» Business Success Tips

Where Does Blogging Fit into the Big Picture of Your Business?

Michelle Salater — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:30:10 +0000

Are you confused about the purpose of your blog in the grand scheme of your business success? This is an extremely common situation that many business owners find themselves in, and it’s often stressful and frustrating. Even if you spend hours upon hours researching proper blogging practices and tools, somehow you become even more confused and lost. For this reason, we wrote this blog post to provide you with clarity on where blogging fits into your overall marketing strategy.

Online business success combines a variety of essential marketing tools including your blog, social media platforms, and your website. Think of your marketing materials as the foundation of your brand image. The combination of these materials creates an image in the prospect’s mind that enables him or her to perceive your brand in a certain light. If you are active on a platform that you are not using correctly, your brand image will be perceived differently than you intend.

Only when each of these tools is utilized effectively will you see stellar business success. That is not to say that every business needs to have a blog or be on the most popular social media platforms. But, if you do have a blog or are on some of the popular social media sites, do it right.

In terms of blogging, there is no point in creating a blog that reflects your company in an inaccurate light. Therefore, if you’re not willing to put the effort into blogging and harness its viral power, you shouldn’t create a blog for your business.

What a blog really is . . .

A peer- and client-attraction tool.
A place to illustrate that your attitude is compatible with your target audience.
A place to share your business personality.
A resource for industry information.
An extension of your brand message.
A place to engage and connect with others.

But what does that mean? It means, don’t use your blog as . . .

*A direct-selling tool. To understand this concept, we must first analyze the origins of the blog. Born in the mid-90s, the blog was created to reflect personal-life accounts and interests and to build conversations and relationships from the sharing of that information. Today, the blog has evolved but has still kept its same purpose: to share valuable information with others in hopes of starting a conversation and building relationships. Can you see now why selling a product on a blog would not be compatible with the delicate nature of the blog?

And, when we refer to “blogging for business,” we’re not saying “blogging for sales.” Rather, blogging for business requires you to form opinions, inform the public on current industry events, share industry tips without being paid (yes, it’s called sharing), and have conversations and fun with your blog target audience.

When your blog readers get to know the person behind the blog (you) and begin to like and trust that person, they’ll associate the company behind the blog with the person writing it.

In a nutshell, your blog positions your company in the market as an industry expert; it does not sell.

*A business-formal and rigidly professional resource for clients. Touching on what I said in the previous bullet point, a blog is not a sales tool; it’s a positioning tool. Therefore, it doesn’t act like other sales tools such as brochures, advertisements, pamphlets, and commercials. Those sales materials should have a business formality and professionalism to them. Your blog should not have the same tone as these sales materials.

In order to keep your readership’s attention, your blog should be engaging, fun, interactive, and personable. This will also help position your company in the market.

*An information base that’s all about you. No one cares about what you’re trying to sell or what your company is doing 24 / 7. Save that for the sidebar and the About Us page on your website.

Now, I must tell you that there is a fine line between telling a story that involves you and talking about yourself. When you can apply your personal story to valuable information or tips, that’s when you connect with your target audience. For example, you might say something along the lines of “I’ve made this mistake before, and I’ve learned a lot from this mistake. Here are five tips to avoid this same mistake.”

But when you’re simply talking about your company and how great you are, how does that benefit your readers? It doesn’t. So why would they care to visit your blog again?

*A useless information hub. What else is there to say but that your blog would be a boring, useless site, and a waste of your time?

Now that you know what a blog is and what it isn’t, it’s time to understand how components of your blog interact with each other.

There are two main elements to a blog that shape the way readers perceive you as an expert: the design / layout and the content. If one of these elements is missing from your brand image, you risk losing valuable readership.

Below are some tips to ensure that your blog’s main elements remain at their best:

Make sure your blog content is one of the below:

Interesting to your audience.
Engaging (whether through captivating words, interactive elements, or photos).
Written so that it speaks directly to your market’s needs / desires.
Truthful and authentic.
Consistently stimulating.

Make sure your blog design is all of the below:

In line with your brand image.
Visually pleasing.
Organized properly so that readers can easily find contact information and navigate your blog.
Quick to load.

Do you now have a better understanding of how a blog fits into the overall picture of your business success? Let us know in our comments section.

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Take Website Visitors through an Experience, Not a Torture Chamber

Michelle Salater — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 12:30:04 +0000

Creating an emotional stimulation within prospective and current customers is an art. If you’re phenomenal at math but can’t even draw a decent stick figure, you might want to reevaluate your creativity levels before attempting to write website copy or design your business website. I’m just saying that we all have different strengths and talents. No one talent is greater than the next.

Unless you want to try your hand at a new talent in which you can invest lots of time, leave your website design and web copywriting to professionals.

