Tales from the Script - Vol. 1 May 23, 2013 9:50 pm
You've got a website. It's been working hard for you for years, and it's time for a redesign. When you approach your web design agency and they claim you don't own the code. Chills run down your spine as you recall the investment you put into that site--time, money, sweat, frustration. It was all gone now.
Determined not to be fooled again, you choose a new company to work with. Once again, you go through the process of creating a website *from scratch*. The planning, work, effort and diligence needed are met and your website is up and running. This web designer looks like Elvis compared to the last guy. You envision setting him up with your cousin, you're so impressed.
A few years and changes in technology later, you're ready to update and find a new designer you'd like to work with. It's nothing personal against Elvis, but you've found an agency that fits your brand better. That's when Elvis reveals he's really just a zombie in disguise. The slick web designer made sure that you didn't own the code once again. When you request the code for your website due to switching vendors, Elvis refuses. He claims your code will not, in fact, be leaving the building.
Staring down the double barrel of starting your website all over again, you feel week in the knees. How could this have happened? Again? Are all web design companies just used car salesmen in disguise?
Frustrated, and feeling almost six-feet under, you're not sure you have the effort begin again. What's the use? Maybe, you should just bury the hatchet.
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As horrifying as the above story is, we warn you that it is true. Not all designers are scary monsters that look to haunt your future, but some of them are, you just don't know it. A client of ours experienced this situation and finally found us. In talking with them, we felt their pain and worked to gain their trust.
How can you avoid a horrifying situation like this?
1. Be sure you own the code and framework used to build your website.
You may not realize it at the time of signing a contract, but if this is not explicitly spelled out, you may be getting the wool pulled over your eyes. If you decide to leave, or simply want to redesign the site, your designer may claim that they need to start from scratch. Don't become a statistic. Get it in writing that you own the website and are welcome to take all of the code and tools used within in the event you walk away.
2. A deal that's too good to be true, probably is.
If you're looking to get a professional website for next-to-nothing, you're only fooling yourself. It's like the girl that's home alone in those horror flicks. Why does she always answer the phone when the bad guy calls? Just. Don't. Do. It.
Realize that you get what you pay for. And, in the event you want to leave that vendor, there may be a reason why your website is held hostage. And you're left crying like a baby. Moral of the story- read the fine print. Many companies that offer low cost entry and low monthly fees also retain ownership of your site. It's like renting an apartment. If you painstakingly painted a mural on your wall, you can't take it with you when you leave.
If you're looking for a website update and are feeling tied to a chair, call for help. We love turing web design horror stories into fairy tales!
If you've got a web design or hosting horror story, we'd love to hear it! Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.
Doomsdayers and Naysayers are out in full force. Since the passing of Steve Jobs, it seems anyone with Chicken Little syndrome is pointing to Apple's impending doom.
What are some of these earmarks of the eventual Apple-pocalypse?
Many iPhone's are being carted around loaded with Google (and others) apps and software.
The marketshare for iPhones is decreasing (amid incredibly more competition).
Competitor's R&D spending is considerably more than Apple's.
HOW ABOUT A STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE?
Once upon a time (2001), Apple created the iPod. It was a revolutionary device for two reasons:
The hardware (the iPod) was unlike any MP3 device available
iTunes was a breakthrough in managing and purchasing music.
Now fast forward to the iPhone (2007) - what is so special about the iPhone? Sure the design is nice, but you can get a similar feel elsewhere.
It's not the hardware.
It's the software, silly.
The iPod didn't give rise to Apple's dominance in the past decade--iTunes did. It was never about the hardware, but since the hardware was part of the user interface (UI), Apple, of course, made awesome hardware. In a world of MP3 players, Apple built a Porsche. But the secret was iTunes in how it managed your existing music library, and then became your preferred way to purchase your future music library.
The iPhone was no different. It wasn't really about the phone or the monthly subscription - it was about iTunes and the App store.
Anyone can make cool hardware, but without the supporting infrastructure, you're just another phone. An island. Not a destination and not a home. An iPhone with iTunes & the App Store is all of that. And more.
Apple's vision is that of creating a cohesive eco-system. One with top-notch software experiences (iTunes, App Store) coupled with amazing hardware.
WHAT MIGHT THE FUTURE HOLD?
Still, there's a lot of work to be done. With Apple, a user's experience might be through a MacBook pro, an iPhone, an iPad, etc. Right now, the functionality is *about* the same across all three platforms, but not quite.
This coming WWDC in June, we predict Apple will make BIG strides to pull these hardware items closer together through iCloud. Just wait. Nobody is really picking up on this.
Google is a network company who lives in software. They understand that the Network Is The Computer (its a former Sun slogan). However, Google sucks at hardware. And Glass is a perfect example of that.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS -
Android phones continue to be churned out month after month while a new iOS phone is makes an annual appearance. What's so wrong about using a device that is 1+ years old as long as it works well? Are consumers really that fickle that they are looking to upgrade every few months? We don't think so.
The stability of Apple devices transforms many people into believers. Rebooting an iPhone is a rare necessity. Also, a failing device seems to be a rarity as well. Other phones by other manufacturers have varying lifetimes.
Apple is a brand consumers trust. This trust was not earned on a whim. Rather, it was built through years of offering quality products coupled with ground-breaking user interfaces.
Google's business model is advertising. They're only too happy to offer their products (Maps, Now!, etc) on iPhones as a means to delivering impressions and generating revenue. As more people utilize Google software on their Apple phones, they need to realize Google will keep churning out applications for the advertising revenue potential they hold.
Tips for Marketing Your Small Business Website May 4, 2013 7:46 am
You're a localized small business and you've got a great website. Now what? Your next step is marketing. There are a number of tools at your disposal to help your audience find you online.
LOCAL DIRECTORY LISTING
A great first-step is to ensure your website is listed in local directories. While your website will have your business name, hours of operation, phone number and address, it is important that online directories have the very same information as well. That way, search engines know to connect the information they have with your website, ensuring customers will find your business when they search for you.
It can be especially problematic if your business has done any of the following:
Changed Names
Moved Locations
is Located at a Spot with Multiple Businesses
If any of the above has occurred with your business, submitting to a local directory is imperative so you can set the search engines straight, so to speak.
UNIQUE WELCOME PAGES
Everybody expects your business card to have your web address on it. While we certainly recommend that you include the URL, why not include something unique? Maybe www.mywebsite.com/welcome with a nice welcome message to those that type in the address?
Differentiating your business is important. Helping your audience to Know, Like and Trust you (something we've preached a lot of) is the goal. A unique welcome page with a special offer, a special message or any other unique idea will help your potential customers remember you!
WEB POSITIONING
Simply put, submitting your website to the Search Engines will help with where you come up in search results. Submission will also ensure the search engines will regularly search your website for recent updates. This step should not be skipped.
AROUND TOWN MARKETING
Your small business may serve are tiny geographic area, but that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun with your marketing. Window clings are a popular way to remind customers of your website and/or logo. A simple car wrap (they even wrap just parts and pieces of a car) can make a huge visual-imact marketing wise. Remember: any sign, flyer or handout given to your customers and potential customers is a representation of your business. In your off-line marketing, don't do the following:
Change your logo around (we know it's tempting)
Use a huge variety of colors in each venue
Print documents in an unprofessional manner (crooked copies, wrinkled flyers, etc)
Change your marketing message frequently
With Desktop Publishing, there is an allure to creating and printing documents yourself. Just be sure you're not in over your head. If you end up with shoddy documents, your public won't appreciate it. Customers like to be wowed. Begin with your marketing
EXTRA CREDIT
Sometimes, marketing can get a little mundane. You want to stand out. You don't want to be confused for a competitor of yours. How can you grab attention and remain memorable? Well, one Realtor in New York is putting his money where his mouth is. He's offering his employees a 15% raise if they get a tattoo of the brand's logo. Creativity was not lost on him!
Although the Internet boom is over a decade in the past, the number of small businesses that still don't have a website is surprising. Some of the common objections are:
"I'm not looking to sell online."
"I serve only a small geographic area."
"I have a Facebook page"
And, our favorite: "Many of our customers aren't web-savvy."
If you're looking to grow your business (hey, who isn't?) a website is a natural choice for a number of reasons. Let us count the ways:
1. LOCAL LISTINGS
The Internet is the first place people look for information on a business, brand, city or destination. They quickly search the business name in the hopes of getting a variety of information:
Phone number
Address
Hours of Operation
Services Provided
A Link to the Website for more detailed information
Having a website allows a business the opportunity to submit this specific information to a variety of directory listings. Once submitted to local directories, much of the above information displays on search engines with an opportunity to click to the website. Without a website, this opportunity does not exist. And, to consumers, that may mean that you don't exist.
2. SHOW ME THE MONEY
Ok, so maybe you're not looking to sell online. Maybe you're a salon or sign company or tourist destination or local coffee shop. We understand. However, consumers want to SEE what you do. Did you whip up gorgeous hair-dos for Prom this year? Did you just put a new sign up at a local business? Are the beaches in your town amazing destinations and you recommend I go there? Show me.
We live in an image-driven society and people want to see what they're about to buy/experience/see/do. It's as simple as that. If you're not showcasing your product/service/destination/idea, someone else probably is. And guess who will get the business?
3. FACEBOOK FALLS SHORT
You say that you post pictures like a paparazzi to your Facebook page. Your fans see all of the wonderful creations you come up with, they know about your specials and engage with you regularly. That's great. But, in a few short months to a year, those posts are long forgotten. A newbie coming to your page is not going to scroll and scroll and scroll until he comes across the image that convinces him your product/service is for him. He may not care about the cute comments and back-and-forths with your community. He wants to see the goods (see #2 above).
A website with a portfolio section is properly organized and will help consumers locate and view the images they're looking for quickly. This makes the process of looking at your business' offering a painless process.
Facebook is a valuable resource and should be tapped to it's ultimate potential. Although questions remain. In 5 years will Facebook still be as valuable? MySpace shot off like a rocket and fell like a lead balloon through it's short history. All of the data, images and communication you spent time on could be gone. Just. Like. That.
4. ONE MORE SALES PERSON
A website is up 24/7 promoting business every waking hour. No caffeine necessary. No 401k, insurance or bonuses. Are you saying you couldn't use a dedicated employee like that?
A small business website with a portfolio, a testimonials section, a feed from your Facebook (see, we're not haters) and Twitter is a robust selling machine. And it works all while helping your audience know, like and trust you. That's a smooth sales tool.
5. PROFESSIONAL
As we mentioned, being known, liked and trusted are all valuable if you're planning to make a sale. So, you can't slap any old website up and assume your bases are covered. Your business' website must convey that you can be trusted. A shoddy website will be like that 24/7 sales person showing up with greasy hair in a leisure suit and mis-matched socks. It's an image any consumer would want to run away from. Don't scare your consumers!
