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It’s a new year with a new strategic plan, and you’re gearing up to take on the world. Perhaps it’s time for a website re-design. Maybe it’s a social media marketing plan, or even an entire internet marketing strategy. Whatever your plans to conquer your corner of the world, the Internet marketing firm that you trust with your business should do these things for you to ensure the successful and timely completion of your project:

1. Collateral materials needed from your business should be defined and a checklist given. A surefire way to ensure your project is late is for a designer or programmer to begin, realize they need a logo, log-in information, or other critical information, and then play phone tag or email hide-and-seek before they can move on. Making sure there is a clear checklist for your project goes a LONG way toward completing it on time. The clock should start ticking when all information is received.
2. Deliverables should be clearly defined.  While this may sound silly, it should be crystal clear exactly WHAT is expected. Instead of accepting “Facebook customization,” make sure you understand what is included in that. Will they tag photos for you, write copy that is SEO friendly, install a custom tab? Clearly defining what will be done will ensure satisfaction on both ends.
3. Timelines and milestones should be clearly defined. “About a month” just isn’t good enough when it comes to completing projects on time. Setting goals with clearly defined tasks, with timelines and milestones increases the chance that your project will be done the right way and on time exponentially.
4. You should have a point of contact at the company other than your sales representative. While it’s often comforting to talk to one person when you call a vendor, the process can go a lot smoother if someone else can answer a quick question, or even research the issue for you. Oftentimes the people on the front lines are not the best person to help you move your project along. Being on a first name basis with the receptionist, designer, or programmer may make a significant difference.
5. You should have a way to check the progress of your project. Does the firm send weekly updates? Use project management software that allows you to see progress being made? Hold regular update meetings to ensure that your project is moving along?

These are all best practices that will allow you to breathe easier. Transparency breeds trust, and the more you know, the better you feel, and the more you maintain some control over getting your project done the right way and on time. What other best practices have you come to expect? 

Planning a new website or a re-design of your existing site? Download our FREE guide on the 10 questions you should ask your designer.

 

Social media showed glimpses of its true power in 2011, and not just in making the Honey Badger and Rebecca Black household names. Or in making John Bon Jovi a monthly obituary.

Some of the biggest news stories of the year, like the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street movements, found their genesis on social media sites. The collective strength of millions of individuals, communicating, and linked together with common purpose, is a powerful force.

Businesses need to take note of the increased connectivity going on online, and take advantage of it by ramping up your social media marketing. Similar to the explosive growth of business websites in the previous decade, the time has now arrived when brands must have a presence on Facebook and Twitter. Why would you want to miss out on the opportunity for millions of contacts? Your customers simply expect it, so if your business hasn’t created an online presence beyond your website, it’s time get going.

Google+ also launched in 2011, and is a relatively new service to consider, but one to watch in 2012. They have seen significant growth in recent months, and if they find a way to monetize their system (they are currently integrating posts with search results), they could pose a serious challenge to Facebook.

The proliferation of smart phones is making mobile optimized sites increasingly more important, and that trend will continue in 2012. At least 38% of people accessing the web now are connecting with their smart phone. That’s over one-third, and the ratio will continue to grow! Your customers need to be able to access your information and products when they are thinking about buying, and that includes when they search for you on their handheld devices.

New marketing channels are continuing to grow – your business needs to adapt and grow with them.

Recently I flew down to Florida for a mini vacation. I was stressed. I just needed to get away. As an entrepreneur, it’s a little scary to leave your business in the hands of others. I was convinced that something would happen. Outside of a little drama, nothing did. Everyone was fine.

But while in Florida, I did something that I rarely do. I turned off my phone. *Gasp! I know… How could I do this? I was out of touch with everything and everyone. I turned it on in the morning to make sure no one had died, and did the same in the evening. But then I turned it off. And I actually left it in the condo. And you know what happened? I actually RELAXED. All I had to focus on was the sun, the sand, the cool drink in my hand, and the friend that I had travelled with. My mind wasn’t racing. I didn’t suffer from “shiny penny syndrome,” the effect of too much multi-tasking. And the only time my eyes bugged out was when I saw the plate of fresh stone crabs in mustard sauce sitting before me.

