Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Pricing Power

2012-01-22T19:17:00.001-06:00

Free is a powerful force in the marketplace — especially online. A fast-growing, Internet-inflamed “culture of free” is leaving more local businesses feeling profit pain where it hurts: in their bottom line. Business owners must now answer a pricing question that once seemed odd: What can you do when your products or services are more popular than ever, but consumers don’t want to pay for them anymore?

Perhaps surprisingly, there are some answers. Saul Berman, author of “Not for Free: Revenue Strategies for a New World,” pinpoints five areas causing the shift:

High customer expectations for personalization, control, relevance and timeliness
Low cost, saturation-level communications
Bountiful, low-cost bandwidth
Plentiful, real-time data processing power
Rapid-fire technology and competitive innovation

These trends and expectations affect even small local businesses. Customers now instantly communicate local buying experiences; they expect restaurants, dry cleaners, health clubs and others to offer personalized, relevant offers and experiences. And they have unprecedented access to price comparison and other competitive information.

Businesses are being forced to squeeze out revenue in new ways as markets and expectations shift. But the changing landscape also creates new opportunities to grow revenues “organically” without expensive advertising or marketing programs. All you need to do is change your approach. The key is this: It’s not about creating new products or buying new technology. It’s about understanding customers and delivering value.

Start at the beginning – with your customers. But be careful. Most business owners still view customers through an outdated mass segmentation lens based on age, income, gender or geography. That view is dead, done in by technology. In its places there’s a new type of segmentation based on how buyers actually behave – how they use your products, services and information. This sets the table for building revenue in new ways:

1) Pricing Innovation

It’s not just “how much” but also “when.” No product is free – ever – notes Berman. Someone always pays for it. So the answer is not to price your product at zero, but to innovate around the amount of money charged and the point (or points) when you require customers to pay. Successful approaches include: subscription plans, variable pricing, by-parts pricing, bundling and rental models.

Rent The Runway, launched in late 2009 by two business school students, is a great example of pricing innovation. The founders took a traditional “buy-only” product (designer dresses) and reinvented it via subscription and “rental model” pricing. Rent The Runway is a membership site that rents designer dresses for less than 10% of what it would cost to buy one. Women can outfit themselves in a different designer fashion for every event they attend for less than what they would have paid to buy a single dress.

2) Payer Innovation

Sometimes the customer who pays is not the consumer of the product. Since nothing is free — and somebody always pays — the trick is to think of alternative “somebodys” who might pick up the tab, or part of it. A classic example is TV shows. They’re free to you – the advertisers pay. Sponsorships and white-labeling are two other examples. “White labeling allows product companies to sell outside of their traditional market without having to drum up demand themselves.”

3) “Package” Innovation

Don’t take “package” too literally. It’s not about the wrapper; it’s about all the benefits and features of a given product or service. Today’s most innovative companies are expanding revenue opportunities by changing the form an existing product takes. There are three basic ways to think about it:

Breaking the product down into components
Integrating different pieces of the value proposition
Extending value in new ways

Understanding the underlying elements of pricing, payer and packaging can help you rethink and reformulate your revenue strategies. One you do, you’ll find new ways to keep customers paying today — and in the future.

Spotlight On Success - Terri Miller speaks with Sherry Schaefer of 3 Point Ink.

2011-01-22T23:45:00.002-06:00

Terri Miller traveled to Nokomis, IL to speak with Sherry Schaefer, owner & editor of 3 Point Ink, the publisher of Oliver Heritage & Heritage Iron magazines. They have experienced phenomenal growth in the last few years & are a great example of how to use the internet to achieve success. We have been working with Sherry for over five years and we wanted to share her story & tips for success with all of our clients.

Click HERE to watch the interview on YouTube.

Walking The Fine Line of Follow Up - When it comes to contacting your clients, how much is too much?

2011-01-07T00:12:00.003-06:00

by Grace Mor

Are you following up too much? Or, not enough? It’s a constant dilemma for sales, especially someone running a small business. There’s always a fear that perhaps, you’ve crossed the fine line of being persistent, over to the side of being obnoxious. Following up is important but it must be tempered to have the right balance. Without follow-up, you are missing HUGE opportunities. It is one of the best things a small business can do to keep itself exposed to the customer.

Remember, it’s competitive out there and people are busy. You and your business will not always be on the forefront of your customer’s mind. It’s your job to make sure you remind them you are there! Here are some suggestions:

Click HERE to read the Five Tips.

Can find that important email? A client didn't receive that important email you sent? Maybe it went into the Internet Black Hole - LITERALLY!

2010-10-04T14:30:00.008-05:00

Red alert! Are We Sinking Into An Internet Black Hole?

It seems like a full-fledged red alert when I can't connect to the Internet. Some experts may have figured out the why and the how to fix these outages, but will the cure making hacking harder or easier for cyber-criminals?

Have you ever had one of those days when you reboot the router but you still can't access anything on the Internet? Those unexplained outages might be caused by Internet "black holes"-places where data can't get in or out. Some scientists estimate as many as 2 million temporary black holes come and go every day. One reason for these black holes are the routing difficulties caused by more than a billion Internet users at a time. As more people and devices connect to the Net, stressing routers and their ability to pass data packets, some scientists worry that the Net might permanently collapse into a black hole.

Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.

Scam Alert – Beware of Phishing Scams

2010-09-07T15:02:00.001-05:00

Phishing scams involve internet fraudsters who send spam or pop up messages to lure personal information (debit card or credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security numbers, passwords, or other sensitive information) from unsuspecting victims. Phishers send an email or pop up message that appears to be from a business or organization that you may deal with such as your bank, the IRS, PayPal, or your Internet Service Provider. The email message is very tricky and can make you think that something is wrong with one of your own accounts. Here are a few examples:

"We suspect an unauthorized transaction on your account. To ensure that your account is not compromised, please click the link below and confirm your identity."

"During our regular verification of accounts, we couldn't verify your information. Please click here to update and verify your information."

The message may ask you to "update," "validate," or "confirm" your account information. Some phishing emails threaten a dire consequence if you don't respond. The messages direct you to a website that looks just like a legitimate organization's site. But it isn't. It's a bogus site whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run up bills or commit crimes in your name.

Important tips for protecting yourself from phishing scams:

• If you get an email or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click on the link in the message.
• We suggest you call the company directly to confirm the legitimacy of the email.
• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as well as a firewall, and update them all regularly.
• Don't email personal or financial information.
• Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from emails you receive, regardless of who sent them.

Celebrate Workforce Development Week

2010-08-24T23:11:00.001-05:00

Celebrate Workforce Development Week - August 29 - September 4, 2010
Montgomery County Litchfield Job Center
11006 Airport Trail
Litchfield, IL

Open House - Coffee & Cookies
Wed., September 1, 2010
9:00 am - 10:00 am

Financial Aid Workshop Presented by
Lincoln Land Community College
10:00 am - 11:00 am

For more information, contact Melissa Durbin at 324-2138

ATTENTION HOSTING CLIENTS: SMTP Authentication MUST be used to send & receive emails.

2010-08-06T00:33:00.003-05:00

Why is the industry making this change? This update is being made in response to today's new best practices and is done to prevent spammers from using your email account to send out junk email. This also protects the integrity of your domain name's reputation and that of everyone on the network. If your email address is used to send out spam, there is a good chance your legitimate emails will be blocked by ISP's who have identified your domain as a spammer. This simple update closes another avenue to would be hackers, and protects us all.

In addition to requiring SMTP Authentication, you must also enter your ENTIRE account user name into your email software. It can not be truncated, such as using john instead of john@yourdomain.com. Truncated user names will no longer work.

If you have any problems making this change, please let us know and we will help!

Instructions for setting up your email account to SMTP Authenticate using Outlook 2007 can be found on this website. http://tinyurl.com/2doluhv Click on the "screen shot" image to open a Flash tutorial.

BBB Says "StoresOnline" Seminars Still Plagued By Complaints (Watch out for these types of get rich quick schemes!)

2010-08-03T13:44:00.005-05:00

Below is a news release I received from the BBB. It highlights just one of the many pitfalls out there for folks wanting to build a website. Companies like these tend to over promise and then under deliver, and over charge for the services you actually get to boot. When building a website, always deal with someone you can trust. Someone with a local reputation and a "real person" you can turn to when you need help.
___________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Michelle L. Corey, 314-645-4636 (unlisted), mcorey@stlouisbbb.org

Bill Smith, 314-645-4636 (unlisted), tpc1@stlouisbbb.org

StoresOnline Seminars Return to St. Louis Area,

BBB Says Utah Firm Still Plagued By Complaints

St. Louis, Mo., Aug. 3, 2010 – StoresOnline, a Utah-based company that has left a long trail of unhappy customers across the U. S., is returning to the St. Louis area this week for a series of sales seminars in St. Peters, Mo.; Fairview Heights, Ill.; and downtown. The company teaches budding entrepreneurs how to set up their own websites and sell products online.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises customers attending the seminars to be extremely cautious when dealing with representatives of StoresOnline, Inc., or iMergent, Inc., of Orem, Utah. While there is no admission fee to attend the seminars, salespeople at the meetings and follow-up sessions typically try to convince attendees to spend several thousand dollars for help in setting up their own websites.

Complainants have told the BBB that they felt misled, experienced high-pressure sales tactics and found the startup instructions confusing and difficult to navigate. They also said they had problems obtaining assistance from customer service representatives. The BBB in Salt Lake City, Utah, reports that it has processed more than 800 complaints against StoresOnline in the past 36 months. Of those, 270 were closed in the past 12 months. The company has a grade of “F” with the BBB, the lowest grade possible.

Michelle Corey, president and CEO of the St. Louis BBB, said StoresOnline officials have promised repeatedly to make changes in the way the company operates in an effort to reduce complaints. “We have been waiting for them to live up to that promise, but based on the complaints the BBB continues to receive, we can find no reason to soften our warnings about this company.” While StoresOnline offers a free meal and free gift for attending its seminar, Corey said, “people should realize that a free lunch could end up costing thousands of dollars.”

StoresOnline previously held a series of sale seminars in the St. Louis region in February 2009. At that time, the BBB warned consumers to be cautious and noted that the company had been the focus of legal action by attorneys general and other law enforcement officials in at least nine states and Australia. Since then, the company has agreed to pay more than $300,000 in restitution and other costs in Washington and California. The California case alleged that StoresOnline and iMergent falsely promised consumers they could get rich by selling merchandise over the Internet.

Earlier this year, the federal court in Australia found that StoresOnline, Inc., and StoresOnline International, Inc. made misleading and deceptive representations regarding the price of their products and services.

The St. Louis area seminars open at noon today at the Old Hickory Golf Club in St. Peters, according to a StoresOnline registration site. A second session is set for 6 p.m. at the club. Four Points by Sheraton in Fairview Heights, Ill., will host seminars at noon and 6 p.m. Wednesday. Crowne Plaza St. Louis downtown will be the site of seminars at noon and 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and at 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday.

In a meeting with the BBB in St. Louis several months ago, StoresOnline representatives said they had been working to improve customer relations and reduce the number of complaints about their services. An attorney for the company did not immediately respond to a request for additional information.

The company’s website lists Steven G. Mihaylo as chief executive officer and director of the company and Clint Sanderson as president.

On its website, StoresOnline says the company offers a “world-class e-commerce solution with comprehensive tools, training and support. StoresOnline has everything you need for success on the Internet.”

The website offers testimonials from clients who praise the company. But complaints to the BBB paint a different picture.

An unemployed sheet metal worker from Smithville, Mo., said he and his wife were offered a free lunch and an MP3 player to attend a seminar earlier this year in the Kansas City area. What he got, he said, was a tuna salad sandwich and months of headaches. He said he felt pressured into spending $5,000 on a software startup package and technical help in setting up a website to sell safety equipment. He said he and his wife tried to set up the site, but were unsuccessful and asked for a refund. The company denied the refund, he said. He said that after paying the $5,000, the company asked repeatedly for additional fees. “Eat the free meal,” he suggested, “but don’t buy anything.”

A woman in Decatur, Ill., said she attended a seminar in that city in January and follow-up meetings in Springfield, Ill., and St. Louis, eventually spending more than $6,000 for website setup help. She said she was never able to get the site operational. “It was like running around in a vicious circle,” she said of repeated attempts to deal with technical support representatives. She said she eventually managed to get a partial refund from the company after filing a complaint with the BBB. “It’s the worst company I have ever dealt with, hands-down,” she said. “I would stay far away.”

The BBB has an extensive report on this company available at www.bbb.org.

The BBB offers the following tips for persons considering attending a free marketing seminar:

· Be aware that in most cases presenters will promote products and services that are for sale. Typical products sold at these seminars include self improvement items, investment education materials and materials or websites for home-based businesses. In setting up a home-based business, persons need to consider related costs such as licensing, advertising and bookkeeping. A wide variation of earnings can be expected.

· Do not be hurried into making an immediate decision. Take as much time as needed, even days or weeks, to make sure there is not a better alternative on the market and you are receiving good value for your money.

· Read and understand all materials carefully before signing, including contract information and any information on guarantees or refunds.

· Check out a firm’s Reliability Report by contacting the BBB at 314-645-3300 or at www.bbb.org.

"MASS MINGLING" - Why the online revolution is fueling an ever-increasing range of "real world" meet-ups.

2010-07-04T00:57:00.006-05:00

Click the link below to read the July 2010 Trendwatching.com's Trend Briefing, which covers "MASS MINGLING" - Why the online revolution is fueling an ever-increasing range of "real world" meet-ups. It is very interesting report about social media and how it is translating into MORE face-to-face interaction not LESS!

http://trendwatching.com/briefing/

10 Questions to Answer Before Designing An E-commerce Website

2010-06-25T02:02:00.004-05:00

10 Questions to Answer Before Designing An E-commerce Website

Many site owners make the mistake of building a website without laying out a clear plan for their online business. This is a sure set-up for failure. There are 1000s of abandoned sites on the web due to lack of careful planning. Before designing your website you should ask yourself some questions to avoid making mistakes down the road.

1. What Are Your Business Goals?

It's easy to say, "I want to make money," however, this is not a great motivator. Think of a deeper motivation that you feel passionate about e.g. "I want to have the financial freedom to spend more time with my kids as they are growing up."

2. What's the Purpose of Your Website?

This is the question most visitors will ask when accessing your website. Your home page must clearly explain the purpose and benefits of the products and/or services you are offering.

3. What Type of Products or Services Will You Sell?

Research the marketability of your products or services by doing keyword research. Use the Google Keyword Tool to find out how many searches your main keywords receive every month. If there are no searches, it means there is not much demand and therefore not worth marketing.

If it is a very competitive market (millions of searches per month), it may be difficult to stand out from your competitors and create a profitable online business.

4. How Many Products Will You Sell From Your Website?

This will determine how many pages your website will have. If you're only selling one product or service, you may only need 4 web pages e.g. Home, Product (or Services), About, Contact. If you're selling 100s of items, you will need a database driven site to store and manage all of them.

5. How Many Variables Does Your Product Have?

Variables may include size, color, type, sku#, shipping, tax? Make sure your shopping cart allows you to include these variables.

6. How Will You Accept Online Payments?

To accept bank card payments online, you will need a shopping cart, merchant account, payment gateway and SSL certificate for secure transactions. This means you will have monthly fees and processing fees every time a customer purchases something from your website.

A less expensive option for accepting payments online is the Paypal shopping cart. You don't need to purchase a separate merchant account, shopping cart, payment gateway and secure certificate. For a small processing fee it takes care of all this in one place.

7. Do You Have a Web Hosting Plan?

Your website needs to be hosted on a server for it to be available online. Select a hosting plan that has sufficient space for all your files and bandwidth to receive 1000s of visitors each month. Make sure you have the flexibility to upgrade your plan should you need more space and bandwidth.

8. Will You Need to Maintain the Website Yourself?

Asking this question before the design will determine what software your designer will use to build your website. If it only consists of a few web pages which don't need regular updating, then using software such as Dreamweaver to build it may be the best choice.

If your website has 100s of pages, consider a content management system or dedicated shopping cart script. They enable 100s of items to be stored in a database. The website can be managed (add, edit, or delete items or pages) by logging into an administration area.

9. Do You Have a Marketing Plan?

To create a profitable online business you must create a plan to promote it. Some methods may include, search engine marketing, pay-per-click, article marketing, press releases, social media, video marketing, etc. Website campaigning needs to be done frequently and consistently to be effective.

10. How Will You Monitor Your Website Statistics?

Check if your web hosting plan includes site statistics (e.g. AW Stats). If not, create a Google Analytics account and insert the code on your web pages. It will track how many daily, weekly, monthly, yearly visitors you receive, where they are coming from and what keywords are being used to find your site in the search engines.

If you answer these 10 questions first, you'll avoid the pitfalls of designing and building a website and add to your potential of creating a profitable online business.

Make Your Website Smile

2010-06-09T13:57:00.005-05:00

As we all know in this day-and-age, great customer service often seems dead and replaced with a warm "easily trained" body in favor of chasing ever larger profit margins. While I am a Capitalist and want businesses to make money, I despise when they do so at the sacrifice of giving even the slightest concern to those who's money they so readily take. What ever happened to the simple motto "Service with a smile"? After all, smiles are FREE!

This is why I strive to develop websites for my client's that "smile". This doesn't mean literally smile, but instead to let the customer know upfront you care about them and their needs and WANT to serve them. Most web surfers appreciate it when the website is clear and easy to navigate upfront and provides quick and easy access to the type of information they are looking for.

Often what visitors want to see is:
What you sale
Then HOW MUCH
Then they want to know terms
Then contact/support information
Lastly they will read all the fine print details

Visitor statistics show this to be the natural progress a web user makes through a site when making a decision on whether to purchase/contact you. Providing this information in a simple and friendly way makes a huge difference. Make it EASY for customers to get answers to their questions directly online or to contact you if they still have questions.

I can't control what a client's price point is, or the products they offer, or the customer service that is provided "off website", but I always strive to do my best to get it right and make your website smile and leave the rest to my clients.

11 Years And STILL Going Strong!

2009-05-16T17:19:00.005-05:00

This month marks our 11th year of web site design excellence! I can't believe it has been over a decade. A lot has changed in web site design and technology and I am excited to have been able to grow up along side the Internet Revolution. When I look back at how the web started I am amazed at how far we've come, so fast! To have been a part of this civilization changing technology from the early days is something that I will always look back on with pride.

I love what I do and wake up everyday with a since of excitement and purpose to be able to help the unsung American heroes, the small business owner. I know that we all face challenges in the months and years to come, but no country on God's green earth is more dedicated, harder working or more innovative than the American entrepreneur. I believe in all of you, just clear the path an watch us go!

Thank you for the privilege of helping you grow, even when others say we can't!

Terri Miller, President
Miller Enterprises Design, Inc.

Need financing for your web project?

2008-10-01T22:09:00.005-05:00

Are you feeling the credit crunch? I have to admit that I have never taken a loan for my business, and have always paid cash as I went, however I understand that for many business owners it is a vital neccessity. If you need a new website to grow your business, but are having a cash crunch, I want you to know that we accept Visa or Mastercard and can also provide in-house financing for many of our customers. (Please be aware that we can not offer in-house financing for print purchases.) If you need assistance please let us know and we will do what we can to help you out during these uncertain times!

We are LOWERING prices where we can in response to the current economy!

2008-09-18T23:09:00.003-05:00

I am worried. Let's face it if you have been any where near the TV, Radio, or Internet in the last week, you know that the markets are a mess. I am basicly an optimist, so I believe that everything will eventually get better, but it took a long time to dig this hole and unfortunately it will take time to climb out. I worry for my customers who may find themselves strapped for cash. I have decided that I can't control Wall Street, but I can do something in my own small way to help the economy by lowering prices where I can. Now is not a good time to go for maximum profits. I do need to make money, but I know that businesses out there are hurting and I really care about my small business customers and I want them to know that we are all in it together and if we work together we can make it through this crisis like America always has, stronger and better. If you need help, please let me know. I will do what I can, that I promise!

Thanks again for your loyal support!

Terri Miller, President
Miller Enterprises Design, Inc.

The Move Is Over!

2008-08-31T21:33:00.001-05:00

We have completed our move and are settling into our new office. It feels great having the office back home and I find everything coming together surprisingly smooth. The move also gave me the opportunity to go through years of old stuff and reorganize. It feels good to have gone through everything and know I have everything under control!

My assistant helped me with the move and she likes the new location too. She says it is very peaceful out here and our office is "comforting". I agree!

For those of you concerned about reaching me, I have a variety of ways I can be reached.

1.) By email: infomillerenterprises@gmail.com
2.) By phone: 217-851-1080
3.) Our website via web form: www.millerenterprise.us
4.) You can also text messages us using the number 2178511080
5.) You can see if we are available for LIVE chat by going to our homepage and seeing if we are "On-line" or "Offline". If we are on-line click the chat box and start a conversation.
6.) I will be leaving updates about my daily schedule and travel plans via Twitter and these updates can also be viewed on our website. So if you see I am going to be in town, you can contact me for pick up or delivery service.
7.) Via snail mail: Miller Enterprises Design, Inc. 278 Clear Springs Ln. Hillsboro, IL

Thanks again to all my customers for your continued support and for allowing me to make this move back home. It is so important for me to be there for my family right now and this move will allow me to continue DOING what I love, while spending more time with THOSE I love!

Thanks again!!!

Terri Miller

Dealing with Rejection - It's your message that really matters.

2008-08-18T09:26:00.003-05:00

This week's Monday Morning Memo really hits home with me. It is a place that I am currently at. I don't like "selling" myself to others and shy away from that aspect. I would rather stick to the joy of helping other sell themselves and find the sales process nerve racking. My joy comes after the deal is done and I get to make a difference to a small business. His article really helps me to change my point of view and I think it just might help you too!

He titles it "Dealing with Rejection", but I think in some ways it is more about telling your story in order to succeed.

Dealing with Rejection

Advertising salespeople are highly paid because rejection hurts. They told me to rub Zig Ziglar on it, but the sting and the ache stayed with me. I was 20 years old.

The smiley seminar speaker said, “Look in the mirror each morning and repeat these affirmations.”
Sorry, I’ve already got a religion and it makes me very uncomfortable with self-worship. I know there’s a God and it isn’t me.

My manager tried to teach me how to overcome objections but that only made me feel worse. People were rejecting me because they assumed I was a professional liar and now I was becoming one.

Everywhere I went I heard, “I tried advertising and it didn’t work.”

“Yeah, I know,” whispered the little voice inside me, “I see it not work every day.”

You would have fired me by now, right? I would have fired me, too. But Dennis Worden saw a spark in me that he believed he could fan into a flame. Lucky for both of us, he was right.

