It's often difficult to look forward to the future, without reflecting on the past. As we close on 2008, its interesting to look back and reflect on a fascinating yet often tumultuous year. 2008 started well for most. The US economy was in reasonable shape, the country was facing some challenges, but for the most part, 2008 looked like a promising year for most of us here in Southern California.
Little did we know that 2nd half of 2008 brought down many cornerstones of our economy. Financial giants like Bear Stearns, Washington Mutual, Lehman Brothers, and AIG either went out of the business, or required significant financial assistance from our government. Iconic brands such as General Motors, Ford, and Chryslers have asked for financial support as well. Looking back, not many people anticipated the challenges that we are facing - see predictions: http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20081229/bs_bw/dec2008db20081224028134 , but looking forward, I am reminded by something that my father has always taught me and still remind me often.
"Always prepare for the rainy days."
Such statement serves well as a reminder for recent months and days ahead.
As the CEO of Web Advanced, I'm often regarded as the chief care taker for the company. We work hard and pride ourselves in our ability to deliver for our clients. 2008 was a challenging year for most, as well as Web Advanced. However, our customers are spread across many different industries, and having a diverse clientelle made Web Advanced better prepared for this economic downturn.
Of all the accomplishments that Web Advanced made this year, there's only one number that jumps out. 0 turnovers. For the 2nd year in a row, we did not have a single turnover. Our efficiency is improving, and we are able to train our staff, and get work done faster.
Looking forward to 2009, we anticipate more of the same. Challenging economy will force everyone to carefully evaluate their financial decisions, both on a personal and professional levels. New industries will evolve and some industries will either remain the same or become extinct (ex: subprime lending). Competition will be strong across the board, but we feel that Web Advanced is well prepared for the future.
For the readers of Web Advanced Blog (surprisingly, there are actually some... :)), I would like to thank you for taking your time to read this. I leave the following quote for you, and wish that you too have a safe and wonderful holidays.
"The most successful people in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion... It is the man (and woman), who carefully advances step by step, with their minds becoming wider and wider - and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation - persevering in what he (or she) knows to be practical, and concentrating their thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree."
- Alexander Graham Bell
Best,
Vic Liu
12/29/2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Collaboration
Definition:
1 : to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor
I've been hearing this word somewhat frequently in the past few months. Many potential customers have brought up that they are looking to work with a partner that can collaborate with, and assist on their web/marketing endeavors. At the end of the day, most customers are not looking for a company to tell them what colors they should choose, or what programming language they should use. Majority of the business owners and decision makers are looking to 'collaborate' with an intelligent, competent, and responsive team who are easy to work with, and can provide the best recommendation for the client. These are some of the qualities that have allowed Web Advanced to continue to add new accounts and build relationships, especially given the current challenging conditions.
Recently, Web Advanced has just completed a major campaign with Thermador, a subsidiary of Bosch Home Appliances (case study to follow shortly). We worked closely with the marketing team, and delivered the campaign on time and on budget. It was not an easy project, but we are proud to have come through for one of our first Global Consumer Brand.
Thermador, Fall 2008 Campaign
http://www.thermador.com/kitchens/masterpiece-series-chocolate.aspx
Take a look, and let us know what you think!
1 : to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor
I've been hearing this word somewhat frequently in the past few months. Many potential customers have brought up that they are looking to work with a partner that can collaborate with, and assist on their web/marketing endeavors. At the end of the day, most customers are not looking for a company to tell them what colors they should choose, or what programming language they should use. Majority of the business owners and decision makers are looking to 'collaborate' with an intelligent, competent, and responsive team who are easy to work with, and can provide the best recommendation for the client. These are some of the qualities that have allowed Web Advanced to continue to add new accounts and build relationships, especially given the current challenging conditions.
Recently, Web Advanced has just completed a major campaign with Thermador, a subsidiary of Bosch Home Appliances (case study to follow shortly). We worked closely with the marketing team, and delivered the campaign on time and on budget. It was not an easy project, but we are proud to have come through for one of our first Global Consumer Brand.