Here’s why:

You don’t want to make your prospects cringe: Bad or outdated website copy or design is enough to send creeping chills down your prospect’s spine. Potential customers want to see that a company they’re purchasing from is fresh, up-to-date, and always growing and evolving. If your web copy or design is stale and nonstimulating, you will not make a positive emotional connection with the prospect. Therefore, their logical thought processes will immediately kick in and say, “I’m not sure if this company is the right one to purchase from.”

Design and copy should facilitate an emotional response in the reader—something that connects the reader to your product or service. If your website design and copy are an inaccurate representation of your brand, you run a great risk of repelling future customers and even past customers.

You don’t want to anger your prospects: Well-written web copy and effective design can have a powerful influence on your prospects purchasing behavior. The goal of your website is to signal prospects to take an action or move to purchase or contact you. Web copy and design work hand in hand to ensure this process is smooth and stress-free for prospects. Poorly written web copy and design that is difficult to navigate will surely frustrate or anger your potential customers and influence them to leave your website and not take the action you intended.

Your website should take visitors through a joyful experience that ignites a positive emotion within them and either encourages them to take an action or visit your website again and again.

For example, think of your favorite websites. Why do you enjoy visiting these sites? You must find happiness in the experience you have on these websites or else you probably wouldn’t visit them again and again. Right? This is exactly how your website should act if you want to keep prospects and customers visiting and purchasing.

You don’t want to confuse your prospects: Let’s say you own a travel company that specializes in luxury destination honeymoons. Charlie and Anna are looking for a high-end travel company that will create the ultimate itinerary for their honeymoon. The couple hears two trusted, positive reviews for the same company. Both of the company referrers boast about how luxurious their trip through this travel company was. But when the couple visits the company’s website, the images aren’t loading, the web copy does not imply any benefits for them, there is no obvious contact information, and the logo looks “cheesy.” Unfortunately this company’s website and marketing materials aren’t in line with their brand message and portray an inaccurate image to the couple.

You can bet Charlie and Anna are fairly confused based on the referrals they received versus the website design and copy. They were envisioning something much more romantic and luxurious than what the website portrayed. They decide to further their research and go with a company whose brochure, website, logo, and personality are in line with their needs and desires.

The lesson learned is to always remember that it’s the whole package you’re selling to prospects. Your website should take them through an experience and be a pleasure—not a torturous venture through bad graphics, poorly written copy, and confusing navigation (also known as a nightmare).

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Why You Should Be Blogging for Your Travel Company

Michelle Salater — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:30:53 +0000

As part of our newest blog series, Blogging for Travel, where we interview and spotlight travel companies who are successfully blogging for business, this post focuses on the successes of travel company, Adventurous Wench.

Offering a wide variety of women-only trips and tours, Adventurous Wench provides the perfect vacations for single women and solo travelers.

In the below interview with Deanna Keahey, founder of Adventurous Wench, Deanna shares her effective blogging for business strategies.

Below is the interview:

1. What is the purpose of your blog? Specifically, who is it for and what does it provide to readers?

There are multiple audiences for our blog and various benefits for each of them.

For our previous travelers, our blog provides an on-going occasional stream of interesting tidbits about the places they’ve visited. This reminds them of their vacation and feeds their interest in that place. For instance, when I recently wrote an article about the Blasket Islands, I got responses from people who had been there on our Ireland trip, remembering how much they had enjoyed hiking around the island.

For future and prospective travelers, the blog provides a couple of different things. First, it gives them some concrete information about the destination, and what we do on our trips there. For instance, if you’re thinking of going to Sedona, on our blog you’d find a number of articles about the region and about our past trips there. This can give people a better idea of whether this destination and trip are what they really want to do. Second, less concrete but equally important, the blog gives them a sense of our company, approach, personality, and values. Reading our articles on a variety of topics can help convey these intangibles better than a sales page about “our values.”

For anybody, whether they’ll ever become a customer of ours or not, it can provide the same informational benefits, if they have questions about a place that we cover.

Also for anybody, I use this as another way to share my general philosophy of life, adventure, exploration, and fun. Along with informational posts, I include some inspirational thoughts and topics. These aren’t about promoting our company, but they are about the ideas behind the company.

2. Why did you decide to blog for business?

I was getting more and more involved in reading other people’s blogs at the time, and I saw a lot of value in it as an informal and flexible means of communication. It gives me a medium to write about anything that catches my interest, rather than having to fit into a structured website. I also like the informal, conversational feel of it. After seeing the benefits on other blogs, I decided to go for it myself.

3. Do you believe that blogging for business has helped you to express your brand message? If so, how has your blog helped you?

