Zero To Sixty Marketing

Website Marketing Strategies

A Web Site Makeover for Sprue Brothers

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Here’s another example of the design process … Web site design, this time. We’ve just rolled out a new Web site home page design for Sprue Brothers Model LLC. Sprue Brothers is an online hobby retailer for scale model builders. The “sprue” in the business name is significant. All plastic scale modelling parts arrive on a frame called a sprue. The store’s logo reflects this and now so does the Web site.

Before and after screenshots are below:

Before Website Redesign

Before Website Redesign

New Website Screenshot

New Home Page Design

My husband (and team member), Gerald, came up with the idea of sprue borders. Our graphic artist, Scott, took the concept and ran with it. I put it together as a working Web site. Despite a few technical glitches, this was a fun project that came together quickly. It’s also one that will continue to improve over time. Gordon, we hope your new landing page serves you well.

Have you looked at your Web site lately?

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Thank a Small Business Owner!

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Budding EntrepreneurSmall businesses are responsible for the majority of new jobs created in the United States. Small businesses, including micro-businesses, make a huge impact on our local economy. We hear much more about big business, but where would we be without the small business owner striving for excellence in our local community? So today’s post is dedicated to the small business owner … all of you, whether you’re the only employee or you employ many.

Thank you!

We (collectively) couldn’t do it without you! If you feel the same way, take a few minutes to encourage and thank a hard-working, small business owner this week!

Our team at Zero To Sixty Marketing is dedicated to helping you, the small to medium-size business get results from your marketing efforts. We’re not out to win the next “Addy” or any other award, for that matter. Our award is your success. It’s the RESULTS that we’re after. And we’re not afraid of taking an unconventional route to get there.   [Read more…] about Thank a Small Business Owner!

Downtown Revitalization: The Old is New Again

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As cities strive to improve, many are looking at the heart of their community. Towns, villages and cities were built on a core, the center of the community – their downtown. As the need for faster transit between points became necessary, downtown America was bypassed. Businesses who didn’t want to be forgotten moved from the core of the community to its fringes. For a time the core literally and physically shifted out to the expressway’s edge.

The old downtown seemingly died, and with it, many communities lost part of their soul. But now there has been a resurgence of redevelopment in downtowns across this country – partly because the center is being moved back to its original location. The heritage of the past is being given new birth with construction projects that bring the once forgotten back into vogue.    [Read more…] about Downtown Revitalization: The Old is New Again

Small Business Marketing: It’s Not About You!

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It’s so easy and dangerous to get caught up in and pulled into a small, confining box by the thing you sell. Your product, your service, your place. Easy to forget how little anybody cares about that, when you care about it so much.” ~ No B.S. Insider’s Connection, September 2009 Edition

Road SignIt’s no secret that we no longer do business the same way. Price comparisons are easy on the Internet. It’s where we do our research before making the purchase. Price drives customer choice, making yesteryear’s value proposition irrelevant. Yes, thanks to the Internet and intense competition from previous non-contenders, many products and services have become commodities. This changes everything.   [Read more…] about Small Business Marketing: It’s Not About You!

Clean Up Your List

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Clean Up Your List!
How many times have you received the neighbor’s mail, or direct mail advertisements that had absolutely nothing to do with your life? With mail so easy to get wrong, why not make sure your direct mail campaign hits the nail on the head? It’s time to clean up your list.
You may think it doesn’t matter so much, after all, how much direct mail comes to ‘Occupant,’ anyway? Depending on your market, it may not matter at all. But I would be willing to bet you that your campaign would fare much better if you knew that what you were promoting was going to people who could actually use your promotion.
Take a good look at your holiday promotion lists, and start vetting:
Businesses no longer operating
Names and addresses that have not responded in the last 4 promotions
Direct competition (I mean, why bother spending money on them?)
Replace those with:
New businesses in the same area
New addresses that didn’t exist before due to construction
Customers you know you can serve. Ask yourself who you’ve thought about including but have neglected to reach.
Now go forward and let the world know what you do is important to them, and that you’ve got them on your mind this holiday season. Happy Holidays!

How many times have you received the neighbor’s mail, or direct mail advertisements that had absolutely nothing to do with your interests or needs? With mail so easy to get wrong, why not make sure your direct mail campaign hits the nail on the head? It’s time to clean up your list.

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Have You Claimed Your Google Local Business Listing?

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local-10pack-googleDoes your business location show up on Google Maps? If so, are you fully taking advantage of it?

First, let’s find out if you have an accurate listing. Go to http://maps.google.com and search using your business name. Not there? Just add your business directly through the Local Business Center.

If you find your business, review your listing. Clicking on the name of your business will bring up a white information bubble with a “Claim your business” link or if you’ve already taken that step, an “edit” link.

Once you’ve claimed your business listing, Google will verify that you’re the business owner by phone (immediately – an automated call) or you can choose to have them mail you a postcard. We’ve done it both ways, but the phone call route allows you to get it done all in one sitting. Once this step is complete, you’ll be able to log-in and optimize your local business listing.  [Read more…] about Have You Claimed Your Google Local Business Listing?