iNET-Web Waukesha Wisconsin's Superior Website Developer Brings You News About Web Development Practices - iNET Computers Events and Special Promotions - Tips On Helping Get Your Website To the Top!

These days, social media is all the rage with many web development companies in Milwaukee and abroad. As more and more web developers plaster their client websites with links to Twitter and Facebook pages, it begs the question, when you are looking for a manufacturer of epoxy resins, or a cylinder repair shop, would YOU go to Twitter or Facebook to begin your search, or at any point in your search? A web developer may tell you social media and “web 2.0” is an important aspect of your online presence. What is important about it? Does "web 2.0" drive new business to you? If not, then what is the point? The point might just be real web marketing is too difficult of a nut to crack for second tier web developers looking to expand their horizons without working any harder or learning anything new, difficult or lasting.

In a select and narrow few industries, maintaining an active Facebook page may be worth the time it takes to do so (or the money it takes to pay a web developer to do social networking). For example, one iNET web development client is a photographer who does lots of senior photo shoots. They have found Facebook is an effective way for them to get their presence known by local high school seniors, and their Facebook profile has actually brought them business.

There ARE business oriented social networking websites like Linked-In and Plaxo where you are more likely to be able to connect with people who actually make business decisions for substantially sized companies. The fact is, at whatever social networking site you go on, maintaining an active presence and making REAL connections (not thinly veiled spam attempts) takes a regular investment of time and energy. If you think you might enjoy connecting with people through social media, or communicating through 144 character “tweets”, then give social media a shot. If you have an active social media profile you update on a regular basis, put thought into, and enjoy maintaining, you may actually be able to foster a relationship with someone who someday becomes a customer.

Reality is; the vast majority of decision makers at the vast majority of businesses are not spending time on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media website looking for people to do business with. If you’re worried your company may be getting left behind by not taking part in the “social media revolution”, you can relax. Links from social media sites do not pass value to your website in search engine rankings, and social media sites are NOT where your customers are looking for you.

My advice on social networking-pumping website developers; be wary of taking advice from any web developer who has hours a day to spend updating a social media profile.

This isn’t the first time the Wisconsin website development community has been egregiously snubbed. With the state of Wisconsin government running a record budget deficit, seemingly intending to tax the living hell out of Wisconsin business and residents, December 2008 news of the state of Wisconsin spending two million dollars with a Connecticut web development firm (“To say $2 million is a ridiculous price for a web site that has less functionality than my weblog is an understatement. After spending a considerable amount of time going over the documents I got from the GAB in response to my open records request, it became clear to me that PCC Technology Group was, to put it mildly, fleecing the people of Wisconsin.” >From http://dancody.org) infuriated website development industry professionals across Wisconsin. There may be 10 companies able to deliver pretty much any solution the state needed right here in South East Wisconsin alone. At two million dollars, many assume there is Wisconsin political pay to play scheme going on or some other right wing conspiracy theory contributing to that debacle. Mind you, I am a fairly conservative individual. I care too much about Wisconsin’s future to feel good about sponsoring commuter rail or socialized healthcare with billions in tax money to be paid decades from now. That $2,000,000 for me was water over the dam with no possibility of retrieval. While I, as an owner of arguably Wisconsin’s premier website development firm, was upset by the $2,000,000, the Walker campaign rationalization of their decision to outsource his 2010 gubernatorial campaign website is viscerally offensive.

Let’s take a tour of Scott’s site as it sits right now while I write;

