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“The internet is the future of advertising,” and “If your company doesn’t have a website you’re missing out on valuable customers. You’ve heard it a hundred times. If you’re one of those people who have never branched out into having a business website or you think once you have a web page, you’re on the road to a future where the roads are paved with gold – think again!

When launching into age of digital age of advertising, it’s important to know what to expect and what it will take to turn your website into a money-spinner. Simply having a professionally designed website is not enough. You’ve probably invested a lot of time, money, maybe even blood, sweat and tears to get your business off the ground. Online marketing allows you to take what you’ve built and helps it evolve.

Without online marketing, your website is like having a digital business card. If you forget to hand your business card out, you’re not exactly going to generate new leads. And that’s precisely how it works online too.
You can’t sell something that’s a secret.

On the internet superhighway, there isn’t any drive-by traffic. Traffic refers to people who land on your home page. People interested in what you services or goods you have to offer often tell other people be it face to face, via Facebook, blog or forum. The more people that hear about your website, the more probable it will be these people will also visit your website. In turn this will lead to interested individuals making a purchase.

To gain maximum exposure for your website, online marketing is a must. So how do you go about marketing your website or ensuring it’s not the world’s best kept secret? First step is to talk to a graphic designer with web experience. The second step is to ensure your all your text is search engine optimised, in other words, written specifically for search engines like Google. And last but not least is develop an online marketing strategy.

If words like online marketing, professionally designed websites and search engine optimisation make your head spin, talk to a proven professional. They will be able to assist you with making sure your website looks snazzy, is easy to navigate, the text is optimised for search engine, explain pay per click advertising and help you design online marketing strategies to take your business to the next level.

Most business cards are nothing extraordinary and get shoved into a wallet or purse where they quickly forgotten and never see the light of day again. And because of that you lose business. A prospective client will never get to know about your extended opening hours, your outstanding customer service or bonuses for repeat customers.

Business cards can say a truckload about your business. A card printed on inferior paper on your home printer or is riddled spelling mistakes it reflects on the way people think you will conduct business. It doesn’t matter if you have won thousands of awards for customer service or your products have been voted the best in Australia. If your business cards look cheap and nasty, you might as well kiss customers goodbye.An innovative and professionally printed and well-designed card sends a good first impression which will remain long after your initial meeting.

But what most people forget is a business card, no matter how attractive it is, if it doesn’t have a marketing strategy tagline, you are just throwing your money down the drain.

You need to give clients a reason to contact you- something more than just promising no appointment is necessary or that you’re located in the centre of town. You need to let people know why you are the person they should contact. Can you provide a free 15 minute hair consultation or will you offer a complimentary facial with any 30 minute massage?

What can you offer? You need to make this clear on your business card. It can be one of the most effective, portable marketing tools next to a printed brochure if done properly.
To ensure the job is done correctly, it may help to enlist the help of a graphic design studio who can give your business card the flair to grab attention and help you come up with a catchy tagline.
It will be the difference between whether your business card is stuck to the fridge or relegated to the back of a wallet.

We’ve all heard the expression outsourcing, but what exactly does it mean? Basically, it’s when one company hires another business to perform work on their behalf.

So instead of having a graphics department or using a marketing agency where promotions may run behind schedule and cost exceed your budget, your organisation might decide to outsource its art work to another company specialising in graphic design. For example; if you wanted to design flyer and posters for your next promotion, you would outsource, rather than employ a full-time designer or expensive agency.

Outsourcing is a smart, invaluable resource. So what are the benefits of outsourcing your graphic design needs?

Cost-Effective.

It’s not the only reason, but it’s certainly one of the major factors. At first the initial cost of outsourcing might seem to be expensive, but you have to look at the whole picture. For what it would cost you to set up top quality computers; graphic, web design and virus software plus upgrades. If you are currently using a marketing or advertising agency, be sure to shop around. independent graphic designer will be able to offer you a much more competitive price.

Time-Efficient.

Good outsourcing companies have resources to start jobs immediately. Their staff specialise in their niche so the quality end product is delivered to you much more quickly than if it were handled it in-house . By the time you advertised, interviewed, hired and trained the right person, with right graphic designer, the job would already be completed and on your desk.

Less Stress

Focus on what you specialise in. If your business offers services from automotive to zoo keeping, outsourcing your graphic design needs can allow you to concentrate on what you excel at. Instead of slaving in front of a computer attempting to design a flyer, write a catchy headline or crop an image, you could reduce your stress by leaving the design aspect to a professional graphic designer.

Competitive Pricing. Companies who try do everything themselves end up spending more on improvements, advertising, and distribution, all of which are passed on to clients. Designating your print or web design project to a skilled designer will enable you to lower your overheads, therefore allowing you to offer a more competitive price to your customers and increase profit.

Improve Quality.

Outsourcing your design projects to professionals who specialise in their field will guarantee a professional result. Not to mention, familiarity with market trends and can help you refine your ideas to get the message across to your target audience.

Decrease risks.

