Strengthening Your Marine Fabrics when it comes to Hot and Cold Weather

We had an unusually moist Miami Watercraft Show a few weeks ago, that provided us an opportunity to take a look at a little something we haven't paid much attention to in a couple of years: water-proofing coatings for fabrics. Textile technology has discovered some significant new developments since our last complete examination of waterproof coatings. Chemical substance engineers have indeed found brand new ways to impregnate fibers with coatings that can last through dozens of wash cycles.

Despite all the advancements in material technology, we've yet to discover a waterproof, breathable component that doesn't call for some upkeep with time-- and ultimately breaks down. In Miami, during on-the-water testing of foul-weather gear we initially reported on in 2008, we could clearly see how sunlight, washing, and regular use took their toll on water-repellency in even our favorite foul-weather gear. hile, the water beaded like pearls on some of the lower-rated jackets that had spent most their time in the locker.

We've covered the subject of marine fabrics-- from clothing to dodgers to sails-- from a number of various angles over the years, most recently with a look at products such as Sunbrella, used in sail covers and dodgers.

Also, customers can dig a little deeper with our newest fabric test, Sunbrella vs. Weathermax, as well as our examination into affordable cordage treatments. Customers can likewise access all of our foul-weather equipment tests-- men's and women's-- from 2008.

Practical Sailor will certainly be actually updating our test of water-proofing sprays for clothing and for boat fabrics, and I 'd love to hear from readers what products they have actually found useful.

1. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SAIL OUT OF THE SUNLIGHT WHENEVER NOT IN USE.
Your marine toilet suppliers talk about how in the event that you have furling systems, this may be simply a matter of furling sails when not being used. For non-furling sails, this means covering or storing sails. There certainly are cover options for both mainsails and headsails, allowing the sail to stay rigged and safeguarded in between uses.

2. SUN COVERS: SEWN-ON PROTECTION.
Covers are so important we thought they warrented their own section. The majority of owners make use of sewn-on sun covers to protect furled sails. Sunbrella and WeatherMax are the fabrics typically used for sun covers. For racer-cruisers and some racing sails like furling code zeros, there are less heavy weight choices such as UV-treated Dacron ®. While there is a gain in weight savings, these materials are not naturally UV resistant.

In order to offer maximum security for your sails, sun covers require care and upkeep. Remember, if you can view the sailcloth below the cover ... so can the sun!

3. PRESERVE SAIL SHAPE WITH A RECUT.
As sails and marine fittings grow older, they stretch and lose their shape. Reduction of shape makes things more difficult to steer and point, not to mention harder to control heel. The best way to track changes in shape and in your marine sanitation devices is to take some photos of your sails every year while you're out sailing. These could be shared periodically with a Quantum sailmaker who will analyze the change in shape and suggest the very best course of action.

Check us out here at Raritan Engineering and see how we are your #1 expert in marine sanitation supplies.

via Photo

The Most Valuable Brand Asset Is…

Your Online Reputation is the most valuable asset of today's brands (those both large and small) so it makes sense to take steps to manage it correctly.

BrightLocal recently released its 2016 Local Consumer Review Survey and found a noticeable shift in how consumers are searching for local businesses online and the role that reviews-eg: online reputation plays in the purcahsing process.

The survey revealed that 90 percent of consumers read just 10 reviews or fewer before they feel that they can trust a business (vs. 87 percent in 2015), while 32 percent of consumers form an opinion by reading one to three reviews and 68 percent of consumers form an opinion by reading one to six reviews. 

BrightLocal's survey also indicated that:   

+ 68 percent of people say positive customer reviews make them more likely to use a local business.
+ 83 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation - if they meet their requirements (vs. 80 percent in 2015).
+ 54 percent of consumers will visit the business's website (48 percent in 2015) after reading a positive review.

There is a bigger takeaway, however, than that reviews are important. All the data in the world does not matter if your business doesn't have reviews and those reviews don't influence users in a positive way. The best way to get reviews? Ask.

70 percent of consumers according to the BrightLocal survey indicated they have been asked by a buiness to leave a review, and 50 percent of consumer respondents have been asked to leave a review about a business and actually done it.