A professional website is not so out of reach. If you've been told that it is, you're looking in the wrong places. Keep looking. We're happy to chat about our small business portfolio.
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The next time you're looking to dial up, logon and do an Internet search for an small business, imagine your audience doing the very same thing. What will they find?
Social Media & Emergency Response in Boston Apr. 16, 2013 11:43 pm
Often, social media keeps us away from the tasks we should be doing, or is a nice break from the workday. In an emergency, it can be the difference between life and death for those directly affected. Information travels even faster among the social media infused internet super highway. Let's look at a roundup of how social media helped in the emergency situation of the Boston Marathon bombings.
Recent Developments
Although getting emergency information out to the public isn't a new idea, the mediums of social media are new; and changing almost daily.
AUTHORITATIVE- Increasingly, police departments, cities and other authoritative entities have active and well-maintained Twitter feeds. Participating in the social media sphere is no longer viewed as a nicety or extravagance--it's part of the job. In addition, an authoritative Twitter feed (denoted with a blue check mark next to the profile picture) lets the audience know it is a trusted source of information.
NEW MEDIUMS - Twitter released Vine in January of this year. Keeping to it's mission (brevity as a virtue) Vine videos are a short six seconds. In the aftermath of the Boston bombings, one user's Vine feed (recorded from his television) showed the world the exact moment the first bomb when off at the finish line. This moment was then retweeted 111 times and featured in major news outlets.
NEW TOOLS - Google Person Finder was created, "in response to the January 2010 Haiti earthquake in order to help those affected by the earthquake connect with their loved ones." The Google execs realized having multiple websites with multiple listings of people was too cumbersome. One central location would be ideal--so they set out to create it. Person Finder is launched in the event of an emergency and left online only as long as is prudent and necessary (keeping privacy in mind for all involved).
Social Media in Action
Mentions of the word "Boston" increased 20,000% during the emergency situation and most Facebook feeds were filled with thoughts, prayers and reflections about the situation. People are leaning on social media as a critical way to get important information quickly and find solace in community.
TWITTER - Twitter seems to be the natural place for up-to-the minute information in any situation. So, it seems a natural fit in an emergency as well. The police, city and newspapers leveraged their Twitter feeds to deliver frequent updates in the aftermath of the tragedy. In addition, the hashtag #PrayForBoston trended for hours in the aftermath. In addition, police and city officials could instruct those still at the marathon of the areas that are sectioned off for crime scene investigation, where to find their belongings at the end of the race, and other important information.
FACEBOOK - Facebook is where people go to find comfort and community. In the aftermath, many profiles posted "Praying for Boston" graphics of some sort. Many people updated their statuses there, but it was more of a place to inform the community of their support and less of a news source. In the days following, there are Facebook pages and communities people can turn to for support. One such page is called "Boston Marathon Bombing" where users can post tributes, prayers and photos.
THE EVERYMAN JOURNALIST - Media/news outlets now look to average citizens and non-staffers to help them with pictures, video and updates about events. The Guardian is one such news outlet that looks for collateral from everyday people. Imagery of the tragedy is readily available anywhere online, in part, due to the fact that everyone with a phone, camera or tablet can help paint the picture of the news. Deadspin was the first to break the news of the bombing a short 13-minutes after it occurred. It's news article contained mostly information, photos and videos from various twitter feeds. Finally, there is a reddit feed that contains a compilation online news articles and mentions of the explosion.
SOLVING THE CRIME - Police and media/news outlets are looking to shutter-happy cellphone users and social media gurus that may have images of the scene before, during and after. With almost every citizen armed with a cellphone, the photos, tips and movies that get sent in just might help solve this crime.
It's hard to say where emergency response will be in the next few years, thanks to social media. With increasing numbers of people taking pictures and videos and tweeting and updating on the fly, critical information will be even more accessible in an emergency. In the event of an emergency, look to social media to pave the way.
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Deadspin - A collection of updates from journalists as well as Twitter feeds
The Drum - "Boston Marathon crisis: How social media responded"
Social Heatmap of social media mentions containing "finish line"
Nextgov - "Social Media Aids First Responders and Grieving Public After Bombing" - Comments
Threaded Comments Coming to Facebook Mar. 27, 2013 2:40 pm
If you've "Liked" a Facebook Page that has more than 10,000 Followers, you may have noticed reply threading in the comments section.
It's been a long-felt irritation that individual comments couldn't be responded to. Rather, just a laundry list of comment after comment with @ signs used sparingly to allow commenters to discuss with one another.
Threaded comments is a common feature on many blogs and it's taken quite a bit to get Facebook on board.
The good news? Lively debates can be hashed out right there on the Facebook page.
The bad news? Lively debates can be hashed out right there on the Facebook page. In increasing frequency.
For now, threaded comments can be seen on on some Facebook Pages with over 10,000 Followers (we've searched out a number of these pages, and threaded comments still weren't active yet). Facebook for mobile users can't see the threaded comments yet, as the feature is only enabled on the desktop version of the site.
Comments that are more relevant to viewers or that have a lot of dialogue are to appear higher in the comment listing while comments marked as spam will be towards the bottom.
What to see threaded comments on your Facebook Page or Profile? That should be coming in July!
**Update - As of 2:45 PM, it looks like our Facebook Pages are able to roll out comment threading as well. Maybe Facebook has relaxed the 10,000+ Followers parameter already...
Smartphone Market Share as of Jan '13 Mar. 22, 2013 1:44 pm
Some amazing Smartphone trends and observations:
Did you see the "Age 13+" ?? When we were 13, we finally got a NEW bike and maybe a gaming console. We were on top of the world!
We keep hearing in the media that Samsung has finally over taken Apple for market share. According to this data, they haven't as of Jan '13. We wonder what the next quarter will bring.
So, how many cellphone users are we talking about?
129.4 million people in the U.S. owned smartphones (55 percent mobile market penetration) during the three months ending in January, up 7 percent since October. (source)
We're wondering if BlackBerry could ever be mainstream again. It seems most business customers prefer the iPhone these days.
Why Our Website Designs are Better for Tourism Mar. 15, 2013 8:42 am
Over the last few years, we've had the pleasure of working with some great Wisconsin Counties and Cities in getting their interactive presence in order. Nothing brings us more joy then helping these counties attract businesses, tourists and those relocating through the quality information on their websites.
In honor of the upcoming Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism this next week, we'd like to showcase how our websites are helping these counties take care of business.
1. Great Design
It's easy to say that we produce websites with great design, but we'll let the websites themselves speak for themselves:
In addition to having great design, we work a little magic into those designs as well. Allow us to explain: typically an entity will come to us and say they need a new website. "However," they'll go on, "we share our website with the county's Economic Development and City Council. How can we make one website to serve all three interests?"
That's a great question! Creating a website that serves different "customers" can be a difficult task, but it's one we've tackled on many of these website designs. The keys to directing the website traffic are having clear navigation and calls-to-action for each customer base. Dilemma solved!
2. Total Customization
In addition to creating a great design, we love working with each entity to ensure their website contains all of the data and information they'd like to get out to the public. Some of the features we have included are:
Facebook Integration
Events Calendar
Area Business Directory
Photo Gallery
PDF Upload (for brochures, etc)
Lodging Directory
Since each website is a custom solution (and not a template) these features are easy to add in for any entity that would like them. The key here is a totally custom solution for their unique needs.
3. One Database to Rule Them All
Another benefit to a custom website is a custom database--one that stores all of your valuable information such as Events, Photos, Business Information and other data. This database is used everyday to feed information to your website, but it's not a one-hit wonder.
The very same database that is used to populate your website can be used for your mobile app or website!
This means no re-entering data between databases that feed your website and app! It's a powerful tool that will help your customers get the information they need from any device they're on. How's that for power?
4. Turnkey Solution
Just building and maintaining a website can be a frustrating and confusing situation. You need a web host, a web designer, an email host, someone to help design your Facebook page, an app developer and someone to help market it all once it's all live. Whew! Then, when the entities need to get information from one another, well you know who will be caught in-between.
DMI Studios is a complete turnkey solution. Our motto is:
They want to build your website. We want to build your business.
Were a one-stop shop! We can do all of these things for you to eliminate any past headaches (remember that web-host that just. stopped. hosting. ?) and work to make the web creation process as seamless as possible. With these solutions all under one roof, you won't even need to reach for the pain-reliever.
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We truly love partnering with Wisconsin Counties, Cities and Parks to create custom web designs to meet their needs. To view a number of other tourism and government-related websites we've done, check out our portfolio. - Comments
3 Tips to Secure Your Mobile Phone Feb. 25, 2013 7:32 pm
Imagine your life without that little device sitting on your desk or bag or pocket right now. It's small, lights up and keeps you entertained while waiting for the doctor. But, what if your mobile phone was lost or stolen? Have you thought about the power that is contained in a trinket the size of your hand? A person could have access to your Facebook and Twitter and email--oh my!
Though, it could be far worse. Do you have your company's Facebook page linked to your phone? How about their Twitter account? Or, the email addresses to all of your important business clients? Talk about possible social ruin.
Remember: Your phone is not just a cute, trendy device you use to make calls. It's a mini-computer with powerful data. Keep that data out of the wrong hands!
1. Preemptive Strike
There are a number of free apps that will help you to locate your phone in case it goes missing one day. This way, you will know if you should stay cool or hit the panic button. Maybe it'll be on the table of that cute little restaurant you like to frequent for lunch. Or, maybe it'll be sitting on the desk of a menacing teen about to ruin your day: Facebook status: "It's gonna get ugly."
Simply load the apps and authorize them to use your GPS functionality:
For IOS devices, in addition to the ability to locate your device, Find My iPhone (on iCloud) can pinpoint your missing device on a map, have it play a sound, or display a message asking anyone who finds it to contact you. "If you don't find your device right away, you can help protect your information until you get it back with the Remote Lock feature, or use Remote Wipe to erase your personal data from your device and protect your privacy," Apple adds.
2. Set a password/passcode
Use the simple security mechanisms that come with your phone to secure your phone with a password/passcode. Set it to automatically lock within a few minutes. A hacker can still restore your iPhone to the original factory settings to remove the passcode. However, restoring also means erasing all data that was saved on your phone.
In the end, he may get the phone, but you keep your data. Facebook status: "A social-life-wreck avoided by the passcode. Just another Monday."
3. Cut your losses
If you've come to realize that your mobile phone is gone for good, call your wireless provider. Even if you remotely wipe your device, it will still be connected to cell service with the ability to send texts or make calls. Your service provider can disable the phone and prevent others from using the device...and possibly running up your phone bill.
Facebook status: "You win some. You lose some."
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A little pre-planning can give you piece of mind if you phone is ever AWOL. Don't forget about the power that is contained in your tiny device. And remember that every time you set it down in a public spot.
