Internet technologies are constantly changing. Here at GeekyCreative we
do like to stay up-to-date with the latest trends but acknowledge how
confusing it can all appear to our clients.
It's bad
enough trying to make choices about your online marketing without all
the confusing jargon to go with it. Our studio team pride themselves on
their ability to talk to the layman and the fact that they leave the
buzz words to others.
However over the last couple of weeks our developers have been dropping something new into conversations and insisting that this particular trend is here to stay and is
definitely something worth blogging about.
We know that when the guys get excited its worth humouring them and finding out what all the fuss is about? Adobe® AIR™
is what's got our team talking. But what exactly is it? Well, it's the
technology behind BBC iPlayer and eBay Desktop. It's easy to develop for
and even easier for clients to install and use, most of all it is
powerful and extremely useful. Adobe® AIR™ is the ideal way to get your
business message straight onto your users desktops.
Send
news, alerts and messages to your users 24-7. Let them interact with
you, without the need for them to go to your website. It's instant and
persistent - the ideal online marketing tool. What's more you can have
it at a very affordable price - because despite the hype and what other
may tell you - Adobe® AIR™ is simple and straightforward to implement.
So, to find out more about GeekyCreative developers and Adobe® AIR™ email info@geekycreative.com today.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Who's the best website designer we know? You!
Here are at GeekyCreative we think that the best website designers are our clients! Why?
Well, we can certainly make things look good, our creative department has been producing fantastic site designs for years now. And, our development team certainly can code a good website and are very competent with all the latest technologies. But - our clients know their products and services best and therefore they know what their website users want. Of course our job here at GeekyCreative is to listen, and help guide our clients through the creative and development choices that will make their website a success.
To get the best website design, we encourage our clients to...
Think about your audience. Are they looking for immediate answers and solutions? We bet they are. Most likely these visitors to your website are very much like you. Chances are you use the Internet more than other types of media to search for information. If a web page doesn't "grab your interest" within 8 - 10 seconds after landing on it... you move on!
As a "first step" we suggest that you start by reviewing the questions listed below. We are convinced that once you get to the last question... you will have a list of action items identified that will greatly improve the productivity of your current website. The success or failure of the site and/or business may very well depend upon the decisions you make after reading these questions.
What Do You Know About Your Clients and Prospects State of Mind?
When visitors land on your website, they have very little time to read what you say. They have a need for information or a product and don't want to listen or read long winded descriptions and comments. You have just a few seconds to get their attention. Do most visitors land on your website wanting:
It is imperative to know the answers to these and many other questions BEFORE you design the pages within your website.
Do You Make Website Visitors Feel You Can Satisfy Their Wants and Needs?
Landing on any page within your website must make the visitor know that you understand their needs, business, wants, and desires. The more you put yourself into the "mindset" of the website user, the better chance you have of converting their visit into something you want to happen i.e. buy, complete a contact us form, bookmark the page or pick up the phone and call you.
What Approach Do You Take When Developing Pages Within Your Website?
What do you think you would want from your website if you were the prospective user? Assume you don't know as much information as you want in order to make an informed decision. Talk to these visitors in a language they will understand. If visitors want more insight or information, tell them to click on the more info link or give you a call. They will follow your direction ONLY if you have built some level of trust or understanding. For this, content is King, make sure that sure text is clear and concise.
What are You "Selling" to the Website Visitor?
Are you focused on telling them about your product or service or are you making them understand that choosing your product or service will deliver that special feeling they are seeking by making the purchase? Are you sure that you made the visitor know that you understand their needs, wants, problems, etc.? What techniques did you implement to get your points across?
How are You Going to Get the Visitor to Stop and Think About Your Service or Product?
Remember... they are ready to pass by your website in a blink of an eye and move onto the next one. What are you going to do to stop them? The answer you come up with will be critical to the success you have in gaining their confidence enough to buy or call you. Make sure what you say is NOT the same old thing they are used to seeing or reading on other websites. Be boring and you lose! Address the issues that appeal to the visitor and they WILL STOP! This is hard work... but worth the effort.
What Kind of "Call to Action" Statements are You Placing on Your Website?
Turning a visitor into a prospect or client is one of the most critical actions of your website. How will you engage them? Once they know that you understand their needs and wants, they are more inclined to follow your prompts. 'Call To Action' statements are critical to the success of any website's conversion. Guide them in a manner that is more telling, rather than selling. Don't be afraid to be assertive.
