Fighting IT every step of the way

It’s a funny thing when circumstances prevent you doing what you do best…what you love to do. A week ago I hurt my back and although there is no pain, only yesterday did the feeling return to my fingers enough to type. How frustrating is that?

Two or three times a week I write articles; three or four times a week I update facebook and mutiple times a day I update twitter and to find myself basicically incapable of doing so was the height of frustration.

I sit here and wonder…does anyone miss me? Has my voice become silent; forgotten in one short week? What does tell us about social networking?

• That we should continually engage our audience.
• That a day or two or even a week does not make everyone run for the hills
• If you don’t have something of interest to say people will hang in there fully expecting a future entry.

It has truly been an interesting week. Hell, it has been more than that…! And…although my typing may still stumble a bit, I can now feel the keys under my fingers and I now KNOW where the backspace key is.

This is all good. Have a great weekend and here is to Monday!

….Daye

Give Your Building an Image

We recently finished the signage for a new apartment building on lower Queen Anne (Seattle, for those you not familiar with the area). The building is called View 222. Although the name may be a bit difficult to figure out, it really does say it all because of the views.

We were brought in to do a marketing package of signage and what we have is basically a blank slate. The only thing we had was the image of the space needle that we created for their interior sign package. The colors we had used were neutral so there was not even a color scheme developed for marketing.

So, when faced with a blank slate, where do you begin?

• Consider the architecture of the building. Is it classic or urban or retro or…? In this case it is kind of an urban cosmopolitan.
• Consider the color and finishes used in the building. This building includes a beautiful mahogany wall with a strong but dusky blue accent wall in the entry.
• Walk the building and get a feel for it. Is it cozy or airy; rich or comfortable?
• Next, you must take into consideration the target market.
  • Is the future renter single? Do they have a significant other or are they a single parent?
  • What is their income? A better question might be is how much money do they need to make to live in this apartment building?
  • What is their average age?
  • Are they male or female?
  • What kind of work do they do? Do they occupy a desk all day or are they more “hands on”?
• Begin to relate the assets of the building to the target market.
  • Are the garden areas important to them?
  • How about the views?
  • Do they care that there are beautiful stone floors except for the bedrooms?
  • Are women going to crave the large walk-in closets?
  • How about being pet friendly?
  • What about the great kitchens and the large windows?

Real thought needs to go into the presentation of a building. It is important to focus your marketing efforts to get the highest return possible and it is best to bring in someone who can take your ideas and develop them further to merge the assets of the building to the desires of your target market.

Roday works with you as part of your team, taking your vision that you have for your building and turning it into a marketable and highly desired end product. Whether your project is new construction or a face lift, we can assist you in creating a strong presence with high visibility.

Give Daye Salander a call today at 425.397.8885 with questions you may have on your building and how to raise its visibility and making it more desirable to your target market.

Steps to Improve Your Web Writing Skills

You only have mere seconds to catch the attention of a website visitor and you cannot afford to waste it. The following will help you cut the clutter and get to the point.

• Make it straight forward. If you can say it in 7 words instead of 22, go with 7.
• Keep it simple. Stop with the big words that really do not impress anyone.
• Keep it focused. Do not stray off subject.
• Use bullet points where you can. It quickly highlights your message.
• Break up your copy into short paragraphs. It makes it easier to read and easily scanned.

People do not read on the web like they would a magazine or a newspaper article. They have come to your website for information. If they cannot easily scan the page and pick out what they are looking for, they leave.

Stop your visitors from moving on by providing them the info they need. If you are struggling with your website copy or your blog Roday can assist. Email Daye Salander at daye@roday.com or call her at 425.397.8885.

Failure is an Opportunity

When we fail is most often an opportunity to shine.

As business owners, how often do we fail? How often do we make a decision only to find out it was the road that was better off not taken?

Every day we work with clients and every day we make decisions and some of them are bound to be wrong. Whether you recommend the wrong product to a client, miss the mark when designing a website, or a product fails, each of these situations permit us to show our clients how good we really are. It is often not the mistake that was made but how it is handled when things go sideways.

Here are three vital steps in taking a failure and turning it into an opportunity to shine.

• Don’t ignore the situation. When there is a problem your attentiveness to the client and their problem is the most important factor.
• Find out the expectations of the client. Do they want a refund or a replacement or…? If you do not know what the client wants then you will be guessing at a solution.
• Keep the client in the loop as you move forward to correct the problem. Don’t just tell the client you will fix things, but keep them abreast of developments so they know things are moving along.

Everyone makes mistakes but not everyone can shine when things go horribly wrong. Make sure you stand out by taking the problem head on and working in behalf of your client to get the problem resolved.

Website Woes – A Template for your Website

Many, many people buy templates for their website only to end up with just…what do you call it? A mess. Money spent. Money wasted.

If funds are limited sometimes buying a template is a good choice. Be prepared though that all that looks perfect is not always so when you get it home from the store.

You know how it is. You go through template after template to find just the right thing, you download it, you open it, and then discover one of several things.

1. Things do not line up how they should.
2. You want to move the location of key elements such as ad space, logos, navigation, or columns
3. There are no meta tags.
4. It just plain flat doesn’t work right

As an example, let’s take Horse of Mine (not its final name).

The above was the template purchased. It had the right feel and look for what the company is trying to accomplish but there are a few problems which were beyond their capability to modify. The answer?

Hire a webmaster that can modify the HTML/XHTML and the CSS. Overall, these are easy fixes.

We made changes to the code to provide the client with the right layout. Remember that templates are nothing more than placeholders for you to place your information, photographs, graphics, etc. We took their template and made changes that permitted them to have the layout that they felt would work for them.

Are templates the best way to go? Certainly not for everyone but they do have their place. Just make sure that you have a webmaster that can make the changes that you need made. Rarely is a template the complete solution but it can be more cost effective in many situations.

If you have bought a template that is just not working for you, consider talking to us about what Roday can do to help make your website the best it can be. If you cannot afford to start from scratch, that’s okay. We will work with you to get you up and running.

Contact Roday via email or call us at 425.609.0022. Talk with Daye and she will guide you through your template woes in which you have found yourself.

Other posts that may interest you :

Virtual Signage – How to make it work for you.

Make Landing Pages Work For You in 3 Easy Steps

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Industrial Class Update

First, you might want to read our first post on Industrial Class. Everyone was very focused on the design and it appeared like that would be the final and then…a change of heart. The final sign is similar to the initial design but the owner really wanted the Space Needle in Seattle to be depicted.

It was not what we really wanted to do for there are so many buildings that use that same design for their signs. So, we did some compromising and we designed a minimalistic sketch that was recognizable as the Space Needle but was completely unique.

We have one more trip out to the building for a few final signs that are required along with some pet signs so people keep their pets out of the gardens.

If you are not familiar with the Space Needle, here is the photograph we used to inspire the sketch.

Roday can not only design, fabricate and install your signs, they are also code experts, both ADA and FDC and can provide you with a list of signs that will be needed. Give us a call today to find out how we can take the hassle out of building signage. 425.397.8885 Roday is solution oriented with the skills and savvy to put together a fabulous and cost effective sign package for you.

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Get the Inside Track – Get Roday In Sync

Roday In Sync is a monthly newsletter that gives you the inside track. In January you will find step-by-step instructions on how to put links and icons in your email signature. You will also by privy to Roday specials, the Tech Corner where we give reviews and links to download free programs, and advice from professionals in design, signage, and the web.

Plus, access to our monthly specials, insider information, and more. Don’t miss out – sign up today!

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Taking Customer Service to the Next Level

Roday has always been known for our customer service (or at least that is what I have been told). Although we work at it and continue to strive to provide a positive conclusion to all of our jobs the question recently came up. “How do we take our customer service to the next level?”

There was not a word said and everyone looked around wondering who was going to come up with some gem that was going to propel us way out in front of anyone else. No one did. Afterall, when it is something you pride yourself on, could there actually be a Next Level??? And thus, that has been on our minds for months.

How do you go above and beyond when you already do? How do you create an atmosphere that defines customer service as a true value added service? How do you give more without decimating the bottom line?

Well, it hit us between the eyes recently. It was a simple post to our blog about a job we did for Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Development Company. Of course we mentioned the client and had photos of the job. It did not go unnoticed and we were called and thanked for posting what we did. So, we had our answer.

Our blog not only showcases our work but our clients. We offer current and recent clients the opportunity to advertise in our monthly newsletter, and on our website. We tweet them and blog about them and link to them, all in an effort to provide them with additional visibility. Our clients’ success is our success.

So, as we enter this new year, expect to hear a lot more about our clients, their products and projects, and the opportunities that may come from it for our readers. What are you doing to take your customer service to the next level?

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Still in Neutral?

When I was a young adult I always felt like I was on the outside. It was not until I was 30 did realize that the reason I felt that way is because I never engaged anyone. I sat, I listend, and I learned; or so I thought.

How much more could I have learned by asking questions or engaging in a deeper conversation? In retrospect, probably much more.

I was in neutral for many years and although it supplied a lot of information, it certainly fell short. Now that I’m engaged here and on other social networking sites, I am flooded with ideas and concepts that I would have never considered in the past.

An example would be Multi Level Marketing. No, that is not where my heart lies but I have learned a lot by engaging in conversation and a lot of the principles of sales and marketing can be converted to what I do for a living. Just because it is not a market I want engage in doesn’t mean I cannot learn from them.

So, are you neutral? If so, shift…and engage.

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Whining or Wining?

Way too many people whine about how bad business is and how they cannot possibly make it with the economy the way it is. They blame Congress; they blame the bankers; they blame Wall Street; and they blame their competitors. It’s time to stop spending your whining and move towards wining and dining and enjoying life.

It is just an obvious fact that almost sector of the US economy was affected by recent events. With that fact there is also the fact that business is still going on; businesses and individuals are still purchasing; start-up companies are multiplying by the thousands. The choice comes down to you and whether you want to bemoan the past or seize the future.

Yes, you may have to do it with fewer employees. Yes, you may have to work harder and longer than in recent years. Yes, you may have to give up some perks. Do not, though, overlook the fact that now is the time to heavily market your company, for you have a unique opportunity to gain market share and brand recognition and huge payoffs in the future.

Marketing can take the form of a more traditional route, such as direct mailings, television, and signage but in the world we live in, you need to combine that with an online marketing plan. This plan should include social networking, blogging, and online advertising through adwords, banner exchanges, SEO, monthly newsletter, article submission, etc. Two marketing plans need to be developed that work hand in hand with each other. No longer can the traditional marketing plan stand alone for too many people locate their information online and that simply cannot be ignored!

So stop whining about how bad business is and start working for a future that can be full of wining and dining instead of just the whining.

If you enjoyed this article you may also be interested in Making Your Landing Pages Word For You

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