FarinInnovations.com

Five Features Your Ecommerce Store Needs Now!

2012-05-15

If you’re taking the time to chat with a good web design or development company, you’re going to get the straight message on what elements need to go into an ecommerce site.

The problem? If you start chatting with other business owners who think they know what they’re talking about, you’re not always going to get a straightforward answer as to what you need on your site.

If you’re in that last camp, don’t worry. It makes great one-way conversation in this blog.

The Tips You Need Now to Maintain Your Companyâs Blog

2012-05-03

If you’re thinking about blogging for your company, your first step is to understand why it’s so important to tackle this task. Most people understand how essential a blog can be to their brand, but few really know how to implement this important strategy. Here are a few tips, though, that can help you start blogging successfully right away.

What to Write About – While this is the biggest concern for most people, it absolutely shouldn’t be. You don’t have to do extensive research to keep a blog. In fact, you don’t even have to learn new stuff about your industry

Making Your Business an iPad Haven

2012-04-26

It seems as if the iPad is everywhere these days, and ensuring people can find your company every day with theirs is an absolute must. After all, you don’t see anyone grabbing the yellow pages to find a business these days. Instead, they grab a seat, pick up their iPads, and let their fingers do the searching. Regardless of how they eventually find you, if an iPad user is searching for your company, it’s up to you to make sure your ducks are all in a row.

SEO 101 â What You Need to Know Now

2012-04-18

In today’s web-savvy world, the term “search engine optimization” is often uttered, and in most cases, people simply don’t have the knowledge to use it correctly.

At the heart of this process is the continual process of optimizing a site to make it rank higher with the major search engines, and that optimization process doesn’t just happen on the site, but off of it as well. Both practices work as a way for search engines like Google to get a balanced view of your site.

Facebook Marketing Could Change Thanks to Timeline Feature

2012-04-11

Facebook currently has 800,000,000 users. Many companies understand the need to use a resource like this one. It’s inexpensive and there are some serious benefits whether you’re talking about changing your customer service for the better or creating a huge fan base.

There is a real problem, though. Not everyone is quite as tech-savvy as they imagine themselves to be, and when business owners begin dabbling in Facebook but fail to make the changes they should as updates occur, some very real issues come into play.

How Pinterest Can Help Your Business

2012-04-04

There are a lot of social networks around now, so it truly takes something special to set one apart from all the others. Pinterest is one of the newer, and most popular, types of social networking sites around. But what is it all about, and how can you use it to help make your business more profitable?

Pinterest is basically a way to allow people to organize all of their thoughts in one place. The Internet is chock full of all sorts of different ideas and projects, and while it's possible to put each page you enjoying your favorites, it's very easy to forget exactly what each favorite is all about. That's where Pinterest comes into play.

An App Or a Mobile Website?

2012-03-27

One of the things that is definitely true about today's electronic world is that things change with lightning fast speed. Because of this it can be very tricky for business owners to know exactly which technology might work best.

For instance it seems like now everyone has access to either smart phone or some sort of mobile device that can access the Internet. You're likely familiar with downloading apps, and you may be familiar with going online and looking at websites on your phone, but when it comes to your own business, do you need an app or a mobile website? And what’s the difference between the two?

The Dilemma: Fix the Old Website or Get a Brand New One

2012-03-20

Any business savvy person knows that if you want your business to succeed, you need to have a website. But just as with everything else, eventually your website will be considered outdated, and at some point, it won’t even function as well as it should. But here's the question – do you revamp your old website and fix it, or do you get a new website?

Looking for a Positive First Impression for Your Website?

2012-03-12

The problem is that many people don’t think of their website as part of the first impressions equation. They often believe that a site is not important when it comes to their business. They couldn’t be more wrong. In reality, a website is now the calling card for any business. When a customer is interested in purchasing something from you, they don’t turn to their friends and family for advice, they look to the internet. A search engine will then lead them to your website and, if your website doesn't make a positive first impression, you can bet they’ll find another site that does.

