5 Ways to Get Your Business Ready for the Holidays

The holidays can be a wonderful, joyous time, filled with family, fun, and… business duties? Yes, just because the weather gets colder, the trees go up, the menorahs go out or whatever else the holiday season brings, it doesn’t mean your business just stops. While the holiday can bring good tidings to your business, there are things you should keep in mind to make sure things run as smooth as eggnog.

 

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Stay organized:

Staying organized is very important in any high-stress situation... or any situation. Make a holiday calendar as far in advance as you possibly can. Make sure you inform your employees of everything that is going on during the season, especially a good work schedule mixed with the appropriate amount of PTO. Make sure you know who will be doing what and when, when your store will be open and closed and everything else to make sure you don’t get a panicked midnight phone call.

 

Create a holiday marketing strategy:

Customers are going to expect big savings and crazy hours for the holidays, so it’s up to you as the business owner to clarify everything that is happening and will be happening. Create a marketing calendar making sure you are aware of everything that is going to happen. This includes any sales and promotions, the start and expirations of those sales, newsletters, the holiday business hours, when people have time off and everything in between. The more information the better.

 

Prepare your site and stores:

This can mean the fun stuff and the informative stuff. Decorate your business (or even your site) with fun-themed décor to customers into the holiday spirit, list the temporary business hours, post sales and special promotions and more. Make sure people who visit your store or your site won’t be shocked when they see your new business hours or missed a big sale.

 

Give back:

Sure, the holidays can be greedy, getting all the gifts you have been waiting for and getting the time off you’ve been coveting. But as all the holiday movies tell us, it’s a time to give back. Host a holiday party for your employees, give them a paid day off they normally wouldn’t get, maybe a small gift for each employee, donate to a local charity and of course, to be an all-around positive force of energy during the holiday season.

 

Enjoy yourself: 

The holidays are a time to enjoy yourself, so don’t let your business take over completely. Schedule time off for yourself to relax and celebrate with loved ones. If you prepare correctly, your business will do just fine without you and won’t come crashing down because you take a few days off.

 

The holidays are fast approaching, so make sure you get your calendars ready for both business and personal reasons. But remember your business won’t rise and fall around this time, so be sure to take enough time for yourself and give your employees enough time to enjoy themselves and their loved ones during the holiday season.

 

5 Biggest Myths in Social Media

The ever-popular, yet somewhat elusive, social media. Everyone’s on it and if you’re not on it, you have to get on it. On social media are celebrities, influencers, politicians, businesses, your friends and maybe even your mom. With the countless social media platforms, you are more than likely bound to be on one if not all of them. And because of this, you think your business should be as well, right? Right! That was not a trick question. But the trick is getting social media to work for you. And in order for them to work for you, you have to understand the biggest myths in social media.

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Success is immediate and if it’s not you are doing it wrong

A lot of people assume getting famous or ‘going viral’ is something that happens quickly and easily. As if posting one photo of a cute puppy or a funny meme will skyrocket you to instant insta-fame. While there is that one-in-a-million person who that will happen to, it’s as likely as hitting the lottery. So, if you are doing everything you are supposed to be doing; following the trends, posting often, using analytics for your benefit and such, then you’re on the right path. And just because it's month three and you only have a hundred followers, it doesn’t mean your business is doomed to fail or that you should fire your social media manager. It simply means you have to have patience.

You have to be on ALL the platforms

False! While being on all platforms may help some businesses, it doesn’t necessarily work for all. You have to know your product/service and you have to know your audience. For example, a clothing company would benefit from being on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Tik Tok, but maybe not require Twitter. Whereas a retirement community may do well on just Facebook alone. Then you could have newspapers that thrive on Twitter, Facebook and maybe even Instagram, but could do without Pinterest or Tik Tok. Learn where your audiences are, if they are older, they are on Facebook, if they are younger, they are on Instagram, and if they are even younger, say hello to Tik Tok. Do your research and be sure to brand accordingly!

Sales equal success, nothing else

While getting sales is always a good thing, it isn’t the only thing that equates to success. Social media isn’t always about the dollar sign… though it could be. You can connect your accounts to stores to buy products, to websites and give them the option to call to buy/book, of course, but social media also has other ways to measure success. And that factor is word of mouth. Social media is great for branding, when getting your name out there is key, you want name recognition. You want the consumers to say something along the lines of, “oh, yeah I saw them on Facebook!” or “they have the coolest Instagram!”.

