Here is the scenario: You’re part of a visitor destination as a Chamber of Commerce, business, Destination Marketing Organization or State office. You have a website that is designed to showcase your destination as the place to spend a vacation. It has “something for everyone,” “unique businesses,” and plenty of “outdoor recreation” to make even the most avid enthusiast satisfied.

Sounds familiar, right? Well, it should. With the latest economic downturn, cities and towns from all over the United States needed to diversify their local economies. The low-hanging fruit? Tourism. Visitors come, they spend and they leave – the perfect equation for stretched municipal budgets and small business owners’ pockets. Read the rest of this entry »

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When Listing Online, It’s Tag It Right or Pay Up

When the Federal Trade Commission passed ‘The Textile and Wool Act,’ it was cause for most retailers to change how they display product online – and not everybody has updated yet. The act states that most textile and wool products display a label listing fiber content, manufacturer identity and country of origin. We know that you can look at your shirt, pants, jacket and even underwear to see where those tighty-whities were made, but brands also have to indicate country of origin online. Here is an excerpt from the act:

When a textile or wool product is advertised in a catalog or other mail order promotional material, either printed or disseminated on the Internet, the description must include a clear and conspicuous statement that the item was either “made in U.S.A.,” “imported,” or “made in U.S.A. and [or] imported.” Of course, catalog information about origin must be consistent with the information on the label. (See p.22 for more information about origin disclosures in catalogs.)

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“Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration.” – Sumner Redstone

How the heck did we get to the end of the year already?  It seems like just yesterday we were working on Q3 and Q4 plans.  But, here we are, with less than 15 days left of 2011.

It seems right to take a moment to reflect on some of the common frustrations we’ve heard from marketers in 2011, to direct you to some great tips from this past year’s most popular blog posts in hopes to help you overcome some of these challenges in 2012. Read the rest of this entry »

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Smart Phones and Connected Consumers

Jolly Old St. Nicholas, lean your ear this way.  Or, lend me your iPhone.  Either will do.

Holiday shopping can be the most stressful time of the year – for Santa’s “elves” (aka Macys, Target, Best Buy and Main Street) as well as the patrons desperately searching for the best deal on Let’s Rock Elmo.  However, the perception is that when consumers add smartphones into the mix, the scales tip in their favor, leaving the stores the task of merrily matching their competitors’ prices. Read the rest of this entry »

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Inbound links matter. A lot.

In a correlative study analyzing searches for over 10,000 keywords, it was found that inbound links account for over 40% of the weighting factor on search engine ranking. To put the gravity of inbound links into perspective, on-page and on-site keyword use barely accounts for 25%.

Now, before you jump on the careening ‘buy-links-bandwagon,’ remember this marketing geek’s search rule-of-thumb- The harder it is to get, the more it matters to great ranking. Read the rest of this entry »

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Search Engine Insights – Relevancy Edition

In this on-demand webinar, you’ll discover the on and off page signals essential for search engines to rank your website’s relevancy. Learn what it takes to earn better ranking without tricks, and the dangers and pitfalls of unsavory SEO tactics.

Though this is an on-demand presentation, we invite you to ask questions in the comments below, via SilverTech on Facebook or to SilverTech on Twitter.

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Google+ is counting on a surge of brands to bring our followers into their platform just as we did with Twitter and Facebook. A sort of amalgamation of Twitter’s brief public sharing and Facebook’s rich media, Google+ offers brands interesting sharing and listening opportunities.

In 15 minutes and only five steps, your brand can have a page on Google+. Read the rest of this entry »

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Digital marketing forensics just keeps on getting better. A recent addition to the Google Analytics tool kit that exemplifies this improvement is Multi-Channel Funnels. With Multi-Channel Funnels you can now measure the effectiveness of each digital channel (and even off-line channels to some extent) that you use to reach audiences and drive them to conversion.

Conversions are (obviously) a wonderful thing. Like the high scoring star player on a soccer team they tend to be the focus of attention, while the other players who helped move the ball down the field often go un-noticed. Just like in sports there are often other players, or sources, that assist in achieving that coveted moment of conversion in digital marketing. Read the rest of this entry »

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Manchester, NH – Digital marketing agency SilverTech announced new and recurring clients who have signed to begin or extend relationships with the agency over the summer season. These clients include major brand and organizations in utilities, finance, home improvement, higher education, medical and non-profit.

Among the agency’s new or continued client relationships are:

• The Jimmy Fund / Dana Farber Cancer Institute
• Pepco, A Utilities Company Serving Mid-Atlantic Region
• Silver State Schools Credit Union, Nevada
• Midland Memorial Hospital, Texas
• Harvard Affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center, Massachusetts
• Norfolk Hardware, New England Kitchen and Bath Sales, Designer and Installations
• Catholic Medical Center, New Hampshire
• Loon Mountain Resort, New Hampshire
• SkiNH.com and Cross Country SkiNH
• New Hampshire Grand
• New England College

“We are fortunate to have the ability to continually bring in respected brands while continuing to serve the clients you already have,” said SilverTech Founder, Nick Soggu, “especially where some of our clients have been with us for nearly a decade.”