Yes, it has definitely helped. I think it helps in a couple of very different ways. The first is simply offering another communication channel to share pieces of that message, which combine to convey an overall impression of the brand. I think people are more likely to read material that is interesting and beneficial to them, with the brand personality and values communicated in a tangential way, than they are to read an obviously self-serving “this is our company” page on a website. It’s less direct but can come across as more honest, if you consistently convey a certain brand personality across many articles.

Second, writing the blog has helped me to clarify some of my own thoughts and develop my voice. Just sitting down and doing it makes a difference. Answering these questions for this very post is helping me to clarify some of my thoughts that were a bit hazy. And the more I write, the more I develop my own style and voice—which ends up being the voice of the company and voice of the brand.

4. How do you come up with your topic ideas?

I get topic ideas from a variety of sources:

Some posts are about an experience I just had. If I’m in Greece, I might write something about the island I’m on.

Some are related to a favorite photo. I’ve got thousands of trip photographs, and many of them have a story that goes with them.

Some are related to a recent event. When swine flu fears were rampant, I wrote about travel insurance and swine flu.

Some are related to a post on a different site—something I found interesting and wanted to link to and add my own comments.

Some are “behind the scenes” posts—something about my life and running the business.

Some are related to an inspirational quote—something I find meaningful and want to share.

5. How does blogging fit into your overall online marketing strategy? Where does your blog rank in terms of the most successful marketing strategy you have?

Blogging isn’t a stand-alone strategy; it ties other things together. One example is our monthly email newsletters. If we have a newsletter about the San Juan Islands, I’ll link it back to various interesting blog posts about trips to the San Juan Islands. The newsletter becomes more multidimensional, while the blog posts get new readers.

Another example is our Facebook page. Our blog posts also show up on Facebook, and we often have more interaction on Facebook than we do on the blog itself. The Facebook page benefits from the content in the blog, and the blog benefits from the exposure on Facebook. Because the blog is so intertwined with our other efforts, I really can’t separate it out for a ranking. I can say that if we cut out the blog, it would have wider ramifications than just the blog itself.

Deanna Keahey

About Deanna Keahey and Adventurous Wench:

Deanna Keahey is the founder of Adventurous Wench, a company with the mission of inspiring and facilitating adventurous travel experiences for women. Find adventurous trips, travel-related products, and, of course, Deanna’s blog, at www.AdventurousWench.com.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in our comments section?

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Understanding the New Ways to Market Online

Michelle Salater — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:30:32 +0000

You know it’s true: you cannot continue to chase your tail in circles, marketing the same way you have been and expecting different results. After all, that’s the definition of insanity, isn’t it?

The game has changed: how markets react, how people search for information, prospects’ attention spans, and prospects’ purchasing behavior.

While it’s easier than ever to market online, generate more exposure, and bring in more business, in order to do so, you have to understand the new rules of the game.

If you’re feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or simply want to ramp up your online marketing efforts, then you’ll want to join me for a free webinar on “Marketing in a New Media World” happening Wednesday, July 21, 2010, at 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST. During this one-hour event, I’ll be showing you how I successfully market my own company and help my clients achieve the results they desire.

Reserve your spot here.

On this one-hour webinar, you will learn how to . . .

Easily locate and engage with your target market and key influencers.
Share your brand message without selling (or being annoying and pushy).
Be found online using new search trends.
Integrate social media into every aspect of your business.
Effectively market your business blog.
Create and market content that people want to read and share.

Reserve your seat today.

Again, the free webinar happens Wednesday, July 21, 2010, at 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST. You’ll be able to ask questions via webinar chat, so come prepared with questions, and make sure you attend the live event. I’ll also be giving away some free gifts, but only to those who are on the live webinar.

Feel free to share this event with your friends and colleagues, but please make sure you reserve your spot HERE.

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Self Independence and Soul Purpose Felt during Potential Client Conversations

Michelle Salater — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:30:29 +0000

I’m thrilled and honored to have my coach, Sasha Sabbeth, as a guest blogger on Copy Doodle. Through her wisdom and guidance, Sasha has coached me to grow my business to what it is today.

Below is her article: Self Independence and Soul Purpose Felt during Potential Client Conversations

Carried upon the lingering feelings of this past Fourth of July, I think of Soul Purpose and our own sense of Spiritual Independence. Similar to our great nation of America, we have our own personal journeys towards independence, freedom, and the right to enjoy a passion filled existence. The knowledge of identifying, comprehending, and harnessing one’s Soul Purpose path can act as a tool to attain a greater sense of such freedom with confidence to live a life that we long to live.

As business owners, potential client conversations can sometimes challenge our sense of Spiritual Independence, freedom with confidence, and our creative skills to “make the sale.”

