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Friday 12 December 2014

Is It Time To Call The Professionals?



So you have created a website for your business.  That is an important step to the success of your business in today’s every changing and competitive digital age.

So the question that now remains is what are you going to do with your website?

While having a web presence is an advantage (and lets be honest a requirement these days) you require more than a static website.   

Here are a few important details that you should keep in mind when developing your website and once it has gone “live”:

-          Is this is your company’s online launch, how are you designing the website?
-          What is the overall design theme of your website (colours, logos, and layout)?
-          Have you sourced the creative content for your website?
-          What is your update schedule (ie: How frequently are you planning on updating the website)?
-          Is it time to call the professionals?

The answer to all of the questions for a busy professional looking for a successful web presence is to “Call the Professionals.”  A website is an ever evolving project and it often requires updates, design and maintenance that would be advantageous reasons to have a professional web development team.







Wednesday 3 December 2014

Responsive Marketing



An important element in any successful image campaign for your business is an effective Responsive Marketing plan.

Responsive Marketing develops targeted campaigns to release in the regions and within the platforms that are most utilized by the audience for your respective product. 

This time of year is a massive marketing launch for businesses and a highly competitive time for businesses and their marketing campaigns.  From billboards and newspapers to the television and radio campaigns business have numerous varied campaigns for targeting different demographics to their business this holiday season.

Target has launched it’s Christmas television marketing campaign, with a colourful series of commercials airing throughout the day and featuring their latest toy collections to “target” it’s demographic of holiday shoppers and children’s wish lists.

The older skewed audience of commuters and office workers are targeted through their radios with commercials for diamond companies and jewelers looking for something for that special someone for the holidays.

Coca Cola launches large scale billboard campaigns to promote their products over the holiday season.  Coca Cola products are popular among the youth and older audiences during the holiday party season, and their billboard campaign allows them to target both audiences.

The trick to a successful Responsive Marketing campaign is to know your audience, and know what platforms will reach them and provide you with the most responsive audience.

Tuesday 18 November 2014

It Is Time to Get Online



It may be hard to believe but even in the digital world of today, there are still companies that do not have an online presence.

Every company should have a website, especially if you are a small business or a start-up.  If you are waiting until you have grown your business before launching an online presence, or if you think that your “type of business” does not require a website, you are only hampering the development and growth of your company.

From Real Estate to Pharmaceutical sales, customers are going online to find information on businesses and information on products and services.  Customers are no longer relying on their laptops or desktop computers to go online, with the advent of Smart Phones, Tablets and now even Smart Watches, we are an “act now” society.  This means customers can make decisions and get information whenever the need arises in a much more convenient manner.

If you are interested in a home for sale, Real Estate Agents now have QR Codes, and mobile sites linked to their signage, customers can go online outside and learn more about the house they saw in passing.  Tired of reading the small print on the side if your prescription bottle? You can scan the QR Code on the label and view the details of your prescription online.

So, if you have not created a website for your business, now is the time to get online.  Get a web presence established to ensure your business and/or your products are being made available to potential and current clients.  Every company has the potential to succeed and sometime something as simple as a lack or Brand Awareness is all it takes for a company to fall to the wayside.  Keep your company it the forefront and stay competitive.

When you are ready to launch your company online, contact the team at Netvatise, and we will help your design a professional website for your business.

Monday 10 November 2014

Connecting With Your Clients: Newsletters vs. E-Blasts



Are you connecting with your clients?  How are you staying connected? 

If your business is practicing the elements required for a successful business: Branding Awareness, Targeted Marketing Strategy, Social Media Push & Quality Rich Content, you should have established a thriving business with a valuable client base. 

However, once you have those clients it is important to keep in touch with them in an effort to ensure they become a repeat customer.  If you have clients in your database that either have not purchased another product, or updated a service you have provided, this is an ideal opportunity to target them to make another purchase.

Newsletters and E-Blasts are two excellent ways to target specific customers with new products or services that will entice them back to your business.  Your client database is the best tool you have at your disposal to determine who you are targeting with your email campaign. 

So what is difference between Newsletters vs. E-Blasts?

Newsletters are larger format emails, used when sending out information to a larger group, allowing you to go into greater detail.  For Example: If you have customers who have had a website designed some time ago and it may be time for a refresh/redesign.  The newsletter would be sent out to all of the clients in your database that would fit this criteria.  