My career found wings the day I encountered an advertiser who had a message worth hearing. I delivered his message to my little audience and his business exploded. No question about it, my tiny audience was making him rich. Now I had a success story to tell my prospects. But a success story is a doubled-edged sword. Filled with names and dates and details and numbers, success stories cut through the doubt and make prospects say yes. But the second edge – the one that cuts the seller – is the implied promise, “The same thing will happen to you.”

But if that advertiser’s message is weak, you’ll soon be hearing, “I bought what you said and it didn’t work.” I had been groping blindly in a pitch-dark room when I flicked the light switch on the wall. Suddenly everything was clear: Message and copy are two different things.

"The fish trap exists because of the fish. Once you've gotten the fish you can forget the trap. The rabbit snare exists because of the rabbit. Once you've gotten the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words exist because of meaning. Once you've gotten the meaning, you can forget the words." – Chuang-tzu, 350 BC

If Chuang-tzu had been in advertising, he would have said, “Copy exists because of message. Once you’ve gotten the message, you can forget the copy.”

That first successful client owned an auto body shop. He had an invisible location but a powerful message that had never been told. I was merely the guy who uncovered his shiny message and held it up in the light. That was 30 years ago, but I can still tell you the essence of Danny’s message:

1. No one ever plans to have a traffic accident.
2. You don’t really have to get 3 estimates from 3 different body shops.
3. You don’t even have to pay your $250 or $500 deductible.
4. Your insurance company will happily pay whatever their adjustor says is the right amount.
5. When you’ve been involved in a traffic accident, call me.
6. I’ll send out a wrecker to pick up you and your car.
7. I’ll give you a free loaner car to drive while I’m repairing your car.
8. I’ll notify your insurance company and meet with the adjustor.
9. I’ll fix your car for whatever amount the insurance adjustor agrees to pay.
10. You don’t even have to pay your deductible.
11. And since we’ve already got the paint in the gun, we’ll fix those little door dings and scratches on the other side of the car that were there before the accident. No extra charge.
12. You’ll get back a car that’s better than it was before the accident.

You don’t have to be a good copywriter to create a great ad from that message. You just have to make sure the advertiser understands:

1. They need to stay on the air long enough for people to hear them and remember their message. That’s when they’ll begin to see results.
2. Then they have to wait for the listener to need them.
3. The longer they stay on the air, the deeper the message goes into memory and the better it works.

I’ve never seen an advertiser fail because they were reaching the wrong people but I’ve seen thousands fail because they had a weak message. We create failure when we assume creative copy will compensate for the fact that an advertiser has nothing to say.

Are there exceptions to what I’ve told you? Of course.

1. The advertiser with a weak message, often repeated, will prevail over a competitor with an equally weak message less often heard. When weak vs. weak, frequency is a tiebreaker.
2. The advertiser with a weak message wrapped in cleverness and humor will prevail over a competitor with an equally weak message wrapped in a brown paper bag.
3. The advertiser with a weak message and a big ad budget will prevail over a competitor with a strong message that never gets heard.

I made my fortune searching out little businesses with strong messages that had never been heard. Everyone thought I was a great copywriter, but they were wrong. I was a great message-finder.

When I finally wrapped my head around the fact that success wasn’t determined by the "rightness” of my audience, the loyalty of my audience, the size of my audience or the cleverness of my copy, I began to sell everyone I met. I knew all I had to do was dig until I found a message worth sharing. And if the advertiser didn’t have a message worth telling, I had to convince them to create one or prepare them for a life of mediocrity.

What I said to them made sense. My prospects were sold on me long before I was sold on them.

I knew I could grow the business if the business owner would only let me. When prospects didn’t want to meet with me, I no longer felt rejection. I felt pity for them. And if they were so unfortunate as to hurt my feelings I would track down their smallest competitor and make that competitor their worst nightmare.

People say I have a big ego. But in truth I’m shy and easily wounded. I learned how to make advertising work because I was unable to face my clients when it didn’t.

And now you know.

Roy H. Williams

Follow the Sound of Bulldozers and the Smell of Fresh Paint

2008-08-04T09:41:00.002-05:00

Location, Location, Location is the point of this article by the Wizard of Ads. I like how he asks "How proud is your location?". For me personally, I am right on main street facing the Courthouse, I had better be proud!!! Are you?

Follow the Sound of Bulldozers and the Smell of Fresh Paint

Commercially speaking, where are things happening in your town? Move to where the action is. Follow Best Buy, Home Depot, Starbucks and the other Big Boys who have already done the research.

Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd.

Media costs are escalating and the public is hiding from ads. These are just two of the reasons why a great location is more important today than ever before.

Expensive rent is the cheapest advertising your money can buy.

Is Walgreens able to afford great locations because they do a big volume, or do they do a big volume because they always secure great locations?

A high-visibility location communicates leadership. It implies that you do things better than your competitors.

The goal of advertising is to become familiar to your customer, to become part of their world so they think of you immediately when they need what you sell. All else being equal, customers choose the familiar over the unfamiliar. A great location makes you familiar to the public.

Are you in retail? Cut your yellow page ads dramatically or altogether. Add these dollars to your occupancy budget. (The yellow pages are a service directory. Don’t waste your retail exposure dollars there.)

Cheap rent is seductive and insidious. It ensnares even the brightest people.

Two weeks ago I was listening to a man tell me about his business when I abruptly told him that his problems were the result of a bad location. He hadn't yet told me anything about his location when I made the statement.

“What makes you think I have a bad location?”

“I knew the moment you told me which parts of your company were profitable and which were struggling.”

“But I didn’t think the location would matter for a business in my category. We’re a destination. We don’t need drive-by traffic.”

“How much do you spend for occupancy and how much are you spending for advertising?”

“Two thousand a month for rent. Seventy-five hundred a month on radio ads.”

“What would it cost to be where the action is?”

“About four thousand a month.”

“Take the extra two thousand from the ad budget. Four thousand for occupancy and fifty-five hundred on the radio will make you a lot more money.”

Your location tells the public what you believe about your company in your heart.

How proud is your location?

Roy H. Williams

Motivated Mom's!

2008-07-24T09:52:00.007-05:00

This isn't business related, but I thought this was too cute. It is a story about a group of Mom's who single handedly helped contain a fire they discovered at their local elementary school.

All I have to say is these Mom's were REALLY motivated to get their kids back in school this fall!!!! LOL

http://heraldnet.com/article/20080724/NEWS01/30857962

Check it out and thanks again!
Terri Miller

Having Trouble Emailing Big Files? Upload them to the internet easily and share with others for FREE!

2008-06-25T10:46:00.007-05:00

Have you ever needed to send a big file to someone but were having trouble emailing it, or wished you could just "post" it on-line and send a link to people so they could download it directly from the web. Well now you can with out having to have FTP software or the know how to use it. Just go to http://www.transferbigfiles.com/ and you can upload your file and email a link to someone in seconds flat! Great for sending big photos or files. No more trouble with exceeding your ISP's email limits and you can share the link with others for quick download. What's not to love? Right now it is free, so enjoy!

FREE PDF Writer Software

2008-06-25T09:16:00.004-05:00

Hello,

A lot of my customers have the need for a free pdf writing software so they can save documents as a PDF. I have found one and it can be downloaded from their site http://www.cutepdf.com. Look for the "Free Download" options or download it directly from my site at: http://www.millerenterprise.us/howtos/CuteWriter.exe

I hope this helps!

Thanks,
Terri Miller

Route 66 Roadies are the BEST!

2008-06-23T09:33:00.002-05:00

I am just getting back to my desk after a fantastic weekend at the official Route 66 festival held in Litchfield, IL. I meet so many wonderful people from the "Mother Road". I meet a one of a kind man know simply to most as "Tattoo Man" he has like 67 tattoos all but one represent some landmark along the famous highway. My son really liked getting to know him and suggesting future additions to his "collection".

We also met Jim Conkle, General Manager for The Route 66 Pulse publication and preservation society. He greeted me with a big hug from the first moment and informed me that that was the Route 66 "Secret Handshake!". We also meet a couple of radio personalities broadcasting from the event on the Internet only radio station www.bounceradio.net. They were from Kansas and very nice folks.

The kids and I also go to meet Mike Wallace, one of the contributors to the movie "Cars" and most recognizable as the voice of the "Sheriff" in the movie. I was able to attend the awards banquet on Saturday night and heard Mike speak with passion about our great American highway. I especially liked how he spoke of the road being about the people you meet along the way. Authentic American folks who care about you even though they may never see you again and you are a long way from home.

I could go on and on about the wonderful people me and my family got to know. My kid's can't wait now to travel and experience life off the speed ways! What a great adventure awaits!

I also want to take a moment to congratulate Tom Wanko on planning a great event. They are lucky to have you! And to congratulate "The Ariston" on winning "Business of The Year".

For more info about Route 66 go to: http://www.route66pulse.com/

Thanks,
Terri Miller

Four essential ingredients for email newsletter success

2008-06-14T09:28:00.002-05:00

The Recipe for Excellent E-Newsletters
Four essential ingredients for email newsletter success

By Amy Black, Constant Contact Editor, Hints & Tips e-Newsletters

Email newsletters have amazing potential. When done well, they keep you connected to the people who mean the most to your business or organization and help to build their confidence in your brand. In addition, great e-newsletters help drive repeat business, new sales, event attendance, donations, and more.

So what makes an excellent email newsletter? There are a number of essential ingredients.

1. Include relevant, valuable content

Relevancy is the number one ingredient for a successful newsletter, but according to eMarketer, 44 percent of marketers see coming up with relevant content as their greatest challenge. Here are a few tricks that make it easier.

Ask for information. The best way to know what your readers want is to ask them. Send a survey to find out what information they are most interested in receiving and the topics they want to learn about.

Study your reports. Monitoring the behavior of your customers is a key way to understand them. Your click-through will show you what topics they like best.

Consider what they need to know. There are times when the people on your list need information that they won't know to ask for. In these cases, they will thank you for passing on valuable knowledge.

Plan and prepare. An excellent newsletter requires some prep work. Two hints to help: 1) Create an editorial calendar so you know what topics you will cover in advance. 2) Start a swipe file (a folder for relevant articles) so you have the inspiration you need for upcoming issues.

2. Showcase your brand

With an email newsletter, you can establish and reinforce your organization's brand. It can show and tell "who" your organization is and help readers come to trust you and what you offer. Here are a few tips for building your brand with your newsletter.

Find your voice and use it. How would you describe your company? Professional, warm, friendly, helpful, or knowledgeable? The attributes that define your organization should set the tone for your newsletter and help you find a writing style, or voice, that consistently communicates your brand.

Incorporate your logos, colors, and fonts. What does your brand look like? Pull that style and format into your email newsletter so that it corresponds with your website and provides your readers with a consistent brand experience.

Include a headshot and signature. If you are the brand, give readers a face to connect with your name. Additionally, a signature in the opening gives an extra personal touch to the newsletter.

3. Create a reader-friendly format

You've worked hard to create valuable content, so make sure to put it in a format that is easy to read. Here are a few things to keep in mind when building your email newsletter.

Include a table of contents (TOC). When you include a TOC up top, your readers can quickly scan the topics and go directly to the areas of greatest interest.

Balance text and images. Using images to support your topic is a good idea, but because many people have images turned off, make sure your newsletter communicates equally well without them. Hint: To test, turn off your images in your email client, send yourself a sample, and see what it looks like.

Leave plenty of whitespace. Resist the urge to fill every nook and cranny of your newsletter with content. Whitespace allows the eyes to rest between the various segments. With it, your readers can skim with ease through your newsletter.

Watch that length! For a shorter newsletter, include a teaser then drive readers back to your website for a deeper experience. This approach enables you to get valuable click-through reports that show the level of interest in a topic.

4. Engage your readers

Successful newsletters provide quality content, look great, and encourage a dialogue. Use your newsletter as a springboard for further conversation with your readers and to get them talking with each other. Here are a few ideas on how to do it.

Offer an email address or webform. Invite your readers to contact you to further connect with them and establish yourself as a reliable expert. Just make sure you are prepared to respond in a timely manner.

Use an online poll. Polling is a quick and easy way to engage a reader around a specific article. You can add an online poll to the webpage the article lives on, enabling readers to give feedback immediately. Or use a poll to ask your readers to vote on next month's topic.

Include a survey link in each issue. Get ongoing feedback on each newsletter issue by including a link to a survey. Ask simple questions such as "How satisfied were you with this issue?" and "What topics interested you most?"

Invite readers to comment on a blog or online forum. Invite your readers to join the conversation on a blog or in an online forum. If there are interesting discussions going on, reference them in your newsletter to foster further engagement.

While there are enough email newsletter tips to fill a book, if you implement the hints provided in this article, your email newsletter will be an even more powerful marketing tool for your organization.

A Comparison of 9 Major Media

2008-06-09T11:47:00.000-05:00

Once again another great article from the "Wizard of Ads". Enjoy!!!

A Comparison of 9 Major Media
The Medium is Not the Message

Marshall McLuhan’s famous line, “The medium is the message,” is at best a Japanese koan (ko-ahn.) You know, “What is the sound of one hand clapping,” and all that? I’m sure I’ll get a thousand ranting emails about this, but I’ve always felt koans to be a silly attempt to sound profound.

McLuhan’s koan is at the top of my list. It was originally published in his 1964 book, Understanding Media. Nearly half a century later later, his disciples are still trying to explain what he meant.

Enough.

The medium is the medium.
The message is the message.

Ad campaigns don’t fail because someone chose the wrong media. Ad campaigns fail because someone chose the wrong message.

The job of the media is to deliver your message.
Your job is to give the media a message worth delivering.

Each media has its own strengths and weaknesses. And because I’ve spent the last 20 years talking about message, today we’ll glance at media:

Signage: Expensive signage at an intrusively visible business location is often the cheapest advertising your money can buy. Intrusive visibility is the quality that separates landmarks from scenery. You’re intrusively visible when the public sees you without looking for you. Do you have an intrusive location? Have you maximized your signage?

Outdoor: Billboards reach more people for a dollar than any other media and they’re geographically targetable. In other words, you can reach specific pockets of your city with them. Their weakness is that they become invisible after just a few sightings in the same location, so be sure to move your boards every 30 days. Additionally, the average driver is unwilling to look away from the road for longer than eight words. So if you can’t sing your song in eight words or less, billboards aren’t your best bet.

Direct Mail: Like billboards, direct mail lets you target geographically and in theory, psychographically as well, assuming the right member of the household sorts the mail. The problem with direct mail is that most of it gets thrown away unopened. And the costs of printing and delivery have skyrocketed.

Television: Television delivers the highest impact of any media, but unpredictable viewer habits make it difficult to reach the same viewer a second or third time within seven nights sleep. If your message needs repetition, television is even trickier to schedule than radio. And the cost of production is extremely high for an ad that won’t embarrass you. But if you’ve got the cash and it’s not the off-season (summertime,) TV can be a powerful ally.

Radio: Sound is neurologically intrusive and radio feels like a friend. The problem with radio is that most ads are written in such a way that they’re easily ignored, so your ad will need to be presented repeatedly to the same listener. This need for repetition makes scheduling easily botched. Most campaigns are scheduled to reach the largest possible number of people. Consequently, these schedules deliver too little repetition. Be careful you don’t make this mistake. The good news is that radio is the great equalizer. Unlike magazines, television and direct mail, radio ads don’t require a big budget to be world class; radio requires nothing but word skills and imagination.

Newspaper: Newspaper ads need a visual trigger, a picture of your product. This trigger will attract the attention of customers who are consciously in the market for your product, but those who aren’t in the market will fail to see your ad. Consequently, newspaper ads often deliver immediately identifiable results, but these results fail to get better and better over time. In the short run, newspaper wins. In the long run, TV and radio win.

Yellow Pages: Like newspaper, the yellow pages reach people who are consciously in the market. But while newspapers promote products, the yellow pages promote services. The highest goal of a service business is to be the name that immediately comes to mind when the public needs your services. This can be accomplished with Radio, Television, Signage or Billboards. But if your budget doesn't permit you to win customers before they need you, make sure you sing loud in the yellow pages.

Magazines: Perhaps the ultimate tool for psychographic targeting, magazines ads tend to be expensive. Another downside is that most are delivered with very poor frequency, often just once a month. But when your message fits the readership, magazine ads can be awesome.

Internet: The advantage of the internet is that it lets you reach the whole world. The disadvantage of the internet is that you’re competing with the whole world. How will you drive traffic to your site? If your small business has the ability to drive traffic through mass media, a website is often the perfect half step between your advertising and your store. Let your prospective customer get to know you online.

It’s worked well for me.

Roy H. Williams

Stress-Free Print Buying

2008-05-15T14:07:00.003-05:00

Print buying can be a daunting task at times with the myriad details and choices to make. Here are some tips for those who are considering doing a mass printing or mailing piece.

Consider us your partner in every job you produce. By involving us early in your project, you will realize time and cost savings and ensure high quality materials delivered on time and within budget. Educate us about your concept for the project, and we will suggest colors, papers, layouts and finishes that might shorten the production time or achieve a similar effect at a lower cost.

Develop a realistic timeline. Given today’s advances in printing technology, buyers often underestimate the time required between job submission and final delivery. The exact production time depends on the complexity of the project, including the amount of copy that you will need to proof, the size and shape of the piece and any special order papers or finishing choices. Providing ample lead-time will save money by avoiding rush shipping charges.

Understand what specifications you need to provide. The more explicit your instructions, the more likely you will be happy with the quality and cost of your final product. One missing piece of information or last-minute change in even a single element--such as quantity, copy, PMS color, paper selection or finishing option--can delay a cost estimate, proof or final production of your job.
Proof your job in detail. We will alert you if we identify errors in your copy, but we are not always familiar with industry-specific jargon, telephone numbers or how to spell proper names. Your print job cannot move into the next stage of production until you sign off on the proof. The longer this process takes, the more likely we will have to reschedule the production of your job. You could incur overnight delivery charges or miss a deadline altogether.

Even if you do not have a job to submit today, give us a call so we can start preplanning your next project. We will provide an outline of required specifications, and you can help us understand your creative and purchasing processes. Together we can create a stress-free print buying experience that will exceed your expectations for quality, efficiency and cost.

We're Growing AGAIN!!!!

2008-05-07T17:25:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's been so long between blogs. It has been so busy around here. Our growth lately has been INCREDIBLE, and with growth comes growing pains. I am always trying to stay on top of it all, but sometimes things fall between the cracks and if I have not been as available lately or have taken a bit longer than normal to get back with you, I apologize!

On this front I have recently realized that there IS a limit to what one multi-tasking, java addicted woman can accomplish no matter how early she gets up or how late she gets to bed. So to respond to these limits, I recently added several new members to our team.

I will be introducing you soon to all our new team members. It will take a little time for the newbies to get up to speed, but I know that their addition will mean we can take care of you faster and with greater skill than ever before!

Growth can be good, if you manage it right and I sure hope I'm doing all I can to give you all the benefits of a growing team of experts, without loosing our trade mark personal attention. Please let me know if we are failing you in any way. Tough love is how good companies become GREAT!!!

Thanks again to ALL OF YOU!!!!!!

Terri Miller

Learning to Delegate

2008-05-07T16:03:00.001-05:00

How Ironic!!! I just got this article in a newsletter. Really fits my current situation. I thought it might be usefull for you too!

For entrepreneurs who hate to give up control, these five tips will help you relax and learn to let others help out.

For entrepreneurs who hate to give up control, these five tips will help you relax and learn to let others help out.

Adds Article to your Entrepreneur Assist Bookmark page.
Excuses, excuses. I've heard them all.

"It's faster if I just do it myself."

"I'm afraid I'll forget to tell them something important."

"No one does it better than me."

"I don't know what to delegate."

"I can't afford to hire anyone."

"I'm too critical of other people's work."

"If I give up control over everything, things will start to fall through the cracks."

Sound familiar? You know that in order to grow your business, you need to grow your team. Yet as small-business owners, there's something in us that fights against asking for help. It's almost like there's some right of passage in being able to "do it all" ourselves. But the reality is, you can't do it all and focus on your strengths without stretching yourself in too many directions.

Delegation is about handing over authority, and for many small-business owners, that's a scary concept because you don't know what will happen when you give up control. But the good news is, delegating doesn't have to be scary-you have more control than you think. Because when you've clearly defined what's to be done and what the outcome should be, it's difficult for a skilled assistant, employee or virtual assistant to be unsuccessful. The key to controlling delegation is to establish what the tasks are, how they should be completed and what the final outcome looks like before you assign the task to someone.

Now, no more excuses. Here are five steps, each with specific actions you can take to develop your what, how and the final outcome, to get you on the road to delegating effectively.

1. Determine what to give away and what to keep. First, consider your strengths. What are you directly contributing to your business that's making it successful? Those are the things you should continue doing. The tasks that are outside your expertise or those that could easily be performed by others are the first things to delegate or give away.

One of my clients, who's in the insurance industry, found that she was spending a lot of her time checking in with clients. And while she really wanted to be in contact with her entire client list on a regular basis, she didn't want to spend unnecessary time with clients who didn't need her immediate attention.

So she decided to delegate her client "keep in touch" calls to an assistant. Now her assistant makes each initial client call. If she finds the client has a question or is interested in more information, she adds their name to her boss's follow-up list, who then calls the people on that list when she has time to talk. Now she's only talking to those clients who really need her, but all her clients are happy because they're contacted on a regular basis.

Your Actions: Make a list of everything you do on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Then go through the list and determine what's essential for you to keep doing and what can be given away.

2.Create a plan. Consider what you need to accomplish and how you want the task done. In order for delegation to be effective, you have to be able to tell someone exactly what it is you want him or her to do. Maybe "no one does it better than you" because no one truly understands what you want done.

So plan out what needs to be accomplished and exactly how you want it done.

Your Actions: Create your processes. Determine what the final outcome should be and create the specific, detailed steps needed to get there. Once you've hired someone to help out, give that list of steps, along with any applicable files, forms and checklists, to the person you've hired.

3. Hire the right person. The key to finding the right person for the job is to determine what skill sets your position requires. What do you really want someone to do for you? Are they going to be taking care of administrative tasks? Are they focused on marketing or sales duties? Are you looking for an analyst? Once you know what skills you need, search for a person who has exactly the skills you need. Don't just hire the first person who happens to be available.

Your Actions: Look at the tasks being performed, and decide what skill sets are needed. When interviewing candidates, ask open-ended questions that allow you to discover if that person has the expertise you're looking for. Remember to ask people you know and trust for referrals of potential candidates.

4. Assign results and accountability. One of the most important steps to successful delegation is to plan ahead by determining what the end results should be. Picture what you want to be holding when those final deliverables are handed to you. Then communicate those expectations. And remember, all expectations have to be reasonable, clear and measurable. For example, you may want to require that someone "complete a minimum of 30 sales call per week" as opposed to just "complete sales calls."

