FAQ
We would like to answer some frequently asked questions and please send us more and we will try to answer them or at least point you in a good direction. Be sure to join our mailing list. We send out helpful tips when we take a break or want to write about a common issue we feel people are facing.
So what do you want to know?
- What is the best way to market my business?
- How can I get more out of my business?
- Why should I hire a web designer?
- What are common problems with web sites and should I hire a Consultant?
- Why is my computer slow?
There is no simple answer to this question. I have seen different strategies work where others successful ones have failed. The best answer is to consider the market and target audience you are looking to reach. Smaller local markets may rely heavily on flyers and print advertisements since this is the most prominent media available to those residents. Try not to forget why people might be interested in your services. Is it out of necessity or are you trying to explain to them why they need or should desire your product.
Print Media
Imagine a person who is in need of carpet cleaning services. That person might first look in the yellow pages since there is a collection of carpet cleaning services confined to one place. Now there is the task of deciding which one? For the answer to this question they might turn to the internet. If you provide a website address they might use this to find out more information about your company and services. Remember that most ads have prices based on word count or ad space so this limits what you can use to persuade your audience to choose your business. This is my favorite argument explaining why even a local based business should have an effective site. Although it was not the primary source of new customers, it may aid them in making their decision to choose you. You are also able to alleviate some of your time or employees by answering questions on your site. Offering prices and descriptions of your services or products helps inform your customers without taking your time on the phone. Also, they can shop on their time. Since you prefer to head home at 5pm just as they are they can find information later that evening at their convenience.
Search Engines
These people are similar to the same audience using the services directories. They most likely have identified the need for your product or service and are looking for the best value or are in search of information. Be sure they are able to find your business and website among the millions of others on the internet. Some ways to help them is to have a simple web address and to practice web friendly design and coding practices.
Direct Mail / Email / Internet Banners
This is more effective when your audience hasn’t realized that they can’t live without your product or service yet. This is very effective in announcing the opening of a new location or advertising a sale/promotional giveaway. The prices for these methods are not as standard as the yellow pages or service directories. Here are some tips for getting the most bang for your buck. In direct marketing be sure to do a little research. Revisiting the carpet cleaning business, consider targeting addresses of gated communities where people generally maintain clean houses. Also try targeting property management businesses and realtors since they may require this service when tenants leave a place less than clean.
TV Commercials / Infomercials
This is for those with plenty of money allocated for marketing. Commercials are a great way to convey tons of information. They give pictures, and require the audience to simply watch TV, which is usually a well practiced activity. Commercials are often expensive to produce and then air on a TV station. My best advice is to seek professional expertise in this situation. Be sure to interview the expert offering his services. Ask for references or examples of his previous work. Be sure you are thorough with your message, make every dollar count.
Given so many options with marketing, the best plan is to have a thorough plan. Think through your strategy and figure out your budget before you begin. Your financial situation might narrow your choices. Be clear on the message you are trying to convey and do yourself a favor and find a good book on marketing to help with some execution ideas. Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Call me anytime and I would be happy to discuss your business image and advertising. Even if its just to have a friendly chat and brainstorm.
Nearly all businesses reach a point where they plateau. I’d like to discuss some common problems I have witnessed and some ideas that may help improve productivity and efficiency or help attract and handle new business.
"I am at Maximum Capacity"
Some business owners reach a point where they could not handle any additional customers because they are already working double overtime and pushing employees to their limits. Often this problem exists because of poor business processes. Stop and evaluate each process of handling a customer or client. Is there a better way, an easier way? Another cause of inefficiency is a lack of technology and automation. Automating frees up employees to handle issues where customers require your attention.
"I am Only One Person"
Ah, the freelance or sole-proprietor style business. Those days can be painful for some. Get two or three clients at the same time and you decide sleep is not as important as getting the job done and getting paid. For the next several months there might be nothing to do. Some do not market for fear that a good response buries them in work. This is a great problem to have. Instead of closing the valve on marketing, let’s solve the problem of handling more customers. Contractors can be a great way to handle larger amounts of business without adding to payroll. Be careful, this takes some delicate handling. Get pricing sheets or establish a relationship with your freelance person or sub-contractor and understand their process for handling projects. You will need to speak with the client and get a very detailed scope of work or outline the services so the bid is accurate and the work reflects the needs of the client. This method allows you to offer a more varied list of services.
