Are You Getting Enough Business from Your Website?
by Anna Slyter
Internet Marketing Strategist
A special four session course focusing on the basics of search engine optimization is starting soon! If you are a website owner or person responsible for web updates for your company, this simple and effective course is for you. Other professionals who will benefit include web copy writers, website owners considering or undergoing web re-design changes, and those who simply want to better understand how prospects search and find results on the Internet.
Attending this course will give you access to the same methods and tools that search experts use. You’ll learn about:
- Search Engine Friendly Design
- Keyword Research
- Local Search Engine Submission
- Meta Tag Creation
- Effective Copywriting
- Link Building
- Pay-Per-Click Options
Classes are offered to you by Ridgewater College and Vivid Image, Inc. on Tuesdays: Feb 5, 12, 19, 26 at 6:00pm-8:00pm at Ridgewater College in Hutchinson.
Limited number of spaces available, so sign up today to reserve your space. To register call 320-234-8500 or go to Ridgewater and search Hutchinson courses for Search Engine Optimization Training.
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Dang That Was Great! -
Referral Marketing
by Beth Gasser
Vice-President
No one has a problem coming out of a movie or a restaurant and gleefully exclaiming to others about the great quality of the product or experience. Each time we spoil the plot line of a movie to someone or contemplate the ingredients of an awesome new dish, we are embarking on a journey of helping others build their brand recognition and grow their client base. With focus turning to local economies and keeping money within our home tax bases, it is more important than ever to pass along good business experiences to each other. This is the process of building referrals, also called word-of-mouth marketing. Referrals can make a substantial and dramatic difference to a business, but unfortunately most people flounder at how to stimulate a proper referral system.
No doubt business owners will agree with “the power of referrals”. However, how many businesses do you know who supply their clients, friends, family, or employees with information on how to refer? I’ll admit that there are some very good incentives or tools out there whereby I can pass along a business card or leave a comment card in a box. Most often what is ignored in referral marketing is a thorough description of an ideal client. An ideal client is part of a businesses’ target market, and knowing “who to refer” is critical.
- For example, if I am thrilled with my groomer and refer her to everyone I know who owns a dog; I may feel I am really helping her out. If I own a small dog and assume she grooms large and small dogs alike, I am frustrating all my large dog owner friends and doing my groomer a disservice if she only grooms small dogs. If only she told me…..
Vivid Image’s target market is small to mid-sized businesses that have been in business about seven years. Vivid Image loves working with business owners from all industries, passionate about using technology mixed with marketing to grow their business. We shine when referred to businesses who value professional expertise that we provide in the areas of graphic and web design, custom programming and database design, IT specialty areas, and Internet marketing. Businesses typically have more than five but less than 100 employees and are located within driving distance. We value making a difference for business owners, taking small steps and experiencing the joy from the relationships formed over time with our clients.
Don’t be afraid to tell people who your target market is and how they can make referrals. There are four great books that are guaranteed to boost your referral system and spur more ideas: Duct Tape Marketing, by John Jantsch; Raving Fans, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles; Citizen Marketers and Creating Customer Evangelists, by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba. In exchange for one referral, you can borrow my book; email me at beth@vimm.com. For more information on how to refer a business to Vivid Image call us at (320) 587-8974.
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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. In this Hosting Mini-Series we covered the importance of Reputation last month, and now we’ll explore the key areas of Customer Support and Server Power. 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, how you choose a server is important. Failing to consider all of these issues when choosing where to host can result in problems for your website, and headaches for you.
#2 Customer Support - Hosting providers, like companies in any other industry, have differing quality of service. Many hosting companies only provide limited support. It could take longer for your site to go live, their customer support may not respond efficiently to your concerns, or there may be other quality issues. A common nightmare story is the customer service department that never answers the phone. When your site has a problem, the last thing you want is to sit on the phone, listening to 'on-hold music'.
That’s why we encourage most Vivid Image clients to host through us, rather than somewhere else. Sometimes this isn’t possible or it makes sense to host sites elsewhere. Regardless of whether websites are hosting through Vivid Image using our managed hosting solutions or elsewhere, we are always available to answer questions, assist with creative IT solutions, and to consult and coordinate more complex IT issues.
# 3 Server Power - Not all servers are created equal. Some hosting providers use old, slower servers, which will reduce the effectiveness of your website, if you host with them. Some servers may not even be powerful enough to handle the code processing needed for your website to function.
Some servers are indeed fast, but they run so many applications that their power spreads thin. Many shared servers attempt to support several programming languages. The more application types a server supports, the more server power is consumed running those applications.
You want a server dedicated to supporting your site's needs, not the needs of everyone else on the server. Our managed hosting services provide servers that are both powerful and dedicated. This enables our servers to handle the high-end website technology that is used in the sites we develop.
Coming next month, Server Crowding 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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Communicating on the Web: What is a blog?
by Theresa Reyes
IT Administrator
A blog is a personal diary. It’s a public commentary. It’s a place to organize your thoughts or a place to publish breaking news. A blog can be used for your personal shopping list or for a Presidential candidate’s literary thoughts. It is webpage where a single blogger (or sometimes multiple) posts his or her thoughts about a single (or lots) of topics. A blog can be a corporate tool to provide information to staff or customers on a more informal basis than a news release. The definition of a blog is hard to pin down because a blog can be so many things.
A blog includes four basic things:
- Posts in reverse chronological order.
- Unfiltered content. There’s no editor managing content.
- Comments. Most blogs permit comments to make posts interactive, allowing for a place for participation and communication. Not all blogs allow comments.
- Links to the outside world. Bloggers often link to other blogs, relevant sites, and interesting articles.
