Elevatid Blog

Elevatid just launched Apparatus -
a 3d animation and interactive media boutique, created and managed by the award winning digital effects artist, Kris Rivel. Kris’s background and experience in the 3D animation industry goes back nearly ten years and includes work for clients such as: Nokia, Pepsi, Adidas, Visa, Disney, Frito-Lay, GE, Pizza Hut, Dodge and many more. You really have to check out their body of work.

Whether its a commercial spot for television, film or the web, or a slick interactive marketing piece for an exhibition, a pitch or demonstration, Apparatus combines unique artistic skills and utilize the very latest tools in digital imagery to turn ideas into a work of art that will move, inspire and persuade audience.

Kris and I were classmates at Rutgers University. We recently partnered up for a new interactive website for Nokia that seamlessly blends Flash development, classical character animation with Kris’s unbelievable 3d animation. The project was such a success that we plan on collaborating on upcoming projects with interactive media and website integration.

Elevatid just launched Adept Packaging. It is an interesting story about how we were awarded the contract. As the president of Elevatid, I am always looking to add new services and/or improve on our business model. I attended classes at Wharton School of Business - University of Pennsylvania.  I sat down next to the president of the company - Prateel Lal.

As we got to know each other, we exchanged business cards. It just so happened that Adept Pkg needed a new website. I was glad to take on the project and lend a helping hand to a fellow classmate. It turned out to be a very positive experience. We were able to design and develop a very attractive new look for Adept.

It showed me the importance of actually doing something to improve my business and that networking appropriately can lead to wonderful and profitable business associations.

Finally, business owners and organizations in Delaware are beginning to realize that their websites suck. The internet is the preferred source for gathering information to make decisions about a product or service. If a website is old, let’s say more than five years, it is probably hurting their chances of converting visitors into customers. To remain competitive, they are turning to professional web companies to design and develop more sophisticated and user-friendly websites.

Just like when you go on a date or go to a job interview, you are judged immediately by your appearance. Go on a fist date with clothes that are five years old. Talk to the hiring manager with an outdated or incomplete resume. Chances of a second date or being hired are remote. You must have your act together. You must me polished in all areas. The same goes for your website.

Keep your viewers interested through and past the critical “first impression”. Internet users are more intelligent and fickle than ever. An outdated, poorly designed website turns viewers off - particularly when first visiting. It is the main reason that make viewers lose interest quickly. You’d be surprised how frequent these seemingly minor “infractions” occur by smart companies.

Style is very important for your success. Recent studies have shown that people form an opinion of a website within the first three seconds of looking at it. If you’re trying to sell a product or service, you should put your best foot forward. There are things that you need to take into consideration when you go through a website redesign. You must determine whom you are attempting to attract. You don’t go on a date with a country gal in an Armani suit. Design your website appropriately and you will be able to get your customer to listen to your message. Remember, it’s the first impression your business is making on the potential customer.

I hope that Delaware businesses continue to improve their websites. Attractive and properly designed sites create more enjoyable and positive experiences.

Today is the memorial of the biggest icon in my lifetime - Michael Jackson. Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, and their accompanying videos, is proclaimed “the biggest-selling artist of all time,” “the single most awarded entertainer the world has ever known,” “the most popular artist in the history of show business,” and, not so modestly, “the world’s most famous man.” He is also the “King of Pop.”

It makes me think about why he impacted so many lives. (I am not commenting on his personal life…that is for another debate or conversation.) He simply was the best at his profession. He used the incredible talent given by the Almighty and continued to improve upon them. He had vision, tremendous focus, courage, and a commitment to excellence.

I believe that we all can be successful people if we strive to be the absolute best in our profession. Improve upon your talents by continuous learning, taking chances based on talent and instinct and never letting anyone stop you from achieving your goals. Although 99.99% will never reach the heights of MJ, we can learn from his example that made him so beloved. Be the best and the rewards will follow!

The company already has a website. Typically, younger management see the stall coming. The web is changing at a rapid rate and their website is antiquated. The misstep usually occurs when the top decision maker is a late adopter to technology. Management can be forgiven for not seeing it coming. They are busy with servicing their customers, dealing with vendors, and fiercely defending their ground against the competition. Momentum occurs when they do not identify the importance of the online promotion of their services or products.