We arrive to a video splash page. While splash pages are typically considered a nuisance by website visitors, Scott's Ohio firm did a splendid splash page replete with low resolution pixilated video. I arrive not as impressed as I expected to be after hearing one of my employees say he isn't voting for Scott Walker anymore and then viewing a WISN TV Milwaukee Video about the Walker site where I heard Scott and his campaign manager's opinions on the low quality of web development done in Wisconsin at exorbitant prices. It isn't considered cutting edge web marketing to force feed information before viewers enter a site, while not allowing them to access site navigation… At least in Wisconsin and 48 other states it's not. The Walker campaign manager may want to have his Ohio firm run analytics to show how long site visitors tolerate that splash page. Most reputable Wisconsin website development firms would have pointed out site visitors don’t like splash pages. Once in, the Scott Walker website offers site visitors a chance to create their own page on the Scott Walker website. OH MY GOODNESS the thought of such complex functionality makes me tremble with relief having never been asked to quote this 'budget priced' Ohioan masterwork. Really, a log in, a blog, a forum post? That must be the functionality the Scott Walker campaign manager was speaking of when he said the site was beyond Wisconsin web development firm abilities, because there isn’t much else happening. Maybe in Ohio, websites allowing site visitors to create their own accounts are ground breaking. The campaign manager and Scott are quick to point out 'even if lowly Wisconsin website developers could do something that incredible we would overcharge for sure.'

You have to wonder if Scott ever listens to the conservative talk radio station WISN am1130 he is on all the time as a guest of the Jay Weber morning show. If he did listen has he never heard the iNET Web ads that play constantly? iNET beats all competitor prices Scott.

Back to this master work, beyond the ability of some 10 serious web development firms in 'South East' Wisconsin alone;

As a web site design aficionado of sorts, I was sucked like a moth to the flames upon noticing the two broken photo image icons on the bottom left corner of the home page. Clearly, Wisconsin Website designers should be in awe of the amazing site management tools making it a piece of cake for the Walker campaign to edit their own site keeping it fresh and professional looking. Cripes, that photo gallery with titles but no images has me appreciating Scott and his manager saying there are no Wisconsin companies who could have done this site 'especially when you take into account the budget.' Bring your site to iNET Scott, iNET will include as many photo galleries as you want with no images in them free of charge. PLUS we will make the background in the gallery with no images look cooler so people have something to look at in your imageless photo galleries. I have to admit it was out of the box thinking from your Ohio development firm. A photo gallery with no photos… It would NEVER have occurred to us at iNET (They likely came up with that in one of their midnight oil burning, creativity sessions.) My favorite in the 'image free photo gallery' is the image title, “Scott with Vet”. As I viewed the image title, free of the prejudice the actual photo might have created in my mind, I was able to wonder if it was an honored American veteran who sacrificed for our world freedom and security or maybe a veterinarian treating an injured puppy. I even wondered if it could be that Scott was with a veteran from another country. He is fond of outsourcing and they could be more able and cheaper, right? I guess someone could ask his campaign manager.

The low resolution videos framed out in a YouTube display box are cutting edge! No, wait a minute, they are not cutting edge, they are low resolution and much smaller than they could be AND in a box dependant on another site that can and sometimes does get bogged down by traffic. That would be less visual appeal from Ohio. An image marketing site is all about multimedia and visual appeal. Like one of the blurry guys on the site says, ‘Everyone in Wisconsin is having to cut back,’ maybe the Walker campaign had to cut back on resolution, photos and functionality in order to hit that low quoted budget from Ohio. Many Wisconsin website development companies would deliver higher resolution, larger video view windows and make it affordable for Scott Walker.

The Home page website aggrandizing article blurb from the capital times is awesome. When you get a site from Ohio you have to spell it out for Wisconsinites how good it is or we might not figure it out? Is that the thought behind the article on this home page? "Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker deserves high marks for "getting it" with regard to new media. The Republican candidate for governor has a sharp, well-designed campaign website that is easy to use and invites Wisconsinites to engage" The article points out the importance of the great graphic design and endearing human imagery of the site. No Wisconsin web design and development firm could handle that. Besides, the gallery is only down Friday, Saturday, Sunday and now Monday. In Wisconsin with iNET the Walker campaign could have called a live local human being right here in Wisconsin and had their broken photo gallery fixed right now, except for, with iNET it wouldn’t be broken. With Ohio it will likely have to wait until Ohio business hours or you never know when because they seem to say they are a freewheeling lot in their own marketing. Work late Friday, maybe take Monday off???