And no one died. No one was even maimed. It was a Christmas miracle.

I guess my point of all of this is that even when you love what you do, sometimes you just need to relax, unwind, and unplug. Take some time this week to actually turn off your phone. Don’t update your Facebook status with every little move you make this holiday season. Don’t tweet about your holiday ham. Take a little time to truly focus on the people who are really important to you, including yourself. Unplug!

Happy Holidays from all of us at UZoom Media

You know the old saying “Hindsight is 20/20” right? That’s a hard lesson that many business executives learn when “something happens” with their website. If you don’t feel very tech savvy, it’s easy to give in to the tendency to let someone else handle it. And as a web development firm, we see it all the time. A business needs to make changes to their website, or wants a new site altogether, and we ask the standard questions regarding gaining access to it. We often get a look like this:

 

Unfortunately, a LOT of businesses don’t have the critical information at their fingertips. Many need to get ahold of their “IT guy” or webmaster for their own information. 

This can be disastrous. What happens if something happens to the IT guy? How do you access your website? How do you make changes?

Following is a short list of information you MUST have at your fingertips as a business:

1.     Hosting information: Where is your website hosted? How do you log in to your account? What is your username and password? A note on hosting: If your website is hosted on the server of your webmaster in his home office, the chances of you gaining that information should something happen to him are slim. In a worst case scenario, should your professional relationship deteriorate, he could simply not allow you access to your own site. A safer solution is to host your site with a larger, reputable company such as Liquid Web or GoDaddy.

2.     FTP (File Transfer Protocol) information: How do you log in to your website? What is your username and password?

3.     Shopping cart provider: If you have a shopping cart on your current site, you need to know the name of the service that provides it, the account number, username, and password.

4.     Merchant account: If you accept payments of any kind, you have a merchant account set up. This could simply be Paypal, or another provider that allows you to accept credit card payments.

5.     Other third party widgets: Do you have an appointment scheduler, live chat feature, or other service you pay for to have on your website? You need to have all of these account numbers, usernames, and passwords as well.

How do you keep track of all of these usernames and passwords? We use www.LastPass.com. This is a web based password management system that is secure and convenient. And better yet, you only have to remember one password!

Having this information readily available is not just best practice, it can save you a lot of frustration and time when it’s time for change. 

For many companies, black Friday has been on your radar since November 27th of last year. You are fully aware of what needs to be done and you understand the importance of this stressful enjoyable day of madness. This is the perfect holiday to promote your brand as much as possible and turn those many anticipated “window shoppers” into actual customers, finally!

For other companies that usually avoid black Friday like it’s the plague, just a little FYI: this is a very big mistake.

As marketers, this day is no holiday, this day means business. Black Friday can fundamentally make or break your sales quota for the entire year. Americans thrive on deals and wait all year to spend their entire paycheck (yes, I’m serious) on this notable pseudo-holiday. Regardless if you are ready or not, your consumers WILL be talking tweeting (or updating Facebook statuses) about you. With social media on the rise, these cyber conversations can get dirty!

Technology has surely made black Friday more dangerous exciting than ever!!!

 

Most customers will be constantly updating their Twitter and/or Facebook feed to be fully aware of who is selling what and where. Promoting your brand through these outlets is imperative. Many companies have already offered exclusive shopping sprees before this madness even begins. Other companies have taken the route of sending consumers gift cards or invitations to come shop with them. Social media savvy companies are using foursquare to promote their brand’s awareness in cyberspace. Foursquare gives marketers many opportunities. You can give those that check-in something exclusive, like a better deal. I know some companies that, with a foursquare check-in, will donate to charity. Personally I love this idea. If I am aware that part of my purchase helps those in need, I certainly feel less guilt over buying that $500 television.

