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        <title>North Country Design Blog</title>
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        <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/</link>
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            <title>How To Raise Brand Awareness</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/99-how-to-raise-brand-awareness.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[How to Raise Brand Awareness
 
If you have just entered the market and want to build a successful  business, you should promote your brand and raise awareness about your  company, products and services. Customers are ready to pay for the brand  they recognize and for products which occupy large shelf space in the  market. Promoting your brand does not mean you are publicizing your  company, it means you are making way to generate more revenue and  increase company share in the market. The more popular your brand, the  higher demand you will see for your products.
 
Creating Budgets for Marketing Brand Awareness 
 
Small business owners are often tasked with determining how much money they can afford to raise brand awareness. Remember,  this is a marketing world and all small business owners are trying to compete with each  other, but there are always limitations in terms of available funding. Often times, internet  maketing is the best option for businesses with small budgets to promote their  campaigns.
 
What Role Does Website Design Play?
 
As consumers become more "web dependent" they tend to research your small business online and make judgement about new product sor services.  Your website content should be both attractive and informative. Your  website should serve as a virtual customer service representative for your potential customers. You should also provide a way for them direct contact you via phone or email so that they can reach out to you anytime, day or night.

Importance of a Logo
 
Your company logo is the identity that represents your company in the market.  Your small business logo should be directly related to your brand. Think of McDonald's golden arches or the Nike "swoosh". These companies are easily reconized in the marketplace by their logos. You should be  recognized by your logo in the  market as well.
 
Knowing Your Target Audience 
 
Understanding that you can not sell your products and services to everyone is an integral part of small business. Every individual has his own "requirements" for purchasing. There are different ways of finding your niche audience like:  promoting a campaign, doing surveys, talking to people etc. Smart small business owners develop customer profiles and recognize who wants to buy their product.
 
Advertising 
 
Market research shows that advertising is one of the best ways of creating awareness about your product  and services. All advertising does not need to be expensive. There are many online economical ways to  promote your product, depending on your budget. Craigslist advertising, blogs and articles, referral programs,  generating leads and sending out promotional e-mails are all valid ways to raise brand awareness.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:56:11 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Now Serving Syracuse, NY!</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/98-now-serving-syracuse-ny.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
Syracuse, NY — October1st, 2011: — North Country Design announced this morning that starting October 1st, 2011 they will be accepting new clients from the Syracuse, NY region. With a professional website consulting team available for face-to-face meetings and utilizing GoToMeeting for remote sessions, North Country Design hopes to be able to offer "big city websites at small town pricing". 
"Syracuse web design services should be affordable by every small business owner." said North Country Design's CEO, Shawn Tooley.
According to Tooley, Syracuse web designers can typically charge anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000 for a small business web site design project - however North Country Design's prices reflect a more realistic approach to the new small business owner with prices as low as $499. Services include web site consulting, web site design, internet marketing, internet advertising, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) as well as graphic design and print services.
 
"I am very excited about this opportunity to better serve the small business owners of Central New York. My ultimate goal is to make professional website design affordable to every small business owner. I work 1-on-1 with my small business customers to ensure that their websites are design friendly, functional and turning traffic into customers."   - Shawn Tooley, CEO
Click here to contact North Country Design about web design services. (index.php?option=com_contact&amp;view=contact&amp;id=1&amp;Itemid=183)In addition to web site design services for central new York, North Country Design also offers great deals on marketing materials. Business cards, brochures, postcards, banners and yard signs are professionally designed and printed at affordable prices. A complete list of products can be viewed here (index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=73&amp;Itemid=158).]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:12:34 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Craigslist25.com Completed!</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/97-craigslist25com-completed.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[North Country Design completed the web site design and online advertising package for it's Craigslist Ad Design Services. This new site allows users to browse ads for Craigslist and get a visual idea of what goes intoa  Craigslist Ad Design. With the ads starting at $25 each, they are both affordable by small business owners on a tight budget and allow companies with larger advertising budgets to order 4 or more ads in bulk.The Craigslist design service provides 1-on-1 help from Shawn Tooley, the professional graphic designer behind North Country Design and Craigslist25.com. Clients of Craigslist25.com receive a Full Color Craigslist Ad that has been designed in PDF format, allowing them to use the design as a printed flyer as well. Combined with the HTML codes to place the ad on Craigslist and free hosting (with link back to Craigslist25.com) ... this offer really can not be beat!Click here to contact North Country Design about web design services. (index.php?option=com_contact&amp;view=contact&amp;id=1&amp;Itemid=183)]]></description>
            <pubDate>Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:47:33 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Craigslist Ad Design Services - $25.00</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/craigslist-ad-design-25.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Craigslist Ad Design (http://www.craigslist25.com) Only $25.00

