We recently launched the newly redesigned Schneider Development website. Schneider Development is a respected home builder located near Virginia’s Eastern Shore in Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads. Schneider turned to Sage Island for significant website updates and creative direction. The new site incorporates the same look and feel as their new corporate identity so that consistent branding carries through all of their marketing materials.

This site also features the same database as the old site so that Schneider Development can continue to manage their For Sale, Portfolio and House Plan sections of the website. We have also included an introductory Flash video to add a visual element that also provides an opportunity for additional branding. The updated site also includes new pages to provide supporting information about the work process and community involvement.

The main goal for this website was to ease navigation for visitors so that they can easily find the information they are searching for. We also wanted to ensure that the updated look corresponded with current marketing materials. The ultimate goal is to not only sell the homes that Schneider Development builds, but to also position Schneider Development as a strong company that cares about each and every individual or family that they work with.

Previous site design:

Redesigned site:

We recently launched the redesigned Educational Record Center website. Since 1971, the Educational Record Center has specialized in supplying schools, libraries, day care centers and individuals with the best children’s media available. As a long time client of Sage Island, our goal was to provide an updated look and feel while also improving the online user experience.

By utilizing the same database with an updated organization, visitors can now search and browse products in a much more intuitive manner. Visitors to the site can browse through products based on Media Type or through the standard site search. Interior pages also include many more products per page and allow for filtering and sorting, improving customer experience.

The ongoing goal for this website is to improve customer conversion rates while building and retaining a strong customer base. The new site, coupled with ongoing search engine optimization and a Google AdWords campaign, will serve as a measurable and long-lasting business tool.

Previous ERC Kids Website

Redesigned Website

North Carolina based company, Combat Medical Systems, came to Sage Island with the goal of redesigning and redeveloping an ecommerce website that displays their products and information. Founded in 2008, Combat Medical Systems develops innovative products to simplify tactical medicine. As can be seen in the website, Combat Medical Systems offers a number of highly configured medical kits and products for users of all medical skills. This new and improved website was built within a Content Management System, featuring a Flash Header, News module, WordPress Blog and a manageable shopping cart. Currently the shopping cart is set to handle orders by phone only, in the future it will be set to receive orders and automatically process the Credit Card.

Extending beyond the website, Sage Island and Combat Medical Systems’ professional relationship continues as we are continually working on the design and development for a new company brochure, magazine ads promoting specific products, product sheets, product photography, tradeshow banner stands, a secondary non-profit website and Pay Per Click campaigns.

We recently launched Live Outer Banks! The client sought out our services to design and develop a website to act as a community directory promoting featured news/events, local business profiles and promotional ads for tourists and locals. Live Outer Banks will have the ability to manage the website by making changes to the text, managing the banner ads, supervising the forum, updating news and events and creating additional pages when necessary. This website will offer advertising space for local businesses that want additional promotion. These businesses can choose to promote their company by purchasing banner ad space displayed in the right pane or enlisting in a company profile page within the website.

The website design, build and framework are completed. The client is now seeking local companies to promote within the website and will be adding content soon. Check back to see how much the site grows! If you are in Outer Banks and interested in promoting your company, you can learn how here.

On Monday, General Motors launched a new ad campaign and website to promote the RE: Invention of GM.  This new campaign coincides with the seemingly inevitable Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing which also occurred on Monday. In a very apparent and smart move, the new television commercials directly address many concerns that consumers have with the recent bankruptcy.  Coincidentally enough, the first time I saw this commercial, was near a recent news segment about the GM bankruptcy filing.

The commercial can be seen below and includes iconic American imagery and an honesty that they are hoping will resonate with all Americans.  It is the great American dream in a 1-minute commercial spot.  There is the element of defeat, the one-in-a-million odds for success, to illustrate how GM can no longer continue with their past business practices of many weak brands and an inferior cost structure.

The message of hope provides solutions on how GM plans to give rebirth to the American car. Clearly and concisely GM states how it will change for the future of their company.  By focusing on few stronger brands and models, increasing efficiency, striving for better fuel economy and developing new technology, GM hopes that they can re-emerge as a strong contender in the automobile industry.

