Many advertisers make basic mistakes.  Make sure to get your message and your presentation right, or suffer the consequences.

Whenever you advertise as a business you have the opportunity to make a real connection with your customers.  The most powerful connection you can make is through a meaningful message.

There is a tendency in advertising to go for exceptionally clever ways to present company messages.  Unfortunately the focus often become the “clever,” not the message.

Cleverness and pretty don’t count if there is no real underlying value or if they get in the way of what you are trying to say.  We have all seen “over-the-top” advertisements.  They are only effective when the value is communicated.  Some of the best good examples of over-the-top advertisements that work are those at the half-time during the Super Bowl.  These are messages that have been cleverly crafted at great cost and are being presented to an audience that is expecting something over the top to begin with.  In fact, the more over the top the better!  There is a world of difference between Super Bowl moments and the rest of life.  It is also not uncommon for advertisers to run their Super Bowl commercial only at the Super Bowl, then choose to run different campaigns outside of the Super Bowl.

The most critical piece of any advertising is your message. For it to be powerful a couple of things have to happen:

1. It must be true.  If it is not true, you can do more harm than good.
2. It must be clear.  If it is not clear, then the message and the opportunity are lost with some or most of your audience.

There is nothing worse for your marketing ego than spending money and hurting your company and brand.

If your advertising is clever, that can be good.  If it is pretty, that can be good.  A strong, clear and true message is critical if it is going to actually work.

Don’t get caught up in the world of over-the-top, “adsy-creative” competition.  Winning local advertising awards does not necessarily win you business. Clearly communicating the value you bring to customers seeking your type of products and services is a tried and true method of success, over and over again.

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thinkWEBSTORE.com is known for online marketing, advertising and social media including website design, facebook integration, advertising, messaging and delivery strategies.  They have become a one-stop shop for many businesses in Jackson, Ridgeland, Flowood and Madison.  thinkWEBSTORE is located in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive next to Primos Cafe and can be contacted at (601)856-2000 or online at www.thinkWEBSTORE.com, where you can see many work examples.

Have you ever wondered how some businesses just seem to have their act together? Have you ever felt confidence in a business more quickly than anticipated? Have you ever felt your confidence and trust in a business fade, perhaps without a coherent reason? The causal function of any of these circumstances can often be explained by consistency.

Consistency Builds Trust

Trust is something you continually build. It is never secured. It is constantly earned and renewed. If you are a company that delivers, the quicker you can develop customer trust, the quicker you can accelerate your work and become even more productive for your client. This will allow you to reach the pinnacle of a working relationship with your client, and thus put you in a position where the work is yours to do and the client is yours to lose.

The quickest way to earn customer trust is through consistency. Every point of contact with your customer must set the same tone and same expectations. Whether the contact is through a meeting, the handing of a business card, a customer visit, the appearance of your office, an experience with an employee, a phone call, or even a bill, every discussion is an opportunity to deliver on expectations and build trust.

Delivering on expectations is more than an extension of your brand. It is the foundation of your brand. Without the delivery of your promise, your brand is empty as will be your bank account if you don’t figure this out in time.

Hiccups

When your customer experience has inconsistencies, your customers will take pause. This delays and may even cost your relationship depending on how big a question the inconsistency presents.

If you are a dollar store, it does not matter how much your business pays for a website — it had better look cheap — like a dollar store website! If you are an attorney, and you have walnut desks and Persian rugs, and you hand your client a cheap feeling business card, expect the client to switch their focus to the cheap feeling cards. A doctors office with an unswept floor generates questions of sterility — an expected quality in a medical office. This “hiccup” in the customer experience does not necessarily reflect the quality of your work, just your customer’s focus and perception. A business needs to keep the client focused on the business at hand.

Focus on Predictability

The fastest client path from “I don’t know you” to “Do whatever you think is right” is consistency in all client encounters and predictability in experience. Your client will be able to test their expectations and feel confident in your company’s ability to deliver after a smooth customer experience without hiccups.

When it comes to extending your brand to your logo, website and printed materials, it is critical that those client contacts reflect your business in a consistent way. They are all part of an overall business identity. If any of those items are out of synch, you jeopardize your client experience and will certainly slow down your progress toward a healthy client relationship. Be sure to consider all facets of your business when designing and planning any one of them. You will see and feel the benefit.

