Posts Tagged ‘World Wide Web’

The DOs and DON’Ts of Business Communication

By Bonnie Sokoloff

 In the course of doing daily business, think about how much of our interaction involves, even depends upon, communication in one form or another. Yet many of us don’t even think about the ‘messages we send’ in the messages we are sending.

How we communicate is as important as the information we are communicating, and it’s not a cliché to say that doing it wrong could be a deal breaker.

Follow these basic rules to maximize the effectiveness (and minimize the offensiveness) of your business communications:

1. Respect your audience’s time. That’s really the fundamental principle of communication in a business context. Assume that everyone is as busy as you are and if you want to capture their attention, you will need to make sure you address that. If a major explanation is not required, don’t schedule a meeting just to review information you plan to provide in hard copy format. Just send the presentation with a request for feedback. If you are sending an email that has already been replied to and forwarded a few times, don’t just hit the forward button again—take the time to summarize the information and put it in a fresh email.

Speaking of email… the rules around communicating via email can provide enough content for several articles, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll just concentrate on a few key points.

2. Get to the point. By the time they finish reading the subject line, your recipients should have a good idea of what the message within the email is about. Lead off with the most important information so if they aren’t able to read the entire email right away, they will know whether or not they need to revisit it later.

3. Know when to pick up the phone. Email is great for quick and easy messages, but when things get complicated, especially if trouble is brewing, you need to abandon the computer and make a call instead. There are too many variables, such as tone, that can easily be misinterpreted via email. You can prevent the situation from escalating and work toward an effective resolution by initiating a phone conversation at the right time.

4. The “Reply to All” button is not a toy. It is a tempting option, but before you press that button, pause to consider if everyone who received the initial email really needs to hear everyone’s take on the issue. If you are at all in doubt, don’t do it. If the original sender thinks others need to see the replies, allow them to do the forwarding.

You may have read the above tips and found yourself thinking: “Duh. This is just common sense.” And you are right. But in the midst of our busy days, common sense sometimes falls by the wayside. The main thing you need to take away is, no matter how busy you are, take the time to think about the whats, hows and whos of your business communications.

BONNIE SOKOLOFF currently works as an Internal Communications Specialist for Staples Canada. She has over 15 years of experience with copywriting, editing and print production.

Posted by Jameel in Getting Organized, Growing Your Biz on April 6th, 2011

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Five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy: PART TWO

By Darrell Cook

4. The best brand-building vehicle

Rather than looking to sell products through your Facebook page, recognize that most Fans are seeking an educational experience. The more value-added information you can provide, the more your brand will become a trusted resource. As you begin your Facebook strategy, think about how you can help your Fan base. Provide good advice by educating them about topics based on your area of expertise. A good example is to feature a post about “the top ten things to look for when buying a (your company’s offering). Fans love to be informed. Taking a leadership position on specific topics can secure trust and brand loyalty. A good way to learn more is to follow Facebook marketing to discover how Facebook drives results with other organizations.

5. The use of promotional coupons

I am often asked about the use of coupons with Facebook. Used wisely, coupons on Facebook can become a leading sales channel. However, this tool is frequently misused; for example, the company that offers coupons on Facebook just to sell items so they can clear inventory, or using coupons to drive sales that coerce consumers into purchasing additional items. These tactics rarely get results and will turn off Fans. The best use of promotional coupons is when Fans select the “deal.” Try posting three different coupons and ask your Fans to participate by selecting which they feel would be the best offer. The most Fan votes to a particular coupon will be the one you should move forward with. By doing this, your Fans enjoy the gamesmanship of voting. Moreover, Fans appreciate the fun, and by posting voting results throughout the contest, you can even get Fans to solicit other non-Fans to become members so they can boost the voting for the non-leading coupon.

Conclusion

Every small business can increase their brand strength through a Facebook presence. By using the tips in this article, you can quickly get started promoting your company and building a Fan base. Use your website to post a Facebook invite, along with including your Facebook page URL on signatures, letterhead, labels, etc. Learning how to advertise on Facebook is a great way to promote your business. Facebook even offers a number of guidelines and recommendations to get you started. The main thing is to get started right away and enjoy all the valuable relationships you can create.

Darrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on March 18th, 2011

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Five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy: PART ONE

By Darrell Cook

Ok, you own a small business and you’re trying to figure out the best approach for using Facebook to help grow your brand, increase your sales and drive new customers. This can be challenging, as there is little enough time in your day to read a Facebook profile, let alone write and maintain one. Furthermore, your experience in social media is limited. You’ve read a number of articles and looked at a few Facebook pages, but overall, you are in uncharted waters. After reviewing a number of social media case studies for small business owners, I have put together five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy.

1. In for a penny, in for a pound

Facebook fans expect a lot for their participation. Their attention spans are exceedingly short, especially if your Facebook content is only changed sporadically or you wait too long to update information. For the best results while hosting and managing a Facebook page, get into a weekly (or daily) habit of updating content, changing images, adding incentives and providing good educational and informative content. Fans will see your commitment and give you their “attention monopoly” if you follow this rule.

2. Slow and steady wins the race

Savvy marketers know that promotion depends on multiple reoccurrences for impact. Therefore, when building your Facebook strategy, count on a slow drip of Fan increases rather than a home run promotion that doubles and triples your fan base. With the fragmentation of information out there, Fans are choosy about which Facebook pages they get sticky with. The good news: the difference between Facebook vs. more traditional marketing/promotional channels means that the small business owner needs only invest as little as two hours per week. Over time, your Fans will begin to provide feedback and start communicating directly with you. Although entrepreneurs start off enthusiastically, it’s important to remember that you are building a relationship with your Fans and not building a selling channel. It takes time to build trust.

3. Interact with each fan

Since the Fan base for small business owners is typically smaller than that of large organizations, who can have upwards of tens of thousands of Fans, small business owners can use this opportunity to reach out to their Fans more intimately by building a direct connection to hearing their voices. It’s a good idea to interact with each new fan on an individual basis. The viral effect of this intimacy can become greatly appreciated across unknown groups. The most hidden sub-culture within Facebook is comprised of the local “Mom” groups looking for family-friendly activities, sharing parenting ideas and yes, learning about good products and services from other group members. You never know if you have a Fan that may be part of a larger group that can springboard additional Fan participation and loyalty.

Stay tuned for PART TWO of Five conditions for cultivating a successful Facebook strategy on Monday.

Darrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on March 16th, 2011

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The Search for Bananas: Building Better Websites, PART TWO (continued from Friday)

By Rick Sloboda

Make it easy for visitors to share what they find on your site.

Godin liked the “send this page to a friend” functionality offered by some websites. By providing a little bit of information, such as name and email address, visitors could email pages to friends.

Since the publication of Godin’s book, the ability to share online information with friends and colleagues has grown exponentially. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter make it easy for visitors to share with their networks. Today, sharing a favourite blog post or YouTube video is as easy as a single click.

This kind of sharing has become an important marketing tool. By starting an online conversation with your customers and their networks, you can develop a stronger web presence and drive more sales.

The Best of Today’s Websites Emphasize Marketing, Not Technology

Websites have grown up, and many have adopted Godin’s ideas and recommendations. Technology has become a means, not an end. Websites are segmented to target different audiences. Sharing has become a critical marketing tactic and tool. So don’t lose too much sleep over that little monkey. He’s often getting his bananas, and some chocolate sauce too.

What do you think? Are websites doing a better job of meeting the needs of visitors? Which websites are setting new standards of excellence and which are stuck back in 2002?

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.

Posted by Lynnette in Getting Organized, Technology on February 28th, 2011

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If you have a website, how do you get people to go there?

By Kobi Gulersen, Account Supervisor, Digital Specialist, MacLaren McCann Advertising

It’s commonly thought that one needs a “boat load of advertising dollars” to be able to create online awareness and drive users to a company website. Although a national digital advertising campaign would guarantee a good flow of traffic to your site, it’s not a realistic choice for small businesses, considering the hefty investment.

