Bravenet.com

One of the most valuable resources I've been utilizing has been the web tools available at Bravenet.com. When I was first evaluating websites with an eye towards helping businesses improve their traffic, Bravenet gave me a great selection of tools that became mainstays of my website optimization toolbox.

Like many of the companies out there offering programs and scripts which can be added to websites, Bravenet has two levels of service. The free services they provide come with advertisements and banners, but the pay services remove those tags. And, right now, they are offering two years of service for their web tools for the price of one. I've done more than a little research into the different services out there, and Bravenet's prices are very competitive.

Check 'em out. I'm sure they can help you as much as they've helped me.

(And if you don't want to bother, I can always fix things up for you myself!)

Building Our Communities

Much of the training I've received has been through the eMarketing Association. Through their thorough and productive tutelage, I've been able to apply the concepts and philosophies of eMarketing in effective and measurable ways. Through their openness to help me grow, I feel like I've become a member of their community.

So much of eMarketing that makes it different from traditional marketing is that when we interconnect our computers into a dynamic communications network, we don't just have extra platforms from which to shout the benefits of our products. We have the opportunity to connect with others who enjoy what we produce or the services we provide. This enables a level of connection with our clients that was not possible before. This enables us to create actual communities.

It's very exciting working in this relatively new marketing environment. I can't help but feel like I'm helping businesses in ways they never realized they could be helped. Once my clients see the potential of utilizing the internet and their website to create a community around their service or their products, the excitement becomes contagious.

And our clients or customers or consumers want to do more than just consume. So much of our consumption leaves us either feeling empty or just wanting more. When we can meaningfully connect with the products or services we use, our satisfaction increases and our loyalty to that brand grows.

Besides, most of us got into our businesses for reasons greater than simply turning a profit. Shouldn't our clients/customers/consumers feel like they are playing a more important role than simply consumers? Aren't they the real reason behind all our hard work? Don't they deserve the status of community members?

Feel free to connect with me at anytime in order to discuss how I might help you create your community.

Take care everyone.

Logos for the blogosphere!

I've been tinkering with a little graphic design. My strengths usually lie within the verbal realm. But since I've been working with more and more companies on a creative basis, I've had to expand my skills. Besides, it's always nice to start a new growth curve.

Well, what do you think? Does this logo work for you? For anyone else out there experimenting with this sort of thing, I found Macromedia's Fireworks to be a very workable program. Their help files lay things out very clearly, and with a little experimentation, you too can be tapping into those creative parts of your brain that you've probably neglected for far too long.

And, if you just don't want to learn something new, give me a shout. I'll try to work something up for you.