Tag Archive for 'e-marketing'

NDG Receives ADDY AWARD for New Civista Health Website

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NDG
on March 26, 2009
in Awards and e-marketing
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On Thursday, March 19th, 2009, The Advertising Club of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., held its 41st annual ADDY® Awards Gala to recognize the best in creative excellence in the metro Washington area. The ADDY® Awards are the advertising industry’s largest competition.

NDG Communications was recognized with a Silver Addy Award for our work for Civista Health. NDG developed the hospital’s new website, www.Civista.org, and we’re honored to share this recognition with Civista.

Now Civista can provide all the information the community needs to take charge of their own health, and all the information they need about the medical center, in a single online resource. From the new health resources page, which provides brief and easy-to-understand articles about almost every health concern, to presenting the latest health news, the new Civista website is truly a comprehensive portal to good health.

Visitors can use the new Civista website to find a doctor, download a welcome kit for those who will be patients at the medical center, and even watch videos of Civista staffers share their experiences, of patient testimonials, and even a take a video tour of the brand-new facility. With their new website, Civista can now truly say Good Health Starts Here.

NDG Communications is an award-winning, nationally recognized advertising and interactive marketing agency just outside Washington, D.C. Check us out at www.NDGCommunications.com.

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Introducing Gibson’s Grant

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NDG
on March 19, 2009
in real estate marketing
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NDG Communications is proud to announce the launch of www.GibsonsGrant.com, the new community website for Kent Island’s premier natural Chesapeake waterfront community, Gibson’s Grant. This outstanding community offers select homesites, nature trails, numerous amenities including a community center, and a 55-acre nature walk that offers breathtaking views and opportunities to take in Maryland’s flora and fauna up close. We’re very proud of our work for the community, and equally proud to work with an esteemed client such as Elm Street Development who understands the importance of preserving our natural spaces.

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Social Sites Now Bigger than E-Mail

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NDG
on March 12, 2009
in advertising, e-marketing and marketing
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There is some pretty big news in the “March 2009 Global Faces and Networked Places” report on social networking from Nielsen, one of the leading global marketing and media information companies.

According to the report, “two-thirds of the world’s internet population visit social networking or blogging sites, accounting for almost 10% of all internet time….That percentage is likely to grow as time spent on social network and blogging sites is growing more than three times the rate of overall internet growth.” The report goes on to state that time spent on social media sites has overtaken personal e-mail “to become the world’s fourth most popular online sector after search, portals, and PC software applications.”

Transversely, however, the report identifies a not totally unsuspected trend: As these social networking sites become more attractive to advertisers, they become “less appealing to members who see highly-targeted ads as invading privacy.” Consumers are actually growing less tolerant to advertising on social media. And, more social media users now consider advertising on social networking sites to be an intrusion; even the number of those respondents who don’t mind being served ads if they are relevant to their interests is dropping.

What does this mean for smart marketers? That content, and the way it is delivered and transmitted, is becoming more complex than ever—and that companies must undertake careful studies of these channels before engaging them. Additionally, it also seems to indicate (though indirectly) that the e-mail component of any online campaign must be fully considered in the context of greater social media usage, necessitating more formal integration of e-mail content with social media content.

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Making Online Video Work for Real Estate

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NDG
on February 26, 2009
in articles
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Over at the FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE MARKETING blog, there is an excellent article on how best to use video in your online marketing. 129.5 million people watched online video ads at least once a month in 2008, and that number is rapidly rising. Guest blogger Kurt Weinsheimer shares the six simple rules of online real estate video that will help you achieve a real competitive edge during tough economic times.

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Sharing is Easy

Published
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NDG
on February 17, 2009
in advertising, articles, e-marketing and marketing
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Over at the excellent Smartblog on Social Media, Rob Birgfeld is examining exactly how sharing is going on between users—and explaining why your customers are the best marketers money can’t buy. According to Rob, “If you’re mindful of how and where they share, you’ll have true word-of-mouth working on your behalf.” Read the whole article Here.

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The Right Mix for the Highest Digital ROI

Published
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NDG
on February 10, 2009
in advertising, e-marketing, marketing, new home marketing, new home sales marketing and real estate marketing
. 0 Comments

Over at Marketing Sherpa they’ve asked consumer marketers to rank the ROI of various online marketing tactics and published the rankings for Q4 2008. The results? It appears that email, SEO, and paid search continue to enjoy the best ROI. And, it seems no surprise that display advertising is taking the back seat now. Click here to read the whole article.

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Create Effective Search Engine Optimization Using Flash—Yes, Flash

Published
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NDG
on February 3, 2009
in advertising, articles, e-marketing and marketing
. 3 Comments

Frequently we come across blog postings, white papers, and articles in magazines regarding the use of Flash-based websites and its negative effect on search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Almost unanimously, many who claim to be experts condemn the use of Flash and label the technology as a “death wish” for those who wish to achieve high search engine rankings, especially on Google.com.

The Facts: Optimizing Flash is not easy, but far from impossible.

Flash is now a viable technology that helps create rich online experiences and, with common sense tactics, can be optimized to target search engine results. Innovation in Flash website development practices, combined with other development technologies (like JavaScript) can now help produce high Search Engine Results Page (SERP) rankings for Flash websites.

In July 2008, Google and Adobe (the developers of Flash) announced a joint-venture update to resolve the Flash/SEO issue. The introduction of Google’s Flash algorithm means most Flash sites are, by default, search engine-friendly—assuming your programmer is up to date on the latest techniques required to effectively optimize Flash.

