Make Believe, Inc. is a well-known costume store in Santa Monica, California where they have been since 1984. In addition to renting and selling costumes, they also have an extensive inventory of accessories like masks, hats, wigs, makeup, corsets, and weapons.
The Project:
We were initially approached by Make Believe to re-design their website but after meeting with Ruth, Marissa and Tani it became apparent that the most logical starting place would be with their logo. Despite their logo being over 25 years old, it still lacked the impact it needed to be effective. The concept of their logo was great, but there was nothing especially unique, striking or memorable about the actual design. The mask concept was perfect in that it symbolized the excitement of dressing up and we wanted to retain that idea while designing an image that would resonate with people more deeply. Our logo needed to feel “magical,” appeal to children and adults equally and better reflect the specialness of the company.
After some tweaks to the color scheme and text, we arrived at this design:
The ribbons were added to help tie the mask together with the text and add to the feeling of fantasy.
Now that the logo is finished we have begun designing the new website, pulling from the feeling of the logo.
In this series of articles we’ll be highlighting how different businesses integrate social media into their marketing plan and use it to keep their customer base informed and aware of sales, new products, events and more.
Today we’ll look at Pann’s Restaurant, a family diner that has been around since 1958 and in my opinion, serves the best chicken and waffles in Los Angeles. On every table at Pann’s, they now encourage patrons to follow them on Twitter and “fan” them on Facebook. (See the top of the menu.)
Then on their Facebook and Twitter pages they announce new additions to their menu and post a link to a coupon for a free cup of coffee that’s valid for one week and advertised to their Facebook fans.
Pann’s has done a good job of using their real-life location to advertise their presence online and then creating value for their online followers with a special promotion. Creating a mutually beneficial system where people benefit for receiving a business’ updates and sharing them with their networks is ideal.
One area Pann’s might consider expanding on is working Yelp into their online marketing plan. Yelp is a great source for new business. People that are looking for great food in the area and have yet to try Pann’s might do so after searching Yelp. Pann’s is fortunate in that they are currently very well reviewed on Yelp, receiving 4 out of 5 stars on almost 150 reviews. (I told you they had good chicken and waffles.) They can promote their outstanding rating on Yelp while using Facebook and Twitter to communicate and reward their customers.
If you are a business owner and are in the process of figuring out how to work social media into your marketing plan or are already doing so, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to send us an email or leave us a comment.
If you are a business owner your website is your storefront online. Your website is one of the most influential marketing materials you have and it is imperative you choose the right web design company to bring your business online. It is their responsibility to design a website that will speak to your target demographic and further your business, but it is your responsibility to choose a company that can do that. In this article and accompanying video we will give you 3 key qualities to look for in a web design company’s portfolio that will reveal their understanding (or lack thereof) of marketing and design.
Start by going to the website of a web design company you are considering. Once there, open up their porfolio and then a couple of the sites they have done. Regardless of the types of businesses they have done sites for, there should be some constants throughout. Keep the following criteria in mind when viewing each of the pieces in their portfolio:
#1 – What does each business do?
When glancing at the home page of each website you should be immediately able to tell what each business does. You should instantly know what product or service they sell and how to contact them. Any confusion or ambiguity is a sign that the site is not designed as optimally as it could be.
#2 – Who is the website designed for?
The design of each website should take a definite marketing angle. Rarely is a company meant to be everything to everyone and a site that is generic or bland ususually means that either the business owner is unable to identify their target demographic or the web designer did not create a site for them. Either scenario is a red flag. You want a strong site that is clearly designed for your target demographic. It should appeal to them immediately.
#3 – The design should be memorable
Again, regardless of whether you are in their target demographic or not, the designs you are looking at should be memorable. The look, feel and design of the site should stand out from those of their competitors. It should make an impression on you. Designs that are average can hope to receive up to an average response. There is so much competition online that you need a design that grabs people’s attention and creates an impression on them. Experts agree that it typically takes 7-8 times of exposure to a brand before consumers actually purchase anything and having an impactful design will go a long way in ensuring you have a place in their mind.
Lastly, call the companies you are considering and speak to them. Take notice of the direction the conversation heads when talking about your project. If they never bring up your business or how it operates, there is a good chance that that is not the viewpoint they are viewing your website from and you should be wary. You need more than a pretty design. You need a design that speaks to your audience. A web design company that understands your business and how to reach your demographic is key to competing online.
We hope that this information was useful. We thrive off your feedback and welcome it. Please feel free to send us any questions, experiences or comments you may have.
