Web Design and Development in Greenville, SC | Merge

In business, we try to build systems and processes that work consistently.

Like a web site for instance. If your need is lead generation, you want your web site generating good leads week in, week out. When it works, it's a beautiful thing. When it doesn't, well, then it's just a website.

Last week Merge's sales system worked. We did some great work in the past, got a referral, Merge's Matt the Rainmaker went to meet with the prospect and brought Suzy the Extraordinaire along on the second trip to help come up with the solution to close the deal. All along, Matt was carefully executing Merge's sales process.

The result? Bam. A sale. Done by two great people, but also by a whole slew of processes to help make it happen -- from the quality control process that created the website that wowed, to continual marketing to make us top of mind to the person who referred us, to our own website working as the 24/7 salesperson to the sales process that kept us on tract so we could come up with the right solution at the right time. It also doesn't hurt to have some great people behind those processes as well.

And that's the last thing I'll say which is cool about this--it wasn't only Matt or Suzy that made the sale (although they will get the majority of the credit most of the time--and well deserved). But it was all of Team Merge that made it happen.

Bottom Line: The essence of a business is when the entire business works as it is intended--no one person, thing or individual makes it happen. Instead, the business consistently operates because The Team is executing the processes that are in place to deliver the business' products or services. I love it when a plan comes together.

Merge holds monthly internal lunch and learns that are run by a different employee each month. Erin Peckham headed up our February 2010 lunch and learn with "Becoming the Best: Lessons from 2010 Winter Olympic Athletes" where she looked at the qualities and traits of three Olympic champions.

What we learned was that each Olympian had their own story. They were normal like everybody else, and the three we looked at even had some pretty extraneous circumstances to overcome. But the three athletes had very similar qualities and traits to get to where they are:

• Focus
• Determination
• Dedication
• Discipline
• Sacrifice
• Vision
• Common Goal (with teammates)
• Perseverance
• Selflessness

To name a few. Then Erin flipped it on the Team: If we're striving to be the best Internet Marketing firm in Greenville, the Southeast or even the country--do we display these traits? It's not going to just happen. It's not going to happen between the hours of 8 - 5. To be the best, you have to be working with the best--those who portray those characteristics.

Think about your company. Are you an Olympian in your position, whatever that may be? Think about your organization's website. Would it win a Gold if it were judged today?

Merge now has a new internal tag line--"Is that Olympic?" Saying you want to be the best and actually carrying it out--in light of the traits listed above, are two completely different things, no?

Bottom Line: Being the best doesn't happen by accident--it's a very deliberate, hardworking, stand-out performance--every day. Are you an Olympian in what you do?

Networking has always been a "marketing" strategy of Merge and we've realized some results from our networking efforts. Recently, two different small companies approached me and asked for my advice on networking. Here's the collective advice I provided on networking:

1. Networking is not selling. I never go to a networking event looking to make a sale. Network to build relationships--whether it's a new or current relationship.
2. Network with Purpose. Have a plan before you go and know what you want to come out of the event with (two new contacts, meet a specific person, etc.)
3. All Networking Opportunities are Not Created Equal. Who are you trying to reach? There are definitely different levels of networking groups. Some are simply lead groups ("Hey, so and so would be good to call"), there are referral groups ("I'll send an introduction email for you") and then there are networking groups where the main purpose is not for leads or referrals, but nonetheless they happen. Think Rotary, the Chamber, etc. In my opinion, those are the best kind.
4. Don't Network. Serve. I no longer go to Lead or Referral groups. To me, they tend to have a hint of desperation--sort of like a dating service. They are usually full of salespeople and not the level of person I would like to meet (no offense of course). However, they are a great forum for you to practice your elevator pitch and to get used to meeting new people, how to give and receive referrals, etc. So do them for a short time. What works best is to join a committee, a Board or a service organization. My best "networking" comes out of serving along side somebody, getting to know them, sharing a common cause and then low and behold you end up doing business together, you refer clients to one another and before you know it, you not only have a good referral source, you usually also have a new friend.
5. Think Long Term. Real networking takes a good two plus years. When I moved to Greenville, I pretty much planned on it taking two years before my network was developed (to a reasonable level). Many times, people try networking for 3 - 4 months, don't see any results and then quit. Developing a network is a long term strategy and it pays off in the long term too.

Bottom Line: The best networking is when it's not solely for "networking" but building relationships by serving with your peers. Don't expect sales, expect relationships, invest in those relationships and the byproduct will be more business.

It's that time of year when you're done assessing what's happened and you look forward to what needs to be done.

In the past eight years, Merge has seen a lot of change in the web industry. We've seen Front Page come and go (thank goodness), Inktomi was the hot search engine back in and around 2000, Yahoo! was serving up results by Google! (their original logo had an exclamation point), companies like Pet.com and WebVan.com promised the world and then left us empty-handed. The web eight years ago was a trial and error era--we were figuring it out as we went along.

With the crash of the dotcom days and the reality of unrealistic expectations, the over-exuberance of the web was self-corrected and for an 18 month period, the web was relatively quite and the world was resigned to having some convenient electronic brochure sites living on the internet. Then Web 2.0 came along. Big fonts and snazzy interactions. A new philosophy was attached and buzz words flew: "User-Generated Content" and "Social Networks" soon became the rage. Companies that couldn't spell their own name started popping up, like Flickr and Del.icio.us arrived on the scene. Myspace.com, known only to bands and teens at the time was building momentum, and a little company called Facebook.com, then restricted only to colleges was making its own headway. Blogging became mainstream, and in the election of 2004 "bloggers" began to get some traction and notoriety.

