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  • Aug 28 / 2013
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Articles, Websites

Have a Rockin Lake Havasu City Website, Part III

checkTop o’ the mornin’ to ya readers!

 

Keep reading to see more of Hubspot’s awesome examples of a well put-together homepage:

 

“16 Brands That Totally Nailed Their Homepage Designs

 

…continued…

 

 

8) JIB

A great use of a simple illustration, excellent complementary color palate, crystal clear copy, and a single call-to-action all combine to make this website’s homepage one of our favorites.

 

 

 

jib_edited

 

 

 

9) Galpin

The Galpin page uses typography to showcase its character. Notice that the page focuses less on graphics, and instead uses text to convey its messaging.

 

 

 

Galpin

 

 

 

10) Surf Right

Easy navigation and beautiful design can (and should) work together. An interactive slider and a well-organized set of tiles make this website easy to surf … hehe, get it? 😉

 

 

 

surf_right

 

 

 

11) Riley Cran

Here we see another appealing tile-based website design. Setting Riley Cran apart is the fact that the entire site is set within a single page — no scrolling necessary!

 

 

 

Riley_Cran

 

 

 

…to be continued…

 

 

 

Contact us if your business needs a new website or an inbound marketing campaign. Stay tuned for the final blog of awesome homepages this Friday!

  • Aug 26 / 2013
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Articles, Websites

Have a Rockin Lake Havasu City Website, Part II

Cool-story_o_77666Good morning!

 

Welcome to Part II of our blog series featuring Hubspot’s article, 16 Brands That Totally Nailed Their Homepage Designs. Scroll down for more super awesome website examples.

 

…continued…

 

 

 

4) Collaborate

The layout of this website effectively handles several different user stories by presenting three different CTAs without them compete against one another.

 

 

 

collaborate

 

 

 

 

5)  Prezi

This page sets up a clear information hierarchy and thought sequence. Everything that you need to know is provided in a few pixels via a video, company tagline, and clear CTA. The video is also a smart addition if Prezi’s target audience wants more in-depth information.

 

 

 

prezi

 

 

 

6) Fanabee

This website uses parallax scrolling to deliver a unique user experience. Reaching out to “mega fans” on the banner also subtly conveys exclusivity, compelling the audience to click its CTA and see what’s behind the velvet rope.

 

 

 

Fanabee

 

 

 

7) Urban Bound

Putting the CTA front and center, as Urban Bound does here, is another great example of a web design that focuses its most important information in the center of the page.

 

 

 

urban_bound

 

 

 

…to be continued….

 

 

 

Contact us if it’s about time you had a website with a homepage that sells. Stick around for more!

 

  • Aug 24 / 2013
  • 0
Articles, Websites

Have a Rockin Lake Havasu City Website, Part I

awesomeAnyone notice the letters on that meme are out of order? Hmm.

 

Anyhow, have you ever gone to a website and been like, “…..dang. that’s cool.”

 

Or, on the contrary, have you ever gone to a website and the first click you make is the backspace arrow right away because it is so a.) hard to navigate, or b.) awful to look at?

 

We have done both. But here at NSquared, we strive to make websites like the first one (the “….dang. that’s cool” one. Check out HubSpot’s article, 16 Brands That Totally Nailed Their Homepage, to get a peek at some totally rad webpages. Enjoy!

 

 

 

“16 Brands That Totally Nailed Their Homepage Designs

 

Homepages are the online version of a handshake at a networking event. At an event, you’ve gathered up the courage to approach someone else there to strike up casual conversion, and you’ve got one shot to make a great first impression: the handshake.

 

But there’s actually a lot more to the handshake than you might think. You have to be firm yet unaggressive, all while making eye contact, introducing yourself, and trying to remember the other person’s name (in addition to hoping your hands aren’t as clammy as they feel).

 

When it comes to your homepage, someone else has most likely been searching online and stumbled on your website. So your homepage has to be compelling enough to make them want to stay and interact with you (just like the handshake). This subsequent interaction may include exploring your “about us” page, or even converting into a lead via a call-to-action (CTA). Even though it seems simple — your homepage is just one page after all — making a solid first impression is key, and it’s not easy.

 

So how do you make sure your website has a great handshake? Although there is no one true formula for a solid homepage, you can start to see patterns in examples of really awesome ones. To help you see what I mean, here are 16 awesome homepage designs you can’t help but fall in love with:

 

 

1) Rezdy

Rezdy’s use of visual elements such as icons and arrows allow the company to clearly explain the purpose of its product without having to rely on heavy copy.

