Ask American Airlines right now about quality control and safety. They and their staff are working through a lot of difficulties in terms of the thousands of customers who are effected and their reputation. Many critics are suggesting that this could have been prevented with earlier testing and detection. In every business there are certain things that we rely on to just work. When they don’t it could result in huge setbacks in time, scheduling, and revenues. Having a strategic plan in place when something does go wrong is very important.

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Driving a couple extra miles to the Ace Hardware store I began thinking about consumer and business purchasing decisions. Many businesses, especially in the retail space, are struggling with maintaining their customer base. Consumers are becoming more informed about pricing and competing services through the Internet and media. How does a business attract and maintain repeat customers?

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The creation of captivating imagery is a key component in effective marketing campaigns. The purpose of this imagery is in conveying or communicating specific messages to an intended audience. Sometimes this message is to buy something. Other times the message is meant to help shape opinions or educate people.

Today, telecommunication integration is at an all-time high. There exists an almost tangible cloud of marketing messages permeating human culture and society. Read the rest of this article »

Tell us what is on your mind. What is frustrating your business that you wish you knew more about? The first 5 businesses that submit a question at www.dvwr.org will get a $10 gift card to Starbucks. We are dedicated to making you aware of web marketing and technology techniques, products, and services that take the frustration out of growing your business. Let us know what your concerns are today and enjoy a latte more in 2008. Read the rest of this article »

Confused as to where you are going next year? If you are like me you probably plan tomorrow’s activities the night before or when you read your email in the morning. You may have a todo list for the week or a calendar of appointments and tasks. Do you have the same thing in place for your goals and aspirations? Take a moment and start planning for 2008 today. It will help you make sure your team and vendors are informed on how to make your 2008 successful. Read the rest of this article »

“The internet is changing the face of business.” You have probably heard this slogan repeated hundreds of times over the last decade. The World Wide Web is the fastest growing new market on the planet, but how does one of these new silicon based companies compare to the tried and tested cement poured companies we are accustom to? What are the advantages the Internet can offer to businesses? Are you ready to secure your success in this web of opportunity? Read the rest of this article »

In a recent conversation about my marketing efforts I was warned to keep the “c-word” out of my materials. Apparently many small business owners subscribe to the unwritten manual of business practices that warns: “Consultants cost a lot of money and they just tell you how to spend more money.” However, this myth is not true. Consultants are a vital resource and part of any happy business owner’s toolbox. Read the rest of this article »

Picture yourself sitting back one afternoon brainstorming new marketing strategies. You have a database of existing customer information. You might even have some additional databases for potential customers, warm leads, etc. You need a cost-effective marketing plan that is easy to implement and track.
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As more business information is stored on computers, it is extremely important that this data is being backed up. We continue to hear stories from non-profits, businesses and individuals about how they lost everything due to a hard drive crash. More often, we suffer from accidentally deleting a file or writing over it. Like the insurance policies we have on our cars, businesses and homes, it is comforting to know there is a way to recover from information loss. Read the rest of this article »

At this point, everyone surfing the web has undoubtably encountered Adobe’s Macromedia Flash files (SWF). Flash is everywhere and can be anything. But what is Flash really, and why is it so prevalent?
Flash is a timeline-based software application which allows artists & developers to seamlessly integrate many forms of media into a single presentation. Using Flash, web-authors can present graphics, photos, video, animation, music, sound fx, text and data in one application. Read the rest of this article »