Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach

NEW DIRECTION, NEW BLOG

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:36:00 +0000

SHUBIC NARROWS FOCUS—CONSOLIDATES SERVICES TO WEB DEVELOPMENT AND ONLINE MARKETING

Gold Canyon, ARIZONA—Mike Shubic – Your Marketing Coach, is a long-time marketer who has been offering freelance marketing services for the past four years has recently decided to narrow his focus to web development and online marketing services.

“I have always had a passion for the web, because from a marketing point of view it has the capacity to give businesses the greatest bang-for-the-buck of any other marketing option. Plus, the web is the most trackable medium out there, which from a marketing perspective is really the “Holy Grail.” For the past couple of years 90% of my business has been interactive related, so it just made sense to start focusing my own marketing efforts toward that area,” says Mike Shubic, now of Shubic Web Design.

Mr. Shubic began his interactive career at the Arizona Republic in the mid-90s, where he was on the steering committee that formed the states’ largest website, AZCentral.com. He also worked for the former Tempe-based cutting-edge internet browser company, NeoPlanet.

Shubic has set himself apart from other web designers or developers because he looks at the web from a marketing perspective, which he says is a communications tool well before it’s a technical project. Mr. Shubic goes on to say that all too often websites are either over or under designed, with no real thought to strategy, which is a result of narrowly focused objectives or capabilities. The overall goal of a website is to communicate a value proposition, if the person or company building a website doesn’t have a firm understanding of marketing, this can often become a hindrance for their client.

Mr. Shubic plans to launch his new www.ShubicWebDesign.com website in mid-October. In addition, there will be a new Blog www.ShubicWebDesign.com/blog that will give readers tips, tools and news on interactive related topics.

About Mike Shubic: Mike Shubic is a seventeen-year marketing veteran who has work for such notable companies as The Arizona Republic, Cold Stone Creamery, NeoPlanet and Nautical Enterprises. Mr. Shubic has been involved with the web since the early 90s and has been a freelance marketer for over four years offering his services to an array of different types of industries. Mr. Shubic has written a number of interactive and marketing related articles for both print and online and maintains a Blog of useful tips, tools and news on the interactive subject. Mr. Shubic can be reached by calling 480-983-3100 or by e-mail at Mike @ ShubicWebDesign.com

WHOLE NEW PLAYING FIELD FOR 'VIDEO' SEO

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:35:00 +0000

See the slide show and link below to learn more about the intricacies of 'video' SEO.

SES San Jose 2009 - Next Wave in Online Video

View more documents from Mark Robertson.

Click Here to watch video overview.

WHAT DOES YAHOO-MICROSOFT DEAL MEAN FOR SEO?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:19:00 +0000

Turning up on the first page of an organic search result when someone types in your product or brand is pretty much the cost of entry for any substantial e-commerce entity or marketer. For the past decade, that's meant one thing: optimize for Google and maybe tweak a bit for Yahoo and MSN...everything else didn't matter all that much.

In the coming months when Microsoft's' BING takes over Yahoo search infrastructure, there will be a whole new wave of SEO needs from clients if they wish to be ranked high on search engines other than Google. Read more from AdAge

CREATIVE MARKETING APPROACH

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:04:00 +0000

Well, with Facebook, Twitter and other social media obligations, I find that I have been neglecting my blog entries. Today however I ran into a creative marketing approach that I knew I needed to share.

Ever go to a hair salon for the first time for a consultation? Well, to save time and resources, a salon in Cambridge, MASS offers free consultations via SKYPE (an online video/audio communications site), which is one of those out-of-the-box type ideas that I like to share with my readers. To read more, click here.

NEW 'OFFICE SUITE' FOR MARKETERS... ADVERTISING

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:24:00 +0000

Microsoft has long built enterprise software solutions for myriad industries: retail, health care, sales. But now it has its eye on the advertising industry.

Microsoft and Mediabrands, the media division of Interpublic Group of Cos. that counts Microsoft as a major ad client, are collaborating to build a software system that marketers can use to track everything from search advertising and e-mail newsletters to CRM systems to TV buys in one place. To read more, check out the Ad Age article on the topic.

