You know when your mom used to make you clean the whole house anytime people were coming over? Well, this is kind of like that…
We’re acting as Mom here and telling you to tidy up your website so that your guests keep coming back. Your website is the home for your story and services; it’s also your chance to make a great first impression. When you want a clean house, you call a maid. When you want a clean website, you call Bowe Digital!
We can help make your website sparkling clean with our 3-step website creation process, but first, let’s talk about what makes a website stand out from the ones next door.
This article lists 7 qualities of a great website. Here are 4 that stand out:
Well-Designed and Functional
Your website should have white space and breaks. It should be uncluttered, Marie Kondo style, with quality photographs and graphics to let your message shine through. See this website we designed for Golden Dog Title & Trust. Your users won’t stick around if it’s hard to navigate or if there are issues with speed and functionality.
Optimized for Mobile
Most users look at your website from their phones, so in our best mom voice, we say, “There are no excuses.” With the growth of digital technology and devices, your website should look great and work well on any platform.
Fresh, Quality Content
It’s time to renovate! Your website should use language that makes sense to your audience and avoid corporate jargon. Visitors have short attention spans so correct spelling, accuracy, relevance and frequent updates with fresh content (videos, blogs, social, etc.) are vital to improving SEO and organic traffic. Take a look at Amerititle’s, blog. As their trusted partner, we keep the information posted here current and fresh.
Optimized for Search and the Social Web
Imagine you get your website prepped and ready for visitors, but no one shows up. To grow your guest list, your content needs to be well tagged, contain searchable words, have a decluttered HTML code and be easily shareable.
If your website isn’t hitting these marks or you’re not sure if it stands out from the website next door…don’t worry! The Bowe Digital team can help clean it up! Visit bowedigital.com/contact-us to learn more about our 3-step website creation process and our website hosting services!
What do Crocs and our founder and chief inspiration officer, Wayne Stanley’s childhood dreams, have in common? They both made a comeback in 2017. While Crocs were trending in fashion and people were jamming out to Ed Sheeran’s hit song, Shape of You, Wayne Stanley was making his entrepreneurial dreams a reality.
This week marks five years since Bowe Digital made its’ debut in 2017. In the five years since, we’ve accomplished a lot and made tons of memories, friends and amazing partners along the way.
Here are 5 things we’re proud of in the 5 years since Bowe Digital began.
1. Being named #12 on the Best Places to Work in Indiana list
Landing the #12 spot on the Best Places to Work in Indiana list this year was HUGE! We’re super fortunate to have a team that brags about our company as much as they do, but this award speaks for itself. Compiled by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Best Places to Work awards are based on anonymous employee surveys with questions about company culture, pay, diversity, and more. We’ve learned first hand that happy employees produce better satisfied partners and productivity.
2. Making a name for ourselves in the title industry
Our company has carved a niche in the land title insurance industry, and we’ve made a name for ourselves through our outreach by attending and speaking at events like NS3, ALTA HOP and ALMA Agency Seminars. Even if most of you think that our name is Bowe Digital (Bow-ie) and not Bowe Digital (Bow)...we forgive you. We are proud to set the standard and serve title and real estate companies across the U.S., and we feel lucky that companies outside of title and real estate have trusted us, too.
3. Offering our customers custom solutions
The Bowe Digital difference is that all of our marketing, communications and advertising strategies are 100% custom. Forget pre-made templates… we recognize what makes you unique and start from scratch to produce original content that’s branded to fit your needs and meet your standards. We pride ourselves on being an extension of your team. Our goal is to deliver on your vision for connecting with your customers and making an impact in your industry.
4. Encouraging our team members to learn and grow
Since getting our start in 2017, we have always encouraged the members of our team to set educational and professional goals and to never stop learning. Pushing our team to further their expertise and career helps them to better serve our partners. It’s a win-win. We’re proud to share that our entire team is Hubspot certified by Hubspot Academy and that almost all the members of our team have been certified as ALTA HOP Leaders with eight earning that certificate this year.
5. Growing the Bowe Digital family
Half of businesses fail in the first five years according to the Small Business Administration, but not Bowe Digital. Despite being tested by the pandemic in 2020, our company grew faster than ever, providing the best service and support to our growing list of partners. What started as five teammates and a dream of helping a few trusting partners, has evolved into a team of almost 20 full-time employees, serving nearly 200 partners. Our team truly is a family - it means everything to us - and we treat our partners like family, too!
Like Crocs, Bowe Digital likes to make a statement. We provide our partners comfort with a bold look that customers can’t miss, and while we’d like to give Crocs all the credit, we can’t. We really owe it all to Wayne and to his grandparents, Shirley and Glen Vernon Bowe who inspired him and inspired more than just the name of this company. We honor them each day by sticking to the promise to work hard, play hard, and respect everyone. We can’t believe it’s been five years, and we’re raising a glass to the next five…and the five after that…and the five after that! Visit bowedigital.com to learn more about our story, and join us in celebrating five years by partnering with us!