The conclusion of the advertisement encourages a focus on success, reinvention and Chapter 1.  For GM, this is a great opportunity to streamline their business to reinstate themselves as a powerhouse in the American automobile industry.  While many Americans and news channels focus on Chapter 11, GM is focusing on Chapter 1, the beginning of a new era of innovation for General Motors.

Feel free to browse the new GM micro-site for their Reinvention of GM campaign to further explore how GM is connecting with their customers.  They are reaching out to answer customer questions and begin a conversation about the reinvention and recent court filing.  While we all hope the best for this American company, it will be interesting to follow how this positioning and conversation will affect American and world-wide consumers.

We are proud to announce the launching of East Coast IN. East Coast IN was started in 2006 in order to provide industry news for skate, surf and snow for the East Coast. Acting as a central hub, this new website allows East Coast IN to provide retailers, manufacturers and action sports enthusiasts tradeshow and industry information. Built within the open source web application DotNetNuke, this website is complete with a Photo Gallery, Banner Manager and WordPress Blog.

Extensive keyword research is the first step to any search marketing campaign. Keyword research is the framework on which your entire campaign is built, whether you’re using search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, or both. If you don’t get your keywords right, your efforts will be wasted.

If you’ve started on the wrong foot, there’s still time. Good keyword research is an evolution. The world of search is constantly changing, and your keywords should, too. The terms that people are using today may not be the most successful six months from now.

Whether you’re putting together your first keyword list or adapting your current list, here are some tips to get you started.

Don’t use the same keyword list for your SEO and PPC campaigns.

SEO and PPC are complete different, and they require different keyword lists. In fact, most of the keywords you use for SEO probably won’t even end up on your PPC list. PPC keyword lists are highly targeted — you’re looking for keywords that will target a very specific audience to ensure you’re not spending money on clicks from tire-kickers. For SEO, your keywords should be relevant, but much broader to reach a larger search audience.

Never build a keyword list based on assumptions.

No matter how well you know your target audience, the truth is that as a business owner you think differently than your consumers. Many marketers and business owners create keyword lists based on their knowledge of the business instead of search volume. They’re surprised to discover that consumers are searching for a completely different list of terms. Your technical knowledge may be preventing you from finding the laymen’s terms for which your customers are searching. While a good knowledge of the terminology in your business is a great place to start your research, you need metrics to back you up. Use a keyword research program like Keyword Discovery or WordTracker, Google AdWords’ Keyword Tool to ensure that the keywords are the right ones.

Break long keyword phrases into pieces.

For SEO, try breaking your keyword phrases into smaller pieces to maximize your reach. For example, while “new houses for sale” may have a decent search volume, you might have better results with something like “new home listings,” because it works as a stand-alone keyword phrase, two separate shorter phrases (new home and home listings), and home has a higher search volume than houses. Create power phrases by ensuring that each and every word in your keyword phrase packs a punch.

Choose your keywords wisely.

Once you’ve built a long list of potential keywords, it’s decision time. For PPC, you can test a long list of keywords to find the most successful. For SEO, you need to be a little more selective. The most successful optimizations use a very short list of keywords — no more than 3 for each page. Don’t just choose the keywords with the highest search volume. Look deeper to create longer keyword phrases that will garner search volume without being too competitive. Find a balance between search volume, competition, and relevance.

Constantly update your keywords based on analytics, conversions, and traffic.

Good keyword research can create a pretty powerful initial list, but you’re not finished. You need to make constant adjustments. With PPC, the changes will most likely be daily, especially in the beginning. Watch your click-through rates and conversions to ensure that your keywords are driving relevant traffic without costing too much, and keep an eye on your analytics to find negative keywords.

SEO is a long-term process, so you’ll want to give your site some time to collect data before making changes. Monitor your analytics constantly to determine which keywords are driving the most traffic to your site. If you’re not getting the results you wanted after a month or two, it may be time to make some changes, shift your focus, or find new keywords.