02Aug

How Does Your Website Traffic Measure Up?

Just like every market is different, every builder is different. This means how best to judge a successful campaign or online initiative will be different for every builder. Despite my best efforts to convince builders to compete against themselves when determining their success, most builders still ask, “So how am I doing compared to other [...]

16Sep

Sorting Out the Hype. Putting it into a Plan.

The huge number of online marketing options available creates a virtual cosmos of possible entry points. Builders are bombarded with messages about everything they have to start doing “right now!” Get a new website. Invest in search engine optimization. Spend money with Google AdWords. Do lots of follow-up with email marketing. Everyone’s on facebook. You [...]

09May

Testimonials are Dead

Testimonials rely on the concept of “social proof”; the idea that we look to others to help determine how we should behave. For this reason, testimonials are a powerful component of advertising. As with most things, overuse and abuse has diminished the effectiveness of the typical testimonial. Something more authentic is the only way to [...]

01Jan

2010 is Going to Make You Cry

If new media marketing was an onion, 2009 peeled away just the surface layer of potential. However, in 2010, we’re heading deep into that onion – get ready to cry… in a good way. Last year’s new media tools are maturing, and their business purpose is quickly coming into focus for more and more users. [...]

06Jul

Your Home Page is your Elevator Pitch

I expect you would agree that the sales process is different for customers already familiar with your brand, than it is for those who are not. If your website is performing like it should, it is exposing you to lots of visitors previously unfamiliar with your company. For this reason, most businesses need their website [...]

20Nov

Beware the Browser Wars

Your “browser” is the software program you use to view web sites. The vast majority of Internet users employ Microsoft’s Internet Explorer for this. However, new players have been shaking things up a bit, and here’s why business owners need to be aware. Some of you may remember the Internet “browser wars” of the late [...]