News | Small Business Branding

May 27, 2009 By Vera Raposo

What Does Your Website Design Say About You?

Thousands of people struggle to publish a website on the web every day.

Some want to make millions overnight while others want to start a legitimate home based business. Still others want to just find a voice by blogging.

The massive size of the web has made it a playground for the newbies and the experienced alike but with millions of people making up your potential audience, how do you differentiate your website from all the others?

No matter what your purpose is for having a website, you want it to look appealing and welcoming. The visitor needs a reason to stay to read what you have to offer otherwise they are just one more hit in your stats, never to be found again.

One way to get your website published quickly is to use a DIY web page builder or templates. Choose a design, add your copy, and hit the publish button.

You’re officially a webmaster!

But if you do not have an eye for design your page layout might confuse your reader about where they should look first. Or the graphics included in the templates might look unprofessional and not really convey your message to your readers very well.

Confusing a reader should not ever be part of your plan and if you are online to make money, customers need to be assured of your professionalism prior to buying from you. Using a below standard web page builder might just turn away people instead of bringing them closer to making a sale.

I always recommend using Xsitepro web design software to all my coaching students and others who are new to the online world. This one program has helped me grow my business immensely and has certainly paid for itself multiple times over during the years.

This is the king of DIY web builders. Every design and copy element on the page is within your control but the developers have already paid professional web designers to create the hundreds of templates available to use.

The actual layouts are very professional and pleasing to the eye, which will help navigate your reader through your site while also establishing you as an expert in your market.

Xsite Pro is a one-time investment but now business owners are not stuck using a sub par program getting sub par results. Xsite Pro gives you the professional website that you want – and need – to be successful online.

Is it time to take a review of your own website? What does it say about you?

File under: Featured, News, Reviews

January 30, 2009 By Ed Roach

Start A business For Beer Money!

Many of my peers in business are looking for ways to increase their opportunities and help others in the process. One of my fellow charter members of MOOB, (Mind Our Own Business), Marcia Hoeck has put together a telesummit featuring a dozen high profile speakers on being your own boss, throwing up that shingle and giving it a go. The fantastic thing is that they’re not charging a few thousand or even a few hundred dollars for this series of a dozen interviews. The fee is only 37 bucks USD ( a few cases of beer – at least here in Canada). They are also donating a portion to KIVA to help fund small business in developing countries.

Marcia herself has had year over year success for the last 25 years. She is engaging and a great friend. I’ve already signed up. I’ve been in business for at least as long as Marcia, and I learn new stuff all the time. The “Corporate Entrepreneurs Unplugged Teleseminar” – Check it out.

Once you’ve read the splash page, come back and tell me what you think? Marcia would love the feed-back.

File under: Beginners, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Marketing, News

December 21, 2008 By Ed Roach

Going Mobile – Part Two

A quick note if you’d like a fast way to get your blog on mobile phones.

First off, I bought the domain, “TheBrandCorral.mobi over at goDaddy.com and then forwarded it to the feedburnerlink of my existing blog.

Now when a reader enters www.TheBrandCorral.mobi in their mobile phone, up comes a list of my articles. Clicking on an article (in my BlackBerry) gives them two choices. View Description or Read Article. Choosing Read Article, gives a terrific mobile friendly version of my blog including graphics and all my side bar information.

That’s it.

File under: Featured, News

October 27, 2008 By Vera Raposo

Twittering Around With Twitter

I haven’t been on twitter all that much lately due to being sick this last week (which is why this post will be a short one) but today I’m at least up to the computer and went inside my email management Aweber to send a broadcast out to my email list.

While I was in there I noticed that you can now twitter your broadcasts at the same time over to twitter, cool.

(you can read the story at Aweber here)

A couple things of notice:

1) You can only do this for broadcasts only, not follow-ups

2) You can only send with one Twitter Account, this may just change in the future.

There’s some other fun things I’ve also added to enhance my twitter business building experience that I’ll soon share. If you want to follow me on Twitter you can here: http://www.twitter.com/veraraposo

I’ve secured interviews, events, and build relationships with Twitter. Fun!

File under: Featured, News

September 30, 2008 By Vera Raposo

Protected: 31 Days To A Better Blog Checklist Bonus

File under: Internal Projects

September 25, 2008 By Ed Roach

Branding Your Kids – the next BIG thing?

I’ve got these good friends of mine who live in Kentucky. It has been a pretty traumatic summer waiting for college season to arrive. You see, they just sent their only child off to his first year of University. They are so very proud of him. He didn’t have any scholarships, well-placed contacts, or remarkable grades – he achieved his first real goal in life thanks in some part to branding.

