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#SOTU: State Of The (Social) Union

  By: Bethany White

I watched the address last night the same way many American’s did - tuned to YouTube with phone in hand, writing a few of the 1.7 million tweets that went out from beginning to end of the speech. The 2014 address may not have been the most viewed State Of The Union in our nation’s history, but it was definitely the most interactive.

This all got me thinking about the evolution of the annual message from America’s first address in 1790 to the hashtag-athon, Instagrammed, Vined, and undoubtedly Snapchatted (what was Mr. Biden up to back there?) experience we shared in 2014. I say that we shared the experience, because while I wasn’t watching the address in person or even watching the address in the same room or state as the people I was connecting with, we were able to communicate with each other. We were able to come together as a nation and have a conversation.

From it’s humble beginnings with George Washington, the annual message has been a change-maker, a declaration of presidential intention that guides the country throughout the year. These speeches have been delivered in years of prosperity and in years of great depression and have heralded some of the most important moments in our nation’s history.

These messages were not always so easily accessible to the citizens. In fact, for over 100 years, the message was not spoken at all, but rather, written to the Congress each year. It wasn’t until 1923 that the first address was broadcast by radio. The television debut was in 1947 to an audience to only the couple of thousand households with TVs. The addresses continued to be televised, eventually moving to prime time spots, and in 2002, George W. Bush gave the first ever State Of The Union Address to be streamed live online.

That was only 12 years ago and the progression of technology has dramatically changed the way our culture interacts with each other and our government. We’re not just listening or watching anymore - we’re engaging. Social media has given us, the audience, a powerful voice that we use across social platforms to reach across social and cultural barriers we never imagined crossing. This open dialogue, while not always friendly, does bring us together to hash out our differences and commiserate about the struggles we’re facing.

There are many reactions to President Obama’s State Of The Union address and I realize that our nation is pretty divided these days but the big picture I saw last night was that we, as Americans, had the opportunity to have a conversation about the direction of our country. We all got to talk and hopefully we listened to each other too.

So next time you want to contact your congressperson, don’t write them a letter. Send them a tweet. Or hangout with them on Google. Or send a message on Facebook.     

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Mind-Blowing Portraits Made of Test Tubes and Pushpins | Michael Mapes recreated some of the Dutch Masters’ most famous portraits. 

Michael Mapes | WIRED.com

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6 Ways Website Visitors are Like 6 Year Olds

The first days of 1st grade are filled with wonder and excitement most of us can recall to this day. Similarly, I’ll never forget the first time I used the internet. This magical thing on my computer screen has not ceased to captivate me to this day. While the landscape of the net has changed dramatically, I find that no matter how sophisticated our technology, most of us still have many of the preferences we held those first days of our 1st grade.

  Research suggests that even educated adults prefer to read at an elementary reading level. I don’t think this is sheer laziness though! When we are not bogged down interpreting complex sentence structures and large words, we can comfortably skim content to get what we need.

We are visual creatures - take Pinterest for example. Visualizing a product or service helps us decide if what is offered is what we’re after. Considering that images are viewed twice as often as text, it makes sense that we are easily bored by websites without enough imagery. 

Calls-to-action placed strategically throughout a website guide us to engage with the business whether that be in providing information, making an appointment, or buying the product. These guides have to be thoughtful however, because not unlike our 6 year old counterparts, we don’t like to feel like we’re being bossed around.

Information security and identity theft are serious concerns for any wise website visitor. We’ve been trained to be hesitant with our information and not to give it out to anyone less than reputable. If we’re to give out our information, we need to receive something valuable in return. For example, I’m not inclined to give my email address to a marketing agency...unless they’re offering a free download of an ebook I want to read.

The average visitor remains on a website for less than 30 seconds. We need to be stimulated by the information we receive from a site or we’ll simply leave and find our services or products elsewhere. This is where it becomes so important to have a clear and appealing look and feel for a website.

It takes longer to choose 1 option out of 20 than to choose 1 out of 2. Those extra seconds spent choosing between too many options on a website are the ones right before we click the back button to the search results and try again with a different website.

