Archive for category Web Design
Kobelco Cranes North America’s New Website Promotes Dealer Sales and Service
Posted by admin in Web Design on March 15th, 2010
Marion recently completed the design, search engine optimization and programming for Kobelco Cranes North America, Inc.’s new website at kobelcocranesnorthamerica.com, which was presented at the AED show this past January.
Kobelco specializes in selling Lattice-Boom Crawler Cranes; however, all sales are handled by dealers. The goal of the new website was to improve the way dealer information was presented and drive traffic to the dealers. Since dealers are determined by counties, Marion developed an interactive county-based map that allows users to click on the appropriate county and review contact information for that dealer. The dealer locator application is intuitive and simple to use.
Additionally, Marion repositioned the homepage message to reflect Kobelco’s main differentiator, a lower cost of ownership. The site was also flattened to allow an easier understanding of the benefits Kobelco has to offer. The crane models and images can be viewed directly from the homepage with a quick guide of the product differentiators. Users can easily click to crane product pages and find complete, detailed information about each lattice-boom crawler crane’s features and transportation plans.
The site has become a valuable resource for customers and dealers, especially with the addition of crane training videos.
Since the site has been so successful for the U.S market, Kobelco wanted to make it available as a resource to the Latin American market. Marion just launched the Spanish and Portuguese versions of their site at kobelcocranesnorthamerica.com.
Future updates include adding a Ground Bearing Pressure Calculator, which will help determine safety requirements for crane placement.
From the Kobelco North America team:
“Thank you and congrats guys! The new website is incredible. We have had several calls coming from dealers this morning about the site and it is rave reviews! Also our service guys have already been sending people in the field to the videos section of the site and they were happy to get on and look at specific information they needed. That was quick. We’ve made them happy. Very impressed. You guys made us look good!!
I want to thank you for all the hard work that has been put into this; seeing the end result, it has been well worth it!
I know we still have some pieces to work on, and a few big ones for the future, but it has been a real joy working with all of you and I look forward to continuing……
Thanks again for everything!”
To view this website, go to http://www.kobelcocranesnorthamerica.com/Xdefault.asp
More web designs by Marion can be viewed at marion.com/portfolio.php.
For your own custom web design, contact The Marion Group at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
.com Turns 25
Posted by admin in Web Design on March 4th, 2010
Marion would like to wish a very “Happy Birthday” to .com who turns 25 on March 15th. That’s right, it’s been 25 years since the conception of .com.
VeriSign, the global registry operator for .com and .net, released an industry brief discussing the performance of .com and other Top Level Domain Names (TDLs).
In the past 25 years the Internet has transformed lives around the globe. It has radically altered our world-view by providing access to people, places, information and things that at one time were unattainable and unknowable. It has made us all virtual explorers not only on our own journey but also, collectively, as part of others’. It has narrowed the definition of neighbor to mean not simply someone who lives next door but rather a person in London, Moscow, or Beijing with whom one shares a common experience, shared interest, or personal struggle. In doing all these things, the Internet has opened our minds to a world of endless possibilities, created new found opportunity, and inspired action like nothing else before it.
In our of .com’s birthday, we thought that we would post some fun and interesting facts about .com and other TDLs:
- The first .com was assigned to symbolics.com on March 15, 1985
- At first, .cor was proposed as the domain name for corporation, but when the final version came out, it switched to .com
- 2 ½ years after the first registration, only 100 total .com domain name registrations existed
- By 1992, there were still less that 15,000 .com domain names registered
- 88% of .com and .net domain names resolve to a website, meaning that an end-user visiting that domain name would find a website
- At the close of 2009, there were more than 192 million domain name registrations, an increase of nearly 15 million since the close of 2008
- While .com continues to have the highest number of total registrations, .cn (China), .de (Germany), .net and .uk (United Kingdom) follow
- While .com actually ended the fourth quarter of 2009 with a 1% decline, previously it had seen growth as high as 467% year over year
- The fourth quarter of 2009, VeriSign saw 52 million Domain Name System (DNS) queries per day, with peaks as high as 61 million per day
- Marion received their domain June 16, 1995; Google.com received their domain name in 1997; Linkedin.com received their domain name in 2002; Flickr.com received their domain name in 2003; Youtube.com received their domain name in 2005
When interviewed, Jack Haverty, one of the Internet pioneers at MIT, speaks about his amazement about the creation of the Internet:
“I don’t recall anybody ever thinking we were creating an organizational structure to encompass hundreds of millions of entities covering the entire planet in support of all human activities. And it certainly wasn’t supposed to last for 30+ years, even as an experiment. It just happened to turn out that way.”
For your own .com and custom web design, contact The Marion Group at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
See the entire VeriSign Domain Name Industry Brief.
What’s the difference: Web vs. Internet
Posted by admin in Internet marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Uncategorized, Web Design on February 3rd, 2010
Ever used the terms “Web” and “Internet” interchangeably? Like “Surf the Web” or “Browse the internet”? Most of us have. But the truth is that the Web and Internet are different.
