Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Business Branding From I4 Advertising Agency

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Branding Is Critical To Any Business

Business Branding From I4 Advertising Agency

Branding is certainly not a carefree topic. It is a critical element of any business. All too often logo design is treated as being interchangeable with branding. Although they go hand-in-hand, they are not the same. Many businesses overlook the true potential of what a brand can and will accomplish, settling for just a logo. So, what sets a brand apart from a logo. Why is the jump from a logo to a brand so difficult? Why do you need a brand, not just a logo? Let’s explore.
SOME DEFINITIONS
In order to gain a healthy understanding of the differences between a logo and a brand, some definitions must first be established.
A logo is a business’ identification in its simplest form via a recognizable mark or symbol. On the other hand, a brand is the emotion behind what someone feels, sees and tastes when they interact with your company on any level. At the core, branding is an emotional experience. The progression is clear: a logo must come before a brand.
WHAT IS A BRAND?
A memorable logo is important; it paves the way for effective branding. However, a brand is more than a logo. It’s more than just visual identification. A brand is the emotion behind what someone feels, sees and tastes when they interact with your company on any level. Your brand is the image behind what your business believes and strives to accomplish. As a result, your brand becomes your personality and along with that personality comes numerous associations. Therefore a brand bears much more responsibility than a logo.
Brilliant branding takes courage because it is something that is constantly being formed by the public’s perception. Although a designer lays the foundation of a brand visually, the brand’s audience is what truly shapes it. Therefore, it is imperative that the foundation is laid correctly by falling in line with your business’ image and goals.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Branding From I4 Advertising Agency

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-4319-9600

Tips For Branding

Branding From I4 Advertising Agency

Know Your Audience
It’s pointless investing time or money in developing your brand without first ascertaining what will resonate with your audience, and to understand your customer’s habits, wants and needs it is essential to talk to them; knowing your audience is the first and most important task in building a brand.
Color and design matter
Your visual identity, including your logo, is a consumer’s first encounter with your brand, so it must create the right impression.
Unless you’re a graphic designer, avoid the DIY approach and invest in a professional designer to create and develop your logo.
To keep your brand identity consistent across all media channels, create a set of brand guidelines containing detailed information on the color palette, fonts, and tone of voice to be used in your branding, along with other elements such as how your brand should appear on staff uniforms, marketing literature and advertising materials.
Finally, don’t ruin your brilliant branding by giving your brand a bad name. A brand name can have a detrimental effect on your overall brand awareness, so choose it carefully. A brand name must reinforce the key elements or objectives of your business because, ultimately, the more it communicates to your audience about your business and what it provides, the less effort you’ll expend trying to explain it.

Monday, November 28, 2016

You Need A Web Presence

You Need A Web Presence

Get A Business Website From I4 Advertising Agency

While having a website may seem like an unnecessary cost if you're not a prolific internet user yourself, a recent survey showed as much as 70% of the population now has access to an internet connection - that's a big business opportunity you'll be missing out on if you don't have a web presence. Even if your business' website lists little more than your address and opening hours, maintaining a web presence could give you the edge over more technophobic competitors.
Why you need a website
-If you get it right, your website will be the best tool you have for promoting your business. Your website will essentially become an online shop-window, accessible to customers all over the world, which means the better it looks and more and up-to-date it is, the better impression it will make on consumers.
-Whether it's three o'clock in the morning or Christmas day, the internet never closes - which means your business is open all the time, without any extra effort from you. If you choose to have an online store, your customers will be able to dictate when they want to buy, rather than limiting themselves to your opening times.
-If you are locally based, having a web presence will open your business up to new markets outside your local area, giving people from across the world the chance to browse your products or services.
-A well-designed website will make your business appear more professional. In fact, a well-considered website can fool customers into thinking your business is larger than it is and could even level the playing-field between your business and its more established competitors.
-If you're starting a business on a shoestring, the costs of putting together a website will be cheaper than buying or renting premises, and could attract business from further afield than a high-street based business would.
-Feedback is often a difficult thing to attain and more often than not, feedback on your business will be limited to the negative. The internet allows you to enter into a dialogue with your customers, though: use surveys, questionnaires and feedback forms on your website to do market research and find out exactly what your customers' expectations are.
How important is the design of my website?
Very. For many of your customers, your website will be their first impression of your business. Your website gives your customers an idea of what the business is about, who it is for and who runs it. You wouldn't go to a business meeting without looking your best - and your website should be exactly the same.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Get A Website From I4 Advertising Agency

