Take the Vivid Image Holiday Quiz for a Chance to Win an iPod Nano
In celebration of this holiday season, we want to make a small difference in your day today. Whether we put a smile on your face, extend an opportunity to win an iPod Nano, or help you spontaneously recall childhood memories that make you chuckle, the team at Vivid Image invites you to http://www.vimm.com/happyholidays/. Because we value creativity and having fun, you will find a Vivid Image Holiday Quiz full of interesting trivia about our staff. Everyone who takes the quiz and enters a name/email will be entered in a drawing to win an iPod Nano. Check back in January to find out who won!
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A Brand New Website for Vivid Image!
by Beth Gasser
Vice-President
The New Vivid Image Website features stories from all kinds of businesses. Find out what they are doing with trends and technologies to help jump start ideas of your own! Feedback from clients was used to carefully construct content to help you understand our vast services, and which ones will help your business or organization grow the most. Get to know our staff with full, and sometimes humorous, bio’s from everyone on the team. Check back often for added demos our programming staff is working on to showcase amazing technologies that you will be able to test drive on our site! We intend for this website to facilitate communication that will help make a drastic difference in your business! Have questions about our site or ideas on what we can add to help you out? Contact us as frequently as you like. We love hearing from you. (320) 587-8974 or info@vimm.com
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A Day at Vivid Image
by Steven Palmer
Graphic Designer
It’s a brisk 23 degrees out, the geese are flying over head, the sound of rocks getting dumped in the river echoes about, and the office lights get flicked on switch by switch. The quiet hum of computers turning on and printers warming up gently fills the office. The stillness is broken by the chipper voice answering the phone with, “Hello, this is Vivid Image.”
A slightly panicked voice on the other end of the phone asks “Is there someone there who can help me? I can’t get my email, and I just spilled a glass of milk.” “I’m sorry about the milk, but you needn’t cry. Yes, there is someone here who can help you with your email issues” says the Vivid Image employee swiftly transferring the call.
Gradually the room is engulfed with the rhythm of mouse clicks, key strokes and the lively chatter of people on the phone. All of which are harmoniously working together to better serve you. As I take a trip to the water cooler to quench my thirst, I pan the room and see what is all being worked on.
On the screen of the first monitor I check is an ecommerce/online store. Next to that monitor there is another monitor (yes, that’s two monitors per computer) with lines of code rapidly filling the screen. There is a flurry of keys being hit, only stopping occasionally to pick up the phone to help walk someone through how to set up a new discount or coupon for their store. After watching the keys move at a dizzying speed, I move on.
The next desk I pass on my way to get my H20 I see shapes, words, and pictures being combined to create a visual symphonic masterpiece. I was witnessing a website interface being designed, each one uniquely made to fit a client’s needs. On the next desk is a stack of brochures, business cards, and letterhead that just came in from the printer. Staff is gathered around, trying to sneak a peak. Some lucky client is going to have some mighty sweet identity materials to really show off their business. I give the designer a thumbs-up, and continue on my quest for fluids.
With my hydration level satisfied, I stop by another desk to pick up a quote to make sure nothing was getting missed. The numbers all look good, and everything seems to be a head of schedule, so I sign off and check what else is slated for this person today. Someone is getting ready for a quarterly development plan to go over search engine optimization (we call it SEO) for a client’s site. Then, after that they are going to write content for a new site. Not wanting to hold them up I head back to my desk, check my email, sip my water, and see what adventures and projects will cross my desk today. I hope it’s one of yours.
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Mass Mailings: Keeping your Mailings out of Bulk/Spam Folders
by Theresa Reyes
IT Systems Administrator
Sending out mass mailings is part of many businesses, probably even yours. It’s an effective way of letting your customers know about new products and special deals. But, how do you make sure the email ends up in their Inbox and not in the Spam Folder where they may never see it?
What is a mass mailing?
A mass mailing is any email that gets sent out to multiple people.
What is the difference between mass mailings and spam?
Any email can be spam if one recipient complains about it. The more people that mark the email you send as spam, the more likely their email provider will start flagging the rest your emails as spam. You want to provide email of interest to your customers and not annoy them into reporting the email as spam.
