- Search Engine Marketing
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Web Marketing Strategy
A small service company contacted me a few weeks ago. The owner wanted to discuss updating his online business presence and marketing strategy. We had a few lengthy discussions about his service offering, current marketing strategy and long term business goals. He also explained how he developed his current site and mentioned that he had been speaking with a few other web firms.
One of his problems with finding a firm to work with was he wanted to keep pieces and design themes of the current site within the re-design. Each of the designers he spoke with said they would only work with their code. Designers and developers prefer to use their own code. It’s more difficult and causes a longer development time to use one piece of code they are unfamiliar with than to start over and use their own code. Another problem, it handcuffs the ability for the designer to be creative when using design within marketing a company. He’s trying to find a designer who will do what he wants to do and not what is best for his company.
The question comes up.. If you are a small business owner, which daily activities should be the focus of your time? If you are an expert fly fisherman and are a fabulous teacher of that, with full classes on a fairly regular basis you are doing something right. If that same person has little to no experience marketing and developing new business, it seems clear where their time could be spent. Is it important to shoe string a potentially vital aspect of growing your company where you have no experience? Or should you work with a professional web marketing firm to develop a strategy based on experience, data and analytics. Investors want to know that the CEO is going to make the best business decision. CEO’s need to do what’s best for the company to succeed.
- Search Engine Marketing
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Brand Reputation Management: Superpages Success
I’m pleased to announce my previous blog post attracted the attention of Sean at Superpages. She was kind enough to contact me by phone and update the Fresh Tilled Soil Superpages account for free. We are now offically a Web Design and Marketing firm and no longer sell "top soil" or any other soil for that matter.
Thanks Sean for making it happen.
- Search Engine Marketing
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Advanced Search Marketing Workshop
- User Experience
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Objectified
- User Experience
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How not to do customer care online – enter eBay
I have an old eBay account which I haven’t used in some time. In an effort to make my contribution to economic stability I decided to log into my account and cancel it. Here’s the problem, it’s been some time since I used the account so need to hit the "lost my password" button. The wall I run up against first is the zip code needed to confirm my identity is not the same as my current zip code. That’s eBay’s first mistake – never use a unique identifier that changes over time or could be misunderstood if your customer’s move. Not to be beaten I looked up my old zip code and plug it in. Still wrong. Hhmm, ok, I’ll try the "still need more help?" link at the bottom of the page. This prompts me for my birth date. Guess what? Apparently I wasn’t born when I thought I was. Here we are at mistake number two – if you’re going to use people’s unique information to identify them then you need to get it right. Finally, out of frustration I click on the "Live Help" button. I’m prompted to enter in more information but when I click on "Send" to start the live chat, I get the useless ‘unavailable’ screen. Why did they ask me to fill out the information when they were unavailable. Nevermind the horrible UI of the ‘unavailable’ page which is clearly being served from a third-party.
In case you’re wondering I have also used the "forgotten" password and "forgotten username" options which apparently will email me the information I need. It’s been over an hour and still no emails. This is such a basic thing to get right from the start. It’s the little things that make people happy, or unhappy. Please don’t ever treat customer service is an after thought. With the power of online reviews you don’t have any other option than being amazingly good at every part of customer service.
- User Experience
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Tufte comes to Boston again
If you haven’t already attended one of the Edward Tufte one-day seminars find the time to go to the next one. His next trip to our home town of Boston will be on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of March. Regardless of whether you are a designer or not, Tufte will blow your mind with his intelligent approach to displaying information in almost any environment. Here are some of the topics covered in the one day course:
evaluating evidence used in presentations
statistical data: tables, graphics, and semi-graphics
business, scientific, legal, financial presentations
complexity and clarity
effective presentations: on paper and in person
use of video, overheads, computers, and handouts
multi-media, internet, and websites
credibility of presentations
design of information displays in public spaces
animation and scientific visualizations
design of computer interfaces and manuals
- Web Design
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Renting Your Home on CBS Nightly News
Our client, and business partner, Jeff Takle and his business Renting Your Home was featured on the CBS Nightly News last night (at about minute 17 on the segment). Take a look at what Jeff had to say about the opportunities for some companies during the recession.
- Web Design
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Copy cat designs
I’m not sure which site came first, NotchUp or GrandCentral but it looks like these sites were designed by the same people. 