The Internet is a huge network of networks- it connects computers together, so that they can communicate and trade information. If a computer is connected to the Internet, it can exchange information with any other computers that are also connected.
The Web (aka World Wide Web) is just one way of accessing the Internet. The Web is an information-sharing application that is built on top of the Internet. The Web cannot work unless the Internet is connected. Simply put, the Web runs on top of the Internet the way a train runs on tracks.
When you are shopping on Amazon or watching videos on YouTube, you are using the Web. However, when you send an email, you are using the Internet, not the Web. The Web is by far the largest and most widely used subnetwork of the internet.
Here, at Marion, we provide a wide range of Internet and Web marketing services. For the Web, we can increase traffic to your page through our Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. For the Internet, Marion can create and broadcast e-newsletters, so that you can stay in constant contact with your customers. Check out our full range of online marketing services or contact us today at (713)-623-6444.
Marion Goes Mobile
Posted by admin in Mobile Marketing, Web Design on January 20th, 2010
Mobile web design has come to The Marion Group. We have just launched our new mobile-friendly version of www.marion.com for most mobile devices. Just enter “marion.com” into your mobile web browser to access our mobile site.
When designing a website for mobile devices, you have to consider the user experience. With a regular site, you can have lots of text, images, links and Flash. When people surf the web via a mobile device, they typically want to quickly access information that is to-the-point and contact information that is easily located. So, accessing “regular” sites on a mobile device can sometimes be frustrating for the user because of long load times and lots and lots of scrolling to find what they are looking for.
To facilitate an easier user experience, the Marion mobile site is pared down to essential text and images to emphasize what new advertising, marketing and graphic design services and technologies are at Marion that can help your business prosper. The text is easy to read so you do not have to enlarge it, and the clickable buttons are spaced so that big fingers can click on links without accidently hitting the wrong one.
At the top of each page is a recent item of news from Marion, an easy navigation tool labeled “Select a Service,” and “Marion News,” which is an RSS feed from our blog. There is a lot happening at Marion, and we want to keep you up-to-date. We have included only our most popular pages and, we plan to add more over time.
At the bottom of each page, we have placed our contact information, and iPhone users can click on our phone number to have it automatically dialed for you. Click on the email to send us an email. Want to find us? Click on “Map.” Want even more information than what is currently on our mobile site? Then, click “Regular Site” to be directed to our main site. You can also visit our FaceBook page and become a fan or visit our company page on LinkedIn.
Click on the Marion logo at the top of the page, and you are taken back to the Home page.
If you are ready for a mobile version of your website or interested in learning more, call Marion at 713.623.6444 or send us an email.
The Marion Group Breaks Ground with Traditional & Interactive Catalog Design
Posted by admin in Catalog Design, Search Engine Optimization, Web Design on December 14th, 2009
The Marion Group breaks ground by providing traditional and interactive catalog design and production services for Total Safety, a leading global provider of integrated industrial safety solutions and services. This combination of start-to-finish services is a rarity among advertising, graphic design and marketing firms.
Traditional Catalog Design: The Printed Book
Earlier this year, The Marion Group helped produce Total Safety’s first printed catalog in 10 years. We were responsible for the overall project coordination, as well as the content development including writing, editing, gathering product images, proofing and communicating with suppliers on behalf of Total Safety for the book (It won an award too!).
We also provided graphic design services that included the development the page template and cover design to reflect Total Safety’s graphic standards and brand identity. We produced the page layouts and electronic production of the catalog. To complete the project, Marion also handled the printing of the catalog.
Interactive Catalog Design: The Online Catalog
A few months after the release of the printed catalog, Marion launched an all-new E-Catalog for Total Safety by transitioning the print catalog into an online catalog that allows their customers to:
- Browse safety products from the nation’s top manufacturers
- View product details & images to learn more information
- Request a quote online for rent or purchase
The Marion Group provided custom web design services for Total Safety including:
- Database design
- Custom front end design
- Content management system that allows Total Safety to update the E-Catalog as needed
- Data entry & integration
- Shopping cart
- Robust search capabilities
- Search engine optimization for all the product pages
For more information on the services The Marion Group can provide your company, call us at 713.623.6444 or email us at info2@marion.com.
The Marion Group Completes Foodservice Distributor Site
Posted by admin in Brand Building, Brand Positioning, Uncategorized, Web Design on December 8th, 2009
Marion has completed the newly-redesigned corporate website for Jake’s Finer Foods at jakesfinerfoods.com. Marion was responsible for brand positioning, content development and custom web design. The site features a distinctive look for the Jake’s brand and an appealing, easy-to-navigate structural design that encourages new visitors to learn more about Jake’s diverse service offerings and provides a wealth of information and services to Jake’s existing customers.
