That is the question asked by many of us that perform Search Engine Marketing, and one that has been debated mostly to “no” side until recently. This article introduces Yext, discusses its features, offers pros and cons, and describes how you can use this service to improve your company’s visibility in search engines.

What is Yext you ask?

Yext is a company that offers an annual service branded as Yext PowerListings, and a brand new companion service titled PowerListings+.

Tell Me About Yext PowerListings

Yext PowerListings as of this writing runs $499.00 annually and allows you or your search engine marketing (SEM) team to promote your web site easily and cost-effectively in 42 local search engines/search directories, including YellowPages.com, Yahoo! Local, Yelp, Best of the Web, WhitePages.com and others using an easy to use portal. Enter the information in Yext, and the information about your company, including description, keywords, photos, hours, payment methods, address and contact information is fed directly to each of Yext’s search partners. This makes it easy for you or your SEM team to get your company’s information out there in local search engines other than the Google Plus Local and Bing Local. It also provides the ability to review feedback provided by persons on many of their partner search engines/search directories.

What is Yext PowerListings+ ?

Yext PowerListings+ extends PowerListings functionality to allow you to add staff biographies, product and services listings (with descriptions, prices and links), event calendars (for real estate agents, that could include dates of open houses), and restaurant menus. It’s intended goal is intended to help answer the question “why contact you/why use your product/service” when your listing appears on a search page.

The Pros of Yext PowerListings

There are many pros for using PowerListings. The main one is having a one-stop location for getting your company’s information posted and kept current on 42 local directories. PowerListings+ shows a lot of promise by extending the PowerListings functionality to staff biographies, menus, event calendars and products/services listings. A truly wonderful feature is the option to send Yext’s staff a link to your web page that has this information, and they will add the content for you (or for your SEM professional).

The Cons of Yext Power Listings

Any automated feed to 42 different locations at the same time is going to potentially have issues. I have found that at times, data such as your Twitter handle, which is entered into the Yext portal as @YourTwitterHandle doesn’t translate into a clickable link in some of Yext’s search partners. I suggest reviewing the content in each Yext search engine partner periodically, and if the information in that listing needs updating, to update the information manually via that search engine’s portal (you will need to create a separate account for this). You may find multiple listings that were automatically added that will need to get removed. You will also need to manually create a Foursquare account, then associate that account to your Yext PowerListing, in order to update your Foursquare listing via Yext. Although Yahoo! is listed as one of Yext’s partners, I would opt to use Yahoo’s Enhanced Listing service to get better search rankings (this runs $10.00/month).

The Verdict

In an ideal world, you and/or your SEM professional would have the time to create 42 separate local search accounts, to manually load the information to each, and to manage the content directly from each search engine’s/search directory’s portal. Yext makes it easy to get listed in all of these, and to manage the updates to your content via a single location. Their new PowerListings+ service make this annual investment a no-brainer, as long as you commit to reviewing the content in each of the 42 partner sites periodically to make sure that the information provided by Yext translates properly into each search engine/search directory. I recommend using  Yext PowerListings as a supplement to your overall SEM strategy.

Adobe Flash has been used by web designers and developers since 1995 to design compelling web sites, navigation, galleries, animations, banner ads and full-fledged applications. The beauty of Flash was that it was a create once, work everywhere technology. Flash gave us confidence that the galleries, navigation, and other elements that we created for our clients would look just as we intended it on every web browser. This was a huge limitation of the early web, where non-Flash-based web page designs and layout could and oftentimes did look wildly different from browser to browser. Unfortunately for Flash, time marched on. The first major blow for Flash came with the advent of the iPhone and the iPad. Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple at the time) made the decision that his mobile devices would not allow Flash to be installed. Not too terribly long after that, Adobe, decided to no longer create a mobile version of the Adobe Flash player, thus effectively spelling the end for Flash on Android devices. This article discusses the options that you should consider immediately if your site uses Adobe Flash.

