Happy reading!

Paul Hurkmans

Brochure-style websites vs content management systems

In the web development world it’s the equivalent of Ali vs Frazier or Holden vs Ford: Which is better for businesses – brochure-style websites or content management systems?

For the uninitiated, in simple terms a brochure-style website is often called a static website and is updated using editing software and knowledge of web hosting. This updating is usually done by the web developer. Content Management System (CMS) websites, on the other hand, are dynamic and can be updated by a business owner or employee. Two popular open-source (freely available) CMS platforms are Joomla! and WordPress.

Some web developers swear by brochure-style websites while others will only develop websites for businesses using a content management system.

For me, the decision on which style of website is best for your business is an individual one. If your business needs a website for web presence and you don’t envisage updating it more often than a few times a year, a brochure-style website is likely to be your best bet. This is even more the case if you have limited computer skills or free time. If you think you’ll be updating your website reasonably regularly and have the skills and time, a content management system may be your best bet.

For more information on the brochure-style vs content management system debate, go to the full story on En Pointe’s website.

Why your business website should be powered by WordPress

If you decide a content management system (CMS) website is the best option for you, the question then is which CMS to choose.

There are literally thousands available, so you can place your trust in a web developer and go on his or her recommendation or you could use what I believe is the best CMS for many businesses – WordPress.

Why WordPress?

WordPress is the number one blogging web development tool on the scene. It’s also a great platform for CMS, even if you have no thought of ever having blogs, posts or articles on your website. There are many benefits to choosing WordPress but in my opinion the key one is ease of use. Anyone with a reasonable level of computer-literacy should pick up WordPress quite quickly. As with any new system there are basics that need to be learned, but most people will be able to learn these basics in a few hours or less. It’s probably comparable to learning Word or Outlook for the first time.

Not all CMS platforms are as easy to learn as WordPress and this, for me, is why WordPress stands out.

Email your way to marketing communications success

If you own or run a business you’ll love free publicity through marketing communications, but many businesses do miss out on free publicity every day simply because they give little or no thought to their email signature.

The email signature is the block of text and possibly an image that is automatically appended to the bottom of an email message. As well as your name, it’s a great place to provide your contact information such as address, phone numbers and email address.

If you already have an email signature that includes this information, give yourself a small pat on the back – you’re already promoting your company in a small but albeit important way. If you don’t already have an email signature, drop everything (after finishing this article!) and create one immediately.

But when you consider you probably send out tens or perhaps hundreds of emails every day, if you only include basic contact information in your email signature you’re still missing out on opportunities.

Go to En Pointe’s website for some ideas on what you could include in your email signature to further promote your business.

The importance of external links… And how to get them!

Links to your websites by other websites are often referred to as external links and, to put it mildly, they are vital for how well your website will rank in search engines such as Google.

In fact, while there are many things you can do to increase your website’s chances of ranking highly in search engines (called search engine optimisation) increasing your external links is probably the most importing single thing. If your website has a significant number of these external links (or more correctly a significant number of quality external links) it’s likely to rank well; if your website has no external links it might not rank at all!

So how do you get more external links, without paying a cent? The most common methods are:

• Links in directories such as True Local, Google Local Business Centre, Aussie Web and Only Melbourne are a good place to start.
• Links on article marketing and news websites.
• Reciprocal links (i.e. exchanging links with another website owner).
• Links from blogs, forums and social media sites.

A word of warning, there are paid services that promise to include a link to your website on hundreds and sometimes thousands of other websites. Even if the claim is true (and perhaps particularly if the claim is true) be careful. A website that suddenly increases its external links significantly in a short time can be penalised by search engines. And that’s a situation you don’t want to be in.

For more advice on external links or search engine optimisation, contact En Pointe.

Measuring the success of email marketing

Email marketing is quickly becoming one of the most popular marketing communications methods for businesses. Why? Because it’s not only cheaper than many other forms of marketing, in some cases it’s more effective. But this doesn’t mean email marketing is easy. Not only do you have to develop the email content – whether it be a customer newsletter, tips or a sales campaign – you also have to deliver it to your customer.

For many businesses this delivery is through their chosen email platform, usually Microsoft Outlook. However, there are issues with using your email program to deliver your email marketing campaigns. One of the most important of these issues is that using a system such as Outlook doesn’t provide you with any chance to measure your success or lack of success.

