What’s the first thing you do when you are need of a service? If you’re like me and a large percentage of the globe, you search for it on Google.

The internet has completely evolved the way that consumers find businesses. Websites are the new storefront; If a possible client doesn’t like what they see, they likely won’t even give you a chance. The design and structure of your website may have nothing to do with the quality of your services, but in the minds of online visitors it is almost everything.

What would you think if someone came to you to apply for a job dressed like a vagabond? They might be the best worker in the world, but you would probably write them off immediately. It’s the same idea with a website. Your website is the first impression a potential client will get of your business. If they don’t like what they see, they’ll simply hit the back button and resume their search.

When I visit a company website, the first thing I take into account is my reaction to the look and feel. Whether true or not, in my mind, a great website corresponds to a great company. A website should draw a visitor to explore more. That doesn’t necessarily mean crazy and flashy graphics. You simply need to find something that will encourage the visitor to stay away from the back button.

Another thing I always try to stress is personality. Companies are a collection of people not just a name or a service. Adding some personality to your site can make your visitors more inclined to work with you.

So as you go to update your website or create your first one, take this into account. If someone visits your website will they hit back or move forward to discover more?

So after the busyness of the holidays and the beginning of the year, it’s time to get back to the blog. Recently I read a phrase referring to startups and business which is “Sales fixes all problems”. Of all things I have found this statement to be true. When things are up and everybody’s busy, everyone’s happy. It’s only when you get some free time that issues start to arise.

As a relatively new company we have had a lot to learn, and not in the least bit is how to find work. Primarily we have a technical background, and our sales experience before we started the business was next to none. We have been extremely lucky to always have a steady stream of work to keep us busy. Up until recently we never really used any special marketing techniques, we simply just tried and network as best as possible and work kept building up.

Recently I decided it’s time to start getting some education on generating sales. The last thing I wanted to do was get caught flat-footed if we need to seek jobs more aggressively in the future. I made the decision to dive in head first and start looking for potential clients. It seemed like the perfect time to try it out because getting a job out of the deal would be awesome, but it wasn’t the end of the world if nothing came out of it.

I found two companies that I have been wanting to work with and sent out an email to them. I targeted the email to the president or owners of the companies, attempting to make it short as possible, asking them to set up a meeting. I didn’t want to pressure them into any sales or anything like that, just establish a relationship. The next day I received an email back from one of the companies stating their interest (one for two, not too bad for a first try). I am not sure how it will go from here, but if this works out, I will be excited to try it again in the future. So to anybody reading this, what techniques have you used before to generate sales?

For the last couple years facebook has been changing up its look. Recently facebook made one of their biggest changes yet, a new way to view your profile called timeline. I think it is much better as it is much more media and graphics oriented. If you would like to get timeline for your profile, you can go to this link to download it http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline.

Though there isn’t support for it right now, I believe that timeline could be a massive improvement on facebook business pages. With larger and better graphics, timeline could open up great possibilities to show off your “brand”. When timeline becomes available for business pages, I will post a tutorial on how to set it up. Until then check it out and get ready for a potentially awesome change for business pages.

This was dreamed up by designer Ryan Kennedy on his vision of Facebook Timeline brand pages

Search engine optimization has long been a priority for businesses looking to increase traffic to their websites. The problem is that traditional SEO methods (meta tags, page titles, keyword clouds, etc.) can only take you so far. Due to the large focus on traditional SEO by almost all businesses, the effectiveness of these methods have been driven down. It is still important to make sure you use these techniques, but often more needs to be done. That being said, Google Adwords can be awesome tool in your journey to search engine domination.

Adwords consists of buying certain keywords from google. When someone searches the keywords you purchased, your business will be displayed at the top of the page in a highlighted area. This tool is extremely effective in areas of high competition where many search engine results are ranking higher than yours. If you want to learn about more ways increase your website’s search engine rankings, contact us today.

Last year I moved up to Michigan Tech to pursue my degree in Chemical Engineering. I took a job working at the Student Development Center. It paid minimum wage but it was a good job. I liked the people I worked with, but around that time the entrepreneurial bug hit me. A friend had told me about an Entrepreneurship group at Michigan Tech so I thought I would go check it out. It was great and ideas started popping up everywhere in my head. I pursued some and let others go by the wayside. The main thing I learned is that most of them were not viable ideas, but my excitement to be my own boss continued. On the last project I had contacted Zach about building a website with me. Even though that idea never panned out we learned a valuable trade that we loved to do.

