A Successful Home Page Is a Link Rich Page

Recently I read an article about the rise and success of link rich home pages over the past several years. After reading through it and processing the information, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the ideas that were brought forth from that article. It's especially useful for business owners since we rely heavily on our websites ranking and position in order to generate consistent traffic.

"Nobody starts their design with the objective, "We need our home page to be as complex as we can possibly make it." On the contrary, everybody wants to build simple designs. Yet, somewhere along the line, simplicity translated into "Provide as few links on the home page as possible."" - Jared Spool, User Interface Engineering

This quote sums things up well. It also targets exactly what we need to do to make a site successful for the end users. This is one of those cases where we need to ensure that our focus is on what is best for the site users. It's a complex negotiation between what you envision as the optimal website while at the same time ensuring that the end user has a website that will work well for them too.

Is your own home page link rich? Are you providing your site users with relevant, beneficial links that will potentially take them deeper into your site and further showcase your company's products and services? These are important questions to mull over when thinking about the function, style, and format of your website's home page.

News websites have long understood the need to provide multiple links on their home pages. The majority of news sites are loaded with links designed to deliver in-depth information to users. CNN, Fox, the Drudge Report, and many major newspaper sites have hundreds of links displayed on their home page. How many is too many? Take a look at the sites listed below and check out their standings.

Website / Google Page Rank / Alexa Ranking

Yahoo.com / 9 / 3

CNN.com /10 / 16

NYTimes.com / 9 / 28

LATimes.com / 8 / 74

FoxNews.com / 8 / 40

BBC.co.uk / 9 / 42

Bls.gov* / 7 / 1491

Craigslist.org / 7 / 9

*The Bureau of Labor and Statistics website isn't a news site. However, it is a good example of a home page that is comprised almost entirely of links. While this site is very narrow in its appeal, it is heavily used as you can see from its rankings. The same holds true for Craigslist - its homepage is comprised completely of links.

Judging from the rankings shown above for these link rich sites, it's a good choice to include many links on your homepage. However, my advice would be to take a look at the manner in which links are displayed on these sites. With the exception of the BLS site and Craigslist, most of these sites display links in a tasteful, organized manner. So essentially what I'm saying is that you can still maintain the simplistic design approach while at the same time creating a 'link rich environment' which will perform well for the end users of the website.

This is also good reference material for you to use when discussing site creation with your web designer. Please feel free to use the information in this article to point out the need to create a great looking, link rich home page on your website. Hopefully this information will help them understand just how important it is for them to allow you to create a home page that will grab a user's attention and provide them with a wealth of information at the same time in an easy to use, easy to navigate format that is beneficial for your company.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Print Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding online business cards design or business card management.

Seven Inexpensive Ways to Boost Employee Morale

In today's difficult economy many small businesses are operating on thin to non-existent profit margins. With it being difficult to just stay afloat, it's important to get creative when it comes to maintaining employee satisfaction. So with that in mind, here are several effective and affordable ways to make your business a place where your employees are dedicated to a common goal and happy to be working with you.

1. Say Thank You. Seriously. Make it a point to single out employees when they do a good job and say thank you. Be genuine and sincere. If you have a client or customer who thanks you for your services, be sure to pass that on to your employees too. Publicly recognize them for their role in satisfying that customer's needs. If a customer or client singles out a particular employee, send a thank you note to them at their home praising their good work and efforts. Send out a tweet or Facebook post acknowledging that employees contributions.

2. Be Accessible. Take breaks with your employees or eat lunch with them. Do more listening than talking. By spending time with your workforce, you will be able to glean more ways to take care of them in practical ways.

3. Use Gift Cards. Employees always welcome gas cards, grocery store cards, big box store cards, coffeehouse gift cards, and even movie tickets. These are nice, relatively inexpensive rewards to use when money is tight, yet you want to say thank you in a tangible way that they'll appreciate.

4. Support Community Involvement. Provide company time for employees to serve a meal at a local shelter, help out a local food pantry, adopt a family for a holiday, or raise money for a common charity. This not only serves as a great team building opportunity by engaging in something your employees are passionate about, it also creates a positive public image for your business.

5. Free Drinks or Ice Cream. Open up the office soda machine and give out free drinks occasionally. Make arrangements on a hot summer day to have an ice cream truck stop at your business, have your employees choose their favorite item, and you pick up the tab.

6. Free Food. Announce that you're bringing in coffee and bagels or donuts for your staff the next morning. Find out what bagel or donut is their favorite so you will have it for them. You can do the same with lunch by bringing in pizza or other take out foods.

7. Fun and Games. Put a foosball table, pool table, or air hockey table in the break room. Let people have fun with them during breaks and lunch. Challenge one of your employees once in a while (hopefully you'll win a few games).

These are a few inexpensive ways to build morale and keep your employees motivated during tough times. It's important to foster a culture that shows you're going the extra mile for them. Don't forget...it's not the dollar amount that matters, but the thought you put into it that will have the greatest effect on your employees.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management. Be part of the professional business cards company.

Keeping Your Readers Interested

Creating Copy that Engages: Keeping you readers interested in your content is critical to the success of your company's website, marketing materials, and newsletters. If you lose your readers' interest after the first paragraph on a webpage, you are not going to get the click-throughs to your "money pages" (those pages where customers order products or services) and you are basically throwing all of the money that you spent on site development and management out the window. To catch and keep your reader's attention, and inevitably direct them to your money pages, you need to develop content that is powerful, useful, creative, and practical to your target demographic.

Crafting Content for Your Target Demographic: One of the first mistakes of content development is that the information written about is simply not interesting to the site's target demographic. For example, if your website's focus is on selling remote control vehicles, you don't want to invest in articles about doll collecting. While this seems like an obvious point, it is often overlooked. When a visitor lands on your page from a keyword search or an in-text link, they expect to find subject matter about a very specific topic. If that topic is not covered in your post or article, they will leave your page after reading nothing more than the page title or headers.

To craft enticing prose for your target demographic you first need to identify what they are looking for when surfing the Internet. You will then want to base your efforts on keywords that are commonly used by your target demographic to find information on your site's topic or theme. By focusing your content on those keywords you will be able to create articles and blog posts that interest your target audience and it will improve the chances that they will navigate their way through your site using your in-text links to money pages or by using menu links to other site pages.

Powerful Content Creates Interest: Powerful content creates a dialogue or reaction from your readers. This is not your average stock information page - it's a well-researched and well-written page that takes a position on an issue or that challenges the norms of a specific industry standard. The purpose of powerful content pages is to create controversy in an attempt to attract more people to your website. To achieve this goal you will need to set up your pages as a blog or interactive page where people can post their comments, views, and responses. To increase the value of these power pages you will want to include in-text links to your money pages or target pages where you want to direct your visitors.

