Julie Thurgood
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7 Tips to Optimize Your Facebook Page

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Facebook is powerful. It is the most powerful platform to use for business marketing.

Your Facebook page allows you to connect with your audience, promote your products and services and assist with customer support. If you don’t already have a Facebook business page you should strongly consider making Facebook part of your marketing to reach your existing and future customers. This article isn’t going to focus on the (many) benefits of Facebook though, this article is going to guide you on how to optimize your profile to get the most out of your Facebook business page.

Step 1: Select the correct page type for your business

When you first create your Facebook page there are types of pages to choose from:
• Business or Brand
• Community or Public Figure

For either type there are categories you can choose to better define your business. If your page is already created you will be able to edit these categories within the ‘Page Info’ tab in your page settings.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/creation/

Step 2: Visually optimize your profile

Profile photo: This photo will appear as your icon every time you comment on a post or publish in the News Feed. Square dimensions are best, and Facebook will crop it into a circular shape in ads and posts. The image should visually represent your brand. Ideally if the page is for a business or brand the image should be of your logo, if it is a profile for a public figure the image should be a professional head shot.

Cover photo: The cover photo appears across the top of your page and is a great opportunity to deliver a visual element that supports your branding, draws attention, or elicits emotion from your visitors. Your cover photo displays at different sizes on desktops and on smart phones. If you want to use a single image that works pretty well on both desktop and mobile I suggest avoiding text and using photos or a graphic that represents your brand. If text is used (ie. to promote an event) add the text in the centre of the image. You can upload a slideshow of multiple images as well as a cover video!

Step 3: Complete your profile information completely

On your page select your ‘About’ tab. Here you will be able to edit your page information and username.

Let people know who you are and what you offer in your about page by filling out your bio, description, categories, contact details and more. Think of your description as your digital elevator pitch. How can you best sum up your mission in one sentence?

Quite possibly the most important thing about your Facebook profile: Your username. In order for your fans or other pages to tag you in posts you need to have a username. This will also be used to identify the link to your Facebook page. Your username should match the name of your page as much as possible.

Step 4: Templates & Tabs

To make things easier, Facebook has created some default templates you can choose from. Select one that best fits your business and customize to only include the necessary tabs.

Step 5: Page Roles

If you plan on sharing your Facebook marketing duties with a team, you’ll want to grant access for various folks and various roles.

Here are the roles that you can choose from:

Admin – Complete and total access to everything (you are an admin by default)

Editor – Can edit the Page, send messages, and post as the Page, create Facebook ads, see which admin created a post or comment, and view insights.

Moderator – Can respond to and delete comments on the Page, send messages as the Page, see which admin created a post or comment, create ads, and view insights.

Advertiser – Can see which admin created a post or comment, create ads and view insights.

Analyst – Can see which admin created a post or comment and view insights.

To add collaborators, go to your Page settings and the “Page Roles” section. You can type in the name of any Facebook friend or person who has liked your Page. Alternately, you can type in an email address associated with a Facebook account.

Step 6: Messaging

Remember when I said that Facebook can assist with customer service? It can be a great customer service tool. Use your page to respond and interact with customers through messenger. Within your page ‘Settings’ select ‘Messaging’. Here you will be able to setup how people message your page, set auto responders and/or appointment messaging.

Step 7: Other things to optimize

Add a Call to Action Button – This will display on your page under your cover photo. Add a button to direct users to either send a message, book with you, visit your web page, call you etc.

Services and Products – Add your key services and products to your page.

Jobs – Job postings added to your page will be shared in your local Marketplace.

Events – Bring people together and promote your gathering by making an event.

Wrap Up

Facebook changes constantly and new features are added on regularly so make sure your page is up to date on a regular basis.  That being said, no optimization tactic can save your Facebook page unless you update it often and engage with your audience!

Individually, these tips may be simple and make a small impact. Together they can help you build a complete Facebook presence for your business!

Ready to make the most of your social media? Email hello@greenmonkeycreative.com, let’s chat!

– Jess White

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Julie Thurgood
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Small Business Website Building Basics

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A website may be one of the most important marketing tools for your business, but it can be overwhelming to get started. If you need one, why you need one, where to start, what is hosting, what the heck is SEO? Well, take a breath, we are here to guide you and keep the process simple!

