9 Aug 2010
By Marnie B (@marnieb)
Designers and developers price their services in a myriad of different ways. Some charge an hourly rate. Some have set packages. Some randomly pluck figures out of the air with no real thought put into it. What I want to know is how many use value-based pricing?
I’m a big believer in the value-based pricing method, particularly in this industry. Whether clients like to believe it or not, at the end of the day we are providing products and services that bring value to their business and increase their bottom line. Sure, some clients think we’re just monkeys that know how to use Photoshop and follow instructions, but we know that’s not true, right? So why not price your services accordingly?
26 Jul 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
Facebook is standing at the foot of a potential gold mine with the introduction of its new Facebook Credits system. Having recently come out of beta within the last few weeks, Facebook has enough pull to redefine the meaning of e-commerce and change the way we as consumers and business owners trade online.
We’re living in a world where the introduction of a global currency such as Facebook Credits could change everything. From purchasing products or services online to even grabbing some groceries from the local 7 Eleven. A global currency would allow us to quite literally purchase goods from any where at any time without the need of credit cards or secure payment gateways.
6 Apr 2010
By Marnie B (@marnieb)
My graphic and web design company has been running for more than four years now, and there’s one thing I’ve noticed that gets more work in the door than anything else. You might think I’m talking about email marketing, cold calling or Google Adwords, but you’d be wrong. I’m talking about making the effort to follow up with a potential client after sending them a quote.
Following up doesn’t have to take long, cost you anything or be a hard sell. In fact, I’ve found the exact opposite to be far more effective.
3 Mar 2010
By Marnie B (@marnieb)
Co-existing… too good to be true? Not in marketing. Integrating the online and offline worlds could be one of the best decisions you make in terms of getting the word out about your business. They’re powerful in different ways when apart, but by combining online and offline techniques, you really will benefit from the best of both worlds.
Exposing your business to as many people as possible is absolutely crucial. Even though we live in a highly technological society, we can’t necessarily assume that everyone uses the Internet for his or her main source of information. That’s why it’s so important to cover all your bases.
The following is a guide in how to get offline marketing to work with and promote your online efforts. Yes, you really can teach old dogs new tricks!
1 Mar 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
Forget about magazines, flyers and brochures for a minute and consider what life would be like if you could touch base with each and every one of your prospective and current clients for next to nothing. I’m referring to eNewsletters.
eNnewsletters are quickly shaping the way businesses market themselves in the online arena. Having a funky looking eNewsletter that is branded to your business is one thing, but it takes a well structured newsletter which communicates at a level appropriate for your readership to really be effective. With this in mind, it goes without saying that slacking on such a simple task can be the sole reason that your newsletter isn’t working for you.
26 Feb 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
As I was crawling over the many blog sites that I read on a regular basis, I came across an article by Jacob Cass titled Fake Logo Designs and it got me thinking about the same issues us web designers face on a regular basis. That is, the use of website templates in a professional business environment and whether this is actually fair on the client.
Okay, so website templates have their place and if you’re a small business owner and you go online and buy one for twenty bucks, you’re not really out of pocket. You can add your logo and set up a website for next to nothing if you’re willing to invest some time and patience. But if you approach an established design firm and they’re charging you hundreds or thousands of dollars for a website, would you expect to have your design completed using a template? It’s amazing but take note that this actually does happen!
21 Feb 2010
By Marnie B (@marnieb)
Common Design Mistakes, Part 2
In Part 1 of my Common Design Mistakes series I talked about some basic mistakes amateur designers and small business owners sometimes make when designing their own flyers and promotional items. In Part 2, I’m going to talk about some common design mistakes made in that place that is either loved or feared: the world wide web.
I mentioned that small business owners can’t always afford to hire a professional to design their flyers, letters, posters, etc. It’s no wonder then that a website would be seen as even less affordable. They cost more, take longer and it can be hard to find the right designer to get the job done.
I would urge anyone thinking about doing their own website to stop and consider the benefits of having it done professionally, but for those who simply can’t or don’t want to pay a professional, here are a few tips to get you going and some pitfalls to avoid.
19 Feb 2010
By Marnie B (@marnieb)
Common Design Mistakes – Part 1
Whether in start-up phase or well established, the fact is that small businesses can’t always afford to pay to have their marketing materials designed professionally. So sometimes they decide to design their own. This is where things can go horribly wrong. Below you will find some basic design tips that will help make your flyers or ads look a little more like you had professional help!
Symmetrical madness
Centering every visual element in your marketing material is not the best approach. Despite the attraction to symmetry being deeply ingrained in us as humans, when it comes to design having your business logo, marketing message, pictures and contact details all in one long-running, centered paragraph isn’t only unprofessional looking, it also looks lazy and boring.
Those corners are just begging to be filled. That doesn’t mean you should fill up every other bit of space on your canvas, but instead plan your design strategically, sketch it out on some paper, do a mock up of your sketch, and then play with it until it looks right.
16 Feb 2010
By Jon Bergan (@jonbergan)
Websites are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways of advertising. Whether it be a business, its product or service or something completely different, everyone of all ages are turning to the web as a method of getting their message out there. With the popularity of this marketing medium increasing and the number of websites always growing, it is obvious that everyone wants to appear at the top of Google’s search engine rankings. Achieving such a task is never an easy feat, however with a bit of perseverance, one can definitely increase their chances of reaching that glorious first page result.
Given that there are a heap of websites out there who are on the first page, what is their secret? It is a little industry term called SEO and it stands for Search Engine Optimisation. SEO basically consists of the customisation of your website, its content and its internal and external links to assist in the overall indexing and ranking of your website in popular search engines. There are many contributing factors that are used in determining a website’s ranking and every search engine is different. This makes trying to optimise your site for Google, Yahoo, Live and the many others quite a pain staking task.