E-Blasts are used as more of a note, so are smaller in scale.  For Example: You have a new product or service that you would like to promote or you are offering a coupon or service discount. The benefits of an E-Blast are that they are short and to the point, acting more as a quick reminder.

Whether you are using a Newsletter or an E-Blast to promote your business, there is no preference over either as to which one is more successful.  Both are effective ways for keeping touch with your clients through a targeted email campaign.  Some people even use both in their promotion.  As long as you know who you are targeting and you have the content to market, you will be able to launch a successful email campaign.

Monday 3 November 2014

The Art of Re-Branding

Knowing when to re-brand is the key to keeping yourself fresh in the competitive marketplace. The art of re-branding is to know when it is right time to introduce a new image to your clients/customers, along with a creative and competitive marketing strategy to promote your business new image.

A re-brand does not have to reinvent the wheel, just to refresh to image to in an effort to reintroduce yourself and give any current or potential clients the opportunity to view your business from a new perspective.

It is important to have all of your key marketing elements in place before launching your new branding campaign.  The key to a successful launch of a new branding strategy is launching it across all of your marketing simultaneously.  Once you have created your new “look” a cross platform launch should include: Website, Print Ads, Television/Radio, Billboards and Social Media Blitz to ensure customers/clients are aware of your companies “changing” image.  

When developing a re-branding strategy and campaign it is important to remain true to your company’s vision.  A complete overhaul that is a departure from your usual strategy may not turn out to be successful.  Many large companies have faced failed re-branding campaigns, like PepsiCo’s re-packaging of their Tropicana OJ in 2009. The change of design for the packaging prompted a backlash and after a month of complaints, PepsiCo announced that it would be returning to the previous carton design.

Your branding strategy is how clients and customers recognize your business.  Make sure you have an effective campaign that represents not only who your are, but who you are targeting and always try to keep yourself fresh and visible in the marketplace.

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Leveraging Your “Followers” and Customers



It is important to utilize all of the information you have at your disposal regarding your “followers” and customers to the maximum benefit of your business.   Your business needs to leverage its key resources, in order to ensure you are fully targeting any potential or current customers.

For starters your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, etc.) will give you valuable insight into the type of person that is interested in your business.  Allowing you to breakdown factors such as their interests, locations and which type of content is driving them to your website.

When current clients/customers are using your businesses services (or purchasing your products) it is important to ensure that you are keeping a detailed database of which services that these customers are utilizing.  Which type of services did this client use, or what type of product did this customer purchase?  Are there similar patterns or activity among certain products/services or regions? 

By breaking down the patterns and interests of your clients/customers, it allows your business to create buying patterns, and targeting marketing campaigns directing certain products or services to specific audiences, where you know it will have the best impact and the most successful results.

The most important tool businesses have to increase and promote their business is their own audience.  Every client or customer that your business adds is the key to bringing additional people to your business.  You just have to know how to harness this information to leverage your “followers” and customers.

Friday 10 October 2014

Multi Platform Media



People are accessing the internet via desktops, laptops, tablets, phones and now even through their television.  While at the same time people are moving away from their television to access their multimedia via internet using their computers, tablets and phones.  In fact this year the Neilson Rating System has to create the “Neilson Twitter Rankings” to appropriately asses the popularity of television programs when viewers are moving to new screens via the internet.

We are in an ever evolving digital environment, where you must stay ahead of the game in order to stay relevant and competitive.  With the popularity of mobile media, potential clients are becoming more visual consumers, so you have to make sure your business is keeping up with your multimedia presence on the web.

If you are planning on entering into a new multimedia promotion, a tool for promoting your business to a more visual audience would be through Instagram.  The Instagram App allows you to create a “gallery” of images to promote your business, along with promotion through short videos.  Operating through your mobile phone, this tool is a quick way for you to visually engage your customers/clients, while sharing your Instagram photos on Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter.

Several extremely successful businesses have found a platform through their Instagram Business Account, such as Starbucks, Marc Jacobs International and Mercedes-Benz USA.  In fact Mercedes-Benz USA used Instagram and Facebook to launch their new GLA compact SUV.

Take advantage of all of the multi platform opportunities that are at your disposal and ensure that you are always delivering more than expected.

Thursday 2 October 2014

Designing a Professional Web Presence



Your business must continuously stay connected with your client base in order to remain in the forefront in a competitive and rapidly expanding marketplace.  A powerful web presence is an integral part of any successful business marketing strategy.  Consumers are constantly connected to the internet through their phones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers and you need to ensure you are marketing your business where your current and potential clientele are looking. 