Having social media doesn’t make a business look legitimate

Many people assume social media is for children and if they are on it, then they aren’t really professional. But quite the opposite is starting to occur. Most people these days won’t trust a business unless they have social media accounts. After all, how else can you tell if they are real without seeing their most active accounts? You want to see a hairstylist's work on Instagram before you make an appointment, or check out restaurant reviews on Facebook before you go or even see a photographer on Pinterest before you book them.

Only young people are on social media

Give your parents a call, hey even give your grandparents a call… we can almost guarantee you they have a Facebook. The more social media becomes crucial to our lives the more people, even older people, are going to be on it. If having a Facebook or getting Snapchat is the only way they can see pictures of their grandkids or know what their kids are doing after school, the older generations are going to get on it. And the more they do, the more the younger generations will start finding new platforms and the cycle will keep on going.

Did we prove your point on a certain myth? Or did we shock you? In any case, every platform of social media has its data to help you know how to target your audience the right way, as well as using analytics to see what is working and what’s not. And in all honesty, new myths will spout every day, but it’s up to you, with some help from us, to keep you aware of the facts and fiction going around the interwebs.

TV Commercials

Like radio, TV commercials don’t just mean what’s on your local or national television stations anymore. Now it includes, Hulu, Amazon TV, and other network streaming platforms. And just like the radio, without a paid account, you are sitting through the commercials indefinitely until the show resumes. TV commercials are a great, given costly, way to advertise your business whether if it is on the good-old-fashion TV or a streaming service.

Events

Whether an event is in person or virtually, events are a great way to get your business out there to an already established audience. At the event, you can either have a banner, representatives, free gifts, flyers, and whatever else you can think of to get more eyes on your business.

Direct Mail

One of the older forms of advertising, direct mail can be anything from postcards and pamphlets to catalogs. While these methods aren’t as popular as they once were, many companies still use this method to get their business out there. However, email advertising has now become the new form of direct mail by using newsletters and promotions digitally, rather than physically.

Doing a deep dive of marketing research into your business can be a good indicator of which method of advertising can be right for you. It could be one it could three, it could be all of them. Just be sure to see all aspects of a method from reach and deliverability to cost and analytics.

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The 8 Advertising Methods

When you finally reach the stage where you are ready to share your business with the world, it means you’re ready to advertise. But advertising can be a little overwhelming, after all, where do you being? What is the right platform to get your name out there? Is it digital? Is it print? Radio? Social media? A billboard? The answer could be all of the above!
 
Here are the 8 ways you can advertise your business:

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But how do you create a marketing strategy? There are many steps to this process and it can be a complicated one, needing to dig deep into what you want to get out of your business and relying on the minds and talents of those on your team who are specialists in their areas. However, to get you started, here are four points to get you going on planning out your marketing strategy.

Know your audience

To know your audience, you have to seek out their needs and be able to solve all of their problems before they even have any. You can discover this using different research methods, such as surveys, focus groups, paying attention to analytics, demographics, reviews, conversions, and other online behaviors. To go even further, you can create buyer personas to make a generalized representation of your different types of customers and how to attract them.

Social Media

Quickly rising in the ranks of being one of the easiest, most convenient, and accessible ways to advertise your business, social media is a funnel that practically everyone has the access to, whether or not they are looking at their social feeds 24/7. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest, Snapchat, and even TikTok have the ability for paid ads. Some are more straightforward than others and they all appear differently on each platform, but all can be customized to be seen by specific or generalized audiences.

Paid Search

Paid search is when search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo, feed you the ads you see. Advertising on these search engines is done by pay-per-click (PPC) or by bidding on keywords. PPC’s really make your advertising prowess by allowing you to target people who are already searching for what you are selling. Depending on the budget, you can also place ads on the top or side of the search. These can also be referred to as banner ads, where rather than just using text-like ads, you use a visual representation.

