HMG Creative was recently hired for a complete business card redesign for Austin based Shango, an Integration-as-a-Service Platform Provider that unifies the way Telecom Operators access and manage their ever expanding number of 3rd party technologies through GSM or USIM protocols.  Although their brand remains in tact, a creative twist to the composition’s layout yields a fresh new feel.  Black satin cards with rounded corners and spot UV treatment gives Shango a sophisticated look that matches the company’s distinguished image.

HMG Creative recently developed a trade show video for CliniComp, Intl., a clinical documentations company out of San Diego. The 2 minute video, created for the HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) Annual Show and Conference in Las Vegas, displayed at CliniComp’s booth on an over 110″ screen, showcasing the company, it’s services that support MIG welder reviews but also over 100 hospitals globally and the launching of CliniComp’s mobile application.

As you probably already know, or maybe are just noticing, changes for your brand’s Facebook page have just rolled out as of this past Friday, March 30^th.  All Facebook brand pages have now been converted to the Timeline layout that most of us have seen on many of our friends’ personal pages.  With this conversion come many changes your company should be aware of; there are pros and cons.

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With more than 100 million registered users, LinkedIn is the number one professional networking website online today. As the popular site becomes more commonly referenced as a hiring and promotion resource, businesses should be familiar with how LinkedIn can help build their brands and increase company awareness. Ready to get started? Let’s dive in.

Flesh Out Your Profile

The most important thing you can do to boost visibility on LinkedIn is to flesh your profile out as much as possible. Make sure profile completion is at 100% and be sure to include as many skills and experiences as possible in order to increase your likelihood of showing up in search results.

Create a Company Page

LinkedIn’s Company Page feature helps you network with other businesses, gets you listed with Google’s search engine, and creates a platform for you to promote company news and services. Your company page includes information such as a company description, specialties, logos, Twitter and RSS feeds, company news, career opportunities, and more. Fill out each section of your company profile as completely as possible to boost visibility and attract page views.

Build Credibility with Groups and Answers

These two features are essential for building brand awareness. Let’s take a closer look at how they can boost your credibility:

• Groups—By joining a LinkedIn group or starting your own group, you can connect with others in your field or with potential customers. Taking an active part in group discussions also demonstrates expertise in your field. If you’re starting your own group, be sure the headline communicates clearly what the group’s purpose is in order to attract the right types of contacts.
• Answers—The Answers section enables you to provide input on questions relative to your field, thereby demonstrating your knowledge of the subject matter and increasing the relevance of your comments throughout the site. Posting on other members’ questions also increases your visibility and can establish you as a credible, thinking leader within your field.

Promote Your Company Profile

Once you have established your brand within LinkedIn itself, you can begin promoting your company profile on other venues. Invite followers with a button placed on your website, blog, email communications, and other points of contact.

Ultimately, the best advice I can offer regarding LinkedIn is this: keep it current. By making sure your profile remains up to date and that you’re interacting regularly, you can ensure that you stay visible to the people you want to reach.

Everywhere you look someone is texting, emailing, looking up a product or Googling on their phone.  In fact, 91 percent of all US citizens have a mobile device within reach 24/7. This is why many companies are contemplating launching a mobile site if they haven’t already like www.badcreditmobiles.net/blog. But it seems even more business owners debate the value of having a second site when their traditional site can open up on a smartphone browser “just fine” and may be reluctant to spend the extra money. Well, with over 100 million smartphone users in the US alone and half of all search being performed on a mobile device, the value and necessity for a mobile web site is higher than ever.

Below are top reasons why you need to launch a mobile site to compliment your traditional website.

Content Prioritization

• Mobile browsing is all about an easy, accessible experience. In comparison to desktop web sites (which usually contain a wide range of content and information) mobile sites include only the most crucial time- and location-specific functions and features. Traditional websites are too content-heavy, complicated and usually not relevant for practical mobile use.
• Traditional websites simply can’t give mobile users what they need. They are designed to be viewed on a computer screen instead of a mobile device. This means that regular websites, while still serve a purpose, are not effective for a mobile user with broken links and cluttered information. Too much chaos on a little screen equals high bounce rates and a negative response to your company.

Rank Higher in Search

• Because of their simplicity in nature, mobile websites have higher speed, making the visitor experience more pleasurable and this means increased relevancy to search engines.
• Mobile allows you to have the advantage of coming up higher in search engine results for local searches performed on mobile devices. This means that when people search for your type of product or service using their mobile device, you can show up higher in the results just because you have a mobile website.

