The Technology Firm is one of our oldest clients, dating back to the early days of Dog Star Media. We are glad to bring their site up to date, complete with video commentary on their packages from the owner, Tony Raburn. You can see their new site at technologyfirm.com.
Click on any of the services “Up” packages on the upper left to see the video commentary. This is a great example of how video can make a broad service application easier to understand on the web. There are some things that are just better when they are explained. Services, expectations and quality are in that group. It is possible to describe them in writing, but nothing quite beats hearing about it in real language from a credible source.
The Technology Firm offers technology-based operational and marketing services. What? Exactly. I can try to describe it all day but this not really a good medium for that detailed an explanation. And, summarizing in writing can be tricky. In a minute or two on each of the package pages, however, Tony can get to the benefits quickly and easily because he appears on video. It is such a superior method of communicating.
The bottom line is that the bar on the web has been raised. And, you have to ask yourself, what not only give me an image of difference, but what makes me clearly a better choice for consumers. If you are not speaking... in person... to your audience on your web site, about what you do, about how you do it, about what makes you different, about the difference in quality you offer, then you are not doing everything you can. This is an excellent example of how to use the right medium to convey the proper message. For all you cosmetic dentists and cosmetic surgeons out there, this is a HUGE point. If you want to discuss how to add this sort of upgrade to your web site or, better yet, build your site around this sort of medium, just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
How a Keyword Audit works and why you should do it.
One of the new features we have added to our Keyword SEO program is a new auditing software and process. It yields remarkably clear instructions on what to do to improve your keyword content and how to do it. And, yes, it is another reason why Dog Star Media’s Keyword SEO program is the easiest to understand.
In the audit, you receive action points for making improvements. It is allowing us to be very clear with our objectives and actions to improve clients’ rankings. I think the best part is that you understand what is being done. Clearly, SEO is the most misunderstood part of Intenet marketing. There are a lot of ways to do it, much of which relies on hands-on work. As you know, we narrowed down our offering to Keyword SEO only. Why? Because it is measurable and objective. Our monthly report tells you if you are using effective keywords and the audit tells you what to do with those words to be more competitive. We simply follow the instructions. By doing this at a regular interval each month, market conditions are taken into consideration and adjustments can be made in a way that allows for regular site updates. This is understood as universally beneficial to SEO.
Over the past few weeks, I have heard a lot of people tell me that they continue to be confused by SEO. One company recommends one thing and another recommends another. One company criticizes another company and the client becomes confused over what is right. No one seems to agree on anything other than the basics. There are apples being compared with oranges and uncertainty is certainly part of most people’s SEO experience. This is all part of the reason we chose clarity and simplicity for our clients. And, the results are there. You need patience to be in an SEO program, no matter who offers it. We are no different. But the clients that have been patient have watched their sites become more optimized and they know what is being done specifically.
If you are ready for greater understanding of your Keyword SEO strategy, why not contact me today? You can reach me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. Oh, and did I mention that our program is only $300 per month. That’s another benefit of a focused activity, the cost can be low.
In the audit, you receive action points for making improvements. It is allowing us to be very clear with our objectives and actions to improve clients’ rankings. I think the best part is that you understand what is being done. Clearly, SEO is the most misunderstood part of Intenet marketing. There are a lot of ways to do it, much of which relies on hands-on work. As you know, we narrowed down our offering to Keyword SEO only. Why? Because it is measurable and objective. Our monthly report tells you if you are using effective keywords and the audit tells you what to do with those words to be more competitive. We simply follow the instructions. By doing this at a regular interval each month, market conditions are taken into consideration and adjustments can be made in a way that allows for regular site updates. This is understood as universally beneficial to SEO.
Over the past few weeks, I have heard a lot of people tell me that they continue to be confused by SEO. One company recommends one thing and another recommends another. One company criticizes another company and the client becomes confused over what is right. No one seems to agree on anything other than the basics. There are apples being compared with oranges and uncertainty is certainly part of most people’s SEO experience. This is all part of the reason we chose clarity and simplicity for our clients. And, the results are there. You need patience to be in an SEO program, no matter who offers it. We are no different. But the clients that have been patient have watched their sites become more optimized and they know what is being done specifically.