Let’s bring it back to the basics. What is a website?

Web·site (/ˈwebsīt/) noun

A website is a location connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web.

What should you include on your website?

When someone lands on your website they are looking to learn more about your business. Your audience has an attention span of about 8 seconds. Build a meaningful connection with your audience. Before you start to look for a website development company or start your website yourself (if you are going the DIY route) you need to answer some basic questions:

  • What you are about? What is our value proposition?
  • What do you sell/offer? Overview of services & product features.
  • Do you need e-commerce?
  • Why should people hire you?
  • How to reach/contact you?
  • Where are you?
  • Who are you?
  • Social Media links/feeds

People research before they buy.

88% of consumers pre-research their buys online. Before purchasing a product or service, customers would like to know and see more about your company, and the perfect platform to showcase these is a professional website.

Make a great first impression

Your website is your digital ‘brick and mortar’ shop. It is where people come to browse, check out your prices and decide to buy. Just like a brick and mortar, you need to make a good impression the first time people visit. Make sure your window display is dazzling, easy to understand and easy for people to find what they are looking for. Use short, powerful sections of content and images that are sectioned off by clear concise headers.

Domain names

Aka ‘www.greenmonkeycreative.com’

How to choose a domain name.

Choosing a domain name is similar to choosing a company name – it requires a lot of thought and consideration… sometimes your business name comes from finding the perfect domain name.

  • Make it easy to type (don’t use slang)
  • Keep it short
  • Avoid numbers and hyphens
  • Research it (make sure no one else has it)
  • Register both .ca and .com
  • Ensure it is owned by you!

Where do I register & what does it cost?

It costs approximately $9.88 USD a year per domain. We recommend whois.com for domain registration. WHOIS is one of the world’s top and most affordable online identity provider’s.

Again. Make sure your domain is registered in YOUR NAME. Not your website developers. It is one of your business assets and you need to have it in your name.

Web hosting

Websites are hosted on special computers called servers. Your domain points to the host so when a website user types in your domain name their computer will connect to your server and your webpages will be delivered to them through the browser.

Speed

Why does speed matter? User experience and search engine indexation. End users are impatient!!! If your site loads 4x slower than your competitors, who do you think you target market is going to shop from? You know how annoying it is to go through a site that won’t load – don’t be slow. Plus Google penalizes for site speed. A slow page speed means that search engines (Google) can crawl fewer pages using their allocated crawl budget, and this will negatively affect your indexation.

Hosting Support

When your site goes down or has a problem, how reliable is the support that you will receive from your hosting company? Can you call them/access them 24/7?

Security

Security not only affects you – it affects every single person visiting your site if they are unknowingly downloading a virus from your site. A hacked site can get you on the blacklist with Google.

Ensure your site has SSL authentication and is secure so that your visitors know they are visiting a site that has a secure connection. This protects your potential customers when making purchases or submitting their personal information online.

Who we suggest

We recommend SiteGround.com. We feel that SiteGround is one of the best hosting companies out there. SiteGround is remarkably good at offering quick, helpful, and knowledgeable support to their customers.

Don’t pick the cheapest solution… pick the best solution.

Choosing a platform.

Okay so now you have your content, domain and hosting… what’s next? You need to determine what platform to actually build your website on.

Things to consider:

  • Budget
  • Can you build it yourself.. Do you want to?
  • Determine your needs today vs. the future
  • Do you need e-commerce?

Consider future growth

If you plan or hope to grow your business, think carefully before choosing a low-cost platform aimed at very small sites. Platforms like Wix and Squarespace can work great for businesses that plan to stay relatively small & use just a few features.

Drag and drop platforms

Drag and drop platforms such as Wix, Squarespace and Weebly may be a good entry level DIY option for small businesses. They are powerful, simple to use and offers great all-around flexibility when creating your site. You can create a website for your small business in hours and get online really quickly and smoothly. Each platform has it’s own pros and cons to consider so please do your research and find a platform that will work best for your business.

WordPress

An astounding 26% or a fourth of total website around the world use WordPress. WordPress allows you to build a website that meets your unique needs. A great option for a blog, business site, portfolio or online store.

