Mike Duncan, Sage Island’s CEO, will be presenting a seminar on using Google Analytics to help drive your marketing dollars during the upcoming Surf Expo trade show. For more info please visit Surf Expo.

Surf Expo, Orlando, FL
January 6, 2011 – 11:30 a.m.

Let Analytics Spend your Marketing Dollars
Presented by Mike Duncan CEO Sage Island
Is your e-commerce website reaching its full potential? An effective and profitable site must contain the meta data and Search Engine Optimization tactics that drive qualified traffic. And once there, visitors must be greeted by an efficient site with optimal customer service. However what happens after that? Understanding your traffic analytics can allow you to fine tune your marketing techniques for a greater return on your investment. This seminar, presented my Mike Duncan, CEO of Sage Island teaches you key factors of your website’s data so that you can increase traffic and sales. Learn how to problem solve your marketing through analytics, and put your website to work for you.

Mike Duncan will be speaking at Board Retailers Certification Program, Survival of the Fittest, in Orlando, Florida on January 5th from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm for the Retail Finance and Retail Technology Courses. In its second year, Survival of the Fittest is designed to provide retail attendees an in-depth look at Retail Finance and Retail Technology, two areas of significance in today’s retail environment. For more info on this series please visit Board Retailers Association.

Click here for the complete agenda.

E-Commerce Strategies that Produce Results
Mike Duncan, CEO Sage Island
Your website is a vital extension of your business, so it’s crucial to have a marketing plan behind it that maximizes your investment. In this seminar Mike Duncan, CEO of Sage Island teaches effective strategies that help fine tune an ecommerce site into a profitable sales generating machine. As featured on CNNMoney.com, Mike speaks to the digital age of customer service in specialty retail and the necessity of a well designed website. By skillfully integrating Internet Marketing, social media, product recommendations, Live Chat, and more, Mike knows the successful e-Commerce strategies that make conversions and increase your bottom line.

Retail Technology
 Includes seminars, presentations and roundtables focused on eCommerce Integration, Marketing, Supply Chain Management and Inventory Controls, QR/Mobile Codes, PCI Compliance, POS Software and Multi-Channel Retailing. If you have an online and brick-and-mortar shop, this is the course for you. Confirmed speakers include leading retail technology experts RMSA, e-commerce and marketing guru Mike Duncan of Sage Island Marketing who boasts a number of industry retail clients including Ambush, ZJ Boarding House, Christy Sports, Modern Skate & Surf and Forerunner Ski. Also confirmed to present are Clarinova who recently announced deals with LSpace and Sanuk, Leisure Trends Group (LTG), the industry’s premier research market intelligence firm and Nationwide Payment Solutions.

Mike Duncan, Sage Island’s CEO, will be presenting a seminar on digital customer service during the upcoming Surf Expo trade show.

Surf Expo, Orlando, FL
Sunday, September 12 @ 2:30

Shaping the Digital Customer Service Experience

The face of retail is changing and so is customer service— for the better. As featured on CNNMoney.com, Mike Duncan speaks to the digital age of customer service in specialty retail. By integrating social media, product recommendations, consumer reviews,  Live Chat, and more,  learn how to enhance your customer’s shopping experience and supersede any storefront customer service.

ASR Marketplace
August 13-15, 2010
San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA

Buyers looking for the latest products for the upcoming season know exactly where to find them — at ASR. Twice a year the Surf/Skate Lifestyle and Fashion industries invade San Diego to conduct business and preview lines for the upcoming seasons. ASR tradeshow provides an authentic and efficient forum for buyers, sellers, media, and the investment community to conduct business and move the action sports industry forward. It’s the platform that unites brands of all sizes with an unmatched national and international buying audience.

Mike Duncan, Sage Island’s CEO, will be presenting three different seminars during the show.

The Board Retailers Association (BRA) hosts Survival of the Fittest – BRA Retail Certification Programs August 12th, 2010. Retailers are encouraged to take advantage of the trip to the trade shows by attending a full-day of certified retail education focused on current market issues facing specialty retailers.

Strengthening Your Website’s Presence through an Integrated Marketing Plan
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island Marketing Agency
10:00 am on August 12th

Your website is a critical component of your business. At a time when online competition has never been so fierce, it’s crucial to have a marketing plan for your website that drives results. This seminar, presented my Mike Duncan, CEO of Sage Island addresses the necessity of a well designed, innovative site, and how to properly market it through a hands on  approach of planning, analysis, and optimization. Mike speaks to the art of  SEO and PPC tactics and how to  expand your brand on the web to drive results.

Ten Ways for Retailers to Improve Website Presence
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island Marketing Agency
Saturday, August 14th at 11:00 am

In the ever changing world of retail, competition has never been more fierce. Your website is a critical component of your business. This seminar teaches a fully integrated marketing approach leading you through the basics of a well designed, innovative site, and how to properly utilize e-commerce solutions. Learn how to build and expand your presence on the web to drive sales and maximize your bottom line.

