Old City Web Services

Make an Impact with Your Rack Card

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Our rack card designed for Animal Emergency Hospital of St. JohnsRack cards have been around for years and have become a staple of hotel lobbies, visitors centers, and, generally, anywhere there is a lot of foot traffic. Remember your last vacation to a new place? Sure, you may have planned out some spots you wanted to visit ahead of time, but as you checked in the hotel, it was probably hard not to stop at the display of brightly colored cards sporting attractions, restaurants, shops, and everything in between.

Here's the question: How did you decide which cards to pick up and which ones to ignore?

As a business, competition is everywhere. But in the case of rack cards, your competition is literally inches away. It's easy to get lost and looked over if you make a misstep in the design process.

So, how do you make your card stand out and get picked up?

We're here to help.

Just like with any other way of advertising your business, rack cards can be a useful marketing tool if done right and taken seriously. People make their choices in seconds of what they like and don't like - that's how long you have to make an impact.

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Our rack card designed for Pearl of the Sea Luxury Bed & Breakfast

Here are our top qualities for an eye-catching rack card:

Make a good first impression

Most of the time in a rack card display, very little of the card is actually visible upon first glance. That's great to keep in mind when you are in the design process. If you only have about a 2 in. by 4 in. space to get someone's attention, how are you going to do it? A good rule of thumb is to instantly let someone know who you are. Typically, putting your logo at the top is a good choice. Sometimes, business owners put pictures at the top, but it can get confusing. Let's say you own a kayaking company and put pictures of people kayaking. Sure, customers instantly recognize kayaks, but that still doesn't tell who you are.

Use strong pictures

People are visual creatures. Striking photos have a better chance of getting their attention in a matter of seconds than words. So, think about that when designing your card. Your main image needs to feel strong and make an impact while also conveying what your business is all about. It doesn't matter how beautiful your picture is if it is irrelevant to your business. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and if you get it right, that means less words you have to use to get your point across. For example, if you own a restaurant known for its amazing dishes, it would make more sense to showcase your best food than to show the dining room for your main image.

Display your company name prominently

If you're going to make the effort of designing, printing, and distributing a rack card, it's important to make sure people know who you are immediately. Don't make them search for your logo or company name. While this may seem like common sense, it can also be a common mistake. It's easy to get caught up in the pictures, text, and bright colors and forget that your name isn't front and center. Don't bury it in the text or at the bottom of the card. If people see pictures and paragraphs but no company name, it can lead to confusion and too much work for a customer.

Keep it clear and concise

When it comes to rack cards, less is more. Just as your picture and logo need to quickly relay who you are, so do the words you choose to use. Flooding people with text will turn them off quickly from reading your card. Give them the main things they need to know about you. And remember, you have two sides to the card, so don't feel like you have to fit everything on one side.

Important things to include:

  • Short phrase supporting your mission
  • Phone number
  • Website
  • Address
  • Photos that express who you are
  • Something you want to feature as one of the top assets of your business
  • Coupons can also be a great addition to attract new customers

Make sure it is up to date

If you've updated your brand or website, it is important to make sure all of your marketing materials are current as well. This prevents confusion, keeps things uniform, and gives you a chance to highlight new fun things about your business!

Other uses for rack cards

  • Hand them out if you are at a convention promoting your business
  • Use them to hand out if you sponsor events
  • Give them to new clients when they visit you for the first time

Before you print

  • Make sure you know how you will be using your cards. This will give you a good idea of the quantity you will want. Also, be sure if you plan on putting your cards in other businesses or visitors centers that you go through the proper protocols beforehand. Each place of business has a different set of rules for allowing people to display their cards.

Rack cards don't have to be complicated. Let us help you! At Old City Web Services, we concentrate on putting together stunning designs that convey who you are. We work with you throughout the design process to stay true to your mission and vision. Visit our Work page to see other rack cards we've designed for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation to get started!

How to Compete with Large Companies

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If you own a small business, you may think that your only competition is fellow small businesses. That couldn't be further from the truth. These days, there are so many options for consumers. This means customers can afford to be picky and shop around. Chances are, there are other businesses doing what you do within a short drive. Customers will most likely read reviews and check out your website or social media before stepping foot in your store.

If people are going to give you their business, they want to know that they're making the best choice. And with large corporations out there who obviously have a great marketing plan and national and international followings, this can be intimidating. But it doesn't have to be.

So, how do you stand out and prove you're their best choice?