How Does Your Website Address the "Who Are We" Issue?
Again, it is about making the website visitor feel confident that they are choosing a reputable firm or organization with which to do business. They need to read about your success. This can be done by exhibiting your affiliation with associations, awards won, satisfied client statements, client success stories, examples of your work, etc. Careful placement of logos and links can show that you are recognised and approved and build up a sense of trust.
Are You Prepared to Answer: "What Makes You Different"?
What have clients and prospects said about you and your company? Have they applauded you for your approach to doing business? Did they say you made them feel like you understood their needs and wants? Think back to the reasons clients buy from you. How did you meet their needs and wants? Give your prospective clients reasons to do business with your firm.
A final thought...
Make it your primary goal to understand the potential client. Look at your website through that client's perspective. Who are they? What makes them different? What do they individually want and need? Be informative... do more telling than selling. They will "get it" and appreciate that you have made them an educated buyer, putting the power in their hands. Finally, tell them what you want them to do next. Get them to take the first step and be ready to deliver on the expectations you have set throughout your website!
Finally, if you are interested in how GeekyCreative can help build your website so that you get the best out of your online marketing then please contact sales@geekycreative.com.
Well, we can certainly make things look good, our creative department has been producing fantastic site designs for years now. And, our development team certainly can code a good website and are very competent with all the latest technologies. But - our clients know their products and services best and therefore they know what their website users want. Of course our job here at GeekyCreative is to listen, and help guide our clients through the creative and development choices that will make their website a success.
To get the best website design, we encourage our clients to...
Think about your audience. Are they looking for immediate answers and solutions? We bet they are. Most likely these visitors to your website are very much like you. Chances are you use the Internet more than other types of media to search for information. If a web page doesn't "grab your interest" within 8 - 10 seconds after landing on it... you move on!
As a "first step" we suggest that you start by reviewing the questions listed below. We are convinced that once you get to the last question... you will have a list of action items identified that will greatly improve the productivity of your current website. The success or failure of the site and/or business may very well depend upon the decisions you make after reading these questions.
What Do You Know About Your Clients and Prospects State of Mind?
When visitors land on your website, they have very little time to read what you say. They have a need for information or a product and don't want to listen or read long winded descriptions and comments. You have just a few seconds to get their attention. Do most visitors land on your website wanting:
- information,
- a "quick fix",
- a bargain,
- a large selection,
- something no-one else has,
- or a telephone call, etc.?
It is imperative to know the answers to these and many other questions BEFORE you design the pages within your website.
Do You Make Website Visitors Feel You Can Satisfy Their Wants and Needs?
Landing on any page within your website must make the visitor know that you understand their needs, business, wants, and desires. The more you put yourself into the "mindset" of the website user, the better chance you have of converting their visit into something you want to happen i.e. buy, complete a contact us form, bookmark the page or pick up the phone and call you.
What Approach Do You Take When Developing Pages Within Your Website?
What do you think you would want from your website if you were the prospective user? Assume you don't know as much information as you want in order to make an informed decision. Talk to these visitors in a language they will understand. If visitors want more insight or information, tell them to click on the more info link or give you a call. They will follow your direction ONLY if you have built some level of trust or understanding. For this, content is King, make sure that sure text is clear and concise.
What are You "Selling" to the Website Visitor?
Are you focused on telling them about your product or service or are you making them understand that choosing your product or service will deliver that special feeling they are seeking by making the purchase? Are you sure that you made the visitor know that you understand their needs, wants, problems, etc.? What techniques did you implement to get your points across?
How are You Going to Get the Visitor to Stop and Think About Your Service or Product?
Remember... they are ready to pass by your website in a blink of an eye and move onto the next one. What are you going to do to stop them? The answer you come up with will be critical to the success you have in gaining their confidence enough to buy or call you. Make sure what you say is NOT the same old thing they are used to seeing or reading on other websites. Be boring and you lose! Address the issues that appeal to the visitor and they WILL STOP! This is hard work... but worth the effort.
What Kind of "Call to Action" Statements are You Placing on Your Website?
Turning a visitor into a prospect or client is one of the most critical actions of your website. How will you engage them? Once they know that you understand their needs and wants, they are more inclined to follow your prompts. 'Call To Action' statements are critical to the success of any website's conversion. Guide them in a manner that is more telling, rather than selling. Don't be afraid to be assertive.