Of course, some issues remain, but these are being addressed and industry-standard work-around solutions have been developed to make Flash a viable technology to use for websites. And with Google now capturing 64% of the search engine traffic, and providing reliable indexing of Flash sites with their new algorithm, Flash should be a major component in the technical palette of every web designer and programmer.

Still Not Convinced? More in-depth technical explanations of these techniques can be found online. There are many sources where more specifics can be provided on actual SEO for Flash tactics.

Here are some examples of Flash-based websites with effective SEO from the NDG Communications portfolio:

VillagesOfSteepleChase.com

This Flash-based website is optimized for several key phrases, but our main phrase is “Townhomes in La Plata.” Our Google SERP (search engine results page) has this site ranking consistently between #2 to #4.

ChesterRiverHomes.com

Using the search phrase “Chestertown Waterfront Homes,” the Google SERP ranking for this Flash-based website is consistently #2 or #3.

So, while Flash is not necessarily the best choice for every website, it has been proven in usability research to enhance the overall user experience by making a site more interactive and intuitive. Remember, you have approximately 4 seconds to really grab a website visitor’s attention and help them make the decision to stay and consume more of your content. For now and the foreseeable future, Flash is still the best technology available to website designers to achieve real engagement and to convert visitors to registered users, and it can now be properly indexed by the world’s most dominant search engine, Google.com, ensuring that SEO goals are attainable.

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Attaining E-Mail Excellence

Published
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NDG
on January 27, 2009
in advertising, articles and marketing
. 0 Comments

While direct mail has lost some of its ability to effectively connect with prospects who often see the mailing as simply “junk mail,” e-mail marketing has now become an incredibly effective and interactive method of helping prospects reach you.

E-mail marketing has an incredibly high return on investment because you’re only paying for your recipient list and the creative services used to create the art, copy, and e-mail itself, because there are no printing costs, and because those you are e-mailing have already opted to receive such mailings—these people actually want to hear from you and are far more likely to read what you have sent and make contact with you.

Many of you may have already begun to dip your toes into the e-mail marketing game, and have seen the incredible results. Others of you may have tried, but without attaining the response rate you’d hoped for. The keys to effective email marketing are consistency, a strategically developed message, and a website landing page that captures registrations.

Where most builders and developers fail with e-mail marketing is in applying consistency. Simply sending out one e-mail message and expecting hard returns is unlikely to accomplish anything. Think more in terms of a campaign—where a new e-mail goes out every two weeks, and possibly more often to promote community-specific events.

And, just as important as applying consistency, your message must be on-target and resonate with your audience. If you understand who the correct buyer is, you can create e-mails that are appropriate for their wants and needs. You also must provide the recipients with some incentive to make contact with you.

Typically, when NDG Communications creates an e-mail campaign, the e-mail provides a link to a “website landing page” that provides the e-mail recipient with a form to register to receive more information in exchange for some reward, possibly to enter for a drawing at an event, or the chance to win some prize. The recipient has an incentive, and you now have a registered (and most likely qualified) lead with full contact details.

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Noise to Signal

Published
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NDG
on January 21, 2009
in Fun at NDG, advertising, articles, marketing and real estate marketing
. 0 Comments

So we changed our blog name. The reason? As we’ve been writing the blog, we’ve been finding our collective voice. Now that our blog has been up and on its feet for a little while, the character, topics, and tone of the material have become more consistent and our focus more defined.

“Noise to Signal” means cutting through the clutter to create real meaning, and real connections. If you’re not doing that, you’re wasting time and money. We believe in the power of new media to make connections. And while we don’t believe Twitter, Facebook, or Youtube are the ultimate killer channels, we must all acknowledge their power to reshape our communications, and the way we share information.

We’ll continue to relate our news and accomplishments, but we’re also now committed to providing real and meaningful content that can help you connect with the people who live your brand every day. And of course, the occasional industry goodies will be sprinkled here and there to keep you up to speed on e-marketing and advertising in general. Or if we see the work or ideas of others worthy enough to share, we’re even happy to share our spotlight—at least for a minute.

So, go ahead and bookmark us. We promise to continue to deliver. And, if you’re really ready to get real about your marketing and advertising in the 21st century, we’re ready to help you.

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NDG Communications at IBS 2009

Published
by
NDG
on January 9, 2009
in advertising, marketing, new home marketing, new home sales marketing and real estate marketing
. 0 Comments

We invite you to join NDG Communications President Tom Nelson at the 2009 International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Tom will be a featured guest speaker again this year and his topic will be “Attracting Today’s Buyers Online: Building Success with Connected Customers.” The panel for this talk also includes Mike Lyon of www.DoYouConvert.com and Stephen Feltner, President of New Homes & Rentals Divisions at Move.com.

Tom and his fellow panelists will provide extensive strategies for developing effectively targeted online marketing campaigns, including:

• Proper integration of online and offline marketing initiatives
• Fulfilling buyer expectations of real estate websites and their content
• Understanding the latest online marketing trends to help reduce standing inventory and drive more home buyer traffic to sales centers

Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009

Time: 8:00AM to 9:30AM

Location: North 259/261

Click here to see the official IBS website listing for Tom’s talk.

If you’re a homebuilder and ready to help make your online investment create real, measurable returns, this talk is one you just can’t miss.

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