Stop Exhibiting at Trades Show if You’re Going to Act Like This

June 23rd, 2010

New England Xpo for Business held it’s 2010 event on May 18 in Boston. I had attended in 2009 but I decided not to go this year. Big deal, right? But wait…

A week or two after the event, I began to receive follow-ups from exhibitors—emails and direct mail—saying they hoped I had enjoyed this year’s show and thanking me for visiting their booths. Huh?! HELLO…I WASN’T THERE. I didn’t sign up and then not go…I never did anything to suggest that I’d ever been in attendance. So why then am I getting these follow-ups? (And yes…they’re still coming!)

I have decided that they come from lazy businesses who never collected real attendance data from their exhibits, were working off the event’s mailing list, or worse, the attendance list from the previous year.  It smacks of a basic lack of appreciation of the purpose of exhibiting in a trade show, or how to effectively follow up with those who actually showed interest in their goods or services. What a waste of their company’s time and resources!

On the other hand, if using a show’s general mailing list WAS their intent, what a lack of understanding of basic marketing to think that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to follow up would be an effective tactic. A piece targeting an actual visitor should be very different than a piece sent to someone who was invited. By all means, follow up with everyone if you want, but pay attention and target accordingly—it’s not that hard. Otherwise, all you really tell your prospects is that your attention to detail is lacking, or that you don’t care enough to even bother to find out who really visited you.

Unfortunately, trade show exhibiting is the Rodney Dangerfield of sales and marketing. Too many businesses don’t give it the time and effort it deserves in order to make it effective. As someone who’s worked with companies getting ready for trade shows, I can tell you that the usual process is to get a frantic call anywhere from a week to a month before the show, looking to get displays, collateral, etc. designed and produced in time, even if the show has been on their schedule for months. More effort is put into decided what swag to offer instead of training the staff manning the booth how to  interact and draw in visitors. (Hint: it’s not standing with arms crossed, talking to the other person “sentenced” to manning the booth with you, and ignoring everyone else.)

Exhibiting at trade show doesn’t have to be like this, but it takes planning, strategy and commitment to make it worthwhile. There are companies out there who can help you with this; one that I know of is ExpoVantage. Exhibiting at trade shows isn’t cheap, so you want to make the most of it.

And to the exhibitors who’ve included me in their follow-up for the visit that never was: all I’m remembering is what a lame company they must be! Probably not the effect they were going for, huh?

Ten Tips for Building A Better Web Site

May 13th, 2010

Are you considering updating your business’ web site? What’s that you say…you still don’t HAVE a site for your business? Whether you’re planning a re-launch or a brand new site, here are some things to consider to create a better experience for visitors and a more successful web presence for your business.

Identify What Your Site Will Need

Structure and Appearance

Visit competitors’ sites and browse sites that visually appeal to you for ideas.

Functionality

Decide what functionality you would like your site to have. Forms, shopping carts, analytics, etc. ideally should be incorporated into your site at the outset.

Graphics

Will any graphics need to be specifically created for your site? Do you have files available for your logo and any other existing graphics you will need?

Keywords and Search Engines

Think about what keywords people might use to search for your product or service. Sites like wordtracker.com provide information for search engine optimization. Use their free trial for an idea of how appropriate keywords will work with search engines. These words should be incorporated into your content and your page titles.

Maintenance

With a Content Management System, you can make content changes to the site yourself rather than relying on the designer to make changes.

Web Site Dos and Don’ts

  • The most effective web design is one that utilizes quality content as a foundation. A beautiful-looking web site can only do so much if the content is not relevant or well-written.
  • DO provide an intuitive and consistent interface. Visitors shouldn’t have to guess how to navigate through the pages of a website. If you doubt it, check out this site for Sprint.
  • DO make your information easily accessible. Organize content into logical pages that are easily identifiable. Many visitors will get discouraged and leave if they can’t find specific information for which they are looking. Visit this site for Dell Laptops and see how long it takes to find useful information.
  • DO Minimize Clicks. Create a chain between the user and the information on your website in as few clicks as possible. See Bow-WowBooks as an example of what not to do.
  • DON’T use an “Enter Site” link or a Flash intro page that makes a visitor work to get to the heart of your site. Many viewers won’t even bother clicking the link, instead navigating to another site. And, aside for user experience, Flash does not play well with search engines! To get a flavor of this type of frustration, visit jones, partners: architecture.
  • DON’T use distracting animation, graphics or sound. Excessive Flash animations, animated GIFs, blinking text, music, etc. contribute to an unprofessional look. If you don’t believe it, check out this extreme example at Fabric Land.