Useful Content Keeps Your Reader's Coming Back for More: While attracting a reader once can lead to a sale/conversion, you are much more likely to make a sale on your website or through your newsletter if the same reader returns to your website multiple times. One way you can accomplish this is to develop useful articles that the reader can use as a reference for a specific application, activity, or project. For example, "how to" articles are generating huge revenues on many sites right now simply because they provide useful information in a step by step format. This format keeps the reader's interest because in order to complete the given task, they have to read the entire article. If you are able to create useful content on a regular basis, you can set up a library that will attract both new visitors and return visitors.

Creative Content Entertains While Educating: An article or blog post that is entertaining is another strategy that you can use to keep your readers interested. Creative content is fun to write; however, not everyone has a knack for it. It is because of this that your creative content needs to be handled by a writer who is skilled in entertaining, but informative, writing styles. In addition to using creative prose you can also enhance the readability of your web pages by integrating interactive features such as streaming elements, video, and widgets. These elements will keep your readers engaged in your article or web page by giving them a way to interact with it and to manipulate it to meet their needs.

Keeping Your Readers Interested: Internet success is elusive, but not unobtainable. The key is quality content created by skilled writers. It needs to be developed around topics that make sense for your target demographic. It needs to be powerful, it needs to be creative, and it needs to be useful. While many online success strategies have come and gone, the utilization of quality content is one strategy that remains a viable, productive strategy for search engine optimization and site performance enhancement.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management. Be part of the professional business cards company.

Stock Photos, Custom Photos, or a Blend of Both?

Over the past few years, the stock photography market has exploded and expanded exponentially. Iconic stock giants such as Getty Images, Corbis (privately owned by Bill Gates), Alamy, and Jupitermedia, Inc. (parent company of Jupiter Images) dominate high end publications and websites. Unfortunately, most of the images available from the companies listed above are simply too expensive for most small businesses to purchase for their web use, advertising campaigns, and media related ventures. Many times you'll see images owned by these companies used in highly publicized magazines and websites such as Time, Sports Illustrated, CNN, and many others. So, how do small businesses locate quality stock images that they can use effectively to promote their business and/or products?

The answer lies within the microstock websites. This emerging group of sites (such as iStockPhoto, BigStockPhoto, and Dreamstime) allow customers to purchase high quality images at much lower prices. Each site has certain licensing options and distribution restrictions for images, but most of the time a customer can purchase the desired image and the necessary license for a relatively low price.

For most companies, finding a good, applicable image isn't a problem. Just between the three stock sites listed above, there are over six million images. Yes, some of them are duplicates, with the same artist creating galleries on each site. However, there are still several million different images available.

A word of caution though when you are selecting an image to use - try to stay away from the most popular images. Why do I say that? Well, they are popular due to being sold and downloaded more times. Why do I caution you against using popular images? Because you don't want to create branding material for your company or product that is being used elsewhere. Your business is unique...your product is unique...it may not be in your best interest to use an image that has been sold hundreds or perhaps even thousands of times.

What am I talking about? Well, perhaps it's best to just use some visual examples. I came across this blog post which shows how three major electronics companies used the same image in various promotions. Check it out for yourself (link provided at the end of the article).

Better yet, here's a nightmare scenario that you would never want to have occur for your company. Can you imagine the constant explaining that Design Matters has to do regarding their (lack of) association with Vagisil? You see, they both used the same image of a young teen girl in their promotional materials. Unfortunately, the link to the Vagisil ad is no longer active. The Wall Street Journal also featured an article on this dilemma several years ago that is still worth reading (link provided at the end of the article).

These examples are the risk that you run when choosing to use stock photography for your business. I am certainly not telling you to abandon the use of stock photography for your business! Please don't misunderstand. However, I am recommending that you proceed with caution. There are very valid risks to consider. The customer's perception of your business is on the line. David Ogilvy said, "Always give your product a first-class ticket through life." This incredibly important concept is applicable to not only a product, a brochure, or your website - but your business as a whole. Is purchasing an image for a buck or two really the best route to take? It can be if you navigate your way through the process wisely.

• Choose a photo that matches up with your purpose. Don't just choose one to "fill space." Rather than use a potentially risky or dull photo, fill that space with great content. Or, at times...empty space might be the best option. Space is good.
• Be Creative in Your Choice. Instead of using a picture of a man or woman, (who isn't employed by your company), perhaps a graphic of some sort will convey the same message just as effectively. Or better yet, hire a photographer to take pictures of your actual employees. It may be slightly more expensive to choose this route, but the end result will certainly be more genuine. An example that comes to mind for me was a Sear's sales flyer that I received in the mail not too long ago. It completely missed the mark with me. I flipped through it until about page 3. On that page, I finally realized that every person in every picture had well placed smudges on their faces. (The flyer was geared toward outdoors/construction clothing and accessories.) I even saw painters with paint on their hands and face...however, their painting clothes were spotless. I also wondered why the "architect or engineer" in the picture seemed to have a big muddy smudge on his cheek when there wasn't any mud around in that particular picture...he was standing on a nice, dry concrete slab. The pictures were a complete bust for me. I didn't look at anything in the catalog with the mindset of "hey...I wonder what's on sale"; instead, I was just looking at the ridiculous pictures. In my opinion, the whole catalog was a ridiculous attempt to get me to purchase something...and it didn't work.
• Always remember your message. Do the images you're choosing really help you convey your message to potential customers?

Another interesting possibility (at least to me) is to make direct contact with a stock photographer. Let's say you find an image that you like, but it just isn't quite right. It's close, but not 100% on target. I say that you should contact the photographer or designer directly. Ask them if they might be able to create just the image you are looking for. Many times, you can have this accomplished and it will still be relatively affordable. Most of the stock photographers and designers that I know are more than willing to work with a customer to create an image that is perfect for their particular needs. Also, most of them are generally fair in their pricing for such custom requests. The other bonus with going this route is you can generally eliminate the possibility of someone else having the same image.

I think it's well worth the extra dollars spent. This is by far the route that I would choose over anything else. I see myself using the stock sites to locate an artist or photographer whose style fits well into the advertising or promotional concept that I am building. I like working with people…not just using people's work. I would much rather contact them and establish a relationship with them that will result in photographs or designs that will give my business or product that "first-class ticket through life."

http://www.brianbehrend.com/archives/2004/09/more_stock_foot.php

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB116467838729434053-j1YX6tWZ7hTQ_MqzLcRfX2utcSE_20071127.html

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Print Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding online business cards design or business card management.

Creative Brilliance and Logo Design

David Ogilvy, who's widely considered the father of modern advertising, focused heavily on creative brilliance - the BIG IDEA (which he always wrote in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS) was of extreme importance to him. In his opinion creativity and originality were useless unless they brought results for clients with whom he did business. When presenting something in an ad, it had to be functional and relevant. "Unless your advertising is based on a BIG IDEA, it will pass like a ship in the night", he preached over and over again.

Thankfully, his emphasis on the BIG IDEA doesn't need to translate into complexity. Simplicity, especially in the area of logo design is something we can still adhere to while following Mr. Ogilvy's advice. So, with that in mind, I'd like to offer a few thoughts for those of you who are just starting the process of thinking through a logo design for your new company.