Understanding Social Media Strategy

2012-03-06

These days, many companies are working to learn how to keep up with competitors who seem to dominate the world of social media, and the right social media strategy can help. A good strategy is the plan you create to build brand exposure in the world of social networking, and there’s quite a bit to learn about how to build the best social media strategies. Fortunately, there are some small things you can do right away to begin using social media as part of your business marketing efforts.

Begin by setting some goals. The difference between developing a strategy and simply utilizing the social media networks out there is that a strategy automatically means having an action plan that will help you meet certain goals. You can’t have a good plan without a goal. The goal, or goals, will help you measure your level of success and keep you on track at the same time.

Begin Managing Your Online Reputation Now

2012-02-29

If you have a negative article or a negative listing on a major search engine, it may prevent customers from choosing your products or services or even prevent your company from being chosen over another for that next big contract. It can also make a negative impact on your business in a variety of other ways.

Your reputation while you’re online is just as important as it is when you’re offline, so many companies look to professional online reputation management firms to help. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do on your own to help eliminate negative search engine listings.

Make Page 1 All Yours – It can be tougher than it seems, but if you can manage to keep all of the page 1 results on your company positive, the chances are good that most customers won’t even move to page 2.

Social Networking Profiles Your Company Must Have This Year

2012-02-21

Still not sure you need a website? Stop reading right here, because we’re going a lot further than that here. These days, a website just isn’t enough. The yellow pages are out the window. Instead, online profiles now reign supreme.

Phone books are gone in favor of Google people search. Having several profiles online is a must for a number of reasons including reputation management and SEO. Here are just a few of the profiles you must consider having:

3 Solid Ways to Better Your Web Presence This Year

2012-02-14

Every year about this time, companies begin planning how they can solidify the upcoming year. The right goals can certainly help in most cases, and for many companies, that means creating a plans for a better web presence. Here are some tips that can help.

Design a Better Social Media Strategy – You’ve probably heard that social media is forever changing the business landscape, and it’s true. It’s shifting the way customers interact with you both on and offline, and it’s altering the business-customer relationship too.

Preparing to Go Mobile in 2012 â Is Your Site Ready?

2012-02-07

These days, no one hits the yellow pages to find a restaurant or a gym or even a plumber. Instead, search engines like Google and Yahoo have long since taken the place of that massive book.

While lots of companies know they must have good search engine placement to capture the attention of customers, few have even begun to consider the fact that many will be searching for them with their smartphones, which brings in an entirely different set of issues.

Today, instant gratification is king, and with people using their smartphones to access your site, making a few changes is an absolute must.

Why Keeping Up with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Is Important

2012-01-30

Optimizing a website to make sure the search engine finds it easier is definitely very important in today’s business world. Unfortunately far too many people believe that once they have optimized their website by doing things like adding META tags, keywords, titles and description, they don't have to do anything else.

One thing you need to understand if you are going to be optimizing your site is that SEO is not something that you can set and forget. In order to truly make SEO work for your business, you need to make sure that you keep up with your SEO in order to make the most of it. If SEO was truly a one-time deal, companies would be able to achieve immediate success in a very short amount of time.

Why Social Media is So Crucial for Developing Your Brand

2012-01-23

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past five years, you likely know all about social media. In fact, you probably use it in your daily life. Updating your Twitter and Facebook status has become so commonplace that it’s just part of the routine these days. Many business owners, however, don’t realize that utilizing social media in your marketing and advertising agenda is actually a crucial component of brand development.

Social media is changing the way we do business and it is building relationships between customers and the company in order to help create brand and business loyalty. Basically, by incorporating social media into your website design and by utilizing it for your company, you can interact with your customers in a whole new way.