A Website Gives Your Business Credibility

Get A Website From I4 Advertising Agency

Clearly there are still a lot of small businesses that do not have websites, there are various reasons for this but mostly it comes down to the belief that they are expensive. It is rather surprising how much small business owners believe a website will cost them.
Remember you don't need a giant ten thousand page website for your business, just a simple site that tells people about your company and your products will be more than enough.
A website will not only give you credibility but it will also help to give the impression that your company is bigger and more successful than it may actually be. One of the great things about the internet is that the size of your company does not really matter. There is no reason that you can't get your site to rank in Google ahead of a large multinational competitor and funnel off some of their traffic. This is a big part of the reason that a website is even more important for a small business than a big one, it tends to level the playing field.
The main reason that it is important for businesses to have a website is how people are likely to find you. These days most people will go online and research products and companies before they make a purchase, if you don't have a website you are missing out on all of this potential business. Even if people don't buy your product online they are still likely to research it online so you have to have a website so these people can learn about your business.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Have A Strong Online Presence With A Website

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Running your own business is no easy task

Have a strong online presence with a website

Running your own business is no easy task, and your to-do-list is guaranteed to never end. This said, you shouldn’t use this as an excuse to take short cuts when it comes to having online visibility. Beginning with your website, it’s vital to position yourself online with a strong, professional destination that gives customers the impression you mean business and the motivation to want to engage more with your business. With this in mind, consider these reasons why having a strong website is important.
-First Impressions Count 
-Window Shopping Isn’t What It Use to Be
-No Website Means Losing Business
By now it’s clear that if you don’t have a website, you’re missing out on opportunities for customers to identify who you are and if they want to spend money with you.
Having a professional, polished looking website that functions easily and offers customers easy navigation, strong photo images, professional quality content and an overall experience that engages them enough for them to want to do business with you is key.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Does My Local Business Really Need a Website?

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Does My Local Business Really Need a Website?

If you don't have one you're missing opportunities

The American economy, in times both good and bad, is driven by the success of small business. Yet so many small businesses do not have a good searchable website, or worse they have no website at all! Small business owners are among the busiest people, and I have heard some claim they do not have the time or financial wherewithal to develop a good website. This is a BIG mistake! Customers are continually searching the internet looking for products and services. And rightly or wrongly, they often judge whether or not to do business with your company on the basis of your website.
If you are a small business and have a less than great website or no website at all, you are missing a great opportunity to be there when potential new customers are looking for your product or service. And you are also missing an opportunity to tell your story in a fun and engaging manner. Customers are looking for what you have to offer. Will they find you?

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Your Business Needs A Website - We Can Help

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-3600

Reasons why your business needs a website:

-Provides greater exposure to your business
A website enables your business to reach potential and current clients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! You will no longer be tied to the limited geographic area. Your website is visible everywhere. More and more consumers are using the Internet to find businesses and the product they need.
-Economical
Without a website in this day and age is digital suicide. Creating an online presence is highly affordable with low startup costs and maintenance. It saves you on time, money and energy usually incurred by the printing of brochures, flyers and pamphlets. A website's distribution is GLOBAL and potentially increases your business's visibility.
-Convenience for customers
Using the Internet to search for businesses and products is much easier and faster than anything.
-Saves time
The time that you would have spent on the phone answering customers’ questions can now be used to invest in growing your business. Because all the information is already available on the website.
-Inexpensive, effective advertising
A website is also the most inexpensive marketing tool, with global marketing capabilities that work for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your marketing campaigns are completely traceable and can be monitored almost real-time, providing you with valuable information.
Simply put, a website is a dynamic medium, updated daily or weekly, that provides and educates your customers with up-to-date information on your business, products, and services.
Having a website is a guarantee that your business will be reachable to thousands and millions, spread across the world. But, one important question comes into mind... Is having a website important than maintaining it? Well, it's just like, having one's shop with no goods or products to sell. Think for a moment! Will anybody come to buy there? Obviously NO! Likewise, when you go for a website design, you need to take care of three things that can transform your endeavors to a successful venture. These three things include simple website design, functionality rich, and high search engine ranking. Once you are done with these three factors, the rest will be moving smoothly.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Get A Professional Website For Your Business

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Get A Professional Website For Your Business

The key to making the most of the web is making your business as accessible as possible, letting people interact with you in a way that suits them, whenever they want to. Your customers are online 24/7, and as such they expect to be able to interact with businesses and organizations whenever and wherever they are online. Of course, that doesn't mean having to have a presence on every single online channel; it means being clever about selecting the ones that are most important to your audience.
-Be accessible
At the most fundamental level, this means a basic, professional looking website with easy to find, relevant information about your business. At a more advanced level, that could be a fully-blown booking tool that lets customers schedule their own appointment or booking with you, essentially giving your businesses a 24/7 receptionist.
-Think multi-channel – but focus on the ones that really matter
One of the first things to consider is through which online channels to make your business visible. Yes, your website is your flagship, but you need to get your brand to where your potential customers are. As a small business, you likely don't have either the time or resources to do everything, and investing in a fruitless channel can end up being a costly mistake. Think hard about where your customers are spending their time online, and focus your efforts accordingly.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