Mr. Walker like the people who you posted feedback from on your new website I thank you for running for office. I had hoped to volunteer to work on your campaign and even considered making a serious campaign donation. Your grandstanding talk about keeping jobs in Wisconsin is a flipping joke. When it comes right down to it, where will you spend state money if you are governor? Ohio? If they get too expensive down in Ohio will you move state contracts to Mexico or China? If you win and you do decide to move state contracts to Ohio or Mexico or China why not give Wisconsin companies a chance to at least quote the business? Especially if you plan to stand on the capitol steps and proclaim us Wisconsin companies unable to deliver and overpriced. Thanks for that pal. Really, thanks.

With the two million dollar debacle the Connecticut firm unknowingly used an image of the wrong state capital in the site header. The story if you have not read it is worth a perusal at http://dancody.org/archives/. At least those Wisconsin sell outs spending tax dollars didn’t stand on the capitol steps and proclaim all Wisconsin web developers unable and overpriced. No, Scott Walker and his campaign manager stand together as the guys who spend hard earned Wisconsin money out of state then badmouth Wisconsin businesses.

iNET Web employs 34 hard working 'website industry cutting edge defining' Wisconsin tax paying, creative genius inspired Wisconsinites. Take a look at our successes pages Scott if you have any doubt of our abilities. You will see Wisconsin AND out of state business after business raving about the incredible results and value of our web development and web marketing services.

It’s “Voodoo economics” coupled with ‘voodoo politics’ that you missed Scott. Something half the people who you post comments from on your site point out. If you had spent the money here in Wisconsin, believe it or not, you would have spent less, you would have received a better solution, would have a working photo gallery AND would have supported people who would have supported you. Had you asked iNET for a quote, found out we were lower priced and then looked at our successes pages and seen we are more able than any Ohio web developer, the iNET staff would have bought gas and groceries, gone to a movie, visited a local restaurant and paid their mortgage including property tax and state income taxes in Wisconsin or donated at a Wisconsin church and maybe even to a Wisconsin campaign for governor with the pittance your website would have cost. No doubt, the money you spent in Ohio wasn’t donated in Ohio or earned there and it sure isn’t coming back to Wisconsin any time soon. Judging by the marketing the company does about themselves on their own website you likely had to pay for some overnight Ohio overtime when they were breaking the box on creativity, ‘from their perspective.’

Sadly Scott you are likely still the best choice… I’ll be praying for a dark horse Wisconsin fiscal conservative to knock you down and take our state back from the spend and taxers and outsourcers. Until they show up you have my now painfully reluctant vote. I really was going to donate and even volunteer. Thank you and your campaign manager for supporting our local economy with your money and rationalizations. Too bad you aren’t a Democrat you could bus your web developer from Ohio in to vote for you.

If that Dark horse does show up and they stop by iNET for a quote they are going to get a website representative of the cutting edge of website development from the industry at large via a Wisconsin company at a price point that will make your Ohio firm say it isn’t possible. They might also get a highly motivated campaign volunteer.

A great myth propagated by website design individuals and web development companies is; the next website they develop will be something different than the last ten or fifty or two hundred. If what a web developer says doesn’t match what you see, you can trust the old axiom, ‘What you see is what you get.’ While template developers would have you believe otherwise, the Internet is a visual world.

For lack of any marketing creativity, website developers call web site based examples of their work the ‘Portfolio’ page. Yep, almost as sure as you will find their 'About' page and their 'Home' page, their 'Services' page and their 'Site Map' page you will find their ‘Portfolio’ page. Websites are practically living, breathing marketing platforms when done right. Profitable websites go knocking on doors all by themselves, ushering customers in, completing the sale while promoting the business to the next customer. Your website developer is a big piece of your marketing. When it doesn’t occur to a prospective web designer to market themselves any differently than their competition, they already show an inability to deliver a web marketing solution capable of helping your business grow by increasing the reach of your marketing and the size of your market.

