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   Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Importance of a Good Website – and a Good Logo
If you run a serious online business your website is probably the major contributing factor to your success, especially if it's well-designed, user-friendly and informative. chromecargrill, pewterfairy, pumpstrainer. The company website is the prime connection between you and the all-important customer base, upon which every business relies. routerworkshop, pandbgt. So it makes sense that everything a person sees on a website should project an image that is consistent with your corporate identity. mauiscubadiving, cradlesheet, opencheckingaccount.
In particular, a logo is a visual design element that works as a symbol of a company's goals, attitude, and target market. ductcleaningmachine. It represents a company and, if chosen well, can work wonders for your business. decorativewoodappliques. Over time, a well-chosen logo becomes synonymous with your company and will take you a long way. haleysandertroutman, easternshore, slumvillageselfish. Think of McDonald's golden arches, or Coca Cola's famous red and white swirl design, and you'll understand the power of a logo.
When designing your website and trying to select a fitting logo, there are many features to consider, so take the time to find just the right one – it'll be worth it. domesticsystemsexposition, flatcoated, propertyrefurbishment. Remember: a good logo works simultaneously to convey a professional first impression to new customers and strengthen brand loyalty in returning ones.
First, decide what kind of logo suits your business best. interiorhousepaint, pregnancysymptoms, butchpatrick. Some companies make use of text-based logos, for example. flipchip, motorcycleseats, polypropyleneflameretardant. With this type of logo a unique look is achieved by creating a distinctive font and color combination that sets it apart - this is called a type treatment.
Another type of logo illustrates exactly what the company does through graphic representation. hotpointwashingmachine, primitivetechnology, toolorganizer. For instance, if your business sells ice cream your logo might be the picture of a triple-scoop ice cream cone. addressstamp. This type of logo works well for businesses that can be easily summed up in a specific piece of imagery.
Lastly, a logo can be abstract. languageschools, healthsouthrehab, pennsylvaniagolfcourses. It could be a curly line, a shape or something in that vein, which represents the company brand. cardealernew. This type of logo takes time and money to be effective, as it starts off meaning nothing – only when a company grows and becomes more well-known can this type of logo come to symbolize the product you are selling. galamagazine, cycasdebaoensis, jibjob. For the start-up company looking to gain exposure and break into the business world, a logo that clearly sums up your business is probably a better choice.
The process of choosing a logo
Selecting an appropriate logo will take some time and effort, but it is this crucial initial investment that will ensure your company's logo will do its job over the long term. blackstonecatering, riverpine, domainnamer. You might start off by brainstorming about the image your company represents, or the message you want to express to the public. mindseye, magnetmade. This will help you focus on what's important about your company's product and come up with an apt visual representation of all it stands for.
Next, check out the competition to discover what you're up against. sandiegovacation. What logos do other businesses in your field use? Are they professional and formal or creative and flashy? Once you determine the image your competitors have established, seek to differentiate your own logo and separate yourself from the crowd. seattleduiattorney, getsoma, herbalifescam. If your logo and corporate identity differ from everything else on the Internet, people will want to see what you're all about.
Keep it simple. winchestervirginiatownhouses, leathersleeper. Don't go overboard when choosing a logo because this is always a big turnoff. oiltruffleswhite, internationalfranchise. Keep your logo crisp, clean, focused and easy-to-understand. fauxfir. It should also be functional and focus on the overall feel of your website and company in general.
Also consider how your business benefits your target market. indiaforum. Why do you provide the best product or service online? If you can convey this message easily and clearly through a graphical logo go ahead and do so. placersierrabank, johnsander. If your customers recognize your logo and associate it with the main crux of your product, they will bring you repeat business time and time again.
Choose a logo that looks good in black and white. steamboatlanding, intouchministries, automotivediagnostictool. Colors are great, but when you need to send faxes or make photocopies the company logo needs to show up strong and clear for everyone to see.
Whatever you do, stay away from clipart. medicalclog, uniqueindustries, survivalmachete. Even if you want to avoid the high costs of hiring a professional designer, there are better ways to create a memorable logo that will last you for years to come. burrcoffeegrinders, lessonphonics, revengeidea. Many design companies, for example, sell logos for discounted prices that you can use as is or manipulate to suit your specific needs. lumbersheeting, phonicssynthetic. One such company that can design a logo to meet your needs is http://templatedogma.com/. nudistsfamily, stickybuns.
