This blog has moved to www.nopun.com

I am proud to say I have launched my custom wordpress theme.

My blog now resides on my company site. http://www.nopun.com/

I have enjoyed using blogspot. But wanted to have a blog that integrates within the look and feel of my company site.

This blogspot tool has been great, because when I started the blogging concept I wasn't sure that I would stick to it. And or if it would have been worth while. Not only has it proven to be worth while, I enjoy doing it and look forward to many more years of this form of communication.

So please follow the conversation over at nopun.com

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Thanks and Regards

Noel for Nopun.com

a graphic design studio

static websites suck

Websites can be many different things, from ecommerce, to brochure site and to entertainment. And so much more, I believe that we really haven't even really figured out the internet as a medium on its own.

Is it a book thats translated online, or is it a tv that we interact with or is it "fill in the blank".

this fill in the blank part is the part I don't think we (as people) haven't really harnessed the power of this new medium.

But if I could break it down to two types of categories we have a static website and a dynamic one.

A static website is a website you spend some time on and launch it then come back from time to time to make updates to.

Whereas a dynamic site is one that you can update content on the fly and or is integrated with a blog to help you deliver fresh content. When I read topics that surround the idea of a dynamic site its usually focused on the technology that creates the dynamic site, but the reality is that the technology is the easy part. The challenging part is add all that new fresh content.

We all know that content is king with ranking well in search engines, but content is also king with your customers. I want my website to be "real" conversation with my visitors. I want to try and connect with each visitor on a personal level.

The new site that I will launch for nopun.com will be death of this blog, because I want this blog to be integrated visually with in the look and feel of my site, which blogger is limited in doing.

The new no pun site is dedicated to interacting with the visitors more, with not only samples of past work but I would like to keep the conversation going through the blog, and links to a regularly monitored twitter account. In fact you can even connect with a designer directly from the website via skype, and can share screens of professional designers directly online, where you can design your project together in real time.

With the launch of the new site I am wanting to introduce a "youtube" video blog to the creative process where client can review and see first hand what a designer has to go through to get their final look and feel. Demystifying the creative process and letting clients see first hand what their money is being used for.

I feel that this interaction and dynamicness of the new site will help in my business relationship with each new client.

attend trade shows

Here's an article to help kick off a marketing strategy with a shoestring budget.

I particularly like the idea of attending trade shows.

I once was involved with having a booth for a marketing company I worked for.

And me and the owner prepared our pitch and got as many assets together as we could to prepare for the event.

Participating in a trade-show is awesome, as you lead up to the event you make sure your 30 second pitch is nailed down, you promotional items are designed and printed, and your website and such is the best it can be.

In fact many businesses use the trade-shows as an excuse to motivate them to update all their marketing material.

Manning the booth is great too because you really do get to harness your pitch and begin to put your own "personality" to it.

But the cost was crazy with the printing of the promotional pieces, the trade-show backdrop, and the actual fees for having the booth the expense was well over $10,000.

Which wouldn't have been that bad aside from the fact that not one lead came from the show.

Most people at the show where actually pitching us on their services. So when this article suggested that you should simply attend the trade-shows. Brought me right back to that experience and yes I agree that much good can come from attending a show, if anything you can save a ton of dough and probably make just as many "connections" as being a spectator instead of a vendor.

http://entrepreneur.venturebeat.com/2009/11/02/shoestring-marketing-for-start-ups/

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I have some more ideas on how to do this trade-show marketing idea.

The trade show I was talking about above was ad-tech. which wouldn't you know it just finished up last week.

It must have been an omen!

anywhoot.

What I think would be effective for my concept for trade-show marketing as an attendee, would be to go to trade shows and attend marketing ideas for industries that aren't directly related to my industry. For example my biggest case study is for a moving and storage company, so my time would be best spent in moving and storage trade-shows.

But what is exciting about my business is that any industry would be an ideal candidate.

So I asked myself the question where does one find which trade-shows to go to?...

And it hit me why not go to the venues that host the tradeshows.

ie: jacob javits center in new york.

each venue has a calendar of events with links to the events website, where I can find if they have marketing seminars and such, it will also show the fees needed for attending.

I would really like to give this approach a try.

So I am going to be tunnel vision on getting my new website done, my promotional material ready and then gear up for getting down...

80% of your business will come from 20% of your customers

So which 20% will it be.

It's no surprise, that marketing to your existing customers, is easier than attracting new ones.

I came across a blog today that will help give some ideas on how you can stay in touch with your client base, and help try and uncover which 20% of your customers your new business will come from.

I was proud to when I read the first two suggestions, having a blog (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and an email campaign which I try and send out bi weekly.

Next would love to print out a newsletter mailer. And T-shirts

Give it s read and let me know which ones stand out to you...

http://www.reencoded.com/2009/11/07/freelance-guide-to-building-customer-loyalty/

Do your customers like it when you redesign your site.

As a graphic designer needing more work whenever a potential customer says that they are thinking of redesigning their website, I am one of the first to jump on board saying of course we can enhance the site. I have to admit that I am pretty honest though if I see a sight that seems to be working I will make it known, and on the same token if its bad I will also let that be known.

I have recently experienced a website that I use on a daily basis that has recently gone through s design change. You may have herd of it its linkedin.

Whenever I write a new blog that I want people to know about I like to submit a link to that blog on my "updates" section of my profile. And a couple of days ago I noticed it was gone! The update was still visable but where to change the status was moved somewhere elese. after a few curse words I found it and was back on track.

later I came across a linkedin's blog that discussed how proud they where of the new look and feel. And yes I agree that the design has improved. But this functionality change was frustrating.

The designer in me will always say a redesign is good, but the "user" in me says that a redesign means change and I don't like change.

it was a great insight into what a redesign means, and in most if not all cases regular visitors to your site will get frustrated once the new site goes live.

offline marketing ideas

I want to spend more time recapping these ideas and expanding on how they can work.

But I am adding this link here as a place holder because I think there is some great stuff here.

In my business its clear that traditional forms of marketing may be better than online marketing being the online audiences that are looking for professional graphic designers are more tech savy and can find the cheap low balling solutions. Where as the non tech savy customers that will learn of my business through traditional mediums are more likely to spend more dough and will be more impressed by the work.

http://www.know-how.angolaxyami.com/45-creative-offline-business-advertising-ideas-1913

Don't build it yourself leave it to the pros!

I came across a blog today that was a really cool read.

In a nutshell, the author stated that she didn't know how to program a website nor had any desire to! She was very adamant on saying that she doesn't care about anything computer related especially html and programs to help design her websites.

She is a professional writer for main stream novels and writes a series of erotic novels as well, but her statements about wanting to hire professionals to do her website was the sexiest thing she could have written.

I believe that this is the perfect type of website design client there could be. She sees the value in hiring professional designers to do her work, while knowing she doesn't have to give up "creative" control, which is the fun part. We professional designers will bring our expertise to your project but by no means are we a standoffish bunch of people that think they know best and you shouldn't even dare question what we designed. We are simply folks, who've gone through the hard knocks training and practice to harness technical skills of creating professional websites, email campaigns, print ads, brochures, and even youtube videos, and commercials.

Why spend all your time wondering why you can scale an image properly in powerpoint, when your time would be better spent on practicing your presentation!

I hope this inspires more professionals out there to realize that by trying to do this work on your own isn't saving money. Time is money, and if your time is wasted on learning technology then you are wasting your own money....

Please weigh in on the subject. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

Also please visit the original author's post on the subject.

http://firstoffenders.typepad.com/offenders/2009/11/what-a-tangled-web-site-we-weave.html