The good news is there are many commercial systems available that can not only help you overcome the issues listed above, they’ll also provide you with information that will help you decide whether your emails are hitting the mark.

While systems differ, the information you’re likely to receive by using an email management system will include:

• How many emails were sent
• How many emails were opened
• Who opened your email
• What links were opened
• Who unsubscribed
• Which recipients didn’t receive your email
• How many emails were forwarded to others

Of course, if your email is a sales campaign the most important information to know is how many sales you received due to your emails. Email management systems are clever and efficient, but you’ll need to work this vital statistic out yourself!

Welcome to the En Pointe family

• Outside Concepts – website copywriting
• Bosetti Blinds – copywriting and branding projects

Hi and welcome to the first edition of En Pointe’s newsletter for 2010.

The start of a new year is a perfect time to look at and revise key business documents such as your business plan and marketing plan. It’s also a great time to take a critical look at your marketing communications. In this edition of the newsletter we’ll focus on how you can do just that, plus provide some tips on developing new marketing communications and keeping the cost down.

Happy reading!

Paul Hurkmans- En Pointe

Walk a mile in your customer’s shoes

Try this simple exercise: Gather all your marketing communications material – such as your business card, letterhead, brochures, e-newsletters, website, etc. – and lay out your printed material on the desk in front of your computer, which is displaying your electronic material.

Now, try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and look at your marketing communications critically:

• Does it look consistent – colours, fonts, images, styles?
• Are your messages consistent?
• Does your material accurately reflect your business and will it appeal to the customer you are targeting?
• Is your material easy to follow? This is particularly important for websites, which can easily become messy and confusing.
• Is your contact information clearly displayed?
• Is there any key information that may have changed?

It’s not always easy to answer these questions yourself so it’s a great idea to get other people who aren’t as close to the business to do the same thing. You may be surprised at what people may find.

What’s the plan?

Whenever you’re looking at developing new marketing communications material or re-developing existing material, it’s a great idea to develop a plan.

This doesn’t have to be overly onerous or extensive. Simply record some key points such as:

• Your objectives (e.g. I want to re-develop my website to more closely reflect my business and target customers).
• Target customers
• Key messages such as your key selling points
• What image is your business trying to portray
• Budget

By doing this work before organising new marketing material – whether it’s business cards, a website or a brochure – it’s more likely your marketing communications will be successful.

What is marketing communications?

Asking ‘what is marketing communications’ is a bit like posing to 10 people what the meaning of life is. At best you will probably get 10 different answers; at worst you may get 10 blank stares!

Most specialists agree that marketing communications is the process of communicating with customers. Generally, marketing communications focuses on informing customers about products and services, rather than promoting your business. However, don’t worry about blending these definitions as any good publicity about your business that reaches your customer, or potential customer, can help you sell more products or services.

Back in the time before the Internet, most marketing communications people would have been busy organising tasks such as copywriting and photos for the development of printed material, such as brochures, flyers and newsletters. With the advent of the electronic age, however, marketing communications practitioners are spending more time focusing on websites, e-newsletters and other electronic communication.

Cut the cost of copywriting

Here’s another savings tip most businesses can use from time to time.

While En Pointe would strongly advise you to use a professional copywriter to develop your marketing communications, this doesn’t mean you have to leave all the work up to them. Do some preparation beforehand, such as writing notes or bullet points, and you’ll be helping your copywriter. He or she should, in turn, be able to do the work quicker and cheaper… And perhaps more accurately.

Fee increase not all bad for existing clients

After several years of no fee increases, En Pointe’s base rate will rise in 2010 from $50 an hour to $55.

The good news for existing clients is the fee increase will only apply to new clients, until 1 July 2010. This means that until the middle of the year, any work we conduct for you – whether it’s web development, email marketing, photography, copywriting or development of marketing materials – will be costed at $50 an hour.

Contact En Pointe is you have any questions about the fee increase.

Welcome to the En Pointe family:

• Australian Underground Services – photography, brochure design and printing
• My Daddy Fixes – various web development projects for clients

• Planning your marketing communications campaign
• Keeping an eye on your competitors
• Canning the spam
• En Pointe’s new e-book
• Capitalising on contented customers
• Welcome to the En Pointe family

Marketing communications – what’s the plan?

When small business owners and managers start thinking about how they need to communicate with customers, often the most important part of the process is the one that’s given little thought – planning.