SilverTech was recently listed among Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing companies for the fourth consecutive year.

The full-service digital marketing agency serves brands with services and consultation to include in marketing strategy, web design and development, social media, email marketing, search engine marketing and online branding.

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My decision to leave one of the largest, most prestigious agencies in the world was the hardest choice I’ve made in my career. The decision came with much anxiety and even some guilt. Like this article, it was based on my personal experiences with a big agency and the pleasing culture change of a smaller agency. Now settled into my new (smaller) agency home at SilverTech, I can honestly say that I feel it was worth the move -and here is why. Read the rest of this entry »

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For many marketers, ‘like’ and ‘fan’ are interchangeable, but when Facebook dropped the ‘Fan’ moniker for the more enigmatic ‘Like,’ connections between brands and fans likers (?) earned an “it’s complicated” relationship status.

With less than half (42%) of Facebook users interpreting ‘Like’ as fandom for brands and 58% expecting exclusive access to content and deals, the otherwise approving ‘thumbs-up’ reads more like a subscription than a cheer. Read the rest of this entry »

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Visit SilverTech at Booth #100 for Raffles, Roundtables and More.

On Tuesday, October 4^th, SilverTech strategists will be hosting roundtables on three critical and current digital marketing topics.  All are free and will provide attendees with tips, ideas and success stories that you can use in your own digital marketing plans.  Space is limited to 25 per roundtable so follow the instructions below to register right away to reserve your spot!

‘Like’ This Roundtable – Social Media for Direct Marketers

Tuesday October 4^th, Exhibit Hall (Meet at Booth #100)  11:30am – Noon

In this roundtable session we will discuss how, as highly targeted messaging platforms relying on relevance and audience size, social media and direct marketing have more in common than many would think.

• Can social media be used to augment direct marketing, or is it an unnecessary distraction?
• Can social media success be tracked in direct marketing terms?
• Can social media be more direct than traditional direct marketing?

To register for ‘Like’ This Roundtable – Social Media for Direct Marketers:

Go to http://dma1.eventbrite.com or email Erik Strout at erik.strout@silvertech.com

Small Changes for Big Results – Conversion Optimization

Tuesday October 4^th, Exhibit Hall (Meet at Booth #100)   3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

What can just a 1% improvement in conversion rate mean for the online landing page of your next marketing campaign? In this session, we will discuss the small changes in usability and design that can lead to big results.  Plus, we will discuss best ways to do online multivariate and a/b testing.
Attendees will walk away with a conversion guide that SilverTech digital strategists have put together.

To register for Small Changes for Big Results – Conversion Optimization:

Go to http://dma2.eventbrite.com or email Erik Strout at erik.strout@silvertech.com

Digital Marketing Trends – Are You Keeping Up?

Tuesday October 4^th, Exhibit Hall (Meet at Booth #100)   4:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Join us in this roundtable discussion to learn about current digital marketing trends and which ones:

• Should be watched or monitored closely for the future
• Should be part of your current marketing mix
• Won’t stick around for long so don’t spend too much time on them

We’ll discuss ideas and success stories that will help get you started on future digital marketing plans.

To register for Digital Marketing Trends – Are You Keeping Up?:

Go to http://dma3.eventbrite.com or email Erik Strout at erik.strout@silvertech.com

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MANCHESTER,  NH – 25 August 2011 – SilverTech, a national digital marketing agency, announced that the company was named to the 2011 Inc. 5000 list, ranking amongst the fastest growing companies in America for the fourth consecutive year.

“This award signifies the transformation and growth of our agency,” comments SilverTech Founder and President Nick Soggu, “our team has grown, our services more advanced and our clients more diverse.”

This year, SilverTech continued partnerships with clients such as Life is Good®, American Water, and Polartec®, while signing new clients such as Markem Imaje, Mimoco, Midland Memorial Hospital and the Joslin Diabetes Center.

The 2011 Inc. 5000 serves as a report card on the U.S. economy. SilverTech continues to rank among the fastest growing advertising and marketing companies.

About SilverTech Inc.

SilverTech, Inc. is a national digital marketing agency based in New England that expertly solves online marketing, technology, operations, commerce, and communication challenges for businesses by creating value-driven web, digital and data-powered solutions. Services such as online strategy, information architecture, website design & development, e-commerce, multimedia graphics & animation, search engine optimization, digital marketing, performance analysis, web application development and content management solutions are designed or customized to fit exact business requirements.

SilverTech clients include Life is Good®, American Water, Dr. Hauschka Skin Care, Le Gourmet Chef, Polartec®, Rita’s Ice,  and Pizza Fusion, among many others. For more information go to www.silvertech.com or contact SilverTech at pr@silvertech.com.

