InspireSmart Solutions- Colorado - Denver Web Design Company

 

- A content management system (CMS) is a system used to manage the content of a Web site. Typically, a CMS consists of two elements: the content management application (CMA) and the content delivery application (CDA). The CMA element allows the content manager or author, who may not know Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), to manage the creation, modification, and removal of content from a Web site without needing the expertise of a Webmaster. The CDA element uses and compiles that information to update the Web site. The features of a CMS system vary, but most include Web-based publishing, format management, revision control, and indexing, search, and retrieval.

The Web-based publishing feature allows individuals to use a template or a set of templates approved by the organization, as well as wizards and other tools to create or modify Web content. The format management feature allows documents including legacyelectronic documents and scanned paper documents to be formatted into HTML or Portable Document Format (PDF) for the Web site. The revision control feature allows content to be updated to a newer version or restored to a previous version. Revision control also tracks any changes made to files by individuals. An additional feature is indexing, search, and retrieval. A CMS system indexes all data within an organization. Individuals can then search for data using keywords, which the CMS system retrieves.

A CMS system may also provide tools for one-to-one marketing. One-to-one marketing is the ability of a Web site to tailor its content and advertising to a user's specific characteristics using information provided by the user or gathered by the site (for example, a particular user's page sequence pattern). For example, if you visit a search engine and search for "digital camera," the advertising banners will advertise businesses that sell digital cameras instead of businesses that sell garden products.

InspireSmart Solutions of Colorado has the ability to help create and maintain the content of your website and also develope great results by using SEO. They can put you on the map.

 

Lots of businesses have walked this path already. Here are 10 common mistakes (but not the only ones) many companies have made, but that you can avoid.

 

1.      No-name nobody's: Many small businesses choose to set up shop in the online world with a Web site name or URL on Geocities, Angelfire, Tripod or MSN, rather than having their own Web address. Which company would you feel more comfortable buying from — www.members.tripod.com/loudinismagicshop or www.loudini.com? (The latter is a real Web site, specializing in magic accessories.) I don't think I'm the only online shopper who feels reassured by "real" business Web addresses. I've recently bought several gifts from an online company with a "no name" URL, and I'm wondering if the products will really arrive. A strong, easily recognized Web address is affordable for even the smallest business.

 

The same is true for e-mail addresses. If you are running a small business, it's a great idea to set up an e-mail address that uses your business Web address. When you send messages to potential clients, to your bank or to suppliers, joesmith@coffeespark.com (not a real site) looks far more professional than joesmith@aol.com. Bypass deadly sin No. 1: Make your Web presence a professional one by finding a good Web address for your business and using it for both your Web site and business e-mail.

 

2.      Slow pages: Many small-business Web sites load far too slowly. We've checked out small-business Web sites that it took more than five minutes to load one web page. Most sites aren't that bad, but if your Web pages take more than 20 seconds to load over a 28.8K modem, you run the risk of losing visitors to your site. Photos and graphics with large file sizes are usually the problem when a page loads slowly. Use Photoshop or other programs to reduce the file size of individual graphics and photos on your Web site to no more than 10K.

3.      Pictures : You wouldn't send out a marketing brochure that's all words and no pictures. So why do so many companies create Web pages without graphics or photos of any sort? If a single picture paints a thousand words, use a judicious number of them on your Web site to communicate volumes. Photos of your store or office, your products, your employees — these images make your business feel "real" to online visitors. Images give you a tangible presence and let visitors get a sense of the kind of business you run in Menlo Park, Calif., uses high-quality photos of actual projects and of the business team to convey a clear image.  See the work we've done!
Mind you, using pictures doesn't contradict deadly sin No. 2. It's important to use photos on your site, but it's equally important that the file sizes are small enough to load quickly on your Web page. The other key is to use only high-quality photos, which often requires a professional photographer. Again, you wouldn't send out a marketing brochure filled with cheesy photos, would you? Because it's likely to be seen by many more people than most paper brochures, your Web site should be the best marketing brochure your business has ever created.