Thermador, Fall 2008 Campaign
http://www.thermador.com/kitchens/masterpiece-series-chocolate.aspx
Take a look, and let us know what you think!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
What it Takes to Be Successful
I was asked by 2 potential customers this past week on whether Web Advanced will do whatever it takes to help our customers to be successful. It's a vague and ambiguous question, but I think it really resonates well with me on how Web Advanced got to where it is today.
We had a couple of urgent requests last week. A Global 500 client came to us and asked us to produce a Flash Ad campaign ASAP. We turned it around in 48 hours and the project was approved this afternoon. Another client changed its business requirements on us, and wanted our evaluation on an enterprise Intranet software and how it can be integrated into a new website. As usual, this needs to be done ASAP. No matter how challenging the tasks are, I am proud of the team in our responsiveness and how we step up to the challenges. At the end of the day, its about making a difference and helping our clients become more successful. This is what has sustained our growth and helped us become the company we are today.
Lastly, Web Advanced just celebrated its 8th year in business. 2000 was many years ago, and I am grateful for everything that we have accomplished together. I had read this quote from Dave Packard (co-founder of HP) from many years ago, and would like to share it with everyone.
“I want to discuss why a company exists in the first place….I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an improtant result of a company’s existence, we have to go deeper to find our real reason for being….A group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company…to do something worthwhile—they make a contribution to society….The real reason for our existence is that we provide something which is unique.” - Dave Packard, circa 1960.
We had a couple of urgent requests last week. A Global 500 client came to us and asked us to produce a Flash Ad campaign ASAP. We turned it around in 48 hours and the project was approved this afternoon. Another client changed its business requirements on us, and wanted our evaluation on an enterprise Intranet software and how it can be integrated into a new website. As usual, this needs to be done ASAP. No matter how challenging the tasks are, I am proud of the team in our responsiveness and how we step up to the challenges. At the end of the day, its about making a difference and helping our clients become more successful. This is what has sustained our growth and helped us become the company we are today.
Lastly, Web Advanced just celebrated its 8th year in business. 2000 was many years ago, and I am grateful for everything that we have accomplished together. I had read this quote from Dave Packard (co-founder of HP) from many years ago, and would like to share it with everyone.
“I want to discuss why a company exists in the first place….I think many people assume, wrongly, that a company exists simply to make money. While this is an improtant result of a company’s existence, we have to go deeper to find our real reason for being….A group of people get together and exist as an institution that we call a company…to do something worthwhile—they make a contribution to society….The real reason for our existence is that we provide something which is unique.” - Dave Packard, circa 1960.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
5 Ways to Generate Crazy Amounts of PR
Excellent article from Inc Magazine on generating visibility for your press release
#1: Do not hire a PR firm
#2: A Press Release is the Story
#3: Work the phones, not the wire
#4: Pursue local papers
#5: Make sure that your story is 'interesting, sexy, and fun'
http://www.inc.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/5-ways-to-generate-crazy-amounts-of-pr.html
#1: Do not hire a PR firm
#2: A Press Release is the Story
#3: Work the phones, not the wire
#4: Pursue local papers
#5: Make sure that your story is 'interesting, sexy, and fun'
http://www.inc.com/multimedia/slideshows/content/5-ways-to-generate-crazy-amounts-of-pr.html
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Customer Feedback and Making a Difference
Hi,
It's been a while since we posted on the Blog. May 2008 has been an extremely busy month. The company is growing (both internally and externally), and we have many exciting projects going on right now.
I had a really good meeting with US Tile, one of our clients, this morning. It's always great to get feedback from your clients that your work is making a difference for them. Web Advanced worked with another agency last year to produce their website. Shortly after, we became their web marketing agency and have been managing their online marketing campaigns. Anyhow, I was extremely concerned about the economic downturn in the real estate industry, as it definitely affects the construction starts in not only Southern California, but rest of the country. However, our client gave us some positive feedback that over the last 5-6 months, their Internet leads have been very steady. Overall, they have seen some growth and the company is fortunate to be where they are, and gaining market share from their competitors.
One of their comments really stood out to me. Mike Vogel, US Tile's Sales Manager, mentioned that US Tile works really hard to listen to their customers, and stay innovative in their market segment. By delivering the right content through the proper communication channels, US Tile was able to reach their target audience and create the delivery mechanism that supports the organization during the industry down time. E-news letter, interactive website, interactive CD-ROMs, and many others are part of their delivery mechanism, and are significant in helping the company in reaching the right people at the right time.