Without a plan it’s possible, if not likely, a business’ marketing communications will end up being haphazard, more expensive than necessary and unsuccessful. So what do you include in a plan? Virtually everything you can think of that will help you determine the best way forward. It’s also wise to ask other people, including, if possible, some of your customers or potential customers. Sometimes you can be too close to the business to know all the answers.

Go to En Pointe’s website for the full article…

Keep your friends close and your competitors closer

We’ve all heard the saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” and if you’re in business the same applies to competitors.

Keeping an eye on what your competitors are doing can be a valuable experience, but it’s difficult to do in all aspects of the business. Phone your competitor and ask for financial information or a business plan and you’re likely to hit a brick wall.

But if you ask for a business card, brochures and any other marketing communications – perhaps under the guise of a potential client – you’re likely to be welcomed with open arms. And, of course, looking at competitors websites can be as simple as conducting a Google search.

Can the spam

If your business conducts email marketing or distributes an e-newsletter you probably put a fair bit of effort into developing the content, so the last thing you want it to have your emails not being delivered. To prevent spam filters deleting your emails, make sure you keep the following out of the subject line:

• Sale
• Free
• Advertisement
• $$$$$
• ALL CAPS
• Excessive punctuation

Three steps to successful marketing communications for small businesses

Communications with customers and potential customers is one of the most important things a business can do. Because, unless a product or service is so good it sells itself, it’s marketing communications that will generate the sales leads and increase revenue.

But for most business owners, marketing communications is probably as appealing as trying to balance the books or doing the filing. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

En Pointe has produced its first e-book called Three steps to successful marketing communications for small businesses. The e-book can demonstrate that marketing communications is not rocket science or overly arduous… And it can actually be fun. By reading the e-book and following the three-step process it contains, businesses will improve communications with customers and increase their revenue in the process.

Go to the e-book’s website for more information or to purchase.

Capitalising on contented customers

We all love talking to clients who are happy with our business – let’s face it, it’s better than dealing with an irate customer any time. But is your business making the most of contented customers? Here are just a few ways you can capitalise on happy clients:

• You probably know your happy customer and their business reasonably well, so point out other ways your business may be able to help.
• Ask them if they would mind referring your business to colleagues, family and friends.
• Make sure you add the client to your email marketing list.
• See if they will write a testimonial for you that you can include on your website or in brochures.

Welcome to the En Pointe family:

• Geeks on Call – various copywriting projects
• Insurance Solutions – copywriting and brochure design

• Article marketing – what is it and how do you make it work for you?
• Adding value to your website
• Thinking web design – think En Pointe
• Improving your business newsletter
• Welcome new clients
• Communication lighter moment

Article marketing as simple as ABC

Promotion is important for all businesses and one of the tools many smart business owners and managers are now using is article marketing.

This involves writing articles that are relevant to your business and then submitting these articles to free content websites. Why go to the trouble? There are many reasons why you might consider using article marketing to promote your business, including the fact that your articles can be exposed to hundreds, thousands and even millions of people.

To read more about article marketing, go to the news and tips page on our website.

Using your website as a valuable resource

We all want more visitors to our business website and to convert those visitors to customers, but have you also thought about using your website as a way to save time for you and your staff?

There are various ways you can do this and it will depend largely on your business, but possibilities include:

• Have a specials page for current deals and let your existing customers know.
• Develop a frequently asked questions page on your website.
• If you email forms to customers, put those forms on your website so people can download them. Better still, make them electronic website forms.
• In a similar way, if there are documents you post to people, put these on your website.

Look for ways that make life a bit easier for you and provide a valuable experience for your customer and you’re on a winning formula.

Make your website an En Pointe website

Whether you are looking to develop your first business website, update your current one or looking for support to maintain your web presence, En Pointe is your web designer of choice for value and service.

With our basic packages starting at $349 for a five-page website, and professional packages at $699, our services are possibly the best value in Melbourne. These prices include personal consultation and custom web design, to ensure your website reflects your business and target customers. We also offer copywriting (included in the professional package) to ensure your message engages your target market.

We can also maintain your website for you at the current rate of $50 an hour, ensuring your website is kept up to date and freeing up your time to run the business and make more sales.

Go to En Pointe’s web design page on our website (www.enpointeconsulting.com.au) for more information.

Making it good news

Do you have a business newsletter that doesn’t get results or gets put off until the last moment? Or perhaps you have a monthly newsletter that’s lucky to go out every three months?

