Informative article from excellent web designer

Have you ever wondered if colors impact your mood? What about the message your company is giving? Read this content filled article to find out.

KG

What color is your business?
By Pamela Jacob

Color affects our lives
Colors evoke emotions
Color communicates

Having been an artist long before I ever touched a computer I knew instinctively the power different colors had on my emotions. It wasn’t until (over a decade ago) when I decided to combined art with technology that I found out how powerful using the proper colors for you marketing collateral can be.
Studies show that shapes and colors affect people in different ways. Use them properly in your company logos, ad copy, and website and you'll beat the competition.
Before you pick a color to represent your company image consider what that color will communicate to your clients/customers. Below you will find a simplified version of what the meaning of different colors are and the emotions they invoke. With combinations in various shades and intensities you can capture the look and feel that will attract your perfect customer.

Something to keep in mind different cultures view colors very differently and you must take this into consideration before you make your decisions.

IE: The traditional color of a wedding in the US is white – in India white is worn for funerals.

Red
Red is a very emotionally intense color, it is considered a hot color. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure.

Hot colors project outward and attract attention. Red is very powerful. Use it as an accent color to stimulate people to make quick decisions; it is a perfect color for 'Buy Now' or 'Click Here' buttons on Internet banners and websites. Red is also commonly associated with energy, so use it when promoting high energy businesses, energy drinks, games, cars, items related to sports and high physical activity.

Yellow
Yellow expresses constant motion, life giving sun and activity. This color produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy. When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect; it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms.

Yellow is very effective for attracting attention, so use it to highlight the most important elements of your design. Men usually perceive yellow as a very immature, 'childish' color, so it is not recommended to use yellow when selling prestigious, expensive products to men. Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color, so avoid using yellow if you want to suggest stability and safety.

Orange
Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It conveys friendliness is energetic and glowing. This color is associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite.
Orange has very high visibility, so you can use it to catch attention and highlight the most important elements of your design. Orange is very effective for promoting food products and toys.

Green
Green suggests health and prosperity it is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, fertility and luck. Dark green is also commonly associated with money. Green has great healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye; it can improve vision.
Use green to indicate safety when advertising drugs and medical products. Green is directly related to nature, so you can use it to promote 'natural' products. Darker green is commonly associated with money, the financial world, banking, and Wall Street.

Blue
Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness it is considered a cold color. The feelings generated by cold colors – blue, green and blue-green are opposite of those generated by hot colors (red – orange – yellow). It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Dark blue also carries an undeniable message of authority. Police officers and court officers wear uniforms that include navy blue in order to command authority.
You can use blue to promote products and services related to cleanliness, dependability, and reliability.

Blue is a masculine color; it is highly accepted among males. Dark blue is associated with depth, expertise, and stability; it is a preferred color for corporate America.

Purple
Purple is associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic. According to surveys, almost 75 percent of pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all other colors. Purple is a very rare color in nature
Purple is a good color to use in feminine design, anything promoting magic or fantasy. You can use it in combination with gold to convey wealth and nobility. Use bright purple when promoting children’s products.

Creating that image you need to stand out from the crowd takes some planning – thought and a good designer! Don’t cut corners when it comes to your company image it can make the difference between being wildly successful or just another struggling company getting lost in the crowd.

Is your website an integral part of making money in your business? Then you need to “Create the image you need to attract the customers you want.” Pamela Jacob, owner of Artista Design, can help you do just that. She specializes in all types of visual mediums and has been in the new media industry for over a decade. To gain more valuable insights from Pamela Jacob visit: http://www.artistadesign.com

Complimentary Internet Marketing Training

Kathleen Gage Presents
Secrets to Making Money with the Internet
Success Strategies to Using the Internet to Gain Position, Visibility and Profits for your Business

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To find out how to use the Internet to build your business, increase revenues, and lower cost within your market and much more join award winning entrepreneur and marketing advisor Kathleen Gage for this high content presentation.

Seating is very limited.
Larry H Miller Center ( 9750 S 300 W Sandy, Utah)

Monday, March 14, 2005 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

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Online registrations only.

http://www.turningpointpresents.com/quickstartfreetraining.htm

Please pass this on to anyone who would benefit from this type of training.