Part of Web Advanced's value proposition is that we do our best to help all of our clients become successful. We take the extra step to really learn about your business, and help you understand what you need to do to be successful on the Web. We hope all of our clients can grow and become more successful, and we certainly will do whatever it takes to help them get there.
It's been a while since we posted on the Blog. May 2008 has been an extremely busy month. The company is growing (both internally and externally), and we have many exciting projects going on right now.
I had a really good meeting with US Tile, one of our clients, this morning. It's always great to get feedback from your clients that your work is making a difference for them. Web Advanced worked with another agency last year to produce their website. Shortly after, we became their web marketing agency and have been managing their online marketing campaigns. Anyhow, I was extremely concerned about the economic downturn in the real estate industry, as it definitely affects the construction starts in not only Southern California, but rest of the country. However, our client gave us some positive feedback that over the last 5-6 months, their Internet leads have been very steady. Overall, they have seen some growth and the company is fortunate to be where they are, and gaining market share from their competitors.
One of their comments really stood out to me. Mike Vogel, US Tile's Sales Manager, mentioned that US Tile works really hard to listen to their customers, and stay innovative in their market segment. By delivering the right content through the proper communication channels, US Tile was able to reach their target audience and create the delivery mechanism that supports the organization during the industry down time. E-news letter, interactive website, interactive CD-ROMs, and many others are part of their delivery mechanism, and are significant in helping the company in reaching the right people at the right time.
Part of Web Advanced's value proposition is that we do our best to help all of our clients become successful. We take the extra step to really learn about your business, and help you understand what you need to do to be successful on the Web. We hope all of our clients can grow and become more successful, and we certainly will do whatever it takes to help them get there.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A Day in the Life of Web Advanced Management Team
I've been asked by a lot of friends and family on what I do every day. "What's it like being a CEO? What do you do all day? Is your day/life stressful?"
My life is pretty exciting (to say the least). I meet some of the most interesting and profound clients, get to learn about their business, and work with them on figuring out and improving their business and marketing goals. Also, I get to work with some of the most talented designers, developers, sales execs, and managers in the area. Web Advanced would not be where we are without such an amazing team. My job description changes every week. The past two weeks were focused on business development, and here is an example of what my day is like:
Monday, 4/21/08
1. Wake up at 5am, clean up, and get ready for travel day. I head up to San Francisco about once or twice every month. Today, we get to go over design compositions with two clients, and discuss website design project with another.
2. Met Andrew McLendon, our Creative Director, and head to John Wayne Airport. We usually take the first flight out to Oakland, and the last flight back the same night.
3. Flight to Oakland leaves at 7:15am, we arrived at around 6:40am, got into the security line at 6:45am. No problem right? Well, extra security due to heightened alert, the security check was a bit longer than expected. We arrived at our gate about 3 minutes too late. Whoops, Plan B time.
4. Andrew and I was able to get on the standby for Southwest's next flight. Apparently, 10 people didn't show up on time for the sold out flight (possibly due to the same security delay). We got on the 8:40AM flight, and called/emailed all of our clients and made sure that we can push everything back by an hour. Thank you Southwest.
5. Arrived at Oakland at 10AM. First meeting in Redwood City. An amazing technology start up company with a very good team and wonderful product. We met with the CEO and VP of Business Development at 11AM. They were pleased with the composition, and discussed timeframe for the remainder of the project.
6. Met with our next client at around 12:40pm. Went over the comps with them as well. They are a technology company near San Jose, and were thrilled with their new look and feel. One thing that differentiates us from our competition is that we (senior managers at Web Advanced) all take pride in truly learn about and understand our clients' business. Compare the current homepage against the newly designed page and see the difference yourself.
7. We had a break between meeting #2 and meeting #3. Andrew and I got some lunch and hopped on the freeway to drive towards Marin. Yes, San Jose to San Rafael. Thankfully, there were no traffic, as we arrived a few minutes before our meeting.