Print Advertising

Whether it be a poster, flyer, newspaper/magazine ads, or any type of physically printed promotion, it is considered print adverting. Granted over the years, print has most definitely shifted into the digital world, but print is still alive. A wider audience of people will see print ads, maybe people who weren’t even looking for your type of business.

Billboards and Public Ads

Billboards and public ads, like those on buses or trains or slapped on a wall, are still a popular form of advertising. Just look up on the highway (just for a second before focusing back on driving) and you will see more billboards than you even realize. Because of their size and placement, billboards and public ads are seen by many different groups of people and can promote awareness across the board.

Radio

Radio these days doesn’t just mean the typical FM/AM radio. While that is surely still a way to advertise, now we can bring in other forms of ‘radio’ such as Spotify, Pandora, and Sirius. If you don’t pay for a paid subscription to these platforms, then you will most certainly hear commercials, commercials you are forced to sit through before returning to your music. So why not advertise here where all your listeners have no choice but to listen?

TV Commercials

Like radio, TV commercials don’t just mean what’s on your local or national television stations anymore. Now it includes, Hulu, Amazon TV, and other network streaming platforms. And just like the radio, without a paid account, you are sitting through the commercials indefinitely until the show resumes. TV commercials are a great, given costly, way to advertise your business whether if it is on the good-old-fashion TV or a streaming service.

Events

Whether an event is in person or virtually, events are a great way to get your business out there to an already established audience. At the event, you can either have a banner, representatives, free gifts, flyers, and whatever else you can think of to get more eyes on your business.

Direct Mail

One of the older forms of advertising, direct mail can be anything from postcards and pamphlets to catalogs. While these methods aren’t as popular as they once were, many companies still use this method to get their business out there. However, email advertising has now become the new form of direct mail by using newsletters and promotions digitally, rather than physically.

Doing a deep dive of marketing research into your business can be a good indicator of which method of advertising can be right for you. It could be one it could three, it could be all of them. Just be sure to see all aspects of a method from reach and deliverability to cost and analytics.

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4 Steps to Coming Up With a Marketing Strategy

Having a marketing strategy is essential to any business. You can’t just jump into a business and expect it to all magically work out on its own, it takes a plan. One of the many plans you will have when it comes to your business, is a marketing strategy. A marketing strategy gives you a set roadmap to attracting the correct customers in a smart and organized way. A marketing strategy will bring the big picture of your business to light and help you reach your overall goals.

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But how do you create a marketing strategy? There are many steps to this process and it can be a complicated one, needing to dig deep into what you want to get out of your business and relying on the minds and talents of those on your team who are specialists in their areas. However, to get you started, here are four points to get you going on planning out your marketing strategy.

Know your audience

To know your audience, you have to seek out their needs and be able to solve all of their problems before they even have any. You can discover this using different research methods, such as surveys, focus groups, paying attention to analytics, demographics, reviews, conversions, and other online behaviors. To go even further, you can create buyer personas to make a generalized representation of your different types of customers and how to attract them.

Know your audience

To know your audience, you have to seek out their needs and be able to solve all of their problems before they even have any. You can discover this using different research methods, such as surveys, focus groups, paying attention to analytics, demographics, reviews, conversions, and other online behaviors. To go even further, you can create buyer personas to make a generalized representation of your different types of customers and how to attract them.

Decide your top three goals for the year

You can use the SMART method of goal setting when identifying your business goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Therefore, as it would state, you make sure you have clear goals that you can measure but are also achievable in your time frame while being relevant to your business.

Decide on your marketing methods

Now that you know what your goals are and who your customers are, it’s important to also know how to implement them. Next, you would have to decide on your marketing methods. Your marketing methods can be anything from online advertising to SEO and paid search, to trade shows, direct mail to ads, and more.

In the end, a marketing strategy isn’t something that can be done in a half-hour meeting. It takes time, thought, research, consideration, and teamwork to decide on the exact plan. And just because you come up with a plan, doesn’t mean it can’t change slightly over time to suit your new needs, feedback and methods. As the times and trends change, even within one year’s time, your marketing strategy has to change as well.

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You Want to Start a Business? Here’s What You Need to Know

We all have great ideas for businesses and their products and/or services. But, a great idea only goes so far. You have to have a thorough plan of action to get the business ready and off the ground. Of course, you need a business plan and stable financial backing, but besides that, and the focus of this article, revolves around the aspect of marketing.
 
