As a Denver website development company, we look for ways to generate leads for potential new clients.  As a website development company we tend to look to generate leads via the internet.  Although we very much value the aspect of face to face lead generation (which we will touch on here in the blog post to a degree), because we spend most of our time online, developing leads through the web has become essential to growing business.

We will look at four specific ways leads can be generated through social media.

1. Twitter

• Following: Obviously the easiest way to develop a lead via twitter is to simply follow a potential client and hope that through some form of communication a lead will develop.
• Tweet-ups: These are a great way to connect with like minded people in your area.  Here you have the opportunity to put a face to a Twitter account and help do lead generation in a Face-to-Face manner.
• Searching: People use Social media to ask and search out answers to their questions.  If you are looking to potentially gain some leads in an unconventional way, set up searches related to your business so that you could be the first to respond via Twitter and help those looking for your services before they even come to you.

2. LinkedIn

LinkedIn allows for connections with other business people.  Those who need help with a service can find highly recommended people through their connections that they already have.  Creating and developing a network of professionals on this social media site will allow for your business to potentially develop leads through a referral manner.

3. Facebook

4. Blogs

Commenting, sharing, and maintaining a blog could by far be the best way to generate leads for potential clients.  Commenting on other companies blogs can bring about the potential for that company to change to your services because you are visible in front of them.  Maintaining a blog helps to amass a following in that blog which can lead to more lead generation.  Finally sharing a post or entire blog can help a company see how interested viewers are in the site as well as help encourage other companies to purchase services.

There are plenty more ways that leads can be generated through social media, if you have some that have worked for you leave a comment and let us know what they are! Hopefully in the near future the effects of using social media to build leads will be realized by all of us!

A Guide for using Social Media in Business

We looked at generating leads in social media, but what else can a company do with these great tools? Our guide for using social media in business will help equip your business for interaction and development in the online world.

Download Now!

Google Labs has recently come out with a new program to expand the creative ideas and capabilities contained within smart phone applications: an App Inventor.  Google Labs’ App Inventor program is designed for Android Phone apps, and makes it possible for you to design an app on your computer that can easily be transferred to your phone.  Remember that perfect app that appears in your head, but just can’t be found in the app store?  Good news, you can create it yourself!  Which is more fun than buying it, anyway.

Using Google Labs’ App Inventor does not require any special knowledge or skill set.  The apps are really quite simple to make, and are based on key components of the look and feel you desire for your app.  Some features that App Inventor offers are:

• the ability to store user data in a database – this capability makes it possible for anyone using your app to have their data stored.  For example, if you are asking for user feedback (answers to a question, suggestions for fixing a problem, etc.), answers that any user gives can be stored by your Android app.
• GPS capability – as we have mentioned previously, GPS features are huge in SmartPhone apps.  App Inventor makes it easy for you to incorporate the use of GPS into an app that you design.
• use of Android phone features – this means that any app you design can make use of your phone’s stored contacts information, as well as text message and calling capabilities.  Say you want to design an app that will help you advertise for business events and promotions — you could design this app so that a text message reminder is sent out to those who RSVPed “yes” to an event.
• connections with websites – this particular feature takes a bit more skill level, but if you learn a bit about writing web apps, is easy to take advantage of!  You can connect your Android app with websites of your choice such as WordPress to link up with your blog, or Facebook to help your app better connect with friends and business partners.

In the realm of troubleshooting and FAQs, the App Inventor website includes a user forum and several help pages (some of which are user generated).  App Inventor also offers quite a few tutorials to help new users get started with the program.  Tutorials offered by App Inventor include:

• several tutorials on how to build quizzes that multiple users can respond to (and, as we discussed previously, that can store user information)
• automatic text messages responses (making full use of the Android’s phone features)
• finding your car (this takes advantage of the GPS capabilities this program offers, and could certainly be useful when you’re shopping at Denver’s newly opened Ikea store)
• getting stock quotes (hello, smartphone apps for business!)

So, the next time you’re thinking in terms of internet marketing, don’t stick to the straight and narrow — take the leap and create something new!  Seriously, the possibilities are endless.

Free e-Book: Social Media for Business

You have a website, but is it getting found? Find out what you need to know about social media for business in our free e-book.

Download Now

Recently a new music service entitled Spotify was released here in America — currently it is still an invitation-only application. We as a Denver internet marketing company like to observe how new products launch and take note of things that we can use for future reference.  We are going to take a look at 4 lessons that Spotify has taught us with their launch that any company could use.

First lets look at some back history on Spotify.  Spotify was launched in 2008 in Sweden.  Before Spotify came to America it had 10 million European users.  They also offer over 15 million songs, in an on demand, no buffering, free (legally!).

So what can we learn from this growing service?

1. Start Slow

Sometimes we get it in our heads that bigger is better.  Spotify is running in limited release and throughout their time they haven’t been looking to be the next big thing.  They have simply been looking to fulfill a need.  By what they are doing currently, they pique interest in a way that stirs conversation (we are blogging about them, for instance) and avoid any kind of place where they have to stop invites (like Google+) or overrun their servers too quickly.

2. Build Hype

When going to launch a business would you rather start out with no one knowing who you are or having people begging to use your services?  Hopefully the answer would be the latter.  Spotify had 10 million European users to build hype for Americans before it launched.  Now, those American users who have invitations (or Klout) are here on the ground in America continuing that hype.

