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New Year, New Team Members, New Services

January 8, 2021 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

new services, team members, service solutions, web agency, marketing, service offered

Since HeartWired’s inception in 2016, we have been known primarily as a web design agency. While we have offered others services and solutions all along, we did not market or promote them, until now. We have been holding this secret for a little while now. I am personally excited to announce we also are adding new team members and services.

Businesses and nonprofits each have different level of needs when creating their brand. While a website is a large portion of their identity, and we will continue to focus on that service, we recognize there is more involved. By providing more solutions, we are able to be your go to agency for all your brand needs in the New Year.

Creating a brand identity goes beyond simply a fancy logo and a pretty website.

While both are critical in our opinion. Part of developing the brand identity is to dive into the heart behind that brand. We have brought on a team member, our new ‘Graphic Wizard’, Lucy. Lucy will magically guide you through the branding process with mood boards and other tools of the trade. Guiding you in developing a logo and other assets that really amplify your brand.

About our Graphic Wizard (Graphic Designer) Lucy…

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Lucy Kates was born and raised in Jacksonville, FL, and has been a creative her entire life. She knew from a young age she wanted to be an artist, and has been aiming to be a professional doodler ever since. Lucy graduated from the University of North Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design & Digital Media in 2019. Outside of graphic design and illustration, she’s dabbled in painting, digital photography, and various other artistic mediums. She’s happy she can work in a field she’s passionate about while helping small businesses grow and actively shape the community around us.

When you have a business or nonprofit, you have a story that is at the center of it’s existence. One way of sharing the compelling story comes in the shapes of words and content. We have found that many times this content can be the most difficult part of any project for the client. While you know what and why you do what you do best, sometimes telling others is quite difficult. We can now help create professionally written content for your website. Offering other opportunities as well, such as blog posts, press releases and more. We would like to introduce Heather, our new content creator or ‘Word Slayer’.

A tad bit about our Word Slayer (Content Writer), Heather…

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Heather is the trusty Swiss-army knife in the communication toolbox, capable of using multiple skills to perform multiple tasks in a wide variety of situations. Technical writing, creative writing, editing, marketing, and event planning are a few of her strongest skills. Military families, human trafficking victims, and homeschooling are a few of her greatest passions. From raising and homeschooling five exemplary children with her wounded warrior husband to graduating Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University (Dec 2015), she has the consistent dedication necessary to see tasks through from beginning to end. Heather’s experience working with a variety of ministries and non-profit organizations combined with her heart for serving others makes her uniquely positioned to compassionately address many issues while using her knowledge base and skill set to accelerate results.

We also will be hosting an intern for the spring semester. Safiya Dewji is Marketing major with a minor in Digital Media at University of Central Florida. She will providing Social Media and Marketing expertise for the next few months as she works alongside our team of experts.

Won’t you join us in welcoming our two newest team members and part of the HeartWired family. We look forward to continuing to provide services that matter. One way to do that is to build a team of passionate people that truly love what they do. We are looking forward to the New Year, and opportunities to serve our clients.

If you or someone you know is interested in joining our growing team, we are always looking for creatives to join us. So if you are a web designer, developer, project manager, or other creative contact us and lets chat.

Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: branding, content creation, content writer, graphic design, logo design, marketing, new services, social media marketing

How to Create a 2021 Content Calendar + 10 of Our Favorite Blog Post Ideas for the New Year

December 31, 2020 By Heather Tabers Leave a Comment

Create a content calendar, content, schedule content, blog posts, content creation

A new year means new goals, new strategies, and new opportunities. It also means new content for your blog which can seem overly daunting and time-consuming at first glance. Fortunately, we have some suggestions and methods for alleviating the stress and exhaustion of coming up with daily, weekly, or monthly content.

In this post, we show you the best way to organize content for the coming year using a simple tool – the content calendar.

What is a Content Calendar?

Before we show you a simple how-to guide on creating a content calendar, we should probably start with explaining what it is and why you need one. Simply put, a content calendar is a shareable tool that your team can use to visualize how content will be shared throughout the year, offering these great benefits:

  • Time saved during the creation and publishing processes
  • A centralized location for tracking blog content, social media, newsletters, etc.
  • Full team alignment, with all team members knowing what is being published, when and where it’s being published, and what is expected of team members
  • Ability to plan around holidays, events, and other occasions

3 Ways to Save Time with a Content Calendar

Batching Content: One of the greatest benefits of creating a content calendar is the time saved by planning ahead and batching content, whenever possible. For example, a bookstore may want to create a content calendar for their store’s blog, featuring a different genre of books for each month. By creating the calendar in advance, the store ensures that romance novels will be focused around Valentine’s Day, travel books will be featured over the summer travel months, and children’s books will be highlighted just before Christmas. 

Once the calendar is laid out, the bookstore’s blogging and social media teams will be able to save time by working on batches of posts, all at once. Graphics can be created for the theme of each month and reused across social media and the store’s blog. Not only does this save time, but it looks professional, polished, and reader-friendly, allowing a consistent flow of quality content from the store.

By batching their content, the bookstore is able to ensure that their posts look well thought out and planned rather than appearing to be someone’s last minute thought. (Face it, we’ve all been there.)

