Are you building a new site, or does your content need a review and some revisions to ensure it’s still accurate and communicating the right messages? Here are some good reasons to outsource your web content development and maintenance.

Cost/Time
An experienced web content writer will usually work faster and more efficiently and perhaps at a significantly lower rate than you earn yourself. And wouldn’t you rather spend your time focusing on doing things only you can do to build your business, organization, or personal brand?

Expertise
A seasoned web content writer is not only a professional communicator who is a whiz with the written word and helps you convert site visitors to customers. He or she is also someone who stays up-to-date on technology trends in things like search engine optimization, digital marketing techniques, and information architecture that will help your website be found, compelling, and easily used.

Insights
A fresh perspective from someone who is outside of your organization and works with a variety of clients can bring new ideas and insights to your website, which can help you get more attention, and translate to more sales.

Zoom Fatigue
Back in the spring, for many people using Zoom or other video conferencing platforms for the first time to connect with family and friends as well as work colleagues was both a novelty and a blessing. It didn’t take very long for “Zoom fatigue” to set in, however, as people tired of sitting in front of screens and trying to remain engaged for sometimes hours on end.

But I think 2020 will still be remembered, among other things, as when video conferencing entered a new era. Think of the societal benefits – and not just keeping people safe and healthy rather than meeting in person during the current pandemic. Fewer vehicles on the road means less traffic, less air pollution and climate change, and fewer accidents.

In my daily professional life, I’m using video conferencing to teach my adult education students and coach clients, meet with prospective clients, and attend board and committee meetings for the non-profit organizations I work with pro bono. And it saves a lot of time as well – an hour meeting only takes an hour, as opposed to an hour and a half or two hours or more when travel was necessary.

Hopefully you’ve realized some benefits in your professional life from video conferencing as well. Here’s a good article if you want some tips on optimizing your video conference experience.

https://www.howtogeek.com/663874/12-tips-for-video-conferencing-while-you-work-from-home/

You can hire Brett for his writing services through deb@perugi.com or go to his website at peruzzicommunications.com.

A year ago I wrote a post linking to an article by Pantone on the new colors for 2018. Pantone used an image on their blog that I copied and and pasted into my post. I could have easily paid ten dollars for a stock photo that would have been just as good. See recommendations below. Six months later, I was contacted by a company representing the photographer whose copyrighted image was tacked inside the image. (The photo was of a bulletin board and this fashion image was on the board.)

There are companies whose sole purpose is to scan the internet for photos made by their clients. The client photographers pay them for this service and possibly a percent of the collection. When there is a result, a letter is sent out demanding a large payment with the threat of a lawsuit. The amount seems punitive, especially given the resources of a small company. But the law does not specify what is fair. Up to tens of thousands of dollars can be demanded legally.

Recently a client asked me what to do amount a scam he encountered. He writes posts twice a month and sometimes looks for free photos on the internet. A site offering free downloads fined him for not logging in and filling out a form first. A company in California is asking for $3000! He is in the process of working out a deal. These scheming companies “fish” which seems fraudulent to me.  Lawmakers need to address this “out of control” situation as soon as possible.

I admit to wrong doing. It is a bad practice to try to use free photos without permission. Artists deserve to be paid for their good work. The result of my mistake? I negotiated the amount down to something affordable, but by no means cheap. (I found that help from a copyright lawyer was just as high or higher than the fine). Lesson learned… and I was glad to leave the whole experience behind me.

Some fair free photo companies we recommend are Unsplash.com, Pixabay.com and Pexels.com. Stock Photos for reasonable fees are iStock.com and Big Stock.com.

Recently, a client in the whole health and beauty business who provides Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture added massage therapy to her services. She wants to write a new page for her website to introduce this service. There are two options I recommend. 1. Write a blog post introducing the new service and categorize it as “news” and/or “new services.” Any blog category or post can be added to the menu like a page. Or, 2. If you want it to be a page then do both. Use the content from the blog post and insert it into the page. You can link the post and page to each other. Finding new information in more than one place on a website is a good thing!

I can’t emphasize enough how important blog posts are and should be a regular practice. Here are the reasons why:

1. Posts immediately get sent to anyone subscribed to your blog and encourage people to sign up
2. Posting enlivens your website and makes it more attractive to people seeking information
3. Posts get sent out over the internet apart from your website, pulling in new prospects
4. Posting enhances your search engine optimization and should be a part of any SEO plan
5. Posts can be added to your social networking and newsletter as part of your overall marketing strategy

So, When you think about new activity on your website, don’t forget the blog is waiting to work for you more than just a web page can. Need some training? Give me a shout!

Our job is to do that heavy work. We create the text that not only optimizes the site with key words for SEO, but is strategized and placed in a way that turns prospects into customers. See the post about Purposeful User Flow published a few weeks ago.

Wikipedia says “Inbound marketing is the promotion of a company or other organization through blogs, podcasts, video, eBooks, newsletters, whitepapers, SEO, physical products, social media marketing, and other forms of content marketing which serve to attract customers through the different stages of the purchase funnel.”