There are many logos that can be highlighted as examples of accomplishing the BIG IDEA while remaining simple at the same time. There are many global companies who adhere successfully to this:

3M

AT&T

Adobe Systems

Caterpillar (CAT)

Citi Group

Dell

Electronic Arts

Verisign

UPS

SnapOn

All of these companies have simple, yet incredibly effective logos that identify their companies. These companies are industry leaders and well known around the world simply through their logos. Several of these companies have created incredible revenue streams just through the marketing of their logos. Many of these companies sell apparel and other merchandise that displays their logos, which in turn generates millions of dollars in additional revenue for their companies. They are simple, yet extraordinarily successful logos.

Logo designs for some recent corporations would easily fall under the same, simplistic design parameter. Some examples would include such company logos as:

Aflac

GoDaddy

Apple

Monster Worldwide

Google

Yum! Brands

Yahoo!

Several of these companies are focused solely on the Internet. Google, Yahoo!, GoDaddy, and Monster Worldwide are primarily web based companies. However, their branding and logos are universally recognized symbols for them. Yum! Brands is an internationally recognized company. Not only is their logo simple and easily recognizable, but so are the restaurants it owns: Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Long John Silver's. Aflac's logo is simply a combination of their name and the primary character of every advertisement...the duck. However, every time someone sees it, they immediately recall the last advertisement they saw, they say "Aflac" in their best duck voice, and they recall the type of insurance services they provide. Their logo is simple, yet exceptionally valuable to their mission as a company. Their logo is the pinnacle of creative brilliance and sums up the BIG IDEA for Aflac. In fact, every one of these logos functions the same way for each of these companies. Their logo completely fulfills the mission of their BIG IDEA.

As we mentioned earlier, most of these companies generate millions of dollars in additional revenue for their companies by simply selling items that display their logos. Think about NASCAR, the NFL, and the myriad of other places where advertising reigns supreme; these companies are all present there. They have created an additional product by simply creating a recognizable symbol for their company that people want to purchase. The consumer is interested in attaching themselves to a company and identifying with them through the usage of their logo on apparel, stickers, and additional products.

The power of exercising creative brilliance and generating the BIG IDEA for your company logo is so amazingly important. This is the reason that virtually everyone recommends seeking professional help in designing a great logo for your company or new product. There are two very poignant quotes from David Ogilvy that sum up the importance of designing your logo correctly. Ogilvy said, "It takes a BIG IDEA to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product," and "Unless your advertising contains a BIG IDEA, it will pass like a ship in the night."

So, what's your BIG IDEA and how are you implementing it into your logo design?

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management. Be part of the professional business cards company.

Are You Creating the Right Stuff for Your Clients?

This is a funny video and it conjures up various feelings in everyone who watches it. However, it also highlights some major flaws in true, reliable, customer service. As a business owner, are you truly meeting the needs of your customers? There are tons of blog posts and articles on the Internet from business men and women going on and on about nightmare clients and their sometimes ridiculous demands. Many of them are valid rants. However, there are also many of them that may be the direct result of failures on the part of the business owner. This shouldn't be a shocking revelation, but business owners and upper management aren't always innocent. Failure is a part of every occupation, every business, and every person. To deny it would be ridiculous. Knowledge and implementation of knowledge is what reduces the frequency of those failures. As people who are heavily invested in the success of our own companies, we need to make sure that we are doing all we can to properly meet the needs of clients (our customers).

How is your company using the Internet to its advantage?

"The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow." ~Bill Gates

Using Mr. Gates' quote as a focal point, what part of the 'village' are you gearing your products and services to? This is an essential element to consider when creating your marketing and advertising plans. Make sure that your website operates in a way that your customers will "get it" and understand why they should choose to use your services or purchase your products. If customers can interact with your site in a positive way, then your website will be successful.

What's being said about your business on the Internet? Have you looked at Yelp and other review sites to see how people gauge their interaction with your company, your employees or how they perceive the value of your products/services? If you're not checking for those "word of mouth" referrals or unfortunate negative reviews, then you're missing a critical component of being able to provide the "right stuff" to your customers. If you're not listening to them and unwilling to take a look at your internal policies/procedures and quality control standards, then you should just stop reading this article right now.

David Ogilvy, who is considered by many to be the father of modern advertising, always stressed the importance of the "BIG IDEA". He always capitalized those two words in order to make them stand out. Are you doing your best to ensure that your company's customer service, reputation, and quality standards are an integral part of America's economic, political, and social life? What is the BIG IDEA that drives your business? By listening to your clients, understanding their wants and needs, and adapting, you are better able to refine your customer service procedures and better produce the products and services your customers desire. In doing this, you'll be able to convey your company's BIG IDEA in an easier, more effective way.

This isn't an easy task. There isn't one tried and true formula to achieve this - it's more of a mindset and method of operating. In some ways this might seem a bit obtuse and nebulous. The beauty of it though is that this method of operating is one of the major facets of what you'll see when you study the successful models of companies such as Amazon, Dropbox, Google, and others who do a great job of listening and interacting with their customers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heSudg-tfIk.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Cheap Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding online business cards design or business card management.

Six Popular Image File Formats: What Are They and How Are They Best Used?

As a business owner, your focused on your company's products, services, and finding ways to grow and sustain your business. Your focus isn't generally on image file formats and what's needed in order to properly reproduce your company's logo, letterhead, brochures, and business cards. But, if you're a small business owner, you wear multiple hats and have the "joyous" task of managing not only the growth and success of your business, but all of the little, technical items associated with getting items printed for your company. And, you're probably the head of your own "Online/IT Department" too.

So, in order to help you become more proficient with the IT hat that you wear, we thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to some basic file format information concerning images (for your logo/letterhead/business cards/etc).

Choosing the right file format for saving your images is of vital importance. There are six major image file formats used consistently in the design field - TIFF, GIF, JPG, BMP, WBMP, and PNG. Each format is well suited to a specific type of image, and by matching your image to the correct format, you should benefit from a fast-loading, high quality graphic. It's also important to understand how these file formats work in certain applications. So, enjoy checking out these six image file formats:

• TIFF - The TIFF (Tagged Information File Format) is a file format used for storing images such as line art and photographs. It was originally developed by Aldus (now Adobe Systems) and Microsoft. This is a popular format for high color depth images and it is supported by many image-manipulation programs such as Pagemaker, QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, PhotoShop, Paint Shop Pro, etc. Tiff is extremely high in its image quality, providing excellent compatibility with publishing and printing companies. Tiff can be modified and resaved, with the images being used an endless number of times without losing any image data. In addition, the image is extremely usable since it doesn't require software post-processing during or after its download from a camera. It is a flexible and adaptable format.


• GIF - TheGraphic Interface Formatis an image file format that was originally developed in 1987 by Unisys using the LZW compression algorithm. For years it has been a standard image format used on the web. However, it has seen its share of difficulties due to licensing restrictions and requirements placed on it by Unisys. In 1989, they also developed Gif89a which allowed animated images. While GIF has enjoyed a significant presence on the Internet, it is being phased out by the emergence of PNG.