A business newsletter – either in printed or electronic format – can be a valuable marketing communications tool for most businesses but there are many things you can do to make them more valuable for your customers and less of a chore for you.

• Keep the articles and the overall length of the newsletter short. You don’t need to give readers the whole story – just a taste can leave them wanting more. This can result in customers contacting you which, after all, is what most newsletters are trying to achieve.
• One of the keys to getting people to buy your products or services is to get them emotionally engaged. How do you do this? In simple terms, talk about benefits rather than features. If you sell widescreen LCD TVs, focus on the clear picture and superior viewing in all lighting conditions that will have your friends green with envy, rather than 1080 resolution and matt screen. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t include the features, as there are people who like to know them, but they shouldn’t be the main focus.
• Don’t leave newsletters to the last minute. At the very least you should document ideas for articles regularly so that when newsletter time comes around you aren’t completely starting from scratch.

Welcome to the En Pointe family:

• 7Seas Estate Administration – business cards
• Stephen Oliver – copywriting and advice for e-book

En Pointe is also pleased to announce the launch of one of our existing client’s new website.

Finance Innovations are finance brokers, located in Mornington and servicing the Melbourne area and beyond. They specialise in home loans, investment loans, commercial finance, business loans, vehicle finance and equipment loans. Their aim is to help you find the best loan for your needs by taking the time to listen to you to determine your individual requirements. They then match these requirements with a loan from one of more than 30 lenders, saving you time, hassles and money.

Check out the website by clicking on the link above. You can also note Finance Innovations contact details so that you can give them a call when thinking about your next loan.

Communication – it doesn’t always have to be serious

If you’re having trouble explaining something to a customer, perhaps you will agree with author Freeman Teague Jr. who once said: “Nothing is so simple that it cannot be misunderstood.”

And after three months of winter most of us are probably sick of the weather, but it’s always worthwhile keeping in mind these words of wisdom from cartoonist, humorist and journalist Kin Hubbard: “Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.”

• Public relations on a shoestring
• Keywords the key to SEO
• Adding to the value of ads
• Increasing your email marketing success
• Tips for taking better photos
• Welcome to the En Pointe family

Public relations on a small (business) budget

Many small businesses believe public relations is the domain of large businesses that have significant budgets and resources at their disposal. While it is true that many large businesses do invest heavily in public relations, there’s no reason why small business can’t get involved too, without breaking the bank.

Go to our website for the full article.

Keywords are the key

If you have a business website you’ve probably heard of search engine optimisation or SEO. In simple terms SEO involves optimising a web site, or more correctly individual web pages, so they rank as highly as possible in search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

As an example, open Google and search for ‘accountant’, ‘finance broker’ or ‘Marketing material Melbourne’. The web pages that appear high on the list have been optimised extremely well and that’s why they rank highly (I had to include the last search term – my site is usually in the top 10!).

Good SEO is a combination of many things, but one of the keys and the starting point is keyword research – thinking about the terms people use in search engines to find a business such as yours. Because it doesn’t matter how good your SEO is, if you’ve got the wrong keywords you won’t get the website traffic you need to convert web users to customers.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when researching keywords:

• List all the keywords relevant to your business you can think of including one-word and multiple-word terms.
• Include common misspellings and multiple ways of saying the same thing (e.g. ‘web design’ and ‘website design’.
• Include local geographic terms, if relevant (e.g. ‘accountant Melbourne’ or ‘accountant Moorabbin’).
• Don’t be too general. For example, a search for ‘insurance’ will bring up hundreds of thousands of hits and is simply too competitive.
• Don’t be too specific. For example, ‘finance broker first home buyer Melbourne’ is unlikely to be a successful search term.
• Once you have the full list, narrow this down to your most important keywords.

An excellent tool to help you research keywords is provided free by Google. Just search for ‘Google keyword research tool’. You need to create an AdWord account but it doesn’t take much time and is worth the effort. Once you have your keywords seek out a business such as En Pointe or an SEO specialist to help. You’ll then be well on the way to the top of Google!

Increasing the impact of your ads

A recent study in the U.S. shows that customers are exposed to approximately 300 ads a day and only 10 of these remain in their long-term memories. While the figures are probably slightly different in Australia, one of the key points to learn from this study is that if you want target customers to read your message you need to make ads, or for that matter any marketing material, stand out.