Repurposing Content:  Create more with less. Perhaps the greatest time-saving tip of all when it comes to creating content would be to repurpose your content. Do you have old blog articles that you published long before you had a large following? Dig them out and re-use them! Freshen them up and give them new life on your blog.

But don’t stop there. There are other ways to repurpose your content.

Let’s use that bookstore as an example, once again. During the month of February, the bookstore may want to highlight romance novels by interviewing a famous romance author. The interview can be recorded and shared as a video on social media or as an audio file on a podcast. An article can be written about the interview and shared on their blog. A quote from the book or from the interview can be made into a graphic and shared on social media. And just like that, one interview has been repurposed in several different ways. A content calendar makes this a seamless process.

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Publishing Content: Once your content has been created in batches and repurposed appropriately, it becomes much easier to schedule the publication of your content in advance. A number of online tools exist to help users schedule both social media and blog posts to be published at certain times on specific days. This eliminates the need for sticky note reminders and cell phone alarms that urge you not to forget to make a social media post or share your blog. Imagine the amount of stress that would roll off of you if you only had to think about your blog and/or social media once a week, a month, or even a quarter!

Spontaneous posters, have no fear! A content calendar does not prohibit you from impromptu posts or spur-of-the moment blogging. In fact, it frees you up to be more responsive to the world around you. There are times when our logically flowing media campaigns need to be interrupted and important world issues need to be addressed. Having a content calendar full of pre-batched media allows you to focus on what needs to be said in the moment, without losing your other content.

How To Create a Stellar Content Calendar

  1. Choose Your Format The world wide web offers everything from templates to apps to plugins for formatting your content calendar. You can open up an Excel spreadsheet, a Google Calendar, or any number of apps such as BaseCamp, Trello, or CoSchedule. There’s no right or wrong way. Use what works for you.
  2. Define Your Needs Do you need to be posting on social media every day? Twice a day? Twice a week? 
  3. Brainstorm Get out a piece of notebook paper or work collectively on a dry erase board and start brainstorming topics you want to cover. Can they be grouped together cohesively in a logical manner? (Think about the bookstore covering a different genre each month.) Don’t get stuck here. There’s no rule that says your topics must follow a logical order. Sometimes this just helps creatives plan and organize their material.
  4. Start Scheduling Take a look at the calendar and take note of seasons, holidays, events, etc. Start broad and then narrow in. (One genre a month, a different author each week, interviews on Mondays, videos on Wednesdays, podcasts on Fridays, etc.) Then start plugging in your topics where they fit best to you. 
  5. Decide How Often to Batch Do you or your teams need to sit down and batch out your content weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Even yearly? Every business is different and no one can answer this question except you and your team.
  6. Schedule Creative Time It’s easy to schedule the topics you want to cover each month, but it takes more thought and effort to schedule each piece of the creative process. Don’t forget to schedule time to record videos, podcasts, and live social media events, as well as time to write scripts, create graphics, reserve film spaces, and any other pieces of the process that may need to be scheduled.

Your time is valuable and implementing the use of a content calendar is sure to take your marketing strategy to the next level while saving you time, effort, and energy.

To get you started, here are ten of our favorite blog ideas for the new year:

  1. Make a Top 10 List
  2. Share Why You Started Your Business
  3. Disprove a Myth About Your Niche
  4. Take a Topic Seemingly Unrelated and Compare it to Your Vocation
  5. Do a “This Day in History” on a Day Related to Your Company
  6. Ask for Questions on Social Media and Write a Blog Post Answering Them
  7. Film a “How To” Video Post
  8. Invite a Guest Blogger to Post
  9. Share a Life Hack from Your Industry
  10. Share a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Your Life or Business

Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: 2021 content calendar, blog post ideas, content calendar, content creation, content management system, content writer, create content

5 Holiday Lead Magnet Ideas to Grow Your Email List

December 21, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

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It doesn’t matter if you sell real estate, offer cleaning services, make homemade jellies, or write books for a living – if you have a business, you need email subscribers and the best way to grow that email list is to offer an effective lead magnet.

Lead magnets are downloadable and/or printable gifts given in exchange for a person’s contact information. A potential customer visits your website, a little pop-up box offers them the opportunity to download a free ebook, template, newsletter, etc, they enter their email address and BAM! They are now on your email list. 

What Makes a Lead Magnet Effective?

Think about what it would take for you to offer up your own personal email address. Sifting through junk mail and unsubscribing from companies who spam us definitely takes up too much of our time, so you want to be sure to offer your subscribers quality content that:

  • Solves a problem
  • Establishes you and your company as subject matter experts
  • Offers immediate access to the promised gift
  • Delivers high value content

If you can meet your customers’ needs, demonstrate your expertise, deliver on your promises promptly, and wow them with quality products and information, your web visitors will be well on their way to becoming lifelong customers. And it all starts with a simple lead magnet.

‘Tis the Season

The holiday season is the perfect time to stand out from your competitors by adding a personal touch to your business interactions. Here are a few ideas for adding a little holiday flare to some of the most effective lead magnet ideas in the world of marketing.