Accountability is not a bad word-there have to consequences if the results you need are not being met. Because if the quotas, goals or results you need aren't being achieved, it's you and your business that will suffer.

Your Actions: Create specific goals, quotas or outcomes that need to be accomplished by the person you're delegating work to. Effectively communicate those expectations, and create consequences if the results you expect aren't being accomplished.

5. Check in from time to time. "Set it and forget it." Some people think that rule applies to tasks that have been delegated. I hate to burst your bubble, but people are human. They make mistakes, they accidentally skip over things-they may even drop the ball.

Instead of leaving them alone once you've assigned some work to them, establish specific times you'll check in with them to see how they're doing. You can set a regular appointment time, such as Tuesdays at 2 p.m., when you'll sit for 15 minutes to an hour and review regular duties, project milestones and answer questions. Or you might select a specific point in the project where you'll review their progress. For example, you might say, "After you've called all 50 prospects, come see me so we can discuss the feedback you've been getting from them."

Checking in with your employees allows you to stay in the loop, fix problems as they arise, and educate and develop the people working with you. And setting specific times allow you the freedom to focus on other things the rest of the time.

Your Actions: Establish a check-in schedule that works for both you and your employee. And then be sure to touch base when you say you will.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beth Schneider, president of Process Prodigy, helps business owners leverage the best business practices to help them build a thriving business. Beth is also co-author of Inspiration to Realization. To contact her, call (888) 584-5452 or e-mail her at .

The "Truth" Video Says It All

2008-04-16T15:09:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine turned me on to this on YouTube. She said that it was "made for me". You see I am a realist, but at me heart and in my soul I am an optimist and believe in our future.

Watch it and ask yourself which version are you?

And how does that effect your day, your life, and your world?

POWERFUL!

Does the Economic Slump Mean Small Business Disaster?

2008-04-12T15:11:00.002-05:00

Hello,

For those of you who have downloaded my recent White Paper on the "Six Things You MUST Know To Survive This Economy" (If you haven't yet, go to my homepage, click on Hillary and Obama and fill out the contact form. You will receive it via email.), then you know a lot of my thoughts and advice on this subject. Here is a little support for my postion from another marketing expert.

Enjoy!

Does the Economic Slump Mean Small Business Disaster?
By Joy Gendusa
2008-04-08

Enough Already!

I am getting bombarded by the media's doom and gloom about the economy! I can't take it anymore!! My future, my financial success, my life are in my hands and in my hands alone. That is my rock. That is what I must believe. Because the minute I assign blame to anyone else - or any other entity - including "the economy" I'm done for. At that moment I can do nothing to change any aspect of it.

My company is holding its own. In fact, we're still growing. More slowly, yes. But growth is growth. We are up from this time last year by 6%.

But, even though I can control my own income and my own life, most business people feel, understandably, like they are totally at the whims and control of the economy. I mean, they can see the numbers going down. They can observe less sales and less reach from their potential market. How do you go from viewing something obvious to changing it totally. First you have to believe you can. If you're reading this and you've already decided ‘it's impossible to do well in this economy' then just give up and close the doors. I'm serious, stop reading. You're done. BUT, if you think you CAN do something about it and if you believe me, well - carry on with your reading.

So let's look at the reality. It is true that people are spending less. It's also true that business owners, due to that observation, are marketing less. Well, take advantage of that! If you market MORE you will pull in the business instead of those others that aren't marketing.

In the book, Olgivy on Advertising, David Olgivy (winner of the Parlin Award for Marketing) states his own empirical observations on marketing in a recession. He says,

"What should you do in time of recession, when you need every penny to sustain your earnings? Stop advertising?

"If you stop advertising a brand which is still in its introductory phase, you will probably kill it - for ever. Studies of the last 6 recessions have demonstrated that companies which do not cut back their advertising budgets achieve greater increases in profit than companies which do cut back.

"In a Morril survey of 40,000 men and women involved in the purchase of 23 industrial products over five years, it was found that share-of-market went up in bad times - when advertising was continued."

He goes on to source the American Business Press that had pie charts of sales of companies which cut back their advertising expenditure during the 1974-75 recessions compared with companies that did not cut back. The companies that did not cut their advertising budgets had more than doubled their sales 2 years later while sales from the companies that cut their advertising had barely gone up 50%. Three years later sales were down for companies that had cut their advertising while it was up for those that did not. The net income for these companies also followed the same suit over the same period of years - those companies that did not cut their advertising had more than tripled in sales, while companies that did cut back during the recession had barely doubled.

There is a consequential effect that marketing has on your business 1, 2, 3 years and more down the line if you don't market during a recession. And while the cost of living increases along with inflation and other factors, you will be losing sales and income down the road when you will really need it if you cut back on marketing during times of recession. But as I say, even though unfortunately, companies will invariably cut their advertising budget during a recession so be smarter and use that to your advantage - for more business and growth now as well as in the future, because if you do you will come way out ahead with the recession starts to wane.

At my company, PostcardMania, we are definitely being hit by all the business owners that feel they had better cut back on their marketing due to the economy. Don't misunderstand; we are still growing and doing great but our growth has slowed slightly. And that growth is harder won these days.

It's at these times you have to be smarter. You have to market smarter and reach higher quantities of people with your marketing message. Your return on investment MAY be lower and you may earn less per dollar spent on marketing. But think this through... if you cut back on your advertising you will undoubtedly have less business coming in. Operating that way, now look a year down the road... how's your business doing? Scary.

However, if you increase your advertising and marketing budget and your competition is cutting back what will happen? Look a year into the future on this one too... what do you think will happen? Who will get the business?

Look at what the big boys are doing. Are they cutting back on their marketing? Some are, but will regret it. But certainly not all. Witness your own mailbox - you don't have to do a hard search for this data. Bed Bath & Beyond, Crate n Barrel and JC Penny, even the AARP is marketing heavy. Read the March 2008 issue of Fortune Small Business magazine article, ‘Slump Busters', where you can meet business owners who have devised smart strategies to prosper amid the economic slowdown. In the article, Villanova School of Business professor John Pearce II, made an interesting observation: "Recessions are a period of opportunity; during recessions large companies abandon marginally profitable customers, and small businesses can get those customers."

Capitalize on that and gain those customers by marketing. You have to look at the long-term future in order to ride the recession wave and come out on top.

You can go into agreement with the thousands of small business owners and cut back on your marketing and you can get smaller and possibly even close down. You can do that. Or you can emulate the companies that are surviving and growing. It's up to you really. Personally, I refuse to be dictated to by the economy. I have plans! I will invest in myself, my own smarts, my own persistence, my own perseverance, my company, my staff, their futures and on and on.

Giving up, shrinking, for me is not an option. It shouldn't be for you either.

About Joy Gendusa:
Using a powerful, simple, extremely cost effective way of communicating with customers has earned Joy Gendusa Inc Magazine's recognition as the nation's fastest growing direct mail postcard-marketing firm with year 2007 revenues close to $19,000,000. Gendusa began in 1998 with zero investment capital. Today, her Clearwater, FL firm called PostcardMania, employs over 160 people and prints 4 million and mails 2 million postcards representing more than 28,000 customers in over 350 industries each week.

How to Virtualize Your Workforce

2008-04-08T11:47:00.002-05:00

I ran accross this on WickiHow and thought it was interesting. Enjoy!

How to Virtualize Your Workforce

Enterprise Mobility: The ability for an enterprise to communicate with suppliers, partners, employees, assets, products, and customers irrespective of location.

Forrester Research

The virtualized workforce (also referred to as teleworking or telecommuting) is a very hot topic but is sadly underused. Often, management is unaccustomed to managing remote employees, so there is a natural fear of reduced productivity. The movement into remote management can be disconcerting, but it has many significant rewards, both immediate and long-term. With the proper application of good management techniques, you will see an improvement in overall productivity, a decrease in attrition, a reduction in corporate expenses and a massive increase in skill set availability. Your company can demonstrate leadership by example, as well as benefiting employees, your local community, and even the environment.

With skyrocketing fuel prices, employees that telecommute feel an immediate increase in spendable income. With a virtualized workforce, your building utilities decrease and you will find that employees working from home effectively put in more hours and experience fewer sick days. Workforce virtualization also removes cars from the road, making your company greener. By following just a few simple steps, you can truly do your part to help with some of the most critical issues facing us today, including economy and ecology, while helping your business increase productivity and lower costs.

Steps:

Have confidence in your management staff. The number one reason companies do not virtualize their workforce is that the management is afraid they will not be able to effectively monitor and motivate remote workers; they lack faith in their own management abilities. Managing a remote workforce is not significantly different from managing local employees – most communication is done on the phone and by email, anyway. Your managers will adapt quickly.

Have confidence in your workforce. The number two reason people do not virtualize their workforce is that the management is afraid people will not do their jobs; that they will "slack off" and still collect a paycheck. If you truly believe that about any of your employees, then maybe you should look for a different person to fill that slot. The fact is that most people are motivated by achievement ... isn't that why you hired them in the first place?

Research the technology. Learn about how to make telecommuting an effective work environment. You'll find that it's not significantly different than what you already have. There are plenty of companies that offer teleworking technology options for the sole purpose of helping companies, like yours, become virtual. The more you learn, the less frightening it will be.

Analyze every job in the company. Take the approach that virtualization is a requirement: any position must have a strong justification to avoid it. There are some types of jobs that simply cannot be virtualized, of course, but look at each one that isn't an obvious "no" and start with the assumption that it can be effectively done from a remote location. Jobs where the individual spends the majority of their time communicating by telephone and working on the computer are good matches. Of course, there are exceptions (virtualizing a call center is a major endeavor) but analysts, project managers, systems administrators, and programmers are examples that can fit easily.

Poll the employees. Who already has the ability to work from home? Most of your workforce probably can. There are some people who cannot and justifiable reasons would include distractions at home (e.g., young children), lack of access to high-speed Internet, no available space to create a home office, or some disabilities that require highly specialized accommodations.

Project the savings. This is going to take some work – make no mistake about that. You may take into account such things as electrical savings for not having to run personal computers. If you are highly successful in this effort (virtualizing nearly the entire workforce), then HVAC savings could be substantial. Liability insurance may be decreased. Will you save on security? Don't forget the water bill. Remember that employees that don't drive to work may have a huge immediate savings in transportation expense so you can consider this an employee benefit – a direct compensation increase. Talk to your HR department about the potential savings in cost-of-living increases.

Document performance requirements. This is critical. To effectively manage a remote workforce you have to have the expectations of the job clearly defined. Not just when people are to be "at work" but an actual performance outline. Migrating to remote management is a lot like moving into management for the first time.
Retrofit the employees' home offices. It might be necessary (or desirable) for some (or all) employees to make use of their existing work computer at home. If their home computers are outdated or do not have required software (including security software) it may be more cost effective to check out the office computer to their home. Make sure telecommunications are in order, too; it's not unfair to have them pay for an extra phone line out of their own pocket because of their reduced commuting costs. You may want to have someone look over their home technology from both a safety and an efficiency viewpoint. Some companies do an OSHA review of the home office.

Identify the positions and people that will migrate. Make a list, but don't post the entire list all at once. Post only the first few people that will migrate. Make it a curiosity and make it desirable. Only post the people that will migrate within the next week. This will attract attention and make being on the list feel like winning the lottery. That is the effect you want.

Migrate in phases. Don't expect to drop everyone into a remote environment at once; a gradual change will show you how to tweak the process. On the other hand, don't do this on a one-by-one basis either. Select a group of people to start: either a small department or a person or two from several different departments. After your first migration, let a couple of weeks go by before the next phase, but don't take too much time; that can cause the process to become suspended. Proceed steadily but not aggressively.

Manage, manage, manage. This is the most critical post-migration activity! While the skill sets to manage remotely are the same as other good management skill sets, you will need to be dedicated to making the new environment a success. Make sure they feel a strong management presence and feel completely comfortable that this is just like working at the office. At least initially, you'll need to dramatically increase your contact with the teleworkers, so they don't feel abandoned. If they begin to feel like they have no guidance, they'll become afraid for their jobs. Make sure they know, every day, their job requirements. Hold telephone one-on-one meetings weekly with each employee (30 minutes is a good block of time for that).

Continue to evaluate. Don't stop with your first evaluation. You might find that you missed some jobs that can be virtualized. Conversely, you might find that you made an incorrect assessment and some of the jobs are actually most efficiently done on site. Don't jump too quickly to reverse your decisions, but if you find that something needs to be rolled back, don't be afraid to make that change.

Tips:

Before you start, you might consider having some small focus groups for feedback to get a feel for how the employees feel about the possibility of virtualizing. Get feedback – they are also likely to come up with some good ideas about how to make the process more efficient and effective. You did hire smart people, right?
Consider audio/visual options (webcams) for the home office. A/V feeds from the home computers will reduce reliance on the telephone – you can just click on the individual and start talking, as if they were in the office with you. Also, while seeing someone's face isn't required, it does add a significant personal impact. It also has the benefit of assuring that people get up and get dressed for work. On the other hand, if you want them to have the option of working in PJ's, you might go with an audio only feed.

Keep up with technology. Remote working and remote document management is growing by leaps and bounds. Google and Microsoft are in heated competition for this market segment. As new tools become available, test them for your environment. As this becomes more common, the market will drive invention.

Have group get-togethers. You've talked about this in the past; getting everybody together off-site for a group meeting or for team building or for training. Now you have to do it. At least once a month, make sure your employees all gather in one place for a meet-greet-eat function. It strengthens the feeling of corporate unity.
Get Green Certified. If you are sufficiently virtualized, you are significantly more environmentally friendly and you may get some recognition. This is excellent publicity.

It is possible to begin by assigning some days of the week to telework and some to office work. There may also be occasions when it's absolutely necessary for teleworkers to be in the office. The goal is full Enterprise Mobility, but that objective must not overshadow corporate productivity. Even a percentage of telework will result in savings to the company and to the employees.

Warnings:

Monitor performance. There will be a percentage of people that simply cannot adapt to working from home. They're still good employees but they need closer supervision (this may include some managers). If you can't keep them motivated in a remote environment, move them back. Do it quickly.

Make the idea exciting. The last thing you want is for people to view this as a corporate cut-back, or for them to believe this is happening because the company is in trouble. Talk about going green. Talk about economic stimulation. Talk about the family benefits. Market and promote the idea from within well before you start.

Inform your customers. You need to market and promote the idea to your customers the same way you did to your employees. The exact same reasoning applies; you need for your customers to understand you are doing this to further improve your company. Develop a list of customer benefits. You must continue to improve your customers' experience.

Develop new business continuity plans. A plan for disaster is still needed but it is vastly different now. Rethink your strategies. This is another savings area. Before you virtualized, you had to have contingency options available in case your building became unavailable. That is, to a large extent, no longer a primary issue. You still need contingencies for things like power outages, but they are less likely to impact your entire workforce because of the geographical diversity.

Alex's surgery went well and we say "THANKS"!

2008-04-03T12:12:00.002-05:00

Hello All!

I just wanted to update all my friends and clients about my daughter's surgery on Monday. Her tonsillectomy went very well, however she is in a lot of pain. The doctor said that her tonsils were "HUGE", and unfortunately the pain seems to be in proportion to them. I know that this too shall pass and look forward to having my happy and above all healthy little girl back. Thanks to all who have called, emailed and even brought presents (Barb and the Bookstore crew were TOO KIND!). You are all so thoughtful and Alex was thrilled that so many people cared. (Me too!) It just continues to prove that I have the best job, in the best place in the world!

Thanks again,
Terri Miller & Alex too!

We hear your junk mail woes and want to help!

2008-03-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

Hello to all,

I hope you had a GREAT Easter. Just a quick note to my website hosting customers. If you host with Miller Enterprises and use an email address set up by us, we have a much awaited update for you!!! We have heard your comments on the incredible amount of junk mail or unsolicited email coming your way and what a frustrating time drain it can be. So in effort to cut down on at least some of these annoying messages, we have updated our web servers with brand new Spam Assassin filters.

This software looks at all incoming mail and does its best to determine if the email is legitimate or junk mail. Like all anti-spam solutions, this system is not 100% accurate. Because this is a mechanical process and not inspected by human eyes, miscategorizations will happen. Some spam will still get through and occasionally a legitimate email may get stopped. However we are striving to find a happy medium so that we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and risk rejecting too many legitimate emails.

If you would prefer NOT to have the Spam Assassin filter applied to your email address please let us know and we will disable it on your account. We hope this upgrade helps you and your staff have a happier and more productive day.

Thanks again for all your support!

Terri Miller - President Miller Enterprises Design, Inc.

Our Printing Prices Are Going Down!

2008-03-08T19:45:00.000-06:00

Hello Loyal Customers & Friends. Just a quick note to let you know we've just lowered many of our printing prices! We are able to accomplish this due to our increased sales (Thank You!) which means we can do more volume purchasing of our supplies, plus our recent $5,000+ software and computer upgrade is making our processes more efficient. This investment is already paying for itself in higher quality products with a faster turn around. We will be continuing to make our company as lean and efficient as possible so that we can keep cost down for you. And rest assured we WILL NEVER cut cost by cutting QUALITY. Thanks again. Terri Miller, President of Miller Enterprises Design, Inc. www.millerenterprise.us (P.S. - You guys DO know your the BEST right?)

Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Member of The Year Acceptance Speech

2008-03-08T13:18:00.009-06:00

Hello,

I have had several request for copies of my Chamber Member of The Year Award acceptance speech. So I am posting it here. Thanks to everyone for an unforgetable evening!

Terri Miller

I would like to thank my fellow Chamber members for presenting me with this great honor. It truly is one of the highest achievements one can attain as a business owner and member of our community. I feel humbled and privileged especially when I think of my predecessor Don Burton, whose commitment and dedication to our community and our children is inspiring.

As I stand here tonight I reflect on the fact that just four years ago I sat out there. I knew just a few souls, in fact I sat with Dennis Fenton and his lovely wife, who I didn’t know, but who treated me like family just the same.

I am often asked why should I join the chamber? What’s in it for me? I would like to counter that by asking what’s in it for WE? Your Chamber of Commerce is working to make our community stronger and better. We take up the common cause of how do we grow our business, prepare our workforce and promote our community. We network together to do business with our trusted friends and colleague and pool together our wide breadth of knowledge to tap into each other’s creative energies.

Your modest dues are going to help pay for our Executive Director, Megan Beeler, who is a dynamic advocate and coordinator for our business community. She provides us with vial information and keeps our business in the forefront.

Your Chamber of Commerce is growing and evolving to tackle today’s new business challenges. We are listening to your needs and want to hear from you. If the chamber isn’t meeting your expectations, if we aren’t delivering you value, if there is something we are failing to address or you have a great idea or have a problem and don’t no where to turn, you are exactly who we want to hear from. We want your ideas, criticism and leadership. We want you at our monthly membership meetings; we want you emailing the membership and board for answers and with suggestions. Get involved and participate! Without an active membership we lose our effectiveness as well as our power to sustain momentum.

It is our choice each day to decide what kind of culture we want our community the embrace. Do we see the tremendous gifts our community has to offer or do we only dwell on what we don’t yet have? Do we make our own fortunes by prudent planning and committed execution? Or do we sit on our hands waiting for some agency or someTHING to change our fortunes? Do we make our own destiny by seizing the advantage at every opportunity? Do we want our greatest treasure, our children, to grow up strong and full of promise, only to fulfill it someplace else? Do we want to hear a parent talk full of pride about how their child graduated from college, and moved away, and how glad they are that they “Got Out of Here”?

I believe the chamber is a magnet for forward thinkers and an incubator of leadership and prosperity in our community. We must all work together and do what we can to create an uncommon belief that bucks conventional wisdom and expects to succeed.

I look around the room this night and see the faces of so many people I have gotten to know and who have welcomed me with open arms. The business community and its heart and soul, the Chamber, is alive and well in Hillsboro and waiting for you. Who out here tonight is willing to accept the challenge to lead our community in cooperation, innovation and prosperity? I believe it is all of us!

Business & Industry Dinner Tomorow

2008-03-05T17:57:00.000-06:00

Don't forget the B&I Dinner Thursday @ 6PM, Moose Lodge Hillsboro. See you there.

Live From My Cell Phone

2008-03-04T12:27:00.000-06:00

Hello,

I am coming to you live from my new BlackjackII cell phone/PDA! Technology is great and I am now even more accessible to my customers! In fact I am typing this messeage while I wait for a train. I can serf the web, check weather, news, and I JUST GOT DONE LOOKING AT LIVE RADAR. What a wonderfull world. Long live capitalism.

Train is passing, see ya later on a web device near you!

Terri Miller

Creating Big Online Brands - Compete with the big guys online.

2008-02-28T13:40:00.001-06:00

Creating Big Online Brands - Your small business can compete with the big guys online
by Doug Shuman

Summary: Here's a little piece of online marketing wisdom that might just be the most valuable thing you hear all year ... with a good, professional website your business can easily compete with the big guys in your industry. The power lies in the quality of your site - and it's not difficult to create a site that looks great and offers customers the information they need in a clear, easy to digest way. With a site like this, your online brand can make your customers see you in a whole new light.

The Web Levels The Playing Field For Small Businesses To Compete
Every day, the business headlines focus on large Fortune 500 companies, but as you probably already know, the true engine driving the U.S. economy is overwhelmingly small businesses. And, thanks to technology, for the first time in history small businesses had the capability to create a brand and compete - particularly online - on the same level as larger, more established companies.

As you build your company's first website, or even more importantly, you're planning a redesign and update of your existing site, your number one priority is designing a professional, polished website. It may sound like common sense, but online, your website is your business. When potential customers visit your site, they will develop an opinion about your business - not based on the service or product that you actually provide - but based on the appearance of your website.

With common web tools, templates, or affordable website design services, your website can put you on the same level with your competitors - even competitors with much larger staffs and experience.

Appearances Matter
As you've always heard, appearances matter - both offline and online. So, how do you figure out the type of site you want or what your redesign should look like? First, you should check out the competitors in your field. But, be aware, their site may also be starting to show its age...don't stop here. If you're selling something online or creating an ecommerce site, check out the top ecommerce sites online - Amazon.com, Buy.com, Red Envelope, and many others. Again, there's no reason that you can't aspire to build a site that will look and feel just as big as some of those companies. You're a small business, but with the web, you don't have to "look" small.

Make notes about the things you like and dislike. And try to figure out what elements appeal to you about the sites that you really like. You don't have to have a degree in visual design to figure out what looks professional and what doesn't. As you finalize the design of your site, you should almost always err on a design that's professional vs. personal. It may be tempting to add "homey" touches to your site - colored backgrounds, prominent photos of your family and friends, etc.. If you're tempted to add those elements to your sites, take a few moments and revisit those top, professional sites that you reviewed during your design process. If they don't include the "personal" touches you're considering adding to your site, then you should follow their example. Keep your website focused on your business, and share family photos, funny videos with friends and family on a strictly personal web site - separate from your small business's online destination.