Two simple tips to give your ads impact:

• Use a catchy heading and make it stand out.
• Add a price. In the U.S study, ads that mentioned a price for a product or service were more likely to be remembered than those that didn’t.

Sign up, sign up!

Encouraging more potential clients to sign up for electronic newsletters or email marketing is beneficial for any business who undertakes these types of communications. That’s because the people who do sign up often go on to become paying clients, and don’t we all need more of these!

One way of encouraging people to sign up to your electronic communications is to provide them with a free gift for doing so. What type of gift? A good option may be a document you can email to people that can be branded with your logo, contact details and any images. For example:

• If you’re a finance broker, a formatted spreadsheet to help people complete a home budget
• An accountant could produce a booklet to provide tips on how people (or businesses) can reduce their tax
• A promotional goods company could provide a list product ideas for businesses organising a conference
• If you’re an insurance broker, a list to check the health of customer’s insurance policies
• Health practitioners, depending on their filed, could produce a leaflet on ‘How to reduce your chances of getting colds and flus’, ’10 tips for a better back’, or ‘The importance of dental hygiene’.

As well as providing an incentive for people to sign up to email lists, these types of gifts also add to the credibility of your business. Plus they are also a great gift for your current customers.

If you are interested in developing material such as this, give En Pointe a call. We can help you develop your products quickly, easily and affordably.

Improving your photography at work and home

These days nearly everyone has a digital camera – even my three year old son! And while most cameras have an automatic function that can take reasonable photos in most situations, that doesn’t mean you can point and shoot and expect to get excellent results. Here are two tips for improving your photography, whether you’re taking photos for business or personal purposes.

Tip 1 – The rule of thirds:

Imagine your viewfinder (or your camera’s LCD display) is divided into thirds, with two lines running horizontally and vertically. Then place important elements on these lines or at intersections of these lines. For example, when taking landscapes place the horizon on either the bottom or the top imaginary line, rather than in the middle of the screen. When taking a photo of a person place them on either the left or right imaginary line. In addition, place the person’s face at a place where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect.

Tip 2 – Gain a different perspective:

Similarly, if you look for a different perspective it can add increased drama and appeal to your photos. Rather than standing up and taking photos, get down on the floor or stand on a chair or other object. Some digital cameras can help as they feature LCD screens that rotate and tilt, therefore allowing you to change perspective by raising or lowering the camera while standing in a normal position.

Welcome to the En Pointe family:

• Productivity Commission (Federal Government agency) – Design of 72-page report and five 4-page fact sheets on Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage
• Vernon Da Gama and Associates – Business cards
• Finance Innovations – Email marketing and flyer
• Sprout – Business cards
• Cyberspace Auto Parts – Flyers

• Taking a subjective look at email marketing
• Improve your business communication
• Marketing your website
• En Pointe hits the headlines
• Copywriting tips for your business
• Small business missing online opportunities
• Welcome new clients
• Communication thought of the day

90% off business cards today only!

First off, to set the record straight, En Pointe is not virtually giving away business cards but the heading does demonstrate one of the keys to email marketing – engaging subjects.

These days most of us receive lots of emails so if the subject you use to send your email marketing is boring chances are your emails aren’t even being opened. For example, would you open an email with the subject of “April Newsletter”? If it was from your boss or your favourite sporting club, probably, but it was from a supplier it may well get deleted straight away.

Compare this with a subject of “50% off marketing material this week only”, “Top 10 tax tips” or “3 reasons your jeans don’t fit”.

Experts say when people first receive email they take an average of three seconds to decide whether to open it. The first second is spent on the ‘from’ line, recognizing who sent the message. From there, you have just two more seconds to compel them to open your message with your subject line, so don’t waste it.

Just as importantly, unlike our audacious headline to encourage you to read this article, make sure your subject line is truthful. Don’t promote a 90% discount unless you know you can deliver.

Let’s get subjective

With more than 20 years experience in journalism, copywriting, editing and business communication, En Pointe has the experience to create engaging copy (and email marketing subject lines!) for your business.

If budget is a concern and you’d prefer to develop your own copy, En Pointe can help improve your writing skills. In addition, we can provide you with the technical knowledge you need to develop and distribute your own email marketing and electronic newsletters.

Contact En Pointe today for a competitive quote on all your copywriting and business communication needs.

Marketing your website

Having a quality business website is one thing, but if no one knows about your website it’s next to useless.