• JPG/JPEG - JPEG is a commonly used compression method for photographic images. The name "JPEG" stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, the name of the committee that created the standard. The group was organized in 1986, issuing this standard in 1992 and finally approving it in 1994. The degree of compression may be adjusted to allow a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. Typically, JPEG achieves 10 to 1 compression with little perceivable loss in image quality. In addition to being a compression method, JPEG is often considered to be a file format. JPEG is the most common image format used by digital cameras and other photographic image capture devices. It is also the most common format for storing and transmitting photographic images on the World Wide Web.


• BMP - The BMP file format, sometimes called bitmap or DIB file format (for device-independent bitmap), is an image file format used to store bitmap digital images, especially on Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems. The simplicity of the BMP file format and its widespread familiarity in Windows and elsewhere makes it a very common format that image processing programs from many operating systems can read and write. Another reason for the widespread use of this format is due to it being well documented and free of patents. While most BMP files have a relatively large file size due to lack of any compression, many BMP files can be considerably compressed with lossless data compression algorithms such as ZIP since they contain redundant data.


• WBMP - This is short for Wireless Bitmap, a graphic format optimized for mobile computing devices. This is a relatively new file format that only supports monochrome images at the moment. A WBMP image is identified using a TypeField value, which describes encoding information (such as pixel and palette organization, compression, and animation) and determines image characteristics according to WAP documentation. TypeField values are represented by an Image Type Identifier. Currently, there is only one type of WMBP specified; the Image Type Identifier label for this is 0. 0 has the following characteristics: No compression, One bit color (white=1, black=0), and One bit deep (monochrome). Any WAP device that supports WBMPs can only support type 0. WBMP is part of the Wireless Application Protocol, Wireless Application Environment Specification Version 1.1.

• PNG - Portable Network Graphics is a bitmapped image format that employs lossless data compression similar to that of a GIF file. PNG was created to improve upon and replace the GIF format, as an image-file format not requiring a patent license. It was basically created in direct rebuttal of Unisys' licensing requirements for using the GIF format. PNG supports palette-based (palettes of 24-bit RGB colors), grayscale, or RGB images. PNG was designed for transferring images on the Internet, not professional graphics, and so does not support other color spaces (such as CMYK). PNG works very well for geometric or line drawings, lettering, cartoons, and other images with flat color and sharp borders, such as computer screenshots. PNG is mostly superior to GIF, as it is newer, supports more colors, and is free of patent restrictions. Unfortunately, PNG cannot be used for animation. However, it does offer highly sophisticated transparency and color support, among other features. In most cases where animation is not required, it is best to use PNG over GIF.

It's interesting to note each format's strengths and weaknesses. Overall, each of them definitely displays benefits in certain applications. The best way to approach these is to know ahead of time what the ultimate application and use for a certain image is going to be prior to creating it. As a business owner, it's important to find a reliable printer that can service your company's needs. CCA is able to accept and modify virtually any image file format in order to create a high resolution, quality image for use on your company's business cards. If you have any questions or concerns about your logo or business card file format, please feel free to give us a call or inquire on our website.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Cheap Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding online business cards design or business card management.

The Power of Online Video for Your Company

Using video to promote your website, services, or products has become an integral component of online advertising. With the explosive popularity of sites such as YouTube (now considered the number search engine online), Vimeo, and others - it's time to embrace video and make it work on behalf of your company and your website.

Here are some amazing statistics about online video from 2010:

• 172 million U.S. viewers watched an average of 14.6 hours of video


• Over 40% of consumers watch online videos on a weekly basis - Over 70% watch monthly


• YouTube serves over 1 billion videos per day


• YouTube (owned by Google) is expected to hit $2 billion in revenue during 2011.


• Viral video marketing campaigns increase clickthrough rates by 750%. MarketingExperiments.com, November 2006


• E-commerce sites that use product videos sell up to 45% more. Onlineshoes.com says it sees a 45% higher conversion rate for customers who watch videos on its website. Zappos.com says it sells up to 30% more for products that it shows in videos instead of just static pictures. (Sources: ReelSEO, Internet Retailer)

Online video marketing first surged in 2007 and has been growing exponentially every year since. Over $3 billion was spent on online video advertising during 2010. With online video becoming such a major marketing player, it's an important advertising genre to consider embracing.

Here are a few basic concepts to keep in mind when considering the use of online video to promote your website, company, products, or services.

1. If you're going to create video to showcase a product, your services, or just introduce your business...it has to be creative and compelling. Your video needs to spark some type of emotion from the viewer. Whether it's humorous, intriguing, or somewhat controversial, you need this "hook" to create a clip that people will want to see and recommend to others to watch. The hook is at the core of any good viral campaign. Get creative and come up with a catchy plan!


2. Online video offers another outlet to showcase your brand. Make sure that you include your site logo or company logo on any streaming video that is released. If you create and submit video to video sharing websites or other channels, then using branded video clips will further increase your website and company exposure to potential customers.


3. Testimonials. These are incredibly popular and important. Again, they need to be genuine and not manufactured. By having real customers discuss why they chose your products or services and how it has been beneficial to them displays a great deal of credibility for your company. These are the videos that you will definitely want to promote on multiple social media sites!


4. Be genuine and real. If you are going to create a video about your company...film your real employees, in your office, doing real work. Don't "manufacture" a video that is fake and staged. People will see right through it.


5. Use video as a platform for your products. Show people how they work. Detail how and why your product is superior to competitors and why people should purchase your products. Highlight the benefits that customers will receive by purchasing your products.


6. If your business is service oriented, then show viewers how your services are performed. Explain to them what makes your services superior to competitors. Tell them why they should call or email you to procure your services.


7. Webinars (Web Seminars). These are what I like to tag as "stage 2" videos. These are training videos that primarily work best for websites who sell products. These webinars should be created to train your customers on how to properly use your products. Most of the time, this type of video will be much more detailed and involved. However, they are extremely important as well. When a potential customer wants to purchase a product, yet they are unfamiliar on how to effectively use it, they will be reassured to know that you have online videos available to them for additional training.


8. Once you have videos in place, continue to get creative. With the emergence and popularity of QR codes, you can now offer potential customers the ability to watch a video by scanning a QR code with their smartphone. Create and print new business cards for your company that feature a QR Code that card recipients can scan and then watch a video about your company, your products, or whatever you want them to view.

This certainly isn't an exhaustive list by any stretch. However, I hope it will compel you to think about the myriad of ways that online video can be beneficial to your company. With the constant expansion of Internet users each year, creative marketing is going to always be needed in order to succeed in the World Wide Web. Online video is emerging as one of the best and most effective ways to reach potential customers. So...grab on to it and use it creatively!

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Real Estate Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management from professional business cards company.

Can You Make a Great Impression in Seven Seconds?

In some circles of Internet Marketing, there is a pervasive thought that says you have less than 10 seconds to make a good impression with the homepage of any website. If someone views the homepage of a site and doesn't like it within the first 10 seconds…they leave and move on to another site. Some people say you have even less time! With many marketing professionals, they say it is around 7 seconds. 7 seconds?!