Doh! My site was designed completely in Adobe Flash

Well, if that’s the case, it’s probably time to re-design your site to one that will work on all current browsers and devices. This does not mean that you have to do completely away with using Adobe Flash. It just means that if you use Flash Elements on your site, for example a photo gallery or for your site’s navigation, you need to have your designer add code that will deliver alternate content automatically to browsers and devices that do no support Adobe Flash. At O’Daniel Designs, we use SWFObject to accomplish this. There are excellent technologies out there to provide compelling galleries, web site navigation and other functionality previously provided by Adobe Flash. Most of them are jQuery based. You can pretty easily find a suitable alternative by performing a Google search that includes jQuery and the name of the functionality that you are trying to replace (for example, jQuery gallery).

Where did my gallery and navigation go?!

More commonly, Adobe Flash was used within a “standard” HTML and graphics web site for specific functionality, such as to provide professional looking navigation, product or services photo galleries, or calendars. What we oftentimes see is web sites that no longer have a navigation bar, or when you go to their photo gallery, nothing is displayed (a very BAD thing when you are showing off your product gallery to a prospective client on your iPad). Again, and this has been around for many years, SWFObject can be used to deliver an alternate version of your Flash content for those browsers/devices.

Is it time to make a change?

If your site has been designed completely in Flash, or your site uses Flash with no alternate functionality for iPhones, iPads and other browsers/devices, it’s time, unless, perhaps you have a Adobe Flash application (sometimes also referred to as a Flex application) that is targeted specifically to a limited audience, and is not used as the primary method for new customers to learn more about your company and what you have to offer. There are lots of jQuery options out there that provide fantastic alternatives.  Two that we use at O’Daniel Designs (when we aren’t creating these from scratch) are:

Likno AllWebMenus – http://www.likno.com/allwebmenusinfo.html 

We use Likno AllWebMenus to create all of our client’s web site’s common navigation that require the use of drop-down menus. This program makes it quick and easy to create menus that look and work great on all browsers and devices, including iPads, iPhones and Android devices. One of the more advanced uses for AllWebMenus can be found at http://www.odanieldesigns.com/. Move your mouse over About Us, Portfolio, Services, or Contact Us for an example.

Wow Slider – http://wowslider.com/

We use Wow Slider to create galleries and rotating home page animations that look great everywhere. Here are links to a few examples:

• O’Daniel Designs Home Page: http://www.odanieldesigns.com
• Wangsness Connections Featured Properties: http://www.wangsnessconnections.com/featuredproperties/227359.cfm
• RKK Construction Portfolio: http://www.rkkconstruction.com/portfolio/

Final Thoughts

Adobe Flash is a wonderful technology whose broad-based usage is coming to a close. It is not supported on iPads and iPhones, and will soon not be supported on any mobile device. If you are building a new web site, or if you are planning to re-design your web site, you should work with your designer to incorporate equivalent non-Flash-based functionality, or, if there is no equivalent, to automatically provide alternate content through the use of technologies such as SWFObject. Doing this will make your current and potential new customer’s experience on your web site better, and can make the difference on whether they choose to do business with you, or with a competitor.

There is more to building a brand than a logo or website. Yes, those are important, very important, but to best achieve your business vision, you have to have a plan – a brand blueprint to know where to start and how best to get there.

Building a brand is like building a house. Like the fairy tale of The Three Little Pigs, the pig who took the time to build his house out of bricks had the best foundation to outstand the huff and puff of the big bad wolf.

Many businesses go wrong by not building their brand with a good plan. They can tend to get distracted by shiny objects or move with reaction and not a plan (the huff and puff).

Below are 5 steps that can help you build a strong brand…

Step 1 – Brand Review

Where is your brand right now?

To do this, collect all of the branding, marketing and online (web, social media, etc.) materials you are currently using. Spread them out together on a table.