3. People Want to Buy in

This could be viewed by a stretch (if you aren’t a music junkie). With limit invites and what seems to be a plan to slowly release access to the service, more people are willing to pay for the upgrade in order to have the service.  Spotify doesn’t seem to be seeking to remove free music streaming anytime soon, but the perks of any recorded song imaginable at a persons fingertips, without ads is very tantalizing and for some people a point to buy in.  (Over 15% of European users already have).

4. Ensure Quality for Every User

The three points previous build to this final point. By starting slow, it builds hype but within that hype there must be a quality that the users enjoy.  A quality that makes some users even willing to pay for the service.  However all these things compounded together ensure quality for every user.  A quality that is funded through the people who buy in, sold by the people who build hype and controlled through the slow and meticulous release of the service.

So when looking to start a new project or business venture, here are four things that we can put to use from the people at Spotify. Which of these four would you rate as the best lesson learned?

Also we’d like to congratulate Nicholas Weems for winning an invitation to Spotify from us! Check him out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naweems.

Learn About RSS Feeds

Now that we have looked at some things we can learn from Spotify, we have an ebook that will continue that learning focused on RSS Feeds.  Now you can take what’s learned from Spotify to help with content posted through an RSS Feed!

Download Now

And by handheld user interface, we mean the smartphone.  A growing medium for everything from social networking apps to games to QR codes, we think smartphone apps are an up-and-coming aspect of internet marketing.

So, today, we’re going to do a little brainstorming for you about good ideas for advertising with smart phone apps.  There’s a whole lot of possibilities out there for marketing your company, and we’re here to help get you started!

1. Games

Building a game based on the aspects and values of your company could be a very successful form of advertising.  A game played in the palm of a potential customer’s hand is convenient and easy, and the possibilities of catering the game to your company are endless.  For example, say you run a non-profit organization of some sort.  A simple game could be created via smartphone app, and the game could be priced at $1-$2 in app stores.  When the user purchases the app, they would be asked where they would like for their money to be donated to (a department of your non-profit organization, an organization that your non-profit benefits, etc.).

2. Social Networks

We think social media is pretty important these days.  Luckily, Facebook and Twitter, among other social networks are readily accessible on iPhones, Blackberries, and Androids!  With advertising via social media specifically catered towards smartphone users, you can advertise more efficiently and effectively.  For example, spreading the word about special events and promotions is often easier with the ability to reach people on their mobile phones.  You could tweet a catchy phrase along the lines of “text {phone number} with your favorite things about our new product and get automatically entered to win a $200 gift card!”  Getting users to actually respond to this sort of promotion is much easier when they’re already holding a phone, it’s essentially a no-brainer.

3. Maps, GPS, and Travel Apps

When we talked about some smartphone apps that already exist to help make your business boom, we mentioned several apps centered around frequently updated maps, excellent GPS, and other aspects of travel.  Getting your business, quite literally, “on the map” is a great way to gain some new customers.  For example, if you owned a new restaurant, you’d probably want to get your restaurant’s location and other details listed on the UrbanSpoon app.  This way, potential customers could look for your restaurant according to proximity to their location, as well as what kind of cuisine and atmosphere they were to look for.

So, really folks, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  Next time we will touch on the actual creation of an app.  So start brainstorming some more, and then we’ll give you the tools on how to make those ideas come to life!

Free e-Book: Social Media for Business

You have a website, but is it getting found? Find out what you need to know about social media for business in our free e-book.

Download Now

In case the title was tricky to understand, today we are blogging about the latest iOS 5 update coming out for Mac users. As a Denver internet marketing company, we are always looking at the latest software and firmware updates to see what is going to be beneficial to business and individual use alike.

The updates that are coming through iOS5 are rumored to be some of the most extensive and revolutionary updates that Mac has produced for its mobile software.

With over 200 new features it would appear that it shouldn’t be rumored, but stated fact that this update is going to be something that will definitely once again change the way we use our mobile devices.  If not change, at least make our mobile device use simpler and more streamlined across everything that we are using them for.

So what features are being brought up that are so great?

Notification Center

This will centralize all notifications that come to the device, whether it’s an email, text message, or events on a calendar, all will appear in the notifications.  This will obviously help streamline the process of checking a mobile device.

Reminders

This is something that has been missing and called for in previous iOS updates.  A place where reminders can be compiled into a calendar of events, instead of having to use a third party application or scheduling the reminder as an event in the calendar.

PC Free and Wi-Fi Sync

The ability for every mobile device to update without having a PC is something that has been looked for since mobile Mac devices could access the internet and that opportunity is finally here.  Also coming with the update is the ability to sync to a PC via the internet, without cords.  Both of these things have been looked for and will be greatly welcomed with this latest update.

These updates are great, however they aren’t what originally had us excited to blog about this.

Twitter

As a company that is heavily involved in social media we see the Twitter integration into iOS 5 as one of the best updates not only for businesses but individuals as well (if they are on Twitter of course). This integration will allow the user to tweet from Safari, Youtube, Maps, Camera and Photos.  This greatly improves the speed at which something can be tweeted.  Reducing the need for a third party application to tweet out a picture, a location, a video, or a link.  Helping of course feed the ever growing social media world through our mobile devices.

These are just a few of the positive changes coming from iOS5. A comprehensive list can be found on Apple’s website.  We want to know, what are you looking forward to most about the iOS5 update?

Ready to Learn Something New? How about something you can use in iOS5?

We talked about the new updates to iOS5, now we have an e-book about smart phone apps.  If you want to learn about the benefits of them then download this ebook!

DOWNLOAD NOW