 

 

Shopify

Whether you sell online, on social media, or in-store, Shopify has many options.

 

E-Commerce

Depending on budget and what you have in mind, you can use a drag and drop option, WordPress or Shopify. There are many things to consider when picking your e-commerce platform.

Have a plan

Don’t just start designing your website. You want to make sure that you are effectively meeting the needs of your visitors. Map out your buyer’s journey from the first time they visit your website to the moment they become a customer.

Plan it right

You are designing your website for the next step, not the final step. Design your website for your customers NOT you! What pages are they going to view, what content are they going to read and what offers are they going to convert on?

Mobile friendly facts

80% of internet users own a smartphone. It is almost suicidal not to have your small business website mobile responsive because Google uses your mobile version of your website FIRST when it indexes your site. Google says 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing and 40% visit a competitor’s site instead.

Navigation

When designing your website, navigation is key! It is essentially the map that displays the core places users can visit. There is nothing worse than a site with disorganized or confusing navigation.

Once your visitors land on our site, do they know what to do next? You need to guide them through your website. If visitors cannot find what they’re looking for, they have absolutely no reason to stay on your site. More times than not, they will certainly bounce and find a competitor that offers a better user experience.

Keep the navigation bar clean, have navigation hierarchy and responsive design so it doesn’t change drastically from desktop to mobile.

Call to action buttons

Call to action buttons are many elements that indicate the next step the user should take.

Inbound leads

One of the most important functions of any small business website is to focus on the inbound leads & capture as many as possible.

Contact details are key

Don’t overlook the fact that you have to make it easy for visitors to contact you! Contact page, email address, phone number should be found everywhere!

Images are important

Choose your images wisely. Do they fit with your brand? Don’t use extremely stocky images Don’t leave the watermark on – BUY THEM!

If you are selling products please ensure that the product photos, images and descriptions should be crisp and appropriate. You only have a few seconds to win or lose a potential customer.

Basic SEO

So you’ve launched a great site… but can anyone find it? Basically Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is when you make your website more attractive to search engines, like Google, come along to index and rank your website.

Make sure you take into consideration the search terms your visitors/audience will use when searching for your product or service. This strategy should include creating content that’s relevant to the needs of your visitors.

An uncluttered site, clear content, proper URL’s, sitemap and relevant keywords will allow search engines like Google to index your website with ease.

Content is king

GOOD QUALITY CONTENT IS KEY!

This goes way back to websites 101. This has never changed. Providing high quality content is still one of the best ways to influence page rank.

Don’t be irrelevant

Your content must be relevant on your website. This plays a major role in getting indexed by search engines. Poor or irrelevant content is a game changers when it comes to attracting or putting off viewers.

Get your pen ready

You should be the one starting the content creation for your site. Even if you plan to hire someone to edit or polish it, you know the basic message of your company more than anyone else will. Tell that personal story. It makes people feel more connected to your business through your website by telling your story.

Ongoing website maintenance

There is one phone call that I hate to get. The one where a prospective client calls to tell me that their website is not functioning properly. They can’t update it, they have been hacked or worse yet, it crashed. I think about all the money they have invested in their main digital asset, their website is now gone or they will have to spend more to get it working properly again.

Think of your website like a car. You need to do regular maintenance such as WordPress plugin updates or things will break if not updated.

Wrap Up

Your website is an investment. It should always be up to date as it is your one sales tool that never sleeps. Getting started can be quite intimidating for those that have never done one before but in the end websites really do matter. The lack of a dedicated and updated website can impact your business. Without a website you may not only fall behind your competition but may also miss the opportunity to connect and engage with prospective customers. A website can build trust among clients.

Contact us to download our website basics worksheet PDF to help guide you through the website creation process!

Ready to make the most of your small business website? Email hello@greenmonkeycreative.com, let’s chat!

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Julie Thurgood
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Email Marketing for Small Businesses

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If you are running a small business… scratch that – any business, it is important that you spend your monthly marketing budget wisely. Every penny spent on marketing should be money well spent and your return on investment is key.

Email marketing is an excellent, cost-effective solution that gives you the power to connect with your audience in a place they visit every day – their inbox.