    If you’re a business owner, you need a website designed to highlight your products or services that is clear enough to be understood by all. Your business website may have all the variety of the awesome 64-color crayon collection but unless your website is designed for easy viewing, we’re probably going to go for the 8-color box.

Keep it clean. Keep it simple. Let Instabuild help.

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Tailgating 101

Nothing quite beats a crisp fall weekend spent with great friends cheering on the home team and there’s no better way of doing just that than tailgating. Football and home team pride are near and dear to Instabuild’s heart so before we wrap up our work week here, we compiled our favorite tailgating tips to help you and yours enjoy the best weekend this season.

First off, make sure to get to the tailgating area early enough to snag a killer spot. If you’re tailgating with friends, make sure to arrive at the same time since reserving spots is a no-no.

  Fans young and old need energy to properly cheer on the team so make sure to bring a bunch of food. You’ll need to bring more than just hotdogs and buns. Plan on bringing a variety of easy snacks and beverages. While chips and cookies are a crowd favorite, considering bringing healthier alternatives as well such as fruits and veggies.

Whatever your drinking preference, make sure you’ve got enough to share and enough water or juice to keep any little fans tied over as well. Running out of ice is a bummer so bring more than you image you could possibly go through!

Tailgating can be messy! Bring enough paper towels or napkins to clean up spills and enough cups, plates, and cutlery to make eating all the game day goodies easy.

Autumn is officially here and with it, chilly temperatures. Avoid letting the cold dampen your festivities by packing a few extra layers and a waterproof jacket in case of rain. Gloves and hats are not only a great way to stay warm but also a great way to show your team spirit

Jump up with every touchdown but I’ll bet you’ll want a place to take a seat eventually so make sure to bring chairs.

It may seem counter-intuitive to bring a game to a game but there will be a lot of down time when the game isn’t going so it’s a good idea to bring some entertainment for you and your friends while you wait for the game to start and during halftime. Children tend to become bored with long games so bring age-appropriate entertainment for them too!

  Being a good fan means being a clean fan. Make sure to bring enough trash bags to clean up all trash so that everyone has a clean spot to setup in next weekend.

  Those are a few of our essential tailgating elements. What did we leave out? What’s your favorite tailgating tradition?

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A Recipe for a Tasteful Website

Your business needs a beautiful website and we’ve got just the recipe! Here’s a breakdown for a sophisticated, professional website:

  Development - A website is interactive. You visit it, click through it, submit info, receive information. In order for a website to be anything more than a static image, you need a professional developer who writes the coding for the website, enabling visitors to USE a website.

Layout - Believe it or not, there is a psychology to great web design and understanding what visitors respond to in terms of layout and element placement is crucial to a successful website. Our designers have been trained and continue to educate themselves on best practices for layout to ensure that the sites created are optimized for visitor engagement.

Colors - Colors evoke emotions. Depending on your business type and goals, we’ll help you develop a color scheme that will be pleasing to visitors and perfectly balanced.

Typography - The art of type is bigger than mere fonts. Combining appropriate typefaces with proper size and placement attracts a visitors eyes to the most important text as well as makes reading the content of your site easy.

Imagery - Studies show that viewers are more drawn to images than text, so having appropriate imagery throughout your website is crucial in keeping a visitor engaged in your website. Professionally designed imagery evokes success and class and is one of the most important elements of effective website design.

Calls-to-Action - Think about the goal of your website - is it obtaining new customers? Gathering user info? In order for your visitors to do what you want them to do, you have to tell them! Calls-to-action are a basic requirement of great design and increase conversion of visitors to customers.

Navigation - Similar to calls-to-action, visitors need guidance to get to the information they need. Navigation is the key to the map of your website and having clear, concise navigation aids visitors in using your products or services.

Formatted - Your company’s logo is the centerpiece of your business branding. Professionally designed logos include appropriate size and placement and incorporating color, typography, and imagery. Your logo is the identifying mark of your business - make sure it represents your business appropriately.