If you are ready for greater understanding of your Keyword SEO strategy, why not contact me today? You can reach me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. Oh, and did I mention that our program is only $300 per month. That’s another benefit of a focused activity, the cost can be low.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Great New Web Site from Dog Star Media
Congratulations to Drs. Jay Appurao and Trent Fogelman on the opening of LaBelle Center for Cosmetic Surgery, their new cosmetic surgery practice in Lafayette, Louisiana. And, congratulations on the launch of their new web site LaBelleCenterforCosmeticSurgery.com.
This is a great new site complete with video introductions from the doctors under the About Us section and video overviews from the doctors in the procedures area. It is part Flash, part HTML allowing us lots of room to optimize the site, while still having the glamourous aesthetic of Flash. And, the video is so important for creating that image of difference in a first impression and starting to build that trust. For everyone who is serious about sharpening up their web site’s effectiveness, this is the kind of site that really works.
With Dog Star Media, all designs are custom designs. We do not use templates. So formatting is important. Certain formats have specific qualities and we mix them in a customized way to make sure all of the client’s goals are met. I have talked to a lot of doctors who are surprised that this is even possible. The fact is, that we begin with the end in mind BEFORE we start designing. And, we don’t fit you into a box. If you want a site that can be optimized and still have the aesthetic beauty of Flash, then... ok. Why not? When you custom design you can have it all.
If you are sharpening your web strategy this year, why not look into how we approach custom design. It is a good way to get everything you want. Feel free to ask questions by emailing me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
This is a great new site complete with video introductions from the doctors under the About Us section and video overviews from the doctors in the procedures area. It is part Flash, part HTML allowing us lots of room to optimize the site, while still having the glamourous aesthetic of Flash. And, the video is so important for creating that image of difference in a first impression and starting to build that trust. For everyone who is serious about sharpening up their web site’s effectiveness, this is the kind of site that really works.
With Dog Star Media, all designs are custom designs. We do not use templates. So formatting is important. Certain formats have specific qualities and we mix them in a customized way to make sure all of the client’s goals are met. I have talked to a lot of doctors who are surprised that this is even possible. The fact is, that we begin with the end in mind BEFORE we start designing. And, we don’t fit you into a box. If you want a site that can be optimized and still have the aesthetic beauty of Flash, then... ok. Why not? When you custom design you can have it all.
If you are sharpening your web strategy this year, why not look into how we approach custom design. It is a good way to get everything you want. Feel free to ask questions by emailing me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Want to know what everyone is doing?
I have been getting this question a lot lately. For some reason, everyone wants to know what everyone else is doing. Well, here is the answer.
Right now, I am seeing a lot of yellow pages and print advertising canceled or not being renewed. Part of this is a trend coming from my coaching and retainer clients. I regularly recommend using tracking telephone numbers on print ads so that it is easy to see the direct response activity that comes from print ads. In the year end evaluations, many of my clients were surprised at the huge difference between calls being generated from their web sites as opposed to their print ads. I was not surprised but they often need to see it in black and white. Normally large mass media expenses are not justified. They feel good but Internet-based marketing is much more productive. This has led to a huge run in Pay Per Click campaigns in our clients recently.
These new bolstered Pay Per Click campaigns work really well with our low-cost Keyword SEO program. This is becoming a model that we are seeing over and over both in cosmetic dentistry and surgery. I have always recommended some sort of pay per click but, even today I was informed that the Pay Per Click campaigns we were running were so targeted and effective that they were beginning to impact some clients’ organic optimization. This has to do with relevant traffic being driven specifically to our client sites. Bottom line here, our approach is augmented even further through a stronger Pay Per Click campaign. This is also a trend we are seeing.
Finally, we have had a run recently on new, upgraded designs in web sites. In the next 2-3 weeks, we will be debuting some new web sites for cosmetic surgeons. I would definitely put these projects into the “high-end” category. Yes, we are getting a lot of requests for web sites for this time of year. People are re-tooling their web strategies, adding video and trying to distance themselves from those who are sitting and waiting. That is the third trend we are seeing: new, updated web designs.
So, when you go back to work after the new year turns, what is at the top of your agenda. Please let me know what we can do to help. Just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. And, happy new year to all.
