BY JILL NAGY
“It’s a great idea, maybe a necessity, to have
an online presence” to help promote a business,
said Jesse Tyree of Black Dog Design in Glens
Falls, a company that designs websites. But,
he cautioned, it is important to choose the
appropriate medium to reach your audience.
“Digital marketing is one of the most cost
effective ways to expand your reach and bring
in new customers and new business,” said
Sara Mannix, founder and CEO of Mannix
Marketing, Inc., a full-service digital marketing
company, also headquartered in Glens Falls.
They both recommended starting with a
website.
Nathan Olsen, of Nolee-O Web Design in
Lake George, echoed that advice.
“Everything revolves around your website,”
he said, “that’s the base of your business, your
media hub and your marketing hub.”
In addition to the website, “Social media are
a great tool to reach people. You push yourself
onto the consumer and don’t wait for them to
come to you.,” Olsen said.
He concentrates on web design and refers
clients to other specialists for social media
help. He got into web design as a hobby, he
recalled, and added it to the offerings of Lake
George Signs, a family business.
Once you have a website, it should not just
sit there. “Constantly update it. Keep posting
things,” Olsen said.
Tyree advocated “responsive design,” having
something the viewer can use. He includes
analytics in his web designs and creates other
tools. The analytics allow the business owner
to know who views the page–including age
and sex–and how long the viewer stayed at
the site. He also suggested that the design
responds to the medium. For example, it should
take into account the screen size of a tablet or
smartphone. It should also include a “call to action,” something to buy, provide some tips
or allow the user to leave a message.
Mannix noted that “the world of digital
marketing can be overwhelming, especially
when facing the reality that you can’t do it all
yourself, and aren’t sure where to spend your
limited budget.”
Her company offers a free digital marketing
review to see what is working and what is not.
They can also suggest media the client may not
have considered such as paid search, blogging,
search engine optimization, and lesser known
media such as Pinterest or LinkedIn.
All three emphasized the need to pick the
best medium for the audience that is being
reached. Tyree suggested, a professional
business such as a law firm or insurance
company, would probably do better using
LinkedIn than with social media.
“You want to maintain your brand image,”
he said, and not share space with photos of
cute kittens. Retailers, on the other hand, need
a “strong responsive website” and can benefit
from using all forms of social media.
Olsen described himself as a “strong
advocate for keeping your marketing local.”
He said it makes a big difference, especially
for a small business, to work with a company
that knows the area and knows the market.
Black Dog Design is located at 206 Glen
Street (the Colvin Building) in Glens Falls.
The telephone is 792-0500. Nolee-O Web
Design is located at 28 Old State Road South,
Lake George, telephone 743-1648. Mannix
Marketing is at 11 Broad St., Glens Falls,
telephone 743-9424.
Photo Courtesy Mannix Marketing