Great information on marketing

Excellent resource

http://www.quikonnex.com/channel/page/kbeasley

3 Strategies to Market Your Business Even When You Have No Money

Many small and home based businesses know they need to market and yet, have little or no money to do so. Sadly, many use this as a reason not to market. Even on a limited budget you can promote and gain visibility for you and your business. The following three strategies have proven extremely effective for countless businesses as they can for you.

read entire article....http://www.constant-content.com/?area=viewdoc&id=1243

Smart Quotes aren't so smart

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks ( ' or " ) to curly (smart or typographer's) quotes as you type. This is fine if you are only authoring your works for applications not relating to article marketing. When smart quotes are converted to HTML, the quotes are converted to non-standard characters which end up littering your document with question mark symbols and/or other garbage code.
When in doubt, don't allow your Ezine Articles to contain smart quotes: Most articles that are put into article marketing distribution eventually end up being sent to an email newsletter audience. Email newsletter servers have near zero-tolerance for MS Word smart quotes; they will not recognize them as valid ASCII characters (because they are not valid). They are a figment of the Microsoft ASCII imagination. In most cases they will show up as garbage code; thus making you, and your article, look like a real novice lacking proper formatting skills.
At risk are:
quotes
apostrophes
double dashes
3 periods in a row
In this quick article, I show you what they look like and 2 quick solutions to make sure they never make you or your articles look like a novice:http://ezinearticles.com/?id=15624

Free eBook is doing great

I am really happy with the results I am seeing with people downloading my free eBook. Also, the coverage my other eBook is receiving in the media.

Check out http://press.arrivenet.com/bus/article.php/593635.html and http://www.pressbox.co.uk/New/2005-02-20.html

To view some recent articles I wrote on marketing please visit http://clearviewpublications.com/small-business-newsletter-entrepreneur/business-articles/directory.htm

All of the coverage was at no cost and definitely drove traffic to my websites. If you are interested in learning how to effectively market with little or no cost download the eBook at http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/free-ebook.htm

In success,
Kathleen Gage

FREE Street Smarts Making Money on the Internet eBook

If you are like most people you are overwhelmed with the amount of information available on how to market your business. With the Internet as part of the mix, wading through even the surface level of the information can be a daunting task.

Do you want to get qualified buyers to your website?
Do you want to lower the amount it costs to generate qualified leads for your product or service?
Are you looking for ways to keep you name fresh in your prospects and customers’ mind?
Do you want to gain name recognition within a specific target market?
Are you confused about what works and what doesn’t?

If you answered YES! to these questions then access a great FREE resource designed to immediately move you closer to your marketing and sales goals.

http://www.streetsmartsmarketing.com/free-ebook.htm

Using Technology to Get and Keep Your Foot in the Door

You are welcome to use the following article in your newsletter or on your website. All I ask is that you keep the byline at the end as is.

Thank you
Kathleen Gage


In years past it was easier to get your foot in the door of a prospective client than it is today. Competition has increased, your prospect has more demands on their time and a simple visit to the Internet can offer many prospects the same choice you are offering for less money.

So what can you do? Not only do you have to do front-end marketing and promotions to gain new customers, you absolutely must have a good system in place to follow-up with your current customers and keep your name fresh in their mind.

With the advent of the Internet and specific types of technology, we now have tools to accomplish this with ease. The fear some people have is that use of the Internet and technology will take away the human aspect of doing business. Although this may be true in some cases, proper use of technology can allow you to have more time to spend with your customers. Using technology in any business situation should only be done when it will better serve you and your customers.

Although you might not be ready to embrace all that technology can do for you, your customers probably are. The Computer Industry Almanac projects that we will have 1.35 billion Internet users by 2007.

Every day more people are utilizing the power of the Internet to research companies, determine level of credibility of a company based on their web presence and making purchases via the Net. If you do not have a good system in place to take advantage of this, you will soon be left behind.

There are several reasons to become a real player in the world of the Internet. Most importantly, in order to be considered a credible business you have to have a presence on the Internet.