How Does Your Website Address the "Who Are We" Issue?
Again, it is about making the website visitor feel confident that they are choosing a reputable firm or organization with which to do business. They need to read about your success. This can be done by exhibiting your affiliation with associations, awards won, satisfied client statements, client success stories, examples of your work, etc. Careful placement of logos and links can show that you are recognised and approved and build up a sense of trust.
Are You Prepared to Answer: "What Makes You Different"?
What have clients and prospects said about you and your company? Have they applauded you for your approach to doing business? Did they say you made them feel like you understood their needs and wants? Think back to the reasons clients buy from you. How did you meet their needs and wants? Give your prospective clients reasons to do business with your firm.
A final thought...
Make it your primary goal to understand the potential client. Look at your website through that client's perspective. Who are they? What makes them different? What do they individually want and need? Be informative... do more telling than selling. They will "get it" and appreciate that you have made them an educated buyer, putting the power in their hands. Finally, tell them what you want them to do next. Get them to take the first step and be ready to deliver on the expectations you have set throughout your website!
Finally, if you are interested in how GeekyCreative can help build your website so that you get the best out of your online marketing then please contact sales@geekycreative.com.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Good, good, good vibrations
Summer seems a long way off doesn't it? While headlines depict nothing but doom and gloom the weather is doing nothing but further dampen the Nations spirits.
Well here at GeekyCreative we're not going to get all down about things. While everyone else is pessimistic we are trying to stay up beat. After all, marketing is all about a positive message. While people are slashing their spending and reducing their budgets we are working harder than ever to help them get the most from their money.
As well as marketing activity for our clients we are going to be refreshing our own website offerings over the next few weeks with some more good news. Currently we're launching sites for new clients at a fair rate and looking forward to a lot of creative design activity this month and next.
We are also increasing our skill set, branching out into Adobe Air desktop applications and Mobile WebWorks Apps at one end and we're hoping to add a new Marketing Consultancy product at the other end of our burgeoning service offering. We'll be blogging more about the exciting benefits of these products later - as they are currently the hot topic of conversation in the studio.
While we cannot do anything about the distant Summer sunshine, we can continue to help our clients compete well in a tough economic climate. So, if you want to chase away the grey clouds then get in touch and find out more about what we can do. We'll be the ones ignoring the rain outside, with the Beach Boys on the studio stereo, ready to help you spread some positive news about your business.
Well here at GeekyCreative we're not going to get all down about things. While everyone else is pessimistic we are trying to stay up beat. After all, marketing is all about a positive message. While people are slashing their spending and reducing their budgets we are working harder than ever to help them get the most from their money.
As well as marketing activity for our clients we are going to be refreshing our own website offerings over the next few weeks with some more good news. Currently we're launching sites for new clients at a fair rate and looking forward to a lot of creative design activity this month and next.
We are also increasing our skill set, branching out into Adobe Air desktop applications and Mobile WebWorks Apps at one end and we're hoping to add a new Marketing Consultancy product at the other end of our burgeoning service offering. We'll be blogging more about the exciting benefits of these products later - as they are currently the hot topic of conversation in the studio.
While we cannot do anything about the distant Summer sunshine, we can continue to help our clients compete well in a tough economic climate. So, if you want to chase away the grey clouds then get in touch and find out more about what we can do. We'll be the ones ignoring the rain outside, with the Beach Boys on the studio stereo, ready to help you spread some positive news about your business.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
See more clearly with GeekyCreative
Sometimes it is hard to see things that are right in front of your eyes, especially when you see it everyday.
Take my children for example. Everybody warned me about how fast they'd grow up - and then lo and behold ... they have reached yet another milestone before I've managed to finish a hot cup of tea!
Sometimes its more practical things...
Like the minor leak from the outside tap that is barely worth mentionning one second and then (most likely weeks later in reality) flooding the patio the next!
Or the overhanging tree branch that has somehow managed to swallow up my neighbours car in what seemed like days! ( I have since moved the offending branch I hasten to add).
We all have such busy lives that its no wonder that we do not have the time or the capacity to take on board changes that could and should be made to our home and working environment - even if it would ultimately be of benefit.
But this can be a mistake and to our detriment: both personally and to our businesses.
GeekyCreative offers a whole range of services that could help you and your business prevent small holes in your marketing becoming bigger...
And some are FREE.