  1. New Year Calendar

This is the perfect time to offer a calendar of ideas for the new year. Are you a mom blogger? Offer a calendar of weekly date night ideas for staying connected to your spouse in the new year. Do you sell real estate? Create a calendar of upcoming events in your community. Do you run a non-profit? Provide a calendar of national days related to your cause, highlight upcoming events and service opportunities, and suggest ways families can support your cause throughout the year. The sky is the limit!

Calendars are also a great way to offer daily/weekly journal prompts, meal ideas, social media prompts, self-care ideas, educational activities, and more.

  1. Holiday Checklist

There are so many great possibilities here. Create a checklist for last minute Christmas gift ideas, people (beyond friends/family) to buy gifts for, cookie supplies, Christmas movies to watch, a family Christmas bucket list, etc…

You can also think of ways to incorporate your business in that checklist to establish yourself as an expert. If you work in the automotive industry, maybe you’ll want to offer a checklist for winterizing your car before travelling this holiday season. If you are a photographer, you can provide a list of do’s and don’ts for capturing the most magical holiday photos.

Checklists are the most popular and most effective lead magnets because they are quick for marketers to create and simple for consumers to use. Plus, they are easy to change up when seasons, products, and trends change throughout the year.

  1. Recipes

This isn’t just for the food bloggers out there! Everyone loves a good tried-and-true holiday recipe. Help your clientele feel like part of the family by offering a roundup of your employees’ favorite family recipes. Be sure to include the famous catchphrases “From our Family to Yours” or “From Our Kitchen to Yours”. The holidays really do bring people together and feeling like part of the family converts viewers/followers to loyal customers.

  1. Video Tutorial

Create a video tutorial showing how to do that exercise, bake those cookies, utilize that template, or download that software. Bonus points if you’re wearing a Santa hat, playing Jingle Bells in the background, or eating a candy cane throughout the video.

Your business and your brand are important, so give your clients a face to associate with that company they’ve come to know and trust. The holidays are the perfect time to make things personal and welcome your followers into your world.

  1. Give “One Free…”

Everyone loves to get something for free, especially at Christmas. So, give away your greatest holiday gifts such as the first chapter of your book, a free coaching session, a free consultation, or a free sample of something you sell. Give them a little taste for free and they’ll be coming back for more as a paying customer.

Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: email list, email marketing, holidays, lead magnet, marketing, video tutorial

5 Steps to a Successful #GivingTuesday Campaign

November 24, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means now is the time to be strategizing your #GivingTuesday campaign. You don’t need a high-level fundraising executive working for your non-profit to get your name out there among the masses. HeartWired Digital has compiled a list of 5 simple steps even the smallest non-profits can take to make #GivingTuesday2020 a successful and profitable celebration.

givingtuesdayStep One: Make it a Celebration

Great news! Your non-profit has survived 2020! That’s reason enough to celebrate! Turn your #GivingTuesday campaign into a celebration of what you’ve accomplished so far in 2020 and what you have in the works for 2021. Shift your mindset from “how to get people to donate” to “how to show people your cause is worth donating to”. 

Are you building something new? Are you starting a new project? Is there a specific need you’d like to see met through these #GivingTuesday donations? Announce your project, set a goal, and provide a progress meter that stays up-to-date throughout your campaign.

Invite your current donors, volunteers, and followers to join you in celebrating and show them specifically how they can make an impact moving forward. Is there something measurable within your project that you can anchor a price to? For example, would a $20 donation provide warm bedding for a child in need? Would a $5 donation buy rice for a hungry family? Donors want to see how their money will be put to work, so show them what it will accomplish and why that’s worth celebrating.

givingtuesdayStep Two: Don’t Forget the Basics

With all the creativity and excitement that comes with building an effective #GivingTuesday campaign, it’s easy to overlook the basics. Here’s three things you don’t want to forget:

  1. Join #GivingTuesday- To participate in a #GivingTuesday campaign, you’ll want to register with givingtuesday.org. It takes about 30 seconds to register for their email list. Once you do, a toolkit of ideas, graphics, logos, and Canva templates become available for you to use. They don’t collect your donations. There’s not a list of official registered participants. This just gives you permission to use the #GivingTuesday name and logo for your campaign, which adds to your credibility as a non-profit.
  1. Make Sure Your Donation Button Works- The only thing worse than not receiving donations on #GivingTuesday would be not receiving donations on #GivingTuesday because your Donation button didn’t work. Seriously. Donate $5 to your non-profit right now. Make sure it works smoothly and that it is easy to find on your website. Don’t let inaccessibility or a technical glitch be the reason you lose donors. 
  2. Pick a Project Leader- Decide right now who is going to take this ball and run with it. Who will be responsible for implementing these strategies? Who is going to communicate with the rest of the team and keep everyone on the same page? Make sure everyone knows who your point person is on this project and encourage your team to support him or her throughout the campaign.

givingtuesdayStep Three: Get Your “Why” Out

Why are you fundraising? Why does your organization exist? Why are you the logical, trustworthy choice for my donation? Your current donors know who you are but we want the rest of the world to know who you are, too. So, don’t just tell them, show them!

There’s a number of fun, trendy ways to get your “why” out there. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Consider adapting one of these already-successful campaign strategies:

  1. The Unselfie- Many successful non-profits such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation have profited greatly from using the popular hashtag #Unselfie throughout the month of November. Social media users simply hold up  pieces of paper in front of their faces that say, “I’m Giving to (non-profit)  Because (reason)”. They snap their Unselfies and post them on social media with the #Unselfie hashtag and any other hashtags that apply to the specific non-profit. Because the #Unselfie hashtag already has a large following, this is a fun and free way to spread the word about your cause.
  1. Create an “I Give Because” Video- Create and share a video of your current donors reading letters about why they give to your non-profit. Showcase ways people have thanked your organization for meeting the needs of people within your community.
  1. Share Impact Stories- Don’t wait until #GivingTuesday to share how you’ve been making a difference. The week before, share positive impact stories on social media as well as with your email list. Ask your current donors to share impact stories and create fundraisers on their social media accounts, as well.
  1. Involve Your Recipients- Do you have access to individuals your non-profit has helped? Don’t exploit them! That’s icky. But do ask them if they would like to be involved. Ask them to share their stories and to encourage others to give.

givingtuesdayStep Four: Turn Your Celebration into an RSVP-able Event Online

It doesn’t matter how excited you are about your party if nobody shows up. Use the scheduling tools of Google and Facebook to schedule an online “Event” on #GivingTuesday. When followers RSVP, they are sent reminders about the Event and will receive notifications when you go live, share posts, and give updates throughout the day.

Ask your staff, volunteers, donors, recipients, mail carrier, hairdresser, and your mom’s second cousin to share the Event, as well. Statistically, a low percentage of social media users actually show up to the Events that they RSVP to. Even fewer will donate. So saturating the web with your invitation is crucial to spreading awareness and getting your “why” out. Just don’t be spammy. Reach your audience organically and watch the donations roll in.

givingtuesdayStep Five: Follow-Up, Say “Thank You”, and Upsell Your Donations

Did your mother make you write Thank You notes after each birthday party? The sentiment is just as important to Jane and Joe Donor as it is to your Aunt Beatrice. Your donors want to hear from you again and not just when you need more money. Show them how their money has been put to work by sending pictures and letters of thanks from recipients of your organization. Thank them for helping you make a difference in your community. And for the love of financial stability, offer them an opportunity to continue giving on a regular basis.

It’s impossible to check-out online or at a brick and mortar store without being asked if you’d like to supersize, upgrade, or buy another for 50% off. So, make it easy for your donors to give regularly by upselling their donation. Have your web person add a monthly giving feature to your website. Need help with that? We’re happy to assist.

Bonus: Start on Monday

If Walmart can start it’s Black Friday sale a day early, your non-profit can get a jump on things, as well! Consider offering a special gift for donating on Monday, such as a sticker, magnet, ink pen, or anything else you might have a surplus of. No Merch? No worries. Enter everyone who donates on Monday into a drawing for a gift from your organization. Don’t make it something big that will make your donors question how you’re spending their money. Give away something small and personal or ask a business to donate an item that can be given away in your drawing.

Remember, this has been a difficult year but we have all pulled through it because we have pulled together. We appreciate the difference you are making in your own little corners of the world. Continue doing great things! And may your #GivingTuesday campaign be a phenomenal success.

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Filed Under: Business Tagged With: giving tuesday activities, giving tuesday campaign, givingtuesday, givingtuesday2020, givingtuesdaynow

7 E-commerce Myths Debunked – Why You Should Offer E-commerce!

October 26, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

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If we have learned anything this year, it is the importance of not only that businesses have a presence online, but also the ability to sell their products or services. Virtually overnight business were shuttered, out of business or scrambling for a new way of doing business. Yet many are still unsure if their website should offer e-commerce or not.

It used to be that e-commerce was thought solely as a way for people to sell tangible or perhaps digital items online.

People that once held the belief that they would never shop for clothes, furniture, car parts, whatever are now shopping that way almost entirely. Even before the pandemic department stores have shut their doors thanks to the emergence of Amazon and other e-commerce powerhouses.

Even while online shopping became a normal way of doing business, there were and still are many thinking that brick and mortar is the ‘only’ way to do business. In fact, we have actually been laughed at ourselves when we have suggested it to business owners, because it would not fit their “model”, or “e-commerce does not work for what we do.”

What if I were to tell you whether you sell physical products, digital products, services or even take donations, e-commerce can fit into your organization. In fact, it likely can increase your sales, no matter what products or services you offer.

This simple concept applies to consumers as well as suppliers and manufacturing. Sure it may mean you won’t need as many sale people in the future, but it also means you won’t need to need them.

Of course there are pros and cons to everything and there are also many misconceptions. It is the misconceptions that I am going to hopefully debunk, and in doing so the cons really won’t amount to much.

Myth #1

You lose the personal touch with e-commerce. Well, not if you are doing it right. Sure you can use AI, chatbots and all kinds of things to simplify the process. The personal touch truly is up to the business and whether they go the extra mile no matter how people buy. E-commerce should be an extension of the way you serve your customers, not a replacement.

Myth #2

Shipping is always so expensive. So is your time, gas and patience when you travel to a store. You avoid traffic, rude customers, pushy salespeople, and can shop in the convenience of your home. All without wasting gas or having to even get dressed. Sure the cost of shipping and handling can be elusive and at times feel like a bait and switch. If you have an idea what the product or service is worth to your customers, pricing them accordingly and being transparent about pricing including shipping, the convenience is worth the extra cost.

Myth #3

Online shopping is risky. If you are shopping at shady places perhaps. Personally I am more comfortable giving my credit card online on an encrypted site than I ever was when they swiped my card and gave me the carbon copy. There are some things to make sure your e-commerce website has to ensure customer safety.

  • Make sure you are using a SSL to encrypt transactions.
  • Use a hosting company that protect you from hacking, malware, and viruses.
  • Provide a privacy policy on your site how you use the customers information.

Myth #4

How do I know what I am really ordering, it might be from China. This is true, actually I just fell victim to this ploy and am still waiting for the product to make it through customs. Yet, again do you research, use a credit card with a protection plan. You can buy plenty of things from China at your local Walmart too, and guess what they ordered them online!

One way to ensure the comfort of your customers is to be transparent about your products or services. If you import, outsource or do anything that may raise concerns, tell them. Being upfront about your practices garner trust and your customers likely won’t care as long as you tell them.

Myth #5

I offer services I don’t need an e-commerce website! So you only like to sell your services in person do you? I mean that means you don’t promote them online, on social media or anything right? Why not give your clients a place to not only read about your products or services, but even schedule and pay for all online, 24/7? Or does that not fit your business needs?

Imagine coming into work and already having your calendar full with new clients, or having orders to ship. All of these activities can happen while you are not at work. Creating a business model to best serve your clients where they are, when they want.

Myth #6

I must always offer a discount to sell online. People that run their business based on offering discounts continually rarely win. Competing on price alone rather than offering more value is a slippery slope for any business whether online or in person.

In a recent KPMG study, a company’s sales team and their customers were asked what they thought were the top purchase criteria. Although, 60% of the sales team put price or discount at the top of the list, only 20% of their customers did the same. It was reported that delivery, reliability, accuracy and quality of service were the most important factors when choosing a supplier, outranking price.

Myth #7

Build it and they will buy. Like any website, any e-commerce site needs a bit more than just a great design and pretty pictures. So many people create sites and then get frustrated. They then fire their web designer because they did not get the ‘traffic’ or sales they wanted. Optimizing your site, whether e-commerce or other, takes skill, time and generally a budget. SEO is just the beginning. Without a strategy you likely won’t see the sales you hope for, at least not long-term.

As shopping online becomes more and more common, and part of the new normal, customers willingness to trust will wane. Click-bait will become more rampant and their ability to decipher a real ‘deal’ will become more difficult. Rather than using short lived strategies that do little beyond burn your cash, build a e-commerce strategy that will last.

We are at the beginning of an economic shift. We will see the the need for brick and mortar locations for many businesses go away. The time is now that your website should offer e-commerce, to prepare for the new way of doing business.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: e-commerce, e-commerce website, ecommerce, shop online, small business website

How A Chance Conversation Converted To A New Nonprofit Website

September 21, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

When you run a small business, you are consistently advertising your business in every activity you involve yourself with. About two years ago, our owner, Charles had a chance conversation at a fundraising event convert into a new nonprofit website at such a opportunity.

September 2018, our local St. Matthew chapter of the Diocese of St. Augustine St. Vincent de Paul conference was having their annual “Friends of the Poor” fundraising and awareness walk in Riverside part of Jacksonville Florida’s north bank.

Charles walking with his wife and they were in front of a gentleman by the name of Bart. Charles’ wife slowed her pace a little to chat with the gentleman. In amidst that conversation, the gentleman, happened to comment about the back of Charles’ shirt. As many times in public, Charles was wearing a HeartWired t-shirt.

Charles slowed his pace and he and Bart engaged in conversation about St. Vincent de Paul, and Bart’s vision for the future of the organization.

“Charity is infinitely inventive.” ~ St. Vincent de Paul

Most leads that take a long time to convert, dry up. Rarely does a lead stick around over a few months much less years. Emails sent with little to no response. Having the prospect to work with such a great organization had all but been written off, yet Charles figured he would try one last time.

One more email, likely to be the last one, paid off.

Bart and Charles began discussing the web project again, about a year after the first conversation. What was thought to be a missed opportunity converted into a new website project, all of which happened by a chance conversation that converted.

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Business success is dependent on marketing. Some marketers use cold calls, email campaigns, spamming their social media inboxes. Others still do it the simple tried but true way of having a conversation, developing a rapport and relationships. Allowing the seeds that were planted to flourish in their timing.

“No work of Charity is foreign to the Society”

This month, we finalized the web design for an organization that locally had zero web presence.

This website will provide a place for people in need can find access to resources they need. St. Vincent de Paul helps with financial assistance for housing, utilities, and other family needs. Food assistance, clothing, furniture, and other household goods. All these services are provided by volunteer services and donations. All donations stay within the local community in which they serve.

Every web design project we work on has its nuances. The St. Augustine Diocesan Council Society of St. Vincent de Paul website has been no exception. Now the site is live, we look forward to hearing how it changes lives for years to come. HeartWired was founded on the concepts of service and compassion, and we love working with clients like St. Vincent de Paul that mirror the same principles.

You are your brand, and your brand is you.

If you or someone you know can benefit from the services St. Vincent de Paul provides, we encourage you to contact your local council. If you or someone you know can benefit from your own chance conversation to convert into a new website design, we at HeartWired would love to discuss how we can help you and those you serve.

Book your consultation today!

Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: 5013c, local nonprofit, non-profit, nonprofit website, st vincent de paul

Why Reputation Management is Important to Small Businesses

September 6, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

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Turning your customers into advocate is any small business owners dream. Reputation management is how to influence the way people think about not only your brand but also you. Heard the saying you are your brand and your brand is you. Reputation of your brand has nothing to do with you as a person, so much as it has to do with people’s perception of you. Today that is based a great deal on Google searches, AI and reviews both good and bad.

Overview:

  • What is reputation management
  • How to control the conversation
  • Is there a difference between your reputation and your business’
  • Can you control what people read about you?

Reputation management has become a popular term that is used in the marketing, SEO, and online branding spheres. It goes by various names and service descriptions, but they all have the same goal in mind. The goal is to ‘manage’ the perception the public has about a person, a business, and in many cases both.

Reputation management defined

Activities performed by individual or organization which attempt to maintain or create a certain frame of mind regarding themselves in the public eye. Reputation management is the process of identifying what other people are saying or feeling about you or your business; and taking steps to ensure that the general consensus is in line with your goals. Many people and organizations use various forms of social media to monitor their reputation.

Business Dictionary

While there are many definitions depending on who you talk to. One thing that remains consistent about reputation management is it is an attempt to control the way people think.

1. Start where your customer start

We spend the vast part of our days online, so do our customers. Unfortunately if you know anything about the internet, you should know is it not always true or accurate. It is even more true when people read things about you online, as you have no control over the context as to what they read or where. In other words, protect your brand always, and make sure you represent your brand both on and offline.

Your reputation and that of your small business lives, breathes and potentially can be destroyed online. What people read about you and your business is sometimes just as true as the news. It is up to you to protect your brand, as well control your reputation. Reputation management in a digital world can be similar to having a public relations expert online 24/7 listening as well as controlling the conversation about your brand.

2. How to control the conversation in a crisis and everyday

Ever read something about a person or a business and jump to a conclusion based on what you read? Of course you have, everyone has. In fact we many times are quick to share a story on social media before ever checking to see if it is true. In moments a person or a small businesses reputation can be in crisis. What if you or your business was not listening and did not know until ti was too late and the damage was done.

The best way to survive a social media backlash is to avoid one. Be mindful that anything you post can potentially be seen by many, many people.

The Hartford

One way to obviously avoid some missteps is to not make them yourself. General rule of thumb, don’t say or do anything you would not be proud to show your grandmother. Stay away from tasteless jokes, politics, or anything that can be divisive, and we all know anything can be construed as divisive with the right audience. Remain vigilant in keeping in touch with the pulse and climate of the world around you. Something that was poignant and funny yesterday could be trite or devastating today.

Simple steps to take to control your reputation

  • Read what you post, reread it before you post.
  • Just because you think it, does not mean you have to say it
  • Compassion and sensitivity go a long way
  • Represent what you want people to see with every post.

One way to know what people are saying about you or your company is to listen. This goes beyond just reading (and responding) to their reviews of you. Create listeners on Google Alerts or other places that will alert you every time you, your tagline, or your business are mentioned. Pay attention to your social media channels, or hire someone to monitor them for you. Plenty of people and businesses have been ruined by a simple tweet, you don’t want you be next.

3. You are your brand, and your brand is you

Somewhere along the way people have felt that they can speak their minds on social media, blog posts, and other mediums as themselves and think it won’t reflect their brand. Newsflash you are your company and your company is you. Anything you say or do is associated with your brand and vice versa. When you are concerned about your reputation management strategy for your business then send an off color tweet, that causes mixed signals for the public.

We see time and time again owners of large corporations have to make public apologies for something they said “privately”, the same thing happens with small businesses and their owners. Being authentic in your messaging is key for a brands reputation. The same kind of social responsibility should be used when speaking as yourself.

So how can reputation management help? It is simple, yet complex. One way control your online reputation is to provide digestible content for people to find. Without getting too technical, you want others to be talking about you as well as your brand in a positive light on a regular basis.

I am sure if you ever worked for a big corporation, or simply read a magazine or newspaper you have seen a press release or two. Or perhaps you were getting ready to buy a new product like a book and all of sudden the internet was inundated with reviews before it hits the shelves. These are a couple of examples on how brands both big and small are controlling the conversation. Tactics like these can be used to manage the reputation of small business like your own.

4. Why online reputation management and can you really control the conversation?

Online content can circulate in literally second and the way people perceive your brand can change forever. All you have to do is look back on brands and people who were convicted in the courts of public opinion whether true or not. All it takes is a tweet, a Google review, or a Facebook post and things can spiral out of control.