8. Our last meeting of the day was with an established & successful human resources consulting company in San Rafael. Andrew and I met with the principals of the firm and went over the branding summary, and discussed their website content and look and feel.
9. After the meeting, Andrew and I stopped by the city and had a quick dinner at Taylor's Restaurant in the Ferry Market. Their Ahi tuna burger is to die for. :)
Trip Summary:
Meetings: 3
Flights Missed: 1
Miles Flown: 750
Miles Driven: 140
Bridges Crossed: 4
3 Happy Clients (Priceless!)
Here are some additional photos from our day. Enjoy!
Obligatory Golden Gate Bridge Photo
My life is pretty exciting (to say the least). I meet some of the most interesting and profound clients, get to learn about their business, and work with them on figuring out and improving their business and marketing goals. Also, I get to work with some of the most talented designers, developers, sales execs, and managers in the area. Web Advanced would not be where we are without such an amazing team. My job description changes every week. The past two weeks were focused on business development, and here is an example of what my day is like:
Monday, 4/21/08
1. Wake up at 5am, clean up, and get ready for travel day. I head up to San Francisco about once or twice every month. Today, we get to go over design compositions with two clients, and discuss website design project with another.
2. Met Andrew McLendon, our Creative Director, and head to John Wayne Airport. We usually take the first flight out to Oakland, and the last flight back the same night.
3. Flight to Oakland leaves at 7:15am, we arrived at around 6:40am, got into the security line at 6:45am. No problem right? Well, extra security due to heightened alert, the security check was a bit longer than expected. We arrived at our gate about 3 minutes too late. Whoops, Plan B time.
4. Andrew and I was able to get on the standby for Southwest's next flight. Apparently, 10 people didn't show up on time for the sold out flight (possibly due to the same security delay). We got on the 8:40AM flight, and called/emailed all of our clients and made sure that we can push everything back by an hour. Thank you Southwest.
5. Arrived at Oakland at 10AM. First meeting in Redwood City. An amazing technology start up company with a very good team and wonderful product. We met with the CEO and VP of Business Development at 11AM. They were pleased with the composition, and discussed timeframe for the remainder of the project.
6. Met with our next client at around 12:40pm. Went over the comps with them as well. They are a technology company near San Jose, and were thrilled with their new look and feel. One thing that differentiates us from our competition is that we (senior managers at Web Advanced) all take pride in truly learn about and understand our clients' business. Compare the current homepage against the newly designed page and see the difference yourself.
7. We had a break between meeting #2 and meeting #3. Andrew and I got some lunch and hopped on the freeway to drive towards Marin. Yes, San Jose to San Rafael. Thankfully, there were no traffic, as we arrived a few minutes before our meeting.
8. Our last meeting of the day was with an established & successful human resources consulting company in San Rafael. Andrew and I met with the principals of the firm and went over the branding summary, and discussed their website content and look and feel.
9. After the meeting, Andrew and I stopped by the city and had a quick dinner at Taylor's Restaurant in the Ferry Market. Their Ahi tuna burger is to die for. :)
Trip Summary:
Meetings: 3
Flights Missed: 1
Miles Flown: 750
Miles Driven: 140
Bridges Crossed: 4
3 Happy Clients (Priceless!)
Here are some additional photos from our day. Enjoy!
Obligatory Golden Gate Bridge Photo
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Your Website: Today's Place for First Impressions
This is an excellent article that I found on the Bank of America Small Business online community website.
The article is available here:
http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/docs/DOC-1872
The online community's website is available here:
http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com
The article is available here:
http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com/docs/DOC-1872
The online community's website is available here:
http://smallbusinessonlinecommunity.bankofamerica.com
Monday, March 24, 2008
What's Most Important? Profits? Customers? Employees?
This question was posted by Inc Magazine Here:
http://blog.inc.com/boss-school/2008/03/whats_most_important_profits_c.html
Question:
It's important for every boss to understand what his or her critical functionsare. These might change significantly as you grow. You might, for example, start out doing all of the sales for your company and end up doing very minimal sales as you grow. But it's important for you to decide what's most important to you.
