Your website is your company’s most powerful sales tool. It never takes a break. It works every weekend, all holidays and travels globally. That’s right, 24/7 and 365, your website is the salesperson that never goes home or sleeps.

Below are 10 reasons your site may not be properly optimized for search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing.

1. Is your site older than 4 years? Search engines are fast, constantly evolving. If your site isn’t built to keep up with the fast paced world of Google crawlers, the age of your website structure may be your biggest enemy.
2. Do you have a blog or news updates? Regularly updated content gives Google a reason to keep visiting your site. More visits = more opportunities to appear in search results.
3. Are you using social media to drive traffic to your site? Along with an ongoing conversation with your online community, you should be using social media to drive traffic and gain traction in search engines.
4. How does your site perform on mobile devices? If your site can’t be viewed easily on a smart phone or iPad, then search engines likely aren’t ‘seeing’ it either.
5. Do you know how much traffic your site receives? In order to have a solid plan for search engine optimization for the future, you have to know how your site is and has performed in the recent past. Google Analytics offers a wealth of information regarding site traffic that can help you address and alter your approach for SEO.
6. Is your website driving sales leads or bringing in potential customers? Not only are easily found contact forms important for reaching potential prospects, but they can also assist your rankings in Google. Getting large amounts of web traffic is great, but those visitors need a quick easy way to convert to prospects.
7. Has it been more than a year since your site was updated? Effective SEO requires regular site updates and maintenance. It is critical to constantly monitor your sites results in major Search engines and make regular adjustments.
8. Is your website content relevant to your primary search terms and/or services? Writing search engine friendly content that appeals to your audience is a bit of a balancing act. We’ve fine-tuned the skill of communicating with your customer with content that is rich in keyword relevance for search engines.
9. Does your site have Flash? Unfortunately, while Flash may ‘look cool’ it isn’t exactly SEO friendly. Images and Flash can create crawling issues for search engines that will lead to little or even no text being indexed for search results which ultimately means less search engine traffic to your site.
10. Is your site full of images? Search engines do not read content within graphics. While your site may be visually appealing with heavy imagery, the search engine crawlers are left with little content to read and therefor little content to place in search results.
    

If you have questions or concerns about your site’s performance, call us to enhance your hardest working sales tool.

When you have the words ‘Vanderbilt’ and ‘Legends’ in your name, everything you do comes with a certain level of expectation. That’s why the leadership at Vanderbilt Legends Club turned to Powell Creative to design new marketing materials that are ‘on par’ with the image the Club is known for.

The Club asked for and got a ‘Wow-factor’ pocket folder, a 12-page membership brochure, and inserts to support the Club’s new member recruitment efforts, as well as promote social events and information on The Golf Academy at Vanderbilt Legends Club. Every aspect of each piece was crafted to convey the Club’s attention to detail, quality and elegance. Warm photography was incorporated into the design, along with classic design elements and conversational, yet inspirational, copy to literally envelope potential members into the aura of the Club.

For anyone who loves to play golf, the weight and feel of these marketing materials holds great appeal…and should inspire positive response.

A true Hole-in-One!

Below are questions you should ask yourself about how your brand stacks up. Of course, you can call us and we can review these questions about your brand together.

20 QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER ABOUT YOUR BRAND’S RELEVANCE IN TODAY’S MARKETPLACE:

1. How would you describe your services and/or products?
2. How has your products or services changed over the years?
3. What are the long-term goals of your company?
4. Who is your target audience?
5. Who is your emerging audience?
6. What feeling or emotion should your logo communicate? What does your logo stand for?
7. Where are you using your logo? Print, web, outdoor, an avatar?
8. Does your logo pre-date the web? If so, it might be time to refresh it.
9. If you’re in need of a new logo design, what do you feel it needs to convey?
10. Do you have any color preferences, or existing brand colors?
11. Does your company colors evoke emotion?
12. Have new competitors infringed on your monopoly?
13. How are you different from your competitors?
14. Is your tagline still relevant today?
15. How about your descriptor?
16. What key words or phrases best describe who you are?
17. If you were to Google your key words or phrases, would they lead to your website?
18. Do you know what SEO stands for?
19. Do you have a Social Media plan?
20. Are you engaging with your customers?

If you’re not thinking about your brand, who is? Contact us today and together we’ll examine all aspects of your brand and provide you an analysis.