One way to control the conversation is to provide people something to talk about as well as increase you ranking authority. You can do this by creating press releases, blog post, whitepapers, social media campaigns, and organically grow your online reputation by providing authentic links to connect to your brand.

Another way is to use customer reviews to their fullest. Whether you focus on Google, Facebook, Clutch, Yelp, wherever you get reviews, respond to them. One step that is just below a negative review is one that is not responded to good or bad. If it is a positive review, thank the customer for their valuable feedback. If it is a negative review, apologize if you were wrong, acknowledge them even if you were not. However do not argue with them in the comments for the whole world to see. Take the conversation offline if you can, make amends if necessary. Arguing in a public forum, simply makes you look bad.

Reputation Management, reputation management in digital marketing, reputation management services

So, how is your reputation management process working?

Reputation management is an important part of owning a small business in today’s word full of tweeters, Instagramers, media outlets and keyboard warriors. In seconds your brand can be tarnished, and its effects can last for years to come. Many people are likely thankful they lived their younger years before the internet, as now the lasting stain of someone’s opinion can last forever.

Reputation, while much of it cannot be controlled, you do possess the abilities and in some cases rights to sway the power it holds. If you would like to learn more of how to expand you online reputation in the forms of content creation, guest posts, press releases and more let us know we would love to help. Contact us to learn more on how we can help

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: reputation management, reputation management in digital marketing, reputation management services, what are reputation management services

What Makes for Affordable Web Design?

June 23, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

What-Makes-for-Affordable-Web-Design

We cannot tell you how many times we get inquiries for “affordable web design” for a small business website. The funny thing is, what is affordable for you might well be unaffordable for someone else.

So what makes for affordable web design?

web-designer-laptop, affordable web design, lady with microsoft surface

Let’s start with the basics.

  1. Determine YOUR budget – keep in mind generally you get what you pay for.
  2. Investigate the current market. – what is the going rate for the type of website you want?
  3. Do your research. – there are a lot of web designers and agencies, check them out.
  4. Shop around. – your first choice might very well not be your best choice.
  5. Scope your project- having an idea of what you want helps you find who can do the work within your budget.

Establishing a budget for a website takes more than setting a dollar amount on what you can afford today. Websites require things like hosting, maintenance, and some sort of marketing plan.

All of these should be topics when discussing your website with an agency or marketing consultant. If they are unable to provide a consultation along with their affordable web design, you likely will want to pay more. Otherwise, you will pay more in the long run anyway fixing the things they did not offer to begin with.

After you have a better idea of your budget, you now need to decide what features you want on the site. Features can increase costs exponentially if you don’t have a plan.

Website features can include:

digital marketing agency, marketing, web design, marketing agency
  • Forms
  • E-commerce
  • Social media integration
  • Landing pages
  • Content creation
  • Custom functionality
  • and so much more

So how does any of this help you figure our what makes for affordable web design?

We think that is a loaded question actually. Affordable web design is simply what you can afford. Many times what you can afford is outside of your current budget. However, the cost of not stretching your budget can cost you much more than the investment of a professional website.

Ways cutting corners can hurt you long after a larger investment could have been paid for.

  • Building a site yourself well makes about as much sense as painting your house with no ladder and watered down paint.
  • Hiring your cousin is likely not a good idea unless he is a web designer, then you may want to consider whether you really want to hire a family member.
  • Lack of web-savvy will reflect in lack of traffic and likely longevity as your clients look for someone that cares about their business and them.
  • Cost of fixing a website can many times be more expensive than doing it right from scratch the first time. Affordable can be costly.
  • Spending money on the online portal to your business is vital. Skimping due to cost will make your business look like the local bodega rather than a boutique.

Don’t dismay there are web design agencies for any budget. Many of the lesser expensive 299.00 websites can be a great start. If you want to take your online reputation and your business to the next level it will likely cost you a bit up front. Long outliving the expense will be its benefits for years do come.

Things you want to check for no matter the budget, else you might as well play the lottery when choosing an agency. Just because they offer ‘affordable’ web designs, that does not mean you can afford to choose them.

  1. Do they guarantee their work?
  2. Hosting and maintenance should be essential, not optional
  3. Are they personable? If you don’t like one another the next few months can be very long for everyone.
  4. Communication is vital, this starts from the first contact. If they use big words to confuse you, they likely studied web design via Google search.
  5. Is your best interest in their best interest? Every design agency is not for every customer and vice versa. Make sure the partnership makes sense.

These of course are just the tipping point on how to find a web agency that fits your budget. While affordable web design is preferred, it is not always practical.

We at HeartWired offer web design packages to fit almost any budget, but honestly not all budgets. We think you will make a great client, and quite possibly even our client!

The only way to find out if we also are affordable is to have a conversation. If you or someone you know needs website design or redesign, or simply would like some guidance on your current site, share this article with them or simply give us a call.

Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: affordable web design, digital marketing, marketing agency, Web Design

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From Our Clients:

Style and patience in the development of a website

I have had the great pleasure of working with Charles Johnston for over two years on concept, development, and operation of a functioning site called www.jerzy2sainthood.com.

