With most people relying on the internet, where are your ad dollars going this year? http://ow.ly/855z3

Are you not involved with social media because your afraid of negative feedback. Here's some ways of handling it. http://ow.ly/7IoXi

To all those who fight for our country, thank you. Happy Veteran's Day!

Wouldn't it be great if we got real feedback from our customers? http://ow.ly/7lR79

Doing Social Media right..... http://ow.ly/7kMkw

Anything to give me more time in my day. http://ow.ly/7ho2M

When I get 5 emails in a week from one company, I start to dislike the company. Are you getting it right with your email campaign. http://ow.ly/7d7lU

Happy Halloween! Christmas is around the corner and I love the idea of Small Business Saturday..... http://ow.ly/7d7rO

Great tips on being your own marketing company..... http://ow.ly/7blC5

Make sure your not making these mistakes with Social Media. http://ow.ly/70W3O

Is Facebook making your brain bigger???? http://ow.ly/72iDo

Who would think NOT having a sign on your business would be a good thing? Check out how Finch's Pub used Social Media to get the word out. http://ow.ly/6ZJaU

I will speaking to the Raymond Rotary Club on Wed @ 7:30 am. Find out how the Raymond Chamber can benefit your company. http://ow.ly/6ZLXC

Know your options when it comes to web hosting solutions. As always, call MoxDog for all your hosting needs. http://ow.ly/6W75y

Happy Saturday! Don't Forget the Raymond Rotary is having their annual silent auction tonight! Don't miss out on the deals! http://ow.ly/6Tga9

Most of us understand Facebook and Twitter....where does LinkedIn come in to play? http://ow.ly/6Tg5m

So I'm not a huge fan of the Bieber or Snoop Dogg, but we can learn something from them..never thought I would say that..http://ow.ly/6V4q6

OK, you have a Blog...now what should you say? http://ow.ly/6TfWN

Happy Saturday! Come out and have some fun at the Raymond Chamber Family Fun & Business Expo. http://ow.ly/6nRVK

Using Social Media to grow your business... http://ow.ly/6nRIL

I will be speaking at the Raymond Area Chamber monthly meeting next Thurs, 9/15 @ 9 am. Ryder Audette of Sweatshirts, Etc. and I will be speaking about Branding & Websites. Don't Miss It! http://ow.ly/6nRfV

From no on Flash websites to yes on Flash sales, boy am I keeping you on your toes this week.... http://ow.ly/632QG

When business isn't good, sometimes we try a quick fix. Try starting at the beginning and layout your marketing plan. http://ow.ly/630Jl

Moxdog's new blog entry, To Flash or Not to Flash......http://ow.ly/631X0

Your New Website - You Want Flashy, But It Is It Practical?

Everyone wants their website to stand out, but is Flash the way to go.  In this day and age of smartphones and I Pads, does it make sense to lose part of your audience by using Flash?

I wasn't a huge fan of the I Pad, I just couldn't see the need for it.  I have my laptop, I have my smartphone...I'm mobile, what more could a girl need??  Then, last year, my husband had to go out and buy me one, my first thought, "I don't need this" then we set it up.....I was done for.  How did I live without it?  I just wasn't mobile enough apparently.  I use it from the time I get up til the time I go to bed.  I'm addicted.  It's so bad in our house...we need two!

So they're good right?  Right, but.........they aren't playing so nice with Adobe or vice versa (depending on who you talk to)...the bottom line no Flash, no PDFs......it's not so bad, unless you run into somebody that wanted a Flashy, Sparkly website and did their whole site in Flash.  You lost me, I can't see it and I've moved on to maybe your competition.

Your best bet is to stay away from Flash, get a great design and keep your load times low.  People are coming to your site for more information, maybe to buy your products, keep it simple and give them what they want.  Don't lose them because your not keeping up with the times.

Hope your having a great weekend! Courtesy of SimplyZesty: Reasons why your social media campaign might be failing http://bit.ly/qwnZeh

Facebook & Twitter aren't the only ones you should worry about, don't forget LinkedIn. http://ow.ly/609wP

Check out MoxDog's new blog entry - Let's think positive. http://ow.ly/5UyEy

Who hasn't heard of Google+ by now. If you haven't, check it out. The question now is...will it help us with our SEO? http://ow.ly/5UvMg

Positive Thinking

I've started setting goals in an effort to clean up some stuff I keep putting on the back burner, I'm sure I'm not the only one out there....and it's helping!  Watch for MoxDog's 1st Newsletter, "Bad to the Bone", and I mean "bad" in a good way.  It will have website tips, specials and even answer your questions.  Have a question?  Email me.


