I love to follow what Apple is doing as a model for premiere quality presentation with a “no-compromise” positioning.  Checked out Apple’s stock reports lately?  No matter what the economy is doing, Apple just keeps steadily growing.  Why is this?  Is it because Steve Jobs is smarter than everybody else in the Corporate Arena?  ALL of Apple’s competitors are up and down, up and down over the last couple of years.

Here’s my opinion:  I think Steve Jobs decided that no matter how “sucker-oriented” business got, he was going to maintain the top quality professional standard that Apple has been known for since it’s earliest beginnings.  He has maintained that from one end to the other.  The stuff you buy from Apple is ALWAYS more expensive than the “equivalent” product purchased from another company, yet Apple is GROWING and not seeing shrinkage because it’s “too expensive” to keep quality high and “people can’t tell the difference.”  People CAN tell the difference!  They spend the extra money BECAUSE they can tell the difference.  All the behavioral psychologists and other con artists that have gotten into the world of marketing since the middle 1960s have utterly FAILED to spot this one thing:  REAL QUALITY SELLS.

Well, this goes for presentation and sales materials as much as quality of the actual goods and services.  ALL of Apple’s presentation, sales, marketing, PR and even packaging materials are TOP QUALITY.  Expensive stuff, all of it.  VERY expensive stuff.  You can argue “well, Apple has the money to blow.”  Maybe – but my argument is that it’s STILL a LOT of money and most corporations do everything they can to cut costs.  Apple is choosing to spend that money and it’s winning all the way to the bank and with Apple’s shareholders.

I have service with Time-Warner, who bought out Comcast, who bought out AT&T, who bought out Media One.  I didn’t choose Time Warner as my provider.  They are cutting corners all over the place with the quality of their cable TV service.  They are LOSING customers right & left and millions (maybe billions) of dollars in lost revenue and PR flaps and negative customer satisfaction ratings.  For whatever reason, they can “do no wrong.”  Funny though how many major corporations have gone bankrupt over the last number of years – because of the economy?  Certainly it’s a factor, but this is why I use Apple as my “model.”  Apple is GROWING steadily all through this period and is becoming one of the all-time great corporations in history.  All this WITHOUT cutting corners on QUALITY. So my opinion again – I think that it’s BECAUSE they won’t back down on quality no matter how “expensive” it seems.  And this is a KEY difference between Apple and other companies that blow all over town when the “winds of change” hit the economy.

If you have something to offer for money, or if you have an image you would like to present to the world, hold a high, no compromise standard.  WORRY if you find yourself “cheapening” the quality of your presentation to save a little money. You WILL lose money by failing to make your standard of presentation as high as you can possibly manage.

If you want the best possible value return for promotional materials you have created for your business or activity, always go a level higher than your “budget” allows.  Always push the envelope that way – you’re return will justify the extra push.  It may not seem that way, and sometimes this kind of thing is difficult to track, but it IS true and it DOES work that way.  Apple is all too rare of an example in our society.  Going “cheap” with PR & marketing has been a trend for a very long time.

This may sound very self serving coming from a person you are going to pay that extra money to to create your Internet presentation website.  Well, maybe it is.  But it’s also the truth.  I like getting paid for things that are of high quality.  I think that’s what the game is all about.  So pay me and let’s get down to business.  There – I pitched myself.  Back to the article.

Most of my clients are not corporate moguls with godly promotional budgets.  The amount of high budget competition out there in terms of large scale corporate marketing campaigns can drive one completely into apathy when one is running a relatively small company.  But there is ALWAYS a way to get a top quality presentation up on the Internet that will put you in your best light and not break the bank.

I’m ready to talk to anyone and work out a budget that is realistic and affordable – with that budget we work together and create aesthetic, professional presentation materials that have impact and get a reach from paying customers.  OR if it’s a better image you are looking for that you can attache to press releases or PR campaigns, you will be putting your best foot forward.

Rock on….

I’ve run across a few situations that deserve comment, and that might help professional people who are looking for a new website, a better website, or a new relationship with a web design or web development resource.

I deal mainly with professional artists and business owners – usually I deal directly with the owner or artist, or occasionally an agency.  I also get a lot of work currently from two or three other companies that out-source to me – my comments here also reflect issues that each of these companies has experienced.

First,  let me “set the stage” here.  The world of “Internet Technology” or “Information Technology” as well as the adjacent area “digital presentation design and creation” are actually similar to “rocket science.”  They are NOT intuitive or simple.  So when you are hiring someone to build a website, you are looking for an actual PROFESSIONAL, not anything less.

Now, here’s a key point for why I decided to write this post:  A Dentist, an Actor, a Business Owner all have specific skills, financial resources or other qualifications that allow them to be in the position they are in.  This does NOT mean they know how to evaluate or hire Internet designers/developers, or what they should pay for professional services in this area.  

Back in the days before computer technology became the “wave of the future” that it has become in today’s world, if you wanted to have some promotional materials created, you simply went to a design firm or ad agency, paid them money and got the work done.  In TODAY’s world, this simple method has become VERY complex by the fact that you can purchase a LOT of “do it yourself” software, install it on your computer and BANG, you’re a web designer, a graphic designer AND a database programmer!!!!  WOW!

