NOLA Design Studio Blog

My two little friends: SEO & SEM

2010-12-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

Okay folks - Over the last few weeks, many people have asked me about SEO & SEM. While this isn't the most exciting thing to blog about, SEO & SEM are really important terms to understand if you have (or want) a great website that gets found on the web. So - here goes:

I have said it before and I'll say it again (and again)... What good is a great looking website if no one knows it's there??? Our goal at Sazerac is to build websites that not only look great, but get our clients the exposure and traffic they need to develop their business! And THAT is where SEO & SEM come into play!

So, what the heck is SEO & SEM?

SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. As we build your site, we make sure that it is populated with the right "keywords," words or phrases that describe your business, products and services. Why is this important? These keywords are what a web browser would type into a search (on Google, for example) when looking for your products or services. Say you are a plumber...Well, most people don't know your actual business name, but they know they need their toilet fixed, so they will type in "Plumber, New Orleans" or "affordable Plumbing," etc - so YOU want to be the plumber that they find, right? That is why SEO is so important. If your website is not optimized with the right content and keywords, your site won't show up when someone is looking for your services! But your competition will - Ouch! That is why SEO is so important. SO when we build a site for you, we get to know your business and find out what your goals are, and then develop the right content and keywords to get you found online.

SEM is short for Search Engine Marketing. It's basically paid advertising online, much like print ads, billboards, TV & Radio....But it's much more EFFECTIVE than traditional advertising, because it puts YOU in front of PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY LOOKING for your products and serivces! And right now, SEM is MISSION CRITICAL to YOUR business' growth. In the "old days" of the web, you could do really good SEO and eventually increase your rankings in the search engines. But times, they are a'changing. The Internet and the major Search Engines like Google are moving at the speed of light, changing the rules about who gets seen the most frequently - and in a nutshell, there is so much competition out there that the World Wide Web is quickly becoming a "Pay-To-Play" system.

What does this mean for YOU?
You want people to find you online, right? That means you'll need to set aside a budget to do a quality SEM program. Don't worry - the great thing about SEM & Internet Advertising is that it's AFFORDABLE, EFFECTIVE - and when it is done right, your advertising campaign PAYS FOR ITSELF! At Sazerac Design, we offer what we consider the BEST IN CLASS when it comes to Internet Advertising. Your Ad Campaigns are built by the Industry Leader (guess who that is?) - so that your message is found WHEN and WHERE people are looking for your products and services. So, you get EXPOSURE and more QUALIFIED LEADS!

Our plans start at just $100 per month and we provide you with 100% transparent tracking, so you can watch your advertising dollars and track your ROI. We believe, without a doubt, that Internet Marketing is the best way to build a loyal customer base, engage new clients and grow your business. Call or message us today to learn how we can help you achieve your business goals!

exhaustion, creativity and finding your center.....

2010-11-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

This will be a fairly short blog, or maybe not. I am tired, really tired. For the last week I've been extremely busy with work, travel and personal commitments, and I am sitting here trying to find the energy to finish a huge project that will surely keep me up through the wee hours - and then get up at 6 AM to start the roller coaster all over again. Instead of diving into the project, I find myself here on my blog site, writing about being tired!

Why I am procrastinating, when I have so many other things to take care of? All I can think of is that my mind has been racing for days and I need a little outlet for creativity. Not that this post is very creative, but I am starting to feel better already.

Which brings me to some sort of point. In this hectic age that we live in, I think we all need some sort of mechanism to relax and find our center. For me, centering comes in the form of exercising both body and mind. I try to run or walk several days a week to keep in some semblance of "shape," (although that shape has changed in recent years!), but I always feel better when I exercise regularly.

Then, to really center my mind, I need to express myself creatively, which usually means breaking away from my design work (which is creative work - but it is just that - WORK!) to do something with my hands. Whether it is cooking, drawing, writing or sewing, I have to carve out time to MAKE something on a regular basis, that isn't associated with my job. If I don't do this I tend to get very snippy and frustrated and begin behaving like a 5 year old who needs a nap. Funny, the same thing happens if I don't eat on a regular basis.