"The Market Sucks!"
It is often very convenient to blame outside factors for our poor performance. It has nothing to do with the market. People will still require services, business is just more competitive now. Be creative; try to find ways to attract business from new sources. Offer services that parallel your business that are currently in demand. Attract business from markets that are not experiencing the same downward trend as your local market.
Although it was a brief look at improving your business, I hope this information was helpful. If you would like to talk about more ideas or discuss some issues facing your business please feel free to contact us.
What professional web development companies have to offer.
As shocking as it may seem I do not think it is necessary to hire a professional web designer or developer. Let me explain. There are many alternatives.
Web Design Software: I think this is should be reserved for a business on a very limited budget. The problem with build it yourself is the time it takes to learn to use these applications and the limited capabilities they offer. If you choose this solution consider hiring a consultant to help you.
Freelance Designers: I think this is a good alternative for a business that needs something up and has allocated money for a web site. The problem can be support. Many freelance developers are one-time solutions. They can build a site but may not be in a position to support and maintain it. I have also heard of stories where freelance designers "bailed" in the middle of the design so unreliability can be an issue. Also they are usually specifically designers or have a focus on graphic design and web design but not internet marketing. This makes them a one service solution.
Web Programmer: I want to talk about Web Application Developers and why they can make great web based systems and sometimes lousy sites. A programmer rarely stops and considers conversion rates, ROI, or internet marketing being more immersed in business logic and information management. They may be programmers and not designers. They may have a more difficult time captivating visitors.
Where do I stand? Good question. I do not mean to stereo type the individuals that work in this industry in different ways in a negative manner. What I have noticed from owning a business is that service and reputation are key. This may not be as important to the freelance designer. I have worked with several people who specialize in programming and are very capable of web design but they are not internet marketing professionals. They don't read articles daily about web marketing techniques, SEO, visitor experiences, analytics and so many more aspects of internet marketing. I suppose people starting a business do not have time to do so either, unless this is your business idea. I take pride in my ability to offer an outstanding spectrum of professional services.
What are some common problems with web sites and should I hire a consultant?
I would like to mention the importance of a safe and secure site if you are handling shopping carts and merchant processing. Most businesses trust their web designer to handle these issues. Often web designers are not web programmers and are not aware of security issues and unsafe practices. Any good web consultant should catch this. Other site problems usually lead to poor performance of your site. Poor Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices and a lack of web analytics leaves you with a feeling that people are either not finding your site or not using your site. A fancy design is not very important if internet users are not finding your site. Information and organization can also cripple a site's performance. If you do not know how your site is performing and you are not sure if your site suffers from anything I have mentioned here , you might consider hiring a web consultant. As part of our commitment to honesty and integrity we offer a free consultation to discuss your site and its performance but if you choose not to utilize this service, hire a web consultant to evaluate your site and hand their report to your design company. I have only mentioned a few issues we find with sites. There are many more depending on the level of proficiency your web design company has. Don't assume people are not using your site, there might be a good reason for your sites poor performance.
Common reasons computers slow down.
This is not an easy question to answer without a little diagnosis but I will explain some common problems.
- Dust - Dust and pet hair can often overheat processors. Heat also degrades the performance of RAM and hard drives.
- RAM or Memory - I can say from experience that Microsoft operating systems require excessive amounts or RAM and applications running in the background will eat up RAM as well. Many of these applications and background processes are essential and cannot be avoided. This is why it is often beneficial to upgrade the amount of RAM.
- Virus/Spyware/Adware - This is very common. I can't stress how often one of these are the culprit. Run an Anti-Virus program and if it does not have Spyware/Adware protection then install an application to prevent those as well. It is hard to recommend one that will handle any and all forms but I use the professional version of Lavasoft Ad-Aware and it seems to work fine.
- Hard Drive Fragmentation or Full - This is not as common as it once was since hard drive technology is getting quite advanced and I'd like to believe operating systems are getting better at indexing data. I almost didn't bother putting it. Read and seek times are improved now that 300 GB and 500 GB drives are available and this is usually not a noticeable issue. Still it can occur and a simple fix may be running the Windows Defrag occasionally.