http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh Ideas on Design and Marketing Copyright 2004 contact@macdonalddesign.com Wed, 17 May 2006 10:14:23 PDT Feed Me, by Glass Onion Software Wed, 17 May 2006 10:12:42 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v2-1.html#spotlight It's easy to give an honest opinion of a product or service that you truly believe in and use yourself. So, this issue's Project Spotlight features our firm's use of Postcards to promote our own services. Wed, 17 May 2006 10:00:22 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v2-1.html#headline If you're reading this sentence, you've just supported the point I'm about to make. Direct mail postcards with numbered headlines offering solutions work!brbrThe formula is simple:brbrFirst, pick a goal or an accomplishment (saving money, increasing performance, improving health, avoiding pain, etc.). Then tell the reader how to accomplish this goal in X number of steps. Or give them X number of ways to achieve the same goal. Wed, 17 May 2006 10:14:22 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v2-1.html If <img src=http://www.macdonalddesign.com/images/afresh/pile-o-postcards-sm.jpg BORDER=1 ALIGN=RIGHT> you were a contestant on Jeopardy and the answer was Postcards, what would the question be? How about:brbrWhat is one of the most incredibly effective, yet under-utilized methods for driving qualified buyers to your business or website?brbrMany businesses think postcards are a little old-fashioned for this era of Internet Marketing, but nothing could be further from the truth. Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:01:01 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-5.html#spotlight Wireless Cables, Inc., a high-tech startup company offering innovative Bluetooth wireless products needed to take its marketing to the next level to grow their customer base ---consumers, corporations, and OEMs. Their overall image and their website were in dire need of updating. Plus, the company was poised to launch a revolutionary new wireless Bluetooth headset targeted at enterprise professionals as well as anyone addicted to streaming music. However, being a startup, they lacked an in-house marketing team. Wireless Cables, Inc.'s president looked at a number of alternatives and decided to engage Macdonald Design on a long-term basis to assist the company with all aspects of their marketing --- web redesign, press releases, commercials, and more. URL: a href=http://www.aircable.netAIRcable/a Wed, 19 Oct 2005 12:45:25 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-5.html Oh, no! Not another fruitcake! How many times have you given or received one. Imagine if your products became as ubiquitous as the fruitcake, which is practically synonymous with the holidays. You might not be able to reach those heights, but you can certainly profit from seasonal marketing. And that means targeting opportunities to promote your products or services during every season of the year like Easter, the Fourth of July, and Back-to-School as well as the winter holidays. Most retail businesses already understand the value of seasonal marketing. All it takes is some creativity, planning, preparation, and a budget. Tue, 16 August 2005 11:41:36 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-4.html#spotlight Panache Lotions, a body care products retailer, wanted to boost Web sales volume. The husband-and-wife-run operation has two brick and mortar locations in Capitola, a quaint Central Coast beachfront tourist destination near Santa Cruz. Their two stores feature handcrafted shampoos, shower gels, powders, and other body products in standard and custom-blended scents. In business since 1985, Panache Lotions has been a popular shopping destination for tourists and locals alike. URL: a href=http://www.panachelotions.comwww.panachelotions.com/a Tue, 16 August 2005 11:40:29 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-4.html Word of mouth is one of the most effective and low-cost marketing strategies around. Yet few business entrepreneurs know how it works and how to use it.brbrWord-of-mouth marketing, otherwise known as Viral Marketing, is a very powerful tool that every business must use. It is low-cost, requires very little budget, and works even without us knowing about it. It is an inertia that works for our business. Yet many businesses do not know how to use it, how it works and how it can be used to meet business objectives.brbrMost marketing professionals believe that word-of-mouth is the most compelling way to bring in new customers. Why? Three reasons are often given to explain the pull of word-of-mouth. First, we are bombarded with messages everyday that we don't know whom to trust anymore. We hardly believe the salesman, or even the spokesperson (after all, they were hired specifically to sell the product). Hence, we turn to people we believe the most: our families, friends, neighbors and colleagues. Fri, 20 May 2005 11:41:36 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-3.html#spotlight Rain or Shine, a hip Santa Cruz-based retail store specializing in fashion-conscious sunglasses, is a popular shopping destination for vacationers. The retailer wanted to get smarter about their marketing and expand beyond their brick and mortar presence to make it easier for repeat customers and Internet shoppers to purchase the latest additions to their line. Macdonald Design implemented a robust e-commerce solution for Rain or Shine, complete with an easy-to-use shopping cart and database backend. The database technology enables Rain or Shine to display dynamic content, updating their online catalog with up-to-the minute styles on a timely basis. As a way of promoting their relaxed, beach-oriented image, Macdonald Design created a dynamic header that swaps out new lifestyle imagery automatically, giving the site a fresh look every time a visitor comes by to shop online.brbrMacdonald Design has created and maintained a highly functional and attractive website for Rain or Shine. It serves our dual purposes of operating a