The first step to developing your web presence is through creating a professional website that will promote your business and keep your current and potential clientele informed.  Once you have that created it is important to develop cross promotional materials through social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, You Tube, Tumblr, etc), before you begin however, ensure you have established your businesses website.  Don’t put the cart before the horse with your web promotion.

When deciding on your websites design, in an effort to remain cohesive to your overall company marketing and branding strategy, your website should compliment, if not enhance your companies current image.

With various “free” web design websites offering a variety of pre-designed templates for the novice designer, as well as editable templates for the more experienced designer, it may seem easier to design your website yourself.  However, the difference between a website that you design yourself and one created by a web development company is the quantity of time that can be devoted to the design and maintenance as well as the marketing strategy.  In realistic time standards how much of your day or week can you devote to the design and maintenance of your website?  The benefit of using a professional designer is the ability to have a quality product produced and marketed to your consumers; along with support should you encounter any technical issues regarding your website.

Monday 15 September 2014

Get Started Blogging with Tumblr



Have you been thinking of starting a blog as a companion to your website?

Getting started with blogging is an excellent marketing tool.  A blog allows you to speak directly to potential clientele and keep them updated on everything that is happening with your business.  You can use it as a place for Q and A’s as well as a great tool for posting Press Releases to the public.  Blogs are very popular way to connect with the online community, and one of the most popular blogger platforms is Tumblr.

If you are getting started, Tumblr gives you the ability to effortlessly share anything.  Your posts can include text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos. Your content can even be posted from your browser, phone, desktop & email. 

Ideal for the novice blogger this user friendly platform makes posting content simple and efficient, even for the busy professional. For example:

-                      Download the Tumblr app to post directly from your phone with IPhone, Android or Windows.
-                       The Bookmarklet button allows you to share content you find on other sites.
-                      Post via Email by composing a message and sending it to your blog’s custom email address.
-                      You can phone in an Audio post at 1-866-584-6757 by leaving a message, you can create an audio post.

If you are a little hesitant about how to get started with using Tumblr for your business, here are three successful companies/corporations that are using Tumblr to promote their business with great success.

1.                  Coca Cola: http://coca-cola.tumblr.com/
2.                  Disney Pixar: http://disneypixar.tumblr.com/
3.                  NPR: http://npr.tumblr.com/

Monday 8 September 2014

Corporate Websites vs. Branch Websites



Once you have launched your company’s online presence with a corporate website, one of the questions you will inevitably come across is, “Do I also need to create branch websites?”

The answer is yes and no.  The requirement for branch or “affiliate” websites will vary depending on the size of your company, your type of business and the countries in which you serve.

If you have a company that operates in more than one country you will need to create a version of your website for each country.  This will allow you to address everything from pricing, product, and service differences in a website customized for each country where your business operates.  Even if you operate your business in only one country, it would be in your best interest to create a site in more than one language.  For example: The Tim Hortons website can be viewed in either English (CAN or US) or French (CAN).  This ensures you are not neglecting any potential clientele.

If you are a business that operates franchises, you should have, along with your company’s corporate website, websites for each of your franchise offices.  This more direct and selective approach to targeting will help potential clients find the information they need.

They key to any successful business is exposure.  Always remember to create a footprint online that will make your company easier to find and more likely to connect with potential clientele.

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Social Media Analytics



Learn more about your customers through your Social Media Analytics.  Your analytics tools provided by your various social media platforms can help your business continue to improve how they work, with meaningful insights about what is of interest to their customers.

The difference between social media analytics and your standard website analytics is the personalized insight into your visitors through social media.  Tracking your social media activity through analytics, provides valuable insight into the type of person that is interested in your product or service, this allows you to direct focused advertising to select groups and help you decide on new products or services base on the type of customers that are interested in your business.

If you are utilizing the following social media platforms to promote your business, here is a little insight into the analytics that are offered to users:


Pinterest Analytics: analytics.pinterest.com

View what people prefer most from your Pinterest profile and website, as well as how much traffic your site gets when you add the Pin It button. View your audience’s most common interests along with which other Pinterest Business pages they follow.

Twitter Analytics: analytics.twitter.com

Through Tweet Activity Dashboard you can click on an individual Tweet to see specific data for that Tweet.  For example you can find details on your Impressions, Link Clicks, Embedded Media Clicks, Detail Expands, Favourites, Replies and Retweets.