Want to build your business?
Consistency = Shortest Time to Client Trust

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Bryan Carter is the Managing Partner at thinkWEBSTORE.com, a marketing and technology company located on Lake Harbour Drive in Ridgeland, Mississippi that helps businesses with branding, websites, graphic design, search engine optimization and social marketing.

One of the keys to business success, start-up and otherwise, is to be known for something, just one, single something. It allows you to specialize rather than be simply categorized.

Rule Number One: Be known for something

Five Guys is known for burgers and fries. Abner’s is known for chicken. Batteries Plus is known for batteries! By being known for a thing, a business can accelerate its market presence more than with any other single strategy. It allows businesses like Batteries Plus to compete with category stores like Walmart. That is not to say that Walmart is not successful or known for anything. Walmart spends a lot of money pushing the message of low prices. McDonald’s is undeniably the fast food king. However, it is not known for a single item, such as hamburgers. They promote fast food items from salad to fish to wraps to McRib Sandwiches. Category businesses are known for more general attributes such as price, speed or convenience. Again, by being known for a single thing a business can more easily draw business from category leaders.

Rule Number Two: Just because you can do something does not mean you should.

If you are regularly in the company of entrepreneurs, then you know how many creative ideas flow from their innate inspiration and natural ability to take concepts and craft businesses. Over a beer or a cup of coffee, commercial empires are conceptualized and put to rest within a conversation.

While an entrepreneur’s enthusiasm for new business ventures is a fundamental strength, when it cannot be contained, it is also an Achilles heal. A typical scenario that plagues a start-up business happens after the initial concept for the business begins executing. As soon as the business begins to shift to operational mode, the entrepreneurial spirit rises up and threatens to break the “Be known for something” rule. Call it creativity or boredom, but whatever it is that takes hold, the entrepreneur’s mind begins to think up more ways to make money and wants to promote the new ideas alongside the “one big thing”. Diversifying the business’s “known for” begins to push the business into the unspecific world of category, where it is extremely difficult to compete.

Rule Number Three: Know your lead and your follow.

Just because you are known for one thing, it does not mean that is all you do. Any business is going to have complementary products or services. Complementary products and services are a benefit to the customer and in many cases complete the business model. However, just because you have complementary products and services does not mean you should dilute your “known for.”

Always lead with your big thing and follow with your other products or services. Don’t dilute your message. Instead, add value with your “follow” messages, products and services.

Stick to your guns, business owners and marketing directors. Stay with your one big thing. Be excellent at it. Be known for it. Let it rev your business’s engine and give you the edge and advantage that helps propel you to success.

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Bryan Carter is the Managing Partner at thinkWEBSTORE.com, a marketing and technology company located on Lake Harbour Drive in Ridgeland, Mississippi that specializes in online marketing and website services, and of course, offers many complementary services.

Today’s landscape of communication options can be overwhelming for any sized business, let alone small and mid-sized businesses that already feel crunched when it comes to time and resources for self promotion. However, the plethora of options has also come with advances in the technology that can be used to manage those communications.

In Ridgeland, Mississippi, thinkWEBSTORE is helping clients face these challenges and understand the tools that make it possible to communicate with customers in many new ways.

According to Bryan Carter, President of thinkWEBSTORE, there is no silver bullet. “People often ask what specific message to create for which specific platform,” he said. “They are trying to choose specific technologies to reach specific audiences. But it’s more about opening the lines of communication so that people get your message however THEY choose to receive it. Be that email, Facebook, Twitter or in traditional media. Today’s opt-in approach in the social marketing segments has allowed people to actually ask to communicate with you and your company.”

A year ago, audiences were more segmented and had less tolerance for receiving the same message in multiple formats. But today people (customers) are embracing multiple ways to communicate. And, they don’t mind getting some repeat communications from their different channels. Using social networking channels also means that a positive message can spread far beyond its initial recipients. That said, every communication must be relevant. Otherwise, your audience members will begin opting out.

Website

Your website is still your most important communication hub for your customers. It is the place that defines your look, visuals, content, deep content and messaging.