Tips to Becoming a More Colorful Character

April 23rd, 2010

Feeling blue? Seeing red? Know someone who’s yellow? Colors evoke powerful emotions and have meaning far beyond simply being a decorative afterthought. Color is a very important tool in successfully delivering your message to your customers. Are the colors you’re using in your message helping or hurting the story you want to tell your audience?

Sending a Message with Color

According to Leatrice Eiseman, consultant to the color industry leader Pantone, eighty percent of human experience is visual. People respond first to color, then shape, numbers, and finally words. Additionally, response to color can differ depending on the viewer’s age, gender, cultural background-even educational level. So you can see the importance of knowing who your target audience will be when you choose colors to use for your message!

A Little Color Commentary…

Did you know that red is the first color identified in every culture after black and white? Red stimulates the appetite (making it a good color for restaurant decor) but while it is seen as enticing and sensual in our culture, it is the color of mourning in South Africa.

Children 3 to 6 years old prefer orange to any other color, while their parents respond more favorably to subdued colors. Your color choices in this case would depend on whether your target market was kids or their parents.

If you are trying to appeal to an older audience, you need to know that cool colors such as blues and greens are perceived differently by people over 50 due to changes in their eyes.

The list goes on and on…every color has associations and emotion attached to it. Proper color selection is much more than choosing colors that are your personal favorites…they need to resonate with your audience in a meaningful way.

Three Steps to Thinking Creatively

April 13th, 2010

A lot of folks take it for granted that people in creative professions have a “special gift” for effortlessly coming up with creative solutions. No doubt a certain amount of natural talent is needed for fields like designing, writing, painting, singing, etc., but creativity and inspiration are skills that can be learned.

The fact is, everybody has talent for creativity that can be nurtured and trained. The key to creativity is simple, really: pay more attention to your surroundings, your experiences and your process. However simple it sounds, though, learning how to really pay attention requires energy and action. The following three distinct and definable steps to creativity and inspiration are courtesy of Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield, authors of Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain.

Step 1: IVE vs. TION

IVE  vs. TIONSometimes we are so determined to be creatIVE that we ignore the process of creaTION. TION requires action! Instead of staring blankly at an empty computer screen or piece of paper, let those ideas being formed and rejected in your brain OUT, no matter how absurd they may seem! Putting them on paper frees up your brain to come up with more new ideas. And some of those seemingly crazy ideas can be the forerunners to more creative solutions.

Step 2: What If??

What  IF??Finding the right answers means asking the right questions. Qualifying questions like “What do you think of…” or “How about…” passively ask for approval and lead to ordinary answers. Instead, try asking (my very favorite question) “What if…?” It is an unqualified question of wonder that opens your mind to think about the extraordinary and the unusual-where creative ideas are often found!

Step 3: Get Psyched

Get  Psyched!If you were planning to run a marathon, you’d train for it, right? Creativity is no different. You can train and stretch your creative muscles same as your physical ones. Engage regularly in exercises specifically designed to get you thinking in alternative ways, showing you opportunities to alter your perspective slightly to find unexpected results.

Have fun, be silly, but most of all, get excited about the chance to be creative!

Every Little “Bit” Counts!

March 24th, 2010

Have you ever sent a logo file or other image file to a designer or printer only to be told it can’t be used because it’s “bit-mapped”? A “vector” file is needed instead. What are they talking about?

Bit-Map vs. Vector Images

bit-mapped heartAll digital images are either bit-mapped or vector files. What is the difference? Think of bit-mapped (or raster) graphics as an image where each pixel of the image is equal to a tile in a mosaic or an embroidered cross-stitch. If you stand back or squint your eyes, the individual elements come together to form a picture. But as you move closer, you begin to notice the pieces that make up the whole.
The same principle applies with a bit-mapped graphic…the more you enlarge it, the fuzzier it appears because you are starting to see the individual pixels that make up the image.

vector heart

On the other hand, vector (or object-oriented) graphics are based on mathematical equations of points and paths to represent them in computer files. Since the art is created using lines and curves, it will reproduce as crisply on a business card as it will on a billboard. Think of an ink drawing-no matter how close you get, the lines are still crisp and smooth.

