How to Build Personas for Lifelong Customer Retention
Once in a great while, it seems you find the perfect customer. […]
December 2018
How To Calculate Your Lead Value In Under 8 Minutes
How to Calculate Lead Value How much is a lead REALLY worth to your business? This is something that you can easily calculate. First, make sure you have all of your marketing and sales information at hand. Generally, you will want to use the information from the previous year. For seasonal businesses, it is also a good idea to assess your cost per lead and lead value quarterly. So get ready for your fully packed 7.8 minutes of reading, and GO! […]
10 Best Technology Tools For A Successful Roof Contractor
Recently, I met with some of our tech-savvy roofing contractors from across the United States. […]
November 2018
Resorter of The Year: Tips for Success
With the digital age and our ability to modify and update just about anything, it is not often you get the raw, unedited transcript from connections like customer interviews. […]
October 2018
Image Quality/Optimization
You may think that having high-quality images on your website is a back-burner issue, but we can assure you that it should be one of your highest priorities, and not just for the aesthetics! […]
Best Newsletter Practices for Your Automotive Business
We’ve all seen those classic link-filled newsletters that we know came from 2001 and haven’t been updated. So how do you avoid being that automotive business and make sure you are being helpful to your readers? […]
Why Your Roofing Leads Are Slower This Year
In the past, you put your name in the phone book and slapped together a chintzy website to bootstrap your company into forward motion. You knew your roofing company was better quality than your competitors, but word-of-mouth was what made your phone ring. We’ve heard this statement hundreds of ways in the past year, “We just had a big storm roll through, and in the past, we would get hundreds of calls. This year, our phone barely rang.” Digital is taking a big part in the roofing industry to reach [...]
September 2018
Starting Your Automotive Google Ads Campaign Right
Running Google Ads can be a big project when you’re busy running your automotive business. We know this can be time-consuming, which is why we wrote this guide on how to set up your Google Ad account properly. Let’s dig into it! You will have to have a Google email and password associated with your Google Ads account in order to get going with internet advertising. A note in this article: Google has been making a transition from the name Google AdWords to Google Ads (in order to include [...]
August 2018
How to Use Instagram for Your Tourism Bureau or Resort
Instagram’s user base is growing constantly, and it’s getting more diverse too! Since Instagram is big on sharing jaw-dropping photos, amazing experiences, and connecting with thousands of people, it’s a great platform for your resort or tourism bureau to dive on in! Here’s what you’ll want to know. […]
Best Social Media Channels For Automotive Businesses
In the past, we have been told that social media can help your marketing efforts. […]
Why Having SSL Can Avoid a Future Crisis
One of the challenges of working in the digital world is constant change. Software, servers, and standards are always evolving to improve user experience, which is great! But it also means to keep your website relevant, you have to keep up with features and updates as they are released. We’d like to inform you of some future Google search engine changes we are predicting, based on our observations from the past. Over the last few months we’ve started to notice Google’s tastes start to change in terms of their preference [...]
The Free Website Google Made For Your Business
Just when being able to afford a website seemed out of reach, Google came through for your small business. Yay for the little guy! Today we’re going to be talking about the awesome opportunity you have to build a website within your Google Business Listing. […]
Art Unlimited Recognized as A Women Owned Business
For over 35 years, Art Unlimited has opened its doors to many clients from coast to coast. This year, Art Unlimited has been nationally recognized by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council as being women-owned and operated. Founded in 1982 by Tom & Pat Chapman, the company values their advisory insight on the leadership team. In addition to serving on the leadership board, Tom oversees the company design and Pat manages the company’s community involvement and outreach. We are blessed to recognize their involvement in making the company who it is [...]
July 2018
How to Spot Fake Domain Renewals In 3 Steps
As a business we get a lot of letters and calls telling us to renew our domain name. Companies will try to tell us that if we don’t renew our domain name with them, they will take it down and remove it from the internet, taking down your website with it. If you own, manage, answer phone calls, or open mail at a business, you've probably encountered this, too. What is a Fake Domain Renewal? Fake domain renewals come in a rainbow of colors, styles, and forms. We want to [...]
