This article will help you navigate your own responsibilities when dealing with an Internet marketing firm, and what you can expect from the service provide you end up hiring AND what they will expect of you.

1) Be Ready to Communicate Intimate Details About Your Business

We Love Bloc Party (and Intimacy)

The building of a website should ALWAYS start with a conversation about your business.

1. Who are you?
2. What is your product?
3. What are your clients or customers like?

NOT “how many pages you want?”

In fact I would use this as one of the biggest guides for you on evaluating any developer or development company. They need to be more concerned about your business as a whole – not the website – that will come second and often times THEY should guide that process not you (let them decide what pages/sections you need).

2) Have a Budget

This one is always a pain. As a business owner I understand your hesitation in giving this one out. You want to maintain your poker face and keep as much control (and money) as possible. However, web development and Internet marketing services are often (or should be) quoted based on time – there’s a set hourly fee for services, and one’s budget dictates how many of those hours (and services) can be applied.

I would even go so far as to have two budgets as a business owner considering becoming a “21st Century Marketer” one for development, and one for marketing services. At the very least your development company should help you separate the two. The less time you waste holding on to your budget.

If you don’t have a budget – determine one – and make it as large as you can. The Internet is often the most effective place to spend your advertising dollars. In fact many conventional ad businesses we work with (businesses investing heavily in print, radio, television) often switch most of their budget to the web after doing a small test.

Minimum Budget – Although every industry, location, and business is different if you’re considering hiring an outside agency your budget should be over $1000 for your initial website, and you should also have $1000/month budgeted for a full year to market yourself online (for paid services).

Our own ideal clients typically spend $20,000+ with us and have a $100,000+ to spend on actually marketing themselves (outside of our own services – for paid services like pay per click marketing).

3) Understand You Are “Paying For the Sale” (and understand what goes into a sale)

As hinted at in the above consideration understand that you are paying for the sale. The more time an agency is spending with you in the beginning, the more expensive the eventual proposal will be – and odds are the more expensive their own rate is (unless they’re brand new).

There are a few things as expensive – and hard to predict/manage – than the initial sale of a website and Internet marketing plan. Sometimes a sale can be made in the first meeting (couple of hours of work) sometimes it takes multiple meetings, research, and preliminary planning to make that final sale. It’s hard to predict, but every company has this built into their product pricing and hourly rate. Our largest sales took upward of 20 – 30 hours of time.

That’s a cost of $2000 – $3500 (retail rate) cost to our company before a single thing has been signed or a bit of code touched.

4) Web Design Isn’t Magic (or Instant)

I was in a meeting the other day with someone that “owns” a web development company – we work with many agencies as partners white labeling our own services. They proceeded to explain that they needed help with a project. As they explained this project would include:

• A custom customer relationship manager (think Salesforce)
• Payment processing (think PayPal)
• Accounting management (think QuickBooks)

“Simple items,” the president explained, as he waited for a quick nod in agreement.

I had to move back in my seat, because simple tools these are not. Salesforce is a billion dollar business – with billions invested in developing their tools and sales processes. Quickbooks is an equally complex tool with millions of dollars in investment over the years (in only their ONLINE tool).

NOT SIMPLE AT ALL

This was a six figure project (at least) not one that could be banged out in a week as his wording, body language, (and later budget) suggested.

This stuff takes time, talent, and education/experience to properly execute. Although there’s a grey area where a) you don’t know how long things do or should take and that leads to b) the ability for agencies to overestimate or overcharge for an inexpensive service the opposite is usually the case agencies typically underestimate/under charge and clients believe even insanely complex tools and elements are “simple.”

5) Do Your Due Diligence

This is both on your part as well as the development company you are considering. Having gone through many vendors at our company over the years I understand that the selection of key partners is absolutely vital to a business’ success. Your Internet Advertising Agency is no different. You should take as much time as possible (and the agency will allow) to get to know them and ensure that not only will you two be a great fit from a business perspective (budget, efficacy, ability to execute technical items) but also that you’ll fit socially.

6) Communicate

It’s been said that nothing is more important than communication. The development of a website and a well executed Internet marketing plan is no different – in fact, it may require MORE communication because this stuff can get technical. Make sure to over communicate – let the company know your own goals and communicate your needs/desires. And vice-versa ask them what they need, expect, and desire from a client.

7) Be Ready to Work

Even if EVERY portion of your web business is outsourced (photography, content writing, strategy, etc.) you will still need to be a part of the process, communicating (see above) your business’ goals, overall strategy, and at the very least – saying “yeh or neh” when presented with options or directions.