Every business venture has some level of risk – market fluctuations, competitors, government regulations, economic conditions, and forever changing technology. Outsourcing companies handle this risk for you, and given they are experts in their area, are able to decide best how to avoid these risks.

Typography is an art which takes time to perfect. While there are no hard and fast rules to adhere to, there are some basic principles you should keep in mind. Font selection is not about choosing your favourite typeface at the moment. The best artwork in the world -be it a corporate newsletter, tri-fold brochure, website or business card can be ruined by using the inappropriate font. So with over absolute tens of thousands of font families and hundreds of weights and styles, how on earth do you choose?

There are several essential elements to consider when considering typography.

1. It has to be easy to read. With all the funky, artsy fonts which can look awesome with their jagged edges or flamboyant swirls, it’s imperative to choose one that is easily readable. Visually appealing artwork services no purpose if it’s illegible. Keep it simple.
2. Is your text for the web or print? Despite the thousands of font families available, only a small selection is deemed to be web safe (i.e.: will appear correctly on most computers). Googling web safe fonts is the quickest way to find a list of types you can use without its appearance being altered.
3. The font you select for a modern dance poster will invariably be different than if you were designing a brochure for a government department. Think about your client and their target audience before making a decision.
4. Don’t use a potpourri of fonts. It is advisable to stick to just one or two different fonts which complement each other. A jumble of diverse fonts and styles can make your design seem unprofessional.
5. Size does make a difference. Font size needs to big enough to read effortlessly, but not so huge that the reader finds it annoying. If the type is too small, it can be straining on the eyes for extensive paragraphs.
6. Select a front with an appropriate positioning for the letters. Some fonts with unequal spacing can make reading more challenging.
7. Consider utilising the services of a graphic design studio. Their expertise will guarantee you professional results and essentially save you time and money.

Once upon a time letter boxing flyers, a series of radio commercials or a late night advertising promotion on TV would have been considered more than ample for an effective advertising campaign. These days to reach the throngs and guarantee your promotion is a huge success, you need to use an eclectic mix of mediums.

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know what influential resource advertising on television can be, but what many people fail to realise is the power of print. Combined with a well-designed and easy to navigate website, a catchy print advertisement can assure your campaign is a huge success.

Before you splash out and place a print ad in the local paper there are a few things you should be aware of to get the most out of your print advertising.

Use Memorable Keywords

Apart from including your web address, you need to use memorable keywords. Readers won’t remember the web address, but they will recall other items such as the product, company name or slogan and turn to a search engine to locate your site.

Use your Print ad as a Teaser

As print ads are static, it’s hard to give readers a complete overview of your product. This is where you website comes in handy. Use your print ad to attract people to your website where you can show off everything your product or service is capable of.

Utilise Your Website

Not everything about your product or service is able to able to be included in a print ad. Incorporate the important aspects in print, anything else (For example; tech specifications, 3D photo tours, photo galleries and in-depth customer testimonies) can be included on your webpage to aid the buyer in making a decision to buy your product.

Never Underestimate the Power of Print.

If you’re not using print ads to reach your target audience, you are losing out on potential online traffic and income. Sticking to one medium can isolate prospective customers. It’s important to get the right fusion of print and website advertising.

Engage a professional.

It can be a daunting decision when it comes to spending money on advertising, but it’s worth engaging a specialist graphic designer. Whether it’s designing a website, flyer or press advertisement, a little extra cost is worth it, if it gives you the edge over your competitors.

Email marketing is one of the most lucrative tools you can utilise to effectively reach people interested in your products or service. It’s an inexpensive, environmentally-friendly and a faster way to touch base with your customers, increase sales and traffic to your web site.

Ensure your email marketing campaigns are successful by following these simple tips:

Set clear objectives

Firstly, you need to make a decision about what you would like to achieve. Do you want to acquire new customers or do you want to contact your database of old clients to remind them of what you offer?.

Build your email list

Utilise your current customers as well as having a prominent subscribe box in the page header of your website. Ensure mailing lists have a “double opt-in”. This means when a user subscribes to your mailing list, they will receive a link to confirm their subscription. Make yourself familiar with the email marketing laws

Avoid spam filters

Steer away from spam trigger words in your subject heading e.g.; Free, Quote, Trial. Adding a “add me to your address book” guarantees subscriber’s mail ends up in their inbox, not with the junk mail.

Personalise it

Customers want to feel important, not like they’re just another number being bombarded with bulk emails. An individual greeting and subject line are more likely to be opened.

Make it professional

Copy should capture the reader’s attention, be concise and easy to understand without any typos. For a professional touch hire a graphic designer and a copywriter if writing and presentation are not your forte.

Use a powerful call to action

The ultimate result is for your customer to respond to your offer. Make it clear what the reader needs to do and set a deadline to create a sense of urgency.

Testing, Testing…1,2,3

Split your customer database list and use a variety of subject lines, content and offers to discover what works best. This will allow you to determine what is effective.

Monitor your results and follow up

Use a hosting system which allows you to track delivery of your campaign. This will allow you to monitor distribution, bounces, unsubscribes, opens, clicks and website activity. Make sure you follow up comments, emails and feedback.