I have found that sometimes during such communications, a mistaken belief tells us that our potential client holds a key to our success and freedom to have our chosen life. From that mindset, both you and your potential client might feel a pressure, tension, and fear rather than a flow of enjoyment, wonder, and confidence within the sales process. In those moments, my suggestion is to step back and ground one’s self in what one knows about what Soul Purpose means to them and their spiritual understanding of the true source of their well being and financial health.

When I remind myself of my Soul Purpose, I find a greater access to empowering emotions, creativity, inner peace, confidence, intuition, and discernment. I know that I may be asking a lot here! However, if you want that sense of freedom, independence, and flow, especially during potential client conversations, this mindset might be your winning formula!

Here are tips to consider:

1. Our internal spiritual Source will provide what we need to thrive versus an external person being that Source. Trust that the Universe loves you and is supporting your highest good.

2. Our life is meticulously designed to teach and preen us to bring forth powerful gifts into our respective worlds. Our vigil is to remember that we are a gift just as we are.

3. Our tool kit to thrive and soar includes the inner wisdom of our Intuition. Take time to deepen your access to your intuition.

4. If a particular customer or client is not a fit, then let them go. The aligned clients and customers will appear in your lives at just the right moment according to Divine Timing.

5. A potential client or customer will clearly let you know through their “Yes” or “No” to your services and products whether or not they are on YOUR Soul Purpose path.

6. There is no failure or mistake. The discomfort of receiving a “No” to your business offerings can lead to your deeper, more loving relationship with yourself.

May today bring you greater harmony, excitement, and confidence about your Soul Purpose Brilliance.

May every “No” that you may hear from a potential client or customer resounds inside of you as your cue to embrace deeper aspects of yourself.

May every “Yes” that you hear from a potential client or customer resound inside of you as cause for celebration that you are honoring your Soul Purpose and compounding your Spiritual Independence to be your Authentic Self.

About Sasha

Sasha Sabbeth is the Entrepreneur’s Intuition And Purpose Soul Coach with 23 years experience as a personal, spiritual, and business development consultant, speaker, and healer. She teaches her clients tools for business development, Intuition, Soul Purpose, Energy Field

healing and success skills when her clients know that something is missing. Sasha’s signature message is: Succeed In Sync With Your Soul ™ Bonus gifts including the opportunity to apply for a free Strategy Session are available at Entrepreneursoulcoach.com. Video blog posts are on Sasha’s blog.

You can connect with Sasha through social media networking: Facebook fan page: Your Soul Purpose Brilliance With Sasha Sabbeth, on Twitter, and on You Tube.

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Hiring a Copywriter: So Much More Than Words on a Page

Michelle Salater — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:30:43 +0000

What is the benefit to your business of hiring a copywriter?

Have you ever thought about it?

Let’s back up. What is a copywriter?

Most people think anyone can write copy, when in reality a copywriter is a highly skilled wordsmith who knows how to speak to your target market and influence them to buy. They highlight the pros of your company and minimize the cons. Simply put, a copywriter influences prospect behavior through the written word.

So what? You might ask. Anyone can slap words onto a web page and convince people to buy.

Not so fast.

To sell your product, you need copy that resonates with your target audience and motivates them to take action. A good writer knows the benefits of your product and conveys them to your prospects through several key avenues.

Higher search results rankings

Copywriters research and determine the keywords and phrases your prospects use to search for solutions to their problems. You provide the solution they need, so a copywriter will weave these words throughout the copy and add them to the internal meta data of your website.

When your prospects go to Google and search for the solution to their problem, they’ll find you.

Effective brand messaging

To make an informed decision to buy, your prospects need to understand what you do and how you do it. Your company needs a single, clear brand message. A good writer knows this and can create a cohesive brand message that is unambiguous and speaks loudly to your target audience.

Whether you have only a website, or you use brochures, white papers, press releases, and articles, by using a copywriter your brand message stays uniform and consistent throughout your marketing materials.

Compelling company and product story

Your prospect is at your website and understands what you do and how you do it. Great. Now he or she needs to make the decision to buy. Your copywriter carefully and skillfully outlines the benefits of buying from you and drives your prospect to take action and contact you, either to buy or for more information.

It’s all about your prospects, and they don’t care about you or the fact that you’ve been in business for 59 years. They want to know what they receive—what’s in it for them. Your copywriter ensures that they see exactly how their problem is solved and how it will make their lives better.

Your prospect buys and is now your client, thanks to your copywriter.

When you have a copywriter working with you on every aspect of your marketing strategy, you can’t help but generate more business and sales. He or she is a vital part of your team and essential to your success. Find a good copywriter, and you’ll never have to worry about sales again.

What are you doing to portray an accurate brand message? Let us know in our comments section.