In development for most of 2009, the new site highlights the varied benefits that Jake’s provides to its customers. The diversity of Jake’s customer base is reflected in four distinct business segment buttons, drawing retail customers to information that is most pertinent to them, while doing the same for multi-unit, independent and international customers as well.
According to Kevin Ullrich, vice-president of Sales and Marketing for Jake’s, “The site is designed to tie together all of our marketing efforts in other mediums and present it to our customers as a unified resource for servicing their restaurant operation or retail foodservice organization. We feature an online ordering interface, cross-promotion with our social media platforms such as our Facebook page, and links to valuable market information through our buying co-operative, UniPro. Our intention is to give operators a single source for product and industry information, bringing much more value than the typical foodservice distributor offers.” Additionally, the home page showcases a “feature button” directly in the center of the home page that attracts web visitors to the latest news and events at Jake’s.
Ullrich continues, “The addition of the feature button was a key distinguishing factor for our new home page. The button will be used to promote special offers and events, such as our annual Food Show. These are things we don’t want our customers to miss.”
Future enhancements to the site are planned to include a “Request a Culinary Specialist” form for private meetings with Jake’s on-staff culinary experts, the addition of an online Point-of-Sale collateral archive and an RSS feed that will link to real-time market updates and critical information for restaurant operators.
About Jake’s Finer Foods
Since 1946, Jake’s Finer Foods has been a family owned, full-line foodservice distributor and restaurant supply company delivering quality food, great value and exceptional service to foodservice providers and restaurants in Texas and western Louisiana.
For more information on how The Marion Group can help your company with custom web design, call us at 713-623-6444 ir email us at info2@marion.com.
Reliance on Google PageRank – A Thing of the Past?
Posted by admin in Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Uncategorized, Web Design on October 27th, 2009
Search Engine Optimizers have always relied on Google PageRank to determine the strength of websites on search engines; however, Google is trying to wean us off its use. To do this, Google removed the PageRank values from the Crawl stats section of Google Webmaster Tools.
Google PageRank stats range from (Lowest) 1 – 10 (Highest).
Google Toolbar PageRank
Google has always implied that PageRank is not the end all be all but no one seemed to listen. Now that it’s no longer there, Google is hoping the temptation to utilize these figures dissipates.
Still, the PageRank value is not completely obsolete. The Google toolbar and other third party applications currently provide access to this information, so technically this only affects those that utilize Google Webmaster Tools to closely monitor their sites.
It seems the moral of this Google update is, when analyzing the value of your website do not rely on only one metric.
Remember, when SEO has you confused, contact Marion to get you headed in the right direction.
Content Skimmers vs Deep Readers
Posted by admin in Web Design on September 11th, 2009
Here at Marion, there is an on-going discussion on how create web content that is most attractive to a variety of visitors, and what we have concluded is that there are two types of readers on the web: the “Skimmers” and the “Deep Readers.”
Dealing with and Ocean of Content
The “Skimmers” spend minimal time on a web page, “skimming” for “hot spots” of key information; they tend to linger mostly on the top part of the page.
The “Deep Readers” demand good quality supporting content and tend to read the entire page from top to bottom.
While the “Skimmers” and the “Deep Readers” have different ways of viewing sites, we at Marion are able to create websites which appeal to both groups.
For “Skimmers,” we use:
- Pictures
- Picture captions
- Bulleted lists
- Paragraph headers
- Alt tags
- A “Call to Action” at the top of the page
For “Deep Readers,” we provide all of the above plus:
- Great supporting content
- A “Call to Action” at the bottom of the page
At Marion, we provide the design and the writing talent to create web content most friendly to Skimmers and Deep Readers. Our web designers work to create eye-catching content for the quick skim, while our writers provide the quality supporting content for the deep read.
New Web Designs Reflect a Changing Economy
Posted by admin in Brand Building, Brand Positioning, Web Design on July 22nd, 2009
Check out these new website designs developed by Marion for some of our Houston customers. Note how their business models and positioning are in-sync with the new economy. All are graphically appealing (of course), clear on messaging and easy to navigate.
Turner Bros. Web Home Page Design
“Lifting and Transportation Services for the North America Industrial and Energy Marketing.” Turner Brothers is riding the green wave with Wind Energy Solutions – an uplifting site.
BA Urban Solutions Web Home Page Design
BA Urban Solutions is an REO (Real Estate Owned) Asset Management Company dedicated to “Bringing the Dream of Home Ownership Back to Urban Communities” by making banks and prospective home buyers happy.
Hoffer Furniture Web Home Page Design
Instead of purchasing furniture for a new office in an uncertain economy or to stage an empty home for sale, try “Furniture Rental for Homes and Offices” from a firm “Serving the Greater Houston Area.” Ever heard of the “Hoffer Offer – You Just Can’t Beat It?”
Is your company in-sync with the new economy? Learn more about how The Marion Group can help your company find your brand positioning in this new economy.
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