Mobile App Strategies - More Goals Feb. 20, 2013 7:35 pm
You're already considering a Mobile App as part of your brand's mobile strategy, and you're beginning to look at goals. We've discussed Shopping Ease and Brand Loyalty. Here are some additional goals for Mobile Apps that add value: Service Add-Ons An app can improve upon an existing product or service. We've discussed Cadillac's MyCadillac app that offers additional service to their existing customers. Another example is the increasing number of banks that allow customers to simply take a picture of their checks in order to deposit them from a mobile device. To-Do The key here is looking at your brand's current service/product offering and enhancing it with the service of an app. Tasks and services that naturally compliment your product are the best place to start (GPS functionality for Cadillac-owners). In addition, think about tasks or services that might further enhance your current offering (like the banking example). The crux here is to really look to serve your customers through the ease of an app. Rewards Creating rewards for your brand's most loyal customers is a great way to utilize an app. The Starbucks app gives frequent coffee customers the ability to earn "Stars" as rewards towards free drinks and food. Starbucks knows they have loyal customers, so why not reward them for their loyalty? To-Do If your brand has a high-frequency rate of purchase with your customers, a rewards-style app might be a great fit. It's a whole lot better than handing out another punch card to put in their wallets. The key is to create a program that your customers will use and benefit from frequently enough to keep up with it. -- We hope this list of App Goals will help get the wheel of possibilities spinning in your mind. Apps are robust tools that can be an asset to your brand. With all of the app-craze out there, be sure to take some time to weigh the value of creating an app for your brand. If you need some help along the way, we'd be happy to chat about apps! - Comments
Mobile App Strategies - Goals Feb. 13, 2013 11:32 am
Mobile Apps should be an important consideration in your brand's mobile strategy. Apps are not a solution for every brand, however they can be an asset when properly used. The question many brands ask is: How do we decide if an app is right for us?
First, remember:
The key to a successful app is one that enables your users to do something related to your brand quickly and easily.
Anybody can churn out an app. However, an app that adds value is a more difficult achievement. There are a number of goals a Mobile App can achieve for your customers.
Shopping Ease
Some apps are specifically geared for mobile shopping. Other apps are simply for order tracking and notification or to help with the decision process. For example, Amazon has a Price Check App to make cost comparisons easy in addition to an app for shopping. We've previously mentioned the Dominos app to order pizzas quickly and easily and Tiffany's Engagement Ring app that allows customers to throughly investigate all of their options. These apps strive to make the a step of the purchase process easier.
To-Do Dig into your web site's stats to see how many of your visitors are coming from hand-held devices. There may be way more (or way less) than you think. Also, investigate the sales made from these devices--size of each sale, typical items ordered, etc. Really get to know your mobile customer. That way, you can make the tasks he's already doing on your website, easier.
Brand Loyalty
The Snow Report App by The North Face helps to create brand loyalty. Many of The North Face's customers enjoy skiing or may be planning a ski get-away. To make their planning easier, The North Face provides an app that gives ski conditions, weather forecasts, trail maps and the ability to post a photo to their Facebook page. And every time the app is opened, The North Face's brand is right there. Like a trusted friend.
To Do
Get in your customers heads and habits. Think about how they use your product or service and what types of service would compliment that. What are your customers like? Sometimes, creating a picture of your typical customer (demographics, preferences, hobbies, etc) can help with this process. Then, ask yourself how your brand can bring even more service to them.
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Stay tuned for more Mobile App Strategy Goal planning. - Comments
Mobile Statistics - Our Mobile Planet Feb. 6, 2013 3:43 pm
Looking to get a realistic picture of mobile browsing habits? Check out "Our Mobile Planet". Their mission states:
The Our Mobile Planet research was commissioned by Google and conducted by Ipsos MediaCT in partnership with the Mobile Marketing Association and the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
OurMobilePlanet.com provides access to the full set of data from this research through a powerful chart creation tool or the direct download of full country level data files. Businesses can use the data on the site to gain a deeper understanding of the mobile consumer and make data-driven decisions on how to use mobile to help grow their business faster.
Here's some data we found regarding people in the US and their beliefs about their phones:
The statistic we find most important is that 65% of cell phone users expect websites to be as easy to use on their mobile device as their computer. Brands, take note!
One note about the data, it represents only mobile phone usage. However, it does not include data on tablet browsing or usage.
Go check out "Our Mobile Planet' and see what kind of mobile phone browsing stats surprise you! - Comments
Creating a Mobile Strategy - Mobile Apps Jan. 31, 2013 5:11 pm
Earlier in the week we discussed a Mobile Website as part of your brand's Mobile Strategy. The second major part of a successful strategy includes app development as well.
An app is different than a mobile website in that it can interact with a cell phone's functionality.
Example: the Facebook App uses GPS in a phone to automatically add a user's location to a status update.
If you want a closer look at the differences between a Mobile Website and a Mobile App, check out our Internet 101 blog post.
Establish Your Goals
The key to a successful app is one that enables your users to do something related to your brand quickly and easily.
When creating your Mobile Strategy, ask yourself what process you can simplify by allowing users to connect to their cell phone's functionality. No matter the brand of phone, there are a number of functions that are shared by all. Let's discuss them and how they can be used as part of an effective app.
GPS
Check out the MyCadillac app for a great example of integrating an app with GPS functionality. The MyCadillac app will remember where you parked the car and if it's time to add money to the meter. Also, when it's time for service, you can search for the nearest dealer by your current location.
There is no need to stop just at GPS integration, however. Note that, in addition to these GPS-related features, the app also contains relevant information for the user, such as the car's owner's manual, a lights and indicators guide, and access to their OnStar service.
The takeaway:
Cadillac created an app that would make life easier for their drivers. By recalling parking locations and finding a service dealer, the app is entirely appropriate and usable.
Touch
While virtually all apps incorporate touch to navigate, few harness the power of touch like Tiffany & Co. Tiffany noticed the growing numbers of mobile sales coming through their online story. Their reaction to it was to create a beautiful, robust tool to help in the engagement ring selection process.
In an effort to help obtain accurate ring-size, users can place an actual ring directly on the screen and align it with the correct circle in the guide. In addition, the rings are shown true-to-size and can be rotated, zoomed in on and swapped out with different carat sizes.
The takeaway:
Tiffany & Co. worked to bring the experience of shopping in-store for an engagement ring to users' cell phones. The design of the app exudes Tiffany's quality and eye for design. Finally, the app solves a major problem of shopping online--obtaining an accurate ring size. They made shopping simple and easy.
Audio/Visual
The Walgreens app is a robust little creation that has more tools than a Swiss Army knife. We noticed that Walgreens took the opportunity to provide better service to two major functions of their store with their app: the pharmacy and photo processing.
App users can scan the bar codes of their prescriptions to order refills or transfer their script to a Walgreens store. In addition, photo processing is made a painless process. Photos on a phone can be enhanced through their photo filters and then added to the cart and ordered to be printed at the nearest Walgreens store. All of these actions are made possible by the phone's camera.
The takeaway:
The app has some additional features as well, but the takeaway here is how Walgreens has taken two of their core business functions and made them easy for their customers. The app looks to save the amount of time a person would have to spend physically in the store.
Contacts
Google Voice allows you to read voicemail like a text message, which can be handy when you're trying to be discreet. Also, you can send text messages and create custom greetings based on who is calling you.
Google Voice connects with your contacts to seamlessly create a Google-fied phone experience.
The takeaway:
Using existing contact data, Google creates a bigger, smarter experience on a user's cell phone.
Portability
For better or worse, our cell phones are with us wherever we go--the store, the bedroom and the bathroom even! These devices are also conveniently with us throughout the entire buying process--as we ponder, weigh, analyze and, eventually, purchase any item.
Target looks to assist buyers at varying places within the buying process. From a Daily Deals alert service, to a baby registry, barcode scanner, and shopping list creator, they've made a user's phone an essential asset throughout the buying process.
The takeaway:
Target worked to meet buyers where they are at throughout the buying process. Whether they're interested in deals, creating lists or wish lists, there's an app for each need.
Creating Your To-Do List
It's time to set out to create a great-app that will benefit your brand and your customers.
A great app will:
make life easier
be appropriate and usable
bring the experience of shopping in-store to users' cell phones
take core business functions and make them easy for their customers
create bigger, smarter experience
meet buyers where they are at
For your mobile strategy, strive to do one central thing and make it easy for your users.
What need can you satisfy?
What process can you simplify?
What aspect can you enhance?
What information are your customers looking for?
The examples above merely scratch the surface of app integration. Remember to be creative and put yourself in your customer's shoes. Happy Apping!
Creating a Mobile Strategy - Mobile Websites Jan. 28, 2013 2:13 pm
Mobile browsing is the future--there is no more hiding from that fact. The question before you is, how do you, as a brand, prepare for it? As with any transition in business, a strategic plan will guide you from where you are now, to where you need to be.
Establish Your Goals
The forecast:
The majority of your internet audience will be accessing (or trying to access) your brand on a mobile device. They will succeed (and you will, too) or they will fail and then find a competitor that's beat you to the mobile punch. Unfortunately, there is very little gray area here.
The question(s):
How will you get from where you are now, to a fully-mobile friendly brand?
What kind of timeline is your brand looking to achieve?
How do you want mobile customers to interact with your brand?
Imagining the future will help you to see exactly what you're looking to achieve. When creating your strategy, there are two paths to consider.
A mobile-friendly website
Apps that will make interacting with your brand easy
Today, we'll begin by discussing a mobile website and how it is an important part of your mobile strategy.
A Mobile Website
The question many business professionals have is why they need a modified web design in order to adjust from desktop to mobile screens.
Simply put, the orientation of a mobile screen (phones are way smaller than a desktop) can leave people scrolling up-and-down and left-to-right and zooming in and out on content areas on your current website. The information you want visitors to have primary access to will be cumbersome for visitors to find while scrolling all over the place. A mobile-friendly design makes viewing your website easy on the eyes, whether desktop, tablet or cell phone.
In addition, a mobile website can also streamline any processes on your site (say, a shopping cart or signup form) to be quickly and easily filled out, usually in fewer steps, again, making your site more user-friendly.
The goal of all of this is to make the experience of your website the best it can be, no matter the technology your visitors are using to come to your site.
When creating a mobile website, your team should look through the site and determine the areas that can be streamlined, cut down and simplified for mobile fingers. The goal is helping your audience get to the product or information they want quickly and easily.
Interested in some great mobile websites?
Check out Dominos Pizza and see how they made online ordering easy (too easy, for some of us):
Dominos put themselves in the shoes of hungry consumers and streamlined the pizza ordering process making it quick and easy to become a customer in seconds.
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Stay tuned as we discuss Mobile Apps later in the week! - Comments
10 Best Apps for Business Jan. 22, 2013 3:46 pm
As we focus on mobile browsing this month, we'd also like to highlight some of the business apps we love and some we've newly discovered.