 

 

rezdy_edited

 

 

 

 

2) Jay Z’s Life+Times

If anyone knows how to entertain, it’s Jay Z. The eclectic nature of his personal website mirrors his real-life brand in this interactive tile-based homepage.

 

 

life_and_times

 

 

 

3) Sagmeister & Walsh

This page offers a truly unique way to address site navigation. Called augmented reality, each element on the floor can be clicked to advance the reader through the site, a visual that definitely sets it apart.

 

 

Sagmeister__Walsh

 

 

 

…to be continued…

 

 

Contact us if you need a website, inbound marketing, or even IT consulting. Stay tuned for Part II to catch some more awesome homepages. Until next time…dang, stay cool.

 

  • Aug 22 / 2013
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Articles, Inbound Marketing

Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing

wateringholeHere at NSquared, we like HubSpot. Thus, we are featuring one of their articles on why inbound marketing is the way to go. Check it out, yo:

 

Editor’s Note: A more detailed version of this article has been published here: “Inbound Marketing and the Next Phase of Marketing on the Web” 

 

 

When I talk with most marketers today about how they generate leads and fill the top of their sales funnel, most say trade shows, seminar series, email blasts to purchased lists, internal cold calling, outsourced telemarketing, and advertising.  I call these methods “outbound marketing” where a marketer pushes his message out far and wide hoping that it resonates with that needle in the haystack.

 

I think outbound marketing techniques are getting less and less effective over time for two reasons.  First, your average human today is inundated with over 2000 outbound marketing interruptions per day and is figuring out more and more creative ways to block them out, including caller ID, spam filtering, Tivo, and Sirius satellite radio.  Second, the cost of coordination around learning about something new or shopping for something new using the internet (search engines, blogs, and social media) is now much lower than going to a seminar at the Marriott or flying to a trade show in Las Vegas.

 

 

 

It’s Time to Transform Your Marketing

 

Rather than doing outbound marketing to the masses of people who are trying to block you out, I advocate doing “inbound marketing” where you help yourself “get found” by people already learning about and shopping in your industry.  In order to do this, you need to set your website up like a “hub” for your industry that attracts visitors naturally through search engines, theblogosphere, and social media.  I believe most marketers today spend 90% of their efforts on outbound marketing and 10% on inbound marketing, and I advocate that those ratios flip.

 

The best analogy I can come up with is that traditional marketers looking to garner interest from new potential customers are like lions hunting in the jungle for elephants.  The elephants used to be in the jungle in the ’80s and ’90s when they learned their trade, but they don’t seem to be there anymore.  They have all migrated to the watering holes on the savannah (the internet).  So, rather than continuing to hunt in the jungle, I recommend setting up shop at the watering hole or turning your website into its own watering hole.

 

 

 

Contact us if you’re ready to check out the watering hole. It’s a beautiful place filled with booming business opportunity. Until next time, stay cool!
  • Aug 21 / 2013
  • 0
Uncategorized

How These CEO’s Made it to the Top

ceoBig dreams of being a bigwig business owner? Check out mashable’s article below!

 

“How 12 Business Leaders Got to the C-Suite

 

 

Facebook‘s Sheryl Sandberg worked for the U.S. Department of Treasury. IBM‘s Virginia Rometty was president of her sorority. Virgin‘s Richard Branson didn’t fancy school.

 

We may not know what it’s like to be worth billions of dollars or be chosen as Fortune‘s #1 most powerful businesswoman, but we can certainly learn from these C-suiters’ paths to the top — and hey, at least dropping out of college doesn’t preclude you from immense success.

 

Check out the infographic below to learn what these 12 business movers and shakers did to get to the C-suite. What do you think of their paths, and how do they compare to yours? Tell us in the comments.

 

 

 

Path to the C- Suite

 

 

Mashable Infographic, images: Andrew Burton/Getty Images, Peter Foley/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Will Ollver/AFP/GettyImages, Kim White/Getty Images, Mario Tama/Getty Images, Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images, Brian Ach/Getty Images for TechCrunch, Jordan Naylor/WireImage, Fernando Leon/Getty Images for TIME, Eric Piermont/AFP/Getty Images, Kris Connor/Getty Images, and Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

 

 

 

Contact us if you need IT consulting, a fresh website, or inbound marketing. If you want to be a bigwig, you’ve gotta get the word out. Until next time, stay classy NSquared readers!

  • Aug 17 / 2013
  • 0
Articles

Microsoft is Battling Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

ergonomicGood morning!