Believe it or not, there are simple and cost-effective tactics you can use to increase your presence online and increase sales. A simple one is to invest in paid searches. As a business owner, you can purchase certain targeted key words related to your business or service that a potential customer will search for. Observe the example below, a user looking for “Italian furniture Toronto.” The pink area denotes businesses identified through these keywords. Ordering links is based on how much a business bids. The payment model is Cost Per Click (CPC), so you only pay if someone clicks through to your site, not simply for showing up on the search query. Average CPC payouts are between $1 and $5 per click, depending on what other businesses are bidding on the same key words.

Another cost-effective strategy is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is where you update your site to make it easier for search engines like Google to a) read your site and b) index your content so it’s easier to find. Doing simple things like updating the wording on your site to better reflect your services and removing heavy flash pieces/flash intros will increase your ranking opportunities in Google. Additionally, anything you can do entice third-party websites to link to your site will be very beneficial. Google’s algorithm places great emphasis on the quality, quantity and overall authority of the links pointing at your website. In this context, links are akin to votes.

To learn more about SEO and how you can use it to benefit your website, check out google.com/adwords. If your budget allows, you can hire a digital agency with search engine marketing expertise to help you to identify the right key search words and content you can update to make your site SEO-friendly.

Google

Kobi_Gulersen

During the 4 years Kobi has been in the ad industry he has worked on everything from digital campaigns to traditional mass initiatives; website builds to promotional programs and sponsorship activations. Kobi is currently developing communications programs for Nestle USA, MasterCard Canada and Hewlett Packard. Kobi has a passion for youth marketing, having pioneered new marketing strategies through a campus marketing agency he founded and later sold his ownership stake in. Kobi has developed marketing programs in Canada, the US and even the English Caribbean. His key client work experience includes: Nestle, MasterCard, HP, Rogers Wireless, Scotiabank International, M.A.C. Cosmetics, L’Oreal Professionnel, Tourism Calgary & the Degroote School of Business at McMaster University.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz, Marketing, Technology on November 12th, 2010

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7 ways to build your brand with social media and 3 ways to ruin it.

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Social media is becoming a force to be reckoned with in terms of building your company’s brand equity and strength. And according to brand expert  Jennifer Bourn, there are a handful of steps you ought to take to maintain and build your brand’s value:

1. Secure your social media brand: Register your name and business name on a variety of social media sites. Even if you don’t plan on using a site, you might want to consider securing your name anyway for future use. NameChk.com and Knowem.com are two free sites to help you get started.

2. Keep your message focused: “By keeping a consistent message across all social media sites and platforms, you build brand recognition that pays off over time.”

3. Provide value your audience will appreciate: “Providing links to valuable articles and resources, sharing your recent blog post, etc., are all ways to help your audience and share your expertise.”

4. Showcase your personality: “Share posts that give your network a glimpse into your personal life…These posts will provide opportunities for your network to connect with you on a deeper and more meaningful level.”

5. Remember to be social: “Social networks are just that – social networks. If all you do is post information and links [without interacting] with your audience, you are missing the most important part of building a successful social media brand – building strong relationships.”

6. Keep your avatar/profile photo consistent: “Using a photo of your dog or cat is useless to your network and frankly, it makes you seem unprofessional.”

7. Help others: “When you read a good blog post, article, press release or social networking post, tell other people about it and share the link.”

How about damaging your brand using social media?

While social media has the power to help humanize your brand and connect you with your customers, Internet strategist, B.L. Ochman, cautions businesses to use some common sense when they wade into the new medium.

1. If you start a Twitter account or Facebook page, use it: “All it really takes to slow down an issue is a human being responding quickly to say something as simple as ‘Thanks for making us aware of this issue. We are checking it now.’ And then, the company has a reasonable amount of time to say what went wrong.”

2. Track your brand with monitoring tools: “The Internet is 24/7. Brand monitoring has to be constant. Pick [a tool]. Use it.”

3. Don’t keep your social media program a secret: “Corporate silos just don’t work in social media.” Make sure everyone in your company knows about your social media presence.

How have you used social media to enhance your brand? Where do you feel social media falls short?

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz, Marketing on July 20th, 2010

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Book of the Month

REWORK, by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

clip_image002 Most business books give you the same old advice: Write a business plan, study the competition, seek investors, yadda yadda. If you’re looking for a book like that, put this one back on the shelf.

Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business. Read it and you’ll know why plans are actually harmful, why you don’t need outside investors, and why you’re better off ignoring the competition. The truth is, you need less than you think. You don’t need to be a workaholic. You don’t need to staff up. You don’t need to waste time on paperwork or meetings. You don’t even need an office. Those are all just excuses.

What you really need to do is stop talking and start working. This book shows you the way. You’ll learn how to be more productive, how to get exposure without breaking the bank, and tons more counterintuitive ideas that will inspire and provoke you.

With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who’s ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs they hate, victims of “downsizing,” and artists who don’t want to starve anymore will all find valuable guidance in these pages.

logo_37signals-grayJason Fried is the co-founder and president of 37signals, the Chicago-based web-application company. He has co-authored all of 37signals’ books, including “Rework,” as well as the ‘minimalist manifesto,’ “Getting Real: The Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Successful Web Application.” He also helps maintain the company’s popular blog, Signal vs. Noise, and is regularly invited to speak around the world about entrepreneurship, design, management and software.

clip_image002[9]David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on , the open-source web framework optimized for programmer happiness and sustainable productivity. He is also a partner at 37signals, a NYT best-selling author, a public speaker, a hobbyist photographer, and a gentleman racer. In 2005, he won Best Hacker of the Year 2005 at OSCON from Google and O’Reilly for his work on Rails. He’s co-author of Getting Real (over 40,000 copies sold) and Agile Web Development with Rails (over 100,000 copies sold). He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Posted by Lynnette in Book of the Month on July 14th, 2010

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Tech Tuesdays: 5+ social marketing start-up tips for your small business.

For those who still aren’t sold on the social media phenomenon, these and these numbers ought to get your attention, or at least give you pause:

  • Social media adoption by small businesses doubled in 2009 from 12% to 24%.
  • 59% of small businesses with a social media presence say it has provided value.
  • 49% say their social media presence has produced advocates for their business.
  • 65% say they actively use it for promotion.
  • 1 in 5 small business owners are actively using social media, including blogs, Facebook and LinkedIn profiles.

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So if you’re considering dipping your toe in the social media sea, here are 5 of 30 musts you might want to keep in mind from inc.com:

1. Pull back the curtain: “Offering a sneak preview of new products, services or features online can help build demand and provide critical feedback to help smooth the launch.”

2. Be candid: “In unsure economic times, transparency goes a long way toward retaining and attracting customers. Giving readers the scoop on your company blog is an easy way to keep the lines of communication open.”

3. Reward customer loyalty: “Sprinkles Cupcakes, in Beverly Hills, California, uses Twitter to send out daily promotional offers. The tweets, which ask customers to whisper a ‘password’ to receive a free treat, have helped the company draw more than 17,000 followers.”

4. See what they’re saying about you: “A quick search for mentions of your company on Facebook, Twitter and Yelp can yield a goldmine of information concerning your reputation.” The owner of one Chicago bookstore focused on improving customer service after reading comments online.

5. Help others promote you: “Social media can help you find passionate customers who are more than willing to spread the word about your company. Crafts supplies manufacturer Fiskars reached out to scrapbookers by inviting four avid users to blog. Its crafts community has since attracted 5,000 users who serve as brand evangelists.

You’ll find some additional small business social media tips here and here.

Have you already gone social? What advice can you offer?