It's absolutely okay to develop a unique, web personality for you and your business. But, as noted above, throughout the design process continually remind yourself that your website is the first impression that someone will have of your business - and what you're selling.

Finally, remember that despite the huge growth in high-speed internet connectivity, there are still potential customers signing on with a dial-up connection. And, more and more people are surfing the web on mobile devices. If you're tempted to add a resource intensive graphic or applications on your home page, keep in mind this could limit the potential customers that can view your site. For these potential customers that's the equivalent of putting up a "Closed" sign on the front page of your site.

With a little planning and research the possibilities of what your business can do online are endless. I love to see the innovative ways our small business customers have created their online brands. Now it's time for you to get to work ... and I can't wait to see the site that you're dreaming about and planning.

Just like the postman, the weather can't stop us!

2008-02-22T13:38:00.006-06:00

Well I am trapped at home today and working from my dungeon office. I can't believe I use to work down hear everyday! But it isn't the space surrounding a man that makes him, rather the small space between his ears.

My 13 year old son, 7 year old daughter and 9 month old baby girl are trapped here as well and I am convinced that there will be blood soon. I told my kids that their learning to get along and in-fighting was a preparation for marriage someday, my 7 year old daughter said, "I'm not marrying him!" I must remember to speak less esoterically around that one. She can be so literal.

Anyway, not even the cruddy road conditions and bitter cold can keep me from innovating and growing the business. Besides taking care of all the little things that come up through out the day, via phone, email, etc. I have taken advantage of not having walk in traffic to further develop the new services we are rolling out. I just added a proofreader to my talent pool and we are also now accepting Credit & Debit Cards for payment.

I am too close to the projects I am working on to be an effective proofreader and since we are usually working on a tight time frame, mistakes are a natural side effect. Because of this, I have added Gail Johnson to our team. Gail has over twenty years of proofreading experience. She has worked preparing and proofing legal documents for most of her life and the attention to detail and patients that one must have to work in that sector make her more than qualified for the position. Plus she graduated third in her class, and was a standout when it came to grammatical studies. She will be available to help review web site projects as well as printed pieces.

Going above the competition and offering our customers the highest level of service is how I have built my company and this seems like the next logical step. To create pieces that are as professional and error free as possible. This will cost me more, but it will give my client's just one more advantage over their competition, which is our ultimate goal.

As to taking credit cards, again this was something that many of our customers have asked for and we want to give our client's a chance to select a payment option that is most convenient for them. Our invoices will now included a credit card area that you can fill out and send to us, or we can take credit/debit cards in person at our office or over the phone. We can also send you an on-line invoice to pay on-line.

We hope you find our additions helpful and that even in this dismal weather we can brighten your day!

Thanks again,
Terri Miller

Clarity is the New Creativity

2008-02-14T10:23:00.000-06:00

In the language of academics:
The central executive of working memory is the new battleground for marketers. Writers are successfully surprising Broca, thereby gaining the momentary attention of the public, but an absence of salience remains.

In the language of newscasters:
Are your ads gaining the attention of the public but failing to get results? Find out why and learn exactly what you can do about it. Stay tuned for complete details. (Insert commercial break here.)

In the language of the street:
Ads have gotten more creative, but they haven’t gotten more convincing. This sucks for advertisers and the public isn’t helped by it, either.

In the language of clarity:
Can your product be differentiated?
Can you point out that difference quickly?
Can you explain why the difference matters?
This is effective marketing.

To differentiate your product powerfully and clearly:

1. See it though the eyes of the public. (Insiders have too much knowledge.)
2. Ignore everything that doesn’t matter.
3. Focus on what the public actually cares about.
4. Say it in the fewest possible words.
5. Close the loopholes by anticipating the customer’s unspoken questions.

Roy H. Williams

Color in the Marketplace: Brand Image and Identity

2008-01-29T10:21:00.000-06:00

An Excerpt from Color: Messages and Meanings, A Pantone® Color Resource
by Leatrice Eiseman

While it is a given that a successful brand logo is a happy marriage of shapes, symbols and colors, it is truly the colors that evoke the emotional message. Many leading brands are so linked to specific hues that they are primarily recognized by their color or colors. Think Coke red, American Express blue, Kodak yellow and red, British Petroleum (BP) yellow and green, DeWalt black and yellow.

Color is a powerful means of instant communication, capable of evoking strong emotions and spurring desired actions or reactions. Color: Messages and Meanings, A PANTONE Color Resource teaches you how to effectively use color in your marketing, advertising and design.

Learn about color in the marketplace, creating moods with color combinations and future color trends. Order your copy today.

When a color and design "signature" is established, it becomes the brand identifier that reinforces the image in the marketplace across many levels of communication. This should include print and collateral materials, websites, packaging, point of purchase displays, signage, as well as the product itself, creating what is termed a "total brand experience."

Consumers need to have that brand experience wherever they shop or seek information about the brand, as it also helps establish that they will receive the same quality and service across many platforms. So it's not just about image.

There are five essential steps in making a color choice for brand image/identity. They are:

"Shop" the competition.
You don't want to spend precious time and effort creating the perfect image only to find that somebody got there before you did. If your color ID is too similar, your product can be confused with a competitor's offering and this would defeat the brand image intention. In a crowded marketplace, differentiating your brand is vital to the success of the product/message.

Do you homework.
Study the brand's background. What are the product or service goals? What are the company's intrinsic values? This helps create a pathway to the colors that will best identify and communicate their goals. For example, because of the inevitable connection to blue as being steadfast, constant and dependable (see Chapter 1 of Color: Messages and Meanings, A Pantone Color Resource), the blue family is a popular choice for the financial world. The real challenge is to utilize a blue that has not been overused. Another solution would be to arrange the hues in unique new combinations that will help to reinforce the dominant blue presence.

Know the target audience.
Explore market research regarding consumers' perception of the product and color preferences. Many companies are now using mall intercepts and/or lifestyle research where consumers are literally accompanied in the course of a normal day so that their lifestyle and buying habits can be observed. On the other hand, some companies do not believe in market research and will rely solely on the designers' or colorists' choices. No matter what research exists (or does not), in the end, it is your intuitive and educated input that should always be included and presented.

Always keep the psychology of color a major priority when choosing appropriate brand image hues.
A key element in color choice is its emotional meaning. Be certain that the information is current, credible and reliable, as this will form the basis of your rationale for your selections. When refreshing any component of a brand image, color trends are important but it is best to combine the "new" or skewed colors with more familiar brand image colors.

It's important to note that as much as 95% of consumers' decision-making is dictated by the subconscious.
As far as color is concerned, most decision-making is intuitive and emotional, so the appropriateness and first impression of color is critical. Approximately 5% of decision-making is rational. As a result, most consumers do not make purchasing decisions based solely on logic, but on perception. Color plays a major role in creating those perceptions.

Read more about color and its powerful role in marketing, advertising and design in Color: Messages and Meanings, A PANTONE® Color Resource.

Excerpt from Color: Messages and Meanings, A PANTONE ® Color Resource reprinted with permission from the publisher, Hand Books Press, and the author, Leatrice Eiseman.

About the author: Leatrice Eiseman, author of Color: Messages and Meanings, A PANTONE ® Color Resource, is an internationally renowned color expert, color trend forecaster, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute ® and founder of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training. Her educational background in psychology, business and design gives her a unique perspective in guiding numerous companies to meaningful and successful color choices. The author of seven books on color, she is a frequent guest on TV. She makes presentations to a variety of industries and schools on the emotional impact of color, consumer response research and color trends. Lee has received numerous awards, among them: Fortune magazine named her one of the top 10 decision-makers in business and Home Furnishings Now honored her as #13 in the top 100 style arbiters internationally.

My First SAHBA Function!

2008-01-28T15:45:00.000-06:00

Well on Wednesday I attended my first Springfield Area Home Builders Association function since joining. Dara Drew, my good friend with Capitol Radio Group, recruited me and I really had a good time. I met several memebers, but I was able to especially get to know Doug Sutton of Sutton Siding & Remodeling, Inc. He was such a nice guy and very knowledgeable! I know that there are so many more wonderful new friends with SAHBA I have yet to meet, but all in good time!

I also got to meet Tracy Butler, the Executive Officer, who is as fun to be around as Dara and does a GREAT job. I had my first Website Community meeting on Friday and even with the Home Show this week, she had it all put together! I look forward to more great times with Tracy in the future.

Now on to the future!
Terri Miller

BEWARE of searching for domain names!

2008-01-24T13:41:00.000-06:00

Register Searched Domains!

When you run a search on a domain name to see if it's registered, be prepared to buy it on the spot if it's available.

You see, if you check a domain's availability with Network Solutions, the registrar will put it on "reserve" (which effectively means that it registers the domain).

Then, the only place you can register the domain name is with Network Solutions -- at its chosen price.

This practice has been called Domain Tasting, and there have been rumours of it going on for a number of years. I have had many customers experience this first hand, and now Network Solutions happily admits to it!

Ramona Wink - A client/friend who is on FIRE!!!

2008-01-21T10:02:00.000-06:00

Here is a press release from one of my wonderful customers Ramona Wink. It is great to see here taking off and gaining momentum. Of course she does have the most powerful force in the world on her side, so that can't hurt! But she is passionate about what she does and that passion is translating into action. Way to go Ramona!!!

Press Release For Immediate Publication

Pastor and Christian Speaker, Ramona Wink, is the featured guest in a radio interview with KAYP, an American Family Radio station in Burlington, 89.9 FM. Wink, the Iowa and Illinois Ambassador for the JESUS Name Project, will provide the latest update on the JESUS billboards. Currently, there are 3 JESUS billboards in Iowa: Highway 61 at Grandview, Highway 218 north of Mt. Pleasant, Highway 151 near Monticello/Anamosa. Wink is raising funds to support those 3 billboards plus hopes to add a 4th JESUS billboard that will be displayed in Ottumwa. There are 4 JESUS billboards up in southern Illinois. You can hear this radio interview on KAYP, 89.9 FM on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd at 4 a.m. and noon and also on Sunday, Jan. 27th at 5 p.m. You can also listen on-line during those times by going to the home page of KAYP and clicking on Listen Live On Air.

During this interview, Mike Buster, a pro-life advocate, also speaks on his pro-life road-side signs in southeast Iowa.

To donate to the JESUS Name Project (a non-profit ministry), mail checks to 211 Flatiron Dr., Columbus Junction, Iowa 52738.

KAYP will also feature Ramona Wink on Wednesday, January 23 at 5:00 p.m. This is a LIVE interview and Ramona will be discussing the ministry God has called her to. She will her JOY of pastoring the First United Presbyterian Church in Morning Sun, Iowa, serving as a Stonecroft Ministries speaker, speaking at Christian conferences, retreats, seminars, writing a weekly faith based newspaper column, the JESUS Name Project, ect.

For more information, email Ramona Wink at wink123@lisco.net or call 319-212-0366. Ramona Wink's website is www.winkforjesus.com

My thoughts on the future of the Historic Courthouse

2008-01-09T15:50:00.000-06:00

Since I look out my office window just about every day to a view of the historic courthouse I feel compelled to speak on the matter of its future. Whenever someone from out of the area pictures Montgomery County they instantly think of our “Old Brick Lady”. You can see it high on the hill as you come east into town on Rt 16 and many a newbie to the area has had their breath taken away by it. I see it all the time, people passing through town whipping out their cameras. I never see them ohhing and ahhing over then new courthouse, as it looks very much like any modern office complex.

I am not putting down the new courthouse. It is very nice and we should be proud of it as well and I am sure if it is around in a hundred years it will garner more attention. All I am saying is that we have a treasure that many of us take for granted. To turn it into storage would be a terrible mistake. Warehouses don’t get attention and this would effectively shut it off to the public thereby shutting down the soul of downtown.

Other “forward” thinking communities have had the foresight to see the value in preserving their architectural history. Progressive communities aren’t just made up of new steel, veneer brick and tented glass. They celebrate their splendid past and uniqueness while still offering modern amenities.

Other communities have preserved and modernized historic structures, while making them functional in our modern era. Let’s start looking around and getting valuable information on how we can do the same. How many pieces of our history are already gone? Is the moment all that matters? Is it worth it to preserve what makes us special? I think we cannot let the ball drop on our watch. It is our responsibility to future generations.

Why Matt Hughes Will Always Be Our Champion!

2007-12-30T00:06:00.000-06:00

Well I just got done watching UFC 79 and unfortunately Matt Hughes lost. I know that so many of us were praying for a victory and Title, however I guess it wasn't meant to be. I can't claim to be a good friend of Matt's, as I only recently got a chance to meet him and his wonderful family. His wife Audra has a gift wrapping business (www.hillsborogiftoppers.com) in the upstairs of the book store building (www.booksnmore.com) where my office is located, so I have gotten to know her in the past few months, along with their beautiful kids. She is a friendly and thoughtful person, always willing to help others.

Every time I have seen Matt he is friendly, good natured and quick with a smile. He is also always helping out friends and family. Last year I was at a fundraiser for a local Catholic school and his generosity both monetarily and in spirit made me so proud he was from Hillsboro. He also offers donations of time and treasure to just about everyone who asks, or so it seems. Including my son's disable sled hockey team.

When I hear people who do not know Matt talking about how he isn't a nice guy, or that he is an egotistical jerk, I get very upset! Only people who don't know him could ever accuse Matt of that. If you base your beliefs about Matt Hughes by what you see on TV, you would be in for a surprise. He is one of the nicest persons you could ever meet, famous or regular folk included. My son, like so many other young kids, looks up to Matt and I couldn't design a better roll model. He is hard working, honest, kind, honorable, and isn't afraid to openly express his Christian beliefs, and ever rarer trait these days!

He brings much honor to our community and to his family, for whom I believe he pours every ounce of energy in the Octagon. A true Champion is made of actions, not words, by character, not titles, and by how they effect those around them. At the end of the day, Matt Hughes will always be a Champion in the eyes of so many because he endeavors to make the world a better place. A Champion is judged by the mark they leave behind, and Matt has set the bar high not only for his athleticism in the ring, but for his heart outside of it. If I could say something to Matt tonight, I'd say you will always be our Champion and we are SO PROUD OF YOU!

Thanks Matt!

Terri Miller - Miller Enterprises Design, Inc.
Hillsborite and Hughes Supporter For Life

Looking Back At Life This Holiday Season

2007-12-19T12:58:00.000-06:00

Well it has been a month since my last post. As you can imagine, the Holiday Season has me rushing about. It is frantic, but fun. I have always enjoyed being busy and having a lot to do. A wise person once said that "if you want something done, ask a busy person to do it". I believe that is so true. A body in motion stays in motion! And let me tell you, I am in motion. So much so that it makes it hard to wind down and get some sleep. Of course just at the moment I fall asleep, that is when the baby wakes up, but she is so cute that it's hard to be upset.

This is the time of year when I think everyone looks back and takes stock on their accomplishments. This past weekend I was snowed in at the farm so I went through all the old boxes and junk one accumulates through out life to make room in the basement for the onslaught of presents to come. As I was going through the layers of my life like some archaeological dig, I came to the conclusion that I have had magnificent highs and the deepest lows, but all in all its been a good life, spent mostly with people worth spending a lifetime with.

Some I have lost touch with, others are a part of my daily life, and some are gone forever with just the memories and photos. I am also amazed at how you continue to meet people through out your life, who become an intricate part of it, even if they are in it for only a short time, or just recently discovered.

That is the joy of life, for me anyway. Spending time with the people I love, reconnecting with dear old friends (who you may not see for years, but think of everyday!) and meeting new and interesting people who are traveling across this same chunk of space. In the end that is all life's really about. The connections we make with each other. During this Holiday Season, I hope you are able to make great connections or reconnections everywhere you go!

Merry Christmas and Have A Happy New Year!

Terri Miller

Christmas Parade A BIG SUCCESS

2007-11-17T11:14:00.000-06:00

I was very pleased with the turn out for the first reintroduction of the annual Hillsboro Downtown Christmas Parade! We had beautiful weather, many great participants, and a large crowd of enthusiastic on lookers. The Snow Princess candidates looked lovely and raised a nice amount of money which will go to help fund the Christmas lights downtown.

Santa rode into town on a Fire Truck and was accompanied by Mrs. Clause, as well as one of his Reindeer who was posing for photos at the Red Rooster Inn. He later retired to his wonderland on the Plaza and met with MANY eager young folk. Plus the kids had a great FREE party at the Escape and the Orpheum showed two FREE showings of "Polar Express", courtesy of the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce.

Thanks again to everyone on the 2000 & Beyond committee for your hard work! This town is lucky to have such dedicated people willing to give of their time to help the community.

I have so many ideas for next year! I hope you do too!!!

Thanks,
Terri Miller

A Moment To Give Thanks!

2007-11-13T14:03:00.000-06:00

Well I just wanted to take a few minutes to write a word of THANKS. With Veteran's Day just pasting and Thanksgiving on the way, I have been reflecting a lot these days on giving thanks.

Thanks to our Veteran's for all they have done and continue to do for us. I am often struck at the strength and dedication of our young people who continue to enlist an serve our country. I get angry sometimes when people talk about today's young people as lazy, self-centered, spoiled and immature. After all, isn't that what's said about every new generation? I see some awfully brave and hardworking young people on TV every night in remote nations, far from home and comfort working for a better world.

Also I have been thinking about how blessed I am. I have a wonderful husband, beautiful children, and a lovely farm to call home. I have a great little office, in a building I love, next to people who are like family, in a town I have can call home. I get up everyday and do something I love and often can share with my family. I have GREAT customers, who I love to work with and gain valuable knowledge from.

This year has been another great year and my business has grown. I have recently started accepting the notion that I am one person and that I need help, and once again I was blessed to find some great talent to work with. Once again I am able to gain knowledge, as each of these exceptional people brings so much to the table.

I just had to take the time out of my busy day to give thanks and to acknowledge all those who make my life so worth living!

Thanks EVERYONE! I couldn't do it without you!!!!

Terri Miller
President
Miller Enterprises Design, Inc.

NEW Name - SAME Great Company!

2007-11-09T13:07:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have noticed that Miller Enterprises has a new name! We have incorporated and our new name is Miller Enterprises Design, Inc. Since there is already a Miller Enterprises, Inc. in the State of Illinois, and I am so well established as Miller Enterprises, I decided to simply add "Design" to our incorporated name. However, if you find the name too long, feel free to continue to call us Miller Enterprises, we'll know what you mean!

Thanks to all my customers for helping my business to grow. I hope that we have returned the favor in all the work we continue to do.

Terri Miller
President
Miller Enterprises Design, Inc.

Exclusive: All That You Need To Know About RSS

2007-10-24T10:36:00.000-05:00

Exclusive: All That You Need To Know About RSS
By Jo Han Mok (c) 2007

You probably have seen this three-letter acronym called RSS in the course of your internet surfing. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary; syndicating means republishing an article that comes from another source such as a website.
An RSS is a means of publicizing updates about websites. It may or may not include a summary and photos of the latest posting. But those that provide summaries (thus Rich Site Summary) allow users to skim through the article so that they can decide later on if they want to access the website source. The RSS feed usually contains the title of the update originating from the website. It is also usually the link to the website source.

What are the benefits of RSS? RSS has benefits for both readers (users) and web publishers.

1. It gives you the latest updates.
Whether it is about the weather, new music, software upgrade, local news, or a new posting from a rarely-updated site you learn about the latest as soon as it comes out.

2. It saves on surfing time.
Since a RSS feed provides a summary of the related article, it saves the user's time by helping s/he decide on which items to prioritize when reading or browsing the net.

3. It gives the power of subscription to the user.
Users are given a free-hand on which websites to subscribe in their RSS aggregators which they can change at any time they decide differently.

4. It lessens the clutter in your inbox.
Although your email address will be required to enjoy the services of online RSS aggregators, RSS does not use your email address to send the updates.

5. It is sp@m free.
Unlike email subscriptions, RSS does not make use of your email address to send updates, thus your privacy is kept safe from sp@m mails.

6. Unsubscribing is hassle-free.
Unlike email subscriptions where the user is asked questíons on why s/he is unsubscribing and then the user is asked to confirm unsubscribing, all you have to do is to delete the RSS feed from your aggregator.

7. It can be used as an advertising or marketing tool.
Users who subscribe or syndicate product websites receive the latest news on products and services without the website sending sp@m mail. This is advantageous to both the web user and the website owner since advertising becomes targeted; those who are actually interested in their products are kept posted.

What are the drawbacks of RSS? The disadvantages of RSS use are brought about by its being a new technology and some user-preference concerns.

1. Some users prefer receiving email updates over an RSS feed.

2. Graphics and photos do not appear in all RSS feeds. For conciseness and ease of publication, RSS feeds do not display the photos from the original site in announcing the update except for some web-based aggregators.

3. The identity of the source website can be confusing. Since RSS feeds do not display the actual URL or name of the website, it can sometimes get confusing on what feed a user is actually reading.

4. Publishers cannot determine how many users are subscribed to their feed and the frequency of their visits. Moreover, they would not know the reasons why users unsubscribe which could be important in improving their advertising.

5. RSS feeds create higher traffíc and demands on a server. Most readers still prefer the whole update over a brief summary of the entry, thus they still access the site.

6. Since it is a new technology, many sites still do not support RSS.

How do I start using RSS?

There are two things needed: an RSS feed and an RSS aggregator or reader. The RSS feed comes from an RSS-supported website. There are also websites that provide a líst of RSS feeds of different websites. An RSS aggregator is used to read the RSS feed from the source website. It scans and collects data on the latest RSS feeds from the worldwide web.

An aggregator comes in two forms: a downloadable program also known as desktop aggregator and an online or web-based aggregator. Downloadable aggregators may require payment before they can be acquired, while internet-based aggregators are usually free of charge. All you need to do is to register an account then you are ready to use their services. Both versions allow you to customize or choose which RSS feeds to enter. Paid aggregators are usually chosen by more experienced users and they usually allow more freedom in customizing feeds.

1. Choose an RSS aggregator to use. For beginners, web-based aggregators are recommended since they are usually user-friendly.

Editor's Note: A good directory of both web-based and desktop aggregators for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms can be found at NewsOnFeeds.com .

2. Scan the homepage of your target website for the RSS or XML button. It contains the RSS code you need to enter in the aggregator. Copy this code. Syndic8 provides a directory of websites that support RSS.

3. Paste the code (which contains the URL of the website) in your aggregator. There is a space provided for pasting the code.

After you have done these three easy steps, you can start reading the RSS feeds coming from the website. New postings appear as they are published real time at the source website.

