A local restaurant that we’ve been working with in the Sacramento area for the last two years finally decided that they will let us try and tap the online (potential) client pool.   We started cutting the wasters (i.e. phone books, papers, or classifieds) and introducing new ways for them to advertise and market their business.  There are some print publications that can still be utilized, but it has to be carefully targeted.  That said, at first they were quite hesitant, not grasping, even believing the concept of how the internet could drive traffic through their door.  Besides those flyers and coupons we’ve been printing for them, it was clear that they needed something else.   Anyways, the results have been incredible with a large percentage increase in new walk-ins who turn into regulars, something their competitors aren’t experiencing.   Times are tough, especially for small business and it will probably get tougher once the commercial real estate bubble bursts, so don’t waste your money on wasteful advertising “black holes”.

We’re just glad we are able to help local businesses realize their potential and hopefully have a brighter tomorrow.  So remember, it’s not whether you have a website for your business; it’s what that website does for your business.

No Multitasking:
“Are you saying I can’t listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can’t have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can’t have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product.” —Adam Frucci, Gizmodo
• “No multitasking on an oversized powerful iPod Touch? The only ‘revolutionary’ about the iPad is the price.” —Twitter user “thepha”

No Flash Support, No Streaming Movies for You:
• “This means video won’t play unless it’s on YouTube, for which iPad has a special player. This also means many components on many websites won’t even appear, let alone work. Ignore the ‘good riddance to Flash’ apologists currently packing Techmeme. You’re not willing to give up that large a chunk of the Web 2.0 Internet.” —Paul Boutin, VentureBeat
• “For better or worse, it’s just not the real Web without support for Adobe Flash. We want to watch Hulu on the iPad. It’s sort-of okay on a small phone-sized device, but it’s not okay on a 9.7 inch screen.” —Jason Cross, PC World

Where Are the Ports?
• “Wow … can you say ‘gamble’? What portable, non-cellphone device doesn’t offer at least one USB port? How many mobile devices and accessories need that valuable port to make life fun, easy, and productive? Who in their right mind would ‘assume’ that mobile device users would not be interested in a laptop-sized device that didn’t have a USB port? You have to be kidding me. The same thing goes for ‘no memory card reader’. My reaction is an immediate, ‘Huh?’ —Gil Laroya, Huffington Post
“I think we’ve been down this road before. Does the name MacBook Air ring a bell? With only one connector port and a headphone jack, the iPad is a connectivity nightmare, since you’ll have to buy adapters for everything from USB to SD cards. Not to mention that you’re restricted to a wireless-only connection without an Ethernet port.” —Geeksugar

No Camera:
• “Really, no camera? Like, not even at all? Yep, there is no camera on the iPad. It was mystifying enough on the iPod touch, but to omit the camera here is a curious thing. That means no video iChat, no Skype video conferencing, no quickly snapping a pic of whatever and uploading it to Flickr/Facebook/Picasa/etc. The iPad is clearly a device centered around media consumption, not creation.” —Barb Dybwad, Mashable
• “No video camera, no stills camera, and no webcam. The first two will likely never make it into a future iPad, as we all have our iPhones or actual cameras with us, too. But the lack of a webcam is odd, as it closes off the possibility of using the iPad as a videophone. I figure this is a cost-saving measure on Apple’s part. Too bad, though, as it is the only thing that stops me buying an iPad.” - Charlie Sorrel, Wired

MANIFESTO

Once upon a time, men wore the pants, and wore them well. Women rarely had to open doors and little old ladies never crossed the street alone. Men took charge because that’s what they did. But somewhere along the way, the world decided it no longer needed men. Disco by disco, latte by foamy latte, men were stripped of their khakis and left stranded on the road between boyhood and androgyny. But today, there are questions our genderless society has no answer for. The world sits idly by as cities crumble, children misbehave and those little old ladies remain on one side of the street. For the first time since bad guys, we need heroes. We need grown-ups. We need men to put down the plastic fork, step away from the salad bar and unite the world from the tracks of complacency. It’s time to get your hands dirty. It’s time to answer the call of manhood. It’s time to wear the pants.