Consumers are running wild on this day, take them in and feed them with your brand!

As a business owner, manager, or employee, you are forced to make marketing decisions that can either: make your company extremely successful or dig your image into a deep hole. In order to step onto the path towards success, your ideas need to be original, innovative, and creative. One of the first places potential customers go to look for your business is Facebook. Does your company’s Facebook page have a professional feel and offer unique custom tabs? Custom Facebook tabs insure that your visitors land in a branded environment. They also allow you keep your branding image consistent across all digital platforms. The possibilities are endless. Below is a list of different types of Tabs that will drive visitors to push the “like” button and become fans:

• Deal Share: Groupon-like deals for Facebook fans only that can be shared with their friends
• Exclusive: Exclusive content for fans
• Fan Offer: Exclusive coupons or discount codes for fans only
• Sweepstakes: Contests to win fabulous prizes
• Video Channel: Incorporates your YouTube channel directly on your Facebook page
• Photo Showcase: Shows your favorite photos in a large format to showcase them
• First Impression: A branded welcome tab
• Sign Up: Incorporates a lead capture form where fans can sign up for your email list or newsletter
• Show & Sell: Showcases your top sellers and allows fans to purchase them right through your Facebook page
• Donate: Allows fans to donate to your cause right through your page
• Volunteer: Allows fans to volunteer for your event or cause right through your page

Each of these tabs integrates sharing and engages your fans. Driving fans to push the “like” button will optimize your business for future marketing, connect you to potential customers, increase your ROI, and communicate with anyone interested in your business. Creating the perfect custom Facebook tab can be overwhelming. You need to be fully aware of your audience and determine a strategy that will work best. Each tab has its own purpose and should be tailored to suit your brand. If done right, your company will surely reap its rewards. So, are you ready to give your brand that professional image and increase the ROI of your fan page?

Ok, I will admit that this blog post was born out of frustration.  Too many times I have looked up a business on Facebook only to find that I must be their “Friend” in order to see their content.  WHAT?  REALLY?  It’s a business!  How would you like to go to a website only to have a screen pop up that says you cannot view it until you have been approved?  Not cool.  Now, while I understand that setting up your account in this manner allows you more options for messaging, here is my short list of why you SHOULD NOT do it.

1. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  It’s against Facebook’s rules.  Now for those of you who have met me, you will realize that I generally believe that rules are guidelines and while not meant to be broken outright, can and should be bent in the right circumstances.  However…when you set up your Facebook page, you check that little box that says that you agree to their terms and conditions.  Part of those terms and conditions state that you are a “person.”  If you violate these rules, you run the risk of having your Facebook page shut down without recourse.  This means that you lose access to all of the “Friends” you have connected to and every piece of content you have uploaded.  I know of local companies that this has happened to.  Why would you run this risk?
2. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  When I search out a business on Facebook, I am looking for instant information.  When many businesses set their page up as a person, they inadvertently don’t set the privacy settings so that anyone can see their wall.  I don’t want to wait for information.  I want it now.  That’s why I’m on the Internet!
3. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  When I find a business that I “Like” I can suggest that business to my friends.  I can either “select all” or select individuals whom I think might like that business as well.  If you set your business as a person, you can’t do this.  You can only suggest to the people to the business.  This is time intensive and misleading, and people just don’t do it this way.  You are not allowing your business access to the viral nature of social media.
4. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.  Individuals are not allowed custom graphic tabs that allow users to land in a branded environment, show coupons, maps for multiple locations, and most importantly, capture user information for future marketing efforts. 
5. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face.  Facebook limits an individual to 5,000 friends.  Once your business becomes wildly popular, you will be limiting your own reach.
6. You’re cutting off your nose to spite your face. A Facebook profile cannot be part of your search engine optimization strategy. Search engines index Facebook fan pages, not profiles! If you are trying to build your brand, people should be able to find you easily.
7. You're cutting off your nose to spite your face (do you sense a theme here?)  Individuals are not allowed to set up Pay-Per-Click campaigns within Facebook, which is a highly targetable, highly efficient, cost effective way to advertise your business!