Other reasons include:

Ø To increase your reach and visibility
Ø Lower the costs of traditional marketing
Ø Increase Return on Investment for every marketing dollar
Ø Develop and maintain credibility
Ø Attract visitors to your site and/or physical business location
Ø Increase profit margins
Ø Increase speed of response time

Patricia Twitchell, owner of Just Bears and Stuff, a specialty gift shop in the quaint town of Myrtle Creek, Oregon (population 3,000) relies heavily on the power of the Internet for her business success. With the implementation of one simple strategy, Patricia, known to many as The Teddy Bear Lady of Myrtle Creek, increased her Ezine signups by 600% of what they usually were in one week.

She simply implemented the use of an autoresponder and a hover menu. Not only have her signups increased, so have revenues.

The Ezine contains articles of interest to teddy bear enthusiasts as well as any specials of the month she is offering that readers have first opportunity to learn about. To see how The Teddy Bear Lady uses technology to streamline her operations and provide better service to her customers visit www.justbearsandstuff.com.

Imagine how much untold revenue is lost by not fully utilizing the power of technology and the Internet. To not only survive but thrive, you must have a proper foundation and effective systems in place for attracting visitors, providing information, selling products and services and following up.

Many people are under the mistaken notion that if they sell only in their local market they don’t need a strong Internet presence. It is this type of thinking that leaves many businesses in the dust.

Additionally, without a strong Internet presence you can waste countless marketing dollars that could be saved through the use of technology.

If you want to continually be in the game of “getting your foot in the door” you must develop and utilize a system that makes doing business with you simple.

Kathleen Gage is an award winning keynote speaker and the top rated home based business owner in the State of Utah for 2004. If you are tired of cold calling and want to discover creative ways to get in front of clients and prospects, sign up for Gage’s FREE Sales Booster Tip at www.101WaysToGetYourFootInTheDoor.com

Find what keywords are being used

Knowing what words are most popular for your market is essential in how you position your product or service. To find out how popular a particular word or set of words are go to Good Keywords at http://www.goodkeywords.com/

This is a free Windows softward for finding a set of keywords for your web pages.

An article well worth reading

I came home tonight to this article by the E-zine Queen. The timing was perfect in that just tonight a friend told me there are some people who think I am always trying to sell something. I had to laugh in that I was donating my services tonight to a non profit. Hmmm. No selling there.

And yet, I thought about the comment. Do I try to sell too much? Perhaps. But then, I am in the business of selling and teaching people to sell. Also how to promote and market. I often teach by the example of what I do in my business.

My thoughts as I was entering my home was, "Heck the more visible you become, the more you are a great target for other people's criticism. And most often the criticism will come from someone who wants to do what you are doing, but either doesn't have the courage, skill or willingness." I decided to brush off the comments and check emails.This is what I read.....KG

"How to Cope With Your Critics"by Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen"

Every week I publish my ezine, I get almost instantaneous feedback. Most of the time it's wonderful comments like "Thank you for all you do, Ali!" and "I really appreciated this article. It gave me tips I could really use on that subject." Or "Great teleseminar you're offering - it's just what I need to learn right now!"

These emails make me all warm and fuzzy inside.But I want to level with you that publishing isn't all peaches and cream. In fact, here are a few excerpts of emails I've gotten over the past few weeks: "Your promotions have gotten too snake oily for me." (From a woman who complained I was hiding the price of one of my teleseminars on the sales page, when in fact it was listed three times.)

"I'm sad to see you've gone the way of the high falutin' Internet marketers.... At least I can look myself in the mirror every day." (From someone who apparently did not like to see me become so successful.)

"I'm sorry you want to leave your poor friends behind." (Responding to my urging my readers to surround themselves with people who are as successful and wealthy as they want to be.)

"Your logo is terrible -- it looks like two b00bs and a crown!" (From a disgruntled designer who was upset I recommended some low-cost sources for fast logos.)

And, about a recent teleseminar I gave: "I'd avoid prolonged giggling at things that just aren't funny." (Here's a tip folks... I laugh at stuff I think is funny!)

And there are more! For example, I took a recent survey of my list and got an amazing 1800+ responses. But at least 5 people wrote me upset that every question required an answer in order to get the free report that was the thank-you gift. Got Critics? You're Not Alone

Now, hear me out: I'm not writing this article just to bitch and moan. I'm writing this to let YOU know that if you get complaints like these, you're surely not alone. I learned fast and hard that the higher you climb your mountain of success, the easier a target you become for the people down below.