There are a lot of ways to increase visits to your website. Here are just a few:

• Ensure your website has at least basic search engine optimisation (contact En Pointe for more details).
• Include your website address on all your marketing and advertising material, including business cards, letterheads, with compliments slips and flyers.
• Place your website address on your invoices and receipts.
• Consider a pay per click campaign (contact En Pointe for more details).
• List your website address in your signature at the bottom of all emails.
• Use your website in business communication whenever possible. For example, when replying to an email from a client refer them to a specific website address (make sure you include a link) for further information.

En Pointe hits the headlines

En Pointe has hit the headlines, being featured in the City of Kingston’s monthly newspaper called Kingston Your City.

The focus on En Pointe and senior business communications specialist Paul Hurkmans came about because of our involvement in the Mentor Partners Program, run by the Cities of Kingston and Glen Eira. To find out more about the program visit the City of Kingston’s website.

Shout it out loud!

A simple tip to improve your writing skills is to read out loud what you have written. Reading out loud will often highlight any errors you may normally miss.

Along the same lines, another simple tip when writing is to imagine you’re having a conversation with someone. Again, saying the words out loud can help. This technique is particularly good for those who feel more comfortable with verbal communication than written and those times when you’re struggling to find the correct words to write.

Small business missing online opportunities

If results from a recent survey by MYOB are anything to go by, small business owners are missing out on online opportunities to enhance their business. The survey results, released on 31 March 2009, show more than half (60%) of small business owners surveyed don’t have a business website.

“Use of the internet is high among Australians and, importantly, among consumers. Small business owners are missing valuable opportunities to use the web to promote their business and build their customer base,” explains Tim Reed, CEO of MYOB.

“The web is a critical information and communication platform, an important tool for small businesses, particularly now with the current economic turbulence,” continues Mr Reed.

“The web presents countless sales, marketing and promotional opportunities for small businesses.”

Communication thought for the day

An internal memo distributed by a leading US business in 1876 read: “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” I wonder what they would have written about the Internet?

• Current special – photography services
• Business newsletters
• En Pointe’s updated website
• How often should you update your website
• Welcome new clients
• Thought for the day

Current special

Need to update photographs of your business, for your website, marketing material or whatever?

During March and April, En Pointe is offering a 20% discount on all photography services. This means, for example, you can get a package of 10 to 15 photographs, digitally edited and optimised to suit your needs, from just $160. Or you can pay by the hour for our services at the discounted rate of $40.

Contact En Pointe during the next two months to take advantage of this excellent offer.

E-Newsletter tip #43

Email marketing, e-newsletters, e-marketing, email newsletters… Call it what you like, email marketing is a fantastic, cost effective method of keeping in touch with your clients or potential customers.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when developing business email marketing is writing too much copy. Generally, email marketing is most effective when it’s short, relevant and to the point. You don’t have to tell clients or would-be clients everything. It can be better to leave them wanting more so that they’ll take action to contact you for more information.

Here’s news

En Pointe can guide you on the best way for your business to undertake email marketing, either through your own computing systems or through one of the many contact systems available in the market place. In addition, En Pointe can provide support and assistance in line with your expertise, time and budget to ensure you can develop and distribute your email marketing regularly.

Go to our email marketing web page for more information and prices.

We’ve had a facelift!

No, we didn’t go under the surgeon’s knife but our website has. En Pointe’s website (www.enpointeconsulting.com.au) has undergone an update to improve the design, copywriting and ease of use for visitors. The update was also designed to ensure the site accurately reflects the products and services we offer clients.

How often should you update your website?

There are basically two answers to the question of how often a business website should be updated.

Minor updates should generally be made regularly, to keep your site looking fresh. These types of updates, which are simple and quick to deploy, may include changes to products or services, specials, the news section of your site and additions to your portfolio or testimonials. Most importantly, any content that is outdated must be changed as it reflects poorly on your business’ image.

In addition to minor updates, generally a business website should undergo a major upgrade every three to five years. It’s a wise move to start from scratch with this type of update by revisiting important aspects such as the objectives of your website, the profile of your target audience, key messages and how best to arrange your information.

No matter how new or old your website, the important thing is not to forget it. Make a regular date in your diary to look at every page on your website to identify any areas that need to be updated.