A quick view through the ‘Portfolio’ page will typically show a few websites that for whatever reason the company thought were representative of their work or they are proud of. After reviewing many portfolio pages, it is safe for me to say many in the web design and development industry intend their portfolio page to simply prove they have done another website or two in the past. ‘Portfolio’ seems to be intended to tell their website viewer, “Been there done that… SEE?” and nothing more. Capabilities or function or, MOST IMPORTANTLY, the ability to create profitable websites are not even considered. The portfolio page is a necessary evil, a web industry standard having nothing to do with the pride an artist or photographer would attribute their portfolio. When a website portfolio doesn’t indicate anything about the web developers ‘customer’ profitability, the principal reason every business has a website, the portfolio page tells exactly how out of touch the website developer is with client needs.

So, you made it to my recommended starting point of a website developer’s own marketing piece, their ‘portfolio’ page. Now what? As you move into choosing a web marketing partner, you are making a decision that will impact your bottom line for the foreseeable future, maybe even the long term success or failure of your business… You have to dig in; the end result of an hour or two of thoughtful research will be greater profitability ongoing, forever. Does a quick look at the representative images on the website developer’s portfolio page make all of the websites look about the same or do they have individual flare and unique creativity? Go to one of the websites; can you unplug the logo of whatever company owns the website, plug in another logo and suddenly it is about another kind of business OR do you know the instant the page opens, what the business you are looking at does with the logo removed altogether? Now scroll to the bottom of the page; is the site copyright two or five or ten years old OR is the site copyright from this year? Is there a link to the developer’s own website… THERE SHOULD NOT BE! Does the navigation lead you to dig deeper? Does the visual ‘look and feel’ of the site inspire confidence in the individual business’s ability to do a great job, or are you left indifferent, even questioning? Most importantly, when you do a search for what the company does or sells, do you see them listed? What is the point of making a beautiful website that no one will ever see? What does the site tell you about the website design company who conceived and developed it?

Next go back to the developer’s portfolio page and look at another and another and another. As painful as it can be, the time you take investigating up front may be the difference between business growth and attrition, profitability or bankruptcy. Yes, website development has that kind of impact on business all of the time. Do all of the websites have the same structure or feel? Is the only appreciable difference in sites the logo and color scheme? The final graphic test, what does the website developer’s own site look like? Is their home page representative of the web design and development industry? Is web marketing one of a dozen things they do? If you stumbled into the site looking for something unrelated, how long do you need to read to find out what they are about? The single most obvious indicator of a website development firm’s abilities is their own site. A great website developer will have a great site. A second tier developer will have a site that for all intents and purposes, could be for any other kind of business if you swap out a logo and some text.

The ultimate test of a website developer’s abilities is to call twenty of their customers. Let them know you are considering hiring the developer for your own company. What was/is their experience? Ask them in confidence, "Knowing everything you know after developing a site with the developer, would you do it all again with the same company at the same price." Why twenty? Most web developers will have a few customers that they like and who like them and receive special treatment. Once you get beyond ten you start to get a feel for what the average development customer can expect. Ask for customer references in similar industries to yours. By defining who your references will be, you will likely get a more representative sample. You will be surprised by the value of information you get from business people just like you, who count on the developer to make a representative image, backed by functionality that makes them profitable.

The bottom line in website development is the cost to return on investment… A well done website’s profitability to cost ratio will be staggering. To be truly profitable, a website needs to be seen at the top of native search engine queries AND seen as a graphically unique, customer endearing representation of the individual entity the site represents. Great websites are found at the top of free search engine queries where their custom, creative, perfectly definitive graphics coupled with functionality and ease of use add profitable new business to companies’ bottom lines, ongoing forever.

You're tired of hearing about how profitable the Internet is, especially knowing your website is an increasing expense never to be recouped, continually bleeding your bottom line. The time has finally come to choose a new website design company. Ironically, most websites are not profitable and many brand new websites are hamstrung in regard to ever being profitable the moment, the very moment, of publication to the Internet. Profit generating website development is a puzzle with dozens of critically important pieces. First and foremost, your website must be found in native or 'free' search engine queries. Nearly as important to website profitability is graphic design perfectly definitive of your unique business or organization.