virtual, online sunglass store as well as providing information to our customers about the operations of and merchandise carried in our physical stores. Every business and organization requires a strong e-focus and, to this end, I have no problem recommending the team at MacDonald Design. They are reliable and creative professionals. - David Davis, President, Rain or Shine, Inc.brbrURL: a href=http://www.rainorshineonline.comwww.rainorshineonline.com/a Fri, 20 May 2005 11:40:29 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-3.html If you don't want them to forget you, then you'll have to make them remember you. A thematic direct marketing campaign with great offers, spot-on messaging, and memorable visuals is just the thing for creating a presence in a new market sector, reinforcing your presence among current customers, and getting new leads that can turn into sales. This year, we launched our own thematic campaign featuring our bespectacled canine mascot of the year, Alberto Suave. Perhaps you remember seeing his smart and good-looking countenance in your mailbox or at various venues where savvy businesspeople tend to gather? Fri, 20 May 2005 11:33:48 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-2.html#spotlight In business for nearly 40 years, CSC has established itself as one of the nation's top-ranking independent wholesale optical laboratories. CSC provides a complete array of prescription fulfillment services for opticians, ophthalmologists and other optical professional all under one roof.brbrIn 2004, CSC Labs had undergone a major expansion, relocating to an impressive new facility in Watsonville, California near the San Francisco Bay Area. The new facility consolidated the frame distribution division, prescription fulfillment, and anti-reflective coating lab into a single location. Included in their business makeover plan for this year was a new website, just launched last month. The new site, developed by Macdonald Design, Inc., includes a more contemporary look and feel complete with an attention-getting Flash introduction and professionally written content created by Gig Productions, Inc. In addition to providing a complete overview of CSC Labs' services, the site also serves as a gateway to the company's Virtual Lab--a convenient online ordering system for prescription lenses and stock frames along with order tracking. Another feature of the site that makes shopping easy for the optical professional is the online catalogue--a database driven application developed by Macdonald Design, Inc. that allows the user to search their entire frame inventory by section or by frame brand. With its dazzling new image and functionality, the CSC Labs website brilliantly captures the company's innovative, technologically advanced approach to the optical market.brbrWe are very happy with the look and functionality of our website. Macdonald Design did an excellent, professional job. And, they had many other services available, like copywriting and commercial photography, which were crucial to get the job done in a professional manner. - Robert Kim, CSC GroupbrbrURL:a href=http://www.csclabs.com www.csclabs.com/a Fri, 20 May 2005 11:33:40 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-2.html SEO--Search Engine Optimization--has become the marketing buzzword of the past several years. It's not enough anymore to have a well-designed website with all the bells and whistles. What is important is getting visitors to spend time there and keep them coming back for more. Search engine optimization is a very important first step in marketing your business to the online community. Fri, 20 May 2005 11:33:31 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-1.html#spotlight Algalita Marine Research Foundation (AMRF), a Long Beach, California based non-profit environmental organization, is dedicated to the preservation of the marine environment. AMRF's main activities include research, education and restoration of the marine environment. AMRF has been a long-term client of ours, and we've been privileged to be a close partner that has assisted them in their growth and evolution.brbrThis year, AMRF has several goals in mind, including growing their membership, recruiting more active volunteers, educating the community about their mission, and fundraising. The organization hired us to give their website a more accessible and professional look. Using a palette that shimmers with the colors of the ocean, we reorganized AMRF's site to make it easy to navigate and created a visually appealing image for the non-profit. Site visitors can learn about the organization in depth by reading about the many initiatives AMRF has launched or by purchasing one of their informative, professionally produced videos, or they can download a QuickTime version of the videos for free - either abbreviated versions or, in some cases, the complete film. Visitors can immediately sign up to become a member or volunteer through the online forms that we developed. Newsletters and an online event calendar keep repeat visitors up to date about AMRF's events and recent news. To enable Algalita to keep their own calendar up to date - we built an easy-to-use online publishing tool.brbrThe professional look of our website has been a tremendous asset to our organization. - Marieta Francis, Operations Manager, Algalita Marine Foundationbr br URL: a href=http://www.algalita.orgwww.algalita.org/a Fri, 4 February 2005 11:17:54 PDT http://www.macdonalddesign.com/afresh/v1-1.html Now is the perfect time to consider putting together a marketing plan for your business, regardless of whether your business is seasonal or has a business cycle that does not follow the calendar year. If you've never done it before, the task may seem intimidating at first. There are a wealth of books and websites that spell out specific guidelines for developing a marketing plan. But before you engage in that undertaking, take some time out - brainstorm some creative ideas, research, research, and do more research, and consult with professionals who can help you achieve your goals.