Facebook Page Insights: Insights (top of your page)

View metrics about your Facebook page such as: Total Pages Likes, New Page Likes, Post Reach, Total Reach and Engagement.

Google+ Insight: Insights (on your dashboard)

View Actions on Posts (Views, +1's, Comments & Shares), Views (Search Views, Post Views, Profile Views, & Photo Views) as well as the age, gender and country of your followers.

YouTube Analytics: www.youtube.com/analytics

This allows you to know who your viewers are and where they are finding your videos. You can find out what makes your viewers visit your page, how many videos were viewed, why viewers chose to subscribe, if your Annotations are effective, as well as how your audience is interacting with your videos.

Friday 15 August 2014

How Prevalent Is Your Website?


So you invested the time, money and energy into developing a cutting edge website to promote your business.  You made it informative, yet concise along with developing a visually stunning and user friendly design.  While your launch and foray into the online world of business solutions may have been successful, the question is, now that your website has been online for a time, “How prevalent is your website?”

No matter how exceptional your business’ website may be, with out maintaining some form of up-to-date changes to your website, the popularity will decline.  Marketing campaigns, SEO, and a social media cross platform push to your website is an excellent way to drive potential customers/clients to your website.  However if your website remains static, the ability to retain those visitors will decrease.

Just as a company will re-brand itself over the years, your website needs to stay prevalent in a highly competitive online industry.  A massive redesign is not necessary, however if you do re-brand your company, you should re-brand you website as well. 

A few simple steps to keeping your website up-to-date:

-          When customers/clients ask questions about your business, add the answers to your F.A.Q. page.  Other visitors may have the same questions.  
-          Adding a reviews page to your website, will allow visitors to see why past customers/clients chose your business.
-          Whenever you add a new product or are providing a new service, remember to update your website with this information.

While keeping your website up-to-date may seem like an obvious decision, many businesses website can fall through the cracks in this competitive virtual world.  So it is important to remember that you must keep your website updated to ensure your business’ website remains prevalent.

Thursday 7 August 2014

The Importance of Branding



What is your Brand Identity?

Whether you have created a product or you are offering a service, your ability to market to your customers relies on your company’s branding strategy.  Branding is a vital component to the success of your business, and the success of your branding strategy will be determined by quality of the branding you have created.

Many a successful company has become a household name based on the quality of the branding that they have created for the marketplace.  For example, how often do you refer to a box of tissues as Kleenex even when you do not have the Kleenex brand?  The brand name has become synonymous with “tissue”, which is an excellent example of quality Brand Identity.

When developing your company’s Brand Identity focus on creating a cohesive branding strategy that reflects your business model, product or service, as well as drawing attention to your target audience.  Your company’s branding should encompass everything from targeted marketing campaigns, to multimedia (radio/television/print) as well as through your online presence (website/social media/advertisements, etc.)

Creating a quality Brand Identity is not exclusive to new businesses.  Whether you are a startup or have an established business, the key to keeping yourself at the forefront in a competitive market is to know when to re-brand.  Re-Branding is and opportunity to “start fresh”.  When it comes to re-branding, remember it is not re-inventing the wheel, sometimes it is just giving customers a different perspective of who you are and what you are offering. 

If you are looking to develop your Brand Identity or are looking to Re-Brand yourself, Netvatise can assist you with your company’s branding.

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Are You Content Aware?



Is the content on your website driving customers to your company or driving them away?

While it is important to have a visually stunning and user friendly website to attract and entice customers to your business, the key to retaining your customer is the content you website provides.

There are a few key elements required to ensure you are creating quality content for your website.

Be Informative while remaining Concise.  Provide a background on your business, while informing visitors on the key elements that make your business standout against the competition.  Provide information on the products/services that your business offers.

Know Your Audience.  Keep in mind that all visitors to your website are potential customers.  Whether they choose to revisit you website or work with your business will be determined based on the value of the content provided on the website. 

Have an Open Dialogue.  Provide a way for visitors (and in turn potential customers) to contact your business.  Simply providing a client services email as an alternative to a phone number may seem like it common sense, but it is a key element that many businesses forget.  You can also try next level customer engagement with a “Live Chat” or engage your customers through Social Media.

Link your Website to your Social Media.  As discussed in our Does Your Business Have a Social Media Profile? Post on July 18th, your business should have a Social Media profile.  If you are currently using Twitter or Facebook for business you can utilize widgets that show live updates from your Social Media profiles on your website.

