http://www.astuteo.com/index.php You get what you pay for. en Matt Everson Copyright 2009 2009-01-02T22:19:20-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/10_unavoidable_reasons_to_begin_a_web_project/ http://astuteo.com/blog/10_unavoidable_reasons_to_begin_a_web_project/#When:22:19:20Z “Project meetings” are actually just hanging out at the coffee shop.Unlike the rest of your weekly meetings having to do with unreasonable deadlines and seemingly unnecessary deliverables, the most effective web project meetings usually involve kicking back with good coffee and pondering the incredible potential of it all. Let it be noted that these “meetings” can happen as often as you like, and on whatever days of the week you need to get the heck outta the office. Did I mention my office just happens to be above a pub and across the street from the best coffee in town?Spearheading a web project looks awesome on a resumé.If you’re in marketing, or any other field for that matter, spearheading the development of a new web application adds some serious punch to your resumé. Not only does it provide tangible evidence of your talent, it also shows that you’re a great project manager with an eye for developing efficiencies. It's not always easy to enhance your resumé once you're engrained in a position, but with a little initiative a simple web project can do exactly that. Articles, Online Marketing, Web Development 2009-01-02T22:19:20-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/the_jerk_store/ http://astuteo.com/blog/the_jerk_store/#When:00:47:28Z I stopped into Walgreen's yesterday to satisfy a craving for Red Vines. I prefer Red Vines to Twizzlers because the box has little drawings that kids have submitted printed on the bottom. The childrens' execution is never any good, but man alive if eight-year-olds don't have the most brilliant creative concepts. Anyway, I stepped into the checkout line behind five or six other customers and the clerk asked, "Did you see our weekly special," directing the guy who just needed AA batteries to the Diet Snapple Singles to Go Peach Tea packets sitting on the countertop. "Only $1.99 a box." "YeahIsawitthanks," the guy was forced to respond in order to successfully get the hell out of Walgreens and back into powering up whatever electronic device had just died and ruined his day. His tromping away cleared the counter for the next lady. "Did you see our weekly special," the clerk asked her, this time making a Vanna White-like gesture with his hands. "Only $1.99 a box." Articles, Outside The Office 2008-10-31T00:47:28-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/how_to_sell_your_home_fast_in_a_slow_housing_market/ http://astuteo.com/blog/how_to_sell_your_home_fast_in_a_slow_housing_market/#When:20:12:49Z Today's housing market is intimidating. Inventories are high, sales are low, and a good many people are resigned to the fact they'll be staying where they are for awhile. I suppose my wife and I could have taken on that attitude earlier this year, being in the same situation (or worse) as condominium owners. But we needed a change, and surrender isn't really our style. At the time we listed our property, condos here in Madison, Wisconsin, were averaging over 110 days on the market. We sold ours in three and half weeks. While I can't guarantee you'll have similar luck today, I do know a few tricks for unloading your home fast. Here's hoping it gives you the edge you need. Articles, Outside The Office 2008-10-03T20:12:49-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/how_to_learn_to_stop_worrying_and_love_your_job/ http://astuteo.com/blog/how_to_learn_to_stop_worrying_and_love_your_job/#When:01:59:36Z When I was a kid, I used to draw pictures of my shoes – nice profile shots of my Nike Air Max IIs – perfect to the stitch. After a while I got pretty comfortable with it, so I started making design modifications on the fly. Really innovative stuff the Nike engineers hadn't thought of yet, like cool metal saw teeth along the sides, or air pockets half-filled with water. Mind you, I was ten years old at the time, so I wasn't particularly concerned with the logistics involved in bringing my creations to market. I mention logistics because I had every intention of seeing these babies through to development. I mean, they were frickin’ awesome. I couldn't stand to think I might never open that orange cardboard box and drop my feet into a pair. It was beyond comprehension. So I did what any ten-year-old would do: I typed up a letter and mailed the designs off to One Bowerman Drive, Beaverton, Oregon – Nike's corporate headquarters. Articles, Career Advancement 2007-09-12T01:59:36-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/five_simple_ways_to_kickstart_your_website_traffic/ http://astuteo.com/blog/five_simple_ways_to_kickstart_your_website_traffic/#When:20:59:55Z I first thought of my company's name, Astuteo, one night as I was falling asleep. I'd spent months trying to figure