August 4th, 2010
We’re having a bit of a web promotion here at First Impression. August is sometimes a quiet month but that is often good for reflection in a business. Asking yourself what are you doing right, what are we doing wrong? And we find that many companies want to improve their website but lack the time to do it. Well now is a good time! In August we are offering all new websites two year’s free hosting which can give you considerable cost savings. We’ll also make sure you get an effective website that will work for your business.
Take a look at some of our award-winning websites http://www.firstimpression.co.uk/web-design-portfolio.php
Tags: First Impression, glossop website, website, website refresh
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July 20th, 2010
I was networking this morning bright and breezy at 7.30am which I do regularly and talking to someone about how people are in business at the moment. There definitely seems to be two camps, either the positive ones, those that are determined to get on with it, no matter what is thrown at them, and those that are quite down about the economic situation, about how tough it is out there and how it’s not going to get much better soon.
I’ve always been one of those annoying positive ones but yes there is no doubt it is tough out there and I think it’s tougher for some industries that others. The general feeling is that we are all working twice as hard just to achieve the same results as last year, if we are lucky. But we are all fed up of doom and gloom, we had it in the press well before we were experiencing it, so I say, let’s make sure our cups are always half full, always look for opportunies in every situation good or bad and we will come out of this recession much stronger businesses!
Tags: Marketing
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July 16th, 2010
Many businesses neglect their regula customer base in a recession and focus on winning new business. There’s a rule of thumb that 80% of work comes from just 20% of your customers so it is vital to take great care of that 20% to ensure they keep coming back. So what should you be doing?
- provide your customers with quality service and products
- show your appreciation by offering rewards for referrals or multiple orders
- go that extra mile every time
- offer your ideas and advice when you think it might be helpful
- ask for testimonials and share them with your customers
- above all keep in touch, by phone, email, mail, twitter, facebook, whatever your customers use!
Read more here> http://www.firstimpression.co.uk/resources/top-tips-for-retaining%20your-customers.php
Tags: Marketing
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July 9th, 2010
There is a dilemma, particularly in the small business sector. Why should you pay for a copywriter when I can write myself and who knows my business better than me? But there are a number of problems writing your own copy:
- You’re too close to it. It’s difficult to see the wood from the trees!
- You tend to think of what you are looking to sell rather than what your customer wants to buy so you never reach them.
- You are passionate, there’s no doubt about that. But that means you get excited talking about what your products and services do rather than how they can benefit your customers.
- You will probably try and make it over complicated, even trying to impress, whereas simple is far better.
- It can often take you a very long time to do it. Have you ever taken on the job of writing content for your own website and then months later the web company are chasing you…ring any bells?
Far better to get a professional copywriter in at the start. They will write punchy, to the point copy that will get your message across. And it doesn’t have to cost alot of money. Just think of the money you could be losing with your own copy… www.copy-writer.co.uk
Tags: copywriter, Copywriting
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July 7th, 2010
You may have heard of SMART objectives (specific; measurable; achievable; reastic; time bound) well we also need to be SMART about our marketing objectives:
Strategic – plan your marketing activities rather than being reactive. Where are you today and where do you want to be and then plan how you are going to get there. At the same time you need to be flexible and open to opportunities.
Marketing – if you see marketing as a cost then you will be considering reducing that cost during this downturn. If you are smart and see marketing as an investment you will be maintaining your spend if not increasing it to take advantage of opportunities that do arise when the marketplace is changing.
Analyse – find out what works for your business and allocate your budget accordingly. Make your marketing budget work harder.
Research – find out what your customers want. Purchasing habits have changed, their environments have changed, have your products and services changed to meet their needs?
Target – target your most profitable customers. Don’t waste your marketing time and budget with customers who are not interested.
Be SMART – use carefully targeted campaigns with an easy to understand proposition that your customers value and a clear call to action.
Find out more at www.firstimpression.co.uk
Tags: Marketing, marketing campaigns, proposition, smart objectives, target
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July 2nd, 2010
The recession rumbles on. For many small companies it’s tough out there and everyone is doing their best to reduce costs to maintain profits. Some companies are cutting their marketing spend without realising they could be cutting their business lifeline! Be careful what you do…
In 2008, research from the PIMS (Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies) proved that, to come out of a recession on top a business should maintain its marketing spend. Those who continued to invest in marketing during a recession achieved significantly higher returns as the economy recovered, gaining an additional 1.3% of market share.
We all need to think about marketing in a different way. Is it a cost or is it an investment in your business? Is it an expense or an asset? Is it a tax or an opportunity? Is it an investment or a risk? We shouldn’t be cutting our marketing spend but thinking about how we spend it, spending it more wisely, being smarter, more targeted!
Tags: market share, Marketing, marketing spend, profit impact of marketing strategies, profits, recession
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June 30th, 2010
First Impression won a competitive pitch to rebrand Buxton College beating companies from as far away as Yorkshire and London. Buxton College is part of the University of Derby but they wanted their own identity which reflected their heritage and unique Dome where the College is housed. First Impression understood that Buxton College provides an inspiring place to work and study as well as the many visitors that come through its doors. The new branding was launched this week by the College and their new prospectus will be available very soon! We are very proud of the result and hope the people who work and study at Buxton College will be too.
Find out more http://www.firstimpression.co.uk/news/buxton-college-rebranding.php
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June 24th, 2010
Seth Godin’s blog yesterday (he’s a famous American bestselling author, entrepreneur and agent of change that popularised the topic of permission marketing), got me thinking. He said: “A car is not merely a faster horse. And email is not a faster fax. And online project management is not a bigger whiteboard. And Facebook is not an electronic rolodex. Play a new game, not the older game but faster”.
I realised that a lot of businesses are doing exactly this. Because the market is so fast-moving and fast-changing, most entrepreneurs are just trying to catch up with it. They don’t take the time to sit down and think about their strategy. They just see developments and think they have to react as soon as possible. The consequences are they make themselves so busy that they don’t have any chance to breathe or grow the business anymore. They are stuck. Stuck in a market which changes at the speed of light . If you try to keep up with it using your old methods just faster, you will lose. So we all need to take the time to think about our business strategy. To sit back and think. And to think how we can play a new game, rather than play the old game faster!
Tags: business growth, entrepreneurs, Marketing, permission marketing, strategy
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May 24th, 2010
Dan Collins and Rob Jenkins who both work at First Impression in Glossop are taking up the challenge with Peak Active Sport on bank holiday weekend to climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon – the 3 highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales – within 24 hours! No mean feat.
And why are they doing it? It’s to raise money for ‘Agapao’ who work in Africa who Peak Active Sport have been closely associated with. Good luck to Dan and Rob and all the Peak Active Sport team members! We’re sure you will do well and will have a few stories to tell on Tuesday, and particularly sore feet…
You can offer your support on the Just Giving site http://www.justgiving.com/danandrob3peaks
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May 21st, 2010
Is your website working for your business? Or is it more of a liability?
Many companies launch a website then forget about it. Then, a few years down the line it looks outdated and no longer reflects the business, or worse, it might be losing them customers. Ask yourself these simple questions about your site?
Does it look professional – that you are a company that means business?
Does it show people why they should do business with you?
Is it easy to navigate with clearly laid out information?
Can it be found easily? Or are your competitors easier to find!
Is it making you money?
If you answer no to any of these questions, you could be missing potential customers and even losing business. You need to act now. First Impression can help. We can guide you through every stage of designing, developing and building a successful website and promoting on the Internet.
Take a look at what we have done for other companies on our web portfolio www.firstimpression.co.uk/digital
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