Some tips for your first trade show.

Don’t be nervous! Trade shows are fun and a great way to learn how to sell yourself and promote your business. Here are a few recommendations ...

• Bring someone with you to the show, even if he or she isn’t involved in your business. You’ll need a helper to keep brochures and business cards neat on your table or in case you need to run an errand (you can’t abandon your booth to buy coffee or go to the bathroom).
• Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be standing on your feet a lot.
• Display a pretty tray of chocolates or wrapped hard candies. Everyone will stop to grab a piece ... and this gives you a chance to start a conversation!
• Add visual interest to your booth with a vase of colorful flowers; a silk arrangement from Michael’s will do if you don’t want to invest in fresh. Sprinkle a few silk rose petals around, too.
• You’ll be talking to people nonstop, so carry mints or lozenges to keep your throat from drying out. 
• If this is a bridal show, learn how to judge potential clients by asking for their wedding date right off the bat. You’ll meet lots of very young girls and “pre-engaged” couples who don’t plan to get married for at least two or three years. Some will still be in high school! Give them a flyer or a postcard but don’t invest too much time. Instead, devote yourself to the couples with wedding dates in 2010 or 2011, because they’re genuinely shopping for vendors.
• If there’s a slow period during the show, let your helper staff the booth while you introduce yourself to the other vendors and exchange business cards. You might meet some terrific people and form profitable alliances.
• Prepare in advance to follow-up your leads after the show. I’ve always had fantastic success with Constant Contact’s email marketing services, and so will you! Constant Contact offers a free 60-day trial, and their email templates are very easy to use ... or I can step in and custom-design your email flyers for you, providing an affordable way to add some extra panache to your promotions! Either way, here’s an effortless and effective way to stay in touch with potential clients and explain your products and services. Click here to learn more.

Incidentally, please get in touch if you need some affordable, colorful promotional materials for your trade show booth, such as postcards, flyers, full-color brochures and extra business cards! Just give me a call at 800-961-2387 or send an email.

Ovation Creative partners with Constant Contact.

Thinking about new ways to grow your business in 2010? Look no further. Ovation Creative is pleased to announce our new partnership with Constant Contact®, the industry leader in email marketing!

Ask the experts: email marketing is the most affordable and effective way to reach new customers and promote your business ... and Ovation Creative can help. Now in partnership with Constant Contact®, we’ll custom-design your email campaigns and/or create easy-to-use templates that coordinate with your website and printed promotional materials.

With email marketing you will easily ...

• Keep in touch with clients, vendors and associates
• Target your messages to drive more traffic to your website
• Build and manage your email lists
• Announce special offers and promotions
• Follow up quickly after a trade show
• Respond to leads from advertising sources
• Sell products and services with PayPal buttons
• Promote your other ventures (invitations, favors, etc.)
• Advertise workshops and events … and more! 

Click here to sign up for Constant Contact®’s 60-day free trial today. No risk, no obligation, no credit card. Put the power of email marketing to work for you! And please feel free to get in touch if I can answer questions or help you brainstorm about the possibilities. You can reach me at 800-961-2387 or send an email.

Why a blog is beneficial to your website.

Your website is indexed by Google every time you add fresh content ... and a blog is considered part of your website. The more often you post to your blog, the more often your website is indexed by Google. And that equals higher search engine rankings!

A blog will help your business when it’s linked to from your website and grows frequently with information relative to the keyphrases and keywords that define your product line. Basically, it’s content that grows, and content is the food of search engines. Try not to dilute your blog with posts unrelated to your business, and stay focused on key topics as closely as possible.

If you plan to quote information from another blog, don’t just copy-and-paste. This is a parasitic practice that causes Google to see both of your blogs as copycats, which can be detrimental to your search engine rankings. Provide a link with your quote; it’s appropriate etiquette and what the blogging community is all about. Keep in mind that, above all, blogging is a long-term commitment. If you stop posting new entries the blog may stop helping your ranking. Feed it consistently and it will work for you!

When you’re ready to start blogging, Ovation Creative can help. Begin by signing up for a free blog at Blogspot.com, then ask us to customize your blog to coordinate with your website. We can create a wider format, add columns, design a custom banner and background, navigation bar links, sidebar graphics and more. And you can choose our services a la carte or bundled in affordable packages. Click here to learn more, send an email or give me a call at 800-961-2387.

Excerpts of this article are from Aquitas Multimedia Web Design Blog Library.

Go to the source for perfect website photos.

All of my clients want breathtaking images for their websites. Although I’m always happy to provide appropriate stock photography when you don’t have photos of your own, there’s an easier way to get exactly what you need. Next time you coordinate an elaborate event, consider paying the photographer to take specific pictures for your own personal portfolio. He or she can get the shots you want before the guests start to arrive ... the cake table, an elegant arrangement of place cards and favors, ice sculptures, unusual decor and lighting, luxurious table settings, floral arrangements, and images of you at work with your team. If money is tight, consider offering the photographer a link crediting his work on your website in exchange for a discount.

I’ve always got lots of suggestions for your small business! Please send an email or give me a call at 800-961-2387 whenever you’re ready to brainstorm.