Skimmable - While you may have great, professional copywriting, the reality is most people skim website text. While some skimming is unavoidable, by using headers and sub-headers, you can anchor your text and ensure that important information stands out.

Simple - Regardless of our education level, research has shown even the smartest among us prefer to read at an 8th grade level. The best websites have easy-to-understand verbiage!

Prep Time = About a week. Instabuild uses state-of-the-art technology to build beautiful, custom websites in the most timely manner possible. Traditionally, a custom website would take months of planning and design but we know that when you need a website, you need it as soon as possible to start bringing in new business. That’s why our platform is engineered toward timely delivery.

Serves = Every visitor who comes to your site. By providing beautiful, understandable design that is both engaging and encouraging, your visitors will be inspired to become customers.

If your website comes off raw or unseasoned, it may be time for a redesign! Our Cringe-Worthy Website Contest is running now, so enter to win a FREE website from Instabuild today!

You can enter to win in any of these 3 ways:

Leave a comment on our Facebook post OR post on our Facebook wall with the URL of your “Cringe-Worthy” site. Make sure your comment includes “My #cringeworthysite needs a makeover:”

Tweet this: @instabuild: My #cringeworthysite needs a makeover” and add your website URL to the tweet.

Leave a comment on our blog with the URL of your “Cringe-Worthy” site.

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Cringe-Worthy Website Contest

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN ON HALLOWEEN. CONTEST RUNS THROUGH FRIDAY 13th - HALLOWEEN.

We’ve all visited websites that made our eyes bleed. Panic ensues as the exit button can’t be found quickly enough. As our cursor travels across the ghost town of bad design on our screen, we suddenly experience the ghastly horror of FLASH, FLASH, FLASH! It’s as if you can hear “Eek, eek, eek.” Then the subtle terror of creepy color pallets, confusing navigation and intruding ads. If broken links were broken hearts, we’d all be singing a country song.

It’s enough to make you want to leave a website and never, ever come back.

We at Instabuild are on a mission to make the web a far less frightening place for us all so we’re going to redesign the most cringe-worthy website we can get our hands on.

Keep reading to find out how you can submit your spooky site.

FREE Custom Website Re-design This means we're going to re-design your website for free!

FREE Social Media Design & Setup This means we will setup and design your Facebook & Twitter pages for your business!

Take your choice of 3 ways to enter.

Leave a comment on our Facebook post OR post on our Facebook wall with the URL of your “Cringe-Worthy” site. Make sure your comment includes “My #cringeworthysite needs a makeover: 

Tweet this: @instabuild: My #cringeworthysite needs a makeover: and add your website URL to the tweet.

Leave a comment on our blog with the URL of your “Cringe-Worthy” site.

Feel like increasing your odds? Here's a few more ways to get another entry dropped into the pot.

Like Instabuild on Facebook.

Share our “Cringe-Worthy Contest” post on Facebook

Tweet this: @instabuild is giving away a free #website re-design to the most #cringeworthywebsite! Here: http://bit.ly/162C4M7

  The website submitted needs to be owned by the contest registrant, or with permission from the registrant.

Any website submitted must be scary, just not inappropriate. Think Edward Scissorhands - not Miley Cyrus.

Material submitted must not contain copyright or trademark infringement.

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Develop a Passion For Learning

By: Bethany White

In a country with free public education, accessible to all children, it is easy to take that education for granted. In the hustle of school schedules and homework, how often do we take a moment to remember that these schedule disruptions and extra work are the treasured evidence of an invaluable gift? That the most basic education is not a given for many children in our world?

I believe that change only happens when people are educated and empowered to share their growth. Take, for example, Malala Yousufzai, the 16 year old Pakistani activist who has been internationally recognized as one of the most important activists of our time. Growing up under Taliban rule, Malala chose to risk her life to speak out for women and children being denied education in her country.  

