Sprocket Websites Blog

Shooting to Kill Your Target Market

Info@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:03:00 GMT

How violent that sounds! Perhaps we need to lighten up a bit. In our quest to put into action all the marketing books, webinars, articles and presentations available, sometimes the emphasis gets skewed. We learn about “target market” and remember words like “laser,” “zero in” and “drill down.” But do these active words produce the actions we really want?

Category: The Sprocket Report

Category: Marketing

What Marketing CAN’T Do

Info@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:33:00 GMT

Who can afford to throw away money? That’s why we study our ROI (Return On Investment). And when it comes time to plan our business budget we have to wonder: If I invest hundreds of dollars on my marketing, will I make that hundreds of dollars back – and more – to make a good profit? Or are marketing professionals just taking my money?

Category: The Sprocket Report

Category: Marketing

Creativity and Business

Info@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:53:00 GMT

Creative people resist having to do “business” and business people are suspicious of anything that sounds “creative.” But the most successful entrepreneurs are creative people who embrace business and business people who think creatively. Are you using both sides of your brain to give your business the best chance at success? Is your website using both sides?

Category: The Sprocket Report

Category: Marketing

I’m Not Gonna Pay a Lot for this Website!

Info@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:38:00 GMT

Meineke used that catchphrase years ago for their mufflers, but it’s certainly been applied to many other products since then. You may say the same for your next website—and then be bitterly disappointed. Or completely satisfied. So how can you know what’s “a lot” to pay for a website?

Here’s a quick breakdown of what to consider when planning your website so your budget goes toward the options that are most important to your business.

Category: The Sprocket Report

Category: DotNetNuke

Category: Technology

Category: Marketing

Baby Steps Website Resolutions

Info@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:45:00 GMT

You know how it happens – you make grand plans on New Year’s Eve to completely overhaul your health, your house, your business. You start out strong but by February, you’re losing steam and by March your grand plans are merely guilty memories.

Improving your website is a goal that will pay you back nicely this year, so don’t sabotage your efforts by biting off more than you can chew. Taking these baby steps towards improvement means you might actually accomplish your goals –encouraging you to take a few more!

Category: The Sprocket Report

Category: Marketing

Category: SEO

SEO First Steps for the Common Man

Info@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 01:30:00 GMT

Before you sign up with that Search Engine Optimization company that keeps calling you, check to see if you've taken these 5 simple first step. Easy to do on your own, it may give you the boost you’re looking for right now. You can always amp up your SEO with advanced professional services later.

Category: The Sprocket Report

Category: Technology

Category: Marketing

Category: SEO

SQL Server 2005 Database Log File

Jim@SprocketWebsites.com — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:15:00 GMT

At 11:00pm last night I was notified that one of my servers was having a problem. I run a couple of site monitoring tools and Simon was the one that picked up the problem first. I got online and started a remote desktop session to the server and it connected, which normally when one of my servers isn’t running properly a RDC will fail. However, it connected and presented me with the “I’ve just had an unexpected reboot problem screen” and wanted me to tell it what happened. Well at this point I had no idea and thought about the irony of that particular screen as I filled in “unknown” into the restart reason box.

Tags: SQL Server 2005,DotNetNuke,Remote Desktop,MDF,LDF,IIS,Troubleshooting

Category: Technology

SEO for the Common Man

Info@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:32:00 GMT

Paying for Search Engine Optimization?
Getting what you paid for?
Wishing you could afford SEO?
Trying to do it yourself?

Or are you just ignoring the whole SEO discussion entirely?

Read on for a few simple tips that help you figure out what you have, what you need and how to make it happen.

Tags: SEO,Search Terms,Search Engine Optimization,Google

Category: The Sprocket Report

Category: Marketing

Category: SEO

Back at the home office today! @SprocketWebsite

Jim@SprocketWebsites.com — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:00:00 GMT

Susan and I get back to the Home Offices of Sprocket Websites every couple of months. We have been on a whirlwind tour of the country the last couple of weeks. Orlando, Phoenix, Chicago… However, it looks like it is going to slow down a bit in December, but November isn’t over just yet and I’ve got a couple of road trips coming up so I’ll keep you posted.

Tags: Travel,DotNetNuke

Category: DotNetNuke

#ASCPAM11 – American Society of Consultant Pharmacists Annual Meeting 2011

Jim@SprocketWebsites.com — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:45:00 GMT

Susan and I attend this event over the last several days in Phoenix, AZ. This was a professional conference for Susan, but for me it was a research exercise to check out the happenings in the pharmacy industry.

I checked out the exhibit hall to see what was going on. There were lots of drug manufactures, companies that produce pill counting machines and blister packs.M/p>

Tags: ascp,Marketing,QR Codes

Category: Marketing