Understanding Successful Web 2.0 Design

2012-01-12

Those who don’t spend much time with the web have a tough time telling the difference between a site design that looks like it was created during Bill Clinton’s presidency and one that is so unique and amazing that it leaves all other competitors in the dust. Unfortunately, every day, companies like yours are taken advantage of by website design companies, who promised huge things and who only deliver substandard products that aren’t likely to impress your clients or customers.

Today's websites are much more interactive than ever before, and thanks to Web 2.0, the Internet has basically been reinvented. Now websites have unbeatable visual appeal, and they also allow site owners to keep in touch with visitors through social media and other tools and advancements.

Boost Your Ecommerce Sales Now

2012-01-06

Once the Thanksgiving holiday was over, it was pretty apparent that online retailers saw a huge increase in both stay-at-home black Friday Internet deals as well as mobile sales. Because of this, a large number of businesses are actually starting to change their business model in order to accommodate those online shoppers who were more than happy to spend money as long as they were able to stay at home in their pajamas while doing so.

Unfortunately, there are many companies who don’t know how to successfully transform their business model to accommodate online shoppers. If, however, you pay attention to a few crucial components, you will not only know how many visitors you're getting, but you can also increase the money that you make on your website exponentially.

Donât Damage Your Brand with 1 & 1!

2011-12-20

It's pretty difficult to ignore the 1&1 commercial that was recently released. It doesn't matter if you're watching a football game, checking out your favorite primetime shows, or watching an awards ceremony, that 1 & 1 commercial is everywhere, so it makes sense to wonder if it’s a viable solution for new or small companies looking to get their companies online. Sure, the information sounds amazing, but the reality of what’s being offered, and more importantly what’s missing, makes it easy to see that 1&1’s Website Builder is probably not a viable solution for your brand.

Features That People Want to See On Your Website

2011-12-07

These days you can’t just launch a website that looks good. You need it to be functional. You need it to be accessible to potential customers. You need to give them reasons to look around, reasons to keep coming back, things that will keep them interested. A website isn’t just a storefront anymore – it’s an excellent marketing method.

There are several things you should make sure to include on your site that will entice people and keep your company in their minds. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved!

Website Renovation â Is it time to redo your website?

2011-12-02

Understanding when it’s time to give your website a good rebuilding is very important in today’s fast-paced world. Sometimes businesses can get away with a few cosmetic improvements, whereas others simply grow far too old and need to be redone completely, from the ground up.

If you find yourself looking at your site wondering if it’s time for an upgrade, consider several factors before making a final decision. These factors will also let you know what to include should you do decide to give your site a makeover.

Return Visitors? Yes, Please! Keep those Website Visitors Coming Back!

2011-11-25

With the myriad ways to handle a website these days, people can easily let their websites fall by the wayside. Either they don’t understand the proper marketing moves, don’t update it, or simply don’t realize that having a good-looking website isn’t enough. One major thing you want when it comes to your site isn’t just bringing in new customers – it’s bringing people back again and again.

A lot of times people tend to forget this particular part of having a website. People become so focused on the opposite end, they neglect to figure out ways to entice people to keep coming back.

Bring Social Media Into Your Online Business

2011-11-21

You could have the coolest website in the world, but without social media connected with it, you’re missing out on a great deal. When people have the ability to share your site with others and interact with it easily, you’ll soon discover that it provides you with more customers and more potential sales.

The first thing is to ensure that you have a social media presence by crafting Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and so forth for yourself and your company. This gives people more of an ability to see you for who you are and what your company stands for.

Facebook: The Crux of Social Interaction

2011-11-16

There’s a simple truth regarding Facebook: It changed everything.

Even people who ardently dislike Facebook will admit that. When you hear the number 800 million, you might think that it’s the population number of a few countries combined. In fact, that is the number of active users on Facebook today.

What is a Mobile Website?

2011-11-12

If it looks like a mobile site and functions like a mobile site, does that mean it truly is a mobile website?

Not necessarily.