While Malala is young, her passion for learning and access to education has transformed her world and the world of so many others. She has faced unimaginable persecution, including attempts on her life, but Malala continues to speak out and defend her basic human right to an education. At 16, she is just beginning to grow, but I think it’s safe to say that for her, Anthony J. D’Angelo’s quote could not be more true - she will not cease to grow.

The reason Malala is such a powerful inspiration to me and the rest of us at Instabuild is that we share a passion for education. Malala makes us all question ourselves. After all, if a teenage girl half a world away can ignite a revolution from the passion of her conviction, what can we inspire in our community?

What is your passion?

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Social Media for #SmallBiz

By: Bethany White

  Instabuild LOVES social media - not only is it a great way to get our message of beautifying the web out loud and clear, it is also a way to connect to the businesses we have designed for and lead the way in authentic, interactive communication with our awesome followers. Most of our followers already know that we design websites but not all of you know that we also provide social media management services! Here are a few highlights of our most effective social management plan:

Facebook:

Facebook facilitates industry-specific Pages for businesses that are tailored to work best for a business, allowing fans to “like” the page rather than “friend” your business, create and promote promotions, install tabs for Instagram, Twitter or other applications, and so much more. We start by creating a Facebook page for your business if you don’t already have one, or redesigning your current page. Using your beautiful, custom Instabuild website as a guide, we design custom cover photos, profile images and galleries to showcase your business brand.

After we’ve gotten your page created, we’ll help you connect with other businesses in your industry to begin a following and share more valuable tips on growing your following  to extend your reach.

Now that you’ve got your page and followers, we’ll begin designing posts to share on your page regarding promotions, engaging business information, and a range of entertaining content, designed for optimal share-ability. We have conducted extensive research and keep a finger on the pulse of your industry to understand the best times to post content, the best types of content to share, and the right frequency of your posts

Twitter:

Twitter has grown to be the most popular micro-blogging platform because the 140 character limit allows a brand to grow a following quickly and communicate with those followers through quick, to-the-point tweets that can include links to promotions, larger blog posts, curated content, general brand info and followers’ tweet. Twitter accounts are the same for personal or business; however, the approach for business is quite a bit different than any personal account should be. We begin by customizing the header image, and background with your brand’s colors, logos, and images.

Like Facebook, we continue to creating social connections by following popular feeds that will offer insight into your industry. Growing a following takes little time if you can create a voice on Twitter that is relatable and relevant to your followers. We help you do that by creating Tweets that offer great content and publicize your incredible promotions, as well as interacting with your audience by retweeting great content.

Also, as with Facebook, we have done exhaustive research into the best times and volumes to tweet. Based on your plan, we have a set amount of daily tweets we send for your company, ensuring optimal engagement.  

Google+:

Google+ is quickly becoming a platform of choice for professionals because of the SEO boost provided by using the popular search engine’s in-house social platform. While posts on Google+ are not given priority over other social posts, they are instantly indexed by Google, avoiding the wait that other social posts experience. Instant indexing ensures that your content will be viewed in search results more rapidly than say, a Facebook post. The give-and-take of Google+ is that it is not as widely used as Facebook and Twitter. We use all three platforms in conjunction to saturate the social playing field so that your content is seen by the widest variety of social media users.

As with Facebook and Twitter, we create and/or design your Google+ page, add influential users to your circles, and build a community by creating and sharing with the Google+ network. We have conducted researching on best times and volumes to post and have developed a schedule to reflect these best practices.

So take a look at your social presence. Is it lacking? Are you reaching the audience you need to? If not, let Instabuild help you achieve long-term social media success! Our social media experts share a passion for effective, result-driven social impact and we’d love to help you give your fans and followers the interaction they deserve.

Contact us today for more details at www.instabuildsites.com

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Keep Your Fairy Tales Alive.

By: Bethany White

  I work for an internet technology company and as truly as I love the internet and social media, I wonder if we aren’t losing touch with our own stories in pursuit of sharing the next best status update or tweet. Or far more concerning, how often are our kids put to bed with a cartoon or the iPad instead of hearing a familiar voice share the magic of The Jungle Book while touching the pages, asking questions, seeing words come to life?