1. Evernote -
When an idea strikes and pen and paper are lacking, you can use your phone to help keep you organized. Whether it's a voice memo or a typed note, Evernote will become a valuable resource when you're on-the-go.
Availability: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm webOS and Windows Mobile
2. Bump
Use bump to store your business card contact info. Then, when you want to swap business cards, simply touch your cellphone to your business contact's and the contact info is automatically transferred! Show 'em that you're tech savvy and try Bump!
Availability: Android and iPhone
3. Apple's iWork Suite
When you're on the go, the work still needs to get done. Having the iWork Suite on your iPad will help you to be productive while you're away. Apple has taken some care in ensuring the word processing, charts and graphs and presentation software are each intuitive and easy-to-use on the iPad.
Availability: iPad
4. Dropbox
When you need to share a large file or simply back up some data, dropbox is easy-to-use and quick to setup. The first 2GB are free, however there is an option to pay for additional storage. Whether for business or personal use, we use dropbox all the time!
The beauty of Twitter is sharing on the fly. When you're away from your computer, take TweetDeck with you to keep in touch with your followers. If you're tweeting on behalf of a corporate account, it's all the more important that you're able to respond to tweets in a timely manner. TweetDeck will help you do just that.
Availability: Android, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry
6. PrintCentral
If you are a frequent user of an iPad, the time will come when you want (need) to print something. PrintCentral will allow you to print almost anything! It's a paid app that comes with some additional features. But, for just under $15, the ability to print is well worth the price.
Availability: iPad
7. Square
If you're a small business that needs to begin accepting credit cards, Square is a great option. The app and the card reader are free. Instead you are charged a percent of each transaction. Square offers a great first step for those that are new to accepting credit cards.
Availability: iPhone and Android
8. Tripit
Keep track of business travel with ease. Tripit will store flights, car rentals and hotel reservations to make business travel a breeze. The basic app is free, or if you want to track frequent flier miles, you can upgrade.
Availability: iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry
9. Facebook
Love it or hate it Facebook is a part of business. Facebook for mobile is easy to use and will help you stay connected wherever you are. The same rule of timely responses applies on Facebook as we mentioned on Twitter. If someone comments on your brand's timeline, giving no response or a response 3-days later is a social networking pitfall you'll want to avoid.
Availability: Android, iPhone/iPad, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Kindle
10. The Walking Dead: The Game
Look, we all know you're an overachiever that's working hard well after 5 PM. Take a timeout and slay some zombies. Call it multitasking; a bit of work and a bit of play. We won't tell anyone.
Availability: Android, iPhone/iPad
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Checkout some other resources for the "best of" business apps.
Why Do I Need a Mobile Web Design? Jan. 16, 2013 5:20 pm
Now that we've got you convinced that focusing on mobile (phone and tablet) browsers is in your brand's best interest, what should your next steps be?
Your brand needs to begin thinking about their mobile strategy:
How will you get from where you are now, to a fully-mobile friendly brand?
What kind of timeline is your brand looking to achieve?
Before we discuss a mobile strategy, allow us to explain why your website needs to "kick it up a notch".
Why do I need a mobile web design?
The question many business professionals have is why they need a modified web design in order to adjust from desktop to mobile screens.
Simply put, the orientation of a mobile screen (phones are way smaller than a desktop) can leave people scrolling up-and-down and left-to-right and zooming in and out on content areas on your current website. The information you want visitors to have primary access to will be cumbersome for visitors to find while scrolling all over the place. A mobile-friendly design makes viewing your website easy on the eyes, whether desktop, tablet or cell phone.
In addition, a mobile website streamlines any processes on your site (say, a shopping cart or form) to be quickly and easily filled out. Again, making your site more user-friendly.
The goal of all of this is to make the experience of your website the best it can be, no matter the technology your visitors are using to come to your site.
What is responsive design?
A responsive design is a "parent" group of programming code , if you will. Once a parent group is created for your website, it can decide how and what content will be displayed depending on the venue. Then, according to how your site is accessed (whether desktop, tablet or cell phone) the "parent" tells the website how it will appear to your visitors--more content and features on larger screens, less content on smaller screens.
Still scratching your head? We found an infographic that will help to clear the way:
Does this mean a website redesign?
In order to achieve a responsive design, your site needs to be written in HTML5. However, if the look of your site has you smitten, rest assured that it can be the same or similar to what it currently is--taking into account the different viewing sizes of mobile tech.
In summary, the backbone of the site needs to be updated, but the look and feel can remain, if desired.
Mobile Browsing Statistics 2012 Jan. 14, 2013 11:44 am
We all know we should be paying more attention to mobile internet browsing and it's impact on our business. But, how much more attention should we be giving it?
The Current Landscape of U.S. Mobile Devices
As with any trends, these numbers may change, but it is always nice to know where we're at now.
Remember when Nokia was an industry leader in early 2000? As smartphones took over, the company failed to keep up and, for all intents and purposes, dropped off the face of the Earth. It appears they're back and hoping to become a global leader once again.
Mobile Browsing vs. Desktop
"Mobile browsing" includes tablet devices which, for many, may soon replace their laptops/desktops.
Looking at the side-by-side comparison, it appears that mobile browsing only accounts for about 13% of overall online traffic. However, like the explosion of the internet in the 90's, this is simply the infancy of mobile browsing.
Morgan Stanley has predicted that, by 2014, globally, mobile internet browsing will surpass desktop search. That would mean exponential growth is on the horizon.
Major shifts occur from time to time in online business. One day, an Amazon.com is born and, the next day, an AOL is forgotten. Mobile browsing represents one such shift.
It's time to take mobile browsing seriously. In the next 30 days, we'll be looking at tools, tricks and ideas to help with your mobile internet presence. - Comments
Have you thought about venturing into social media but don't know how to begin? Or, are you knee-deep in social media but wondering if it's working?
Here's a refresher to set your social media in 2013 off right!
1. Set your goals.
What are your goals for social media success? As with any off-line marketing effort you'll want to know what you're looking to achieve in order to call the social media campaign a "success".
A great first goal is simply increased traffic to your website. Increasing time spent on your website per visitor, blog posts read and comments on them as well as increasing social media connections are all great markers to track.
Then, decide how often you'll check in on these metrics. When any new campaign begins, it's easy to check in daily, even hourly to see how it's progressing. Increasing your brand's presence online is not something that is accomplished overnight. Have fun checking in on the statistics, but don't micro-manage. Quarterly is a great bet here.
2. Where to?
Decide which social media platforms you'd like to utilize. Do you know where your current customers hang out online? Or, is there a group of prospects you'd like to approach? If so, where can you find them online? The answers to those questions will define the social media sites for you to spend the most time on.
Once you've decided which sites you'll be using, be sure to create a well-rounded profile. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Marketing should match marketing on your website
Fill out as much "about" info as possible
Make your brand as "personal" as you can- there are people that work there, right?
3. Get Schooled
If a social media website is new to you, don't let that stop you. Allow your search engine to be your guide! Simply type in any question you have such as, "What size are profile pictures on Facebook?" or "What does # mean on Twitter?"
There are many free resources out there to get you up and running in no time! Don't be afraid simply because something is new.
4. Connect!
Begin making connections with friends, customers and prospects. Ultimately, social media is social; so, post responses, interact and BE social. Here are a few tips we've picked up along the way:
Remember to build KLT - Know, Like and Trust- of your brand
Interact with others--don't simply use SM as a megaphone
Post content your customers would find helpful most of the time
Post content that is *sales* oriented only once a week or so
Post a bit of lighthearted content as well (remember, to be social)
We hope 2013 will be a social media success for you!
Gift Your Website - Content is King Dec. 21, 2012 10:51 am
With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well. Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.
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Content editing on a website is a big job. But, if taken a small task at a time, it becomes manageable. Many of the tasks below are site-wide and will easily be changed in the CSS code of your website. One change will modify all of the content on your website.
Colors
Be sure you're using font/background colors that are easy-to-read. This seems obvious, but there are certainly a few offenders out there still.
Having trouble reading this text?
Don't do this to your audience.
Content
The text on your website should not be too small that it's difficult to read. Also, the paragraphs on the site should not be too lengthly. A good rule of thumb is no more than 6 sentences per paragraph. Of course there are exceptions, but it's a good general guide.
Use bulleted lists or numbered lists help to keep the content skim-able. Content that is easy to scan is more likely to be read in its entirety.
Finally, be sure to add sub-headings where appropriate.
Call to Action
Compelling content is content that asks your audience to act. A call to action is essential to help your audience perform your desired action; whether it's subscribing to your blog, downloading a white paper, or signing up for your newsletter.
Remember that the Calls to Action that are the smallest steps forward (i.e. subscribing to a newsletter) will have a better chance at success. Whereas a big leap forward (i.e. contact forms) are more difficult to get a potential customer to do on their first visit.
Links
Links on your website need to be working properly in order to keep your audience happy. There is nothing worse than a broken website. As you add links to your website you should test the links to be sure they are actively working.
In addition, many large websites subscribe to a link checking service that periodically follows all of the links on a website to ensure they are still working. Then, any links that are broken will be sent in an email to the website owner. This makes managing a bigger website a lot easier.
Spelling
We've all had a spelling error from time to time, but consistent spelling issues are website hangups as well. Most browsers have a spell check integrated, now. However, if yours does not, be sure to pass the content through a spell check before going live.
In addition, after writing content, step away from your desk for a moment or so. Then, come back and read what you're just written once more before publishing. Remember, your website is an extension of your brand! Always put your best face forward.
Gift Your Website - Social Media Links Dec. 20, 2012 9:45 am
With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well. Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.
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Social Media Boom
You've decided to take the plunge into social media. Congratulations! Or, if you're one of the few that has been too afraid to put your toe in the water, go ahead and give it a try in 2013!
Once you've begun using social media, get the word out! Put some small buttons with links to your social media haunting grounds. Or, better yet, put a feed of your Twitter or Facebook updates on the sidebar of your website. This gives your audience a taste for what they'd be missing out on if they don't follow you on social media.
Social Media Buttons
Quality Content
As a bonus "gift" we'd like to remind you of two social media rules that we try to live by as you're out there swimming in the proverbial social media water cooler:
Quality content is always better than quantity content.
Social Media is about being a gift to others; the focus shouldn't be on you.
Remember, link up your social media outlets to help your audience connect with you!
Gift Your Website - Size Does Matter Dec. 19, 2012 9:14 am
With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well. Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.
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Image Sizes
We are a visual people. A picture truly is worth a thousand words. So, don't torture your audience by uploading original photos to your website.
Step 1- Resolution
A picture's resolution is the number of tiny dots (pixels) per inch. The higher the resolution, the sharper the image. This matters BIG TIME if you're printing a photo or creating a billboard. However, computer screens are setup to display 72 pixels per inch. No more.