It seemed the web wasn't dead after all.

Soon, Murdock buys Myspace.com for $500 Million, Zuckerburg was reportedly offered $2 Billion for Facebook by Yahoo! and soon thereafter Newsweek plastered a picture of a web entrepreneur with a preposterous valuation. Were we back to craziness? Maybe.

Web 2.0, User Generated Content and Social Networks converged into what we call Social Media today. In 2008, Social Media started raising eye-brows. By the end of 2008, everybody had to have them some Social Media. In 2009 the momentum kept up, and Social Media experts arrived on the scene. What was once  incomprehensible and we left alone millions of teenagers to MySpace, Facebook opens up and is no longer restricted to colleges, soon finds its highest growing demographic to be....grandmothers.

In the meantime, corporate America silently was investing and plugging away at the web. Amazon, once a dotcom joke for operating for so long in the red turns out to be a darling of the time and a case study for ecommerce. Companies like Lowes and Home Depot, who, for a long time wouldn't even offer their goods for sale over the web, have become respectable destinations themselves.

The past eight years we've seen big industries begin to crumble under the practicality of the web. Sites like Wikipedia, Craigslist.org and Pandora.com brought amazing value to the consumer, and helped change entire industries. The adoption of smart phones and especially the introduction of the iPhone put the web in your pocket, enabling one to take photos, interact with their networks, find places--and even make a phone call here and there--accelarated the dependence of the web.

And that's where we are in 2010. The web was once a great hope. It moved to being highly skeptical to a mere convenience. In 2010 and beyond, we will see the web as indispensable. Corporations are using the web to run their phone systems. Web sites for some, have replaced their entire operation. For others, it offers a significant percentage of sales and turning back is not an option. While yet others, with the benefits of cloud computing, are moving key systems and processes to a bunch of web servers that are just--out there.

Consumers too are more dependent than ever on the web. From email, to GPS, to the trend of media being delivered over the web (Netflix, ebooks, iTunes, etc.).

2010 and beyond, we will continue to see an evolving web. A web that is accessed from everywhere. Within the next five years, we will probably have forgotten Facebook, and newspapers and television will no longer be provided by a paperboy or the cable company. The web will be the vehicle. The web (and technology) itself will be a major driver in creating and providing value by companies to society. Also, society will continue to provide value to culture itself via the web.

In summary, I'm not espousing that the web is the great end all and let's all worship the web. However, I think it offers so much value that as consumers, we will continue to demand more and more is moved to and provided via the web. We'll demand devices work well with the web. And we'll expect the companies we deal with--whether it's the bank, grocery store, video store, pharmacy, doctor--you name it--provide convenience through the web. It can be done. The market will continue to work so it will be done.

Bottom Line: We not only rely on the web, but we are now dependent on the web. The web will continue to evolve to be a more integrated part of our lives and it will also provide a significant platform for innovation, adding value and growth to our economy for years to come.

Merge creates digital strategies for our clients to leverage the web. So obviously, we're on the web constantly, and as the web has grown up over the last decade, we have found--to our delight--that the web is coming more and more indispensable in our own business. Below is a list of web applications we can't live without:

1. Simplify Email / Google's Apps for Your Domain.

   When Merge started, we hosted all our our clients email, including our own. Spam, viruses, uptime, Outlook support--you name it--email is a nightmare to support, but it's the killer app for businesses. It can't go down. That's why Merge looks to Google's App for My Domain, utilizing a branded version of Gmail, not only for our own email, but for a majority of our clients as well.

   Benefit: If you are a Microsoft Exchange user and are looking for a less costly solution (try free), move to Gmail, get incredible uptime, spam filters and easy email management. Merge actually uses Exchange to archive its email (and Exchange's integrated Outlook features), but Gmail for email services.
   Cost: FREE

2. Remote Conferencing and Remote Support / GoToMeeting

   Seeing is believing. We have clients try to describe a technical issue or they may ask us how to do something on a web site. The easiest solution to "get it?": GoToMeeting. By simply sending a Meeting Code, we can see each other's desktop, take control and show our client how to do something, setup Outlook, etc. For technical support or online tutorials, the service is priceless.

   Benefit: Easily support or train clients remotely.
   Cost: $50 per month.

3. Instant Communication and Social Media Integration / Digsby and Windows Live Messenger

   We could count the ways we communicate. From in-person meetings, to email, phone, text to instant messaging. At Merge, we have found the quick "pings" via Instant Messaging is great for certain applications, such as; quick questions, sending a link, letting someone know of a phone call, the discreet message that can't be heard amongst office mates...you name it, IM'ing has it's privileges.

   We also use Windows Live Messenger for those of us who have Blackberry's. Again, being able to IM from a mobile device is outstanding as it can provide the ability to easily push a phone number to the out-of-office person, ask the quick question, ask a question or communicate in a meeting, etc. Additionally, IM'ing via a cell phone literally can be a "conversation" which is a different experience (and result) than email or even text messages.

   Benefit: More conversational communicating compared to email or text messages.
   Cost: FREE

This concludes Part 1 of Web Technology we can't live without. Please stay tuned by subscribing to our RSS feed to catch Part 2.

Also, read below for information on how to attend our webinar on Jan. 20th that will give in depth details on all 7 web tools Merge recommends.