Increased Conversions

• A mobile site makes it easier for on the go visitors to easily access information. Conversions increase as users can contact you with one-click calling, one-click email, and instant directions. This eliminates the need for your customers to take “extra steps” in order to contact or visit your business. In the age of instant information, an extra click could mean missed opportunities.
• Integrating social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube with your mobile website is simple and will help retain your visitors and increase customer base and lead generation.
• Fact: Mobile coupons get 10 times the redemption rate of traditional coupons.

Friendly User Experience = Repeat Interaction

• Mobile sites help you attract both new and repeat customers by giving your business instant appeal when visitors land on your clean mobile site with all of the important information clearly and easily accessible.
• When users are successful in finding what they need while visiting a mobile website, they’re more likely to come back. When mobile users land on a website that is distorted, they quickly exit and make a mental note never to return.

Bottom-Line:

Your customers and potential customers are utilizing mobile for almost every aspect of their daily lives. To stay relevant and accessible you must adapt your web strategy to align with the current mobile trends, which are only going to increase. Mobile gives you the advantage over your competitors; most of which are not yet leveraging the powerful benefits of mobile marketing.

Want a free assessment of your site to know how you can improve interaction with a mobile site? Give us a call and mention this blog post to receive $200 off your new sleek, very mobile interface.

How do you define a great email campaign? Effective copy, concise subject line, clear call-to-action, sure. But putting hours of effort into an email campaign means nothing if you don’t see results. A successful campaign boils down to your brand understanding how to meet (and exceed) the expectations of your audience.

I, like most of us, am subscribed to numerous newsletters for a wide variety of reasons. Some for aggregated news purposes, business tips, daily deals or retail companies that offer value. I think we all know our favorites by the excitement we get seeing the new email freshly unopened in our inbox. This for marketers is a dream come true; these loyal subscribers are the pulse of the messages they create and move the needle for what’s to come.

A company recently caught my attention and now goes into a short list of brands that I not only enjoy watching, but admire their email campaigns and overall integrated marketing.

One night, killing some time before dinner I walked around downtown San Diego and went into the Goorin Bros. hat shop. The store pulled us in and almost back in time as we tried on hats reminiscent of the 1960s, old derby days that radiated class. It was so fun spending time in the store that on my way out I wrote my name in a book to be added to their newsletter list.

A few days later I received my first email from the Goorin Bros. and I was able to open it on my phone without a hitch. I thought the email looked very clean, sharp and with closer notice to this and emails to come, I was continually impressed with the beautiful, thoughtful design, clear messaging and access to information.

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Stop.  Step back and take a look at your business, not from your point of view, but from the eyes of the consumer.  We all get wrapped up in the day-to-day operations of our business and it’s easy to overlook our appearance from the outside.  With a wealth of information at our fingertips, the first impression of a company is most often derived from its website as a person searches for a particular product or service.  As we know, first impressions are critical.  So take a moment to pull up your website and ask yourself the following questions (keep your customer in mind when doing so):  Can you find your website in a Google search for your product or service?  Is the site visually appealing?  Is the content up to date?  Can you find the information you are looking for and is it easy to navigate?  Does the overall design and layout look modern?  Compared to other sites for competing companies, would your online storefront win the business?

If your answer to any of the above questions is “no”, then perhaps it’s time to rethink your online strategy and consider a website redesign.  An out of date website can give an impression that the core of your business is outdated as well.  If you walked into a dental clinic sporting wood panel walls, orange shag carpet and an office manager on a rotary phone, would you feel comfortable asking for a root canal?  Ok, so nobody in his or her right mind would ever ask for a root canal!  My point is that this could be the best dentist around, but you would never know based on the first impression from walking into the office.  Take a moment and ask yourself this:  How do you want your business to be perceived and does your website give off this perception?

Aesthetic appeal is important and pertains to the artistic design and layout of your website.  Overall, this will have the most impact on the first impression of your business.  Studies have shown that little things such as a color scheme or font choice can have a psychological impact on one’s perception.  The layout for graphic elements and information is also important and should flow in a way that coincides with the natural tendencies our eyes have in scanning a page.  Believe it or not, there are hot spots where eyes tend to gravitate on websites and this needs to be taken into consideration. More information on eye movement patterns as it relates to web design can be found here.