Know you “Buzz Words”.  While you are creating content for your website ensure you are creating keyword rich content.  While keeping in mind that originality is the key.  Duplicate content on your website will work against you when it comes to your SEO.

Friday 18 July 2014

Does Your Business Have A Social Media Profile?



People are using Social Media to connect with not only their friends and family, or to stay abreast of the latest news and trends, customers are following and researching companies and brands through Social Media.  So the question remains:

Does your Business Have a Social Media Profile?

If your business has a website (which it should) your company should have a Social Media presence.  This not only will put your business out in front of the millions of people currently using Social Media, but it an excellent tool in driving traffic back to your website.  Here are a few Social Media platforms to help you get started:

Google+:        Make a great first impression.  Creating a Google+ profile helps you control how you appear across Google.  With your Google+ profile you can map your company’s location, and post content (Photos, Videos, etc) relevant to your business.

Facebook:      Over a billion people use Facebook to connect.  Facebook offers users the option to create a Business Profile page.  Through your Facebook Business Profile your posts can include videos, photos, links and documents.  Whether you are launching a new product or service, or just building awareness, your profile will help your business stay top of mind with users.

Pinterest:       Like Facebook, Pinterest has created Pinterest for Business pages, allowing you to bring your business to millions of people who are discovering new ideas for what they would like to do, buy and plan.  The key to Pinterest is creating quality descriptions for your content that will interest/drive the visitor your product or service.

You Tube:      Creating a You Tube channel for your business allows you to post videos providing a more in depth look at your product or service.  Companies use You Tube to promote everything from product launches to business evolutions in their company.

Twitter:           Twitter is a quick and easy way to promote your business.  With its 140 character limit, it is prime for breaking ideas and updates.  An added benefit of Twitter is the cross promotion of your other Social Media profiles.  Content posted on Google+, Facebook, You Tube & Pinterest can be shared through Twitter, a great tool to drive people to your various profiles.

If you are going to take the time to branch out into Social Media, try to remember these final two tips.  Keep Active:  If you are going to have a profile, stay updated, do not leave it idle.  Verify Your Business:  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & You Tube allow users to “Verify” themselves, this shows visitors that you’re a trustworthy source.

Friday 11 July 2014

The Importance of Mobile Content

The importance of having a powerful online presence is even more prevalent in the success of any business.  We are living in a world of evolving technologies, with customers utilizing new mediums to find content and businesses than ever before.

To stay competitive in this ever evolving online community is it important to ensure your business is staying up-to-date with the changing technologies.

We are in a digital age where consumers now have instant access to information with the aid of their mobile devices, whether it is a smartphone or tablet, customers can source products and services on the go.  This is why it is important for your businesses online presence to stay current so you don’t miss opportunities to reach returning and potential customers.

The development of a mobile version of your website is a key tool in staying competitive.

The number of people using their mobile devices to access the internet is increasing:

- Approx. 70% of Canadians are using mobile devices. (Google Engage Conference - Sept. 2012)

- 93% of Canadians go online for product information. (Google Engage Conference - Sept. 2012)

- 91% of adults keep their smartphones within an arm’s reach. (Morgan Stanley) 

- 9 out of 10 mobile searches lead to activity, with more than half leading to sales. (SearchEngineLand) 

The there are various ways to create a mobile version of your website, and with Responsive Web Design, Netvatise can create a mobile version of your website.

Wednesday 9 July 2014

The Importance of SEO

There are over 45,000 searches on Google per second.  The question is however, when customers are performing a search are they finding your website first or your competitors.

Creating content rich and informative websites is a key tool for a successful business.  However, in an ever changing digital market you need to ensure your website is reaching your current and potential customers.  There are a myriad of tools to promote your online presence, so it is important to have a successful marketing strategy.

One such tool that is a vital component to online marketing is your SEO Strategy.

Here are “7 Small Business SEO Tips From the Experts” courtesy of The Huffington Post.

1.      Lay the Foundation with Quality Website Content

2.      Keyword Rich Content

3.      Give Away Valuable Information

4.      Quality Link Building

5.      Use Schema Markup for a Local SEO Advantage

6.      Follow Current Best Practice

7.      Don't Over Rely on SEO

Read the full article here: The Huffington Post

If you are looking for a quality website or would like to know how SEO can work for you, contact Netvatise for more information.