Author: Aaron Howard

Choosing a Web Design Company

Posted on July 12, 2016 by - Credit Union Website Design

There are many factors to consider when finding the best website design firms to create your businesses’ website. It is not as simple as looking in the phone book or online and choosing the first company that comes along. If you use a method like that, then you will be sure to be unhappy with the results that you get.

Start out by coming up with a list of features and information that you would like included in your website design. Once you have this information, it will be easier to locate a company that is capable of designing the appropriate website. Next, look for a variety of design firms, and review their samples and reputations online. Search for company reviews, or ask for input from friends, associates, and online forums. Checking into the sample websites that a company has created will help you to determine if their style can meet your needs.

Lastly, you need to review the various services and prices that are offered by each company. One company that has a good reputation and prices, may not offer one or more of the services that you need. What you want is a design firm with a good reputation, fair prices, who is capable of creating the type of website that you desire. You should also look for a company that can design a wide range of websites with key features that can drive your company to the top of the search engine listings.

Leveraging Popular YouTube Videos

Posted on June 26, 2016 by - Credit Union Internet Marketing

Video has become a very effective force in the marketing world. People love to watch videos online. Even some television shows are getting ideas from popular YouTube videos.

While your business can benefit from the popularity of online video to help build links back to your website, it can sometimes be difficult to catch the attention of the online public without a large video budget, or some great creative ideas.

By using Youtube Video responses, you can piggy-back on the success of related videos, by posting your video as a comment. Because popular videos often have many comments, video response comments stand out more. You’ll get more views to your video, and you also will gain a linkback from the popular video page.

You can also create video responses between your own videos, by linking them together through the comments.

A video response can be as simple as a video of you making your comments. Or it can be a video article that relates to the topic.

Using the YouTube video response feature is just another way for you to get the most out of the marketing dollars you allocate to online video.

Logo Design: Take Action

Posted on May 17, 2016 by - Credit Union Branding

Are you new to the business world? Or have you been around for a few years, but things seem to be on the slow side? Whichever situation you are in, there are some things you can do to help your business get some much needed attention. People notice colors and eye catching words when they are looking for items they need or desire. Get the attention your business craves with a unique logo design that makes clients take a second look.

If you are beginning a new business, get the wheels turning to come up with a new and different logo that no one has used before. If your business is stale, try updating your logo design. If you are not sure how to get the results you desire, seek help from professionals who make a living promoting other businesses. Whatever logo you choose should be used for all things business related: brochures, business cards, stationary, and your business website. Wear professionalism like a glove because that’s what clients are looking for. If you know your business, they trust you to know what they need. They will come to you with their questions and present you with the opportunity to live out your logo in actions.

Is Your Brand Ready for the Web?

Posted on May 3, 2016 by - Credit Union Branding

Most business owners understand the importance of having a brand identity. With the help of professional graphic designers, they develop a logo and theme for creatives like brochures, letterhead, business cards, etc.

Unfortunately, often that creative process doesn’t consider how the internet is becoming more and more a part of consumers purchasing habits, and that solid offline branding foundation isn’t carried online.

Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your brand is consistent both on and offline.

1. Are your brand graphics web-friendly?

Make sure that you have color versions of your branding (logo, logo with tagline, etc.) that are sized appropriately for the web. Many social networking sites allow for online avatars: pictures that represent your profile, but they are often only 100 x 100 pixels.

2. Is your brand visible online?

Has your website been updated to reflect any changes made to your offline brand image? Do you have other online properties (blog, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) that are used to represent your business online that need to be updated with your brand image?

As an aside, make sure that your online image is not outdated. Consumers are savvy when it comes to identifying a website that hasn’t updated its look in 5 years.

3. Are your advertisements branded?

If you do banner advertising, Adwords image advertising, or any other image style advertising, do those images reflect your current brand image?

By selecting a creative marketing agency that is also in touch with the needs of online advertising, you can ensure that your online and offline brand identity will be in-synch and in touch with your customers.

Small Business Marketing

Posted on April 24, 2016 by - Credit Union Marketing

What small business marketing plans has your company had success with? The Internet has new methods of getting small businesses involved with the marketplace. Some you may have heard of and considered, while others may present some new concepts for you to think on. Most are gaining popularity daily and most are free services. Getting your small business more involved can only be a plus, more involved with services like blogging. Blogging requires time, but the end result can mean that your website will rank higher in the search engines. Use keywords that are the most relevant and you will gain free access to Google AdWords which is not normally a free service.

Among tools like blogging and Google AdWords are social networking sites like Twitter and FaceBook which are great for small business marketing. These sites allow you to promote your business at no monetary cost, but you will need to put time into making them effective. On these sites, you will know what your clients are feeling, if they have a problem they need solved, or just general information. You can give advice, let customers know about special events or sales, and connect to a variety of people. One other useful small business strategy is email. One general email can be written and sent out to each customer you have a web address for and you can keep them informed on all the latest news.