Posted by Lynnette in Technology on July 13th, 2010

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Small business: The new digital economy

By Darrell Cook

Small business has an advantage over the big corporations – speed to market. In today’s fast paced information age, small businesses that send messages over the new digital channels are the ones that are reaping profits and gaining market share. Moreover, a sustaining communication strategy with a mix of a strong website, email, and social media can generate a breakthrough performance. These new digital tactics for marketing are creating a very significant digital economy for small business.

In the 2010 survey conducted by Constant Contact on the most important tools for marketing small business, it was identified that 92% of small business owners felt their website was the most important tactic, while 88% agreed that email marketing was highly significant and necessary. Most impressive was the 50% of small businesses who recognized that Facebook was increasingly valid for their marketing.

So how does a small business owner, on a shoe string marketing budget, use these important tools to get ahead of their competition? Here are a few tips to get started or enhance your current marketing program.

Focus on highlighting action items on your website’s Home Page and maximize sales

Too often I see websites with Home Pages that are more information driven that action driven. Far too many Home Pages are populated with a lot of unnecessary text and oversized stock photography to make their site look pretty. Focus on bringing your unique offerings up front and tell the viewer exactly what you can do for them in a single Tag line right at the top. Position high on the Home Page your special offers or your seminars/programs. The first thing a visitor wants to know is what do you do and why is it beneficial for them.  You will find that your visitors that go deeper within your website are more likely to buy, your search engine ranking will be tailored automatically to more qualified buyers and your referrals will have higher close ratios.

Focus on the messages and maximize loyalty

Where email has success is in 2 specific areas: Your subject line and your opening offer. By building a sensational subject line you can avoid the “me too” cheesy spam messaging and become meaningful to your email subscribers. Loyalty is built through trust. Therefore, be honest, specific and up front about the content of the email through a poignant subject line that speaks to solving a problem. Once the click though happens, then part two is providing right up front the offer validating the subject line. Keeping it short, simple and helpful will increase viewership and likely expand your subscriber list.

Focus on Facebook and maximize your brand

Facebook is a unique community of dedicated fans and honest feedback. The largest fear I hear from companies about Facebook is the possibility of negative marketing. You will be surprised that by creating a loyal fan base on Facebook can be the best experience. Yes, they will tell you how they are experiencing your offerings but mostly in a constructive and positive manner. For the ones who get out of line, your Facebook fans come to your rescue and defend your brand/offering. It is a community like no other and one that should be part of your marketing program. It can find niche audiences and build your brand across many boundaries that might take hundreds of thousands of dollars in a traditional media buy.

Overall, the X factor in marketing any business is the combination of the right offering, to the right audience, at the right time. In today’s world you can’t afford to overlook the new digital economy.

About Darrell Cook

Darrell CookDarrell is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Conversys. His focus is to steward the North American growth for Digital Promotions Marketing. His career spans a wide range of technology and Internet companies throughout North America and the UK. From small start-ups to Fortune 500 firms, Darrell excels at bridging offline business processes with effective online channels. He is currently a Board of Director of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Club of Canada (RAC), and former Board of Director of the Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on June 9th, 2010

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Building Your Business on the Web (Part Two): Turning Online Visitors into Customers

Q&A with Rick Sloboda, Senior Web Copywriter for Webcopyplus

(Part two of a two-part series. Also see Generating Online Traffic.)

clip_image002So you’re getting people to your website, which was covered in Generating Online Traffic, the first part of this two-part series. Now, how do you turn these visitors into customers? Rick Sloboda, Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which produces professional Web copy for businesses around the globe, including Scotia Bank and AT&T, answers your questions.

How important is the first impression on a website?

It’s essential. Studies show you have no more than a few seconds to make a positive first impression on the Web – and as little as .55 seconds. Your website should have a clean, appealing design, with relevant, engaging and informative Web copy, and intuitive navigation and information flow. If you don’t answer key questions right off the bat, Google, Yahoo and Bing will take your visitor to a competitor that does.

What are the key questions?