But guess what?  It’s all someone else’s MARKETING.  It’s not reality. Companies want you to buy their stuff and THINK it’s easy to get a “web site in ten minutes.”  It does a great disservice to all concerned.  Unless you are wiling to settle for a really cheap and crummy looking web site, this is not going to be a solution.

Graphic design is a PROFESSION.  Web design is a PROFESSION.  Programming is a PROFESSION.  Each of these areas requires training and experience to get things done so that they present your message in a professional way, with good use of aesthetics and appropriately worded copy, navigation, color scheme, layout, etc.

Also, technology changes constantly.  Websites built 5 or more years ago are outdated in terms of the actual technology used to make them.  People in this profession are constantly updating their skills and knowledge to keep up with what works best.  Do you have the time to do this, as well as keep up with your own profession?  Probably not.

The do-it-yourself-in-ten-minutes model just doesn’t work.

Here’s another aspect to this situation:  When I have a toothache, I go to a DENTIST.  The dental profession is highly regulated.  You cannot be a dentist without a license and passing the Board Exams to get that license is REALLY HARD.

There is NO license required to become a web designer, graphic designer or programmer.  So ANYONE can put up a shingle and claim to be a professional.

So what’s the solution?

Unfortunately, what I’m going to express here is not likely to be popular, but I think it pans out as a set of “workable truths” with regard to this area.

1. “Know before you go.”

Research enough to know what you actually need to get done.  This WILL require that you find and clear the meaning of basic terms relating to the creation of the materials you need created. This can mean even hiring a consultant who has extensive (documented) experience managing the creation of similar projects to what you need done. Someone who has worked as an art director for a major web-based promotion firm would be a good example.  Beware people who are NOT actually expert, such as programmers (who are NOT graphic designers) or graphic designers (who are NOT programmers or web designers and don’t actually know how to build websites).

This step is important.  The reason for this is that the area is actually NOT simple.  A business owner who knows nothing about what it takes to build a professional web site will have no idea how much actual work it takes to get things done correctly, and thus have no way of evaluating the cost.  As an example, a well-designed, professionally done website with good graphic design, use of photos and other visual enhancements is going to cost anywhere from $2,000.00 -$5,000.00 in today’s market.  Yes, you’ll find people who will do it for much less, but you will end up with poor design, badly written code that contains errors and doesn’t work on all the different types of web browsers, Mac and PC, service headaches, things that have to be done over, people who never complete the work, and a host of other problems. Professionals need to be paid correctly.  You need to have enough basic knowledge to have a realistic view of what needs to be done and how much it should cost.

2. Look at examples of  the work of anyone you are looking at hiring.

Any competent web presentation professional will have portfolio you can view online.  IMPORTANT: Do NOT judge the design firm based on the “style” of the portfolio UNLESS the company states that they specialize in certain types of work.  The reason for this is that designers make what the CLIENT needs, which will generally NOT be what you need.  You are looking for evidence that the QUALITY of work is up to the standard of professionalism needed by your project.

3. Avoid anyone claiming to have the “lowest price…..”  

This is because in today’s world, MANY companies are out-sourcing their work over-seas to programmers and designers who will work for extremely low wages.  While there is nothing wrong with this in principle, the actual day-to-day reality is that people in other countries do not understand english well, they do not understand the culture you are in, they definitely do not understand domestic marketing and PR, and you’ll end up with lots and lots of headaches and wonder why your project isn’t getting done correctly.

Professionals charge professional rates.  Don’t think you are “saving money” by trying to get the “low priced leader.”  Get the work done right by a valid professional, pay the money and get a REAL result that gives back a valuable asset you can use to promote effectively.

4. If possible, get a referral or testimonial.

 This would mean someone who has already dealt with whomever you are looking at hiring.  Was the company easy to work with?  Was the relationship a good one?  Was the timeline met?  Most designers can offer you someone who would vouch for them as a current or former client.  Sometimes this data is hard to get, but doing what you can to establish the actual working pattern of the designer can pay major dividend to you.

Lastly, there is one suggestion I have to anyone needing to get Internet presentation work done.  Unless you personally have extensive experience with design, marketing and PR, choose a good resource and let them do their work – in other words, don’t try to “micro-manage” the work too much.  Designers generally “try things” and will do “mockups” that you can “sign off on” before they go online as a final work.  Usually, a design contract will provide with two or three “revisions” before you are required to pay extra “revision fees” to ask for additional changes.  I’ve worked with all kinds of clients over the years.  The best work I’ve done (and if you look at my own portfolio you’ll pick these examples as your favorites) was where the client trusted me to be the artist and come up with good ideas, requested a few changes, and let me do those changes, which were then accepted and got a great result. The chemistry between the client and the designer has a great deal to do with the speed and quality of the result.  

I hope this is helpful.
I’m happy to discuss any potential project and also help you walk through all the above steps.  I enjoy great relationships with my clients and am happy to work out new relationships as they come my way! 

