Diesel

OK What is A Twitter?

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:00:00 GMT

If you own an online business but aren’t using Twitter for your promotions, then you are doing it wrong. Twitter, while it’s great for social networking and letting your friends know what kind of sandwich you had for lunch, is just like every other social networking utility; it is a marketing tool. Twitter keeps your website relevant and lets people know that it exists. So… you have three people following you? Ah, yes that is a problem. You may want to consider using TweetMeme. Don’t ask me how to pronounce it, I call it tweet me me and I think that’s incorrect.

Anywho, you want TweetMeme on your website because it puts a handy little button there that links up to the TweetMeme service as well as your own Twitter account. It will give your website exposure to tens of thousands of users and it will get your Twitter account some followers. None of this is guaranteed of course, but why would it be, it’s free?

I can tell you from personal experience that TweetMeme is a good thing for your website. The TweetMeme button is like a Facebook Share button, also something else you should have on your site. Check out the Facebook developer help on Facebook.com. Both of these buttons on your site can get you a lot of views and possibly a lot of likes and Tweets.

This is the fastest way to get word of mouth advertising for a website that doesn’t have a blog. Oh did I mention that? If you want to get a decent following for your website then add a blog. Make it something timely and relevant. You don’t even need to spend that much time on it per week. A post a week is fine. This is also a good way to get your website noticed.

Without a blog this is a little more difficult, but it is still possible. Here goes:

Make sure that your website has a promotions page. This is where you will advertise any great deals that you are running this month or the week whatever you fancy. Write about 250 words that explain what the sale is about. Add some fun pictures that are eye catching. Make the promotions page really pop and remember that people are going to come to it so don’t put any embarrassing family photos or non-professional material on it. Also make certain that you have clear links from the ON SALE links for your products to the actual products themselves.

If your page is now set up and you installed TweetMeme on the page then you should just be able to click TweetMeme and it will send it out to the Internetverse, a magical place of wonder and people that want to buy your products. If you really don’t want to go through the trouble of making a separate page for sales, then a good use for TweetMeme is to put it on your product pages. This way you can TweetMeme individual products that you want to sell and get a decent response. After putting the code in and setting it up with your Twitter account it really is a breeze to just click and advertise. Try it out http://tweetmeme.com/about/retweet_button.

Happy Anniversary To Us: Year One Is Done

Kelley Schaefer Levi — Tue, 31 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT

And what a year it’s been! We have had an incredibly full schedule of work and we’re not only grateful, but really proud of all we’ve accomplished. We set up shop at our new office in the Ford Building, and also managed to complete several projects and build strong relationships with a growing number of clients. We feel pretty darn lucky to be where we are today, and realize we’re just getting started.

In the last 12 months we’ve worked tirelessly to promote our brand and to help others do the same for their upstarts and already established businesses. If you look at our portfolio you’ll see what we mean. We’ve created strategies, told stories, designed and programmed websites, been to some rockin’ fashion shows, hosted a few parties, and eaten at some amazing restaurants while discussing all of the above with our clients and the Diesel team.

We learned a lot along the way, while getting our hands dirty and smiling with pride. And no, it hasn’t been without a couple of bumps in the road, but they’re our bumps and we’re proud of them. We’d actually be a little bit worried had everything gone too smoothly. Besides, now we’re a little bit older and a little bit wiser. And we couldn’t have done it without the help of our team of folks on hand for getting down to business, supportive community members, and fantastic clients, so thank you to all for everything you do.

What’s next for Diesel Web Productions? Much more of the same. The beginning of 2011 has had us off and running. The schedule is getting tighter and tighter and we’re already slated to complete a handful of projects over the next few months. We hope to bring our brand of branding to those who appreciate the personalized kind of experience we offer. We are transforming businesses and connecting people with the resources they need this year, just as we did last year and will continue to do for every year to come.

Don’t Goof Around with Links

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Have you ever been to a website and clicked on a link that implied that it was taking you to a site that had anything to do with the word or phrase that you clicked, yet took you to something completely different? That’s bad form, it’s kind of rude and a bit deceptive and if you have a website with links that don’t take you where your viewer thinks they are going to be taken then you should change those links now. In example, you go to a website about crafts, everything on the site is about crafts so, you click the link that says, ‘crochet’ but the clever webmaster thought it would be a good idea to make that ‘crochet’ take you to some ad for a car. This practice is annoying, rude and a sure-fire way to lose a customer or viewer forever.

When you have decided to use advertising on your site, most people understand that it is a way to supplement whatever income you are getting from your business. No harm in that, in fact a lot of people find it helpful, however, if you use deceptive practices to get people to click advertising, then there is harm in that.

Tricking someone into going to a site that has nothing to do with your website is appalling. Any hard work or money that you have put into your website is completely wasted as soon as someone clicks that deceptive link and is taken to some odd affiliate advertising that will surely get you some cash if they sign up, but you will have broken your customers trust.

You can be up front about your advertising efforts. People really do understand and it is better to be upfront than be caught in this type of deception. You may even earn more money for your truth in advertising.

Your links should always go to where the user thinks they are going to go. Even a slight mistake in link direction can be seen as highly negative. Just make sure that you check your links, follow them and make sure that your website is easily navigated. If you have any broken links then either fix them or remove them just for the sake of professionalism. Broken links can make a website seem shoddy and that kind of website is not going to be trusted with credit card information.

Broken links, faulty web design, programming errors, these are all very bad signs for a website. These kinds of problems, while they still happen now, were more predominant in the early days of the internet. Webmasters would even put links on a page that would let you send them a message if you found any problems with the website. That always seemed to be a bit lazy. A webmaster should know if the site works or not. Test out your links, test your website out in different browsers and be honest with your advertising efforts. This will boost your conversions and will get more word of mouth from a satisfied visitor.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent anyone other than myself. All material is copywritten and cannot be reprinted or copied without the owner's consent.

Stab at it? Your Web Design Fashion Show

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 03 May 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Your website is being judged. As soon as someone finds your website it is immediately analyzed, processed and determined worthy of staying or gone to another website in 1.3 seconds. Your customers are good at that; knowing what they want, what they like and they are particularly adept at knowing if a website has what they desire.

How do you keep this 1.3 second attention span for a few seconds more? Quality helps. If your website looks like your 3 year old did the graphic design, then you are probably out of luck. Web design, graphic design, it all follows the same rules as conventional advertising. Sex sells, streamlined, sleek, elegant, powerful, buy here, buy now, amazing, stunning, these are the words and ideas that keep the attention of a consumer.

Your website should go through some extensive consumer testing before you launch it. If you trust only your eye, even if you have the most artistic eye in the world, you may be surprised to get very little consumer action on your site. Test it out on a few people you don’t know. Find some random people (the internet is virtually made for that) and get their opinion. Ask them how you could do it better, expect some rudeness, expect some solid advice, but definitely don’t rely only on your friend’s opinion as they might not give you the most reliable and usable information regarding something you spent so much time creating.

Even better than creating the website yourself, hire a web designer. Let them worry about pleasing you; let them do all the hard work and you can sit back and judge their work. Outsourcing your web design is an important factor in remaining sane. Unless you have developed a website in the past 2 years, then there will be a lot of learning and relearning to do before you can really get the site off the ground. Web designers are practiced, up to date with current technology and have the tools at their disposal. Spend the money for quality work and work on what you need to do to improve your business.

Web designers are accustomed to using those 1.3 seconds to grab a visitor visually. They know the tricks, the techniques and are highly skilled at making the most of 1.3 seconds. Once viewers of your website are hooked by the elegant design, then it’s up to you to turn them into buyers. Quality content for your product descriptions - that can also be outsourced. Maybe even your web development team has a writer on staff that could spice up the flow of your product descriptions.

Just like with web design, if you are not a great writer, then don’t try writing all of your content for your site. Seek the help of a professional content developer, writer or product description specialist. Websites take a lot of cooks to make a delicious site, so don’t try to do it all on your own, seek out quality professionals and let them develop a site that will pay off for you in the long run.

What is Your Definition of Success?

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

If you are focused on your success then you are probably well on your way to achieving it. However, if you are having trouble in achieving your goals and meeting that marker of success then it might not be your fault entirely. You may need to re-evaluate what your success is and then redefine it. Sometimes, meeting smaller goals can launch us on to the larger goals that we have set for ourselves. When you set yourself up for a big fail on a big project, then you really can sink your spirits. If you fail at a little goal, then it doesn’t quite hurt as much.

Redefining your success is not a loss, it is a strategy to win. Once you determine that you might have a flaw in your plan to success, you immediately save a lot of time and energy that could have been wasted had you continued to go down the original goal path. Now that you are looking at your strategy again, you may have new insight from recent experiences that can make your new success more feasible.

There are plenty of people that keep their eye on the prize though. It could take them much longer than it had to because of the big P word. Pride, often keeps people focused on their original plan and non-accepting of outside influence through suggestions or help. Pride can really screw you up, screw up your business and just because you thought you knew everything. Once you have your new success, does that mean you will have to redefine it again later? Possibly, you may have to, but think of it more like tweaking the idea than scrapping the idea all together. There is a lot to be said for scrapping the really bad ideas, but the ones that make you excited to be alive, those should be tweaked regularly until completion.

There is also a lot to be said for vision, passion, determination and patience, but not everyone has those things and the work still needs to get done. Your vision can be on something right next to you, your passion can be the pay check if you want. Determination can be to squelch the competition and patience, well, most people don’t have the patience that having patience requires. As long as you have a feasible goal though, I’m not really sure how much the other things will do for you. The goal is the important thing here, because your goals make up your success.

If after tweaking your idea of success over and over and you still can’t reach it then maybe consider some outside help. Fresh ideas can make a really positive impact on goal setting and new ideas of success. Consider hiring someone or talk it over with a friend or family member. Anyone that can muster up enough positive advice can help you in achieving that success.

Disaster Happens Everyday – Is Your Software Backed Up?

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Every business, no matter how small should have a disaster recovery plan. Even if you are an online only business, you should make sure that your business continues to go on even if it is hit with a natural disaster or even file corruption. From a small disaster to a large one, you could lose your important client lists, data or even your entire website if you don’t have your files backed up somewhere away from your actual place of business. Just because you have your files on an internet server in New Jersey or Texas does not mean you are safe either. If that web host should crash or be hit with a disaster of their own, your files could be lost forever.

What am I suggesting exactly? Nuclear Shelters for your data? Not that extreme but almost close. What you should do is back up your important files monthly and your super important files daily. If you have an archive of data that doesn’t change then you can switch it one time or even annually, but the next step is the important one. Either put the stored data on a drive a CD or a DVD and put it away in a fireproof box. Put is somewhere safe, preferably away from your home and you should be just fine. If you want to go the extra step for increased safety and security, then a good ole bank security box should do the trick.

The key is saving your data. Don’t rely on other people to protect you from potential disasters that could wipe out your business, that is, unless those people are a data storage company that can help. Major corporations pay out a lot of money for this service every year, but a small business owner doesn’t have to. Even if you fill up 2 Terabytes worth of drive space, it is still cheaper to just get another drive and do it yourself.

Another good idea is to have one other person that you trust know your passwords. Sounds crazy, but if you run a small business and are incapacitated then you should have a right hand person that can step in and handle business while you are down. It could be a family member or a trusted friend. It would also be a good idea to keep a disaster recovery plan in your fireproof box and give an extra key to that person in case of emergencies. You have worked too hard to let something like bad weather destroy your entire company in the blink of an eye.

I have had to do a lot of data recovery for people in my lifetime. I have put hard drives in freezers just to get them moving again so I could recover a few scraps of files here and there. It isn’t a pretty site and it could have been prevented if they had just backed up their data and stored it safely for future use.

Are You Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker When it Comes to Competition

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

If you don’t already check your competitor’s pricing then you may be the Darth Vader of your niche market. You crush rebels with your mind, disassemble droids, rewire them to say vulgar things and then send them to young Jedi to dishearten them. Bad. In other words, you might be the evil empire of your niche service and not even know it. Your competitor’s could be using you as their comparison and if your prices are high or your services or products are substandard, then your competitor could be calling you out on it without you knowing.

Spend at least four hours a week researching what your competition is doing. Pick your own evil nemesis to battle against if you want. Competition is considered healthy when it comes to business and if you aren’t in the game then you are probably already losing sales. Spending this research time each week will give you a stronger grasp on your business and what your customers are looking for from you. It also lets you know that if they aren’t getting it from you then they are getting it from your competitor.

If the competition is doing it better than you, then creatively borrow their ideas. Ideas are mostly free and if you can put your spin on it then you own it. If you really want to have fun with it then get personal. Pick that evil nemesis and use them as the example of why your service or product is better. What does your competition lack that you have? Do you provide better customer service than the competition? Then you should directly state that on your website. Let people know why you are better than the rest. It is completely legitimate to practice the art of bragging about yourself, your differences that make you better and overall, just how awesome you are. If you have any accomplishments in business, then let the customer know that too.

It could be an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau or it could be a community award that your business has received, whatever it is, feel free to point it out. These are the things that turn customers from your competition and back over to you. So, take the opportunity to step away from the Dark Side and become a Jedi for your own business. If you are a Star Trek fan then I suppose that the comparison would be Federation vs. the Borg. Either way, check up on the “enemy” and make sure they are playing fair.

You don’t have to get down and dirty and start slinging mud, take the higher ground. State why you are great and people will get that the competition is lacking in that arena. The more positive things you can point out about yourself means the less negative things that could possible be said. Don’t be shy about talking about yourself or your company in the best light you can.

Analytics and Your Website Marketing

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

“Analytics is the application of computer technology and statistics to solve problems in business in industry,” according to Wikipedia. In other words, it is the science of analysis and when it is applied to statistics concerning your website, you may be very interested in finding out more about how it can help you develop your marketing strategy. Analytics are one of the best assets you have when you want to know what your customer wants and when they come to you to get it.

Analytics can help you in determining the right keywords you want to use to get customers to your site. So, what words are people searching that you can use as keywords to associate to your site? Another important question is which keywords are bringing traffic to your website and are turning into sales or not?

It’s great to get a lot of traffic from your keywords but it really shouldn’t stop there. You want the people coming to your website to buy something. If you are not getting a lot of sales as a result of your traffic then you should consider changing up some of your keywords. The keywords that you are using may be too general and you want something really specific to get the right kind of traffic to your website. For instance, if you run a web development service company in Portland, Oregon named Diesel Web Productions, then what would you think the keywords would be? If you thought Diesel Web would make a good keyword then you are incorrect. That keyword is probably shared by a lot of petroleum companies and definitely not a web development service as far as Google searches. Plus, the only way a customer would know to look for Diesel Web Productions is by already knowing the name of the company.

The best keywords in this would be more focused on the type of business, something a desperate Google searcher would type in during a panic to find great web dev solutions. Here are a few keywords that would bring traffic that is actually looking to buy:

Web Dev
Buy a Website
Web Development Company Portland
Portland Web Company
Portland Web Design
Web Design Company

These are keywords that make sense because if the person is looking for your service, then you want them to specifically find it when they search.

Analytics are also great to get a breakdown of your site page by page. You can see how many visitors came to a specific page in your web and how long they stayed there. You can tell if they bought something and you can see what keyword directed them to your website. With this information you can make a decision as to which keywords to continue to use and what kind of content your customers want to see.

There are several programs and services that offer Analytics. Most hosting sites have it built in to their dashboard controls so check around on your host site control panel and start using Analytics today.

The World is Going Paperless, Sorta

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 06:00:00 GMT

A lot of businesses are making a move to becoming entirely paperless. We’ve seen this change in the camera’s that we use, the old methods have become obsolete and we have moved to a more efficient way to produce images. However, in the paper business, there is a bit of lag in the transition to an entirely paperless world. There’s just a strong difference between holding a business card in your hand and handing it over to a prospective client or bumping two smart phones together and transferring your contact information.

It might just be me, but I hate to think of all of our books going over to the digital side. I like paper, I like fancy paper and I like a paperback book now and again. I do get a little melancholy thinking about one day having to explain to my grandchildren what a paper book was.

On a number of occasions, I have lost data on my phone and even though I had it backed up; I still was not able to retrieve some of the contacts that I had made. I never had that problem with a business card. On the other hand, if I stored as many paper letters as I do emails then my house would be filled. I hope that a few companies will hold onto their paper products and services for paper products for a little while longer. I may have an overdeveloped sense of nostalgia, but I am sure many others would agree with me. I am a big fan of recycled papers and not cutting down more trees.

I do have to say that I have almost completely stopped checking my snail mail box. Everything I need to know about comes to my email, but I do occasionally empty it out and I like getting postcards that give me discounts at stores that I frequent. Frankly, I like the postcards because every time I print out a coupon on my printer at home I feel as though I am losing money. The price of ink is getting to be a bit ridiculous.