Am I at the right place? Can these guys help me? What makes these guys different? Several factors are already at play. For instance, is the design professional looking, does it generate trust and credibility? If you get your niece or nephew to do website design and development for $500, chances are it’ll show. That’s like selling retail products or consulting services from a lemonade stand. Also, is your Web copy clear and customer centric? Does it explain why people should choose you over competitors? Or is it full of self-centered, empty hype? Business owners need to that when a person arrives at your website, the visitor doesn’t really care about your business. They care about what your business can do for them.

That’s where experienced copywriters and marketers come into play?

Whether you write the web copy yourself, or hire a copywriter, make sure you flesh out and promote your benefits. Most business owners and copywriters write exclusively about features – what the product or service is, or has. Benefits are what the visitor gains as a result of the features. For instance, binoculars might have oversized lenses. Fine. But what will engage a visitor is the fact that they deliver low-light performance.

Benefits engage people emotionally, which is how we make decisions. We then rationalize decisions logically. For instance, does a person really need a $120,000 luxury vehicle? No. They might desire it for status, which is an emotional desire. And then they’ll justify it with rational, practical reasons, such as cutting edge brake technology, safety rankings, and so on. Benefits appeal to a person’s self-interest, and get people to act. People purchase things for three basic reasons: to satisfy needs; solve problems; or make themselves feel good. That’s why experienced copywriters often say, “Features tell, benefits sell.”

If benefits are so important, why do most websites promote features?

Because it’s easier to list features. A copywriter has to really understand a product or service, and have a good marketing mind, to define and convey benefits effectively.

So isn’t it better for a business owner to write their own web copy, as they know their business best?

Well, most people can write. But most people can also take photos. Take your own photos, and chances are you’ll have an amateurish website representing your business. The same goes for copywriting. Moreover, business owners tend to write what they want to say rather than what website visitors need to hear. A copywriter can bring an objective view to the table.

How much information is necessary on websites?

It varies. For instance, if you’re in fashion selling perfume, and want to build presence and nurture a brand, a few words might do. Visuals would play a key role. But, if you’re actually trying to get visitors to purchase a product from your website, or sell a subscription to a publication or software, you’d need a lot more web copy to make the sale.

As a general rule, web copy should be about half of what you’d use in traditional print, such as brochures. This is partly because it’s harder to read content on monitors and handhelds, and people tend to be impatient and easily distracted when using the Web. So it’s good to keep web copy concise.

What other elements are important to engage and convert visitors?

Since about 80% of people scan copy on the web, meaning they don’t read word for word, it’s helpful to provide visitors web copy in digestible chunks. To achieve this, web copywriters and designers often apply information layering techniques, using links to let visitors drill down to get more detailed information. It allows visitors to quickly access info relevant to their needs, without having to wade through huge chunks of text.

In line with keeping web copy lean and clean, you should kill any filler and clichés. Also, keep the language at about a grade 8 to 10 level, which is in line with Time and Newsweek, so you don’t alienate visitors. And include lots of testimonials. Third-party endorsements effectively generate trust, credibility and sales. Just edit them down to a sentence or two, and be sure to include a full name and city, when possible. A vague “John S.” reeks of spam on the already suspect Web. 

And, finally, ask for the sale. What do you want visitors to do? Whatever it is, it’s in your best interest to ask. This is your call to action. We might be writing copy for the cutting edge Internet, but the old-fashioned ‘ask for the sale’ still applies.

Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Also see Generating Online Traffic.

 

Rick Sloboda is a Senior Web Copywriter at Webcopyplus, which helps designers and businesses boost online traffic, leads and sales with optimized web content. Clients range from independent retailers to some of the world’s largest service providers, including AT&T (formerly Cingular), Quest Diagnostics and Scotia Bank. Rick advocates clear, concise and objective website content that promotes readability and usability, and conducts web content studies with organizations in Europe and the U.S., including Yale University. He speaks frequently at web-related forums and seminars, including Small Business BC, Content Convergence & Integration, SUCCESS and HRMA. Rick also serves as a consultant to various organizations, such as the Web Development Advisory Committee at Vancouver, B.C.’s Langara College.

Posted by Lynnette in Growing Your Biz on June 2nd, 2010

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