PISH POSH
DESIGN

Being Mindful

Eat, Drink, & Be Merry…

Just finished this fresh new website for The Westporter, a fantastic restaurant and catering business in historic Westport, Massachusetts. This website uses a bright white background to emphasize the beautiful images of food and drink. When the food is this good, the design should support it with a conscious simplicity. Check out the site here: westporterbistro.com.

Tote Bag Design

A tote bag design for a small business organization that sells these thick, cotton, bags at farmers markets.

Packaging Design

Luscious packaging for a collection of gourmet olive oils and vinegars.

Logo as Signage

We are happy to show you a new logo designed for the Visiting Artists Gallery in Tiverton Four Corners. It is always important to keep in mind how a logo will read as a sign. Strong colors that compliment the exterior of the building, along with font choices that are strong and legible form afar, combine to deliver a sign that matches the brand and reaches the customer from the street.

If you’re local, this gallery currently features a beautiful (and summery) exhibition from the Jessica Hagen gallery of Newport, RI.

The Modern Blog

Today we launched “Discover FarmCoast,” a blog designed for the FarmCoast organization which promotes the history, culture and events of select communities in southern New England.  The parent website is largely static, providing visitors with a wealth of information about beaches, restaurants, galleries and more. So when they came to us with the idea of a blog, we were delighted to give the site a component that would update frequently and allow the organization to reach reader’s in the conversational voice.

Blogs and Facebook can be used to accomplish similar goals. They both offer a way to quickly distribute news-worthly information rapidly to a wide range of readers and they both offer readers the opportunity to respond. That said, Facebook (et al.) and Blogs are not the same and should be used as different tools to accomplish different goals. Social Networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are perfect for brief remarks and announcements, as well as engaging an already plugged-in community. Blogging however is a magazine-style vehicle that communicates to a more committed reader (or consumer) with content that has a certain amount of depth.

Blogs like Discover FarmCoast become a destination for a community of readers to browse at a leisurely pace, exploring an area of interest that already appeals to them. Sites like this get bookmarked and read regularly, with reader’s having an expectation of frequent updates of quality content (of any length). Like reading your favorite magazine, the best blogs utilize beautiful large images and bite-sized paragraphs.

If you are thinking about launching a blog, as a component of your business or as a stand alone project, consider hiring a writer and/or photographer to assist your group in generating content. A well-kept blog is a treasure for readers and an priceless marketing tool.

Google Places: Get Listed

Google has long been the king of search. Most businesses are well aware of the competition to be listed on the first page for a search term.

Google also provides an option for brick and mortar businesses to be added to their directory called Google Places. This gives businesses another area to be listed within Google and adds your info to Google Maps with quick access to phone, address and  hours for potential customers. You also have the option to list current promotions.

Being listed in relevant business directories is a good idea and with the added bonus of having your business listed in Google Maps is another win as it is often used by mobile users on the go.

For more information go to www.google.com/places

Work Smart Secrets

Some quick tips for efficiently managing your online
presence without going insane….

You have a content-managed website. You have a Facebook page. You started a Twitter account and signed up with an email marketing system. But now, these tools are taking up more time than your team can commit, or they simply aren’t being maintained at all. Before you throw in the towel, make sure you are getting the most out of every keystroke.

1. Stick to a Schedule
Set aside some time – once a week, every two weeks, whatever works for you – and use this time to review your on-line presence, including your Google Analytics.

2. Write it Once, Use it Everywhere
Once you have written about a recent event announcement, perspective, innovation, etc. post it everywhere:

• to your blog or elsewhere on your website
• to your Facebook & Twitter
• in your email marketing

3. Synchronize
Make sure that you have the current technology in place to synchronize your systems.

• Sync your mailing list database to your website so that new leads are automatically added
• Sync your blog with Facebook
• Sync your Facebook with Twitter
• Sync your website home page to auto-include your most recent blog or Facebook post

Advertising with Facebook

If you have already experimented with Google AdWords, you will find a similar experience with Facebook ads though there are some appealing differences. If you are new to this, you can expect a system that is technically easy to use but requires thoughtful research and monitoring.

Facebook Ad Basics

1. Design your adInclude a brief written message accompanied by a photo.

2. Select your target demographic You will choose your target’s sex, geography, age, and interests. Once your preferences are sets, you’ll know how many users fit the demographic.

3. Set your budget Facebook ads can be purchased as pay-per-click or by the number of impressions. You can set your cost limit per day or for the term of the campaign. Based on your target preferences, you’ll be given an estimate of how many impressions you can expect for your budget.

Compared to AdWords

Google AdWords delivers your ad in response to specific search queries and therefore the consumer can be considered a warm lead, expressing an interest in your product/service in the moment. Facebook on the other hand presents ads to users that have expressed a general interest.

Google AdWords are more expensive. You can expect to pay higher prices per click for less impressions.

A Google ad offers three possible outcomes per impression: the consumer ignores the ad; the ad is clicked, they  visit  your site but they don’t purchase; or they click, they come and they buy. Facebook also offers these outcomes, but with one additional possibility: they can Like you. And with that Like, you have obtained an on-going relationship through which you can further communicate.

Facebook ads incorporate images, while AdWords do not. As always, simple images seem to be the most effective. Try multiple images, and see which one works best for you.