Market Smart Business Solutions Blog

DIY Marketing? Please Don't!

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:00:00 -0700

It's easy to give your marketing endeavors your 'best shot'. When the funds are low, your marketing team is non-existent, and your sales are hurting, what else can you do? But, if you have no experience, in strategy, development, creation and execution, what kind of results will you expect to see? Who will see your template web site if search engines can't find it? Who will respond to your advertising efforts if there's no call to action or there's no catch line to stimulate interest? Who will pick up your home-printed business card as opposed to the professional design and print of your competition's? See it can be a problem if you don't have the time and know-how.

"I've seen businesses try. I can always identify an 'inside' project; at times, they look almost desperate. Those are the people, the businesses, I want to help." Market Smart's marketing consultant and marketing communications specialist, Dominica Jaramillo, shares her experiences with businesses in need. "I am not belittling the attempts of others, but, honestly, we're all in our individual line of work because it's what we know how to do; hopefully, for most, it's what we are good at. If you're a home improvement specialist, and building and restoring is your #1 thing, that means marketing isn't. Marketing is my #1 thing, and I love a challenge."

Offering a wide variety of services, backed by experience and education, Jaramillo is Market Smart's copywriter and communications designer. From postcard mailing campaigns, to restaurant menus to coffee shop newsletters to non-profit flier campaigns, she has done it all. "My heart is to promote in a positive limelight. We all want our businesses to grow; if we are smart about, we'll see those desires into fruition."

Dominica and Market Smart work to promote and market businesses and services effectively. From company imaging (logos) to business web sites, their goal is to create a synergetic presence that ingrains itself into the minds of consumers, establishing trust and motivating action.

Need help with your marketing endeavors? Contact Market Smart at:

262-994-9710 (located in Racine)

You next campaign is sure to be a success with Smart professionals on the job!

Marketing Communications

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:13:00 -0700

There’s an art to communicating. That’s why big companies dedicate whole departments to creating and relaying their message to their market. But, we can’t always afford whole departments, can we? Market Smart Business Solutions is the solution. Specializing in the creation and design of effective, economical marketing communications, we work to save you time and we work to make you money. Professional, yet practical marketing design solutions include:

-Logos

-Business Cards

-Brochures

-Letterhead

-Presentation Folders

-Postcard Mailers

-Flyers

-Banners

-Lawn Signs

-Promotion and Event Tools

The list goes on..... what do you need?

If you have an idea, let us help you grow it.

If you have something to say, let us put it into words.

It's what we do...and we do it very well.

Let Market Smart save you time and money while we help to promote and grow awareness and growth.

Call today (262) 994-9710

***We are now serving the ATLANTA area. How can we help you?***

No Website? No, no!

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:48:00 -0700

It has been my experience, thus far, that too many (small) businesses underestimate the potential power of an online presence. Stuck in the past, they rely solely on word of mouth, a strong method for marketing, indeed, yet still restricting in some ways.

The internet hosts about 1,596,270,108 people DAILY. How many people are you reaching via word of mouth daily? 2 maybe 3? An online presence means you are 100% available, in some way, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's your store front to the world, don't suppress it!

Revolutionizing whole markets, without consideration for size, the internet offers any business the opportunity to market their products, services or information, competitively, WORLD WIDE. Using search engines, social networking affiliations and strategic design and development to lure in the crowds, you are initiating marketing results you have yet to completely comprehend!

The benefits to being technologically hip are innumerable, but check out a few:

1.CHEAPER than Print!
You may not think it, especially after some big-wig, web company slams you with a $3500 website quote (which Market Smart would never do - unless you asked us), but going online saves you BIG $! Think about this, past web design and development (a onetime fee), the space you occupy is cheap, your website is accessible by thousands of prospects for seemingly unlimited periods of time, and, with the help of a content management system, you can make changes to your site (text & graphics) without the having to pay the web developer ever again!

PS: You still need to use other forms of advertising to persuade the locals to visit your site, find out about your company and open two-way communication between the prospect and a sales person.

