A web design is made up of various components, all working together to accomplish a goal – whether it be building a community or selling a product. These parts must compliment each other in a way that creates a good experience for the user. Miss the mark on one element and potential subscribers or sales could be lost, but execute correctly on all parts and chances are you will have created an effective web design. Here’s an infographic that helps break it down for you.

Most Important Website Usability Issues

By Jennifer Kyrnin, About.com Guide

1. CONTENT:  When you open your page in a browser, what do you see? If you’ve created a usable website, you should see 80-90% what your customer is looking for. However, with most websites (yes, this site is no exception), usually what your customer is looking for only constitutes between 50-60% or less of the main portion of the page. The rest is ads, confusing navigation, and extraneous graphics.
More: Content is King

2. PAGE LAYOUT:  Closely related to content is how that content is displayed on the page. While studies have shown that people are willing to scroll to read through web pages, if they don’t find relevant content quickly, they are more likely to leave. Keep your pages clean and simple. Remove elements and see if your page needs them, if the page functions without them – take them out.
More: Web Grids – Columnar Layout in Web Grids

3. COLORS:  Colors can affect the usability of your website. Web browsers have standard colors that are used for links (blue for links, violet for visited links, and red for active links). When you use other colors, you run the risk of confusing your customers. Also, colors of other elements of your page can affect your readers. For example, color blind customers might not recognize color coded images.
More: Color on Web Pages

4. DOWNLOAD SPEED:  Access to the Internet may be getting faster, but that doesn’t mean that Web pages should get bigger. In fact, Web usability studies continue to show that the speed a page downloads is very important. After 10 seconds, your customer has lost interest in your page, no matter how interested they were in the topic. You can’t control all aspects of the download – so it’s important to do what you can.
More: Speeding Up Your Web Page

NEED HELP WITH YOUR WEBSITE?

For most small business owners, marketing is an overwhelming concept. They need marketing solutions that ensure a smooth-running, profitable business yet most don’t know where to begin or how to focus their efforts.

90% of small businesses don’t even have a marketing plan. It’s difficult to reach your destination if you don’t know where you’re going!

If you’re a small business owner looking for ease, focus and marketing success, we recommend that you focus on just 4 tactics:

1. Establish a memorable and unmistakeable brand identity:
   The secret to business success is determined by your ability to powerfully communicate your business with laser precision and your ability to deliver a clearly-defined and consistent experience. In a nutshell… it’s called branding, and, when done right, it ensures a thriving business with all the customers and profits you need. The secret is to establish a powerful brand identity that sings distinction. And establish that identity before you launch any marketing activities. To help you get started, hire a professional to design a creative visual brand identity for your business.
2. Create a deep connection with your core target audience – your potential raving fans!
   Who wants and needs what you have to offer? The only wrong answer is “everyone.” If you’re a pediatrician, you may see infants and children. Are they your target audience? No! They are your patients, but it’s the parents you need to connect with to get the kids in your door. And it’s not just any parents – it’s a definite group of parents. In marketing, you get a lot more “bang for your buck” if you focus your spending on a well-defined group of people that you enjoy working with. The better you define this group, the more effective your marketing can be.
3. Design compelling offerings that pull customers in like a magnet.
   80% of all purchase decisions are based on emotion. It’s your job as a marketer to know how your customers want to feel and to get them to visualize how your services can meet their needs. People want to know, “What’s in it for me?” Tap into the emotion and create offerings that touch your customers. Working with a professional designer will really help to create the targeted marketing pieces you need to reach your audience effectively.
4. Craft A Personal, Workable Marketing Plan
   Marketing is everything you do to make your product or service more visible, more desirable and more profitable. Your marketing plan will clearly define the big picture and provide focus and direction based on the 4 ‘P’s of Marketing – product, price, place/distribution and promotion.
   Since 90% of small business owners do not have a plan, you’ll have a leg up on your competition by crafting your personal, workable marketing plan to ensure that you reach your business goals.

Following these 4 criteria will transform any small business into a money-making machine guaranteed to grow your client list, sales and profits. The upfront work is the secret to a million-dollar business, literally and figuratively.

Need help with your marketing efforts?

