Derek Sgandurra

By: Derek Sgandurra- Bayshore Solutions’ Senior Web Designer

“Design” has an incredibly broad definition. Almost anything created by man demonstrates a design. Design has such a broad definition that many industries have their own version on it – graphic design, interior design, exterior design, culinary design, etc. The concept of design is so engrained  in each respective industry that the prefixes are implied and unnecessary when speaking within the group. All design is subject to trends. Early ad designs were heavy on words. Early car designs were just heavy. These trends evolved with our collective and cultural tastes.

Web design is a relatively new branch, and its pace has been quick. It has been defined not just by our evolving tastes, but by the rapid evolution of its supporting technology. Computers, devices, screens and connections have all dictated many of the possibilities and limitations of web design. It has only been in very recent years, however, that the possibilities have begun steadily winning.

Beyond a few years ago, video and large, high-resolution photos were generally prohibited by bandwidth speeds and smaller displays. Visually speaking, the “wow factor” (so often requested) was not easily attainable. Web designers would try, though, exhausting every bell, whistle and trick to make people forget how small all the photos were. These days, technology has matured enough to allow web designers the same tools as traditional graphic designers, and much more.

Photography and videos are the greatest of these tools. No longer is it enough to have great colors, great fonts, great bevels and shadows and boxes and textures. Now more than ever, website clients and visitors expect to be “wowed” the way humans have always been – with great big pictures like this:

Today, our culture is one of less words, less reading. You can see this reflected in the many recent high-profile abbreviations (Gatorade is now “G”; Dairy Queen is now “DQ”). More and more, and across all branches of design, wordless imagery is used to create universal, cross-language and cross-culture appeal.  For example, our website for Crystal Logistics uses imagery to showcase the high quality of the brand.

At Bayshore Solutions, our talented designers can create high-resolution imagery for your website.  ‘Wow’ websites can give your company an edge and make your website stand out from industry competition.  To view more of our websites, visit http://www.bayshoresolutions.com/portfolio-home/case-studies-launches.aspx.

 
Derek Sgandurra is a Senior Web Designer at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

Kimberly McCormick

By: Kimberly McCormick – Bayshore Solutions’ Director of Corporate Marketing

In my role at  Bayshore Solutions, I am very familiar with the inquiries we receive about our web services.  The golden question at the core of every person’s inquiry is, “How much?”

From my own experience in sourcing solutions for the company’s corporate marketing needs, I am extremely empathetic to an inquiring businessperson’s frustrated desire to just get a straight answer to cost, and the instinctual approach to line up vendors A, B & C on a spreadsheet, compare packages and costs, then present the best, most cost-effective option to the C-Levels for approval.  Unfortunately (and I have learned this the hard way) “cost-effective” and “low cost” are two very different things in the market for technology services.

A pennywise digital marketing decision based on a spreadsheet vendor analysis often shortchanges business results. There is so much more to the question than most are aware, and these complexities absolutely determine the right answer to, “How much does Internet Marketing cost?” for your business.

When I address questions on our pricing for Internet marketing services, I find that I am often explaining “Why”: why our pricing is not $X99. per month or less, and why I can’t give them an exact price without a deeper discovery conversation with one of our internet experts. The recurring points that I find myself educating people about are:

• The breadth and depth of “Internet marketing” services
• Custom vs. Package
• The “Team” of experts and (not “or”) a dedicated digital marketer
• The nature and efficiencies of an integrated web agency
• A “Partner” versus “Vendor” methodology
• The “Unspoken Deliverables” – what you might not think to ask for

What’s Involved in “Internet Marketing” Services

The first thing everyone needs to get crystal clear on is what exactly is meant by “Internet marketing.”  Some of the distinct types of services contained in this umbrella term include:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization);
• Search marketing;
• Paid Search (Pay-Per-Click and online advertising);
• Local search visibility marketing;
• Mobile optimization and marketing
• Social Media strategy marketing, optimization, engagement and even advertising;
• Content development and marketing;
• Conversion optimization;
• Email, SMS, and other digital marketing channel strategies and campaigns;
• Integrated campaigns and marketing across both online and offline channels

Distinct expertise and tactical skills apply to each marketing tool in this toolbox — and that technology tool set is constantly changing and evolving.  I have often heard our executives acknowledge that in the services industry, “Inventory” is brain-power and time. Competence and proven effectiveness in wielding these tools has value, and an investment cost.

Why Custom vs. Package

Which internet marketing tactics work best with your specific business strategy, model and market?  How might they combine to drive even better results?  Are these answers the same six – 12 – 24 months from now?

Prospective customers won’t find a “package” for any of our web services because we scope and quote custom to the specific business’s needs.  The goal is to apply the correct combination of online marketing tools to drive more results and return on a client’s marketing investment – and this strategic blend is unique to every business.  So services are tailored to each customer.

While this does make discovery conversations longer, the business outcomes are dramatically better.

Both A Dedicated Digital Marketer & A Team of Experts

Digital marketing is a technical and ever-changing skill.  Who is actually doing the work matters to achieving your best Internet marketing results.  Each e-marketer at Bayshore Solutions is required to exceed rigorous benchmarks for technical capability at continuing points along their career path and to contribute as subject matter experts in the evolving aspects of internet marketing.  Team members are sent to every major industry conference and training program in order to bring the most current and best performing practices to our client’s online marketing.

Each internet marketer is a full-time employee at our Tampa or Denver office (as opposed to anywhere offshore or on a tenuous freelance arrangement). Further, each is dedicated to and accountable to the success of their specific clients.  Formal reporting on tactical progress and strategic recommendations occurs every 30 days.  Also, a main component of performance evaluations and promotion criteria is positive reviews by their customers.

I have the privilege of sitting in a weekly best-practices and cross-learning session with the team of internet marketers at Bayshore Solutions.  When I encounter a digital marketing challenge I am consistently impressed and appreciative of the tribal knowledge that this team develops, applies to their customers and helps me with.  It is literally having 60 combined years of web marketing experience across 75 plus industries at your fingertips.  I doubt that a siloed, in-house marketer could effectively access and apply this breadth and depth of expertise to a business’s ongoing marketing challenges for a similar investment cost.

Integrated Digital Agency = Everyone’s on the Same Web Page

A customer’s “Team” also extends to the web expertise of designers, developers and project managers.  The entire team is assigned to a customer and their success is dependent on the client’s success.

When building websites for customers, the internet marketers consult with the design and development experts to ensure they are aware of and plan for the next step of marketing the site and driving business with it after it is launched.  So it is built with the end in mind.

I have seen many “beautiful” web designs that are effectively impossible to market in today’s digital world, due to myopic design and build decisions.  Clients often come to us to rebuild such websites and fix these problems.

Digital marketing is very technical in nature, and often involves code-level tasks and live site updates.  With technical, marketing and website hosting teams that are integrated both physically (located together) and philosophically (everyone focused on the customers best outcome), efficiencies and throughput for building as well as the ongoing marketing of a business’s website are streamlined and cost-effective.

A “Partner” (vs. “Vendor”) Focused on Your Growth Results

The main reason I am unable to cite generic prices for our internet marketing services is the core approach we take to every potential customer.   The discovery process we use creates a “partner” perspective on goals, desired outcomes, and the specific business situation at hand.   This also enables the best recommendations for solutions — and accurate price quotes for those solutions.

We develop relationships with customers where we can help grow their business with ongoing, integrated technology and marketing expertise. This just isn’t accomplished with a “Package A at $X99.” mindset.

What You Might Not Even Think to Ask About – The “Unspoken” Deliverables

I have learned that many of the things Bayshore Solutions delivers to our customers as an “of course” from our perspective, are neither mentioned nor a “given” by many web services businesses.

One of these is the source code and intellectual property surrounding your website and its online marketing campaigns.  Who owns this when the services are delivered?  Our answer is, “You do.”  It is frustrating and upsetting for a business to find that such campaign assets aren’t owned and controlled by the brand marketing them.  We don’t do business like that, and unfortunately this is not the norm among agencies.

An item you might not think to ask about when shopping for online marketing services is if the web services company you buy from carries insurance that protects its customers, thus lowering their investment risk. We do.