In order to increase the effectiveness of their search results, Google has started listing local businesses on Google Maps. This is the interactive map in the top left of the search results with little pin icons depicting the locations of businesses that relate to your search. If you don’t see the map, you can always refine your search by clicking on the “Maps” link in the upper left.
Google Maps is essentially Google’s answer to the Yellow Pages; and in my opinion it’s a pretty good answer. What better way to search for local businesses than through Google’s interactive Map feature? Just drag the map around, zoom in and out, and then scroll over the pin icons and up pops all the business information you need to make your decision. And you can even get driving directions!
Better still, adding your business to Google Maps is free through a new service called Google Places. Google Places allows you to list whatever information you most want customers to know, like your business address, phone number, hours of operation, accepted forms of payment and much, much more (see below). Google may already have some of this information that it collects from other sources, but Google Places allows you to take charge of this information from one centralized location.
Why should you list your business on Google Places?
Because it’s much easier to get your site ranking within Google Maps than it is within a whole world of websites! You’re only competing against the businesses in your area. (And sometimes the Google Maps results will appear at the top left of a general search anyway!)
Google Maps is the number 1 most downloaded app across all cell phone models, so for anyone searching from a mobile device, you’re that much more likely to pop up in their results.
As I hinted at above, Google Places allows you to include much more than just your business’ name, address and phone number. You can also upload photographs, videos, and even coupons that customers can print off the web and redeem in your store. These are great ways to make your business stand out. There’s even a new kind of advertising Google is experimenting with called Tags. For $25/month (in select cities) you can have a yellow tag icon appear next to the pin icon for your business to help you stand out and promote things like coupons, photos, etc.
Last (but certainly not least) Google Places lets you specify keywords and phrases that relate to the products and services your business offers. So you can choose what keywords you want your business to rank for! (Note: As with all things Google, expect Google to crosscheck your phrases against your website, so be honest and make sure you can back it up.)
In short, there’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t quit reading this article right now and go list your business on Google Places. It’s free, it’s easy, and in a matter of days your business will be appearing on any Google Maps search for your products or services in your area.
Just listen to Frank Angiuli in the video accompanying this blog. He has a natural fiber clothing company called Natural High Lifestyle, on Main Street in Santa Monica, and after doing a little research for himself, learned about Google Places and listed himself. Just days later he began ranking for several terms and categories relevant to his business (like “natural yoga clothing” and “natural fiber clothing” in “Santa Monica, CA”). Or talk to one of our clients, chiropractor Dr. Beverly Thompson, who began ranking for “chiropractor Altadena” in just 1 week thanks to Google Places.
This is a no-brainer everybody! Go get on it!
Like always, we thrive off your feedback. We’d love to hear any and all experiences you have had with listing your business in Google Places and welcome any questions and comments you may have.
Few things change faster than the Internet. Keeping an engaging, relevant presence in an environment where change is so rapid and consumers have access to so many other choices can be challenging. It is all too easy for your business’ website to become outdated and no longer effective. Worse yet, is the emergence of dozens of self-proclaimed gurus that are all too quick to guide you through the convoluted world of SEO, blogging and social media where everything seems so foreign and mysterious.
But we’re going to put an end to all that – one blog post/dark video at a time..
This 2 part video was taped during our recent presentation at the Digital Marketing Fair in Santa Monica, California where we spoke about how to create an effective website in 2010. We ask that you spend 20 minutes watching the video before you set off to become the next biggest blogger, hire a social media marketing department or even begin the design of your new website.
The concepts presented here stand the test of time and you might be surprised to realize that you already have a better understanding of the technology that employs them than you previously thought. Regardless of the technology that separates us, there are people on both ends that just happen to be using a website as an interface to buy and sell products and services. Creating an environment that feels familiar, safe, professional and popular should improve the effectiveness of your website tremendously.
In this video we discuss:
How to design your site, starting with the home page
How to refine your website’s navigation
The reasons visitors are coming to your website
How to engage the visitors that are on your site
How to create trust through your website’s design, functionality and social media
The importance of maintaining branding consistency
Incorporating testimonials throughout your website
Integrating social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to create familiarity and generate excitement
Like always, we thrive off of your feedback. Comments are welcome and appreciated. If you want us to take a look at your website and critique it, we would be happy to. Please email us with your URL and mention this article and we’ll get back to you with an analysis of your web site and some specific notes you can take to your web design firm and all of the gurus you’ve employed.
Thank you for your time! Look for another article posted shortly..