Call Creative Instinct at 501-244-0573 for a free consultation on marketing strategy, graphic design, branding and website design. Or, send an email to Gwen Canfield: gwen@creative-instinct.net. To see samples of our work, visit www.creativeinstinct.biz. We are a small business, just like you. We
know the challenges you face. Let us create the communications you need to succeed without breaking your budget.

arrx.org website designed by Creative Instinct

Google Loves SEO!

When you enter your business name or services on Google, does your website appear WAY down on the 5th page? Or not at all? Then this article is for you! You need some good ol’ SEO. “What the heck is SEO?” It means Search Engine Optimization. A broad definition is that search engine optimization is the art and science of making web pages attractive to the search engines.

The goal of search engine optimization is to get a web page high search engine ranking. The better a web page’s search engine optimization, the higher a ranking it will achieve in search result listings. This is especially critical because most people who use search engines only look at the first page or two of the search results, so for a page to get high traffic from a search engine, it has to be listed in those first two pages.

The Basics

So search engine optimization focuses on techniques such as making sure that each page of your website has appropriate title tags and meta tags, and that the keyword or keyword phrases for the page are distributed throughout the content in a way that the particular search engine will like. Search engines find and catalog web pages through spidering software. Unfortunately, not all search engine spidering software works the same way, so what gives a page a high ranking on one search engine may not give it a high ranking on another.

Choose A Good Developer

When you choose a designer to create a business website, you should ask him or her about search engine optimization, as search engine optimization should be built into your pages. While it’s never too late to optimize or tweak pages that have already been published, it’s a lot easier and more sensible to include search engine optimization when the page is first written.

From the start of a project, we at Creative Instinct build SEO into every website we develop for our clients. This is the best way to ensure that your site gets a great start with SEO. Additionally, we show you more free ways to increase the SEO of your new site. All of these services are included in our development process… no extra SEO fees. We make it a practice to keep track of all the changes in search engine operations so we can optimize each site accordingly. We also keep up with changes in the different search engine submission policies.

Need help with your website?

In today’s business climate, websites have to be more than pretty or functional, they must be BOTH. Your website needs to offer cutting edge design, layout, content, graphics and search engine optimization (SEO). When combined, all of these attributes contribute to the success of your website. This is why we offer the best in design, layout, content, and graphics, as well as optimizing your site for strong search engine rankings during the development process, not after your site is deployed.

Let Creative Instinct help ensure you’re getting the most out of your website. Call us at 501-244-0573, or send an email to Gwen Canfield at gwen@creative-instinct.net. To see websites we’ve designed for other small businesses – view our portfolio at www.creativeinstinct.biz.
(Website pictured at top of article: Arkansas Pharmacists Association in Little Rock, AR (www.arrx.com) designed Creative Instinct.)

In the old days, they called it press clippings, because you got out a pair of scissors, grabbed stacks of newspapers and got busy clipping. Then you pasted the stories onto 8.5 x 11 sheets and ran them through this thing they called a photocopier.

Today, most look up their clips online and forward stories via links on an email. But who has time to scour the series of tubes all day, wondering if newspapers, blogs, TV stations or radio shows said your name or ran a story about you?

Do-it-yourself Tips

Set up Google news alerts. Not just one alert. Do a bunch of them.

Put in your name, your organization’s name, the name of any products or services, everything that might generate a hit in the press. Example: if you’re an author, put in your name and the names of all your books. If you’re a musician, set up alerts for your name and the titles of your albums.

Google will search the series of tubes for you, scouring newspapers, TV stations, blogs, everything. You can get a daily summary of all the hits — or get them in your email as they’re published.

You’ll also want to set up a search in Twitter for your name and certain Twitter hashtags.

There are other options out there. Some people swear by Lexis-Nexus searches, use research librarians or other media databases. There are also apps that will check multiple social media sites for you — not just Twitter but Facebook and others.

The one warning: make it once a day. Don’t set up your alerts to show up in the inbox as they happen, because the temptation is too strong to stop what you’re doing and see what the press and public is saying. Once a day is smart.

Need some PR assistance?

Need some assistance with PR?  Creative Instinct partners with some fantastic PR professionals in the Southeast. Contact us to arrange a free consultation. Call 501-244-0573, or email gwen@creative-instinct.net.