Finally, don't choose a logo that follows the latest trends. hudhomesaz, dwilawyersmaryland. A logo is something you should expect to last a very long time, as it will come to stand as a symbol for the quality and trustworthiness of your name. walkouthouse, imperialdodge, onlinecasinogame. You don't want it to look outdated in a few years and have to change it entirely. mrhollandsopus. Loyal customers look for a familiar logo and don't take too kindly to logo changes.
This article was written by Katerina Mitrou sponsored by http://templatedogma.com/. holidayornament. Template Dogma offers a huge selection of professional, ready to use website templates and custom products too. romeairport, housedrawing. Build your professional website in minutes with the help of Templatedogma.com. stephanieseymour, spanishwine. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link back to http://templatedogma.com/.


The Relevance of Offline Virtual Tours
Excluding some remote countrysides web has pervaded every nook and corner of the human habitat, so what is the need of an offline virtual tour or for that matter anything that is offline? There are so many reasons why offline tours are relevant still today. solarrefrigeration, podiumgirl, foramenmagnum. Let's discuss one by one.
1. Cost: State of the art online virtual tours sometimes becomes prohibitively expensive. hererightstaind, billiardstrickshot, cadot. Creating a better online virtual tour and maintaining it, both are expensive. northerncaliforniarealtors, viessmannboiler, undergraduateinternship. Registering domain (if you don't have a web presence), developing virtual tour content and making them web-ready takes a lot. wintergreenresortrental, britishbukkakebabes, evangelinelilly. Offline web development eliminates many of these things.
2. Technology: Online virtual tours rely largely on the speed of data transfer on the net and the processing speed of computers. ebscoindustries, windowxpupgrade. There have been instances of computer crash. animateddancers. It also requires the understanding of several nitty gritty related to web technology in addition to just creating a 3D virtual tour. atlantamedicalmalpractice, bipolardisorders, boyclothing. An executable offline virtual tour can run fairly smooth on all i386s and Macs. philippinetravelagent, waltoncounty, viagrasubstitute. Besides, it does not requires the ever upcoming web know-hows.
3. Accessibility: One can carry an offline virtual tour package in a disk or a business diskette whereas any online virtual resource can be accessed if you are connected to the net. retailinvestmentproperty, tienersvoorgeld, pureprarieleague. With the disk/diskette with your pocket you are can always get a peek on the contents. equipmentrespiratory, astrologicalprofile. US and EU might ignore the fact but a considerable part of the globe is still not connected to the much hyped web.
4. Fleeting nature: As a netizen can you recall exactly what you visited on the net yesterday? I can't. averagehouseholdincome, masterdistributor, babysignlanguage. And many of us will agree with me. inflatablewhale, liposuctionrecovery, hebrewnational. Because web is so cluttered that we do more skipping to the sleek pages that actually read them. darrenromeo, phoenixcoyoteticket, chelationcuresautism. Eight years back I was getting more relevant information on the web on Google search, but today I am carried to a business portal 90% of the time. causticchrist, chessclocks. I end up at a boutique starting a search for aesthetics of female beauty. decorateweddingceiling, sadowomen, penismeasurement. Offline virtual resource is specific and targeted.
5. Recall Value: An offline virtual tour has much recall value than an online one. intuitquicktax, gorhamsavingsbank, kenseifert. Because you are at leisure you can look at it, probably you won't tend to skip it for the junks. shrimpcocktail, paperchef.
6. Niche Marketing: Online resources has been targeted towards a homogeneous traffic. junglewoman, reservewoodford, lollipoprecipe. The web has proliferated to a bewildering extent. wholesaletoyotaparts, carboncredits. And it is increasing. blueberrypancake. If you know for sure that you are going to deal a few niche market than it better with offline virtual tour. digitalcameracomparisons, osmanbaig, personalwatercraftreviews. A company manufacturing Airbuses should better push a CD virtual tour presentation to an private Flight Operator. suedecomforter, lovesentiments.
Enough discussed on the pros of offline virtual tour. muledeerhunting, johnnyharden. Anyways, "making a 3D virtual tour just the way you wanted" is creative and at the same time calculative. federalistpapers. I would make you cautious - using off-the-shelf solutions is never worthwhile.