How do they look?

Do they reflect the company you are now or are they outdated and stuck in the past?

Do you have an identity problem – does what you have been using have many different design styles that make your company appear disjointed as if they are from more than one company?

Step 2 – Build a Foundation

This is where you start building your brand to reflect your business – not the business you once were or one that reflects your competitors.  It will give you the footing from which to build upon to match your blueprint and not a decoupage of outdated or non-reflective branding.

This process will help you to gain clarity about your brand and will help you communicate to:

• Your Clients
• Your Vendors
• Your Partners & Affiliates

In essence, by building a foundation, it will give you stronger connection, save you money, get better results and more (and better) leads.

To build this foundation you will need to define:

• What is your business personality and style?
• What makes your company different than others in your industry?
• Who is your client – what do they want, need and desire? And, how do they feel after they have worked with you?

Step 3 – Look Towards The Future

Where do you see your business going in 1, 5, 10+ years? Don’t be afraid to dream large.

Knowing where you are going gives you the tools to know how to best get there.

Thinking that far ahead may be unthinkable, but making that plan (or dream), will help build the blueprint to reach your goals.

Step 4 – Make a Plan

You will use Step 2 – Build a Foundation and Step 3 – Look Towards the Future to create the plan that is best for you. This will be the plan that is best for your business. Put in writing, where you see your business in 1, 5, 10+ years.

What branding pieces, website and online presence do you need to get there? How do you want your business to appear? Who will you be working with?

Step 5 – Design Your Brand Identity

This is the step to build your visual brand identity. The step where a designer works with you to design your business brand identity (the visual image) that helps you connect to your clients and ideal potential clients.

Your designer will use your Plan to pull together all of your branding, marketing and online presence to reflect your unique business – a business that takes you into the future with materials you are proud to distribute and designs that will relate to your clients, and get your phone ringing.

By taking these steps, no matter how small or large your company, it will help you to focus on your plan and not get distracted by the shiny objects that can appear – keeping you on track to achieve your business goals and dreams.

As designers we anxiously await every year the unveiling of Pantone’s Color of the Year.  You see, this color will be the “It” color for the coming year. You will see it on the runway, used in interiors and yes, you will even see it in marketing.

If you haven’t heard the news, the color for 2013 is Emerald. By definition, emerald is a gem and is viewed as a rich, elegant color.

What does this mean for marketing? As a member of the green family, it represents the color of money, wealth and strength.  At the same time it is also a calming color to our senses and also a represents peace, harmony, nurturing and well paced energy.

Although green brings about the feeling of calm history dictates it is not often used in larger corporations. Only a handful have green as their predominate brand color – most notably is Starbucks with their green Siren logo.

With the announcement of Emerald being the 2013 Color of the year, more companies forming within the year could go with the trend and introduce Emerald as the color to represent their brand – representing their growth, strength, calm and money.  How will you bring “Emerald” into your marketing this year?

Yes, you read that correctly, SEO isn’t everything.

Imagine this common scenario…. Company A spends a large amount of money on Search Engine Optimization because they have been told it would be the answer to attracting more customers.  True, SEO can lead them to the water, but will it make them take a drink?  The answer very well could be no.

Customers can flock to the website because you have the number one listing in Google but will turn away if your site doesn’t draw them in.  Here are 5 things you can do on your website to make sure you keep those visitors on your site … and best yet, buying from you.