The most beautiful website in the world won’t replace the physical, emotional relationship we shared with our fairy tales and I don’t think that speaks to any deficiency in our web design. It speaks to the power of magical, adventurous stories have on tender minds.

Storytelling inspires a child’s mind, sparking a curiosity that often continues to flare in adulthood. These stories we read filled our minds with pictures of worlds we hadn’t yet known to dream of and characters we’d never meet in real life. These enchantments taught us to overcome our challenges and embrace our fears.

Our fairy tales taught us how to live our own stories. Let’s work together to make sure the next generation knows how to bring an adventure to life by stepping offline and into a world the far more magical world of their own imagination. It was, after all, those tales that grew in us the ability to design websites, write code, and communicate this very idea via social media.

Read a story that moves you today.  

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Website Redesign for Your Business

By: Bethany White

NASA.gov got a makeover last month! While their previous design was state-of-the-art when it was first rolled out, over time, the layout and navigation lost it's luster and functionality. Not only did NASA understand that its audience needed a new design, they went so far as to ask for suggestions! NASA's crowd-sourcing approach to a redesign may not be practical for all businesses, but it shows that no matter how big, every website requires fresh, clean design and careful attention to the needs of its audience.

We all know that getting your business online is not just suggested but required in our virtual world but just throwing together a DIY web page does not do the job. Not only will a poorly designed site hurt your search engine ranking, it will disenchant your customers. The bottom line is that If your website is lackluster, your business will suffer so we've come up with a 3 step guide to lead you to a beautifully redesigned site.

When redesigning your website, there are some key factors to consider. Your first responsibility is always to your customers so keep them in mind! Consider what brought them to your website. What are they looking for? What stimulates and delights them? What need does your product or service meet? The ability to understand your customers’ desires is just as invaluable in your website design as it is in your business.

So once you have your finger on the pulse of your customers’ wants and needs, consider what they see when they get to your website. The landing page is the first page a visitor sees, whether it was a link from a search engine results page, an advertisement, or link from social media. Make sure that the first thing your visitors see is visually pleasing without being overwhelming and recognizable as YOUR business.  

Now that your beautifully designed website has a visitor hooked, what do you want them to do? You can influence user behavior with good design. Utilizing clear navigation acts as a guide to ensure that your visitors get what they came for and that you get what you need from them whether that is a completed contact form or a purchase. If you want your visitors to fill out a contact form, it is wise to keep the information requested to a minimum. People are often uncomfortable if they feel they’re being pried for personal info so the fewer questions, the better. Another great idea is to offer a reward for completing the requested actions. You can offer a coupon, helpful tips, etc.

  An awesome web design, consideration of customer desires, clear direction, and positive reinforcement of visitor contribution all work to provide the quality service your business has thrived on - online!

  For more information on how Instabuild can revamp your online style, visit www.instabuildsites.com.

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Conversations for Online Safety

By: Bethany White 

Instabuild believes the internet should not only be a beautiful place, but most importantly, a safe place for students to discover and connect. We’d like to partner with you in ensuring that children experience the wonder of the internet without losing an ounce of innocence; so we’ve compiled a list of talking points to aid parents in discussing online safety with students.

“Why should we be careful online?”  Students may see any monitoring or their online activity as an invasion of privacy so it becomes important to clearly explain the dangers of unsupervised internet use while maintaining a trusting atmosphere. Encourage your child to ask questions and explain that you will be asking questions too.

“What do you think is private online? Who should you share it with?” The cornerstone of online safety is privacy but in our social world, it can be hard for your student to understand that even though some people share their phone numbers, addresses, etc. it is not safe for him or her to do the same. Clearly explain what information should never be shared and that any content shared, regardless of privacy settings can be seen by others. Discuss what kind of content is appropriate to share and why.

“Do you think I should know your logins? Why or why not?” Will you require your student to share their social networking passwords with you? Will you regularly monitor their email and IM or only if a concern arises? Discussing these expectations with your child decreases surprises down the road.

