Inbound Marketing Blog

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about the internet. It isn't real. Yes, you can log on the internet and it will show you things. You haven’t imagined it. In that sense, it’s real. But it isn't real like a car or a building or a plane. Those objects can be touched. Those objects have to be built. And those objects are not easy to change once they are in use. Product recalls are what happens when “real” products have to change. On the internet, it’s a whole different story. One day a website has just one page, the next day there are a dozen. One day something is broken, the next day it isn't. One day you can’t build a thingamajig, the next everyone is thingamajigging.more

First impressions…always available, never able to recreate. At least for the same audience. What’s the impression you make to your different audiences? Whether online or off; within your peer groups; your customer meetings or your personal interactions. Do you really put the time/energy into making it memorable (in a good way). Or do you rely on the same ‘ole same ‘ole, because it works pretty well. Well, whichever option you use, it has a result. My challenge to you is to reflect on those results. Are you getting what you want, or are you settling for what you receive?more

webTRAIN just underwent a big update. Although it’s a massive upgrade, nothing has visibly changed for you. Let me tell you what the big deal is.more

This word is used often, maybe too often. Because it is so open to translation. Accountants value the word value – see it’s a verb and noun, differently than a sales person. And a sales person interprets value differently than a customer. You can be sure a hiring manager looks at the value of a candidate differently than the candidate considers the value of employing him/her. But, if a candidate even goes through this process, they’re ahead of most.more

If you want to sound like a web pro, there are definitely a few buzz words you can throw around to sound like a smarty pants. However, fancy words don’t mean much if you don’t know what they mean. With that in mind, let’s shine a little light on two of the most common web terms: cache and cookie.more

It’s easy for digital novices to be intimidated when people throw around terms like “SEO” and “PPC” and “URL,” if they speak another language in their daily work lives, like accounting or manufacturing. I recently broke one of my own rules by bandying phrases like these during an initial meeting with a new partner. After I was politely interrupted by a brave engineer, “Excuse me, but what is SEO?” I realized with regret that I had started at level three when I should have started at level one.more

We all make mistakes. They may be big mistakes with far reaching repercussions, or small mistakes that no one else sees, but we all make them. There are two ways to react to your own mistake; accept responsibility or make excuses. When you make excuses, you aren't learning how to get better. You are learning how to blame others. There is no growth in an excuse. When you accept responsibility for what happened, even if it was not your fault or there are legitimate extenuating circumstances, you can then evaluate and learn from what happened.more

webTRAIN’s latest upgrade brings a few new features and some bug fixes. The biggest new feature is the ability to integrate Google’s Site Search directly into your site. Learn what’s involved by reading this article.more

I have been meaning to finish the novel I started in college since, well, since I started it in 1998. That’s a whole lot of time spent thinking about it, fretting over it, and ultimately not doing anything about it. It seems there is always something more important to do or something easier and more enjoyable. Last year I made it a goal to finish writing a novel. Sure, it still was not the story I started back in college, but I was bound and determined to finish writing something. But there was still a hurdle in the way, and I am willing to bet that it is the same hurdle that many of you face when looking up at a goal from the ground floor.more

Why Franchise’s Should have a Network of Websites Franchise businesses have a unique opportunity to leverage the power of online marketing (SEO) at both the franchisor and franchisee level. As search results become more localized and focused on the searcher, branching out into a network of websites can open up exceptional results from search and brand recognition. Often the corporate franchise website will represent the entire entity as well as a page or two for each location. All of the information visitors find in search will be from the corporate prospective and lead them to a location page where the visitor can find a little bit about the franchise in their area. Search engines see this as only one website. A network of franchise websites, meaning each location has its own website, will deliver more opportunity to be found in search. Local websites will also allow each franchisee to tell their story, share local images, testimonials and more information geared for their area than could ever be included on a single corporate site.more

One of the biggest usability problems I've run into when viewing sites that are not properly optimized for mobile is forms. They can look terrible, be incredibly difficult to use and are something to be avoided at all costs. Let's be honest, forms are generally cumbersome to use on desktop. They always have been. All of these flaws are amplified when you cram them into a 3.5 inch screen. So what can we do to make the experience better? Last month, I attended a workshop at An Event Apart Chicago, put on by Luke Wroblewski. He had some really great ideas on web form usability -- especially in the mobile context. The workshop really got me thinking about all the things we could be doing to create better experiences. So, with some inspirate from Luke, here are several things we can do right now to create them.more

