo redesign, you can easily cause confidence in your public face to waver. Starbucks will be able to handle losing a few thousand upset customers but most website owners would rather not.

What is needed in a website is to accurately represent the person or the business it represents. A little experience and common sense can go a long way toward improving and increasing the visitors to your website.

Call us for a consultation at (518) 882-3065 or email us. We can help you make sure your website best reflects what you do.

Top 10 Reasons For Business Owners to Get Started With Social Media

Posted on January 15, 2012 by delos

For those who need more than one good reason…

What is Social Media? Social Media is a form of media that allows you to share information and interact with people instantly all over the world. There are many Social Media networks, but the largest are Twitter and Facebook. It’s the most inexpensive, quickest and far reaching communication that we have available today.

Businesses are just starting to make use of Social Media and this is a great time to get established in the digital landscape. Below, we have provided ten reasons why for those who need more than one good reason to try something new…

1. Be In The Conversation. Look around… People are using Social Media on their cel phones while walking, talking, at the gym and even while driving. They are talking with someone, why not you? If you are available and on personal speaking terms with your customer, they are more likely to trust you enough to do business with you.

2. Marketing Tool. You get to lower your advertising expenses while at the same time connecting with your clients. Successful businesses use this to handle their customer service, sales and instantly deliver targeted messages to consumers. The best part about this is that you don’t have to use carefully written ad copy. You can just be yourself.

3. Improved Website Ranking. Having Social Media and a blog works hand in hand with your main website and optimizing your website for Search Engines and free search exposure. The more of these things you have active, the more interesting it is for search engines and users. Social Media also extends the reach of your website into other channels.

4. New Leads and Customers. You can not only pick up business from your current friends and customers but you can also reach out to their friends on Social Media. On average, each Facebook user has 130 friends for them (and you) to reach out to. People look to Social Media to help them make purchasing decisions.

5. You Are The Expert. An active Social Media presence shows the world that you are an expert in your field. Your voice can be heard at the same level as far larger businesses. And if you are the expert, your customers will be going to you instead of your competitors.

6. Cut The Cord. Being on Social Media let you show you have an active business and can more easily be approached to participate in joint ventures and partnerships. Stop relying on local Chambers and chance meetings to partner.

7. Clients Get To Know You. Your website and Social Media can let customers get to know your personality before they meet you. You can use Social Media to interact and connect with clients and keep yourself in their mind’s eye constantly. What better way to be exposed to what your clients want than by talking to them for just a few minutes each day?

8. Save Yourself Time. Can you make the time to talk with all your customers daily, at any time of day? With Social Media, you can. The average Facebook user spends 55 minutes a day on Facebook. Social Media is the number one activity, topping out even over using email, and 66% of people are on social networks. That’s where your customers are most easily reached.

9. Save Yourself Money. One day in the newspaper is one month in CheckItSmart, and you can reach more people in one Social Media update than those few who may see your ad in the one night’s newspaper. No matter how small your niche offering is, you can find communities who are interested in your brand much more efficiently and inexpensively.

10. Research and Development. Your products and services will change over time. If you listen to your Social Media contacts, you can improve your offerings to better fit what they want. You can ask questions and get immediate feedback, whether they are about complaints, compliments, needs, competitors or entirely new things – don’t you want to know?

11. It Doesn’t Stop at 10 Reasons. Social Media technology continues to expand with the increased use of wireless phones and website integration. The audience and opportunity is growing in new and exciting ways.

As you can see, there is much to be lost by not being on Social Media.

If you’re like many other business owners, you are thinking that you don’t have time to learn about Social Media, much less learn how to use it effectively. Let us answer your questions, help you get started and make Social Media work for you. We can save you the time and hassle of getting your Social Media presence up and rolling. See what we can help you do.