When Innovation Breaks Down
The large factor responsible for the stall is the inability to respond to new technologies being adopted by aggressive and savvy competition. A company that solidly occupies a premium market position has been insulated with its past successes and develops a resistance to changing its online persona. By the time the realization has become glaringly apparent, it is a change years too late.

When innovation in marketing a business online breaks down and updating the promotion of a product or service occurs, growth stalls and the competition gains. Website inefficiencies attribute to this decrease in growth even if the business model is generally sound. After a stall sets in, recovery is very difficult. Most companies will not return to moderate or high growth. They have lost its impression as market leaders in the minds of the consumer.

Is your company about to hit a stall point?

The buzz around Twitter has Corporate America paying attention. Smart marketers are already taking advantage of this red hot trend. Note to my fellow small business owners: We’ve passed the tipping point and you must begin implementing Twitter into your marketing strategies to stay competitive. 

Twitter as a Marketing Tool

Social networking is now the crowned prince of the internet marketing. Marketers are actively planning and deploying its tremendous potential for their brands. Businesses must continually invest in its online communications and deliver their highly targeted message. Twitter has the capacity to be a powerful conversation starter for their brand and enable an organization to respond to consumer demands by listening, learning and adapting. As a small business owner, you  should continuously observe trends that can create a dialogue between you and your audience. As your competitors are trying to figure out what all the commotion is about, start trustworthy conversations. Make developing positive social media communications mandatory in your online marketing efforts. It only costs your time and effort.

How to Twitter 

Twitter works like this: Sign up for a free account. Users then post frequent updates about what they might be doing, seeing and feeling. The messages, known as “tweets,” and are limited to 140 characters. Tweets can be sent from a mobile phone or a computer. “Followers” are automatically updated when tweets are posted from the people they are following.

Chit Chat for Success

The key words here are “small talk”. Now, Twitter doesn’t have the large-scale impact or deep penetration as broadcast television. If steadily applied,  tweeting can achieve positive advertising results. You can launch “Nano-Releases” to create and maintain interest for a product, service, engagement or special event. It’s not too late to join the conversation. Begin utilizing social media to create content for positive customer relationships. 

Need information on how to increase your web traffic? Contact us at Elevatid.

Today Barry Maddoff plead guilty to all 11 criminal counts in one of Wall Street’s biggest rip-offs ever. In 2009 and beyond, who can we trust? Our government has failed us (Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich). Our banks have failed us (Bonus Scandals). Our spiritual leaders have failed us (Ted Haggard). Even our sports heroes can’t be trusted (Barry Bonds).

I, like many of my fellow Americans, have been discarded like last week’s trash. We work hard to support our families. Why is GREED holding America hostage? Sure, we might put a little too much on our credit cards. Should we be blamed? Or are we the victims of the powerful minority? I am a proponent of a free market system but it requires regulation. THE most important part of that equation is a government that isn’t in the back pocket of these scums.

What does this have to do web design?

I am in the business of communicating my client’s messages to their audience. As a web designer and an internet marketer, I think about typography, H1 tags, and strong headlines. My real goal is to deliver trust to the viewer. A clean web site that is user-friendly can achieve this. Companies that think of their customer’s needs will succeed. Websites that shout about themselves just blow smoke up their own @$$. Their viewers leave at the speed of the taxpayers money to CEO bank accounts.

It is understood that the motivation for a business is to turn a profit. As a citizen though, we should follow some set of standards. We should have integrity and be responsible stewards toward one another. Our communities should pull together its resources and reach for the common goal of growth and success. As a Delaware small business owner, I do my best to address these issues. I am looking to build my business, expand my opportunities but not by scamming people.

The following is an excerpt from “GOOD GOVERNANCE PROGRAM”:

RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER ENTERPRISES

A relationship of mutual trust in which all parties benefit is the most significant aspect of relations between partners in joint ventures, contractual arrangements, or business relations with other enterprises. The reputation of a company is its most valuable asset. Once the reputation of an enterprise is tarnished, it is very difficult to gain trust with the same or other business relations. A number of basic principles that typically promote mutual trust in business relations include:

• commitment to excellence in products and services;
• commitment to gain respect and trust in all business relations;
• respect for the sanctity of contracts and business relations;
• in case of a commercial dispute, a willingness to negotiate and compromise in order to reach an amicable solution; and
• respect for the sanctity of rule of law, including abiding in a timely manner with decisions of any court, arbitral panels, or other administrative bodies.
• respect for the sanctity of rule of law, including abiding in a timely manner with decisions of any court, arbitral panels, or other administrative bodies.

