Category Archives: Email Newsletters

How Much Do You Charge for a Website?

April 5th, 2013

No reputable web design firm will provide an exact quote for a website without assessing your needs. Numerous factors influence the cost of a website including the overall design and functionality of the website. These factors are what web designers use to access your needs and determine the cost for creating your website:

Design

Are you looking for an original design that will set your brand apart or just a one-page web presence for your business featuring your contact details? Custom designs that “wow” visitors may take more time and cost more money but can be a worthwhile investment if visitors remain on a website longer. Interactive features add to the cost of a website but they can also enhance visitor’s experience.

Ecommerce

A website with a full-feature shopping cart adds the cost of designing a website. Ecommerce websites need SSL certificates, a data feed if you plan on submitting products to shopping comparison websites or larger marketplaces. Remember that a FAQ page, a shipping policy page and a terms and conditions page help build a shopper’s trust.

Responsiveness

Websites optimized for desktop users are the least expensive type of website to design but mobile devices now outsell desktop computers, so a website designed only for desktop users’ limits your customer base. A website design firm should be concerned about your target audience, as well as your budget, creating a mobile version of your website or a responsive website design that changes depending on the visitor’s device, screen size and browser.

SEO

Search engine optimization includes both onsite and off-site work. SEO includes coding a website so search engines can understand the content, keyword research to reach your target audience, site loading speed, submitting a website to search engines and more.

Social Media Optimization

The power of Facebook, Twitter and Google+ cannot be ignored. If you need your web design firm to create content for these social media platforms or incorporate icons for your website that let visitors share content, this may add to the cost of your project.

Copywriting

Copywriting entices website visitors to make a purchase, click on a link, request a quote, or join a mailing list. The content must be keyword rich, include calls to action, and be free of any grammar or spelling errors. If you plan to run a PPC advertising campaign, your website design firm will meet your needs to design ads that provide a strong return on your investment.

Support

Will you need on-going support or will you create and post new content yourself?

Timeframe

Great websites take time to build. If you need to launch your website by a specific date, you will likely pay extra for a website design firm to prioritize your project.

Cost should never be the deciding factor when selecting a web design firm; it is quality that counts. Reputable web design firms will assess your needs and work within your budget to create a functional, aesthetically pleasing website that is SEO-friendly.

For an estimate on what your next web design project will cost, contact us for a free quote.

Before & After: Buddy Kelley Properties

July 8th, 2011

This month, we published a redesign for a Henry County, Georgia, real estate brokerage that works with residential and commercial properties.

Client’s Name: Buddy Kelley Properties

Location: McDonough, Georgia

Description: For over 35 years, Buddy Kelley Properties has represented buyers and sellers of real estate in Henry County and the surrounding counties, too. The client required a site that would update automatically from Georgia MLS, include a mobile search for smartphones and could be easily updated by the staff at the brokerage.

Services Provided: Professional redesign, content management system, IDX, web hosting, email newsletter and cloud-based email.

Website Link: http://buddykelleyproperties.com

Email Newsletters: The Changing Face Of Marketing

May 28th, 2009

E-mail newsletters are one of the easiest ways to stay in touch with clients and reach out to new ones. The changing face of marketing means you don’t have to mail countless paper newsletters to addresses around the globe. Simply send email newsletters to current and prospect clients worldwide with a few clicks of a mouse.

Mailing lists, postage and printing costs made newsletters an unattainable goal for many fledgling businesses. Sending email newsletters is an affordable, effective way for small businesses to get the word out about their offerings. Now this marketing tool is no longer reserved for businesses had the resources to afford mass mailing.

Sending an email newsletter reminds people your business is around and ready to help. Offer useful content in your newsletters so people look forward to reading them. Get to know your target market and what they want. Answer their questions and concerns through informative articles. Provide unique updates they won’t find anywhere else to become a valuable resource where people look for the latest news.

Significant email newsletters make your readers want to share them with their friends and business associates. Ease of sharing make email newsletters an even more profitable marketing tool. Sharing email newsletters is much easier than sharing printed medium. In just a few seconds, readers can forward your email newsletters to their connections who become your prospective clients. Often printed marketing materials never go further than the intended recipient and may even hit the garbage can before anyone else can see them.