I guess having an outlet for relaxation and creativity is much like food. It's part of the fuel that makes our engines run smoothly. Whether you are a right-brainer, an artist, a nurse or an attorney - I think we all need some form of creative expression to keep ourselves on an even keel. So this week, pay attention to your self, make time for you - and find the right fuel that keep you going strong!

Practice what You Preach!

2010-10-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

So, around this time of the year, folks start thinking about the holidays (and how can we not, since every store is loaded with Halloween and Christmas decorations!)- and with all the holiday hubbub, this is unfortunately the time of year that is the slow season for new client development at Sazerac Design. While our existing clients do need help with Internet marketing for the holiday rush, pulling in new business is a challenge.

So this year, I decided to practice what I preach - and actually use some of the Internet marketing strategies that we implement for clients. We typically get clients from referrals, so I haven't seen the need for paid advertising. But in lean times, you have to get creative and try new things to attract customers. And yes, sometimes you have to spend money to make money.

Here's what we did: In addition to running some Google and Facebook ads, I also revamped our package pricing and placed ads and posts on several industry sites. The results have been wonderful! I am happy to report that utilizing Google Ads has brought in two new clients this month - and it was a very cost-effective campaign. The great thing about developing Google or Facebook Ad campaigns is that you can set your daily budget and you have control over the geographic areas and demographics that will view your ads. And since we already use Google Analytics to track our website statistics, I can see my money at work - literally!

So, if you are in the same boat as me - a small business owner who sees a drop in new clientele around the holidays (or any other time of year) - I encourage you to consider Google and Facebook as viable venues for cost-effective advertising. If you have any questions about developing these types of campaigns - please feel free to contact me.

Good luck in your business ventures and Happy Holidays!

NOLA, Coffee and Design

2010-09-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

So, I spent the last week moving into a great new place in New Orleans, where I am very lucky to now live part of every month. For those of you who know me, you know that I have spent the last few years pretty much living in two cities, Lafayette and Mandeville, so the move across Lake Ponchatrain was not far, but in terms of the differences in these towns, New Orleans is and always will be a world onto itself.

Of course, I was born and raised in and around NOLA, so getting back there feels like coming home. I forgot who much I missed this place, with its meteor-sized potholes, crazy drivers, thick accents and even thicker coffee. The Garden District and Uptown areas around Magazine St. have always held a particular charm for me, so it's fitting that this is precisely where we found ourselves all week, lugging furniture and boxes up a steep flight of 23 steps. The apartment, with its 14' ceilings, old fireplaces, vine-covered columns and sagging balcony, is exactly the type of place I am eternally enchanted with.

So, in between unpacking boxes and waiting for the Internet to get hooked up, I was able to explore and rediscover several of my favorite old haunts, and some new ones too. I have found a new virtual office at PJs on Magazine, and ducked in several times at Le Bon Temps, my college watering hole. I walked at least 14 blocks every day, in my favorite old Gryson leather boots (who cares if it was 90 degrees outside!) I befriended puppies and curious cats, drank too much coffee, eavesdropped on people's conversations in cafes, watched produce trucks and pedestrians go by - and basically soaked in all that is New Orleans. Being in this city has always had a peculiar side effect on me - It plunges me into a wonderful creative binge! So, it is fitting that I had lots of design work to complete.

The creative process isn't always forthcoming. Sometimes, you get an idea right away, and it's near perfect - other times you have to let several concepts float around in your head for days before any one solidifies into something that works. And very often, you can start on something and by the time you have an initial proof, it looks nothing like it did when you began, but it makes sense anyway. This process can be frustrating at times, since we work with clients who need things like yesterday - So as artists, we must force our minds to crank out great design on a timeline. Which is not always easy.

So, I guess I should be grateful that my week in New Orleans was so fruitful. I finished a poster for Vermilionville's upcoming Bayou Festival, started on a new website for Mandeville photographer Jan Munson, developed a couple of logos for a Baptist Church in Shreveport and created some P.O.S. materials for DivineGourmeCheesecakes.com. It all came out so quickly and easily, and I guess I have New Orleans, with all of its interesting nooks, crannies and creative vibes to thank for it all.

Man Overboard at The Beach House!