Leveraging the Power of Social Media
Presented by: Mike Duncan, Sage Island Marketing Agency and Danny Keith, Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop
Saturday, August 14th at 2:00 pm

Over the last few years, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have gone from college networking sites to marketing powerhouses. Businesses today tap into Facebook to reach their audience in more targeted, local, and efficient ways than ever before.  This seminar, presented by Danny Keith, owner of the Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop, and Mike Duncan CEO of Sage Island, teaches the latest tactics and applications that elevate social media from self promotion sites to professional lead generating tools.

We’re looking for a motivated, creative and analytic thinker with excellent communication and leadership skills to join the Traffic and Search Strategy team in our Wilmington, North Carolina office.

As a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Specialist, your responsibilities will be to design, develop and implement PPC campaigns on major search engines including Google, Yahoo!, Bing, etc.

The SEM Specialist will also work with Account Executives, Graphic Designers, Programmers, and other team members to drive paid search engine traffic success and will be charged with establishing best practices on optimization of a variety of different PPC campaigns for a variety of unique customers. Additionally, you will be responsible for developing and implementing keyword strategies, including working with business owners to understand their specific PPC needs and developing strategies, plans, and campaigns accordingly.

The SEM Specialist will also work with developers to evolve in-house SEM tracking and reporting tools and keep current on SEM developments within the industry.

Responsibilities
* Create, manage and optimize PPC campaigns in support of business goals for Sage Island customers.
* Continuously review and optimize PPC campaigns, including thorough analysis of profitability of campaigns, keyword lists, landing page quality, downstream feedback of lead and traffic quality, etc.
* Serve as internal search expert to ensure best practices are shared and leveraged by all groups.
* Continuously improve tracking, reporting and profitability of the SEM efforts.
* Analyze and translate quantitative and qualitative data from web analytics tool into actionable SEM plans
* Research and develop best practices to identify new market opportunities and maximize program profits with improved paid campaign performance and organic rankings

Skills
* Knowledge and experience with the creation, management, and optimization of PPC campaigns
* Experience with PPC campaign management and optimization tools
* A quantitative approach to traffic measurement and experience with collecting and interpreting site visitor statistics
* Experience using Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, etc.)
* Must be detail-oriented with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
* Strong written and verbal communication skills a must
* Ability to work individually on a project or in a team environment
* Self-starter approach to work, with an eagerness to consistently meet and exceed objectives and take on more responsibility.

Qualifications/Requirements
* 1 – 3 years experience in marketing
* Bachelors degree, preferred Marketing, Journalism, English, Communications

Full-time with benefits package. Send us a cover letter and resume. Specify Marketing Specialist in subject line to jobs@sageisland.com.

We are currently seeking a talented Graphic Designer with advertising and/or branding experience to join our Advertising team!

This Graphic Designer will develop compelling print and website designs that effectively convey unique brand experiences and maximize online marketing.​ We are looking for a design “rockstar” to develop and execute award-winning creative from concept through design approval.​ This role will require an ability to translate business needs into actionable creative solutions that make use of web design and print best practices to drive consumer behavior.​ Exceptional creative conception and web/print ​graphic design skills are required.​ ​ Experience designing for content management systems is ideal.

Responsibilities

• Develops creative concepts and designs innovative website structures and graphical assets that convey unique brand experiences in a way that meets business objectives and drives online business.
• Delivers top-notch creative solutions that can be implemented within a content management system, and pushes the boundaries of what a CMS is capable of from a design perspective.
• Ensures all work incorporates defined requirements and employs best practices in creative execution and user experience design.
• Presents creative concepts internally to the creative director and other key stakeholders, as well as externally to clients.
• Collaborates with implementation managers, copywriters and production designers to ensure creative alignment and a smooth transfer of work between teams.
• Ensures all timelines and deadlines are met.​ Keeps implementation managers and creative managers informed of project status, and proactively brings issues/​problems to their attention.
• Adheres to defined creative workflow and contributes to the evolution of our overall creative process.
• Provides quality assurance on all creative deliverables.​ Ensures all files (and associated content) are accurate and accessible on the creative server.
• Participates in kick-off meetings, design reviews, department meetings and training sessions as requested.
• Keeps up to date on design and technology trends to ensure work remains fresh and relevant.

Skills

• Advanced knowledge of digital design tools, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and Dreamweaver
• Ability to quickly familiarize with brand goals and integrate brand experience into designs
• Ability to self-manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast paced environment
• Ability to generate, articulate and present creative ideas and strategies
• Strong interpersonal skills that encourage team cooperation,collaboration, promote enthusiasm, and motivate strategic thinking
• Experience with HTML, CSS and content management systems
• Working knowledge of video editing software and mobile platform design is a plus

Qualifications/​Requirements

• 3-5 years experience as a Graphic Designer (agency experience is a plus)
• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design/​electronic media preferred

Full-time with benefits package. Send us a cover letter, resume and an online portfolio. Specify Graphic Designer in subject line to jobs@sageisland.com.