Making people and ideas findable

Michael Reynolds's Blog (44)

Tips for credit union website design

In today's market, credit unions are enjoying renewed popularity among consumers due to their membership-driven policies, personal service, and local community ties. Many people are drawn to these features of their local credit unions and are starting with research on the web. For this reason, progressive credit unions must capture the attention of these researchers with a compelling online story via a modern corporate website. Great design. This should be obvious but many cre… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on November 16, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

How design affects credibility on the web

I hate ugly websites. I realize that I have a particular bias as a result of what I do so I'm sure that is to be expected. In fact, people often have fun with me by sending me links to ugly websites just to see how much I cringe. All fun aside, however, how often do we really think about how design affects our credibility as businesses? Do ugly websites hurt business? Turns out, the answer is yes. Many studies have been done on this topic, including… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on November 4, 2009 at 4:30pm — No Comments

How an insurance agency generates business using Facebook

I always enjoy hearing stories of small business owners using social media to generate leads and connect with new clients. As much as I encourage people to give social media a chance, it's the real-world case studies that speak the loudest. Jim DeWitt is an owner at DeWitt Insurance Group and is a member of my BNI chapter. Jim's agency offers life and health insuranc… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on October 25, 2009 at 9:21pm — No Comments

Your customers want simplicity, not features

I was extremely amused by a story I saw today about the new Droid smart phone offered by Verizon. I always get mildly amused when I see the next "iPhone killer" but this one in particular got my attention because of the direct head-to-head challenge to the iPhone as seen in this teaser commercial. Is the comme… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on October 19, 2009 at 12:00pm — 5 Comments

Personal Branding with Social Media

You may be familiar with branding as it relates to companies and organizations. A company's brand is the essence that should affect everything it does. How often, however, do we pay attention to our personal brands? Yes, a person has a brand. Anyone who works, communicates, or participates in society at any level has a personal brand. Your personal brand is made up of a number of different factors and it influences how you are perceived by others. Job-seekers should pay especially close attent… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on October 14, 2009 at 6:16pm — No Comments

The importance of high-quality photography on the web

The quality of your photos can make or break a website design. The right photos make a huge difference in the overall impression and effectiveness of your website. I've seen many otherwise decent websites that are ruined by poor photo choices or low-quality photos. Do not skimp on photography. The best case scenario is to have custom professional photos taken for your website. If this is not possible, at the very least choose good stock photos that properly represent your brand. When visitors… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on October 7, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

Are you a social media zombie?

What's a social media zombie? It's a term I affectionately use for someone who has profiles on social networks but uses them at about 10% capacity. Here are some ways to determine whether you are a social media zombie: * You have a LinkedIn profile but less than 10 connections * Your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter profile has no photo * You have a Twitter account with only one update that says "Trying out Twitter" * You reply to LinkedIn messages 6 weeks late with the apologetic message "sorry,… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on September 30, 2009 at 8:30am — 4 Comments

How was everything?

"How was everything?" How often do we hear that? It's a question often asked as we check out of a hotel, finish dinner at a restaurant, or shop at a store. What answer do you typically give when asked? If you're like most people (including myself), you answer with a simple "fine". Recently I checked out of a hotel and was asked this same question: "how was everything?" This time I said "almost everything was great but the Internet access at the hotel was terrible. It was slow and unreliable."… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on September 28, 2009 at 8:30am — 7 Comments

Facebook profiles are for people, not companies

I still see this over and over on Facebook: profiles used as company accounts. This is an incorrect use of Facebook and of social media in general. A personal profile on Facebook is meant for a person. No one wants to engage with a Facebook user that has a company name as the profile name and company logo as a profile picture. It is impersonal and uninteresting. Your Facebook profile should be you, with your actual photo (not a picture of a tree or something) an… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on September 26, 2009 at 10:46am — 11 Comments

Auto-unsubscribe is the only acceptable policy

I finally got annoyed today at the number of "noisy" emails I was getting from Overstock.com so I decided to unsubscribe. Never mind that I was already annoyed with Overstock.com because of the frequency of sending, low content quality, and difficulty in unsubscribing. That's a story for another time but it will suffice to say that the company's brand now conjures up negative feelings in my mind. I finally found the unsubscribe link (hidden among some other links) and I clicked it. The first mi… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on September 18, 2009 at 9:30am — 3 Comments

