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Understanding Google Analytics
I just happened upon some great video presentations by Google Analytics for interpreting your monthly website reports. If you are a client of Emagine you probably receive monthly analytic reports with graphs and data that might be a little confusing. The following short video presentations will help you understand each metric provided in the reports to better understand how much traffic you...
Wise Stamp Email Signatures
Here’s a handy tool for adding social media icons to your Email signatures if you use Gmail, Yahoo!Mail, WindowsLive Mail or AOL . You can add inspirational quotes, your most recent blog post as well as your social media profile links for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, YouTube.com and many more! The app is free and can be downloaded on the following browsers: Safari, Chrome and Firefox. ...
Website Check Up Time
Aloha & Happy New Year everyone! Thank you for your continued interest in Emagine’s Small Business Marketing Blog.
This is a great time of year, with resolutions fresh in mind to review your website and online marketing to make sure it is up to date. If you don’t make it a habit to visit your website frequently, now is the time to have a look at it for outdated information,...
Using Video to Showcase Your Business
On the recommendation of my friend Debra, I started playing with an online video creation site called Animoto.com recently. In addition to creating low-budget videos to help my clients promote their vacation properties, I also used it to celebrate my daughter’s 16th birthday. Its super easy to use, drag and drop and you can create a video from images, video footage or a combination of...
Quick Response Codes
What is a QR Code?
Have you been wondering what those funny black and white square codes are that are popping up everywhere? They are called Quick Response codes, or QR Codes for short. They are a type of matrix bar code that contains encoded information – that when scanned with a smart phone can instantly and automatically send a text message or email or direct you to a page on the web...
Google Sync
If you’re a Gmail user and you have an iPhone (or other mobile device) you’ll love Google Sync for keeping your email, contacts and calendars updated between your computer and your iPhone. I like knowing that no matter where I add a new contact or calendar item that it will update across all my devices in my Google account.
Check out this link for a short video on how it...
Accessible & Organized Bookmarks
Here’s an Update to an old post on bookmarks:
Foxmarks is now called Xmarks and is a great way to keep track of your bookmarks across multiple computers, browsers and mobile devices now too. I just recently upgraded to Xmarks Premium (for $12/year) and now I can access my bookmarks from my iPhone, which is super useful!
Here’s the Original Post:
A few months ago I was...
Brand Your Twitter Profile
Want to customize your Twitter profile with your business branding/logo or custom image? It’s not that difficult to do, here’s how….
Create a Custom Twitter Profile Background:
Create an image that is approximately 2000 pixels wide by 1700 pixels tall, making sure to keep your Logo/text content confined to the upper left hand corner and along the left side.
Your custom...
More Ways to Use Twitter
Have you ever been interested in knowing what is being said about your brand, business, industry or a certain topic on Twitter? Here are some tools that you can use to stay informed of the latest “tweets” about things that interest you and that could give you helpful insight in how to use Twitter for your small business marketing.
Twitter Alerts
Use TweetBeep or Twilert to set up...
How to Read Your Google Analytics Reports
If you have a website built by Emagine, you have Google Analytics, a website statistics program already installed. Google Analytics is a free program that can be set up on any website or blog to track how many visitors come to your site, how they found your site, which keywords they used and which pages are the most popular. Google Analytics can even track revenue and it’s sources if...
Add Your TripAdvisor Reviews to Facebook
If your business or property is listed on TripAdvisor.com you can now share your reviews and ratings on your Facebook Business page.
Here are the instructions on how to do it.
To begin, you need to create a new tab on your property’s page in which to embed the widget or badge. This is called a static iFrame. Here’s how to do it:
1) Go to your TripAdvisor Owners Center and pick the widget...
Access Your Computer Files From Anywhere
As a follow up to a post I did awhile back, I’m giving DropBox a test drive as I want to be able to have access to all my important files on both my desktop, my laptop and my new iPhone. A friend of mine who already uses DropBox sent me an invitation and an extra 500 MB of space for free on top of the 2 GB of space you get with a free account.
It’s pretty simple actually, you just...
Facebook LikeBox
If you have a Facebook business page you can leverage your social media involvement by adding a Facebook LikeBox to your website and/or blog.
The Like Box is a social plugin that enables Facebook Page owners to attract and gain Likes from their own website. The Like Box enables users to:
- See how many users already like this Page, and which of their friends like it too
- Read recent posts from...
Gmail’s Canned Responses
For those of you using Gmail….do you find yourself re-typing the same types of responses frequently? If so, you might want to check out Gmail’s “Canned Responses”….
Under “Settings”, go to the “labs” tab and look for “Canned Responses” and enable it.
The author of it, calls it the Email for the “truly lazy”, but I...
Best Free Email Subscriber List Software
So my new favorite email marketing software is MailChimp.com. If you are still using Outlook or your own website/server to do regular email blasts its time to make the switch to a 3rd party software. I think MailChimp is one of the best options out there and here’s why….