If anyone feels the same as I do about this then there will be a definite need for paper marketing like postcards, flyers, brochures and business cards. Hopefully, not every company will go completely paperless. So I think that it is perfectly fine for a business to continue using paper marketing campaigns and promotional materials. Try to find a company, like Diesel Web Productions that partners with green printers who are FSC certified and sustainable using recycled paper and soy based inks. There can be a balance between continuing to reach your viewers with printed collateral and still remaining environmentally conscious. And remember to recycle your paper products whenever you can.

We Value Your Opinion

Diesel Web Productions — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 06:00:00 GMT

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently about the whole branding, advertising, marketing with a little added basic business scheme of things, and I seem to keep coming back to the conclusion that consumers are smarter now. We know this… We are all better interconnected and empowered. We have every bit of information at our disposal, and we are more apt to making choices based on all of this at our hands.

IBM states in their 2010 Executive Summary that, “with the development of new technologies for bidirectional communication, consumers can get more information about retailers and their products more easily than ever before. Armed with knowledge gleaned from a multitude of sources, they are spending their money on the goods and services they value most and stipulating how they will interact with retailers.”

With this in mind, I think about you, our viewers and I wonder how you feel about these and various topics. And I wonder who is listening to you… Are the corporations listening? Perhaps in their own market research or social media avenues, but who is listening to you rant at the kitchen table, the cafes or to you screaming at the television at how “dumb” or “great” a commercial is?

Well here at Diesel Web Productions, we want to listen. We are curious about what you think and want you want. How you feel about things that define a company and changes that you would like to see made. These questions are as basic as "how do you define things such as community?" to as big a dream as "what would your ideal workplace be like?" We really would like to know. And through your voices, we would hope to continue to define and recreate ourselves and the world around us.

I’m not saying that we can change the world, but maybe we can. Maybe we can form a community unto ourselves to speak our minds and have our voices heard. I know that we have a collected voice of intelligent, creative and savvy people here from the business owners and higher management, to people within the agencies themselves, to mothers who would like a better product and world for their children, to students with their eyes open wide to the future and to the dreamers of a better tomorrow.

Mahatma Gandhi says, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Perhaps this is our own way of working towards change. By starting with listening.

With all of this in mind, our first question is on Community. Diesel defines itself by community, the many circles of community that it is in and those it has helped to create. With the world seemingly getting smaller by the moment, the definition of community has evolved. We want to know how do you define community? And what does community mean to you? Why? Because WVYO… We Value Your Opinion. That’s why! Talk to us... We're listening.

Tell us what you think by commenting on our Facebook page or email us at info@dieselwebproductions.com. You might just end up featured in our next article! Stay tuned for more...

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are Diesel Web Productions opinions and do not represent anyone other than Diesel Web Productions. All material is copywritten and cannot be reprinted or copied without the owner's consent.

Custom Programming When You Find Your Site Lacking

Michael Whitlatch — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Have you ever wished that your website would shoot laser bolts across the screen, rotate and then ask a visitor to your site for their phone number and blood type? Things get a lot more interesting and more options become available when you consider custom programming. Custom programming gives you the ability, through a professional, to create new ways of handling data and displaying data. Hiring a programmer to create custom programming for your site can open up a lot of opportunities for your ideas to become realized.

Custom programming allows for out of the box thinking, literally. Websites across the internet can seem rather bland, all too familiar in their similarity and custom programming changes that. It allows for your site to stand out among the millions of others that are already out there. This will give your site an edge over the competition.

A lot of custom programming requests are for customized shopping carts. You can have a shopping cart built for your website that does everything you need it to. This is a big difference from what is available on the market in boxed shopping cart programs. While these all purpose programs do offer a lot of options, business owners will often find that they have to modify their needs to fit into the parameters of the programming. With custom programming, the business owner can free themselves from the restraints of those parameters.

Freedom is the absolute difference between boxed programs and custom programming. If your ideas are not fitting into already existing programming then you should hire a programmer. Better yet, if you are using a web development company for your website then discuss what is available to you regarding customized programming. A good web development company will have an in-house programmer that is capable of modifying code or creating code to suit your needs. The cost of such a service is surprisingly within most budgets.