The more you decide to take on yourself (or at your company) the more work you’ll be responsible for – just remember that providing that work to your development agency in a timely manner will help streamline the process and save your time and money.

LinkedIn is a relatively new platform for social media networking. Think of it as the Facebook for professionals (without the inundation of Farmville and other game requests).  This site is used to “link” these professionals across all areas of business and all industries. Whether you are looking to market yourself as a new college graduate or as a CEO of a multi-million dollar firm, LinkedIn is the way to go when it comes to building a reputable online presence in the “world of professionals.”

Should you be on LinkedIn? Absolutely!

If you’re not on LinkedIn, you should be. Here’s why:

1. Upload your resume directly – you can find employers and employers can find you.
2. Build brand awareness – whether it’s your own personal brand or your company’s brand.
3. Communicate directly with your customers.
4. Network with people that are relevant to you, your company, and your profession.

Networking is one of the most beneficial services provided by LinkedIn. To begin networking, you can start with what you already have – an extensive list of past/present contacts from your email.  By linking your email contacts with your LinkedIn account, you can find people that are already on LinkedIn and add them to your “connections”.  Doing so is very simple.

How-To: LinkedIn Email Contact Import

On the top left of your LinkedIn homepage, you will see a menu like this:

Click on Contacts. That will then take you to the following page. The default tab will be Connections, but what you need is the Imported Contacts tab.

You will then click on Add contacts to your contact list. After clicking this, make sure that LinkedIn is using the email you’d like to import your contacts from. Click Continue. It will look something like this:

You will likely find that some people from your email contacts are already using LinkedIn. If these are people that you would to connect with on LinkedIn, click on Add Connections. Once that has been completed, invitations will be sent for those people to connect with you on LinkedIn. You will also be given the option to invite those that are not registered with LinkedIn to join.

All in all, LinkedIn is an extremely powerful tool for companies, employees, employers, and everyone in between. Think of it as a huge conference with every person that you’ve ever done business with in one room – along with everyone they’ve done business with and so on. The connections are endless!

You can contact her at Kristen(at)Atilus(dot)com.

Florida Gulf Coast University Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomed one distinguished graduate into the Alumni of Distinction Society, and five graduates into the Soaring Eagles Society at the annual Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony on April 13, 2012.

The Alumni of Distinction Society is the highest honor the association bestows on a deserving graduate. This year, the FGCU Alumni of Distinction Society award was presented to Zach Katkin, 2007 graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Katkin is CEO for Atilus, a Florida web design company, which provides internet marketing and web development services throughout Florida and the United States. Atilus was founded with friend and former classmate Harry Casimir, class of 2005. Atilus is the only Google AdWords Certified Partner Firm in Southwest Florida. Katkin is also winner of the prestigious Addy Award, the largest advertising competition with over 50,000 entries annually, for his work on helping to construct the WGCU Public Media website at FGCU, and winner of the Webby Award and the Summit Award for his outstanding contribution to high web development standards. Katkin is committed to giving back to the community. Atilus donates their services to the Island Coast AIDS Network (ICAN) and the Lee County Boy and Girls Club.

Join us in celebrating this incredible accomplishment. Thank you to all of our clients and customers who have made this honor possible. Please post your comments below in support of Zach’s recognition!

We may not have been formerly introduced yet, but I’m Matt. I have been friends with Zach and Harry since they started Atilus in the condo I shared with Harry as my roommate right after college. I spent the past five years working as the Senior District Aide for Representative Aubuchon out in Cape Coral. I’ve finally had the opportunity to join the team at Atilus, and I love it!

The reason I’m writing this short note is because Atilus is becoming even more client-centric. If you’ve worked with Atilus in the past, you probably recognize their dedication to complete client satisfaction. I hope to be a small part of continuing to exceed your expectations with reliable technology and web development solutions.

If there is ever anything that we can do to better serve you, drop me a line at matt@atilus.com.

We’ve got a plan, and it all revolves around YOU!

Copyright Infringement can Happen to ANYONE!

According to a recent report from CBS News, Pinterest has tightened up their terms of service to address the copyright infringement incubator that their service fosters. Take a look at what prescient writer Erik Sherman wrote:

To that end, Pinterest has more recently geared up to monetize traffic, as TechCrunch’s Colleen Taylor reports. Unfortunately, given that consumers are putting masses of copyrighted photos onto their boards, that becomes a problem. After all, Pinterest doesn’t want to take the legal heat for making coin on the backs of someone else’s intellectual property, so it’s always made users responsible for posting only that which they had a right to use. But an update of its terms of service late on Friday made that abundantly clear.