Below are six ways to enhance your practice’s visual brand:

1.  New Logo

Your professionally designed logo should be one that others remember, one that stands out above your competitors. A customized logo makes your practice look established, professional and helps elevate your visibility in the community.

2.  Practice Brochure(s)

Your professionally designed tri-fold or bi-fold brochure describes your services and tells your story in a polished and professional manner. It may include physician bios & photos, and may be left with referring physicians and/or patients.

3.  Website

No organization, including health care practices, should be without a website. In the 21st century, it is considered unprofessional to be without one! Your professionally designed website should be eye-appealing and brand consistent. Also, it must be functional, provide tools for your clients, and be Search Engine Optimized (SEO) for higher search rankings.

4.  Stationery & Folder

This professionally designed kit makes a great New Patient Packet or Marketing Packet to leave with referring physicians. Add your practice brochure as a finishing touch. Of course, it should be designed to match all your website and other print materials.

5.  Appointment Card

A nice, 2-sided appointment card is another great opportunity to further promote your brand. The card may have your logo and contact info on the front, and appointment info on the back. It should be professionally designed to match your other materials.

6.  Patient Referral Form Notepad

A great tool to leave with referring physicians! It should be designed to match all your website and other print materials.

Notice something?

All of the promotional tools above have the SAME look and feel (i.e. color scheme, fonts, photography, etc.)  You wouldn’t leave the house with a mismatched pair of shoes… at least, not intentionally. So why would you represent your business with mismatched promotional materials? A consistent look throughout your marketing efforts is key to creating a polished and professional visual brand.

Need assistance with your health care brand?

Perception is reality, and image is everything. The tools mentioned above are just a sampling of what Creative Instinct can provide to enhance your practice’s visual brand identity. Email Gwen Canfield at gwen@creative-instinct.net, or call 501-244-0573 to schedule a free consultation. To see how we’ve helped other organizations with their marketing efforts, visit our website at www.creativeinstinct.biz.

Fortunately for us, we can provide you with the answer without hurting your feelings. Simply review the questionnaire below and find out if your website stinks!

1. DESIGN: Is your company’s website design professional, and does it match your printed marketing materials?
   Be sure that your organization’s website “look and feel” matches your print materials, like your business card, brochure, ads, etc. If not, your marketing will look disjointed, unprofessional and may confuse your audience.  In addition, your website’s design should be custom, unique and original… something that stands out from your competitors. If you used a GoDaddy or WordPress template to build your company’s website, chances are there are a hundred other companies with the same boring look and feel. Invest just a bit more in a truly custom design. It will not only be original, but it will be exactly what you want. 

    

2. CONTENT: Is your company’s website quick and easy to read?
   Customers should immediately find what they’re looking for. Don’t be too wordy with too much text and content. Get to the point. If you must include lengthy verbiage on your site, be sure to insert plenty of paragraph breaks and bold sub-headings that make quick scanning easier. Or, use bullets or outlines to make your points.  They are easier to read and follow.
3. NAVIGATION: Does your website inspire action, and is it organized and easy to navigate?
   What do you want people to DO when they get to your website? Your site should have several “Call to Actions” or quick links to other parts of the site, like “Contact Us,” “Sale Items,” or “Order Here.” Call to Actions are a great way to draw attention to important information.
   Additionally, if your website has 20 menu buttons, you may be driving your audience away. A well organized website should be concise and quick to navigate. Your main menu should contain only a few top-level links like “Home,” “About Us,” “Services” (or Products), “Contact.” Secondary pages can be linked from drop-down menus or your call-to-actions. 

    

4. CAPTURE INFORMATION: Does your website have a form that captures your visitors’ contact information?
   Providing an easy way for visitors to contact you is essential for any website. Take this a step further by including a form they must complete and submit to request more information about your products and services. Those inquiries are LEADS that required no effort on your part to obtain. Your website did the work, and provided you with all the information you need to follow up! 

    

5. DRIVE TRAFFIC: Does your website get a lot of visitors?
   Once your website is live, consider how you will drive customers to it. After all, what good is a website with no visitors! Ways to drive traffic are search engines and online advertising. You might also consider blogging or writing a monthly e-newsletter that links to your website. Don’t forget to include your website address on all your print materials, especially your business card. (You’d be amazed and how many cards we see that do NOT have the website address listed!)
   