Step 2 - Size
Secondly, most photos for your website can be much smaller than the originals from a digital camera. If you're not sure of the image size, a great way to find out is to open an existing image from your website. Right-click the image and select "Open Image In New Window". In many browsers, the image name and pixel dimensions will be displayed just above the address bar on your browser.
Software
If you're a pro, you may have Adobe Photoshop or Photo Elements. If not, simply do a search for "image resizing" and you'll find a number of free and paid solutions.
There's no more excusing a website with slow load times. Image resizing takes just a couple quick minutes when you're uploading a new image to your website. So, do your audience a favor and take care of those pixel-heavy images.
Gift Your Website - Contact Details Dec. 18, 2012 7:38 am
With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well. Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.
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Contact Info
Another quick fix is to ensure your contact information is on every page in addition to the Contact Us page of your website. An easy way to do that is to include contact info on the footer of your website.
What should you include?
Street address
Phone number
General email contact
Hours of operation (if applicable)
Logo
Another great way for people to connect with you is on social media. Be sure to include links to the various social media platforms you are active on.
Does My Website Suck, Part 2 Dec. 17, 2012 3:12 pm
At DMI Studios, we love helping people take an honest look at their site to see what, if anything, needs to be improved upon. And we've decided to share some of the aspects we look at with you, dear reader. Consider it an early Christmas gift!
Throughout all of these tips you'll see one common theme--the key to a great website is one that builds KLT - Know, Like and Trust.
Now, let's begin Part 2:
4. Web Positioning Checkup
Being found online is key to your website's success. What search terms are most important to you? Armed with your list of important "keywords", take the the search engines and see exactly where you end up.
Then, take to the search engines once more to see if any of your competitors are out-ranking you for your coveted list of keywords. If so, be sure to add relevant content throughout your website that contains these search terms.
Finally, check out your web analytics (we'll discuss that shortly) and see how customers are actually finding you website. The terms they are using to find you might be different than what you thought. We've discussed search engine marketing in the past. Go ahead and get a refresher if you need to. We'll wait.
If your audience is using terms that are a bit different than you thought, it may be time to re-work some of your website's content to rank higher for those search terms.
One final note: We mentioned Bing's "Bing It On" in the recently as well. While the tool is used to test drive Bing vs. Google, it would also be a great place to do your keyword research. Simply type in the term you're interested in and see where your website lands.
5. Analytics
We mention Analytics in a bit more detail in today's post "Gift Your Website". Simply digging into your analytics will give you a wealth of information about your current website. Check out the Analytics blog post for more information.
6. Local Directories
Potential customers are looking for you. And, if you have a bricks-and-mortar business that you'd like them to find, claiming your location is essential. Claiming a local address is easy to do and just takes a bit of your time.
Gift Your Website - Analytics Dec. 16, 2012 5:03 pm
With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well. Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.
Analytics
The first step in improving your website in any way is to see where it's at right now. Website analytics hold the key to really "knowing" your website. Things like:
How many visitors come each month?
How are they finding my website?
What websites link to mine?
What search terms are they using to find me?
What pages are they visiting most often?
The information here will paint a very clear picture of how your website is doing. Most websites come standard with an analytics program. If you don't have one, check out Google Analytics. It's free and only takes a snippet of code to be added to your site to begin your analytical journey.
Warning: Once you begin checking out your website stats, you may become addicted to the powerful data therein.
Stay tuned for more gift your website ideas. - Comments
Does My Website Suck? - Part 1 Dec. 11, 2012 11:34 am
It's an honest question. Does my website need an overhaul? Maybe just a nip and tuck? Or, maybe triple bypass surgery? How do I know if my website sucks?
These are the questions plaguing many website owners and marketing professionals. At DMI Studios, we love helping people take an honest look at their site to see what. if anything, needs to be improved upon. And we've decided to share some of the aspects we look at with you, dear reader. Consider it an early Christmas gift!
Throughout all of these tips you'll see one common theme--the key to a great website is one that builds KLT - Know, Like and Trust. Let us begin:
1. Overall Design
This is the first place to start. A website has precious few seconds to display trust and like-ability to an Internet user. Sometimes, these qualitative aspects are difficult to put into words. How do we know good design? Here are a few jumping off points:
Is the important navigation above the fold (no scrolling to find it)?
Is the content easy to read?
Could the website benefit from an evolving design (seasonal, etc)?
Does the website use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to ensure consistent design throughout?
2. Usability
This would seem obvious, but a website needs to be user-friendly. If it is difficult to use it will not be effective in generating leads for your business. Again, this is more qualitative, but we all know easy-to-use websites versus the sites we hate to use.
Are all pages easily accessed by navigation?
Is there a search function?
Is there an RSS or email signup?
Is there a mobile version of the website to ease viewing on mobile and tablet devices?
Do the webpages load quickly?
If there is a checkout process, is it quick and easy to complete?
3. Competitive Analysis
That's a fancy way of saying, you should spy on your competitors. Sign up for their newsletters, follow them on Facebook and Twitter and check out their website! Then, kick the tires of their website to see if there are any gems you can gain inspiration from.
Note any pages/sections they have on their website that you don't. Then, ask yourself why you don't have it on your website (it may not be necessary, but this is a worthy exercise).
Note how often and how they communicate with their audience/customers.
See where they land on Bing and Google for shared search terms.
Investigate which social networks they are on and note their interactions there.
Check out the Meta Title and Description they use for their website.*
*How do I learn about Metas? Simply do a search on a search engine for the company's name or products they offer. The results on the search page display their title and description. For example, say you make apparel for zombie-loving fans, you may want to search "zombie gifts". Then, note your competitor's listing on the search engine:
The Meta Title is the large, blue underlined text. The Meta Description is the text in black. Note any keywords your competitors are using that wold work for you as well.
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Stay tuned for more tips as we help you decide, "Does my website suck?"
If your website was a gourmet hamburger, branding would be all of the deliciousness that goes along with it: pickles, tomato, onion, cheese, lettuce, bacon (!) and a toasty bun. The elements are not too much and not too little, and memorable enough to keep customers coming back bite after bite.
A burger lacking these elements is like a bad memory. The same with your website. The logo, color scheme, tone of voice, imagery and emotion of your brand need to be incorporated on your site.
The problem many clients run into is either, 1) they have very little offline branding and don't know the elements of their brand or, 2) the prior web designer neglected to incorporate these important elements and their site is underperforming.
Why are these branding elements important?
They:
let your audience know they're on the right website.
create continuity between your offline, real life efforts and your web presence.
build trust in your brand.
Okay, these elements are important. I can see you get that. Though I must caution you from the brink of using too much branding on your site. Note that branding is the accompaniment but you can't forget the beef! Customers are coming to your site to learn more about you, experience your brand and/or buy your product. A great website helps to build KLT (know, like, trust). Remember, branding is the too-good-to-pass-up deliciousness that makes your website unique--your audience appreciates all of those elements, but they came for the beef!
What about my logo?
You're proud of your logo. It's the culmination of blood, sweat, tears and a few hundred (maybe thousand) bucks. We get that. Your customers value your logo as well. But not in the center-of-the-page, no other information is provided kind of a way. It's more of a 2.5" x 2.5" kind of way.
There are a number of best practices for your logo's placement on your website. Typically, logos are in the upper-left corner of each page. Web users know to look there for a logo, and the goal is to build trust in your website. So, put it in the upper-left; no need to get fancy.
The logo should be click-able back to your homepage--another web standard. And, the logo should be big enough to be noticed within the first few seconds a user is on your website. You only have a precious few seconds to grab their attention and allow them to trust your site. Don't blow it!
Remember: Your logo is like the secret sauce. Important and tangy, but way-too-much and it's overbearing. We've all been there. Don't be that guy!
It's elemental
Pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, tomato...we could go on and on about a great gourmet burger (we're from Wisconsin after all). Just like this delectable delight, your website should incorporate all of the elements of your brand--or you may have angry (or confused) customers. Tone of voice, color scheme, imagery and feel are all important elements of your brand. A great website will incorporate each of them in addition to a hearty helping of meat (read: important content).
All of life is like a great burger
Alright, that statement may have gone a bit too far. But your website *is* like a great burger. Your site should incorporate all of the tasty elements of your brand--logo, color scheme, tone of voice, imagery and emotion, without forgetting the meaty parts. Customers are hungry to learn more about your brand. Don't disappoint them!
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If you're lost on the way to a gourmet website, we have affectionados that would be happy to help. Would you like a free website review? We'd be happy to oblige you!
Fun Friday: "Thriller" Album Turns "30" Nov. 30, 2012 2:31 pm
The "Thriller" music video is dubbed the most influential music video ever. The album is the best-selling album of all time. "Thriller" has spent the most weeks (37) atop the Billboard 200 of any album by a single artist.
A less statistical fact from "Thriller": the song and video helped to shatter the racial divide on the radio and on MTV.
Check out Yahoo! Music for little-known facts about "Thriller".
One of Jackson's co-writers remembers working with him in an NPR interview.
Check out these 10 facts about the "Thriller" music video:
Think you've seen everything "Thriller"? Check out these inmates from the Philippines that are, actually, pretty good at choreography. How's that for rehabilitation?
iGenius - Online Training, a Case Study Nov. 29, 2012 9:18 am
You might think that an online training system that provides courses for a wide variety of employees and situations in a large geographic area sounds like a pie-in-the sky idea--too expensive and too time consuming. You'd be wrong! DMI Studios' iGenius is an online training system that helped Construction Resource Management do just that!
Construction Resource Management (CRM) is a Wisconsin-based captive service provider for three construction companies specializing in asphalt, bridges and overpasses: Payne and Dolan, Northeast Asphalt and Zenith Tech. These companies strive to provide top-notch infrastructure construction throughout Wisconsin and Michigan. CRM worked with DMI to develop websites for each of their companies and during the course of a general strategy session, the pipe-dream of web-based employee training came up. We suggested iGenius and the plan took off!
iGenius - a diamond in the rough
In 2004, DMI Studios' created iGenius --a customizable framework that encompasses the essential elements businesses need in a training program--scalability, cost effectiveness and consistency. DMI built the iGenius solution to easily adapt to a multitude of situations including human resources, sales training, education, or any situation where a web-based learning program is needed.
By implementing the iGenius solution, CRM now facilitates online training in a slide-show manner for their employees.. The training courses can incorporate any combination of audio, video, Flash, text and/or images. Each training session is then followed up with a test to measure comprehension. CRM can easily log in to the iGenius solution to see which employees have watched various training sessions, taken tests and quizzes and, ultimately, passed the course.
Flexible to meet business needs
The genius that is iGenius, is the flexibility and freedom CRM has within the framework. Site Administrators have the ability to:
Upload employee info and download employee course scores.
Assign employees to courses or certificates (groups of courses) by company, area, job position or individually.
Grant access to employees to take courses at any time, from any computer connected to the Internet.
Create courses from existing or new materials.
Add variations on the same question to ensure that, when a quiz is retaken to taken by another employee, it's slightly different,
View reports that provide data on employees, courses and comprehension tests.