There are many people who use what is referred to as ‘The Rule of 7' in many facets of their lives and business. The number 7 comes up an incredible amount of times in everyday life. What's so special about the number seven? We have the Seven Wonders of the World, the seven seas, the seven deadly sins, the seven levels of hell, the seven primary colors, and the seven days of the week? What about the 7 tips for a better (insert your favorite topic here). Why are there only seven numbers in everyone's phone number?

There is no real concrete reason why the number seven is so heavily influences our lives. In 1956, psychologist George Miller, after extensive study, wrote a paper entitled, "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information". In his study, he equated seven to the maximum number of information segments that humans can process at any given time. While his view on the subject is somewhat contested in various circles, it does raise some interesting questions and ideas. Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist who took some of George Miller's ideas and ran with them in the realm of social psychology. In his book, Tipping Point, he says, "as human beings we can only handle so much information at once. Once we pass a certain boundary, we become overwhelmed." He then goes on to recount some of Miller's research and comes up with that boundary being near six or seven points maximum.

What we do know is that seven is an important number. So, if we use the ‘seven second impression' time limit as our benchmark in the design and presentation of your website's homepage and navigation, then how do we make the best use of those seven precious seconds? Since we're discussing the enigmatic number 7, let's create seven guidelines to use:

1. Simplicity. Simple, yet attractive works well. Unique and creative doesn't have to mean complicated and overwhelming. Many times too much action and information on a homepage becomes overwhelming, causing people to click away quickly. Many website designs feature seven main operation/navigation buttons (coincidence? Nah!).


2. Purpose. What is the purpose of the site? Make it immediately clear. "Great taste…Less Filling" is the idea here. Lean and mean. In the spirit of simplicity, get right to the point with the site's message. Where do you want to take a site visitor? Make it abundantly clear.


3. Consistency in Layout. Make sure that your site's layout remains consistent from page to page. People get frustrated when they have to search how to go from page 3 back to the home page. Ensure that your navigation process is simple and consistent throughout the entire site. Make sure that everything you incorporate into the site revolves around being user-friendly and interactive.


4. Know What the Competition is Doing. Research your competitor's sites, find out what they are doing right, and do it better on your company's site!


5. Professional in Content. While you may be considered the most knowledgeable person about your company's products and services, you're ability to write perfect prose may be questionable. It's always a good idea to hire a writer to create your site's content. Or, if you want to generate the message yourself, consider hiring a proofreader and/or editor to review the text for the site. It's in poor taste to have an excellently designed website that is full of run-on sentences, misspellings, and improper punctuation. Create a completely professional package by making sure your content is written correctly.


6. Test the Site Yourself. Put yourself in the position of a potential customer/site visitor. Use the site from their point of view. If the site is set up to process orders, then go through the entire order process. Make sure it is error free, not confusing, and transitions smoothly throughout the whole process.


7. Ask Others to Evaluate for You. Ask other people to use the site and review it for you. Asking for outside help can sometimes bring to light issues that you may have never noticed on your own. Try to use a broad cross section of people to review the site. In doing this you will get a good snapshot of the effectiveness of the site.

These seven guidelines are not all inclusive. There are other things that rank highly in importance too for ensuring you get the most "bang for your buck" in the precious seven to ten second opportunity you have with a visitor to your company's website. However, these are seven extremely critical components that should always be considered.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management.

International Relationship Marketing

Communication, Customers, and Connectivity

Relationship marketing is not a new marketing concept, however, it has become an increasingly more important concept in the modern economy. Relationship marketing basically uses a company's relationship with its current customers as the basis of targeted marketing efforts. This relationship is fostered and closely nurtured to ensure that customers are satisfied with their products or services and that they remain loyal to the company.

Customer Satisfaction

The most important element of relationship marketing is customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction, which can be achieved through quality customer service, quality products, and quality service, is used to not only retain customers and generate referral business, but it is also used as a source of marketing data. After all, satisfied customers are more willing to talk with company representatives about their experiences, to make recommendations (those all important word of mouth referrals), and to accept marketing materials.

There are several ways in which customer satisfaction can be used in relationship marketing. The first way is through an online opt-in communication system. Customers that want to receive promotional materials and communications from the company opt-in to an electronic mailing list. Viral marketing techniques can also be used as a part of a relationship marketing campaign that is designed to promote customer satisfaction.

Customer satisfaction can also be measured and monitored through the use of relatively new social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. Two great examples of companies that actively monitor social media channels (especially Twitter) are General Electric and Chili's. Both of these companies employ very aggressive tactics in the realm of social media to monitor what is being said about them, their products, and services.

Customer Retention

Customer retention is another focal point of relationship marketing. In this case the marketing professional would take steps to ensure the customer remains loyal to the company. This is usually accomplished by offering loyal customers special perks such as discounts, promotional items, private sales, and other rewards and incentives.

Once customer retention programs are in place and a relationship has been established, then the marketer can utilize relationship marketing strategies to mine data from the customer. This data may then be used to create customer retention measures, to identify problems, and to develop corrective plans for those identified problems.

Relationship Marketing

Unlike other types of marketing, the success of any relationship marketing campaign hinges on the ability of the marketer to establish an ongoing relationship with their customers. Relationship marketing has really come to the forefront for many companies, especially in the online/Internet realm. With debacles such as the "Motrin Moms", "United Breaks Guitars", the Nestle problem, and the @keyinfluencer/FedEx issue, it's become more and more apparent that companies need to dedicate time and effort in developing, maintaining, and monitoring appropriate relationship marketing tactics.

As social media continues to develop and grow, relationship marketing tactics will continue to evolve and change as well. Companies large and small need to take a proactive step in their relationship marketing - especially in the main online communities such as Twitter and Facebook. With the speed in which bad experiences, poor service, poor performance, or inappropriate actions can be reported and spread online, the need for vigilance in relationship marketing has never been greater.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management. Be part of the professional business cards company.

Six Tips for Managing Your Company's Social Media Presence

Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, GoWalla, LinkedIn...which do you use? Which ones should you use and why? Business marketing is being reshaped by these platforms and it's important to understand their usefulness for your company and learn how to manage/monitor your company's image with them.

There is a great deal of useful information on the Internet now that discusses the subject of social media and business. If you're relatively new to the social media realm and you do a quick search, you'll quickly get the feeling that you're in over your head. But, don't despair!

As mentioned earlier, there are many different available platforms that are attractive, viable, and easy to use for business owners. Each one offers a slightly different twist or service...making it somewhat necessary to use more than just one. In light of that fact, we thought it would be helpful to highlight the strengths for several of these marketing "game-shapers".