GeekyCreative are now offering a Website Healthcheck Service. We will look at your website with a fresh pair of eyes, offering advice on copy, content, format and any errors.
Saving you time and potentially sales.
If you would like to learn more about this service and other free advice that we offer then contact Esther Cartwright on esther@geekycreative.com
Take my children for example. Everybody warned me about how fast they'd grow up - and then lo and behold ... they have reached yet another milestone before I've managed to finish a hot cup of tea!
Sometimes its more practical things...
Like the minor leak from the outside tap that is barely worth mentionning one second and then (most likely weeks later in reality) flooding the patio the next!
Or the overhanging tree branch that has somehow managed to swallow up my neighbours car in what seemed like days! ( I have since moved the offending branch I hasten to add).
We all have such busy lives that its no wonder that we do not have the time or the capacity to take on board changes that could and should be made to our home and working environment - even if it would ultimately be of benefit.
But this can be a mistake and to our detriment: both personally and to our businesses.
GeekyCreative offers a whole range of services that could help you and your business prevent small holes in your marketing becoming bigger...
And some are FREE.
GeekyCreative are now offering a Website Healthcheck Service. We will look at your website with a fresh pair of eyes, offering advice on copy, content, format and any errors.
Saving you time and potentially sales.
If you would like to learn more about this service and other free advice that we offer then contact Esther Cartwright on esther@geekycreative.com
Monday, January 2, 2012
Top 5 Search Engine Optimisation myths
1. SEO techniques are changing too fast: Small agencies cannot keep pace!
While search engine technology is indeed always changing the underlying principles remain the same. Create an interesting and dynamic website, with a well designed structure and consistent navigation and you are well on the way. A little time and effort to get the basics right will go a long way. GeekyCreative websites are developed in with search engines in mind and therefore ready to be used in conjunction with SEO campaigns.
2. Submitting a website is time consuming, it seems to take forever and therefore is expensive!
While you can manually submit *ALL* the pages on your website, chances are that by submitting the main pages once, to the correct search engines, the other pages will be picked up quickly. This saves time and therefore money, here at GeekyCreative we know just which directories and search engines to target.
3. SEO is risky, one false move and you could end up blacklisted forever.
GeekyCreative only practice the so called 'white hat' techniques of SEO. We never advocate trying to trick a search engine. A properly structured and honest campaign carries no risk whatsoever.
4. Keyword and META is all I need to achieve good rankings.
While this used to be the case - things have moved on. The content and structure of your website is now far more important then keywords and meta description tags. Here at GeekyCreative we invest time and effort at the start of a project to ensure that we get the basics of SEO there in your website.
5. SEO is quick and your site will rise rapidly.
SEO takes time and patience. But, if done properly the rewards are well worth the wait. A successfull SEO strategy will see a substantial return on investment. To make sure your SEO is performing as expected we work with our clients to develop a monthly review process to monitor performance.
If you have a website and you need our help with your SEO campaign then please contact info@geekycreative.com for more information and free advice.
While search engine technology is indeed always changing the underlying principles remain the same. Create an interesting and dynamic website, with a well designed structure and consistent navigation and you are well on the way. A little time and effort to get the basics right will go a long way. GeekyCreative websites are developed in with search engines in mind and therefore ready to be used in conjunction with SEO campaigns.
2. Submitting a website is time consuming, it seems to take forever and therefore is expensive!
While you can manually submit *ALL* the pages on your website, chances are that by submitting the main pages once, to the correct search engines, the other pages will be picked up quickly. This saves time and therefore money, here at GeekyCreative we know just which directories and search engines to target.
3. SEO is risky, one false move and you could end up blacklisted forever.
GeekyCreative only practice the so called 'white hat' techniques of SEO. We never advocate trying to trick a search engine. A properly structured and honest campaign carries no risk whatsoever.
4. Keyword and META is all I need to achieve good rankings.
While this used to be the case - things have moved on. The content and structure of your website is now far more important then keywords and meta description tags. Here at GeekyCreative we invest time and effort at the start of a project to ensure that we get the basics of SEO there in your website.
5. SEO is quick and your site will rise rapidly.
SEO takes time and patience. But, if done properly the rewards are well worth the wait. A successfull SEO strategy will see a substantial return on investment. To make sure your SEO is performing as expected we work with our clients to develop a monthly review process to monitor performance.
If you have a website and you need our help with your SEO campaign then please contact info@geekycreative.com for more information and free advice.
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