Input offline course scores so all employee data resides in one place.
Scalable for any situation
CRM uses the iGenius solution in conjunction with classroom training, for internal training and OSHA required training. So far, CRM's iGenius solution has over 1,100 users and 60 courses. Some example courses are:
About Our Company
Entry Level DOT/CDL Driver Training
Defensive Driving
Harassment in the Workplace
Aerial Lift Safety
First Aid
In addition, the iGenius solution is tied into CRM's employee Intranet. This creates one central location for employees to take courses, get employee forms and info, view project photo galleries, and any relevant company information.
In all, the iGenius solution has been a great asset for CRM. "Utilizing the iGenius system has allowed us to provide cost efficient, customized training to our employees," says Dawn Pratt, Human Resources Manager / EEO Officer for CRM. "In addition we are able to post documents, photos albums of workers, important information, benefit forms and a host of other important employee related information that creates a one-stop shop for our employees. It has worked out to be a very beneficial endeavor for both the company and the employee. Working with DMI has been a dream and they are so receptive to make it work just like we want it!"
It's just one more way DMI Studios builds more than websites--we build business!
If you'd like to see a test drive of the iGenius solution, we'd love to have you kick the tires, so to speak. Contact us today!
"Cyber Monday" was appropriately coined in 2005 by a Shop.org press release that year. Their research indicated a major swing in online sales on the Monday's following Thanksgiving. Increasing access to high-speed internet, the need to shop online while kids are asleep, and the need to complete unfinished holiday shopping are reasons sighted for the Cyber Monday madness. In response, online retailers took note of the trend and created specific sales and promotions beginning in 2005.
Is Cyber Monday really the biggest online shopping day of the year?
According to comScore, since they began tracking e-commerce activity in 2001, consumers spent $1.028 Billion online on Cyber Monday 2010, making it the biggest spending day of the year. Prior to that, Cyber Monday was not the biggest sales-day of the year.
Cyber Monday shopping since 2005:
Cyber Monday still only represents a small portion of total holiday sales (online and traditional), however the importance of the sale day is increasing each year. It's beginnings were humble (and mostly hype), however Cyber Monday 2011 was the highest online sales day on record!
Ever Changing.
The latest tech trend is the increasing use of mobile devices for online shopping. The most common platform for mobile browsing is the iPhone. Practical Ecommerce notes Black Friday mobile browsing was higher than Cyber Monday browsing, probably because most people were away from their work computers.
Takeaways
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are important eCommerce dates for virtually all retailers
The number of consumers using mobile devices for shopping is increasing rapidly.
Many shoppers are doing so from their work computers.
For even more Cyber Monday info, check out Information Experts Infographic.
The internet can be a great source of revenue for small business. However, it can also be a great source of frustration for those that may not know the rules of business on the World Wide Web.
One such issue is PCI Compliance.
"The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements designed to ensure thatALLcompanies thatprocess, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment." - PCI Guide
Ultimately the PCI guidelines are to protect the consumer and businesses. Credit card data that is easily hacked into is a huge security issue for consumers. And, businesses that knowingly store this data in an unsecured location are helping these hackers do what they do.
Do I need to be aware of the PCI Guidelines?
If you transmit, accept or store credit card information, then the PCI Compliance guidelines apply to you; regardless of the size of your business or organization. These transactions can occur via the web or over the phone.
My website has an SSL, so I must be covered.
An SSL Certificate is a secure webpage that credit card transactions occur on. Though, an SSL certificate will not secure the server on which credit card data may be stored; thus they are vulnerable on the server. An SSL Certificate is not enough to secure all credit card data, but it is an important component in secure credit card transactions.
Tip: How do I know if a webpage is secure? The URL should begin with "https://"
I use a third-party to process transactions, so they'll take care of this.
Not necessarily. It is important that your third-party vendor is PCI Compliant, however some of the transaction data may still be saved on your servers. Using a third-party may cut down your risk, but it's best to be sure your customers' data is safe.
Okay, where do I begin?
The first piece of information to gather is this: How many VISA card transactions has your business or organization processed in the last 12-months?
Level 1 - 6 million or more VISA transactions per year.
Level 2 - 1 million - 6 million VISA transactions per year.
Level 3 - 20,000 - 1 million VISA transactions per year.
Level 4 - Fewer than 20,000 VISA transactions per year.
Most small-to-medium sized businesses fall in Level 4.
Assuming you're a Level 4 business, these are the following steps you need to take to ensure PCI Compliance:
Take the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) --the instructions will assist you as to which questionnaires to fulfill.
If you store cardholder info or if your processing systems are connected to the internet, you'll need to complete and gather evidence of passing a vulnerability scan. Scans must be conducted by a PCI SSC Approved Scanning Vendor.
Submit the SAQ (Self Assessment Questionnaire), data of passing scan (if applicable), and the Attestation of Compliance (found in document with SAQ), along with any other requested documentation, to you acquirer.
If you need a hand tackling PCI Compliance for your business, we would be happy to help! We've been down this road with many of our clients and can leverage that knowledge for you! Simply contact us today!
Googled your business lately? Customers are using search engines to find your address, phone number and service information as well as to determine your credibility. Not pleased with the search engine results for your brand? Take heart, there are steps you can take to claim your brand's identity online.
The Basics - Your Website Your brand's website is the first step to claiming your business identity. Start with a Contact Us page with your business's address, phone number and relevant information. Be sure to included the cities you provide services to on your website as well. Blog posts that are sporadically sprinkled with the areas you provide services to will round out your local search results.
Low Hanging Fruit - Social Media
Create a business page on Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn for free. Be sure to fill out as much information as you can on each site. List the hours your business is open, street address, services provided and any relevant imagery as well as a link to your website. This information will, 1) provide search engines with your address/phone number to list in their results and, 2) add a credibility to prospective customers.
Online Directories - A Little Time, But Well Worth It
A number of directories exist that will list your business information for free. Here are a few of our favorites:
In addition, there are a multitude of smaller directories out there well worth claiming as well. A great way to check out if you're listed properly is to use a search tool. You can easily see the directories where you're already listed and the ones you'll need to visit and add your information. Some of the notables are:
These services provide listing information for free but then charge to help you fix your listings. If you want to save some cash and fix your listings yourself, it's not hard but it will take time. Many of the listed directories will have you verify your ownership of the business information through a phone call or post card.
As with your brand's social media profiles, be sure to fill in as much relevant information as each directory allows to lend credibility.
Create Engagement
A great enhancement to your directory listings is customer reviews. What is the best way to get a review? Simply to ask. If you do receive reviews, many directories allow you to respond to it. Thank commenters for their patronage, respond to so-so reviews and address any negative reviews.
Why Claim My Brand's Identity?
Time is a commodity. Why should you spend time on these business directories?
1. Almost all of these are free!
2. Free traffic to your website or front door!
3. Search engines cross-check these directories. The more directories that have your info listed properly will lend to the credibility of your brand's online presence.
4. Ensure search engines are giving customers the proper info--not an old address or phone number.
5. If you don't claim this information, someone else may.
Wait, what? That's right. We've had a client who had their brand's identity claimed by a competitor. Their name, address and phone number were marked as: "Out of Business". Ouch! Immoral. And, not good for business. Claim your brand's info before someone else does!
Tips
* Be sure you use the same address and even format the address the same way in every instance. "123 Main Street, Suite 23" looks different to search engines than, "123 Main St. Ste. #23". Be consistent. Every time.
* Adding a photo of the exterior of your business is a great way to help customers become acquainted with your business before they even get in their car!
*Spread these tasks out over a month. That way, you won't be overwhelmed by the process.
* Keep checking periodically, even after you've made your changes. If a site or directory you've missed is feeding other directories, your work can be unravelled.
News from Search Engine Strategies Conference- Chicago Nov. 15, 2012 3:28 pm
This week, DMI Studios has been knee deep in all things Search Engine Marketing while attending the SES Conference & Expo in Chicago #SESCHI. SES provides marketing professionals, brand advertisers, agencies, and business leaders with the knowledge and tools needed to traverse the dynamic digital landscape. Translation- the best and the brightest gather together to share ideas and talk about what's new and trending.
While our brains are still brimming with everything we've learned, we thought we give a few quick highlights and interesting facts.
Google:
Over 200 data points are used by Google to determine organic positioning. The top 3 are Site Structure, Frequency of Updates and Linking- Content really is king!
100 billion queries per month come into Google.
16% of Google inquiries have never been seen by Google before.
80% of queries have no exact match.
40% searches are over 3 words long.
Bing:
5.6 billion queries per month come into Bing.
Bing controls 30% of the US Market.
Bing has 151 million unique users.
Bing claims to have 46 million users that don't also use Google.
Bing users spend on average 5.4% more per transaction than Googlers.
Google Shopping:
There's 1 billion products in Google Shopping.
Google Shopping boasts over 100,000 retailers.
By submitting themselves for review by Google, a retailer can become "Trusted" by Google. Google reports a 5-10% gain in orders for stores that have become trusted.
Social Media:
Social campaigns on Facebook or Twitter can also help with other campaigns like content marketing, link building, brand awareness, lead generation and SEO.
Social Media can be used as a way to get others to do your work for you- spreading the word about your brand.
Twitter processes about 1 million tweets per week.
20% of all tweets are invitations for product info and 48% are to introduce a brand.
25% of internet users go to a website after learning about it on some form of social media.
500 billion minutes a month are spent on Facebook.
Cool Stuff:
Wal-mart.com does 1/20 the sales of Amazon.com.
Google is offering up to $10,000 a month in free Pay Per Click ads to Non-profit organizations.
Mobile marketing accounts for only 1% of ad spend but 23% of web use.
Local Search comprises 40% of all mobile traffic.
Whew! That was quite a brain dump! We'd be more than happy to talk with you about more ideas and options that could impact your business- just give us a day or two for the swelling in our heads to go down!
Content Management - A Powerful Tool Nov. 12, 2012 8:44 am
Content is king. Consumers are looking for up-to-date information about virtually every brand--your brand. How can you deliver timely content and keeps costs down? Content Management can be the silver-bullet in your brand's arsenal.
One client of DMI Studios' that leverages our Content Management System is Port Washington, WI. Port Washington needed a website that combined the identity's of their tourism industry, chamber of commerce and main street programs. In addition, each identity had a wealth of information that would need to be routinely updated.
When searching for a web design agency that was up to the task, Kathy Tank, Executive Director for Port Washington Tourism Council knew she could look to DMI Studios. "I knew [Brad of DMI Studios] well enough to know that he would not misrepresent what DMI could do, just to get the deal. When I talked about the challenge we had, needing a website for three distinct entities, combined into one website, without any of the entities losing their identity, [Brad] said he knew DMI Studios could come up with a solution."