Before you dive in and start using any social media service, it's important to create a plan for your business. While you are working to develop that plan, we want to reinforce six critical components directly related to the use of social media that will aid you in developing your own use policy and guidelines:

1. Don't simply delegate your company's social media plan and involvement to someone else - whether it's an employee or an outside social media expert. As the owner of your company, you know your brand better than anyone! You understand the importance of reputation, image, and professionalism way more than any of your employees. It's important to take a little time, learn the fundamentals, apply them to your company's overall social media engagement plan, and find the social media systems that work best for your business.


2. Social media is about return on engagement. It's also a critical component to include in your relationship marketing in today's society. Don't expect massive interest in your products or services without some work on your part. Social media isn't a magical, sales-boosting potion.


3. Social media isn't an opportunity to reinvent your brand, but to widen your brand's reach. Remember the mantra, "if you're not networking, you're not working." That is extremely evident in the online world. In social media, it's all about connecting with people, LISTENING, and refining your products, services, and marketing approach.


4. Read the article "10 Commandments of Modern Marketing". http://www.clickz.com/3636027. This excellent article would be a great foundation for any company's marketing plan across the board—not just in the social media realm, but in every facet of how to effectively market your company's products or services. This article is helpful for both new and seasoned business owners to read and apply to their marketing strategy. Be sure to read the comments too as many good insights are in them as well.


5. Your customers, clients, and partners are watching and reading...EVERYTHING. It's critical to remember this! Social media is a great tool for genuine interaction with people all over the world. But, if you do it wrong, it can create heaps of trouble for you and your business. Two great examples of this are what happened with Motrin and with James Andrews from Ketchum, a PR firm for FedEx at the time. http://mashable.com/2008/11/16/motrin-moms/ http://www.davidhenderson.com/2009/01/21/key-online-influencer/


6. Do a lot of listening. Don't just try and shove products and services at people you're connected with on Facebook and Twitter. Simply engage in conversation. Be genuine. When it's appropriate, you can mention your products and services. But, for the most part focus on the "social" part. Marketing opportunities will present themselves if people see that you're truly interested in them.

We hope these six principles will be beneficial for you as you develop your own game plan for using social media. Even if you have already incorporated social media into your company's marketing plan, there are still many concepts and principles listed here that may be useful to you as you further refine your use of social media and as new, exciting services emerge.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Cheap Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management.

Business Networking Tips

There is a maxim in the business world, "Network or not work." A growing number of professional networking efforts are a manifestation of putting this maxim to practice. One of the major keys to networking is communication. The importance of communication can never be denied in any walk of life, particularly when it comes to dealing with business. One of the most effective communication tools in the corporate world is a business card! Are you heading to a local or regional "TweetUp" or perhaps a LinkedIn get together where you'll be able to meet potential clients, partners, and customers? If so, you need to ensure that your business cards are up to date with accurate information and are visually appealing to the people that you meet. Whether you are using it to expand your professional network or for establishing new working relationships, a business card says a lot about you and your business before you verbally introduce yourself.

Just as planning is necessary for every step in growing your business, planning for what type of business card you want to design is critical as well. To begin with, you should have an idea of a background you want, which type of font style you like, and how you want your information displayed on the card. Do you have a company logo or do you want to have a picture of yourself or your business on your card? If so, you have the option of uploading your logo or photo and placing wherever you wish on your card while you're using the Card Editor to create it. Don't forget about the back of your business card! Use it to print a message, a coupon, or directions to your business. Don't be afraid to get creative with the backside of your business card. This is valuable advertising space for your company - take advantage of it and use it. Printing on the back of your card can be vital in disseminating company information at networking events big and small.

QR Codes are a new emerging technology trend that is finding its way onto business cards too. QR Codes can be an extremely effective, visually appealing way to make a statement at your next business networking event. QR Codes are eye catching and you can pack them full of information about you, your company, a specific product or whatever you wish - the sky's the limit. Card recipients can easily scan your QR code with their smartphone and immediately learn more about your company or save your contact information directly in their address book.

Whether you're attending a Chamber of Commerce function, a Rotary luncheon, or participating in a social media driven networking event, it's important to have an up to date, usable and effective business card that you can place into the hands of potential customers as you meet them.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management.

Marketing Code of Ethics

Marketing professionals are responsible for following a professional code of ethics. This code of ethics, which is written and monitored by the American Marketing Association, outlines how marketing professionals should act and how their services should be formatted and distributed to the public. If you are a marketing professional, or if you are responsible for your company's marketing, then you need to learn this code of ethics and apply it to your marketing strategies.

Trustworthiness

The first element of the marketing code of ethics is trustworthiness. This characteristic not only needs to be applied to the marketing professional's actions, but it also has to be applied to their marketing products. To comply with this segment of the marketing code of ethics marketers need to create marketing campaigns that accurately reflect what the product is intended to do and they also need to sell their services to new clients based on their actual qualifications.

Do No Harm

Another important aspect of the marketing code of ethics is the "do no harm" clause. This clause simply means that marketers follow all marketing laws and that they follow professional codes of ethics for the industries they create marketing campaigns for. For example, marketers cannot make statements about a product that they know to be false. This is why the advertisements for psychic lines have a disclaimer printed at the bottom of the screen or ad that informs people that the line is for entertainment purposes only.

Respect

Respect is yet another important element of the marketing code of ethics. This element is very important for marketers to master, as a lack of respect will hurt their business and the businesses that they create marketing campaigns for. To comply with the respect clause of the marketing code of ethics, marketers need to listen to and respect the opinions and desires of their clients, as well as create marketing campaigns that are respectful of people's differences.

Citizenship

The final element of the marketing code of ethics is citizenship. Citizenship, in regards to marketing, means that the marketing professional is an active and valuable member of their community. To accomplish this professional goal the marketer needs to protect the environment, give back to their communities via volunteerism and they need to promote fair trade practices. Finally, acts of citizenship will focus on creating a stronger and more effective marketing community.

Gayle Hawks president of Color Card Administrator is the author of this content. Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management.

The Term Social Marketing

The term social marketing has been used to describe two different things. The first thing it is used to describe is a process of marketing to improve the social condition of the world. The second definition is used to describe the process of using social networking sites and online tools to market a company. I will be using the second definition as my focus for this article.

Social marketing made a big splash in the world of Internet marketing just a few years ago. New Internet activities like blogging, video clips, and other viral marketing devices caught on quickly, and soon outpaced established online advertising methods like keyword ads and banner ads. Because of this new trend in online advertising, many companies have begun to broaden their marketing campaigns to include social marketing strategies.

Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and GoWalla

These social media sites are receiving the most attention these days from online marketing experts for companies large and small. The power to influence yielded by these websites is immense. There are many excellent articles that have been written detailing good methods and strategies to employ for companies large and small who desire to engage the public using these sites. Even if you're not actively marketing your company on these sites, it's important to maintain a presence on them so that you can monitor what is being said about your business and about your competitors.

Blogging

Blogging is still one of the most popular social marketing strategies currently being used by companies and websites to attract customers and web traffic. Blogging is a web log that provides readers with a periodic posting of information. This information is written by a topic expert and usually relates to the focus of the website or a company's products and services. In order to be successful, a blog needs to be formatted as a discussion or informative article, it needs to include links to the site's product and services pages and it needs to offer a way for readers to leave their comments and carry on discussions with the blog writer(s).