4.      The "if I build it, they will come" delusion: One of the most common mistakes small businesses make is to assume that if there's a business Web site, customers will suddenly start flocking to it. That's like believing a car doesn't need an engine to drive to the store. Don't wait to start marketing your firm online. As soon as you are happy with your Web site, get going with the basics of online marketing. We recommend at least four marketing efforts when you launch a Web site.

o        Be proactive in listing on search engines.

Over 80% of your visitors will come to your site via search engines. It is the single most important area to key into.

o        Start an affiliate program to encourage and reward other businesses for sending you online customers but don't take just anyone think reputation.

 

o        Start collecting visitors' e-mail addresses on Day One, so that you can get them back to your Web site by either offering a special or some information they would like.

But make sure you clearly state exactly how their e-mail information will be used. Respect your visitor's privacy and enforce your integrity.

Using these steps, you can set up an online marketing effort that will help ensure that customers come to visit the new Web site you just built.

 

5.      Phone less in cyberspace: Don't forget to put your phone number prominently on your Web site. Many small-business executives have said the way their Web site is most frequently used is a customer looking at it while calling the company. Customers will refer to something on the Web site, but they actually buy products or order services on the phone.

 

Unless you are working out of your home, it's also a good idea to put your mailing address on the site. It adds to the comfort level of knowing you are a "real" business.

Also see SMS Text messaging.

6.      A barrage of banners: Joining a banner exchange can help bring traffic to your Web site, but putting two, three or four banners on a page, along with buttons for Amazon, Netscape and five or six other affiliate programs just makes your site look busy and cheap. You'd never find a large-company Web site with multiple banners on a page (OK, don't send us examples . . . we're sure some big company makes this mistake, but don't follow the lead).

 

If you join affiliate programs such as Amazon.com's, you'll probably find that you get much better results if you provide links to specific products in context, rather than a generic button to those companies' home pages. For example, if you run a Web site selling Raggedy Ann dolls, why not show a selection of books about the history of rag dolls and link to Amazon.com so that customers can buy them? You actually get a larger percentage of the sale from Amazon this way. And you provide a service that makes sense for your business, rather than another distracting button on your Web site.

 

7.      Disappearing acts: We are floored by how many small-business Web sites are here today, gone tomorrow, and back again next Tuesday.  It may sound obvious to say that it's incredibly important that your Web site is up and running when customers go looking for it, but the disappearing act is a mistake that many small businesses make.

 

How to make sure your site is up? Either assign an employee to check the site several times a day, or use a hosting service that guarantees your uptime.

 

8.      Antique information: You'll want to keep the information on your Web site current. We've seen small businesses that have forgotten to update phone numbers, showed daily specials that were months old or offered online coupons that expired weeks earlier. You've got to maintain your Web site to keep it current. Make sure someone on your staff is responsible for the Web site's information and checks and updates it routinely.

9.      Background noise: For some reason, many small-business Web sites use busy background wallpaper. You'll find gray embossed company logos, wild patterns and other distracting background designs on many small-business sites. People think the designs add interest and panache to the sites, but all it does is interfere with the messages. Stick with a basic color for the site background, one that is consistent with your site's image. A white background doesn't have to be boring. And for everyone's sake don't but your favorite tunes on your website just because you think it's cool doesn't mean the next person will and your going to lose people.

10.  You do what? : The next deadly sin is to have a Web site that doesn't quickly convey the kind of business you are in and the products and services you offer to customers. Sounds like another no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many small business Web sites leave you looking at them for minutes while pondering, "What do these folks do?"

What other services do they provide?

The front or home page of your Web site should include a short statement of your business mission. Consider augmenting that statement with a photo or graphic that makes it clear what you do.

To nix these 10 deadly sins, InspireSmart Solutions and Boulder Media Works have formed a company that can build a website, design the content, and make sure the site is up 24/7. 

First impressions are as important online as they are offline.  A key element that will let your visitors know that your organization is professional is the design of your site. Custom web design will set your web presence apart from the crowd.

Custom website design means that the look and feel of the website is built from the ground up to project the image the client wants. While it is possible to save money using pre-designed templates, a successful online business presence is benefitted by having a look that is both unique and customized to the requirements of the market. Custom website design costs a bit more, but the result is something you and your customers will enjoy. The design of the website is the first impression many will have of your business or organization - make it the best one you possibly can!