If you are guilty of this mistake, you can be saved! It is possible to convert your Facebook profile into a fan page. So unless Facebook already found and deleted your profile, it is unnecessary to start from scratch. There is a reason that businesses are set up and function differently than people within Facebook.  The reasons are good ones.  As marketers, we sometimes long for more functionality within Facebook, but at the same time we need to respect the boundaries of those that we market to so as to not become overbearing and broadcast-like.  And now my rant has concluded.

Interning at an Internet Marketing company and studying social media in school, it never occurred to me that there are many naïve people who don’t understand social media’s importance in today’s market. Just recently, my friend, who is the marketing and advertising manager at a real estate firm, told me her boss doesn’t believe in the benefits of social media. Everyday is a challenge for her to debate and explain the necessity of social media and how powerful of a tool it is for their business. Does this sound familiar to you?

Maybe you had an epiphany reality check that the brick and mortar business you currently work at needs better advertising or more distribution outlets. Maybe as a young employee, you are (finally!) trying to convince your boss that you NEED to make a presence in cyber-space.  Or maybe you spent an entire business meeting explaining to your boss the difference between Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus and why these tools are NOT a “one size fits all” project.

Sometimes, like my friend, it can be difficult to get your (old) boss on same page as you. Does he or she still use Encyclopedia Britannica over Wikipedia.com? If this is the case, good old hard facts could be very persuasive. Here are a few to start:

• Pepsi dropped TV advertising for the 2010 Super Bowl. Instead, they invested in a $20M Social Media Campaign. (After 23 years of Super Bowl ads!)
• Dell has attributed over $6.5M in revenue directly to Twitter.
• In 2009, 91% of Inc. 500 companies report using at least one Social Media channel.
• Best Buy has over 2,500 employees helping customers on Twitter as part of the Twelpforce initiative.
• 53% of the Fortune 500 has at least one active Twitter account.

On another note with Internet advertising, businesses are able to allocate money smarter and more efficiently than with traditional advertising. With the powerful tracking tools available today, it is easy to track the number of people exposed to your ads online. Internet advertisements enable your business to detect specific details of each ad such as profit by impressions, clicks, and ROI. Information like this allows you to tap into personal information and create extremely targeted and profitable ads. This becomes much more difficult when advertising through traditional channels such as direct mail, newspaper, and TV.

In terms of CPM (cost per thousand views) Network TV is the highest paying medium with $28 CPM. Newspaper and magazines come in second with a CPM of about $17 and radio is third with an average of $10 CPM. Digital media has only a $2 CPM! Provide your boss with these hard facts to prove how much cheaper it is when using online advertising. 

In today’s generation social media and social networking overpowers all other forms of communication. People log onto Twitter instead of watching the news. When the earthquake hit the Northeast I guarantee young Tweeters (Twitter users) were the first to find out. Social Media is able to give and receive information in real time. To us, not having social media is like not having a radio in your car.

So unless you live on a small island where citizens use telegraphs to communicate, I suggest you find the marketing savvy within you and convert your boss into the social media guru he/she should be.

Yesterday, a friend told me that we should try this really great restaurant in our town. As I typically do, I pulled up the restaurant’s website to check out the food. Within the first three seconds I told her “absolutely not.” On their homepage they had posted a grainy picture of a not-so appetizing hamburger. It reminded me of a food poisoning experience I had at a greasy fast-food chain. I did not even bother looking at the menu. Instead, I just sat there in shock. This was their homepage! Any media savy business would use their best picture, or was that their best picture? Companies need to understand the importance of great photography.

             

Do you want this to represent you?                       Or this?