All businesses share one common goal, and that’s to achieve steady and continuous growth. I’m sure we could make a laundry list of tactics that could help us get there, but one thing stands out above the rest: COMMUNICATION. If there’s one thing that your team should be focusing on this year, it’s improving their internal and external communication practices.
Whatever efforts you’re making now can be improved with some reflection and a plan. Good communication has no ceiling, and it’s worth putting time and effort into because it builds your reputation, establishes your brand, and ultimately, sells your products and services.
Internal Communication
The members of your team need to be on the same page. There are four types of business communication, and three of those are internal: internal upward, internal downward and internal lateral. All three aid in creating consistent messages and uncovering problems for customers. Additionally, keeping the members of your team informed on internal news will make them feel more involved and invested in your business.
Whether it be at an in-person meeting, virtually or over email, always ask your team what questions they get asked the most by customers. By uncovering recurring problems, you can find a way to solve them. If a customer asks the same question to multiple team members, the goal is that they’ll get the same answer every time. To achieve this kind of consistency, you need to establish a standard for the entire team and determine what you want to say about your business.
Don’t know where to start? Our Bowe Digital team helps businesses establish their brand voice and presents them with the strategies they need to communicate effectively with their audiences through our Story Arc Process. We interview your customers to find out what they really think; then, we combine that information with your values and goals to present a story everyone on your team can follow.
External Communication
Now that you have the ammunition, you need to communicate with your customers proactively with a consistent message. It's time to act as a resource and establish your team as industry experts. Eliminate commonly asked questions by answering them before they’re asked. AmeriTitle’s blog is a great example. As a partner of ours, they use this space to explain the complexities of their industry and provide tips, covering topics that commonly trip up their customers. This kind of proactive communication can be done through blog posts, social media, emails, etc.
All communication to your external audiences should be timely and of substance. The golden rule is to not keep customers waiting and to not waste their time. Never communicate just for the sake of communicating. Instead, make sure you’re always providing content that is relevant or of value to them. Focusing on communication with your internal and external audiences this year is the best way to invest in your business. Who better to help you improve your communication than our team of communication experts at Bowe Digital. We’re here to help you reach your audiences in a way that works for you! Contact us today.
At Bowe Digital, our resolutions as individuals and a team are in place for 2021! (Insert Rocky theme here!) If you are anything like us, you are pumped to hit the ground running. You have been training for this your whole life. The new year is before you like a winding road, and you can’t wait to use every twist and turn to your advantage!
Have you considered your marketing plans for this year? Each day is an opportunity to tell everyone about your business, and like Rocky, you need a plan in place to be the champ! It takes a little training, but here are some ideas that will help you knock out your goals to become a marketing champion!
Resolving to do even one tip from above betters your ability to communicate with the most important people in your corner...your customers. If you need some more support, contact Bradley Erb at bradley@bowedigital.com. He and the other members of the team are ready to cheer you on and can help with websites, social media and promotional material! Reach out because we are ready to fly now...just like Rocky.
From Guest Blogger & Bowe Digital Intern, Mackenzie LeClere:
Today, more than 90% of businesses use social media to promote their brand. Hopefully, your business is one of them. Even if you’re on social media, are you using it correctly and efficiently? Social media can be a great thing when done correctly, and Bowe Digital is here to help.
Having social media is a must these days if you are trying to take your business to the next level. To begin with, it’s cost-efficient! Social media is one of the most inexpensive and easiest ways to market towards your customers and the public. Instagram, Facebook and other platforms can have a huge impact on your sales and reach potential clients or partners without hurting your marketing budget.
By having an active presence, you can engage and reach people who have never heard of your business. For example, you share a post to 100 of your followers advertising your business. Those followers share and repost your post bringing in 100 other new eyes. All this leads to new customers -- and more awareness -- for your brand with a click of a button.
Not only is it important to have social media to bring awareness, but it’s an awesome way to form relationships with customers. Within Instagram and Facebook, there are features designed to message people. This allows people who have questions about your business to ask and get a response right away. This is a plus for you because you’re showing them that customers are a priority, making you stand out from other businesses.
TIPS
Hopefully, these tips come in handy. If you’re looking for more help in this area, Bowe Digital is here. Let’s talk today!
Mackenzie is a Fall 2020 Bowe Digital intern and attends Illinois State University studying communications. She’s majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Sociology. She loves writing, dancing and spending time with friends in her free time.
“Do not try to do everything. Do one thing well.” -Steve Jobs
Being a business owner is more than a full-time job. It’s the realization of a dream that has been your focus, possibly for a long time. You know what you do, and you do it well.
Whether searching for the right insurance agent or the best popcorn in town, most of today’s customers begin their search online. Your net presence is often a customer’s first impression of you, and your brand should be on point.
