When it comes to choosing a website designer, business owners are often enticed by "elements." What will the site look like? What features will it have? How will people find specific information? These are all important considerations. However, a business website's effectiveness is usually determined by how well it adheres to a few basic design principals... Read More

Blogging is a great way to market your business online - it allows customers to engage you online in a way that's credible, authentic, and interactive. If you're new to business blogging, here's what you need to know to get started. Read More

Successful business blogs come in all shapes and sizes - there are dozens of strategies for using a blog to promote your product or service, and there is no one "right" way. But that's not to say that there aren't some basic and fundamental business blogging tactics and techniques. Read More

As a small business owner, I'm always looking for tools that can multiply my efforts and/or reduce the time I need to spend on "non-core" activities (i.e. time-wasters, tedious stuff, etc.). In order from most to least important, here are my favorite small business helpers: 1. My wife. She's much more than a mere "helper" - she's the most important support system I have. Here's my attempt at publically thanking her. 2. Elance.com. I like to use Elance to knock out everything from quick logo ... Read More

I was recently invited to begin blogging on a bi-monthly basis for a company called Resource Nation, which specializes in providing advice and information to small and medium-sized business owners. Since small and medium businesses are my client base, and since I'm a self-regarded know it all, I jumped at the opportunity! :-) Here are the myths I outlined in my Resource Nation blog post: "My customers aren't on the internet." This is what I like to call a self-fulfilling statement. If you believe ... Read More

Pop quiz: It's 1998. You've just started your very own business. What's the single best way to advertise to the public? Answer: The Yellow Pages. For decades, the Yellow Pages were THE place to find a local business. Need a plumber? That's under "P." Some people would call the number from the biggest ad on the page. Some would call the number of the first name in the book (probably AAAAA Plumbing), and some would call the number they recognized. For longer than most people ... Read More

As some of you may or may not know, I got married on Friday, October 3rd. It was a great ceremony, and Sara and I couldn't be happier. Big thanks to everyone who attended, our kind and generous families, and all our well-wishers (including quite a few clients - thank you). Tuesday, Sara and I begin a 2 month long trip to China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and possible Cambodia. During the month of October, I'll be available on a limited basis. However, November and ... Read More

It's not too snazzy, but we've got a Facebook business page now. Spork Marketing on Facebook Facebook is the fastest growing social network on the internet and it is widely expected to eclipse Myspace in the near future. Demographically speaking, Facebook's audience is older and on average more educated than the Myspace audience, so it's a very good fit for business. It's also FREE to list your company. I tell everyone I know to join Facebook - it's very easy to get started and it's a ... Read More

I read a blog post today on The Simple Dollar that said bidding on projects posted on Elance is a waste of time. While I think the point of the post was good - that people shouldn't waste time with small money-makers when there are bigger opportunities available - I have to say that I think Elance can be a good way to build a portfolio of clients. First, for those of you who don't know, Elance is an online community where freelancers ... Read More

I know, I know, I'm always harping on the benefits of creating a blog. Up until this point, however, it's mostly been about me giving advice without giving any real support. So how about a mini-case study then? La Jolla Independent BMW is located in San Diego, California. They specialize in general BMW service and repair. They undoubtedly compete with every BMW dealer for customers, and I'm sure they have to compete with quite a few other independent shops. What is a local ... Read More

Thanks for installing one of our election countdown widgets. Get the Obama Presidency Countdown widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! If you think a widget would be good for your business or service, please contact us. Read More

As we all know, "branding" is about cultivating positive feelings towards your product or service. "Branding" can come in many different forms, and that makes it hard to quantify. Consider your local Starbucks. When I order a coffee, the sizes I request are called "small," "medium," or "large." However, when the barista repeats my order back to me, the sizes are transformed into "tall," "grande," or "venti." Since I'm not visiting Starbucks locations in France or Italy, these names aren't correct. Yet ... Read More

I'm amazed by the current state of internet video. While professional video production companies struggle to have their best efforts noticed by the masses, poorly produced and low quality videos made by consumers go "viral" every day and enjoy millions of views. There are exceptions to this rule of course, but the key lesson here is this: Internet marketing videos don't need to be professionally produced in order to be effective or popular. In fact, there's a mountain of evidence to show that professionally ... Read More

I get a lot of questions about why I chose "spork" for our company name and logo. There’s no sentimental reason for choosing a spork - instead it’s just a fun word for a utensil that symbolizes efficiency, simplicity and effectiveness. Since this is what our marketing firm stands for, the spork seemed to represent our company fairly well. Here’s what a spork is for anyone who doesn’t know: Officially, the word “spork” is actually a combination of the two words “fork” and “spoon.” It ... Read More

As an American Express card holder, I just received a stylish little package of "Online Marketing Tips" flash cards. Intrigued, I carefully reviewed each. While the information was incredibly basic, most of it was accurate and useful. Unfortunately, there are a couple of recommendations made by AMEX that I have to disagree with. My free online marketing advice flash cards from American Express. First, the highlights: AMEX did a great job of emphasizing useful website design. It's something I've harped on before, but good websites ... Read More

Do you own a "local business?" While many would say that ALL business is local, some businesses are more local than others. Dry cleaners, restaurants, gas stations, etc. are inherently local, and if you want people to find your local business using a search engine, here are some tips for accomplishing your goal. The old-fashioned printed Yellow Pages used to be the way that people found local business, but not anymore. Microsoft founder Bill Gates has gone so far as to predict the ... Read More

I just read a fantastic article about "Why You Don't Want Michelangelo Working On Your Website." While the title pretty much explains what the article is about, I liked a couple of specific points they made. First, here's a great analogy: Your [website] visitor is waiting for dinner. Imagine going to a restaurant hungry and ready to eat. Now imagine that before you can even order your meal, the wait staff delivers a 10 minute presentation about the restaurant, the staff, etc. Sure, it ... Read More

When I was a senior in high school, I got a job working for (gasp!) the local Radioshack. It was my first sales job, and I actually learned quite a little bit about sales when I worked their. They had some decent sales training materials that I took to heart. I can't remember it all now, but a nice explanation of "buying signals" sticks out in my mind. I also learned a few objection handlers, some rudimentary closing techniques, the importance of ... Read More

Note: We had NOTHING to do with this ad. This isn't our work, it's not even our idea. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvWpOGNmZys[/youtube] Wow. If you're anything like me, you couldn't stop laughing. This ad is terrible! The special effects are definitely "special," the production quality is awful, and I can't help but wonder; What's with the pig? If you followed the plot in this little ad, you'll hear the pig say "we stopped giving away hams." I don't even want to think about why a cartoon pig was ... Read More