Social Media is about sharing and so are relationships. Social Media is the perfect way to engage with customers and forge relationships beyond a bank account number. Do you know what else relationships are about? TRUST. And every bank, large or small wants to be trusted. So get out there and give customers a reason to trust you by getting to know you better.

Below are 10 more reasons why a community bank needs to start using Social Media:

#10 ENGAGEMENT – Social Media is a great way to talk with your customer…but first listen, gain feedback and then converse. It is amazing what your customers might tell you…such as exactly what they are looking for from a bank.

Don't under-estimate how you can help a potential customer.

#9 HELP AND ASSIST – Blogs are a great way to share information and educate an audience or potential customer. Offer up your expertise on how to apply for a loan or refinance a mortgage. Easily explain steps needed to apply for a small business loan or something as simple as offering tips on how to balance a checkbook.

#8 SUPPORT COMMUNITY – You call yourself a Community Bank, then start acting like one. Get involved with individuals one-on-one with real conversations. These are your neighbors, customers and hopefully soon your friend on Facebook.

#7 REINFORCE YOUR BRAND PROMISE – You are a Community Bank serving customers both as individuals and small businesses. Social Media is a great equalizer for small businesses. Validate Social Media as a viable medium by demonstrating support for small business owners and engage with your community.

#6 WANT MORE CUSTOMERS? – When was the last time you used the Yellow Pages to research a bank? Are you looking to attract young families just starting out? Do you want to help them buy their first car, house or boat? Social Media is a great channel to connect with young adults.

#5 CUSTOMER SERVICE – This means being available for your customer, so why not expand the ways they can reach you? Believe me if you customer has a complaint, they will not hesitate to share their thoughts via Social Media. Be available and monitor what people are saying about your bank.

#4 PUBLIC RELATIONS – Social Media is another form of public relations. Share ways that you are involved in the community, from sponsoring a Little League team to food and clothing drives to baking a cake for a customer’s birthday. Be proud of all your local involvement, no matter how big or small.

#3 – THREE IMPORTANT LETTERS…SEO – Search Engine Optimization. Yes, Social Media can help you with dominating search, especially locally. Not only will you see an increase in your website traffic, you’ll also see your site climbing to higher positions in search results on Google, Yahoo and Bing.

All banks have ATM's, differentiate yourself and post on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

#2 SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE PACK –
If you aren’t using Social Media your competitor might be, so beat them to the punch. Set up a Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn profile now and start connecting with current and future customers today!

#1 HUMANIZE THE BANK EXPERIENCE –
All banks have ATMs, but now you can leverage technology to connect with your customers and neighbors. Maybe you thought Social Media is a trend and might go away. It is far from a trend and is growing more popular by the minute. So get on-board.

Do you have a social relationship with your bank? Share your thoughts on community banks and social media.

Direct mail can be this cool! Are you ready to deliver a fresh message to your customers?
Contact us today for innovative direct mail ideas!

Of course, we at Powell Creative are immersed in the world of web design, and we provide quotes for projects of varying scopes and sizes all the time for businesses like yours. From our firsthand experiences working with web quote newbies, we’ve compiled some pointers to help you before, during and after the quote comparison process.

BEFORE YOU REQUEST A QUOTE…

Know what your site needs to say and do.
Do your homework and some marketing introspection to determine the purpose, audience and potential content of your site, as well as the types of functionality you’re hoping for. Bookmark websites that you like as reference, and clearly list your specific requirements.

Pinpoint your website assets.
Assess if you already have the content and imagery needed to complete your site. If you don’t have good copy and/or photography, you will likely need to have those items included in the quotes.

Narrow your potential partner list.
Request quotes only from potential partners who have intrigued you through their word-of-mouth references, online portfolios and other representations of work done well.

Outline a budget.
While you may not have full understanding of what a website design might cost, you do know what your budget can sustain. Know your limits going into the process, and you’ll spare yourself and potential partners unnecessary planning, dreaming and quoting.

DURING THE QUOTE…

Level the playing field.
Give all prospects the same parameters and list of requirements so that you will be more likely to come out with apples-to-apples quotes for comparison.

Meet and greet.
If possible, have meetings with your potential partners. This will allow the chance to discern styles and personalities that you won’t necessarily find through online interactions.

Set a timeframe.
Allow potential partners reasonable time to prepare quotes but hold to a deadline for submission. That may be a good indicator of who’ll be most responsive long term.

