Las Vegas Web Design Las Vegas Website Design & Marketing Services - Perkolate

If you are starting a new business in Las Vegas, you should know that the first and most important tool you will need (after you have gotten your Nevada, Clark County and Las Vegas business licenses, and filed the proper incorporation papers) is a strong corporate logo.

A logo is perhaps the single most important marketing tool you will have as it will visually identify your company and help shape your public image.  Of course, corporate image is everything!

Your logo should successfully brand your company in a professional light.  We have all seen terrible logos and really, what is the first thing you think when you see a really badly designed logo on a business card or a business card with no logo at all?  You think the person connected to that business card is either running a business out of their home, or that they are somehow less trustworthy.

The same is true with you and your new business.  The logo on your business card should be professionally designed and should instill trust with a potential client or lead.  And when you have that professionally thought out logo designed, it should appear on all of your additional marketing materials like your brochure, your PowerPoint presentations, your flyers, mailers, collateral, case studies, promo sheets, post cards, trade show materials, signage, letterhead, envelopes, yup, EVERYTHING.

This idea creates consistency in marketing and branding your Las Vegas business and consistency helps create a professional image for your company that leads to trust from a potential client, which leads to more clients, that ultimately translates into more revenue.

Okay, so it might see a bit biased that we are writing an article on how to choose a local Las Vegas web design and development company, however, as a business owner we will deliver valuable advice on how to do just that.

Las Vegas offer numerous large and one-person web design and development shops that can assist you in the creation of your web site, however, you should be aware that large marketing and design firms charge a LOT of money to build and maintain websites.  Smaller one-person web design companies can many times be not as seasoned and reliable as you’d hoped.

Here’s a list of things you should consider when interviewing Las Vegas web designer companies (and most of these questions should be answered by visiting a web design company’s website):

• How many years have they been in business?
• How many years have they been in Las Vegas?
• Who are some of their clients and do they have testimonials?
• How many people do they have on staff?
• Are there real people listed on their site if you view their “About Us” page?
• Do they outsource the work to other countries (buy American)?
• Did they answer their phone and/or return your call promptly?
• Did they answer your email inquiry promptly?
• Did you review their portfolio of work on their website?
• Do they have a real physical address as a place of business?
• Do they offer a full set of services for your business needs (marketing, design, development, graphic design, etc.)?
• What do you find if you search on the owner’s name on a google search?
• Are they doing business on a handshake or with a proper Agreement that will protect both parties?
• Is their website complete in information that can enable to you make a informed choice?

Las Vegas is most certainly one of THE desired convention locations across the country.  The weather, accommodations, food and entertainment here are world class.  Professional business people and companies are brought virtually to our doorstep here and it is a very valuable opportunity to connect these professionals with your company’s products and services.

Las Vegas serves up major conventions yearly for consumer electronics, retail, medical, legal, high tech, accounting, music, entertainment, real estate and textiles, just to name a few.  There’s most likely several opportunities for you to promote your company or business throughout the year right here in Las Vegas.

For more information, visit:

• Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
• Las Vegas Leisure Guide

You might think you have a lot of reasons to work with a Marketing & Design agency outside of the Las Vegas area to help you market and promote your business or company. Reputation and experience are a couple of often-heard reasons.  Bigger firms and national and international firms are most likely not necessary to achieve your business and marketing objectives. If you are having a tough time trying to find the best fit for you and your marketing and design needs here in Las Vegas, read on.

Why you should be working with a local marketing and design firm in Las Vegas

• Local Marketing and Design firms (like Perkolate) know the local Las Vegas market and all of the nuances involved in marketing your business or services here in Vegas and nationally.
• Meet the company you hire to work with you on your marketing and web and graphic design projects face to face.  Nobody wants to work with people they haven’t met in person and have a relationship with.
• A local company, like Perkolate, has done business within the community for many years (if they are reputable) and would know of a lot of resources and great connections to help you with your business or company.
• Supporting businesses in your own community make your business and other Las Vegas businesses stronger.

Years ago, people could have afforded to turn a blind eye to Online Marketing, and yet had visibility for their company’s products and services on the internet. This is certainly no longer true.

With the Internet becoming a vast marketplace - and a competitive one at that - merely having a web presence is not enough. It is how you promote your company’s web presence that counts, especially in Las Vegas.

Findings from a Forrester Research Study

A Forrester Research study conducted on this issue puts things in better perspective. Over 867 businesses on the Internet across 21 domains were studied to find out different marketing tactics. Here’s what they found.

• About 75% of marketing professionals believed in increasing their online marketing spend
• 10% of the businesses planned to increase their online marketing spend by at least 30%
• About 25% B2B businesses planned to diversify offline media into online media

These findings are enough to attach a numerical importance to Online Marketing. But the positive aspects of Online Marketing reach far beyond than mere numbers.

Importance of Online Marketing for a Business in Las Vegas and Beyond

• Increases customer awareness about the company and its services – This is really the first step for a company to build a name for itself, especially in Las Vegas. People would be in a position to accept your company, but only if they know your company exists in Las Vegas and in cyberspace.
   
• Allows your company to be on a level field with your local and national competitors – In a competitive niche, the last thing you would want is a competitor surging ahead of you. A lot of business owners have spent a lot of time thinking on how to gain an advantage with competitors. One of the best methods is to have an aggressive online marketing strategy.
   
• Establishes brand identity – Online Marketing, if done properly and diligently, can do wonders for the brand identity of the company. Remember, at the end of the day, what counts is, how you present your company to potential customers. If you do it well, chances are that people will respond well.
   