Design and Branding

You don't have to have a multi-million dollar budget to make a big impact. It isn't about how much money you spend but how you spend it. It's about making your budget work for you and working with the right team to help guide you to success. Investing in a quality logo and clean website can put you on the same level as the sizeable companies you're competing with. When it comes to who to give their business to, first impressions could not matter more. A professional looking brand builds trust with a consumer. They make the correlation between quality of brand and quality of product or service. If your brand isn't quite up to the level of your competition, they might associate that feeling with what you have to offer.

Advertising

So, maybe you don't have a nationwide following - that's ok. Once again, it's not about how much money you spend but about where and how you spend it. Effective advertising is all about knowing who your target audience is and investing in ways that will get their attention. Are you a hotspot for tourists? Then it might be a great idea to place advertisements in city maps and hotel rack cards. Facebook advertising is also a handy tool that allows you to set your own budget, how long you'd like your ad to run, and the exact audience you'd like to target. There is no concrete way to advertise. It all depends on your business and your mission.

Social Media

Social media is one of the easiest ways to get on top of your game with your customers. While you can do paid advertising on social media, there are many ways to utilize the free services available to your advantage. Social media really allows you to be involved in your community, connect and build relationships. Anyone can advertise a business, but it takes effort to do it effectively. Today's consumers are focused on connections and authenticity.

  • Show some behind-the-scenes shots of what it takes to make your business run.
  • Introduce customers to your team members.
  • Do a customer appreciation spotlight.
  • Ask for your customer's input on products and services.

As a small business, you have the advantage of knowing your customers and being involved on a daily basis. Use that to your full advantage.

Involvement with community/target audience

One of the best ways to market your business in your community is to partner up with other businesses. If you have a chocolate shop, maybe pair up with a wine bar for a chocolate and wine tasting event. If you have a bakery, talk to local coffee shops to see if you can sell some of your baked goods at their shop and, in return, sell their coffee at your shop. Partnering with area businesses is a great way to get your name out there, network with other entrepreneurs, and have customers associate your name with other reputable companies. It's a win-win.

At Old City Web Services, our mission is to help our clients succeed and stand out. We offer comprehensive design and development services that allow our customers' businesses to live up to their full potential. Once we've helped build your brand, we offer marketing services as well. We can put together a unique marketing plan just for your business. Contact us today for a free consultation and let us show you how we can help your business succeed!

Fresh Start: Your Web Design Relationship Guide

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fresh-start2envelope1With a new year comes New Year’s resolutions, a time of evaluating your current life choices and seeing where improvements should be made. Whether it’s eating healthier, having a new gym routine, putting yourself back into the dating game, or improving relationships, it’s all about making the best choices for your life.

As we evaluate what brings positivity to our lives, it might be best to look and see which connections make your life better and which ones you could do without. Your relationship might have seemed like something straight out of a movie at the beginning. They might’ve seemed like your knight in shining armor when you met them, but they could’ve lost their luster. They’ve never been perfect, but you’ve been afraid that you won’t find someone who can do what they do. What if we told you there could be someone better out there for you?

Reading this you might ask yourself, “Wait a minute, is this a relationship blog or business blog?” We’re glad you asked! It’s both. Your relationship with your web development company is one of the most important relationships you have as a business owner. While you may be comfortable with your current situation, it might be time to move on to something better. New year, new you as they say.

Come along with us in our “Fresh Start” blog series as we show you what a healthy business relationship looks like and all that a reputable web design and development company can offer.

In this blog series, we’ll cover topics such as:

  • How to decide if a company is a right fit for you
  • Signs you’re in a healthy relationship with a company
  • When it’s time to break up and move on

Reflecting Back on Your Year in Business

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Reflecting Back on Your Year in Business

December is a time of celebration and also a time of reflection. Now is a great time to look back on how your business performed over the past year in order to have a strong start to 2017.

The end of the year is one of the busiest times for business owners. You’re trying to get everything in order to finish the year strong, but to be able to know where your company is going, it is important to look back and analyze the past.

Okay, so you agree you need to take stock of the good and the not so good from 2016 but don’t know where to start. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.

Gather your staff to check in

Each person who makes up your company is vital to its success and has a different viewpoint of day-to-day operations. When looking at a business' hits and misses, it's best to start behind the scenes. How your company runs directly impacts its overall performance.

Talking points for your meeting:

  • Ask where everyone is at with their jobs. Are they satisfied with the way things are run? Why or why not?
  • Are things running as efficiently as possible?
  • Are there any improvements that can be made?

