Exploring Technology & Your Business

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1 Company Visual Communications Overview for Exploring Technology & Your Business phone fax West Slauson Avenue #327 Los Angeles CA 90056

2 Let s Get Social! Los Angeles Urban Kaleidoscope Consulting Los Angeles Urban

3 Our Company Kaleidoscope Consulting Group, Inc. (Kaleidoscope) provides web design and graphic design services for small to mid sized businesses, corporations, non-profit organizations and government agencies. Kaleidoscope helps customers from concept to creation in building websites and establishing their corporate identity. Our Philosophy is to provide: Sensible Business Practices solutions based on your needs Project Management..we deliver our projects on time and within budget parameters Customization no cookie cutter layouts or one-size-fits-all solutions Can-Do Philosophy we do what it takes to deliver Results The bottom line of your company matters to us

4 Bonique Edwards Web Strategist Founder, Kaleidoscope Consulting Group Web Addresses: B.A., University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

5 Visual Communications Strong Visual Communications Should: Clearly define and deliver your message Confirm your credibility Connect to your prospects emotionally Motivate your buyer Build loyalty so its more concrete Transform

6 Marketing Strategy Know your target audience Know the current market, including competitors Note trends, both up and down, than can impact you Create a value proposition - what do you do and why should people buy from YOU Create metrics

7 Digital Footprint Manage your digital footprint Create at least three (3) addresses (personal, professional, website) Limit giving your cell phone number to businesses Limit using your personal home address List your business in all directories: Yelp, Linked In, Google, Bing, Yellowpages.com, Better Business Bureau

8 Domain Names Purchase your own domain name Advantages: You have complete ownership of your name If your website programmer goes out of business, you still own your name Places to purchase a name: $5 per name $18 per name.com,.net,.biz,.us,.gov, or org?.com,.net,.biz and.us are used for businesses.com and.net are the most common.gov is usually for government agencies.org is typically for non profit organizations

9 Personal Get a personalized address for your business. -In the industry, we call AOL Amateurs Online. Having a personal such as bonique@kconsultinggroup.com makes a better impression. -Even if you cannot afford to develop a website, you should invest $70 to get a personal . (you can get one at or type in Gmail for Business) - addresses like specialevents@aol.com can sometimes send a negative message: You have a small business You business is not keeping up with technology

10 Web Design Your website is your online brochure. There are many types of websites. Web Designers: Are people who understand graphic design. A website designer will design your site prior to programming your site. Web Programmers: Are people who are very strong with coding. They are good to use for databases, shopping carts and more sophisticated technologies.

11 Website Templates Advantages of website templates: They are inexpensive You can make changes without having to learn html programming They are many companies that offer an array of template options It allows you to have an Internet presence if you are on a budget Disadvantages of website templates: Templates lack a level of sophistication Templates have limited functionality Templates require your most precious resource your time

12 Website Hosting Website hosting is like a utility bill for your website. Website hosting allows your domain name to show up on the World Wide Web (www) There are many options for website hosting and you consider the pros and cons of each : Utilize your website developer for web hosting Ask questions about their server. Once you have a hosting company, they will have control over your personal box. Find your own hosting company and assume responsibility for hosting

13 Website Features Get a free Google Analytics account Integrate your social media accounts on your website Ensure your website is responsive Add video: YouTube is the number two (2) search engine in the world Purchase your pictures and your videos

14 Newsletters Newsletters are available in print and electronic format Service businesses benefit more from direct mail Product businesses can increase revenues significantly with electronic offers Offers must be compelling and drive the user to action Electronic s should use more graphics

15 Effective Newsletter Company Name Seasonal Offer See what they sell Incentive Social Media

16 Accepting Credit Cards As we rely more on technology, accepting credit cards will be critical to your success Service businesses using Quickbooks can integrate it into their accounting software Square, PayPal and other vendors offer mobile credit card readers that attach to your cell phone Mobile readers may cost you a bit more in fees Credit cards allow you to track your money easier and prevents staff members from stealing

17 SEO Two Types of Search Engine Optimization

18 Organic Search Dependent on key words Select the right words for your service Include key words in the text or copy of site Include words behind your website

19 Pay Per Click Purchase key words through search engines Set a budget and price Pay for each click Must purchase words for each search engine

20 Blogging Blogging is interactive Blogging allows you to post thousands of content articles; which can be used to drive visitors to your site Blogs allow you to make changes without a web programmer Use heavy key words Purchase all photos

21 Social Media Protect Your Online Brand! Social networking gets things done Community building and evangelizing Create a social media strategy Look at about.me The key players are: Yelp (85%) --Snapchat (27%) Facebook (79%) --Linked In (25%) YouTube (68%) --Twitter (24%) Instagram (35%) Pinterest (29%)

22 Get Social Social Media is critical for all businesses Be emotional and social Set the tone, voice and brand Get professional headshots Get professional product shots 80% of marketers use visual graphics 63% of marketers use videos when posting Be Emotional and Social Postings with pictures convert more likes, sales, etc. Be personal Create contests

23 Yelp! Yelp allows you to influence customers easily You can create a Brand image online Yelp is seen as an authority Makes it easier for clients to find you Businesses on Yelp get a higher priority on Google Allows you a place to advertise your product next to similar businesses Ask clients to give you a Yelp review Yelp reviews only stay up long enough if the person is a regular contributor to Yelp Don t ask family members or employees to Yelp for you

24 Facebook Facebook is KING There are 100 million active users in the US Allows you to advertise on both Facebook and Instagram Enables you to instantly engage with clients and track things The average user is on Facebook for 55 minutes per day Helps your SEO efforts There are personal pages, business pages and group pages Facebook allows you to upload your addresses and advertise to your clients through their Facebook pages Not a fan of Facebook connect because of hacking Facebook messaging allows for ads

25 You Tube YouTube is an equalizer for small businesses to compete with big business Gets 2 billion views per day Helps increase traffic to your site Enables advertising You must put in the work for keywords and channel customization Owned by Google so it s the second larges search engine Helps optimize your website Allows for easy embedding of videos on your website

26 Instagram A visual platform that enables a more intimate experience through Direct Messaging (DM) Index your content through hashtags # Enables you to literally tell a story (24 hours) Gives you instant and live feedback from your clients Drives traffic to your site and helps with SEO Contest creation is made simple Keep in mind that posts are not always sent in real time on Instagram Stay relevant. Don t post puppy photos if you are a baker Don t bombard your clients with a photo every hour

27 Pinterest Pinterest is similar to digital scrapbooking Critical if you sell a product 87% of Pinterest users have purchased a product from the website Pinterest offers buyable pins that allow your customers to quickly go to your website for a purchase Pinterest referrals have more power than Facebook Being active on Pinterest keeps you on top of emerging trends

28 Homework 1) Purchase your domain name 2) Set up your personal box Conference Call: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Jump ahead of the game! 6:30pm-7:30pm (866) , ID:

29 Two More Workshops Wednesday, October 17, 2018 Your Brand and Your Business Wednesday, October 24, 2018 Are You Ready for the Next Level? Sign up Online AARP.ORG/LASmallBiz