2010-08-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, as many of you know, The Beach House Bar and Grill in Mandeville, LA is one of our favorite clients. We developed their website last year and we also create and their manage social networking media campaigns. They make wonderful clients, not only because the place has a really cool, laid-back vibe, but the food is delish - and the mix of great live music and local folks always make me smile.

I can be found at The Beach House on many a night, enjoying their $1 tacos on Tacos & Tunes Tuesdays, or sipping on a delicious $2 Mojito Martini during ladies night on Thursdays. The delicious food and drink specials are made even more appealing by the fact that they are usually accompanied by amazing live music, with artists like Truman Holland and The Back Porch Review, Brian Jones, Invisible Cowboy and more.

But what I really love about the Beach House is how I can always count on meeting new and interesting folks here. The locals, like Mr. Harold (who has a brass name plate on the bar, designating his spot) - come in every day, reporting on the weather, the day's fishing and a tidbit or two of neighborhood gossip. Visitors abound as well, and you never know who you'll run into!

Well, last week, manager Dave Dillen called to tell me that they finalized their new menu and were ready to post it to the website. I couldn't wait to get the info, as I am always ready to try some new dishes! Well, everything looked and sounded superb - especially the addition of fish and shrimp tacos (which were my off-menu favs that they finally added!). They also expanded their wine and beer selection, which includes a solid list of domestic and imported varieties. However, all of this paled in comparison to the "showstopper" menu item, which I feel compelled to share with you, my dear readers! It's the "Man Overboard Burger" - description follows:

The Man Over Board Burger - Mandeville’s Most Outrageous Burger. $16.95

This colossal beast of a burger is a force to be reckoned with. Weighing in at over 3lbs, the M.O.B. starts with one 8oz Au Jus patty, topped with a 6”four cheese& bacon quesadilla, and BHFS Guacamole. Another 8 oz burger patty is covered with our homemade potato salad and sweet fries. Then we pour a generous portion of chili over that, and finally top it all with fried pickles. The lid (as if) comes with spinach, tomato, onion and jalapenos. Served only with life guard on duty. Comes with a side of TUMS.

Have you ever heard of anything so, so...umm, well.....overboard and outrageous?!?!?! Okay, okay, I' ll admit, I have not tried it yet - I am more than a little scared and squeamish. But I mean, I feel a very strong urge to order the thing, just to say that I did.....Of course, I will need a table full of friends to help me with it, a $5 bucket of their Rum Punch to wash it all down - and I am sure we will all be grateful for the TUMS! So, any takers?

Until next time, wishing you a cool and relaxing August!

Greg Hayden Music: BAAM

2010-06-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Greg Hayden Music: BAAM: "Blog entry 6/22 Baam So…….you want to be a musician? Stand on stage and perform? Write music and sell cds? Well, you better bring y..."

SUMMER WEB SPECIAL! HOT DEALS at SAZERAC!!!

2010-06-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone, it's HOT and Sazerac Design is running a COOL summer special!

Isn't it time you got a website to promote your business? Or perhaps your current site isn't up to date and needs a makeover? Now you can get a fresh and dynamic new website - at an affordable price and up and running in just days! At Sazerac, we don't just build great looking site - we work hard to get your site noticed! From search engine optimization packages, to content development, to photography, logo design and print work - we will help you implement a full scale media campaign that WILL increase your business! We even offer social networking site set-up and management to help you reach more people on sites like FaceBook, Twitter, Blogger, etc! Summer Special website packages start at just $499 - and we even offer payment plans to make it easy on your wallet!
To check out our portfolio and hear what our clients have to say about us - click here!

GregHaydenMusic.com

2010-06-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post - working on a new site for a talented Louisiana singer/songwriter - Greg Hayden. It's always fun to work with other artists, and I think it really helps to motivate and inspire my design work. Working with Greg and his wife, April has been a wonderful experience so far. Greg is getting into social networking, (Facebook, Twitter and blogging) so I am anxious to see how his outreach to fans will affect his website traffic and sales of the new CD he is putting out in August. Anyway, I am in the midst of tweaking the site and working on the CD art, so, if you have a minute, check out GregHaydenMusic.com and send your feedback! Hope you are having a great week!