1) It’s Free. Yep. If you have less than 2000 subscribers, and send less than 12,000 emails a month,...
Domain-Based Email with Gmail
If you have a website (www.mywebsite.com) it’s a good idea to use your domain-based email account (me@mywebsite.com) because 1) its more professional than using a free email address and 2) it helps to brand and bring awareness to your business/organizations’ domain address. If you use an email account like me@gmail.com or me@yahoo.com you receive no benefit of your email...
Save 20% on a BOTW Directory Listing
For the month of October, Best of the Web directory (BOTW.org), the internet’s oldest and most trusted directory, is extending a 20% discount on new listings. Sign up for a lifetime directory listing for your website and/or blog to gain added online exposure and search engine ranking benefits with this popular web directory.
Be sure to use the Promo Code: SAVE20 to get your 20%...
Turning Off Conversation View in Gmail
I love Gmail, but I gotta say I hate (I know - it’s a strong word) but I really do – Conversation View. Conversation View is the linking together of all emails within a string/conversation. Since switching to Gmail last year, I’ve misplaced or inadvertently deleted email messages that I needed because of the linking structure inherent with “Conversation View”...
DropBox.com – Sync Everything…
I just heard about Dropbox and checked out their website briefly. Anyone else heard of it or used it? I currently use Windows Live Sync to keep important files and folders synced between my desktop and laptop but Dropbox looks like it might be another good option as well. Here’s an article I found by Lee Matthews comparing the two products....
Gmail Signature Positioning Fix
As you may have read, I switched over to Gmail a few months ago. And while I’ve come to prefer Gmail over Outlook as my email software, there was one thing that was really annoying me. The signature that I had created for my outgoing emails kept getting placed allllll the way at the bottom of the email string when replying or forwarding a message. So I did some searching online and...
Facebook User Names
If you’d like to have your own easy to remember and brand Facebook username/URL (example: www.facebook.com/mybusiness) for your Facebook business page, here’s a quick video tutorial from We Teach Facebook on how to do it.
You must be the admin of your business page and you must have at least 25 fans before you are eligible for your own branded URL on Facebook. Go to...
Switching to Gmail
Outlook is the only program I’ve ever used for Email. That is until a few weeks ago. I decided to switch to Gmail because I like the idea of having my Email, Contacts and Calendar available online – for ease of syncing with my mobile device and as a precautionary backup measure – in the event one of my computers should crash.
I had helped a client awhile back set up their...
Log Me In
The other day my Dad called and asked for some help downloading and viewing a pdf file on his computer. We tried walking through it over the phone, but it soon became clear that there was some kind of program issue that was preventing him from accessing the file. While my Dad can figure out and troubleshoot just about anything, he’s only just recently started to use a computer so it...
Great Ways to Use Twitter for Small Business
Here are some links to some great ways to use Twitter for your small business....
Google Local Coupons
Yet another (Free) way to attract customers online. Small businesses can use Google Local listings to promote special offers, discounts and giveaways, offering Google searchers incentive to choose your business above your competition. By adding coupons to your listing in Google Maps, Google’s users can print your coupons and bring them to your business. Coupons will appear alongside...
My Favorite Directories
Having quality inbound links pointing to your website is essential for search engine success. Need some ideas for where to look for quality inbound links to your website? Here are some of my favorite directories…
Kauai Vacation Resorts Directory
Need to promote your Kauai vacation rental property? This directory will help drive traffic and ...
Creating a Social Media Contest
Here’s a great article on how to effectively promote your brand through Social Media channels.
5 Tips for Creating a Successful Social Media Contest
by Clay...
Send Large Files with YouSendIt.com
Ever need to send a really large file to someone but it’s too big to send or receive via email? Try YouSendIt.com. It’s free and works like a...
Software Tutorials & Online Training
If learning a new piece of software or improving on an existing skill set is on your New Year’s resolution list, then I highly recommend that you check out Lynda.com‘s online training library. Learn the latest tools and techniques with access to 730 online courses and get unbiased, clear, and comprehensive training in 3D, audio, video, photography, graphic design, web and...
How to Build Facebooks Fans
John Haydon had a great idea on his blog for building Facebook Fans by offering Fan-Only content. Check out his article link below to learn how to do it…
How To Create An Incentive For Visitors To Fan Your Facebook...
GoMyLocal.com
Here’s another local directory/social media site that you can add your business to for free. GoMyLocal.com directory listings are a free and easy way to get more exposure online for your business or store front. Visit the site and see if your business is listed, if not click on “Add a Listing” and fill out a short form with details about your business. Even if you have a...
Encourage Reviews on TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is a free travel guide website that allows users to post opinions and reviews of travel related issues. TripAdvisor-branded sites alone make up the most popular and largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million unique monthly visitors, 15 million+ members, and more than 30 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded...