Here are some things to consider when it comes to marketing and your business.
 

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First and foremost, you need a website. Your website will be the hub of knowledge and activity for your business, the home ground for any questions and answers customers/visitors may want to know about your product or service. Your website will host information, photos, FAQs, contact information, and more.
 
But when it comes to having a website, there are many factors that you have to consider. You need to know where you want your website to be hosted, if you want to use a templated site or use HTML/CSS, how you want your website laid out, the correct branding, which colors and typography you want to use… the list could go on and on. A key factor in answering all these questions is to hire a professional website designer. This designer can help guide you in the right direction after discussing with you what you want for your business. They are experts in their field and can point out directions you may have never even considered.
 
Besides getting the basics of a website set up, whether it be by hiring a professional or by working hard on it yourself, there are still a few more factors that go into getting you an awesome website. You will need to decide on professional photos that expertly promote your company, as well as a competent copywriter to make sure your content is creative, informative, and compelling. Plus, you should even consider getting a newsletter ready to go for when you are up and running. All of this and more can fall into the responsibilities of a website designer or website manager.
 
Once you have your website situation all figured out, it’s time to move on to setting up your company’s social media. Though you may think that your business doesn’t need social media, but you’d be wrong. Your Facebook page basically works as a second website, as people will find your Facebook page just as simply as your website, sometimes even looking for the Facebook page first. Instagram is another big platform, attracting younger viewers in a more visual way. A lot of the time, your business will seem more legitimate when you have well-branded and well-curated social media platforms.
 
After everything is all set up, it's time to dive into analytics. Make sure you have a variety of analytics set up so that you can see where all your traffic, clicks, and profits are coming from. You can use the metrics from a variety of different sources, but the most popular option is Google Analytics. You can see your social analytics through the platforms themselves or through any managing platform.
 
There are many more intricate details that go into starting the marketing aspect of starting a business. Plan, plan, plan, and make sure that there isn’t anything left up to chance. A website professional can help guide you in the right direction while keeping in mind your vision, while also keeping to the designated budget.

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What Makes a Logo Successful?

Target, Nike, McDonald's… when we first think of these companies, we tend to think of their iconic logos. Logos are used to identify, meaning the logo has to automatically connect you to the brand behind it. There a few things to keep in mind when it comes to making a successful logo, five important factors being: simple, memorable, timeless, versatile, and appropriate.
 

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Effective Logos

 
An effective logo is one that is simple and not too complicated, something that makes you remember it, but not overwhelm you. An example of this would be the Nike swoosh logo. Another important factor of logos is that they have to be memorable. You want a logo that when you think of the brand name, the logo will always pop up in your mind. An example of this is Target's logo. Your logo also has to be timeless, meaning that it makes sense in 2050, just as much as it did in 2000. Another important factor is that the logo has to be versatile. It has to be able to allow for: the colors to change (ie: black and white), be printed in one color, and be printed as small as the size of a stamp or can be blown up to be the size of the billboard. And finally, it has to be appropriate. For example, a kid’s company would have different fonts and colors than an adult brand.

Who Designs a Logo?

 
You can and should hire an experienced designer to design your logo. Before hiring a designer, there are a few things you should get from them first. You should know their experience, see a portfolio of their work, testimonials from previous clients, how quickly they can complete the project, their professionalism, and of course, price.

Elements of a Logo

 
There are a few design elements to keep in mind when it comes to creating a logo. Logos usually consist of typography, graphics, and specific color schemes. Colors, for one thing, can stimulate or even change feelings and attitudes towards the logo, and in turn the company. There is even color psychology behind it. After all, that’s the reason Facebook and Twitter use the color blue. The graphics for a logo should be unique enough for you to stand out against your competition and possibly acquire a trademark. Fonts themselves can change the feeling of a logo, depending on the style. The composition of logo design is bringing all these elements together in harmony.

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10 Do’s and Don’ts for Designing Your Business Website

Many facets go into creating a great website design. While having a pleasing look or aesthetic is important, great design creates friendly functionality. This high level of design guides your users through your website to exactly where they need to be to convert. Here we will go over 10 do’s and don’ts for creating an exceptional business website.
 