Rex Perry
www.perrymultimedia.com

In my world as a web designer and Internet presentation builder, I’m generally creating what others use to promote themselves or their products & services.  I see how people have held back on spending in these areas. But confidence is on the rise again.  People should use this good indicator as an opportunity or “trigger” to start investing in the facilities that help promotion and expansion to occur.

Because the Internet is well established as the media and communication channel of the future, spending the time, effort and money now to create or enhance one’s presence on the Internet is action that cannot fail to assist in creating more motion and more expansion.

Of course I have “the agenda” of selling my services – this is MY way of promoting!  But what I create is fun and exciting for me because it is helping others create success for their activity.

I specialize in high-quality, aesthetic and professional web sites and related products, such as blogs, shopping carts, specialized multimedia presentations, all with attention to detail and a genuine interest in helping my clients get real impact and great results from their Internet promotions and their over all “web presence.”

I hope that you will contact me and use me as a resource for your Internet promotion needs.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Rex Perry
Multimedia Artist/Producer, Web Designer/Developer
Founder & CEO Perry Multimedia Inc
www.perrymultimedia.com

This gets into many areas, including the aesthetic quality of how you present yourself and your products, the exact wordings and layout of the pages, how the site navigates, ability for people to contact you the way you want, etc.  All other things held constant, the one thing one should always have as far as the Internet is concerned is a personally owned web site.

Getting a professional quality web site is similar to having a brochure or newsletter created.  It’s an interactive process between the designer/website builder and the client.  The correct balance of text information, photos, videos, audio, and any graphics and layout decisions must be organized and executed so that the result is easy to view and understand by the desired visitors.

Nowadays, one can also setup a blog or e-commerce system (shopping cart) pretty inexpensively.  Extra work is required for these things, but it can all still be created as part of a dedicated personal or company web site.

I love working with my clients and am happy to discuss any goals regarding promoting or showcasing art forms, businesses or entertainment products on the web using the latest Internet presentation technologies. 

Rex Perry
Multimedia designer/producer
Founder & CEO Perry Multimedia Inc
www.perrymultimedia.com

Anyone who uses the Internet to promote will be faced with the growing sea of social networking sites, video upload sites, photo gallery sites and other types of sharing and networking web facilities on the Internet.

Social Bookmarking is a way to share the address of a particular web site or web page with your friends, colleagues and other contacts who are part of the social networks you subscribe to, such as MySpace, Facebook, Linkedin, Plaxo Pulse, Twitter, etc….

One way to create a social bookmark is to simply copy the address of the page you want to share out of your web browser’s address bar, sign into your Facebook or other social network account, and post this link in your status, notes, friend comments, etc.  But many web sites have a little widget that you will see labelled “share,” “bookmark,” “add this,” and may include icons of a few of the more popular networking sites. This allows you to quickly share the link to each of these very quickly and easily. 

If you own or control a web site, adding a social bookmarking widget is one of many things you can do to help expand your presence on the Internet and improve your search engine rankings by getting links to your site appearing in more and more places on the web. 

So how do you know if any of this is really helping you?  Look for an upcoming article that will explain a bit about a free service offered by Google, called “Google Analytics.”  Until then, have a great day!

Rex Perry – Founder & CEO
Perry Multimedia Inc
www.perrymultimedia.com

Marketing and Promotion are two major “buzzwords” in business, and in the arts as well.  We see major corporate dollars being spent on “glitz” and “sizzle.”  On the other hand, we also see the “do it yourself” publishing software, “make a web site in 10 minutes” all over the Internet, and other kinds of what I’d like to call “red herring” attempts at drawing the attention of people who think they can get away with promoting themselves for free.

The bottom line is that presentation is VERY important.  One of the reasons I got into the world of “digital presentation media” production, or, in a word, “multimedia,” is that I was very good at sales and was pushed to learn the ropes of marketing and promotion early in my career.  I have been fortunate in being able to leverage that knowledge in creating a successful business creating aesthetic presentation materials for people in various walks of life. So I now create other people’s presentation, and make it “pop” without my clients having to take out another business loan just to pay for my services.

The thing that interests me the most is that most people really don’t understand the basics of promotion and marketing, and have very little scope of understanding of how much of their business budget should be dedicated to this area.  For what I do, the cost is minimal compared to traditional things like doing mailings, advertising in magazines, newspapers, directories, etc.  Now that the Internet is such an integral part of everyone’s lives, with no end in sight, it only stands to reason that more effort should be spent mastering whatever might be available in that particular medium.

Web sites have become a part of everyone’s lives.  My joy is being able to ensure that the work I do for my clients presents a message that clearly represents the vision and the message intended. Aesthetics are central to everything I do.  It’s kind of funny reading this as I’m writing it – it’s kind of “straight talk” sounding – I guess I’m just getting some ideas down.  Whomever finds and reads this is welcome to contact me.  If you’re working out how to present something, I can probably help.  This blog centers around the topics of multimedia in general, and also the more specific uses of Flash, graphic design, copywriting, design of web sites, and the various aspects of how these things can help someone present things that they otherwise might not be able to accomplish. 

I hope the data is useful.  Have a great day, evening, etc.

Rex Perry
Perry Multimedia Inc
www.perrymultimedia.com