Kelly Borth, GREENCREST Chief Creative Officer, shared with October’s Smart Business readers her insight on “How to Join the Mobile Revolution and Help Change Your World”.

“The mobile revolution is here and skyrocketing. It reminds me of social media in 2009 —it was no longer something to ponder, but rather to embrace.

One of the biggest adjustments businesses have had to make in the first decade of the millennium to remain relevant has been to adapt to the major shift in the way people communicate. Well, it’s time to crank it up another notch and join the mobile revolution.”

Click Here to read the rest of the article on Smart Business’ website.

Web-based and electronic media are gaining prominence among companies’ standard portfolio of marketing tools.

Here are a few guidelines and caveats to help you determine how to best put these high-tech tools to work for you.

Do take the time to identify what portion of your current customer base is technologically savvy enough to be receptive to interactive media. Do they spend more time at their desks than in the field? Is their preferred means of communication by e-mail? If the answers to these questions are affirmative, then you should strongly consider developing these tools.

Do consider the amount of time you are asking your customers to invest viewing your Web-based or electronic marketing piece. If you plan on using graphic-rich e-mails, for example, to promote specific projects and services, be sure that the brief copy you do include educates the customer on how to approach a specific issue, or gives an example of how they can better work with your company.

Do respect your customers’ right to privacy. Make sure to send information electronically only to those who have given permission. Always include both a reminder to forward the information to others and an opt-out e-mail address. And, if you are sending information electronically to a large group, do not reveal the e-mail addresses of others on your list.

Do use Web-based and electronic tools to showcase your talent. By featuring special projects, these marketing pieces can inspire your current customers to use your services in a way that they might not have considered before. In some cases, they might not have even known that you provide that specific service.

Don’t, as a general rule, rely on Web-based marketing pieces to initiate a relationship with a prospective customer. The first point of contact for most B2Bs should be through more professional or traditional introductions, such as direct mail, advertising, trade shows or networking. However, Web-based pieces can be effective selling tools if the prospective customer expresses an interest in learning more about your company’s products and services.

Don’t inundate customers with Web-based or electronic pieces. Determine the frequency of messages you would like to send, how it fits within your sales process and how you can measure the effectiveness of the pieces. Depending on your products and services, your target audience will have a threshold as to the amount of information they can or want to consume through the Web.

Don’t replace interactive media with standard marketing essentials such as newsletters, capabilities kits, business cards and postcards. It is still important for people to have something tangible that they can reference easily. The variety of communication with your customers and prospects is also something important to consider. Just as not everyone will have time to read a newsletter, not everyone is going to read every electronic message you send. But by doing both, your chances of getting your message across increase greatly.

Directing consumers to your Web site has become the definitive call to action. Not only can a company provide an overview of its capabilities with its Web site, it can feasibly complete a sales transaction.

Whether traditional media outlets are willing to admit it, the Internet is proving itself as a credible, measurable advertising medium that reaches targets and gets results.

According to TNS Marketing Intelligence, online advertising for the first half of 2005 is up 9.4 percent over the first half of last year. While most categories continue to grow, the Internet has become the fifth-leading vehicle in terms of overall spending—ahead of local radio and business-to-business magazines. With new measurement tools and more message options, businesses are finding it easier than ever to reach customers over the Web.
Web Site Tracking

Directing consumers to your Web site has become the definitive call to action. Not only can a company provide an overview of its capabilities with its Web site, it can feasibly complete a sales transaction. Today’s companies also benefit from a variety of Web-based programs to track and analyze site visits and create custom reports. The current focus is on measuring behavior instead of clicks. Companies can easily track which parts of their sites attract the most attention.
Direct E-mail Campaigns

Despite the many challenges presented by spammers, virus attacks and rigid company firewalls, direct e-mail campaigns continue to serve as a leading marketing technique.

Many businesses have discovered the secret to creating an effective e-mail campaign lies in communicating a relevant message with a known customer base. One of the most popular techniques is to provide a regular on-line newsletter that offers information the customer can use. The “e-zine” can be e-mailed to current or prospective customers; the companies can quickly and easily measure the customer’s interest.
Public Relations on the Web

Journalism is as active on the Web as in any other medium. In-depth features and by-lined articles are prominent components of online publications.

Many believe the future of Web journalism lies with weblogs or “blogs,” which serve as personal and professional journals on a variety of subjects. As they grow in popularity, many blogs have developed enormous readership and a large sphere of influence.

Technorati.com, a real-time search engine that tracks what is going on in the “blogosphere,” is currently following 16.5 million sites and 1.4 billion links. According to David Sifry, founder and C.E.O., over 80,000 blogs are created each day.