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Developing a Brand through Website Design: Part II

Michelle Salater — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:00:53 +0000

In case you missed Part I of Developing a Brand through Website Design, you can view the post here.

Below is Part II of Developing a Brand through Website Design. This post is an interview with Sunni Chapman, founder and owner of Efflorescence, who discusses the essential components associated with branding a business. Specifically, Sunni shares her web design expertise and illustrates the importance of website design in attracting clients and expressing a clear brand message.

5. How do lines, shapes, and colors play a role in the tone of a website?

MAJORLY! Most people look at a website, and they will immediately like it, dislike it, or love it, but they can’t pinpoint why.

This is the very immediate and intuitive response that enables truly outstanding design to be so powerful. We’ve all walked past something in the street, or in a gallery, or on our travels that just made us stop and look for a minute, right? You don’t give it a lot of thought at first; you just stop in a second or two of pure awe and intrigue.

I believe it is in those first few seconds of awe that we are all looking from the same perspective, the pure presence, and alert appreciation that a moment brings. It’s something we all have from time to time, and different people find it in different things. But there is something unpronounced in that moment that speaks volumes to people, and this is what design is able to do.

Once a design has captured its viewer’s attention, you have enabled your viewer to see beyond “just another website” and opened him or her up to the potential of yours.

Lines, shapes, and colors play a vital and essential role in creating a visual piece of work that is able to capture people’s attention in just the right way. These elements play a pivotal role in creating the tone of the website, as well as the person that website will most likely attract.

For example, straight lines and cool hues will convey a more masculine, contemporary tone to a website design, and fluid lines, curves, and a softer, slightly warmer color palette will translate into a more feminine and earthen tone. But what happens when you introduce other textures, colors, typeface, or shapes into either of these? This is the role of a good designer: to take all of these elements and combine them in a way that speaks to multiple sensibilities while still working harmoniously to create a visually pleasing overall design.

There is a great deal of subtlety and trial and error in this process, and that is why good design takes the time that it does. Just another thing that I love about the artistic process!

6. What is the most challenging aspect of web design? How do you overcome this challenge?

To be quite honest with you, the greatest challenge is getting started! I realize now that this is always the time in the project when you’re just “thinking about it.” The actual design process has not begun yet, but you are just faced with creating an entirely new and original design for a new and wonderful client. You want to give him or her the absolute best design ever but aren’t sure what that’s going to look like yet or where it’s going to come out of. Therefore, the beginning of a project can be quite intimidating at first.

I have learned over the years (and am still learning with every new job) that it’s best not to get stuck at this stage and not to “think” about it too much. I just try to dive right in, start playing, and see what comes up. You could easily get trapped in “perfectionist” mode and never go anywhere. It’s the same with painters and all other artists—you just have to let go and get your hands dirty. When you do this, you free yourself from the biggest thing that holds all people back in all professions: fear. Once you free yourself from fear, you have cleared the path for the full potential of the design. Even though I know this, it is still a struggle to let that piece go each time. This is why I usually start by searching through photographic images or illustrations that are relevant or will be used in the design—this always inspires me and gets me in the rhythm.

The other most challenging aspect of web design, for any designer, is probably changes to the designs. Sometimes what a client has in their mind just does not translate well from a design perspective. It can sometimes be challenging as a designer to let go, even though it goes against your better “design judgment.” Whenever a client requests changes, I first approach the client with my recommendations and thoughts. And, if he or she still wants to do otherwise, I resolve to do the best that I can to find a solution that best serves both purposes. I always want to ensure my client is happy with the end result!

7. What do you think is the number one mistake businesses make with their websites?

I think the number one mistake businesses make with their websites is not fully believing in their website’s potential. There is an incredible amount of power and potential in a website, but unfortunately, it is often untapped.

So many business owners think that it will be enough just to get a website published, to get their name out there, or get the most amount of content that they can in order to increase their search engine rankings. They don’t feel as though the appearance of the website matters much and don’t care how the information is conveyed, as long as they come up in a search and the site looks “okay.”

But having your website pull up on search results is only half the battle. Thousands of websites come up in a search when you type in any key term, but once they click on your website, how are you going to keep them there? Even if they were referred to you directly, you still need to find a way to keep these potential customers on your website.

Cultures the world over are incredibly visual. If you do not visually engage your audience in those first few seconds, you have lost them. There is nothing to distinguish your site from the next site, and there is no reason for them to not look elsewhere and find a more stimulating user experience or a lower price.

Plus, at a time when anyone can publish a website for any product or service virtually overnight for next to nothing, businesses really need to visually establish themselves as a serious and trustworthy brand and stand out from the pack. This is why it’s crucial to develop a unique style and substance in your website, so that you can create brand recognition and trust, and so that you can show your potential customers the true value of your service or product. Because when a company has invested in their positive image—it shows. And it speaks volumes to the business character and integrity.