 

Here at NSquared, we know what it’s like to be on a computer all day. Do you? If your answer was yes, than the annoying pains in your fingers and wrists (and possibly forearms if you’re a mega-speed-typing-beast) are familiar to you.

 

Well folks, we have news. Microsoft is battling carpal tunnel syndrome and “crampy” hands with their new ergonomic keyboard that is sleek, chic, and definitely does not look like the weird, curvy, padded space-ship keyboard you may have sitting on your desk. Check it out below:

 

 

“Microsoft ‘Manta Ray’ Keyboard Puts Carpal Tunnel on Notice

 

Those with repetitive strain injuries (RSI) like carpal tunnel syndrome (those who simply want to avoid one) probably have an ergonomic keyboard designed to minimize stress. But chances are it’s not as pretty as the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard.

 

The new Sculpt is a big step up, design-wise, from the current Natural keyboard. Codenamed “Manta Ray” (for obvious reasons), it has an open design more friendly to the hands while retaining the split sides necessary for a true “natural” posture. The keyboard takes a few cues from last year’s Sculpt Comfort keyboard, with a cushioned palm rest, sleeker design and keys to match Windows 8. A removable riser lifts up the front.

 

The keyboard is actually part of a bundle called the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop that includes a mouse as well as a separate number pad. The mouse has a more pronounced curve than your typical point-and-clicker, which Microsoft says helps combat RSIs by ensuring the bottom of your hand doesn’t touch your physical desktop as much.

 

Users can slide the separated number pad out of the way when it’s not in use. That way, the mouse slides a little closer to the keyboard — a more comfortable position for most. All of the devices connect to your PC via a single, unified wireless receiver (not Bluetooth).

 

I got a little hands-on time with the new Sculpt bundle. First of all, the keyboard design is gorgeous; preventing stress injuries never looked so good.Typing was noticeably more comfortable than on the Natural, but it still takes some getting used to (typically a couple of weeks, according to Microsoft representatives). I once tried to use the Natural as a primary keyboard but quit since it felt odd; the Sculpt struck me as an easier adjustment, but not enough for me to commit to it (at least, short of an RSI diagnosis).

 

If you’re like me, the Sculpt Comfort Desktop bundle is probably more your speed, which also includes a mouse — though not a separate number pad — and has buttons configured for Windows 8. It also boasts a cleverly positioned extra Backspace key for more efficient typing.

 

The Sculpt Ergonomic bundle costs $129.95, and the mouse and keyboard are available separately, for $80.95 and $59.95, respectively. The Comfort bundle has a $79.95 price tag with keyboard and mouse priced at $59.95 and $39.95, respectively.”

 

 

 

Contact us if you’d like a new website, a website face lift, or some inbound marketing! Stay tuned, and until next time – keep those phalanges healthy and movin’!

  • Aug 15 / 2013
  • 0
Articles, Search Engine Optimization

Google Just Got Smarter (Again)

google-just-be-evil-300x300Bonjour readers!

Yes sir, you read right. Google got smarter again. How you say? Check out, Google Search Will Pull Info From Your Email for Smarter Results, below to find out.

 

 

“Google Search Will Pull Info From Your Email for Smarter Results

 

Googlehotel
 

Google is ramping up its search functionality to make it easier to pull up what you’re looking for, from details about your flight’s status and upcoming dinner reservations to tracking information on packages.

For example, by typing “What’s my flight status?” into Google search, the site will sift through the data in your email, Google Calender and Google+, and then match it against real-time information about your flight. You can also ask it to show you pictures you’ve taken of anything from sunsets to locations and will then search all of your Google-related accounts to present them to you.

 

 

The updates will roll out in the next few days to all U.S. and English-speaking users. It will come to desktop Google search, as well as tablet and smartphones and will be compatible with Google Voice so you can ask your mobile device the same question.

 

 

Google-quick-answer-flight

 

 

The move is an extension of what Google has offered via Google Now for more than a year.

 

“This information is just for you—secure, via encrypted connection, and visible only to you when you’re signed in to Google,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Likewise, you can also control whether you want the service on or off.”

 

An icon at the top of the search results page can be turned off and to block the feature permanently, the “private results” section in settings will do the trick.”

 

Image: Google

 

 

 

Contact us if you need IT consulting, inbound marketing, or a smart-looking website. Until next time, stay intelligent!

 

 

 

 

  • Aug 13 / 2013
  • 0
Articles, Inbound Marketing

Promote Your Lake Havasu City Website – How to Boost Profits with Craigslist, Part II

use-craigs-list-to-benefitHey folks!