So keeping on the goal theme, I'm also thinking positively.  So I'm not going to give you a lot of website tips on what NOT to do on your website, let's focus on things that work.

DO......bring everything together on your website.  You have a Facebook page, add a like box or stream to your website. Your tweeting, let people know about it.  Your the one with more to say, sign up for a blog and put an icon on your site.  Your doing that already?  Make sure your promoting your website on all your accounts.  Feed people back to your website. 

Are you one of the hold outs...think this whole web thing is a fad?  First, don't tell anyone you think that and Second, get a website, it's a good place to start.

Watch for more DOs next week!

So you think you're doing OK with this whole social media thing. Make sure your not making the same mistakes other companies are making. http://ow.ly/5U3ZC

I'm wrestling with sending out MoxDog's first newsletter now. How to make sure your customers will actually read it. http://ow.ly/5MXq4

Can Google+ actually compete with Facebook, when most businesses are just getting the hang of Facebook? http://ow.ly/5MXa6

How do people use Facebook & Twitter, they actually did research on how sports fans use both...interesting.....http://ow.ly/5MWF1

Everyone asks how to make the most of social media, here is a great article with 20 tips. http://ping.fm/zqQz9

When you're a business owner, you probably find it hard to "unplug" from your business while you get a much needed break. Check out this article out...http://ping.fm/Jpjx6 it gives you some tips on taking that vacation.

Yes I'm talking about social media again. Check out this great article about promoting your blog with social media. http://ping.fm/I1hM9 If your in the Raymond, NH area, join the Raymond Chamber for a Social Media Q&A...bring your questions. http://ping.fm/KwCCp

Calling to make a camping reservation this morning and spoke to a woman that doesn't feel website security is important....crazy....read on...http://ping.fm/OSrD8

Credit Card Security and Your Website

Interesting thing happened today, I'm making reservations to go camping later this summer, when I noticed the campground's website is asking for credit card information over an unsecured form....that's a BIG NO NO.

So I call to make the reservation and just mention to her that that her site isn't secure, so she shouldn't be accepting credit cards.  She says "So", I say "a hacker can easily intercept the credit card information, you really need to have a SSL certificate on the website".  Her justification is that she has been accepting credit cards over her website for 20 years (highly unlikely) and has never had any problems.  I told her she just needs to have a problem once.

She then wanted to know how exactly hackers get the information.  They get the information by intercepting packets over the internet....but does it really matter.....however they get the information, THEY GET IT!  Sometimes people need to be whacked over the head before it gets through to them.

A great way to avoid problems that come along with accepting credit cards is to collect your credit card information using a payment gateway, i.e. PayPal or an online merchant account.  Then the security is on them not you and your company.  If you want to accept credit cards on your website make sure you have an SSL certificate and a dedicated IP address.

I highly recommend consulting your web developer when implementing any type of e-commerce on your website.  It might cost you a few dollars but it will be worth it.

Today is your last chance to buy tickets for Wednesday's Greater Raymond Area Business Summit. For more information check out, http://ping.fm/NVu8v Tables are also available for the Business Showcase, just $30. Don't Miss It!

You would be amazed of the people that I run into that still don't have a website and think they don't need one. If your still one of the doubters, read on......http://ping.fm/GY3KN

This is a great article about three common marketing mistakes companies make. Make sure before you put all kinds of money into marketing your tracking your ROI. http://ping.fm/T6Vgu

What's a MoxDog?

Funny story....I go into a store this past week and a lady in the store sees the name of my company on my truck and says...What's a MoxDog?  I chuckled and said it's my company and I design custom websites.  She looks puzzled for a second and says, "For Dogs???"  And I said "Yes I design websites for dogs"....Here's your sign... ;) 

No, I don't design websites for dogs, although I do design for a lot of dog lovers!  MoxDog is the nickname for my beloved Chocolate Lab, Moxie and it just seemed to fit when I started my company.  And I have to admit, it's a great marketing tool, because I often hear that question, "What's a MoxDog?"

MoxDog specializes in custom websites, web hosting, email and more.  Check out our newly launched website at www.moxdog.com. See what MoxDog has to offer and take a minute to sign up for our monthly newsletter that has website and general marketing tips, new products and specials.

**Website Tip** Don't Have the Cash for a Super Bowl Commercial, Spruce Up Your Website Instead with Some Client Testimonials!

So your mother brought you up to be humble, not to talk on and on about yourself, not to brag....so why am I telling you to disregard your mother's teachings???!!!

As a business, people want to know if your any good, will you do what you promised.  What better way to do just that than putting client testimonials on your website.  It tells people that your good, you do a great job, and, by golly, people like you.

Putting other notable items on your website are great too.  Have you been in the paper lately, won an award or hold some prestigious office...let people know about it.  Soon they will be coming to you hoping you can do the same great job for them.

** Website Tip** Make Sure Your Contact Information is Easily Accessible

You think this would be an easy one...but often companies overlook it.  Sometimes users will access your website simply to get your phone number or see where you're located.  Don't hide it, it's frustrating to the consumer and can easily cost you a customer.

If the goal of your website is to have users call you for more information, to complete a sale or set up an appointment, incorporate your phone number front and center, right into the design of your website.  That way from whatever page they are on, they can pick up the phone and call you...they are not searching for a way to contact you.

Staying with my theme, Keep it Simple!

**Website Tip** Make sure your potential customers know what makes you different from your competition.

It is always good to know what makes you different for your competition, people that come to your website should also know what makes you unique. Why should they do business with your company? Keep it on the home page, entice people to explore your website more. Keep it concise and to the point, remember Keep it Simple!
Need some ideas on what makes you different....

• Management Expertise:  Do Bios....let people know who your management is, their specialties, etc.
• Your Products
• Your Processes

These are just some of the way you can distinguish your company from your competition, show them your different....and better!

The Sins of Website Design

Courtesy of Gwen Moran   |   Entrepreneur Magazine - January 2011

Is your website driving away customers? If you're committing these site development sins, it could be costing you more than you know.

Being cluttered. Your site can't be all things to all people, says Drew Ungvarsky, founder of Grow Interactive, an interactive studio in Norfolk, Va. Be selective about the content you decide to put on the site and organize it in a clean and logical manner. "A lot of people try to put too much, especially on their home pages, and cram more down their customers' throats," he says.

Making things difficult. The route from first click to sale has to be easy. Ungvarsky says it's important to think like customers and prospects when evaluating the design of a site. One of his pet peeves: Having to set up an account before checking out. Let customers buy from you on their terms, he says.

Staying static. Your website is never done, he says. Keep finding ways to engage your customers, add content and make your site fresh. This will help keep customers interested and may also help in your web rankings, he says. If you're promoting a specific product or service or have a special promotion going on, it's a good idea to use landing pages that support e-mail and social networking outreach efforts.

Copying your competition. Always check out what your competition is doing, but don't be a copycat, advises Steve Graceffa, president of ExNihilo, a web services firm in Providence, R.I. If you look too much like other businesses, customers could have trouble telling you apart. Review what others are doing, but speak to your own customers and use your own institutional knowledge to determine what is important to them.

Ignoring your audience's needs. Try getting baby boomers to read eight-point type and they may get frustrated. Be sure you understand your audience and its preferences before you build your site. Tiny or hard-to-read typefaces or harsh colors may look great from a design standpoint, but if you're not designing for the people who buy from you, you could be losing their business, Graceffa says.

Eschewing analytics. Review the analytics of any sites you have before you begin designing a new one, Graceffa says. Know your bounce rate--the number of people who leave the site after viewing only one or two pages--your top entrance page and your top exit page. Google Analytics will help you understand where your traffic is coming from, what keywords people are using to find you and what they're reading on your site. That way, Graceffa says, you can build more of what's working.

Refusing to get help. Don't let your pride or fear of spending earn you a spot on WebPagesThatSuck.com. If web design is not your strong suit and you need more than what a web design template can provide, seek professional help. Check your local business associations and look online for sites you like. Many have links at the bottom to their designers' sites, so you can find a designer whose work you already like.