Web design can be simple or complex, but in either case it must be done well. Simple websites may look easy to do, but keeping something clean and professional requires a solid grounding in graphic design principles, as well as experience in creating websites. A few years ago the internet was a place anyone could splash up a bunch of text and a few photos and look like a serious player. Now, users are more sophisticated, expectations have risen, and professional website design has become the minimum standard.  InspireSmart Solutions and Boulder Media Works in Denver, Colorado are the premier website developers in the Denver and Boulder area.  If you want professional website layouts, website graphic designs, development and coding, contact www.InspireSmart.com and www.BoulderMediaWorks.com for all of your website development needs in the Denver, Colorado area.

Mobile phones, PDAs, PPCs these days have the ability to surf the internet. However their screen resolutions aren't the best and sites weren't all that fast. Alot of companies went out and took their existing websites and made strip down versions of it to load faster for mobile carriers. The end result being websites that are mostly text or RSS feeds, more like an e-mail blast.  This worked for serveral years, however now with the 3G network and Apple iPhone, it's completely killed off this line of websites. Competitors of apple are building phones more equipped to handle websites for functionality and demand.

So with this, what's the use of building stripped down versions of websites? Honestly there is none except for older generation phones in use.

With the next generation of smart phones coming out, I predict that mobile sites will die within the next couple years.

Everyone in the U.S. have cellular phones and portable music players and at Inspire Smart Solutions and Boulder Media Works we suggest sharing music and other media with our customers.  Music is a great way to develop a one on one relationship with a targeted market and Boulder Media Works and Inspire Smart Solutions' innovative ideas and technical expertise visions this concept know as superdistribution becoming a new way to market and advertise because making marketing and advertising different is unique because it is not one media over the other media but it is the synergistic use of media across multiple channels that determines the difference in a customer relationship.  At Boulder Media Works and Inspire Smart Solutions we engage in building long term relationships with our customers.

A website is an extremely valuable tool that bolsters your existing marketing, sales, recruitment and communications effort. In fact, if your business is not online or your existing site is unprofessional or ineffective, then you are losing sales opportunities. A good website will help you reach and retain customers!

But how do you go about finding out your companies needs and ultimately, finding out the need for a website?  Here are a few questions to ponder, with a few answers to go along with them...

1. Do you currently (or would you like to) use email to communicate within your business and to your customers/vendors?  If so, you will need a domain name in order to send and receive corporate email, which is the first step to getting a website.  InspireSmart solutions can develop a website tailored to your specific professional appearance and personal style.  InspireSmart strives to create a functional website designed to be completely user freindly while also giving a very professional look and feel to attract new customers to your business. 

2. Do the people in your business' target market spend time online?  If your customers are online part of the time, then they may be looking for your business online. This is an extra medium for you to capture their interest and inform them about your business and your products/services. 

3.  Do you seek a higher return on your investment than what you're currently using?  Determining your ROI can be very tricky online. A well designed and well managed website will help you to not only achieve these goals, but achieve the repetition of these goals.  If you sell to a customer once, that's great, but if you can sell to that same customer 10 times or 100 times that's even better. It's far easier to sell to existing customers than to try to get new ones.

4.  Once you put up a website, how are you found?  Three words: Search Engine Optimization.  This little phrase is the driving factor for customers finding you on the web.  Think of this, how many times do you search a product or service on Google and you click on the first few results?  Most of us can answer, a lot.  Ok, now ask yourself this, how many times have I gone to the 2nd or 3rd page of those same Google results?  Most of us have not.  That's where the SEO comes in.  InspireSmart can optimize a few words and phrases and put you at the top of those searches.  You don't have to do the work, they do it for you!  Why not call them to find out at 303-757-2800.

A good market analysis should include information on industry trends, an assessment of major competitors and their strategies, a review of the channels of distribution, and a wide variety of data on current and potential customers.