Another “intangible” is the investment made in creating a workplace worthy of receiving our recent listing in Tampa Bay Times’ “Best Places to Work” roster that evaluates identity-protected employee survey responses to qualify a company for inclusion.  This speaks to providing the infrastructure, education, culture and communication that attracts and keeps quality team members. This focus gives peace of mind that your Internet partners will remain not only at the top of their craft, but familiar with your projects and  business as your future Internet marketing needs evolve.

One thing I have learned in corporate and digital marketing: the right internet marketing and web strategy is a pivotal business investment decision – one that requires a true partner who is focused on your specific business success.  So the answer to, “How much does Internet marketing cost?“ is literally, “It depends” — on your specific business goals & needs, what strategies are most appropriate to achieve them, and what level of expertise you want to engage in reaching them.

Bayshore Solutions’ Web Methodology was developed to guide our client-partnerships to create consistent web success – and our 17 year award-winning track record of delivering customer growth is the proof in the pudding.

If you’re looking for such a power partnership with your web marketing, contact us and I’ll connect you with the right expert on our team to uncover the right internet marketing solutions to grow your business.
 

Kimberly McCormick is the Director of Corporate Marketing at Bayshore Solutions Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

Jody Roberts

By: Jody Roberts – Bayshore Solutions’ Senior Programmer

In October 2012, due to the closure of my previous company, I was faced for the first time in six years with the hurdle of having to find a new IT development position.  Being thrust into the current job market, finding the right fit for my skill set, personality, and career growth goals, was my highest priority.  Bayshore Solutions seemed to be that fit.

After six months as Senior Developer for Bayshore, it’s clear that I made the right choice. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why this company has exceeded my expectations:
 
1)      Development Makes an Impact:

Having worked in organizations where software development teams are under pressure to produce measurements to prove that they are adding value instead of being intrinsically valued as the “inventory” of expertise, it’s refreshing to work in a firm where development is perceived as an asset – not another “cost center.” Our skills are engaged directly with the goals of the business, providing value and positively impacting the bottom line.
 
2)      Everyone’s Input Matters:

During new web development, I discuss my solution approach with my team members and project managers.    Frequently, I am asked to provide insight on the best approach in the development of a solution.  As an employee, this conveys that my expertise is highly valued and respected. This encourages me to continually strive for efficiency and creativity in my solutions.
 
3)      Utilization of New Technologies:

In my 19 years as developer, the one thing that has remained constant is the need to keep abreast of new technologies and methods. In the past six months, tools like Kendo UI and Sitefinity CMS have been introduced along with training in topics such as MVC and Jquery.  Every Thursday, the development team comes together to either train or share new development practices.  Learning is an important part of our development path.
 
4)      Success is Shared:

Bayshore Solutions provides opportunities in monthly Town Hall meetings to discuss all aspects of the company’s inner workings.  Discussions can range from the projected financial goals and tracking of actual results to the items that the employees would like to see included in the vending machines.  It seems my idea of adding Pork Rinds didn’t make the cut. There’s always next month…
 
5)      Fun

I chose my profession because it challenges me and gives me a sense of accomplishment when I implement a creative solution.  I enjoy what I do.   Bayshore provides a professional, yet fun-loving atmosphere that creates the perfect balance of work and play. All work and no plush-cat-bowling would make for a very dull day. Feel free to stop by my desk anytime – the plush-cats are set up and ready.
 
Interested in working with us?  Bayshore Solutions is growing and seeking Programmers in their Tampa and Denver locations, as well as team members in a variety of positions.  Contact us for more information.

 
Jody Roberts is a Senior Programmer at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

Gwyn Drake

By: Gwyn Drake – Bayshore Solutions’ eMarketing Team
 

It wasn’t long ago that we were scouring the web for the best tools for Pinterest Analytics. Sure you can see how Pinterest, as a referrer, leads conversions or generates revenue in Google Analytics, but what about the nitty gritty of how your pins, repins, likes, and links are performing on Pinterest.
 

Let’s break it down:

Set Up is a fairly simple process.  You have the ability to verify your site with Pinterest by either uploading a verification file, or adding a meta tag to your header. I think the easiest step by step guide is ShopIgniter’s “Turn on your Pinterest analytics. Seriously. Go do it now” found here.