“What are your favorite sites online?” Ask your child to show you their favorite sites and let them explain what features they use. Research their social connections. Who do they follow? Who are their friends? If you are concerned about any of these interactions, discuss it with your child openly.

“How would you react if something online made you uncomfortable?” Your child won’t always know how to react to someone asking for personal information, making inappropriate comments, etc. It is important to explain what is safe and what should signal a red flag. For each example of inappropriate behavior, give a solution for how to react and make sure that your student knows to tell you or another trusted adult when those situations arise.  

“Is there a difference between how you treat someone online or in person?” Cyberbullying is a massive issue that your child may face personally, but that undoubtedly, your child will witness. Work with your student to discuss how to react to harmful behavior whether experienced or witnessed and explain your family’s values regarding kindness toward others.

“Let’s keep talking about this.” In a perfect world, children would always be safe online and while we work toward that ideal, the reality is that your child will make mistakes online, give out too much information, engage in unfriendly behavior, or interact with inappropriate content. Let these missteps be an opportunity for learning. Teaching your student about online safety requires patience and understanding so make sure that he or she knows that you are a safe place to confide in when they’ve messed up online.   

Bonus point: Social networks such as Twitter and Facebook have age restrictions for a reason. If your child is under those age restrictions (13 for Twitter and Facebook), it may be difficult for them to accept that they have to wait until the appropriate age, but it is important to understand that those networks were never designed for children. While those networks work to create a safe place for teens to interact, the reality is that those platforms are created for and used by adults who share adult content. Teaching your child to abide by built-in safety measures such as age restrictions sets an example of honesty and appropriateness online so don’t be afraid to say no!

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We hope that these suggestions help you begin and continue a meaningful conversation about online safety with your student and we’d love to hear how you parents are tackling this issue in your own homes! Comment to share your strategy for protecting your students online!

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Best Practices for Online Retailers

By: Bethany White

Online retail is an innovation that has improved countless businesses, and if you’re reading this, you likely appreciate the convenience and profit of bringing your products to the homes of your customers. Here are a few tips I think will get you off to a stellar start.

  Offer excellent products or services. Customers love the convenience of online consuming, but most feel that convenience comes at the cost of impersonal service. Prove them wrong! What is your style? What are you passionate about? What have customers really liked about your business? Share those qualities! Custom graphics and pictures go a long way in sharing the spirit of your business. When you write about your products or services, use verbiage you could easily say in person. These small personalizations set a distinct tone that makes customers feel welcomed and comfortable.

Ensure your online store is user-friendly. Customers have done their research, chosen your business to meet their needs. Make sure that accessing and purchasing your products or services is as simple and convenient as possible. One of the most frustrating experiences a customer encounters is the inability to navigate an online store or access the items they are poised to buy. Respect your customers’ time and give them an awesome shopping experience.

Clearly explain pricing. No one likes, or trusts for that matter, hidden fees - so don’t use them. Display clear pricing information and stick to it! Offer customers discounts in the form of bundled products or services or coupons. If you will be shipping purchases to your customers, include and explain shipping and handling fees as well.

Simplify the Check-out. As online customers ourselves, we expect a certain amount of required information, but it is best to keep the requirements to a minimum. Customers feel uncomfortable sharing their banking information over the internet so provide comfort in the form of explanations of security features. Share links to your terms of service and return policy as well.

Follow-up every transaction. Customers don’t want to be valued as a mere transaction. Show your customers that they matter by sending a detailed receipt that includes products purchased and estimated delivery date. Go the extra mile by sending a personal email thanking a customer for their business with contact info if there are any concerns or issues with the product once received. In this communication, you can add suggestions for other products they may enjoy, but keep these suggestions to a minimum so as not so seem intrusive.

Address dissatisfied customers. No product is perfect. If a customer complains about your business (which will definitely happen eventually), don’t defend it - FIX IT! Offer a replacement, an exchange, but most importantly, an apology. You won’t be able to save every customer but showing a willingness to correct errors and offer solutions is the best way to deal with any complaint.