Why Data Privacy Just Got Serious for American Websites
We have seen pretty much every app developer or corporate business send us an email saying they have recently updated their privacy policy. We’ve even seen those new annoying pop-ups telling us they have cookies, but now, consumer data rules are hitting your business. […]
June 2018
Fixed Monthly Fee versus Pay Per Lead
Your marketing efforts go hand-in-hand with business growth. But too often, companies relinquish control of their business health by investing in the appealing “pay only for leads” claim. […]
May 2018
How To Write The Best Meta Descriptions For Roofing Websites
30 seconds are on the clock. You are finally alone with the person who can send your company numbers soaring. If you don’t start talking now, you may never have this opportunity again. This scenario is a make-or-break opportunity and it’s one that you have hundreds of times per day on the internet. Meta descriptions are your roofing website’s elevator pitch, and if you don’t have something great to say, you are losing many potential customers. […]
New Google Review Search Feature
With Google rolling out new features in different test markets all the time, it’s hard to keep up with your Google Business Listing. This week our team discovered a new feature that Google rolled out in the reviews section of certain business listings, the ability to search by keyword within a business’ reviews section. This can be very helpful for consumers who are looking to compare a business on specific features of interest. Check it out below. […]
April 2018
Art Unlimited Named 100 Best Companies to Work for in Minnesota for 2nd Year!
Art Unlimited is super excited about this honor! Minnesota Business Magazine has set up these awards to recognize all the amazing, first-class companies that have their corporate offices in our great state. The 100 Best are chosen by the current employees filling out online questionnaires about their employers. The magazine determined the best places to work have high grades in work environment, benefits, and overall employee satisfaction. Why are Employees at Art Unlimited So Happy? We Have Continued Education Art Unlimited is committed to making sure all employees are the [...]
March 2018
How to Do Keyword Research for Your Roofing Company
Search marketers agree that keyword research is a critical part of a successful SEO strategy. Without proper keyword research and tracking, your roofing business is unlikely to get very far off the ground on a digital level. Keyword research is the backbone of all successful internet marketing and it is changing all the time, with the most recent development being the need to implement keywords that are specifically targeted towards voice search. […]
February 2018
How to Utilize Pinterest Ads for Your Resort
Pinterest is often stereotyped as a home of nothing but fattening foods and quirky crafts, but it’s actually extremely useful for resorts and travel agencies. In fact, travel pins and searches constitute nearly 25% of all Pinterest activity! And it follows that if people are looking for somewhere to travel, they’re also going to be looking for somewhere to stay. Here’s what great ads and content on Pinterest look like. […]
2018 Facebook Updates That Affect Your Business
When you’re using Facebook for fun, you may wish that everything would disappear except stuff that you really care about, like posts from your friends and a few tidbits from pages you follow. Facebook is setting out to do just that in 2018, and it’s going to seriously diminish organic reach for your small business’s Facebook page. Here’s what’s going on, what it will mean, and what you can do to keep your small business thriving socially. […]
Chasing Perfection – with Sue Hawkes
Women in business are over-committed and our lives are out of control–we need to learn that we don’t have to be chained to our businesses, that we can take control of them. Recently, Art Unlimited was blessed with the opportunity to meet with Sue Hawks to hear her guidance and encouragement on this very topic! Check out her advice for women business owners with us! In Sue Hawkes’ new book, Chasing Perfection, she outlines how to “use actionable practices to conquer self-doubt while maximizing your success,” so that you can [...]
January 2018
Logo Types and the Amount of Effort They Take
Nothing helps you promote your brand quite like a well-defined, memorable logo. When you are thinking about making a logo for your business, consider its versatility and usability. Where do you envision this logo showing up, and what culture does your business want to personify? Having a good idea of what you want before you meet with a designer will ensure your logo project is completed within budget. If you are creating a new logo (not updating an older logo) the exploratory phase of finding a business’s identity should occur [...]
