The xMarketing Newsletter from NeoNexus
September 25,2007

In This Issue

Company News
Marketing Yourself Better
Tech Tip
Customer Spotlight

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Company News

Tired of Kent’s constant monitoring of his secretary duties like the engineer he is, BNI Wilmington promoted Kent to President, which of course, has no responsibility.The group has doubled in size in the last six months and shows no signs of slowing.If you are interested in the BNI group that has the most fun, stop my McAlisters on South College Mondays at 11:30 am and watch Ed Zirkle get abused.

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Marketing Tip
Offline Marketing
 
Offline marketing of your website is just as important as online marketing of your website. There are many ways you can go about marketing offline that are easy to do. First off, add your web site address to ALL literature and publications. This includes business cards, letter head, newsletters, etc. Announce the launch of your site, and major changes to your site as well, in your printed newsletter. You should make sure that everyone who answers your company’s main phone line and deals with the public in any way knows how to say the web site address, and knows what information is available via the web site. It is extremely hurtful to a business if the staff cannot do this and instead stumbles over the URL of the site, or even gives out the wrong web address. A very easy way to market your web site is to add the web site address to your organization’s voice mail message. Callers can then leave a message for you and gain access to more information about your business at the same time. When talking to the press, you should remember to always mention your web site address. If you write an article for publication, ask that your company’s web site address appears with your name or bio at the beginning or end of the article. Add your web site address within the text of ALL press releases. Readers interested in learning more about what they read can then easily find your web site. Finally, make sure your web site address is on all t-shirts, posters, buttons, and other items you give to the public. You can even highlight your address by making the address large and easy to read from a distance. By following these simple guidelines you are certain to get your web site address out there and get those customers rolling in!

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Tech Tip-Supplied by Friendly Computers

Email, (electronic mail) is one of the fastest forms of communication we have today. It’s true, hardly anyone hand writes cards or letters these days; but we are actually communicating more then we did before, through the Internet.

Replacing “snail-mail”, E-mail has become the method of casual communication between friends, family and even neighbors. Jokes and inspirational messages zip around the world multiple times in a year if we are to believe what we read. (and I don’t) Seniors especially are signing up for email addresses in record numbers.
 
Whether you are new to email or just getting started here are some tips:

-Do not forward email which shows other people’s email addresses. This is how email addresses are captured and used for SPAMing ( sending multiple unwanted messages) Delete all address lines before sending on a joke.

-Many emails are just plain fake. If you want to check and see if StarBucks really hates American Soldiers – go to www.snoopes.com and look up your particular email.

-NEVER EVER respond to emails from people you do not know, from companies you have not contacted directly, or from unknown sources asking you to click on a link. These are all attempts to steal from you in some way.

-Know that your email is not private. Once you send an email it can reside on dozens of servers before it gets to its destination. Never put personal information in an email.

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Customer Spotlight

WV Candy Factory, located in Charleston, WV, approached NeoNexus to do a website for them. This was the company’s first attempt at high tech marketing, which turned out to be a great success for them. The company makes all their chocolate and candy in house and have been perfecting their recipes for 25 years. They are a candy wholesaler, so they don’t sell individual pieces, but there are many of outlets in West Virginia that carry their products. You can check them out at www.wvcandyfactory.com.

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Don’t forget about NeoNexus’ referral awards program. For every successful referral you send to NeoNexus, you get a $50 gift certificate to one of your favorites restaurants, such as Cracker Barrel, Chili’s, or Macaroni Grill. Also, existing customers can save up their referrals and cash them in for free website options instead of dining out. Website options include free hosting, 15 second flash animation, and free contact form added to your website. So, get those referrals coming, and let’s all share in the fun!