2.Customer Convenience
I've done it, you've done it, and your dog has done it: we research online before we even step foot in the door. We don't want to waste our time and we don't want to be hassled by a commission driven salesman. Think about it; if the prospect is researching auto shops to repair their 1983 El Camino's muffler system, don't you believe they'd rather be sure you can do it before they drive out there to drop it off? Being accessible online means that prospect has found you, confirmed your abilities, contacted you for availability, and printed off the map (from your website) to find you quickly and easily.
Basically, to show flexibility and understanding, your business needs to be like most grocery stores today: equipped with a self-serve lane. That's where your website comes in. Your prospect can check you out online, in comfort and privacy, minus any distractions or delays, they decide what they want, and who they want it from, and then they go get it.

A website is your ultimate chance to contact the unseen client, tell them what you are about and why you deserve their trust and confidence...and business!

3.Promote your Physical Storefront
Advertise a store promotion on your site. Persuade the customer to come into your store. Provide maps, contact info, store hours, etc... to make it as easy for them as possible. Move recently? Tell the world, and don't risk losing a single sale, via your company's website. Really now, must more be said?

The list does go on, here are a few more:

1.Market Expansion
Break through geographical barriers and be available to any prospect statewide, nationwide or worldwide!

2.Create New Revenue Streams
Sell advertising space on your page; sell a listing in your site's directory; charge a small fee for your site to link to another site. It's that easy - well, if you let us help you. Besides, little extra funds never hurt anyone, right?

3.Open Year Round - kind of...
Don't let you clients get to the store 5 minutes after close, or only to find out that you aren't open on Washington's Birthday! Because they know you have a website, no matter time or day, they can check out when you're open...and when you're not.

4.Market Research for Less
Use your website to monitor what works and what doesn't; visitor polls, online surveys and site statistics help you to understand what your customers like and how they feel about certain areas of your business. You can use your site to determine how to improve your products or services and even how to enhance the way you conduct your business.

Okay, that's enough. You get the idea. Basically, if you don't have a site, you are missing out...because your competitor does have one and they are reaching clientele to service both spoken and unspoken needs.

Now it's time to stop simply relying on Joe, who's been to your coffee shop 101 thousand times, and start relying on Market Smart to bring in 101 thousand more coffee enthusiasts.

Yeah, all this could happen for your company. Market Smart can help.

Sincerely,
Dominica

Market Consultant

The New Kid in Town: Market Smart Business Solutions

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:31:00 -0700

Introducing Market Smart Business Solutions:

An Opportunity to Build a Better Business, Inside and Out.

Initially identifying a need, in the small to medium sized business realm, to effectively develop and promote an influential, professional corporate identity, Market Smart was created. From unique logo design, to brochure layout and copy, to website development and management, Market Smart was designed to work with the resources of smaller businesses that are serious about growing.

Our motto: Don't underestimate the power of persuasive positioning and promotion.

If you look tasteless and cheap, you will be perceived as such. But, if you look skilled and proficient, putting effort into what your prospects see and hear, you will be perceived as professional...and serious.

Too often, identity is overlooked. Some refuse to invest in what they look like, and as a consequence, they are overlooked themselves. Think of it this way: suppose one business professional gets out of bed, showers, shaves and puts on a fresh, crisp suit; now, another ‘professional' gets out of bed, throws on his slippers, grabs an onion bagel, neglects his bed head and sets out for the office. When these two professionals are before you, ready to win your decision to do business with one or the other, who are you more inclined to deal with: Spic-and-Span Sam or Onion-breath Pajama Joe? Seems like a no-brainer? You would think. Yet there are still those out there that face their prospects with doors wide shut.

Market Smart is here to help. We supply the most affordable AND professional website design, graphic design and marketing tool layout and design in Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. But we don't stop there. Thanks to technology, we can offer our better priced services to business nation-wide; those looking to design a new website, integrate SEO friendly tactics to an existing site, create a logo to begin branding their products or services, or even fashion an effective brochure of flyer can take advantage of our services from the comfort of their own office!

The idea is to continue growing right?

Let's do that together.

We are Market Smart and we want to help you Market Smart.

Most Sincerely,

Dominica Jaramillo

Website Design ● Graphic Design ● Marketing Tools