What are the benefits of email marketing for small business?

There are plenty of benefits but I have narrowed down my top 5.

1) Builds credibility.
People do business with people they know. People they trust. Email allows you to build that credibility by sharing helpful and informative content.

2) Increases donations.
If you are running an event or fundraiser, email is a great outreach platform to use to promote donations.

3) Strengthen your brand recognition & communication.
You can strengthen your brand recognition by sharing your brand story and company culture. Make your audience aware of the latest things happening in your business. Communicate with your audience and share seasonal messages, your latest product launch, your next event, service related tips, sales etc.

4) Boost sales & special offers.
Now you do not want to annoy your audience so I definitely do not suggest creating spammy sales emails and sending out twice a day all week long (more on timing later!). However, I do suggest including a sales promo into a more meaningful email campaign that provides the client with valuable information but also promotes your sale!

5) Become an expert with expert content.
Position yourself as a local or regional expert in your field by sharing your knowledge. Deliver quality content regularly and engage your audience.

 

Launching a campaign in 4 easy steps.

1) Build your email list.
In order to send your first email campaign you need a list to send it to! If you are using Mailchimp (which is my go-to), add your subscribers into ONE list. It gives you the option to add more lists however lists are independent of one another and any clients added to multiple lists will count multiple times in your overall subscriber count, which will increase your monthly plan. I strongly suggest using one list and organizing your contact with tags. When you are importing a list you must adhere to the Anti-spam practices and list requirements as well as the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation. Mailchimp has an excellent resource section I suggest you check out before you tackle this yourself.

When you are importing/gathering subscriber data it is crucial that you keep it updated, organized and consistent. The more information you gather from a subscriber the more you are able to target and create segmented campaigns.

2) Decide the type of email campaign you wish to send
Now that you have your list created it is time to plan the type of campaign(s) you wish to send to your audience. Each email you send should be goal oriented and value driven. Don’t send an email just to send and email – if you are sending an email without a purpose it likely won’t be worth reading and you will lose subscribers.

3) Craft your email design and content
The content of your message needs to be clear and add value for your customers (I feel like I have said this value thing a couple times… IT’S IMPORTANT!)

Key things to consider when creating the design of your email:

• Write an excellent subject line! Be clear and specific about the topic of the email but keep the subject simple, focused and short. Don’t be afraid to add in an emoji either 😉 – they have been proven to make your email stand out from the rest and could improve your open rates!

• Your campaign needs to be branded so please include your logo at the top of the email and in the same place every time!

• Use a responsive template. This will allow your email to respond to the type of device it is being opened on and will look great on desktop, tablet or mobile devices.

• Don’t go overboard with colour. Use your brand colours and any other colours should only be used for emphasis on key words and buttons.

• Limit the number of fonts your use to 2.

• Pick photos or animated gifs that support your message.

• Add a very clear call-to-action (CTA). These are typically placed at the bottom of the email and tells the subscriber what you want them to do and should correlate with the purpose of the email. Example: Purchase your tickets, Browse our collection, Make a purchase using this discount code, RSVP to this event.

• And last but not least, preview and test your campaign.

4) Press send and analyze the performance
Email marketing allows you to learn even more about your audience which can help you make improvements in every aspect of your business! Once that campaign is sent and opened you can analyze the report and look for new ways to improve on the next campaign.

 

Wrap Up

Email marketing is an efficient and effective way to reach out to your audience, grow your customer base and build your reputation.

Ready to make the most of your small business marketing budget? Email hello@greenmonkeycreative.com, let’s chat!

 

-Jess

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Julie Thurgood
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Maintain Your Website!

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There is one phone call that I hate to get. The one where a prospective client calls to tell me that their website is not functioning properly. They can’t update it, they have been hacked or worse yet, it crashed. I think about all the money they have invested in their main digital asset, their website is now gone or they will have to spend more to get it working properly again.

website maintenance notes on desktop

The analogy I like to explain to my clients when they see a Website Maintenance fee in their proposal is this: You buy a brand new car (my second love is cars, so bear with me). You drive it. You never change the oil, the filter, or rotate the tires. A year goes by. The car isn’t driving as nice, things keep breaking down and now you are faced with a hefty repair bill or the cost of buying a new car.

