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Need a New Website?

What Do Clients and Customers Think of Your Website?

Do clients and customers ever tell you what they think of your website? Probably not. What about prospects or potential members for your organization? They might share with you if they like it, but if they are turned-off by your website, they just go away and you never even know why you lost them.

First impressions are very important in business and for nonprofit organizations. What does your website say about you?

It doesn’t matter if you dedicate time and resources for nice business cards, brochures and other marketing materials if online users never get past your website.

Need a new website?

I work with clients to review their current websites and discover what’s working and what’s not. I make sure that their message is in alignment with their other marketing materials and that the message is clear and attracts their ideal client.

I have recently worked with several clients where we reviewed their Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, website and print materials to get them all looking and saying the same cohesive message.

I create websites and blogs primarily using WordPress because it’s search engine friendly naturally. Plus, I can customize the design to fit my client’s style. For some clients, Weebly is the best platform for a website. See my post about Weebly vs WordPress.

Clients give me an idea of what features they need like online forms, a calendar for events, videos, password protected pages, shopping cart, downloadable documents, etc. I create a proposal based on my client’s needs. We work together on design style and content until the site is launched.

Once the website is live, I teach my clients how to maintain their site. I offer tips on effective blog posts and how to stay fresh. I do as much or as little as my clients want me to do. Some clients want to take it over and run with it, others want me to make the updates. I’m fine either way. You can read my “How I work” post. I offer advice and training to empower my clients. However, many just don’t have time to work on a website, they are busy serving their customers, members and clients.

I enjoy taking on an outdated website and giving it new life. I love creating websites and blogs my clients are eager to share. If you need a new website, or want to update your current website, I’d love to hear from you.

I have more recommendations on my MembershipWorks profile if you are looking for a website for your nonprofit that includes features like Membership and Event management, online Donations and Custom Forms.

More information at WordPress Websites and Blogs

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There is NO Marketing Department

Do you have a Marketing Department? If not, good! If you do, don’t think these are the only people responsible for marketing. Accounting is a department, marketing isn’t. Marketing is something everyone in your nonprofit or business is doing 24/7/365. Every time you take a call, it’s marketing. Every email you send is marketing. Every time someone uses your product or service, it’s marketing. All of the content on your website is marketing. If you own a restaurant, that mint you provide with the check is marketing.  For retail businesses, the point-of-sale checkout counter is marketing. Even for a service business, your invoice is marketing.

You should realize that all these little things are more important that what you throw into a bag to hand out at a conference. Marketing is the total of everything you do but don’t let that scare you.

I help nonprofits and small businesses review their marketing to make sure it’s consistent across all of your tools like your website, print materials, digital materials and your communication channels like email and social media. I offer Marketing Services. You want to be sure you have a consistent message and that your entire organization knows your mission and your values.

If you’d like a quick review to see where you are at and if you are on track to make the best impression on your current and future clients and customers, give me a call. I’d be happy to work through your offerings and fine tune your efforts.

I think the most critical tool you have is your website. Always make sure your site is the most up to date as possible. This is the place where you have unlimited space to talk about your product or service in your own words. After all, you put your website on everything hoping to drive traffic there. Make sure your prospects know exactly what you are offering now. Keep in mind, the media and other companies use your website as a way to get to know you before they pick up the phone or send an email to “raise their hand” that they could use your product or service. Learn about my website services.

Michelle Aspelin Mindshare MarketingCall me to get started 952-484-6015.

  • WordPress, Weebly & Squarespace website design services
  • Marketing Consulting
  • Nonprofit Membership Management Implementation
  • Virtual Administrative Services

View all services.

Michelle Aspelin
Mindshare Marketing & Implementation Services
Learn more about me on Linkedin.

 

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Freedom and Choice

What Does Freedom Mean to You? (written July 2021)

Happy Birthday America!

I love July! I love the warmth and sunshine. I was born in July. And we celebrate our freedom on July 4th!! Yay!

Freedom and Choice are two of my top values. I appreciate the opportunity to work with my marketing clients from my Victoria home office or remotely from anywhere in the US as a virtual assistant. We can choose a phone call, zoom meeting or, my favorite, in-person conversation.

I love brainstorming with my clients to find the right solutions to their problems. I love to research and learn new things. The more I can do for my clients, the more freedom and choice I give to them as well. I always tell my clients I will do as much or as little as they’d like me to do. I can work for you in-person or I work remotely.