 

Whether you like it or not, it is 2011 and we are in a digital age. It is imperative for businesses to digitally display their company in a unique and exciting way. A good online presence, accompanied with great photography is essential. It is estimated that roughly 80% of your potential customers find your company online. Given the example above, a picture is worth 1,000 words and first impressions are vital. 

If bad photography is splashed on your website, listen up! Use this checklist to evaluate your photos for digital publication.

Photos must be of professional quality. This means they are:

• Clear and in focus, not grainy.
• Free of clutter. Take notice of what is in the background of photos. The subject should be the only thing that catches the eye. Make sure that there are no poles growing out of people’s heads, etc. A plain background is, in most cases, desirable.
• Free of other distractions such as bright areas, especially at the edges.
• Properly lit. Free of distracting shadows, or lighting that makes the subject look undesirable.
• Cropped properly, avoiding awkward clipping of objects or features at the edge of images. Tight cropping to show a face or perhaps a waist length portrait may be fine, but avoid clipping small parts.  For example, try not to clip a hand or an ankle and foot.
• At least 640x480 pixels and 72+dpi (96 or 300 dpi preferred)

Stock photography is readily available and in most cases relatively cost effective. The photography on your website or profiles is a reflection of your business and professionalism.

If there are images that you need that are not available in stock photography galleries, consider hiring a professional. And don’t forget, all photos must be royalty free, or you have to pay the royalties!

In order to remain competitive in today’s Internet savvy society, make sure every picture on your website is a superb representation of your company. Otherwise, you just might be losing 8 out of every 10 potential customers that find your online presence.

In the age of social media, customers are able to speak up louder than ever before. With the use of Twitter, Facebook, and Blogging, your company’s reputation can be damaged in a matter of seconds. This leaves every company with two options: be perfect, or learn how to handle social media criticism. CEO’s and employees are only human (yes I know that is a hard concept to grasp), and therefore they are entitled to make a few mistakes. However, it is imperative that every customer complaint or criticism through social media is immediately acknowledged with the following:
     •A sincere apology
     •Admit you were wrong, and offer to address the customer’s complaint
     •State how you are handling the issue and offer another sincere apology
One company that does a fantastic job with handling their reputation through social media is Jimmy John’s. Known as the “freaky fast” sandwich company, Jimmy John’s has a lot to live up to. In order to make certain that their customers are happy and each franchise is doing its job correctly, they offer a Facebook page where their customers’ voices can be heard. I’ve seen many complaints on this page and within hours Jimmy John’s apologizes, finds out the franchise location to show they are acknowledging the issue, and they usually even ask the customer to send their address to facebook@jimmyjohns.com so they can follow up with them personally.

Since every situation is different, what you offer your customer in the event of a complaint will vary. For Jimmy John’s it could be anything from a free sandwich, soda, gift card, or maybe even a t-shirt with their logo. This proves to the customer that they are your main priority and you are sincerely sorry they had a bad experience.
On the other hand if your company does not know how to handle social media it will certainly back fire. Lets recall the Kevin Smith and Southwest Airline incident. Basically, the filmmaker Kevin Smith was asked by Southwest Airlines to un-board his flight because he was causing discomfort to other passengers. Furious, Kevin Smith began a twitter storm claiming that Southwest Airlines told him he was “too fat to fly.” Within a matter of seconds, Kevin’s 1.6 million Twitter Followers found out what was happening and began to chirp in. Southwest Airlines finally acknowledged this Twitter storm, but how they handled the situation was debatable.

Southwest Airlines tweeted back an apology to Kevin Smith, but many people debate if it was truly sincere. They do not admit any wrongdoing or state how they went about handling this situation. This incident most definitely had an effect on this company’s reputation. Personally, I think they should have advertised offering Kevin Smith a free seat for future use.
So remember: everyone is human and we all make mistakes, but it is how you handle your mistakes that depict your company’s reputation. For your company’s sake, make sure you know how to handle your presence in social media!