ElementsDaily

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New research shows that 90% of online users search locally when deciding where to purchase something. It’s more important than ever for businesses to be ready with a website to compete.

Elements, Inc. recently launched www.sanluisobispowebsites.com to exhibit over a decade of their work for local clients. “The local business community is the reason why Elements has gotten to where we are today”, commented Jeremy La Duque, CEO, “We wanted to develop a website that showcased all of our unique clients and the services they provide”. San Luis Obispo resident and online marketing expert, Jeremy La Duque, founded Elements, Inc. knowing that online marketing would soon replace many traditional forms of advertisement. Now, 11 years later, his company assists thousands of clients in helping them get the online exposure necessary to succeed in this electronic day and age.

Elements, Inc. has become a trusted source of online marketing solutions for both large and

As published in Renewable Energy World: October 2009 Issue

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/10/is-it-really-that-easy-going-green

We all know that person who fashionably expresses concern for the destruction of our environment; and then they drive off in their gas-guzzling SUV to their home that’s lit up like a Christmas tree, all while drinking from a coffee cup made from non-recycled paper. Are they lying about caring? I’d like to believe most people would prefer to be environmentally responsible; however, the fear of the associated costs paired with the confusion as to how to go green is enough for many to hopelessly throw their hands up in the polluted air.

This is why it can be a challenge for alternative energy companies to convey the value of their services. As well as the presupposed higher price tags, perplexing industry jargon serves as another challenge, as it only further bewilders an already ambiguous industry. This classic case of too much data and not enough useful information is scaring away potential customers.

Many Alt-e companies have proactively created an online presence to better communicate to potential customers, but they are still lost in how to best deliver their message. The challenges these companies face in the sales process is that the bar is constantly being raised when it comes to creative Internet solutions for attracting customers.

1. Creating a Local Presence

Alternative energy companies, such as solar providers, should have both a corporate web site, but also unique web sites for each location where the company provides installations. This makes the company more visible to search engines like Google, thus increasing their ranking when potential local customers searches for them. ElementsGreen creates brand-compliant web sites, domain names and content management solutions for each city or region where installations are made, and the sites can be updated with attractive local content for local customers seeking services.

2. Engage your Customers

Because many potential alternative energy customers fear encountering intimidating jargon, they don’t wish to speak with company representatives on the phone and would rather seek information online. Successful online engagement occurs when information is presented in a way that is user-friendly, digestible and relevant to the customer. Some effective web site tools to consider include online calculators that offer a clear breakdown of associated costs and the resulting return on investment (How will money spent translate into money saved?); photo galleries of the installation process (How will this affect the appearance of my home?); breaking industry news (What is the current buzz?); and online/live chat opportunities and social forums, which allow potential customers to ask questions and solicit feedback on concerns in an anonymous, casual setting.

3. Customer Portal Software & Solutions

Leveraging social networking opportunities and fostering online relationships within the current client base should be a high priority for alternative energy companies. Existing customers – typically passionate about the product – can be a valuable resource in engaging new clients. Creating a “members only” area on the web site provides a forum where existing clients can pose questions to each other and the company, access timely educational information and learn about current company incentives for referrals.

4. Monitor for Success

A key component to understanding the value of alternative energy is being able to monitor personal usage. When solar, for example, is installed on a home, a monitoring device is also put in place. By integrating this information into usable software, customers can easily access their usage on the company web site or on their Smartphone. This allows customers to always have ‘hands-on” access to the performance and functionality of their purchase, and the information can easily be shared, which helps to further share the company message to other potential customers.

As long as the environment continues to decline, consumers’ interest in alternative energy will only increase. Through effective online communication, alternative energy companies can help demystify the process of ‘going green’ and gain knowledgeable customers in the process.

As an interactive marketing agency, we are always trying to find new ways to save time, provide better quality, or to check in on the ‘Jonses’ and see what they are offering their customers

Widgets

This first tool is a customer service dream. It’s called ‘Jing‘ and essentially, it allows you to take quick pics and videos of your screen and then share it with other people. If you’ve created an image, Jing will allow you to use some general tools to make the image more lively, such as an arrow or text box.

What’s even cooler, is that this tool comes with a very useful feature, a free account at Screencast.com when you give Jing a try. Once you have uploaded your image or video to Screencast, it auto-generates a link for you to send to someone else who can now view your newly created image or video. Screencast even auto-generates embed code…WOW!

Check out this image I created.

And here is a video I created.

For more info, go to techsmith.com, a great company with great ideas.

Lets move onto some real fun. I play a little game here at the office. It’s called, ‘Copy-Mac.’ The rules of the game are simple:
1. Listen to the cool features Mac users say they have that PCs do not.
2. Find a PC tool that copies those features exactly.
3. Show them…

One feature many Mac users love, is the tile-window feature. I have recently come across a tool that lets me continue to play this game. The tool is called ‘Admiral’ created by Mexircus and it’s not only useful, it’s fun to use, especially if you are like me and have tons of windows open at any given time.

Compare: here is the PC view with Admiral; and below that is the Mac version,

PC View:

Mac View:

These are just a couple of tools that I have found to be fun and useful.

Photo Sharing

Flickr – almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world – has two main goals:
1. We want to help people make their content available to the people who matter to them.

Flickr is the WD-40 that makes it easy to get photos or video from one person to another in whatever way they want.

2. We want to enable new ways of organizing photos and video.

Once you make the switch to digital, it is all too easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer number of photos you take or videos you shoot with that itchy trigger finger. Albums, the principal way people go about organizing things today, are great — until you get to 20 or 30 or 50 of them. They worked in the days of getting rolls of film developed, but the “album” metaphor is in desperate need of a Florida condo and full retirement.

In Flickr, you can give your friends, family, and other contacts permission to organize your stuff – not just to add comments, but also notes and tags. People like to ooh and ahh, laugh and cry, make wisecracks when sharing photos and videos. Why not give them the ability to do this when they look at them over the internet? And as all this info accretes as metadata, you can find things so much easier later on, since all this info is also searchable.

Others:

Webshots
Share your pictures through photo messages, online photo albums, custom prints and gifts. |

Snappages
Fully flash built interface with 3D slideshows and an image editor.

Fotki
Free unlimited photo hosting for blogs, 9 cent prints, and photo contests.

Shutterfly
Free unlimited storage, 12 cent prints, as well as calendars and photo books.

Contacts/Business Network

Linkedin – Your professional relationships are key to your professional success. Our mission is to help you be more effective in your daily work and open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have.

LinkedIn is an online network of more than 25 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.

Others:

BNI International Web Site
BNI – International Website … BNI is the largest business networking organization in the world. We offer members the opportunity to share ideas, …

Ryze business networking
Ryze Business Networking, make business connections, make new contacts and … The prospects of social networking sites that focus on business-oriented …

Project Management

Basecamp takes a fresh, novel approach to project collaboration. Projects don’t fail from a lack of charts, graphs, stats, or reports, they fail from a lack of clear communication. Basecamp solves this problem by providing tools tailored to improve the communication between people working together on a project.

Others:

AceProject.com
Ace Project PM Software website. Commercial.

EasyProjects.net
EasyProjects PM Software website. Commercial.

ProjectInsight.net
ProjectInsight PM software website. Commercial.

People Search

Spock is “Google,” but for people. I use Spock to find out more about other companies or people I interact with. If i know more about them, I can probably help them more effectively. Of course the most relevant use is to find old friends, collegues, or even your boss…

Others:

Wink
Search using the world’s largest people search engine. Find people by name and get their phone number, address, Websites, photos, work, school, more.

PeekYou
PeekYou’s free people search engine allows you to find, contact, and track anyone online. Find photos, links, work, school and family info and much more.

Video Sharing

YouTube
Hosts user-generated videos. Includes network and professional content.

Break.com
Hosts user-generated videos. Includes network and professional content.

Viddler
You need to be logged in to use this feature. If you don’t have a Viddler account, you can join Viddler right now. It’s easy and free! …

5min
Find the best how to, instructional and DIY videos.

The list could go on forever…

What are your Favorite online tools?

The world wide web of social networking has reached a level of saturation that has far surpassed anyone’s expectation of this outlet’s popularity. Myspace and youtube are the trailblazers of this Pandora’s Box.

Anyone who has joined one of the many social networking sites, or remembers the already dead sites, should ask themselves, “Does this help me?”

I can honestly say, “yes…sometimes.” I know that doesn’t sound too solid, but there are many occasions where I can identify positive reasons for being part of a social networking site.

For example, Myspace can be used very successfully for bands trying to get exposure and establish a fan base without wasting a lot of time or money.

LinkedIn can be used very successfully to find forums, contacts and peers within your industry.

The down fall of this current environment is that there are just too many social networking sites…the choices can be overwhelming.

Because this networking environment is so inundated, my suggestion is to identify one social network that works for you. Joining every possible outlet to connect with people and keeping up with all of these sites could take over your life. So find a niche and connect with the people who are also interested in reaching out.

Here is a comical video highlighting the current downfall of social networking sites.