If your site stinks, we can help! 

Here's a site that smells like roses! Click to view website we designed for RebeccaRice & Associates in Little Rock, AR.

If you answered “no” to any of the questions above, there’s a good chance your website stinks. But don’t worry, we can help! Let Creative Instinct help ensure you’re getting the most out of your website. Call us at 501-244-0573, or send an email to Gwen Canfield at gwen@creative-instinct.net. To see websites we’ve designed for other small businesses – visit our website at www.creativeinstinct.biz. 

Entrepreneurs pay a lot of attention to the mechanics of marketing. They take workshops, read books, and hire consultants to find out how to do the best job they possibly can. With my own clients, I often discover that their knowledge of marketing techniques is quite good already. What they might lack is the right kind of marketing attitude.

Are you sabotaging your own marketing efforts?

Do any of the attitudes described below sound familiar? If so, you may be sabotaging your own marketing efforts.
Read on for some possible solutions…

1. “I shouldn’t have to market.” If you are good enough at what you do, you tell yourself, clients should just come to you. Marketing is for products, not professionals. You have years of training and experience in your specialty, why should you have to spend your precious time on marketing?This perception is extremely common among consultants and professionals, although many won’t admit it. The fact is that successful marketing is a necessary part of business ownership. If you could get all the paying work you wanted without having to market, why wouldn’t everyone be self-employed?If you perceive marketing as a dirty business, try thinking of it as the diapers you need to change in order to have the joys of being a parent. But instead of focusing on what you dislike, tie your marketing chores to your vision of a successful business.Visualize checks arriving in the mail when it’s time to make a cold call, or picture a signed contract when preparing for a presentation. Post visual reminders (e.g. photos or clippings) at your desk of the reasons you became self-employed in the first place. Parents don’t remember all the diapers when they’re looking at the baby photos.
2. “I don’t have time for marketing.” There are only two situations where this can really be true: you’re too busy doing the client work you already have, or you have other important responsibilities (e.g. an outside job or young children) taking up your time.It’s easy to believe that doing client work already contracted for is more important than marketing, especially when deadlines are tight. But if you always follow this policy, you will be locked into a feast or famine cycle, with no new clients waiting for you when the work is finished.Whether your responsibilities preventing you from marketing are within the business or outside it, you need to allocate a minimum amount of time each week, no matter what. Even two hours per week can make a significant difference, if you consistently use that time for marketing.Imagine that you have overslept, and are late for an appointment. You might skip breakfast, but would you leave the house without brushing your teeth? Of course not. If you are going to be successful in business, that’s how automatic marketing needs to become for you.
3. “My marketing isn’t working.” It’s true that there may be something wrong with your marketing. Perhaps your message is unclear or the tactics you’re using are inappropriate for the audience. I find, though, that for the majority of business owners who say this, the real problem is not that their marketing isn’t working but that they aren’t working their marketing.Let’s say your business needs two new clients a month, on average. If, in your experience, you must make a detailed presentation, proposal, or initial consultation to three potential clients for one to say yes, you will need to make six of these presentations per month.Now how many prospects do you need to have contact with for one to be interested in a presentation? Ten, maybe? That means you need to make contact with 60 prospects each month to land your two new clients. If you do this math for yourself, you may quickly find that the only thing wrong with your marketing is that there hasn’t been enough of it.

Need help with your marketing efforts?

Call Creative Instinct at 501-244-0573 for a free consultation on graphic design, branding, marketing strategy and website design. Or, send an email to Gwen Canfield: gwen@creative-instinct.net. To see samples of our work, visit www.creativeinstinct.biz.

A great name is the beginning of a great brand. It should be memorable and create a certain feeling when heard. Here’s a quick how-to on creating one and making sure it’s not already used.