CLICK HERE TO VISIT CRAIGSLIST25.COM (http://www.craigslist25.com)
Craigslist Ad Design (http://www.craigslist25.com) Should Help You Get More Calls, More Click-Throughs To Your Web Site and Sell More Products. Is Your Craigslist Ad Design (http://www.craigslist25.com) Helping or Hurting You? Call now for help! (315) 307-3359.


Craigslist Ad Design is as important as the product or service that is being advertised on Craigslist. Internet marketing is -very- competitive. If your Craigslist ad design isn't attractive, targeting the proper audience and bringing you in good click-through rates or phone calls, you may wish to consider hiring someone (like North Country Design) to help you write your copy, design your Craigslist ad or work on your overall branding. Do not leave your advertising efforts to chance - do what works!
Lets be honest here - you advertise on Craigslist (http://www.craigslist25.com) because the price is right.Click here to contact North Country Design about web design services. (index.php?option=com_contact&amp;view=contact&amp;id=1&amp;Itemid=183)]]></description>
            <pubDate>Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:30:13 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Top 5 'I Need a Web Site' FAQs</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/91-top-5-i-need-a-web-site-faqs.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Successful small business owners understand the value of educating themselves when it comes to their advertising and marketing options. When designing a website there are naby questions that people generally have. The following is a list of 5 things that people requesting web sites  be designed typically ask me (mailto:shawn@northcountrydesig.us?subject=Question About Web Site Design) when we are discussing their web site. 
#5) Why Does My Company Need An Online Presence?
 
The internet is the new TV/Radio/Media ... if you're not on it, you're being silly.
 
Whether you have a new gadget or widget to market to the online  masses or you're looking to offer your newest service to the people who  live within 60 miles of your business location - it's always best to  understand your goals in building a web site. Something as simple as  creating a list of the top 5 things your web site needs to do can really  help you and your web designer create a web solution for you.
 
#4) Who Is My Target Audience?
 
Determining who your target audience is may be the most important  part of your small business and it's no different when talking about  your web site audience.
 
Popular questions you need to answer for yourself when establishing your target audience are:
  

What is the age range of the customer who wants my product or service?
Which gender would be most interested in this product or service?
What is the income level of my potential customers?
What level of education do they have?

 
#3) Will I Be Able to Edit The Web Site Myself?
 
I get asked this question at least once every day. The short answer is: Maybe.
 
The long answer is: It really depends on who is creating your web  site, what system they're using for creating your web site (CMS? HTML?  Joomla? Wordpress? Dreamweaver? Custom Coded?)
 
I highly recommend that you look for a designer who works with a  content management system (CMS). This type of system usually has a  little bit of a learning curve but generally allows the end user (you)  to edit, add, remove and change the contents of their site. This can save you hundreds of dollars per year and put the power of your website in your hands!
 
#2) How Long Does a Web Design Take?
 
Times may vary from designer to designer. When you choose us to  handle your web site design we always make certain that we help create a reasonable timeline for launch. As a general rule of thumb you should probably plan on at least  three or four weeks at a minimumbefore you see a working site ... but it really depends on the functionality and size of your site. Again, every web site designer is different and works at a different speed.
 
#1) How Much Should I Expect to Pay For My Web Site?
 
Ah-ha ... the number 1 question. HOW MUCH?!
If you are going to ask my company to quote a website project and you start by saying that you have a $100 budget  and you want a professional online presence you might want to reconsider  starting your own business. Period. Some sites have automatic quotes and other have an online web site price calculator (index.php?option=com_ipricecalc&amp;view=category&amp;Itemid=191). A small brochure-style website with a few pages of content and a contact form can be completed under $500.00. A 50 page website with all the bells and whistles may exceed $3,000. The overall cost can vary from designer to designer ... but one thing remains constant - the more functionality and content that you want your designer to add to your web site, the more expensive it will typically be.