While some websites do look great on a mobile device, in many cases they aren’t truly mobile. This is because they weren’t made specifically for the various mobile devices out there. They are simply lucky enough to translate over to the device well.

A Few Reasons Why Google Might Not Know You're There!

2011-11-08

When you have an online business, one of the important elements to gaining new customers is to have a presence within Google’s search results.

But what if nothing comes up when you try some popular keywords in order to deliver your website? There are many reasons for this, and you will need to take the necessary steps in order to ensure that when people do a search they are able to find your website and visit it if they choose.

Better Customer Service through Social Media

2011-11-03

Many times, big companies are slow to pick up on certain trends. One quick look and they’ll decide it’s not for them, no matter how quickly the trend may evolve or how big it might possible become (as in more than a trend). For a long time Facebook was ignored by everyone except college students because, after all, that was the target audience for Facebook. If you didn’t have a college email address, you couldn’t get involved.

But Facebook has since grown much larger, expanded outside of the collegiate area, and has inspired others to craft social media sites. No longer can this phenomenon be ignored. In fact, it couldn’t be ignored several years ago! Companies slow to pick up on the power of social media have already missed a gigantic marketing bus.

Are Social Media Strategies Important for Small Businesses?

2011-10-31

In short, yes, social media strategies are important for small businesses. Social media is all about getting your name out through real-time interaction with your customers. Unfortunately, if you don’t do it correctly, you can negatively affect your reputation and sales.

Some business owners think opening a few social media pages and sending out occasional posts is enough. It’s not. Far from it. If you’re serious about developing a strong social media presence for your business (which we highly suggest, by the way), you can’t just go about it haphazardly. You have to have a plan. Following are the basic steps of “going social.”

5 Main Reasons You Need A Website

2011-10-25

Can you believe it? Some people still wonder if websites are necessary. It may be hard to believe, but some business owners don’t see the point of a company website. Some of them think their success has reached a natural plateau and that nothing can be done. Others think the benefits won’t be great enough to justify the cost.

There are many reasons a person could come up with to talk themselves out of investing in a website, but the fact remains that it is imperative that your business have one. If not, you are missing out on potential customers because there are people online looking for exactly what you have. Following are 5 reasons you should get your business online ASAP.

The Importance of Servicing Your Website Every 3,000 Visitors

2011-10-22

In the same way that you service your car with regular maintenance, you site needs to be serviced too. If you want it to work for you for years or even decades, you’ll have to constantly work on it. Stale sites are ineffective and may “break down,” just like a car with no maintenance.

All sites need maintenance, from the most basic starter site to the biggest, most expensive one. A site is only as good its maintenance. Always remember that.

How Blogging Can Grow Your Business Online

2011-10-19

The term “blogging” often conjures up images of nerds or giggling little girls. It surely doesn’t seem like something YOU want to do. The truth, though, is that blogging is a great way to bring more popularity to your website and brand.

Just because your blog is for your business does not mean you should use it specifically for marketing. Blog readers are smart. They can spot a marketing ploy instantly. Instead, focus on helping your customer. Blog about information that is educational, informative and entertaining. It should encourage the reader to interact with you and make your company feel “real” and down to earth. It is ok to mention a product when relevant, but do not focus on product promotion.

How to Choose the Right Hosting For Your Website

2011-10-15

Websites are like employees. They work for you, making sales and answering any questions your customers may have. If you allow your site to be hosted by a poor customer, it’s like having a lazy employee, one that’s always taking breaks and sick days. Getting a good host is like having an outstanding employee that literally works all day every day.

Some people may not understand the point of paying someone for hosting. Sure, you could host your own site, but it would be very inconvenient and expensive. In order to host a site, you need a server, which is a high performance computer.

Why You Should Have a Mobile Website

2011-10-12

It may seem that a mobile website is just your regular site opened on a mobile device, but this isn’t the case. A mobile site is specially created to be used on a phone, iPad or tablet. Following are some reasons why you should make sure you have a mobile site.