NINE BALL, NOT A GAME OF POOL BUT RATHER A NASTY VIRUS

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:10:00 +0000

If you haven't heard of it yet, you soon will...the Nine Ball virus is making its way through the web infecting 10s of thousands of websites...two of which are ones I manage. Not a happy camper! I've spent hours trying to clean up the mess, just to find out that the two sites are infected again. Don't know how it happened, but I've taken precautions that I would like to pass along.

Make sure you store sensitive data, i.e. passwords in a password protected document and use extra characters that you'll know to remove when needing the password, i.e. use an "&" symbol at the beginning or end of the password.
Consider using a password manager like PassPack
Don't use auto fill features when visiting websites unless using a service that PassPack offers.
Don't e-mail usernames and passwords in the same e-mail and refer to the first bullet on this list for using extra symbols.

If you're interested in reading more on this subject, I found a good article at eWeek.com.

MOBILE APPS ARE ALL THE RAGE

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:26:00 +0000

If you're a wine lover, check out this wine matcher / wine pairing app from a client of mine Nat Decants. The app is for BlackBerry or iPhone. The wine mobile matcher is only $2.99 and is perfect for when you're at a grocery store or restaurant and wondering what wine to buy.

Watch the wine pairing video to see how the app works:

HOW MUCH IS YOUR WEBSITE/BLOG WORTH?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:27:00 +0000

Do you have a website that gets a lot of traffic? Ever wonder what it's worth? Check out DNScoop.com to find out. Just to give you an idea...I have one client who gets about 1200 visits per day...according to DNScoop the site is worth over $85k. Not bad!

BOTTA 'BING!' NEW SEARCH FROM MICROSOFT

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:12:00 +0000

Microsoft on Thursday took the wraps off Bing, the rebranded and rebuilt search engine designed to replace Live Search. It's a solid improvement over the previous search product, and it beats Google in important areas. It will help Microsoft gain share in the search business. It's surprisingly competitive with Google.

Bing isn't available to the public yet, but you won't have to wait long. Starting on June 1, some users will get Bing search results from Live Search. On June 3, CNET says Bing will be Microsoft's new default search. Click here to see how it looks.

SOME OF MY LATEST WORK...

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Check out some of my latest projects...

Logo and Website for MM Players Club, a unique way to play private country club golf.
Website and site optimization work for a beauty salon in Gold Canyon, Joli Salon.
Website for a indoor golf dome in Chicago, White Pines Golf Dome.
Website for a great pizza joint in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Humble Pie.
Registration page and database for "Arts Olympics" event for the Superstition Area Cultural Alliance (SACA).
Site optimization work for OnSet Marketing Group.
Website for a decorative concrete supply company in Chicago, BDC Supply

TEN TIPS FOR BUILDING A GOOD E-MAIL LIST

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:42:00 +0000

An email campaign is only as good as the list it is sent to. The question from marketers then becomes, “How do I build a great email list?” Read these tips from dmPULSE that can help all email marketers build their most valuable asset; the email list.

A UNIQUE PRODUCT IN AN UN-UNIQUE CATEGORY

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Have you heard of Tom's shoes? If you haven't...you will! This utterly simple shoe design is gaining a lot of steam with its unique, altruistic marketing approach. For every shoe they sell, they give a pair away to a person in need.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcwashington.com/video.

SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS FROM TOP PROFESSIONALS

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:39:00 +0000

The benefit from a firm grasp of social media for companies is impossible to ignore. Whether you work in marketing, advertising, public relations or interactive, there are distinct competitive advantages for both individuals and businesses from a better understanding of the social web.

Read what some of the biggest brands in the business are doing with Social Media and how it can help you. Article by: Social Media Today

T.V. ADVERTISING MADE EASY!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:03:00 +0000

Think you can't afford T.V. advertising or commercial production? Think again. Google has made the process of T.V. commercial production easy and its airtime even easier to purchase. If you're familiar with Keyword or Adword advertising, the new "Google for T.V." is very similar. Purchasing T.V. airtime is now auction based, which means if a station or network has time that is unsold, you can get a bargain. The best part, it's all trackable so you know what's working, and what's not. Check out the brief demo below.

IT'S NOT A BIRD. IT'S NOT A PLANE. IT'S A FLOGO!

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:07:00 +0000

What the heck is a "Flogo" you ask? It's a floating logo of course! Flogo has come up with a way of compressing bubbles and helium gas in order to create floating logos for events and other brand awareness campaigns. Check out the video below on a Nintendo campaign.