Click here to contact North Country Design about web design services. (index.php?option=com_contact&amp;view=contact&amp;id=1&amp;Itemid=183)
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:48:24 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Should Small Business Owners Be Frugal?</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/90-should-small-business-owners-be-frugal.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Sometimes being frugal and not being afraid of rolling up your  sleeves and getting your hands dirty can save you a lot of money. As a  small business owner you should always be working on ways to make &amp;  save money. One of the most costly pieces of running your business is  advertising &amp; marketing. This includes web site design, SEO, print  media and other multimedia ads.
 
Save Money With a Joomla Web Site!
 
North Country Design only designs web sites in Joomla's powerful CMS. Joomla is a web site content management system that allows the  end user to manage their web sites themselves. This keeps your monthly  site administration costs down.
 
Even though many new small business owners don't have the technical  knowledge or time to dive into projects with the intent on doing  everything themselves. I often work with small business owners who need a  solution put in place with the intent to learn how to manage the  project themselves in the future.
 
We work 1-on-1 with you and explain everything  in simple terms so that at the end of the session you are educated, able  to establish and reach milestones in your project and make your small  business dream a reality! Take what we teach you and begin developing your own web site, SEO  best practices and learning how to help your small business gain new  customers. It's not as difficult as everyone makes it out to be.

Stay Current In The Media (and with your online content)!
 
Behold ... the power ... of the press release!
 
Having an article in your local newspaper can do wonders for your  small business if you reply on local exposure for your business. Small  business owners do not understand the value of the press release. Your  local newspapers are often looking for small business content that is relevant  to your local community. People love stories about local people finding small business success and  find them informative. We recommend that small business owners try to develop at least  3-4 press releases  per year that announce new services, specials, their positive effect on  their communities and more. We send these releases to newspaper  reporters in your area and when it gets circulated - it's far more cost effective than paid advertising!
Craigslist = Free Traffic &amp; Free Advertising
 
We can't talk about Craigslist enough! One of our clients, Alternatiev Power Solutions, saw their web traffic increase over 500% by incorporating Craigslist ads into their marketing routine. Their sales went up, their overall marketing budget decreased and best of all - they could handle the campaign internally. Putting Craigslist to work for you is an important step in driving local traffic to your web site. New small business owners need to take advantage of free or low-cost advertising solutions.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 01:36:37 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Supercharge Craigslist For Small Business</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/89-supercharge-craigslist-for-small-business.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
Small business owners are always  looking for great ways to get their name out to their target audience  at inexpensive prices. Using Craigslist to display your company's  products and services is a very cost-effective solution to nationwide  advertising. Craigslist allows you to post a new advertisement to cities all over  the United States every couple of days under 1 account. First I will  explain the mistakes that people make when using Craigslist for small  business and then provide a solution on how to fix them.
Mistake #1: Using Text Only Ads
Americans are lazy and don't read boring walls of text in advertising  (unless they're reading useful blog posts like this one). It's much  easier to present your company in a professional manner with a full  color advertisement.
Solution: Contact North Country Design today to let us design you a full color Craigslist ad.
Mistake #2: No Contact Email Address / Generic Email Address
By using a anonymous email address or not leaving a way for your  potential clients to contact you directly from the Craigslist post  you're losing leads. My recommendation is to create a new email address  at your company that you can use to receive emails from Craigslist. Be  creative! Perhaps use something like "clcontact@yourcomanyURL.com".
Mistake #3: No Link From Your Ad To Your Web Site
Remember in #1 when I said that American's were lazy? I wasn't  kidding. You'll want to give your target audience a quick way to learn  more about your products and services by providing them a direct link to  a landing page on your web site. Don't just drop them on your home page  and hope they get some relevant information - build a landing page  specifically for this audience so that you can retain them. If they  can't find what they were looking for on your web page they will leave  ... quickly.
Solution: Contact North Country Design today to let  us design your landing page! Our full color Craigslist  ads will link directly to your landing page so that your audience can  get the information they need and help you turn the lead into a sale!
Mistake #4: Running The Same Ad Over &amp; Over
If you're following my advice you should be looking to re-post your  ad at least two or three times a week (or more if you have more than 1  Craigslist account). Having a few different designs of your  advertisement is a good idea. You want to continually develop fresh  content so that you remain visible in the eye of your target audience.
I recommend putting together at least 3 Craigslist ads and having  each of those ads link to a landing page on your website. Regardless of  the size of your small business you always want your audience to see  your company as professional, trustworthy and something they need.
Solution: Call North Country Design and tell them  that you read this article on MiNeeds and we will design 3 Craigslist  ads for you &amp; develop a landing page for your web site for an  all-inclusive price. You can use these ads in rotation on  Craigslist for many months at no additional cost.

