If I had a dollar for every time I heard a client say, “We want our site to look like Apple’s” I would have… lots of dollars. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to look like Apple? They seem to represent all that is good in both product innovation and marketing savvy. Apple just exudes cool, almost without even trying. And maybe after comparing your brand to theirs, you feel like a 90lb weakling at a bodybuilding competition. Continue reading
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an ever-moving target influenced by two unique elements. As we outline an SEO strategy for our clients, we identify “on-page” and “off-page” components. Each of these elements should have complementary strategies, adhere to industry best practices, and subscribe to the latest Google algorithms in order to maximize performance. Continue reading
Even seasoned marketers routinely wonder how their budget strategy stacks up against traditional averages and what they should spend. Our answer is always the same: “It depends”!
The first step in determining an appropriate budget is a change in mindset. Consistent, long-term marketing is NOT an expense. Rather, it’s an essential investment that pays dividends in the form of sales, income and market share. Marketing is a business asset that drives revenue. Continue reading
The old adage, “It’s important to know a good attorney and a great plumber” rings forever true. Simply, there are those things in life we probably should not try to do ourselves. When we do, it inevitably costs more to fix them in the long run. In business the “cost” associated with ill-conceived, tactical, stop-gap approaches to marketing are enormous and always (yes, I said always) end in failure. Continue reading
Well-designed marketing materials deliver tremendous value in the battle for potential customers. They position your business as highly professional, relevant and successful. But with more and more companies cutting budgets, many have resorted to creating marketing collateral themselves, or outsourcing to cousin Sue because she knows Microsoft Publisher. The end result is usually horrifying. Continue reading
Online B2B marketing can be quite simple. It is critical to understand that unlike online retailing, B2B e-marketing is rarely designed to close the sale. This is because B2B products and services are typically more complex, requiring collaboration between seller and buyer to ensure a proper ‘fit’ before the deal is closed. In fact, the most successful e-marketers live by these three simple goals: Continue reading