Picasso, Monet and Rembrandt-‘like’ creativity, coupled with compelling creative genius is certainly not a prerequisite for a career as a web development graphic designer. The evidence is everywhere on the Internet. Through the ages humanity has sought to make personal and beautiful the things we have to view in day to day life. Architecture, public places and dwellings have been made visually unique and personally representative since prehistoric times. American Indians painted walls and ceilings of dwellings, ancient Egyptians built architectural wonders of the world as celebrations of culture and Romans built stone monuments of extraordinary beauty for entertainment and worship. The dominant culture of the last two hundred years is adorned with graphic appeal in every glimmering facet of our, "Shining city on a hill." Homes bristle with intended graphic appeal, automobiles continuously change visually to suit human interest. Is there a home that doesn’t have a few pieces of art adorning the walls or shelves? Even our clothes make visual impressions defining us as individuals to the rest of the world. With graphic appeal having all encompassing human value, why do so many websites have none? Why do most websites visually say nothing about a business? Why do so many websites graphically confuse who or what a business is for site viewers?

Unlike the exterior of a building where there may be little a small or even large business can do about visual appeal, a website walks customers directly in the showroom or executive offices where visual impression make or break a business. Nothing says, "I am overpaying for this oil change," like fine art, luxury furniture and a 72 inch plasma television in a corner garage waiting room. Nothing stokes pangs of anxiety like lawn furniture, stained emerald green polyester shag carpet and a toothless receptionist in a dentist office. Accountability for failure of graphic design in the website industry lies squarely on the backs of website graphic design professionals and the proliferation of, 'what the customer doesn't know' approach to website development so many website design and development companies adhere to. What you know/don’t know determines what you get… Even what you pay. There is much all but the very best website development firms don’t know about website development; it simply is not feasible for a business person or manager to understand what is required for profitable website development.

Most graphic website designers are perfectly happy putting minimal thought into the visual creativity of their customer’s websites. Minimal work and maximum profitability is a great motivator for many web design and development firms. These template website designers are content to create websites requiring the site viewer to discern what the website is about or to read it. Like it or not, most website text rarely gets read. With website visitors spending less than five seconds on the ‘average’ website homepage, unique, definitive graphic design may be the single most important factor, once a visitor lands on your website, in having a web marketing platform literally adding to your business bottom line.

Great graphic website design instills customer confidence. Intriguing website graphics slow Internet shoppers down. Well done, unique website graphic design defines a business or entity visually and precisely as the business marketing team or owner defines the business in written words or conversation with The single customer the business must acquire to succeed or even exist.

The 'kicker,' so to speak is; the cost of a Custom Creative Genius inspired website design, coupled with template free code achieving at the highest level in search engine rankings is often less expensive upfront than half baked, template website development. While 'file tab' navigation buttons on the left or top margins, with base-color predetermined boxes to plug an individual business's logo, marketing and photos in is, 'classic website design,' classic website design is a complete and utter failure for business's desperately needing to capture every customer who experiences their web based marketing platform as a new business client.

Follow these simple keys to find a website developer and your business will have the greatest chance to experience the deep refreshing profit filled waters of the Internet revenue stream. Ignore these simple keys and you will likely end up with a website only profitable for your template website developer.