I primarily work with solo entrepreneurs. They are business owners in a company of one, meaning they do ALL THE WORK themselves and often run out of time or energy to complete marketing related tasks. That’s where I come in! I help send out email campaigns, create and send newsletters to keep their followers informed, manage their advertising campaigns in print and online and fill in when then need me. I love the variety of work and my clients are thankful for my organization, efficiency, effectiveness and reliability. Plus, more freedom for them!

I also work with several nonprofit organizations. I have implemented a platform to help them manage their membership database, sell tickets for events, set up email marketing and run online campaigns for them to help raise funds for their mission.

Making and improving WordPress websites is my specialty. Clients give me an idea of what they want their website to include to meet their objectives and I get to work designing a new website or improving their existing site. There are so many tools that can connect to a WordPress website, the possibilities are endless. Again, giving my clients plenty of choice and freedom to design what they want. We keep it simple and easy to navigate and I always include search engine optimization to help get them found on the Internet.

If you are looking for some more freedom or would like to know your marketing choices, give me a call or send me an email. I’d love to meet you! Check out my services and how I work.

Michelle Aspelin
Cell: 952-484-6015
Email Me

Read what my past clients say about me on LinkedIn.

 

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Non-profit Marketing

Non-profit Marketing – Who’s paying attention to that?

Generally speaking, non-profits are run by valuable volunteers in their spare time. They coordinate events, run fundraising campaigns, collect membership information and dues, all in support of their mission. Who is responsible for your non-profit marketing? When you promote your organization as a whole to your local community, nationally or internationally? Hopefully, you have a volunteer who is well versed in creating websites with keywords so you can be found in search engine results. Someone who understands the value of “the list” for your email marketing campaigns and donation drives. And I hope you have a system in place to house all of your contact’s information so you can easily reach out to a subset of your membership for a specific need and share those contacts with your leadership team.

If you don’t have a volunteer on your team with true non-profit marketing experience, it might be worth hiring me to take a look at what you are doing and offer some advice. I have many tools in my toolbox that might help you get more organized and more focused, which leads to better results for your team emotionally as well as financially. No one wants their volunteers to feel burnt-out, but if you ask them to do too much or pile on projects that are beyond their skillset, they start to leave. They resign from their leadership roles and eventually don’t renew their dues or make other financial contributions to your organization. That can be prevented if your group is organized and efficient with the time that volunteers dedicate to your non-profit.

I can help set up systems for your non-profit. I can create instructions and train your volunteers to manage it moving forward. I can help with any major updates you need in the future. I work on an hourly basis, so you only pay me for work I perform for you, when you need it. I have worked with several non-profit organizations to get them on track for better success and better relationships among their leadership team and their valued volunteers.

Give me a call if your group could use a boost for your non-profit marketing or organizing your group to be more efficient. I’m happy to help!

The Wickenburg Art Club was delighted to discover Michelle Aspelin’s expertise, helping the club transition to MembershipWorks in order to manage the club’s membership on their website. Michelle worked with the board of directors, training them to use the program to its fullest with an excellent PowerPoint tutorial, and was always available to answer every question. We simply couldn’t have done it without her!
Linda McNulty, Wickenburg Art Club

Connect with me!

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Your Raving Fans

Create Raving FansHave you heard the term “Raving Fan” or “Influencers” in regards to marketing your business? When you review your marketing techniques, consider adding one just for your raving fans or influencers. These are your clients or customers that rave about you. They talk you up all the time, to everyone. They are your #1 fan. They have a lot of friends, possibly an active Facebook user too. They know what you do and the services you provide, but do they know everything? Read more

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Marketing is About Relationships

Business RelationshipsMarketing your business can be challenging, I know. You have lots of options to choose from, all promising different results. In this time of technology and social media, let’s not forget something very simple and very important. Do your clients like YOU? Read more

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Marketing: Where Do You Start?

What is Marketing?

Marketing is an umbrella concept. There are many different specific techniques that can create business for you.

The term marketing is greatly misunderstood. Too many people use the term advertising to mean marketing. Advertising is one type of marketing, but there is so much more available to you.

“Marketing is anything you do to get or keep a customer.” This definition comes from Harvard Professor Michael Porter. It includes reaching out to new prospects and getting more business from your existing clients. Read more

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