I couldn’t have said it better!

So, get to work writing and finding visuals for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like, depending on where your potential customers hang out. It’s worth the time and money to hire someone to help you (and you can track how it’s doing using your analytics). Pick out subjects that you know well that will position you as an expert in your field. Use catchy titles and action verbs. Find a “voice”. You should see increases in traffic and sales in no time!

At first it was mostly graphics for magazines and other publications, then I did more general graphic design projects such as annual reports, brochures, invitations, logos, etc. Technology was changing and I grasped the ring that came my way and started making html websites.

But as I reflect on the changing technology for design and marketing, I can appreciate what we have now that is so affordable or even FREE! I am a WordPress web designer. I (and my clients) get the WordPress software absolutely free thanks to Matt Mullenweg and his company, Automattic. I also get my favorite 80 themes cheaply, thanks to a special lifetime deal from Elegant Themes which I pass on free to clients. Many plugins that bring amazing functionality to your website are free as well.

Fonts, that we used to spec and order from Type Houses was expensive. And every new line of copy added up. Now, many fonts are free. In addition, clients enjoy free use of my font library. If you want to market your services, all you have to do is Blog (free) or use Social Media (free). Free Newsletters are possible with Mail Poet in your WordPress dashboard.

Are you noticing the word FREE a lot? Does anyone remember the days of news or magazine ads? Yes, you still have to be clever to convert visitors to customers, but the inbound marketing opportunities are there for the taking.

So, no, I don’t mourn for the Good ‘Ol Days. I’m happy for the Good New Days! I just wish they had come sooner!

I recently attended a small presentation at the Microsoft Store in the Natick Mall. They have a neat space in the back where you can sit and watch a large screen. (Apple take note!) Alicia Williams of Aliste Marketing gave an informative slide show on how CC can enhance what you are already trying to do….bring customers to your website. That really made sense to me. All the call-to-action buttons on your web site don’t do a bit of good if you aren’t directing your clients and associates to the home page.

The next step is to encourage those visitors to stay longer than the five seconds it takes most people to decide whether to stay or go. That’s where the special offers and coupons you create in the newsletter can come into play. Direct the newsletter link to a landing page where you explain in more detail what your offer includes. Add a form that people can fill out with an email address that you can capture. If you ask your customers to share your special offer to their associates, you gain even more customers. After they have read the landing page, they might look at the Blog, About Us, Services or Portfolio pages. You can track who came, through the analytics software included in the Constant Contact subscription. Another tool is the Online Surveys you can create in the Newsletter, another great way to engage your audience.

See what I mean? I’m excited to announce that I decided to become a CC Provider right at that meeting. I realized that CC was a great tool to add to our toolbox for only $15 per month, much less than SEO or Social Network Services. I think you will agree, it’s almost a no-brainer.

If you already have an account you’ve been managing yourself, you can still take advantage of this offer…and I’m offering the first ten new CC customers a newsletter setup FREE. Just sign up with me via THIS LINK!

Business owners in Massachusetts might know a little about the internet and have some coding experience, and even have heard of the popular CMS of WordPress. But, they don’t know enough to start themselves, know the language, don’t have the time to spend learning the software, or don’t have enough design experience to see what will give their business the right look to be competitive. Believe me, with thousands of new websites launching every day around the world, you need to be highly visible to stand out and capture your share of the market.

Sometimes they contact Perugi Design. Deb has an extensive art and design background, ten years experience at the Boston Globe planning information graphics and a dozen years of writing html, css and web site code. It’s a mix that is rare in the internet business. But I admit I can’t do it all, so I am developing relationships with experienced WordPress developers and shopping cart experts all over New England and the United States to call on.

We can not only handle all your requirements in developing a sound and attractive website, but also build it with attention to bringing you new customers. If you are not receiving email or calls based on your website at least several times a week, then you definitely need to make some changes.

Here is what we do to get a steady stream of interest:

1. Write and post a blog on subjects relating to your field every week if possible. Even a news release or a related article you can site is worth posting. These posts go out on Google as a second, third or fourth link to your site.
2. Decide on two social networks you can link to on your side bar. You Tube or Facebook or Linked In are several to consider. Try to keep up with the two you choose and direct those pages back to your website.
3. Start a newsletter or use your latest post as a newsletter that goes out to your members by email. We can also easily capture new email recipients on the site with a Call to Action button.
4. Include an easy to fill out form on your site with a message area, so you get some information up front.
5. Offer deals and discounts through Facebook or Google Ad Words. Always add a link to the website.
6. Design the site so that phones and ipads can view it clearly.

So, if you aren’t doing many of the items listed above, you are losing in this marketplace.
Your site should not just be a brochure but a marketing magnet!

Anyone can learn to send out an email through this service, but the tricky part is to have it reflect your brand and website. That takes a designers eye, knowledge of web color and typography, use of photographs and a little html. We were able to do that for Vitality. Owner and trainer Shayleen Pastick loves her newsletter and will use it for forthcoming announcements.