 
What You Will See:

Site Metrics: Site Metrics allows you to monitor your Pinterest trends. The data is a daily average. You can control the date range and will also see a % change.  The Site Metrics includes: Pins (from your site to Pinterest), Pinners, Repins, Repinners, Impressions, Reach, Clicks and Visitors.

“Most” Trends: from Pinterest Analytics summarizes your pins within the categories of your Most Recent pins, Most Repinned, and Most Clicked.

 
Great, More Analytics. Now What?

Like all analytics, the power is in the interpretation. For Pinterest, this should be supported by a social strategy.  While it may be important for one company to have the highest impressions, for others, repining of “buzz” may be more important.

At Bayshore Solutions, we can set up and provide social media strategies that focus on a ROI.  Pinterest Analytics are a piece of this strategy, which when used correctly can improve your business.

Gwyn Drake is an eMarketer at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.

Martin McCauley

By: Martin McCauley – Bayshore Solutions’ Business Development

“So what is that number sign thing all about?”

The other night my wife and I were watching TV when a Calvin Klein ad came on, and on the last frame of the commercial we saw this: #calvinklein.  She asked me, “So what is that number sign thing all about?”  Now you wouldn’t exactly classify my wife as a tech-guru, but she is definitely not a novice by any stretch.  She is very much middle-of-the-pack when it comes to her tech-proficiency, and, yet, here she is with absolutely no idea what this now ubiquitous “#” symbol means.  It got me thinking that she is probably not alone.  I suspect there is a significant portion of the tech-using population out there that doesn’t know what this whole Twitter thing is about.  And now it’s gotten to the point where if you count yourself among that group, you might almost be too embarrassed to ask.
“What?  You don’t know how to use Twitter?  And you call yourself a modern American?!”

Well, rest-assured, you are not alone, and you don’t have to be in the dark or embarrassed anymore because here is quick education about this modern web phenomenon – and a “quick education” is all you will need to count yourself as having your pilot’s license and ready to fly in this ultimately very simple social media outlet.

With twitter, there are essentially two questions to answer, what is Twitter and how do you use it?

What is Twitter?

Twitter is, first and foremost, a new way to consume information.  In the olden days of the web (way back in 2005) we would consume online information by navigating to something like Yahoo’s homepage where we would find links to lots of information about lots of things – news, sports, recipes, upcoming events, etc.  This information was chosen by the editors of these sites and then presented in the format of a newspaper or magazine article.

Yahoo Home Page Circa Late 2005

Now imagine that you were the editor, and you controlled what made it on to that homepage.  That’s essentially what happens with Twitter.  You choose what makes it on to your “homepage” by following different sources.  So, for instance, you could follow ESPN, and then your “homepage” would be populated by all sorts of links from ESPN.  If you only followed ESPN, you would only see ESPN on your “homepage”, but why would you want to do that when there are so many other interesting sources you can follow like CNN, FOX, NPR, and the list goes on and on.  Basically whatever source of information you personally find interesting and engaging is what you follow, and then their content ends up on your “homepage”.

I keep putting the word homepage in quotes because it’s the closest thing I can compare it to, but in reality Twitter is less like a static page and more like a flowing river of information that you are creating (this is called your Twitter Feed) by the sources you pick.  So when you go to the Twitter website and login or use a mobile app to access your Twitter account, you see a string of little snippets of content (called Tweets) which were created by the sources you followed and have now made it on to your feed.

Twitter News Feed Circa Early This Week

Another thing that makes Twitter very different from the old Yahoo homepage is that in addition to following big news networks or large media outlets, you can (and should) follow individual people.

So what people should you follow?  Well let’s say you are a big golf fan, you might want to follow Tiger Woods.  Or maybe you love Jerry Seinfeld and he has a Twitter account that you can follow as well.  Think about sports leaders, business leaders, political leaders, religious leaders – these are all people you can follow, and then you will see their tweets in your feed.  Personally, I really enjoy following several comedians: Steve Martin, Jim Gaffigan, Conan O’brien to name a few.

As a businessperson, you can follow organizations and brands: your own, your competition, the national leaders in your market, industry associations, government agencies and officials, etc.  This is a great way to stay in touch with your market dynamics and keep your competitive intelligence sharp.

Finally, you don’t just have to follow famous people; you can even follow your friends.  As long as they have a Twitter account, you can follow them.