Conducting a market analysis is a good idea when you want to define your current or potential markets.  I know it seems difficult to do.  The question on business owners minds is, is Where do I start?  Can I do this on my own?  Well sure you could do it on your own.  But it’s such a time consuming process.  So why not leave it to the experts?  InspireSmart has teamed up with leading market analysis companies to provide you with the best possible market analysis.  Check out InspireSmart Solutions in Denver, Colorado to conduct your next market analysis at www.inspiresmart.com.

InspireSmart Solutions, Inc., a Colorado Web Design and marketing agency, develops understandable and easy to use content management systems that make your website management fast and efficient. 

Think for a moment about all the content assets that you need to manage. On your site, you might have:

• Your products' specifications, prices and benefits.
• Product illustrations
• Production information
• Product categories
• Special promotions
• Terms and Conditions
• Site navigation links
• Availability
• Support information
• Developer features
• Press releases
• Jobs
• Office addresses, maps and directions.
• Logos, photographs and diagrams

 Your website can be seen by internet users around the globe.  International marketing is necessary these days in our rapidly changing world.  Managing the content of your website to make it relevant to various cultures is important and your website should be dynamic.  InspireSmart Solutions' content management systems can put your business ahead of the competition!  For more information on Colorado website design companies, contact InspireSmart Solutions at info@InspireSmart.com and their website can be found at www.InspireSmart.com in Denver, Colorado.

 

If you don’t stay in front of your customers, your competitors will.

Your existing customers are your best future customers. They’ve purchased your product or service once before and are the most likely to need it again. If you don’t take the time and effort to make yourself memorable, you may not earn their business the next time around. Staying at the forefront is critical to success.

If your customers don’t remember your name when they go to shop, you’ll have to compete for their business all over again!

That’s where email marketing comes in.

I’m not talking about sending thousands of spam messages peddling Viagra and knock-off Rolex watches. I’m talking about sending valuable information about your products and services to individuals that have already taken the time to establish a business relationship with you. I'm talking about email marketing like that done by InspireSmart Solutions. Above and beyond a good key to advertising to reach those who are on the computer as a part of their daily routine.

Why would a company want to conduct a market analysis?  It's simple really, a market analysis will help to define a company's current or potential markets, forecast their directions, and decide how to expand the company's share and exploit any new trends.  Many companies claim they are able to conduct a market analysis but how do you know which one to choose?  Companies such as InspireSmart have partnership services that provide you with innovative solutions to maximize your growth opportunities and dominate your competition.

Inspire Smart's research team applies various cutting-edge tools to conduct a market analysis for your unique selling area.  Therefore InspireSmart will take the following steps to ensure that your message is not only relevant, but to the right people in the right areas.

1. Defining the problem

Determining the problem is vital to conducting a marketing analysis. Determining the objective is the key to a successful marketing campaign. InspireSmart will not waste your time or money.  They will ensure that your campaign is relevant and directed to the right people in the right areas.

1. Analysis of the situation

Next an analysis of the situation will be conducted, and help define the problem and determine if additional information needs to be obtained.

1. Gathering data that is specific to the problem

 Data is collected to establish customer’s thoughts or behavioral patterns. Research can be done in person or through a survey.

1. Analysis and interpreting the data

The data that has been compiled will be observed too see what it means, and how it can be used to solve the initial problem.  InspireSmart uses samples to back up the validity of the Market Analysis’ that they conduct.  They work closely wither other companies to ensure a non representative sample is not used, as it will have a negative impact on your marketing. 

1. Fostering ideas and problem solving

InspireSmart will apply the finding and be applied in marketing planning.  If the research doesn't provide the information necessary to make these decisions, the company, whether small or large, has wasted its time, money and manpower on unnecessary data

1. Designing a plan

InspireSmart will propose a plan that is ensures your message is directed to your product or service and to the right people in the right areas.

 

Advertising -

 

      Advertising is the very best way to let people be aware of your purpose and/or business. What people see will influence what they do. Call it a psychological thing but if it's out of sight it's out of mind! InspireSmart Solutions and Boulder Media Works knows exactly how to  reach the market you are looking for. If you see a need, fill the need and that is exactly what we do. On a day to day basis people use the internet, watch TV, check their mail box and even see the signs while driving to work. InspireSmart Solutions can create that web site that the next Betty will see while browsing on Google. Not only will they create a site but also help maintain SEO and even provide IT services!

