1 Feb 2011 | No Comments | posted by Coldfire Promotions | in Blog Post, Slider
Coldfire Promotions is proud to announce our new “menu” of services! If you see something your business deserves, give it a click! As always, make sure you give our fast and easy quote request form a try once you’re ready to move forward with your ideas! Dig in! Read more..
26 Dec 2010 | No Comments | posted by Coldfire Promotions | in Blog Post, Portfolio, Product Spotlight, Slider
You may be settled in to your career and have no intentions in going anywhere in the next decade or so. Or, you may be like a quarter of the population and have recently been laid off from your job or let go altogether. If either one of these is the case (which is in fact all of you), you need to think about building your professional presence online.
One such tool for networking online is LinkedIn. It is an excellent tool but how far will it really take you? One way to get ahead of the game is to create your own personal branding site. Not sure exactly what I mean by this? Check out the personal portfolio site we built for Coldfire Promotions owner Jason Stomps. There is no better way to build your brand online and achieve a higher professional appearance than to own your own domain.
Since everyone loves lists, here are 6 solid reasons why you need a personal resume-portfolio site:
1. You Own It. What’s better than owning your own .com? Fortunately, Jason Stomps is a rather rare name so the domain name hadn’t been gobbled up yet. However, you may not be so lucky. The good news is that there are plenty of other domain extensions to choose from. If your name is taken as a .com, you may also want to look into .net, .info, and .me as popular alternatives. Your best bet is not to wait! Get it quick before someone else does and it is lost forever.
2. Control. Are you afraid to “put yourself out there” on the internet? Time to break the habit. Chances are you have a Facebook account that you use on a daily, if not hourly basis. If this is the case then you are already “out there” and aren’t ever coming back. Open the door to limitless possibilities and take control of what is posted on the internet about you!
3. Online Presence. As I stated previously, you probably already have a presence online. Your personal information may be out there because of Facebook or other social networking sites, but what about your professional appearance? Have you ever submitted your resume to Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com? Do you have a LinkedIn profile? If so, there is absolutely no reason not to seal it with your very own domain. Get a step ahead of the curve before it is too late!
4. Analytics. Once you have your site built, you can track your visitors with analytical tools like Google Analytics. You will be able to see how many people visit you, when they visit, for how long they visit, where they are visiting from, and so much more. This is something Coldfire Promotions recommends for any and every website. In fact, we install it on every web site we build. What good is a sales tool without the marketing?
5. 24/7 Marketing. While you may not be able to scour internet job boards day and night for open positions, your online resume can! Once you have your personal resume site up and running, it practically does all the marketing for you! One suggestion that I might make is to include your new domain URL on the hard copy of your resume (and don’t forget to point it out). This way, whenever you apply for a new position, your future employer can keep going back to your amazing site time and time again.
6. Complements and Connections. Speaking of having the URL on your printed resume, it really doesn’t stop there. Not only can you host your own portfolio online (including images, video, sound bites, etc.), but you can connect 2 and 2 together through a ton of other mediums. For example, put links to your social media sites there (LinkedIn is a good one, but I wouldn’t recommend posting personal ones like Facebook). Also, get some personal business cards that you can hand out while networking that have your contact information and personal resume site URL on it. The possibilities are potentially unlimited!
One last suggestion that I think sometimes needs to be forwarded is to hire a professional! Some folks have the skills to build and maintain a web site but let’s face it, not everyone does. The last thing you want to do is to create a junky resume site. Would you hand over your printed resume with a coffee cup stain on it? Start building your brand online today and hire Coldfire Promotions. We’ll even go as far as to register your domain name for you.
22 Nov 2010 | No Comments | posted by Coldfire Promotions | in Blog Post, Portfolio, Projects, Slider
What better way to market your business than a web site? Of course, it can also be an extremely useful and effective sales tool as well. If you’re reading this, it’s working for us! Still not convinced? Read our article about why your business needs a website.