When I started in business, I used to think my one and only job was to take care of the customers. As I grew, I found out the hard way that it's very easy to have happy customers but still not make any money. Inappropriate pricing or lack of control over costs can quickly turn what seems to be a profitable sale into unproductive busy work. It took me a few years to figure out that having happy customers and making money is clearly related to having happy employees. My big revelation came years later when I realized that I find tremendous payback in knowing that I have made a positive impact on my employees by offering them opportunity, security, self-respect, and a sense of mission.So what's important to you? Are you happy with just one or two of the three: happy customers, good profits, and happy employees. I have seen many companies that have managed to survive with just one or two of them. Or do you want it all?
I felt compelled to chime in, and here is my response....
Employees are by far the most important part of any business. My corporate advisor and I had a discussion very recently about how one company differentiates over another in the same industry. Fundamentally, the only thing that is truly different about them is the people working there.
If you take away all our customers, revenue, and processes tomorrow, but allow us to keep the same staff; we will have a new business generating revenue, and creating value for our customers in no time. I truly believe this fact.
At Web Advanced, we do our best to provide our staff with everything they need. We are not a huge company, but we are growing at a pretty good speed. Our success is only possible with our committment to bring in quality people and provide our staff with what they need to become successful.
Sincerely,
Vic Liu
CEO
Web Advanced
www.webadvanced.com
http://blog.inc.com/boss-school/2008/03/whats_most_important_profits_c.html
Question:
It's important for every boss to understand what his or her critical functionsare. These might change significantly as you grow. You might, for example, start out doing all of the sales for your company and end up doing very minimal sales as you grow. But it's important for you to decide what's most important to you.
When I started in business, I used to think my one and only job was to take care of the customers. As I grew, I found out the hard way that it's very easy to have happy customers but still not make any money. Inappropriate pricing or lack of control over costs can quickly turn what seems to be a profitable sale into unproductive busy work. It took me a few years to figure out that having happy customers and making money is clearly related to having happy employees. My big revelation came years later when I realized that I find tremendous payback in knowing that I have made a positive impact on my employees by offering them opportunity, security, self-respect, and a sense of mission.So what's important to you? Are you happy with just one or two of the three: happy customers, good profits, and happy employees. I have seen many companies that have managed to survive with just one or two of them. Or do you want it all?
I felt compelled to chime in, and here is my response....
Employees are by far the most important part of any business. My corporate advisor and I had a discussion very recently about how one company differentiates over another in the same industry. Fundamentally, the only thing that is truly different about them is the people working there.
If you take away all our customers, revenue, and processes tomorrow, but allow us to keep the same staff; we will have a new business generating revenue, and creating value for our customers in no time. I truly believe this fact.
At Web Advanced, we do our best to provide our staff with everything they need. We are not a huge company, but we are growing at a pretty good speed. Our success is only possible with our committment to bring in quality people and provide our staff with what they need to become successful.
Sincerely,
Vic Liu
CEO
Web Advanced
www.webadvanced.com
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Web Marketing: A Focus on Copywriting
In the innovative world of website design and development, where the emphasis usually rests on the creation of eye-catching and brand specific visual images, an often overlooked component of successful online marketing strategies is the written word. Nothing saps the enthusiasm out of a graphic designer faster than the prospect of having to accommodate written text on a beautifully constructed and visually appealing webpage. Yet, like the design and layout of a website, the written copy is an integral part of a company's ability to successfully market itself online.
A website is first and foremost a visual medium, and as such, companies rightly focus on their site's overall aesthetic. For many business owners and marketing professionals, written content is a secondary concern in that it need only convey the basic aspects of the company's products and services. Good website copy should effectively and efficiently describe a company's product and service packages, but it can and should do much more.
Frequently, the expectation is that good copy will "get out of the way" of a website's graphical content. This idea revolves around the notion that most website visitors quickly scan pages in a few seconds and that pleasing images leave positive impressions in the minds of potential customers. The belief is that target individuals who scan websites for key words or phrases generally do not invest in more thorough reviews of the written content. As a result, many believe that the copy need not be marketable. While brevity, simplicity and directness are essential components of well-written copy, the written content should also be marketable in terms of appeal, professionalism, tone and brand specificity.