 

Welcome to part II of our blog featuring the article, Marketing on Craigslist. Last week we covered what sells best on Craigslist, identifying your market, and building ads. Today we will cover tracking results (you want to know how awesome you’re doing, right?), community commitment, and selling safely (majorly important one). Keep reading and start boosting, yo.

 

 

 

“Marketing Your Business on Craigslist

 

…continued…

 

Tracking Results
If you plan to post in multiple cities and offer specific promotions, tracking which ads produce the best results is important. You can track a Craigslist ad by e-mail, phone number or website referral. Each tracking mechanism should feature a unique component like a custom e-mail address, telephone extension or website referral code. How you choose to track should depend on your industry and the typical methods customer use to communicate with you. Unlike eBay, Craigslist does not provide you with any demographic or tracking data.

Regardless of whether you sell a product or service, it’s important to understand the competitive landscape on a daily or weekly basis. Supply and demand for certain products or services will fluctuate. Take the time to get to know the other players in your cities or categories. If you see a rush on a certain product, focus on something complimentary. For instance, if you’re a mattress wholesaler and see that a large number of a specific brand and/or size mattresses are flooding your market, either price match or focus your energy on a different size or bed frame until the market stabilizes. Also, take into consideration the season and the demographic (both income and recreational) of the cities in which you post. In the winter, a snowmobile will not sell nearly as well in California as it will in Vermont.

 

 

Community Commitment
As an open market, Craigslist welcomes sellers from all walks of life. Keep in mind that as a business owner, you’re just as likely to compete with everyday people selling the contents of their attic as you are a national brand retailer with sights on breaking into your market. The community element sets Craigslist apart from its competitors. Harness the power of your community by doing more than just posting. The most trafficked area of Craigslist is the forums. Use the forums to communicate with fellow sellers and potential buyers or to establish an active, ethical voice for your business.

 

 

Selling Safely
Fraud exists in every corner of the business world, both online and offline. The anonymous nature of Craigslist–the very thing that makes it so popular–is also the reason you should take measures to protect yourself against fraud. With no member or seller ratings system, Craigslist can fall prey to scam artists. Make an effort to talk to each new customer via phone, only ship items once payment is received, and always use your best judgment when it comes to business transactions.

Craigslist continues to experience rapid growth–additional cities have come online in recent months and more are expected to launch throughout the next year. The buzz about this great resource is sweeping the nation, and every day people from all over the world are visiting the site, looking to buy from trusted sellers and service providers. Get in on the action by harnessing the marketing power of Craigslist.

Shanon Lewis is a web-marketing expert who specializes in marketing on Craigslist. She’s also the author of The Unofficial Craigslist Book and regularly shares her wisdom on Craigslist and online marketing at her popular blog.”

 

 

 

So get out there and Craigslist it up! Contact us if you’re in need of some inbound marketing, IT consulting, or a super sweet site that will make you and your product look as legit as you are. Until next time, stay chill NSquared readers.

 

  • Aug 09 / 2013
  • 0
Articles, Inbound Marketing, Websites

Promote Your Lake Havasu City Website – How to Boost Profits with Craigslist, Part I

craigslist_LogoHowdy readers!

 

Craigslist. We here at NSquared are almost positive you have heard of this website. But, did you know that this website can be an extremely beneficial tool for marketing your business and boosting profits? Check out, Marketing on Craiglist, below:

 

 

 

“Marketing Your Business on Craigslist

 

Learn how to showcase your products and services on this popular online marketplace.

From e-commerce websites to furniture wholesalers, small businesses both online and off are realizing the marketing power of Craigslist.org. Founded in 1996 by Craig Newmark, Craigslist.org gets an estimated 10 million unique visitors per day. With an online classified ads format organized by either region or city, Craigslist connects buyers and sellers in more than 300 communities; for the most part, posting on the site is free.

 

If you’ve never heard of Craigslist or never considered using the site to market your business, the following tips will help you determine whether it might be a good fit for you and offer another outlet for marketing your products and services.

 

What Sells Best on Craigslist

 

From services like tutoring, car repair and real estate to products such as wholesale furniture, consignment goods and retail e-commerce, Craigslist is the ultimate destination for online marketers. If you manufacture goods, provide services directly or sell products regionally, Craigslist is a marketing tool you should consider. You can also easily promote an eBay store, a franchise operation or a referral partner. And it’s a bourgeoning business opportunity for affiliates and webmasters looking for new ways to find customers.