     Boulder Media Works knows how to put it in George's hand, catch his attention, and make him read it! They can create and send out a wonderful Direct Mail piece that will catch his attention, and see the importance of your services. They can also put together a Radio commercial that will make him get up off that couch and seek you. A Marketing Analysis will be put together to fit your company's needs and draw the right crowd!

     Now that InspireSmart Solutions And Boulder Media Works have merged together, they will have everything you will need to create the new revenue you might be looking for. Check them out! 

Direct mail is often neglected by many businesses, in favor of email. But direct mail is still a powerful marketing method – one that you can use with great results in your business.

Contrary to what some businesses owners believe, direct mail still gets opened and read. According to the Direct Mail Information Service, 67% of direct mail is opened, and 45% is both opened and read. Email cannot begin to match those rates.

The Direct Mail Information Service also offers some other important statistics. Their research shows that the ROI (return on investment) of direct mail is excellent – to generate $14 in sales, one must only spend $1 on direct mail.

Other statistics show that direct mail is even more effective for businesses. Managers open 70% of direct mail they receive. The pass 9% of it on to a subordinate or coworker, but respond to or file an amazing 20%!

There are two basic ways to use direct mail – build your own list, or use someone else's list. Building your own list will likely get you the highest quality lists, but is also more expensive and takes longer. Renting a list is often the best way to start.

If you decide to build your own direct mailing list, you should come up with a well planned strategy for acquiring contacts for your list, as well as managing your list. Here area few ideas for building your mailing list: add all of your customers, offer a free newsletter, offer drawings for free products, do reverse phone number searches on prospects to find their address.

If you plan to rent a list, you can often rent a list from a company that specializes in direct mail marketing. They may be able to help you with your direct mailing campaign so that you maximum efficacy from your investment.

Visit BoulderMediaWorks.com or InspireSmart.com, your mailing company, for more direct mailing resources.
 

Who sees your logo?  Do they know what you do?  Are the people who see your logo going to call?  Hopefully your answer is yes, but if not, InspireSmart and Boulder Media Works has the answer.  To better market your company, you are going to need a catchy logo.  Something that signifies what you do...something that will tell the customer, even before they know it, who you are.  Take for instance Comcast.  Everyone in Denver has been exposed to the billboards, the commercials, the direct mail...and yet, even before you know what you're looking at, you know instantly it's Comcast.  This comes from diversifying your marketing efforts and broadening your scope of advertising.  All they're doing is spending money over different mediums such as TV, Radio, Direct Mail, Websites, Spokes models....etc.  Put those efforts together and you've got one powerful marketing push, but better yet, you've got corporate branding. 

 

Boulder Media Works leverages electronic mediums like email on the web primarily to support our Direct Mail campaigns not in replacement of our campaigns things like PURLs that enhance our prospecting effort.  Today 1 and 10 people that walk through doors carrying a Direct Mail piece in their hands have a personalized information on printed material, electronic material, on the web and if it is consistent it will turbo charge your entire message you are sending.

 

Advertising on Craigslist

     Most everyone knows about Craigslist.org. Craigslist is as internet website that posts local classifieds and forums for 450 cities worldwide. You can find jobs, housing, goods, services, romance, local activities, and advice-just about anything.

     Craigslist.org originated as an email list of San Francisco events, started as a hobby by Craig Newmark in early 1995. Since late 2000 Jim Buckmaster has been CEO and runs the website. Craig still works full time in customer service and makes plenty of media appearances.

    The traffic generated on this website is more than 8 billion page views a month, and more than 30 million people use Craigslist publishing more than 25 million new classified ads each month, and well over 1.5 million new job listings every month.

   Craigslist.org employs 25 people that work out of a Victorian house in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco and affords to operate by charging below-market fees for job ads in 7 cities, and for brokered apartment listings in NYC. Job ads post for $25 for NYC, LA, DC, Boston, Seattle and San Diego, and $75 in San Francisco. They rely a lot on local communities to suggest ways to make money without compromising craigslist instead of worrying about creating more revenue. Reaching so many people and simply using Internet Advertising.....good job Craigslist!