Here’s How:

1. Brainstorm. Think about how you want people to feel when they hear the name. Write down the words on paper and then categorize them by primary meaning.
2. Relate. Think about related words and phrases that evoke the feelings you want. Hit the thesaurus and find all the synonyms for your words and phrases.
3. Relate more. Find out the Greek and Latin translations of your words. Figure out what colors, gemstones, plants, animals, etc., relate to your words.
4. Experiment. Start playing with combinations of your various words and partial words. Don’t be judgmental now – just make a list.
5. Reflect. Review your list and just give some thought to each name. How does it make you feel when you hear it?
6. Communicate. Go over the list with someone you trust. Have them tell you how each name makes them feel, and how memorable they think it is.
7. Prioritize. Throw out any that just don’t fit and make a prioritized list of the rest.
8. Check trademarks. Make sure no one is using that name in your line of business. You may be able to use the name in a completely different business, but be aware that it may create confusion for both you and them.
9. Check domain names. You want to make sure that an appropriate domain name is available. You want YourCompanyName.com, of course. If that’s not available, you may want to reconsider.
10. Search the internet. Even if someone doesn’t have the domain, you still want to see what else is out there that has the same name. That doesn’t mean you don’t use it if you find something, but you need to know.
11. Check company names. If you’re planning to incorporate, check with the Secretary of State (or other appropriate office outside the U.S.) of the state you’re planning to incorporate in.
12. Check assumed names. For sole proprietors, check for local assumed names (also known as DBA). In the U.S., you check this with the County Clerk.
13. Stake your claim! Register your assumed name or file your incorporation papers right away. Also, start using either TM (trademark) or SM (service mark). You do NOT have to register them to use them.
14. Get the domain(s). Find an inexpensive registrar and register your domain and any obvious variations on it. You shouldn’t be paying more than $10 a year for each, and at that, it pays to prevent poachers.
15. Protect your brand. A U.S. trademark or service mark costs $325. It’s a drop in the bucket compared to trying to defend it later. It’s not really necessary, though, for a small local business.

Tips:

1. Avoid generic names based on names, such as Joe’s Bar, Sam’s Hardware, etc. They’re not memorable and are nearly impossible to trademark.
2. Avoid generic names that literally describe the product or service, like Computer Consulting Company, Appliance Sales and Service, Inc., etc.
3. Generally, avoid geographical names. Besides not generally being very memorable, what happens if you decide to move or expand? The exception is if you’re trying to create a strong local affinity like, say, a neighborhood bar.
4. Preferably, don’t restrict future product or service lines. Be broad enough to include your wildest long-term vision for the business.
5. Try to keep the name short and easy to pronounce.

What You Need:

• A thesaurus or website such as Thesaurus.com
• A writing pad and pen
• Friends for feedback

Call Creative Instinct – we’ll help build your brand.

When you create a powerful business brand, you’ll attract the clients, projects, and referrals that you want. Deliver your branding message consistently, and your reward will be consistent profit growth.

Call Creative Instinct now at 501-244-0573 for a free quote on branding for your business, including: logos, brochures, website design and more. Or, send an email to Gwen Canfield: gwen@creative-instinct.net. To see samples of our work, visit www.creativeinstinct.biz.

If your homepage is all about you, with cliched copy and a list of your services, then you’re losing business. Here’s how to make your site appealing to your ideal prospects…

If you and your business are to be taken seriously, whether you’re a newbie or veteran in your industry, you must have a website. And not just any website, because first impressions count – especially online. In fact, studies show that in some cases you have no more than 4.4 seconds to make that first impression. So if  your website doesn’t grab your prospects at first glance, they’ll click right on by.

But most homepages don’t even indicate an awareness of the prospects who are visiting, much less address their specific needs. Instead, they sport a big logo, group photo, a long boring list of services, and eye-glazing positioning statements, such as:
“Our company is dedicated to providing excellent products and services at unbeatable prices. What makes us different from our competition is our customer service….”

Would that make you click through or click away?

What Are Clients Looking For?

Your prospective clients are busy people who are likely to click away unless you give what they’re looking for — and quickly.

Jill D. Giustino, of The American Federation of Musicians’ and Employers’ Pension Welfare Fund in Canada, is typical of businesspeople who are seeking various consultant services. Here’s what she’s looking for while she’s on the web scouting for potential professional partners: “ease of navigation, and a visually appealing, non-cluttered website.”