Right now, I am seeing a lot of yellow pages and print advertising canceled or not being renewed. Part of this is a trend coming from my coaching and retainer clients. I regularly recommend using tracking telephone numbers on print ads so that it is easy to see the direct response activity that comes from print ads. In the year end evaluations, many of my clients were surprised at the huge difference between calls being generated from their web sites as opposed to their print ads. I was not surprised but they often need to see it in black and white. Normally large mass media expenses are not justified. They feel good but Internet-based marketing is much more productive. This has led to a huge run in Pay Per Click campaigns in our clients recently.
These new bolstered Pay Per Click campaigns work really well with our low-cost Keyword SEO program. This is becoming a model that we are seeing over and over both in cosmetic dentistry and surgery. I have always recommended some sort of pay per click but, even today I was informed that the Pay Per Click campaigns we were running were so targeted and effective that they were beginning to impact some clients’ organic optimization. This has to do with relevant traffic being driven specifically to our client sites. Bottom line here, our approach is augmented even further through a stronger Pay Per Click campaign. This is also a trend we are seeing.
Finally, we have had a run recently on new, upgraded designs in web sites. In the next 2-3 weeks, we will be debuting some new web sites for cosmetic surgeons. I would definitely put these projects into the “high-end” category. Yes, we are getting a lot of requests for web sites for this time of year. People are re-tooling their web strategies, adding video and trying to distance themselves from those who are sitting and waiting. That is the third trend we are seeing: new, updated web designs.
So, when you go back to work after the new year turns, what is at the top of your agenda. Please let me know what we can do to help. Just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. And, happy new year to all.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Web Sites and New Partnership
I am happy to announce that Dog Star Media has been selected as one of handful of media design companies to participate in a new pilot program with a top national pay-per-click company. We will be offering web design, video and other creative services. Details will be released in the near future. It’s a pretty big honor and I am fairly certain that the reason we were chosen was because of our excellent media design for high-end small businesses such as cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists.
As I was preparing online materials for their RFP interface, I came across this video which illustrates your options for web design. It is worth watching, even if you have seen it already.
I thought it was a good reminder for all of you how you can be more competitive on the web. Now more than ever, prospective patients are going to your web site. If it gives a bad impression, it is just as bad as
1) Not taking their call when they call you.
2) Treating them poorly in your reception room or in your practice.
3) Ignoring their requests for more information.
4) Giving them the impression that you have enough business and do not care whether or not they become your patient.
Hard facts but true. These are first impressions you never want to make in person. Why would you want to make a bad first impression on the web? A web site that is lacking undercuts everything you are doing in marketing your practice. If you need it and you need a break in paying for it now, let me know. I will work with you. The worst thing you can do right now is to not have a great design or be working toward making your site more compelling. It is expected on the web by now.
As I was preparing online materials for their RFP interface, I came across this video which illustrates your options for web design. It is worth watching, even if you have seen it already.
I thought it was a good reminder for all of you how you can be more competitive on the web. Now more than ever, prospective patients are going to your web site. If it gives a bad impression, it is just as bad as
1) Not taking their call when they call you.
2) Treating them poorly in your reception room or in your practice.
3) Ignoring their requests for more information.
4) Giving them the impression that you have enough business and do not care whether or not they become your patient.
Hard facts but true. These are first impressions you never want to make in person. Why would you want to make a bad first impression on the web? A web site that is lacking undercuts everything you are doing in marketing your practice. If you need it and you need a break in paying for it now, let me know. I will work with you. The worst thing you can do right now is to not have a great design or be working toward making your site more compelling. It is expected on the web by now.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Optimized Site with New Design by Dog Star Media
Way to upgrade your web strategy! Congratulations to Mark Weiser, DDS with the launch of his newly designed, highly optimized new web sites.
You can see them at SantaBarbaraDDS.com and Boutique-Dental.com.
Dr. Weiser gets it. From a design point of view, these sites are graphically very good, offer plenty of video with lots of topics (the tour video is a Dog Star Media production), the Cosmetic Channel and plenty of content.
And, the sites were re-written with search engine optimization in mind. Basically, everything was done in the revision of these sites that makes them truly competitive on the web. Plus, with two different web sites, similar content is reused and repackaged for specific audiences.
This is a mature and complete Internet strategy. If you were wondering what you should be doing to be the most competitive these days, look at this site and take notes. And, to expedite it, feel free to email me. Much of what you see here came from my consultations with Dr. Weiser. If you have any questions about how to make your site more active and more competitive, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
You can see them at SantaBarbaraDDS.com and Boutique-Dental.com.
