News and Announcements from HEROweb Marketing and Design http://www.heroweb.com/shop/feeds/rss-hwm-56.xml The major search engines provide free business listings that can help your business pop up in a local search. It only takes a few minutes to create a listing, or claim one (verify yourself as the business owner). http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_305?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=biteannouncement&utm_content=businesslistings&utm_campaign=mbmay1712 16724 Thu, May 17 2012 12:00 am Google's recent "Penguin" update has affected many websites. We recommend taking a look at your analytics to see if your traffic has dropped off since April 24. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_306?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=biteannouncement&utm_content=penguinupdate&utm_campaign=mbmay812 16720 Tue, May 08 2012 12:00 am Inbound Writer is a free tool that gives you immediate feedback as you write to help you maximize the search engine potential of your content. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_303?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=biteannouncement&utm_content=inboundwriter&utm_campaign=mbmay3112 16719 Thu, May 03 2012 12:00 am Page titles are an important part of what Google looks for in decidingwhich pages to return in a search. The titles are one of the key search ranking factors that the major search engines look at. Find out more in this week's Marketing Bite brought you by HEROweb. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_298/find-out-if-google-likes-your-page-titles.html 16711 Thu, Apr 26 2012 12:00 am Join us TONIGHT explore the key features of Google Adwords. After this 90 minute session you will have a good idea of what Adwords is all about and you will know if you have the right stuff to take the leap and manage your own Pay-Per-Click campaign! Download the Resource List and PowerPoint in advance!TODAY - Tuesday, April 24, 20126:00 - 7:30pm in the Singer RoomEugene Public Library, Downtown Eugene Although our presentations are great for newbies, we welcome experience website owners and always provide a range of actionable information to move your business forward. WIN a FREE 90 minute Web Marketing Consultation with our CEO and Marketing Manager, Michael Stearns! Anyone who pre-registers AND bring a friend* is eligible for the random prize drawing.*"Friends" are persons unrelated to your business. Your staff are more than welcome, though this incentive is intended to help us connect with as broad an audience as possible with your assistance!"Running successful online Pay-Per-Click campaigns is not for the faint of heart." - Michael StearnsFor more information and to register - click here! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_16669_288 16709 Tue, Apr 24 2012 12:00 am HEROweb staffers will head over to Imagine Group this afternoon. We'll be supporting our fantastic customer as they host the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours. The event will be 5-7pm at Imagine Group's offices, located at 990 Garfield, St. in Eugene (click for map).Attendees will enjoy food, beverages and an experiential tour through the "Marketing Trail" -- flanked on both sides by actual examples of creative marketing. Visitors are encouraged to see, touch, learn and be inspired by the wide variety of design, dynamic photography, effective messaging, materials and mediums galore -- that showcase the brand building of local businesses and organizations.Among the many thrilling features you can see our very own HEROmobile, a result of the awesome fleet graphics team of our valued customer, Image Group.If you're in the area, join HEROweb's co-founders Staci Schipporeit (CTO/Creator of MightyMerchant) and Michael Stearns (CEO/Marketing Manager), along with HEROweb staffers Nekhia Christian, Johnathan Curry and Mindy Linder. We hope to see you there! http://www.eugenechamber.com/wcevents/eventdetail.aspx?eventid=2314280 16706 Thu, Apr 19 2012 12:00 am We recommend starting a posting ideas journal in which you write down ideas for blog posts, Facebook posts or tweets, whenever they occur to you, so you can go on to other important business! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_231?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=onsitebite&utm_content=ideajournal&utm_campaign=mbapril1912 16705 Thu, Apr 19 2012 12:00 am We've released a new URL optimization feature that gives you complete SEO-friendly control over your URL names. We're moving (just across the parking lot) to bigger offices, and lots more news from HEROweb! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_285/april_2012.html 16701 Tue, Apr 17 2012 12:00 am Reserve your FREE Webinar seat NOW Join us Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, 11:00am - Noon (PST) Michael Stearns, HEROweb's CEO and Marketing Manager will lead you through some of the key features of Google Adwords as well as some of the important decisions you need to make when running a PPC campaign."Running successful online Pay-Per-Click campaigns is not for the faint of heart." - Michael StearnsRegister TODAYIf you can't join us for this Webinar AND you're in our local area in the Pacific Northwest, join us for our Marketing Bites - Monthly Talk: Running Profitable Paid Marketing Campaigns, Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 6:00 - 7:30pm in the Singer Room at the Eugene Public Library in Downtown Eugene. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_16671_289 16700 Mon, Apr 16 2012 12:00 am Consider your home page images as a store window display. Your visitors are more likely to stick around and see what you have to offer if the images are different from what they saw last time. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_292?utm_source=marketingbiteannouncement&utm_medium=onsitebite&utm_content=freshimages&utm_campaign=mbapril1212 16697 Thu, Apr 12 2012 12:00 am Blogging about how you overcame a business-related problem gives you material for a great post in many ways: it's based in personal experience, shows that you are confident enough in your business to admit you had a problem, and courageous enough to overcome it. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_232?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=latest&utm_campaign=mbapril512&utm_content=blogtip 16683 Thu, Apr 05 2012 12:00 am Google and Bing consider many factors when ranking websites. One keyfactor is the quality and quantity of links that you have within yoursite and also the links coming to your site from other websites.This week's Bite has a great, simple and actionable recommendation. It also features a video of our very own Michael Stearns!!Check it out! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_282/put_keyword-specific_anchor_text_in_your_links.html 16680 Thu, Mar 29 2012 12:00 am "Tag" your URLs with information that lets you track your marketing campaigns. We show you how. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_265?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=latest&utm_campaign=mbmarch2212&utm_content=utmtracking 16660 Fri, Mar 23 2012 12:00 am Spring is springing and so are new ways to grow your business. Check out the following topics in this month's SiteBeat - our monthly customer newsletter:Facebook has announced a new look, and we've written an article about how to make the most of it. Learn more about internet marketing through our Marketing Bites - Monthly Talks. Learn more about Pay-Per-Click advertising in our next online webinar.And more! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_280/march_2012.html 16656 Mon, Mar 19 2012 12:00 am Whether you are struggling to generate online traffic to yourwebsite, or simply looking to maximize your search engine exposure --this presentation is for YOU! We'll cover the following topics:Basic On-Site OptimizationLink-Building TipsWriting Content for Search EnginesA Survey of SEO FactorsMeasuring Your ResultsDownload the Resource List in advance!Attendees that also pre-register online will be eligible to win a$250 coupon for HEROweb services! For current customers this couldoffset costs for a new feature upgrade or re-design.* For non-customers, this could offset the cost of developing a new site! Register, join us and WIN!*Not applicable to offset monthly fees."Doing search engine marketing well takes an interesting mix of creativity,analytical skills, and technical knowledge. We are going to focus onsome very simple ideas and present some immediate steps that businessowners can take to gain measurable results with their search enginemarketing." - Michael StearnsFor more information and to register - click here! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_267/search_engine_marketing_to_boost_your_website_traf.html?utm_source=reminder&utm_medium=latest&utm_content=searchenginemarketing&utm_campaign=mar2012 16655 Tue, Mar 20 2012 12:00 am We've updated HEROweb's Facebook profile to the new Timeline, and published an article about how you can make the most of Facebook's redesigned pages. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_279/tell_your_story_with_facebooks_new_timeline.html 16641 Thu, Mar 15 2012 11:18 am Whether you are struggling to to generate online traffic to your website, or simply looking to maximize your search engine exposure -- this presentation is for YOU! We'll cover the following topics:Basic on-site optimizationLink-building tipsWriting content for search engineA survey of SEO factorMeasuring your resultsAttendees that also pre-register online will be eligible to win a $250 coupon for HEROweb services! For current customers this could offset costs for a new feature upgrade or re-design.* For non-customers, this could offset the cost of developing a new site! Register, join us and WIN!*Not applicable to offset monthly fees."Doing search engine marketing well takes an interesting mix of creativity, analytical skills, and technical knowledge. We are going to focus on some very simple ideas and present some immediate steps that business owners can take to gain measurable results with their search engine marketing." - Michael StearnsFor more information and to register - click here! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_267/search_engine_marketing_to_boost_your_website_traf.html?utm_source=reminder&utm_medium=latest&utm_content=searchenginemarketing&utm_campaign=mar1312 16640 Tue, Mar 13 2012 10:52 am Free tools are available to use to make sure that all of the links on your site are working as they are supposed to, and are properly indexed by Google. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_233/?utm_source=latest&utm_medium=latest&utm_content=brokenlinks&utm_campaign=mbmarch812 16636 Thu, Mar 08 2012 11:41 am We are proud to announce the launch of Cascade Surgical Oncology's new site. For persons seeking a warm, inviting clinic where patients will be provided with a comprehensive holistic cancer care plan delivered with compassion and respect, we invite you to visit Cascade Surgical Oncology in Eugene at CascadeSurgicalOncology.com. Dr. Trezona and his staff offer support and care for the whole person, body, mind and spirit in their Eugene cancer treatment center. Communicating this kind of personalized, compassionate care is very important to Dr. Trezona, and the Cascade Surgical Oncology staff. You will note on the home page of the site, front and center is an embedded video. This dynamic content feature on the MightyMerchant platform allows personal patient testimonials to engage site visitors and provide honest, first-hand accounts of the kind of care you can expect at Cascade Surgical Oncology.Dr. Trezona and his staff are striving to develop their web presence to serve as a resource for their current and prospective patients seeking holistic cancer treatment and support. Their site is designed to provide extensive information and resources, which Cascade Surgical Oncology will continue to develop and update as they build their web presence. To do this they use the MightyMerchant Content Management System (CMS). The MightyMerchant CMS allows Cascade Surgical Oncology to update all areas of their web site quickly and easily. As their range of knowledge and services grows, Dr. Trezona and his staff can add new content to their site at any time: new pages, new categories, new pictures, new videos, new links and more. The CMS also allows Cascade Surgical Oncology to optimize their pages for strong search engine results in order to reach the people that need their services most.Jaime Jones of Cascade Surgical Oncology shares of the experience working with our staff:"HEROweb has made the process of building a new website easy by having a user-friendly administration page [content management system], quick responses to question and great tools that walked you through processes as needed. It has been fun working with the staff at HEROweb!"Jaime also expressed: "Wow! You have created a incredible introduction to our clinic, beautifully presenting our goals and vision! Well done. Thank you so much. You'll have to pop in sometime and see it in action." http://cascadesurgicaloncology.com/ 16569 Fri, Mar 02 2012 3:50 pm More people are reading their emails on mobile devices these days. We offer a few tips to help yours get the most visibility. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_249?utm_source=latest&utm_medium=latest&utm_content=twittertutorial&utm_campaign=march112 16568 Thu, Mar 01 2012 11:45 am Heartwood Carving, a proud HEROweb customer, designs and creates quality ornamental and architectural details of timeless beauty and value. Architectural carvings shape a home's interior landscape and as you browse their new, beautiful website, you will find a unique line of carved components and trim to add your personal touch to decorative casework, mantels, cabinetry accents and furniture, as well as detailing features like staircases, bookcases and columns.Owner Joe Olma provides beautiful, custom, complex products and services for his customers. Our MightyMerchant platform boasts a number of fantastic features and functionality that help Joe serve his customers with ease.Custom Quote Form, Create a Proposal: Much of Joe's products are custom-made to the precise specifications of his customers. As such, this requires a detailed exchange between the customer and business before settling on the purchase details. Customers can begin by exploring the collection of products available on the site. The customer has a choice to either select the product as-is, or submit a request for customization. After the customer submits the form, Joe creates a product based on the customer's request. He then sends a proposal to the customer that includes a link to the shopping cart pre-filled with the custom product.See the form here: http://www.heartwoodcarving.com/home/hwc/quoterequest_main.html Custom Shipping Quote - Custom Payment Form: Heartwood can't determine shipping on some items ahead of time. They "flag" these items as requiring a custom shipping quote. If the customer has one of these items in their cart during checkout, they are not required to submit payment in order to place their order. Joe contacts the customer with a price for the order that includes shipping, and sends them a link to the custom payment form. The customer enters the amount and proceeds through checkout, this time entering payment information and completing the transaction.See the form here: http://www.heartwoodcarving.com/payment-formDependent Options: When selecting products from Heartwood's collection, or generating a custom request, there are product options that are dependent upon other selected specifications. For example, available wood finishes are dependent upon the size chosen. This custom ordering feature helps to ensure that customers get exactly what they want within the parameters of what your business has to offer.Try it here: http://www.heartwoodcarving.com/page_4220_240/carved-stair-bracket-fleur-des-lis-2Cross-selling/Up-selling: When shoppers are searching through the catalog on Heartwood, the right sidebar features related items under the banner "You May Also Like". This helps shoppers find the right product and encourages them to buy more and/or explore other options they may not have previously known about.Try it here: http://www.heartwoodcarving.com/page_3939_237/onlay-scallop-shell http://heartwoodcarving.com/ 16565 Thu, Mar 08 2012 11:13 am We're proud to announce GCAP's site launch as one of our newest customers to join the HEROweb family on our MightyMerchant platform.The Government Contract Assistance Program (GCAP) is part of a nationwide network of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) working to help small businesses compete successfully in the government marketplace. Dee Edwards, Program Manager, GCAP says:"Thank you so much for your help, guidance and maybe most of all your patience! We love our new website and are now proud to direct our clients there. Right after our site went live, we had compliments and inquiries asking who did our site. We really appreciate your assistance."GCAP's new site uses the MightyMerchant Content Management System (CMS). The MightyMerchant CMS allows GCAP to update all areas of their web site quickly and easily. GCAP can add new content at any time: new pages, new categories, new pictures, new links and more. The CMS also allows GCAP to optimize their pages for strong search engine results.With all of the services GCAP provides, you can imagine there is A LOT of content to manage! Their services include: One-on-One Counseling, Registration Assistance (Duns, CCR, DSBS, ORCA), Bid-matching Services, GSA Schedules, Assistance with SBA Certifications, Training & Certifications, Training & Conferences, Interpreting Solicitations, Proposal Review, Subcontracting Assistance, Product and Procurement Histories.In order to engage their potential clients, GCAP offers detailed submission forms for contact, inquiry and registration for services and training opportunities.Visit GCAP for yourself and have a look! http://www.gcap.org/ 16564 Tue, Feb 28 2012 2:47 pm A quick lesson in what Twitter "hashtags" (#) are and how to use them to follow and find information, or promote your own events. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_250?utm_source=latest&utm_medium=latest&utm_content=twittertutorial&utm_campaign=feb2312 16561 Thu, Feb 23 2012 11:35 am Happy February! Check out our second customer newsletter of the year, with an update on the server upgrade, proud announcement of our new Marketing Bites - Monthly Talks series that kicks off Monday, Feb 27, a customer profile featuring Bevel-Edge.com -- as well as the warm welcome to our new customers that launched sites this month. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_236/february_2012.html 16560 Wed, Feb 22 2012 4:10 pm Do you own a business and are struggling to put together all the pieces and achieve profitability online? Then, this presentation is for YOU!Join your business peers next Monday, February 27 from 6 - 7:30 pm at the Eugene Public Library to discuss the key aspects of running an ecommerce website. Our CEO and resident Web Marketing & Ecommerce expert, Michael Stearns, will provide an informative presentation and lead an in-depth discussion about the topic.Get the dialogue started by registering online* and submitting questions for us to review in advance.*Registration is encouraged but not required. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_254?utm_source=latest&utm_medium=onsiteannouncement&utm_content=kickstart&utm_campaign=feb2012 16556 Mon, Feb 20 2012 12:24 pm Bevel-Edge.com proprietors turned from pro cabinet makers to providers of countertop trim. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_16534?utm_source=customerspotlight&utm_medium=latest&utm_content=beveledge&utm_campaign=21712 16535 Fri, Feb 17 2012 11:50 am Interesting statistics about people's social media behavior. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_241?utm_source=onsitebite&utm_medium=biteannouncement&utm_content=whenshare&utm_campaign=feb1612 16523 Thu, Feb 16 2012 3:41 pm HEROweb's very own co-owner/founder, Michael Stearns, will speak today at a SCORE seminar for local entrepreneurs in the Eugene/Springfield metro area.The presentation, Maximizing Your Web Marketing Efforts, will cover some key topics including: How to Build a Successful Online Marketing StrategyUnderstanding the Internet EconomyWhere to Put Your FocusAssessing and Shaping Your Website MessageGaining Control of Your ContentDesign/Usability FactorsSearch Engine Exposure and OptimizationConnecting to Your Local CommunityBuilding Your Personal BrandStanding OutTracking Your ResultsTools for Web DevelopmentThis presentation will be live tweeted by HEROweb staffer, Mindy Linder, with the hash tag #herowebtalks - so YOU can follow along!Find supporting materials for this and other topics in our Learn section or at http://www.heroweb.com/maximize.Also, if you're interesting in learning more about Web Marketing, join us for our new free series Marketing Bites - Monthly Talks. While our SCORE presentations serve to provide some excellent basic information to get newer entrepreneurs and those individuals exploring the idea of starting their own business an introduction to key concepts for success -- we are seeking to deepen the conversation and generate dialogue around some intermediate and advanced topics for the established and seasoned entrepreneur.Marketing Bites - Monthly Talks will be 90 minute sessions that include a presentation with in-depth discussion on a specific web marketing topic. We encourage attendees to share their stories and questions with their peers and our resident web marketing and e-commerce expert, Michael Stearns. This series is geared towards building community through dialogue about web marketing to help grow and sustain small businesses.We kick of this series later this month - don't miss it!HEROweb Marketing & Design presentsMarketing Bites - Monthly Talks: Kick Start Your Ecommerce BusinessMonday, February 27 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pmBascom Room at the Eugene Public Library in Downtown EugeneFREE 16512 Wed, Feb 15 2012 10:44 am Our friends at BlackberryQuilts.com are giving away sewing and quilting related prizes each day this week to HEROweb fans who post comments on our Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/herowebmarketing?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=5daysoffacebook&utm_content=Facebook&utm_campaign=feb1312 16491 Mon, Feb 13 2012 12:32 pm Our tips for things to regularly check on your site, so make sure everything is in ship-shape order. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_230?utm_source=onsitebite&utm_medium=biteannouncement&utm_content=sitereviews&utm_campaign=feb912 16417 Thu, Feb 09 2012 10:19 am We're proud of our local customers working to build their business every day. Barb Bertsch started GoodFibers.com to help pay for her children to go to college. She still works a full-time day job while providing organic and environmentally bed, bath and kitchen items for the home. Click to read more about her family business. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_16296/goodfibers.com.html 16394 Wed, Feb 08 2012 10:53 am Reviews can be a valuable part of a business's promotional strategy, but how do you get them and leverage them to your benefit? Our 3-part article series offers tips. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15675?utm_source=article&utm_medium=articleannouncement&utm_content=reviews&utm_campaign=feb612 16370 Mon, Feb 06 2012 11:27 am We are thrilled to announce the launch of the website for Harlequin Beads & Jewelry! Stacy Bierma, owner and operator of Harlequin Beads & Jewelry shared this of her new e-commerce site:"We love our new website! I enjoyed the creative process, working with Kathy [HEROweb Lead Designer] and Staci [HEROweb Co-Founder/Owner], and learning how the site manager and back end work. We carry over 9,000 items that require different layouts, different kinds of information and different search and filter criteria. The site manager is amazing and it is great to be able to control and update the content and look of our site in-house. We feel that the search, filter and SEO capabilities of our new site are going to make us more competitive in today's market."As Stacy alluded to, Harlequin Beads benefits from several advanced features available in the MightyMerchant platform, such as: Advanced Faceted Search Filters: Harlequin Beads sells over 8,000 individual beads and helping customers find the right bead is a critical requirement for the site. Harlequinbeads.com uses the MightyMerchant "Faceted Search" feature to allow shoppers to easily narrow any selection of products by Color, Shape, Brand, Material and Finish. The MightyMerchant Faceted Search feature works with ANY type of attribute so it can be configured to work with any product line and is an ideal method to help shopper's find the product they want quickly. Try it out here: http://www.harlequinbeads.com/swarovskiSearch through Harlequin's diverse array of Swarovski beads, for example. Note the "Narrow Your Search" filter on the left side of the page that allows you to view and search by Shape, Color, Size, Material and Finish. Of the more than 3,000 beads in the Swarovski collection you can explore all of these characteristics for Crystal Beads, Pearl Beads, Bead Mixes, Pendants, Rhinestones or Closeouts. Integrated Calendar and Class Registration: Harlequin Beads offers classes and wanted an easy way to display the schedule and allow people to register. The site features a visual calendar that links to each class and event. Visitors can click any class in the calendar, register and pay for the class. The events, class schedule and pricing are all managed with the MightyMerchant Site Manager so Harlequin can easily keep their offerings up to date.Try it out here: http://www.harlequinbeads.com/classes-sales-and-special-eventsBrowse the calendar to see all of the sales, classes and special events that Harlequin provides. Click on any entry in the calendar and you will see the various offerings listed in chronological order including a registration option. At-a-glance you can see the Class Title, Instructor, Time, Cost, and Space Availability. If you click on the Class Title you can view an extended description of the course, register and pay for the class. Classes you register for are added to your Shopping Cart, which allows you to combine class registration with any other shopping purchases you make on the site. Promo and Coupon Manager: Harlequin Beads frequently runs promotions and has opted to use the MightyMerchant Promo and Coupon Manager. This allows Harlequin to run timed promotions, place all items in a category on sale with a few clicks, place individual items on sale, set up coupon codes, offer Free Shipping coupons, require order minimums to qualify for discounts, run a site wide promotion and much more.Data Integration: Harlequin Beads uses Filemaker as their in-house database system for managing their large and frequently changing inventory. Manually changing the web site each time their inventory changes would take an enormous amount of time, so HEROweb created a custom integration for them that allows them to easily update the web site catalog using their Filemaker database. Using the Data Import Tool, Harlequin can add and remove items, categorize, set attributes, pricing, descriptions and more. HEROweb can work with just about any data source to automate updates to the web site catalog.Shared Bulk Price Discounts: Harlequin Beads want to encourage volume buying and offers generous discounts based on the quantity ordered. It's a common requirement, but the MightyMerchant implementation has several standout features that Harlequin has put use:Percent off Quantity Breaks: Harlequin sets a price for each item and MightyMerchant calculates a discount based on the quantity ordered.Shared Pricing: Harlequin has set up several discount schedules and then assigns products to use them. So, for example, a bead is priced at $10.00 for a pack of 25 and is using "Discount Schedule A", which is configured to give 5% off in quantities over 10, 7.5% off in quantities over 24, etc. There may be 500 beads that use "Discount Schedule A", each with it's own unique base price. If Harlequin decides they want to change their offer to require people to order 12 instead of 10 to get the first bulk discount, they can change the pricing on all 500 products using "Discount Schedule A" by changing exactly one number in the MightyMerchant Site Manager. MightyMerchant's Shared pricing feature can be used to configure complicated pricing options that can then be shared across many products, making it simple to update and maintain.Try it out here: http://www.harlequinbeads.com/wood-beadsBrowse through the various Wood Beads that Harlequin has to offer and notice the pricing structure. You'll find an image of each bead next to the name and size of the bead. Under 'Price' you will find "per x beads", where 'x' is the minimum number of beads you can purchase. Notice the quantity breakdown to the right. Harlequin typically offers four discount levels related to quantity: 1-9, 10-24, 25-99, 100 - + (based on a minimum batch of 'x' beads). Aggregate Quantities: Harlequin wants to offer the bulk discount no matter what combination of products is in a shopper's cart. If the first price break on an item is for a quantity of 10 or more and the customer has a total of 10 items in their cart, then they will get the discount on all products in their cart that have a bulk discount starting at 10. MightyMerchant has the ability to "aggregate" quantities based on any criteria (for example, order 3 of this brand, 4 in this category, 12 of this type). MightyMerchant will add up the quantities and calculate the discount.Try it out here: http://www.harlequinbeads.com/bead-tools-looms-storageIf you start in the Harlequin tools and select a variety of tools that you may need to get started on your beading project, you can see your discount for aggregated quantities very easily. For example, select from Bead Boards, Bead Mat, Bead Stoppers, Bead Storage, Bead Trays, Cutters, Misc. Tools, Pliers and Scissors. Notice that when you have 1-9 items the price per item is priced at the 1-9 price -- but once you add at least a 10 item volume you begin to realize a discount where the price is now the 10-24 price.Here is a screen shot example of a cart with 28 items in it. Notice that the price of the Bead Board 20 Inch Channels Grey is displaying in the cart with the price discount for the 25-99 order volume. Even though the buyer is only ordering one of the product, because of the overall quantity of items in the shopping cart, the discount for that (and all products in the cart) are realized at that shared rate. The Component Products and Cross-selling/Up-selling: Harlequin Beads offers kits that are made up of several individual products. Harlequin allows visitors to buy a kit, but also makes it easy for shoppers to buy individual components of the kit. Additionally, every individual product page in the Harlequin catalog features a "You may also like" list of related items to help shoppers find the right product and encourage them to buy more.Try it out here: http://www.harlequinbeads.com/page_21821_9267/czech-charlotte-size-8-cobalt-transparent-silver-linedLet's look at Seed Beads, for example. If you like the Czech Charlotte Size 8 Cobalt Transparent Silver Lined Beads, you will notice that at the bottom of the page is a list of "You may also like..." items. In this case, other Czech Charlotte Beads are listed such as Size 11 Light Blue Opaque Luster, Size 11 Dark Red Opaque, Size 13 Royal Blue Opaque, Size 8 Green Iris Opaque Iridescent, and Size 11 Dark Green Transparent -- each of which is relative in size and a brilliantly vivid color.We hope you found this launch summary informative about what Harlequin Beads & Jewelry has to offer, as well as how HEROweb's staff and the MightyMerchant platform contribute to the success of their web presence and business. http://www.harlequinbeads.com/ 16369 Fri, Feb 10 2012 11:28 am Emails that include just one social sharing option generated 30% higher click-through rates than emails without any social sharing links. That CTR jumped to 55% higher with 3 or more social sharing options. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_224?utm_source=onsitebite&utm_medium=biteannouncement&utm_content=increaseemailclickthrough&utm_campaign=feb112 16328 Thu, Feb 02 2012 9:48 am Our first newsletter of the new year, with important articles about getting, using, and leveraging reviews as well as special Facebook and Adwords promotions offers. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_220?utm_source =onsitenewsletter&utm_medium=announcement&utm_content=januarysitebeat&utm_campaign=jan3012 16317 Wed, Feb 01 2012 1:21 pm Boost Your Online Business:Learn to Analyze Your Web TrafficThursday, January 19, 6:00 p.m.Eugene Public Library, Downtown10th & OliveFREE It's easy for owners of small businesses to be alternately mesmerized, intimidated, and overwhelmed by the wealth of data available online. But, says HEROweb's owner/co-founder Michael Stearns, "understanding your website's traffic is crucial." Listen to Michael's thoughts about the presentation http://cinch.fm/mikestearnsOn Thursday, January 19, at 6:00 p.m., the Downtown Eugene Public Library will host "Boost Your Online Business: Learn to Analyze Your Web Traffic," a free presentation by HEROweb's Michael Stearns. He will explain how to use Google Analytics efficiently and intelligently to understand the behavior of users at a business website and gain actionable insights to improve online business.This talk is co-sponsored by Eugene Public Library, LCC Small Business Development Center, and SCORE: Counselors to America's Small Business. http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_15872_488_4374_43/http%3B/ceppcontent.eugene1.net%3B7087/publishedcontent/publish/library/library_events/boost_your_online_business.html 16177 Thu, Jan 19 2012 4:28 pm Adding a Google +1 Button to Your About Us page allows people who already are interested in you to click and show it. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_235?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=siteannouncement&utm_content=googlebutton&utm_campaign=jan2612 16251 Thu, Jan 26 2012 2:22 pm Got email subscribers? Ask them to help you help them by updating their information with you. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_16008?utm_source=marketingbite&utm_medium=siteannouncement&utm_content=updateemaillists&utm_campaign=jan1912 16174 Thu, Jan 19 2012 11:37 am Facebook's notifications system for business pages is not that great, but we've found a free service that fills in the gaps. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_218/take_control_of_your_facebook_notifications.html 16101 Thu, Jan 12 2012 10:04 am We just launched a new website for Kap Art that features a fantastic niche of their business - weddings!Whether you need invitations, save the date cards, favors, personalized tableware or gifts -- Kap Art can customize a unique solution for you. Visit their beautiful new site to find out how they can help you or someone you know with that special day. http://www.weddingsbykapart.com/ 16090 Wed, Jan 11 2012 11:56 am Take this "new" opportunity to update any out-of-date information on your site. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_217/its_2012_does_your_site_know.html 16020 Thu, Jan 05 2012 10:20 am Plan now to integrate your marketing plan with important dates and events of 2012. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_216/develop_a_2012_event_based_marketing_plan.html 15943 Thu, Dec 29 2011 8:41 am A good education starts with high-quality notebooks, writing paper, tablets, and other paper goods. Comet School Supplies launches their new informational website to feature their assortment of paper-based products for colleges made in an environmentally aware and ethical manner.The visual design of this site was provided by one our valued graphics and print design partners, KAP Art Inc. "It is always a pleasure to work with HEROweb. Weare confident with their expertise in taking our designs and bringing them to lifewill give our clients complete satisfaction. We have not been disappointed."- Cindy Humphreys of KAP Art, Inc. http://www.cometschoolsupplies.com/ 15870 Thu, Dec 22 2011 11:37 am Wisestamp.com provides email apps that let you customize your email signature with things like links to your latest blog, Facebook post or tweet, or the latest song you listened to on Pandora. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_215/use_wisestamp_for_your_email_signature.html 15871 Thu, Dec 22 2011 9:56 am Our last newsletter of the year, with a special deal for new or existing Adwords customers, and a reminder that there's still time to take advantage of our New Years Resolution upgrade offers. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_212/december_2011.html 15858 Wed, Dec 21 2011 9:51 am Google's new program allows merchants to earn a badge as a Trusted Store. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_214/become_a__google_trusted_store.html 15796 Thu, Dec 15 2011 11:15 am Oregon Women's Sailing Association sets sail online with a fabulous new website by HEROweb!"We are very excited about our new website! We are excited to be able to have online registration for classes and to have our merchandise available online as well. One of the biggestplusesis that the content update process will be able to be shared by multiple people instead of one person (who knows HTML) responding to all the update requests. The website has a new fresh look and offers so much information. We have only begun to tap the options available to us. From the start Michael and Julie have been so helpful with advice and always available to assist. We are looking forward to a long fruitful relationship." - Edie Felix, Webmaster, OWSA Board of DirectorsOregon Women's Sailing Association, or OWSA, empowers women to sale. Visit their new site at http://www.owsa.net/. http://www.owsa.net/ 15775 Tue, Dec 13 2011 4:46 pm A church serving the University of Oregon community, University Fellowship, now has a new site."Most churches developing a new site would work with some sort of design/development group that works in the ministry field, most likely not even located in the Northwest. We however were thrilled with our experience with Hero Web. Kathy and Greg were efficient and quick, knowledgeable but easy to communicate with and willing to go the extra mile to make a site tailored to our unique needs. The site is simple for us to use and just what we had hoped for. It was great to know that we were working with local professionals, and I would highly recommend them."Ashley GilchristUniversity Fellowship ChurchEugene, Oregon Check out the site at http://www.university-fellowship.com/. http://www.university-fellowship.com/ 15714 Thu, Dec 08 2011 4:16 pm We identify pros and cons to "do-it-yourself" website design, and discuss why the benefits to your business often far outweigh the cost involved with hiring a professional designer. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15712/why_hire_a_professional_web_design_and_development.html 15713 Thu, Dec 08 2011 2:14 pm Offering gift certificates is a smart strategy this time of year. This quick tip has way to create and share gift certificates. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_211/holiday_promotion_offering_gift_certificates.html 15711 Thu, Dec 08 2011 11:40 am "I am jazzed to be speaking at Lane Forest Products' "Sow Much More" conference. The theme of the conference is about re-launching your business in 2012. I am going to be talking about a range of focused, actionable ideas, utilizing the latest technologies, that landscapers can apply in the current economy to build some marketing momentum in the coming year." -- Michael Stearns Listen to Michael's thoughts about the conference http://cinch.fm/mikestearnsWe are pleased to announce that our very own Michael Stearns has been invited to speak at the landscape professionals conference, "Sow Much More" on Friday, December 9, 20111. Michael will give two dynamic presentations to help this niche market of entrepreneurs improve their business in 2012."10 Steps to Kick-Start Your Marketing Plan""Using Online Tools to Engage With Your Customers"You can follow this and all of Michael's presentations on Twitter with the tag #herowebtalks.If you or your colleagues are interested in having Michael Stearns present for YOUR peers, please contact us with the form below. 15699 Wed, Dec 07 2011 3:50 pm We are thrilled to announce the new site launch for Metro Affordable Housing Corporation."The site is great and we are not only thrilled but relieved to have it done! I send to the HEROweb team my sincerest thanks for such an amazing experience! It was so smooth and I have learned a ton. "It was such a pleasure working with Kathy. She understood from the very beginning what we were asking and followed it all the way through in the time that was estimated. I can't thank her and the team enough! I will post a review on Yelp when I get a spare moment. Your company is so easy to work with that I will be recommending HEROweb to anyone looking for web design and management. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" -- Shannon Hardin, Metropolitan Affordable Housing CorporationMetro Affordable Housing Corporation, Building Communities Through Community Building. Visit the site at http://www.metroaffordablehousing.org/ http://www.metroaffordablehousing.org/ 15698 Wed, Dec 07 2011 3:30 pm Our very own Michael Stearns, co-owner of HEROweb Marketing & Design, contributes timely industry expertise for Practical Ecommerce.Check out the new article, "Using Google Website Optimizer for A/B Testing" on Practical Ecommerce today! http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3203-Using-Google-Website-Optimizer-for-A-B-Testing 15687 Tue, Dec 06 2011 9:50 am Buy a nice watch for your special someone this holiday season or invest in a piece of history for yourself, at our latest site - Knight Watch and Jewelry at http://www.knightwatchonline.com/!Knight Watch and Jewelry restores, customizes, and sells vintage and antique watches. Their quality heirlooms are made to last longer than a lifetime. http://www.knightwatchonline.com/ 15686 Tue, Dec 06 2011 9:31 am One of our valued customers, Pondmerchant.com, is celebrating the success of their business in a BIG way!As Pondmerchant.com approaches their 10,000th order (a thrilling milestone), they are providing ALL customers 10% off ALL online purchases until they reach their 10,000th order. A grand prize valued at over $1,000 of pond supplies will be awarded to the lucky person who places the 10,000th order!Learn more and join in the celebration at http://pondmerchant.com/ http://www.pondmerchant.com/ 15639 Fri, Dec 02 2011 9:20 am Ever wonder how your email works? This article explains the basics and challenges of email management. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15626/email_basics_accounts_versus_aliases.html 15627 Thu, Dec 01 2011 4:25 pm KnowEm.com is a free tool that checks the use of user names and brand names, that you either are using or want to use, across hundreds of social media websites. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_210/knowem_free_username_check_tool.html 15625 Thu, Dec 01 2011 10:46 am Last minute shoppers are looking for deals. Lead them to what they're looking for. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_195/appeal_to_the_last_minute_shopper.html 15544 Wed, Nov 23 2011 11:43 am Calling all current customers! Start planning now for success in 2012 with our New Year's Resolution Upgrade Offer! Review the offer at www.heroweb.com/new-years-offer and then give us call. Act now - this offer ends Friday, December 30. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15488/new_years_resolution_upgrade_offer.html 15533 Tue, Nov 22 2011 10:26 am Timely news about HEROweb's New Year's Resolution Upgrade Offer, holiday planning and more. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_206/november_2011.html 15521 Mon, Nov 21 2011 12:05 pm Now is the perfect time to reflect on your successes of the past year and use them to refine your goals for the coming year. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15489/define_your_business_goals_in_the_new_year.html 15520 Mon, Nov 21 2011 11:55 am Are you a HEROweb customer? Get your monthly site management and hosting fees for FREE! Click here to find out how with our HEROweb Customer Referral Program.Not a HEROweb customer? No problem! Click here to find out how YOU can benefit from our HEROweb Partner Referral Program. 15487 Fri, Nov 18 2011 9:30 am In September 2011 Google made some significant changes to their data feed requirements. If you manage your feed yourself it is important that you log-in to your Google Products account to be certain that your feed is running properly. http://support.mightymerchant.com/home/mm4/page_1005/verifying_your_google_product_feed.html 15476 Thu, Nov 17 2011 10:22 am Schedulicity is an affordable and powerful tool for people who rely on a full appointment book to keep their business growing. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_209/keep_a_full_appointment_book_with_schedulicity.html 15475 Thu, Nov 17 2011 10:15 am Don't miss it! Michael Stearns, co-owner of HEROweb Marketing and Design, will be teaching an online course as part of a new educational series offered by Practical Ecommerce.The course title is "Introduction to Google Analytics" and the first session will run on Nov 16, 2011.Sign up now! Check out all the classes over at the Practical Ecommerce website. 15454 Tue, Nov 15 2011 11:47 am HEROweb's Michael Stearns will give the presentation, "Maximizing Your Web Marketing Efforts" for SCORE, "Counselors to America's Small Business" today in Eugene, Oregon.Follow the live tweet feed @Heroweb #herowebtalks. 15443 Mon, Nov 14 2011 10:38 am Google initiated a change recently to send logged in users directly to the secure search page, which encrypts their search data. This victory for privacy has real implications for site owner's analytics. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/seo-and-site-optimization/internet-search/google-makes-secure-search-mandatory/ 15412 Fri, Nov 11 2011 11:10 am Plan ahead by creating a schedule of important dates for email promotions and other marketing channels you will undertake this shopping season. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_204/set_up_a_holiday_calendar.html 15401 Thu, Nov 10 2011 12:20 pm Learning Services has added another special contract site to its family of websites selling educational software. Shop their retail site at www.learningservicesus.com http://www.learningservicesus.com 15384 Wed, Nov 09 2011 8:32 am We've seen everything when it comes to good, bad and unprofessional website design companies. Find out how to tell if your website company is working for you or against you. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15372/is_your_website_company_working_for_you_or_against.html 15373 Tue, Nov 08 2011 3:43 pm This posted on Friday, so you may have missed it...but Google continues to add to their search relevancy. Sometimes they strike out. This new freshness algorithm has webmasters worried. Find out why. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/seo-and-site-optimization/googles-new-freshness-algorithm/ 15371 Tue, Nov 08 2011 3:30 pm Michael Stearns, co-owner of HEROweb Marketing and Design, will be teaching an online course as part of a new educational series offered by Practical Ecommerce.The course title is "Introduction to Google Analytics" and the first session will run on Nov 16, 2011.Check out all the classes over at the Practical Ecommerce website https://store.practicalecommerce.com/store/pc/home.asp 15330 Fri, Nov 04 2011 10:09 pm Cyber Monday, which is the Monday after Thanksgiving, has become well-known as an online shopping day. An email promotion to your customer list can help you take advantage of this. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_198/run_a_cyber_monday_promotion.html 15319 Thu, Nov 03 2011 7:59 am Some scam emails are very sophisticated. This article shows an example of a scam email and what to look for to protect yourself. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15163 15306 Wed, Nov 02 2011 11:10 am Potentially huge changes are in the works for sales tax issues related to online sales. Here's what you need to know right now. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15162/sales_tax_changes___how_will_they_affect_online_bu.html 15285 Mon, Oct 31 2011 10:06 am Take a look at the beautiful new site we just launched for The Flower Market! Fresh flowers at refreshing prices for the Eugene/Springfield area in Oregon. http://www.bokays.com/ 15254 Fri, Oct 28 2011 2:49 pm What is A/B testing and why would you want to do it? This article explains the method of testing elements on your website to optimize its appeal. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/page_15164/getting_started_with_landing_page_ab_testing.html 15253 Fri, Oct 28 2011 9:49 am More important information that just couldn't wait till next month! A valuable Customer Referral "thank you" offer, new Support Plus plan, sales tax information, and another new employee. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_203/october_2011__part_2.html 15252 Fri, Oct 28 2011 9:39 am Google announces a visual way to view and track visitor movement to, through, and out of your site. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/marketing-and-promotion/analytics/google-analytics-flow-visualization-update/ 15241 Thu, Oct 27 2011 3:48 pm Your home page title tells the search engines a lot about you. Is it saying the right things? http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_199/update_and_optimize_your_home_page_title.html 15236 Thu, Oct 27 2011 12:30 pm QR Code generators (free tools) make it easy to create codes which can be added to business cards, emails, print advertisements, even hats or t-shirts. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_194/add_a_qr_code_to_your_business_cards.html 15156 Thu, Oct 20 2011 10:02 am Luminare Press can make your publishing dreams come true. They work with a print-on-demand network that makes your book available through online retailers and bookstores across the country.Welcome Luminare Press to HEROweb! http://www.luminarepress.com/ 15124 Mon, Oct 17 2011 8:37 am People are spending more and more time using their phones to search for products and services. Learn about tools that can help shoppers find your products and shopping information when they use different mobile applications. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_193/create_product_feeds_for_mobile_search.html 15092 Fri, Oct 14 2011 2:21 pm Check out our holiday Ecommerce tips to help your business thrive this season! http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_192/october_2011.html 15079 Thu, Oct 13 2011 10:27 am Get started now to target holiday shoppers. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_15047/optimizing_your_site_for_holiday_shopping_traffic.html 15048 Mon, Oct 10 2011 10:05 am On September 29, Google announced a major update to its free Google Analytics that lets site owners view activity on their site in real time. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_189 14990 Wed, Oct 05 2011 1:02 pm It is October and the holiday shopping season is around the corner. This week's Marketing Bite is a friendly reminder to give your site checkout and contact forms a once-over to be sure you know how they work and you are ready for the influx of customers. http://www.heroweb.com/home/hwm/cpage_188 14958 Sun, Oct 02 2011 1:03 pm Staying ahead of the curve in the ever-changing world of social medai is always a challenge. Here is an informative article from Teija Stearns on building your Facebook fan base and keeping your fan's coming back. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_14866/keep_your_facebook_fans_coming_back.html 14957 Sun, Oct 02 2011 12:22 pm Our latest Marketing Bite covers easy steps you can take to create optimized links and boost your search engine rankings. Read our linkbuilding Marketing Bite by clicking the link above. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_187/some_easy_linkbuilding_opportunities_you_can_act_o.html 14865 Fri, Sep 23 2011 9:55 am Flower Power Garden Supplies offers everything you need for garden care. Their website features dynamic menus and its colorful design gives this site a punch! Welcome Flower Power to HEROweb. http://www.flowerpowergardensupplies.com 14834 Tue, Sep 20 2011 11:43 am As we move into a mobile world, it is not enough to just consider visitors who are using a desktop computer. Your audience will increasingly be using mobile devices and tablets to learn about you. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_186 14771 Wed, Sep 14 2011 8:43 am Color can add the perfect touch to make your website clear and professional or it can turn your website into a rainbow-colored mess. Learn how to prevent the latter in our latest blog post "Using Color on Your Website." http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/marketing-and-promotion/using-color-on-your-website/ 14760 Tue, Sep 13 2011 11:17 am Sometimes finding the time to update and manage your social networks is difficult. Read this Marketing Bite to learn how to use HootSuite to schedule updates in advance and post to multiple social networks. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_185/increase_your_social_media_efficiency_with_hootsui.html 14759 Tue, Sep 13 2011 11:11 am We are happy to announce our newest Web Developer on board, Greg Gant. He has a degree in Digital Arts and will be helping customers with website design and creation. Be sure to read his witty bio at the link above. A warm welcome from the HEROweb team, Greg! http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_14707 14718 Fri, Sep 09 2011 3:26 pm Big Foot and Beer takes Sasquatch hunting seriously and offers a range of Big Foot products including t-shirts, posters, and foot casts. They were recently featured on Animal Planet. Look no further for a complete selection of Big Foot gear.Welcome Big Foot and Beer to HEROweb! http://www.bigfootandbeer.com/ 14695 Wed, Sep 07 2011 11:57 am Published by Practical eCommerce, this article gives 9 excellent tips to make your items pop out to consumers when competitors may be selling similar products. As eCommerce giants expand their product offerings it's important to set yourself apart. Read Michael Stearns' article at Practical eCommerce for these 9 essential tips. http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3027-9-Pointers-for-Selling-Common-Products 14696 Wed, Sep 07 2011 2:54 pm Kulae.com is now live and offers high quality eco-friendly yoga mats and yoga accessories. The new site has a beautiful interface with a drop down contact menu. Thank you Kulae for choosing HEROweb. http://www.kulae.com 14694 Wed, Sep 07 2011 11:48 am Associates Printing Service sells high-quality legal tabs made from 100% recycled materials. They meet the highest quality of state and federal standards.This site features a simple-to-use interface and many options for ordering tabs as well as printing services for the legal profession. Welcome to HEROweb, Associates Printing Service! http://apslegaltabs.com/ 14693 Wed, Sep 07 2011 11:33 am QR Codes are square, barcode-like images that can be read by smart phone scanners. They then open to a link to anything from your site to facebook page or blog. Here are some QR code generators on the web that you can use for FREE. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_184/impress_your_customers_with_qr_codes.html 14548 Wed, Aug 24 2011 10:11 am Google Analytics Version 5 has many advanced features Google has been developing over the past few years more accessible. If you still feel a bit overwhelmed with the range of options that Google Analytics offers, v5 will require some adjustment as you transition to the new, more powerful interface. This webinar will talk about these new features. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/smartlist_183/advanced_techniques_with_google_analytics_v5_webin.html 14549 Wed, Aug 24 2011 10:16 am The August 2011 edition of SiteBeat monthly news is now available.In This Issue:Webinar on August 23rd: Advanced Techniques with Google Analytics Version 5Announcing the NEW MightyMerchant Sale ManagerGoogle Adwords Express- Start advertising locally in minutes.Introducing New HEROweb customers http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_182/august_2011.html 14517 Mon, Aug 22 2011 2:56 pm Learn more about how to clearly communicate delivery expectations to your customers. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/marketing-and-promotion/how-long-will-it-take/ 14486 Fri, Aug 19 2011 3:00 pm Learn more about how to optimize your product feeds for favorable placement in comparison shopping engines (CSE's)! http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_181/optimize_your_product_feeds.html 14474 Thu, Aug 18 2011 1:01 pm There's still time to register for August's free webinar. We will be looking at some of the ways you can use the advanced features of Google Analytics Version 5 to gain valuable insight to your website traffic. Join Michael Stearns on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 11:00 AM PDT. https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/721878208 14459 Wed, Aug 17 2011 1:37 pm We feel honored to receive the BRING Recycling RE:think award for our environmentally friendly business practices. We give a special thanks to Dave Reed, who led the way in our efforts to reduce waste. We try to keep our office eco-friendly by recycling extensively, minimizing use of the lights, using recycled printer paper, and cleaning with products that don't contain harsh chemicals. We are especially proud of our Vermicompost bin which we use throughout the day to dispose of our compostables. BRING is based in Eugene, Oregon and supports recycling and waste reduction efforts throughout the community. To learn more about ways your business can reduce waste visit Bring's RE:think business page.Image: Dave is presented the RE:think award. The plaque is even made out of recycled materials! 14458 Wed, Aug 17 2011 11:53 am Ag Energy NW is our latest site to go live! This brand new site is home to nationwide network of not-for-profit organizations who work to to help improve energy efficiency for farms. The site also features some exciting development features like an interactive map. http://www.agenergynw.org 14457 Wed, Aug 17 2011 9:41 am Email notifications are a great opportunity to show customers that your business offers exceptional customer service. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/marketing-and-promotion/more-than-a-thank-you/ 14406 Fri, Aug 12 2011 10:22 am Google Analytics has many useful features, check out how to activate one of our favorites, Site Search Tracking. This useful tool tracks what customers are searching for on your website. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_178/activate_site_search_tracking_in_google_analytics.html 14395 Thu, Aug 11 2011 11:07 am Nothing is more persuasive than a picture when a customer is deciding whether or not to buy your product online. Read our latest blog post to learn how to be most effective with images on your website. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/marketing-and-promotion/a-picture-is-worth-a-gazillion-words/ 14381 Wed, Aug 10 2011 11:07 am We have been focusing this month on how to develop content, integrate it into your website, and share it through your social channels. Read Michael Stearns' latest article over at Practical Ecommerce about building an educational resource center on your site. http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/2954-Integrating-Educational-Content-into-Your-Ecommerce-Site-10-Pointers 14320 Thu, Aug 04 2011 4:28 pm There is nothing more basic to a website than a hypertext link. If you are a MightyMerchant customer, take a few minutes to check out this video explaining your options for creating a link using the MightyMerchant Site Manager. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_14305/creating_links.html 14319 Thu, Aug 04 2011 4:27 pm We've had all kinds of great info to share today. If you are not getting our Marketing Bites - which you can subscribe to on our subscription page - check out our latest Bite on a new way to think about authoring your e-newsletter content. We suggest that you create your e-newsletter directly on your site to streamline your process and get your important customer content in front of the eyes of your site visitors. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_174/author_your_e_newsletters_directly_on_your_website.html 14318 Thu, Aug 04 2011 10:55 am In This Issue: New HEROweb Resource Center August Webinar: Advanced Techniques with Google Analytics Version 5 http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_176/july_2011.html 14281 Mon, Aug 01 2011 2:25 pm This Bite discusses the use of a powerful and free tool called Open Site Explorer to evaluate the quality and source of links coming in to your and your competitor's sites. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_175 14246 Fri, Jul 29 2011 12:18 pm There is a new blog post by Dave talking about how Google Products has been updated and what the new requirements are for advertisers. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com/marketing-and-promotion/online-shopping/wait-something%E2%80%99s-different/ 14234 Thu, Jul 28 2011 1:11 pm If you were unable to attend our Webinar on Integrating MightyMerchant with Your Social Media Channels you can now view the webinar and other related articles and resources. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/smartlist_169/integrating_mightymerchant_with_your_social_media_.html 14223 Wed, Jul 27 2011 9:42 am This Marketing Bite talks about Google's online reputation tool called "Me on the Web" which makes it easy to see what people are saying about your business online. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_173/what_are_people_saying_about_your_business_online.html 14162 Thu, Jul 21 2011 2:09 pm Graphics Express is your source for garage art signs and shirts! Their licensors include Mobil, Rat Fink, Carroll Shelby, Jack Schmitt, Ford, AAA, Linda Berman, Peter Torres, Mo Hernandez, Darryl Makenzie, and General Motors! And you can feel good about your order knowing that from the metal cutting all the way to the completion of the signs, their products are American-made. http://www.graphicsexpress.com/ 14059 Thu, Jul 14 2011 11:03 am ShopLuxeGifts is home to an eclectic blend of gifts and accessories, and basically all things fun & quirky! They carry jewelry, kids & baby items, unique books and more! Luxe is based in Eugene, Oregon, where the physical store is located. http://www.shopluxegifts.com/ 14058 Thu, Jul 14 2011 10:29 am You still have time to sign up for our Free "Integrating MightyMerchant with your Social Media Strategy" Webinar.Join Michael Stearns on Thursday, July 14 at 10 am PST to explore the various ways to use MightyMerchant in your quest for social media success. https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/767061248 14023 Tue, Jul 12 2011 10:08 am Co-owner of HEROweb, Michael Stearns, has written a new article on using Amazon to help your eCommerce business grow, for Practical Ecommerce, where he is a regular contributor. http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/2895-Using-Amazon-to-Grow-Your-Ecommerce-Business-6-Tools 14011 Mon, Jul 11 2011 2:13 pm It's time for HEROweb's Summer 2011 Staff Blogging Jamboree!!!Have you never heard of this illustrious event? Each of our staff members will contribute a post to our blog on a wide range of topics related to Ecommerce and doing business online. Check out our blog to improve your knowledge. http://ecommerceblog.mightymerchant.com 13989 Sat, Jul 09 2011 12:27 pm Our first July Marketing Bite talks about doing some forward thinking and creating pages on your site for future events that will pack some SEO punch. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_165 13988 Sat, Jul 09 2011 11:50 am Learn about the pros and cons of the changes to web addresses as of June 20, 2011 in this new article by Vanessa Salvia. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_13935 13971 Fri, Jul 08 2011 9:59 am Google has a hand in just about every business decision that business owners make these days. For good or bad, that includes Google's opinion about whether a landing page is of good quality. Learn more in Vanessa Salvia's new article. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_13934/google_adwords_landing_pages_and_policy_violations.html 13960 Thu, Jul 07 2011 1:51 pm We are producing regular quick-tip videos on using the MightyMerchant system. Check out how to use the product level shipping feature. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_13875/mightymerchant_quick_tips_product_level_shipping.html 13923 Tue, Jul 05 2011 1:13 pm We are producing regular quick-tip videos on using the MightyMerchant system. Check out how to set a custom shipping method. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_13876/mightymerchant_quick_tips_shipping_methods.html 13882 Fri, Jul 01 2011 9:26 pm Watch our Linkbuilding Webinar and check out the related articles and resources! http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/smartlist_112/linkbuilding_strategies_for_ecommerce_websites.html 13864 Thu, Jun 30 2011 4:59 pm Marketing Bites is a weekly educational tool delivered to you by the team at HEROweb Marketing & Design -- Coming to the rescue of website owners since 1996! http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_144/dont_forget_to_say_thank_you.html 13863 Thu, Jun 30 2011 4:51 pm In This Issue:New FeatureSocial Media WebinarGoogle Adwords CouponHEROweb on FacebookStaff ChangesLatest Work http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_119/june_2011.html 13862 Thu, Jun 30 2011 4:40 pm Naomi Levit is a Eugene Oregon based wedding & portrait photographer. Check out her brand new site! http://www.naomilevitphotos.com 13861 Thu, Jun 30 2011 2:52 pm Join Michael Stearns of HEROweb Marketing & Design on Wed. July 13th for a lunchtime presentation on "Getting the Most Out of Google Analytics". Head over to the WVAMA website for all the details and registration information. http://www.wvama.org/ 13793 Sat, Jun 25 2011 9:37 pm Check out our latest article from Teija Stearns discussing your options for selling on Facebook. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/page_13760 13792 Sat, Jun 25 2011 8:40 pm Did you know that Facebook has a "Questions" feature that allows you to pose questions to your fanbase? Facebook Questions are a great way to encourage your fans to interact with your business on Facebook. Questions should be of interest to your fan base, and relevant to your business. (Perhaps our HEROweb Facebook Page fans caught our latest Facebook Question about Deal-A-Day sites like Groupon). Facebook questions are also a good way to find out what customers like about your business and products/services. (Think "What is your favorite thing about"). Using the Questions feature is easy. Once you are logged and set to use Facebook as your page, simply go to your home or profile page. Near the top of the page you will see the "Share" bar, which is in the same place as you update your status. Click on the button that says "Question". You can then type your question into the text field. If you like, you can select the button that says "Add Poll Options" which will allow you to provide answers for your fans to choose from. If you do choose to add poll options, you need to decide whether or not you want voters to be able to add their own alternative answers. If you do not want additional answers besides the ones you provide, uncheck the "Allow anyone to add options" box. You can also choose not to add poll options, thus leaving the question open-ended. Once you have either added your poll options or decided not to add poll options, click "Ask Question" . Be sure to check back on your question so you can see if people are leaving comments and respond if appropriate. Give it a try! It is always good to have positive interactions with your Facebook fans. And you never know, you could gain some valuable insight. For more bite-sized tips be sure to "Like" us on Facebook! http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_123/engage_fans_with_facebooks_question_feature___june.html 13759 Thu, Jun 23 2011 1:23 pm Did you know that in May 2011 Google released the beta version of Google Analytics Version 5? Michael Stearns, co-owner of HEROweb and regular contributor to Practical Ecommerce, gives a rundown of how to ease the transition.Check out the article on the new version of Google Analytics by going to www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/2834-Transitioning-to-the-New-Google-Analytics http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/2834-Transitioning-to-the-New-Google-Analytics 13598 Wed, Jun 08 2011 2:36 pm After a several month hiatus, we are back with our weekly Marketing Bites. These bite-sized, timely web marketing tips have gotten a great response from our subscribersYou can sign up for weekly Marketing Bites on this page:www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/mbites_main.htmlHappy marketing from the team at HEROweb. http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/smartlist_116/heroweb_marketing_bites.html 13573 Mon, Jun 06 2011 11:43 am Your name, your professional title, your business name. These are pretty standard pieces of information to include in an email signature. How about a mailto link to your email, the phone number of your business, and a link to your website? That is looking better. But if you really want to make maximum use of your email signature, include social media buttons or other key branding information in addition to your basic contact info. Including social media icons in your signature is easier than you think! First, if you haven't already done so, create an email signature. Once you have the basic information formatted in the signature text field, you will want to insert images of one or more of your social media logos. We have included some basic instructions to help you along. Given all the people you correspond with via email each day, utilizing your email signature is a great opportunity to build your brand and invite others to connect with you via their preferred social media channel. Marketing Bites is a weekly educational tool delivered to you by the team at HEROweb Marketing & Design. -- Coming to the rescue of website owners since 1996! http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/cpage_120/including_social_media_links_in_your_email_signatu.html 13542 Fri, Jun 03 2011 4:19 pm Thursday June 2nd is the day for the MightyMerchant Version 4 webinar. Learn about the many key features from HEROweb owner, Michael Stearns. Sign up at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/902447081 13506 Tue, May 31 2011 7:15 pm It seems like every week Facebook rolls out some new feature, throwing a good learning curve to the masses. One relatively recent and especially significant change was the ability to "Use Facebook as a Page". In using this feature you take on the identity of your business (Page mode), and thus are no longer acting as yourself (Profile mode). This means that any action you take on Facebook will appear to have been done by your business page itself. To switch between Profile mode and Page mode, go to your home page and click the link on the right that says "Use Facebook as [Your Page Name]," and then switch back by clicking "Use Facebook as [Your Name]." Or you can use the navigation at the top by clicking on "Account," then "Use Facebook as Page," Here you will also find the link to switch back.Make sure you are taking full advantage of this feature. For example, Next time a fan posts a message to the wall of your business page, or comments on one of your business page's posts, use Facebook as your page to comment back. Interacting with your Facebook fans in Page mode is a great way to better your business branding and online reputation. And of course, it is a perfect opportunity to deepen your online relationship with current and potential customers! 13465 Fri, May 27 2011 11:15 am Ok. The title of this post is a little extreme. But as I prepare for my social media class tomorrow night, I keep on coming back to the idea that the small ecommerce site owner needs to share his or her passion in order to succeed.As we look at our customers who stand out, a common theme is that they are able to convey their excitement and commitment to their work through their website as well as the other social channels in which they participate.Want an example? Check out www.gutsandglorytennis.comFrom the logo, to the messaging, to the blogging and social media communication, this business radiates a feeling of joy and excitement about tennis and tennis racquet stringing. The site owner is clearly an expert in his subject matter and he communicates with a sense of conviction, humor, and intelligence about his products and field of interest.The lesson is: don't hold back. Share with passion and conviction about the business that you love. Your enthusiasm is sure to rub off on your visitors and customers. 13453 Thu, May 26 2011 1:14 pm Social media, at its core, involves using technology to engage your customers and build relationships. Major social media platforms developed in the past several years, such as Facebook and Twitter, bring expanded opportunities for engagement and sharing your message. But social media is not about any one tool or platform, it is about developing a way of doing business that focuses on building rich relationships with your customers.Social media works best for businesses that lend themselves toward community. So if you want to truly leverage the promise of social media, you might very well need to rethink your business, or how you do business, to see how you can create a community of passionate users where one may not have existed. A good start is to ask the question, "What is it that my typical customer is passionate about?" If you can't answer the question, you have some work to do!Not only do you need to embrace social media, you likely need to master it to have a successful online business in the year's ahead. But the mastery does not involve going through the motions of having a generic Faccebook fan page, or scheduling daily automated Twitter posts. Mastery means becoming a great online communicator - whether it is through customer followup emails, e-newsletters, You Tube videos, posting LinkedIn answers, or just writing stellar copy on your website.So what does it take for social media success?1. You, as a small Ecommerce merchant, need to be able to understand, embrace, and execute, using the social media technologies that are developing around you. Investing some time to understand the current tools is key. And if you truly don't like to put yourself out there and communicate with the public, you will need to find someone else who can represent you and your business with authenticity and passion.2. You need a clearly defined community of users. If you don't have a current community, you might have some work to do in redefining your business, or building your expertise, so people will want to pay attention to what you have to say. Defining a community can present some challenges for small Ecommerce site owners. If you sell office supply products, is there going to be a community of users out there who are passionate about what you are selling? If not, you might need to take a slight different approach such as developing a blog about office-place productivity or another related theme that will attract interest from your target audience.3. Measure your success. Social media monitoring is a large topic. In a nutshell, you will likely want to set goals for number of followers, fans, or active blog readers. You will also want to use a tool like Google Analytics to correlate the traffic coming from your social media sites that results in purchases on your Ecommerce website. Ultimately, if you can't figure out how to drive direct revenue, you will need to make some adjustments to your marketing plan.Ways You Can PlayHere are a few of the more common social media tactics that are being used for building online engagement and how they can fit into building a community when you are starting from the ground floor.1. TweetingTwitter (a form of microblogging) is great for getting communication out to your userbase. But if you don't have a userbase, building one on Twitter can take a lot of work and is likely not the best place to start.2. BloggingIf your long-term success is going to be based on your establishing expertise in your field, then a blog will likely be a cornerstone of that strategy. If you are just getting started, be sure to plan out a theme-based string of blog posts. Many bloggers do one or two posts and fizzle out. Be persistent and commit yourself to high-quality regular posts.3. FacebookLeveraging a Facebook following to drive traffic and generate orders is a proven formula for success. Some small businesses are successful in gaining a good number of Facebook fans - 500 or more - and get a resulting steady flow of traffic to their website. If you have thousands of fans and many are actively interested in what you have to share, you are in a great position to see some real revenue from the social media engagement. Getting the critical mass of fans is the hard part and can involve paying for Facebook ads, running creative promotions, and launching an all-out assault.4. Facebook Application Shopping CartsEvery day new social Ecommerce platforms are being rolled out. Although it is a little early to see any with a proven record of success, consumer acceptance is on the way. Unless you have a large marketing budget or a strong urge to be bleeding edge, you probably don't need to move your Ecommerce onto Facebook, but you do want to watch closely how the major players - Facebook, Amazon, Google, and a flurry of startups - are building social shopping applications.5. Your WebsiteThat is right, a good, old-fashioned website is at the core of most social media strategies. Remember to approach your website in the same way you approach your other social media venues. To the extent you can invite users to be a part of your online world and connect positively with them you are likely to keep them as a long-time customer. Don't neglect to have all your hard-earned social media exposure accessible on your website.6. The Endless Opportunities for Online EngagementThere is no limit to creative ways that you can build your online communities and establish your expertise. You can host webinars, post YouTube videos, utilize a service like Slideshare to upload presentations, or even create an Iphone app. If you have a B2B (business-to-business) model, Facebook might not be the place where you will connect with your users. You might need to work a little harder to develop online learning opportunities for your user base and connect through different channels.The success of each of these tactics hinges on building a critical mass of engaged users. And therein lies the rub. A big-name brand like Coca Cola, or even a smaller name brand, like Leatherman, with their 16,000 Facebook fans, can leverage their army of followers in powerful ways. If you have 20 fans on Facebook, your ROI will be limited until you can successfully build your base.Developing the Social Media MindsetSocial Media is not about the tools - like Facebook and Twitter - it is a mind set. And, if you are not willing to embrace that mindset in the years ahead, you will have an increasingly challenging time finding success in the online arena. But if you are willing and able to jump in fully with your online engagement, you will be able to build a corp of dedicated users as well as your own platform for success. 