RSS and Internet Marketing

The original idea of RSS came from Netscape, where their intention was to provide a means for users to customize their personal homepage to contain links to websites that interest them, similar to bookmarking websites.

The application of RSS to internet marketing was an unforeseen development to RSS technology developers. Since users are given the freedom to add RSS feeds to their aggregators, those who are interested in particular products and services available on the internet can now be notified real time. Marketing becomes more specific to interested people and not a hit-and-miss operation.

Medium to big-scale companies who intend to use RSS for marketing their products and services should consider linking up with email account providers, (e.g. Yahoo, MSN, Google mail); networking websites (e.g. Friendster, Multiply, My Space, Hi5); and newspaper and television network websites (e.g. New York Times, CNN). Smaller businesses can also look at networking websites as well as personal blog websites (e.g. Blogspot) and websites of clubs and organizations that would probably make use of their products or services e.g. - a fishing supplies store could look for the website of their local fishing club for possible RSS marketing.

Clearly, RSS is an innovation in information management on the worldwide web as well as online marketing. We can expect better RSS technology in the not-so-distant future as its popularity increases among users and website owners alike.

About The Author
Jo Han Mok is the author of the Number 1 international business bestseller, The E-Code. He shares his amazing blueprint for creating million dollar internet businesses at: InternetMillionaireBlueprints

8 Methods Of Adding More Content To Your Site

2007-10-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

8 Methods Of Adding More Content To Your Site
By Matt Jackson (c) 2007

Content is king and your content site is your kingdom. When the adage "content is king" was first coined, the web was, in many respects, a simpler place for Webmasters. Creating a website with ten to twenty pages of keyword rich content would generate excellent search engine results and a mass of traffíc as a result. Note that keyword rich has now been replaced by keyword optimized – a subtle difference, but a difference nevertheless.

However, the web evolved (difficult to imagine that it's only now considered web 2.0). With the evolution of the web came a much greater demand from web users. Where the static content site was once the epitome of everything good about the Internet, that is less true of the most recent incarnation of the World Wide Web. Your website visitors demand more, but are you able to provide it? We look at various methods of including more content on your website.

More Pages

OK, we'll deal with the most obvious method first. Add more pages. It's simple and it might be considered old school to many, but it still has a place. The more pages of content you have, the more information you can provide and the more keywords you can target. The math is simple and the technique is devastatingly simple.

Try to add new pages for new topics and, if a particular topic looks like being too verbose, split the page down into several parts. Hostíng plans usually allow for a lot of disk space so you should have no problems with space limitations in this respect. Content Management Systems are often included as part of a hostíng control panel, again making it much easier to add more pages to your website.

Add An Article Directory

This is a similar approach to adding more pages in many respects except that it allows for a slightly different structure. An article directory is an excellent way to provide visitors more information on the topic of your site. Articles can be categorized, and include deep links to the appropriate pages of your site.

Articles are very marketable, in the sense that if they are well written, other websites may be inclined to link to the article or even republish it in full with all links to your site left in place. If you simply want to add more content, and use the resulting pages as online real estate, then you could consider accepting article submissions from other authors and Webmasters. You receive free content while the authors receive exposure.

News Section

News items related to your industry or even your business can be a good excuse to regularly add content. As a general rule they will contain what will turn out to be reasonable long tail search results and you can optimize the pages. Good news or press releases may be picked up by other industry news sites providing you with more exposure as well as genuinely useful content for your site.

Let's not overlook that it's always good to brag. Modesty will not win you customers, so if your business or website achieves something big then brag about it. Inform your customers how they too can benefit and the advantages that your news gives to them.

Forums

Some believe that the forum is becoming outdated by more modern web 2.0 applications and portals. While this may be true, the forum can still be used to your advantage although only in the appropriate circumstances. Forums provide a means for people to communicate with one another, and if you can create a vibrant and lively forum, you will instantly attract regular visitors.

The forum can also be used to direct your website visitors. If there's a particularly hot topic, then link to it from one of your pages. If somebody (even you) posts a particularly beneficial post, then link to it from one or more of your pages. Conversely, you can also point forum readers to the main pages of your site. It is possible, with certain forum applications, to replace all instances of a word with a link to one of your pages – a quick way to flow traffíc into your main site.

Blogs

Who hasn't heard of blogs, right? They caused a huge debate when first introduced. Early bloggers claimed they would be the future of the Internet while more skeptical marketers and Webmasters decided their popularity would dwindle eventually. The former certainly came true and it seems there are blogs everywhere, within every industry, and on every conceivable topic.

Blogs have been turned into books, books into blogs. Blogs have even been turned into TV series and, again, vice versa. If you're not blogging then you're not communicating because a blog really does provide a superb way of communicating with your visitors and your customers. And, you guessed it, it allows you to add a lot of good content to your site and will usually draw good search engine traffíc for your efforts.

Frequently Asked Questíons

An old favorite of the Internet marketer. The FAQ page serves a number of purposes, but primarily it is used to prevent an excessive number of telephone calls and emails with simple questíons. An FAQ page can also be used to highlight some of the main benefits of your service or product. For example, if you sell trainers, and deliver them the next day, one of your questíons could be:

"Q - How long before my Nike trainers are delivered?"

"A - We provide next day delivery on all orders placed before 2pm"

That's a very simplistic view, but it can help to sell your product. Also ensure that you include some of your more important keywords through the questíons and answers.

Knowledgebase

A knowledgebase is essentially the next step up from an FAQ page. Instead of having a single page with all of your questíons and answers you would create an article or short article that concentrates on one question or one tutorial. Once you have built up a good number of these you have an excellent point of resource, a good way to attract visitors, and a method of keeping unnecessary customer communications to a minimum.

Feeds

RSS and XML feeds are not new, but they are good for adding content to your site. Look for other sites within your industry that provide feeds and embed them into a page or several of the pages of your site. This can help with SEO because the better feeds update regularly and the search engine spiders believe your site content updates regularly.

These are just some of the more basic but effective methods of adding more and more content to your website. Anything that enables you to add more words has the ability to help improve traffíc and conversions, and provide your customers with an invaluable resource that they will hopefully return to time and time again.

If you don't already have a blog, then get one. At least one. You can combine a blog with other methods of adding content. For instance, you can add other people's articles, or your own articles to the pages of your blog. Alternatively, you can use a blog as the news section of your website. They are easy to design and typically very easy to establish and integrate into your website.

About The Author
WebWiseWords crafts various forms of web content. If you are looking for anything from article writing to blog writing, then visit the WebWiseWords site today.

Video Marketing - Its Growing Importance On The Internet

2007-10-09T10:37:00.000-05:00

This article really highlights what I have known for quite awhile. The Internet is going "live action". I have been spending more and more time working on video for internet training and projects because I feel that this will be a critical part of web marketing in just 36 months and as a good web developer I MUST have these skills.

Enjoy!
Terri Miller
Video Marketing - Its Growing Importance On The Internet
By Punam Parab (c) 2007

Just go through these facts and figures:
• "This [online video ads] could very well become the dominant form of online advertising... probably within the next 18 to 24 months" - Bob Hanna, senor vice president of sales with Burst Media-a group that offers publisher sites to advertisers.

• "Online video ad spend is to surge by 89% in 2007 and is poised to grow and in 2010 will be worth around $2.9 billion". - marketing vox.

• "At some time early in 2010, one in 10 dollars devoted to internet advertising will go for video placements" - David Hallerman, a senior analyst with eMarketer and author of the report 'Internet Video: Advertising Experiments & Exploding Content'

Well, if you have a sharp mind [and even if you don't], you cannot but notice the rising fortunes of video marketing. Video marketing is the next big thing in the world of Internet marketing.

Video marketing entails the use of video for conveying your message to the audience. Most experts believe that videos are more effective when it boils down to establishing an engaging and interactive platform to communicate with the target audience.

If you too are interested in entering into the world of 'online video marketing', then it will augur well if you are aware about the various forms of video marketing. Video advertising is one of the basic forms of video marketing. In case of video advertising, the advertiser makes use of the video that is already being run across television channels. Usually, the video is edited to shorten the duration. This also makes the video more appealing to the online audience. At times, the video might be stripped of its sound to fasten the downloading speed.

However, experts believe that running the same video for your Internet marketing campaign as well as on television channels is not a good idea. According to Amit I. Budhrani of Alza Management Institute, "Most advertisers feel that the content for a video advert can be borrowed from their own TV commercials. However, this is not the case. One needs to clearly differentiate between a video advert and an advertisement made for the TV. Video made for a TV can nevër replace video that is required for the Internet. And it will not make a good impression about the company in the eyes of the people since they can quickly make out that the ad has been copied directly from the TV. If this happens then one is likely to löse out on viewers since people will not care to view the ad of the company ever again. Hence the company will loose viewers instead of gaining them. And this will be a very big loss of opportunity."

Budhrani also adds that, "People are not going to spend their bandwidth on ads that can be seen on TV. In other words, if you have to capture the attention of the online audience, then you have to present them with fresh content that is creative as well as engaging."

Ron Coomber of ITV agrees with the opinion put forward by Amit I. Budhrani of Alza Management Institute. According to Coomber, "The conventional 30 second TV commercial will not be as effective when presented on the Internet." According to Lanctot of Avenue A/Razorfish, "It's easy to repurpose TV Ads, but it's not a good idea. Everyone seems to agree, but they keep doing it."

However, winds of change are slowly sweeping in. According to Treffiletti of Carat, "We have some clients who have allowed us to actually shoot video for [the Internet]. In addition, when they're shooting a commercial and they have the A roll and the B roll, the B roll has a lot more life now. We can actually use that extra footage."

The other form of video marketing that has been attracting the attention of business houses and corporate sector happens to be in-text video advertising. In this particular form of video marketing, a video gets uploaded and subsequently played whenever a user scrolls over an underlined text.

Experts state that in-text video advertising is a highly efficient method that can be precisely targeted towards a particular segment of the online audience. This is because a person will be induced to take his mouse over an underlined word only if he can relate with that word. For instance, a young mother might roll her mouse over words like 'bottle feeder', 'baby diapers', 'infant care' etc. This is because as a mother of an infant, she can relate with these words.

In-text video advertising is a user-initiated form of advertising. This means that the video will be played only when the user opts to roll his mouse over a phrase or a word.

Advertisers also have the option of going in for 'product placement in video'. This form of video marketing is similar to 'in-film' advertising wherein the product is placed in the video. For instance, one can notice Omega watches in James Bond movies. 'Product placement in video' works on the same line except for the fact that the same is done in the virtual world and through an online medium.

The products are integrated in the online video. At times, the viewers are also allowed to interact with the product in question. This increased interactivity enhances the engagement quotient of the advertisement.

'Advertiser funded video' is one more manifestation of video marketing. In this form of video marketing, the advertiser creates the content of the video but the same is run on third-party websites. The video seeks to entertain, inform or educate the viewers as well as to convey the information of the advertiser to the target audience.

One can also directly deliver the video to consumers via email. This form of video marketing is known as 'direct video'. However, this is a relatively new form of marketing and is yet to be exploited in a big way. The rise of Web 2.0 has allowed advertisers to deliver videos in HTML [Hyper Text Mark-Up Language] and thus avoid languishing in the receiver's bulk or sp@m folder.

Most experts believe that this form of video marketing has good potential especially considering the fact that an increasing number of netizens are now opting for hi-speed broadband connections instead of the traditional dial-up connections. This is good news for those opting for 'direct video' as research has proven that those having broadband connections are more receptive towards video.

The growing popularity of such sites as YouTube has opened up one more avenue for advertisers, business houses and the corporate sector. One can place videos in social network sites. According to a report that appeared in Reuters, "YouTube, the leader in Internet video search, said on Sunday viewers are now watching more than 100 million videos per day on its site, marking the surge in demand for its "snack-sized" video fare."

Experts state that this particular form of advertising has great scope provided the videos feature original content [that is the ideas for the video are not directly uplifted from the ads that are run on television] and are high on creativity.

And, if you do not want your video to get featured in a social networking site, then you can always have them displayed on mobiles. Experts state that since the number of mobile users is showing a tremendous íncrease, one can go in for mobile video marketing. According to Jim Cook of MobiADNews.com, "there are currently around 2.5 billion mobile handsets in the world, roughly the same number as TVs and PC's combined."

Those conversant with Internet marketing dynamics state that mobile users are showing a tremendous appetite for videos. As MobiADNews.com puts it, "A number of recent studies have shown that consumers are actually very willing to receive ads on their phones as long as certain conditions are in place."

Most experts state that people are willing to see videos on their mobiles as long as these videos are relevant to their needs and desires. Similarly, viewers also expect something in return from the advertiser after watching his/her advert. Experts also believe that mobile video viewers want an assurance that they can opt-ín or opt-oüt of the video.

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, UK, "there are already many types of mobile video ads available including banner ads, text ads, search ads, short code response numbers in print and TV and ads inserted between levels of a game. Essentially, the choice available to advertisers is as large as that of internet advertising and it is recommended that - in the same way as internet – marketers select only the forms beneficial to their brand and campaign."

Thus, there are various forms of video marketing. Advertisers, wishing to use this form of Internet marketing, should carefully weigh the pros and cons of each form of video marketing. They should also weigh their intentions and objective campaigns of their online marketing campaign against each form of video marketing and select the one that will help them to gain maximum mileage.

As Interactive Advertising Bureau, UK puts it; "online video takes this to the next level by delivering the content we love to other portable video players. This leads to accessing video content in entirely new places; living rooms and cinemas are no longer the only place to view video."

About The Author
Punam Parab is a freelance writer who takes an active interest in the field of internet marketing and search engine optimization. She regularly writes articles that deal with the various facets of internet marketing and the developments taking place in the field of internet marketing.

The Importance of Hiring A Professional To Design Your Web Site: Six Tips from a Web Designer

2007-10-08T21:59:00.000-05:00

Below is a piece I found on the Fox Business web site. It pretty much sums up why going with a pro for your site is so important.

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!
Terri Miller

The Importance of Hiring A Professional To Design Your Web Site
By Susan C. Walker

"You gotta have heart," the baseball team sang in the musical, Damn Yankees, and that's just as true for every small business owner. But you also "gotta have a Web site," because most people will look up a company online before they will pick up the Yellow Pages.

Having an internet site is as basic as having a business card to hand out to customers.

Without either one, you're doing a disservice to your business. A site can make a big difference, even if it has only basic information (name of business, phone number, location with map, and business hours) along with a description of what you do and the products you have for sale.

But just throwing one together haphazardly can also do you a disservice. Overall, your Web site must make it easy for your customers and suppliers to find the information they need.

Not flashy, but professional. Not busy, but informative. Not trendy, but classy.

It might sound easy, but all in all, you probably have neither the design skills nor the time to create such a Web site on your own. But there are people who do, called graphic designers, and they can help your business with a well-designed look and feel for your Web site.

You should be ready to find them and pay them to do this important job for you. Figuring out how much you're going to have to pay isn't easy, because there's no set price, and designers have different levels of experience and skill. However, you're best off finding a professional designer who knows how to educate a client.

My design sources – along with information from the American Institute for Graphic Arts' salary guide – suggest that if you hire a professional, it should cost at least $40-$45 per hour for a straightforward site. That hourly amount can go up to $100 an hour for advanced Flash sites.

Fees to maintain a Web site are usually a little less but not much. Do-it-yourself updating is sometimes possible with database applications.

What's truly cool about using a real designer is that they are trained to bring out the best in you and your business in the process of getting a handle on what you do and what you think your prospective customers are looking for.

Good designers are not just artists who choose artwork, colors and readable fonts. They are at heart curious people who serve as psychologist, business consultant and visionary all rolled into one. A quality designer can see the big picture even as you describe the small picture. In the late 1800s, artist-extraordinaire James McNeill Whistler said it better: "An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision."

I've been lucky to work with many excellent graphic designers during my stints as a writer at Inc. Magazine and various newspapers and corporations. Each one has taught me important lessons about what catches people's eyes and what makes them want to keep reading.

Designers see the same things we do, but they see them better and more clearly. They also understand what makes us react both positively and negatively to what we see, either in print or online.

If you're looking for a good consumer reaction to your Web site, it's got to be both easy to read and easy to navigate from one page to the next. The longer someone has to search to find the information they want, the less likely they will stick with it and become a customer.

For this column, I asked my graphic-designer friend and colleague, Clint Welsh, to give me a few tips to pass on about how to make your web site design work. Clint has owned his own design shop and is currently art director at a financial forecasting firm. Here are his six tips in his own words:

Six Tips on How To Design a Good-looking Web Site

1. Make a good first impression. As a designer, there is one thing I know that is paramount to any successful web site – that is first impression. No matter what you think, you are influenced by your first impression. If you don't take that into account, you're just shooting in the dark.

2. Match your Web site to your kind of business. Design with your audience in mind by designing the site to reflect its content. Most people wouldn't find MTV's style all that reassuring for a site devoted to healthcare.

3. Think about the psychology of colors. Red might not be the best choice of colors for an investment group, given that color's connotation of red ink. Black evokes feelings of prestige; yellow evokes warmth, bright orange sprightliness, to name just a few.

4. Don't use trendy fonts. What is cool and hip today will be a laughing memory before you know it. Unless you want to spend time re-designing your site every year or so, play it safe and stick with the standard sets of fonts. This advice also applies to the overall style of the site.

5. See the visual hierarchy of your Web site. It all starts from the whole, and then we work our way in. By that I mean, we first see aesthetics on a Web site, and those aesthetics – when properly used – direct our attention to the message. Keep in mind, the amount of "visual bling" should be pertinent to the content of the site. A Web site for retail clothing will be a lot more colorful and arty than a web site for computer repair, for instance.

Take a walk down the cereal aisle at the grocery store, and you'll see what I mean. Each box is designed to grab your attention and draw your eye to the next important selling point, which means that you don't see the nutritional information front and center. Visually, it's the last thing your eye is drawn to. Now take a look at your newspaper: Content is king because that's what we want from a newspaper. A few photos break up the type and support the stories. If there are other images, they are usually in the form of information graphics, such as charts and graphs.

6. Use columns, just like your newspaper does. Columns have been used for centuries to break up large expanses of type, and for good reason. Any line more than 68 characters wide tends to become difficult to read. One thing that drives me crazy is to see wall-to-wall text with no visual rest. Columns allow that.

* * *

Making a good impression on your customers with a well-designed Web site will pay you back many times over for the money you spend to hire a graphics designer. I encourage you to really look at your Web site through your customers' eyes, whether you already have a site or are thinking about how to put one together. After all, you're a customer, too, and you instinctively know what works when you visit other businesses' web sites.

Susan C. Walker, who also writes a personal finance column for FOXNews.com, works for Elliott Wave International, a market forecasting and technical analysis company. A graduate of Stanford University, she has been an associate editor with Inc. magazine, a newspaper business editor, an investor relations executive for a real estate investment trust and a speechwriter for the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Signs It's Time To Redesign Your Website

2007-10-08T09:39:00.001-05:00

Signs It's Time To Redesign Your Website
By Erin Ferree (c) 2007

Designing your first website is a stressful undertaking. It requires you to dig deep into your business in order to write the copy for your site. You need to work with a designer and go through the process of creating a site that looks unique and works well. Plus you'll end up investing a lot of time, energy and money. And finally, after all that, you're finished and it's time for the site to go live. What a relief!
Many business owners go through this same process. By the time the process is finished, many entrepreneurs are very glad that it's over - and don't want to do it again anytime soon.

Unfortunately, websites don't last forever. Even if you plan your site to work for the current vision for your business, you can't accurately account for the entire future of your business.

Eventually you'll have to make some changes to your website. Some of these changes can be accomplished with simple maintenance, and by making updates to your site. But there's only so far that patching and revising your current site can go. If your site is particularly outdated, or if it's not working well for you, it's probably time to consider a full-scale site redesign.

Some signs that it's time to redesign your site include:

Your Business Has Changed or Grown

If your business is no longer the same as it was when you designed your site, chances are that you should redesign your website to reflect that. If you've only had a few small changes, you might be able to just update your current website. But, if you've changed your business direction, decided to provide new products or services, or if your company has grown significantly, it will pay off to redesign your site. Reconsider how the changes to your business should be reflected or addressed in the structure, design and strategy behind your website.

Your Site Looks Like It Was Designed in 1995

Some signs of an outdated web site include: chunky, slow-loading graphics, old-style "framed" coding, where the site is divided up into panes that load separately, little animated cartoon clip-art throughout the site, and text created as images instead of in HTML. Having any of these on your site could reflect poorly on your business, making you look 'behind the times'. It can also make you look like you don't care enough about your business or about technological advances to keep abreast of them. Keeping your company's website looking modern will improve its credibility.

The Information on Your Site Isn't User-Friendly

If you cringe when you read your site text, or if you regularly get questíons on your site text from visitors, re-structuring your copy or rewriting it can help to fix these problems. If you've been adding to your site over time and the navigation has become unwieldy or confusing, restructuring your navigation could be another pressing reason to redesign your site. You want visitors to be able to easily find their way around your site and to be able to access all the information you have within a few clicks. Laying out your site to make that possible can make your visitor's experience on your site a lot easier.

You Apologize for the Site When Referencing It or Handing Out Your Business Cards

Your site should be a source of pride. It should provide your clients and prospects an easy way to get a lot of information about your business. And, if you have to apologize for out-of-date information, broken images, poor design, difficult navigation or anything else on your site, it makes you look unprepared and unprofessional. Make sure your site is in top shape and looks impressive, so your clients believe your business is in good shape too.

You're Not Getting Good Results in the Search Engines

Poor rankings in the Search Engines can be a result of not optimizing your site well. Poor search engine ranking can also be a result of bad design choices or coding on your site. Make sure that your site isn't designed using frames and that the text is coded in HTML. Flash sites are also more difficult to optimize for Search Engines.

It's Not Bringing in inquiries and Helping You to Make Sales

If your site was designed long ago, then there's a good chance that it was designed as "brochureware". This means that the site was designed just to act as an online brochure. This was very common a few years ago, when websites were new. But recently businesses have realized that a website can do a lot more than just impersonate your brochure - it can help you close sales, bring in new prospects and make your business easier to run. To bring in more inquiries and make more sales include the following when you redesign your site:

Calls to action to encourage your visitors to take specific actions - like purchasing something, contacting you, or signing up for a newsletter.

Forms, scripts, or programs to make your business easier - like contact forms, project estimating tools, and an autoresponder email series that can help you keep in touch with your clients and prospects. Including a shopping cart or Paypal buttons on your site can also help you to make more sales without any additional work.