The challenge was steep. Port Washington needed a website for the three separate entities that was easy to navigate and consolidated, yet distinct for each identity. In addition, each entity had differing needs for DMI's Content Management System.
Once the website was created, Port Washington was armed with a unified brand for three entities and DMI's Content Management System. Now, their dedicated staff are able to update the website quickly and easily; making visitportwashington.com the go-to website for their distinct audiences.
"People say it [the website] looks very professional, and being able to update it when needed helps us to keep the site vibrant and up-to-date with the latest information. That makes Port Washington able to compete with the big guys." says Kathy.
Website's have precious few moments to capture a user's attention before they click away and find another source for information. About the website DMI created, Kathy notes, "People say [our website] is easy to navigate and they can find what they are looking for." User experience is key in creating a valuable resource.
A major benefit to DMI's Content Management System is the ability to control costs as well. "The easy-to-use CMS keeps costs in-line with dedicated staff being able to update content and manage the website without having to pay anyone else to make the changes," Kathy noted. That means more updates on-the-fly.
Kathy explained, "[There are] no financial boundaries keeping us back from using the website. This keeps the website vibrant and refreshed with the latest information and helps us do a better job of communicating info about Port Washington to our audience, thus helping us to drive more tourism visits and business for our economy."
Timely content is the key to engaging customers on the web. Port Washington relies heavily on content management with various parts of the website being updated almost daily! Port Washington has become the expert in their brand by publishing timely content and communicating daily with their distinct audiences.
Website created. Business enhanced.
What can content management do for your brand?
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If you'd like to see a demonstration of our Content Management System, we'd be happy to show it off! Contact us and we'll be there. With bells on.
We interrupt your Tuesday to remind you to vote. And, in the spirt of voting, we'd love to see which Search Engine you prefer--Bing or Google.
Want to know how the candidates stack up? Bing has created a tool to help with that. You can search simultaneously for varying search topics to see which search engine YOU prefer: Bing or Google.
Since we're savvy and strive to be empirical, we did a double blind test -- no caffiene was ingested directly prior to this test.
Note :: You can click graphics to view them at a larger size.
We were split 50/50 and selected Bing twice, Google twice and had a draw for Round 5.
Happy Halloween from DMI Studios! Oct. 31, 2012 3:38 pm
Here at DMI Studios, we're all partial to treats over tricks. So to celebrate, instead of our regularly scheduled blog post, here are a few fun Halloween facts:
Halloween is second only to Christmas for holiday online sales.
Chocolate makes up about three-quarters of a trick-or-treater's loot, according to the National Confectioners Association.
Candy corn has been made with the same recipe by the Jelly Belly Candy Company since around 1900. What's in that recipe, exactly? Sugar, corn syrup, and marshmallow.
90% of parents admit to sneaking candy from their kids hauls. (That number sounds low!)
Halloween is thought to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means Halloween has been around for over 6,000 years.
The first known mention of trick-or-treating in print in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada
So, now that you've sated your need for useless trivia, go get your sugar groove on! Happy Halloween!
Internet 101 - Laws of Search Engine Attraction Oct. 29, 2012 4:14 pm
Understanding Search Engine Optimization is a full-time job--literally. DMI Studios has an in-house Marketing Specialist to assist all of our clients with interactive marketing, beginning with Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Search Engine Optimization is working to create a website that is easily found on search engines. SEO is the natural positioning within search engines such as Yahoo!, Bing and Google.
Each search engine has a different way at looking at websites--this is called their algorithm. SEO works to ensure your website has the specific features each algorithm is looking for.
Search engine placement is important! Let's imagine, a valued client of ours, FleaBDead, sells diamond studded flea collars. The market for these products is huge and the demand is high, so we want to be sure people can find this website.
Words!
In working with FleaBDead, we look at their product and determine how John Q. Public is planning to use a Search Engine to find their website. Johnny will probably search for "diamond flea collar," "diamond studded flea collar" and "flea collar". We ensure these phrases are included throughout the website we create for them.
Johnny probably won't know these flea collars by name. So the name of client's company, "FleaBDead" is of lesser importance here.
So, we add the words the public may use to find these products to the titles throughout their website. A title is found at the very top of your browser. It is also the first line listed in search results. So, we'd add "Diamond Studded Flea Collars - FleaBGone" to their title--important words first. This covers all of their important search terms.
Links
Search engines look to other trusted websites to see if they should trust your website--thus reducing the chance you're simply a SPAM website. When a big-name pet store links to FleaBGone, it's like giving search engines a "thumbs up" about our site. Win! The more of these great links, the better for our client! Although, not for the fleas.
The words that are used in these links are also important. The pet store linking to our client's site with "Diamond Studded Flea Collars" will help search engines to further categorize us within the realm of diamond studded flea collars. Linking to our client with "FleaBDead" doesn't do that. So, we help our clients be picky about their links.
Ever Growing
Websites that are continually adding content and gaining links are noticed by search engines. It's like the popular kid in school who keeps gaining attention by his following. Search engines take note of these popular kids. We help websites become popular with our Content Management Systems and by integrating blogs when they are a good fit.
Our Approach
DMI Studios has a specific approach when working to optimize a website. First, a website is created using a clean coding and design (major disadvantage for template-websites). Next, DMI works with each client to ensure the content on each web page is valuable to your audience and has those important search terms (or keywords) related to your business.
Once the website is launched, we collaborate with our clients to work on increasing search engine leads for their website. This could entail modifying the copy on specific under-performing pages on the site, working to create better links to your website or adding code in the back end informing search engines about the content of your website. All in an effort to help your audience find you!
This is just the beginning of Search Engine Optimization. If you're looking for ways to increase your website's SEO, we'd be happy to help! - Comments
DMI Studios Works Collaboratively to Build Business: Case Study Oct. 25, 2012 11:17 am
A custom web design, logo creation, marketing plan and an impressive amount of tourism-related experience allowed DMI Studios to create the best interactive presence for the Florence County Tourism and Economic Development brand.
Florence Country Tourism and Economic Development is located in picturesque northeast Wisconsin about 2 hours north Green Bay. Florence Co. knew they needed a revitalized website to better serve their target-market for tourism. Their current website was laden with government-related information for current residents of the county. However, a website that specifically served the tourism industry was needed.
As Florence County began creating their Request For Proposals, they soon realized they didn't have a clear marketing plan, logo or direction for their brand. They leveraged DMI Studios' to help them through the marketing and brand identity process.
Brad Gegare, of DMI Studios, worked with Florence County every step of the way. Brad spent time walking Florence Co. through the entire marketing process. Brad has 6 years of experience in the tourism industry and over 15 years experience in marketing.
Florence County saw they had a true collaborator in DMI Studios. Once work began, DMI created a vision for Florence Co. to market their brand and a logo that would speak to their tourism audience. When the marketing was in place, DMI worked to create a robust website that would be updated with relevant Events, News and a stream from their Facebook feed in addition to important tourism-related information.
"DMI Studios' design staff helped us perfect our logo with rotating icons and colors that are eye- catching and reflective of the great outdoors," said Wendy Gelhoff, Director for Florence County Economic Development.
DMI Studios also helped to map out the necessary web pages to best serve tourists. Along with the new web design, the administrative section of the website featured DMI's proprietary Content Management System that enables website owners to continually update their website. The easy-to-use tools enable a website experience that is relevant, trending and up-to-the-minute with information for internet users.
"The best part about the whole experience is how easily new content is added through the many custom Content Management Tools designed for each of our unique pages. When the final site was ready, Brad came up to train us and in 1 hour we were ready to go," said Wendy Gellhoff.
DMI Studios has an unmatched combination of website pre-planning, strategy, design expertise, content management options, search engine optimization and customer service. The end result is a user-friendly website that is easily updated by site owners and works day and night to build business!
Websites are only as good as they are found and utilized by the wider public. DMI Studios prides itself on creating websites that are user and search-engine friendly. Wendy noted that "The first quarterly review of our site performance metrics showed a huge improvement in our site being located (on search engines). We have received many compliments on our new website from both tourism users and from our local business owners because we are driving new business to them from our website."
Sounds like a hole in one for the tourism industry in Florence County, WI.
The Florence County Tourism and Economic Development website launched in February 2012.
DMI Studios works to create the best interactive solutions to fit the needs of your unique industry. Call us today to learn how DMI can help build your business. - Comments
Internet 101- Search Engine Marketing Oct. 22, 2012 10:28 am
Search Engines change they way they do business all the time. Major changes in SE algorithms can really give website owners a headache. One day a major product category is placing well on page 1 and the next day it may be buried on page 5.
The good news? Search Engine marketing comes in two forms: Organic (blog post coming soon) and Pay-Per-Click Ads (PPC). A PPC campaign is one that generates website traffic through purchasing specific search terms. These terms are listed prominently so your ad will be seen by lots of potential customers.
Today, the biggest player is Google AdWords, however Bing/Yahoo! also has PPC capability. Facebook and now, Twitter are also jumping into the paid-search field.
Establish Goals
Before you begin, define your goals. Are you looking for more traffic? More newsletter sign-ups? More purchases? Establish your goals to give your campaign clarity of purpose. Tip: Communicate your goals to everyone involved in your campaign to ensure success.
Research
The first step in any PPC campaign is research. Digging deep into your website's analytics is one way to learn how people are finding your website. You may sell "diamond studded flea collars" but your customers are searching for "best flea collar", finding your website and buying. Tip: Focus on search terms your customers are using rather than terms you like to use.
A Solid Landing
The page a user ends up on once they've clicked your ad is called a "landing page". Landing pages are crucial to the success of a PPC campaign. If a user clicks an ad for "best flea collar" and ends up on a page asking them to sign up for a newsletter, they will probably jump ship and look for a different, relevant website. Decide where you want the traffic to go. Tip: Each landing page should have a compelling call-to-action for your audience.
Ad Creation
Time to get creative and write the ad copy! Each ad venue will have differing requirements as to title and description parameters. It is best to do a bit of research before beginning this step. Go ahead and search for the words on your list to get a good idea of what your audience is already seeing. Tip: Be sure to have someone proof-read your work before you go live!
Tweak
As your campaign evolves, it's important to tweak as you go. You may have keywords that are underperforming or terms that performing well but not converting leads. Tip: Be willing to tweak your campaign but also be willing to gather enough data to make informed decisions.
Call Out for Help
This kind of Search Engine Marketing is very hands-on and time consuming. With the ever-changing nature of Search Engines, an industry expert can be your best chance at a successful campaign. DMI Studios has in-house Search Engine Marketing experts that create, optimize and report on campaigns for our clients.
Call for a free consultation. You can toss your idea's past us and we can help you customize a campaign that will fit your goals. Don't want to do the heavy lifting? We'll execute your campaign and hit your goals for you.
