Articles

Does your small business need its own app?

Details: Written by Daniel Buxton

Your current and future customers look at their phones an average of 17 times a day to check their social media accounts totalling an average of 90 minutes a day of time spent looking at their phone’s screen. The target audience for your small business wants information about your brand at any time, from any place. Has your brand adopted solutions that allow your target audience or customer base to reach your product or service from their mobile devices such as their smartphones or tablets?

When considering the adoption of a mobile solution for your small business, begin with a goal in mind. Don’t be lured into paying for the development and maintenance of a mobile application (app) that no one will download or use unless you have identified why your small business should have its own mobile application.

Breaking through the Clutter

Details: Written by Katie Peters

Getting your product’s advertising to break through the clutter can seem impossible in the 21st century. An advertisement’s main job is to inform or persuade a potential customer to buy your product while simultaneously standing out from the other thousands of messages they receive daily. In order to stand out from the message overload, an advertiser must produce content that resonates with the consumer. Content marketing distributes content that is relevant and interesting to the consumer, rather than just sales pitches.

Online Reviews

Details: Written by Katie Peters

Online reviews are becoming increasingly important to consumers when they are deciding to buy products or services. Consumers of all ages, specifically millennials, look to strangers’ reviews to decide where to eat, shop and more. According to BrightLocal, a provider of search services to local businesses, “97 percent of consumers aged 18-34 read online reviews to judge a local business.” That is an astounding number of potential customers. One bad review may lead a consumer to look elsewhere for their needs. On the contrary, an abundance of positive reviews may help to build rapport and create new business.

The Photography YOU Use Speaks for YOUR Business

Details: Written by Ali Powell

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” - Ansel Adams

The digital age has created a convenient method for consumers to easily explore businesses— the internet! Guess what? Consumers are actively taking advantage of this convenience. According to a recent (survey), 80 percent of potential clients visit a business’s website before they interact with them to gather information about them. In addition, the digital age has aided in the world becoming more visually centric than ever. (http://www.hingemarketing.com/blog/story/why-professional-photography-matters-on-your-website) Obviously, using high-quality photography is an important aspect of eCommerce businesses because consumers want to know exactly what they are buying. However, many people are not aware of how important and effective imagery is and can be for other types of businesses. An image is typically the consumer's first impression of a brand because it is the first piece of content he or she views. If the image does not compel the consumer, it may be the only piece of content he or she views. Therefore, the visual elements of a brand should communicate and reflect the qualities the brand wishes for a consumer to perceive. For example, if a business wants consumers to view them as professional, high-quality, and thriving, then the images the business uses should also be professional and high-quality, in turn portraying a thriving environment.