1. Avoid any website designer/developer who pushes pay per click. Even asking you to consider pay-per-click is a RED FLAG. If your perspective web developer is a pay-per-click pusher they likely use template code or don’t have the ability to install your web marketing platform where it needs to be to generate profit. Template code very often stops search engine spiders. Template code is often indicative of web developers who don’t know how or don’t want to do the work to get your website to the top of free searches where profits are generated on the Internet.
2. Look at your prospective website developer’s portfolio page. If they don’t have one ask for twenty examples of websites they have developed. If they can’t come up with twenty, quickly flee. If they come up with twenty after not choosing to display them on their own website, call all twenty and ask if they are experiencing profitable new business, undeniably related to their website… If not flee. Past performance is the single greatest indicator of the result you will achieve with any website design / development firm.
3. Avoid any website developer who offers templates like the plague. Offering templates is a clear indication the website developer is willing to take shortcuts to maximize their own profitability at the long term expense of their clients. The shortcut mentality is a form of rot spoiling everything it touches in website development. Template development is almost always indicative of a website developer who will deliver a solution with very little hope of ever achieving profitable new business via the web.
4. Finally, in keeping with this article look, REALLY LOOK, at the website developer’s portfolio. Do all the sites look very similar? Is the logo in the same place and all of the navigation always on the left side, with boxes for content? Does even the website development company’s own site lack any kind of graphic uniqueness? Could you unplug their logo, put another in its place, and the website would be a different type of business website? If so, look elsewhere. If they can’t do it for themselves they won’t do it for you.

The Stanford Web Credibility Project (http://credibility.stanford.edu) found that 47% of users make buy decisions based upon the site itself. This implies that if the website is professional in appearance and supplies the essential information in a clear and complete manner, nearly half your customers will be comfortable making the buy decisions without further off-site research.

The 10-Second Window

In our testing experience, when customers are searching for products or services across a variety of sites in a competitive market, decisions about a site's professionalism are often made within 10 seconds of viewing the home or landing page. In this brief time customers gather a surprisingly broad range of impressions including: company size, product range, product offering, brand, and often price. They demonstrate emotional feelings of connection or dissatisfaction, as well as feelings of anxiety and/or comfort. They often decide if they are in the "right place."

Small business sites often underestimate the importance of a good graphic look and feel. Sites often exhibit unprofessional graphic design, yet site owners wonder why so many shoppers abandon the site. A graphic designer I know who recently completed the redesign of an e-commerce site, found that the new design resulted in nearly doubled pageviews, time on site, and purchases. Good graphics can make a big difference.

If you're in doubt about the effectiveness your present website look and feel, user test your site on passers-by. Ask them to view your site alongside competitor sites. Ask probing, open-ended questions about their impressions and feelings. This will give you a good idea of the impression your site creates to visitors.

What a Graphic Designer Should Accomplish

Here's what you should expect a good graphic designer to accomplish:

• Select an attractive, comfortable color palette which engages -- and even addresses colorblindness.
• Include attractive product shots that are large enough to reveal important elements along with informative, benefit-focused captions
• Deliver a value proposition or branding statement in the initial eyepath
• Present simple and effective navigation which shows what viewers can expect to find
• Drive the eye path to the important calls to action
• Optimize all graphic elements for fast loading and contribution to conversion goals
• Keep the page simple, clean, and effective
• Insure that viewers can "get it" in 10 seconds or less

Good graphic design is too important to your success to risk an amateur look and feel. Unless graphics is in your blood, bring in a graphic designer to help get your site right. However, in your quest for a designer, make sure your designer pays more than lip service to site usability. Good graphic designers may charge $100 per hour -- the price of a decent plumber in New England. That may seem expensive, but great graphics translate to increased sales . Make the investment.

Todd Follansbee is founder of WebMarketingResources.net. He is a usability and persuasion consultant who has been testing user behaviors on web sites for over 10 years. His methodology for improving conversions recently won a top ten award in Entrepreneur Magazine. For a limited time, Todd is offering a special small business one hour site review and consult for only $100. Improve your user experience and your bottom line. For more details visit here. http://www.webmarketingresources.net/reviewoffer.html

This is where iNET Web comes in, we separate from the "wannabe's" and bring REAL Creative Genius to your website design, REAL website development so search engines flow through your site easily, REAL database development so that you can access your site content for updates and changes. iNET Web in Waukesha Wisconsin wants you to be found around the world to grow your business.

Waukesha - A number of businesses in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties are planning for growth in 2009 while remaining cautious about overall economic conditions, a survey released this morning shows.

