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Email Marketing

Posted on by Stephen

For those who need to remind their clients that they are active in their field, I recommend email marketing. Email marketing is also great for organizing and communicating with potential clients. I understand that email marketing for the receiver, can be annoying, but email marketing software companies make it easy to unsubscribe with two clicks at most. Before sending to anyone, be mindful of the policy most email marketing companies have that you are only sending to people who have subscribed to your email list. At very least only send to people who you sincerely believe would benefit from the service you offer. These policies are there to prevent spam.

Mailchimp would be my recommended email marketing software. My second recommendation is Constant Contact. If you are wanting a more serious presence, Contant Contact has branding that fits that mature presence, and this may be inportant to you if any of the branding of the email marketing software appears along side yours. But, if you don’t mind the playful and sometimes goofy Mailchimp branding, this company gives away so much of their services for free that almost all of my clients needs fit within the free tier of services.

Mailchimp used to offer an unbelievable free service. Accounts on a Free plan that were created before August 29, 2022 include up to 2,000 contacts and 10,000 sends per month, with a daily send limit of 2,000! I have this account. But, my guess is that too many accounts fell within that amount causing Mailchimp to work too much for free. So, recently they cut back. The Free plan now includes up to 500 contacts and 2,500 sends per month, with a daily send limit of 500.

My account was grandfathered in to allow for 3 different contact (audience) lists. They got rid of that a while ago, and now only allow for 1 list. But, if you want to send different mini-lists out due to different subjects or kinds of clients, you can cut up your list with the use of tags. For example, if you are a house painter and provide kitchen renovations, you can tag your contact list with two tags, painting and renovations.

People often come to me for a website. But, some fields, your website has little return on investment (ROI). Some businesses just need to remind people they are out there working. A good example is a carpenter who does renovations. Time and again I have been told by clients in building that their website doesn’t get them new work, it is just confirmation that they are active. But, websites are a passive form of marketing. Email marketing is active and goes one step further by going to client or potential client to relatively unobtrusively remind them you still there for them.

Client Showcase: CBT Westport

Posted on by Stephen

CBT Westport is a dedicated group of clinical psychologists who specialize in a variety of cognitive and behavior therapies with children, adolescents, and adults. CBT Westport has been a client since 2014. Initially, Schildbach Design created the business identity (logo design and a custom theme for their WordPress website). The ongoing work has been website maintenance and blog production.

On a side note, if you have insomnia, CBT will be sponsoring an online CBT-I Sleep Therapy Group for adults led by Dr. Margarita Cossuto. Instead of treating the symptoms, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia address the underlying issues of insomnia. The first online session will be on Monday, February 26, 2024

CBT Westport is a client from 2014-present

Business Identity (Branding)
Logo Design
Blog Production
Website Maintenance
Illustration

Custom WordPress Web Design for Christopher Wright Architecture

Posted on by Stephen

2020 Showcase #1

Custom WordPress Web Design is often what clients first come to me for, and is the most creative and rewarding part of my business. Another popular aspect of Schildbach Design includes maintaining current websites for existing clients, and adding web technologies and marketing services for their business.

Madison Park, Christopher Wright Architecture

While there are many website templates available with drag and drop feature tools that allow one to build a website quickly, I believe that the ability to code and design within WordPress to make a custom site, will get a client what they actually want and need for their business. One example is Christopher Wright Architecture.

Christopher Wright’s architecture is highly personal with a beautiful modern aesthetic. He needs a website that visually takes the viewer through an online portfolio that mirrors and compliments his architecture.

Craft and process behind Christopher Wright Architecture

Christopher Wright Architecture’s website launched in early 2020. There are several notable components like a home page with a full browser window slideshow, and hovering text over the photographs. Websites typically are single column, and the pages are made from one repeating template. Another unique component to this site, that you don’t see in websites, is an architecture magazine layout with non-repeating columns and rows on every page. The intention of this is to guide the viewer through the content much in the same way that one would walk through a beautifully designed interior of a home.

During development, Christopher Wright was working with my long time client Mary Ransdell on his business. With Mary’s collaboration, we designed this website together. Many of the design concepts were hers, and I am grateful that Mary encouraged me find ways to expand the boundaries of web design.

Social Media Marketing

Posted on by Stephen

Many of my clients are in such competitive fields that they come to me looking for a way to get their business found. Long ago the solution was print ads and word of mouth. Word of mouth is still powerful, and Yelp has become the digital version of word of mouth, but there are still many sectors of people who may want your service or product, but don’t know you exist. Organic search is important, but recently, for some business sectors, there has been a drop in potential customers and clients committing through websites.