I think it is a common assumption that building a website is nothing more than compiling lots of information in a certain order, giving the compilation a name and then waiting for viewers to respond. Nothing could be farther from reality. An accomplished code writer and web builder, Charles explained the stages and vendors needed to put together a first-class website that continues to grow.

I would recommend his style and patience in the development of a website from start to finish.

Paul Hensler began his career in Hollywood working on films such as Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter, and An Officer and a Gentleman. Paul wrote and produced Don’t Cry It’s Only Thunder, about an orphanage he founded in Vietnam. A movie which won the 1982 Christopher Award and was nominated for the Humanitas Award. He wrote the story for and produced Gotcha for Universal. He also wrote and produced the Academy Award nominated short The Silence for the American Film Institute. Paul bought the rights to the book The Priest and the Policeman in 1989. He has been actively researching and developing the story of Father Jerzy Popieluszko for 23 years. The documentary based on this book, is entitled Jerzy, Messenger of the Truth.

HeartWired Digital Solutions
2016-10-11T15:25:57-04:00

Paul Hensler began his career in Hollywood working on films such as Apocalypse Now, Deer Hunter, and An Officer and a Gentleman. Paul wrote and produced Don’t Cry It’s Only Thunder, about an orphanage he founded in Vietnam. A movie which won the 1982 Christopher Award and was nominated for the Humanitas Award. He wrote the story for and produced Gotcha for Universal. He also wrote and produced the Academy Award nominated short The Silence for the American Film Institute. Paul bought the rights to the book The Priest and the Policeman in 1989. He has been actively researching and developing the story of Father Jerzy Popieluszko for 23 years. The documentary based on this book, is entitled Jerzy, Messenger of the Truth.

I have had the great pleasure of working with Charles Johnston for over two years on concept, development, and operation of a functioning site called www.jerzy2sainthood.com. I think it is a common assumption that building a website is nothing more than compiling lots of information in a certain order, giving the compilation a name and then waiting for viewers to respond. Nothing could be farther from reality. An accomplished code writer and web builder, Charles explained the stages and vendors needed to put together a first-class website that continues to grow. I would recommend his style and patience in the development of a website from start to finish.
https://heartwiredtech.com/testimonials/paul-h/

Quick responses built confidence…

If you need a website, I highly recommend you work with Charles Johnston at Heartwired Technical Solutions. He helped me with our site and was easy to work with and answered my questions. His knowledge and quick responses built confidence in completing our project.

Mike Lane – Executive Director & Founder

As a missions pastor for several years to Thailand, I saw a desperate need for helping children in rural areas and that is why I started Hope Bridges.

We build bridges of hope by providing food, clothing, and education. The education is three-fold, first and foremost we teach them about Jesus. We also teach them anti-trafficking methods and help with their regular school work through tutoring.

We have a unique win-win-win business model. We offer Thai coffee that is grown and produced by Thai hill tribes. We then roast and sell the coffee here, you get a great cup of coffee, the hill tribes earn a fair market wage and are kept out of the opium fields, and the proceeds of the coffee go back to Thailand to support our children.

HeartWired Digital Solutions
2017-02-26T15:08:41-05:00

Mike Lane – Executive Director & Founder

As a missions pastor for several years to Thailand, I saw a desperate need for helping children in rural areas and that is why I started Hope Bridges.

We build bridges of hope by providing food, clothing, and education. The education is three-fold, first and foremost we teach them about Jesus. We also teach them anti-trafficking methods and help with their regular school work through tutoring.

We have a unique win-win-win business model. We offer Thai coffee that is grown and produced by Thai hill tribes. We then roast and sell the coffee here, you get a great cup of coffee, the hill tribes earn a fair market wage and are kept out of the opium fields, and the proceeds of the coffee go back to Thailand to support our children.

If you need a website, I highly recommend you work with Charles Johnston at Heartwired Technical Solutions. He helped me with our site and was easy to work with and answered my questions. His knowledge and quick responses built confidence in completing our project.
https://heartwiredtech.com/testimonials/mike-lane/

Your site will be top notch

Charles was really helpful in getting my site set up. He patiently answered a million and one questions from me. He responds quickly and you can rest assured that your site will be top notch when he is done. I definitely recommend working with Charles and Heartwired.

Holly Sutton - Blogger, Crafter, Creator at HandCrafted Blessings - Follower of Jesus, daughter, sister, friend, crafter….in need of grace. That’s me. I am a bundle of joy, laughter, craziness and some drama mixed in. Just taking life one adventure at a time. Finding joy in the journey with Jesus….

HeartWired Digital Solutions
2017-11-01T20:23:56-04:00

Holly Sutton - Blogger, Crafter, Creator at HandCrafted Blessings - Follower of Jesus, daughter, sister, friend, crafter….in need of grace. That’s me. I am a bundle of joy, laughter, craziness and some drama mixed in. Just taking life one adventure at a time. Finding joy in the journey with Jesus….

Charles was really helpful in getting my site set up. He patiently answered a million and one questions from me. He responds quickly and you can rest assured that your site will be top notch when he is done. I definitely recommend working with Charles and Heartwired.
https://heartwiredtech.com/testimonials/site-will-top-notch/
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