http://www.maryschmidt.com Business Development, Marketing, Common Sense & Creativity Thu, 03 Jul 2008 20:44:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Those Founding Fathers! What a motley group. We (USA) wouldn't be here, celebrating Independence if they had decided to let somebody else do it; that they couldn't fight the establishment; that they had to have meetings to plan meetings; that they needed some team-building coaching so they could ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/07/03/we-wouldnt-be-here-without-the-weirdos-elitist-snobs-troublemakers/ Last week I was sitting in (and chiming in) on a seminar my colleague Mary Ellen Merrigan was giving about Online Media Rooms. She and I were in the groove...we were smokin' (or thought we were...) Then...one of the attendees asked, "But, is this the home page you're talking about? ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/07/02/but-is-this-the-home-page-youre-talking-about/ The other day I was meeting with a client about their web site. They had found out the happy news that their Flash elements could (maybe) be searched! Sooo, I had to climb on my soapbox gently remind them that Flash - while it's "cool" - may not ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/07/02/are-you-selling-to-search-engines-or-people/ Next week is "National Independents Week" (July 1-7). Many cities, including Albuquerque (and Santa Fe, Austin, Boulder), have Independent Business Alliances. These alliances are to support the locally-owned businesses that make all our communities places we never want to leave. The local Mom & Pop pizza joint; the ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/06/27/martini-musing-celebrate-independents/ I'm a woman. I buy things. I write about marketing to women. I advise clients on marketing to women. But, one thing has always bugged me. People, including many marketers, talk about marketing to women as if we're one big group of pink 'n white sameness. ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/06/26/were-focusing-on-marketing-to-men/ It grows - even thrives - where you didn't plant it, don't want it, don't water it. And, it's almost impossible to kill, if you don't want to poison the environment. It dies where you plant it, want it, fertilize it, baby it. And so it goes - if ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/06/24/how-bermuda-grass-is-like-word-of-mouth-marketing/ I do my best to be responsible but all this green stuff is exhausting! Even Wal-Mart is pitchin' a brand of potato chips as "green!" So, how - as marketers and consumers - do we separate the green goodness from the green noise? I don't have the magical ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/06/20/martini-musing-being-green-is-exhausting/ Let's say you sell adorable little pink elephants - and you'd like to be at the top of Google search results. So, you hire a "web marketing expert" for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) advice. STOP! First, think about how people really will look for you, then what they'll find when ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/06/18/pink-elephants-or-puce-pachyderms/ 1. You ask them for a new web design for your ecommerce site - and they show up with flash/splash, and then argue with you that this is the best way to go. This old quote from Jared Spool of User Interface Engineering at Macromedia pretty much sums it ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/06/17/five-signs-you-should-fire-your-creative-agency/ Ban everyone involved from saying any of the following phrases: I don't think...(So? That's why we're looking at the "new" stuff. Stop thinking, start looking and listening. Otherwise, you'll filter the info through your world view. Just look at how the right and left wing pundits interpret the exact ... http://www.maryschmidt.com/2008/06/16/before-evaluating-new-target-demographics/