Frequently Asked Questions, Frequently Answered.
How can I assess my needs for professional marketing and design services?
Part of the answer is crystal clear - In today's world, any business that lacks a professional look and feel does not get due consideration from potential clients, and for that matter, lenders, vendors and virtually all other stakeholders.
If when you formed your business you took the "cheap template" way, or some other D. I. Y. approach (and you are not trained or have experience as a marketer or designer) then you may be sending an ineffective or even negative message throughout your marketing materials.
Often a business' best messages need to be uncovered and "massaged" into their appropriate and most effective form. This is not a job for your spare time. However, you will be needed for in-depth interviewing and probing for a marketing plan or identity project to be worthwhile. Again, you are the expert in your field.
It is recommended that you ask the opinion of current customers, vendors and even friends and family:
1. Does the look and feel of my business strike you as attractive and professional?
2. Does my company logo and/or colors make a meaningful connection with you?
3. Is the real answer to Can you believe I did it myself? "yes?"
Please remember that you need forthright and honest answers and opinions. The growth and future life of your business may be at stake, so demand the truth.
Do we really need a website if we don't sell online?
It is considered highly unwise by today's standards to have no online presence.
Obviously, a 'brick-and-mortar' business that wants to sell goods online or one that does its business exclusively by e-commerce must have a website. E-commerce websites are common even for small operations and the design and construction of their sites are crucial to their success.
But if you have no plans or desire to sell online, why would you need a website?
A non-commerce website can be viewed as a updatable catalog or point of contact for your client base. This can be incredibly effective not just for attracting new customers to your business, but also for keeping existing ones interested and connected to you.
You want your customers and prospects to form and maintain a positive opinion about your business. There is no better way to keep your name in front of them and by means of e-mail marketing to drive them to your site, you can be assured that the carefully crafted messages you want these people to receive and understand will find them.
Compared to print advertising, adding a website or improving your existing one is amazingly low in cost. But one thing is for sure - any business without a web presence is at some level not taken seriously.
We' operate by a strict budget. Can the upgrade plan we agree on be cost-controlled?
With budgets being squeezed beyond recognition lately, it's not uncommon for clients to request a "paced" program deployment. This is often based on a monthly allowance for incremental integration of improvements..