Click here to contact North Country Design about web design services. (index.php?option=com_contact&amp;view=contact&amp;id=1&amp;Itemid=183)]]></description>
            <pubDate>Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:51:41 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>We're Not ONLY Web Designers</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/87-were-not-web-designers.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The following text was originally featured on Smashing Magazine's blog (http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/09/27/i-want-to-be-a-web-designer-when-i-grow-up/).
We’re Not ONLY Web Designers
One of the biggest misconceptions about designers (and usually Web designers) is that we’re just Web designers — that the scope of our skills begins with Lorem ipsum and ends with HTML emails. This is ridiculous.
Everyone in this industry fills dozens of roles throughout a given day.  On a call with a prospective client, we take the role of salesperson.  After the contract is sorted, we become researchers, combing through the  client’s outdated website, looking at analytics and identifying  breakdowns and room for improvement. Soon after, we become content  curators, wading through the piles of content in PDF format sent by the  client, identifying what works and what doesn’t.
Then we’re  architects, laying out content to get the most important messages  across, while ensuring that everything in our layouts remains findable.  We design the website itself. We manage client expectations and work  through revisions. We write code. We introduce a content management  system. We carefully insert and style content. We create and update the  brand’s presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We help to create an  editorial calendar to keep content fresh and accurate. We check in on  the analytics and metrics to see how the website is performing.
Notice that “design” is mentioned only once in all of that work. 

 
Ok, Shawn's turn...
As a website designer (index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=76&amp;Itemid=54) who finds himself wearing many hats, this story hits the nail directly on the head for me. I've never really stopped to think about exactly how many hats I'm expected to wear when someone calls my office. In any one given conversation I can be advising someone on the angle for their press release (index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=88&amp;Itemid=11) and in the very next breath asked to add chat room functionality to an inside page of their web site. Oh ... and how much would I charge to put together some postcards for a quick mailing due next week?
I'm blessed with having the skills required to handle both print and web design (as well as writing with my background in Journalism) ... I'm not really certain my clients would be as happy as they are if they had to work with 6 different people or even worse, specialty firms who only dealt with one very particular aspect of the project. People understand when they call my office, I'll be the one answering the telephone.
While I've never really considered myself a very good multi-tasker, I've found that utilizing some basic tools really helps me juggle the day-to-day business affairs for North Country Design. Keeping a notebook dedicated to each major client with my day to day notes, conversation notes, email print outs and etc. helps me stay organized. I can easily flip back through pages to review previous conversations - and while it might be more fitting for me to have this in a digital format, I find the ease of use of the notebook quite handy.]]></description>
            <pubDate>Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title>Video : Things You Think</title>
            <link>http://www.northcountrydesign.us/component/content/article/38-blog/85-things-you-think.html</link>
            <description><![CDATA[
Today, we bring you an awesome, thought-provoking video from the Pomplamoose Channel!
Things You Think
Music by Ben Folds -- Lyrics by Nick HornbyThings You Think is a VideoSong, a new medium with 2 rules:
1.  What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or  voice).
2. If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds).







 
Oh yeah ... Click here to contact North Country Design about web design services. (index.php?option=com_contact&amp;view=contact&amp;id=1&amp;Itemid=183)]]></description>
            <pubDate>Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:19:31 GMT</pubDate>
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