If you never, EVER maintain your car it will break. Same goes for your website. You spent a lot of money building your business’ website and you must invest in it to keep it going! There are updates all the time for WordPress and any additional plugins. Things break when they are not updated.

So please, do me a favour, either call us to help you out or call your web design person and ensure they are doing this. If they are not, it is time to go consider other options!

That is my two-cents and I hope it saves you a thousand-cents.

Julie
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Julie Thurgood
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Getting Back to Reality & 2018 Trends

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I don’t know about you, but I am wondering how we are already at the end of January – wasn’t Christmas last week? Alas, we are well into 2018 and hopefully you have reviewed 2017 and are ready to make some tweaks and even some big changes when it comes to your content marketing and social media.

Social Media marketing and content marketing are very powerful tools for businesses. It is so imperative for businesses to be playing in this field as it is part of their consumers every day life! How many times have you checked your Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc in the last 15 minutes? (The answer should be none since you are reading this article….)

What’s New in 2018

Before I even get into the known trends for 2018, I want to address the news coming from Facebook. I wanted to share the news, but I wasn’t sure how to tell my clients that “Hey, all that money you spend on social media marketing – well…..” At first glance you may think that Facebook is punishing businesses and plan on making it harder for them to reach their consumers. But I really don’t think it is that at all.

What it looks like from the outside, is that Facebook wants to make sure it is bringing better content to your newsfeed. I too, am tired of all the ads and business posts that take up my newsfeed (that I have not “liked” or interested in), meanwhile one of my friends got engaged, another had a baby but all I knew is that Gap had a sale and some overseas clothing company was selling fake goods……

Is Facebook going to really end the success that businesses have had on social media? Heck no! They make too much money from businesses. I think you will need to spend more money on advertising and ensure that your are sharing quality content instead of multiple posts kills the newsfeed. Does that make sense? Hopefully it does, but please remember this is my assumption.

Trends to Expect in 2018

Back to the reason I am here…..2018 trends.

Twitter really suffered in 2017 with little to no growth – don’t worry, it is still alive and breathing, but I think we will see some big changes with regards to this social media channel.

We have seen some notable changes from the other big guys like Facebook and Instagram. Some of the new players to keep your eye on will be LinkedIn (maybe it will be more than just a job recruiting site and those sharing all that they know). Snapchat will bring some competition to the market and they better put their best-game face on because they are evolving and growing so fast that they may not stop.

Some other things to watch and take into consideration while you are planning:

Less Organic Reach – businesses are going to be very selective of where they spend their advertising dollars and ensure they are on the right platforms for their business. (Again, this comes from the recent Facebook news…but please don’t panic yet.)

Videos – According to research done by Kenshoo, spending on social video increased 130%!!!  But keep in mind that now everyone wants to do video because of this trend and it will become saturated.  Relevant content and making sure you post it in the right social media platform must be considered.  Video is not cheap!

Instagram Stories – it is really going to take off in 2018.  And those who have over 10,000 followers are going to be able to put links in their post (which is a first for Instagram!).

Overall, I think the saying “Keep it simple, stupid”, will really ring true for 2018.  Getting back to the basics and not all that fancy stuff will also make for a successful marketing campaign.  You don’t have to do it all…just do it. Play in the sandbox and have fun!

– Julie
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Julie Thurgood
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Client Highlight: Shelburne Golf & Country Club

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I don’t know how many times I am asked, “Can you measure ROI when it comes to social media?”.  Yes, and you should. We want to share with you a successful social media campaign we recently did for a golf course located outside of the GTA: Shelburne Golf & Country Club.

Shelburne website design

 

We were approached in February 2017 to plan and execute all social media for Shelburne Golf & Country Club.  Our client, Megan, didn’t have time or the expertise to take on the task of managing their social media.  One of the biggest things that we pride ourselves on, is that we are here as part of your team and to make your life more simple.  Not add to your already busy workload, nor make it complicated.  At all.

So, a couple of things were going on.  Their new website was phenomenal, but how were they going to get the word out and expand their clientele?  Newspaper ads weren’t working.  Radio wasn’t working particularly well.  They knew that they were not executing social media as they should be.  They were relying on automatic postings that also fed into their newsletter.