Viral Video

Another popular form of social marketing is the use of video. This marketing strategy involves uploading fun or interesting video clips to a website, such as YouTube and Vimeo in the hopes that people will like it and tell other people to view it and pass it on. This creates word of mouth advertising that can spread like wild fire. Think about the effects of some of the popular videos that you know of ("Charlie bit my finger!", "United Breaks Guitars", and a host of others. Videos, when they're effective and truly go viral can generate millions of views.

eBooks

An older, but still effective form of viral marketing is the eBook. An eBook is basically a short manual or basic "how to" guide that is offered free of charge to people who complete a requested task. For example, you can offer an eBook to people who sign up for your website's newsletter or who enter a drawing on your site. The main purpose of giving away an eBook is to attract people to your website, however, it can also help you to develop an opt-in mailing list for your company. In order for an eBook to be a successful social marketing tool, it will need to provide valuable information.

Social marketing online is an ever changing, evolving landscape. It's important to engage, participate, and monitor what works and what doesn't work. Most importantly, social marketing allows your company to have a direct link with customers and potential customers. It allows you to directly engage your niche audience and strategize a method to reach them that is beneficial for your company and for them as customers.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management.

David Ogilvy - The "Father of Modern Advertising"

David Ogilvy is considered to be the "father of modern advertising." His methodologies and professional philosophies revolutionized the marketing industry, and they continue to play an important role in the marketing industry today. The foundation of his marketing principles was comprised of four major components: research, creative brilliance, professional discipline, and results. These components are incredibly important to look at and very helpful to owners of businesses - large and small.

Research

Research is one of the cornerstones of the Ogilvy's marketing success. This is because his background was in research, and this is what he knew. David Ogilvy felt that the success of any marketing campaign was dependent on the amount and quality of research that the marketing professional did. He felt that it was very important to know the target demographic that you were trying to reach before you started working on the advertising campaign. Do you invest a lot into researching tactics and products that are offered by your competitors? It's something to consider and think about...

Professional Discipline

Professional discipline was another cornerstone of Ogilvy's marketing philosophy. This element of his philosophy put a great deal of stock in the importance of professional training. Ogilvy felt that knowing your craft was as important to a successful marketing campaign as the creative aspects of the campaign's design. Again, this is one of those points where it's good to do some self-evaluation. Are you well-versed and skilled in your profession? Are there some things that you should brush up on in order to make you more effective and valuable to your customers and clients?

Creative Brilliance

Another important element of the Ogilvy marketing machine was creative brilliance. Ogilvy felt that generating ‘the Big Idea" was key to the success of a marketing firm, and a marketing campaign. Ogilvy himself was credited with several "Big Ideas" during his career including the slogan, "at 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock" and many, many more.

Results

The final element of Ogilvy's successful marketing philosophy was results. He felt that creative genius was basically useless if you couldn't sell your ideas afterward. This means that successful marketing executives not only needed to be creative professionals, but they also needed to be able to sell themselves and their ideas to their clients. Are you seeing results from your efforts? Do you have metrics in place to measure the effectiveness of your marketing strategies?

Learning More About David Ogilvy

During his life David Ogilvy wrote three books on marketing and his marketing philosophy. These books included "Confessions of an Advertising Man" published in 1963, "Blood, Brains & Beer" published in 1974 and "Ogilvy on Advertising." All of these books are great reference materials for marketing professionals and small business owners.

David Ogilvy's strategies are ones that we try to employ daily at CCA. We work hard to research new business avenues, refine our customer service, sharpen our design skills, improve our websites, and create useful tools for our clients. We are a results driven company. How do we measure results? We measure them in the number of happy, satisfied customers. We aim to please every customer that orders business cards from our company.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management.

The Long Tail: Background

The term 'long tail' has traditionally been confined to the field of statistics where it was used to describe the distribution of wealth within a system. However, in the October 2004 edition of Wired Magazine, writer Chris Anderson applied this term to a unique collection of modern business models. These business models based their corporate success on selling lower quantities of a larger selection of products. This formula, surprisingly, allowed online distributors to corner a unique niche in the market and they made a killing.

The Long Tail Business Model

The long tail business model is based on a unique business strategy; sell lower quantities of a lot of different hard to find items. For example, instead of selling 10,000 copies of two or three best selling videos, an online store can make more money by selling 10 copies of 10,000 harder to find videos. Companies such as Amazon have further improved their profit margin by coupling popular items with harder to find items. In doing this, they have been able to cash in on both business market advantages.

Amazon is the Best Example of The Long Tail in Action

As mentioned above, Amazon is one of the most successful examples of the long tail business model. Amazon was one of the first online companies to really perfect this marketing strategy. Today the site offers hard to find items like out of print books and collectibles, as well as in-demand items like newly released DVDs, bestselling books, popular clothing items and in-demand household items. Amazon also offers new textbooks and text book exchanges. Actually, at this point, there isn't much that you can't find or purchase via Amazon!

Developing a Business Using Long Tail Marketing Strategies

In order to develop a successful long tail business you first need to understand why they are successful. You can do this by studying successful long tail businesses like Amazon and Netflix, which is another prime example. Next you will want to figure out what merchandise you can offer that people will be interested in. For example, you can sell hard to find candies, you can sell hard to find auto parts, or perhaps you can sell hard to find toys. Take a look at your own passions and analyze whether or not there is enough of a business margin to perhaps invest in a business that follows your passions. Finally, you need to develop an online interface that will: attract a lot of traffic, be able to display your available items in an attractive manner, allow easy searches of your inventory, have the ability to handle online sales and be integrated into your inventory and bookkeeping systems.

Once You're Ready to Launch or Promote Your Business, You'll Need Business Cards Too

We too have pursued an aggressive long tail strategy within our business. We offer business cards in just about every business and personal niche we can think of! For those niches that we haven't discovered just yet, we offer customers the ability to request a customized, professionally designed business card from our Featured Artist Community. So, when you're ready to launch your new venture, come to us for your business cards.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Real Estate Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cards design or business card management.

A Proud Sponsor of Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego

Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego rescues and provides quality foster care for injured, abandoned, abused and handicapped Chihuahuas in the San Diego area. This non- profit animal welfare group provides food, shelter, and medical attention to those small dogs that are in such need. CRSD places them in foster homes and helps to find a loving family to adopt them permanently.

In addition to food and shelter, CRSD provides spaying and neutering services and other medical attention for those Chihuahuas that have been abused or injured. Their love and wonderful care rehabilitates these little dogs so that they can live a life filled with love, happiness, and hope rather than neglect and mistreatment.

Chihuahuas are lively and likeable, comical and courageous, and above all sweet and saucy dogs that can bring love and joy into your home. These small dogs can feel threatened easily so in some cases they might not be a good fit with a family that has small children. But these spunky little dogs are a joy to have around and need the love of a family who appreciates them. It is therefore important to ensure that this small breed is the right pet for your home.