The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 established the first national standards for sending unsolicited emails. The act requires several types of behavior:
- Bans false or misleading header information: the “From” address must accurately represent the sender
- Prohibits deceptive subject lines: the subject cannot mislead the recipient about the content of the message
- Requires an opt-out method: the sender has to provide a method for unsubscribing from the email notices and the unsubscribe request must be honored within 10 days
These standards set forth a basic set of guidelines to follow, but in order to not get blocked by spam filters, you’ll have to go further to ensure that your email doesn’t end up being marked spam.
Some recommendations for making your email as valid as possible:
- Utilize the double opt-in method: once someone has signed up for your mailings, send them a verification email either asking them to confirm or letting them know they’re signed up and how to opt-out
- Make it easy to opt-out from mailings. The easier it is for a user to opt-out, the less likely they’ll report the email as spam
- Honor opt-out requests quickly
- Remove dead email addresses. Many spam filters will flag your email as spam if too many dead (non-existent) email addresses are included in your mass mailing
- Only use email addresses that you’ve collected yourself
- Use a third-party vendor, such as Constant Contact, to both prevent your email from being marked as spam and provide for easy opt-in and opt-out for your mass mailings. If you frequently send out large mailings, third-party mailing vendors can save you a lot of time by not having to manually remove opt-out requests.
By taking a few small steps, you can increase the chance that your emails are reaching your intended audience and not being sent to spam folders. It will also prevent customers or potential customers from being annoyed at your emails (and thus your company). If you have any questions about email, Constant Contact, or spam call us at (320) 587-8974 today!
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Hosting: Why It's So Important to You
A Mini-Series to Help You Understand 4 Key Areas
by Nicholas Vacek, Programmer
Theresa Reyes,
IT Systems Administrator
One of the most important considerations with a website is determining where to host it. A common mistake is to price-shop, to just look for the cheapest hosting provider and sign a contract with them. However, there are many more concerns to balance than just price. From the power of the hosting server, including how the server is organized, to the quality of the provider's customer support, and even their standards of business ethics. Failing to consider all of these issues when choosing where to host can result in problems for your website, and headaches for you. In the end, a cheap hosting provider can cost more, in hidden costs, than indicated by their contract fees alone.
When it comes to your website, you want the highest quality you can find, in every way that can be measured. So, what should you consider when looking for a hosting provider? Here’s four key areas to consider:
- The server company’s reputation and experience.
- The quality of customer support.
- Speed and power of the hosting server.
- Shared server crowding. i.e., the number and type of other sites on the server.
#1: Reputation - When looking for a hosting provider, a well-known name is a good place to start. A provider with a reputation is likely to be more trustworthy than one you've never heard about. Additionally, larger providers tend to be stable as a business, and will have the longevity to continue supporting your site. Smaller hosting companies frequently go out of business. These are all things Vivid Image carefully screens and manages for you, so you don’t have to worry.
When you choose a cheaper hosting option, you run the risk that they may go out of business and leave your site unsupported. Worse, a disreputable provider might sell your contract to another hosting company, who then increases the price, which you are contractually obligated to pay. Finally, smaller hosting companies may lack the experience necessary to provide you the best support. Vivid Image’s managed hosting solutions make sure you get direct, personal customer service from our staff, and we demand quality customer service from the server company on your behalf.
For these reasons, a well-known, reputable, hosting company is recommended over smaller ones with little or no reputation. We, at Vivid Image, are proud of our experience working with reputable, well-established host servers who provide reliable, dedicated servers on which for us to manage our clients' sites. Vivid Images has been in business for over 12 years, and we know what it takes to create and manage successful websites and server provider relationships.
Coming next month, Customer Service is another key area to consider when choosing where to have a website hosted. For any questions about hosting or ideas on IT services you would like to see at Vivid Image, call (320)587-8974.
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Contributing Partner: “Just Imagine” What the Future Holds
By Karen Grasmon, Communications Specialist
Southwest Initiative Foundation
 What will the world, region and our communities look like in five, 25, or 50 years? Current trends and predictions may give us varying ideas of what the future holds, but all point to one major factor: change.
Change is constantly affecting us, and multiple global and regional changes especially have a major impact on our region. That’s why the Southwest Initiative Foundation produced a mini-documentary highlighting the opportunities southwest Minnesota has to prepare for a bright and prosperous future in an ever-changing world. The mini-documentary, “Just Imagine,” explores five areas that will be critical to the region’s future growth including The Changing Face of Rural, Protecting and Capitalizing on Our Resources and Assets, Educating Future Leaders, Emerging Technologies and Visionary Leadership and Planning.