A panel of local business leaders discussed the results during a morning meeting in a lecture hall at Carroll University. The discussion and survey results indicate business owners are optimistic while still being cautious about the local economy going forward. While no consensus was reached among the 100 or so business leaders who attended the invitation-only event, several said they expect the economy to turn around sometime next year.

Others said whether or not there is a turnaround, it is possible to grow in the current economic climate. "As things constrict, there are still people out there who are shopping," said Cliff Anglewicz, CEO of Yale Equipment Services Inc. in Menomonee Falls. Businesses need to find those customers - and customers need to be able to find the businesses. That makes exposure crucial, especially on the Internet, where customers are increasingly going to find companies that can meet their needs, Anglewicz said.

The 2008 First Business Economic Survey of Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties was conducted for First Business Bank by the University of Wisconsin's A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research. The survey reflected a sense of optimism.

"While a number of businesses reported less than optimal results for 2008, the survey revealed an overall sense of optimism," according to the survey's summary. "More businesses expect to see a slight increase in sales revenue and profitability in 2009."

Despite the optimism, the survey indicates many businesses will be seeking to hold steady for the coming year. "People are being cautious," said Dave Vetta, president and CEO of First Business Bank-Milwaukee, which is based in Brookfield. Higher petroleum prices were cited as the top reason why businesses underperformed expectations in 2008, according to the survey.

The survey was sent to 7,500 local businesses. Of those, there were a total of 495 completed surveys, a response rate of approximately 6.6%. This sample size has a 95% confidence level, according to the survey's methodology statement.

1. Focus on Existing Customers
   

   Everyone knows that repeat sales to existing customers cost far less than creating new sales from scratch. While it's still important to keep building your customer base, it's absolutely critical to hang on to the customers you already have. Show your customers you appreciate their business by offering things like loyalty rewards, discounts for add-on services, and access to your best offers. Don't just make your greatest deals available to new customers only -- your existing customers will feel excluded and just might jump at your competitor's "new customer" offer.

   At iNET we are always in touch with our current customers to offer added services or just to see how things are going. We truly want to work alongside our clients because we know that every client we have that has a growing, profitable business will come back to us for added services and computer equipment. Give iNET Web a call at 262.574.9400 to talk about how to start on building your profitable future.

2. Start an E-mail Newsletter
   

   E-mail newsletters are a cost-effective way of keeping your organization at the top of your customer's mind. One mail-order company we worked with started sending quarterly email newsletters in addition to their yearly printed catalogs and improved their year-round sales by over 40%. While it takes time and care to produce content that is relevant and useful to your audience, the investment can pay handsomely. And always be sure to include a call to action so potential customers will contact you while you're still fresh in their minds.

   iNET Web can help you get started on communication with a cost-effective email campaign that you control. Our easy to use editing tools will give you the capability to reach out to your customers and build those repeat sales. Give iNET Web a call at 262.574.9400 to talk about how we can get you set up with an email campaign service.

3. Outsource Judiciously
   

   Use outside experts instead of hiring new staff. In a shaky economy, it's hard to assume the risk of adding new full-time employees. Hiring seasoned professionals on a contract basis to handle specialty marketing work -- like web design, message development, and graphic design -- allows you to limit spending to your immediate needs, allows your existing marketing staff (or you) be more efficient, and enables you to achieve top-notch results without creating an ongoing expense.

   In some businesses this is sound advice and something to consider. In our business at iNET Computers we are proud to keep all of our services in our own house. We build, service and support computer systems for businesses from our Waukesha Wisconsin location where we also reach the world with our website development prowess. Our creative genius staff of web designers and database programmers see beyond our four walls to get you in front of the worldwide audience. Give iNET Web a call at 262.574.9400 where a live human from Waukesha Wisconsin will answer the phone in 2 rings!

4. Hang On to a Modest Ad Budget
   

   Though it may seem counter-instinctive, companies that advertise during a down economy fare better than those that don't. Why? Because many companies shave marketing budgets when times are tough. With fewer competitors advertising, your message stands a better chance of reaching the eyes and ears of your customers. And with less demand, you can often take advantage of favorable pricing when buying ad space. The customers you gain will generally stay with you as times improve, giving you a long-term market-share boost.