If it the difference still isn’t clear, spend three minutes watching this informative and amusing video, Pixels vs. Vectors, on MacMercTV. A picture (or in this case, a video) is worth a thousand words!

Tips to Recognizing Image File Types

Now that we’ve defined the difference between bit-mapped and vector graphics, here are a few tips to tell which file is which!

1. Files with a TIFF, JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP or PSD suffix are raster-graphics. All photo files are raster images, which is why it is important to provide a designer or printer with the highest resolution file that you have. A low resolution 11″ x 17″ image will only be 2.5″ x 4″ at high resolution. All scanned images are also raster graphics, as are any images imbedded in a Word document.

2. Files with an EPS, AI or SVG suffix are vector graphic files. These graphics have been created by special programs such as Adobe Illustrator and various CAD programs. It’s especially advantageous for logo files, or any graphics that needs to be crisp and clear, to have been created in this format.

3. Why does a low-resolution image look fine on a computer screen or printed from a desktop printer? Computer screens are configured to show low-resolution images clearly. The same is true for most office printers. For professional printing, however, images need to be high-resolution (300dpi). So what looks OK on-screen won’t necessarily look good when printed.

Are You Having An Identity Crisis?

March 15th, 2010

Identity Crisis

How important do you think it is to have a logo for your business? Sure, mega-international companies like Nike and Apple have instantly recognizable identities, but what are the benefits of a custom designed logo for a small to medium-sized organization with a much smaller budget?

Dressed for Success

In fact, a well-designed logo may be even more important for them! It gives a competitive advantage to a smaller business seeking to make a favorable first impression in a crowded marketplace. An effective, consistently used logo identifies the business’ core competency and personality. It reflects the organization’s professionalism, quality and pride. It says who they are when they’re not physically in front of their customers. It makes a favorable first impression on new customers and reinforces the organization’s qualities for existing customers.

Studies show that most people remember visuals better than things they read or hear. If someone forgets the name of a business, their memory can be jogged by the graphic representation of the organization-it’s logo! You can think of a logo as a unique abbreviation representing a business.

The Price of Fame

But what about the cost of a custom-designed logo? An identity designed by a professional designer can cost what seems like a lot of money, but when all the other expenses of starting up and running a business are considered, the money spent on a well-designed logo is a wise long-term investment. A logo is a once-in-a-business-lifetime expense. Amortized over the life of your business, you can see what a reasonable cost it really is, especially for the return you get on having a unique and memorable business identity.

A professionally-designed logo will work in more practical ways as well, such as being legible across a variety of reproduction like business cards, merchandise, web site, display graphics, etc. A logo designer should provide a Style Guide for the logo’s proper use, as well as a variety of appropriate logo file formats.

Cookie Cutters are for Baking, NOT for Web Sites

March 4th, 2010

cookie-cutters

Recently I was asked to review the existing web site of a potential client. It was built using a free site template from a major business software provider, and it had all the tell-tale signs…generic graphics and an unsophisticated layout, a restrictive and bland content area…in other words, it could have been any site for any company and was completely unmemorable.

Worst of all, the site had no search engine visibility! Because of the numerous search engine optimization faux pas I discovered in the coding, I was not at all surprised by the business owner’s complaint that no one could find them on the web. Web site templates can be based on outdated code and standards and not built for web accessibility, W3C compliance or cross-browser compatibility.

Further investigation into the “free” website service revealed that users are locked into hosting on the software company’s servers only, e-mail is extra, and should a site grow to more than 5 pages, then additional costs begin to add up dramatically. The bottom line is, the benefits of the free website were skewed toward the software company and not the small business.

In contrast, a custom-designed web site is designed and built around a business’ particular brand and it’s personality, taking into account the purpose and audience of the site. It provides a company with the unique visual appeal that their customers want to see and will respond to. A custom site offers flexibility to incorporate the functionality that the business will need to keep their site growing, useful and productive for years to come. When site issues arise, a client can call their web designer for support. How responsive do you think support for a free site will be, and what are the chances you will speak to the same person every time you call?

Recently, this software company has been running TV ads touting the benefits of using their free site design tools over hiring a professional, alluding that web site designers are unreliable, over-priced and slow. I imagine there are such designers out there,  the same as in every industry, but I know there are many more who will do a wonderful job for you at a fair price and in a timely manner. My blog entry on “How To Hire the Right Designer for You” will give you tips on how to hire wisely.

