Leverage Blog: How to Exploit the Web.

New Work: Website and logo for CALICO

Wheel Media, the web design agency behind (or beside) LeverageBlog has launched a new website and logo for a wonderful not-for-profit organization called CALICO.  The Child Abuse Listening and Coordination Center, or CALICO, is a San Francisco Bay Area organization that brings together law enforcement and social service professionals to prosecute the perpetrators of child abuse and help the victims heal.  A truly wonderful and high-impact organization; we've enjoyed working with them.

Visit CALICO online at www.calicocenter.org.

New Launch - Intercare Insurance

Wheel Media, the affordable web design agency at the heart of LeverageBlog, recently launched a new website for Intercare, one of the fastest growing firms in the insurance industry.  After meeting the leadership team in Northern California we quickly recognized the values that are driving their success-- integrity and results.

Rather than a busy, cluttered site filled with 1,000 promises (which appeared to be the industry standard,) we created a clear, confident design to present an assertive, straight-forward message.  And we're hearing good things.

Visit the site here.

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Sacramento web design

greene-engineers.com website launches

3/1/07 -- We recently launched a new website for Greene Engineers, a leading engineering firm in the Silicon Valley.  The research phase of our project revealed an impressive client list and the importance of coming across as confident but not "sales-driven" in our content and messaging.

(Engineers don't appreciate a sales-pitch-- they just want to see the the work.)

Our design is crisp and clear, with an clear emphasis on the clients and projects that have made Greene a leader in their industry.  We figured we'd connect with more visitors by talking more about our work than about ourselves, so case-studies and project-profiles dominate the content.

Take a peek here.

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San Francisco web design

Recent Website Launch: SecureYourTrademark.com

2/12/07 -- Wheel Media recently launched a new online venture for a prominent New York attorney called SecureYourTrademark.com.

Working from a design provided from the client, Wheel created a search-engine-friendly site to offer affordable trademark registration legal services to clients across the nation and the world.  The content is written to provide the entrepreneur with useful information related to copywright research and trademark registration, positioning the business as a resource as well as law practice.

Purchase options are simple and flexible, with forms that enable payment by eCommerce, fax or postal mail.  Take a look at www.secureyourtrademark.com.

Email marketing results (big $$$)

This news just in:  The HTML emails we're sending for www.exhibitservices1.com are working.  I could give you conversion data about the open-rate and click-through rates, but instead I thought I'd simply say that after the campaign their email box started filling-up and the phone started ringing.  They have orders that are 8-times greater than the cost of the campaign.  Now THAT's some serious ROI.

There's no secret here, just the basic elements of successful email marketing:

• A good list of names
• A great subject line
• A clear, simple, cleanly designed HTML email
• Links that work
• A great website that will inspire web visitors to make contact

Oh, and don't forget to send it from a third-party server and comply with the SPAM laws.

Next step:  Hit Google and find yourself an email list that targets your customer.  Before you buy, make sure you tell them no Spam trap' addresses and no 'global unsubscribes.'  They can't guarantee every email address, but if they know you're a smart shopper they won't sell you a spam list.

Happy hunting!

Site Review: American Truck and Trailer Body Co.

Ever wonder who builds those with utility trucks?  The ones that the power company uses to fix the electrical-lines?

No?

We didn't either...until we got a call from the company who builds them here in Northern California. All arose the San Francisco Bay Area the utility company is PG&E, and the truck-builder is American Truck and Trailer Body Co.

After a couple months of research and discussion, followed-by design and programming, American has a new website to show off their work.  As a custom fabricator of heavy equipment, the site focuses on the equipment.  A deep portfolio of images is organized in a way their customers will appreciate, and the content is confident without making a big sales-pitch.

Our goal was to communicate professionalism and build credibility with the AT&TB customer, establishing trust that will ensure they stand-out from the competition.

Take a look at www.attbcinc.com, even if your not in the market for an underground maintenance truck.

Is your business both product and service?

If your business involves both a product (a kitchen countertop, for example) and a service (professional installation of that countertop) then your marketing message needs to address both parts, right?

Step one is to help the customer fall in love with your product.  A company that sells Corian countertops needs to get customers attached-to the unique aspects of Corian (i.e., available in a broad range of colors) and sell against any perceived weaknesses (i.e, not as elegant as granite.)

Step two is to sell your service.  In this case, we first make sure the customer understands installation is a specialized craft requiring a high level of expertise.  Now that they know experience matters we present our credentials: years of experience, training, testimonials from previous clients, etc.

Blend the two messages together in the countertop company example and you might get a website like Signature Surfaces Inc.  With a dual-message of promoting the product and the expertise required to install that product, we've presented ourselves with clarity and confidence.

Keys to great websites (from the New York Times)

THE idea that if you build it, they will come, might have worked for Kevin Costner in the movie “Field of Dreams,” but it certainly does not hold true for Web sites.

Brilliant! Now my clients and readers won't just have to take my word for it.  Recently the NY Times had an article discussing great web design and it's full of smart ideas-- best-practices that every small business website should follow to be an effective marketing tool.  A few tidbits:

• Build a bad-looking small-business site filled with poorly written text, and your potential customers will go away.

• Web pages must visually hit a visitor right between the eyes. If a site does not answer a user’s questions about a business, then you have scored one for the competition.

• Users spend 30 seconds reviewing a home page...a business must encapsulate what they do in very few words.

Does my web design agency Wheel Media make the grade?  Do we design with these principles in mind?  I say yes, but pop-over and take a peek for yourself!
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Read the full article here.  (Free online subscription required.)

B2B Web Design Example: West Valley Construction

Wheel Media recently launched a new website for West Valley Construction, a 50 year-old construction firm based in the Silicon Valley.  If you drink the water or drive the roads of the SF Bay Area chances are you've seen their work.

When I'm thinking about a business-to-business website I'm focused on three goals:

• A design that is clean and easy to navigate
• Content that is confident and invites the visitor to make contact
• Interactive features that sell their unique strengths

In this case, we chose to give one of WVC's core lines-of-business added visibility by dedicating a space in the navigation for it.  ("Design-Build").  We used Flash to introduce a couple projects, and listed their clients to demonstrate the trust for WVC in the marketplace.  We also made a printable version of every page, ensuring the format would remain intact if a visitor wanted a paper-copy.

I can't say enough how important it is for B2B companies to have a clear and professional website.  The web is the first place most people go to learn about a new business-- if your firm sounds smart and looks good you're one step closer to a new client.  If your old site from 1999 has broken links and is a chore to navigate, well... maybe we can do something about that.

A lawyer (and website) you can trust

Let's be honest, in the legal field a few unscrupulous egomaniacs have given the profession a bad name.  The attorneys I know play by the rules and are whip-smart to boot-- you won't find me telling lawyer jokes at parties.  Granted I don't want to have to hire these talented folks anytime soon, but it's good to know they're around.

On the web it's hard to find a lawyer's website that conveys these positive messages:  Experience, knowledge, credibility...and some humanity.  Recently a very successful lawyer in San Francisco approached Wheel Media looking for a website and not knowing where to begin.  We took the opportunity to study her practice, style and her clientele and create a site that established trust.

Clear and appealing in words and design, this site is small but effective.  The objective of the site is to establish credibility, and inspire a phone call.

We think this is one attorney website visitors will feel good about.  Take a peek at www.robbinsfamilylaw.com