I have received many emails over the years from people who wrote me for no other reason than to say, “This website truly moved and inspired me—it’s beautiful!” And that to me is SO amazing and fills me with gratitude. The fact that people from all over the world would take a moment out of their busy day—not because they need something, but just to note that appreciation and that they were touched on some level by one of my designs—is truly a wonderful feeling. This, coupled with the great successes of so many of my talented and amazing clients, is how I know that when you truly commit and put your absolute best into your business, the world rises to greet you, and the rewards follow suit.

About Sunni

Sunni is pronounced “Sunn-e”, but don’t worry, I get “soon-e” all the time. It’s my fault for spelling it that way! It’s short for Sunshine—which you can blame my dear mother for. But even though for the majority of my young adult life I despised the name and its chipper implications, I have come to discover that I do indeed love to shine a little light in this world, in any way I can. So I guess she was on to something. Thanks, Mom.

Having always had a creative spirit and a love of art in all its forms, I serendipitously stumbled into this wonderful field of design while taking fine art classes at a not-name-dropping-worthy, but perfectly located community college. It was here that I fell in love with design, counted my blessings that I had found something productive I could do with my creative aspirations, and earned my degree in Applied Art & Design. After three years as a senior designer for a local design firm, I struck out on my own and opened Bella Fiore Art & Design in the hopes of creating a design firm that is driven by art, rather than functionality alone, and that provides a level of service to its clients that is hard to come by in the web design field.

Fast forward eight years, and I am proud to say that Bella Fiore was and continues to be a remarkable success, and the wonderful people that I have worked for have made that possible. I could not be more grateful for everything that has transpired (and I mean everything), and I look forward to the continuing success of Efflorescence under the same belief and principles.

~ Sunni (& Kita — lapdog designer extraordinaire)

Visit the Efflorescence website here.

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Developing a Brand through Website Design: Part I

Michelle Salater — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:00:33 +0000

It was our pleasure to interview Sunni Chapman, founder and owner of Efflorescence, on the essential components associated with branding a business. Specifically, Sunni shares her web design expertise and illustrates the importance of website design in attracting clients and expressing a clear brand message.

Below is the interview:

1. You recently rebranded. What inspired you to do this, and what’s different about the new company?

After eight successful years under Bella Fiore Art & Design, I decided that I wanted to further hone in on my original intention for my business. A year earlier, when I happened upon the word “Efflorescence” and read it’s definition, I knew the name was the perfect “suit” for my original intention.

Efflorescence, in this use of the word, is defined as:

efflorescence: 1 a: the action or process of developing and unfolding as if coming into flower : blossoming ; periods of intellectual and artistic efflorescence — b: an instance of such development c: fullness of manifestation : culmination c: to reach an optimum stage of development; to begin to bloom ; to blossom : simple concepts that effloresce.

This definition really spoke to me, and I immediately knew that this is what I wanted to further convey to my clients. What I wanted to speak to with my rebranding was the recognition that all of our endeavors and ideas are constantly evolving and unfolding to reach their highest potential. And when it comes to clients’ business aspirations, I believe they deserve no less than the full exploration of how that business will present itself to the world visually.

I believe I offer a unique service and perspective in the web design world as I take more into account than just meets the eye. I am able to get a better sense of the people behind businesses and their best intentions for it, and the energy of what they’re trying to create. I then translate these intentions and visions into a visual piece that is not only engaging to their perspective customers, but that also speaks to them through the subtleties of art and design and inspires them to explore further.

Bella Fiore had the same intention, and in fact means “Beautiful Flower” in Italian—so the developing and unfolding / coming into blossom concept has always been there. But I felt that some of it had gotten lost in trying to be “all things to all people,” rather than focusing on my strengths and what I do best, which is putting all my energy into working with people who recognize and value just that.

I also realized that, on a personal level, I was a little hidden in my old website. Therefore, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to focus on the fullness of my own manifestation, and by putting myself out there, I hoped that I would attract and work with more people who want to do the same.

2. Your designs are extremely unique and stunning. Where do you get your inspiration / ideas for your designs?

First things first, thank you!!

The short answer to that question is quite literally everywhere! I find inspiration in so many things, from the wondrous to the seemingly mundane. The natural world around us is one of my biggest sources of inspiration. The colors and textures and lines and curves found in nature speak to all of us on an intuitive, yet profound level. These are the “grounds” or foundation that I always begin with.

I also draw a great deal of inspiration from the world of “things” and, in particular, the old world of things such as vintages, found items, and antiques. I love imagery, textures, or treatment that evoke nostalgia or a sense of familiarity, and I feel that, when these are coupled with the elements of nature, it creates a powerful response in people. Not that most people realize everything that is happening when they look at a design, but they feel something and that inspires them to explore further.