Welcome to the En Pointe family

• Brighton Bay Medical Centre: Business cards
• Sabun Kozmetik Pty Ltd: Two mini websites (www.billycart.com.au and www.xenonlights.com.au/)
• Cooper Mill Lawyers: Copywriting

Communication thought for the day

Benjamin Franklin once said while it’s important to say the right thing in the right place, it’s more important, and often more difficult, to not say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Isn’t that the truth!

• Find out about En Pointe’s referral program
• Is it wise in these financial times to try to save money on communication?
• En Pointe’s Caring for the Community program
• Why you should be stimulating your customers’ senses
• All Conference Accessories joins the En Pointe family
• Communication thought for the day

Refer a client and reap the rewards!

If you’re happy with En Pointe’s services and know of other businesses who may be able to use our help, now there are even more reasons to refer them to us.

If you refer a business to En Pointe and that business becomes a client we will take $50 off the cost of your next project/invoice. That’s $50 off the cost of En Pointe’s already competitive prices (limit of one $50 referral discount for each project/invoice).

To be eligible, simply pass on En Pointe’s details to another business and tell them to mention you referred them.

Communicate or perish

If your business is feeling the impact of the global financial situation or you’re worried about future impacts, according to many experts one area not to cut costs on is client communication.

One such expert is Tim Pethick, best known as the man behind Nudie fruit juice. Tim recently appeared on Channel 7’s Kochie’s Business Builders and talked about the importance of communication in growing a business.

“One of the inexpensive ways to improve your business is through communication,” Tim said. He added this is particularly the case with website communication and stressed, “One place you don’t want to under-invest in, if you’re a small business, is the web.”

Current special

Do you belong to a community group that could use communication support, such as a new website, business cards, newsletter or flyer?

En Pointe will provide 50% of its costs for any non-profit group within Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs (not including any third party costs such as printing, web hosting, etc). This means, for example, a community group could have a one-page website developed for only $125 or 500 A4 flyers printed on both sides in full colour for little more than $300.

The best thing about this special is that it’s valid all year round. It’s all part of En Pointe’s Caring for the Community program.

Stimulating the senses

Have you ever wondered why supermarkets place certain items at eye level in the aisles and confectionery and magazines at the checkout? Or why real estate agents ask prospective sellers to brew a pot of coffee, bake some bread or put out flowers before an open inspection?

Clever marketing people have been using the senses to stimulate selling for years. And while you might need to look outside the square to join them it could be worth your time.

For example, a florist might get their business cards printed on rose scented stock, a designer might use coloured or textured paper for letterheads instead of plain white paper, and a doctor might have comforting music and essential oils burning in her waiting room.

Try and stimulate your clients’ senses – including eyes, ears, nose and mouth – and your sense of prosperity may soon be on the up!

Welcome to the En Pointe family

All Conference Accessories has been supplying promotional products for in excess of 11 years and has access to a wide range of quality products at competitive prices. The company engaged

En Pointe to modernise its website and update the product images, with a view of better servicing existing clients and producing a website that would be a positive marketing tool.

View the website at www.conferenceaccessories.com.

Communication thought for the day

One of the best ways to grow in wisdom is to listen intelligently with our ears and our mind.

• Think ahead for Christmas cards
• Keeping the lid on marketing communications costs
• Updating your business website
• Leaving a lasting impression on your customers
• Welcome to the En Pointe family

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

Christmas is less than two months away (believe it or not!) and as well as thinking about Christmas presents for the family, if you’re in business you also need to consider Christmas cards for clients.

For something a little different, a good idea is a product called a DLL card. The DLL card is 195mm X 87mm, so fits easily into a standard envelope, comes in 265gsm artboard and can be printed on two sides in full colour.

Currently you can organise 500 DLL cards from En Pointe for only $199 or 1000 for $225. These prices include a custom design and free delivery to anywhere in Australia. While the cards are terrific for Christmas they can be a great marketing material tool any time of the year.

Simple marketing ideas for next to no cost

Marketing doesn’t need to cost a fortune; in fact sometimes it can be free!

When you deal with a new customer, thank him or her for doing business with you. Then ask them if they would like to receive further information – such as a regular newsletter. It’s a great way of keeping the lines of communication open and ensuring your business is top of your customer’s mind.

It’s worthwhile noting that many marketing experts claim it costs five times as much to sell to a new customer than it does to an existing one. So it’s important to make the effort to keep your customers once you’ve got them.

Spinning an interesting web

Having a website is fast becoming a business imperative but you shouldn’t relax just because you have a presence on the web.