Blogs are the new personal webpage, but they’re also emerging as a business tool to communicate with and educate clients. Blogs can provide an informal look into company culture and make announcements that may not quite be news release-worthy. They’re a way to share the company’s knowledge and expertise.
Corporate blogs can be used for external communication, such as business development, media relations, and crisis communication. One reason to start a business blog could be branding, especially for service-oriented companies. How do you show your client the quality, reliability, and value in your service? Using a blog is one way to build awareness of your company and increase traffic to your website.
Blogs can also be used for internal communication, such as support, knowledge management, and project communication. It could be a way of keeping your staff informed about that big project you’re all working on.
A blog is a communication tool that anyone can use. Like radio, newspaper, and television, a blog is tool you can use to communicate, educate, and inform. It’s easy for any person to set up their own blog where they can post their personal thoughts. It’s also possible for businesses to set up a corporate blog which they can use to meet unmet communication needs. Maybe it will meet yours.
If you are considering adding a blog to stimulate your website business or need more information on how this works, call us at Vivid Image at (320) 587-8974 or email info@vimm.com
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Contributing Partner: Step Up Your Business
By Karen Grasmon
Southwest Initiative Foundation
Running a business is tough work, and nobody knows this better than business owners themselves. Owners have a variety of options when it comes to financial and technical support, but they may not always have a strong support network of people who truly understand the issues they face every day.
Organizations in Hutchinson, including the Southwest Initiative Foundation, Ridgewater College, Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce CVB, the Minnesota Workforce Center and the Minnesota Small Business Development Center, are teaming up to create a business support network, providing an atmosphere of trust and giving owners the opportunity to test ideas, ask questions and tackle tough day-to-day business issues.
This network, “Step Up Your Business,” meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Southwest Initiative Foundation in Hutchinson. Members must have a willingness to work toward improving their business and have been in business for a minimum of three years. A one-year membership commitment is also required. The network is professionally facilitated with group discussion, guest speakers and selected topics, provides expert resources and takes place in a workshop-oriented setting. Participants also engage in both individual and group goal setting, and form mentor partnerships.
“In the ten years that I have been working with small business owners, they have been saying they need a coordinated network to talk about the issues they face on a daily basis,” said Jackie Turner-Lovsness, program specialist for the Southwest Initiative Foundation. “Step Up Your Business is helping business owners work together to grow their businesses and succeed, which is great for the individuals, their businesses and our communities.”
The Hutchinson group is off to a strong start, and a network is being formed in Marshall. As it expands, “Step Up Your Business” will be available to any community in the 18-county southwest Minnesota region that would like to implement the program. For more information, or to become a member, contact Jackie Turner-Lovsness by e-mail at jackiet@swifoundation.org or by phone at 800-594-9480. Visit the Southwest Initiative Foundation’s Web site at www.swifoundation.org for more information about other business improvement opportunities.
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Community Connection: Hutchinson Leadership Institute
by Theresa Reyes
IT Administrator
I have the opportunity to participate in the 19th annual Hutchinson Leadership Institute. At this point I’m halfway through the program, and I’m really looking forward to the coming sessions. It’s been a wonderful journey of self discovery, leadership understanding, and building connections in the community.
The Hutchinson Leadership Institute is a 9 month program that strives to make its participants into leaders and build the local community. It was created by the Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce and designed with participation from graduates. The comprehensive program strives to inspire, build, and educate all 30 local participants. It promotes leadership, the local community, and volunteerism. The classes are held once a month from September through May.
To be a good leader, you have to understand yourself first. The program began with a DiSC personality profile, a fun afternoon with Sister Kay O’Neil and Sister Michelle Meyer, and a day at the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center. I learned more about myself in those two days than in any other two days before. At the Prairie Woods Center, I accomplished a physical challenge (climbing a rock wall) that I never thought I’d be able to accomplish. That memory still stays strongly with me, reminding me that if I really put my mind to it, I can accomplish a lot more than I might think.
A good leader also knows the community in which he or she serves. In the program, we learned about Hutchinson and its leaders through taking a historic tour, meeting with the city directors on the future of Hutchinson, and having a discussion on ethics with a panel of local leaders. Having moved to Hutchinson less than a year ago, I’ve gained invaluable insights into the community and made numerous connections with many inspiring individuals.
Good leadership requires many qualities and these qualities are learned over time. Being a leader is a process that never really ends. The Hutchinson Leadership Institute provided me with many thoughts, ideas, books, and people that inspire me to be a better leader. It has been an experience so far that will stay with me for a long time to come and I’m grateful to have had this opportunity.
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Client Spotlight:
Client: Glencoe Equipment now Midwest Machinery Company
 Long time Vivid Image client, Glencoe Equipment, has had some big changes this year. First, they built and relocated into a gorgeous new store. They also changed their name to Midwest Machinery Company.
The new store is located store at 4561 Hwy 212, just east of Glencoe. The grand opening celebration is on January 11th – 10am-7pm and January 12th – 10am-5pm. Stop out to see the new location and enter to win prizes! They also will have free malts and discounts on batteries, filters, and JD merchandise.
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In the News
Holiday Contest Winner - Vivid Image is pleased to announce that Muriel Senske of Haugen Furniture was drawn as the winner from our holiday quiz.
Construction Underway - When creativity and innovation are usually what’s flying around at Vivid Image, this past week has seen hammers and sheetrock flying around at the new (soon to be) offices of Vivid Image. With a goal to move into our new facility by mid-February, construction is moving very quickly at the former Kids, Inc. building on South Hwy 15 in Hutchinson. With the help of nineteen volunteers, demolition took only 5 days! We are excited to invite our clients and friends into our new facility when complete. Watch for updates on this exciting project!
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Check out some of the new web sites done by Vivid Image!
www.faithlc.com
www.northernbattery.com
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