How to Boost Your Brick and Mortar Business
In today’s scary age of big chain retailers closing their doors, mom and pop shops are getting nervous. Is your business safe from digital powerhouses like Walmart and Amazon? With the right strategy, any business can stand the test of time. Here are things we’ve learned about consumer patterns from studying history and how your business can utilize that knowledge to keep your brick and mortar thriving. […]
December 2017
The Eleanor Roosevelt Approach To Persona Marketing
Persona marketing has been around for awhile, but not everyone takes the time to truly understand why it’s important and how they can use it effectively. Eleanor Roosevelt wrote in her book You Learn By Living, “If you can develop this ability to see what you look at, to understand its meaning, to readjust your knowledge to this new information, you can continue to learn and to grow as long as you live and you’ll have a wonderful time doing it.” […]
October 2017
How Many Leads Does Your Business Regularly Lose?
Leads are so vital in determining the success of a business over time. Today, when most leads are realized through the internet and social media, most businesses are losing a huge number of leads regularly because they don’t know how to tap them effectively. And to make it worse, most of these businesses are losing these leads without even realizing that they are doing so. […]
How to Be Ready to Land The Big Roofing Contract
You’ve been trying your hardest to land that perfect, giant roofing job client, the one that can make your business double almost overnight. But if you actually win that contract, would you be ready to support it? Here’s some sound advice we’ve gathered by working in the roofing industry for years. […]
September 2017
Why Winning on Mobile Increases Your Collision Repair Leads
As the world of search turns to mobile you don’t want your collision repair business to fall behind. The fact is that in this day and age your website’s mobile usability is becoming crucial to gaining and converting leads. […]
July 2017
How to Prepare Your Body Shop Website for Hail Damage
When a storm rolls through your area, your body shop or collision repair business could have the opportunity to fill some slow times with repairs for hail damage. Here are some tips we’ve developed to help your digital presence shine after the storm has passed, and people are searching for repairs. […]
How to Attract Tourists to Your Community
The age old question of how to bring new people to your community is always changing in approach. Our recommendations in this blog are based on an overall community approach. If your local businesses can come together to tackle tourism, your community can see tremendous results within 6 months to a year of implementation. Read on to get started! […]
June 2017
Why Collision Repair Businesses Need Local Optimization
With any business, you want to get new leads. Being found online locally has been a game changer for the collision repair market. Here’s why local optimization is important and a few ways you can get your digital leads flowing. […]
How to Avoid Shady Website Developers
As a web development & marketing agency, we’ve had so many people come to us with heart wrenching stories of how they had a poor experience with a web developer, that we decided we needed to say something about it. Here’s our best practice tips of choosing a company to develop your website. […]
May 2017
How to Take the Best Photo for Your Social Media
How to Capture the Best Social Media Photo Taking pictures for social media can be intimidating, but knowing how to capture your photo can actually make a huge impact on the final result of your image. Here are 7 tips to keep in mind when trying to capture the best photo for social media: […]
March 2017
Why Hiring an Agency Shouldn’t Be a Frantic Leap of Faith
Many businesses today can feel themselves riding a swelling wave of new business. You can feel it build underneath you. Your efforts are starting to gain sizable traction through word of mouth and even online! But now the workload of actually doing business is getting to the point where you don’t have the time to do any more marketing yourself. What’s going to happen? Will the wave finally crests into becoming a household name, or will you always be fighting to stay afloat on a consistent swell? […]
Does the Millennial Path-to-Purchase Impact Your Business?
Millennials, the most studied cohort of humans so far. But why should you, a business owner, care about millennials and their meticulously studied habits? Because Millennials are consumers. […]
December 2016
Paid Advertising Predictions for 2017 – Look Out People!