13452 Thu, May 26 2011 1:13 pm If you are starting out in Ecommerce, you know that without a big advertising budget, building awareness of your site can be a challenge. There are several product spotlight and review sites that can give you a quick blast of exposure.One we recently came across is AnyLuckyDay.com, which offers an affordable venue for ecommerce sites with interesting products that are seeking a way to reach a larger audience. For $150, you can buy a day to be promoted on the site. Every day a company gives away one of their products on AnyLuckyDay.com. Your product and business will be in front of thousands of visitors. The fee gets you a 24-hour promotional campaign, a product giveaway, a professionally created video about your business and product, social media exposure, and many potential customers. Monthly sponsorships are also available. AnyLuckyDay has been featured on CNN, MSN Money, AOL, American Express Currency, & Careerbuilder and the site's founder sold out all 365 days of advertising in 2010, so if this is something you are interested in, you better save yourself a seat! 12570 Thu, Mar 03 2011 4:13 pm Google Increases Emphasis On Personalized & Social SearchGoogle posted recently on their official blog that they updated their Google Social Search algorithm. In "An Update to Social Search" Google said that social search results will be mixed with their main search results based on relevance (social results previously appeared only at the bottom of results page). The social results kick in when you are logged into your Google Account. When you are logged in, Google will give you far different results than if you are not logged in. For example, if you're looking for a video and someone you know tweeted about the video, you might see that result on the Google Search page with a note and picture of your friend. Similarly, when your friends use Google Search, they could see links and online content that you have created.Google's increased emphasis on social search speaks to the importance of building a network of online connections and using it skillfully to communicate about and promote your business.Log in to your Google account and try some searches to see if you can observe the social component at work in the search. Consider linking your Google account with Twitter and Linked in to more broadly share your social media communication.Marketing Bites is a weekly educational tool delivered to you by the team at HEROweb Marketing & Design. -- Coming to the rescue of website owners since 1996! 12538 Mon, Feb 28 2011 3:39 pm A good friend is turning 50, and I wanted a unique birthday present for him. I know that he is a fan of Jack Russell Terriers (he lives with three) so I searched online for Jack Russell related merchandise, and found something I liked on a site that I had never ordered from before.When my order arrived, I was first pleased at how promptly I had received it-only three days after I placed the order. The second pleasant surprise came in a cellophane baggie packed in with the order. Inside the bag were three candies, a decorative magnetic clothespin with the name of the site painted on it, and a postcard with a code for 15% off my next order.What a nice surprise for a first-time customer! It does take a little effort to prepare these bonus gifts, and for high volume sites it may not be practical, but it makes a big impression on first-time orders.A third notable thing is that this site included on the postcard a few words about their blog, Facebook page, and Twitter feed, that they said included lots of hip gift ideas, tasty recipes, music reviews, inspirational quotes, great give-aways, and more.When you send out an order thank you note, give the customer a little something unexpected, and remember to list your other online activities, such as blog, Facebook, and Twitter wherever you can, especially to first timers. 12436 Fri, Feb 18 2011 4:06 pm Unfortunately there's no way to get around the passage of time. And if you're a busy business owner, sometimes after you cross an item off your to-do list, it can be a while before you give the task another look. Take your website's "About Us" page, for instance. Perhaps when you crafted the text for your "About Us" page or Home page that you gave some time-specific information like your age or the number of years you've been in business. Maybe your business has evolved greatly in the past few years. Has your website been updated to reflect the current state of your business? Take a few minutes to visit your "About Us" page and see if you recognize the person you see on the screen. Update the business and personal descriptions to make sure you are shining light on the wonderful things you have done recently. We have been receiving a lot of positive feedback on our Marketing Bites. If you know someone who may be find them helpful or be interested in subscribing, please feel free to forward this email along. 12437 Fri, Feb 18 2011 4:19 pm Google's Webmaster Tools is a treasure trove of useful information about your website. When was the last time you checked it? If you don't have a WMT account, signing up is free and easy. One great thing about WMT is that is provides detailed information about your site's visibility on Google. For instance, top search queries for which your site appeared in search results, as well as queries for which users actually clicked through to your site; links to your site from other sites, and significant keywords for your site. WMT's diagnostic feature provides information about potential problems, and shows an error message when something needs your attention, such as pages on your site that Google is unable to access for some reason. The crawl stats page can tell you the last time Googlebot looked at your site. Take a look at your site's WMT profile and address any issues that might appear. Doing this can help ensure that all the content on your site can be successfully crawled by Google. And of course, if you don't have a Webmaster Tools account, our advice would be to set one up right away! www.google.com/webmasters 12209 Thu, Jan 27 2011 2:40 pm A former colleague (not in any way associated with HEROweb!) was a great guy, friendly, always happy, and a pleasure to work with in the office. However, his email manners were terrible. Let me explain. The office in question had a front desk computer to which general inquiry emails went to and were checked by him. Occasionally emails would be copied to me and I would see his replies. His emails did not include any sort of greeting, no punctuation, no capitol letters, and, to top things off, didn't include his own name! An answer to an email query about a missed delivery or double billing, for instance, would read like this:this is taken care of When I realized that this was how he had been conducting customer service, it was shocking. I had assumed that everyone took the time to compose friendly, helpful emails like I myself tried to do. Training people on how to answer email queries was not something that I thought of needing to do. Someone on your staff may have the same lack of email manners, but you might not know unless you check. If you have employees, periodically peruse the emails your staff are sending, to make sure they are grammatically correct, connect to the customer, and include basic items and information. Of course, you may have a staff of one and handle all email communication yourself. If so, think about your ownbusiness emails and make sure you are treating them as the important customer communication and marketing tool that they are. 12144 Fri, Jan 21 2011 9:44 am What are all the ways that people can enter your website? And once they get there, what can they do? It probably feels like you know everything about your site because you put so much heart and soul into your business. But when you actually start analyzing the usage of your site, the results may surprise you. Start by outlining in flow chart format all the ways that people can enter your site and every activity that someone can undertake while on the site. For instance, they may read content in various forms, subscribe to a newsletter, click through to a social media profile, download a free trial, request information, add something to a shopping cart, complete a purchase, or exit the site. Once you do this, start collecting data (using your Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools, or other monitoring software) to show what people are actually doing on the site. This data will show the weak links--the pages that consistently fails to move people on to the next step--and you can look at what on your site may be beefed up in order to have greater conversion. Google has a system for setting up conversion funnels and goals, which you can do if you have Google Analytics installed. Visit our support site to learn more. 12101 Mon, Jan 17 2011 4:42 pm An effective press release needs to target both readers who are looking for information and search engines. Online news or press release distribution is a great way to toot your own horn whenever your company has reached a milestone, hired a new president, or received an award, for instance. Even if the event might not seem important enough to tell the world about, do so anyway. Many journalists and consultants utilize RSS feeds of press releases to study trends, like for instance, an uptick in the opening of certain types of restaurants, or increased popularity in a certain type of product or service. An online distribution service such as PRWeb.com, gets your news into the search results. Your press release is distributed to major online news sites, bloggers, and journalists. PRWeb.com is loaded with tips on how to compose a press release, and the pricing begins at $80 per release, perhaps a small price to pay to get your news at the world's fingertips. See our blog post with a list of 40 potential press release topics. 11999 Fri, Jan 07 2011 3:46 pm A quick look online will reveal all kinds of tips and ideas for testing your site's usability and ease of navigation. Some companies even offer a service to analyze these very aspects of your site and provide feedback - useful, but often quite expensive. Here's an easy and inexpensive way to gauge the appeal, ease of navigation and usability of your site: sit down with a relative or friend who isn't particularly "internet savvy", and simply observe them as they look around your site. Have them search for an item on your site, make a purchase, and see it through to a completed purchase. Time the process, observe their ease or frustrations in moving around and knowing what to do. Listen to their concerns about whether or not it seems "easy" and "intuitive" or not. This simple type of website analysis can provide valuable (and actionable) feedback at no cost to you at all! 12000 Fri, Jan 07 2011 4:08 pm When a customer or potential customer googles your name, what comes up? You might be surprised to see the lack of relevant listings, or worse - negative comments about you or your company. By being proactive, you can control the search results that come up for you in Google. And as long as you don't have a common name and lots of competition, you might very well get exposure on the first page!Online personal profile services that are indexed by the search engines can often rank fairly high for most names. So, set up listings for yourself and your business name on LinkedIn, Google Profile, Manta, and other sites. Setting up a Google Profile is easy, especially if you already have a Google account. Create your Google Profile today! By doing this, you may be able to crowd out other references to you that you do not control, allowing more relevant or better results to show up first. Now when someone googles you, you'll "own" the first page of results! 11708 Thu, Dec 09 2010 2:47 pm The concept of guerrilla marketing is based on time, energy and one's imagination rather than a large budget. Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unconventional and target consumers in unexpected places. Try this to kick-start your own guerrilla marketing campaign: Send personal emails to five random customers. Ask them to tell you candidly how your customer service is, how the products or services they've ordered are working out for them, and to share with you anything else that might be on their minds. You'll likely get valuable feedback and if nothing else, will probably boost your customer rapport. When customers feel you are more like a friend, they'll be more likely to return to your site! 11647 Fri, Dec 03 2010 11:22 am One of the most important facets of good search engine optimization is dynamic content which is updated on a regular basis. This type of optimization can be accomplished of course by you the site owner, via the adding of new pages, products, and information (through updates or blog posts); but you can also let your site users help create content as well! Announcing a photo contest is a great example of a positive way for your customers to interact and associate with your brand. Establish some guidelines and a prize, if applicable, and then announce the contest on your website, Facebook or Twitter. Create a new page on your website to post the photos (after reviewing content), and write captions to go along with the photos. Search engines will love the fresh content, users will enjoy the photos (and continue to return to your site) and the captions will give you a chance to utilize more of your keywords. 11575 Fri, Nov 26 2010 11:56 am The Firefox web browser has many tools, or add-ons, that can be very useful. One of these is the SeoQuake SEO extension. Download SeoQuakeand turn it on while you're searching the Internet for your competitive landscape. SeoQuake allows webmasters to obtain and investigate many important SEO parameters of the Internet. SeoQuake utilizes SeoBar - a toolbar which displays the values of selected parameters for the page currently opened in the browser window; parameters such as Google PageRank (a small indication of site popularity), Google Index (Number of indexed pages), and Google link (Number of links, pointed to the current page). These parameters can be saved and used for your future research, and can be turned on and off, allowing for functionality only when you really need it. A full description of all SeoQuake functions and parameters can be found here. 11574 Fri, Nov 26 2010 11:42 am In today's tech world, there are options to share information that make the task fun and can help to immediately draw people to your business. Let's say you run a coffee shop. In addition to updating your blog, Facebook account or website with your daily menu, try taking a photo of your chalkboard menu and posting it to your Twitter account. Use your Twitter feed to direct customers to your website when your inventory changes or you are running a special. Use Twitter for publishing any timely news. Don't dilute your message by tweeting about how sunny the day is or what restaurants you went to. Be judicious in your use of Twitter, the people you follow, and your message will be heard. 11463 Mon, Nov 15 2010 10:58 am Congratulations on deciding to enter the world of social media posting! Now let's look at two ways to make the job a little easier. Remember that Twitter updates must be short...only 140 characters. If you're already in the habit of posting to Twitter, you can post those updates directly to Facebook using the Twitter application (by Twitter). Just install the application and then click to allow Twitter to update your Facebook status. You can also choose to update Facebook only with certain Twitter posts. The Selective Twitter Status application will only update your wall with tweets that include the #fb hashtag. 11462 Mon, Nov 15 2010 10:54 am Many people put a lot of effort into their blog, but lose sight of the reason: to drive traffic back to your main site and acquire clients or leads. Build your blog with the intent of driving traffic.Your website should link to your blog in a prominent place. Add a link to the blog in your website's navigation system (the link to our blog is a button in the top navigation bar) so customers can find it easily. Likewise, your blog should link back to your website.Write posts that include trackbacks (excerpts with a link back) to other blogs so that other bloggers will notice you. Within the blog, post links to content on your site that people can click to go directly to a product page on your site. Also, add a link to your blog in your email signature file. And if you publish a newsletter, make sure you have a link to your blog in every issue! 