His folks are colleagues of mine in the branding world. When the family gathered around the supper table, and prepared themselves to go through the groups of university brochures and browse the impressive websites, it wasn’t lost on them that they would also have to pitch their son to the universities. He would have to be branded. It would be an enlightening experience for him, and an assurance to them (the parents) that he put his best effort into getting accepted into his school of choice.

His resume wasn’t your typical binder containing exactly what would be requested but a more visual and intuitive presentation. His brand was polished, and it showed. Here are some of their branding highlights:

• His brand values were defined much like any great brand.They explained his commitment to these values and how they compliment the school and their value systems.

• His brand personality was visually presented using a “vision board.” This board contained words, pictures, colors, anything that portrayed his ‘personality’. His colors were used consistently through the presentation.

• His differentiator was his passion for the school. He chose them. His life goals matched their scholastic mandate.

• His visual image (or logo if you will) was designed to strike an emotion with the reader, who would no doubt judge their son on first impressions, not unlike the business world. Photos were designed to display his pleasant disposition and vigor of youth. He was a classic example of “their ideal student.”

• To further cement a favorable impression his personal interests and social skills were detailed to help establish a good profile.

• Aligning all his best attributes, their son refined his brand and enjoyed a boost in confidence. He realized a positive benefit with the genuine opportunities in defining his brand, aligning all his best attributes.

• He gathered favorable testimonials to his good character and included them to attest to his brand.

These were the main ingredients in their recipe to brand their offspring. Essentially branding your college student is another form of personal branding. The visual topper to this was a large branding board that visually showed everything about “his brand.” One glance at this board and you see his brand instantly. Since a picture is more powerful than the written word, this huge effort made it’s desired impression … he was accepted into his first school of choice. His confidence in himself helped him land on the student paper the first day on campus with a photo assignment. His passion you see is photo journalism.

His brand succeeded and gave him a powerful advantage. It’s his job now to make it better every day to help in his quest for glory.

File under: Archives, Beginners, Blogs & Blogging, Branding, Business, Employer Branding, Featured, Marketing, Media, News, Personal Branding

September 14, 2008 By Ed Roach

Dork Your Brand!

You’ve got your cool little business, you’ve had some degree of success and you’ve done it all on your own. The only bar you’re interested in raising is the pub down the street. Who needs all those consultants and brand gurus when you can keep your hard-earned beer money and find the cheapest student or cousin to spin your magic.

Well I’m here to make your day and save you tons ‘o dough by giving you ten ways to “DORK YOUR BRAND!”

1) Don’t even think about being consistent with your image. The trick here is to have one logo on your stationary, another variation on your signs and when you do a trade show, something homemade would be outstanding.

2) Brand values – frankly that’s for pansies. Just do what it takes to get the business. View those people you have to walk on to succeed as mere stepping stones. Don’t concern yourself with your reputation.

3) Find the perfect opportunity to blend in with what your competition is doing. If they are doing great then they must be on to something. “More of the same,” I always say to Dorks. You don’t want to risk standing out, you might be discovered for who you really are. There’s probably more money running with the pack anyway.

4) Did you know that you can get a logo designed online for free? That’s right, no need to worry about demographics, first impressions, market share or what ever. Image is for movie stars, your running a bizness. The less things cost – more for you, right?

5) Don’t ask – don’t tell. You’re only looking for trouble asking your stake holders what they think.

6) Are you going to one of them trade shows. Stay away from a professional presentation and get yourself one of those free folding tables and dress it up with blue skirting like all the other dorks. We’re blending in again, that’s the ticket. (Now you’re catching on).

7) And while you’re at the show, and you want to catch a stare or two, don’t waste your cash on relevant materials promoting a unique message – get yourself a booth bunny! Hey sex sells and even if hurts your brand – what’s the harm in a little fun.

8.)Keep dropping your price until you are the lowest price in your bizness. Don’t let nobody beat you.

9) Don’t bother trying to forge relationships with customers. Let’s face it, you’ve probably got enough friends, and besides they’d probably expect you to pick up the tab.

10) When the phone rings, it’s not important how your staff answers it – just be glad it’s ringing. There’s no point wasting friendly on some Nancy just looking for the cheapest deal.

Well that’s the branding game in a nut shell. One thing I can guarantee you is, if you decide to “Dork Your Brand”, you will make one business person very happy…

…that person is your leading competitor.

This article was inspired by SBB commenter Steve, over at Pinnacle Displays, and Nichpreneur Michelle for encouraging us.