When you’re gearing up to plan your paid marketing budget for 2017, knowing what to expect can save you many hours of time and stress. As we started planning our strategy for the new year, we came across some great findings that we think could help you better prepare as well. So grab your planning notebook and read on! […]
November 2016
6 Key SEO Terms Defined in Less Than 10 Minutes
Many times business owners come into their meeting with an SEO Manager, feeling as if they are lost in a muddle of technical terminology. This guide is designed to orienteer you through the dark and scary unknowns by broadening your Search Engine Optimization vocabulary. […]
July 2016
3 Signs Your Website Needs an Upgrade
Your website is one of your biggest marketing tools. You want it to be responsive, aesthetically appealing, and informational. But, if it has been a while since anything has been updated on your page, maybe now is the time. Talk things over with your marketing team and see what your options are for improving this important part of your business presence. […]
May 2016
State of the Roofing Industry
This past month at the Owens Corning Industry Conference, company president Brian Chambers addressed the state of the roofing industry. He focused on our strengthening economy, the housing market and how those factors will affect the future of the roofing industry. Economy Owens Corning believes that the housing market will have a strong foundation for growth in the coming years. The US economy has remained stable despite global turbulence. As unemployment hit an 8 year low in January, consumer confidence reached pre-recession levels once again. Median household income has been on [...]
April 2016
5 Social Media Ideas for Roofing Companies
As a roofing business owner, you are always looking for easy and effective ways to market your business. Social media has recently become one of the top ways to connect with customers on a personal and business level, and we want to help you along the way! 1. Project Photos Post photos on social media from projects that you have done recently, especially if the homeowner you worked with can provide a short reference and description of the job. This will help your customers see the great work you do, [...]
AU Named in “Minnesota’s 100 Best Companies to Work For”
It's No Secret That We Love Our Job: Working with such an amazing team makes coming to work every day a breeze. Add clients that are as passionate about their businesses as ours and you have a company culture that sets itself apart from the average humdrum desk job. This is why we are thrilled (but not surprised!) to announce that Art Unlimited was named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For in Minnesota” by Minnesota Business magazine. Art Unlimited is one of a small handful of winners who are [...]
November 2015
The Importance of Server Performance
Have you ever loaded a website and waited and waited for it to load, or received a white page with an “Error Website Not Available” message or “Server Not Responding”? […]
5 Great Blog Ideas for Tourism Websites
Running a resort is a full time job – and then some. Most resort owners in rural areas are faced with the challenge of having to wear several hats: business manger, HR, maintenance, and marketing manager. Because of this surplus of responsibility, it can be difficult to take time to strategize new approaches to your online marketing. […]
October 2015
Top 5 Ways to Waste Your Company’s Time
We work with a lot of companies who are entrepreneurs with incredibly successful online marketing programs. As we continue to delve into the nitty gritty components of what makes a business tick, we have found that there are 5 major time wasters that every office seems to be affected by. […]
How to Know if Your Website Needs a Redesign
Many companies with functioning websites wonder cringe when their programming or marketing team mentions the word “redesign.” In truth, companies with large budgets might enjoy the prestige of featuring the latest web design trends on their sites. But, for smaller companies, the cost-vs-ROI must be carefully weighed before making an investment of that magnitude. Of course, in today’s age, there is one giant elephant in everyone’s marketing room: mobile responsive design. […]
July 2015
Company Blogging
Company Blog Management We are always working on growing our blogging campaigns for clients. Listed below is our current monthly blogging package. As the industry changes, we refocus the blogging efforts to maximize your Return On Investment ( ROI ). Blogging is a great way to add fresh content to your website, giving the clients you want, as well as the search engines who rank you, a reason to return to your website on a regular basis. Fresh, relevant content needs to be added on a consistent basis to [...]
Corporate Branding
Corporate Branding Corporate Branding is where Art Unlimited's Graphic Design professionals shine. Whether you need a new logo, business cards or other print materials to leave with your clients, our team has the eye and the experience to create attention-getting branded materials that will cause your business to be remembered. We specialize in a variety of print materials such as banners, displays, and even billboards. Look no further than Art Unlimited for your Corporate Branding needs.
Lead Generation
Lead Generation Managing leads can consume precious time. There are many areas along the sales conversion path where a lead may be dropped, causing a prospective client to lose interest in you and your company. Art Unlimited will create an inbound marketing system that will take your leads from their first visit to your website and nurture them through the conversion process to become your customer. We will help your company attract leads by targeting your specific audience and providing potential customers with valuable information and resources they are [...]
Local Optimization
Local Optimization As a local business, having your information consistent across the internet is crucial. Old or incorrect business addresses, phone numbers and information can cause lost customers and make your business lose credibility. With our local search listing optimization services, you can take charge of how your business is represented on search engine listings. Potential customers looking for your business online will be able to find your information quickly and easily. Local optimization is great for local businesses and businesses with key service locations, businesses that have moved, [...]
PPC Management
Pay Per Click Art Unlimited offers PPC Management to oversee your Pay-Per-Click advertising campaign. PPC offers the opportunity to pay for advertising in top search engine positions. PPC advertising will promote your business to a targeted clientele, while increasing organic search rankings. The traffic generated through Paid Search will allow you to test keywords and other marketplace variables. Compliment your existing SEO strategies with Paid Search. Let Art Unlimited help you develop your overall Internet marketing strategy through managed PPC.
Review Management & Testimonials
Review Management & Testimonials People use the web every day to find goods and services that your business is providing. Art Unlimited will ensure potential customers can find you through a wide variety of directories and review websites.
SEO – Search Engine Optimization
SEO Management Art Unlimited's team is continually working with our client's websites to improve their performance. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a fine art that continually changes, what worked last year will be outdated this year. Ongoing education is critical to making sure that the services we provide our clients are cutting edge and deliver results.
Social Media Management & Brand Awareness
Social Media Management Art Unlimited knows the importance of Social Media, how to manage, and how to create Brand Awareness. Whether you want to have a facelift for your Facebook Page, learn how to schedule regular tweets on Twitter, or show off your skills on your YouTube channel, we can help you be more social. Most companies complain that they don't have enough time to manage their social media accounts. Art Unlimited can provide you with Social Media Management services to keep your brand in the public eye.
Web Development
Custom Web Development Each website created by Art Unlimited is tailored to each client's specific needs. Throughout the information gathering process and interviews we strive to help you bring your vision for your business alive online by reinforcing your company's branding or by helping you to find fresh ideas for rebranding the look and feel of your company's image. That means we don't have a cookie cutter approach to websites we develop. For us Web Development includes everything from the original design and content, to the programming and code that [...]
Website Enhancement
Website Enhancement This is our kitchen sink module, if you have a website and need upgrades or changes, this is the package for you. All websites should be continually changed to encourage search engines and users to come back to your website. Increase website traffic, freshen up your content, and increase your domain authority with a website enhancement from Art Unlimited.
June 2015
Simple Strategies: Generating Quality Content (VIDEO)
Hi - Anna with Art Unlimited. Today we're going to talk about generating quality content & what that means for you as a business owner. Why Do I Need Fresh Content? Google loves fresh content because they always want to see that you are aware of what is happening in your industry. There are many different forms of content that you can create. Today, however, I want to focus on using images within content. Pick a Good Topic It's really important to start out with a solid topic. For a roofing [...]
Simple Strategies: The Importance of Photos (VIDEO)
Successful online marketing is like a puzzle. Not only does it consist of many different components, but it also requires these components to fit together perfectly. In this video blog, our CEO Anna Anderson addresses the ways that a simple photograph can impact your marketing efforts. […]
May 2015
4 Great Blog Ideas for Your Roofing Company
Most roofing contractors I know do not have time to write their own blogs. Many hire office staff to do the work for them. Some do carve out time to do it themselves. The fact is that coming up with unique, valuable blog posts can be extremely difficult – especially on a busy schedule. […]
Do You Have What it Takes to Be Successful?
Small business owners have one of the most challenging jobs available in modern America. To be one, you must be a self-starter, an entrepreneur. You must have a vision and an ongoing strategy for achieving goals. The question is: do you have what it takes to be successful? […]