With so many options that become available with custom programming, it is certainly something to consider when you want your website to be unique and perform as you want it not how you have to have it. Another area in which custom programming is become very popular is in the application development field. As a company, you could have your business identified with a useful application that is usable over the internet or through smart phones. This can also be an excellent way to generate extra revenue for the business. Consider having an useful application created that somehow ties into the services or products that you offer to your clients.

Complex Marketing Campaigns Including Events and Performances

Michael Whitlatch — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:56:39 GMT

There may be a time in which your business really needs to show off everything that it can do. An event or performance might be the thing to accomplish that need with style. You will need to find a full service marketing Production Company with experience in running successful events.

An event could simply be a get together of local customers, favorite customers or it could be as large as a full-scale fashion show or rock concert. The type of event will be dependent on your business needs and business identity and personal flair. An event can be anything you want from outlandish, experimental or strictly business. You will need to make sure that your production team has a clear understanding of what you want in order for your event to be a success.

Take your time to clearly express your ideas of what you need your event to be as well as what you want to accomplish with it. You will most likely have a meeting with your selected production team and go over in detail what your requirements are. Make certain that if you have any last minute ideas or changes that you notify your production team immediately. While some things might not be able to be implemented at the last minute; giving your team enough time with a last minute idea may prove to be possible.

Having an event run smoothly is the responsibility of your team. While you may feel a need to make sure everything is going right, your real job at an event is to sell your business. Feel free to mingle, if you have selected the right team then you will be able to breathe easy and maybe even enjoy the event. Not every event coordinator or production team is a caterer. They may have connections with a caterer, but if you don’t like the menu then you can look elsewhere. You are not completely pinned down to everything that your coordinator offers. Most coordinators and event planners understand that the customer comes first. If you have any reservations about any aspect of the event then make sure to discuss your concerns with your coordinator.

An event can be a great way to make excellent business contacts as well as a fantastic way to drum up business. New and old customers will find an event refreshing and exciting. It isn’t everyday that someone gets invited to an event, so it makes it a very special occasion. One concern that is common is whether or not to serve alcohol at the function. This really depends on the message of your company and the type of people that are your clientele. If yours is a business that would serve a lot of people that might be offended by the presence of alcohol then stick to the softer drinks.

Your event planner will be able to go over every aspect of your event with you. A good event planner is patient and helpful as well as innovative. Once you are happy with how the event is turning out, then allow your planner to go ahead and run the show. That is what they are good at and that is why you are paying them.

Art Installations for Marketing Campaigns

Michael Whitlatch — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Installations are large works of art that utilize a wide range of different mediums. They can be large sculptures like those found at Burning Man, or they can be large paintings, murals or even an entire room to walk through. An installation or installation art can be used as part of a marketing campaign in that they can create an unforgettable impression.

Installation art can be an interior or exterior project of any size that creates a high impact, visual message. The works are often commissioned by large companies that are interested in associating their brand with something that is unique and cutting edge. If you are considering ways to get your company recognized then a work of installation art might do the trick.

One of the most popular uses of installation art is to have a large and memorable structure created for a launch party. These works are created to entertain guests and to create buzz about the company when pictures or video of the installation are shared across the internet. The works can also be a way to impress clients and show them that your company can think on a larger scale with creativity and flair.

Some amazing art can be created for even the smallest budget. When combined with a full-scale marketing campaign, a work of installation art can bring some great attention to a cause or a company. Larger works are sometimes commissioned by charities that are interested in creating buzz about their cause. These are often commissioned to be created in a public area with a lot of foot traffic.

Installation art had it's early beginnings in the 60's, a revival in the 80's and is still being created today by a few elite artists. Companies that offer installations as part of their marketing services can create works for conventions, launch parties or any kind of event.

Artist Kim Wadelton, currently working on her Masters in Architecture at Georgia Tech, is at the forefront of the installation movement. Ms. Wadelton is working on innovative uses of components and materials to create large-scale interior and exterior environments that are compelling and thought provoking. Kim Wadelton, through her studies at Georgia Tech, is combining her keen artistic style with new technologies to expand and bring further recognition to the installation movement.

Depending on the complexity, size and budget of a project, an installation can take anywhere from a few days to a year to go from concept to realization. Even the small business owner can budget for a work of installation art if they plan ahead. Locating a professional company, like Diesel Web Productions, that has a resident artist that is experienced with installations is the best way to include this high impact marketing tool to your arsenal. A company that offers installation art in their marketing strategies shows that they are a company with vision, intelligence and creativity.