   In the news today November 20, 2008:

   "Despite the bad economy, U.S. Internet advertising revenue rose in the third quarter, according to an analysis released Thursday....."

   This is because using your online presence is cost-effective and reaches consumers in a way that they appreciate. Now is a great time to go after more market share using your web presence or creating your market share. Give iNET Web a call at 262.574.9400 we will help you intensify your web presence to keep your business in front of your client-base and to keep it growing.
   
   
5. Re-Examine your Value Proposition
   

   Customers tend to make buying decisions based on a combination of three factors: speed, quality, and price. In a down economy, consumers and businesses alike are in the process of re-evaluating every line item in their budgets and are focused on price more than ever. Make sure you look at your value proposition through your customers' eyes. Then be sure your marketing message highlights the monetary value you bring to those customers.

   iNET Web is very conscious of the importance of applying every dollar productively and effectively to the task at hand. We will work with you to customize every detail of your web marketing to get the best benefit in the shortest time. We will get you into self-managed website content with fairly priced hosting fees and build only what you need to get to the next level of success when you will be able to ask us to do more. Give iNET Web a call at 262.574.9400 lets work together to increase your value.

6. Send Virtual Holiday Greetings
   

   One of our clients, a large law firm, has been doing this for years, but we thought this idea was too good not to share. In lieu of printed cards, they send friends and clients an animated holiday greeting, and donate the resulting savings to Unicef. By doing this, they are able to share their holiday message, help those in need, and enjoy a tax write-off come April. Another benefit of online greetings is the low incremental cost -- while tightened budgets might only allow you to print and mail just a few cards, sending 1,500 online greetings costs virtually the same as sending 300.

   This is a great idea, environmentally sound, fun for your clients and something to be remembered for. Give the Creative Genius's at iNET Web a call at 262.574.9400 and find out about building an E-Card for your client list. Save some money but be very cool!

Firm Breathes New Life Into Old Electronics
Refurbishing company moving into bigger facility as orders soar

By DANIEL KURT - Freeman Staff

WAUKESHA - Joe Goods Inc. has only been in business for nine months, but owners Joel Ellington and Todd Goodwin are already outgrowing their second location. The Waukesha company, which refurbishes video game consoles and other electronics, will be moving from a roughly 1,000-square-foot faculty at 404 Travis Lane to a 2,500-square-foot space at 2111 S. West Ave.

"We're bursting at the seams," Ellington said

In addition to a workshop, the new facility will also have a retail component. The partners plan to sell new and refurbished electronics at the site, which Ellington likens to a Gamestop and Geek Squad rolled into one.

The owners are tentatively planning to open the retail business later this month. As part of the expansion, Ellington said he plans to double the company’s current staff of seven employees over the next three months.

While Ellington and Goodwin are enjoying recent success, Joe Goods started on the heels of a business failure. The partners were professional eBay sellers for two years, but they never made much money doing so, Ellington recalled.

One day a friend suggested they buy broken electronics and resell them in a reconditioned state. After overcoming initial skepticism, they decided to give it a shot. Joe Goods began buying distressed electronics - many of them brought into retailers as part of a warranty program -for pennies on the dollar, he explained. The company initially outsourced its refurbishing, but when they noticed the quality of' the repairs was consistently below par, Ellington said they decided to do the work in-house. "When word got out, people starting calling us left and right," he said.

In September, the owners started a Web site - www.joegoods.com that lets consumers send in their electronics directly for repairs. Since then, Ellington said sales have doubled. Ellington said the soft economy seems to be helping the operation, as repairs often cost less than half the price of a new model "You can pay $70 for refurb (work) and $200 or more for new," he noted. All services performed by Joe Goods comes with a 90-day warranty, although customers can buy extended policies for up to two years.

(Daniel Kurt can be reached at (dkurt@conlevnet.com)

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