Facebook

With the introduction of FBML, Website pages on Facebook have debuted and taken off with vigour. Time will tell how much of ‘The Next Big Thing’ they prove to be. But, as of now, they are having real impact despite having only recently been introduced.

Instead of looking for a silver bullet, try seven. Use each method or media for its strength and don’t be afraid to overlap a little. As long as the message is well received, customers will still be fans.

Seven Standard Ways of Communication for Today’s Business

• Web
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Phone or Chat
• In Person
• Third Party (Referral and Word of Mouth)

For more information and insight into integrating your marketing and communication strategies across multiple media channels, building websites and building new Facebook web pages, contact thinkWEBSTORE.com in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive next to Primos Cafe.

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Located next to Primos Cafe on Lake Harbor Drive in Ridgeland, thinkWEBSTORE is a leader in online presence in the Jackson metro area. Their services include website design, social marketing, hosting, logos, search engine optimization and graphic design. They can be found online at www.thinkwebstore.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thinkWEBSTORE and on Twitter @thinkWEBSTORE. Contact thinkWEBSTORE.com by phone at (601) 856-2000.

A website can just sit there like a dusty can on a shelf. Or, it can be a vivid expression of what you want your business to be and how you want it to compete with others. More and more small to mid-sized companies are realizing that how they express themselves online is crucial to how well they perform in today’s economy. Increasingly today’s messaging isn’t about shouting louder, it’s about speaking smarter. This means targeting the message and the medium to the right audience. Online, you can.

There was a time when websites were a luxury for businesses. Today they are as necessary as a phone number and logo. Now that websites are mainstream, people expect every business to have one. And what’s more, potential customers use them. So your website should not only properly represent your business and its capabilities, it is also critical that your website performs for you and outperforms your competition.

To make sure your web presence has full impact, you might have to move beyond your url. This gives your audience the chance to encounter you in more than one place on the web. Welcome to social marketing. That’s right, the online world didn’t sit still and, while we watched, applications like Facebook and Twitter entered the online social scene, grew to mainstream status and finally penetrated the business market. In fact, there are companies that rely completely on their websites and social marketing to promote their business — successfully.

Everyday millions of people are shopping online and comparing competing companies. Many of the companies being surfed don’t even know how many sales are clicking out the door. Since it all happens online, it‘s easy to fall asleep at the wheel while the competition racks up.

One amazing thing about your online presence is that it works while you are awake, and while you are asleep. It is critical that you create the right tool and the best experience for your customer . A properly designed online presence can be your best, most reliable employee. It can qualify leads, drive sales, attract phone calls and inspire in-store visits. It will consistently do whatever you have set it up to do, all day and all night long. It costs less than an entry level sales associate and does much, much more.

Your online properties must work together. And, depending on which applications you employ — Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc. — you will need to do your part. That means spending some time communicating with your customers, answering questions, offering them advice and offering deals. With proper execution, the return will be in your customer relations and in your bottom line. Consider your online presence to be your ship. Pick a great captain and watch your tools perform.

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For more information on websites and social marketing, contact thinkWEBSTORE.com at (601) 856-2000, visit www.thinkwebstore.com or find them on Facebook and Twitter @thinkWEBSTORE. Located next to Primos Cafe on Lake Harbor Drive in Ridgeland, thinkWEBSTORE is a leader in online presence in the Jackson metro area. Their services include website design, social marketing, hosting, logos, search engine optimization and graphic design.

Marketing is a very common business concept, but one that I find is interpreted and applied very differently by business people. Marketing is often seen as a luxury, and not a necessity, so it is often first on the chopping block during budget cuts. Hundreds, if not thousands, of marketing books are published each year trying to influence the way business leaders plan and execute their marketing strategies. Over the years, Al Ries, Jack Trout, Robert Cialdini and Seth Godin are a few of the authors and consultants that have risen above the pack to make a major impact on the way we think about marketing. For most entrepreneurs who don’t have a direct background in marketing, sorting through the various theories of marketing can be a difficult thing. Part of the confusion lies in how we think about advertising, public relations, sales, and marketing.