I received a cryptic message from Eric Patterson, one of our Software Engineers today. He pointed me to a javascript error report that he noticed while trolling through them and eating lunch.more

If you're a Web Developer or Designer, you probably hear about Interaction Design all the time these days. I hear it a lot at work. After a bit of reflection, a lot of Web Designers would probably say "I already do that." Others might be intimidated by the term, confused about what Interaction Design actually means as it pertains to their job. And that's the thing. Interaction Design applies to all sorts of things, not just Web Development. Interaction Design is about understanding the behavior of people and how they use your product. Although its sort of a buzzword that's popped up in recent years, Interaction Design has always been a component of good Web Design. As our technology becomes more advanced, so do the interfaces and experiences we can dream up and bring to life. Interaction Design is a bigger component of Web Design now because we are viewing our content on laptops, smart phones, tablets, televisions and all kinds of other devices. Those are all unique experiences and we have some great tools at our fingertips to make each of them great.more

Big brands and little brands work really hard clarify their message; what makes them different or better than the others. They spend hours identifying how they want to be perceived in the market, who they want to emulate or personify as a brand. What brands stand out in your mind? What thoughts come to mind when you hear Ford, Chevy, Starbucks, BP? Think about those brands for a minute. Now, what’s your personal brand? Who are you? What do you stand for?more

How are you measuring against your goals for 2012? We’re all in this together. Time goes by faster and faster, everyone is “busy.” Like many professionals and businesses, we took time in late 2011 and earlier this year to identify our goals for 2012. As we begin the planning process for next year, it is a good time to look back on those objectives and see how we’re doing. Why? Well, looking back at what you set out to do can be energizing as we head into the home stretch of the year. Remember all the planning, conversations and excitement when you set those goals? Rekindle that excitement and go for it. You still have over three months left in the year.more

Let’s face it, in todays world we all what we want when we want it. Those who can deliver are those we choose to do business with. Still, those who are able to address our needs, and provide answers that are helpful are those we can turn to and trust time and time again. There are so many other ways to say no to customer, prospect, co-worker, friend, anyone and avoid saying “no,” “I can’t,” “it’s not possible,” etc. Finding ways to avoid saying no will make you a valuable resource for those you interact with. I’m not saying you need to agree or say yes to everything, simply that there is a better way to say no. When it comes to customers or prospective customers they may want something done immediately, but you’re team, you’re staff or your schedules simply won’t allow for it. What do you say to them, rather than, “No, we can’t do that today, sorry.” How about, “I wish I could do that for you today; we’ll do everything we can, but it’s most likely we’ll get it taken care of for you tomorrow. Would that be acceptable?”more

Every once in a while, I look at the date and wonder how fifteen years have passed since I graduated high school. Looking back at those four adolescent years, they feel more like four decades. It is crazy to experience the speed of life. The software we build wonders the same thing. Has it really been seven years since that website was built? Wasn’t it just yesterday that Ajax was the thing of the future, and IE 7 was the greatest step forward in Internet history (ok, maybe that was never the case). Time and Technology stop for no man, and it certainly does not stop for the applications we build. So what can we do to keep them fresh and healthy? It’s not so different from the additional exercise, better diet, and regular checkups that we do for ourselves. In the case of technology, the key is to keep up on blogs, product releases, and to continue to use the application so you can understand its needs.more

If you’ve ever had to buy a new computer or laptop, then you’ve probably been bombarded with acronyms and metrics that may not be familiar to you. RAM, HDD, CPU; the list could go on and on. Now, salesmen X at computer retailer Y will try to sell you the best so that his commission can buy little Joey a new Xbox. But let’s break down what each of these measurements are, what they mean, and how much you should have.more

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I recently reviewed an article by Marketing Sherpa. In that article, they shared research results of a survey asking marketers what were some of their more important inbound marketing tactics that generated leads.more