Visual appeal, of course, is a subjective judgement that’s beyond your control. But keep in mind that your web design speaks volumes about your company’s professionalism. An outdated or user-unfriendly website can hurt more than you know, so hire a web designer to develop your site.

Your prospects land on your homepage thinking, “Is this the one? Should I stay or should I go?” Your job is to give them reasons to stay. If they have to hunt for your products or services or can’t figure out quickly from your homepage what you do and for whom, you’ve probably lost them. Many of your prospects have very little time. They need to discern your skillset in a matter of one or two minutes before moving on to the next.

Clients want assurances that you’re a good match for their needs. Do you know their industry? Do you understand their particular challenges? Have you worked with another company of their size, whether larger or small? And is that obvious from your website? “Since I’m a small company,” says Robin Asis, of consulting firm CTPA OneSource Benefits Group Inc., “I want to see that they’re interested in business from smaller companies.”

Recognize that potential clients may trip over technology. Consider also that Flash isn’t enabled on most mobile devices, and then decide whether it’s worth using. “I notice that some companies are using Flash, but this tends to slow down the website and immediately turns me off,” Aziz says.

As you’re developing or revamping your site, consider showing it to a small group of trusted clients and colleagues. User feedback can help you shape your web presence into an effective marketing tool.

What Is Marketing-Smart?

At its most basic, a marketing-smart website is one that shows your prospects from the moment they arrive at your homepage that you’re the one they need, that you’re the answer to their prayers. What are the essential characteristics of a successful site?

1.  IT FOCUSES ON VISITORS.
Your website should be less about you and more about them, especially on the homepage. You can do this with short and sweet headlines that are client-centered, focusing on how you can bring the results they want. Appeal to their needs with the text, and appeal to their emotions with the photos and imagery.

2.  IT SUPPORTS YOUR POSITIONING.
You can’t be everything to everyone. Your prospects must be able to see right away when they land on your site that you understand them and have experience in their market. Make it crystal clear.

3.  IT SHOWCASES YOUR OFFERINGS – THE RIGHT WAY.
A marketing-smart website lets visitors find your company’s offerings quickly and easily. Your prospects come to your site primarily to gauge your skills, so don’t get in their way. Be judicious when choosing the offerings you’ll feature. Your website should show aspirational work instead of historical work – in other words, highlight the work you want more of, rather than show everything you’ve ever offered. Next, make it easy for visitors to see what’s most relevant to them. Create categories to organize information so that potential clients can easily find it. Finally, show the results and return on investment generated by your offerings. One of the best ways to demonstrate your expertise is to showcase client testimonials on your site. Another way is by presenting case studies that describe the effects of your products or services. That’s what clients care about most.

4.  IT SHOWS THE HUMAN BEINGS LURKING BEHIND THE SITE.
The web is so anonymous that sometimes the only way to stand out is by featuring the people (and even the canines) who work with you. Help your prospective clients get comfortable with the idea of working with you by introducing them to your team (and if your “team” is just you, that’s OK). If the rest of your website is all about your business expertise, then the meet-the-staff section is all about your personality.

5.  IT HAS A CONTACT FORM.
This is in addition to – but not instead of – your contact information, which should also be prominent on your site. Provide a simple fill-in-the-blanks page so you can capture contact info and stay in touch with those who visit. Otherwise, you’ll never know who’s been there.

So if it’s time to revamp your website (or to finish it once and for all), be sure to include these tactics to make your website more “marketing-smart.” Then ask your clients what they thinking. It’s their opinion that matters most, after all.

Need help with your website?

Let Creative Instinct help ensure you’re getting the most out of your website. Call us at 501-244-0573, or send an email to Gwen Canfield. To see websites we’ve designed for other small businesses – visit our portfolio at www.creativeinstinct.biz. (Website pictured at top of article – www.4squaregifts.com, designed by Creative Instinct.)

Article by Laura Lake, About.com Guide
Integrated marketing is the holistic approach to communication in marketing. It’s making sure that you are being consistent in your marketing both online and offline. Consistency is key in making sure that consumers understand your marketing message which leads to a great result and return on your investment. The integrated marketing helps by optimizing the spend whether online or offline and putting the right number of dollars towards the most effective approach.