Goal: Brand Awareness = Sales = Growth

Simple?  Yes.  In less than a year, we have increased their brand awareness.  We focused on golf, weddings, catering and lessons.  We went from zero followers on Instagram to 269 followers.  Facebook’s reach was up 230% within the first month!  Their fans were listening and responding!

The best part?  Sales!  With every event, they have seen an increase in attendees.  Mother’s Day Brunch had a nearly 50% increase in bookings.  For Father’s Day we didn’t discount golf, we built a day package with lunch and a gift and they were booked solid!

Weddings?  Their goal going into 2018 was to at least book 4 weddings.  With some Facebook and Instagram ads alongwith a strong campaign on social media, we have already achieved that goal!  (so you better go book your 2018 wedding so you aren’t disappointed).

Next stage of Shelburne Golf & Country Club?  Update some things on the website, get their wedding marketing materials designed and printed and keep promoting this hidden gem.

Do you know why I say ‘we’ when I mention the successes?  Because it is reflective of what we are doing as a team with our client.  We are part of their team along this journey and we are darn proud to be!

We hope that when you measure your social media success do look beyond just the insights and really get into your sales $$ and how people are responding.  Engaged fans are the best fans.

– Julie
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Julie Thurgood
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The Best Times to Post on Social Media

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So when is the best time to post on social media? The obvious answer, “The best times to post on social media are when the people you want to see the content are on the network.”

… So when is that? We have put together a general infographic to show the best times for each platform. Posting during the best times will help you get more traffic, more engagement, and more followers.

Every business is different and the audience will vary so you should still take your own insights into consideration when determining the best times for YOU to post on social.

best times to post on social

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Julie Thurgood
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RGD Design Thinkers Toronto 2017

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I just returned home from this year’s Design Thinkers in Toronto and had a blast seeing great design & business visionaries like Timothy Goodman, Douglas Davis, Emily Cohen, Emily Oberman, Stephen Gates, Paul Sahre & Jeff Greenspan (to name a few!)

rgd design thinkers event

This year the event was held at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Downtown Toronto. In case you have no idea what this event is, it has been an annual Graphic Design conference for the past 18 years. The event is run by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers. The event is basically a creative thinkfest that always leaves me so inspired.

The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) is Canada’s only accredited body of graphic designers with a government-legislated title. Earning the RGD title signals quality and competence within the profession.

This past year I earned this recognition which communicates dedication and commitment to the profession. The Registered Graphic Designer (RGD) certification denotes a quality signal to buyers of graphic design services, helping clients distinguish between professional graphic designers who are trained, professional and adhere to the industry code of ethics vs. people with little or no training who offer graphic design services. The RGD vision is for a graphic design profession that is broadly valued for its contribution to life, commerce and society. 

This year the events theme was ‘Perspectives‘. As quoted on page 2 of the handbook,

“Some perspectives inspire us. Others challenge us. Yours defines who you are and what you make. Altering your perspective can add dimension to your work and depth to your craft. It can help you see the world from a different point of view. The freedom is yours to make the shift.“

rgd sessions 2017

rgd design thinkers 2017

The past two days has left me so inspired, excited about the shift in the design business and (thanks to terrible traffic and a 2 hour commute which should have only taken 1 hour), relieved to back in Dufferin County with a new perspective and insight to inspire new work! This is my second year attending this amazing event, so excited to see what next year brings!

-Jess
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Julie Thurgood
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The Importance of Branding

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Whether you are a small crafting business or a global corporation your brand should be the most valuable part of your business. Now when I say ‘brand’ I don’t exactly mean ‘logo’… Think of your brand as your company’s personality and your logo is your appearance.

branding-orangeville

So What Exactly is a ‘Brand’?

It is everything… well to be more specific, your brand is essentially how your customers perceive you. The emotions they connect with your business. It encompasses your company’s mission, product or services, customer service, the quality and value of your product or services, the voice of your company and appearance across all touchpoints in print and online.

What Are The Benefits of a Strong Brand?