1. Was your website created 2 or more years ago?  If so, it may be time for a facelift to make sure it represents your brand NOW not how it may have been when you designed it.
2. How is your marketing message?  Does it speak to your customers and potential customers, or is it a bunch of fluff?  If it is fluff, look for a way to freshen it up.  If this has you frozen in your tracks, try having a copyrighter or Brand Messaging Specialist help you with your message.
3. Does your website look like a template with the standard generic information?  If you did use a template, make sure it looks like your brand with your brand messaging.  The last thing you want is for your viewer to come to your site and leave because they don’t understand who you are and what you offer.
4. Is your offer for your service to get their e-mail for your mailing list compelling and easy to find without yelling?  Try adding a product image (even if your product is a download) and make your opt-in area match your branding to grab attention rather than using loud colors that do more to detract that attract.  This will entice your viewer in to learn more instead of making them want to run for the hills.
5. If you have a “landing page” with an offer, can your viewer navigate to other parts of your site if the land there from Google, or are they stuck on that one page with nowhere else to go but move onto another site?  It is always a good idea, even with a landing page, to include your branding and navigation for a viewer to find out more about you where they can possibly buy more services.

Remember that a website should be a “living entity”, it should be kept fresh and up to date.  That doesn’t mean you have to have a blog to do this, but it does mean to make sure that your site is keeping up with you and your companies growth.  A website designer/developer can help you break through your website rut and put your on the right track to get the results you want from your SEO investment.

You have chosen your designer, are ready to go for designing your new brand identity and then your designer asks, “What colors do you like?”.  This question can stop many people in their tracks and make them think.  You want your company colors to relates to your clients, draw new clients to you, but you also want your brand colors to reflect who you are and a bit of your personality.  Many persons also start questioning themselves – I like blue but what color of blue … ocean, electric, navy, or cornflower (that until you re-looked at your 64 box of Crayolas you thought was yellow)?

Luckily for you, there is a great tool created by Adobe that we often tell our clients about when they are stuck.  This tool is called Kuler and can be found at http://kuler.adobe.com/.  It is an online color tool that has listed values for CMYK (for print), RGB and HEX values (for on-screen) and best yet can be downloaded by you or your designer.  This fantastic tool can help you narrow down your selection.  When you need particular Pantone colors (for print), Kuler is a good place to start so your designer can then select the closest Pantone color to what you like.  Kuler is a free service that allows you to browse popular color schemes, combine different colors of your own, and save color schemes that you like.  When you find a color scheme you like, write that down and save the name for your designer.

Now that you have a tool to find “just that right color” and its complementary colors how do you go about selecting the color that has meaning for you and your brand?  Here are some simple steps to help with the process…

1. DEFINE the mood and goal of your project
2. CHOOSE the color you feel best expresses this mood
3. PLAY with the possibilities presented in Kuler (or on a colorwheel or color book), look for websites you like, note other companies colors, fabrics, paint chips, inks, papers and so on.
4. REFINE these color options down to the best possible color scheme

Remember, your designer is also there to help you with this process.  They can assist you with different color strategies of colors and color schemes that draw in your target market and draw out your personality in your company branding.

At least once a week, we are asked by our clients, “How can I get more traffic to my web site without using Pay Per Click marketing? One of the easiest and most cost effective ways to do that is have your web site visitors share your web site content on their social networks. This article describes how to use the AddThis service to assist you in getting the most out of your social media marketing campaign.

What is the AddThis Service?

The AddThis service, available at http://www.addthis.com, makes it amazingly easy for web site visitors to share your web site content on their Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In and many, many more social networks. Best of all, it is really easy to add to your web site or blog, and it offers weekly analytics on pages or posts shared, how many clicks and viral lift.

How do I add an AddThis Bar to my web site?

1. Create an account at https://www.addthis.com/register (if necessary)
2. Click the Get Add This button from the main navigation bar
3. Select Website as the platform
4. Select a Style (social network buttons to include), then click the Grab It button. This copies the AddThis code to your clipboard
5. Paste the code where you would like to display it.

How do I add an AddThis Bar to my WordPress blog?

1. Log-in to your WordPress Admin Console (generally located at http://www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin)
2. Click the Add New link (located under Plugins). The Install Plugins screen will open.
3. Enter AddThis in the Search field, then click the Search Plugins button
4. Click the Install Now link for AddThis featuring Sharing Buttons / Facebook Like / Tweet Button, then activate the plugin
5. Go to Settings > AddThis
6. Complete the information on the Basic (and Advanced tabs if desired), then click the Save Changes button

How do I customize the URL, Title and Description for a particular AddThis link on my web site?