3. How do you decide what colors and graphics / images to use for each particular client?

I first ask clients what their particular likes or dislikes are, if they have any—but that’s just the first and most obvious step. I next ask them what designs of mine they were first or most drawn to, and then what designs or images of others they are most drawn to. This not only gives me a good sense of their individual aesthetic, but also provides me with more of an insight into who they are, what they want to achieve, and whom they are trying to reach. Once I know all of this, I then go into the design process with that intention in mind and gather imagery, colors, textures, and typeface that I feel will best express their objectives.

For some, clean lines, contemporary colors, and a bold initiative are ideal, and for others fluidity, subtlety, and a natural palette fit perfectly. The diversity and potential each project presents is what I love best about this work! It is always evolving.

4. Who is your ideal client? Specifically, which clients provide you with the most room for creativity?

My ideal client is just that, as a matter of fact—ones who provide me the most room for creativity. The clients that I have not only enjoyed working with the most, but whom I have also seen reap the greatest benefits from my work, are those who came in the door knowing full well what they were about. They knew what they wanted to achieve and attract and what they liked / disliked in terms of design, but they immediately gave their full trust to me in regards to artistic vision and interpretation as a design professional.

Not only do these ideal clients allow the designer to explore the full potential from the vantage point of his or her professional training, these clients also know the value in that and are prepared to make that investment in their business’ most valuable marketing tool—a website. This combination makes for powerful business owners. They have clear directive on who they are and what they want. They believe in their own vision, and they want others to be able to see that vision in the same way they do; therefore, they invest their time and resources in that endeavor wholeheartedly. I applaud all of my clients for having the courage and foresight to follow their dreams and see them through!

Stay tuned for Part II of this post.

About Sunni

~ Sunni (& Kita — lapdog designer extraordinaire)

Visit the Efflorescence website here.

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How One Excuse Can Stifle Your Business Success

Michelle Salater — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:00:11 +0000

On a weekly basis, I have a conversation with a handful of companies who are looking for unique ways to reach their market and continue to nurture existing clients. Whether it’s a conversation with a prospect or client, vendor or colleague, there is a common thread: company owners are scrambling to keep up with the changes in technology and to attract and keep the attention of their target market, and these owners are uncertain as to why they are not engaging with prospects the way they used to.

Things have changed: how markets react, how people search for information, prospects’ attention spans, and prospects’ purchasing behavior.

Most of the business owners I come in contact with would agree with me on the above statements. And, if asked, they agree that they need to invest in the future of their company and change the way they communicate and interact with prospects, current clients, and old clients.

However (and here is where it gets real interesting), when I ask these business owners if they are ready to update their website or have it redesigned, completely change their message, ditch the brochure and business cards they’ve been passing out for the past 5 years, well, their answers are contrary to their willingness to grow their company.

I hear a variety of responses, some of which go something like this . . .

No one comes to our website, so why should we bother?
The budget isn’t there right now.
We’re using social media and don’t need to worry about it.
My spouse doesn’t think it’s a good idea.
I’ve hired my brother’s nephew’s friend to help with online marketing because he’s in college for IT.

These business owners want to grow and change with the times, yet they’re unwilling to invest, to step up and do what they need to do to produce the results they desire.

I understand budgets might be tight or that your team is spread thin, but here’s the truth: if you want to compete in the market place (both on- and offline), then you’re going to have to invest in your brand identity and in your marketing efforts.

How prospects and current clients perceive your brand is of vital importance to the growth of your company. Why? Because appearances matter, and they are the key to your business success. Businesses change, just as people do. As we do with our physical appearance, our homes, and the items we purchase, companies must keep their brand image current.

Not only does your business image matter, but it also has a lasting effect. Psychologists call it the halo effect. When the visual message you put out into the world is positive, the prospective client you just handed a brochure to or invited to check out your website or blog will assume that other aspects about you are also positive.

The reverse is also true—if you make a negative impression, you don’t always get a second chance to undo a poor first impression. Online, you often have one chance.

Your business image—whether on your website or marketing collateral—is the strongest sales tools you have, no matter which business you may be in. The tone, the design, the message, and the images you use, all must reflect your company’s brand personality. A professional image must be reflected in all your marketing, and your brand image must be consistent.

If your website is spectacular, but your messaging is diluted or confusing, you won’t get the results you’re working for. Similarly, if your print collateral is top-notch but your online presence looks outdated, you’re going to project an inaccurate image, which will deter your prospects from choosing to do business with you.

From creating a strong brand image to changing how you communicate, you’re going to have to step up sooner or later. Why wait until you lose major clients or get passed up by another company?

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Direct Mail as a Defender of Customer Loyalty

Michelle Salater — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:00:41 +0000

It is our pleasure to introduce guest blogger, Blase Ciabaton, direct mail professional and author of The Direct Mail Man blog, to our Copy Doodle readers. Blase’s unique blog caters to small businesses and tackles issues related to customer prospecting, improving response rate, and identifying targeted mailing lists.

Below is Blase’s guest post on Direct Mail as a Defender of Customer Loyalty:

How much do you love your existing customers? According to John Coe, author of, The Fundamentals of Business To Business Sales and Marketing, “68% of long-term customers stop buying because they just don’t feel loved.” In addition to feeling snubbed, the simple fact is that your customers will completely forget that you exist if you fail to communicate with them. What can you do about this?

Start with the basics. Recognize key customers on their birthdays, and send all customers periodic communication to acknowledge national or local holidays. This may sound hokey, but every time I send out a holiday campaign like this, I get business-every time! There’s no pitch for business in these communications, so they are very easy to plan and execute.It’s like tapping each customer on the shoulder and saying, “I just wanted to remind you that I care about you, and I’m here when you need me.”

If you need help remembering birthdays, I use www.birthday-reminders.com. Why do I like this website? Because it’s simple & free. Sure you could try to manage clients’ birthdays via Facebook or another social media platform, but when you go to birthday-reminder.com you won’t get distracted. The site has a single purpose which makes it extremely efficient. It e-mails you 1 week before each person’s birthday, and then again on their actual birthday. It even has a free feature that you can use to request any birthdays that you’re missing. For the most important clients, I not only send a card, but I also call them personally to wish them happy birthday. I found that this is a powerful way to establish rapport, and keep an open line of communication with your customers.

What’s the next step? Once you’ve mastered the more basic forms of communication and client interaction, you can move on to product-related offers. These types of interactions require some sort of call to action. The most effective offers involve some form of interaction between your client and your company.Technology has made it much easier to initiate this interaction, and to leverage existing data that you have about your clients. This includes utilizing information like:

the date of the last purchase
the amount of the last purchase
the frequency of purchases over a defined period of time
suggesting a complimentary product based on an earlier product or service that your client purchased

This type of information is typically referred to as “variable data.” Leveraging variable data helps to assure that your communication is more about each specific customer and less about your company.

The next technological leap in personalization involves using PURLs (Personalized URLs). The advent of PURLS creates a bridge between traditional print communication and your company’s online presence. A PURL campaign uses a printed piece, typically a postcard or letter, to drive customers to a specific website where they are greeted by name. Each specific micro-webpage typically incorporates their first and last name in the url/web address. In this scenario, if you mail to 1,000 existing clients, you will have 1,000 unique webpages. These micro pages will share much of the same info except for the specific information that you choose to personalize for each client. Can you see the theme here? Effective campaigns get your customers to interact with you because they are all about the customer!

If you’re wondering how to gauge the effectiveness of a PURL campaign, it’s very simple because you’ll get data back that tells you which recipients went to their unique web page, and where they clicked!

So you say, “That’s way too complicated!” The reality is while using PURLs may only have been an option for large businesses a few years back, it’s now a cost-effective marketing vehicle for small businesses and nonprofits. If you see the value in product-related campaigns for your business, but are intimidated by the additional thought and planning that’s required to pull off a successful campaign then it may be time to ask for help. In fact, it may make a lot of sense to work with a marketing professional or professional copy writer to create and execute a product-related campaign. When done correctly, these campaigns GENERATE REVENUE for your business so money spent of these campaigns is truly an investment in your business.

Do you still feel like money invested on marketing to your existing customers is a waste of time? If so, please consider that According to Marketing Sherpa it costs 5-7 times more to acquire a new customer than it does to sell more to an existing customer. The reality is that you can’t afford NOT to market to your existing customers.

Where can I start? Start simple & start now! While a full-scale customer loyalty plan can be intimidating, it’s not an excuse to continue to neglect your existing clients. Learn to crawl before you try to start running; start collecting the birthdays of your most important clients right now! Plan a simple direct mail or e-mail campaign to recognize your customers on the next local or national holiday. Even these very basic interactions help to maintain top of mind awareness with your clients and show them that you care. The future of your company depends on your ability to prevent the defection of the 68% of long-term customer who feel “unloved.”Start today!

About the Author: In 2009, Blase Ciabaton used his 6 years of expertise as a direct mail professional to launch the blog www.TheDirectMailMan.com. The blog caters to small businesses and tackles issues related to customer prospecting, improving response rate & identifying targeted mailing lists. If you found this post valuable you may want to sign up for his weekly e-newsletter or following his blog’s rss feed.