Most mobile devices don’t play Flash-We’ve already discussed some of the drawbacks of Flash, and here is another: iPad users can’t access Flash sites. No matter how breathtaking your site might be, if an iPad or iPhone users tries to visit, it will not work. This could result in a lost sale. Perhaps that person wanted to check out your site while they were out and about the city. If they liked the site, they might have come in to take a look around, but because they couldn’t even get the page to load, they went somewhere else. Customer lost.

Making Your Site SEO friendly in Five Easy Steps

2011-10-07

When it comes to page rank, the most important factor is the quality of the website. Everything else is secondary. Consider the following tips when building and a maintaining your site.

Stay away from Flash-Flash can be tempting. The effects are dazzling and the transitions are smooth. It looks nice, that’s for sure. However, it isn’t SEO friendly. When the search engine robots crawl your site looking for keywords to see if you’re a good match, it completely ignores the flash components.

Is Your Company Website Doing All It Can for Your Business?

2011-10-02

A common myth among business owners is that just having a website is enough. Unfortunately, it isn’t. Just having it is the beginning, but you have to constantly update it to see a positive ROI for your site. Otherwise, potential customers will not find you or get a real feel for your business.

A website is an investment and should be treated as such. Would you neglect your other company investments, like cash registers and security systems? Of course not, and you shouldn’t neglect your site either.

The Real Costs of Running A Website

2011-09-28

Business owners should not be deterred by the many costs of running a website. Some companies lure customers in with promises of one-time payments. As good as this sounds, beware. Websites have maintenance fees (usually paid monthly or yearly) that can’t be escaped. Any company that claims otherwise is being dishonest.

The first thing you will have to buy is the domain. The domain is the web address that your customers will type in to get to your site. The best domains are simple and related to your business name, like www.yourbusinessname.com. You can never fully own a domain outright. Yearly fees must be paid in order to maintain the rights. Expect to pay between $9-20 per year.

Considering Building Your Own Website? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions First

2011-09-24

Sometimes you go straight to the pros. You don’t even bother trying to take the DIY route. Building houses, getting root canals and getting court representation are all examples of those times.

Website design and development may seem like it’s easy enough to be done in DIY fashion, but there are tricky aspects that an untrained person simply isn’t aware of. Following are five questions to consider if you are interested in building your own website.

Four Ways to Use Google on Your Website

2011-09-19

When you need something, you search on Google, don’t you? Well, other people are searching on Google for the exact things you sell. It is imperative that you know how to get your items listed. Google offers many services, most of which are free, to help you get your advertising message to your potential customers. Use the following free tools to improve the site’s performance.

Google Webmaster Tools- This is a great starting place. There are many free tools to help you with your site. Submitting a sitemap helps to make sure your site gets “crawled” quickly. Other helpful Webmaster tools include Site Errors, Search Queries, and Links to Your Site. All these tools give you vital information about your site and help you to improve any errors that may be present.

Find your passion to find success

2011-09-12

Any time we have a sit-down with potential clients, we make one thing clear: our passion.

If you look at our work, our client testimonials, our activities, you’ll see the passion. It’s blindingly clear. You won’t have to look hard.

It’s a type of passion that can’t be created. It just is. There are no classes or online courses to teach true passion. It naturally exists within us all. All you have to do is tap into it.

SEO Cheat Sheet: How to Optimize Your META Tags

2011-09-05

A key factor in today's websites is the ability to manage your META Tags. Whenever Farin Innovations builds a website, they include this ability to help separate you from your competition. It's very important you take the time to go through your new (or existing website) and optimize your META tags on each page.

For those of you who don't know which tags should be what, let me break it down and make it real simple:

Go MOBILE With Your Website!