Ideally, copy should work symbiotically with the website's design elements to reinforce the themes critical to company's brand and overall message. For example, social networking websites often require copy that is inviting, engenders trust, is perhaps less formal than other e-commerce sites and highlights the benefits of membership. Whereas copy created for e-commerce personal finance sites might benefit from tonally exuding professional competence via verbiage that exhibits refined cordiality.
Also important to remember is that target audiences are frequently willing to spend more time absorbing a website's content than random browsers. In brick-and-mortar retail parlance, these customers are known as destination shoppers in that they have taken the time to visit a particular place of business to obtain specific products and services. Likewise, on the internet much of a company's e-commerce will be generated from destination browsers - people who seek out a business or industry to acquire a unique product or service. For these customers, copy impacts consumer choices. They will read a company's copy as well as that of its competitors gauging intangibles such as quality, trust, professionalism and brand specificity. Copy is king for customers who are ready to spend, today.
Can procuring a professional copywriter help your company? The answer, unhelpfully, is maybe. If your business' website is meeting your current goals and expectations, then, probably, the answer is no. However, if you are looking to grow your online business and you are ready to invest in a revamped website, you may want to consider obtaining the services of a professional copywriter who has experience writing in your company's market or industry. While what you say on your website is important, remember that making the sale often depends on how you say it.
A website is first and foremost a visual medium, and as such, companies rightly focus on their site's overall aesthetic. For many business owners and marketing professionals, written content is a secondary concern in that it need only convey the basic aspects of the company's products and services. Good website copy should effectively and efficiently describe a company's product and service packages, but it can and should do much more.
Frequently, the expectation is that good copy will "get out of the way" of a website's graphical content. This idea revolves around the notion that most website visitors quickly scan pages in a few seconds and that pleasing images leave positive impressions in the minds of potential customers. The belief is that target individuals who scan websites for key words or phrases generally do not invest in more thorough reviews of the written content. As a result, many believe that the copy need not be marketable. While brevity, simplicity and directness are essential components of well-written copy, the written content should also be marketable in terms of appeal, professionalism, tone and brand specificity.
Ideally, copy should work symbiotically with the website's design elements to reinforce the themes critical to company's brand and overall message. For example, social networking websites often require copy that is inviting, engenders trust, is perhaps less formal than other e-commerce sites and highlights the benefits of membership. Whereas copy created for e-commerce personal finance sites might benefit from tonally exuding professional competence via verbiage that exhibits refined cordiality.
Also important to remember is that target audiences are frequently willing to spend more time absorbing a website's content than random browsers. In brick-and-mortar retail parlance, these customers are known as destination shoppers in that they have taken the time to visit a particular place of business to obtain specific products and services. Likewise, on the internet much of a company's e-commerce will be generated from destination browsers - people who seek out a business or industry to acquire a unique product or service. For these customers, copy impacts consumer choices. They will read a company's copy as well as that of its competitors gauging intangibles such as quality, trust, professionalism and brand specificity. Copy is king for customers who are ready to spend, today.
Can procuring a professional copywriter help your company? The answer, unhelpfully, is maybe. If your business' website is meeting your current goals and expectations, then, probably, the answer is no. However, if you are looking to grow your online business and you are ready to invest in a revamped website, you may want to consider obtaining the services of a professional copywriter who has experience writing in your company's market or industry. While what you say on your website is important, remember that making the sale often depends on how you say it.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Interesting Times: How to Recession Proof your business
Orange County, California, as well as the rest of the country are currently undergoing an "economic slowdown". The growth of our local economy was heavily depended on real estate and lending, especially over the last 5-6 years. The white hot real estate and lending industries of past years declined tremendously in 2007, and as we move half way through Q1 of 2008, no one can predict what our economic condition will be like at the end of the year (or there after). To many decision makers and business owners in the area, there are many things that you can do to recession-proof your business. Here are some of my recommendations:
1. Learn From Others: The latest Business Week article provides many great suggestions for all businesses. Some of the best ones are: cut travel & dining expenses, purge excess inventory, etc
2. Hold your pricing steady: It may be tempting to cut prices, but doing so may only temporarily boost your business. Know your value proposition and what you are worth. Otherwise, if you drop your prices too much, you will end up with less profit and much cost conscious customers when the economy bounce back.