AFTER THE QUOTE…

Make it all about you.
Make sure the quotes address all your requirements. Use the process of elimination if you find a potential vendor misses one or more of your clearly stated directives. If they didn’t hear you during the pitch, they surely won’t after they’ve landed your business.

Read everything—not just the total estimated cost on the last page.
Don’t make decisions based solely on price. Thoroughly read the quotes to understand the approaches, details and services enfolded into the final numbers.

Remember web design is about so much more than appearance.
Great web design is only one-part looks; you need a site designed for ease of navigation, that’s mobile friendly and readily found through web search. Narrow your list to only those potential partners who address these essential aspects of your website.

Keep an eye on the time.
Make a decision as promptly as possible, as that’s more efficient and thoughtful for all parties involved. Not to mention, web designers stay rather busy these days, and the sooner you can get on a work schedule the better.

Please contact us today to discuss your new website. Or, if you prefer, we can function as your consultant in establishing an RFP for your upcoming website project.

Suffice to say, Powell and Castle Homes have proven to be a solid pairing. Castle’s new website is just one example. We recently completed a full-scale renovation of www.castlehomes.com, using our branding and site development expertise to capture Castle’s desired architecture and aesthetic.

The result is an online home that’s inviting and flows as well as a Castle custom-built residence. For new visitors or returning clients, the site’s pages are like open rooms – each filled with useful furnishings of helpful information and inspiring imagery. Also, we created the site to fit into Castle’s neighborhood of online properties, with quick links to Facebook, blog, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

In true custom-built fashion, CastlesHomes.com is prime online real estate.

Ready to make a move to a new site built just for your brand? We have the blueprint to build effective online presence. Contact us today!

Whether you still prefer the kind of greeting that folds down the middle or you lean toward electronic acknowledgements these days, Powell has a stocking full of ideas for you. We’re well versed in creating custom holiday cards, eblasts and packaging for gifts that enhance brands and convey the spirit of the season.

If you already have an e-newsletter or email marketing program established, holiday greetings in the form of eblasts are simple, affordable alternatives for connecting with your customers.

Of course, we’re on deadline!  The holidays are just around the corner, so it’s time to make your list, check it twice and enlist Powell to make the season very nice. Contact us today to make sure your business has presence over the holidays!

Just because NOI-Nashville Office Interiors has locations all over the map (of Tennessee) doesn’t mean their brand should follow suit.

After years of growth and acquistion, NOI-a leader in commercial furniture and interior design-found itself with multiple websites and as many brand representations. Knowing less is more and being savvy in design that works, the NOI team enlisted Powell Creative to renovate the company’s entire brand and digital marketing strategy.

We began by constructing a new logo and brand image for NOI-a clean concept that pays homage to the company’s expertise in creating well-defined spaces. Next, we interpreted the fresh look and new graphic standards in a full corporate identity package that included business cards, stationery and collateral materials.

Working closely with the NOI team, we then honed the company’s web presence, wrangling three individually branded websites into a single, consolidated solution.

The finished site is sleek and stylish-true to the nature of NOI’s business. Contact information for the company’s physical locations is easily accessed right on the home page-instead of all over the map as it once was. The site is a corporate-wide sales tool that boosts the overall NOI brand.

Do you have branding and marketing materials that are all over the map? Let us be your guide to an effective rebranding strategy. Contact us today!

When it came time to fold a few individually-branded business units into one highly-recognizable brand, Al Dampier entrusted Powell Creative with the task. We helped Dampier define and refine the company image, as he and his team transitioned into a full-service Professional Employment Organization (PEO).

Previously, Dampier had billed areas of expertise–recruiting, insurance brokering and payroll–as unique companies with different names and messaging. Now, with Dampier’s vision and direction and our strategic creativity, all those capabilities exist within a singular, well-defined brand: Dampier, Your HR Partner.

Dampier’s rebranding involved the creation of a new logo, corporate identity package, website and collateral. The consistent, contemporary brand image and consolidated corporate messaging is already helping Dampier stand out as a leader in the PEO field.

Need to corral your company’s message and image? We can help you get on the ‘brandwagon’ too. Contact us today!

As a full-service PEO, Dampier provides comprehensive HR solutions for companies of all types and sizes. They act as co-employers with their clients to offer seamless benefits, payroll, risk management and recruitment support.
dampierHR.com