A well developed and designed brand is valuable, credible and trustworthy. It also helps to promote recognition to loyal customers. Word of mouth is still the #1 sales tool for many businesses – once you have earned your customers loyalty they become your brand ambassadors and share your name with their friends, family and even strangers!

What Makes a Brand a ‘Strong’ Brand?

A ‘good’ brand should:
• Clearly deliver your mission statement
• Confirm your credibility
• Trigger an emotional reaction from your customer
• Motivate a sale (but please, don’t be too pushy… no one likes to be sold to)
• Creates user loyalty
• Be consistent throughout ALL touchpoints (logo, stationery, website, social, print etc.)

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Does your brand relate and speak to your target audience?
• Does it share what is unique about what you offer?
• Is your voice, messaging and design consistent across all touchpoints?
• Does it reflect your values you want to share with your customers?

If the answers are not clear you may want to take a step back and refine your branding.

Have You Established a Strong Brand?

Branding can be confusing but by now I hope you realize that your brand is the foundation of your company. It enables you to align a marketing plan with your brand objectives and fulfill an overarching strategy… but how do you create a good brand?

Well, we suggest you start with a business plan, or at the very least craft your companies mission, vision and values and know your audience and your unique selling proposition (USP).

What We Can Do For You?

When we meet with a client who is passionate about their brand, it excites us! We spend a great deal of time getting to know our clients and start each project with a brand discovery to get a full understanding of your company values and goals.

If you do it right the first time, you avoid a rebrand when you change your mind next year. Expert design and marketing advice is why our clients contact us and that is what we deliver. Let us help you communicate your brand essence through all relevant touchpoints!

-Jess

 

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Julie Thurgood
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Do you really own your website?

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Who Owns Your Domain & Hosting?

When you set up your website you paid the previous web guy for your domain registration, you pay them annually for hosting, your website is live… but do you actually own it? The unfortunate and surprising answer may be no.

We ran into this recently with a new client of ours…. the sad fact is that this happens too often and we honestly said ‘Ack! Not again…seriously…not again.’

laptop with website

I hang my head when I am talking to a new client and they tell me that their domain name was registered by their designer.  WHAT?  (Designers/web peeps please listen as well…..).  Never, ever, EVER should your domain name or even your hosting be registered to anyone else other than YOU!

That is right.  Walter the Web Guy that you had design your webpage years ago registered your domain, your hosting and heck, even your premium website templates.  And where the heck is Walter the Web Guy now?  Out of business?  Or you no longer speak to Walter the Web Guy, so he isn’t about to give you what you need.

Our #1 Rule

If we had one rule of thumb to ANY business, big or small, please, please make sure your domain name, hosting, premium template elements are in YOUR name!  I can’t say it enough.  And after you are done reading this,  you are going to email your amazing Walter the Web Guy and tell him that you need to transfer all your digital assets to your name now.  Like right now.  Like go.

Why Is This SO Important?

Well, glad you asked! If you want to make changes to your website and don’t have access to your domain and host information…. you can’t. You could completely lose access to a domain, website and emails you have invested in, a domain name you have added to all of your marketing assets and has possibly become part of your branding. If you have a great relationship with the company or person who registered this for you then you likely won’t run into a big issue… the headache starts when that relationship breaks down and they go MIA – which sadly is a reality.

This is one reason why Green Monkey Creative encourages clients to register their own domains and hosting. We completely understand that the process can seem complex for non-technical people, and we’re happy to help you do it!

Who Owns My Stuff?

Domain

Don’t know who your domain name is registered to?  Head  over to whois.com  and have a look.

Hosting

If you don’t receive a hosting invoice at all, check if it is even in your name and if that isn’t, get it moved over.  From the bottom of my heart, please do this.

Other Digital Assets

Also, your digital assets don’t just end there.  Don’t forget about these:

  • Online accounts registered to your business (like your hosting)
  • Online store that you manage (etsy, ebay, etc)
  • Mailing lists, newsletter subscriptions (Mail Chimp, Constant Contact)
  • Social media accounts (everything you own should have you as an admin or you have the recent login creds….)
  • Online storage accounts (Dropbox, Google Drive)

Now that you have some organizing to do with your digital assets, I am going to try and figure out how to get these domains for my client, as her Walter the Web Guy is MIA.

– Julie
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