Visit http://assetreputationmarketing.com/ to explode your brand today!

Via: The Most Valuable Brand Asset Is…

 

Internal Website Search: How to Make Content Searchable on Your Website

A corporate Website Design is chock full of compelling, relevant and searchable information about a company – from product descriptions to location pages to blog posts. Many times companies place an emphasis on their Google search results rankings but tend to overlook the importance of internal search capabilities within their own websites. The ability to internally search a company's website offers a better overall user experience, key insights on content and feedback on optimal site organization.

How easily can visitors find information on your website? As a website grows larger with more resources, content and blog posts, it becomes harder for visitors to find the content most relevant to them. For example, a financial brokerage firm can post a large amount of content in the form of resource articles, eBooks, white papers and blog posts on different aspects of the financial industry. How can customers find the specific topic or resource article they are looking for without scrolling through an entire library of content? The answer is simple. Customers can effortlessly find content on your site using a customizable internal search tool.

Benefits of Internal Website Search

When a prospective customer is searching within your website, their intent is different than when they conduct an external Google search. Because they are spending time on your site they are further along their buyer's journey and offer you clues into what specific product or service they are interested in. Internal website search offers both navigational and informational benefits:

• 
  Navigational: Internal website search allows the visitor to immediately go to a particular page they have in mind. It puts the potential customer where they want to be on your website as they look for a specific service, product or contact and support information. Prospective customers are also more apt to use an internal site search to help them find solutions to their business problems.


• 
  Informational: By analyzing how and what visitors are searching for via your internal search tool, you can determine what new content you can offer, update your keyword strategies for organic search or even alter your site structure to present the most searched on topics first. Further, if existing customers are looking for specific information that you don't yet have available, you can create new site pages, blogs, eBooks and case studies that are targeted to them. Utilizing search analytics will also help pinpoint website navigational or site structure issues. By correcting these issues, customers can get to the content they need most, including key transactional pages like forms and contact pages.

Internal Search Leaders

We're often asked to recommend the best internal search tools. Typically, we recommed either Google Custom Search or Swiftype.

Google Custom Search

The most common internal search tool is Google Custom Search. This is a search bar that can be added to a company's website to help visitors find information without navigating through the entire website. It is based on Google's core search technology and serves up the most relevant search query results within your website. The search bar can be customized to the design of the website. You can also configure a variety of other options like multilingual search or image search with the Google search bar. Searches through Google Custom Search are also trackable with Google Analytics.

 

Google Custom Search also lets you define how your results are presented. Most major website development platforms like WordPress or Hubspot have plug-ins and instructions on how to install internal search tools on their websites. Google also offers help to website developers through their custom search tutorial. There are step-by-step instructions to put the code onto the site and on how to enhance and track search results.

Swiftype

Swiftype is another internal search tool that lets you enhance a user's internal search experience by allowing you to filter search results by content type, date, author, pricing, and even synonyms. Swiftype's technology will auto complete queries to provide content suggestions. You can even customize search results based on real-time queries. If visitors are searching for a specific financial tip via internal search, a content suggestion can be moved higher in the search results. An example of this would be the ACM Gold blog. We redesigned the ACM Gold website on the Hubspot platform and included Swiftype so customers can easily find business facts and financial and trading information.

Internal Search Best Practices

Internal search functionality will add value to your website and make it easier for your customers to find information they want exactly when they need it. Here are some best practices to consider when adding internal search:

• The search bar is usually found at the top of a website page or close to the the navigational bar or on a side bar for blogs.


• The search bar should be noticeable and contain a call to action button. The buttons should use terms like “Go”, “Find” or “Search Now.”


• The internal search tool should be set up to search the entire website including interior pages, blog posts, landing pages and forms. You never can be sure what type of information will encourage a prospect to call you or convert to a lead.


• On the internal search results page, bold the search query keywords so the user can easily identify those keywords in the content of your website. Swiftype, for example, allows autocomplete in the search results to offer more suggestions for content within your website.

Enhance Your Website with an Internal Search Engine

Consider adding an internal search tool to your website during your website redesign. A website can house a huge amount of information and internal search tools make it easy for your prospects, leads and existing customers to find what they are looking for and result in higher conversion rates and more satisfied website visitors.