How do I use Twitter?

Okay, so you’ve gone to the Twitter website and created an account.  Now what?

The first thing to do is find some sources to follow.  You can easily do that on the Twitter site.  There is a very intuitive search function if you want to look for something or someone in particular, but you can also browse by category.  For instance, if you are interested in cooking, you can browse that category and see all the people or organizations that tweet about cooking.  You will quickly find that there is no shortage of interesting sources to follow, and it’s helpful to know that you can just as easily unfollow if you find you don’t like their contribution to your feed.

Twitter Search Window

To Tweet or not to Tweet:

Plenty of people who use Twitter never actually Tweet themselves, they just use it to consume the information that ends up in their feed.  But in case you want to start contributing, or “Tweeting”, here are the few things you will want to know:

Length – Tweets can only be 140 characters long – that includes spaces, dashes, punctuation, everything!  So you don’t have a lot of room to work with.  Because space is so limited it’s very common to have links in Tweets; links to longer articles (i.e. your 140 character tweet just has the headline of the article, and you have to click on the link to read it), links to pictures (i.e. your tweet tells the reader what the picture is of, and then they can click on the link to actually see the picture), and even links to videos.

Hashtags – Now we are back to that “number sign thing”.  The # symbol is used in Tweets to simply put a label on a Tweet.  So, for instance, you could Tweet a picture of the beautiful sandy beach you are laying on, and somewhere in that Tweet you might include #summervacation.  All you are doing is categorizing that Tweet as one that is about summer vacation.  Some of these hashtags catch on, and there will be lots of Tweets with the same hashtag, like #Obama2012, #superbowl, or #popefrancis.  Then a cool trick is that you can click on any hashtag in any Tweet and you will see all the Tweets that are characterized with that hashtag across the entire Twitterverse.

This Tweet is Tagged as Being About Cyprus using:  #Cyprus

Retweets – If you come across a Tweet that you really like, it is common “share” it by sending it out again from  your Twitter handle.  This is called a Retweet, and there is a quick bit of protocol around it.  You are actually already familiar with this protocol.  When you forward an email, there’s an “FW” that shows up in the subject line of the email – that lets the reader know that this was a forwarded message.  Well it’s the same thing on Twitter.  To make sure there’s no confusion about where the Tweet came from, you open your Tweet with the letters “RT” followed by the post you are Retweeting.  Conveniently, the Twitter website and most Twitter apps now have a Retweet button built in, so you just hit that button, and the Retweet notification is inserted for you.

This Tweet by Taylor Vinson was Retweeted by ABC Action News

Lastly, there are times when you might mention another Twitter user in your Tweet.  Something to note here is that your name in real life is not necessarily your name on Twitter.  It’s again a little bit like email.  Your email address is rarely your full formal name.  Many times it’s your first initial and last name, or your first name and last initial, or something else entirely.  When you create your Twitter account, you choose your Twitter name, and similar to creating a new email account on Yahoo or Gmail, the name you want may not be available, so you have to get a little creative.  Other times you pick a different name for convenience or for marketing reasons; so for instance, the New York Times shortens its name on Twitter to “nytimes”.  (Interesting trivia:  Back in the day when Bayshore Solutions was first establishing their Twitter account, the name “BayshoreSolutions” was too long for an allotted Twitter handle.  So we got strategically creative to make our Twitter identity convey who we are and what we do. And that’s how @BayshoreWebPros came to be.)

One additional tip  to know about Twitter names is they always start with the @ symbol, so the New York Times is actually @nytimes.   On Twitter, when you are referencing, or “mentioning” another Twitter user, you want to use their full Twitter name.  For example, you might tweet:

Congratulations! You are now in-the-know about Twitter! You are ready to spread your wings, jump from the nest and follow, #hashtag, RT, and @mention to your heart’s content!

Though busy business executives need to know the basics about Twitter and other social media platforms, a full social media marketing strategy and implementation is another level of social media engagement.  This is where expert professionals like the online marketing team at Bayshore Solutions can create effective social media marketing to grow your business!

Contact us to learn more.

Martin McCauley is a member of the Business Development team at Bayshore Solutions—a Tampa Web Design, Web Development, and Internet Marketing Company.