As a non-profit, CRSD relies on the support of volunteers, sponsors, and donations to keep their business going. They hold regular events at local pet stores and attend events such as the Annual Doggie Street Festival, Paws in the Park in Solana Beach and the Dog Days of Summer held in Cardiff by the Sea. All of these activities require help from volunteers and donations of goods and services to keep the Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego afloat and able to sustain their worthwhile services.

As a sponsor of CRSD, Color Card Administrator is proud to assist this worthy cause that provides aid to small animals that have been subject to neglect or abuse and are well deserving of the care that they are receiving at CRSD. We admire the people who are dedicated to caring for these precious little Chihuahuas that are in such need and we look forward to continuing our support of this important non-profit that offers refuge for small dogs in the San Diego area.

If you're a business owner, we encourage you to get involved with a local non-profit organization in some capacity. There are many excellent local non-profit organizations in your area and we're confident that any help you offer to them will be well received and put to good use. Whether you offer products, services, or volunteer time through your company, rest assured that it will be a rewarding experience for not only the non-profit you're working with, but also for you and your staff. Get involved - you'll enjoy it.

Gayle Hawks is President of Color Card Administrator (CCA). CCA is comprised of a combination of online industries involving business cards, stock photography, and e-commerce software licensing. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding real estate business cards design or business card management.

Branding Mistakes Related to Business Cards

Everyone knows that if you own a business or provide some type of service you need to have a business card. Business cards are a means of marketing your company and telling a prospective client who and what you are – and what you do. But what exactly do you need to have on your business card?

Most people think that the standard items listed on a business card include:

• The name of the company
• Your title
• Your address
• Your other contact information such as e-mail address, telephone, etc.
• Your services or specialties

But which of these items really need to be there? Let's look at them one at a time.

• The name of the company – unless it is a big corporation with a brand name that will ensure that you get inside the door, the company name is not absolutely essential. Instead you can use something like "Make an Impression Using My Limo Services" if you are a limousine driver and want to increase your customer base. People will know that you have a limousine service so they don't need to know that the name of the company is ABC Services because it doesn't mean anything.
• Your title – if your title really means something like an Engineering Consultant, then it's important to the services you provide. But if your title is Vice President of the B Team that doesn't really mean anything.
• Your address – this is important because it confirms that you are a legitimate business. Many people who work from home do not like to put their address on their business card, but you need to have some address like a post office box so that people will have confidence that you are a legitimate business.
• Your other contact information – this is vital and probably the most important part of the business card because it is the way that people can contact you. After all – that is the whole point of providing a business card.
• Your services or products – most people will not take the time to read a list of services or products. For one thing – those products or services may change over time and consequently your list will be obsolete.

Keep the business card simple with pertinent information that is essential to new business. Also, don't be afraid to create several different business card versions - keeping in mind the different types of uses and circumstances where they will come in handy for marketing your company. A simple card may be best in certain situations, but a full fledged, information packed card that uses the front and back of your business card may be the best thing to give out in other circumstances.

Gayle Hawks is President of Color Card Administrator (CCA). CCA is comprised of a combination of online industries involving business cards, stock photography, and e-commerce software licensing. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Online Business Cards. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding real estate business cards design or business card management.

Business Cards Make Good Sense for Job Seekers

Competition is tough today for job seekers who need every advantage to even get in the door for an interview. Once they get the interview, they need to have an edge that gets them noticed even more and makes them stand out in the crowd of people lining up for every potential job.

So - besides having the experience necessary and the credentials and qualifications that are required for the job, what can you do that is a little bit unique and that gets a potential employer to really focus on you? Most people think that having a good resume and a winning personality will land them the job if they get the interview - and in many cases that might be true. But sometimes a little bit of extra finesse can land you the job when an employer is deciding between two equally qualified candidates.

You could easily swing the vote in your favor with something as simple as a personal business card. A personal business card can have the usual contact information on the front of it with your name, address, e-mail, website, and phone numbers - as well as social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. But you can dramatically change your card to include a mini resume on the reverse side listing your degrees, certifications and other unique characteristics that make you the most qualified for the job you are interviewing for. You can even personalize these cards for each interview to ensure that the information about your qualifications is perfectly suited for each company and position.

A personal job seeker business card shows the employer that you take yourself seriously and that you are very interested in their job. It shows you have initiative and it shows how innovative you are in your thinking. If you are looking for temporary positions or part-time work, then the mini resume on a card keeps it handy for an employer to call you when there is a need for your services.

On our main website, you will find cards suitable for any type of position with templates readily available to provide you with the best business cards to showcase your qualifications for a job interview and future work.

We also just launched the capability of ordering cards in quantities of 250. This gives you the opportunity to spend a little less, yet still have a professionally designed and printed card that will accurately reflect your professional desires.

Color Card Administrator is the parent company of PrintBusinessCards.com and several other innovative Jobseekers Business Cards website, we're eager to share with you what it is we do. Give us a call today at 858-522-9335 or email at Author@CardAdmin.com for Personal Business Cards Services. We look forward to discussing your comments, suggestions, or hearing any ideas for future article topics you may be interested in regarding business cardsdesign or business card management.

Consumer Buying Behavior – Do You Know Your Customers?

When it comes to buying products and services, people are motivated by many different factors such as finances, lifestyle, personal taste, and need. Some products are more necessary than others so they often take precedence over other products that might be more discretionary. An example of such might be foregoing the purchase of the latest greatest smartphone and instead getting some much needed clothing for work. All of these factors are generally considered when someone is interested in making a purchase.

A business owner needs to understand the buying behavior of his clients to ensure that he caters to their needs and desires. Obviously cost will be a factor for some people so often some items are simply out of reach financially, but you can still cater to their other needs and simpler, easier to attain desires. Generally speaking, a person who has a limited purchasing budget will buy a cheaper model of phone rather than one with all the newest, fanciest applications and software loaded onto it. As a business owner, you can still fulfill their need for style by offering snazzy colors and lots of accessories for a lower cost phone as well as higher priced ones to satisfy the needs of customers regardless of their financial buying power.

The demographics surrounding your business are also extremely important to ensure you are presenting your products to your audience correctly. If middle-income professionals who are younger surround you, your products should reflect that group's desires and needs. If the area surrounding your business is higher income, older established clientele, your product lines should reflect those tastes. Other factors that can impact the buying behavior are cultural differences or whether you live in a city or a small town as needs will differ in all of these instances.

The media and peer pressure heavily influence younger people. They feel compelled to have the latest, newest products out, so they might be more interested in something that has lots of visual appeal and pizzazz rather than the quality of the product or if it is the best value for the price. Often times, an older person will be looking for practicality and getting the best "bang for their buck". As a business owner your most important lesson to learn is to know your customer and understand their buying behavior so that you can ensure you are marketing your products and services effectively.

Gayle Hawks is President of Color Card Administrator (CCA). CCA is comprised of a combination of online industries involving real estate business cards, stock photography, and e-commerce business cards software licensing.