As the saying goes, "You can please some people all of the time, and you can please all people some of the time, but you can't please all people all of the time!"Whether you're an ezine publisher, author, speaker, information marketer, coach, or consultant... you WILL be criticized.

The more popular you get, the bigger your list gets, the more "out there" you are, the more criticism you'll receive.Don't Take It PersonallyBetween you and me, some of these emails have brought me to tears. If I'm feeling the effects, I hop in my Beetle convertible, and take a long drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. It clears my head and reminds me why I chose to do what I do - because I LOVE sharing, teaching, and inspiring.

Being the Ezine Queen earns me a great living while I help others at the same time. (And I'm sure that's the same reason you do what you do, too!)I used to think it was all me, but after talking with several of my colleagues who also publish ezines, they get the same type of emails all the time! And of course we remind each other not to "take anything personally".

Honestly, I still have trouble with that one. Maybe I'm the sensitve type, but I always feel an "ouch" when someone takes an obvious jab that is not simply a suggestion or constructive criticism. Then I breathe deeply, and tell myself that the offending person may be having a terrible day, or their pet turtle just died, and it really has nothing to do with me.Here's What to DoWhat I HAVE learned is that if any of these critics get nasty with you, don't sink to their level.

Remember that as a publisher you're also in the business of customer service. I typically handle it via one of these three methods: a) respond calmly and acknowledge their point (some people just want to be heard)b) disregard or delete their message (if their comments are so inappropriate or hurtful that I can't answer back calmly)c) remove them from my list (if they are obviously just trying to make me feel bad)

Through these petty annoyances, remember the big picture of why you started your e-zine or your current venture. It was likely to gain credibility and "expert" status while increasing your marketing reach and revenues. Your professional reputation is always on the line.

You may want to lash back, but in the long run, it ALWAYS pays to take the high road.Encourage Useful Comments and Feedback! Don't forget to welcome constructive criticism with open arms! I've gotten many great ideas from my readers' suggestions and comments, and I hope they keep coming in. Just remember that Queens have feelings too. : )© 2005 Alexandria K. Brown

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this blurb with it: Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is creator of the award-winning 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to articles and FREE audio class, visit www.EzineQueen.com

A great resource for submitting your blog

Recently I came across an excellent resource for posting a blog to. http://pingomatic.com

Visit Ping O Matic and click off all the boxes when you submit. You will find your visibility going up quickly.

Long Before the Popularity of ‘The Apprentice’ Kathleen Gage Was Teaching Business Owners How to Be Street Smarts

February 9, 2005 – Salt Lake City, UT - Before water cooler discussions about Street Smarts vs Book Smarts began, award winning entrepreneur, professional speaker and author, Kathleen Gage applied her own business street smarts to create “Street Smarts Marketing and Promotions, Success Secrets to Market A Small Business on a Limited Budget.©”

Gage developed ‘Street Smarts’ to respond to the market need of small and home based businesses looking for creative, low cost and no cost strategies to market their businesses in extremely effective ways. “Streets Smarts Marketing and Promotions” contains countless secrets on how to quickly and easily promote a business, gain visibility, learn how to identify customers and markets, stretch marketing dollars, creatively position a company, gain massive amounts of visibility within the targeted market and develop a smooth-running PR machine.
“Kathleen has a common sense, easy to understand and apply approach to marketing for small businesses. I am convinced it has been the saving grace for our company in the last year,” says Patricia Twitchell, Owner, Just Bears and Stuff, Myrtle Creek, Oregon.

Street Smarts Marketing and Promotions was introduced to the market in 2003 as a multi media program. Staying ahead of trends and marketing demand, Gage now offers her program at www.streetsmartsmarketing.com as an E-product. This has made the already reasonably priced program even more affordable to small and home based businesses who want high return information and strategies for their investment.

Kathleen Gage is the author of several books, multi media programs and E-Products on marketing, promotions and sales. She is recognized at the top home based business for 2004 in the state of Utah. As an award winning speaker she has keynoted at conferences and conventions throughout the United States and Canada. Visit www.kathleengage.com and www.streetsmartsmarketing.com for further information.
-end-

Kathleen Gage is available for interviews. For full online media kit visit: http://www.kathleengage.com/pressroom.htm