Click here for more information.

Via: http://www.business2community.com/web-design/internal-website-search-make-content-searchable-website-01581831#CRKhtyXLMXVgIBHi.97

How small brands can act like big businesses through email marketing

 

Be small and smart. As a small business, you may not be able to match the access to staff, time and resources that big brands enjoy, but that doesn't mean you can't match the results.

Email Marketing is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes, and it can be especially useful for small brands looking to keep up with big players in their industries.

The right email marketing strategies can help you overcome budget and staff restraints, allowing you to better connect with consumers despite functioning on a smaller scale. With the tips below, you can level the playing field by maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns:

Get Personal.

Big brands often have access to large email lists, giving them a leg up when it comes to reaching potential customers. Your list may be smaller, but that doesn't mean it can't be just as impactful. Personalized emails deliver six times higher transaction rates than non-personalized emails, making them a must for small businesses looking to compete with the sending power of the big guys.

To be most effective, personalization should go beyond simply inserting a customer's name at the top of the email. Instead, use data you've collected from your consumer interactions, whether that's from their purchase habits, email click history or one-on-one communications, to send a campaign that speaks with the consumer about something they care about. Do not send the same thing to everyone. Try changing images and content as needed to tailor your message.

Take Hofstra Law School, for example. When talking to prospective students at law fairs, the school uses iPads and digitally collects data like name, campus, year in school, etc., then uses that information to segment their audience and personalize follow up emails. Sophomores receive messages letting them know when Hofstra will return to their campus, while seniors receive application information. The more targeted and relevant your emails are to your consumers, the more effective they'll be at sparking engagement.

Automate it. 

Personalization is key, but without a large marketing team, it may seem daunting for one person. That's where automation comes in. Email marketing automation monitors how your audience interacts with your emails, segments them based upon preset parameters (i.e. did they open the email? did they click the “shop now” button?) and tailors future emails to each segment. Instead of manually monitoring click-thru rates and sending customized responses, the workflow does it for you. These automation workflows should feel like a logical conversation you've sketched on a whiteboard beforehand - giving you confidence when sending out personalized campaigns.

Keep in mind that email marketing automation doesn't mean, “Set it and forget it.” You may not have to monitor it on a daily basis, but it's important to continually check the progress of your campaigns to ensure your workflows are effective. Use workflows as a powerful foundation that you continually tweak so your audience gets relevant content and your business gets results.  

Measure It. 

Analyzing campaign success and determining ROI is incredibly important in email marketing. In small and big companies alike, the analysis of previous campaigns will help shape future strategies and tactics. However, the struggle for small businesses lies in finding the time to compare reports from a variety of tools to truly see the effectiveness of a campaign. To save time, find an email service provider that integrates with a variety of easy-to-use measurement tools.

My company, iContact, integrates your email campaign with Google Analytics, giving you a comprehensive view of the customer's path from email to conversion. Instead of comparing opens and link clicks to the total number of site visits and drawing indirect conclusions, integrations show the conversions that are a direct result of your email campaign. You don't need a full staff to analyze ROI if you let smarter tools tell the story for you. 

Look the part.

You can compete with anyone online. The digital revolution has allowed disruptor startups to compete with mainstream brands. Take Badass Beard Care, the organic beard and hair-care line that operates with just a 10-person staff but is currently stealing market share from well-known boutique brands. The truth is that businesses and nonprofit organizations of any size can send polished email messages to reel in the “big fish.” You can do this, too, and your secret weapons will always be professional-looking landing pages, responsive email templates and dynamic sign-up forms incorporated into your website.

Email marketing lets you learn from the big companies and move with the determined agility that defines small business.

Click here for more information.

Via: http://www.smartbrief.com/original/2016/06/how-small-brands-can-act-big-businesses-through-email-marketing?utm_source=brief

7 Steps to Follow When Executing a Web Design Project

 

Website Design is vocabulary that even children in elementary school might be able to explain nowadays. This is because Internet technology has taken over the world and this is one of the most lucrative businesses today. People are starting Web design companies all over the world, and even with all the competition, they are not lacking clients because there is always a new client who wants to launch a website. The quality of services that you will get when you hire a website design company is heavily dependent on the company that you choose to work with.

