It was my pleasure to assist in helping 11^th Street Station bring a branded online presence to 11thStreetStation.com.  The final product has yet to be created although the complete site will be released in the coming weeks!

In short, the overall site design is basic.  Included in their package is simple SEO optimization and information architecture.  We’ll also submit the entire site to the top 25 search engines once completed.  In addition, 11thStreetStation.com has taken advantage of listing it’s business location via various free listing services throughout Austin (i.e. Google Listing, Yahoo Listing, MSN Listing, UrbanSpoon.com, Groupon.com, TheLunchDeal.com and more).  Each of these services are very powerful in driving word-of-mouth advertising and business to the bottom-line.

Also, a value-ad strategy for 11thStreetStation.com is keeping their site up to date using dynamic content and driving customers to the site to view the latest events coming to the venue.  The true nuts and bolts of the strategy and entire website will rely on using automated marketing.  The customized automated marketing package will allow for 11thStreetStation.com to message to it’s customers who sign up on the website to receive email ‘meal deal’ alerts as well as customers that complete a survey when dining in.

The messaging timing of 14, 30, and 60 day messages will include contests, giveaways, East 11^th Street Fun Facts, as well as an opportunity to join the 11^th Street Station’s Social Media (Twitter and Facebook) online presence.  The power behind this strategy is that it’s all automated – that’s right, no hiring of a full-time agency to manage it.  It’s all database driven and dynamic content.

Well, it’s about time for lunch and I’ll let you guess where I’m headed… see you there: 11thStreetStation.com!

The Unique Closet really came about over the course of the last 9-10 months of travel.  Everywhere city we visited someone would question Mallary about certain boutique outfits.  Most wanted to know where they could purchase or possibly even peruse such a unique collection of boutique clothing and accessories.  The more and more people questioned, the more the two of us put two and two together to strike out down the path of partnering to operate an online women’s boutique clothing business.  We figured we’ve already committed ourselves to friendship and marriage, so why not a business too!

So over the course of May and June, we married, honeymooned, built a full-scale online boutique e-commerce website, and birthed a dream into a reality:  TheUniqueCloset.com.  The site in it’s entirety is an osCommerce shopping cart with an osCommerce Template from TemplateMonster.com.  We’ve tweaked the out-of-the-box osCommerce install quite a bit, adding the following major features just a name a few:

• Purchase Without A Registered Account
• From 4 to 1 page checkout capabilities
• PayPal Payment Method
• eCloset (Wishlist) Capabilities
• Recently Viewed Products
• Points and Rewards Program
• Discounts / Gift Certificates
• Automated Product Review and B-Day Mailers
• Livezilla Chat Software
• Facebook Like

And July 1, 2010 arrived and we were met with ladies chomping at bit to get their hands on trendy dresses & rompers, tops, bottoms, and accessories.  The experience has definitely been a learning one, seeing this is Mal’s first rodeo and I’ve not been in retail in nearly 10 years.  But with the help of family and friends, and second to God, our little baby is growing up quite fast before our very own eyes.  We thank everyone for their prayers and support — it takes a lot to strike out as an individual to start a business but definitely as a couple.

Oh well, sorry to cut this post short, but our new baby is calling and time for new shipment post of merchandise.

OH, and before I forget… If you’re ever online and in our neck of the woods shopping for women’s boutique clothing and accessories, stop on by TheUniqueCloset.com.  If you find something you like, be sure to use the following promo card to save 10% off your purchase: almal10.

But in terms of managing and operating and great lead generation system with Facebook, the static FMBL language can allow for a company to turn a simple form into a simple lead generation tool.  What does this mean?  In simple terms, this means that Facebook has provided developers with a programming language that is equivalent to  HTML, hence the ‘FBML‘.  So, how can your business use FBML to drive lead generation or to increase traffic to your website?

For example, let’s say your business depends heavily on individuals visiting your website and registering as a user to download various whitepapers, presentations, or even buy products/services.  If people don’t visit your site to make purchases, 9 times out of 10 your business will not grow.  Enters FBML.  We’ll take FBML and your user registration on your website and now place it on your Facebook Fan or Profile Page as a tab (See example via the boxes tab: 2010 Hurricane Season).  Simply put, FBML allows for businesses to brand their Facebook page with custom tabs.  These custom tabs can include custom images, forms, text… the works!  So yes, you can run a contest from the custom tab, email newsletter sign up, watch a quick video, or promote user registration.  Think of the leads you’re missing because you’re Facebook Page is unable to capture those persons or businesses that may not visit your site but will visit your Facebook page.  Are you ready to get started?

To learn more about how to use FBML to drive lead generation, or to share your experience, please leave a comment below.

Are you ready for your cup to overflow in blessings?

If you live in the Texas Triangle of Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, then you know about the Texas Relays, 6th street, slabs, bikini nights, Greek & Step shows, and the works…  There is nothing like it!

Well, for 2010, I had the opportunity to setup a ‘Stay In The Know’ events site for the Texas Relays: TexasRelaysWeekend.com.  In  simple terms, this was a site to educate between 20-40K people about various Texas Relays events and parties.  The site featured the Urban Music Fest, Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, and an assortment of Texas Relays Style Parties & Events.

So what is so special about the site!  For one, it because the most viewed and visited site as ranked by Alexa.com in a period of 7 days!  Most companies promise you a #1 Search Engine Position and can’t do it, so you know I was quite impressed to see the organic growth to position #3 on such a short timeline.

Beyond SEO, the competition could not touch the website nor the Social Media presence via Twitter and Facebook.  I was able to automate the listing of each party a dynamic RSS php feed via Twitter and Facebook, so that as we added parties to the database, people could via the parties via the smartphones, PC’s/laptops, text/sms, and emails.  Not only that, but users could also search the database for parties via our proprietary site search engine.  Search by event type, name, date.. you name it, you can do it at TexasRelaysWeekend.com.

And the greatest benefit of the site… it is user generated content!  Yes, you the users have access to add parties — your parties for FREE!  Not only that, the site offered a self-service advertising portal for business owners to promoter their businesses/products/services or events at a reasonable daily cost.

The 2010 Texas Relays may be gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t catch the 2011 Texas Relays: TexasRelaysWeekend.  Visit TexasRelaysWeekend.com and sign up to receive updates about the 2011 Texas Relays events and parties.

Objective
To build an interactive community via BumpStopper.com of High Time Products whereby users obtain and attain greater product awareness, profitable customer base growth, and increased online/offline profitable revenues.

Solution
After a thorough discussion of the objectives and possible metrics used to determine the success of both the campaign and overall strategy,  it was apparent that both… Twitter and Facebook would be viable options.  Now the catch is that in reality, both solutions will speak to unique audiences and will have different messaging paths.  Twitter is used more for dialog, and Facebook is more of a extended website or brand of Bumpstopper.com.  Both allow for transparency, but in different ways.

For instance, with Facebook High Time Products will be able to add custom FBML tabs, add and manage events and contests, promote PPC ads, and suggest the BumpStopper.com Fan Page to a greater network of individuals.  In comparison to Twitter, Twitter is more about personal engagement and conversing about the company brand and just personal topics.  Now with both, we’re able to sprinkle in posts in regards to promotions, discounts… etc.  But the main focus is to drive engaging conversation and interaction behind the High Time Products with the by product being that new and existing customers convert and buy products on the BumpStopper.com website.

Strategy
You’ll have to stay tuned in regards to finding out our strategy… Yes, you’ll have to come back in a few months to read whether or not our strategy worked, or you could keep up by becoming a fan and follower of BumpStopper.com.  Visit the website and you’ll see the icons to join and follow.

Metrics
Read Strategy Section  :)

Well, until the next post… to Social Media Infinity And Beyond!

I recently had the pleasure of assisting a small business in establishing their online brand in providing full-service tree and mulching equipment and services. It was rather a refreshing challenge to design and program within a new small business industry: tree and mulching equipment and service.  

The old rowmec site was very much static and outdated; however, it served the purpose of allowing customers to learn and educate themselves about ROWMEC as a company.  Taking ROWMEC to a new and improved look and feel was one task, but allowing it to add a simple yet robust ecommerce option to the site was another.

In its entirety, the new Rowmec website, www.rowmec.com, now provides an organized and comprehensive overview of products and services while having the capability of having a small yet robust system to sale equipment as needed.  Some of the main objectives and features of the new site in comparison to the old site:

• Email Newsletter Sign — now customers are able to sign up and receive messaging from ROWMEC.  This allows ROWMEC to build an ongoing list of suspects and prospects to do business with in the present or near future.  Can we say simple Lead Generation?
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – What is a website now a days without being fully SEO optimized?  Answer: a piece of unknown junk!  Every and every page has dynamically generated keywords, description, page title, alt/title tags, keyword linking and keyword density… not to mention the site was submitted to top 40 search engines and has a robots director file.
• Simple Search — this feature actually tracks the keywords customer use to find equipment on the ROWMEC site, and can be viewed from the admin area.  The website also dynamically places searched keywords into meta-tags when a certain threshold for keyword density on a page is met.
  
• Dynamic Testimonials – From the homepage to the testimonial page, this site has an easy way to show the large number of testimonials ROWMEC has received over the last 30 or more years in business from their customers.
• Google Analytics — One has to know and be able to measure and monitor their website traffic to know what is working and what is not!
• Dynamic Images – ROWMEC’s site includes dynamic images on each page as a way to show the types of services/products they offer to their customers.  Plus, this is a great way to keep the site looking fresh, clean, and dynamic in nature.
• Photo Gallery – ROWMEC needed an easy mechanic to display their various projects online.  We provided an easy admin tool whereby they are able to manage images for customer viewing on the website.
• The XChange — ROWMEC’s customized ecommerce platform that enables customers to buy and browse available equipment for sale, rent/lease, or trade.
• Admin Portal — an intuitive, user-friendly management area for viewing/managing customer email sign ups, The XChange, testimonials, videos, product brochures…etc.
  

On the wide expanse of Auditorium Shores Thursday, vendors set up for a musically cultural weekend – the Urban Music Festival. Operators walked the grounds, checking the set up. Everything has to be right when music hits the shores.

“It really serves well to have a family environment whereby your kids can come and play as well as enjoy good music,” festival operator Alvin Brown said.

Read the entire article and watch a quick video here…

Also visit www.urbanmusicfest.com and www.texasrelaysweekend.com for more information.

Armadillo Auto Glass came to mind.  I did a quick search and didn’t find a website, but I did find a number.  I love doing business local here in Austin, so I knew that Armadillo was probably the go-to company for my auto glass needs.  I did check with others, but the owner, Greg, said he would come out and fix my glass within a day.  And that he did and a stellar job too!

Little did I know then, we both would connect and my company would return the favor, being awarded the business to do an all inclusive website for Armadillo Auto Glass.  Here’s the kicker… 80-90% of Armadillo’s business came/comes from Google Maps and local searches.  Yes, believe it or not, they were pulling in business without a website.  So that leaves one to only imagine at what could happen when designing an easy-to-use informative site that is SEO-optimized and makes the best use of customer testimonials.  Well, we did it… take a look at Austin’s most trusted auto glass repair and replacement experts: Armadillo Auto Glass.

So what does the site consist of???  Glad you aksed…  Simply put, we focused our efforts on the following to help drive SEO optimization, site traffic, and content generation:

• Facebook — one of the easiest ways for Greg to extend his Google Adwords was getting him onto and into Facebook PPC advertising, whereby he can focus his efforts on local business and not have his eggs in one basket.  With Austin being a tech town, Armadillo Auto Glass stands to gain a lot of PPC exposure and business.  So we created Armadillo Auto Glass a Facebook fan page to begin gaining friends as well as offer an incentive for joining…
• Simple, Yet Intriguing Design — One of the first things out of the blocks was to create a simple, easy-to-use site whereby people can make the best educated judgment about the business and services provided and the main goal is to get customers to call for an appointment.  Cha-Ching! Nothing fancy about this site in general, but we do take advantage of MySQL database and homepage call-to-actions to organically grow and manage a customer email sign up for Dillo Deals, Dillo Referrals and testimonials.  In addition, we use some code to generate dynamic pictures and differentiators throughout the site.  We also provide users with a slick shadowbox image effect in the Photo Gallery area.  As a management feature, Armadillo will use Google Analytics for website traffic monitoring as well as integration to their AdWords.
• Search Engine Optimization — As usual, we optimized this site from head-to-toe with all the basics of SEO as well as some additional honest white-hat tricks of the trade to give the site a boost in it’s infancy.  Armadillo has a great foundation for SEO due to having visibility on Yelp, City Search, Merchantile, and other local Austin venues that provide free advertising and product/service reviews.  One of the biggest SEO components is the testimonial area whereby people leave auto glass testimonials of the great service rendered by Armadillo Auto Glass.

We still have a ways to go to in regards to SEO Link-Building strategies, and getting traffic to the site.  However, for now, we will focus our efforts on Facebook and getting/staying on Googlemaps, and making sure we add auto glass content on the regular to boost the overall PageRank throughout the site.  Stay tuned as we’ll keep you updated on this project and how things are turning out.  Next on the list… landing pages for Armadillo Auto Glass!  See you around…