Dr. Weiser gets it. From a design point of view, these sites are graphically very good, offer plenty of video with lots of topics (the tour video is a Dog Star Media production), the Cosmetic Channel and plenty of content.
And, the sites were re-written with search engine optimization in mind. Basically, everything was done in the revision of these sites that makes them truly competitive on the web. Plus, with two different web sites, similar content is reused and repackaged for specific audiences.
This is a mature and complete Internet strategy. If you were wondering what you should be doing to be the most competitive these days, look at this site and take notes. And, to expedite it, feel free to email me. Much of what you see here came from my consultations with Dr. Weiser. If you have any questions about how to make your site more active and more competitive, please email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
See... it works
Before Thanksgiving, I visited with one of my coaching clients, Charlie Morgan, a cosmetic dentist in Frisco. I recommend to my coaching clients some basics. One of those basics is email marketing, a staple of Circle of Influence Marketing. My formula is simple. Write a blog and email market it out to your patient database on email.
I gave him a few tips on content and he used my blog as a guideline. The email marketing engine he purchased costs less than $30/month. He wrote a blog on biocompatibility in dentistry and emailed it out. Shortly afterward, he had a new $3000 case reply from the email.
I have seen this work many times but never so quickly. That is certainly not guaranteed but it does show that efforts are rewarded. Let’s break down what happened.
Charlie used one of my Circle of Influence strategies, meaning he offered access to himself and his opinions to people who already trust him. This increases the odds of the effort working by a factor of 10X. It is easier to upgrade or sell new services when a relationship already exists.
Second, he took the initiative, choosing a measurable, easy to use and technologically superior media to reach out with a minimum of cost.
Third, he focused his message on the email. There was one idea, one easy link to click. In other words it was not confusing. Just good marketing, message wise.
Fourth, he factored out luck by being active. You also do this by being consistent and smart about your message and targets. In other words follow your coaching.
If you are not using this Circle of Influence strategy, you are leaving opportunity on the table. Even in tight times, business is out there. You need to be smart about how you find it. We talk about what it takes to compete in a tough economy. This is a must. Working your Circle of Influence is vital. And, what is worse, if you are not doing it, you are leaving the door open for a competitor to gain an advantage with YOUR Circle of Influence. You could be playing offense and defense at the same time with this simple strategy.
This is exactly the sort of thing we focus upon in my coaching program. Want to know how to do this and other techniques that can help you market more smartly? Finally ready to put in a marketing infrastructure? My coaching program is only $300/month. Why not call me to enroll? Just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com if you want to discuss it?
I gave him a few tips on content and he used my blog as a guideline. The email marketing engine he purchased costs less than $30/month. He wrote a blog on biocompatibility in dentistry and emailed it out. Shortly afterward, he had a new $3000 case reply from the email.
I have seen this work many times but never so quickly. That is certainly not guaranteed but it does show that efforts are rewarded. Let’s break down what happened.
Charlie used one of my Circle of Influence strategies, meaning he offered access to himself and his opinions to people who already trust him. This increases the odds of the effort working by a factor of 10X. It is easier to upgrade or sell new services when a relationship already exists.
Second, he took the initiative, choosing a measurable, easy to use and technologically superior media to reach out with a minimum of cost.
Third, he focused his message on the email. There was one idea, one easy link to click. In other words it was not confusing. Just good marketing, message wise.
Fourth, he factored out luck by being active. You also do this by being consistent and smart about your message and targets. In other words follow your coaching.
If you are not using this Circle of Influence strategy, you are leaving opportunity on the table. Even in tight times, business is out there. You need to be smart about how you find it. We talk about what it takes to compete in a tough economy. This is a must. Working your Circle of Influence is vital. And, what is worse, if you are not doing it, you are leaving the door open for a competitor to gain an advantage with YOUR Circle of Influence. You could be playing offense and defense at the same time with this simple strategy.
This is exactly the sort of thing we focus upon in my coaching program. Want to know how to do this and other techniques that can help you market more smartly? Finally ready to put in a marketing infrastructure? My coaching program is only $300/month. Why not call me to enroll? Just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com if you want to discuss it?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)