Communicating with Your Handy Dandy Web Designer

Michael Whitlatch — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Communication is very important when you need to explain the concepts that you want to express with your website. Not everyone is a technical wizard, knows all the hip-internet-jargon or even knows what is available in the world of web design. These might also serve as some of the reasons that you wanted to hire a web designer in the first place.

Well you don’t have to worry very much because a good web designer is also a good communicator. Your web designer can translate exactly what you want into the bright and shiny web version. This is much like commissioning a portrait painter, but you don’t have to stand around for hours as they paint your image on the canvas. When it comes to getting what you want from your website, you can probably express everything you want by just talking or emailing what you know about your business.

In the initial creative meeting you will explain to your web designer what you want from the website, what it should look like and how it should represent your business. You don’t have to know any technical terms; you just have to give a run down of what your business does. At this point, you could just turn over the creative design to the web designer. They are professional and their talent is in creating a functional website that displays your company image perfectly – so that’s easy.

However, if you are looking for something very specific then give the web designer as much detail as you can. If you have seen a menu, or a link that does something nifty when you hover over it, write down the address for the site so you can show your web designer. Knowing exactly what you want before the initial creative meeting will save time and revisions in the future.

After your web designer has started on the website and you go back to work you might suddenly remember some things that you wanted on the website. Your first instinct might be to call or email that one thing you forgot, but take a moment and collect any and all ideas that come to you. This way, you won’t have to send an email for each idea that you pops up.

Your web designer should be busy building the website, not reading a lot of emails. If you collect all of your ideas together in one correspondence, the web designer will be able to easily implement the new ideas into the design instead of having to search through a lot of different emails.

The web designer will do all of the hard work for you. Listen to what they have to say about the direction of the site. That’s why you hired them in the first place. Just remember that communication with your web designer is essential to the success of the website. The only way to get the website that you want is for your web designer to be told exactly what you want.

Using Google Adwords to Bring in Customers

Michael Whitlatch — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT

If you are not familiar with Google Adwords, it is basically a way to advertise your business on the internet. You make an account, create an ad and that ad is placed on sites that are relevant to your product or service. The relevancy can be determined by you in several different ways like keywords or regional placement or you can leave it up to the system to decide.

Google Adwords is a PPC, pay per click advertising structure. That means that you pay a varying amount for ad space on other people’s websites. When a customer clicks on that website, your account pays Google and they pay the owner of the website. It really is not complicated after using it for a few days. The nice thing is that you can find Google Adwords dollars for free to try out. The most I ever got was $100.00, but they have them for different amounts.

This gives you the opportunity to try out the advertising, see what it brings you and never have to pay for it while it is deducting from that credit. Once you get the basics down, the hard part is writing a catchy ad with the amount of space that you are given. The key to writing a good ad is being direct, offering the best of what you do and then making sure the link to your website is spelled correctly.

Let’s say that you have a cupcake business. When you are writing your ad you could simply say Cupcakes for Sale. That really could be all that it takes, I mean cupcakes are tasty and pretty much sell themselves. However, you do have some more text space available to make it a little more like, Sensuous Cupcakes for Sale. Perfect right? It would be perfect if you have a naughty cupcake business, but if you don’t then no, it doesn’t really describe your business. The words you use are very important in your ad. You have so little space to get a big message across and Sensuous Cupcakes for Sale wouldn’t fit anyway because it is 26 characters with spaces.

Ads can show, including spaces, 25 characters for the title, 70 characters for the ad text, and 35 characters for a display URL so that’s not a lot to work with. On Google, text ads are displayed on four lines: a title, two lines of ad text (each with 35 characters), and a URL line. However, the format may differ on Google partner sites.

So, instead of Sensuous, let’s try Tasty Cupcakes, Homemade Cupcakes, Delicious Cupcakes – any of these get the point across and they are eye-catching.

Beyond the title you should get in as many of the great things about your cupcakes as you can. Made with the Freshest Ingredients is 34 characters with spaces and great for the first line. The second line should include a call to action, Put One in Your Mouth Today, no let’s try, Grab a Tasty Treat Now. Once you learn the formatting the rest should be easy. Make a catchy title, include a positive feature of the product and then have a call to action.