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • How are you getting your company's name out there?
    • Where and how are you advertising?
    • Break down your advertising budget. Should you keep your current advertising schedule or change it up a bit? Keep in mind that small changes every once in a while are great ways to track what is effective.
  • How were your sales over the past year?
    • Did sales increase or decrease from the past year?
    • What impacted sales?
    • What is working and what isn't?
  • How was your social media marketing?
    • Are you putting enough effort in?
    • Are you using it as a true way to connect or just as something you have to do?
  • How many customers returned?
  • How did you try to innovate?
    • If no changes were made, why?
  • In what ways and departments did your business grow?
  • What could stand to be updated?
    • Is your website running as efficiently as possible? Could it use a more modern look or a complete makeover?
    • Does your logo properly reflect your company? A strong logo helps build a strong identity for your business. It's one of the first impressions you make to customers.

Listen to the feedback you get. And actually use it.

Take into account what everyone has said and the information you have gathered. Make a list of things that should stay the same and things that could stand to be improved. You don't have to wait until the end of the year to check in; doing a review each quarter or six months could make the task of keeping track your business more manageable.

Holiday Planning For Your Business

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Why Does Holiday Planning Matter?

Fall is here and that means holidays are right around the corner. Consumers who haven’t already done their holiday shopping will be frequenting the shops and websites more often than normal in preparation for the gift-giving season. So, how do you stand out from the competition and catch their attention at such a crucial time of the year? We’ve put together a list of things you can do right now to  prepare for the crowds to come.

Make sure your website can be found easily online

How is your SEO? Your Search Engine Optimization is what helps people find you online. If your SEO needs work, it is better to go ahead and get it done now in plenty of time for the holidays.

Is all the information on your website up to date as well? Take the time to thoroughly check your site for accuracy and try to look at it from a consumer's point of view. Make sure all of your contact information is correct and your services and shop items are current.

Prepare your website & online shop for heavy traffic

Is your store fully stocked? Do you have high-quality images and descriptions of all your items? People are visual especially when shopping online. People want to know exactly what they're getting, so make sure you're giving them all of the information necessary for them to make a purchase.

Check the back end of your website to make sure it is working efficiently. People shop online for convenience, so slow load times can have a major impact on the consumer experience. If people are forced to wait for something, there is a chance they will go to a competitor who can offer them faster service. If your site isn't working as well as it could be, now is the time to perform updates and maintenance.

Give your website/ads a festive look

There’s no better way to put someone in the holiday spirit than by putting snowflakes on your landing page or a Santa hat on your logo.

Save room in your budget for print advertising

The tradition of the vast ad-filled newspaper on Thanksgiving Day is something worth investing in. How can you stand out among everyone else? That would be an ideal time to think of a clever marketing strategy. The holidays one of the best times to get the most out of your print advertising budget.

Make a holiday gift-giving guide or service guide

The holidays are a stressful time for shoppers. Putting together a cohesive guide of what to buy will not only make their shopping easier but will also help them visualize gift ideas they might not have thought of otherwise. This is also a unique way to push products or services. Bundling items for a discounted rate can also be a smart way to increase sales. It’s a win-win for you and the consumer. Take advantage of it.

Create a social media campaign unique to you

Choose a theme you’d like to base your campaign around, whether it be thankfulness, giving or family and run with it. Incorporate your theme into all holiday-related posts. Cohesion and repetition is a useful way to stay on someone’s mind.

Send a holiday card to your clients

This is an excellent time to remind your clients that you’re around. People renew budgets at the beginning of the year, so this is a great time to advertise new things you’re doing in the new year!

You've made your list and checked it twice. Now, what? Whether you need an updated logo, a more efficient website, a clever holiday campaign, or updated print advertising, we at Old City Web Services are here to help. No matter how big or small, we will take your project under our wing to make it the best it can be. Contact us today for a consultation. We'd love to hear from you!

10 Ways to Establish Your Business

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Being a new business has its challenges, one of the biggest being establishing yourself in the community. A loyal client base and name recognition are vital to your success. Without the support of those around you, failure comes closer to becoming a reality than a fear. So, how do you make your startup stand out before it sinks?

Take advantage of free listings

This is a no brainer. Putting your company’s name out there as many ways as you can for free should be a top priority. Directory listings and community calendars are great resources for the community and an excellent way to get your name out there. This takes minimal time and effort and helps establish your business among other longstanding companies in the area.

Make sure you know your target market

Take a second to sit down and really think about who your target demographic is. Who are you marketing to and how are you doing so? Are they more likely to be on social media or flipping through the latest newspaper? Spending all the time and money in the world in marketing won't make a difference if your audience never sees it.

Utilize social media

Let’s face it. Everyone is on social media these days, and as a business, it is becoming an essential way to reach consumers. Luckily for you, social media is a free and effective way to interact with customers from all over. Depending on what your business is and the age group of people you are trying to reach, you can choose the best social media platforms to reach them.

Start a blog

Think that you shouldn’t start a blog because you’ll run out of things to talk about? What if you are a very specialized business? Not a problem. A company blog is a useful platform to produce content related to your industry. Relevant content will promote you as trusted resource for your trade. Example: Say you run a gym or are a personal trainer. You don’t have to use your blog just to talk about your services. Use your platform to talk about health advice, innovative exercises, and client transformations, etc.

Implement SEO into your website

Search engine optimization is the action of making your website rank for search keywords and phrases that pertain to your website/business. It is important to have the keywords and phrases viewers are searching for installed properly on your website. If done correctly, more people will view your website which will result in an increase in business. Search engines rank your website based on common search terms, the age of your site information, site links, and the relevance of your content.

Create your Google Business listing

Listing your business on Google will make sure your business appears easily when people are searching for you on Google. You can add pictures, and people can leave reviews which add to your credibility.

Take advantage of customer testimonials

When a customer has a good experience with you, don’t be afraid to ask what they thought of your service. Testimonials are one of the best ways to build credibility with potential clients.

Send out emails

Putting customers on an email list is a great way to reach out to them long after they've left your website or store. This gives you the opportunity to tell them about the variety of services you offer, updates from your company, and news in your industry.

Get involved in the community

How do you expect the community to know who you are if you don’t try to get to know the people in it? The more people see your name associated with the community, the more they will come to know you as a local establishment. Sponsor or participate in community events. Donate or give discounts for first-time clients. Give clients an initiative for referring customers. Give back to the community. Serving others is not only great for your staff but is also a wonderful way to get to know the locals.

Network as much as possible

Getting involved with different organizations within the community is essential. Some of your biggest allies in the business world are fellow business owners. The Chamber of Commerce should be at the top of your list for business networking. The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce’s mission states they are dedicated to improving the business environment in St. Johns County by focusing on Economic Development, Business Advocacy, Member Education, and Business Promotion. Service organizations such as United Way or Rotary are also excellent ways to get involved in the community.

How We Can Help

Here at Old City Web Services, we are dedicated to helping businesses thrive. Don’t know where to start? We offer many services that can help you out.

We can:

  • Perfect your marketing strategy to reach your target audience
  • Tune up or revamp your website
  • Write content for your company’s blog
  • Assist you with SEO and Google listings
  • Assist with print design and much more.

Go to our website, call us, or schedule a consultation with our team to see how we can help you get settled and succeed today.

Old City Web Services Welcomes Copywriter

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Old City Web Services Welcomes Copywriter

Natalie McElstaff-nataliewee works in copywriting and marketing here at Old City Web Services. Natalie graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech University in 2013. Upon graduation, she moved to St. Augustine to work as a copy editor/designer where she strengthened her editing and writing skills. From there, Natalie worked in marketing and development at a retreat center in South Carolina where she learned the ins and outs of social media, continued to write, and learned how to market in a unique environment. While she enjoyed her time in South Carolina, her love for the Nation's Oldest City brought her back to the area. Natalie has a passion for St. Augustine and the surrounding areas that shows in her work.

Natalie joins us with a unique set of skills that make her the perfect addition to our team. Her attention to detail, ability to craft copy, journalistic conversational skills and knack for social media make her a valuable asset. Natalie writes content for clients' websites and blogs, blogs for Old City Web Services and OldCity.com, handles social media for OldCity.com, helps with marketing, and works on day-to-day projects.

We’re excited to have a skilled writer join our team and are happy to offer her services to you. Is your website in need of an upgrade? Have you had it professionally designed but don’t have the right words to make it stand out?

It’s great to have a sharp looking website, but if there is no captivating content to grab someone’s attention, then what good is your website really doing? In order to have an effective website, you need to effectively communicate what your business is about, why consumers should choose you, and how you stand out among competitors.

Reasons to Hire a Copywriter

  1. A high-quality website needs high-quality text to build credibility and consumer trust.
  2. A copywriter incorporates SEO into text so consumers get the most out of online searching.
  3. You can rest assured that your copy will be the most effective it can be.

If you feel your content needs an upgrade, fill out the contact form on our website or give us a call at 904.829.2772 to discuss how we can help you with your content writing needs.

Unique ways to market your business

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Unique ways to market your business

Marketing seems to be a constantly changing puzzle business owners try to solve. In a world where focus is on what’s new, innovative, and different, how can your company stand out from the crowd? We're here to tell you some unique ways to market your business.