out something that would express exactly what my company was – a small, independent design studio capable of producing insightful creative work. I'd read countless articles and various guides to naming a business, but still hadn't found anything that clicked for me. That night, though, for one reason or another, I asked myself the simple question, "Just what exactly is my business?" The first answer that popped into my head was, "a studio." And so Astuteo was born. Well, more or less it was. First, I had to figure out if it was a name worth pursuing. For all I knew, another unbelievably brilliant design studio had gotten to it first. Being a web developer, the first thing I did was check to see if the URL was available, and it was. The second thing I did was a Google search. Google returned two results. Not two pages of results, but two results, both of which looked to be misspellings. I don't know about you, but I can usually input gibberish and get a few pages of results from Google. This was a tiny little miracle in my book. The brand "Astuteo" was essentially mine to define. Articles, Online Marketing 2007-09-02T20:59:55-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/search_engine_marketing_strategy_for_service_providers/ http://astuteo.com/blog/search_engine_marketing_strategy_for_service_providers/#When:22:05:16Z In business today, there are essentially two types of service providers. Those who can easily provide their service in a virtual world – web developers, writers, consultants – and those whose work is much more grounded in reality – like painters, plumbers, and chiropractors. While virtual service providers were among the first to realize and embrace the global commerce opportunities created by the web, many real-world service providers have struggled to discover exactly how the internet can bring serious value to their local and regional businesses. Until recently, local businesses had an unparalleled partner in the Yellow Pages, mainly due to the fact that those in need of service had nowhere else to turn. As many are now realizing, that's no longer the case. The Yellow Pages are rapidly losing value due to the growing accessibility and convenience of the web. Coupled with the Yellow Pages' exorbitant advertising rates, it's become imperative that local businesses find better ways to reach new customers and employ more effective long-term solutions. Articles, Online Marketing 2007-08-06T22:05:16-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/8_ways_to_improve_your_business_with_gratitude/ http://astuteo.com/blog/8_ways_to_improve_your_business_with_gratitude/#When:00:59:52Z There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread. – Mother Theresa Customer appreciation is a tool that every business has at its disposal, yet very few choose to utilize it to its full potential. As a business owner, I believe there is no better investment than to put time and money into sincerely appreciating one's customers. That "appreciation" can be defined as an increase in monetary value is more than appropriate in this case: it truly is the easiest way to strengthen your business and earn more money. In my experience, the biggest obstacle to implementing an appreciation system is figuring out exactly how to incorporate it into a greater business plan. While I'm extremely grateful for the support and confidence of each and every one of my clients, I often allow my own gratitude to go unexpressed – save for a simple "thank you" – simply because I have no established process to which to refer. Recognizing this, I set out to expand my current approach, in the process creating a simple plan for integrating appreciation into my business and personal relationships. Articles, Building Your Business 2007-02-20T00:59:52-06:00 http://astuteo.com/blog/how_to_maximize_revenue_with_your_existing_client_base/ http://astuteo.com/blog/how_to_maximize_revenue_with_your_existing_client_base/#When:17:42:55Z After consulting with a new client, do you walk away knowing of many different ways you can help, but proceed to act only on their initial request? Do you hesitate to sell additional services simply because you don't know where to start? Being in the service business myself, I know what it's like to get a request for a new brochure when what the client truly needs is a new brochure, a better identity, stronger creative and a more effective website. I was satisfied fulfilling my client's immediate requests until I realized that fulfilling requests did not necessarily mean I was fulfilling my clients' actual needs. Your clients aren't supposed to be the experts – you are. By creating an upselling system (and you can think of it however you'd like: call it a "service program" or a "service plan" if you'd prefer), you establish yourself as an expert while helping fulfill the true needs of your clients as completely as possible and maximizing your revenue in the process. Articles, Building Your Business 2007-02-03T17:42:55-06:00