 

 

Identifying Your Market

 

Like any other advertising medium, Craigslist requires some strategy, though paramount to its usefulness is simplicity. To start, you need to determine which city or cities you’re going to post an ad. If you’re a service provider, you can identify available cities on Craigslist that encompass your service region. Keep in mind that some regions overlap. For instance, if you’re a mobile groomer working in Orange County, California, but service from Los Angeles to San Diego, Craigslist reaches your service area across four cities. So you’d want to develop your messaging and a posting schedule in each of these regions to increase your exposure. If you sell a product or offer a service nationwide, the opportunity to reach new customers is even greater.

Posting on Craigslist, either nationally or locally, requires an understanding of the rules. Craigslist has in place–a set of rules that prohibits advertisers from over-posting or spamming users. You can follow these rules and still get excellent exposure. To start, develop unique ads for each city you post in, focus on specific products and rotate them on a promotional schedule. Never post the exact same ad within 48 hours, and be careful to delete your old ad. Craigslist users are quick to spot businesses that misuse the system and can be quite unforgiving. The Craigslist flagging system puts the power of spam control into the hands of the users.

 

 

Building Ads

 

Building an ad on Craigslist can be as simple as typing in some text, or you can incorporate html and images. Typically, what works best is the direct approach. For instance, if you’re a real estate agent using Craigslist to promote properties for sale, build a text ad that incorporates images of the properties for sale–you don’t need to know html to do this. Simply define what property specifications best sell the property and keep the sales pitch to a minimum. Be sure to include important search words, such as “three bedroom” or “condominium,” as well as regional identifiers including a ZIP code, city or community name. You do this so that people who search for specific items find you in the search results.

Craigslist’s search function isn’t based on a search algorithm; instead, search results are displayed first by date, then by keyword. This makes the text content of your ad extremely important. Ads with images only increase ad effectiveness. And adding images to your ad isn’t difficult. If you’re not web savvy, use the “upload image” function available during the posting process. (If you want to feature a large image or more than one, you’ll need to upload your images to your own web server and reference them inside your ad using basic html.) Images, however, are not required. Often the best performing ads on Craigslist are simple text ads that get straight to the point.”

 

 

 

…to be continued…

 

 

 

Contact us if you need inbound marketing, IT consulting, or an awesome website. Stay tuned for Part II on Monday. Until next time, stay groovy!

  • Aug 07 / 2013
  • 0
Articles, Inbound Marketing, Social Media

Promote Your Lake Havasu City Website – Why a Google+ Profile is Important for Your Business

google-plus-for-businessHowdy NSquared readers!

 

You may have heard or seen the hype regarding Google+. But, if you’re anything close to an average American, you already have multiple profiles on multiple social media websites. Is it really that important to have one more password to keep track of? In regards to Google+, the answer is yes.

 

If you aren’t using a Google+ profile to boost your business, then you are missing out. Keep reading the article below to see why one more password is totally worth it. You won’t regret it!

 

 

 

“Why Google Plus Can be so Important for your Business

 

Google plus is indexed by Google so it can help customers find your business faster and easier also by creating a business page you can increase your visibility.Google+ has more than 90 million members and 60% of them log in every day.How to reach all those users?

 

Provide original information but more importantly share other people’s ideas. Also make sure that you post few times a day to reach people in different times zones.

 

Build up trust

 

If someone you trust shares a link, you are more likely to check it out. Therefore, comment on your shares, respond to other people’s comments.

 

Educate your followers

 

Let your circles know more about your brand as the more they know the easier it is to them to make informed decision about your product or service.

 

Customer service

 

Make sure that your customers are kept happy and respond rapidly to their questions and complains. Offer videos or other media to help resolve their problems or issues.

 

Build a community

 

Give fans a place to talk and share their experiences but tailor your community to your location and business.

 

Share media

 

Do not forget to add media and provide value. Always look for user-created content like e-book, video, reports or photos.

 

 

 

Few ideas how to get it done:

 

Build a relevant audience by looking for people who are appropriate to your business. You can do that by defining your audience by demographic or location or topic.

 

Look for a content that your circles would like outside of Google+

 

Engage in conversation on a post

 

Read posts by others and comment but at the same time you need to comment on your own posts.

 

Share a new post since the purpose of a social network is to connect and share.

 

Finally, do not forget to be consistent and keep your offline and online business presence the same. Moreover, provide a continuity so your clients always know what to expect.”

 

 

 

 

 

Contact us if you want to start promoting your business through inbound marketing. Until next time, stay social media savvy!

 

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