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New Clean, Minimalist Design for Easy Navigation

One of the biggest features made to the directory site was a clean, minimalist homepage design that allowed for easy organization of content. This feature allows users to click directly on the attorneys bio icons and find information about their experience with federal criminal defense cases, awards and certifications, and qualifications.The bio pages were custom designed to best highlight information about each attorney, display their articles and videos, and provide links to each attorneys individual websites. The homepage also provides potential clients easy access to the information they need by clicking on a practice area. Each practice area section will house relevant blog post authored by the attorneys and sourced from outside sources.

Mobile Responsive Design Functionality

Another big feature of the directory site, was mobile responsive design which enhances the functionality of the site across all devices, including tablets and cell phones. This enables the site to adjust to a variety of screen sizes. The new site can be found here: http://txfederaldefense.com/

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New Long Form Layout

One of the biggest changes made to the site was the new full-width long scrolling layout that improves communication of the businesses story and enhances opportunities to convert new clients. Content was created and placed with the goal of more effectively connecting clients to information they need while using video to increase Equity Search’s connection with new clients.

Newly Added Case Story Page

With the new case story page we created for the Equity Search Inc. site, users now can hear feedback from previous clients experiences at Equity Search Inc. The new case story page gives potential clients a little preview of what to expect and their overall successful experience they had with the tax and financial service. The page includes Animated Case Stories where the clients themselves share their story about their experiences at Equity Search Inc.

Mobile Responsive Design Functionality

Mobile responsive design was used to enhance the functionality of the site on different desktops and mobile devices. This enables the site to adjust to fit any size screen. This helps stabilize all the features and functions on the site and ensure the user experience is effective no matter the screen size. The redesign can be found here: http://www.taxdocs.com/

About Equity Search Inc.

Equity Search Inc offers clients long-term success. A tax problem is most often only a symptom of a bigger financial problem. They not only fix the tax problem but create a plan and strategy to get clients on the right track for financial success. These professionals have decades of experience in giving tax help and solutions to businesses and individuals. http://www.taxdocs.com/

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Some of you may ask – why is a video marketing dude telling me about logos? That is actually a good question. However, I’ve been involved in a lot of the creation of logos, because this is a part of video marketing. Being a marketing consultant, I have been involved in the creation of some logos. Unfortunately, not a lot of people understand what makes a great logo.

I’ve also purchased a lot of logos through the years as I get involved in a lot of businesses, and I’ve made the same mistakes as other people do. I spent time thinking and looking at the wrong things. Sadly, the tendency here is not to think “I may have gone the wrong path,” but instead, “My marketing is not working.”

After a while, it took me to realise that I have done something wrong with logos, and that I need some help. Thankfully I have someone who’s an expert in design.

Jessica Garlic, my wife, has a lot of experience with design. She has a Master’s in 3D Design Animation from New York University and has done a lot of work for a lot of known studios including Nickelodeon and Disney. Her work has allowed her to give me tremendous input and resources when it comes to design and design issues. So here are some things we have to get in mind when creating a logo.

Why choose a Great Logo?

When we make and design logos for clients, we normally see a lot of mistakes – not just from our standpoint, but from the client’s view as well. This is especially when it comes to certain aspects of design. But this normally stems from how we understand the importance of logos.

Why do some companies spend a ton of money on creating logos? It may be more important not to look at the creation in itself, but the essence of creating one.

Logos help you stand out from competition and let people know who you are. You want someone to remember your business, remember your logo, and build a brand around it.

Logos are especially helpful in creating brands, especially in small businesses.

Logos are also great when it comes to triggering emotion. This is why people sometimes say, “I want my logo to say strength, to sizzle,” or “to mean security.”

What are examples of Great Logos?

Some iconic logos include the Disney logo. As someone based in Orlando, we can immediately see the influence of the popular company. The mouse logo is perhaps one of the most popular and recognised logos in the world. It’s just three circles, yet it conveys such a powerful symbol.

Another iconic logo is the Olympics, composed of its rings. If you see the Olympics logo, you immediately know what it means and what it represents. It immediately conveys the emotions associated to the event – as in the Olympics – that occurs every four years. Billions and billions of dollars come into the logo.

The truth behind Great Logos

Here’s the truth about logo design: most businesses spend way too much time on a logo, and time is money. It doesn’t matter how much you exactly spend on the logo, but the time some businesses allot to logo design can already mean a lot.

Some businesses may be “trapped” in a phase because they can’t think about their logo that people may not even remember. Almost no one will remember your logo unless you’re a huge corporation. A designer may show you multiple versions of a logo and you may have a hard time choosing the right one for the business.

Unfortunately, clients will not be able to remember your business right now. They have so much coming into you, as a business, and into them, as customers, for them to spend time remembering the logo. Unless you’re spending millions upon millions of dollars on your company and logo, they won’t “just” as easily remember it.

Of course, there should be branding in your logo, but you should first accept the reality that people won’t get to remember your logo immediately.

Remember this: Branding is for cattle, people buy stories. So how do you make a great logo? Focus exactly on that: the stories.

Tie a Story to your Logo

Unfortunately, people tend to concentrate on the specifics of the design because it’s easier to discuss: what colors should we use, what kind of image should we get, but it’s the stories that really matter. People will start building an image around your logo in their brain adn bring out the emotion they need.

People remember stories, and stories trigger emotion.

Why is the association with the story so important and why aren’t we doing it? This is because we more or less don’t collect enough stories. We have to have a ton of stories to use around our brand, because different stories are going to trigger different feelings to other people.

For instance, Netflix’s whole arsenal of shows is almost overwhelming, but they have different stories for different people. Supporters of Netflix like this system because they need to hear different stories at different times. We need to apply this philosophy when we create logo.

If you want to learn more about getting these stories right, download our Free Case Study Planning Checklist.

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Testimonials aren’t always going to do this, because a lot of people think of testimonials and the “result” they give. But no one connects to results – why should they remember results unless it’s for someone like them?

This means they have to be able to connect to the testimonials first before being actually able to sympathise with your product and service.

What can go wrong? Lose Authenticity

So, while it shouldn’t be, testimonials could be a story. When you ask someone for the word “testimonial,” they immediately think of saying something about a person. Because if you’re asking them, you know they’re likely to give you good feedback and say great things about you.

Unfortunately, you get to lose Authenticity. We see this all the time. When you ask for a video testimonial, that’s the thing they are going to give. There’s going to be a psychological disconnect because they say great things about you, and they always think that you may be lying.

So even if they’re being completely honest, if someone gives a testimonial to you and they’re not used to being on camera, the testimonial appears as if they are lying and can hurt you.

What can go wrong? Not knowing what to say

When you ask someone for a testimonial and they want to say great things, they may not know what to say. “Why do you want this testimonial? What do you want me to talk about?”

I’ve been doing video testimonials and these interviews for about 10 years and I’ve done hundreds upon hundreds of these interviews and everyone’s always scared at first. They’re scared of being on video because they’re not used to this. They may be afraid of saying the wrong thing.

Consistency is Key

So now that we know what can go wrong, what should we do about it? They key to good feedback is consistency, and this is important in your marketing.

When people make small commitments and take action, small actions lead to bigger actions. For instance, if you’re in a neighborhood where people are putting out small signs in their windows, chances are you’re more likely to put up a big political sign because of familiarity.

The point is that you should ask for consistent feedback. You can always just put a net promoter score (NPS) request in an e-mail and ask for people to rate your product. This is your first step to gaining testimonials for other people.

Even if you don’t want to get testimonials, you’re going to get more reviews, and these reviews can open doors to case studies – and that’s how you get to ask the questions you need.

When you get the feedback you need, you can get stories you want to have as testimonials. You may ask others, “Hey can we talk a bit about that?” and ask if you can record them on video.

Another tip is to connect with them and have them give as much as their experience as possible. Who are they, and what did they feel about the product and the service? The more empathy the viewers have, the more they’re going to see themselves in the video.

Stage by Stage

So the key here is to stop asking for testimonials directly and ask feedback stage by stage. Timing is also an important part of the process as you have to do this consistently. The best time isn’t always at the end of your project, but it’s a good time to measure success. It doesn’t mean you can ask for feedback during the project phase, though.

It doesn’t matter if you’re making courses, websites, marketing, or any type of business. The thing here is that your product or service will be better if you start the habit of being consistent with asking for feedback. You will have a continuous supply of stories you could use to help viewers get attached to your product or service.

Unfortunately, some businesses find it hard to ask for help from their clients, but sometimes this is what we really need. A client telling a magnificent story can have his story be on the company website, and it can generate the empathy you need to get the prospects you like.

You need to start developing stories and making systems on how to ask these stories. You have to start looking for these stories and develop them. This will become easier over time.

If you want to learn more about getting these stories right, download our Free Case Study Planning Checklist.

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