By default, AddThis uses the URL (web address) and Title displayed in the browser’s title bar for the page the web visitor is on, and does not include a description about the page or content to be shared. This, once again, is easy to customize. You will need to create custom buttons, but don’t worry, AddThis has made this easy to do. Go to https://www.addthis.com/help/url-and-title for more information.

With just a little bit of effort, and no up-front cost, you can make it easy for your web site visitors to share your web site’s and blog’s content on their social networks. AddThis makes sharing your content very easy to accomplish, adds new features and social networks all of the time, and is a terrific way to drive new customers to your web site. As a result, this is a feature that we strongly endorse and integrate into every new web site that we develop.

How to increase sales has been a question of the ages for businesses of all sizes.  Before there was a world-wide web, reaching  markets across the country or overseas for most small businesses was only just a pipe dream, now it is an everyday reality.

If you think your website is just an online store, think again.  Your website is a powerful brand statement as well as an extended ad for the products and services that you offer.  Much like a magazine or catalog, it entices readers with information they can use, invites them to learn more about your products and services, and motivates them to buy from you.

Below are some tips for getting your web viewers to act when they get to your site:

1. Keep your web copy brisk and concise.
2. Use statements that encourage your audience to click on different links.
3. Use subheadings to break up your copy (but not so many of them that your page becomes cluttered).
4. Give your site a personality that reflects well on your brand.
5. Keep your site professional.
6. Be unique … don’t try to sound like everybody else

Don’t know what type of words get people to act?  Below is a list of words that can be used to grab people’s attention in your web copy…

Words That Sell:

 Phrases That Sell:

This is just a short list of words and phrases that can help you to write web copy that gets people to act.  If you are still unsure of where to begin, contact your web designer – they can help you build a website that reflects your brand and can get you in touch with copy writers if you should need them.  The important thing is to make sure your website works for you and gets your target audience to act once they find you.

When sitting down to design (or re-design) your website, you might feel like you are playing a game show…. “I’ll take what is behind curtain number 3”.  With the plethora of choices out there, from a blog site to a full-featured custom site, how do you begin to choose what is right for you? 

Before you begin to design your site, you will want to ask yourself these 8 questions:

1. Who is my target audience?
   Rate them on a scale of 1-10:
   (Conservative)  1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 (Edgy)
2. How much updating do I want to do personally on my site?
   Rate the amount on a scale of 1-10:
   (Update Everything) 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 (Hands Off)
3. What is the purpose of your website?
   __ Entertainment
   __ Increase Sales
   __ Increase Corporate Brand, Product Recognition
   __ Improve Internal Communication
   __ Reduce Customer Service Calls
   __ Increase Prospective Customer Base
4. What type of interactivity would you like on your website?
5. What adjectives should best describe your website?
6. Would you like animation or video incorporated into your website?
7. What is your number one business problem?  How could a new website assist you in solving this problem?
8. What is your website budget?

If you would like to be completely “hands-on” with your website, then a WordPress blog site might be the best solution for you.  However, if you answered “hands-off” or have custom database, or other specialty needs, that a full-featured custom website (or something in between) might be the solution for you.

Because your website is your “on-line home”, it is important to think about how you want your environment.  Not only what works best for you, but most importantly – your target market… will they be comfortable visiting your site, stay a while and tell their friends all about you? Remember, web sites are an ever-evolving process.  They should be kept updated (either by you or your web designer) to keep your target audience engaged and returning to find out more.

It is important to answer these questions before designing your site.  This way, there is a clear road-map to the solution that is right for you.  That way you won’t feel like you are playing the Web Site Game Show, choosing blindly what is behind curtain number 3.