Sincerely,

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Kim Kuzan
Marketing Director, NeoNexus

NeoNexus Corporation

The xMarketing Newsletter from NeoNexus
September 18,2007

In This Issue

Company News
Marketing Yourself Better
Tech Tip
Customer Spotlight

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Company News

NeoNexus is working on a new oil and gas industry website for Pierpont Community College. The website will provide a source for oil and gas worker jobs posted by various energy companies in the Appalachian basin…sort of a focused monster.com. During the design, Pierpont asked NeoNexus if we could add a job application form, and as an example, they showed us the Contractor Services website (www.csiofwv.com). Unknown to Pierpont, NeoNexus had previously developed the Contractor Services website, so we were given our own design as and example to use. Its always nice when our biggest competition is our self!

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Marketing Tip

Linking Strategies
 
Links to your website from other sites are a very easy way to bring additional traffic to your site. Google and other major search engines consider the number of links to your website as an important factor in ranking as well. You must keep in mind, however, that links from popular information hubs will definitely increase your site popularity more than those from lower traffic sites. There are many linking strategies that you can use.
 
One way to bring traffic to your site by linking is to request reciprocal links. Find complementary websites and request a link to your site in exchange for a link to theirs. Your best results will come from sites that get a similar amount of traffic to your site. For example, in our case, as a software company, a good business that we could exchange links with would be a hardware company. The hardware company cannot provide software solutions, so customers can find a link to our site from theirs.
 
Another way to link to your site from other sites is to write articles for others to use in their newsletters. You can dramatically increase your visibility when you write articles in your area of expertise and distribute them to editors as free content for their email newsletters and websites.  Just ask that a link to your website and a one line description of what you offer be included in the article.
 
You may submit your site to industry sites and specialized directories as well. Some directories are focused on a particular industry. There are also trade associations that feature member sites. If you belong to a particular industry or association ask for a link. Even if you have to pay a small fee for a link, it may help boost your traffic and Google ranking. For example, if your company is a photography business and you belong to a wedding association, ask them to link your site from theirs. This is a very easy way to generate traffic.
 
These are just a few of the linking strateges that you can use to boost traffic to your site. So get out there and get to linking in!

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Tech Tip

For all of you sales people out there, check out www.37signals.com. One of their products is Highrise, which is web based customer relationship management software (CRM). All the sales people can access it from anywhere, it is simple to use, and you don’t have to worry about backups. Start managing your sales leads like a professional, starting at $24.95 a month.
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Customer Spotlight

Maine Sport Outfitters has been holding several races in the Mid Coast Maine for many years. NeoNexus created a website for the company that allows race participants to apply online. During the course of the race season, the site is a hub of info for over 500 athletes.  They can get all the info for the races, sign up for emails, link to online registration and come back for results later. It had some serious traffic during the triathlon – over 1000 hits/day the two days after the race from people getting results. You can check out the site at www.mainesportraces.com.

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Don’t forget about NeoNexus’ referral awards program. For every successful referral you send to NeoNexus, you get a $50 gift certificate to one of your favorites restaurants, such as Cracker Barrel, Chili’s, or Macaroni Grill. Also, existing customers can save up their referrals and cash them in for free website options instead of dining out. Website options include free hosting, 15 second flash animation, and free contact form added to your website. So, get those referrals coming, and let’s all share in the fun!

Sincerely,

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Kim Kuzan
Marketing Director, NeoNexus

NeoNexus Corporation

The xMarketing Newsletter from NeoNexus
September 11,2007

In This Issue

Company News
Marketing Yourself Better
Tech Tip
Customer Spotlight

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Company News

NeoNexus has been hired by a law firm in Charleston, WV to fix some issues in an existing database. The database is used to track the huge volume of asbestos litigations. A previous company built the system, but is no longer in the business, so the law firm came to NeoNexus to help. NeoNexus identified the problems and is now working on improving the work flow to eliminate some manual calculations that are currently required.