As for this particular project, one of our clients, ESS Consulting Group, wanted to move their web site from a free, very template looking host to their own domain. Their main need for this site was to be an informative guide to their business for the clients and potential clients. They didn’t need all the bells and whistles like a blog, an e-commerce store, or any crazy portfolio gallery’s, but it still has to look good and be effective. Take a look around and let us know what you think!
As for web sites that do have all the bells and whistles, we’re actually in the process of creating 3 very unique web sites. Two of them are e-commerce sites for our clients while the other is a top secret project that not even we know much about! (just kidding… but it’s just too awesome to announce yet!) Check back in the coming weeks to get the links to our other brand new web sites!
9 Nov 2010 | No Comments | posted by Coldfire Promotions | in Blog Post, Miscellaneous, Slider
Save BIG on Web Site Design Services!
With our recent increase in demand of our web site design services, we wanted to do something extra special for you. Effective immediately, the next 5 web sites we build will include a $150 discount! If you ever had a doubt in your mind if you should get a new web site, or maybe update your existing one, now is the time to do it!
This promotion ends November 26, 2010, or until 5 web site design purchases have been made. Minimum web design purchase of $800 to qualify for this offer. Please see our web site design price chart for more details or request a quote to get a custom price!
Hurry before we run out!
UPDATE: We are extending this offer through December with no limits! Also, if you refer a customer to us that utilizes this offer, we will send you a $75 check absolutely free!
17 Oct 2010 | No Comments | posted by Coldfire Promotions | in Blog Post, Product Spotlight, Slider
With the recent introduction of our brand new web design services, I wanted to give you some reasons why you need a website, or why you may want to consider rebranding your current one! While there are hundreds of reasons why your business needs a website, I’m going to hit on the most important ones. But keep in mind, just because you have a website doesn’t mean it’s working. Everything from aesthetics to traffic analytics to meta tags are important features each business should utilize. How much importance do you place on your brick and mortar store front? Just as much, if not more, should be directed into your website as well. Think of your website as your “virtual store front.” You may have hundreds of people visiting your website on a daily basis for every one person that enters your store. Keep reading to get a better understanding of why a quality website is so vital to your business:
1. You’re always open! While you might only be able to host customers at your business from 8-5, five days a week, a website allows you to be open 24/7! Whether you’re providing information about your business, giving them access to tools pertinent to their needs, or even allowing them to order your products from the e-commerce section of your website, you’re always open!
2. Small businesses + website = higher revenue! According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small businesses that have a website are averaging $1.07 million in sales PER YEAR more than small businesses not online! If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will!
3. Improve your brand image. While you may be making a significant impact on your corporate image via other marketing mediums, you are missing out on another huge opportunity! With a professionally designed website, you can instill customer confidence and improve your brand image!
4. Obtain more customers! Another fact from the SBA: “50% of Internet sales are from new customers.” Nothing says market share like a website!
5. A website is an insanely inexpensive form of advertising! While you may spend thousands of dollars every month on direct mail marketing, flyers, social media marketing and other forms of advertising, the cost to start and maintain a website are relatively low! While it may cost a few thousand dollars to get a website designed, the yearly costs can be as little as $100! However, don’t forget to continually update your website with useful information on a monthly, if not weekly basis!
6. Time is money. We’ve all heard the saying before, “time is money!” But are you taking advantage of your time? Websites are specifically designed to save you time! By hiring a web designer, you will spend very little time keeping your customers up to date on industry news, business specials, and upcoming events!
7. You customers are trying to find you! Whether your business only provides services to a local market, or it provides products on a global basis, an effective website will give you a worldwide presence! Don’t believe me? We had someone contact us from Indonesia last month!
I’ll leave you with a quote from Entrepreneur magazine, “Yes, if you have a business, you should have a website. Period. No question. Without a doubt.” Need a price quote on a website? Download our web design quote form from our web site at: http://coldfirepromotions.com/webdesign or e-mail us for more info at sales@coldfirepromotions.com!
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