While use of blogs as a marketing tool is in its infancy, many marketers see value in their ability to offer informative product information—in effect, working as a component of online public relations.
Choose Wisely

Whichever forms of online communication you choose, be certain they make a good match for your company and your message. Keeping your message on target with relevant, useful information will benefit you and your customers and help you get the most out of the Web.

Remember, design is only half the presentation. To make the most out of your presence on the Web, follow these basic principles and consistently review and update your written content.

Your presence on the Internet is one of your best opportunities to establish credibility and trust with your customers, so it is important to take your online message seriously. Displaying a well written, accurate and reliable Web site can significantly impact how your customers and the rest of the world view your business.

Follow these tips to make sure your Web site offers a favorable impression of your business and the most value for visitors.

Keep it Brief

Of all places for the written word, brevity is important on the Web. The truth is, when visiting most Web sites, most people don’t read thoroughly. They scan. That means you have to make the most out of the limited time that you have their attention. When discussing a product or service line, ask yourself if a visitor will learn the pertinent details in less than 15 seconds. Using bullet points, headings and subheadings helps to summarize information.

Under Construction

In nearly all cases, it is best to avoid posting an “under construction” message on your site. On rare occasions, you may have no alternative than to ask visitors to bear with you for a short period of time or to check back soon. But be sure to do so briefly and professionally. Most importantly, make sure the information is updated as soon as possible. Don’t wait several months to make the addition.

Avoid Dead Ends

Dead links are the Web equivalent of a broken promise. While they result from many causes, the net result is consistent. Visitors become frustrated and quickly lose trust in the site. Test your site often for dead or missing links and avoid linking to unreliable outside sources that could change content without notice.

Empty pages should also be avoided. If you remove copy, be sure you plan to replace it. Often companies find one or more of their services are evolving or going through an unexpected change, and they choose to make edits to the Web page. Instead of deleting the page, leaving it blank or posting the “under construction” message, try to include the total amount of accurate information that you have about the service and include a call to action such as “contact us to learn more.”

Identify Yourself Consistently

Is your name and identity expressed throughout your site? Remember, visitors may connect to your site from many different angles aside from typing in your home page address and hitting “enter.” Search engines may send them to any one of your pages. When they get there, will they know who you are? Consistent logo use and brand positioning are imperative.

Stay Up To Date

Outdated references are a quick indication that a Web site has been left unattended. When was the last time you visited a site with “Copyright 2003″ displayed at the bottom of the page? It’s a common error made by even the most professional, well-maintained sites, but it can be avoided.

Remember, design is only half the presentation. To make the most out of your presence on the Web, follow these basic principles and consistently review and update your written content.

Your Web site needs to speak to potential clients as a representative of your company as well as serve the needs of current clients.

Having a technological edge on competitors is critical in today’s business world. A well-devised Web site may be the edge you need.

Creating an image

A Web site can create a desired image for a business, yet it needs to fit the company as well as its target market in order to be an effective tool. Make certain it is cohesive with the established brand. A well-devised Web site can make a small company appear larger or give a start-up company an ‘experienced’ feel. Web sites are often the first impression of a company. Make it a professional and powerful impression.

Credibility

An effective image combined with detailed explanations of a company’s services can solidify a potential customer’s opinion to buy a product, hire or have an initial meeting with the company. Use your site as a catalyst to boast about the company’s successes or highlight impressive projects to give an overview of your qualifications.

Readily Available

Statistics show that more consumers search online than use the traditional “yellow pages.” All of your company’s contact information, services and general information needs to be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If a current or potential client has a general question regarding the company or its services, the information should be available to them after the office is closed.

Points to Remember

When an effective Web site is implemented, it can be a superior marketing and advertising tool. To maximize its value, make sure that it receives all exposure possible by putting the site address on all company materials such as letterhead, brochures and business cards, and check often to make sure it has good search engine placement. Make your company easily accessible – only a click away.

Crash Course on Web sites

HTML

Each page is hardcoded and information is not updated by a database.

Pros: Information does not change, easily read by search engines and works on all browsers
Cons: Needs to be updated manually

Dynamic

Pulls information from a database.

Pros: Easier, newer content, good for continuously updated information
Cons: Requires more upfront programming and database support

Flash™

A program that allows Web sites to have extensive motion, graphics and sound.

Pros: Good for promotional and presentation uses
Cons: Not good to use for a full corporate site, not easily read by search engines, requires flash plug-in for user and can be overwhelming for user