I4 Advertising Agency Can Help You Brand Your Business

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Branding is what creates customer loyalty

They say it is what keeps consumers loyal and buying repeatedly

But let's go further. Branding is what helps a prospective buyer call to mind a particular company when it comes time to buy. In other words, branding also helps with awareness.
In a world of infinite choices, branding that helps people remember YOUR company is more important than ever. Today consumers have a seemingly endless choice of retailers, products and services available at their fingertips online, or at the local strip shopping centers or shopping malls.
If consumers are shopping for something, what do they do? Go to Google, where billions of Web pages and yellow page listings are available.
Not only are there many choices, but some of the decision factors that traditionally separated and defined companies are today transparent and without much difference. Take, for example, pricing. Pricing is easier to discover and compare than ever before. In certain industries there may be very little price difference.
When all prices are the same, what makes the buyer choose one over another? Nuances and qualitative factors may make the difference.
For small businesses, what sets apart the business may be factors such as high quality, craftsmanship, personalized customer service, superior knowledge to help customers make the proper product selections, and similar qualitative factors.
I4 Advertising Agency can help you brand your business and create a website for your small business.

Monday, November 14, 2016

A Website Is A Crucial Aspect to Any Growing Company

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A website is a crucial aspect to any growing company.

In this digital era, an online presence is necessary to reach potential customers.

It is a place where your customers know they can get reliable information and where your business can stand apart from others.
The main reason some businesses don’t think they need a website is that it would not be relevant to their business or industry. Any business in any industry can benefit from having a website.
Technology is constantly growing and with more ways than ever to connect online, consumers need an easy way to locate your business. With over 3 billion Google searches per day, new customers could be seconds away from finding you and your business. Don’t forget your website will be available to them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Let your website do the work while you build your business and brand.
Posting updates, hours of operation and specials is a big part of any business. Your customers want to know what is going on and when. With 26% of adults not using social networking sites, those customers may miss out on a sale or holiday closing information. By having your information on your website, you ensure that your customers can depend on your business and will want to come back in the future. By making this information available in one place you will have time to focus on your business instead of fielding phone calls about holiday hours and specials.
Let I4 Advertising Agency create a stunning, responsive website for your business today!

Friday, November 11, 2016

Branding is what creates customer loyalty.

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Branding is what creates customer loyalty.

They say it is what keeps consumers loyal and buying repeatedly.

Branding is what helps a prospective buyer call to mind a particular company when it comes time to buy. In other words, branding also helps with awareness.
In a world of infinite choices, branding that helps people remember YOUR company is more important than ever. Today consumers have a seemingly endless choice of retailers, products and services available at their fingertips online, or at the local strip shopping centers or shopping malls.
Pricing is easier to discover and compare than ever before. In certain industries there may be very little price difference.
When all prices are the same, what makes the buyer choose one over another? Nuances and qualitative factors may make the difference.
For small businesses, what sets apart the business may be factors such as high quality, craftsmanship, personalized customer service, superior knowledge to help customers make the proper product selections, and similar qualitative factors.
The challenge for some small businesses is how to get customers to think of them when it’s time to buy. You don’t want your company to be nonexistent in the customer’s mind.
And if they see your brand name in a list of competing vendors (such as in a search engine), you want your brand to be associated with positive factors that make it stand out.
Branding is not a replacement for sales or specific marketing campaigns. But branding assists and reinforces your sales and marketing efforts in important ways.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Your Business Needs A Website From I4 Advertising Agency

Your Business Needs A Website From I4 Advertising Agency

6 Reasons You Need A Website

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

How often do you do a search online for a particular business, only to find that they don’t have a website? How often do members of the business community hand you a business card with just an email address? In today’s business world it’s amazing to see just how many small businesses still do not have a web presence.
Here I share 6 reasons your small business needs a website.
-Professionalism
-Visibility
-Sales Tool
-Convenience
-Market Expansion
-Changeability
The bottom line is this – whether you are a small business owner, inventor, entrepreneur, artist, author, musician or band, you need a website. Increasingly people are turning to the internet to find information. If you aren’t there how will they find you? Without an effective internet presence, your competitors are the winners.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Like many small business owners, you may believe your business cannot benefit from having a website.

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Like many small business owners, you may believe your business cannot benefit from having a website.

Maybe you feel that a website is not within your budget.

Or maybe you think because you don’t use a computer, neither do your potential customers.
These are misconceptions. These 8 reasons show why your company NEEDS a professional website, no matter what size your business.
1. Your small business will gain credibility
2. A website saves you money
3. It will let you keep your customers informed
4. It is always 'open'
5. A website can target a wider audience
6. It gives a way to show off your work
7. A website saves you time
8. It improves customer service
It's an internet world and the world is on the internet. About 80% of consumers use the internet to search for products and services they need before they make a purchase. Most customers today will assume your company has a website and may search for your business only to find you do not exist on the world wide web. Most of your competitors probably already have a website. Don't let them snatch your customers away by not having your own company website.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Branding is just as important for small businesses as it is for big names.

Branding is just as important for small businesses as it is for big names.

Many corporate brands try to look more like small firms in order to appeal to consumers that prefer to support independent brands.

Branding is a way of defining your business to yourself, your team and your external audiences. It could be called the business’ “identity,” but only on the understanding that it embodies the core of what the business is and its values, not just what it looks and sounds like. Customers of all sorts of businesses are so savvy today that they can see through most attempts by companies to gloss, spin or charm their way to sales.
The benefits that a strategically defined brand can bring are the same as when people fall in love with each other. When customers connect emotively — because they share the same values and beliefs of a brand — it leads to higher sales and better brand differentiation. It also leads to loyalty, advocacy and can even protect your price in times when competitors rely on promotional discounts to drive sales. It can also give you the ideal platform from which to extend your offering or range.
1. Don't repeat the same message in the same way over and over again.
Alternatively, aim to make your key messages work together to build a coherent identity.
2. Don’t try to mimic the look of chains or big brands.
Try and carve out your own distinctive identity. There is a big consumer trend towards independent establishments, and several chains are in fact trying to mimic an independent feel to capture some of that market. Truly independent operators can leverage their status to attract customers who are looking for something more original and authentic, that aligns with how feel about themselves.
3. Be innovative, bold and daring – stand for something you believe in.
Big brands are encumbered by large layers of bureaucracy, preventing them from being flexible and reacting to the ever-changing needs of their customers. Those layers of decision-makers can make it hard for them to be daring with their branding.
4. Always consider your branding when communicating with customers.
Don't lose your pride or dilute your brand positioning with indiscriminate discounting. Try offering more, rather than slashing prices. Promotions are an opportunity to reinforce your brand mission.
5. The old way of stamping your logo on everything won't cut it.
The future of branding is fluid and engaging — respect your customers' intelligence by not giving everything away up front. Generate some intrigue and allow them to unearth more about your brand for themselves. This is the way to foster ambassadors who revel in telling other people what they have discovered.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Here are five tips on how to successfully implement branding for your business.

Here are five tips on how to successfully implement branding for your business.

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

1. Start by defining your brand.

Review the product or service your business offers, pinpoint the space in the market it occupies and research the emotive and rational needs and concerns of your customers. Your brand character should promote your business, connect with your customer base and differentiate you in the market.

2. When building your brand, think of it as a person.

Every one of us is an individual whose character is made up of beliefs, values and purposes that define who we are and who we connect with. Our personality determines how we behave in different situations, how we dress and what we say. Of course for people it's intuitive and it's rare that you even consider what your own character is, but when you're building a brand it's vital to have that understanding.

3. Consider what is driving your business.

What does it believe in, what is its purpose and who are its brand heroes. These things can help establish your emotive brand positioning and inform the identity and character for brand communications.

4. Aim to build long-term relationships with your customers.

Don’t dress up your offering and raise expectations that result in broken promises, create trust with honest branding — be clear who your company is and be true to the values that drive it every day.

5. Speak to your customers with a consistent tone of voice.

It will help reinforce the business’ character and clarify its offering so customers are aware exactly what to expect from the product or service.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Your Business Needs A Website & We Can Help

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Why Do I Need a Website?

6 Reasons Your Business Needs One

Reason #1 – Online brochure
Companies spend millions creating brochures and distributing them. By having a website you can skip that entirely. Your potential customers can find out about you and any of your products online. If you get most of your business through networking and personal connections, then they will want to check out your website.
Reason #2 – More customers
More than 2.4 billion people use the internet every day, and some 90% of those have purchased something, or contacted a company, online in the last 12 months. So by not having a website, you will be missing out on a big piece of the pie.
Reason #3 – Business value
Have you tried getting a business loan recently? It’s not easy, but if you try and the bank manager asks to see your website, you better have a pretty good one. It doesn’t just stop with the bank, the perceived value of your business will be lower in everyone’s eyes – especially your customers.
Reason #4 – Influence
By having a website potentially thousands of people are going to see it. You are able to influence people’s decisions and educate them.
Reason #5 – Time to show off
You know that great feeling you get when people recognize your work? Well, by having a website you can show off what you do and take pride in your work.
Reason #6 – Instant credibility
Have you ever had difficulty making that sale? Or convincing someone that you are the real deal? By having a well structured website you can foster instant credibility with anyone. You can provide the ultimate proof that you are, in fact, the realest of all deals.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Thinking about a website? Good you should be.

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600

Thinking about a website? Good you should be.

Your business needs one.

Here's one myth about getting a website.
A website seems so sterile and impersonal. It won't add to "our kind" of customer base that was built on personal relationship.
This statement is commonly made by specialty shop owners and real estate agents. Real estate agents will add "I already invest high dollars in space advertising." This might seem odd because the business owners that say this are some of the nicest people I've met - and are usually sound business people. They know how to treat a customer or client with special care.
However, they don't understand that all kinds of people use the internet to access information. The internet, unlike advertising mediums does not target a set demographic. Magazines, Newspapers, Television, Radio — are all demographically based. Family Circle will always target women between the ages of 25 and 35 that have young children. Country music radio stations target a specific audience as do Cable news programs or shows like Sesame Street.
The Internet gives everyone access, targeting no one in particular. The Internet user chooses where to look, just as they choose what newspaper to buy or what television program to watch. If your business is not there, it won't be found.
There are over 8 billion web pages indexed in the Google search engine. The top three commercial markets on the web are Technology, Real Estate and Travel. Technology businesses know they need a website. If you're in real estate (even an individual agent) YOU NEED A WEBSITE. If your business markets to travelers accommodations, restaurant, specialty shopping, tickets, travel wear, recreational products, travel gear, animal care, children's activities) YOU NEED A WEBSITE. Statistics show that 7 out of 10 people will go to the internet for information before they purchase real estate or set a travel itinerary.
A website usually is rather impersonal — and that's a good thing. When people use the internet they want information not a personal relationship. The information will bring them to you. You create the relationship.
A website gives you a higher number of potential customers to create a relationship with. If internet users don't find you on the web, they'll seek out your competitors who have websites.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

A Website Is A Multi-functional, Communication Tool

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600
Only you can determine if your company needs a web site. While making the determination, you want to consider that a web site is multi-functional, and is a communication tool — not just an advertisement. If your business is organized, all of your clientele is local, and you have a back-log of customers waiting to be serviced —and you can handle that service effectively — you may not need a website.
If you often wish you could communicate effectively with a broader range of clients / customers, publicly post answers to frequently asked questions, attract new customers, break in to new markets and take the market share from your competitors — then a website is a MUST!
A web site is like your giant public bulletin board where people can get information on how to find you, where you are located, what you have to offer, why your service is unique, and what's new in your company. It also is easily updated and changed frequently, and is a communication forum through which your customers can communicate back to you with questions, concerns and feedback on their needs.
Your current customers may not use the computer much — that is possible.
These percentages have NEVER decreased. It is likely that they will continue to increase. A website keeps you in sync with this trend.
Another interesting statistic:
The fastest growing sector of the American population getting computer literate is between the ages of 50 and 75. This sector also includes those with the highest percentage of disposable income. A website helps you target that using population.
Another thing to think about - 75 years ago, the American population felt that the telephone was an expensive luxury and not crucial to business growth. That sentiment continued for 30 years. As social communication trends changed, and expenses decreased — businesses changed to insure profitability. Use of the Internet will only increase in the next ten years.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

A Website Can Be The Foundation For All Your Marketing Efforts

i4advertisingagency.com | 844-319-9600
There are different reasons your business needs a website.
Reason #1: It’s the foundation of all your marketing efforts. Many of the people from these sources will go to your website to find out more about you. Without a website many potential customers will never be able to find out anything about your business. Most importantly, however, with a website you can capture these customers into what we call remarketing lists and continue to market to them for up to a year. I’ve written several posts on my blog about the effectiveness of using remarketing. And remarketing is very important when you consider that only 10-15% of your customers will convert to leads on the first visit to your site – without it you don’t have much of a chance to close the sale.
Reason #2: Customer Service.
Customers can get many of their questions answered without calling you. You can have pages with FAQ’s, directions to your location, recommendations, and testimonials. Plus if you have forms on your site customers can just submit their questions which enables you to answer when you have available time.