In our previous blog post about creating a successful brochure web site, we slipped in a few descriptive links to ourselves and our clients. We did this to help tell Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines what these sites are about. Doing this is part of an online marketing strategy called Search Engine Optimization and it is something all business websites should consider. . Search Engine Optimization is a big field, and running a search marketing campaign can take…
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Can you influence The Influence Project?
The Influence Project by Fast Company is a controversial online experiment in viral marketing. The project aims to “show what happens when an individual takes an audience at rest and applies an unbalanced force–through suggestion, advice or direction–that converts it into an army of action”. The idea is to upload your picture, get an ‘influence link’ then get as many people as you can to click on your link & register. The more people who click & register on your…
The Benefits of Being Social: HST, TBOT, CBC, The Star, & The Minister of Revenue
We’re a small business marketing firm in Toronto, and we’ve been getting some local press attention recently. First we were on the CBC (radio and TV) talking about our 10% HST sale. The Toronto Star saw our blog article and called to get more details on how we think the HST is going to benefit companies using our print and digital marketing services. And finally, John Wilkinson, the Ontario Minister of Revenue, is planning a visit for this Friday to find out…
3 elements for successful brochure website homepages
Very often your websites homepage is the first impression any of your customers will have of you. Like a warm smile and a strong handshake, your homepage sets the stage for how your customers think of you, and what action they will take next – will it be the one you want? Other than a compelling design, and good writing, most successful homepages for brochure websites have at least these three elements: 1. Home page visual focal point: A picture…
Kobayashi Technology on CBC – HST Savings Coming Your Way!
Hello there, CBC came by yesterday to ask what my thoughts were about the HST as a small business owner. For us, it is a very good thing. So much so, we’re going to pass on the savings to our customers! But more on that in a bit. First: Is your eCommerce store HST ready? Most every business is of course affected. For those in Ontario with eCommerce stores (and who are already registered for GST), you should already be…
Social media for business explained – finally!
Like many businesses, we have been thinking a great deal about social media. Mostly trying to figure out how it relates to our business, and the business of our clients. Well, Guy Kawasaki gives the most succinct and helpful explanation of social media (as it relates to businesses) that I have found yet. It’s simple, the goal for a business is to “establish yourself as a fascinating subject-matter expert”. Guy provides an example (restaurant owner posting food links), and four…
8 basic ways to promote your website WITHOUT SEO/SEM/Social Media
Your website is out there trying to market for you. Are you marketing for your website? Recently, a potential client came to us with a big concern. Their website wasn’t generating enough business for him – almost nothing. This client was looking to add more pages to the website (currently only had one) and maybe do some search engine optimization. The site was a couple of years old supporting an existing “bricks & mortar” small business. We checked out the…
4 key aspects of a brochure site
The first goal for many small business websites is to support existing “offline” sales efforts. One way to do this is through the creation of a “brochure site”, which could be as simple as one page with some basic information on your business. So, how does a brochure website help support your underlying business goals? In this post, we’ll provide an overview. First – it exists. Like a business card, a logo, and even a business name, it is one way…
Small business website goals
For your website to be as successful as it can be in serving you, it needs at least one goal. Above and beyond design or content, we consider this the most important component of your website. There is no reason to have a website unless it is going to achieve a goal – and that goal should be identified and explored so you figure out HOW the goal will be achieved. Here are the four main website goals we have…
Real Properties Limited Custom Development
With the art direction of Finesilver Design, we created a simple and elegant site for Real Properties Limited, featuring listing of its various properties in Toronto, Hamilton, and Calgary.