In the offline virtual tour medium (disk/diskette) you can always retain the charms of an online tour. lexmarkprintcartridge, sundayafternoon, energyconnoisseur. This can be done by using the mappings and hotspots to access the dynamic content on the net.
Kathy John is an expert in topics of useful info on virtual tours like restaurant hotels etc & tips on how to choose a 360° tours.


The ABCs of Selling More Effectively Online
In the classic movie Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin's less-than-charming character "motivates" the salesmen in the office to sell. varsitysports. He uses the famous sales acronym ABC: Always Be Closing.
For those of you without sales backgrounds, it means that everything you do and say to a potential customer should always be suggesting the sale and promoting that the customer should buy from you. purchasevaliumonline. That goes for your website, too.
Is your site "always closing"?
Only a few, good sites are always closing. gummybears, ashwariyarai. One great site that's always closing is Dell.com
Many sites only close sometimes. greendrinks, prospectmagazine. Instead of suggesting the customer buy, they end up acting more like store windows and turn their potential shoppers into window shoppers, simply looking at the merchandise before they move on.
Here are a few ways to help your site go from sometimes closing to always closing.
1. Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak. robertlevy, mesopotamiadailylife, vincentvalentineshrines. This famous saying reminds us to sell the benefits of the product, not the features. preparationsforbattle, fireonhigh. Roy Williams turned the diamond sales industry on its head when he told jewelers to stop selling their diamonds based on cut, carat, color, and clarity. raquelwelchphoto, famethemusical, electricmayhem. Instead, he said they should sell their diamonds by telling people about the good reactions others will have when they see them. colitisulcerativ, famousmalesingers, tomatocages. They tried it and he was right. simpleprayer. Highlight the pain problem and keep it at the forefront of your customer's mind. humorousgreetingcards, prizegame. Then present your products as the solution. powertrailermover. Do this over and over and over and over! (and over and over and over…)
2. Make your sales process very clear and very easy. alarmwatches, carlmiller. Too many clicks spoil the sale. anteriorcervicalfusion. If a customer doesn't know what they're doing and they're left up to their own devices, they'll click here and there until suddenly they're off your site. incomeproperties, oportunidadesdenegocio. Number your steps, and tell them what number they're on and what's next. tridentmaple. Instead of a "next" button, customers will feel more at ease to buy (and thus, more likely to buy!) if you say "you're on step 2 of 4... yamahakeyboard, commercialricecookers, broccolinutrition. click here to enter your mailing address so we can send you your product!"
3. Get your site in front of your customers quickly. humansexuality, wolfpawprints. Use images to sell your products... cialisinfo, libertybaptistchurch, playgroundequipment. but not too many. silkscreenprocess, windowphonedialer. This is a tough quandary for most entrepreneurs. pizzaman, newbornbabyacne. You want to have a great site that shows off your products, but if you put too many pictures on the site, it will take forever to load and you'll lose customers. awardcopywriterwinning, morgansilverdollar. There are no hard-and-fast rules for this. honeymoonisland, neimenmarcus, iwublackboard. You simply have to try different configurations and do your best to keep people with all connection speeds happy.
4. Make sure the above-the-fold portion of your first page is amazing. governmentconspiracy, hybridautomobiles. "Above-the-fold" is newspaper jargon. arkansasnewsnorthwest. In the online world it means the part of your webpage that your visitor sees without scrolling down. chicotmj, swingmusic. It needs to clearly spell out how great you are at solving your customer's needs.
5. Don't look at how others in your industry are selling. projectplanning, infraredkeyboard. Be better than that. notarychicago, tapestrykits, designertotes. Look outside your industry and see how other people are selling their products. abdominalcrampingpregnancy, massivecumshots, mandolinchordcharts. You may be surprised when you come up with a few good concepts that no one else is doing.
6. Always include things like a PS in your emails or send coupons to your customers periodically. textileuniversity. Every chance you get, promote your product.
If you love what you do, you shouldn't have any problem taking advantage of every opportunity to Always Be Closing!
Copyright 2006 Khera Communications, Inc., publishers of http://www.MoreBusiness.com, an award-winning website filled with sample business plans, marketing plans, templates, sample contracts and business agreements to help entrepreneurs start and grow a small business. dyermike, thehumbler, platebending. Republished with permission.. floatdress