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Website design tips

Do know your customer and their purchasing/converting habits.

 
Who are your customers? Take a look at your current customer base and discover their demographics. This is important to know so that you can design with them in mind. Try creating a customer avatar. What does your average customer/user look like? How old are they? Are they mostly male or female? How much money do they make? What do they enjoy doing and purchasing? All of this information can be used in the design. For example, if your user base is mostly older, you might increase your font size.

Don't add too many tabs to your main navigation

 
Have you ever been to a restaurant with a giant menu and found yourself getting frustrated because you can’t choose what you want to eat? Website navigation is similar. If a user gets too confused and doesn’t know what to select, odds are they will give up and try another website. Keep your main navigation as simple as possible.

Do add CTA’s (call’s to action) on every page.

 
A CTA or call to action lets your user or positional customer know where to go next. Using a CTA in key areas of your website prompts the people visiting it to take an action. Some examples of calls to action are “Buy Now”, “Learn More”, “Sign-Up”, “Subscribe”, “Try for Free”, and “Get Started”.

Don't use a font that is not websafe.

 
Web-safe fonts are fonts that can adapt to any browser or operating system. Using web-safe fonts ensure that regardless of what type of device or browser they are using, your website will look the same and your content will render. If you use obscure fonts some people may not be able to see it on their device. Here are some web safe fonts to consider.

Do take advantage of white space.

 
White space in design is simply the empty areas between content, photos, and other graphic design elements. Proper use of white space allows the user's eyes to go where you need them to go. Too much design or copy can confuse your user and deter them from staying on your website.

Don't use too many colors..

 
Color is a powerful tool in website design if used properly. There is a psychology to color, and it needs to be used correctly. For example, use color on your buttons and to point out key content. Avoid using too many colors because it will only confuse your user and not get them to click and/or convert.

Do use great photos and video.

 
People are visual beings. Beautiful photography and video can make or break your website, especially if you are selling a product. If you don’t have the means to shoot your products or services, consider hiring a professional to help.

Don't forget to optimize your pages for SEO.

 
Google and other search engines look for certain things on your website to tell them what your website is about and who to show it to. Be sure to add keywords for your industry in your copy. Think about how one would search for a company like yours and include content that uses those words. On the backend on your website be sure to add H1’s, metadata, and alt tags to photos. If you are not sure how to do this effectively, reach out to a website design company and they can help.

Do create consistent content.

 
Creating new content consistently does two great things – improves your SEO and keeps your userbase engaged. Google loves when they see new content on your website. Try blogging once a week about your company. Be sure to share those blogs on your social platforms to keep your customers aware of news and new products. The key to content writing is keeping it consistent. If you do not have the time to keep up with a schedule, many skilled copywriters can help.

Don't design it yourself unless you are experienced.

 
Creating and maintaining a website is a big undertaking. If you are not familiar with designing and developing, it best to hire a professional. These people are experts in their fields and can develop your website faster and more efficiently. Doing it yourself if you are not experienced can cost you more time and money. Save yourself the headache and leave it to the professionals.

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Top 10 Funniest 404 Error Page Designs

Landing on a 404 page can be frustrating, but these companies found clever ways to keep visitors on their website and engaged. What is a 404 error? This is an error that signifies that the page or URL you are looking for can't be found. This usually means that it's been deleted or moved and can deter your website visitors from staying on your website. The following companies have some hilarious 404 pages:
 

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404 page funny

404 by STG
 

 

MARVEL


 

funny 404

 

LEGO


 

funny 404

 

DILBERT


 

funny 404

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App Design Boynton Beach FL

THE PROJECT

App Design in Boynton Beach

Rolloway is an app that lets you order tires for any vehicle and schedule appointments where they will come to you for installation. The client asked us to build the app with full scheduling functionality, inventory management, and sleek design.

OUR WORK

App Design Boynton Beach FL

THE PROJECT

App Design in Boynton Beach

Realtor Life is an app that helps realtors manage their daily work. Realtor Life asked us to create a user-friendly app for iOS and Andriod that realtors could use on a daily basis to help manage their business and clients.

OUR WORK