Ask for customer reviews. Customers who love (and hate) your products know how to use their voice to share their opinion - give them a platform to do so. While reviews may not always be exactly what you’d like to have heard, they help your business grow and mature. Accept good and bad reviews and respond to each. Thank customers for their input. If a review was great, feature it! If a review was poor, respond to it publicly as discussed in #6. Honesty and appreciation go a long way in consumer trust. 

     Customers may be coming to your company from the internet, but they just as real as if they were to walk through your business’ front door. Treat customers personally and respectfully, giving them services that enable easy access to your products. Enrich not only the consumer experience, but a customer’s life with attentive service and sincere support and appreciation. 

Contact us today at 1(888) 675-8043 to see how Instabuild can help you with your website needs.

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Showcasing the Heart of your Small Business.

By: Bethany White

 Like most small businesses, we assume you built your business with tons of hard work, long hours, and tender loving care. By pouring your heart into your work you have infused YOUR personality into your business. It is this personal investment and connection that your customers were originally drawn to and what turned those first-time customers into loyal regulars. 

As the marketplace evolves into an increasingly web-centered experience, many small business owners fear that the uniquely personal qualities of their business will be lost in the virtual translation. At Instabuild, we don’t think any great business should ever have to sacrifice personal service to join the technical revolution. We believe that consumers still appreciate small business charm, even online! We came up with 5 tips to bring a little Mayberry magic to your business website.

Contact us today at 1(888) 675-8043 to see how Instabuild can help you with your website needs.

  1. Don't be afraid to let your personality shine.

Customers love the convenience of online consuming, but most feel that convenience comes at the cost of impersonal service. Prove them wrong! What is your style? What are you passionate about? What have customers really liked about your business? Share those qualities! Custom graphics and pictures go a long way in sharing the spirit of your business. When you write about your products or services, use verbiage you could easily say in person. These small personalizations set a distinct tone that makes customers feel welcomed and comfortable.

    2. Tell your business's story.

People are drawn to stories, the telling of how a thing became. Every business has taken a unique path from dream to reality – what is your story? Did you dream up your business concept at a young age? Did Grandpa teach you how to run the family business? How have you grown? Sharing these personal aspects communicates familiarity to your customers. History creates confidence. 

  3. Create a customer community!

We use the imagery of Mayberry because for most people it conjures up a vision of a simpler time, where people knew their neighbors and stopped to chat for a minute or two before going on with their day. Even in the biggest of cities, customers are drawn to this personal, caring approach to commerce. Your involvement with your regular customers is the foundation of your success and it is NOT lost online.

Creating a blog to share what’s new not only in your business but in your industry and community creates a meeting place for ideas, conversations and suggestions that are invaluable to your growth. Additionally, responding to any customer emails or social media interaction creates a personal bond for your customers that is often overlooked, but shouldn’t be.

  4. Win the hearts of your customers with helpfulness.

Exceptional customer service is the cornerstone of any successful business and with the many online tools available, it has never been easier to provide. Sure, you can answer a question, but challenge yourself not to stop there. Exceed your customers’ needs with kindness and understanding. Look at customer service as an opportunity to build relationships with your customers.

  5. Provide exceptional quality.

Simple but true, the quality of your product speaks volumes about your company’s integrity. Continue to provide consistently excellent products and services to your customers. Whatever changes your business experiences, your customers love you for the quality you offer so with all innovation, maintain the standard of excellence that has empowered and sustained your business so far.

    We hope these tips inspire you to dig deep, pull out some of that tender loving care that built your business, and offer it to your customers anew. After all, we could all use a little more Mayberry in our lives.  

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Mmm.. #Cookies 🍪

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Anyone else excited for this? #Apple #WWDC

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Snapshots of our booth at @TheIBL Business Builder Day! Great time, met some great people! #entrepreneurs #smallbiz

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Meet the latest addition to our office! We're in love. #coffee #keurig #starbucks #coffeeholicism