3. Add alternatives or accessories to your existing services or products. For Web Advanced, we decided to develop our own e-commerce solution after not being able to find an off the shelf product on the marketplace. This saves us money, deployment, and provide a scalable software solution for our customers who are looking for a robust and easy to use e-commerce engine.
4. Live and work within your means. Don't overspend, and clean up your corporate and personal balance sheet. Glenn Beck wrote a good article on CNN today about the current economic situation. Link is available here.
5. Get out of your comfort zone. Go out and network, expand sales territories, and explore business opportunities in different industries. You always want to diversify your accounts and not depend more than 33% of your revenue on a single client. I know, its easier said than done, but if there is a time to start doing that, it is now.
6. Be creative and innovative. Start utilizing web technology to market yourselves. Check out this Youtube video about creating a startup. Not bad for 10K views/clicks.
These are just some of the high level advices that I have. I highly recommend checking out Inc Magazine and Business Week Small Biz for additional information.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Hands On Training!
Recently, the Web Advanced team toured the facilities of Mama Mellace, one of the fastest growing companies in San Diego. Creative Officer Andrew McLendon, Dir of Business Development Andra Kent, and CTO Adam Bonner even put on hats and coats to try to fit in!
We often go onsite to our clients office to learn about who they are and what they do. Kick-off meetings are extremely important to everyone here at Web Advanced. It allow us to fully immerse ourselves into our client's business.
As you can see, we REALLY get involved to learn about what you do!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Building a Social Networking website
We have been getting a lot of requests from our prospects and customers about the possibility of building out social networking elements for their websites. I would advise every prospect to evaluate your current business position and revenue centers once you decided to engage with Web Advanced (or any other web design firm, for that matter). The two primary revenue opportunities in social networking websites are memberships or advertising, and you will definitely maximize your return if you are able to figure out your value proposition and your revenue model ahead of time.
Here are two examples of good social networking websites that Web Advanced developed in the last few months
1. http://www.semainsider.com/
2. http://www.childreninfilm.com/
Both clients have identified their target audience and revenue opportunities. The navigation is pretty straight forward, and they are both getting very high visibility as well as word of mouth referrals.
Web Advanced has produced a case study for Children in Film, in case you are looking for additional information.
http://www.webadvanced.com/Case-Studies-Children-In-Film.aspx
As I mentioned, identifying your business objectives when you contract a web design agency will maximize the return on investment of your website development project. At Web Advanced, our goal is to build successful relationships with all of our clients, and this includes your marketing strategy and overall business success.
| As an example, many good social networking websites have the following characteristics: 1. Strong value proposition 2. Established target audience 3. Easy to use navigation 4. Word of mouth referrals or organic traffic growth 5. Continuous marketing (re-marketing) |
Here are two examples of good social networking websites that Web Advanced developed in the last few months
1. http://www.semainsider.com/
2. http://www.childreninfilm.com/
Both clients have identified their target audience and revenue opportunities. The navigation is pretty straight forward, and they are both getting very high visibility as well as word of mouth referrals.
Web Advanced has produced a case study for Children in Film, in case you are looking for additional information.
http://www.webadvanced.com/Case-Studies-Children-In-Film.aspx
As I mentioned, identifying your business objectives when you contract a web design agency will maximize the return on investment of your website development project. At Web Advanced, our goal is to build successful relationships with all of our clients, and this includes your marketing strategy and overall business success.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Web Advanced Blog!
Welcome to the Web Advanced Blog!
My name is Vic Liu and I'm the CEO of Web Advanced. We are a web design agency in Southern California, and we work with both small & medium companies as well as divisions of Fortune 500's. This blog is where you will find the latest information about Web Advanced, as well as a glimpse of what its like to be an entrepreneur and run a company. There will also be comments and updates from other members of the company.
I hope you will enjoy what we have to say!
Best,
Vic
My name is Vic Liu and I'm the CEO of Web Advanced. We are a web design agency in Southern California, and we work with both small & medium companies as well as divisions of Fortune 500's. This blog is where you will find the latest information about Web Advanced, as well as a glimpse of what its like to be an entrepreneur and run a company. There will also be comments and updates from other members of the company.
I hope you will enjoy what we have to say!
Best,
Vic
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