We’ve put together a few ideas to make your marketing ventures unique and eye-catching.

  • Business card: gatordoor-businesscardsChanging the shape or texture of your business card can instantly catch the eye of people in the community. Whether it is changing your card from a rectangle to a square or making your card out of a thicker material, a small change can make all the difference between standing out and blending in.
  • If you have a brochure for your business, adding a map to the inside could be a great way to entice a customer to keep the brochure around for future map use (keeping your logo around as well).
  • Rackpearlofthesea-rackcard card for hotels: Many hotels have racks where businesses put cards advertising their services. It is a great way to catch the attention of a customer you might not otherwise reach, the traveler. If you already have a rack card out in the community, upgrading the design is a quick and easy way to improve your company’s brand in the community.
  • Reevaluate ads for print/online publications: Make sure message is conveyed in clear and concise way. Don’t overload your ad with tons of text. Make sure to use quality photos that represent your business. Use a simple, yet visually appealing layout.
  • Reevaluate your social media plan: Are you interacting with consumers? Are people engaged with your social media accounts? Changing what you post, when you post, or how often you’re posting can make a big difference in response rates.
  • Market in ways that are rvcooper-hatindividual to your company: Putting your logo on items associated with your business can make a memorable impact on a consumer. For example, if you have a construction company, you could put your company’s name on a level or tape measurer keychain. If you have a technology company, you could put your logo on a flash drive. Bottle openers are great options if you have an outdoors company or bar.

Whether you are looking to redesign your business cards, reevaluate your social media plan, or completely revamp your marketing strategy, the team at Old City Web Services is here to help. Meet with us, and let's see what we can do to make you stand out from the crowd.

How to Use Links to Your Advantage.

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Learning to Use Links

Linking on a Blog post.

Linking on a Blog post.

Linking is when you connect your website to another platform. A platform could be another system or in other words social media. This is important part for online marketing since it helps with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It also helps customers go to your website faster with just one click. A feature of linking is that you can to add it to any platform, from

Linking on Facebook.

Linking on Facebook.

Facebook to blogs to Twitter. To create a link to your website, simply type your domain name into a platform and it should auto-populate, see the Facebook example to the right.  It's important to link from not only your website to your social media, but also from your social media to your website.  The more connections you make with linking the more it will help your SEO ranking, as long as it's relative linking.  Relative linking means you don't put your link on random sites just to get back linking.

When you use links for your website on other websites or social media, this creates a back link. Back linking to your website helps your SEO performance by at least 20%.  Not only does back linking help your SEO, but it also creates direct traffic to your website. Linking to your website also helps by indexing of your website with Search Engines. This effect also works with your social media. Linking your social media onto your website helps with the ranking of your Social Media. So, don't be afraid to connect your social media to your website and vice versa by linking to each other.

Need more help on getting traffic to your website? Contact us today to get some help!

Check out our Facebook and Twitter for updates and examples!

Making Engaging Post.

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How to Write Engaging Post on Social Media

Do you notice your Social networking is starting to lose connections with clients? Not getting the interaction you thought you would be getting from clients? That might be because you're not doing enough engaging post.  An engaging post is a post in that entices your audience to engage in the post either by liking, commenting or sharing the post. Keep your business social media fresh, interesting, and engaging by having consistent variations of engaging posts. Social media should be more than simple product promotion. If you keep posting only about the services you provide instead of trying to connect and engage with your clients, you will see you social media network drop in activity. Don't think of social media as a platform to sell your product or services but a platform to network for your business. Using engaging post will help you connect and build a relationship with your audience.

Here are some ideas for engaging post:

Engaging Post

Engaging on a post on Social Media 

  • Do a competition
  • Make a funny Meme
  • Pose a Questions to your Audience
  • Post a photo and with the words"Caption This Photo"
  • Fill in the Blank Post
  • Like for this , Share for this
  • Do some Trivia
  • Use a Quote
  • Post about Holiday Wishes
  • Celebrate Your Business Milestones
  • Make a Call to Action Post
  • Do a Poll
  • Post pictures or videos of behind scenes of your business

 

If you need furthermore examples check out our Facebook and Twitter.
In any event you are unable to do your business Facebook or Twitter, then let us manage them for you contact us today!

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We are Old City Web Services. We make it easy for small businesses to thrive online. Whether you need a professional website, help attracting more customers, or a fresh new look for your brand, we’ve got you covered. With over 20 years of experience, we specialize in simple, affordable solutions that work for businesses like yours. Let us handle the tech so you can focus on what you do best—running your business.

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