This is another reason your content must be enriching and helpful. Keyword stuffed newsletters with questionable content may wind up in garbage email boxes. A valuable email newsletter is more likely to land in the in-box of the people you want to receive it. Simple, fresh info makes people want to open your email newsletter and really read it. Include links to valuable information so they can go right to what they want.

If you aren’t sending an email newsletter to your current clients, you’re missing a golden opportunity to gather email addresses, network and make new connections. You don’t need to be an advertising genius or fantastic writer to produce an outstanding newsletter. Using the convenient tools at Email Marketing Drip to build and manage your own email newsletters with less effort than you ever imagined possible.

Is Your Website Just A Poser?

November 22nd, 2008

In the past few years, all types of businesses realize the need for an online presence. From realtors to insurance agents to affiliate marketers, a website is essential to remain competitive. While having a well-designed website is important, it also needs to reach out and touch your clients. Consider these elements for online success:

Great businesses start with great ideas. Choose a business and get to know everything you can about the industry. Approach the business with fresh ideas and a new perspective. Innovative businesses get attention while copycats remain mediocre at best.

Select your target market. Know who you want to sell products or services to. Who is most likely to buy what you have to offer? Find out everything you can about your target market so you can tailor your website and business operations to appeal to them. Use search engine optimization (SEO) so your target market can find you online.

Well-organized businesses are ready for success. Be serious about your enterprise. Consult with an attorney and accountant to set up your business in a legal manner. Create a workplace for your daily operations.

Create an eye-catching website. No matter what your budget, there are website designs that attract attention. Enlist the assistance of a professional to determine the best web design for your particular business.

Choose a reliable web host. Using a reliable web host means outstanding customer support and minimal down time for your website. Select a catchy website name customers will remember and secure your domain.

Be ready to do business. Make sure your website is completely secure so visitors feel comfortable to transmit information and make purchases. Have an SSL certificate and display the seal. Set up a secure ecommerce shopping cart or checkout process so visitors can easily buy from your website. If your website features services rather than products, include plenty of colorful photos, descriptions and testimonials.

Get the word out about your business. Email marketing, newsletters and blogging are all ways to refresh your website content and attract more visitors. If you don’t advertise your website, nobody will know about it.

Whether you create a website to get started in business or to highlight a business you already have, there is more to making money than having online real estate. Make your website work for you with by linking to a blog and offering a newsletter to your visitors. Remember, your website is not just a silent poser. Your website must be interactive so it reaches out and grabs your clients.

Five Reasons To Start Your Own Business Blog

November 20th, 2008

You have an outstanding website design attracting an ongoing stream of steady traffic. Your visitors take action by requesting your newsletter. You’re on your way to online success, so why do you need to have your own business blog?

A blog keeps you in touch with your visitors. You actually speak to your clients without making the effort to contact each person individually. Consider these top five reason why your business needs its own blog:

Get people to talk about you. When you constantly update your blog, you give people something to talk about. Offering the latest news, real estate listings and updates makes you a valuable resource. People will share what you have to say with others. Word of mouth is one of the most effective ways to advertise.

Advertise your offerings. A blog is a low cost way to continually advertise your business. Direct people to your newsletters, consulting services, ebooks, real estate listings and affiliates through your blog updates. A blog gives you the opportunity to talk about all your offerings in a casual, friendly way that really speaks to your clients.

Become a valued resource. Provide original information people can’t get anywhere else. Do meaningful research to add another level to your services. Clients and other people in your industry will look to your blog to find out the facts, making you an expert in your field.

Connect with people. Your blog should be useful, informative and personable so people feel connected. Tell visitors about your business and your latest happenings. Your blog keeps clients ‘in the loop’ about what you’re doing even if you’re away from the office.

Reflect industry changes. As changes occur within your industry, your blog is an easy way to let clients know. If your business policies change, you can also post an entry on your blog to keep clients apprised.

A well-designed website and frequently updated blog are the recipe for online business success.

Testimonials

When it came time for us to update our website, I did not even think twice about requesting Southern Web Group for the new endeavor. They always exceed my expectations at a very reasonable and competitive price. Once again, I was not disappointed.

Lawson Davis
BevRep

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