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This post is the part of a series ofInternet 101 information topics. As always, when class is dismissed, you're welcome to contact us if you have any questions or would like any additional information. If you don't feel at the head of your class, don't worry, we took notes. - Comments
Friday Fun with Felix Oct. 19, 2012 12:33 pm
It's Friday and frankly, it's hard to be serious with the weekend so near. So, instead of a normal blog post, we thought it'd be fun to let you in on our preoccupation this week.
Since we have inquiring minds, we couldn't just leave it at an awesome video. Here are some fun facts as well:
It would have taken the world's best marathon runners about 2 hours to cover the 24.26 miles that Felix Baumgartner fell. It took Felix 9 minutes and 3 seconds.
Felix reached a maximum speed of 833.9 miles per hour. The winning car at the 2012 Indy 500 averaged 167.734 mph. Of course, he didn't have to contend with yellow flags.
Feilix was Free Fallin' for 4 minutes, 20 seconds -- six seconds more than Tom Petty
Felix reached a maximum speed of 833.9 miles per hour. The typical crusing speed of a Boeing 747 is 567 mph.
Felix jumped from a record-shattering 128,100 feet- that's 88 Empire State Buildings, 427 football fields or 292,800 cans of Red Bull stacked on top of each other.
There, now that you've learned something, you can call it a day! Tell your boss we said so! - Comments
Customized Websites are Better for Business Oct. 17, 2012 2:55 pm
Throughout the course of doing business we meet folks who think a website template is a great fit for business. Nothing gets us up on our soapbox quicker than misinformation about how great these templates are. They're bad for the web, bad for business, and bad for you. Excuse us while we jump up on our soapbox and settle the record.
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As innovators in the blending of art and technology, we truly believe in custom website creations for everyone. And, we certainly understand that creating a website for your brand can be a daunting endeavor. Standing at the fork in the road, you can go the custom route or the Template/Cookie Cutter/Build My Own/One-Size-Fits-All direction. We think you'll agree that custom is better for business. Allow us to illustrate.
The Sky is the Limit
Templated designs are a quick way to get "something" up on the web. You can pop in your logo, maybe change the colors, and add content for your audience. However, a major issue many owners experience with an "out of the box" website is the limited design capabilities.
A custom website will certainly have your logo, but that's just the beginning. Images, colors and content that truly reflect your brand are carefully chosen to engage your audience and let them experience your brand. We love to pop in our Content Management Systems as a way to allow brands to enter into continual communication with their audience as well.
And, that daunting process? It's not so scary with an industry expert walking the road along side of your business. Our Account Executives have over 15 years of experience creating robust internet solutions for our clients.
Online Marketing
Cookie cutter templates may not be optimized to be easily found on search engines. Typically, they have extraneous coding in them as well as references to the template creator. A custom website is all about you--your brand, your business, your marketing. What's not to love about you? Amiright?
When creating custom sites, we also add specific keywords within your website to make it easier for Google to find and categorize you. We can also ensure your Google map, location and info are correct on Google--an important feature for your customers and your bottom line. The template guys are just happy they sold another cookie-cutter.
Our custom websites also easily integrate Facebook pages, Twitter updates, or any other social media platform you are current leveraging for business. This helps to create a cohesive all-in-one marketing tool for your brand.
Scalability
Your business' future is limited by template websites. Truly, a template is a box that is difficult, if not impossible, to bust out of. And, when the time comes (and it surely will) for you to add on to your website, whose task-list does this item get added to? Hint: You'll find him in your mirror.
With a custom website, features, pages and e-commerce can all easily be added when the time is right. And, since we designed your website in the first place, there is no head-scratching or finger-pointing when it's time to add on. We simply get to work.
Price
A web template is WAY cheaper than a custom solution, so why continue preaching about the benefits?
What if I told you the cost is less than you think?*
What if I said DMI Studios creates high-end custom solutions, every day, for business (and budgets) large and small? I'm talking full, custom, interactive websites with custom design and our Content Management System fully integrated so you can manage your site.
That's a serious interactive marketing solution.
What about ecom.? Yep.
The "templates are great" myth is busted!
What are you waiting for? Creating custom websites is our specialty. And, it's fun, too.
Want to see how your website stacks up? We'll be brutally honest.
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*What do you mean the cost of a template and custom website are similar? Well, templates may be a bit cheaper, but they may be holding you back with poor conversion, poor representation of your brand, and limited scalability. The designer/programmer/marketing professional for your template is YOU. You're choosing between working on your business or creating your website. Our websites come with a team of designers, marketers, and industry experts helping you along every step of the way. And, we don't build it and forget it. We're here to help launch-day, 10-days after launch, and 10 months after launch and beyond. - Comments
DMI Studios Featured in Green Bay News Article Oct. 16, 2012 10:41 am
Owner David Troup had the opportunity to share his vision for the DMI Studios rebrand in the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce Spotlight section of The Business News. Here's the highlight reel:
DMI Studios is well-known around Green Bay as being an industry expert for all things related to the web. Owner, David Troup, can periodically be heard on talk radio informing people about the story of DMI Studios, their creativity and cutting-edge technology as well as giving helpful marketing tips to area listeners.
DMI Studios "...is taking its own advice these days and giving itself a new look to better tell its story as a major player in web design, web solutions and online marketing in Green Bay and around the globe."
Few people may realize that DMI Studios developed one of the NFL's most popular websites: packers.com. DMI had the foresight to secure the "Packers" domain name as well as related names that the organization is able to utilize today. DMI Studios continues to work in a collaborative manner with the Packers and are heavily involved with the Packers Pro Shop.
"DMI Studios' world is all about the Internet, and the staff -- some of whom have been with the company since its beginnings -- are ready to lead clients into their futures with an interactive vision, said Troup. On the website is a listing of many of their clients - something many businesses shy away from divulging. But not Troup who is known for relishing a competitive edge - especially with himself."
"DMI Studios is at its best, he said, when a client presents them with a seemingly impossible request. It's a joke between him and his staff, he said, 'Ok, what did you sell that doesn't exist?' "
Troup states, "It's all about pushing the envelope in technology, and more graphically he refers to it as "the bleeding edge". How's that for a mental image?
" 'At the end of the day, we want our client to succeed,' said Troup."
Internet 101 - Content Management for Websites Oct. 11, 2012 2:15 pm
This post is part of a series ofInternet 101 information topics. As always, when class is dismissed, you're welcome to contact us if you have any questions or would like any additional information. If you don't feel at the head of your class, don't worry, we took notes. --
In the infancy stages of the World Wide Web, updating your website required fluency in HTML or having an on-call webmaster. The Internet has grown up quite a bit in the last 20+ years and content management is a powerful change.
Content Management Tools (CMTs) (n.) are "forms" within the administrative area of a website that allow a web owner to quickly and easily update content on their website.
What kind of content can be updated?
A CMT can be created for virtually ANY content that you'd like to provide and update regularly on your website--News, Events, Products, Services, Testimonials, Video, Photos, Employment Openings, FAQs, Documents, Links, and the list goes on.
Why update content?
Many websites start out as online brochures--well, you have to start somewhere! However, an interactive website that your audience can rely upon as a valuable source of information is much more powerful than an online brochure.
You see, any valued relationship needs conversation. Imagine a dinner party guest that tells the same story over and over to each party attendant. After listening to the story time after time, people would begin to wonder what was wrong with that guy.
What was his social faux pas? Aside from the plaid pants he was sporting, he also delivered the same story regardless of the audience--kind of like a brochure website.
Now the life of the party, what was he up to? He had great stories to tell, listened attentively and enjoyed the conversation--he was dynamic! And, he was dressed like 007.
CMTs allow your website to be dynamic and encourage conversation with your audience, so you can be the life of the Interwebs.
DMI Studios has proprietary Content Management Systems-loaded with CMTs to give your website a competitive advantage. If you'd like to see a Content Management System demonstration, we'd love to show off our work, you party animal.
The story of our brand. Digital-Magic hit the ground running in 1994, as surfers of the World Wide Web carried brick phones instead of cellphones and the sound of a dial up connection was music to their ears. They would hop on the Internet Super Highway (with a 56K connection) armed with AOL keywords (and something to keep them occupied as their webpage would load), they waited for their computers to exclaim, You've got mail!
We were interacting with others online, so it seemed apt to modify our name to Digital Magic Interactive.
In the next few years, the internet grew up (a lot!) and we did too. In 2001, we rebranded as DMiNTERACTIVE-- a full-service agency offering a breadth of solutions for our clients. Banner ads, search engine keywords, search engine optimization, content management, and wider pixel screens defined this era. Finally a website could bust out 800 pixels and really tell a story! Website owners could update their sites without knowing a foreign (to them) language. The internet was booming! And people still called us "DMI".
As we enter into 2013, the internet is now on every street corner, classroom, living room, purse and pocket. We pull out our smartphones to order pizza and download a movie. Cellphones have changed the landscape once again. Websites need to be mobile. Apps help us track the milage of our run and find the lowest gas prices in town. We get our email, weather, news, movies on the go-and we tell everyone about it with social media. Some think it's beautiful. Some think it's madness. Call us crazy, but we think it's art that fits in your palm of your hand.
You see, we've hit our stride as well. And we don't care if you call us names. Although, we'd prefer it to be our new name.
Introducing: DMI Studios
A studio is a place that blends art and technology to make something of value. To us, that sounds familiar. At varying levels, every one of our projects is about form and function, left-brain and right-brain, beauty and geek.
We create custom solutions for our clients and each one comes standard with a mega dose of customer service. If you know exactly what you're looking for or if you need help assessing your situation, we've got you covered. - Comments
Internet 101 - Mobile App vs. Mobile Website Oct. 2, 2012 2:07 pm
This post is the first in a series of Internet 101 information topics. As always, when class is dismissed, you're welcome to contact us if you have any questions or would like any additional information. If you don't feel at the head of your class, don't worry, we took notes.
Do you need an app for that? Apps get all the love these days, but what is an app and do you need one for your website? First, we'll ask Mr. Webster:
Mobile App - An app is a program that is downloaded from an app store onto a user's phone. Apps are typically focused on one task (customer service, social media, entertainment, training, or informational).
Mobile Website - A mobile website resides on the internet and your audience can navigate to it through a browser. It is a streamlined for efficient loading and viewing from mobile devices.
Here's a side-by-side comparison:
It can be difficult to determine if an app or a mobile website is best suited for your business needs. Each application has unique qualities that can grant your idea success.
In a majority of cases, a mobile website is the best bet for business. However, apps are extremely powerful when used in the proper cases. Just take a gander at the 50 Best iPhone Apps of 2012 by TIME magazine.
Are you brainstorming an app or mobile website? We'd love to chat with you about your options!
WebMD should I bring my son to the doctor or not... Scramble keeps copywriting sharp Evernote a true genius takes copious notes Kindle the ultimate in multitasking Packers home or away? who's out of the game? Netflix long wait at the doctor? why not watch a movie? Baby Rattle don't you dare judge us...we love technology and teach our babies to, too