This is the fourth custom application project that NeoNexus has picked up in the last three months where a prior company built the application, but was no longer able to service it due to no longer in business, personnel changes, couldn’t solve the problems, etc. Keep in mind that NeoNexus can fix your existing applications even if we didn’t build them.
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Marketing Tip

E Newsletters 
 
Were you aware that on average, businesses lose 10% of their customers every year. By keeping in touch with your customers, you increase your brand awareness, raise customer retention and maximize business from existing customers. A great way to reach your customers in a direct and effective fashion is to use email marketing. One of the cool things about email newsletters is unlike traditional marketing material, you can track and monitor the response rate. You actually have the ability to see how many people read your email and how many people were interested enough to follow up a link to an article on your website. Even though it is a big commitment in time, publishing a weekly or even monthly newsletter is one of the very best ways to keep in touch with your current customers or prospects, generate trust and build future business. This is also a way for you to collect email addresses from those who visit your site but aren’t yet ready to make a purchase. By providing them with an e-newsletter, prospective customers can get a feel of your company and see what you are all about before purchasing your products or services.
 
You must keep in mind though that you can’t just send out random information that no one cares to read. Your newsletter must serve a purpose. Make sure your newsletter is interesting and relevant so recipients open and read it. Get recipients to phone you or click to your website. Ask for an email address and first name so you can personalize the newsletter. By following these simple guidelines you can retain your customer base while giving them something valuable to read. You can distribute your newsletters using listservers such as Constant Contact, Got Marketing Campaigner and Topica Email Publisher.

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Tech Tip

Multi-Core Processors and what they mean to you

Presently, there are a plenty of computer vendors spouting “Dual Core”, “Quad Core”, “Core 2 Duo”, “Centrino Core 2″ etc.  They all sound impressive, but what does it mean for you?  What it means is more power packed into a smaller area giving you faster response times from your computer.

A processor can be thought of as the brains of your computer.  It performs the tasks requested from a user through the program interface.  Basically, the term “xxxx Core” means that there is more than one processor in your computer that work together to open and run programs faster and smoother.   

All of these fancy terms that a computer vendor uses for the most part mean the same thing; Multiple Processors.  There are other terms a vendor uses to distinguish the other main objective the processor is designed to fulfill.  There you have it!  All they really are, are fancy names that mean more power for you to get your work done.
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Customer Spotlight

BASE Environmental is a contractor specializing in environmental and stream restoration work. BASE had an existing website, but their Google ranking was a zero. When NeoNexus reviewed their old website, we found some major search engine optimization flaws causing the ranking problem. NeoNexus completed a redesign of their website to address these issues. BASE is also a testimony to our free text updating service. Whenever BASE has a news item to post on their website, they just submit the information and it is published, usually within minutes. Check out BASE Environmental at www.baseenv.com.

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Don’t forget about NeoNexus’ referral awards program. For every successful referral you send to NeoNexus, you get a $50 gift certificate to one of your favorites restaurants, such as Cracker Barrel, Chili’s, or Macaroni Grill. Also, existing customers can save up their referrals and cash them in for free website options instead of dining out. Website options include free hosting, 15 second flash animation, and free contact form added to your website. So, get those referrals coming, and let’s all share in the fun!

Sincerely,

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Kim Kuzan
Marketing Director, NeoNexus

NeoNexus Corporation

The xMarketing Newsletter from NeoNexus
September 5,2007

In This Issue

Company News
Marketing Yourself Better
Tech Tip
Customer Spotlight

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Company News

Are you interested in attending the workshop oh Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Marketing for your website that we told you about last week? As a NeoNexus newsletter subscriber you are eligible to sign up for $10 off by entering the discount code “neonexus” when registering.
 
The workshop is Monday, September 10 from 6-8 pm at Landfall Executive Suites. The event is perfect for those who want more leads, more traffic to your website and those who want to be on the first page of a Google search.
 
Kent Milholland of Neonexus will educate everyone on the “tips of the trade” on how to get to the top in search engine rankings. During this workshop he will show you how to find out which keywords your target market is searching, teach you little known secrets that Google and Yahoo don’t want you to know, do live critiques of websites of local business owners that are in the room and much more. This workshop can unlock the doors to thousands of dollars in sales and profits and can actually REDUCE your marketing budget.
 
You can register for the event at actioncoachseosem.eventbrite.com. Don’t forget to enter discount code “neonexus” and receive $10 off the cost!
 
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Marketing Tip

Creating an effective advertisement
 
It is not necessary to be a creative genius in order to create effective advertisemets. A good ad can be produced by simply following a set of simple guidelines. First, you must do your research. Gather and read all the information about your company’s product that you can find. You can never knoow too little about your product. It is important to research ads that have been printed by your competitors. You don’t ever want to copy or mimic what your competitors are doing, but you need to have a good idea of their strengths and weaknesses in advertisements.
 
The next step is to think of a concept. You must figure out how you are going to express your product’s benefit to the potential buyer so that it grabs their attention and makes them want to learn more about your product. After developing your concept you think about your headline and visual. The headline is perhaps the most important part of your advertisement. The main purpose of the headline is to attract your target customer’s attention. You must be dramatic, compelling and convincing in enough words or a short sentence to get them to want to continue reading. Your headline should tell the reader what they will gain or benefit by using your product. You can also use the approach that says how your customer can reduce worry, mistakes or wasted money. For example, “Are you tired of paying too much for insurance?” is a way to capture the attention of a customer who is tired of wasting money. A visual of your product is also an essential part of the ad. Even thought some people like to read, alot of people like to see things, so images are extremely important.
 
When writing your ad, you must be compelling and you must expand on your concept. Your headline and visual grabbed the reader’s attention, now it is important to illustrate an advantage, prove it and then ask the reader to do something about it.

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Tech Tip

How many of you have backups running of your desktop or laptop? That’s what I thought. How much of a pain in the butt would it be if your hard drive crashed? Does it have your work files on it? Do you have a backup of Quicken or MS Money where you manage all your financial info? Oh, I see, you make backups on to a flash drive or CD. And how often are they updated? Uh…huh.

Quit risking data loss. There is a relatively new on-line backup service that rocks. Its call Mozy. Founded by some serious IT serial entrepreneurs, they have a new technology that allows them to do backups very inexpensively. In fact, for home use, its 100% FREE up to 2 Gigabytes of data, and for about $5 per month for home use, you get UNLIMITED backups. For commercial use, its called MozyPro, and the prices are still ridiculously low. NeoNexus President and anal retentive data saver, Kent Milholland, was paying near $100/month for backing up 23 Gigabytes of data using long time web backup service eSureIT. He has now switched to MozyPro and is getting 25 Gigabytes of monthly backup for $13.95/month. Oh, and if you are concerned about Mozy being legit, they recently got the contract to provide backup services to a small company that a few of you may have heard of….General Electric (GE).

To top it off, Mozy has a great interface that integrates into Windows Explorer, so you can restore a file or folder from the Windows menu without launching secondary software. Check out www.mozy.com for home users and www.mozypro.com for businesses. Go there now. I mean NOW, before your hard drive crashes and you lose any data!

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Customer Spotlight

For those of you that have not seen it yet, Vidalco is one of our coolest website creations: www.vidalco.com. In 2006, Vidalco, a wine importer, approached NeoNexus about a website redesign. We did a complete website redesign (including new logo), including a lot of fancy design elements. The estates that Vidalco uses are represented by their estate crests at the bottom of the website, and each crest appears to “float” as you move the mouse over it. Under estate lists, we used a pop-up concept to allow the user to browse the lists of estates without having to refresh the screen each time. Since Vidalco imports wine from estates in Europe, South America, and even resells some top notch wine from California, we called on our engineering partner, BHE Environmental, to develop some maps. You start with a world map, and by selecting continent and then country, you can see where the estates are located. A fully integrated blog and shopping cart are included in this website as well, so if you are a wine lover, purchase wine from the convenience of your own computer.

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Don’t forget about NeoNexus’ referral awards program. For every successful referral you send to NeoNexus, you get a $50 gift certificate to one of your favorites restaurants, such as Cracker Barrel, Chili’s, or Macaroni Grill. Also, existing customers can save up their referrals and cash them in for free website options instead of dining out. Website options include free hosting, 15 second flash animation, and free contact form added to your website. So, get those referrals coming, and let’s all share in the fun!

Sincerely,

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Kim Kuzan
Marketing Director, NeoNexus

NeoNexus Corporation