If you are a business owner considering jumping into the Pinterest trend, be careful about copyright infringement.

One of Our Favorites Breaks it Down

To add a layer to this discussion, I’d encourage you to visit Seth Godin’s post about fair use laws in the United States. Our advice when it comes to posting something on Pinterest that you are unsure of, DON’T. Don’t risk your business becoming a target of corporate lawyers just to jump on the social media trend that Pinterest has sparked. Take a look, but look closely.

Especially before your business takes the risk of the leap.

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Custom design and intricate detail are infused into this site. Optimized for versatility and structured for aggressive investors.

March 26, 2012

THREE NEW BOARD MEMBERS JOIN THE LEE COUNTY COALITION FOR A DRUG-FREE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Fort Myers, FL, Kevin Lewis, CEO of Southwest Florida Addiction Services is proud to announce the addition of three members to the board of directors of the Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida.

Lewis explained, “This group’s diverse experience and knowledge will help guide the Coalition as we continue to work in times that see an increasing need for prevention activities coupled with decreasing resources.” New additions include Wink News Anchor Haley Hinds, Jon Engh, VP of Commercial Banking at BB&T, and Matt Visaggio, Director of Marketing for Atilus.

Haley Hinds joined the WINK NEWS team in October 2009. Haley is a Weekend Anchor/Reporter and is proud to join the Coalition. She graduated from Waynesburg University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication/Electronic Media and started her career at WTVH/WSTM in Syracuse, New York.  Hinds is extremely thankful to work and live in beautiful southwest Florida. Haley is proud of this opportunity to serve on the Coalition Board. You can contact her at haley.hinds@winktv.com.

Jon Engh has served as Vice President of Commercial Banking at BB&T for over seven years and is a highly recognized and accomplished leader in the commercial banking industry.   Jon’s professional success has been driven over the past twelve years by his ability to provide economic success and financial security for his clients. Part of Jon’s mission is to make our southwest Florida community a better place to live and raise a family. Jon has remained active with the Lee County Christian Chamber and served on the committee for the Harry Chapin Food Bank’s annual “Hunger Walk” for the past four years. He believes prevention begins at home with parents teaching children about the dangers of drug abuse.  He is honored to be named to the Board of the Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida. Jon can be reached at JEngh@BBandT.com.

Matt has a background in public policy, media relations, grant writing, and communication. A 2005 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University and past Chairman of the FGCU Alumni Association Fundraising Committee, Matt has been serving southwest Florida for the past five years in state government administration in Cape Coral. Matt’s knowledge of communication and message management makes him familiar with crafting impactful communications. Matt teaches Community Relations at Edison State College and is grateful for the opportunity to serve southwest Florida on the Coalition board of directors. Matt can be reached at matt@atilus.com.

New board members join Chair Kevin Lewis, Vice-Chair Karen Krieger, Secretary/Treasurer Syndi Bultman, Mary Fischer, Dr. Dean Goldberg, Major Jim Jones, Justin Krueger, Dr. Sandra Pavelka, Dr. Omar Rieche, Shawn Seliger, Charlie Stiles, and Danielle Zemola

The Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida provides prevention education, including the Drug House Odyssey.  The Drug House Odyssey is one of Lee County’s largest prevention events, and was attended by over 2,400 visitors in 2012.

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Zincubate.com is coming!

The mission of Zincubate is to help businesses learn and implement technology to grow, market, and run better.

Technology is great, but if it’s too much or too confusing, it’s just noise. There a tremendous amount of information on how to use technology for technology people. However, many businesses do not have the luxury (or need) to rely on technologists to implement cost-saving technology to save them money, improve their bottom line.

Small Business Owners – You’re Gonna Love Zincubate!

Small business owners wear too many hats. In today’s world, everyone is the director of marketing, operations, secretary, and receptionist. Enter Zincubate. Technology is only ever effective if it is understood and utilized effectively. Technology is meant to save you time and help you make money. Zincubate is the go-to resource that teaches you how to make money, save money, and make the best techology decision for your situation.

Release Your Inner Technology Superstar!

What is the LessMoney Conference?

According to the LessMoney Conference Website: 

LessMoney Conference is a 2-day event where 50 people come together to learn & discuss how to become a more profitable, less stressful business owner or freelancer.

After blogging for a few years about running our business we noticed the highest traffic blog post were the ones where we talked in depth about the challenges we faced. So in late 2011, we decided to host a few small workshops about the business side of freelancing and growing a web consultantacy (design or development shop).

You can visit the events website for more information and we’re looking forward to attending!