Functionality and user experience of a site is also extremely important.  How many times have you searched for information on a particular site, gave up and moved on?  Information needs to be logically organized so the average person can easily navigate in its search.  Keep it simple and remember that often times, less is more.   Too many pages, especially if not properly organized, can confuse and frustrate people to the point that they continue their search elsewhere.

Speaking of searching, if people can’t find your site when searching for your product or service, you’re missing out on potential new business.  Designing a site with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind and having a strategy in doing so is crucial.  Social media integration, blogging and updating your site on a regular basis with current information will improve a site’s SEO, thus making it easier to find during a search.  In the SEO world, remember that content is king.  Also, being able to measure traffic and results is a must; if Google Analytics hasn’t been integrated, it needs to be.

Now that you’ve had a chance to think about a few things concerning your company’s website, ask yourself one more question:  If someone is searching online for your product or service, who’s going to get the call; you or the competition?  If it’s not you, then it’s time for an upgrade.

Give us a call today and ask about our special for May!  For more information contact, Rob Ridgeway, at 512-994-4429 or [email protected]

When was the last time you went to a website and thought to yourself, “Wow, this copywriting is really fantastic! Look at all the bullet points!” Yeah, me neither. That’s because good copywriting is like the lighting guy at a concert: invisible, but essential for showcasing the main attraction (your information). Bad copywriting crashes the party by jumping in front of the information and hollering “Look at me! I’m making it harder for you to find what you want!” Writing effective online copy is all about identifying the party-crashers and escorting them from the premises so you can showcase the main attraction.

Party Crasher #1: Complicating the Message

In any given industry, you have jargon, technical terms, and insider idioms that you use when communicating with others in the business. If you bombard you website audience with these things, however, you’re making it harder for them to understand what you mean. So don’t make them get a realtor’s license in order to understand your real estate website. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

Party Crasher #2:  Grammar By the Book

I’m a firm believer in good grammar and spelling. However, with online writing you get to break a few rules—discreetly. It’s okay, and even desirable, to use sentence fragments, begin sentences with “And” or “But,” use slang, and write in first person. The goal is to be conversational, talking with your readers rather than at them.

Party Crasher #3: Disguising Your Main Points

You’ve got fabulous information that your target audience needs to know. But if you disguise it as a long, boring paragraph, they’ll never get around to reading it. Show off your main points with bullets, numbered lists, and bolding.

Party Crasher #4: Becoming a Slave to Keywords

Keywords are an essential SEO tool, and every website needs them. But when your copywriting becomes a slave to your keywords, it can sound stilted and disjointed. Effective keyword density generally hovers between 1% and 5%. Keywords should appear in titles and headings and should sound natural when used in your copy.

Party Crasher #5: Robotic Style

Remember the computer from the original Star Trek series? For any non-trekkie people out there, it spoke in monotone, sounded robotic, and communicated only the essentials. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, however, the computer had acquired a personality. Now she was feminine, warm, and personable. That’s the difference you want to achieve in your writing style: the difference between “it” and “she.” Let your personality shine through in your writing.

When you simplify your message, write conversationally, highlight your main points, use keywords effectively, and develop personality in your writing, you effectively escort the party-crashers off-stage and allow your fabulous information to enjoy the limelight. It is, after all, what the audience came to see.

I “Like” you. I’ll “Share” you with my friends if you impress me. If I really “Like” you, I may even “Comment” about you. No, these are not notes dug out of a middle-school girl’s locker. They’re the short version of what (hopefully) goes on in the minds of your Facebook fans every time they see your content in their newsfeed. Want to know how to engage your fans even more? First let’s talk about how you earn a spot in the newsfeed to start with, and then we’ll discuss some strategies that will increase visibility.

EdgeRank Demystified

Edgerank is the mysterious algorithm used by Facebook to determine which news stories show up in the newsfeed. Fortunately, the Facebook wizards have given us three factors that affect this all-important process:

• Affinity—Likes, shares, and comments determine a fan’s affinity, or engagement with your brand.
• Weight—Weight measures how popular your site is overall. It’s determined by how people engage and how often they engage with your content.
• Time—Time refers (obviously) to how old your post is. Newer posts are deemed more important than older ones.