I recently spoke with Bryan Carter, founder of thinkWEBSTORE.com, to get his thoughts on how entrepreneurs should approach their marketing strategies. Carter has a very interesting background in design, technology, psychology, and business. His experiences include being a national consultant and speaker, authoring journal and industry articles, working for a large advertising agency, and developing award winning multimedia learning tools. In 2007, he opened thinkWEBSTORE.com with a clear purpose in mind — to offer a “one-stop shop” for businesses and their marketing needs. The services offered include marketing strategy, website design and hosting, search engine optimization and marketing, e-mail marketing and advertising services for small and mid-sized businesses. Part of what makes Carter’s business model different is that he provides these services from a retail location versus a traditional office environment. Carter’s success is no accident. He knew his target market and designed a whole business around meeting the needs of that underserved market. Carter leveraged his experience and expertise in planning out the entire business concept in great detail and now has executed that plan diligently.

Many service professionals suffer from the “cobbler who has no shoes” problem, but Carter has certainly avoided that and done an excellent job of marketing his own business. Even though the economy tanked soon after it opened, thinkWEBSTORE.com is ahead of its goals, and Carter anticipates executing soon on his plans to expand the concept regionally and nationally. According to Carter, “Marketing is how you put all the pieces together of advertising, PR and sales. It is your overall strategy, which should be consistent and well thought out.” Carter described advertising as the tool that gets people to your door and sales as a delivery mechanism. Marketing, he emphasized, is where you “think through the details of your business including such things as pricing, positioning and delivery ability.” He also noted that while marketing is comprehensive, it does not have to be complicated. Carter also believes that a company’s website, regardless of the type of business, is really the core that should be used as a guide for all other aspects of marketing.

Operating a service business, Carter noted that he emphasizes quality as they key. In order to do that, he has a simple credo for his employees: Be aware; Think things through, and Own it! He pointed out that when you are aware and think things through, owning the issue is usually not a problem. I see many businesses where a lack or “ownership” is a major problem. Lack of ownership leads to no accountability, which usually results in disastrous results both for both customers and the company. Ultimately, Carter’s passion and business is about helping entrepreneurs help themselves. Many business owners come to thinkWEBSTORE.com with ideas and dreams, and Carter and his team help them accomplish them.

I am inspired by the detailed thought and planning that Carter puts into his business. For entrepreneurs and business people, I think we can all do better at being more diligent in thinking through the details of our business. This type of planning is a fluid and ongoing process, and one which is important for the long term success of a venture. For me, it involves a bit of a paradigm shift to try and clearly see a business through the eyes of the clients and prospective clients. Truly great businesses see this view. They design not only their products and services, but the entire experience to maximize it for their clientele. I am sure that we will continue to see the impact of Carter’s attention to this detail in the success of his business and his client’s businesses in the years to come.

Martin Willoughby, a business lawyer in Jackson, is a regular contributing columnist for the Mississippi Business Journal. He can be reached at mew@msbusinesslaw.com.

Has the Web changed Marketing Strategy? Yes, of course it has. Has it become a tool to help you organize your marketing efforts? You bet.

The fact is, developing your brand and marketing materials has never been easier. Websites have become the proving ground for all aspects of a company’s marketing presence before it is ever committed to the sunk cost and expense of more traditional materials such as print, video and audio that, once created, cannot be easily changed or changed at all.

Using your website as your marketing hub, you can develop and polish the look, the message and the content of your company and then use that to easily guide the development of everything from business cards to brochures to articles to online ads to billboards. Keeping your message and look consistent and on point has never been easier or more practical.

In addition to developing your guide to marketing materials, the Web is also an excellent marketing research tool. Not only can you see which pages interest your visitors the most, but by promoting your website address in all of your marketing efforts you are inviting your audience to come visit your site. And, a portion of your audience will. By tracking your web traffic you can get a decent idea of the response rate of your advertising and campaign efforts.

* New TV commercial? Track it.
* Just attended a conference in Orlando and handed out over 250 business cards? Track it.
* Just had a write-up in the local business journal? Track it!

Comparing your traffic and the costs of each effort can give you a general idea of your Return On Investment (ROI). The results may surprise you!

The proper and most efficient evolution of your business identity and marketing materials can save you money and make all of your efforts consistent, synergistic and more effective.