Maintaining and updating your website regularly is almost as important as having a website in the first place. If your website is out of date, chances are your customers – or potential customers – will notice, potentially resulting in lost sales and damage to your brand.

Many web designers will try to sell you a content management website, which means you can update the content yourself. But as well as costing significantly more than non-content management sites, it’s not the best option for most small business owners who don’t have the time and sometimes the skills to do the job. The best alternative for most small business websites is for the website designer to perform the updates.

For En Pointe customers this service doesn’t cost the earth, with monthly costs generally less than $50 and often significantly less. Plus, if you do require significant or more regular updates, other options such as simple website editing software can be explored.

Contact En Pointe to further discuss your website maintenance needs.

Leave a lasting, pleasant impression

Some small businesses greet visitors with a confusing array of signs on the outside and a reception area that’s a part-time storage room. So what are the first impressions customers and others receive about your business when they visit?

It might seem commonsense but it’s vital that people who visit your business are greeted with a clean environment, inside and out. After all, the impression they receive – good and bad – can determine whether they spend money with you. Keep things clean, uncluttered and organised, at least in areas where customers are likely to see, and you’ll help ensure your customers keep coming back.

Welcome to the En Pointe family

Davenports is one of Australia’s leading professional services firms with a staff in excess of 25. Davenports recently contracted En Pointe to upgrade its website (www.davenports.biz) with the aim of creating a modern, professional, stylish site that better reflected the company and its people.

• Spring clean your marketing communications
• Have a fresh set of eyes take a look at your marketing communications
• Promotion is essential, baby
• En Pointe current special
• Marketing on the cards

Time for a spring clean of your marketing materials?

With the amount of marketing messages people are bombarded with your marketing materials must grab attention quickly or your efforts and money will be wasted. So how can you maximise the potential of your marketing material, such as your website, business cards, brochures and email marketing?

• Add a catchy headline, image and first paragraph. Reading marketing material is no different to reading the newspaper. Most people scan the images, headlines and first paragraphs and only read the sections that catch their attention.
• Don’t be afraid to include white space. Crowded layout can be confusing and messy. However, don’t overdo it. Too much white space used inappropriately can be just as bad as not enough.
• Make sure you include all the important information, particularly your contact details. If your ‘potential’ customer can’t find your contact information quickly they probably won’t become your customer.
• Make sure your marketing material has a consistent look. This adds to the professionalism of your business and increases recognition amongst your target audience. Look no further than McDonalds as a great example.
• Make sure your marketing material reflects you and your business. The use of mediums such as images, text, colours and fonts can say a lot about your business and should accurately reflect who you are and what you do.

Eye, eye

If you’d like a fresh set of eyes to look over your marketing material, give En Pointe a call.

We can audit all your marketing material and provide a written report detailing our findings and recommendations. The cost is only $200 – an investment that can save money in the long term.

The service includes a visit to your business (South East suburbs only).

Promotion is essential, baby

An excellent and cost-effective way of promoting your business is to develop a media release for local newspapers and other outlets (start with Business Victoria if you are interested in finding out more).

One of the biggest issues facing businesses looking for this type of promotion, however, is identifying story opportunities. Most of us are too close to our businesses to see the stories, so you need to sit back, take five minutes and think.

Maybe you’ve won an award or have a major equipment upgrade coming on-line. Also think out of the box. Perhaps one of your employees is about to reach 40 years of service or is going to compete in the Masters Games. It doesn’t have to be directly business related to be good promotion.

As an example, Paul Hurkmans wrote an article about himself and his mix of looking after his son as well as running En Pointe. One website, “Essential Baby”, has already indicated they will run the article and others are also considering it.

En Pointe Current Special

Like some help to develop a media release?

En Pointe’s Paul Hurkmans has over 20 years experience in writing articles and taking photos for the media. Best of all, if you contact Paul in September or October he’ll develop a media release for you for only $100 – that’s $50 off the regular price. For an extra $50 he’ll take photos as well. He’ll even help you identify story opportunities for free.

Contact Paul for a no obligation discussion today.

Marketing on the cards

According to Nancy Roberts Linker, a high-flying US business development and client relationship consultant, the simple act of sending a note or card is a great way to keep in touch with your clients.

Nancy believes notes and cards should always be signed by hand (no rubber stamps or electronic signatures) and include a short personal message. Any opportunity to personalise greetings goes a long way to keeping clients thinking of you, rather than your competitors.