We decided that starting a web development company could be a lot of fun. I am not going to lie the long hours making almost zero money was not ideal, but we pushed through it mostly because we actually enjoyed web development. This is why I believe you can’t build a business on something you don’t love. The chances you make any significant amount of money in the beginning is very small. Which is why you must love what you do, because if you don’t you will never make it. After months of hard work we got to a stage where we were taking in at least a little bit of money.

This fall I quit my job at the student development center to pursue our business on a full time basis. Even though we were probably working for well below minimum wage and working tons of hours each week it didn’t matter because we truly enjoyed it. I’ll trade an hour of cleaning toilets for ten hours of web development any day. Finally after months of hard work and filing for an LLC etc. our hard work has paid off. Even though we are still a small company we are growing. We get to work on new projects all the time and it’s all due to the great customers and people we get to work with. So the moral of this story, go out there and take chances. Do what you want and if you are truly passionate about it you can feel as happy as I do about working. Starting a business is tough, but in my opinion well worth it. While other kids my age are still out there cleaning toilets like I was, I get to work on new projects and with great people every day. So if you are passionate about something especially in college, which is a great time to start a business by the way, go do it!

A good website is like a good smile or handshake. I heard this the other day and it is something you should consider. Many times this is the first impression someone gets about your company. I personally feel more connected to a company when they try and put their own personality with their business. It might be something as simple as your picture with a little description or a blog which gives a little insight into how you think. These little windows into who you are help establish a relationship with your customers even before you meet.

With the web being so cluttered with spam and scams etc. it’s sometimes hard to know what’s real out there. By putting a little personality into your website you help yourself establish an identity. I think this is why about us pages are so popular on the web. It helps give a potential customer an idea of the business and the people they might be working with. Take a few minutes to consider if your site gives people the impression that you want. If it doesn’t, try adding a little personality.

Instead of web development I would like to talk about business and some things I have learned over the last 10 months.

The first thing is that running a business is hard. I believe most business owners out there will tell you about how they worked for almost nothing in the beginning just to get some experience. This is why you must be passionate about your business. You can’t put in the long hours and effort without truly enjoying what you do. I remember starting out and working for pretty much nothing. If I didn’t truly enjoy building things as much as I do, I would have quit before I barely started.

The thing is even when you are passionate about what you do the hurdles you face start to get to you. It’s hard to stay focused on what is important and the right steps to take to success. I personally have found a solution that works every time. I put on some headphones and go for a walk. Usually I don’t have a destination I just walk until I think I’ve sorted everything out in my head. This allows me to analyze everything in a setting where I am not obligated to do anything else. Also go have some fun. I think that a lot of business owners who don’t necessarily set aside hours for working tend to use any free time to work. By setting aside a couple hours and going on a walk that stress of should I work or sit around disappears.

From my talks with passionate business owners I have learned this. If you enjoy what you do, you will be successful. It may take some time, but things will run their course. So make sure you keep working hard and stay focused on your long term goals. Remember you are building something bigger then yourself so enjoy it. I look forward to seeing where we can take this company because I truly enjoy what I do. Taking a walk to stay focused works for me, what works for you?

The good news is there are things you can do about it. This is why internet marketing is becoming such an intricate role in any company’s marketing strategy. A website is a way to make a first impression on a customer before they enter your shop or office. This is why having a great looking website is key to attracting new customers. The problem is how do you get them to find you? The answer, come up with a strategy to gain the most exposure to your target audience. Below are some strategies in no certain order.

• SEO
• Guest Posting
• Internet Advertising
• Social Media
• Working with others in your sphere

There are many others but these are just some common ones. The key to growing your internet presence is to make sure that first impression you make on a potential client is a good one whether it is through a Facebook page, your website, or an advertisement. Also when running a blog or website, stay up to date, and be consistent. If you can create that great community that will drive your business to the top, they expect you to provide clear and honest content on a regular basis. If you want to drive traffic and increase customers dedicate yourself to it or find someone who can, because this is the new age of marketing and it matters.