First the ad / marketing campaign is brilliant. Roughly 80% of people are responding with the greatest enthusiasm, both men and women. The article can be found here at WalletPop.

Read all the comments for that article, they were very interesting. I think Dockers is doing what most corporations are afraid to do, and that is to represent the majority. Corporations are tricked into believing just like any of us can be to be politically correct, so often they pander to the lowest common denominator, lest they offend a minority and face a total media onslought which will demonize the company itself, effecting the bottom line.

Dockers Ad Campaign for Real Men

What Dockers did, is extremely brave of them, and really a brakethrough (considering todays society) and guess what the response of the consumer is incredibly in their favor which hopefully (and I hope) will sell many pants for them.

Visit their website, www.dockers.com and read their “Manifesto” spend some time around on their website, a few minutes - that will also give them a great response when they analyze their web traffic.

I’m on my way to buy some Dockers!

To all our friends, clients, and families, Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

Pumpkins in Applehill, California.

Wild Flowers in Folsom by YakStudios.com

Photo shot with a Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 and mounted 1985 Minolta Beercan AF 70-210 mm F4.

© Yak Studios | 2009 | kozlenak | Folsom

© Yak Studios | 2009 | kozlenak | Folsom, Sacramento, California.

Fast forward to the year 2009, an absence of a business website hinted at one thing; “Let’s go, this guy is not professional.”

It is now considered bad business practice to not include a website as part of your business marketing and communication.  With small websites becoming more affordable then ever, you cannot afford not to have one.  It has been estimated that 73% of people search online now before they make a commitment to a purchase or service provider.  That number will only grow, in fact every year more and more people go to the web to find what they will purchase, where they will eat, and whom they will trust.  Presentation of your business is important, even if it’s a one page website with your address, a picture, and a paragraph; at least you’ll let them know you exist some where out there.

© Yak Studios | 2009 | kozlenak | Folsom, Sacramento, California.

Let’s look at the credibility issue.  A website is the new business card, would you do business without a business card, well you can but that speaks more about your business than you might think.  The same analogy can be brought to the good old phone book.  Ten years ago you wouldn’t do business without a listing in one of those  hefty books, why?  Because everyone used it to find everything.  So if most everyone is using the internet to find where to spend their next buck, you should be there for them to find.

Your website is also a marketing tool, the most important marketing tool, one that may sink or elevate your business image.  An ugly, hard to use website will hurt your business more than help.  Imagine meeting someone for the first time; they have chunks of food in their beard, disheveled hair, and clothing that didn’t fit the occasion.  You’d run the other way, so will we if we see that kind of website.  In this business the first 16 seconds of a customer visit to your website are the most crucial, if they aren’t impressed they will disappear.  We call those websites painful, and if you have an unprofessional website than you and your business are unprofessional.  A website must have  a pleasant design, easy navigation and relevant content organized in a proper fashion.

An important step to building a website is when we talk to you.  You as a business owner or manager know your organization best, you know customers and what they want.  We need to know who is coming to your website and what they need.  People don’t really have time for fancy flash websites, and cute animations, they need to get in and get out with the information they were looking for.  You must also remember that internet users are trained, inadvertently of course.  They browse many websites and they expect certain standards, that is why it’s important to hire a professional company that understands the demands of the consumer and builds an effective website.

www.yakstudios.com

Here are a few reasons for a good website that come to mind.

• 73% of customers search for local products and services online.
• 10 years ago I wouldn’t do business without having a listing in the yellow pages, hmm, now I can’t do business without a website.
• Website works 24/7 for me with no vacations.
• If my competition has one, their taking my online customers.
• If my competition isn’t online, I can bring in more customers.
• An easy and cost effective way to stay in touch with customers.
• Saves my time when customers visit my website for FAQ’s instead of calling me.
• Professional image, competent image, I am credible, I am advancing!
• For every day my business isn’t advancing, it is slowly dying.
• I know that with every day more and more people use the web to find what they are looking for.

If you want to hear how exactly a professionally designed website can help your business, give us a call to see how Yak Studios can help you reign in your marketing potential.