At Brand Staff, Author at At Brand

Define your small business’s product and/or service

July 6, 2016 By At Brand Staff

Make the transition from desktop daydreamer to small business owner

If you?ve ever worked for someone else you?ve probably had a moment when you thought, ?I could make this business better?the product more appealing?and the service even more beneficial to the customers.?

Usually its after your boss makes a questionable decision or yet another memo comes down from corporate headquarters announcing the next breakthrough initiative or organizational change.

In fact, desktop daydreaming is commonplace. According to University of Phoenix, 39 percent of U.S. employees hope to someday own their own business. But what separates those who dream from those who do is the realization and belief that they can do it themselves?and do it better?whether it?s managing a client?s payroll and accounts, repairing clients? homes or vehicles, or serving the best desserts in town.

Know what you do well, and know what you like
What you?re good at it may be what you?re getting paid to do right now. Or not. We all need to pay the bills and put food on the table. But if you?re starting a business it needs to be about more than just earning a paycheck. It has to come not from something you like but from something you love. Something that lights a fire within you. And something you do well. So what is it? Maybe IT consulting or web design. Maybe construction or farming. Maybe caring for others. What is the first thing you choose to do in your free time? What is the last thing you want to be taken away from when you?re doing it? Once you have a concept, it?s time to figure out how to make it go.

Choosing your product or service is one of the most important decisions, if not the single most important decision, you will make when planning your small business. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to ensure you get it right:

What problem will my product or service alleviate?
Who is already doing it?
Is there a gap in the marketplace my business could fill?
If there are competitors, who are they? What are they doing well? What could I do better?

You cannot just start a business because you want to start a business. At least not if you want to start a successful business. You have to have a simple but solid idea for a product or service that people already know they need and are getting somewhere else. Or if it is new idea, you have to prove it is needed and then provide it at a reasonable cost.

Tips for Designing a Great Logo

September 9, 2015 By At Brand Staff

It starts by understanding that your logo is not your brand

For starters, let?s make a distinction. Your logo is not your brand. Your brand is an intangible?a personality?a relationship?an experience. It is shaped equally by you and your customers, and it is strongest when your vision and ability to deliver on your brand promise aligns with your customers? expectations.

So what, then, is your logo, and why is a good logo so important?

Your logo is the visual representation of your brand. It is a design element that helps shape the customer experience. If you?re lucky enough and your brand is strong enough, it becomes the defining symbol of your business.

Need proof? Check out this clever video from inetdesign, a digital creative agency. Do you recognize these brands? Even with their names missing?

So how do you create such an impressionable mark for your business?

Here are four logo design tips that can help you withstand scrutiny and the test of time.

Think unique. Ultimately, your business must sell a product or service, so understand what differentiates you from your competitors. Strive to have your logo represent your values statement.
Be memorable. With so many options in today?s marketplace, you want your logo to standout among the crowd. Moreover, people will start to associate your business with your logo?so make it worth remembering. Hint: less is more.
Think long-term. Great logos stand the test of time. A refresh may be needed from time to time to stay current, but a strong, identifiable logo will not need an overhaul. So avoid extreme detail and instead focus on differentiating your brand through with minor subtleties that tell a story.
Understand that perception is reality. How do you want to be perceived by your customers? Ultimately it doesn?t matter how good your product or service is, it?s what your customers think about you that really matters. Keep your customers in mind during the entire design process.

Above all else, a good logo is distinctive, simple, appropriate, and conveys an intended message. A great example of this is Nike. When Nike founder Phil Knight provided college design student Carolyn Davidson with details on what the mark for his shoe company should represent?flight, victory, and speed?not only did Davidson present the now famous ?Swoosh,? which inferred motion and speed, but she also suggested that Nike?the winged goddess of victory who had the ability to fly?might be a better name than the proposed Dimension 6. This clear vision ultimately defined Nike?s comprehensive marketing approach, including its decision to make Michael ?Air? Jordan an early brand ambassador. It is also why Nike is now one of the world?s leading brands.

Google Launches Rebrand with New Logo and “G” Icon

September 1, 2015 By At Brand Staff

Serifs give way to simpler, smoother new logo design that will translate well across all mediums?from desktop to mobile

Google today unveiled its new logo, bidding adieu to the serifs in favor of a slimmer, more modern wordmark. The release follows Google’s announcement of a major restructuring of the company, which has Google becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet, a new holding company owned by Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

In Google’s own words:

“So why are we doing this now? Once upon a time, Google was one destination that you reached from one device: a desktop PC. These days, people interact with Google products across many different platforms, apps and devices?sometimes all in a single day. You expect Google to help you whenever and wherever you need it, whether it?s on your mobile phone, TV, watch, the dashboard in your car, and yes, even a desktop!

“Today we?re introducing a new logo and identity family that reflects this reality and shows you when the Google magic is working for you, even on the tiniest screens. As you?ll see, we?ve taken the Google logo and branding, which were originally built for a single desktop browser page, and updated them for a world of seamless computing across an endless number of devices and different kinds of inputs (such as tap, type and talk).

“It doesn?t simply tell you that you?re using Google, but also shows you how Google is working for you. For example, new elements like a colorful Google mic help you identify and interact with Google whether you?re talking, tapping or typing. Meanwhile, we?re bidding adieu to the little blue ?g? icon and replacing it with a four-color ?G? that matches the logo.”

In the At Brand office, the reviews are mixed. Some are weighing in that the mark has lost its distinction by joining the flat design trend. I agree with that, but is it a disaster?

Ina Saltz, a typography expert and professor at CCNY, says it is: ?It looks childish, it looks unsophisticated, it looks like play dough.?

According to a report from PIX11, Saltz says the spacing between the lowercase ?g? and ?l? is too tight, the bottom ?jaw? of the upper case G sticks out too far, and there?s a dissonance between the angle of the lower case ?e? and the first ?G.? Instead of switching typefaces completely, Saltz said Google would have been better off beefing up the existing logo to work better on small screens while keeping its overall look.

Rebranding has proven to be a struggle for many major companies, from Gap to Coke and Hershey. Our prediction: the Google rebrand will be better received because the new wordmark breathes and brings continuity to the Google suite of products. It will also translate well across a variety of mediums, which is exactly why the unveiling was animated…highlighting the “G” icon and multi-colored dots. If Google were not so iconic, they could not pull this off, but because of their status as a gargantuan tech leader, this rebranding, while sure to initially get panned by design experts, will come to symbolize Google’s forward thinking approach.

#Callwithpurpose: Value the importance of follow up and knowing when to make a prospecting call

August 15, 2014 By At Brand Staff

I won?t mince words: I don?t like the phone. Talking with people I have yet to develop a relationship with I like even less. Perhaps that?s why I?ve been well suited for success in the digital age. Social media and the Internet have allowed me to build relationships with people without having to hard sell them. Still, in my line of work, marketing and public relations, the phone?more specifically, follow up and the prospecting call?is something I can?t avoid. In fact, working the phone to help my clients promote their people, products, and services is an important part of what I do. As a growing small business, it?s something that should be an important part of what you do as well.

To ensure the time you spend on the prospecting call is valuable, ask yourself these three questions before you dial:

Who am I calling?
What do they need?
What do I want to accomplish?

The underlying theme here is purpose. If you don?t have a good reason to make a prospecting call, don?t make the call. People are busy, and unless you can clearly articulate how you can help them solve a problem or address a need, you?re simply not worth their time and they will make you feel that way. It?s not good for you, and it?s not good for the image of your business.

On the flip side, failing to make a call when you have purpose and even cause can be just as damaging. This is especially true when it comes to follow up. Again, people are busy. Just because someone isn?t beating down your door to give you their business or learn more about your products or services doesn?t mean they?re not interested. Your call is often the reminder they need to take action. In fact, appropriate follow up is something most people appreciate?and expect?which is why learning to call with purpose, as well as knowing when not to call, is a valuable skill. It can save you time and make you money?two things that are good for any business.

Four brand building basics best left to the pros

July 14, 2014 By At Brand Staff

Running a small business can be financially challenging. Thus, many small business owners feel as though they can cut costs by creating business cards and other corporate identity materials themselves?wrong.

When your small business is your livelihood, wouldn?t you want to present your company in the most professional light possible? While hiring professional help may seem like an unnecessary cost, in certain aspects of your business it can actually save you time and earn you more money in the long run.

Here are four brand building basics you should consider turning over to the pros:

Logo Design. If you think of your business as a house, your logo is more than the welcome mat, it is the entire entrance?a vitally important design element that helps introduce and shape the way people experience your brand. Even more than that, the logo is the primary identification mark of your business. It needs to be simple, clear, and versatile. Your logo also needs to be valued and respected for what it is, a supporting element, not the defining element, of your brand?s visual identity. Yet it will always command a prominent place in the identity hierarchy, which it needs to be professionally designed to sit boldly front and center.
Business Cards. While companies like Vistaprint, Overnight Prints, and Zazzle offer hundreds of free templates, do you really want to use the same uninspired template as thousands of other companies? Probably not. Instead, your business card should be unique and make a lasting impression with potential clients and employees. It should be an extension of your brand. In fact, you should consider bundling all? your brand identity design needs together?business cards, stationery, envelopes, labels, brochures, postcards, and other promotional items. The best part, you can still use online digital printers to print your materials. It?s the best of both worlds?great looking designs and quality printing at a low cost.
Website. People prefer to do business with companies that have a professional website. If you take the DIY approach, you risk the chance of not being taken seriously. Perhaps more important, website development is governed by its own set of rules?CSS and programming languages?that every excellent web designer is well versed in. Why? Because designing websites that are both beautiful and beneficial is about striking a balance between code-generated design and graphic and traditional media elements. If you can strike that balance, not only will you have a great looking website, but you will also have a website that search engines and, by extension, visitors can find.
Content. Content for marketing, advertising, and web is crucial to the success of any company. Essentially, you want to develop content that is not only SEO-friendly but also engaging. However, if you know your writing skills are not up to par or have asked yourself what is SEO, you?re at a major loss. Hire a professional writer or SEO company to develop relevant content for both your target audience and popular search engines. If they can assist you with copywriting, editing, and proofreading, you?ll get a much better return on your investment than if you do it yourself. You may know what you want to say about your business. A great writer will help you say it better than you can say it yourself.

What You Can Learn from Your Website’s Bounce Rate

August 19, 2013 By At Brand Staff

From the cornfield of Kevin Costner?s Field of Dreams came the voice: ?If you build it, they will come.? So like so many entrepreneurs, Costner?s character set about building it?and they came?his father, the ghosts of baseball legends, and a stream of cars flocking to the picturesque ball field he nearly went into foreclosure to build.

Business websites are like the Field of Dreams. Large or small, they?re developed with a common goal: to attract as many visitors as possible to either sell more products or supplement an organization?s sales process. However, unlike a flock of baseball enthusiasts purchasing a ticket to watch a baseball game, all website visitors are not created equal. Revenue requires action, which is driven by creating a perception of value that is the result of engagement. So the question is this: should you focus on engaging the random visitor or attracting the visitor who will be engaged? There is a difference, and it comes down to the old rule of knowing your customer.

Bounce rate is a great measurement to analyze how well you?re targeting the right visitors. It identifies the ?land-and-leavers? by tracking the percentage of site visitors that go only one page before exiting a site. According to Google, the average bounce rate for U.S. websites is 42.5 percent.

Determining your bounce rate is easy?and free

Your bounce rate will be available in most website analytics reports. Google Analytics is free and easy to install on your website. Here?s a tutorial on how to set up Google Analytics on your website. To create an account or sign it, go to: Once your account is active, you can see your bounce rate under the ?Audience Overview? tab.

You want your bounce rate to be low. This is especially true if you are paying to drive traffic to your site. In fact, bounce rate is often the point of disconnect between website owners and the search engine optimization firms they hire to help them. The SEO company will point to traffic and say: ?we?ve increased traffic to your site by an average of 200 visitors a day.? To which the business owner responds: ?But I?m losing more money than I?m making.? And neither is wrong, but the finger pointing ensues and trust erodes.

Bounce rate ultimately measures engagement. Is your site relevant to the visitors you want to attract and does it provide them with the information they need to take action? If the answer is no, then you need to focus on making your website better meet the needs of your prospective clients.

Keys to lowering your bounce rate

Here are five things the At Brand team focuses on to improve bounce rate and generate more conversions.

Onsite search engine optimization. Make sure your page titles, heading tags, and content are SEO-friendly and contain the right keywords.
Usability. Your site needs to be easy to navigate and contain well-placed links that point to relevant information on other pages of your site.
Value. The importance of on target, well-written content cannot be overstated, so focus on helping web site visitors find an answer or solution to whatever their needs may be, whether it is a product, service, or information.
Mix it up. Drop in a video here and there, blog, offer live chat. All of these things help engage website visitors. Don?t let your website become too static.
Be sexy. Yes, looks matter. The internet was once popularly referred to as the information superhighway for a reason?lots of traffic moving at a fast pace. Your website is your billboard along this highway, and it can pass as a blur at the side of the road if it?s not well designed.

Bounce rate is one tool of many for measuring website effectiveness

Bounce rate is not the be-all and end-all of website analytics. It is just one tool in the website benchmarking toolbox. As a general rule, you should understand its impact on your website and how it affects you achieving your goals. Keep in mind, different sites will and should view bounce rate differently. For example, if you are a coupon-oriented website, a high bounce rate is very likely. You want people to find your relevant page in a search then click your offer. So conversions are a more valuable metric. However, if your site is designed to augment your sales process by providing detailed information about your products and services, achieving a low bounce rate is very important. You want people navigating across your site for more information.

The important thing to remember is that not all traffic is created equal. Also remember that a website is grounded in reality. If you build it, visitors will not come?at least not by chance. You need a strategic plan for generating traffic?the right kind of traffic?that will engage new and existing customers in a way that helps drive revenue. Otherwise you?ll be like Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams, telling all those you know and who care about your business that ?I? I was just talking to the cornfield.?