One solution I have found to finding people who can’t find you is Facebook marketing. Just to briefly mention my morals on the topic of Facebook Advertising: I’m against Facebook selling the public’s data for outside business’ profit, and I even find it creepy how much Facebook knows about each and every one of us. But, what I do see useful about Facebook’s collection of data is (as long as the person who uses it has “good intent”) it is a great way for very small sectors of the population who actually would need your service or product to find you without the waste. Just think of all the junk mail you get in your physical mailbox that has nothing to do with your interests and buying, that you are getting just because of your address, or you bought something with a credit card. Think of all the wasted resources and energy that takes. With Facebook advertising, you can strategize a small list to just the people you want to see your services or product, and hopefully they will not mind seeing what you have to offer tucked in their Facebook and Instagram feed.

Schildbach Design is offering small Facebook Advertising packages to start. At the time of writing this, we have only done 5 campaigns. So, yes, we are new to this. But, in a short time we have discovered some new strategies that you may not know about. The biggest mistake we see small business owners make, is they try to do it themselves, but don’t take the time to dig in deep to the most effective technologies of the service. Some small business owners are great at their own marketing. But, there are several tactics you may not be implementing, and there are details you may be overlooking. For example, how familiar are you with Facebook Pixel—the code that allows you to retarget? And, are you using snapshots from your phone for the images? That is a subconscious message to your customer that bad photography reflects badly on a business. Or, are you spending thousands of dollars because your parameters for your audience is too large? Schildbach Design will be discerning about your ad settings. We do photography both in house and has excellent photographers in their design community. And, we work with you because you know your business best. Together, we come up with the best content and landing page to bring customers and clients to you.

Do Facebook Ads Work?

Well, does it work you ask? It really depends on your business. In your business, if you are able to pinpoint a small audience that you can be certain will be interested in your service or product, then there is a very good chance you will have success. The important thing to know is in the way Schildbach Design strategizes the campaigns, the cost is low risk. And, we back up all of our work with the data results provided by Facebook, your contact form results, and your website activity. Three month packages are recommended. The average 3 month package is $1,200 including FB advertising costs.

Inquire about Facebook Advertising with Schildbach Design.

The Single Page html5 Website With No Database

Posted on by Stephen

(Revised from March 9, 2017)

Schildbach Design One Page Scrolling Website Examples

In 2018, Schildbach Design is offering html5 one page websites for clients who want to simplify their life. This kind of website is for the client that hands their edits to the web designer and don’t edit their site much. The design is based on the design and development seen on my Home Page. Or, designs from the templates offered by html5up.net. Of course you can make it your own with your own personal colors, fonts, imagery. You will notice that their are several vertical and horizontal panels to this home page. You are allowed up to 10 panels (vertical and/or horizontal). This would be a great start to selling a project or a simple portfolio for a visual artist, designer, photographer, musician, or other creative. Just contact us through our contact form and mention “The html5 (no database) website”. Let’s work together on your single page website!

No Database Means No Hackers, No Plugin Updates, & No Headaches

Schildbach Design specializes in building WordPress websites. But, we have noticed that some small businesses and individuals are too busy to update their site, and come to us for content changes. If you don’t ever log in to your own site, and you ask your web designer to change content for you, you don’t need a CMS like WordPress, or a web builder like Squarespace. All you may need is an html5 website. Your site may need more than one page, but the main change toward simplicity is a website without a database. No more plugin updates, no more hackers, and no more headaches.

What I’m Hearing

If I could give any recommendation, no matter how much you think it doesn’t matter for your particular business, if you don’t have one by now, you need a website! Sure, I understand, some people really don’t want a website, and that is fine. But, for those of my colleagues who have small businesses or are individuals with creative projects, these are some of the following untruths I have heard:

“I don’t need a website because I get all of my work by word of mouth.”

Even if you get all of your work by word of mouth, you still need to show people your work or your credentials. Even when you have a loyal client they may want to see what you are working on outside of their project, and this will deepen your relationship with that client.

“Having a Facebook page is all I need.”

Don’t underestimate the value of branding or your business identity, people want to associate you with a particular look or feel. And, when you primarily use Facebook, you look like, well…Facebook. The same goes for LinkedIn, Instagram or any other social media.

“Funnels and landing pages are replacing websites.”

My response to this is an ethical one: If all you care about is making money and nothing else, then yes, funnels and landing pages, pound for pound, are more effective. But, for those of use who have a passion for our work, and value the substance behind our businesses, funnels and landing pages are the pushers on the street, while websites welcome customers in to your door.

“I can’t afford a website, or don’t have the time to build a website on my own.”

You don’t have to start out with a 100 page website. In fact with how little time people have to read these days, a small business or project should not have more than 10 pages, excluding the pages on their blog. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the prospects of the work and cost of a new website, try a single page website.

Thank you to Alvaro Trigo for developing fullpage.js, the core behind my single page websites and scrolling home pages. Without your generosity, I would not have been able to offer this service at such an affordable rate.