By now most everyone has been introduced to the world of social media. You know the players - Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc - and most likely you’ve either done some research or signed up. Social media is an ever-changing playing field that continually offers new, revised, and expanded options. If you are paying close attention you soon realize that it can be a daunting task keeping up with what’s new and what works best. There is one thing that is a constant throughout all of social media, especially if you are a business, and that is your website. It doesn’t matter how often or sporadically you post, your objective should be to direct viewers back to your website. It doesn’t matter how much or how little you say, you should be encouraging viewers to visit your site for more information. Under those circumstances your website is home base. Contained within its pages should be all the information needed to understand what your business or service offers, how to contact you, specific product info and photos, an option to purchase if that applies, and whatever other information is pertinent to allow a viewer to form an opinion, an interest, a need to contact you, and best of all the decision to purchase your product or service. Now I know many of you already have a website up and running. You’ve had it for years and as far as you’re concerned it works just fine, thank you. But, does it? When was the last time you reviewed your site? Here are a few things to consider: Is all of the information accurate? Have you revised a product and not changed the info on your site? Did you add a product or service but did not add it to your site? Are all of the photos current? Sure you offer the same item, but is that a photo of the current item? Maybe you changed your packaging, logo, or colors. Are all of your links active? If you refer viewers to outside sites, are you sure those links still work? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a site, click a link and… nothing. And don’t forget about email addresses. Are you sure that all of the email addresses you have posted are current (and not for a former employee). I know of some sites that to this day have an email address posted that is for me at an old employer. I know I’m not receiving those messages and I doubt the company is either. Has your content undermined your navigation? If you’ve had a site up for a while most likely you’ve added to it. A page here, a photo there. A new sub-category with more pages. I bet you didn’t realize how much you’ve added to your site. Sit down with the eyes of a fresh viewer to your site and experience how well or how poorly your site navigates.Are your pages crowded with bits and pieces of information? Too many bits and pieces.Are your links intuitive? Meaning – are the placement of your links easy to find or do you have to hunt for what you’re looking for?Did you remember to cross-reference information?Are your pages very very long? Have you been adding and adding to your pages until they require scrolling and scrolling?Was your site created with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in mind? If the answer is yes, does it need a little tweaking? If the answer is no, what are you waiting for?Site analytics. What tools are you using to measure your website traffic? I hope I’ve got you thinking about your website by now. How well is it performing? Can I make it better? And I hope your next step is to contact a design professional.BoyDog Designcan assist you in a review of your current website. Let’s explore ways to update and improve your site. One of the benefits of web-based communication is that you don’t have to be local toBoyDog Design. Utilizing current technology it is easier than ever to work on projects together – even if you live across town, in another state, even another country. Think about it – is now the time to review, revise and reap the rewards? ...read more

Think Spring Cleaning... What holds true for an organized and fresh approach to the New Year for your household can help your business breathe some life into your marketing plan. Now is the time to review your Marketing Plan. (Don't have a marketing plan - you should. "GPS Your Marketing Plan") Determine if your plan is in need of some tweaking. Perhaps you'd like to reach out to a new demographic. You've heard so much about Social Media and you've decided that now is the time to give it a try. You'd like more feedback from your current customer base. You know your market but would like to expand into new territory. That's just a few circumstances you may be facing. Whatever you do keep moving forward... Don't allow your approach to your market stagnate. Keep your advertising message and approach fresh, current, and relevant to your industry, market, and customer base. If the thought of reviewing, revising, and creating fresh media is intimidating - it doesn't have to be. Consult with a professional who can offer you options and a point of view based on experience and developed expertise in advertising / marketing and the media that will work best for you. BoyDog Design can assist you with the development and placement of your message via print, web, and social media outlets. Give us a call, send us an email, post on our Facebook page, or give us a Tweet @BoyDogDesign.   ...read more

Visit my Blog at www.boydogdesign.com/blog for updates on trends and information you may find helpful. I cover design, advertising, marketing, social media and various other topics.  Post a question or leave a comment.  Find me on Twitter @boydogdesign Find me on Facebook: http://bit.ly/cxwLYs ...read more