july 2010
	getting the most out of your website The importance of your website in today’s marketing environment cannot be overstated. With few exceptions, customers are going to find your business by searching for products or services on the internet. And, they are going to make purchasing decisions based on the websites they find. It’s no secret that many of the websites people find will be bad. Broken links, unreadable type, twirling graphics, unstoppable music and misspelled words abound. Since everyone knows that their customer’s first (and maybe only) impression of their business is their website, why are there so many bad ones? The answer is simple: amateur website designers. There is a mistaken belief that because someone is a computer programmer or technician, they can create a website. The fallacy in that thinking is the fact that a website is a marketing tool, not a computer application. Just because someone knows how to write lines of computer code doesn’t mean they know how to develop compelling content or graphics for a website. In fact, computer programming and website creation require skill sets that are almost entirely opposite. There is another mistaken belief that because someone is a computer “whiz” or took a web design class at school, they can create a website. Every company has a computer “whiz,” whether it’s the “new person in IT” or the “president’s kid home on vacation.” It may be tempting to have these people create your website because they’re “cheap,” but don’t do it. Computer programmers and computer “whizzes” are not website designers, they’re amateurs. We are frequently asked if we can “fix” websites created by amateurs, and the answer is no. A website built with poor content, ugly graphics and bad coding has nothing to salvage. Your website should enhance the image of your company, have compelling content, properly designed navigation, and be keyword optimized for search engines. As the most important tool in your marketing arsenal, your website is the springboard for all of your other marketing initiatives. A bad website sends a message to your customers that you don’t care enough about your business to invest real effort in having a professional website. Even if your budget is limited, have your website designed by marketing professionals, not amateurs. You will have a useful marketing tool, and save a lot of time, money and aggravation in the long run. click here for the top 10 website mistakes
	Client: Household Ideas Design: Leibold		targeting through trends When designing for a specific audience, in-depth research needs to be done in order to reach your target market effectively. One of the services we provide is integrated marketing, which includes competitive research, brand evaluation, market segmentation and trend research. Focus groups have also become widely utilized when launching new products or ideas. We recently designed a logo and are currently in the process of creating a website for Household Ideas, a trendy new company specializing in customizable, made-in-the-USA home decor. Their target market was very specific: 20-30 year old women who owned homes and were into decorating and do-it-yourself projects. Trend research was conducted to determine colors and design elements, the results of which were applied to the logo and website design. We studied color, pattern, decor and illustration trends, keeping the specific consumer in mind. After much research and brainstorming, we provided the client with several color options, which were presented to a focus group that helped determine the preferred (and most effective) color choice for this audience. continue article
			have a drink on me! Many thanks to those who joined us in our second 50th Anniversary Happy Hour in June. We wouldn’t be here without the support of our terrific clients and vendors. So, to you all, we drink a toast! Look for details on our next Happy Hour event that will take place in September.
	50 years of change and still going strong When we were founded as Duane Boyd Associates in 1960, advertising was going through a radical change, now known as the Creative Revolution. This marked the beginning of the idea of connecting a specific idea with a brand, a model followed to this day. Creativity was allowed to shine resulting in ads that were more attention getting such as Volkswagen’s “Think Small” ad, still considered one of the best ad campaigns ever conceived. The main sources of advertising included print, radio and television. The advent of widespread cable television in the late ’70s and early ’80s saw the creation of specialty channels where the entire entertainment content was advertising. Channels like MTV, QVC and Home Shopping Network provided non stop advertising with the viewer’s complete consent. Television shows and networks that were aimed at more narrow segments of the viewing audience also allowed companies to more precisely target their marketing segment. click here to continue