Friday, May 28, 2010

Charlotte Web Design Specialists CGR Creative Lists Six Questions your Business Should Answer Before Designing Your Website

Charlotte Web Design Specialists CGR Creative Lists Six Questions your Business Should Answer Before Designing Your Website

Charlotte’s Web Design specialists CGR Creative explains the importance behind answering these six questions before designing your company’s website. CGR takes pride in taking the time to fully research a client’s market and industry before beginning any creative project. Located in the historic South End neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina, CGR Creative has been quietly cranking out some of  the best web design in the Country.

Answering these six questions can literally put your business on the map, and you need to do that before you put it on the web! Give CGR Creative a call today to see how we can help meet your business' design needs.

CGR Creative’s Six Web Design Questions

Who is your client? It is critical that you identify your target market. This is not as simple as it sounds. Often business owners make assumptions about their market that do not stand up to investigation. Knowing your core demographic can inform design decisions and directly influence the effectiveness of your web site.

What problem are you solving? In order to be really successful, you must solve a problem for your customers. Your first job is to inform your audience about the problem and then direct their attention to your ingenious solution. The more dramatic the problem the more valuable your solution becomes.

What is your core service or product? What product or service are you most interested in selling? Often this is not the most or least expensive option you have available. At the movies, this is called MEDIUM. What product or service has the highest profit to effort ratio? In other words what is your company best at?

For the last three questions please visit Charlotte Web Design Specialists CGR Creative!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Top Ten SEO Tips From Charlotte's Web Design Experts CGR Creative

Top Ten SEO Tips From Charlotte's Web Design Experts CGR Creative

Today Julio Colmenares of Charlotte based CGR Creative addressed a luncheon crowd on the topic of new media and web design. One of the questions from the audience was, "What are the top 10 things you can do do get your site ranked higher on Google?" Julio explained how each of these ideas work and how to gain maximum benefit from them. We think that question was worth addressing again here on our blog, so here is your Top 10 list of Search Engine Optimization Tips:

10. Titles - Each page within your site should have a unique title that is relevant to your business and the content on that particular page.

9. Keyword Rich Content - Every page should have at least 250 words of plain text that contains the relevant keywords from your page title. It is best if those keywords are mentioned in the first few lines.

8. Don't Use Frames - Frames prevent search engines from searching the content on your site. If you view the source of your web page, and you don't see the content of your page, your site is hiding that content from search engines.

7. Don't Use Graphics in Place of Text
- Search engines can't search the content of pictures yet, so they can't read your cool graphic that explains what your business is about. Use plain HTML text throughout your site.

6. Avoid Flash Heavy Content - Just like pictures, search engines can't read the content of Flash files, but, worse, many browsers, and even more mobile phones, can't see Flash files at all.

5. Tag All Your Media Files - For the pictures and graphics you do have on your site, make sure you fill out their alt tags and meta tags as completely as possible. Be sure to repeat your keywords here as well.

4. Don't Create Outgoing Links
- Outgoing links send search engines the message that your content is not as valuable as that of the pages to which you are linking. You never want to have more outgoing links than you have incoming.

3. Create Incoming Links - Incoming links make your content look more valuable. Search engines will begin to treat your site more like an expert on your subject with every additional incoming link. Social media can really help here.

2. Keep Page Viewers Occupied - Search engines actually monitor how long viewers stay on your site. So, make sure all your pages have visually pleasing, fast-loading, interesting content.

1. Update Your Content Regularly - The best way to keep moving up the search engine ladder is to continually update your content. This keeps your site looking valuable to search engines, and it promotes new visits from existing viewers which also increases your rankings.

Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency offering cutting edge Web Design and more. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Julio Colmenares of Charlotte's CGR Creative Talks About New Media

Julio Colmenares of Charlotte's CGR Creative Talks About New Media

Don't forget to take advantage of this great opportunity! Join us on May 20, 2010 and learn how to leverage technology to build awareness of your company. What 'new media' means changes rapidly, so the question becomes, "How can I keep current without going crazy or bankrupt?" The answer is simple, "Jump In!" Learning to swim requires that you get in the pool. You can research, compare, look to your competitor, etc. but eventually you must get wet. Julio Colmenares teaches you how to take control of new media and promote your business! Let's grow your business! Only $19.50!

The event will be held from 11:30 to 1:00 at Vivace Italian Restaurant in Charlotte. Vivace offers five star quality at 3 star prices with excellent presentation and service.

Click here to sign up today!

About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

CGR Creative of Charlotte Takes you on a Tour of their new TrackIt Advertising Software

CGR Creative of Charlotte Takes you on a Tour of their new TrackIt Advertising Software

CGR's new TrackIt software allows advertisers like you to track every aspect of marketing efforts. Now you can measure and optimize the performance of your marketing and advertising efforts.  By placing unique call measurement numbers on each of your marketing mediums, (i.e. website, print, direct-mail, radio) you can discover which ads deliver the most, and best, leads.

You know marketing goes beyond placing a few ads and hoping for the best. Our platform makes your company smarter and more efficient.

TrackIt Targeting
  • Ensure callers and web visitors reach the right agent at the right time.  Our communication software uses intelligent routing rules, ensuring you will no longer miss important leads or communication.
TrackIt Analytics
  • Take the guesswork out of advertising Track phone calls, chats, and clicks that result from print and web campaigns
  • Show which ads are working and give you the most bang for your buck

TrackIt Awareness
  • Deliver the right message everytime Incoming conversations are preceded by a quick audible announcement about the referring source that generated the lead
  • Calls and chats from your website will be associated with the  exact keywords that led the visitor to the website and then every page that was viewed prior to the conversation

TrackIt Knowledge
  • Gain insight into how well you communicate with your customers and salespeople

TrackIt Website Tracking
  • Fast implementation - simply load our script on all of your web pages 
  • Track referring websites and keywords that lead to a website visit 
  • Add value by assigning specific conversion goal pages 
    • A retailer’s directions page 
    • Service appointment form confirmation at a car dealership
  • Listen to actual phone calls and see the visitor’s click path that led him/her to pick up the phone
  • Email reports - schedule or send personalized e-mails containing the exact information you want to share
   
TrackIt Live Website Chat
  • The online chat tool offers immediate online assistance to your website’s users. Chat provides great scalability for your staff, as a single agent can handle numerous simultaneous conversations
  • Provide quick responses to visitors on your website 
  • Convert “just looking” visitors into viable leads 
  • Chat icon only appears when someone is present to field questions 
  • Analyze referring sites and keywords that led to a chat  
  • Reduce operating costs and increase productivity 
  • Instantly engage website visitors 
  • View a visitor’s click path leading to and after a chat
  • Take web analytics to the next level by measuring the phone calls that your site produces.  Now you can relate phone calls to the specific referring sites and keywords that lead to an offline conversion
About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

    Friday, May 7, 2010

    Hidden Marlboro Advertising in Formula 1?

     As with almost all other forms of racing, Formula 1 took a huge hit when cigarette companies were no longer allowed to advertise on the cars, tracks, broadcasts, etc. Well, recently it seems like Marlboro may be blurring the lines... LITERALLY.

    These are images of the new Ferrari Formula 1 race car sponsored in part by Phillip Morris makers of Marlboro cigarettes. We'll let you be the judge.

    Here is the top view of the 2010 Ferrari Scuderia (Marlboro) F1 car which does not seem to be controversial at all.
     The side view begins to illustrate our point. If you are familiar with the Marlboro brand the "bar code" looking section should at least remind you of the cigarette brand's logo.
    This angled view was the clincher for us. Look at it and imagine the car passing you at race speed. What impression will you be left with?


    Here is the Marlboro sponsored Ferrari from 2005 before the tobacco companies were forced out. It illustrates both how much of a role tobacco played in the sport and it goes to show how closely the new graphics resemble the Marlboro logo.


    The branding goes beyond just the car and can be found on everything associated with the team including uniforms, equipment, advertising, promotional items, etc.


    At this point it should be pretty clear that Marlboro is back in Formula 1.



    About CGR Creative: Charlotte based CGR Creative is a full service advertising agency, marketing firm, design studio, and interactive marketing agency. CGR Creative prides itself on supporting their customers in a way that larger agencies can’t, often times committing all their resources to ensure the success of their client’s projects. CGR Creative’s fundamental belief is that the client’s success is their success. The agency, with an office in Charlotte, North Carolina, is fully bi-lingual, with a Latino marketing division that offers a variety of marketing channels that are specifically targeted to reach the Hispanic market.

    Wednesday, May 5, 2010

    CGR Creative goes to the Movies: Iron Man 2 Review

    CGR Creative goes to the Movies: Iron Man 2 Review

    Iron Man 2 is Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment  highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film “Iron Man,” based on the successful Marvel comic franchise of the same name.

    Iron Man 2 reunites director Jon Favreau and Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr. The basic plot rundown has the world aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the armored super hero Iron Man, and he is under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military. However, Tony is unwilling to divulge the secrets behind the Iron Man armor. The film also features Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) as Stark's #1 employee and best friend respectively.

    The main plot follows Tony Stark's quest to keep the Iron Man armor a corporate secret, while a competing weapons firm, with pentagon contracts, tries to undermine Stark's credibility and to gain access to the Iron Man technology. Mickey Rourke plays the son of a former Russian Stark Industries Associate, who was disgruntled, to say the least, at the way Howard Stark, Tony's father, handled the termination of that relationship.
      
    Iron Man 2 is not a groundbreaking original look at the super hero film, the first film filled that role, the sequel is an extension of the first movie and a very successful one. It is funnier, more relevant, and if possible visually more impressive than the first film. In fact, the only possible drawback is that the first film was so good at getting audiences to suspend their disbelief that no sequel can ratchet that up more than just a few notches. Iron Man 2 is a blast, and we give it four thumbs up! 

    To add your feedback visit us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CGRCreative and click on Discussions.