Downloadable information packets, articles, questionnaires and white papers can answer a prospect's questíons about your products or services and help them to move closer to buying. And, if you require the prospect to enter their email address or other contact information, it can help you to grow your prospect líst as well. These are just a few of the functions that your site can perform for your business. To get ideas for other ways that your site can help you improve your business, look at the other sites that you visit and note the functions they perform.
Your Site is Costing You a Fortune to Update

If you're racking up huge bills because of changes and still have a lot to go, it might be time to consider a whole site redesign. Make a líst of everything that you want to do on your site and consult a web designer about redesigning your site with those changes in mind. Often, if you have extensive changes to make to your site, it can be less expensive to just start over.

If your site is designed in Flash or coded in such a way that you can't maintain it yourself, redesigning and re-coding your site could allow you to do so. Having the ability to make changes and update your own text will let you make revisions quickly, at no expense. And you can play with your site and make revisions to see what will work best for your business and clients.

If your site has any of the problems mentioned here, it's time to redesign. The steps needed to update and revise will differ depending on the problems and issues that your site has - you may not have to start from scratch. But, do make sure that you address all of the problems that your site has so that you won't have to redesign again any time soon!

About The Author
Erin Ferree is a brand identity designer who creates big visibility for small businesses. Her workbook, "Design a Website That Works", will walk you through all of the questíons that you need to answer in order to create the best possible website.

Getting Visitors To Stay Once They Find Your Web Site

2007-10-04T10:35:00.000-05:00

Cornerstones of an Effective Website

Just about everyone has a website today. Certainly, if you're in business one way or another, you have a website. And people have different objectives behind their sites. Some are content-driven. Others provide an online service and have sophisticated user interfaces. Others still are designed to entertain and amuse their visitors. But regardless what your website is designed to do, there are a few primary objectives you should keep in mind before you start building.

This first website objective is FOCUS. Your site needs to have a narrow and specific focus. Why is this? Because there are literally millions of websites out there and the visitors you're lucky enough to attract will only take a few seconds to decide whether they'll stick around or whether they'll simply click the back button and continue browsing elsewhere. Within those few seconds, your site needs to communicate exactly what it's designed to do so the visitor can decide if it meets his or her needs or not.

One of the best exercises to enhance the focus of your site is to establish a 15 to 25-word positioning statement that guides all your development activity going forward. Think about it like a mission statement. It should articulate exactly what your website does in just 15 to 25 words.

Another way to look at it is to do a Google search for a keyword in your field and see what comes up in the results page. Under each listing, there's a short description of what that site is all about. As it turns out, the search engines get that description from the meta tags on those websites but it's exactly the same thing. What do you want YOUR description to say?

Once you've established a positioning statement, you should display it prominently on your homepage. It should be one of the first things visitors see when they land on your website. And as I mentioned above, the same statement should be included in your meta tags as your site description. That way, the search engines know exactly what your site is about at the same time. And if your site shows up in a search results page, that description will show up as part of your listing.

The second objective is DEPTH. Again, this objective serves your visitors as well as the search engines. Build a massive amount of content all about your narrow business focus. That way, if a visitor lands on your website and decides in the first few seconds that they need what you're providing, they'll go on to find a ton of resources all about that topic, satisfying their need and establishing trust along the way.

Depth of content helps your website with the search engines as well. Google uses complicated algorithms to assess value to different websites and one of the biggest things they look for is content. If your website has a narrow focus and lots of content about that focus, it will get ranked higher within your area of expertise. Google will consider your site a good resource for people searching for your narrow focus.

The third objective is to make your site STICKY. This is a relatively new term that describes a website's ability to keep a visitor on the site. A lot of sites do a fairly good job of attracting visitors but many of those visitors take one look at the site and leave within a second or two. As I mentioned earlier, the positioning statement can do a lot to help someone understand what your site is designed to do. But you need more than that to keep them browsing.

The visitor needs to see immediate value when they visit your site. They need to see something that will benefit them right away. They need to see something they can use to make their own lives better. This is the foundation behind today's value-first marketing moniker. People have been over-marketed and have become skeptical in clever marketing slogans. They want to see the value. They want proof that you can deliver. They want to sample your product or service before they buy anything.

You should spend some time and think about what you can offer your website visitors as soon as they land on your site. It could be information. It could be a tool or calculator of some kind. It could be a free subscription. It could be an entertaining video or an interactive game they can play. Whatever it is, you need to capture your visitor within seconds and guide them to something that will benefit them.

Once they've received one piece of value, give them a second and then a third. Guide them through a maze of value, encouraging them to continue browsing and discovering even more. This is the key to a sticky website and you can get a good idea of your progress by measuring your average time on the site through your analytics platform.

There are a million different websites out there and they're all designed to achieve different objectives. But each one of those websites can be a bit better by incorporating more focus, depth and stickiness. All three improve your website' effectiveness and all three offer benefits with the search engines as well.

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About the Author: Tactical Execution with Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a strategic company focused on growth marketing and program implementation across business markets.

47 Simple Ways to Build Trust in Your Website or Blog

2007-10-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

47 Simple Ways to Build Trust in Your Website or Blog
By Miles Galliford (c) 2007 Website: SubHub.com

If your website does not create a sense of trust in your visitors, all your efforts will be in vain. Your online business will not succeed. That's the bad news. The good news is that it is very easy to create and build trust in your online visitors. Below, I have listed all the techniques used by the hundreds of websites I have helped launch. If you have additional techniques, please add them to the líst.
As the old saying goes, you have only one chance to make a first impression. Building trust cannot be achieved by one single action. Trust is achieved by hundreds of little things you do throughout your website that, when taken together, give readers a sense of honesty, legitimacy and stability.

The other bit of good news is that few website owners focus on building trust in the minds of their visitors. If you do it well, it can become a real and sustainable competitive advantage.

Here are 47 simple actions you can take to get started.

1. Trust is built by lots of small actions on every page of your website.

2. Your website design is the first impression. Make sure it is professional and relevant to the subject matter.

3. Navigation must be intuitive. If visitors can't find what they are looking for easily, they will question your competence in providing what they want.

4. Make the website personal by giving it its own tone and voice. People buy people.

5. Follow the HEART rule of creating online content. (Reminder: HEART stands for Honest, Exclusive, Accurate, Relevant and Timely.)

6. Use language that is appropriate to the audience. It will build empathy.

7. Regularly add new content to your site. It shows that the business is alive and kicking.

8. Review all links. Doubts will quickly form in your visitors' minds if links don't work or, worse still, take them to error pages.

9. Good grammar and spelling matter. Errors give the impression of sloppiness and carelessness.

10. Don't make outrageous and unbelievable claims, like "Read this blog and you'll be a millionaire by the end of the week." People are used to scams, get-rich-quick schemes and rip-offs.

11. Publish REAL testimonials and third-party endorsements. Try to always use real names and link to websites where possible. Some sites show images of letters sent by happy customers.

12. Publish case studies about customers you have helped, who use your product, etc.

13. Don't put down, curse or insult competitors. It's unprofessional. It is better to offer an objective comparison of competitive services or products.

14. Focus on building your long-term reputation, not on making quick sales.

15. Write articles for humans, not search engines.

16. Make your 'About Us' page personal and comprehensive. It plays an important part in making visitors feel comfortable that real people are behind the site.

17. Publish your photo or the photos of the key people involved with the site. Again, this reinforces the fact that there are real people behind the screenshots.

18. Clearly identify who is behind the site. Nothing creates more suspicion than a site that tries to hide the identity of its publishers.

19. On the 'Contact Us' page, provide an email form, telephone number, fax and address of the company. In Europe, it is a legal requirement for sites taking funds, but even sites driven by advertising will benefit from openness.

20. Provide a telephone number that people can call and talk to a person.

21. Provide Web addresses linked to the website domain, not addresses from free webmail services such as Hotmail and Gmail.

22. Don't lie to make money. The most common way is to write a glowing report about a product or service to earn affilíate revenues. It is very short-sighted to lie to visitors to sell them rubbish. They'll won't come back or, worse still, they'll actively condemn your site on forums and blogs.

23. Think carefully about reciprocal links. If your site is about organic food and you have links to Party Poker, people are going to question your integrity.

24. Think carefully about the adverts you display on your site. Ensure that they are relevant to your subject and audience.

25. Be explicit when you are being paid to endorse a product or service. An advertorial is fine as long as it is transparent. Paid-to-post is corrupting the Web and will experience a user backlash. I don't read websites that accept payment for posting.

26. Write and publish your privacy policy. Be clear about what you will and will not do with any personal data you collect. State that you adhere to all data protection laws. Make it easy to read and don't use legal gobbledygook.

27. Write and publish a security policy. State what measures you take to ensure that all transactions are secure.

28. Ensure that you have a security and privacy policy which is linked from the footer on every page. Make the link more prominent on all the order pages.

29. Clearly publish your guarantëe. I would recommend making it a 100% money-back guarantëe if possible.

30. Clearly state your refund and returns policy.

31. Piggyback off reputable brands. If you use PayPal, put the PayPal logo on your site. If you have a merchant services account with a major bank like Citibank or HSBC, put its logo on your site.

32. Use Google search on your site for two reasons. First, it is a great search solution which will help your visitors find what they are looking for. Second, having the Google name on your site instills trust.

33. If there are well-known industry associations for your subject, join up and put their logos on your site.

34. Have a forum on your site and respond quickly to questíons. Have the attitude that you are happy to help others without receiving immediate reward. As the old saying goes, 'Givers always gain.'

35. Allow people to comment on articles. Interactivity and an exchange of views build community and a sense of involvement.

36. If people provide constructive criticism or comments in the forum, don't delete them, but respond with your point of view.

37. Put photos on the website of the owners, publishers and/or team. Let visitors know there are real people behind the business.

38. Put images of the credít cards you accept on every page of the order process.

39. Use the words 'secure website' whenever you try to get any information from visitors, including newsletter sign-ups, forum input and payment.

40. On every page, state, "We take your privacy and security very seriously." Link the statement to the security and privacy policy.

41. Remember, reputations take years to build and seconds to destroy.

42. If you are selling a subscription, offer a low-cost, entry-level option. This could be a one-day taster, 'a week before billing starts' or a monthly tríal.

43. Use a high level of security when processing credít cards. Make sure you make your clients aware of all the steps you are taking.

44. Don't send credít card information or personal details over the Internet unencrypted. Tell your customers that their data will be encrypted.

45. Only ask for information from customers that you really need. For example, for an email newsletter sign-up, the only information you REALLY need is an email address, so that is all you should ask for.

46. If you have pricing on your website, make it transparent. I recently went to buy a book which was advertised for $10. When I checked out, they added tax, post and packaging, and the final bill was $19.50. I didn't buy it as I felt they had deliberately tried to mislead me.

47. Keep your SSL certificate up to date. Let people know you are using SSL encryption and who the provider is.

You can't do too much to build trust. Most of it comes down to common sense and good business practice. To ensure that you are continually improving your trustworthiness, every time you go to a website, ask yourself whether you trust it or not. Then ask yourself why you have formed the opinion you have. Continually try to learn what makes a site trustworthy or untrustworthy and implement the relevant changes to your site.

If people trust you, the revenue will follow!

7 Steps to Developing Effective Newsletters Online

2007-08-22T15:39:00.000-05:00

If you have a loyal customer base, but haven't used a regularly scheduled newsletter to communicate with then, then its time to develop a monthly newsletter. Electronic newsletters are a great way to share information, promote your products, and solicit feedback from your most important customers. If you want to develop effective newsletters, you'll need to follow these seven proven tips for creating winning newsletters.

1. Choose a Theme.

The largest pitfall to developing an effective newsletter is the lack of a theme. When creating newsletters on a regular basis (ex: monthly), select a unique theme every month that appeals to your audience. Once you have identified a theme, be sure that your newsletter content focuses on that specific theme throughout its content. This creates a newsletter that is meaningful and positions your company as a meaningful source of information.

2. Allow for Easy Scanning.

If newsletter subscribers are unable to scan your newsletter, you stand a good chance of losing them. The first few seconds are your most important so make them count. Use big, bold headlines, and article descriptions, providing links to the full article or related content areas. By providing article introductions versus an entire article, you make it easier for readers to view your entire newsletter while allowing them to zero in on the content that has the greatest appeal.

3. Use Graphics.

Producing a newsletter that's wall-to-wall text will not be able to keep the interest of even your most savvy reader. Interject graphics, product photos, pictures, and so on throughout your newsletter. This will break up those large blocks of content increase your newsletter's appeal. Make sure your graphics include links to the articles or products they reference as Internet browsers tend to click on pictures or graphics presented online.

4. Include Product or Service Information.

Internet users are very comfortable with product promotion especially when receiving free information or content. They understand that advertising pays the bill and is common among electronic newsletters. So use this information to your advantage. In each newsletter, discuss a featured product or provide a special offer to your newsletter readers. Products or services that are closely aligned with the theme of your newsletter can be ideal. As a rule of thumb, keep the number of products you promote three or less.

5. Proof Your Work.

When creating an electronic newsletter, you should always check your work. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation should be perfect. When users find these types of errors, it signals a lack of care - causing doubt as to the amount of effort used when developing the content presented. The result could very well be an increase in those who unsubscribe or a reduction in overall click-through rates.

6. Be Viral.

Never assume that the person reading your newsletter signed up for it directly. In fact, you should encourage your readers to forward the newsletter to others who may be interested in the content you're providing. Make your newsletter, and each volume of your newsletter, accessible via your website. Additionally, make it easy for new users to sign up through a link in each edition of your newsletter. When users forward a copy to a friend, they can easily subscribe.

7. Don't Forget Can-SPAM.

In the footer of your newsletter, include your company name, address, and contact information. Inform users why they are receiving your newsletter and how than can unsubscribe. Honor all unsubscribe requests within the alloted 10 day requirement. By doing so you are meeting current standards and you'll keep your newsletter subscription list clean.

These newsletter development tips can help you deliver a valuable newsletter that gets read and acted upon. Don't be afraid to experiment and keep relevant content the main focal point of your newsletter. As your newsletters become more sophisticated don't lose site of the basic principles. The tried and true is often the best way to be successful!

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About the Author: Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert with more than 12 years of marketing experience. He has appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media.

Announcing Our Brand New "10,000 Calorie Web Site" Marketing Campaign

2007-07-16T18:28:00.000-05:00

Hello All!

Just a quick note to let you know we are now unveiling our new "10,000 Calorie Web Site" campaign. This fun, light hearted play on America's love hate obsession with high calorie treats, is designed to help potential clients see our value in both features and price. As well as present the notion that we are a guilt free choice!

As the weeks progress, we will be further integrating our new marketing message through out our existing site and ad materials, plus a few surprising places as well.

Let us know if you like it or think we are crazy.

Thanks again,
Terri Miller
Miller Enterprises

Why Most Ads Don't Work

2007-07-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

Why Most Ads Don't Work

I’ve said many times, “Most ads aren’t written to persuade, they’re written not to offend.”

This goes back to chapter one, “Nine Secret Words” in my first book, The Wizard of Ads. Do you remember the nine secret words? “The Risk of Insult is the Price of Clarity.”

Clarity. Ah, there we have it.

Rare is the ad that makes its point clearly.

The customers who cost you money are the ones you never see; the ones who don’t come in because your ads never got their attention.

I was writing an ad this week and decided to insert a word flag. I chose a phrase of declarative rebuttal; “And to that, we say, ‘Piffle and Pooh.’”

Obviously, ‘Piffle and Pooh’ is just a whimsical way of saying “Poppycock.”

My client was worried that people might be offended, so he asked me to change it to something else. I hung up the phone and yelled at the walls. If you’re curious what I said, just walk into my office. I’m pretty sure it’s still echoing in there.

Would you like to know the 4 Biggest Mistakes made by advertisers?

Mistake 1: Demanding “Polished and Professional” Ads
If you insist that your ads “sound right,” you force them to be predictable.
Predictable ads do not surprise Broca’s Area of the brain. They do not open the door to conscious awareness. They fail to gain the attention of your prospective customer. This is bad.

Mistake 2: Informing without Persuading
Study journalism and you’ll create ads that present information without:
(A.) substantiating their claims,
“Lowest prices guaranteed!” (Or what, you apologize?)
(B.) explaining the benefit to the customer.
“We use the Synchro-static method!” (Which means…?)
“It’s Truck Month at Ramsey Ford!” (Come to the party, bring my truck?)

Mistake 3: Entertaining without Persuading
Study creative writing and you’ll draft ads that deliver entertainment without:
(A.) delivering a clear message.
“Yo Quiero Taco Bell” (Dogs like our food, you will, too?)
(B.) causing the customer to imagine themselves taking the desired action.
“Yo Quiero Taco Bell” (I should buy a taco for my Chihuahua?)

The best ads cause customers to see themselves taking the action you desire. These ads deliver:
INVOLVEMENT: Watch a dancing silhouette ad for the iPod and mirror neurons in your brain will cause part of you to dance, as well. This is good advertising.
CLARITY: The white earphone cords leading into the ears of the dancing silhouette make it clear that the white iPod is a personal music machine.

Mistake 4: Decorating without Persuading
Graphic artists will often create a visual style and call it “branding.” This is fine if your product is fashion, a fragrance, an attitude or a lifestyle, but God help you if you sell a service or a product that’s meant to perform.

“Do you like the ad?” asks the graphic artist.

“Yes, it’s perfect,” replies the client, “the colors create the right mood and the images feel exactly right. I think it represents us well.”

Sorry, but your banker disagrees.

Hey, I’ve got an idea; why don’t you and Artsy go home and redecorate the living room at your house? Me? I’ll stay here and ruffle some feathers and sell some stuff. I hope you don’t mind.

But you probably will. Because you worry needlessly when people don't like your ads.

Ninety-eight point nine percent of all the customers who hate your ads will still come to your store and buy from you when they need what you sell. These customers don’t cost you money; they just complain to the cashier as they’re handing over their cash.

Do you believe the public has to like an ad for the ad to be effective? You do?

To that I say “Piffle and Pooh.”

Yours,

Roy H. Williams

Conventional ads get conventional results. Are you sure that's what you want?

Speaking to audiences on 4 continents for 15 years I've said, "Raise your hand if you think your ads ought to be producing better results." The hands and arms always remind me of a field of wheat at harvest time. Then I say, "Raise your hand if you believe your ads are doing all they're supposed to do." I've yet to see my tenth hand in all those years.

I don't write conventional ads because I don't want conventional results. Do you?

NEW SUBJECT: There are thousands of questions, but only 40 Answers. Wouldn't it make sense to know them?

How I Got Aearobed To Number 1 In Google - Link

2007-07-13T12:08:00.000-05:00

I found this web page in the course of my web research on search engine optimization.

http://dfinitive.com/blog/seo/how-i-got-aerobed-to-number-1-in-google/

Looks like good advice!

Enjoy,
Terri Miller

10 Steps To Top 10 Rankings In Google

2007-07-13T11:04:00.000-05:00

10 Steps To Top 10 Rankings In Google
By Titus Hoskins (c) 2007

Most webmasters go totally "gaga" for top 10 rankings in Google. And for good reason, Google is the most dominant search engine on the net and will deliver the largest amount of traffíc.
More importantly, those same webmasters will also inform you, getting top 10 rankings in Google often means your site will prove profitable. Mainly because obtaining targeted traffíc is usually your first obstacle in creating a viable online business. In other words, if you get top ten listings in Google for good searchable keywords, it is almost impossible not to earn money.

How To Proceed?

First, you must know the rudimentary basics of how keywords work. Keywords and keyword phrases are the exact words someone types into a search engine to find what they're looking for online. If you have a site on "dog training" then your goal is to get a top 10 ranking for the keywords "dog training".

Now if no one searches for "dog training" it would be a useless keyword, you would get no traffíc no matter how perfectly your site is optimized for that keyword.

How Do You Know If A Keyword Is Good?

To find out, you have to do some keyword research on your particular keywords. Many professional online marketers use keyword research software like Brad Callen's Keyword Elite. However, you can also use the keyword suggestion tools supplied by Google Adwords or Overture. Try here: http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion/

Now if you chëck "dog training", you will find it receives around 4,469 searches each day. That's a lot of traffíc but you must realize that it may be too good, or rather too competitive for your purposes, especially if you have a new site.

Biggest Mistake When Choosing Keywords

The most common mistake most novice webmasters make is targeting keywords which are too competitive. You simply will not be able to compete or place for extremely competitive keywords. Well established sites and businesses with very deep pockets have the resources to completely dominate those keywords.

While it is not entirely futile nor a waste of time to concentrate your efforts on highly competitive keywords, you will have better success if you target low to medium competitive keywords.

Long Tail Keyword Marketing

Besides online marketers have discovered that longer keyword phrases are usually the most lucrative. These phrases deliver traffíc which is better targeted and more likely to convert into a sale. "Dog hunting training" which gets around 100 searches a day will be more targeted than the general term "dog training" and if you have a site devoted to training hunting dogs then this keyword phrase may convert better for you.

Always keep this "Long Tail" keyword strategy in the back of your mind as you implement the following steps to achieve your own Top 10 Rankings in Google.

1. Make A Master Keyword Líst

Your first step is to make a master líst of the keywords you wish to target. Obviously these should be closely related to the theme of your site. Chëck the keyword competition by seeing how many sites are listed in Google for that keyword. Webmasters should also chëck the Google PageRank of the sites that hold the top 10 positions. If all those sites are PR6 and above it may be hard to get ranked high for your keywords.

2. Choose Related Keywords

Once you have your master líst of keywords, find long tail related keywords to target. Again, chëck out the competition and daily searches made for each chosen keyword.

3. Use Quality Content For Your Keywords

Creating quality content should always be your main goal. Write for actual visitors who will see and read your content. First and foremost you must have good useful content that your visitors will use themselves and recommend to their friends or colleagues. Tie this quality content in with your chosen keywords. Use one keyword phrase per page.

4. Keyword In Domain Name, Title and URLs

Having your keyword in your domain name will score big points from search engines. Plus, each page of content should contain your keywords in the title & meta tags for that page. Most experts also suggest you have your keyword in the URL and use hyphens to separate your keywords. Although the author has gotten good results by using an underscore and htm in URLs.

Example: www.yoursite.com/your_keyword.htm

5. Do On Page Optimization

Keyword ratio is a much discussed topic by SEO experts and many suggest you should have your keyword in the H1 or headline title of your page. Sprinkle your keyword and variations of it throughout your page. Don't over do it but make sure the robot/spiders will clearly discover what your page is about. Many webmasters make sure they include their main keyword in the first and last 25 words on their pages.

6. Use Traffíc Modules

One technique that works extremely well in Google is clustering a closely related topic or subject into a distinct separate section on your site. For example, if you have a marketing site, you could create a whole section on article marketing where you would have 50 to 100 keyworded pages all relating to your subject. Writing articles, formatting articles, submitting articles, article software... place a keyword linked menu on each page to connect all your pages together.

Keep in mind, your main objective is to supply quality information to your visitors. One reason Google may favor this type of structure is because they want quality content returned in their SERPs.

7. Try Article Marketing

Article marketing is writing short informative articles on keyword topics related to your sites. You then submit these helpful keyworded articles to ezine directories on the web. When your articles are picked up by related sites, you receive quality One-Way links. The higher the quality of your article, the more links you will receive.

Another ranking tactic to use: If you're just starting out your site will probably have a low PR rank and you will find it hard to rank for even modest keywords. That's why it's useful to take advantage of the higher PageRank of the major ezine directories. Your keyworded articles on these high PR sites will get picked up by Google and displayed in the top 10 rankings. Now the displayed URL will be the article directory site but the links in the resource box will be pointing back to your site. Over time this article marketing technique will raise your own site's rankings for those keywords. Simple but effective.

8. Anchor Text And One Way Links

Off page optimization is important in obtaining high rankings in Google. Getting quality One-Way links is very important. Anchor Text simply refers to "the underlined clicked on words" in your links. Most webmasters include their keywords in their anchor text as this tells the search engines exactly what the links are about.

9. Tags, Blogging And Web 2.0

Take advantage of Web 2.0 by using blogs, RSS feeds and the social bookmarking sites like Reddit and Digg. Try AddThis.com for a simple social bookmarking system. At the very least your site should have a blog and RSS feed attached to it as this is an effective way of boosting your keyword rankings.

Tags have become very important for getting higher rankings. Keep in mind, in free blogging software such as WordPress, categories will automatically be seen as tags. Blogger, which is owned by Google, now has a form where you put your keywords (tags) for each post you make.

10. PPC vs Organic Search

Of course, one of the fastest ways to get your links displayed on Google is to pay for them by using Google Adwords. Your ad and links will sit side by side with the organic link results. In Pay Per Clíck advertising you bid or pay so much per clíck for your keywords and you only pay when someone clicks your links. But smart marketers also know since you're getting millíons of impressions advertising your products, acquiring name recognition and branding through PPC advertising can be a major side-benefit.

However, most webmasters would say that organic links (SERPS) will return better traffíc than paid links or advertising. In most cases, this may be true because Google's organic rankings are becoming more respected and more trusted by users. They simply carry more weíght with surfers.

This makes it even more beneficial to obtain top 10 rankings for your keywords in Google. Depending on the competitiveness of your chosen keywords reaching the first page listing or even the favored number one spot is well within any webmaster's reach. Just go for it. The rewards are well worth your efforts.

About The Author
The author is a full-time online marketer who contributes his high rankings in Google as the major source of his online income. For the latest web marketing tools try: MarketingToolGuide.com . For the latest Internet Marketing Strategies go to: BizwareMagic.com . Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

How to Make Your Ads Sparkle

2007-06-18T12:03:00.000-05:00

How to Make Your Ads Sparkle
by Roy H. Williams (The Wizard of Ads)

Ninety-nine percent of all ads fail to sparkle for the same reason that most diamonds are dull: They’re overweight.

A perfectly edited ad will shoot points of light across the darkness like a perfectly cut diamond. But rare is the diamond that's cut for maximum brilliance, even though it's not hard to do.

Q: Why would a diamond cutter shape a diamond so it sparkled less instead of more?

A: You’ve dug a diamond from the dirt and now you’re going to proportion it. Cut it correctly and you’ll lose nearly fifty percent of the weight. But if you cut the diamond as close as you can to the shape of the original crystal, you’ll lose less weight and diamonds are sold by weight; about 875 thousand dollars an ounce.

Like diamond cutters, most of us leave too many words in our ads because we feel they add weight to our message. But you’ll never see your ads sparkle until those excess words are removed.

Here’s a before-and-after example of an ad from the newly published 20-Hour DVD series, Interactive Ad Writing. The ad was written by Brian Hagel, a gifted young writer from Saskatchewan:

Original Version Before Editing:

You see him a block away and you know he sees you too. The night suddenly feels colder, darker, and you curse yourself for turning down this street. The streetlamps cast shadows you never would have noticed if you were walking with friends. The stranger continues to amble towards you; hands inside a long coat. He’s looking at you. He is reading you well, knows you’re scared. You can almost see his chest expand with the knowledge. Seven feet, 6 feet now, you have seconds to decide. You’re close enough to hear his breathing. You catch his eyes and they bear down on you. The sidewalk is just wide enough for you to pass. One foot now, you hold your breath, ready. He looks at you with contempt. With head down, you brush past him, embarrassed. He hops in a car shaking his head. As he drives away you hear something about getting a job. You wish you could. It happens to our homeless every day. Please give generously to your United Way.

After Editing:
[Notice how the points of the ad are made sharper, tighter, brighter.]

You see him a block away. He sees you, too.

The night feels colder, darker. The streetlamps cast shadows you wouldn’t have noticed if you were walking with friends.

But you have no friends.

The stranger continues toward you; hands inside a long coat. He’s looking at you, reading you well, knows you’re scared.

You can almost see his chest expand with pride.

Seven feet away, you have only seconds to decide. You hear his breathing, watch his eyes bearing down on you. The sidewalk isn’t wide enough.

But they weren’t thinking of you when they built this sidewalk.
This sidewalk was built for him.

One foot away, you hold your breath, close your eyes.

Head down, you brush past him, embarrassed. He hops in a fine car shaking his head and suggests you get a job.

You wish you could.

290,000 Canadians are frightened, homeless and hungry.

The United Way can help. Will you help the United Way?

Like a well-cut diamond, the edited ad makes sharper points with fewer words.
The secret of sparkle is knowing what to leave out.

It's A Girl

2007-06-08T10:37:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

I just wanted to let everyone know that the newest member of the Miller Enterprises family has arrived and it is a GIRL!

Lauryn came Monday and it doing well! Father, brother & sister are also doing well and are enjoying the new arrival. Mother is obviously doing well and I am slowly getting back into the swing of things.

Thanks to all my family, friends, and clients who have sent so many well wishes! I couldn't do it without you all!!!

Thanks again!
Terri Miller

10 Ways Retail is Changing - Part 2

2007-05-24T11:49:00.000-05:00

10 Ways Retail is Changing
Part Two in a Three-Part Series
by Roy H. Williams
https://wizardacademy.org

1. Hidden Profit Centers are the new Markup
Low-cost providers such as Sam’s Club and Best Buy are selling “in-store exchange” policies at the cash register to supplement the manufacturer’s warranties they don’t honor. In other words, you can’t take a faulty purchase back to the retailer if there’s a problem – you have to contact the manufacturer directly – unless you bought their "in-store exchange” policy.

2. “Hard-to-find” items are no longer hard to find.
Just Google it.

3. A huge in-store selection can be counterproductive.
When buying locally, a shopper confronted with too many choices can go into analysis paralysis. Successful stores stock only those items that represent the best value for the money. And they make sure never to run out of those items. The best stores stock only what’s hot. They may offer just one vacuum cleaner, but it’s the one that everyone is buying.

4. Traffic is in decline
because comparison-shopping is in decline. A customer who used to go to 3 or 4 stores to gather information is now going to just 1 or 2. When a customer goes to just one store, second place is the first loser. Don’t be number two on their list.

5. Intrusive visibility is more important than ever.
Intrusively-visible locations are destined to become even more important as media fragmentation continues. But don’t confuse visibility with mere traffic count. Seeing you is altogether different than driving past you.

6. Hype doesn’t sell anymore.
The effectiveness of artificial urgency is in sharp decline. People are no longer naive. Companies that were built on high-impact ads are finding their dwindling, traditional customer base won’t respond to anything but high-impact offers and new customers won’t take them seriously. These stores are closing their doors and no one is noticing.

7. Attention spans are shrinking.
Too much to do, too little time.

8. Clarity is more important that creativity.
Web surfing has taught us to quickly appraise whether information is relevant to us. The most effective ads are short and clear.

9. Details matter.
Quirky and cute ads were effective in the 90’s because they made corporate America warm and approachable. People still like these ads and may even compliment you on them, but they’re no longer driving traffic. Buying decisions are increasingly based on logic. Give customers a no-loopholes warranty and a story that rings true and they’ll respond.

10. Speed is essential.
Customers don’t complain when you waste their time. They just don’t come back.

Yo. Wake up. It’s a brand new day.

How Retail is Changing - Part 1

2007-05-24T10:52:00.000-05:00

How Retail is Changing
Part One in a Three-Part Series
by Roy H. Williams
https://wizardacademy.org

The old assumption in advertising was that the customer didn't know, and
wouldn't know unless you told them.

This is no longer a valid assumption. Today's customer enjoys access to
information far beyond what any of us saw coming.

You're aware of how quickly and easily you gather information online each
day, but has it occurred to you that your customers expect information about
you and your products to be found just as quickly and easily?

What do your customers find when they enter your category and town into a
search engine? Do they find the answers to their questions?

What do they assume when you provide minimal information and someone else
provides much more?

Better Question: What do you assume when minimal information is provided by
a company you're researching online?

What about those times when you're researching a purchase and the seller
chooses not to put prices online? How does that make you feel? What do you
assume about the seller?

Are you likely to:

1. call them,
2. email them, or just
3. search for that product from a different provider?

The first time we designed a promotional plan for a website was in June,
2000. I'll never forget it. We put together a great product, a catchy name
and a media plan we knew would drive traffic to the site. That was where it
all fell apart.

The client decided it would be best to "capture all the contact information"
before revealing the price of the item. In essence, a customer had to commit
to purchase the item before the price was revealed. That website had
hundreds of thousands of visitors but made very few sales. The company is
now defunct, even though their product was excellent and their prices were
great.

The best websites answer all your questions.

Does your website answer all your customer's questions, or is your plan to
"make them" contact you so you can "get more detailed information" about
their budget, their preferences and their requirements?

The customer is far more likely to contact you after they've found the
answers to all the questions you didn't have to have their personal details
to provide.

The hardest part about crafting a website is anticipating the unspoken
questions of your customers.

The most successful of the Wizard Academy websites is FreeWeddingChapel.org.
Miraculously, it took us only about 6 months to bring that website to its
current level of seamlessness. Our advantage was a daily telephone-parade of
anxious brides calling with nervous questions. Few decisions are accompanied
by the degree of anxiety as the decisions that accompany a wedding. These
daily questions allowed us to quickly refine our info-stream. Any time we
answered a new question by telephone, we'd instantly add the answer to the
ones we provided online.

That website now
functions like a well-oiled machine. Brides comment the website "felt like
it was reading my mind."

This is what happens when you diligently:
1. harvest the questions of your customers, and then
2. insert all the answers into your web copy.

Now get to work on that website.

My Upcoming Schedule

2007-05-21T14:17:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let my customers and friends know about my upcoming schedule.

My office will be closed June 4 - June 8th for the birth of my baby. I can not guarantee I will be available to check my email or take phone messages during this time.

June 8 - July 23 - My office will be open on an intermittent only basis. However I can be reached by phone or email!

I want to thank all of you for your interest, concern, understanding & patients. I have the best customers in the world and am grateful for you all!!

Thanks again,
Terri Miller

Gas Prices & Those "We'll Show Them Emails" Analyzed

2007-05-04T10:47:00.000-05:00

I have been receiving a batch of the "Let's show those gas company" emails again lately, undoubtedly because of the high prices at the pump. I have been getting them off and on for over three years now. I looked into the various tactics they propose and found most of them won't help. Let's look at a few of the most popular:

Don't buy gas on a certain day.

The emails always have different dates, so getting the millions of internet users on the same page is already a problem. Plus is won't work. So you don't buy gas that day, you will still need it eventually so you will buy it a day before or after, so what! The gas companies laugh! The only way this could have any impact is if everyone also decided not to DRIVE ANYWHERE that day and NOT TO MAKE UP the miles the missed at any time. So that millions of gallons of gas would be saved and therefore delay our need to fill up again and reduce the demand and increase the supply. Remember this, the point will come up again and again.

The other is don't buy gas from a certain company or two.

Usually the biggest two companies. This won't work either, since most oil supplies are so interrelated in this country. Look into it and you will be amazed at how all these gas stations are owned or buy gas from the big distributors. So it is a bit like a monopoly or so I have been told. I am no expert, but this would mean that in most cases they will get their cut no matter which gas station you fill up at. Once again, WHERE YOU BUY isn't as important as NOT BUYING. And you can only stop buying if you STOP USING! Supply and demand. The only way to get the prices down is to increase their supply by lowering the demand. This means drive less, or buy more efficient cars. Sorry folks, no easy out here!

I heard on the radio yesterday that many European countries forced car manufactures to produce cars with 45 miles to the gallon fuel efficiency. I also heard a figure yesterday, that if we forced car manufactures to increase fuel efficiency of all new cars by just 1 MILE PER GALLON that in a few years we could completely eliminate our need for Middles East Oil! Once again I was in the car driving and I have not check these facts for accuracy, but it sounds good.

They have us over an OIL BARREL and our only real choice is to not buy it or buy less of it. Many say the world is at peak oil production, it will never be able to produce as much as it does now, which means soon the supply will begin to decline FOREVER and the demand has never been higher. Look at China and the developing world who are hungry for our cars and lifestyle. A HUGE war is coming if we don't figure this out soon, God help us all if it comes to that! In the mean time all we can do is conserve. Hey not only will it save you money, it might just save the planet!

Thanks for listening to my ramblings!
Terri Miller

Tweaking: The Hidden Marketing Secret

2007-05-02T10:38:00.000-05:00

Wonder why some people get better marketing results than others? It's because they tweak.

One rarely discussed marketing secret (except amongst rabid direct marketers or online marketers), is the arcane art of tweaking. Tweaking your marketing is literally the key to getting more response to any marketing activity you attempt.

Tweak means to adjust or fine-tune.

And this is exactly what people fail to do when it comes to their marketing. In fact, most do the opposite: They develop a web site and never change a pixel for years; they settle on a marketing message and never try anything new; or they give a speaking engagement and don't try various "pitches" to get cards from participants.

The Science of Tweaking

Tweaking is what scientists do. They test something using an experiment. They get a certain result. Then they change a measurable variable and see what new result they get. They keep at this until they get the desired result (or not).

Good marketers are like scientists, but they have more fun.

Instead of experimenting on rats, they experiment on prospects. They try one marketing tactic at a time and measure the result. Then they change a measurable variable and see if the prospect responds differently.

Good scientists, if they are persistent, get grants to keep experimenting. Good marketers, if they are persistent, attract more clients and often get rich.

Let's look at a few marketing experiments you can tweak.

1. Ezine signups from a web site.

Growing a big eZine list is a great way to grow your business. Let's look at the two main variables: a) home page of web site and b) eZine sign-up page of web site.

To conduct this experiment you must know:
a) how many people land on your home page in any given period
b) how many people click onto the sign-up page
c) how many people actually sign up

Using a simple web tracker that counts visitors and subscribers, you can get these statistics very easily.

So let's say in a week, 100 people go to your home page. Of those, 40% click onto your sign-up page. And then 25% of those actually sign up for the eZine. That makes a sign-up rate of 10%.

Now you start tweaking.

You work at making changes to your home page so that more visitors click through to the sign-up page. You might improve the design, the graphics, the headline, the offer for the report you get with the eZine, etc.

Several tweaks might increase the number of people who click on the sign-up page to 50%. Now your total sign-up rate is 12.5%

Next you tweak away on the sign-up page. Perhaps you change the name of the report (more results-oriented), and you change the sign-up form (by making it simpler) and the placement of this form (you put it higher on the page).

Several tweaks of this kind may increase the number of actual sign-ups to 40%. Your total sign-up rate is now 20%. You've doubled your sign-up rate. And that's how tweaking pays off!

2. Getting cards after a speaking event

What I used to say was, "I have a report that covers most of the material I discussed today. If you'd like a copy, just leave me your card and I'll send it to you by email".

That pitch got me 30-40% of cards. So I tweaked my pitch.

I now say: "Here is a report that covers most of the material I discussed today. Who would like a copy? (and I get a show of hands) Great, please give me your card with a current email address and I'll send it to you by email."

That pitch gets about 80% of people in the room giving me cards. The tweak is that I got people to raise their hands saying they wanted the report. It more than doubled the results.

3. Your Audio Logo

When I use a problem-oriented Audio Logo: "I help Independent Professionals who are struggling to attract clients," I get about five times the response than a solution-oriented Audio Logo: "I help Independent Professionals attract more clients."

Go figure.

You don't have to know all the reasons your tweaking changed the results, you just have to keep tweaking until the results improve.

What are you currently doing in your marketing that isn't working as well as it could? Time to start tweaking!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author: Robert Middleton, the owner of Action Plan Marketing, has beeh helping Independent Professionals be better marketers since 1984. On his web site ActionPlan.com find valuable resources, products and programs for attracting more clients.

New Company Web Site Up!

2007-03-21T10:47:00.000-05:00

Well I finally did it and uploaded the newest version of millerenterprise.us. I have been working on it whenever I had a scrap of time and finally felt it was ready to go on Monday.

Phase
one is a cosmetic change, to update the sites design and to improve the
navigation system. Back when I first launched the old site over two
years ago, I did not anticipate I would get into the printing world, or
its explosive growth. So the new site allows more attention to that
growing part of my market. I also did a little flash intro movie. I
didn't want to make it a true "into", since I personally find those
annoying and know many other users do to. Rather I offer a link to it
from the homepage for those who like sound and "jiggling things".

I
am now working on an improved quote form to make it easier for
customers to contact me and I would also like to do a true movie/web
video piece to replace the flash intro, but that takes time and since
my site comes last, and all of my customers come first, it may take
longer than I would like.

I am still kicking out the bugs with
the new site and look to start work on Phase Two, upgrading
all of the content, which for the sake of time I mostly recycled from
the old site. If you see something wrong, that you don't like, or think
is missing, please let me know. I have a tendency to be less careful with my own projects, since my focus usually falls on my clients, so please help a girl out!

Thanks,
Terri Miller
Miller Enterprises

The Worth Of A Website - What's Your Return On Investment?

2007-03-12T14:36:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I ran across this article in the St. Louis Small Business Monthly magazine and thought I would share it. It is a good general guide for those looking in to getting a web site but not sure if it is worth the investment.

The Worth Of A Website
What's Your Return On Investment?
by Wendy Gauntt

A website is an essential cost of doing business, no less important than your brochure or the sign on your front door. But how much should you spend, and how do you know the value?

Grab your calculator for some quick answers. Financial analysis offers handy tools: ROI, short for return on investment; and Payback Period, the time it takes to recoup the cost of a new project. Whether you’re considering your first website or an upgrade to your current site, these simple equations will help you calculate the right website investment for your business.

Step 1: Review Costs
You can spend as much or as little as you want on a website. Prices start at $5/month for a no-frills do-it-yourself site; large companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars. What should you expect to pay? Most small businesses spend a few thousand for an attractive, professional site. Add in a few thousand more for extras like online marketing or an e-commerce shopping cart.

Look at several levels of price and features to find the best value for your business. Spend too little, and you might miss a big marketing opportunity, but don’t waste your money on unnecessary bells and whistles either.

Don’t forget to consider the value of your time. Do-it-yourself sites can take days, weeks, even months to build, depending on your level of technical expertise and web-savvy. It’s not just the technical tasks—many stumble when writing their own website text. Compare hourly rates on an “apples-to-apples” basis—tasks that might take you several hours can be done faster by experienced professionals. And that’s valuable time you could spend selling products, billing hours or running the business.

Step 2: Estimate Benefits
For e-commerce businesses, it’s simple to determine the benefit of an upgrade: you estimate and measure the increase in sales. Online marketing activities can be tracked precisely to determine the “conversion rate”—the number of people who convert from visitors to customers based on an online ad campaign. Since computers are tracking all website activities, results are instantly calculated and readily available.

For the rest of us, it’s a bit more complicated. Most small-business owners use their website to supplement regular marketing materials, so the website is one of many factors that contribute to new sales. To estimate results, you’ll have to guesstimate how much your new website will contribute to sales.

Some factors to consider:

* Do your competitors have websites—or do they have better websites? How will that tip your customer’s buying decision?

* Do you market to a younger, more tech-savvy market that takes websites for granted?

* Do you respond to RFPs—request for proposals—where buyers know little to nothing about your business? Does your website educate them with needed background information?

* Does your website provide all the information needed to make an informed buying decision?

* Does your website make it easy to do business with you?

* Does your website inspire trust?

A good site provides a credibility boost to your business. It’s a convenience to your customers, and it begins (or continues) the relationship-building process that’s crucial to closing the sale.

So, how much more business will it bring in? You know your customers best. Look at how they shop with you today, and how they’ll shop in the future. Will a website set you apart from your competitors or simply catch you up? Quality matters—how much must you spend to get good results? Will online marketing increase those results?

Look at your annual profits and factor in a realistic increase. There’s no formula. It’s all dependent on your industry and your market. In some businesses, a single new customer will justify the cost of a good website. In others, it takes thousands of small sales.

Step 3: Calculate Your Return
Now that you’ve got some numbers, let’s look at how they add up. ROI, or return on investment, is a simple measure: benefit divided by cost times 100%. For example, a site with an estimated benefit of $10,000 and a cost of $5,000 will have 200% ROI. A 100% ROI means you break even; the higher the number, the more you make. If your number is less than 100%, you’ll lose money, so look at ways to cut costs or increase benefits.

Payback period measures how fast you recoup your costs. The formula is cost divided by annual benefit. A website that costs $15,000, but returns you $10,000 a year will have a payback period of 1.5 years. The shorter the payback period, the better. Since the average website needs an overhaul every two to four years, you want a faster payback period that’s less than two years. Otherwise you’ll need upgrades before you’ve recovered your initial costs.

Run the numbers with different levels of costs and benefits. If you spend a little more, do you get more bang for the buck? What if you spend less? Play with the numbers until your find the best value for your business.

Last Step: Measure Results
So you’ve done your calculations and you plan to upgrade your website. How will you find out the real payback? Unless you have an online business, where everything can be tracked by computer, you’re going to have to do a few more estimates.

Your first resource: website traffic statistics. These tell you how many people are visiting, how they get there, and what they look at. If no one’s visiting, do something about it! Get your traffic up by telling customers about your site. Give them a reason to visit, such as free information, a contest or an incentive program.

Your customers are an even better resource. Many companies ask new customers, “How did you hear about us?” Ask another question: “Did you visit our website, and was it helpful?” It’s not an exact science, but it will give you some indication as to how your website helped close the deal.

Listen to your customers to get great ideas that can make your site even better. Then run the numbers again and see what your website is worth!

Wendy Gauntt (wendy@cioservicesllc.com), president of CIO Services, LLC,

Memory In Website Content & Advertising

2007-02-09T10:55:00.000-06:00

Here is an article I ran across and found it a good refresher course on the importance of memory!