11461 Mon, Nov 15 2010 10:50 am A 404 error is the "the page you requested does not exist" error that you typically see when you go to a web page that does not exist. This usually happens when a webpage has been moved or deleted. Sometimes, your website can have errors that you might not be aware of. When a customer searches for something on your site and sees an error message, it can be discouraging enough that they will simply leave your site.To find out if your site has any 404 error messages, go to your domain and type in a fake URL and see what comes up. Try something with a misspelling like "socer" instead of "soccer," like this: www.exampledomain.com/socerMost of the time you will see a generic error message. Does what appear represent your business well? 404 error messages can be creatively designed to have a sense of humor or style that, should a customer stumble upon one of these errors while searching your site, they can be directed back to the site without feeling nervous. See the MightyMerchant blog for our previous post about designing creative error messages. 11277 Mon, Nov 01 2010 10:53 am Google.com isn't just a great search engine. Remember to use them to get ideas for your site's SEO.When you type search phrases into Google.com, suggestions of search terms pop up. These are keywords that can also be used to help you brainstorm keywords for your own SEO needs. By entering your keyword, Google takes your base term and extracts Google suggestions for it. Take note of Google's suggestions and when you discover good ones that you aren't already using, work them into the titles and text of your web pages. For instance, typing in "soccer equip" returned results for "soccer equipment," "soccer equipment for kids," "soccer equipment reviews," and "soccer equipment list." These are phrases that people have searched for on Google and that they might use to find your site if this information was available on your site. So visit Google.com, type in a phrase related to your products or services, and let their technology do the work! 11275 Mon, Nov 01 2010 10:35 am In these challenging economic times, one small business in Lane County is bucking the trend. HEROweb Marketing and Design has acquired Dive In Designs, a local web development company. This acquisition caps off a year of phenomenal growth for HEROweb, which has included the addition of four new employees in 2010 and brings the total size of the HEROweb staff to 12. In addition, HEROweb has two current openings advertised.With the purchase of Dive In Designs, HEROweb has increased its customer base by 30%, adding locally recognized names such as BRING Recycling, Greater Goods, The Eugene Running Company, The Women's Business Network, and the City of Coburg to the HEROweb client list.Co-owner Staci Schipporeit, is looking forward to more opportunity for growth. "We're excited to reach a critical mass that allows us to expand the range of services we offer. With our growing client list, in addition to offering our core services of web design and development, we've been able to expand and hire specialists in online marketing, search engine optimization, and custom programming, as well as add to our design staff. Given the state of the economy these past few years, it's been very gratifying to be able to offer good employment opportunities to local technology workers," she said.HEROweb specializes in building eCommerce and informational web sites for small business using the MightyMerchant platform, their proprietary CMS and eCommerce solution. Web sites built by HEROweb are designed to allow the owner of the web site to manage and update web site content easily. 80% of HEROweb customers operate online stores. MightyMerchant is a complete eCommerce software solution. About HEROWeb Marketing & DesignHEROweb Marketing and Design and MightyMerchant are owned and operated by Datahost, Inc. HEROweb is located in Springfield Oregon and has been serving customers throughout the United States since 1996. 11163 Thu, Oct 21 2010 3:29 pm Customer feedback can be a powerful way to shape your business around what customers like and dislike about your products and services. But unless you regularly receive unsolicited feedback, you must ask for it. You may receive surprising information about what is working and what isn't that will let you maximize your customer service. Request feedback at timely points of interaction with the customer. Send an email shortly after their order should have arrived to ask if everything was what they expected. If there's no email option, send along a card asking for feedback with their order, or include a link on their receipt. If you send out a newsletter, include a link at the end of it asking how you can improve, for instance. Provide various ways for customers to provide feedback, either online, email, phone, or in-person. The easier it is for your customers to give feedback, the more likely they will be to give it. It's also nice to offer some sort of incentive, such as a code for a discount on their next order. Publish your reviews on your website, on a testimonials page or a rotating field that changes when the page reloads. Let your customers know that you value the feedback enough to make changes if they identify something that could be improved. Your customers--and their feedback--is one of your most valuable business assets.In fact, since we're on the subject, we'd love to hear your feedback on us! 11007 Wed, Oct 06 2010 1:36 pm A key component to running a successful website is tracking - traffic levels, sales per channel, return on ad spend, and several other key success metrics.One of the most valuable, easy-to-use, and FREE tracking resources is Google Analytics. While many site owners (likely including you!) currently utilize this tool, the time commitment to running a business often won't allow for a complete view of all its useful features.So even with the excellent reporting information provided by Google Analytics, it's easy to either forget or put logging in and reviewing the data, on the backburner. With this, why not have Google do the work and have your reports emailed to you? Yep, Google's thought of that too! Check out this article by HEROweb's own Michael Stearns, Google Analytics on a Tight Schedule, for an easy How-To on setting this feature up, as well as a few other tips on the efficient use of this resource. 10906 Wed, Sep 29 2010 2:59 pm Getting a product listed on a blog or review site can open up your brand to a whole new audience. Many blog and review sites are trusted and have many readers. Review sites often actively solicit products or services to review, and seeking them out to share your message with them can be great promotion for your business. The Daily Grommet is one example of a site of independent reviewers that highlight interesting products, one of which comes from one of our very own clients!To find reputable review sites, start by searching on Google for product review sites in your industry. You might be able to locate a good review site or a power blogger who would be interested in featuring your products. Go ahead and get your products out there! 10830 Wed, Sep 22 2010 2:52 pm Whether you are aware of it or not, there are likely conversations going on around the web about your business. It's best if you know and respond to what people are saying, whether they're praising your products or criticizing your service. You can more easily track these online conversations by participating in blogging, social networking, and Twitter. But if you don't, find a tool that notifies you whenever your business name or brands is mentioned on the web. Monitoring tools such as Google and Yahoo alerts or Monitor This help you monitor keywords or groups of keywords. You can search Twitter posts at search.twitter.com. Many tools are free, some sophisticated tools cost a bit. When you see a positive blog post or comment, or Facebook post mentioning your business, take the time to thank the person and express pleasure that they were happy with their experience. If you find criticism, let them know you'd like to do whatever you can to make it right. Here is a simple first step: Go to Google and search for your business name as well as your personal name. Enclose them in quotation marks so Google returns more specific results. You might be surprised by what you find! 10759 Wed, Sep 15 2010 12:39 pm Rarely is your home page the best place to send someone who surfs to your site from an advertisement. The home page is best considered as the introduction to your site, the page that encourages them to investigate further. A landing page is the page that encourages an action: buying a product, signing up, or downloading something. In other words, it's the page where your marketing copy and pitch should lead to the conversion you seek. You can and should have many landing pages that mesh with your online promotions. For example, if a customer clicks on your Adwords ad offering 20% off ski boots, they expect to be taken to the ski boots category page. When there, they want their questions answered, such as: Is this what I'm looking for? Does this look trustworthy? How do I buy the boots? When will I get the boots? Sending them to the home page makes them work extra hard to find the ski boots, and it's likelier that they will leave the site. How built out are your landing pages? Identify an advertisement that leads to your site. Does it land on the homepage? If so, consider changing (or testing) the URL (web page address) to a specific page on your site that includes information geared toward the reader of that ad! 10688 Wed, Sep 08 2010 1:21 pm Back in 2007, Google began integrating video into their search results.Today, when a company integrates a video that matches the content of its website, search engines find and index the video, helping to improve overall website and video search ranking. And according to a recent eMarketer report, 40% of users see video in their search results, 80% will view a video, and ~25% have made a purchase based on a video's content.With the advent and popularity of YouTube and other video channels, it's easier than ever to not only place your videos online, but have them actually seen!Need some tips on writing your first script? As luck would have it, we've got a brand new blog post on this very topic!So, if you're not currently utilizing video on your site, you're missing the bus on increased SEO presence, traffic, and sales.Lights, camera, action! 10617 Wed, Sep 01 2010 9:08 am How would you like to advertise on the most visited website on the 'net today? What do you think that would cost? $50k, $100k, $200k per month? Try $20.That's right, you can put your company logo and a message right now on Facebook for pocket change. How can that be you ask?Facebook allows businesses to advertise on their pages for a monthly budget that you set. While you only pay for the clicks you receive, each impression (appearance of your ad) is absolutely FREE. This means that your ad could conceivably hit the eyeballs of a million people a month and you would pay $0; all on a website that is used by over 35% of the Internet's population!Our advice is to take advantage (as many of our clients have) while you can before Facebook decides to up the ante! 10543 Wed, Aug 25 2010 12:00 pm You're a business with a local target market. You've got a greatlooking website showing off your great brick and mortar location and the latestpromotion.The question is, are people finding you online; andmore specifically, are they finding you on the #1 search engine on the web?Any local business worth its salt knows that consumersare using the web more everyday to find local spots to eat, shop, stay, andplay. With this, having your business included in Google's Places isn'tjust recommended, it's crucial.How much does this cost you're probably wondering. We've got good news -not only is it FREE but it's easy to place a local business ad!Here's how! 10471 Wed, Aug 18 2010 9:05 am With the economy not quite back to full health, shoppers are as priceconscious as ever.According to the latest Online ShopperIntelligence survey, one-third of online shoppers surveyed saidthey generally use coupon sites while shopping online.What consumers are telling you here is that coupons are important to them!So you might be asking, "How will I make any money by giving away huge discounts?"The answer is that your coupons don't necessarily have to all be Fire-Sale level. In fact, coupons have a high ROI, concludes the OSI report, as even a small discount consumers receive encourages them to spendmore money. When asked how much they spent on their most recent onlinepurchase, consumers who used a coupon spend almost twice as much asconsumers who did not use a coupon.So, if you're notusing coupon codes, you certainly want to think about it (since yourcompetition likely is!). And if you are, make sure your audience seesit in your advertising, and test the placement of your coupons directlyon the web's top coupon sites! 10400 Wed, Aug 11 2010 11:38 am Have you noticed a recent downward trend in your Google traffic? If so, you're not alone, as Google enacted an algorithm change at the end of May, on a day which the industry termed "Mayday."What exactly did Google change? Well, they're of course not telling all but did say that the change was made in order to allow for "...higher quality sites to surface for long tail queries."What does this mean to the average site owner? It means that a site's item-level pages (those which are most usually found via longer tail queries) may not be appearing as high as they used to.A tip to help get some of that traffic back - Make a list of queries for which your site now is getting less traffic, place these terms into a Google search and check out the results to see what pages are ranking high. Take a look at these pages to see what kind of content/keywords you might be missing out on, and re-optimize where necessary.As always, Google is rewarding high quality content; but now more than ever is a good time to review your site to ensure your rankings are safe! 10399 Wed, Aug 11 2010 11:33 am HEROweb now offers Bing Shopping feed management! Place your products on one of the web's most popular shopping sites - call us today to find out more! 10388 Tue, Aug 10 2010 11:34 am We welcome you to check out our newest article about the important of having a unified team behind your website.Why Your Hosting-Design-Marketing Team Should Be Under One Roof Most of the new site owners we start working with are coming off of experiences where they have some or all of the pieces in place for a successful site, but things don't quite gel. Perhaps they are investing a lot in PPC, but have no way to tune their landing pages. Or they have a good system for updating their site, but no help with creating valuable content.It is challenging to find a team that can deliver for you in all areas ... and that is exactly where HEROweb excels! 10387 Tue, Aug 10 2010 6:55 am Marketing director Mike Brown discusses a bit on our Pay-Per-Click and Comparison Shopping Engine services. Let us know what you think! 10334 Thu, Aug 05 2010 4:02 pm We are thrilled to welcome Nekhia Christian and Robert Asumendi to our team. You can meet them on our Meet the Team page.Our staff now includes a four-person web development team. We are ready to take on any project of any scope! 10386 Tue, Aug 10 2010 6:47 am Update: This position has been filled.With the success of the MightyMerchant Ecommerce platform, we are continuing to expand our web development division.If you are a smart, creative, technically-oriented web developer, we would love to speak with you.Please check out our job description and let us know how you can contribute to our growing team.Web Development Specialist Job Description 9819 Tue, Jun 15 2010 11:57 am We are proud of our association with Practical Ecommerce.HEROweb owner, Michael Stearns, is a regular contributor to Practical Ecommerce Magazine.Here is one of the latest columns about migrating a website to a new provider.www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/1966-Ten-Steps-to-Migrate-Your-Site-to-a-New-Ecommerce-PlatformAnd, here is a full list of Michael's more recent contributions:www.practicalecommerce.com/search?q=Michael+STearns 9818 Tue, Jun 15 2010 10:03 am The Internet Marketing world never stops growing, and neither does HEROweb's marketing options as we stay on top of these trends!HEROweb is now pleased to announce management of PPC ads on Facebook! Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few years, and that rock was lacking Internet access, you've surely heard of Facebook, and probably have an account yourself. If you do have an account, you've likely noticed the advertisements on the right of the page. Now you can use those to promote your own products or services!Facebook users provide lots of information about their hobbies and interests, and with our expertise we can leverage this to ensure your ads only show to those users that will be interested in what you have to offer. We have already been managing campaigns for a few select clients, and the results have been very impressive!Contact our Marketing Department for more information how Facebook Ads can help you reach millions of potential customers and grow your business! 9496 Fri, May 14 2010 10:32 am As a part of our extensive marketing program HEROweb offers feed management services to "CSE", or "Comparison Shopping Engines".Comparison Shopping Engines, such as NexTag, Shopping.com, Shopzilla, Pricegrabber and Amazon Product Ads, our newest offering, are the destination for hundreds of millions of online shoppers each year to get helpful, side-by-side comparison of products offered by CSE advertisers. Any eCommerce store can become an advertiser by submitting a properly-formatted "feed" of product data, and are charged only a per-click fee when shoppers click-through to your site. Many HEROweb clients have seen sales increase dramatically after starting CSE feeds.Tracking and managing a profitable campaign in a CSE takes effort and attention, which is why HEROweb offers a fully-managed feed solution.This adds to our existing Google Products feed service.Can CSEs help you grow your business? Contact our Marketing Department and get a free consultation! 9395 Tue, May 04 2010 3:02 pm It is only half-way through April and it has already been a busy month for the designers and staff at HEROweb! We would like to welcome the following new websites to the HEROweb family:Wee Hoose of Bagpipe Supplies: Specializing in the art of bagpiping from piping supplies, music & accessories to quality band outfitting. http://www.weehooseofbagpipesupplies.com Authentic Models: Known and coveted for upscale furniture, home decor and historical reproductions. http://www.authenticmodels.com Ciao Pizza: Located in Springfield, Oregon, Ciao Pizza is an authentic Italian Pizzeria with a modern bistro flare. http://www.ciaopizza.org Excalibur Cutlery: Specializing in kitchen cutlery, sport and collector knives, straight razors, manicure and pedicure sets, engraving services and unique gifts. http://www.excaliburcutlery.com 9213 Fri, Apr 16 2010 3:17 pm New Sites and Redesigns Brought March Madness to HEROwebHEROweb is happy to announce the following new sites and redesigns that went live in March:Nature's Aquatics: Western Pennsylvania's most complete pond and water garden supplier now brings its products to you online.Smeed Communications: Complete Telephone and Sound Systems for all of your Communications Needs Pamper yourself with luxurious and environmentally friendly towels, linens and more from Good Fibers!Microbe-Lift Store: Earth-friendly pond products. Natural Solutions for your pond, water garden and fountain. Future B Homes: One of Lane County's Leading Home Builders for over 30 Years 9102 Mon, Apr 05 2010 9:04 am As you may know, HEROweb not only provides top-notch web design but also a wide range of online marketing services.Let us help take your site's performance to the next level, as we did for Avrum:"We knew nothing about online advertising or how to manage a successful pay per click advertising campaign. Hero-Web started with a small targeted approach and has slowly built up our campaign to a place we did not think possible in terms of revenue from their efforts. They routinely offer us new suggestions on how to improve and expand our campaigns and we feel fortunate to have them as our online advertising partner." - Avrum Elmakis Owner, Best Bully Sticks 8971 Tue, Mar 23 2010 1:07 pm We love Mckenzie Pediatrics! They are a unique independent kid-oriented medical practice in Springfield Oregon. As they provide medical care for our kids we know they do an awesome job!We have just done a site makeover for them, under the direction of our web developer, Kathy Smith.Check out this fun and informative website!Mckenzie Pediatrics 8933 Sat, Mar 20 2010 9:56 am We have been teaching lots of classes and workshops.Most of the materials are available on our site.If you want to learn, about web development and Internet marketing, go for it!HEROweb Class and Workshop Materials 7835 Wed, Dec 02 2009 7:22 am HEROweb co-owner Michael Stearns is back with another lively presentation! Join us on Wed. 2/17/10 for "10 Steps to Market Your Business Online."This presentation covers simple steps you can take to increase your online presence and reach your target audience with online marketing.The presentation slides are available in our Marketing Presentation archive.Keep your eyes open for the video of the presentation. The slides from the presentation will be posted online shortly.The presentation is part of a day-long seminar put on by Willamette SCORE.You can check out the details at The Willamette SCORE website. 4834 Wed, May 20 2009 9:32 am The team here at HEROweb would like to send along a warm welcome to the following sites that have already launched with us during the first month of 2010: www.chris51.com www.jchristo.comwww.blushbridaloregon.com And check out the new design just launched for www.yujean.com! Along with this, the team is busy working on a number of additional sites that will launch in the coming weeks as well as overseeing the growth of numerous marketing campaigns! 8239 Mon, Jan 11 2010 1:41 pm HEROweb is hiring a Web Development Specialist. If you are talented, enthusiastic, hard-working, and LOOOOOOVE building successful websites, this could be the perfect position for you!Check out all the details at our Web Development Specialist listing. 8048 Wed, Dec 23 2009 4:31 pm We are out in Veneta, Oregon tonight talking to Chris Nystrom's group about Internet marketing.Materials are available online for Maximizing Your Web Marketing Efforts 7966 Tue, Dec 15 2009 7:08 pm Join our growing team as a Sales and Marketing Assistant. We have a dynamic work environment and are looking for someone to help us along the path of growing our established business into an Internet powerhouse.Learn more at eugene.craigslist.org/web/1448890286.html 7639 Fri, Nov 13 2009 11:03 am We love to talk about Internet marketing and web strategy. And we are happy to share our presentation outlines. Have a look at some of our recent presentations.If you are interesting in having us speak at your conference, workshop, or event, please contact us.List of Workshops and Presentations 7640 Fri, Nov 13 2009 11:08 am We welcome our newest website to the growing HEROweb family:Dog Angel Jewelry: www.dogangeljewelry.comThis site sells beautiful handcrafted Pet Memorial JewelryDog Angel Jewelry offers a wonderful way to commemorate a lost pet in your life or in the life of someone you know. 7607 Tue, Nov 10 2009 10:06 am November is Blog Post month at the MightyMerchant Ecommerce Blog Come join us for the discussion about doing business online. 7586 Sun, Nov 08 2009 5:57 am Now is the time to build a strategy for promoting your business and products online. Learn how to make marketing technologies work for your business.Three FREE 90 minute sessions - each focused on a key aspect of marketing your business online.October 15, 2009: Getting Your Feet Wet with Social MediaOctober 29, 2009: Ten Steps to Marketing Your WebsiteNovember 12, 2009: Blogging to Boost Your BusinessSessions will be held at the Springfield Chamber, Springfield Depot location. Seating is limited, so reserve your spot now! 7167 Tue, Sep 29 2009 3:28 pm September has been another busy month. Imagine Photographics and North Branch Construction went live earlier this month, and now we have 3 more!Check out our latest websites to go live:Dorm Cribs - Affordable furnishings and services for college students to rent or purchaseAM-Living - A comprehensive collection of historical reproductions and unique home dcorZ-CoiL Pain Relief Footwear - Engineered to help relieve foot, leg, and back pain by reducing impact to the body. 7166 Tue, Sep 29 2009 3:13 pm We've had a busy summer. Not only have we developed new sites for both national and local customers, we've also done a few redesigns for existing customers.Check out the following websites that recently went live:Eugene Textile Center - Fiber arts classes and supplies in EugeneImagine Photographics - A new division of Imagine Graphics that offers dynamic business photographyNorth Branch Construction - New homes and remodeling in Central OregonAcme Menus - A full line of restaurant menu covers, menu jackets with clear pockets and table top menu holders 7165 Tue, Sep 29 2009 2:54 pm HEROweb is delighted to welcome Dave Reed, Internet Marketing Specialist, to the HEROweb staff. He will assist customers with services such as Pay-per-click, Search Engine Optimization, and others. Dave has three years of experience in the internet marketing field, and we at HEROweb are pleased to have this talented guy on staff. To read Dave's complete bio click here. 5509 Fri, Jul 24 2009 1:31 pm Thanks to the Springfield Chamber of Commerce for hosting my Social Media Marketing presentation: "Getting Your Feet Wet With Social Media: One Toe At A Time"The crowd was great and the screen was HUGE. I felt kind of like a midget up there.Here is the PowerPoint Deck for the Social Media PresentationEnjoy. 5186 Tue, Jun 23 2009 5:04 pm Thanks to all the participant's of the Going Into Business class for contributing to a lively discussion.You can download class materials at GIB Class Materials. 4967 Tue, Jun 02 2009 10:11 pm We welcome our new customers whose sites went live in April. As usual, we have an interesting mix of local and national, ecommerce and informational. We have quite an eclectic mix of customers! It has been great to make more of a connection with the Eugene Springfield business community here in Oregon over the past year and we appreciate the opportunity to work with local businesses.Check out these new websites:www.chicagoschoolsupply.comwww.backyarddecorandmore.comwww.scissorsorshears.comwww.broadwayapothecary.comwww.dahliadivas.com 4629 Fri, May 01 2009 10:03 am It is a beautiful day in Eugene Oregon today. The whole week has been magnificent. We are at the Eugene Chamber of Commerce for a lunchtime presentation on "Maximizing your Web Marketing Efforts."We are going over some of the basics of a sound approach to web marketing for the local Eugene and Springfield audience.You can download the powerpoint of the presentation at:Maximizing Your Web Marketing Presentation- Eugene Oregon 4521 Thu, Apr 23 2009 11:28 am Yesterday (7/13/2011), Michael Stearns gave a live presentation to a group from the Willamette Valley chapter of the AMA (American Marketing Association) on how to effectively use Google Analytics.Of course, there is no substitute for the real thing, but you can see the materials and resource related to the presentation. Enjoy! http://www.hero-web.com/home/hwm/smartlist_167 14056 Thu, Jul 14 2011 5:24 am 13881 Fri, Jul 01 2011 9:21 pm A 404 error is the "the page you requested does not exist" error that you typically see when you go to a web page that does not exist. This usually happens when a webpage has been moved or deleted. Sometimes, your website can have errors that you might not be aware of. When a customer searches for something on your site and sees an error message, it can be discouraging enough that they will simply leave your site.To find out if your site has any 404 error messages, go to your domain and type in a fake URL and see what comes up. Try something with a misspelling like "socer" instead of "soccer," like this: www.exampledomain.com/socerMost of the time you will see a generic error message. Does what appear represent your business well? 404 error messages can be creatively designed to have a sense of humor or style that, should a customer stumble upon one of these errors while searching your site, they can be directed back to the site without feeling nervous. See the MightyMerchant blog for our previous post about designing creative error messages. 11276 Mon, Nov 01 2010 10:43 am We are excited to announce the newest feature of our MightyMerchant Ecommerce platform: customized product feeds.What are product feeds, you ask? Many comparison shopping sites out there, like Google Base, Shopzilla, and Become, allow you to submit your product data in a specialized format, called a data feed.MightyMerchant has developed a system that allows us to customize your product data in a range of formats and send it off to other sites where you can market your products.This is a great feature for any ecommerce site owner who is looking to expand their audience.Read more on our blog at: blog.mightymerchant.com/2009/03/05/custom-product-feeds/ 4429 Tue, Apr 14 2009 9:16 am I think it is safe to say that you would have to have been sequestered for the last six months on a planet in a remote galaxy to be unaware that the economy has been challenging over the past several months.At HEROweb, we are fortunate to be staying hard at work and commend our customer base for their fortitude and ingenuity in finding creative ways to build their businesses.Here is a list of the new websites we have made live so far this month:www.craftsfeathersfloral.comwww.littlebamboobaby.comwww.acsprocessing.comwww.swvetclinic.comwww.enerchilivingspaces.comwww.cgfarmhouse.comwww.tubbyusa.comwww.theprotectionpros.comWith quite a few other sites in the works, we hope we are part of a spring business up-surge. Reports in our local area of Lane County Oregon are that business is picking up. Let's keep up the momentum! 4179 Sat, Mar 21 2009 2:20 pm We have been giving seminars and workshops in the Eugene / Springfield area for the past several months.We have gotten a great response and look forward to giving more presentations to the local community and sharing information about online marketing.Here is our upcoming schedule:April 21 - May 12 "Make Your Mark Online" - a four-part workshop that meets Tuesday evenings at the Lane Small Business Development Center. A great way to get all the info you need to get going with a web business.April 23 - "Developing Your Website for a Local Audience" - a 90 minute lunch time presentation at the Eugene Chamber of Commerce.May 20 - "10 Steps to Jumpstart Your Web Marketing" - a one hour segment, presented as part of the SCORE spring seminar.If you are a Northwest business group and are interested in a presentation, please let us know. 4178 Sat, Mar 21 2009 1:27 pm Hot off the press... we have just made live our newest HEROweb website. Opportunity Barks is a dog boarding and training facility. They are the proud owners of a new website.Check it out at www.opportunitybarks.com. 3877 Thu, Feb 19 2009 3:54 pm We just finished teaching our first workshop at the Lane Business Development Center in Eugene, Oregon.The class was titled "Making Your Mark Online" and we basically attempted to fit everything we know about getting started with a web business into four 90-minute sessions. Whew, we covered a lot of material!When we teach the class again in the spring, we will be a little less ambitious.Are you interested to see what we covered? We have posted our class outlines. Have a look! 3791 Wed, Feb 11 2009 6:37 pm Nothing like getting out on the town and spreading a little Super-Hero fun!HEROweb Marketing was at the Gateway Mall for the Springfield Business Expo.See what the Register Guard had to say about the event: Annual Business Expo Packs Mall 3770 Mon, Feb 09 2009 5:28 am Happy Groundhogs, Day!Here are a few of the events that HEROweb will be involved with in February around the Eugene/Sprinfield area.Springfield Business Expo Feb. 7th , all day, at GatewaySpringfield Greeters Presentation Feb 19th, 7:30am at Home Town BuffetMake Your Mark Online Feb 3rd and 10th, final two sessions of our four-week workshop at the Lane Small Business Development CenterWe hope to see you around town! 3698 Mon, Feb 02 2009 4:42 am