Small Business Web Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
I’m moving over some content from my website and found this gem of an article from David Wallace. It’s a few years old but the advice and suggestions for small businesses on a shoestring budget (who isn’t these days?) is still great.
Increase the Visibility of Your Small Business Website on a Shoestring...
Claim Your Google Maps Listing
Here’s a free way to get some great local exposure for your small business on Google – claim your Google Maps listing.
Watch the video on how to Claim Your Google Maps Listing.
To determine which categories to use for your Google Maps listing, go...
Promoting Your Facebook Page
I’ve posted a bunch of posts on the topic of Facebook and how to create a page for your small business. Now here’s some resources for promoting your Facebook page outside of Facebook, like on your blog or website or other social media sites. Click on the link below to see Facebooks’ guidelines for promoting your FB page and to find FB images and a FB badge to be used on...
Hawaiian Diacriticals
Diacritical punctuation marks are an important element of Hawaiian language, affecting both the pronunciation and meaning of particular words. When I come across a Hawaiian name or word that requires the proper Hawaiian punctuation, I visit this website to find the HTML code for the kāhako and ‘okina for the appropriate letter.
Hawaiian Language Punctuation – A table of letters with...
How to use WordPress Gallery Feature
There is a WordPress plugin called ShadowBox JS that I recommend for enhancing the look of your image galleries if you use Word Press. Here’s where to find the plugin and how to use it....
It’s Not All About You…
When writing copy for your website, it’s NOT all about you.
Karon Thackston is one of my favorite experts in the web copywriting field and her article “Writing TO Your Customers—Not AT Them” was featured on Jill Whalen’s High Rankings newsletter recently. Karon offers a few examples of copy that is business-focused and then shows how the copy can be modified to be...
Expanding the WYSIWYG Editor in WordPress
If you are a WordPress user and are finding the writing area too small in the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor window, here’s how to make it bigger. You can manually drag out the window by looking to the lower right hand corner for the three angled lines – hover over those lines and the cursor will turn into double arrows, click and drag those down to create more space...
Building a Business Presence on Facebook
If you have a business or a store front and haven’t taken advantage of Facebook yet, you might want to add that to your list of things to do before the year is out. To read my earlier post on building a Facebook profile and business page, click here.
You’ll need a personal Facebook profile to be able to build a Facebook business/store page. Once your Facebook page is created you...
How To Organize Your Digital Photos
I’ve had a few people ask me recently, how I keep my digital photographs organized. Here’s how I do it and some tips and resources that might help you get organized…...
Can’t Afford a Website?
So you can’t afford a professional website? Don’t worry, there’s still plenty that you can do to spread the word online about your business. The following suggestions are for free online services designed to help you promote your business whether you have a website or not....
WordPress – Manage Your Own Website Content
WordPress is a popular blogging software that can also be used to build and manage website content. There are a ton of professionally designed themes (think “templates”) to choose from, some are free and some cost a minimal fee . The open source (free) application and a helpful forum/community make WordPress a great option for do-it-yourself website/blog enthusiasts .
To build a...
Online Photo Editting Can Be a “Picnik”…
I am pleased to introduce my 13 year old daughter, Gabrielle as today’s guest author on the topic of web-based photo editing software. Take it away Gabby…...
Spiffy Up Your Craig’s List Posting
A client asked me recently how some postings on Craig’s List look so much better than others. He had noticed brochure-type postings and wanted the same format for his listings.
So I did a little research and here’s what I found…. Postlets.com offers a free service to create attractive brochure-type listings for real estate and vacation rental properties. The listings...
Options Not Obligations by Marc Warnke
I just recently finished reading Marc Warnke’s booked call “ONO – Options Not Obligations“. Marc is what you would call a “Family First Entrepreneur” which is the reason the book caught my attention in the first place. Ever since building my home-based business almost 9 years ago, I have appreciated and valued the quality of life I have in being able to...
Email & Web-Based Tools from Google
I recently helped a client configure their domain-based email accounts to use Gmail instead of their website host email service. The client preferred to use Gmail (as many of their employees were already familiar with it from using it for their personal accounts) and the client liked the ability to manage their email user accounts in one easy-to-use control panel....
Free Online Image Editing Software from Aviary.com
Don’t have the money to buy an expensive image editing program but want to be able to size, enhance and customize your photos? No problem, check out the nifty web-based image editing and vector art tools at Aviary.com....
Identifying Duplicate Content on the Web
Ever wonder if someone has stolen your website copy? Writing quality content for your website or hiring a professional to do it involves an investment of time and/or money and there’s nothing more irritating than having another website owner come along and copy it. Not to mention the fact that Google may penalize a site for having duplicate content if it appears that the intent of the...
How to Install the New Microsoft Word Viewer
If you haven’t wanted to upgrade to Microsoft’s newest version of Office software you’ve probably encountered the new version of Word’s documents’ (.docx file) from friends or co-workers. If you’d like to be able to view these files without having to upgrade your software, just download and install the Word viewer. Here’s how:...
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