Enjoy,
Terri

The Role of Memory In Website Content and Advertising
By Jerry Bader (c) 2007

The primary goal of all advertising, including website content is to be remembered. No matter what other marketing goal you want to achieve, if your audience doesn't remember your presentation, it is a wasted effort and lost opportuníty. All the monëy spent on attracting people to your website goes right down the drain if your content is instantly forgettable. With that in mind it is hard to believe how little thought is put into creating content that people will remember.

In order to create content or advertising that people will remember, we have to understand a little about how memory works. Professor Daniel Schacter of Harvard University is an expert in the study of human memory and has written numerous books on the subject, including 'The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers'. In this book Schacter describes seven characteristics of human memory that all marketing people need to be aware of in order to construct content and advertising that website audiences will retain.

Transience

Transience refers to the fact that memory degrades over time, our recollections become generic and what we are left with is a sense of expectation rather than specific features.

If you overload your website visitors with a shopping líst of features or a series of b-school banalities, you are giving up the opportuníty to make a singular impression on your audience, especially if the features you are so proud of are mere duplicates of features offered by your competitors.

You may not remember the specifics of the latest Volvo automobile advertising campaign but you most likely regard Volvos to be safe, the primary focus of their long-term marketing efforts. What Volvo has done is position itself as the manufacturer of safe cars. This is the position they hold in the minds of the car buying public. As an advertiser this should be the focus of their campaigns. If they for some reason decide to change their approach, they stand to confuse and alienate their audience.

Whether you are dealing with website content or webmedia presentations the focus should be on establishing your primary marketing message in your audience's minds. If that singular message gets lost in a jungle of corporate platitudes and extraneous specifications then the chance of your audience retaining your message is greatly reduced.

To deal with this problem, we suggest clients think in terms of advertising campaigns rather than just an ad, and program-style linear narrative presentations rather than feature and specification-based information. In our own recent marketing campaign we were able to present eighteen different issues, each in an individual presentation, but all with a central unifying theme. People may not remember the individual issues, but they will remember the central unifying theme of the campaign; most importantly they'll remember who we are and what we stand for.

Absent-mindedness

Absent-mindedness is the failure to pay attention when receiving information resulting in no memory, or the inability to recall information buried deep in memory because of missing contextual references.

The sheer volume of demand for attention and information that people deal with on a daily basis, what author and information architect, Saul Wurman refers to as "Information Anxiety," makes it impossible for people to absorb everything they think they should, or even want to, retain. Our brains automatically filter-out extraneous data and retain only what is important or relevant. As a result people are more likely to develop a general familiarity with a brand rather than an in-depth recollection of details.

Recognizing that your audience is only going to retain the core message you are delivering if it is relevant and meaningful requires that you give up the immaterial and concentrate on the essence of what you need to say.

You also must find ways to break through the mental barriers people erect in order to block-out useless content. A website dominated by large amounts of text requires a huge commitment of interest in order for someone to pay attention and commit your content to memory. The use of web-audio and web-video requires less of a mental commitment from your audience and at the same time provides the sensory, emotional, and contextual references that aid in memory recall.

Blocking

Blocking is a familiar phenomenon most people have experienced. We recognize a person and can tell you almost everything about that individual except his or her name. Unlike transience where the name has faded from memory, blocking refers to a situation where the knowledge is in memory but the appropriate reference or association has not been accessed to stimulate recall.

To overcome blocking people must access mental associations that are emotional, contextual, or sensory. Emotional triggers are an adaptive imperative for our survival as a species and advertisements and presentations that reflect common emotional experiences will leave indelible impressions. By framing your presentation in some familiar context, you will provide viewers with an association that aids in memory recall. The addition of sensory mnemonics like a distinctive voice-over and an on-screen visual character, provide assistance in memory recall.

Misattribution

We often remember some information or experience but attribute it to the wrong source. This 'unconscious transference' occurs when a feature or benefit is too similar to a competitor's, or when the presentation lacks any distinctive association, reference, mnemonic, or emotional impact.

Sometimes the presentation of information is highly relevant and is therefore embedded in memory but the source of that information is considered extraneous and is therefore dismissed as inconsequential. When delivering information to a website audience, it is important to create presence, and establish credibility, in order to link the message to the messenger.

By using web-video and web-audio to present information, you create the opportuníty to establish a memorable personality for your organization. Presenting information as 'programming' rather than just information provides context and character, both of which help build a memory inducing corporate personality.

Suggestibility

Suggestibility occurs when information learned from an outside source is attributed to personal experience. Vivid mental images, intense emotional reactions, or suggestive questíons that target emotional soft spots can trigger this type of false memory.

Research suggests that suggestibility for false memories can be enhanced if an audience is instructed to expect results that are plausible. The combination of suggestibility and misattribution can result in people having memories of things that nevër took place.

In a research paper entitled, 'Make My Memory: How Advertising Can Change Our Memories of the Past,' Kathryn A. Braun of Harvard Business School, Rhiannon Ellis of the University of Pittsburgh, and Elizabeth F. Loftus of the University of Washington, present evidence that certain types of suggestive advertising can create false memories.

As a basis for the research they used a Disney advertising campaign, 'Remember the Magic,' that featured a family enjoying themselves at Disney World and included a scene of a child shaking hands with Mickey Mouse. The researchers wanted to know if such an autobiographical ad could create a false memory of shaking hands with Mickey Mouse, when in fact it nevër happened.

In order to test the validity of their theory, they created an ad that prompted people to remember shaking hands with Bugs Bunny on a childhood trip to Disneyland, an event that could nevër have occurred since Bugs Bunny is a Warner Bros. character and would not have been seen at a Disney theme park. Despite the fact that this event could nevër have taken place, a significant number of participants in the study were able to recall the experience of shaking hands with Bugs Bunny at Disneyland.

Bias

New experiences are filtered through past experiences and pre-existing belief systems. Often when people with opposing political points-of-view watch the same political debate on television, they will come away with totally different opinions on who won the debate based on their pre-existing bias.

New experiences are filtered through our past experiences and color our interpretation of current events. Advertisers often use images and nostalgic icons of the past in order to create a positive context for interpreting new product offerings. On the other hand, political campaigns often use the same kind of technique in reverse to generate negative attitudes toward an opponent or a divisive polarizing issue.

Memories are not static imprints of the past, but rather reconstituted constructs filtered through an ever-evolving personal history of learned knowledge and emotional experiences.

Persistence

Emotionally intense experiences, especially negative ones, will leave longer-lasting impressions than emotionally neutral experiences. It is important for us to remember traumatic events so that we learn from them and don't repeat them; it is an innate survival mechanism.

Advertisers can use this to their advantage by reminding people of negative situations that could be avoided with the use of their product. These types of advertisements can be used for health care, personal grooming, and financial services and products.

On the positive side, we can see from the previously mentioned Disney 'Remember the Magic' campaign that positive emotional experiences can also be used to create positive attitudes in a properly constructed campaign.

The main difference between positive and negative persistent memory is the recall of details. Persistent negative memories tend to be richer in detail whereas positive persistent memories tend to be more generic, a fact that can be used as we have discussed previously to create false memories or what is more euphemistically referred to as 'imagination inflation.'
Conclusion

The more we know about how human beings process and recall information, the better we become at communicating our marketing messages to website audiences that are decidedly more complex, and emotionally motivated, than can be determined by mere demographic profiling or statistical Web-visitor analytics.

About The Author

Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video.

Miller Enterprises has submitted the winning name.

2007-01-29T12:12:00.000-06:00

We just go the news that we were the winning submission! See the press release below.

"Terri Miller of Miller Enterprises has submitted the winning name for the University of Illinois, Montgomery County Economic Development newsletter. In addition to the new name of "Fast Tracks", the newsletter also got a new look."

Just thought I would share the good news!

Thanks,
Terri Miller

Article Marketing Tips - Start with An Outline

2007-01-24T10:51:00.000-06:00

Article Marketing Tips - Start with An Outline

Marketing is often segmented into four distinct sets of activity. The four P's - Product, Pricing, Promotion and Placement or distribution. Article Marketing Strategies can play a significant role in at least two of these activities and should be incorporated into every Internet Marketing Campaign.
Writing and submitting articles strategically to various Sites is of tremendous value in both Promotion and Placement.
With this is mind, what's the best way to write these promotional articles?

We've done it through junior high, it expanded longer through high school, then on college it became chapters. No matter how many times a person have done it, writing articles has proven to be a task many has continuously avoided. Now at a time when writing articles could help your job or work, facing the job at hand can be still faced with unfriendly behavior.

While there are a great number of people who do not have the same attitude in article writing as others, there are still those who would rather walk in piping hot coals than do some article writing. What set people apart from other towards article writing is that they are prepared and has some methods and procedures in writing articles.

One of the methods you can use to prepare yourself when tasked to write in article is creating an outline first. Creating an outline for all your articles makes you prepared. You have an idea of what to do first and make a plan for your succeeding steps. Being prepared makes the job easier and faster. Being organized will allow for disorientation to be shunned away.
An outline can act as the design or blueprint for your article. This will guide you in creating the introduction, body and conclusion of your article. Here in this point, you can write down some of the ideas and sentences that you feel will look good in your article. This could be some of the focal point that could help make your article creative, interesting and appealing to a reader.

A carefully planned and fully prepared project would guarantee and ensure a problem and worry free procedure that can virtually go without any hassles. Creating an outline for all your articles will get you ready and breeze through writing an article in no time at all. Here I will provide you with some tips and guidelines in how to create an outline for all of your articles.

Did you know?

* Writing and submitting articles strategically to various Sites is of tremendous value in both Promotion and Placement.

* Promotion includes advertising, sales promotion, publicity, and personal selling, and refers to the various methods of promoting the product, brand, or company.

* Placement or distribution refers to how the product gets to the customer - the channel by which a product or service is sold (e.g. online vs. retail), which geographic region or industry, to which segment (young adults, families, business people), etc.

Do some brainstorming and jot down your brilliant ideas first. Think of some ways to attract the interest of your reader. Designate a time frame where you can write down all the ideas that you can use for your articles. By this time you should have done all your research and information searching. Review and reread your ideas and notes, gain mastery and sufficient familiarity with your topic so that writing them down later own would be easy for you.

The next step is to discover your sub topic and sub titles. As you would provide a first sentence for your article, one that would immediately grab the attention of your reader, you would need some as well for your sub topics. To be concise, you would need to get all the facts that will support and go against your point.

These are the frames or skeleton of your article, now its time to add the flesh and the meat of your article. You will need to connect all your paragraphs and sub topics. This will form the body of your Article. While the introduction will usher in the ideas of your paragraph, you will need a conclusion. The conclusion will wrap up your points and drive in what you are saying in your article.

The outline for your article would also require you to write a draft first. This may take more than one attempt but remember that it is called a draft for a reason. Your outline shall be perfected as each draft is written and this draft is meant for your eyes only so there's no reason to feel ashamed. As you go on, you will clearly see the bigger picture and write an article that will perfectly suit what is demanded of it.

Reread and reread what you have written down. Always refer to your outline so that you won't drift away from what you had first written down. Its not hard to be caught in the moment and get lost in your writing frenzy. Your outline will help you keep in track. All those hours spent in outlining your article will not go to waste. This will serve as your guide in writing articles. Trust and rely on your outline because this will prove to be a very helpful tool in writing all of your articles.

About the Author: Michael Saunders has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He edits a site on Article Directories and another on Site Promotion Strategies.

Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

2007-01-24T10:33:00.000-06:00

Hello all!

It has been a while since my last blog! I have been through two rounds of flu, bronchitis, oh yes and I am pregnant to boot! Plus business has exploded and I lost two assistance to health problems in the last 5 months. So I have been "covered under" and going it alone.

I am finally feeling well and getting a command of all my projects enough to return to you. I would like to thank all those who took the time to help me out or to simply be concerned about my well being. I have so many friends and I am grateful for that!

For all its ups and downs, I never forget LIFE IS GOOD!!!

I will be following this blog up with an article I found that I believe is of great benefit to those trying to promote their own products or services. It is about "Article Writing" and is great for people who have no experience doing so. Enjoy!

Thanks,
Terri Miller

Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

Customer Suppport - Is that SO HARD!

2006-09-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

It's been a BUSY month and I am sorry to say that it has had an effect my blog time! Sometimes anger is the greatest motivator, and I just had to vent yet again on poor customer service. Why is it so hard for some to help people? Answer their most basic questions? Or give a damn? Yes you've guessed it, more fun with tech support! I have been working with a script provider and really love its functionality, customization features, reasonable price (should have tipped me off!), but after months of faithful service, it suddenly stopped working correctly and is acting buggy. So I contact the company, which was oh so friendly and ready to help me when I was at the sales level, but now can't be reached. I go through their help desk and two days later I get a response! (Now mind you I am very independent, and I will spend hours if not days looking for the source of problems so I can fix them myself and better yet have the knowledge to fix them again in the future. I had reached a complete impasse and new that I was at the point where only they could offer assistance. So I am would not consider myself a resource drain, and don't ask obvious question or fail to research solutions in help literature.)When I do get a response I am told there is nothing wrong?! And a lame blaming of the web server, which I know can't be the issue, even according to their own literature! I pursued my question again and was told basically "nothing to see here, just keep moving along." I couldn't believe I was being blown off.

I finally figured it however. Oh not the solution to my scripting problem, that never did get resolved. I am currently working with a entirely different script and rebuilding everything from scratch! Twice the cost, twice the design time! But I did figure out a sad and basic fact, once a sale's been made for many companies, you no longer matter. You will now only cost the company in resources and time and in their narrowly focused mind not be "worth it". Even if you might have purchased something from them again, its worth losing that sale to just get rid of you so they don't have to focus on unfun stuff like support.

Unfortunately this is all too common an approach or even a business model for web companies today and reflects poorly on the web development community as a whole. For the minority of us out here trying to provide good products AND service it makes our job of gaining customer trust even more difficult. To me its simple: Mean what you say, follow through on a promise, and stand behind your products! If you don't know the answer admit it, then try to find the solution. If you can't find a solution be willing to call in others (and if need be pay!) for outside assistance to get it right for your customers. If you still can't solve the problem, give them their money back.

Obviously this doesn't apply if the problem is on the customer end and you know if for a certainty. But even then it is your responsibility to educate the customer as to the cause of the problem and what they need to do to fix it. Maybe even refer them to someone or give them a link to a place where they can get help, etc. Is that SO HARD! I know it will take time and you won't make any money doing it, but it is the right thing to do. Perhaps as a business owner you will need to increase your prices or rates to help cover the additional cost of support. You may loose some price only driven customers, but the ones you get will be very please with your product and will find the extra cost worth it in peace of mind and reliability.

Ok rant done!

Thanks,
Terri Miller
Miller Enterprises

Anybody any where can make it cheap, my challenge to you is can you make it better?

2006-08-09T13:27:00.000-05:00

My previous post discussed the importance of word of moth advertising. In this post I would like to expand the concept to discuss the importance of the quality of products your business offers.

I have talked about the importance of customer service may times, so I won't get into it again here, but I would like to talk about quality. I firmly believe that there is an over emphasis currently placed on price. The race to get cheaper and cheaper only leads to its inevitable conclusion of the cheapest possible P.O.S. that can be passed off to consumers. And even though it may be cheap, it's no bargain since it may not work properly or at all! I always say buy quality and feel the sting once, buy cheap and feel the sting every time you use it.

As a business owner, why should you care if the product you sell is a piece of junk, it was cheap wasn't it? Well the frustration a customer feels over a poor product is not isolated to the manufacturer alone, it also spills over to you. "Every thing you get at So and So's is junk!" will be the common quote passed down the tribal grapevine. Is that the kind of word of mouth you want!

And if you are a small business that manufactures your products, do you really want to get into a race to be the cheapest? This race will rarely be won by a small business and is better left to the big box chains that can dictate and control pricing through enormous volume buying and even control of the manufacturing processes themselves.

Anybody any where can make it cheap, my challenge to you is can you make it better? I believe that there is a growing discontent with the almost bottomless pit of low quality. There are a growing number of people who seek out quality and are will to pay more for it. For some items it is all but impossible to find and they have been driven out of the market place altogether. So you can see the value of being high quality in spite of the "price driven" trend. You will foster a great amount of positive word of mouth, and like a virus it will spread. Everyone may not appreciate the quality and buy your products, but everyone who does will always appreciate you!

Copyright 2006 Miller Enterprises. All right reserved.
Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

What's the BEST form of advertising?

2006-08-09T13:13:00.000-05:00

What's the BEST form of advertising? I get this question almost daily from small business owners and the answer is always a bit of a surprise, since it has nothing to do with the marketing services I provide. I tell them it is WORD OF MOUTH! It definitely the most cost effective, being FREE, and it always carries the most weight with potential customers.

Humans are programmed to listen to one another. It goes back to the primal instincts of tribal preservation. We need to protect the other members of our tribe from trouble by warning them of danger, like a wild boar attack, while also insuring their prosperity by sharing with them a great place to pick berries or a great way to kill a wild boar. You get my point.

Information about your business will be passed down the grapevine and can have tremendous benefits or devastating result depending upon what the word is. The vast majority of my new business comes from word of mouth. Other forms of advertising can't even come close, but when I do get a new customer I always consider what they might have to say about me as a business, as a person, about my products, my staff, my location, etc.

Word of mouth is not an instantaneous advertising method, but rather yields results slowly over time. Very much like a snowball, it grows slowly at first, but then it becomes a large an powerful force.

Think about this every time you have an interaction with a customer or potential client. I guarantee it will make a difference.

Copyright 2006 Miller Enterprises. All right reserved.
Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

When things get messy globally, think LOCAL!

2006-07-16T17:45:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

The trouble that we are seeing currently in the Middle East punctuates something that I have been observing all week. When things get messy globally, people think local. Many businesses are very nervous about the rise in gas prices, and fear that consumers will have less disposable income, therefore spend less, lowering their bottom line. I too have been concerned about this, but have personally experienced a different side to this issue. I just came off a VERY busy week! I had at least one customer each day come in to my shop last week needing print work done who made it a point to tell me they chose my company because of the convenience of doing it locally, but also because of the substantial savings in gas not having to drive to Springfield to get similar services.

So what's the point? As the cost to drive rises, the cost of buying local goes down, therefore making local goods and services a better bargain. Also this benefits on-line sales, as it is more and more possible to purchase items cheaper on-line (even with shipping charges) then driving to the nearest city to purchase them, not to mention the convenience! So take advantage of this opportunity. Make the public aware of how they can save by buying local, even if the price tag is slightly higher. Also if you are an email marketer, take this time to entice new customers to purchase with the savings of both gas and time.

Now what you do with this opportunity will determine if you will continue to keep these new customers, but high gas prices (caused in part by global fears) have brought me increased business. I hope that even if gas prices go down, I will retain these new customers because of my excellent customer service and the level and quality of my service.

(For example, I had a customer come in for the printing/photocopying of 300 booklets. When the document went through the photocopier, a decorative faint graphic on each page did not come through. So we scanned the entire document and added a similar decorative page graphic to each page using Photoshop. Sure it took an extra hour or two, but it made the final product higher quality and better retained the spirit of the original piece. I hope that the customer appreciated the extra effort we took to satisfy, something that big chains would never take the time to do.)

Thanks,
Terri Miller

Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

Be A Careful Prospect Gardener

2006-07-07T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

Today I was reminded of how important it is to take an interest in every lead that comes your way and to always have time for a prospective client. I have been communicating with a gentleman off and on for two years and today, for the first time, we were able to meet face to face. Today the customer was ready to move forward and the time was right to start work on the project.

It occurred to me that you must care for a prospect much like a gardener cares for his crops.

First you must have fertile soil for a seed to grown in. (A valuable service that people need, done well!)

Then you have to have a seed. (A prospect.)

Next you have to water and fertilize the seed. (Get to know what they need and offer them solutions or suggestions.)

And you have to weed between the seeds. (Become more efficient and get rid of time bandits and distractions that take precious time you could be devoting to your seeds.)

Then support your plant as it grows. (Provide them with peace of mind and answer all their questions, no matter how much time it takes.)

And lastly enjoy the fruits of your labor. (The prospect becomes a customer!) Actually the fruits of this endeavor should be enjoyed by both sides.

And remember why plants produce fruit, to make more seeds, (hundreds of them)! See how valuable it is to be a careful prospect gardener!

Thanks,
Terri Miller
Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

How "Bright" Are Your Ideas!

2006-06-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

Well it is a rainy dark day and as I drove about town running my errands I noticed how bright colors and well lit signs really pop out at you on this sort of day. It drew my attention to some store fronts and away from others. This made me wonder why every business owner didn't take advantage of this simple concept.

You offer some great products and services, so make sure you let the world know about your "bright" ideas. Think about how to grab passersby attention with bright colors or lighted displays, plus they also work great at night, providing your business with virtually free after-hours marketing. It is one of the benefits of moving my offices downtown - I look at marketing on a shopfront level and not just from cyber space. If any of you would like some help designing a storefront strategy, call or email me I am sure you will be surprised at the results such a simple change can make!

Thanks!
Terri Miller

Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

Watch Out For Domain Name SCAM!

2006-06-29T16:47:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

I wanted to make some important information available. There are several companies that send the owners of domain names offical looking domain name renewal bills. These are not real bills and unsuspecting people who pay them end up having their domain name registration taken over by this company. You then have to pay your domain name fee again with us for Miller Enterprises to get control of it again and to insure that it points to your correct web hosting server.

So in essence you are paying for something you have already paid for! It is call "slamming" and the number one company for doing this is callled "Domain Regestry of America". The bill looks very real but the fine print reveals that it is an offer to switch to their company. DO NOT send payment for domain name registrations or hosting fees to anyone but Miller Enterprises! If it doesn't come from us, then it is a scam! Unless of course you have purchased your domain name from another company such as Network Solutions, GoDaddy etc. in which case only authorize payment to that company and besure to talk to your billing department about this scam. It could easily slip through accounts payable before you catch the error.

I hope this helps!

Terri Miller

Miller Enterprises - Web Site & Print Design

2006-06-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

Well I finally took the time to set up my blog! I hope that as my blog grows it will contain a few bits of useful information and maybe a little entertainment as well!

If I have to choose a topic for my first blog it would be how much I enjoy what I do! Every morning I come in excited and looking forward to what the day brings. This time of the year it is a struggle to reconcile my love for the outdoors with my love of working. I have to peal myself out of the office and lock up before it's dark. However once I am at home and in my gardens or walking out in the woods I wonder why it took me so long to get home! I guess that is the yin and yang of my life.

Speaking of yin-yang, I know a good Doctor to which I have had may a discussions of this and other eastern philosophies, Dr. Sean McCaffrey. He is very interested in maintaining nature's balance and other ideas that mainstream medicine don't always embrace. Check out his site www.mccaffreyhealth.com and look around if you are interested. Of course I designed the site, so I am partial, but good info none the less!

That's all until next time!