Selecting a Web design agency is not an easy task owing to the fact that there are so many to choose from. You will be totally spoilt for choice when it comes to picking one to work with. Secondly, some of these companies will charge you an arm and leg for the services that they provide. However, that should not worry you because this article will guide you on the steps that you should take when you are hiring a Web design service provider. There are some website designers who are great in designing certain types of websites but not some other types. This is where you should start.

STEP 1: WHAT KIND OF SITE DO YOU WANT?

There are people who want a fashion blog while others want to create online auction businesses. Websites vary in their design because of their nature. There is not a single day that a fashion blog will resemble a finance blog. Mixing up the design scheme is one of the best ways to make sure that your site fails. Your audience will be confused and have a hard time using your site even if all the buttons are right there. Users won't be able to accomplish their goals if the website design is not fitting of its industry and the services offered.

STEP 2: GOALS OF YOUR SITE

What is it that you would like to achieve with your site or the Internet marketing activities that you engage in? Different types of sites have different targets to be achieved. Take, for instance, an e-commerce website. The focus of such a site is going to be conversion of sales, return on investment and growth and maintenance of a customer base. This is different from when you are launching a company and you have created a website for it. In such a case, the target will be to provide information concerning the services and/or products. Having a clear focus is very important.

STEP 3: BUDGET

This is the first thing that many people consider, and why not? With Web design services being ridiculously costly, it is important to create the budget that you will use for the project. One reason many small businesses end up spending more than they ought to spend on Web design is because of failing to budget.

It is not only about budgeting but rather the need for you to understand the difference between cost and value. You might spend a lot of money and get poor quality, which is just another way of saying that you will get no value for your money. The best way to make sure that you get value for your money is to consult with several companies concerning the value that they deliver and how that fits into the amount of money you are willing to spend (or can spend).

STEP 4: CHOOSE THE RIGHT COMPANY

You are probably wondering why this was not the first step. This is the fourth simply because it is made easier by the first three. When you know what you are looking for and you have a budget, then you should have a grand time selecting the right company to work with. Always go for a company with a proven track record. If it is a new company, you can ask to see samples of the work that they will do for you. Choosing the right company will make it possible for you to fulfill the first three steps.

STEP 5: KEEP COMMUNICATION OPEN

Hiring a Web design agency is not similar to placing an order for curtains to be made for your home. You need to keep the communication lines open at all times. The first thing to do is to ask as many questions before the project starts and then tell the designer what it is that you are looking for. Once this is done, the designer is supposed to get in touch with you every once in a while to notify you of the progress of the work you have given him. If there are modifications that they would like to make or alterations to the original plan that need to be carried out then it will be easier to do that when communication is open.

STEP 6: CONTENT VERSUS ART

This will come in somewhere in the first steps as well as while you are planning your website building project. A majority of sites fail to perform well simply because they do not have the content that many people are looking for. Take, for instance, someone who visits a site looking primarily for the contacts page but then it is lacking. They will definitely not be coming back to that site.

When you select a company that places value on art rather than content of your site's design then you should know that you are working with the wrong people. It is hard to hide an ornament behind decoration. This is just like manicuring a hen's nails, completely pointless.

STEP 7: MAINTENANCE

Once the site is up and running, you will need to maintain it at its best. Maintenance of your investment is important to ensure that you get that return you are looking for from it. A good web design agency is going to be of great help in this step assisting you with things like analytic reporting and even publishing of content.

MAY THE BEST COMPANY WIN

Hiring a website design agency is not such a simple job. There are several of them providing these services but the best will definitely be that one that helps you to meet your goals. There is something that you have in mind concerning your site, make sure that you get to achieve it and the site's design is the one that will help that happen.

Contact Virtual Focused Marketing for more information.

Via: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2016/04/28/7-steps-to-follow-when-executing-a-web-design-project.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Is the Homepage Dead? 3 Reasons Not to Ignore It.