• A good lead generation exercise – The importance of leads to any business, whether it is a product-based business or a service-based venture, cannot be undermined at any stage. 
   
• Gets traffic to your website – This is the big one! If your company is marketed well on the Internet, there is a chance at gaining significant traffic to your website, something both new and established companies need. That said, your business would always be well served with a well-thought-out online marketing strategy.

Some people say that it is the mass appeal that works for Online Marketing. Some say that it is the sheer numbers and the modus followed by an Online Marketing model. Whatever the reasons, the importance of online marketing cannot be ignored… not now, and not at any time in the future.

Small and medium sized businesses in Las Vegas are definitely behind the curve of internet marketing. We have so many companies we work with that know that they need to have some sort of internet marketing plan or presence on the web, but don’t know exactly what to do in order to reach potential customers with their website or how it can help generate leads.

A basic internet presence is fairly easy to obtain.  Here are some tips on how to maximize traffic to your website in Las Vegas (or anywhere for that matter) and help convert your website visitors to possible leads:

• Has your website been properly built and does it have rich useful content and a clear call to action?
• Is your website rich in organic keywords?
• Do you have helpful and relevant information and resources to offer visitors?
• Have you had a professional company perform Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services for your website in order to get organically ranked on search engines like google?
• Have you implemented a google pay-per-click campaign?
• Have you considered partnerships, affiliations or affiliate advertising opportunities?

Here are some tips for anyone planning on building their own website:

• Do you own a domain (i.e. www.yourcompany.com)? If not, you should consult with a web professional when purchasing one or even researching one that might be available.
• Do you have a hosting account? Again, your professional web development company will be able to assess what you need and recommend an appropriate hosting plan at the appropriate company.
• Do you need a static or brochure-style website or do you require functionality like eCommerce, interactivity, slideshows, forms, etc.?
• Do you have a basic idea of how many pages you need?  A good way to figure out how many pages you might need is by visiting competitors websites.
• What is your budget?  Can you afford to hire a professional firm or someone’s friend’s cousin, etc.?
• Will you be providing/writing the content for the website yourself or do you need a copywriter?
• Do you have a logo, color scheme, fonts defined?
• Do you have a business plan and/or marketing plan to help guide your web site design vendor?
• Will you have time to provide your website design company with information when they request it?  Design companies often get held up because Clients don’t focus on gathering the materials they need to supply designers.
• Do you have a timeline of when you would like to launch your website?
• Do you need Search Engine Optimization services and/or Search Engine Marketing Services for your new website?

Brand name, reputation, and official trademarks are all factors that lead to greater market presence. The marketing industry has been one of the most competitive industries in the world, to the point where brand names become the name of the product such as Coke, Kleenex, and Band-Aid. This is the result of smart business choices and innovative marketing.

Marketing Your Way To Success

Marketing plays a significant role in business world today. When you see advertisements and various other forms of marketing communications appealing to the consumers that is when you know that a business is marketing. Marketing is a businesses’ way of promoting products through PR and through advertising in an organized manner and it is often the easiest way for the organization to communicate and connect with their consumers, therefore creating a conscious presence that the consumer can relate to.

In a bid to establish popularity and a better name, businesses create engaging advertisements that attempt to catch the consumer’s eye. One of the most common ways in which companies try to get attention is by creating catchy phrases and jingles that can leave lasting impressions. Many take up aggressive public relations or PR as it is commonly called and push their way through even before they are able to place their business on a firm pedestal. They work on the premise that when customers are drawn by effective marketing communications, it is sufficient enough to drive the business and establish it on firm ground. To quote an example, GEICO Insurance portrays a gecko on their television commercials. Peppered with awkward and comical humor their commercials are remembered more than the sedate, straightforward ones. The brand recall factor is high when the customer relates instantly to a product through its marketing activities.

Complexity is definitely a trait that the marketing field is known for. Different companies adopt different approaches to improve on different aspects of their business. For example, while company “A” is working on their customer service, company “B” may be trying to improve on their existing product. Although company “B” is improving on their product, company “A” is still leading in revenues. Traditionally most businesses take the route that has been tried and tested and the most popular way to get your product out there in the market is to go the advertising, distributing, and selling way. Once you are done with the PR, free trial offers and discounts are offered to grab attention. Once all the marketing communications have had their desired effect and people begin to recognize a product selling comes into play, and profits follow.

The marketing story does not really end once the product has been launched. We have all been witness to many product failures that have happened only because of a complacent approach to marketing a product and conducting business. Short term goals are crucial but it is the long term goals that keep companies afloat. Once the product is out there, the business needs to maintain the desired quality and at the same time keep the product alive in the consumer’s mind. The latter can happen only with timely, periodical, innovative and effective marketing communications and PR tactics. We have also observed companies revamping trademarks or logos that symbolizes its quality and attempts to make a refreshing entry into the market. When a strategic and intelligent operational and marketing route map is designed and followed by a company, then great things can happen as a result.

If you’re starting a business in Las Vegas, Nevada, you should be aware that you need the proper business licenses to do business.

For more information visit the following websites for more information on business licenses:

• State of Nevada
• Clark County Nevada
• City of Las Vegas, Nevada

If you are running a new or existing business here in Las Vegas, joining the local Chamber of Commerce can be an invaluable business networking opportunity for your business or company.  We have gathered some links to local Las Vegas and surrounding area Chambers of Commerce to help: