Budgeting your business for an on-line web presence

Every small business is only a sale away from taking them from obscurity to being a house hold name. Trying to find this sale may seem daunting and at times elusive. It’s when you begin to look at things from the customers point of view that your focus will start to change. The question; “How are my customers finding us?”, will drive that fact home. Advertising is effective but does it really tell the story about who they are, what their about, and in depth detail about the types of products or services that are offered?

I had a chance to do a Q&A with Jeff Meland from Databae Systems and ask him a few questions about businesses on the internet. Jeff has been involved with Internet Marketing and Website development for more than 10 years now and has been certified in Google Adwords Pay Per Click advertising and also in Google Analytics.


How does an on-line presence affect a small business that’s just starting out?
An on-line presence can help jump start a business just starting out. It can help the business get the word out that they are in business, where they are, and what they do. It can also help the business promote itself by including promotions, sales, and special events.

If my business is doing social media do I still need a web-site?
Yes. You should have your own website because that is the one piece of online property that you have complete control of. These days people expect a business to have a website so they often look for it when they know about a business. Having their own website, a business can also do more to optimize their online presence so that they appear in front of more people searching online and attract more customers.

What effect do mobile devices have on web content?
Mobile devices are extremely important in terms of internet marketing because so many people are using them to browse the internet and to find businesses. Searching for a business online is certainly taking over searching for a business in a phone book or yellow pages book. The person searching with a mobile device is much closer to purchasing something than a person searching on a desktop PC. Many websites do not work well on mobile devices and so this will be a big job for businesses to create mobile versions of their websites so that they are useful to their website visitors.

What’s the biggest hurdle a new web-site has when just starting out?
Many times the biggest hurdle is to get enough content from the client. A website needs content in the form of pictures, graphics, and especially text so that search engines can understand what it’s about. The search engine needs to understand what a website is about so that it can display it to users at the appropriate time when they are searching.

What services does Databae offer on top of web-site design?
We also offer various internet marketing services which include optimizing websites and directory listings. The goal of our services is to help the client attract more customers by getting found more often online.
Internet marketing solutions

By providing customers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions, a business will soon learn that they are now poised to becoming a choice rather an option.

Do you have a business and what is your online marketing experience? Please share!

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A Unique Valentine’s Day Gift

With Valentine’s day just around the corner we thought we’d show an alternative to the standard flowers and candy that seem to have become a staple for the day. So if you want to stand out from the crowd, read on. If flowers and candy are tried and true but seem like a safe bet, why not be adventurous?

Enter Bottle-Lamp.com. This enterprising web-site has added a new twist to the ‘message in a bottle’ by transforming it into the ‘message on a bottle’.  By applying chalk board paint to the outside, adding a string of LED lights, and throw in some creative decorations, they’ve transformed an ordinary glass bottle into a brilliant work of art. Below is an excerpt from the web-site:

“We filled the bottle lamps with 30 multi-colored LED lights and decorated them with a pink glittery bow, reddish pink ribbons and a piece of white chalk for writing your very own personal love note.”

The actual Valetine’s Chalk Board Bottle Lamp page has included little sayings that can be applied in case you find yourself tongue tied.

I’m already thinking outside the box and the idea of finding new ways of getting a message across suddenly seem endless.

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The basics of making a cheesecake

For many people, us included, making a cheesecake seems like a very daunting task. Do you bake it or not bake it? Is there actually any cheese in it? How on earth do you make the base? Can you make it quickly or do you have to spend hours over it? Well, we have discovered that it is not actually as hard as it may seem, and we would definitely advise everyone to have a go.

cheese cake with strawberriesFirst of all, the base is pretty easy to make, all you need is some butter and some digestive biscuits. Crush the biscuits by putting them in a plastic bag and hitting with a rolling pin. This may be loud so make sure no-one in the room is on the phone or concentrating hard on a game of Cheeky Bingo. Now you need to melt some butter in a pan and mix with the crushed biscuits. Then, press this into the bottom of a lined baking tin using the back of a spoon and leave in the fridge to set. Once you have done this, you have successfully made the base. See, that wasn’t too hard was it?

Next you have to make the filling. Depending on the flavour of cheesecake you’re making, make sure you have all the ingredients together. However, the basic things you will need are cream cheese, vanilla extract and perhaps some whipped cream. There are many different ways to make cheesecake, you can bake it or not. If you are not baking it, you simply use things like cream cheese and the flavour you are using, mix it together, smooth it on top of the base and leave in the fridge to solidify. That is pretty much it, just mixing, putting together and baking if necessary, so have a look for a recipe that looks delicious to you and venture out into the cheesecake world.

Do you have a favorite cheesecake recipe? Please share.

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the ever evolving worker

Glen Dempsey is a self proclaimed ‘fiddler’.  Let’s be clear here, Glen is not musically inclined. The closest he ever got to a musical instrument was a drum set that was given to him by his uncle at the age of eight. The banging that ensued eventually saw the drums migrate from the house to the garage and finally out in the shed.

Glen reflects on that drum set with a slight chuckle. “All I can remember is just beating on those things like that puppet on the Muppet Show. Hell, I thought that was how you were supposed to play them.”

Glen was no Buddy Rich but he developed other interests that involved taking things apart to see how they worked. His ‘fiddling’ around with things not only allowed him to understand the mechanics of things but began to generate ideas as to how to improve them as well. It was during a high school tour of the local news paper shop that his eye caught the large printing presses. Transfixed by the mechanics of these huge machines and watching the pressman make the necessary adjustments to keep everything in check had him hooked. He would find himself attending the Graphic Arts program after high school and landing a job at a print shop in a neighboring town.

The print shop flourished and with it’s success came Glen’s as well. He married, bought a house and soon had a baby on the way. Just when life had seemed to find a perfect stride it unexpectedly changed.  Glen soon realized that he was allergic to the printing press ink. It started out as a mild rash but it soon affected his respiratory system and he began to have difficulty breathing while at work. The print shop he worked for allowed him to transfer out of the press room and into the prep department. Glen now found himself sitting Continue reading

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Thin ice on Minnesota lakes

It is the middle of January and at this time of the year Minnesota fishermen and women are usually found out on one of our 10,000 lakes trying to catch walleyes or sunnies. From a distance some lakes look like dislocated cities, as any size and shape of fish house can be found. From the tiny one man pop up to elaborate fishing castles.

thin ice on lake latoka, mnThis year however, the lakes have barely frozen over with many open spots visible even from shore. We have heard of numerous fish houses and vehicles breaking through the ice, luckily nobody has been hurt. Why anyone would drive on a lake when the temperatures have been barely below freezing for more than a few days is beyond me, but old habits are hard to break, I guess.

Is this just another exceptionally warm winter or is this the beginning of the end of our weather pattern as we know it? Are you feeling the effects of this warming trend where you are? Leave your comments below.

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The Steel Toe Brewery of St. Louis Park, Minnesota

My Dad, as a gift, gave me a magazine about home brewing your own beers. It seemed like a novel idea to open a micro-brewery but with the patience that it took to make the final product it was easy to shelf the whole idea. But for the owners of the Steel Toe Brewery, Jason and Hannah, the dream became a passion. Not just to own a brewery but to generate a well crafted beer.

The fermentation of this idea came with Jason working with different brews right in their home.  Taking it to the next level he headed off to World Brewing Academy for 3 months of schooling. After graduation he landed a job with the Pelican Pub and Brewery in Oregon as a Cellarman and working up to Head Brewer. Bringing their experience and well thought Continue reading

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Zodiac Date Book for 2012 Giveaway

The Sexy Shoes Expert is giving away a ‘Zodiac Goddesses” date book. The deadline for entering the giveaway is quickly approaching so act now!

via sexyshoesexpert.com: Continue reading

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Happy Boxing Day!

A little history lesson on ‘Boxing Day’.

‘Boxing Day’ is usually celebrated the day following Christmas which is December 26th. If Christmas falls on a weekend then the Holiday falls on Monday.  The name itself derives from the act of opening Christmas boxes that contained items for the poor. The Christmas box was traditionally made of wood or clay and usually placed within a church so the parishioners could leave gifts for the poor. The box was opened the day after Christmas hence Continue reading

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Is the US Postal Service doomed to fail?

The ability for established systems to survive and remain relevant in a technologically changing world seems to be a greater challenge. One of the biggest changes that I have witnessed personally is the printing industry.  The ‘prep department’ of 20 years ago looks nothing like the one you’ll find today making my education in the field obsolete and antiquated. This would hardly be an issue if I had remained in the profession but life took me elsewhere.

The United States Postal Service is something that I believe we can all relate to and yet everyone seems totally oblivious to its rapid decline. The constant talk of shortening the delivery days and closing offices hardly registers with anyone anymore. How can we so readily dismiss the service that is provided to us  six days a week? Public perception is everything.

While I was in our local post office last week to pick up a package, it became evident that something Continue reading

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Lighted Bottle Giveaway

Just in time for the Holidays! We are giving away a Rex-Goliath Lighted Bottle.
This uniquely crafted wine bottle could be yours, simply share the Jagerfoods page on Facebook and leave us a comment below.

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