(1) Logo – Establish your mark
(2) Website – Establish your look, your message, your extended content
(3) Promote – Business Cards, Letterhead, Envelopes, Brochures, Sales Literature, Catalogs, Video, Radio, Print Ads, Online Ads, Email Marketing, Direct Mail, Billboards, Apparel, Gear

Don’t put the cart before the horse!
(1) The first thing to establish is your logo. (2) From the logo a look can begin to evolve and be developed, along with your messaging and content in the form of a website. (3) It’s time to promote your company. Once finalized, these elements can be used to generate any marketing and support materials you need.

If you are using the Web correctly, it has added a dynamic element to your marketing tool set that you will never give up. It has become the hub of all marketing efforts including conceptualization, message development, content development, public trials, visual treatment, general tracking and the source for nearly all marketing materials.

If you have questions or would like more information on how to maximize the use of your website and online presence in your overall marketing strategy, contact thinkWEBSTORE.com at (601) 856-2000.

Ridgeland, Mississippi

This small business team is hard to beat. Small and large businesses alike are utilizing thinkWEBSTORE.com and Advanced Microsystems to boost their business and add stability to their technology solutions. And, the budgetary benefits can be significant.

In today’s ultra-competitive environment, where businesses are streamlining operations and costs, here are two local companies that are always busy. In fact, they have continued to grow despite the down economy. Both companies have developed a solid reputation in the tri-county area as the “go-to” places for websites and computer support. Bryan Carter, managing partner for thinkWEBSTORE.com, explains, “We make technology easy and marketing make sense. That is always our goal.”

Having a knowledgeable computer support team on call 24/7 without incurring the costs of full-time staffing has proven to be a very efficient use of resources for many Mississippi companies. Advanced Microsystems (AMS) has been in operation for over twelve years. According to owner Jitu Patel, “We are always available and make sure everything works the first time. Our clients like us for that reason.” AMS provides networking, installation, software support and computer repair services. Patel, a Mississippi State graduate, moved the operation to the current Ridgeland, Mississippi location in January 2008 to join business partner, Carter, and thinkWEBSTORE.com.

Sister company thinkWEBSTORE.com is unique for a marketing venture because it combines the disciplines of business, design, technology, usability, psychology and advertising. “We are able to provide a great deal of insight and the result is common-sense solutions that just work,” states Carter. Custom designed and developed website packages start at $1199. Carter, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, formed thinkWEBSTORE.com after working with and consulting with several large corporations including IBM, AT&T, NCR, Home Depot and Educational Testing Solutions. thinkWEBSTORE.com’s service offerings include website design and development, web hosting, graphic design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Business Identity (logos, business cards, letterhead) and brochures.

“We’re excited about our businesses and we are proud to have a lot of loyal clients,” says Carter. Both thinkWEBSTORE.com and AMS work with a wide range of businesses including medical groups, industrial companies, law practices, construction companies, retailers, real estate companies, developers, churches, consulting companies, agricultural companies, media companies and many more. If you are looking for expertise and local accountability, these partner businesses are well suited. Either business can be contacted for free estimates.

thinkWEBSTORE.com and Advanced Microsystems are located in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive across from Primos Cafe. Store hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday.

For more information on websites, search engine optimization, hosting and other marketing and web services, contact thinkWEBSTORE.com at (601)856-2000 or visit www.thinkwebstore.com. For more information on networking, network administration, computer repair and software support, contact Advanced Microsystems at (601)914-5657.

thinkWEBSTORE.com becomes a Google Apps^TM Authorized Reseller.  The highly requested Google Apps Premier Edition services for businesses incorporates Google^TM world class email hosting services, interfaces and spam and anti-virus filtering as a business solution.  This eliminates costly equipment, software and maintenance costs for businesses of all sizes.  The Google Apps suite includes calendaring, business applications (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation), company website tools, file storage, chat and video, all through Google servers.  This “cloud computing” solution is one of the first practical, mainstream solutions of its size with such a comprehensive application package.  Calendars, documents and websites can be shared with other users simply, which used to require applications such as Microsoft Exchange.  Google Apps can be used along with Microsoft Office products for those who aren’t comfortable leaving their Microsoft tools.  Google Apps offers security, utility and flexibility for the business community and eliminates the need to be tied to a single computer to access your data.