CMS - The General Definition
Content Management is a way to keep your website up-to-date. The secret of a successful website lies not only in its looks, but also in keeping customers well informed about ever-evolving products and services. Content management solutions allow you to add content (text, pictures, movies etc...), anytime, and anywhere (all you need is a computer, an Internet connection and a browser).

Our Experience
Over the years, we've come to the realization that many clients don't use the content management systems that are built for them. As a matter of fact, most clients, end up returning to the builder of their website to make regular updates. That's why 2MONSTERS offers content management solutions, as well as web maintenance packages where we update the information on your website for you.

We'll happily manage your website for you...
Allowing 2MONSTERS to manage your website frees up your own internal resources and allows experts to be on-hand to resolve any issues that might arise. Think of it as a warranty package that assures you will be covered when you need support for your company’s investment.

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments

Everyone is looking for a good deal, right?
We all want to find a better value for our dollar. But as the old saying goes - if it's too good to be true...it probably is.

While quality should drive buying decisions, sometimes budget constraints keep us from choosing a better solution.

How does that relate to marketing my business?
The biggest challenge anyone faces when shopping out their creative marketing needs is to know the average cost of that project - similar to shopping for consumer products. How do you recognize a good deal in a store if you don't know the product's original cost?

Get estimates from several design firms before you make a decision. This helps you build a comparative analysis of what the going rate is for the project at hand. You can then make an informed decision based on your budget constraints.

We don't believe in absolute(s).
Of course we're not talking about a brand of vodka...it's the belief that all things are 100% one way or another. We know that there are exceptions to every rule. The possibility to find "deals" and cost effective marketing solutions exist - you just have to look for them. Just be aware that not all things are what they seem...and if it's too good to be true...

Cheaper versus Better Quality - What are your thoughts?

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 1:50 PM | Permalink | Comments

If you give something away for free on your website like coupons, whitepapers, case studies, a PDF, anything downloadable or printable, you should get something for it shouldn't you? How about an email address and permission to email to it?

Successful companies include opt-in forms on a page where visitors have to go before they get to the "free stuff" page.

Read more at the Marketing Blog

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments

If you're not in the blogging universe, you're not taking advantage of some great marketing opportunities. According to the respected Blog Herald, there are nearly 70 million blogs worldwide.

If you haven't heard of them yet...you will. Sometimes referred to social media - blogs are here to stay. In fact, blogs, podcasts and RSS feeds - some call the Holy Trinity of new media - are becoming so widely used on the Internet that if your site doesn't have at least two of the three, you could be seen by some users as stuck in the Internet Stone Age.

Some statistics:

• 27% of adults who are online in the U.S. read blogs.
• 40,000 new blogs appear each day.
• 10% of small businesses already include blogs in their marketing activities.
• 81% of small businesses plan to spend more money on technology for their websites, blogs and online services in the next two to three years.

One thing is for certain - if used properly, they will draw people to your company's website. Isn't that what we all want?

What do you think about blogs? Does your company currently take advantage of it's marketing potential? Feel free to provide some feedback and leave comments.

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments

The best part about the internet is the ability to search for anything - and find anything. It used to be that you would have to search long and hard before you'd find results pertaining to your search. Not anymore.

Most of the world knows about Google - we'd go as far as saying everyone in the world knows about Google. And if you haven't heard of Google, then you've definitely come across Yahoo at some point...unless you've been living in a cave for the last five plus years.

And now there are some cool tools that you can use to find out what websites are ranking high on the search engines. You can even cross reference commonly searched terms, websites and keywords. SEO Tools is a website that has many options for those looking to better educate themselves on search engine optimization. Take a look at their Google versus Yahoo Search Results Tool. A very handy graphical comparison on search results from both popular engines.

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

There are few things that we as consumers need in order to become loyal customers to a brand. The most important part of any relationship between a company and the consumer is what? You guessed it - GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE!

A good customer service experience can be the beginning or demise of a potentially lifelong relationship. What's more - if there is inconsistency in the company's overall handling of it's customer service protocol - they could lose the buyer forever.

Here's an example:
Bob buys an iPhone. He was with another cell phone carrier prior to his purchase, but because of his love for the iPhone, he decides to switch to it's sole carrier. The switch happens seemlessly and he feels pretty comfortable about his decision.

Only one month after his first bill arrives, he decides to switch the rest of his family over to the new cell phone carrier - confident that he tried the service out and now knows what to expect from them. At the same time that he's ordering a new phone (and line of service) for his wife, he notices that his online bill is five times higher than expected. He immediately asks to be connected with the customer service department and to his suprise - he has gone over his minutes. Even though he cannot dispute the charges, he's now beginning to have a bad experience with the company he just recently switched to...

Due to Bob's situation and current frustration - there are two paths that the customer service representative can take at this point to salvage the trust and loyalty that Bob has just started to experience with the new cell phone carrier...

1. One - the denial of bumping Bob up to the plan that best suites his needs and offsets the overage that he did not account for during the switch - OR
2. Two - the acceptance that Bob made a mistake and adjusting the his plan to offset the overage and, in the end, create a positive customer experience for him.

This story has a happy ending. Bob (after calling into the customer service department more than once) ended up getting bumped to a plan that accounted for the overage he had and now feels that the company made an effort to keep him as a customer. Want to read about another good customer service experience...READ MORE!

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments

We're proud to announce that 2MONSTERS now provides hosting services.

Why choose 2MONSTERS for hosting?
There are numerous benefits of hosting with 2MONSTERS. Not only will you be hosting your online brand with a company you know and trust, you’ll also have the personalized customer service you’ve come to know from 2MONSTERS.

If your company’s website wasn’t developed by 2MONSTERS, don’t worry, we still provide hosting. Take advantage of our free WEBSITE TRANSFER MANAGEMENT where a 2MONSTERS team member will oversee the transfer process from your current web host to our 2MONSTERS servers.

Hosting so good...it’s scary!
Eliminate the burden of shopping for hosting solutions and experience the peace of mind that comes with knowing your website is in the right hands. Not only will you be hosted on unbeatable Intel Dual-Xeon, RAID-based servers, you’ll also get the same customer service you’ve come to expect from 2MONSTERS creative group. Host your company’s website without the fear of service failures or hardware interruptions.

Learn More!

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments

For some, it's hard to stomach the thought of preparing for Christmas in August. Each year it seems that the malls have the holiday decorations out earlier - trying to capture that extra seasonal revenue.

It might seem ridiculous, but if you have a holiday product, now IS the time to start developing a plan. Remember that magazine ads need at least 2 months lead time and search engines take some time to read & review your site.

Posted by 2MONSTERS at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments