http://www.figureseven.com/blog Web site development and online marketing insight and information from Figureseven, Inc. (http://www.figureseven.com) en-us Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:02:05 EST info@figureseven.com info@figureseven.com http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/02/22/create-once-share-many/ You may be familiar with the acronym, WORM, which stands for Write Once, Read Many. It refers to resilient data storage media that can be written to once but read from an unlimited number of times. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:02:05 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/02/22/create-once-share-many/#51 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/02/16/oops-facebook-did-it-again/ It’s been a few weeks since Facebook launched another major change to their home page, and once again, it wasn’t without some public outcry. Almost a year ago when Facebook changed their site a self-sponsored poll found that over 94% of users disliked it. They eventually caved to user pressure and rolled back some of the changes. I guess people didn’t like the 1997-esque rounded corners on the profile pictures. Similarly, last October, Facebook released another set of design changes that altered the news feed! This even spurred a group called “PLEASE GIVE US OUR OLD NEWS FEED BACK!” that attracted well over half a million supporters. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:02:36 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/02/16/oops-facebook-did-it-again/#50 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/29/blog-guidelines-iii/ I conclude my 3-part treatise on blog content with a few other thoughts to keep in mind: Make sure that the topic is clear to someone who only reads the headline. Make sure that the lead paragraph tells who and what the story is about and why the reader should care about it. Make sure that it is free of jargon . Ask your readers a question at the end or include something to stimulate readers to comment and provide feedback. Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:01:56 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/29/blog-guidelines-iii/#49 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/27/blog-guidelines-ii/ Here are some additional thoughts on what goes into a good blog, one that will keep site visitors returning to read more: Keep it lively, make it snappy and snazzy. Even if you aren't a natural born writer, you can write for your blog. Just write like you're speaking to your friend or to yourself! Remember though, get to the point quickly. Keep in mind the journalist's rule of 5 W's in the first paragraph: who, what, why, when and where. Write clearly (short sentences, only one concept per sentence). Use a clear headline, and don't be afraid to make bold statements (but don't mislead people either). Write like you talk. It's okay to use common expressions from speech. Examples: Go figure. Don't even go there. Now, I ask you. Gotta love it. (And, remember the age group of your readers – try to avoid using jargon that they might be unfamiliar with.)   Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:01:12 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/27/blog-guidelines-ii/#48 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/25/blog-guidelines-i/ After writing my last blog about the importance of blogs, I realized that some people might be a bit in awe of the prospect of writing a blog. To help assuage those fears, here are some guidelines that I believe will help you to craft your message more effectively. Write with the reader in mind - your reader will read your post looking for what's in it for them. Make it valuable and worthwhile. Don't waste people's time. If you don't have anything to say, no problem, plenty other people do. Proof-read for typos and glaring grammatical errors (this is also something that I will do before we post anything). Respect your readers by polishing up your stuff. Keep it short and simple. Most people are scanners. You may have a lot to say and think it interesting, and it may be. But people are reading online and out of time. Get to the point quickly. Publishing short posts more frequently is a better format than publishing lengthy articles every few weeks. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 09:01:33 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/25/blog-guidelines-i/#47 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/22/a-study-in-common-sense-marketing/ I wanted to offer my congratulations to Scott Brown for running a very savvy (and successful) campaign - from a marketing perspective. Politics aside, he seemed to better understand how advertisements can effectively position you against your competition. The ads that he ran on television (and I'm not talking about ones paid for by some outside organization interested in the outcome for its own reasons) were simple and explained his positions and views. I cannot recall seeing even one ad from the Coakley campaign that detailed what exactly it was that she stood for. Rather, they were all aimed at taking shots at Mr. Brown. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:01:06 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/22/a-study-in-common-sense-marketing/#46 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/21/avoiding-blog-malaise/ One of the biggest challenges of interactive marketing is generating pertinent blog content that will be of value to your customers. They come to your site to learn about your products and services and to perhaps pick up some inside information that is unavailable anywhere else. Blogs offer access and immediacy – getting a “traditional” press release placed might require a 45-day lead time. Getting news out on your web site requires no such time lag. And blogs allow for subjectivity – these are your thoughts and views, so express them. Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:01:36 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/21/avoiding-blog-malaise/#45 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/07/i-hate-to-be-critical-but/ This past weekend, I took the time to watch a number of football games. And while I was pleased by the Patriot’s victory and a bit disappointed by BC’s loss (though it was not unexpected), I was astounded by the number of really poor commercials that ran during those games. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:01:22 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2010/01/07/i-hate-to-be-critical-but/#44 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/23/figuresevens-new-years-resolutions/ At the end of every December, we like to take a look back at the previous year and try to assess the things we did well and things we didn’t do so well. We use this reflection to help us put together our goals for the upcoming year, always striving to provide exceptional quality and service to our growing list of clients. Since we’re big on client communication, we figured we’d share some of our New Year's resolutions with you so you’d know what to expect in 2010. While I’m sure my personal resolutions, such as running on the treadmill every morning, will fizzle out by the second week in January, we pledge to you that our corporate resolutions will be much more steadfast. Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:12:53 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/23/figuresevens-new-years-resolutions/#43 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/16/every-time-a-bell-rings-a-site-gets-indexed-by-google/ This past weekend, in what seems to be an increasingly rare occasion nowadays, my wife and I were able to find some time to sit and relax on the couch and watch some television together. It just so happened that It’s a Wonderful Life was on, which is one of my favorite perennial classic Christmas movies. We didn’t start watching until the part where an agitated and frustrated George Bailey returns home to his wife and children after having realized that he can’t find the missing $8,000. But since nothing beats the way “Mary” sounds when Jimmy Stewart says it, we continued to watch and enjoy the remainder of the movie. I think what I like most about that movie is its clear demonstration of life’s interconnectedness. The effect that one man’s life can have on the world (similar to the butterfly effect) is no doubt akin to the dependencies and interrelations of the Internet. Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:12:16 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/16/every-time-a-bell-rings-a-site-gets-indexed-by-google/#42 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/14/3-things-i-want-for-christmas/ 1. For our country to be appreciated by other nations for all we do for the rest of the world. We have always answered the call when asked by other nations for our help. We always send copious amounts of relief and rescue aid whenever a disaster strikes anywhere else in the world. While we’re not always right, we’re never afraid to stand up for the rights of others. All I know that is that this world would be in far greater disrepair if it did not have the United States to turn to in a time of crisis. Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:12:15 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/14/3-things-i-want-for-christmas/#41 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/11/new-olympic-logo-showcases-potential-pitfalls-of-placement/    Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:12:56 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/11/new-olympic-logo-showcases-potential-pitfalls-of-placement/#40 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/08/some-thoughts-on-tiger-from-a-marketing-perspective/ I was at a wedding over the weekend and had a fascinating discussion with other people in the field about Tiger Woods' value as a corporate spokesman now. One individual stated that because his brand is so strong and he drives so much in sales that the ongoing travails will have minimal effect on his salability. Unfortunately, I think she might be correct. And isn’t that a shame. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:12:44 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/12/08/some-thoughts-on-tiger-from-a-marketing-perspective/#39 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/23/are-radio-listeners-getting-to-your-web-site/ On my way into work this morning I heard a radio commercial for a company called Trupanion. I was only half paying attention when I heard a man’s voice say something like, “we had to have our cat put down…it was so sad…but it didn’t cost us anything.” As soon as I heard that you could have a cat put down for nothing, my ears perked up! (Just kidding, Lulu!) Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:11:26 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/23/are-radio-listeners-getting-to-your-web-site/#38 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/10/the-rule-of-3/ After viewing a client’s product presentation last week, I was reminded that there are certain basic design and content rules that should be applied to any PowerPoint presentation. One of the most logical yet often least-practiced is what I call “The Rule of 3.” This simply refers to the number of bullet points that you should have on any slide. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:11:56 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/10/the-rule-of-3/#37 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/09/sometimes-simple-is-better-avoiding-feature-creep/ Dilbert: "Your requirements call for 4000 features! You realize that no Human would be able to operate a product with this level of complexity?" Scott Adams Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:11:05 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/09/sometimes-simple-is-better-avoiding-feature-creep/#36 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/03/you-can-teach-an-old-blog-new-tricks/ I came to a stark realization the other day while watching my two daughters (1 and 3) play together. My oldest was rambling on about something (probably trying to explain nuclear physics) to my 1 year old. I overheard a series of statements ending in “okay?” or “see, Jules?”, no doubt trying to confirm that her messages were properly being conveyed and received. As I listened more closely, I realized that my 3 year old’s imagination was just running wild and was filling my youngest’s head with complete and utter nonsense. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:11:30 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/03/you-can-teach-an-old-blog-new-tricks/#35 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/03/a-marketing-strategy-that-makes-no-sense-to-me/ After watching more than one sporting event on television this past weekend, I can honestly say that I have never understood the fascination that companies have with being: “The Official ____________ (Fill in whatever the product/service being offered is – rug company, furniture store, tire dealer/windshield replacement) for ___________ (Fill in the Name of a Sports Team/Organization Here).” Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:11:42 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/11/03/a-marketing-strategy-that-makes-no-sense-to-me/#34 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/30/thank-you-leonard-kleinrock/ News that the Internet turned 40 this week reminded me (and other marketing professionals who spent years plying their trade without it) how much harder our jobs used to be before it existed. Where to begin the list: Let’s start with “Doing research” – learning about potential client companies and their competition; developing media plans by investigating potential media outlets that would be appropriate for ads and releases;   Next, “Getting client approval for created pieces” – instead of driving to clients and showing them iteration after iteration of a brochure or ad, we now simply send over a PDF for immediate approval – massively consolidating the timeline and enabling us to get a lot more done in a lot less time;   Next, “Material submission” – getting ads and release to the appropriate outlets went from days to minutes thanks to the internet;   Finally, “Interactive Marketing” – used to be that only print or broadcast media were the only ways to get a client message out; now, Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. make information distribution a snap. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:10:56 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/30/thank-you-leonard-kleinrock/#33 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/29/why-isnt-my-email-marketing-working/ Many companies are now taking advantage of the ease of email marketing. Most people are doing it themselves using tools like Constant Contact or Emma. So what’s the problem with that? The problem is that they typically result in poor performance and unhappy customers! Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:10:06 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/29/why-isnt-my-email-marketing-working/#32 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/26/the-true-value-of-promotional-items/ I just returned from a local trade show. In my possession were countless pens, some magnets, three different shapes and sizes of Patriots' schedules and a combination compass-key chain (which I guess I am supposed to use when I’m lost in the forest looking for where I parked my car). Too many of the booths were unmanned with promotional items just lying there for the taking (which I am proud to say I did very little of). Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:10:11 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/26/the-true-value-of-promotional-items/#31 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/21/are-you-sure-your-web-site-is-in-english/ Did you ever notice how stilted the language seems to be on the web sites of certain European, Indian and Asian companies. It never ceases to amaze me that companies located in foreign countries have people from those countries create the "English" version of their web site. For anyone for whom English is a second language, grasping the nuances and verbal flow of our language can at times be a tricky proposition. Sometimes it involves punctuation errors, others times it is simply a misunderstanding and misapplication of the language. But too often, the result is content that is harder to read than it should be. If they care about the quality of the message they are delivering (and the subsequent sales that they hope to generate), then these companies should invest in having "a native" rewrite their web site in "English." Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:10:30 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/21/are-you-sure-your-web-site-is-in-english/#30 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/12/more-than-just-a-name-or-a-symbol/ Your corporate brand should always be more than simply a corporate logo. To be effective, it must compellingly convey what your company stands for, be it high quality, exceptional reliability, or some other distinguishing characteristic. It should by some manner or means reflect both your corporate strategy and your corporate vision. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:10:26 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/12/more-than-just-a-name-or-a-symbol/#29 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/06/another-observation-from-the-back-cubicle/ While I rarely enjoy receiving a telemarketing call (no matter what time of day I receive them), I get even more annoyed by telemarketers who brutally mispronounce my name and then try to carry on a conversation with me like everything is fine. This is where outsourcing these services to some foreign country where English is a second language (or simply using callers for whom English is a second language) really hurts whomever is using the company to make calls on their behalf. While my name certainly isn't easy to pronounce, the treatment that it sometimes gets amazes even me. Here's a statement that should be part of every telemarketers script - if you think that you're mispronouncing a name, let the person whom you're calling know with a simple statement like "I hope that I am pronouncing your name correctly, if I'm not, please forgive me." Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:10:32 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/06/another-observation-from-the-back-cubicle/#28 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/01/dont-let-your-web-site-be-the-bluetooth-guy/ We’ve all seen him. There have been countless blog entries, tweets and Facebook post about him. Larry David even made fun of him on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ Yup, he’s the Bluetooth Guy! He’s the guy waiting in line at the sandwich shop who looks like he suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The guy that seems to be carrying on a full conversation with himself until you notice that he may have already been assimilated by the Borg. You might, at first, even think that he’s important since he has a 24/7 communication device seemingly wired into his skull. Then you can’t help but overhear his dissatisfaction of his fantasy football draft picks. There’s simply no getting around it. The Bluetooth guy is distracting, annoying and even with his flashy display of technology, is off-putting. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:10:33 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/10/01/dont-let-your-web-site-be-the-bluetooth-guy/#27 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/30/another-quick-observation-from-the-back-cubicle/ You have to look no further (or in this case, listen) to understand the influence (and importance) of interactive marketing than by listening to a sponsorship spot on WBUR. With limited time to get their benevolent promotional message across, the emphasis of the sponsor is now on directing listeners to their web site. In the past, precious time (and word count) was used providing the phone number (and remember, phone numbers appear in writing a lot more easily than they are spoken over the air) as the means of generating business from loyal listeners. Now, they are simply directed to the company's web site. No fuss - no wasted syllables. You should think about adding a similar thrust to the marketing of your company. Whatever you send ahead or leave behind, make sure that it has your corporate url on it - otherwise you are missing out on a natural promotional opportunity.   Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:09:57 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/30/another-quick-observation-from-the-back-cubicle/#26 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/28/whats-your-call-to-action/ Many companies focus only on content and design when developing their website. I agree that those are very important parts of a successful web strategy, but just as important is your site having a Call to Action. A Call to Action is the action you want your visitors to take when they visit your site. Below are a couple of tips to think about to make your Call to Action more effective. Make it Easy to Find: Locate it on your Home Page. It doesn’t matter the type of website you have, if you do not have a Call to Action on your homepage you will miss out on potential business. Many ecommerce websites like Amazon.com will allow you to start buying right on the home page.   Give an Incentive: The most important thing is that your Call to Action is directed towards your target market. If you can give useful information that helps build brand awareness, that may be the greatest incentive you can give. It needs to be something that makes them want to find out more about you.   Cleary Define the Action: Having a button that reads “Get a Quote” or "Click Here for a Free SEO Analysis" will be more effective than just a button that says "Contact Us."   Make them Buy the Cow: If you want to give away proprietary information such as whitepapers or webinars, don't just let them download them for free. Protecting intellectual property with a simple gateway form that requires registration with an email address will help to build up your contact list. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:09:38 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/28/whats-your-call-to-action/#25 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/22/what-exactly-does-figureseven-mean/ When the company was first starting out, we were always being asked the same series of questions by prospective clients. And it was from our answers to these questions that the corporate name evolved. Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:09:11 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/22/what-exactly-does-figureseven-mean/#24 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/19/what-does-a-chef-cook-himself-for-dinner/ I've been sitting here the past week watching as everyone at Figureseven worked tirelessly to relaunch our corporate web site. There were so many details to take care of from perfecting the coding to placing our magnets to tweaking the content. When you're in this business, you need to make sure that your own web site casts you in the best possible light. We'll be fine-tuning it over the weeks ahead, adding links, subtracting images, and adjusting design elements to help us to create the best possible product. But what's there now is terrific – congratulations to every member of our team for a job well done.   Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:09:58 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/19/what-does-a-chef-cook-himself-for-dinner/#23 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/18/i-thought-you-were-teaching-me-how-to-play-baseball/ For most of us, we hold a special place in our hearts for our first true love. I am no different. My first love was baseball. It was the first thing I remember my dad teaching me about. I learned many things playing baseball in my childhood that I have been able to take with me throughout life and into my career. My dad used to tell me that sports and life mirrored each other. He would drill things into my head that looking back on now, make me realize just how right he was. Please allow me to share a few of these with you. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:09:30 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/18/i-thought-you-were-teaching-me-how-to-play-baseball/#22 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/17/more-observations-from-the-back-cubicle/ Good for the President for calling Kanye West a jerk – he was. I actually find the occasional “every man” observations about life that he makes to be refreshing because they haven’t been sanitized and they add a much-needed human element to his persona. I want a person with actual feelings leading my country, not some pre-programmed rhetoric spouter who is simply trying too hard to keep everyone happy. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:09:08 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/17/more-observations-from-the-back-cubicle/#21 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/15/yikes-your-web-site-doesnt-matter/ Can you imagine not having your television? How about your computer? Your cell phone? Your stereo? Food? Water? Air? Some of these things we need to live and some we could live without. I was recently speaking with a Director of Sales and Marketing, and in the course of that conversation she was telling me that business was still slow and that hopefully things would be picking up. I asked about what they were doing to drive business in this economy. She said that they had their sales people selling really aggressively and with some complementary advertising, they believed they would find success. It sounded pretty good. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:09:32 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/15/yikes-your-web-site-doesnt-matter/#20 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/08/why-you-should-run-your-business-with-glee/ At the end of an extremely busy week, I finally found a little time to sit down, relax and watch some TV. Since the Sox were getting pounded by the other Sox, I decided to play some much-needed catch up on my DVR. After clearing off a vintage episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (thanks SyFy), I watched the new FOX show, Glee, that I recorded earlier in the week. The episode focused on a small group of unpopular, yet extremely talented students, that all signed up for the Glee club. The underlying theme stressed the importance of being part of something bigger than yourself and the shared “glee” you experience after achieving something great. While I thoroughly enjoyed the show, it actually had a much more meaningful and deeper effect on me personally. It got me thinking back to high school and the impact music had on me! Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:09:48 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/08/why-you-should-run-your-business-with-glee/#19 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/04/another-observation-from-the-back-cubicle/ When I review most companies' promotional materials, I am consistently amazed by their lack of understanding of both visual and verbal consistency when it comes to proper branding. I am holding a company’s presentation folder that has one logo treatment (and I am including the positioning statement beneath the corporate name/symbol as part of the logo) on the front of the piece and an entirely different one on the back. What were they thinking? I think the same thing every time I watch a “Caveman” ad from Geico on one station and then switch channels and watch a “Gecko” Geico ad on another. Wish I had their budget to waste.... Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:09:00 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/04/another-observation-from-the-back-cubicle/#18 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/01/observations-from-the-back-cubicle/ Figureseven is ready to build your business – it’s our common sense approach to marketing that enables us drive customers to our clients. That same common sense drove me to the following observations: September 1st is upon us – and even though Labor Day has yet to arrive, I’m old school - when school starts, the summer is over. And if you’re like me (and I’m thinking that a lot of you out there were), the struggling economy meant that there was no time (nor funding) for “a real vacation” this year – maybe next year.   Did the swine flu take a summer vacation? It was with us last spring, it is expected to come roaring back this fall, so what’s it been doing for the past 3 months? You mean to tell me that classrooms are flu incubators, but summer camp programs aren’t? Let’s just hope that it won’t be as bad as everyone is predicting.   I volunteer to fill Ted Kennedy’s vacant Senate seat for the remainder of his term, and I promise not to run for office ever again.   Was there ever a better visual for requiring term limits for politicians than the image of Senator Byrd, slumped in a wheelchair at the base of the Capitol steps as Ted’s hearse arrived? Certainly didn’t inspire me to see one of the 102 most powerful politicians in this country in such a sorry state – how’s his decision-making acumen right now?   From a Ted to a Tedy - Tedy Bruschi’s eloquence at his retirement ceremony was a marvel. His enthusiasm for his job while on the field is matched perfectly by his comfort with his decision to leave it. And his boundless energy always contributed to why it was appropriate that he was always “Tedy” and not “Ted.”   Finally, I hope that Josh Beckett starts pitching well again or it will be a long, agonizing month... Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:09:02 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/09/01/observations-from-the-back-cubicle/#17 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/08/04/can-you-dig-it-twitter-is-here-to-stay/ I’d like to thank one of the most recognizable “tweeters”, The Real Shaq, Shaquille O’Neal, for the quote he used in celebrating a NBA Championship with the city of Los Angeles. Like Shaq, businesses are finding out now that leveraging social media platforms is a quick and easy way to generate sales. Many companies are using Twitter to build a buzz. Recently, I saw how Six Flags is using this wisely. I haven’t been to a Six Flags in years - I have not even had the thought of going there in just as long, but recently Six Flags was one of the trending topics on the website. I did a little research and came across a “twitter only” promotion offering park tickets for more than half off their regular pass price. Now to be honest, I did not buy tickets that day, but it did get Six Flags back on my radar and illustrated how effective this tactic can be. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:08:16 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/08/04/can-you-dig-it-twitter-is-here-to-stay/#16 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/07/09/are-you-excited-about-your-website/ If you’re not, can you expect your potential customers to be? Consumers use the web – this is a given. This is where they get their information. From news to what’s going on with their favorite sports teams to where they buy their goods – people find what they want on the Internet. The quality of your site is crucial to the success of your business. Here are five essential elements of good web design that are the most important to viewers. Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:07:47 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/07/09/are-you-excited-about-your-website/#15 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/25/treat-your-website-like-your-front-lawn/ Do you treat your website like you treat your lawn or your dirty laundry? Unfortunately for many of you the answer is the latter. Let me put this question into perspective. If I go two weeks without cutting my grass my wife is complaining, the neighbors hate me, people who drive by point and snicker that I am “that guy” who doesn’t care about what kind of impression I am making. Whereas everyone pushes doing laundry off until it is convenient/necessary. If I don’t get to it today, it doesn’t matter because it can be done tomorrow. I may be wearing my second-best pair of pants and that shirt that’s starting to fray a little at the cuffs, but that’s ok. Hey, I can get by on that and at least I’m clothed! Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:06:16 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/25/treat-your-website-like-your-front-lawn/#14 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/23/revisiting-online-search-techniques/ To improve your search engine results on a topic, try the following: Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:06:25 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/23/revisiting-online-search-techniques/#13 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/17/what-do-you-mean-my-website-is-down/ If you are a business owner, this is one sentence you do not want to be spitting out. As each day passes, our reliance on the Internet increases. In a nutshell, your business cannot afford to have its website down for a significant period of time. Businesses that have ecommerce sites are fully aware of this and usually take the proper precautions to ensure their business is “hosted” properly. For business owners who are not selling items online, many fail to see the importance. If this describes you, then you might want to think again. Take a look at a recent article that illustrates the importance of web hosting: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:06:42 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/17/what-do-you-mean-my-website-is-down/#12 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/09/can-google-find-you/ I heard an old saying this morning that got me thinking: if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? And that got me to thinking: if your website is online and no one can find it, does it really exist? Well, of course in both cases we know the reality, but if the question can be asked of your website, then you should think about how you can change that. These tips can bring your site to light. Content: Search Engines nowadays are scanning the content you have on your site. Previously, you could just update your meta tags and be set, but now the content you have on your site is more important than ever. You can’t fool the search engines anymore – the content must be quality and relevant to your customer. It is important that you set time aside at least once a week, but daily if possible   Freshness: Search engines are smarter than you and I. You may think, “I have the greatest content on my website and it will get my website noticed.” At first it may, but if you do not have fresh content on your site, search engines will eventually stop tracking you as much. Many companies have started to write blogs to counter this.   Structure: Ask yourself this question. When was the last time I read anything that did not have a compelling heading? You may have to think for a while. Be organized with your website. Correctly order things for your users and for the search engines. It will help.   Well Coded Sites: Did you build your website yourself using some kind of template? Did your business have a company build your website without properly coding it? If that is the case, the coding may be hindering your ability to be found. Having a website that is properly coded can aid with visibility across multiple engines. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:06:48 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/09/can-google-find-you/#11 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/03/a-big-thank-you-from-figureseven/ The first time I heard Susan Boyle, I had the reaction that most of you had –“who is this singing and why do I not know who she is?” I could not believe that someone with talent like hers had not been discovered yet. I was amazed and shocked all at once. I asked myself, why do all of these reality talent shows exist and succeed? Is it that we enjoy seeing the failures of those delusional enough to think they are good, or do we like to see those stories of people who overcome adversity to succeed on the biggest stage? Often, the contestants on these shows may be facing a fear of performing in public, or a physical issue that has made life a bit more challenging, or overcoming the loss of a loved one. Their stories give me inspiration. Their stories make me believe that we need to believe in our abilities and jump in when our minds say it might be too dangerous. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:06:11 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/06/03/a-big-thank-you-from-figureseven/#10 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/29/do-you-know-your-browser-vocabulary/ If you had to ask what a browser was, you definitely need to read on! Fri, 29 May 2009 02:05:54 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/29/do-you-know-your-browser-vocabulary/#9 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/18/even-the-local-sports-guy-has-a-blog/ Since I turned 30, I’ve made it a point to learn something new every day. I refuse to grow old. This morning as I was getting ready for work, I realized just how differently I get my sports news today than I did twenty years ago. As a kid, I got all of my sports news from my local TV sports guy. As a teenager I no longer watched the local sports guy, but always made sure to catch the 11 o’clock SportsCenter. When I got to college, I could get all of that information quicker through 24 hour sports news stations. Today, if I want to know something, I go online to one of the many options I have. Time that I used to spend watching television, listening to the radio or reading the newspaper has been replaced by Google searches, Facebook updates and managing my fantasy football team online. I spend a good deal of time online finding out what I want and need to know and I would venture to say that you probably do too. Mon, 18 May 2009 05:05:14 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/18/even-the-local-sports-guy-has-a-blog/#8 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/15/why-distorted-text-is-costing-you-money/ I’d venture a guess that a majority of Internet users have never heard the term CAPTCHA, but I’m pretty certain they’ve all seen it! CAPTCHA, or Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, is that box of distorted text that makes you retype the letters before you can submit a form, post a comment to a blog, etc. While CAPTCHA can add much needed security to certain applications, it can also cause usability nightmares that not only frustrate users, but can turn them away for good! Fri, 15 May 2009 04:05:35 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/15/why-distorted-text-is-costing-you-money/#7 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/08/five-reasons-why-you-have-to-social-network-your-business/ When we started Figureseven, Inc. (over a decade ago now) the biggest challenge selling our services to small businesses was convincing them that they actually needed a website. The argument was always, “not enough people are using it” or “it’s just for college kids.” Today, however, with the ubiquity of the Internet in everyone’s homes and its broad reaching demographics, it is a much easier sell. However, many of those businesses are now resisting an embrace of social networking for the very same reasons. Fri, 08 May 2009 11:05:39 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/08/five-reasons-why-you-have-to-social-network-your-business/#6 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/04/the-importance-of-lead-generation/ Today, more than ever, the manner in which a company positions itself online will determine how likely they will succeed in this continuously evolving marketplace. Cultivating potential customers has never been more challenging. Consumers, who once relied on brick-and-mortar establishments for their retail goods and services, now seek the best deals online and rely on the sites that can provide those goods and services at the best prices with the most ease. Mon, 04 May 2009 01:05:52 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/05/04/the-importance-of-lead-generation/#5 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/04/30/the-value-of-redundancy/ To most marketing and communication types, the term redundancy often refers to “the part of a message that can be eliminated without the loss of essential information.” Verbose and needless repetition often waters down your core message and ultimately results in less effective communications. Bottom line? Don’t be too redundant! Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:04:04 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/04/30/the-value-of-redundancy/#4 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/04/27/how-much-are-you-really-spending-on-pay-per-click-advertising/ Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC), or Pay-For-Performance Advertising, is a very cost effective way to achieve top engine placement for your relevant keywords across the major search engines. PPC programs are available on engines like Google, Yahoo! and MSN, and they are all fairly easy to use. Some, like Google AdWords for example, even allow you to geographically target user search results, further optimizing your budget by limiting your search radius to regional prospects. And the best part? You only pay when somebody actually clicks through to your site! Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:04:33 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/04/27/how-much-are-you-really-spending-on-pay-per-click-advertising/#3 http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/04/24/welcome-to-the-new-f7-blog/ Since 1999, Figureseven, Inc. has been developing scalable, secure and reliable web solutions for businesses and organizations throughout the United States. Since we’ve been working with the web for so long, we thought we’d share some of our insights and experiences to help you maximize the value of your web marketing strategies and achieve your online marketing goals. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:04:23 EST http://www.figureseven.com/blog/2009/04/24/welcome-to-the-new-f7-blog/#1