How to Build Your Brand With EdgeRank

Now that you know the three factors that determine your Edgerank score, you can build your Facebook strategy around maximizing their impact.

• Create Fabulous Content

Valuable content is still the best way to earn fan engagement, and of the possible content formats, photos tend to carry the most bang for your buck. Make your content fun, upbeat, and relevant to the reader’s life.

• Give Your Audience What They Want

People are on Facebook to interact, smile, or otherwise get a boost for the day. So give your fans what they want. Study them to find out what kinds of content they engage with most often (pictures, videos, or witty comments?) and when they’re most likely to consume that content. Then tailor your posts accordingly.

• Practice the Three S’s

The most popular posts tend to be short, straightforward and seasonable. As people scroll through a newsfeed, they don’t generally take the time to read long posts. So keep it short. Don’t be afraid to ask for likes, shares, and comments. And be sure to include current content about breaking news, trending topics, and holiday items.

• Follow Up

Once you’ve earned the coveted engagement, follow-up by replying with a comment yourself. Many times, your comment will earn another like, strengthening your connection with that fan even more.

Capitalize on the Edgerank process by catering your posts to your audience. As you earn their loyalty with quality content, engaging and readable posts, and reliable follow up, you’ll see a boost in your Edgerank score. And that’s the key to staying visible.

You may remember the “Operation Ghost Click” in November of last year when the FBI tracked down hackers who were attempting to control over 570,000 computers worldwide through malware causing a DNS change. Unfortunately, shutting down the malicious hacker servers also meant shutting down the thousands of users’ internet that were infected with the DNS change, with the majority of users not aware the change occurred.  To buy time and protect the affected public from the numerous scams they were now susceptible to, the FBI launched a safety net bringing in a private company to launch two clean servers to redirect thousands of computers from the hacker’s server and maintain internet access.

The temporary solution shuts down on Monday July, 9 and will leave thousands without internet should they not diagnose and fix the malware before the deadline.

Despite all the warnings from the FBI and notices from Facebook and Google if they suspect your computer has a DNS change, the AP reports that 227,000 computers are still infected and 64,000 being in the US, including 50 Fortune 500 companies. Internet providers like Comcast are also doing their part in educating and warning their customers through letters and messages, however thousands are still in the dark and will be on Monday as well.

If you haven’t already, visit the site below that the FBI set up to check if your devices are infected:

http://www.dns-ok.us

If the screen shows up green, you are good to go. If the screen is red, your computer or other device is infected. Remember, even if you check your computer manually (see below) and the DNS comes up clean, another device could be the problem if you are using a wireless router. The router could even be infected spreading the malware to any device, laptop, game platform that connects to it.

If you are infected: The most comprehensive resource I found is afterdawn.com. James Delahunty gives straight forward, step-by-step instructions on how to switch back your malicious DNS back to normal settings on a PC or Mac or fix your malware infection on a wireless router.

Users who want to check their configuration manually need to look out for the following IP address ranges:
• 85.255.112.0 to 85.255.127.255
• 67.210.0.0 to 67.210.15.255
• 93.188.160.0 to 93.188.167.255
• 77.67.83.0 to 77.67.83.255
• 213.109.64.0 to 213.109.79.255
• 64.28.176.0 to 64.28.191.255

Check DNS on Windows XP
• Click Start Menu.
• Click Run.
• Type “CMD” (without quotes).
• Type “ipconfig /all” (without quotes) and press Enter.
• Look through the results for Local Area Connection settings. Find “DNS Servers”.
• If the DNS server ranges match any of the malicious ranges shown above, then you are affected.

Check DNS on Windows Vista / Windows 7 Ultimate Download
• Click the Orb/Start Menu.
• Type “CMD” into the search box (without quotes).
• Run CMD.exe from the results.
• Type >”ipconfig /all” (without quotes) and press Enter.
• Look through the results for Local Area Connection settings. Find “DNS Servers”.
• If the DNS server ranges match any of the malicious ranges shown above, then you are affected.

Check DNS on Mac OS X
• Click the Apple icon on the Desktop (top left).
• Click System Preferences.
• Open the Network preferences.
• The DNS Server information will now be shown. If either IP fall within the malicious ranges shown above, then the system is affected.

I urge you to share this with any friends and family that may be unaware about this issue. Let’s not participate in this Malware Monday. Read more about cloud storage reviews .