Oil Spill and Mortons Seafood

2010-05-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I am feeling the weight of our Louisiana summer heat. I'm not complaining. After the harsh winter we had, I am still grateful for the sunshine! While I was watering the garden this morning and thinking how beautiful all my plants and herbs are coming along, I thought about the contrast between all this growth and beauty in my backyard and this huge disaster in our other backyard - the the Gulf of Mexico. My thoughts turned to our clients, so many of whom are and will be affected by the Spill.

While our restaurant clients have been quickly and directly affected, most all of our Southern customers are concerned about how it will affect the ecosystem and the already shaky economy. It is really hard to comprehend the far-reaching and long-term effects this disaster will have on us all. It is easy to feel helpless in this situation, but thankfully, Louisiana's people, Cajun or otherwise, are a tough and resourceful breed.

One of our newest clients is Morton's Seafood in Madisonville, Louisiana. Morton's is a "must stop" if you are heading to Madisonville. The place is warm and inviting, with a big old wood bar that reminds me of Cheers. It sits right on Water Street overlooking the Tcefuncte River. They are known for delicious and freshly prepared seafood dishes. They've always dealt primarily with local fishermen to get the freshest seafood possible. My favorite dish there is their Seafood Boat. They take a wide piece of French Bread, hollow it out and pile fresh fried Shrimp, Oysters or Catfish on top - Delish! With most of their menu offering local seafood, it's easy to see how the Spill will affect them. I spoke to owner Dawn Davis last week and here is what she had to say: "I can only buy from 1/3 of my seafood vendors right now, so we've already seen the prices increase. We are changing up the menu to accommodate our clientele without sacrificing our standards." She has a lot of devoted regulars and knows that the community will continue to patronize Morton's, which has been a local tradition since 1985. She is hopeful that tourists will still come to Louisiana over the summer and fall, and their business will continue to flourish.

On our end, we are pushing their new website out there with our standard SEO Package, and starting a Facebook Fan Page to help expand Morton's client base and let people know about their delicious daily specials. If you happen to be lucky enough to pass through beautiful Madisonville, stop for a bite at Morton's Seafood. You'll be glad you did!

We will continue working with Morton's - and all of our clients to find new and innovative ways to effectively market and build their customer base - through good times and bad - and in all kinds of weather.

New sites...

2010-03-29T14:17:00.001-07:00

Since the sun has come out and the weather is finally warming up, people have started to defrost - and with that, we've have noted an increase in business. It seemed like business froze just like the weather, so I am very pleased to see things picking up. Lots of interesting projects too. I truly enjoy meeting new clients and especially learning how they want their business to grow - and then helping them get there.

One of my new clients is Liz Munson, owner of Liz's Where Y'at Diner. This little diner, located in Maneville, LA in as refreshing and fun as their food is delicious! The place is decorated with lots of whimsical art, featuring mermaids, flamingos and numerous murals with inspirational sayings by Florida-based artist Wendy Prentice. The diner serves breakfast ALL DAY, every day (my favorite meal!) You can enjoy dishes like Biscuits and Debris Gravy, Shrimp & Grits and several Scramblers, like The Shockey, The St. Charles, The Cool Brees - each inspired by Lizs' upbringing in New Orleans. They offer a variety of incredible lunch items, such as BBQ Shrimp Po Boy, Grilled Tilapia with crawfish cream sauce and an out of this world Chicken Tortilla soup!

Working with Liz on this project has been so much fun! We not only created a new website for her, but we revamped all of her collateral materials - menus, table tents, business cards, magnets, etc. We also did several photo shoots to capture the fun spirit of the place and the food (and we ate there EVERY DAY for a week!!!!) Liz wants to continue working with Sazerac. So, coming soon, we are planning the development and implementation of an online store for her to sell merchandise.

Hope you like the new site - it isn't often that we get to create sites that are so whimsical and FUN! We think we've captured the spirit of Liz's Where Y'at Diner and we know that the site and SEO package we've implemented will drive a lot of new business her way. Hope you like it and if you are ever in Mandeville, do yourself a favor and grab a bite a Liz's - you'll be glad you did!