In Website Design the homepage was once a valued, integral website asset – the gateway to a company's brand and a driver of customer engagement. It was so important, there used to be employees whose sole job was to manage a brand's homepage.

Then came search and social.

For the past 10 years, the way content gets discovered has evolved dramatically. The rise of Google, and then social media, has created entirely new paths for website visitors to find content without ever navigating to a brand's homepage.

In 2014, leaked data from The New York Times showed a plunge in its homepage visitorsinstigating the now commonly accepted belief that this digital real estate has lost its value.

Based on internal customer data, just five percent of website visitors enter through the homepage. The other 95 percent are “side-door traffic” visitors, who land on a company's website via search or social media postings that direct users to a specific page. As a result, marketers are rightfully focusing their efforts on those channels, but should be wary of ignoring the homepage for their Web or mobile experiences. In many ways, the homepage is like the preferred customer experience found at hotel chains. While those customers make up a small percentage of the overall audience, it's an extremely valuable segment.

Here are three reasons not to ignore the homepage:

1. HOMEPAGE VISITORS SPEND MORE TIME ON YOUR WEBSITE.

Entrance through the homepage is a sign of loyalty. Based on our data, while only five percent of visitors come through the homepage, they account for 50 percent of page views.

Visitors who enter from search and social only view an average of three and 1.8 pages respectively per session. On the other hand, visitors who enter from the homepage are more likely to view 10 to 30 pages per session. Longer engagement with a brand's content leads to higher conversion rates, larger purchases and increased loyalty.

Brands are beginning to realize that the homepage offers an opportunity to improve engagement and convert occasional visitors to loyal users. The homepage can be easily personalized to provide visitors with content that will encourage more clickthroughs, based on their interests. First and third-party data can help develop visitors' profiles and allow marketers to showcase targeted content.

For example, if a consumer is a devout hockey fan who is constantly following the NHL, the homepage of her favorite sports news website can serve her more hockey-related content. That one-to-one experience will keep her coming back for more, while also broadening the scope of content available to her.

2. HOMEPAGE VISITORS HAVE A WIDER LATITUDE OF INTERESTS WITHIN A PARTICULAR TOPIC.

Visitors who enter a brand's website via social media or search are there for just one thing: that viral article their college friend shared on Facebook with a catchy title. Thirty seconds after perusing the article, the reader is gone.

When readers enter through the homepage, they may be looking for a number of articles pertaining to a particular topic. They have a wider scope of interests, which makes it easier for brands to showcase their content. While viral content shared on social media platforms is likely to be clicked because of compelling headlines, articles on the homepage are likely to be clicked because of their subject matter.

Publishers like ESPN are beginning to acknowledge the homepage as a largely untapped resource. Curated content featured on a homepage serves as an opportunity for businesses to provide readers with the most relevant articles, presented in a way that is tailored just for them.

Personalization should be elastic and adaptable, which is easier to deliver on the home page. For example, if a consumer is looking for a pair of running shoes, he may go directly to a specific brand's website because he likes those shoes. While on the brand's homepage, he sees relevant content from the blog, a video about new running shoes coming out in a month and a special promotion for returning visitors. Search can deliver a consumer to a brand's site, but a compelling homepage can nurture an ongoing customer relationship.

3. HOMEPAGE TRAFFIC IS A GOOD INDICATOR OF YOUR MARKETING SUCCESSES.

Publishers are focused on three things when it comes to their websites: audience development, acquiring new users and existing user engagement.

Today, one of the most difficult challenges for publishers is getting one-time visitors, also known as “flybys,” to come back to the website for more after stumbling upon a viral article they found on Twitter. Whether or not side-door visitors end up on the homepage is a good indicator of how well search and social campaigns are performing.

Investing in the homepage is good business. It may not pull the traffic numbers brands are looking for, but its value can be measured in other, long-term benefits that search and social can't produce. By personalizing a user's homepage experience, brands can make an extraordinary impact on user engagement, driving longer sessions and developing loyalty among visitors.

Contact Virtual Focused Marketing for more information.

Via: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2016/04/28/is-the-homepage-dead-three-reasons-not-to-ignore-it.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter