Q. I want a divorce from Facebook.
A. Recent developments have caused a lot of folks to want to part ways with Facebook and join other social media groups. But they are finding it much like ending a relationship that they, for the most part, enjoyed and profited from. Remember, Facebook started about 16 years ago. Over that time, we've shared information with hundreds or even thousands of people. We've reconnected with old friends and classmates. And, Facebook has collected enough information on each of us to know exactly what our preferences are politically, religiously, and whether we prefer chicken over beef or a meatless diet. In other words, they know us as well as a spouse knows us.
And leaving them might mean leaving the "friends" we've gained as well as the followers of our business and social life. Other sites have started up causing many to join without actually abandoning Facebook. From a business standpoint, the new sites haven't existed long enough to gather the data used to zero in on our target market--and many of them are designed specifically to avoid such invasions.
Algorithms take time to develop, so expectations of these sites to generate sales or other engagements should be low for now. Most likely, Facebook is keeping track of anyone that posts that they are joining Parler or MeWe and will add that information to their growing list of what they know about you. They're like the ex that kept stalking you even after you said, "We're done."
From a purely economic standpoint, Facebook will continue to provide a high ROI. The other sites will gain traction as more people move or add this platform to their marketing menu. Time will tell whether the new sites will be able to monetize quickly enough to stay afloat or become a viable option for business use.
Stay tuned! We are keeping a close eye on the best options for business owners!

​Q. Do I need a website since I have Facebook?
A. Posting photos of a meal is one of the most common social media posts. It's fun to share with family and friends when your plate is especially photogenic. In fact, some business owners think as long as they use Facebook or Instagram they don't need a website. Social media sites can be a great way to drive traffic to you if your posts are designed to do so. However, the social media platforms are not designed to close the sale or tell your company's whole story like a website can. It's better to pair social media with a quality website so potential customers can take action and engage with the business to buy what they have to sell. Using social media limits the interaction to "likes" and "shares." Posts on social media need to be designed to pique the interest of the reader to search for more information. That information is on your website. How many times have you seen something cool on Facebook once and then not be able to find it again? That doesn't happen with a website!
Let's chat about combining your social media posts with a website that closes the sale.
775-544-6612

​Every business will either eventually either close or be past to the next generation or sold to a new owner. That demands an exit strategy even if the business is new. Your exit strategy will vary based on what assets are part of the business. There are many important aspects to realize as transferable assets.
1. Real estate and improvements. Does your business have a visible commercial space that any subsequent business owner would desire? What about any specialized equipment or build-outs that are critical to the business you own?
2. Customer base.
Do you keep a database of customers that a new owner would need to continue the business? If not, why not?
3. Website and Social media followers.
Your website is an asset that is part of the value of your company. Particularly, your domain name may be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Followers on Facebook, Instagram and other media can be worth paying for to a new owner.
4. Reputation.
This is referred to as "goodwill." It's also considered "blue sky." Your reputation as a business entity can be a positive or negative as it relates to value. How you have managed reviews and customer complaints can affect your valuation and a prospective buyer's impression of any business.
5. Financial value.
Most business transitions involve the buyer obtaining financing to acquire your "going concern" business. Having accurate financials that are current will be a critical part of justifying the sales price and make it possible for the buyer to be approved for a loan. While every business owner likes to minimize their tax liability, it is important to not understate revenue or overstate expenses when filing tax returns.
Having an independent analysis of your financials that demonstrate the amount of financing the business can support as part of your sales strategy can not only help you get your price, but also assist a buyer when they go to their lender.
6. Condition.
Deferred maintenance of the business property tells a story of the profitability of a business. In residential real estate, "staging" has become an important part of the sales process. The same is true of commercial and business sales. If the buyer feels they will have to make immediate improvements in the appearance, signage or other upgrades it will dramatically affect what they will be willing to pay.
Waking Girl Company has helped many of their clients from coast to coast in the succession process. Having decades of experience in real estate sales, lending and marketing with members of their team, makes them a great first contact in making plans to sell.
775-544-6612

​Ever since Al Gore "invented" the internet, people have been figuring out ways to make money from it. That's part of capitalism and there is nothing wrong with looking for ways to meet the demands of consumers. The internet has provided many ways to generate revenue that we couldn't have imagined before 1994. One of the ways is called "cybersquatting." This is the word that has been coined to describe someone that has acquired a web domain with the hopes that someone will want that domain in the future. It's a fairly inexpensive gamble and can be highly profitable. As the internet has grown the availability of domain names has changed dramatically. There are several important considerations when choosing a domain for your business or organization:
1. Is it memorable? Use the KISS (keep it simple silly) method for best results.
2. Don't get too cute. Using a creative spelling of your name can often work against you as generic searches typically don't include words spelled outside of the norm.
3. Does the name reflect what you do or the product you sell? Unless you have an unlimited budget for marketing to drive traffic to your site, it is usually best to use a domain name that helps Google find you by including one or two keywords that either explain what you sell, or where you sell it.
4. What if the domain I want is already owned by a cybersquatter? Like anything else, everything is negotiable. Your web designer may be able to negotiate a price or suggest alternative domain names that will satisfy your requirements. If you have your heart set on a domain that is already owned, you may have to pony up or keep an eye on the domain to see if the owner loses interest in it.
5. Think about variations of your domain name that you might want to acquire that will forward to your website. Many businesses have multiple domains. Tracking which domains are being used to find you can be useful in determining your overall marketing strategy. Who knows, someone might want to purchase one of your domains in the future!

A business owner asks, "Can I get more traffic to my website without getting a new website?"
Possibly!
Are you currently receiving enough new clients through your website to keep you busy?
If yes, then you probably don't need a new website to continue your normal operations. However, your website may be missing out on key tools and resources that will improve the experience for customers, and decrease the amount of time you need to spend with customers.
If you are not currently receiving enough new clients, then it doesn't matter how much traffic we send to your site, we don't know that your website will work when customers get there.
Huh?
The process of converting people to customers online is this:
1. Get people to your website.
2. Provide a call to action (call, sign up, register, enroll, schedule, book, buy now).
3. Follow up with those who take action (close the deal, provide the service, send the product).
If you have a website already, but you're not getting customers from it, then you need a new website.
Why?
-The current website was not built for SEO
and/or
-The current website was not built with a solid offer and call to action
We are great at building websites that climb the ranks of Google.
We are also great at building out a reasonable call to action that will get your traffic excited about being your customer.
We built one site that received more appointment requests in the first 48 hours of its launch, than it had received in the previous 5 years combined.
We don't like wasting time on things that aren't going to work.
Providing SEO services as an afterthought, without ensuring that your website will bring in customers is a disservice to you.
We want to build a longterm relationship with your business. We do that by providing services that work!
Call 775-544-6612 to wake up your website and wake up your business!

Are you thinking about moving to Reno, NV? Whether you’re a current or prospective entrepreneur, Reno is a fantastic location to run a business. The city and state boasts all kinds of wonderful opportunities for entrepreneurs. You’ll enjoy robust community support for small businesses, an educated workforce, and no shortage of local resources designed to help local businesses thrive. In a rocky economy, the value of launching a business in a supportive environment cannot be overstated. Below, Waking Girl explores the reasons you should consider setting up shop in Reno.

Availability of Rentals

If you’re not in a position to buy a home, renting is a great alternative, especially in Reno. The city has a variety of rental options at price points suited to various budgets. Look for homes in a neighborhood that fit the needs and wants of your family. 

Once you’ve chosen a few suitable areas, view online listings to find properties in your price range. Most online rental sites will allow you to filter your search results based on your desired number of bedrooms and bathrooms, so remember to take advantage of these tools!

Cost of Living

Living in Reno is more expensive than in many other areas of the country. The cost of housing in Reno is significantly above the national average. This cost of living leaves means your business will need to be more competitive on wages to attract talent.

Strong Sense of Community

The people of Reno have a strong sense of community. As a result, residents are eager to support small businesses, and city leaders prioritize policies that support local ventures. 

High Quality of Life

People in Reno generally enjoy a high quality of life. This is great for business! Community members with access to cultural opportunities, tasty food options, high-quality education, and beautiful green space make for happier, healthier employees. These well-known attractions draw new residents:

• National Automobile Museum
• Truckee River Walk
• Mt. Rose Ski Resort
• Nevada Museum of Art

Educated Workforce

Thanks to the number of reputable colleges nearby, the city workforce is well-educated. Good local colleges create a vast pool of local talent that benefit businesses like yours! Here are a few top-ranked schools in the Reno area:

• University of Nevada - Reno
• Multnomah University Nevada
• Sierra Nevada University

Proximity to Destination Resorts

Reno is just a short distance from Lake Tahoe. This makes it easy to find high earners and establish valuable business relationships. Plus, your proximity to high income clients will increase your customer base and offer opportunities to scale your business easily.

Your Reno Business Quick-Start Checklist

Are you ready to start a business in Reno? One of the biggest steps is setting up an LLC in Nevada. Once you’ve launched your official business entity, the following are a few organizations that can help you get off the ground:

• Reno + Sparks Chamber of Commerce
• Nevada Economic Development Corporation
• City of Reno Development Services

Reno could be the perfect home base for you and your business. If you’re interested in this beautiful city, start looking for available rentals, review cost of living considerations, and check out all the local resources that are available to support your business. You will thrive as an entrepreneur in Reno!

If you’re searching for help to wake up your business’s website, contact Waking Girl today!

​Image via Pixabay

In times of economic downturn, it's important to make sure that your website is up-to-date and working optimally. Making sure that your website looks great, has the most up-to-date content, runs quickly, and offers a great customer experience will help you weather the storm and come out on top. 

From the web design experts at Waking Girl Web Design, here are some tips on how to give your website a refresh in preparation for an economic downturn.

Prioritize Speed
Having a website that loads quickly is essential for success in any market condition. Slow sites can lead to frustrated customers who don't have the patience to wait for pages to load or search results to appear. Optimize your site by compressing images and using caching techniques to make sure that there are no delays when customers try to access your site.

Optimize for Mobile
In today's world, mobile optimization is essential. With more people accessing websites from their phones than ever before, you must make sure that your website looks great on all devices. Make sure that all fonts and images scale properly on smaller screens and use media queries if necessary so that everything looks great regardless of device size or type.

Create High-Quality Content
High-quality content can be the difference between success and failure during recessions. Make sure that all of the content on your website is relevant, accurate, and well-written so that customers trust what they are reading when they visit your site. You should also consider adding video content as well as graphics or photos to keep visitors engaged with your content.

Focus on Customer Service
It's important during times of economic hardship for businesses to prioritize customer service above all else so as not to alienate potential customers who may already be feeling stressed due to financial circumstances outside of their control. Investing in customer service technology, such as live chat services or automated responses, will show customers that you care about their needs and are willing to go above and beyond to provide them with helpful solutions.

Learn the Ropes
One of the most effective ways to give your website a refresh is by improving your coding skills. After all, a website that looks aesthetically pleasing but doesn't do what it needs to do will fail to yield results. Once you have your design and branding in order, click here to brush up on changing coding languages, debugging basics, and more. Taking the time to learn coding can make a real difference in how well your website performs both during the downturn and beyond.

​If you're not familiar with coding languages such as HTML or CSS, consider investing time into learning these skills so you can enhance your website yourself without paying extra money for professional services.  Are you eager to pursue a CompTIA certification to enhance your website to its fullest potential? Investing time in IT courses is an exciting way to take control of your website and make sure it looks exactly how you want it to and does what it’s supposed to.

Work With the Pros
If you don't have the time or desire to learn coding languages yourself, partnering with a professional web designer will be beneficial during an economic downturn for the expert advice they can provide, ranging from how best to optimize your site to increasing your sales and conversions over time. Fill out this questionnaire and let Waking Girl Web Design do the rest!

As the economic landscape shifts, staying ahead of competitors and ensuring a strong online presence is key. For entrepreneurs looking to weather this storm in style, investing time into website optimization can make all the difference: think of loading speed upgrades, mobile compatibility, and comprehensive customer service solutions. Your business will be ready for anything coming its way.

Image via Pexels

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New small business owners have a lot on their plates, from figuring out financial projections to learning the ins and outs of marketing. For those who are just starting out, one of the main focal points of getting a business up and running is creating a brand, and there are several aspects involved in that process alone. That’s why it’s so important to give yourself plenty of time to build your brand’s identity and tackle all of the elements that go along with it, from brand management to creating brand awareness. Need help streamlining those details? Take a look at Waking Girl Web Design, where you’ll find an array of services that will help with everything from managing your social media posts to performing accounting tasks.

Before you can get started, you’ll need to think about your ideal customer and how you’ll reach them with your branding strategy. Let’s take a look at some branding tips so you can start your business off on the right foot.

Learn all you can about your target customer

No matter how popular your product is, it’s not realistic to expect every type of customer to buy it, which is why you’ll need to do some research on the consumers you’re targeting. What type of products are already available to them from your competitors? What are their needs? Where do they typically do their shopping? Are they teens, adults, or older adults? Creating a detailed composite of the ideal customer for your business will allow you to customize your branding to their needs and figure out how and where to reach them.

Learn how to use social media to your advantage

One of the most popular spots to reach customers is social media, but not all platforms are built the same, so it’s important to learn about the ones you prefer and create a strategy for making the most of your time there. For instance, how does their algorithm work? If you share a post at a certain time of day, will it do better than at a different time?

It’s also important to utilize social media tools, such as paid ads, reels, and even memes, which are easy, cost-efficient ways to engage with your audience. Memes are especially great because they can be customized according to the type of message you want to get across. Here’s a meme maker that allows you to choose a template, then insert your text and background to create a funny, touching, or relatable meme.

Make your brand memorable

Once you have the right social media tools and a good understanding of who your customer is, you can start to build the elements of your brand, which include a memorable logo and/or slogan, imagery that stands out from your competitors, and those intangible factors that make your business great. Whether your strengths are stellar customer service or a commitment to protecting the environment, those details should go into your business’s mission statement so you can build customer loyalty.

Figure out where you could use a hand

As you start putting together the elements of your brand, think about the areas where you could use a little help. No business owner can do everything themselves, and some branding tasks are better left to the pros. If you’re not great at keeping up with social media posts, let the team at Waking Girl Web Design take over with a customized campaign. Because there’s so much that goes into social media for small businesses, having the support of an experienced team can help prevent costly or time-consuming issues, so you don’t have to worry about the details.
Creating a brand for your business is an essential task, but it can also be an eye-opening one. Take some time to learn more about the process and what it entails, research your target audience, and use online tools such as meme makers to connect with customers.

Ready to start building your business website? Reach out to Waking Girl Web Design to talk about a plan.

Photo via Pexels