The people, communities, businesses and organizations included in the mini-documentary show examples of progress and innovation in the region today, and inspire others to determine what role they can play as individuals as we move forward into the future.
“It is our hope that this video will spark dialogue and brainstorming about how we can help southwest Minnesota adapt and thrive in a changing world,” said Sarah Libbon, senior communications officer at the Southwest Initiative Foundation. “We hope this video engages, educates and inspires audiences across the region and beyond.”
“Just Imagine” may be viewed on the Southwest Initiative Foundation’s Web site at http://www.swifoundation.org/newsevents.html, or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0sjil3w-ic. It is divided into five chapters for easier Web viewing, so be sure to upload all five and watch them in order. To request a copy on DVD, contact Karen Grasmon by e-mail at kareng@swifoundation.org or by phone at
800-594-9480.
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Community Connection: Dancing through Life with “Twinkling Stars” and “Showstopping” Performances
By Sarah Popp
Internet Marketing Strategist
For those of you who know me well, you know that outside of work at Vivid Image, dancing is a passion of mine. Having danced since the age of four all the way through college, it was a bit of a culture shock to move back to Hutchinson and not be involved with dance in any way. Needless to say a danceless life style only lasted for a few months! Now I stay busy as a Dance Team Coach and more recently as a Dance Instructor for a local studio.
Hutchinson Showstoppers:
Four years ago I was granted the opportunity to help coach the local High School Dance Team, the Hutchinson Showstoppers. After my first year I was hooked and I have been doing it ever since. Working on a daily basis with teenage girls has been one of the most fun and yet most challenging experiences! I am sure any of you with teenagers can relate to that! Their constant energy definitely keeps me on my toes. Our current team of twenty-six works hard to compete in both High Kick and Jazz Funk competitions. Practices are long, challenging, and necessary for the 18 “showstopping” performances that are delivered at competitions and performances throughout the seven week season. Coaching is a huge time commitment, but worth every moment, and I am extremely fortunate that Vivid Image has allowed me to work this into my schedule. The Showstoppers kick off their performance season this Friday, December 7th at the halftime of the basketball game. They also are working hard to prepare for our Invitational to be held December 15th.
Hutchinson Showstoppers Dance Team Invite
When: Saturday, December 15th with the competition “kicking” off
at 12:00 pm
Where: Hutchinson High School
Hutchinson Dance Center:
Earlier this summer I was approached to teach dance at Hutchinson Dance Center, which is owned and operated by Michelle Barton for the 2007/2008 season. Excited to try something new I signed on to teach preschoolers. I know…by now you are thinking I am crazy…from high school girls to three and four year olds! Again…they keep me on my toes…which really is the whole goal in dance. Every Wednesday for an hour I teach Intro Dance & Kydnastics to 8 enthusiastic little girls. The class is designed to offer instruction in creative movement, ballet and tap, and introduces gymnastics as well. Currently my “Twinkling Little Stars” are working hard to prepare their ballet routine to “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” for our Winter Recital to be held December 8th.
Hutchinson Dance Center Winter Recital
When: Saturday, December 8th with the show starting at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Hutchinson High School
So if you have some free time and are looking for something to do, stop by and watch one of our performances! If you ever have any dance related questions, or are wondering how to get your children involved in dance feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call.
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Client Spotlight: Altimate Medical
Client: Altimate Medical
Website: www.easystand.com
Looking for Santa’s Little Helpers!
Altimate Medical would like to wish you happy holidays! They are donating up to $3,000.00 to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), but they need your help! For each unique click they will contribute $1.00 to the NSCIA. Help them reach their goal by visiting their website at www.easystand.com/holiday and click on the button to be Santa’s little helper. Once there you will also have an opportunity to view a video on “What Really Happens at the EasyStand factory during Christmas time.”
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In the News
Vivid Image Welcomes Greg Jodzio
 Vivid Image welcomes Greg Jodzio to the team! Greg is an Account Executive and has a background in sales, marketing and advertising. He has over 30 years experience with distribution, manufacturing, retail, healthcare and small business segments. Greg holds a degree from John Carroll University in Cleveland and an advanced degree from St. Thomas University in St. Paul. Greg, his wife Betty, a teacher, and niece Natalie Olmstead, actress, dancer and high school student, are happy to call south Main Street home.
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Check out some of the new web sites done by Vivid Image!
www.litchkidsfirst.com
www.crowrivercorvettes.com
www.skyline-eng.com
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