2011-08-10

Own a restaurant? We're offering Mobile Restaurant Websites (w/ automatic Smartphone Detection) - WE POPULATE THE SITE WITH ALL OF THE ITEMS ON YOUR MENU, all of your locations, FaceBook, Twitter & more! - First-come First-Serve Basis - Latest Technology - only $25/month or $250/year!

It's worse to pay too little!

2011-06-07

It's unwise to pay too much. But it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money, that is all.

When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do...

Is Your Website Too Slow?

2011-05-31

Are you often getting complaints that your website is down, not displaying properly, or just loading at a snail's pace? Are you even more upset because you just recently had your website "revamped"? We feel your pain!

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering Building Your Own Website

2011-05-30

Have you ever built your own house? How about gave yourself a root canal? Ever represent yourself in court? There’s a reason when you want and need something done right, you hire the pro’s.

Website Design and Website Development is no different! There are many, many aspects to building and creating websites that go unseen to the average person.

Should I Design My Own Logo?

2011-05-30

What's more important to you? -- Saving a few bucks? .... OR ... Showcasing your company as a reputable and recognizable brand in your industry?

Even though you will probably save some money designing your own logo, you should definitely not design your own logo unless you are a highly qualified logo design professional.

There is too much too risk! Your logo is the most valuable aspect of your corporate brand & identity.

Using Facebook's 500 Million Users To Your Advantage

2011-05-24

"What's Facebook?" is no longer a question you hear somebody ask. In today's too-busy-to-look-up world, Facebook, is a household name, term, and of course -- website.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network platform, boasts over 500 Million Members, with thousands and thousands of new registrations daily.

FarinInnovations.com

Five Features Your Ecommerce Store Needs Now!

The Tips You Need Now to Maintain Your Companyâs Blog

Making Your Business an iPad Haven

SEO 101 â What You Need to Know Now

Facebook Marketing Could Change Thanks to Timeline Feature

How Pinterest Can Help Your Business

An App Or a Mobile Website?

The Dilemma: Fix the Old Website or Get a Brand New One

Looking for a Positive First Impression for Your Website?

Understanding Social Media Strategy

Begin Managing Your Online Reputation Now

Social Networking Profiles Your Company Must Have This Year

3 Solid Ways to Better Your Web Presence This Year

Preparing to Go Mobile in 2012 â Is Your Site Ready?

Why Keeping Up with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Is Important

Why Social Media is So Crucial for Developing Your Brand

Understanding Successful Web 2.0 Design

Boost Your Ecommerce Sales Now

Donât Damage Your Brand with 1 & 1!

Features That People Want to See On Your Website

Website Renovation â Is it time to redo your website?

Return Visitors? Yes, Please! Keep those Website Visitors Coming Back!

Bring Social Media Into Your Online Business

Facebook: The Crux of Social Interaction

What is a Mobile Website?

A Few Reasons Why Google Might Not Know You're There!

Better Customer Service through Social Media

Are Social Media Strategies Important for Small Businesses?

5 Main Reasons You Need A Website

The Importance of Servicing Your Website Every 3,000 Visitors

How Blogging Can Grow Your Business Online

How to Choose the Right Hosting For Your Website

Why You Should Have a Mobile Website

Making Your Site SEO friendly in Five Easy Steps

Is Your Company Website Doing All It Can for Your Business?

The Real Costs of Running A Website

Considering Building Your Own Website? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions First

Four Ways to Use Google on Your Website

Find your passion to find success

SEO Cheat Sheet: How to Optimize Your META Tags

Go MOBILE With Your Website!

It's worse to pay too little!

Is Your Website Too Slow?

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering Building Your Own Website

Should I Design My Own Logo?

Using Facebook's 500 Million Users To Your Advantage

The Tips You Need Now to Maintain Your Companyâs Blog

SEO 101 â What You Need to Know Now

Preparing to Go Mobile in 2012 â Is Your Site Ready?

Donât Damage Your Brand with 1 & 1!

Website Renovation â Is it time to redo your website?