Even for small sites, custom web site design is really the best option. A cookie-cutter site will never make a business  stand out from its competitors. If a site looks generic and cheap, then so does the business it represents.

Boston Ballet Re-Branding Creates a “Nutcracker” Buzz

December 21st, 2009

The Boston Ballet

The headline in the Boston Globe on December 19 said it all: “’Nutcracker’ Boom Means Crunch Time for Patrons”. The article by Geoff Edgers goes on to explain that sales are booming for the Boston Ballet’s Christmas classic “The Nutcracker.” So much so that in five years, the Ballet has gone from being evicted by the Wang Theatre for not being profitable enough to seeing scalpers charge double for now-scarce tickets in their new venue at the Boston Opera House. And while I don’t condone scalping, what business wouldn’t want their product or service to have the kind of perceived value that would inspire people to pay MORE?

So to what does the Boston Ballet credit this dramatic turn-around? According to the article, they cite their new branding campaign by Korn Design, including a new web design and targeted advertising. Artistic director Mikko Nissinen, describes the Ballet’s previous brand as a stogy, corporate look that made him think, “What are we, a dancing bank?” Their new visual identity, unveiled earlier this year, is vibrant and geared toward attracting people to become more involved with the Boston Ballet’s programs, studios and community out-reach.

And it seems to be working! While the Boston Ballet is a high-profile example of what a proper re-branding can do, the fact is this approach will work for any business large or small. Expertly executed, branding or re-branding can move your business forward even when the economy is not.It’s a wise investment for the long-term growth of business.  And if you don’t believe me, just try to buy tickets this holiday season to “The Nutcracker!”

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!

What Makes the New American Express Ads So Appealing?

December 11th, 2009

I know I’ve talked and tweeted about the recent American Express ads ad nauseum…I love the images, I love the soundtrack, I even love seeing people stop whatever they’re doing to watch when they hear Bach´s Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, I. Prelude begin. (Thanks to takingcredit.com for that tidbit of information). Or my nephew calling, “Mom, your favorite commercial is on!” when he sees it. Do you get the feeling I like these commercials a lot?

What is it about these particular commercials that captures peoples’ attention? I think it is the way they engage the viewer and listener…you find yourself actively looking for the frowning or smiling image- quickly!- before they move on to the next. The music is a perfect fit to the rhythm of the ads. I find myself looking for smiley and frowny faces during the course of my day.

In the age where folks TiVo programs and in other ways filter out commercials, this is one (of admittedly very few) I’d be sorry to have missed. Are there other ads that you feel strongly about- good or bad?

KISSing for Good Logo Design?

November 17th, 2009

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You’re probably familiar with the K.I.S.S. Principle…Keep It Simple Stupid. Simplicity is an important design consideration when it comes to logos, too. The most successful logos are simple, memorable, timeless, versatile and appropriate.

Simple. When a logo is simple, it is an “easy read” and adaptable. Think of the Nike swoosh or McDonald’s. Besides the fact that there are millions of marketing dollars promoting their identity, the logos are still unique and effective.

Memorable. An effective logo needs to be memorable. Simple logos are highly memorable as well as very efficient in conveying the message that the client wants to get across. No one wants to work hard at deciphering what a logo is trying to say!

Timeless. Leave fashion trends to your wardrobe. A logo should be timeless—just as effective in 10 or 20 years as it is the day it was conceived. This is the public face of your business and if it looks dated in a few years…well, then, so will your company.

Versatile. One reason I design all logos first in black-and-white is because it needs to be just as effective in it’s simplest form as it does in a full-color brochure. Very complicated logos, or logos overly dependent on color to make them work, lose clarity when they are reproduced in one-color. A logo also should look just as good on a business card as it would on a billboard.

Appropriate. A logo should be appropriate for its intended purposes, i.e.; an undertaker’s logo wouldn’t use neon colors or a casual or childish font. It is also not critical that the logo actually show what a business does or sells. Apple Computer’s logo doesn’t show a computer…Toyota’s logo doesn’t show a car. A logo is for identification and when used consistently will become shorthand for the business.

Paul Rand, the iconic logo designer, said that, “It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. A logo derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate.”

Are there other principles of good logo design that you think are important?