Bowe Digital can get your message heard. As you focus on your business, our marketing specialists put a spotlight on your efforts, and we work hard, play hard and respect everyone as our team steps up to the marketing plate for you.
Wherever you are in your marketing plans, Bowe Digital can position your brand for success without breaking your budget. Just look at what we offer!
Bowe Digital offers all of this and so much more. You know your business, and we know marketing. Together, we make a dream team with one goal in mind…to take you to the next level. Contact our Business Development Manager Bradley Erb, or reach out to us through bowedigital.com. Trusting us with your marketing needs is a step up on the ladder to success.
LinkedIn’s mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.
And so far, they’re executing well. It’s likely you already know the platform as your go-to spot for hosting your resume. But this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what LinkedIn can do for you and your company.
Thanks to its focus on professionals, LinkedIn has fostered an engaged community that wants to hear what career advice, work tips and professional development guidance you have to offer. It’s an amazing (and often underused) platform with a fast-growing captive audience. It’s time you make posting content on it a priority whether its through a company account or your own personal page.
We put together this handy list of best practices when it comes to posting, such as what to post and how often to post. These tips will help stop your content from getting lost in the noise and turn it into content that can truly make an impact.
The foundational best practice: We can’t stress this enough. You need to start by completing your LinkedIn profile. According to LinkedIn, companies with a complete profile receive 30% more weekly views. This means that your description, logo and company information all need to be filled out. (If you want some inspiration to get started, check out this Best of LinkedIn Pages that LinkedIn created.)
Now here are answers to two follow-up questions that you might be asking us.
LinkedIn is a platform that needs to be taken off the backburner and made a priority. Where else can you find so many people who are ready to engage with you? If you need more help creating and managing content, call Bowe Digital today at 317-410-1690.
There's a Norwegian saying worth remembering: there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Watch as Bowe Digital owner, Wayne M. Stanley, talks about the ways you should change your "marketing clothing" this fall and better market your business.
Today’s internet access allows applicants to be savvier when searching for an employer. Recent studies show that job seekers do their home work before applying to most companies. You may not realize that you have a reputation in the job market already. Knowing what and where this reputation comes from is important to attracting the right applicants. Today’s applicant wants the new job to be just right for them as well.
There are a couple of housekeeping tips that need to be addressed before you advertise any job opening.
Having a clear job description is essential. This highlights the basic requirements of the position. It is not uncommon for many companies not to have written job descriptions. (I am not saying this practice is good.) Over the year’s, tasks were assigned to certain people and they alone were responsible. These same people were with the same company for 20+ years. Now as they leave or retire, we need to know what it takes to replace their knowledge.
When you ask an employee to list all the tasks they are responsible for and the tasks they know how to do, even if they are not held responsible for them, there are usually surprises. Employers and their managers are not always aware of who knows how to complete certain tasks, or better yet how they learned to do the tasks.
Don’t hesitate to get help to write job descriptions that will let you and the applicants know if they are qualified for the position. They can help you write detailed job descriptions and step by step training manuals if needed. Be sure to remove the jargon and industry phrases from descriptions targeting new candidates. You want them to be accurate and appealing to attract the best humans for the job.
Emphasize the benefits your company has to offer. Make a complete list of everything that you do for your employees. This is your time to shine. Include, health care plans, retirement /401K packages, scheduling requirements and holiday schedules, company vehicle/computer/cell phone use, vacation/personal days, even pet insurance! Be sure to list any policy that gives the employee a chance to be appreciated or make their life easier! Ask why you started offering this benefit, if there is still a need, or is there something missing you could add. Applicants want to know how you recognize and appreciate the worth of those who work for you. The benefits being asked for these days does vary a great deal from years past. Each generation has a different want or need for what they consider a benefit. Companies should look at this list be sure they are still needed, wanted, and more importantly viewed as a benefit by the staff. It is nice to see more weight being thrown at personal time than possibly just pay scales. It has been said many times that the mental health of our work force shows in their productiveness. Do your research and know what you can afford to offer. Learn what your team needs to happier and more successful for all of you.
There are many points to the hiring process. This is only the tip of the iceberg. We will address more ways to attract and retain great employees in the future. If there is something you are struggling with promoting let us know how we can help. We will get the information you need to be the best at hiring and retention, to help save you money and headaches. Email us today at contact@bowedigital.com.
We all know that first impressions are important and a bad first impression could really turn someone away. Companies spend a lot of time and effort making their offices look nice and make sure they have the best staff at the front desk to welcome any customer to their office. But in most cases, your website is often your first impression on a potential new customer, not your office. If your website is out of date, you may lose business. Sounds crazy right? Someone would take their business elsewhere for a bad website?! It’s true.
So what makes a website “good”?
So, the real question is—does your website meet these needs? If not, now is the time to make changes. The future is now and there is not better time than today to address your marketing and site needs. Not sure how to do this? Contact Bowe Digital at 317.410.1690 and we will help you get there.