The ground has been shifted forever. The landscape of business will be filled with land mines of cynicism and mistrust. We all need to learn from these travesties. Hold our leaders accountable. As for me, I will no lose hope or give up during the darkest hours in my lifetime. The sun shines every morning providing everyone a new opportunity to being again. Join me in this quest and don’t be a Madoff.

Need information on how to increase your web traffic? Contact us at Elevatid.

Social Media for the Small Business

I recently attended a workshop at the Delaware Small Business Development Center. I spoke with several frustrated small business owners who desperately want to learn how to drive traffic to their websites. Entrepreneurs are beginning to find out that having a website for their business is not a guarantee for success. They must learn how to drive traffic to their site. Once there, the design must persuasive for the user to take some sort of action. I was asked, “What is Social Media”.

Wikipedia’s Definition:

Social media is information content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies that is intended to facilitate communications, influence and interaction with peers and with public audiences, typically via the Internet and mobile communications networks. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, telecommunications and social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and “building” of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories and experiences. Businesses also refer to social media as user-generated content (UGC) or consumer-generated media (CGM).

As a business owner, this does a whole lot of nothing. For a company to be successful, you must utilize Social Media as an online distribution channel to create, share and discover related “content” with your potential or existing customers and create a Social Network. Your business must identify these channels for your product or service. Once you have discovered the channels, you must learn how to navigate your product or service through them. Understand who are the “influencers” that are driving the conversation and speak their tone and language.

Social Media integrates internet technology, telecommunications and social interaction through words, pictures, videos and audio. Examples of technology that enable social interaction are: blogs, vlogs,  photo-sharing, podcasts, webcasts, online video, wall-postings, music-sharing, and wikis to name a few.

Social Media Websites:

• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Technorati
• Squidoo
• LinkedIn
• Newsvine
• Wikipedia
• Ma.gnolia
• StumbleUpon
• Facebook
• Flickr
• Ning
• MySpace
• Twitter

How Can a Small Business Use Social Media

Decide early on to treat your networks as a sales channel. Use it you deliver your message about your products or services to the right people and to reach the target audience. Your efforts must not be in vain. When you send out your messages, every message must get a desired reaction, such as joining a list, buying a product or simply visiting your website. You must offer the end-user something in your message that will drive them into your sales funnel: free offers, free content, etc.

Determine what your business goals are when you begin to tap into your social channels. You can control your brand’s marketing message by aligning social media capabilities with your overall business objectives. Remember, that the conversation must be about the them, and you can establish yourself as a trusted voice in the marketplace. This will create a positive relationship between your users and your product and service offerings, which then leads to conversion.

Need information on how to increase your web traffic? Contact us at Elevatid.

Early adopters have already implemented “Social Media” as a tool to gain customer attention. Many businesses are still trying to figure out what all this social stuff’s all about. The impact of new media channels - blogs, social networks, and social media — is undeniable at this point. If you do not join in on the conversation your business may not survive.

Smart Business Blog

Business blogs are immensely powerful. They can make or break your business. Companies that can harness its power and engage customers in honest conversations will be ahead of its competitors. Those that don’t will not survive.

The Rule: It’s all about relationships. We are over stimulated with advertising and marketing hype. Don’t try to be slick. Talk to customers in a way that avoids treating them as dollar signs. Viewers are smart and trying to circumvent this will create a backlash. By engaging your audience, you will gain a clearer understanding of their needs and ultimately provide a better product and/or service.

Businesses must be profitable to survive. We understand this as consumers. All relationships are built upon trust. Establish the relationship first and transactions will follow. Be honest in your conversation, fill the need based on feedback, and watch your sales explode.

Bulletproof Your Online Brand

Develop a user-friendly and customer-focused website that sells benefits not features. Capture the upside potential of new media marketing and gain customer attention. Blogs, online video, and other social media outlets are groundbreaking innovations for customer engagement. Become early adopters of cutting-edge internet technoligies and join in on the conversation.

Need information on how to increase your web traffic? Contact us at Elevatid.