My Tour of Gleaners Food Bank: An Awe-inspiring Example of Giving in Indiana

I had the pleasure of touring Gleaners Food Bank today with Victoria Petersen. Victoria's title is "Major Gifts Officer" and she is responsible for working with donors to keep Gleaners stocked with enough supplies to feed the hungry in Indiana. Touring the facility was a humbling and awe-inspiring experience and I would like to share it with you. First, so… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on September 15, 2009 at 4:00pm — 4 Comments

The Advantages of a Hosted Solution

At SpinWeb, we are big advocates of hosted solutions. This philosophy of outsourcing hosting and software is also sometimes called “Cloud Computing” or “Software as a Service” (SaaS). Despite the current trends and data that support the wisdom of a hosted solution, I still frequently encounter resistance from some business owners and, more frequently, IT people. So why the resistance? I can’t figure it out. The advantages of an outsourced hosting and software infrastructure are so compelling th… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on September 8, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

Social Media for Business: It Has To Be Fun

I meet a lot of business owners and department heads who are curious about social media. Some embrace online tools and immediately see the value. They enjoy using social media to promote their businesses and make connections. Others approach it from a different perspective: it looks like work to them. As I educate others and evangelize social media, it occurs to me that there is a missing element in most people's approach to social media for business: fun! Yes, social media fo… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on August 29, 2009 at 12:30am — 1 Comment

Health Care Debaters: Please Stop Incorrectly Framing Your Arguments

I rolled into Whole Foods today to grab a drink and noticed a group of protesters at the entrance. They were holding up signs attacking John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, for his stance on Obama's health care reform plan. I stopped to snap a photo and grab a flier, which referenced a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on August 26, 2009 at 4:45pm — 4 Comments

Facebook Fan Page vs Group: What's the Difference?

I've been asked many times recently what the difference is between a Facebook fan page and a Facebook group. It's a great question and the two are similar enough that it can sometimes be confusing. Here's my short answer: if you have a logo and a legal entity, you probably want a fan page. Otherwise, you probably want a group. Fan pages are more appropriate for businesses, non-profits, organizations, or any entity that has a legal presence and a brand. For example, SpinWeb has a… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on August 25, 2009 at 10:56am — 1 Comment

What is a Facebook Fan Page?

I've been asked by many people recently to describe what a Facebook fan page is. For this reason, I thought I would write a short explanation. A fan page on Facebook is a miniature landing page or micro-site on Facebook that serves as a "home base" for your business or organization. It is different from a Facebook profile (which is designed for people). While your Facebook profile represents you as a person, your fan page represents your business… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on August 17, 2009 at 10:30pm — 2 Comments

Is Indianapolis the Networking Capitol of the U.S.?

I realize this is a pretty bold headline and a rather dramatic statement to make but I've been thinking recently about my home city of Indianapolis and how active this community is in networking. My blog post was prompted by a recent whiteboard session I attended with Tony Scelzo in which we covered all the great networking opportunities we have in this city. For example, we have one of the most active, progressive BNI franchises in the count… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on August 8, 2009 at 3:00pm — 4 Comments

7 Habits of Highly Effective Websites

All websites are not created equal. At SpinWeb, we know this and take great care in crafting association and corporate websites that provide clear benefits to site visitors and assist our clients in meeting their marketing and communications objectives. So what makes an effective website? 1. Design. Good design matters. When prospective customers or members visit your website, they are making a snap judgment about your organization. I have lost count of how many times I have he… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on July 27, 2009 at 6:45pm — 1 Comment

Use a System for Making Referrals

As a member of networking groups like BNI and Rainmakers, I have a strong commitment to producing quality referrals for members of my network. The "givers gain" philosophy is alive and well and I have seen it work wonders many times over for me and for my referral partners. Staying consistent is tough, however. It's easy to get busy and distracted and therefore forget to make referrals… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on July 9, 2009 at 11:53pm — No Comments

The Best Sushi in Indianapolis

I thought I would take a break today from the business world and write about one of my passions in life: sushi! I love sushi. I could eat it just about every day. And lucky for me, Indianapolis is full of great sushi restaurants. I frequently get asked what my favorites are, and I don't really have one favorite that stands out above all others, but I can certainly comment on the ones I really prefer. Here is my list of favorites. Naked Tchopstix North Side / Broad Ripple… Continue

Added by Michael Reynolds on July 1, 2009 at 10:28am — 17 Comments

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