NEW CAPTCHA METHOD BY GOOGLE TO MINIMISE SPAM

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:40:00 +0000

If you're not familiar with the term, "Captcha," you've probably run across one when perusing a website in which there are form fields. A CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. The process usually involves one computer asking a user to complete a simple test which the computer is able to generate and grade. Because other computers are unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human.

A persistent problem on the Internet is screening out automated computer systems that can be used, for example, to sign up for spam-sending e-mail accounts or post comments designed to improve a site's search results. In comes Google with a new "image-based" Captcha method to help minimise spam and other nefarious issues. Read more from News.com

ONLINE MEETING/CONFERENCE CALL TOOLS...

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:48:00 +0000

There are some great inexpensive and often free web apps out there to help you facilitate conference calls and meetings. Here are a few to check out, Free Conference, TalkShoe and GoToMeeting.

FORGET RSS, THIS MIGHT BE A SIMPLER SOLUTION

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:49:00 +0000

If you're not quite sure what an RSS feed is, you might not have to learn thanks to Alltop. Alltop is an online magazine rack of popular topics. They update stories every hour. Pick a topic by searching news, name, etc. and they'll deliver it to you 24/7. Check it out and let me know what you think.

INTERESTING TWIST TO DIRECT MAIL...MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE TOO...

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:52:00 +0000

So, imagine sending your direct snail-mail piece but rather than using a stamp, you use Zumbox. Zumbox delivers paperless mail online – from street address to street address. What used to only be sent as paper mail can now be sent without the paper. How? Zumbox has created a nationwide paperless postal system with a Zumbox for every street address in the U.S., including yours.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:00:00 +0000

This is an interesting article on why Facebook doesn't listen to its customers, and it won't start now. The article has some good lessons for all businesses. Click here to read about it.

GREAT NEW ASP TO PROMOTE YOURSELF IN E-MAIL

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Glooq is an interesting new product that allows you to create banner ads and place them into your e-mail in order to promote yourself or product.

GREAT SOCIAL MEDIA BUSINESS SUCCESS STORY

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Take a traditional taco truck, make a unique recipe and add a dose of social media marketing and, voila! you have a successful business.

Launched last fall, Kogi Korean BBQ takes the taste of Korean barbecue and melds it with the portability of Mexican tacos and burritos for a whole new category of delectable food.

PLENTY OF GOOD MARKETING IDEAS FOR DOWN ECONOMY...

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:18:00 +0000

FedEx came up with a great P/R idea...help the unemployed by offering free resume printing. What a great idea...it shows good will, it gets press coverage, and it's low cost. From a marketing perspective, what's not to love!

If you're interested, click here to see some of the coverage.

"RETARGETING..."WHAT IS IT?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Have you ever noticed during your daily peruse through the Internet that you often see the same company's banner ads over and over again? Well I have, and it was freaking me out—in a good way...from a marketing perspective that is. It's called, "Retargeting" and it's a way of maximising your online ad dollars by targeting individuals who've already visited your site.

Look at it this way...you're in the market for a new pair of hiking boots and you hit the REI website, but then you get distracted and move onto something else. If REI is using a "retargeting" service like, "Fetchback" then for the next week or more you will start seeing advertisements from REI on many of the sites (with ad serving) you visit...some of the ads will be very targeted like promoting "hiking boots," which will prompt your memory that you were in need of a new pair and forgot to finish your purchase.

DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR SITE BY INCREASING BLOG VISIBILITY

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Shubic - Your Marketing Coach) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:11:00 +0000

From an online marketing perspective, your job is to drive traffic to your site...how do you do this? Well, there are many ways, however we're only going to talk about one here. If you don't currently have a blog, I encourage you to create one and link it up to your site...having extra relevant content about your product or service is very helpful in driving traffic. Blogger and WordPress are the two most popular blog services, both have simple and advanced applications. WordPress has more options and is more scalable than Blogger, but Blogger is very user-friendly for the beginner and they're owned by Google, so your content is indexed quickly. Check out both and decide which is best for your needs.

Once you set up your blog, it's important to get people to read it. Beyond telling all of your friends, colleagues and customers, here are 20 good ways to increase your visibility that I came across.