Web Design

Here at The Rocket Group the office television is often tuned to MLB Network in the background. I’ve come to the conclusion, based on the commercials, the entire network is paid for by our competitors. Commercials for bulk printers, clip art graphic design, template website, and even social media management companies fill the airwaves between pitches.

These are what we refer to as commodity marketing companies. It’s simple point-and-click-add-a-widget-without-a-creative-thought design. While this approach may work for some efforts and businesses it is not business we are interested in working on.

I spent in almost a decade in and around manufacturing so I know how widgets are made on assembly lines. There is actual little thought which goes into the processes on the line as it is usually all automated by that time.

You can do the same thing to market your company, organization, or campaign – which probably consumes your every waking moment and thought – by buying products from services mentioned above. If you are not interested in taking a creative and original approach to your marketing then you are probably not interested in standing out from your competition.

These commodity marketing services may help you but it is more likely they will grab your money and run. You will be left with an inferior marketing product.

What you need is a real live marketing professional, like ourselves or any of thousands across America, who will look you in the eye, walk your floors, and work with you to develop a brand, a message, and graphic tools for the web and the real world which will connect with the audiences you are trying to attract and retain.

These tools, developed in a partnership with you, will help you succeed in making money, raising awareness, and dominating your market.

If you need creative services for your efforts, contact us or any other marketing professional.

If you need clip art which is probably being used by hundreds of other businesses like yours, then watch the MLB Network to see the companies you should call during every commercial break.

One of our favorite things to do when blogging for ourselves it to add a video element to the content. You can see the videos which go with many of our blog pieces on marketing on our YouTube channel, throughout our Blog page, and even with this post.

You can do the same thing to increase the opportunity for potential customers to find you. Video works to help you get found and to establish yourself as a topic expert online.

You’re watching and reading this page right?

Video is a key component of search engine marketing and with the rise of mobile devices, visitors are more likely to watch you talking about your topic than read the words you write. The reason: YouTube is the second largest search engine online.

Yes, Google does own YouTube but the video platform still performs remarkably well separate from its mothership.

Creating content may also seem like a burden but video makes production even easier. Video also gives you another form of content to publish and share through your social and other communication channels.

And it’s simple to do.

Yes, we do make high end video productions and we have access to all the cameras, lights, and tools of the trade we need to do so. For these blog videos, we prefer to use a simple Flip cam, tripod, and white board set up. You can emulate our set up from the photo below.

You can’t even see the safety net!

The one thing not pictured in this photo which you will need is trust in yourself.

You have to exude confidence in the topic you are discussing to make yourself believable to your audience. Practice makes perfect so run through a couple of presentations on video then watch and learn from them. You will see your bad habits and tics (or your wife/husband/coworkers will when you show your work to them) and you will be able to iron the wrinkles out before you post anything on YouTube.

Another thing to remember is to not worry if you don’t go ‘viral’ or even get 1,000 views. It only takes one customer or prospect seeing your video presentation to cover your overheard and make a profit on doing video blogs this way.

Still have questions? Drop us a line anytime and we’ll be glad to help you get started on producing your own video content!

*When using our Flip cams. It’s much more involved when we bring the big toys out to work!

Classes in the past have included Social Media 101, Social Media 201, Facebook 201, Twitter 101, Twitter 201 and a session on Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube. We do have a second round of classes planned to take place before the end of 2014 as well.

These classrooms are set up in a presentation format with open conversation and a hands on laboratory at the end of each one. I don’t leave until all of your questions are answered!

Crisp. Simple. On Message: Your quick guide to building a better landing page.

If you have a website, you’ve probably considered (or are already using) a landing page. When done correctly, a landing page is an effective tool for a business website. A good landing page helps you capture leads, build awareness and close sales.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a standalone page that’s distinct from your main site. Its purpose is to promote something very specific, like a workshop or new promotion, and to encourage the viewer to take a specific action.

How do you plan a new Landing Page?

First, keep in mind that a landing page is not meant to be a major source of information, like your homepage and the rest of your site.

1. Determine your promotion

What will your readers get, why do they need it and how much does it cost? Keep your promotion crisp, simple and on-message. Don’t give them more information than they need. In fact, the less copy you can use to get your message across, the better. If you need to, you can redirect them to more in-depth information by using embedded links in your text.

2. Create your call to action

Create a specific action for your customers to take, and place that call to action above the fold. In fact, if possible, keep all your content above the fold. What do you want them to do? Call, sign up or order right away? Make it easy for your customers by telling them exactly what to do.

3. Use vivid imagery

Images > Text. If you can show it instead of say it, do so. Always try to include some type of visual image to capture and retain interest. If you want to see what we mean, check out this collection of 40+ Best Landing Page Designs.

4. Be specific

Don’t be afraid to create more than one landing page for a single promotion. The more targeted you can get, the better! Do you use Facebook or have an email list? If so, create unique pages for each. It’ll also help you to track which of your marketing avenues are responsive to your landing page promotion.

5. Monitor your results

We use CampaignMonitor for our email marketing and they do a great job with landing page campaigns, too!

At The Rocket Group, we have a lot of experience building landing pages and we’re here to help. Give us a call or shoot us an email. We’d love to help you build landing pages for your next campaign!

Thanks to the Missouri Bar for having us present on web design and web marketing at the #LexPort15 conference recently. Slides and video from the presentation are embedded below. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below or use the contact link above to start the discussion!