About Inc. Magazine

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. (www.inc.com) is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that delivers real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 710,106, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. Visit us online at www.inc.com

SilverTech Media Inquiries: Contact Marc Frechette, Marketing Communications Specialist, SilverTech, Inc. pr@silvertech.com 603-669-6600 x 28

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Discussing the return on investment, or ROI, from digital marketing efforts is an essential and challenging aspect of my role as a Business Development Executive. The ability to demonstrate ROI for most marketing activities can been a challenge. The advantage of digital marketing, unlike a radio spot or an ad in the Sunday paper, is that the tracking and measurement capability can be embedded in the digital media itself. Read the rest of this entry »

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What is Search Engine Optimization?

Search Engines like Google and Bing are in the business of matching web searchers with relevant content. Search engine optimization is the art and science of making your websites and webpages more appealing to the complex and top-secret algorithms used to match web-searchers to websites.

The inner-workings of search vary from search engine to search engine, but the basic premise remains the same for modern providers like Google and Bing. The relevancy of your page to a search term is based on a combination of on-page and off-page elements.

SEO focuses on the on-page elements, to include the quality, relevance, originality and even formatting of content, website architecture, navigation, and the overall ability of search engine to ‘see and understand,’ or index, your website. Read the rest of this entry »

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Lee Therrein

Scuba Diver / Software Engineer

SilverTech is pleased to welcome experienced interactive developer, Lee Therrein, to the agency. In his new role with the team, he’ll be constructing the functionality of our award-winning work.

A member of both the International Game Developers Association and the ACM SIGGRAPH, Lee knows a thing or two about developing for exciting, engaging digital works.

Lee is a self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades, bringing experience in not only software development, but sales, management and underwater camera housing repair to the clients he’ll help. (Ok, that last one may not come up too often.)

Please join us in welcoming the agency’s newest talent in the comments below.

A Growing Team

Our agency is growing at an incredible rate. We’re searching for the best, brightest and most creative talented professionals in marketing, design, development and support roles. If you enjoy new challenges, driving success for businesses in every industry and constant improvement and learning, consider a career with SilverTech.

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We’ve discussed tracking social media success before, but sometimes the key metric isn’t simply driving traffic to the site. In some situations, a great goal is to drive engagement with the visitors already there –from every channel. Now, you can track that too.

Social sharing is an essential part of driving organic (‘viral,’ if you must) traffic to your content. ‘Like,’ Tweet and +1 have become natural extensions of word of mouth in the age of online social networks. If the goal is to have your content shared, and the shareability of your content is paramount, then tracking the use of those share buttons is a darned good metric to track. There’s a great metric built into Google Analytic allows for just that. Read the rest of this entry »

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Clark Van Der Beken

Actor / Account Executive

Clark joins SilverTech from one of the world’s largest advertising agencies, bringing with him not only some serious client relationship skills, but also the ability to look at projects with a holistic point-of-view. Read the rest of this entry »

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Is it really best to partner with a full service marketing agency for all things internet, or is there kismet in a host of service specialists and consultants? Both have merit.

Full disclosure: I’m a bit partial, but I’ll readily admit that both full-service and a collection of single-service providers have some great edges. While SilverTech is a full service digital marketing agency, we’ve both partnered with specialist companies and acted as the specialist ourselves. I’ll also note that the opinions of this article are completely my own, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the agency.

Read the rest of this entry »

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OK, let me first start by saying that we’re not talking about any rock band… In my un-professional music opinion we are talking about the greatest rock band the world has ever seen – U2.

I have been a fan of U2 since I was a child. I can remember how cool they were in the 80′s when they first got really popular and then in the 90′s when they showed that they had real staying power. In the 2000′s, I vowed to see as many U2 shows as I could. I learned something you can’t capture on vinyl, cassette, CD, MP3 or streamed audio – these guys not only make amazing music, but strive to include their audience into the performance in any way possible. The cheapest seat in the house is the one closest to the stage! Call it ‘Social Rock,’ if you will.

They’ve led the change in how global concerts connect with fans. Read the rest of this entry »

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Back in the 1980s there was a huge television event where Geraldo Rivera was going to reveal the treasures of “Al Capone’s Secret Vault”. People were wondering if it could be the American version of the King Tut’s Tomb where massive riches hid behind the wall. In the end it turned out to be an empty room and a huge disappointment.

Flash forward to 2011 and the launch of Google+. Some pundits are heralding it as the new King Tut’s Tomb, with untold wealth and knowledge just waiting to be revealed. Others are calling it a 21^st Century version of Al Capone’s Vault that contains nothing new and will, in the end, disappoint.

There are two certainties behind this debate: Read the rest of this entry »

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Choosing a right content management system (CMS) can be a tricky, and it can make a huge difference in how much time you spend keeping a website updated and maintained. While choosing the right CMS, you need to be sure that you don’t buy features you never plan to use while still choosing a CMS scalable enough to fit your future needs.

Below are ten useful guidelines to consider when choosing the right CMS.

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Photo Credit: Flickr user: langalex

I’m not sure if I chose to write about this because I skipped breakfast and I’m hungry or if it’s because it’s almost time for the Summer Fancy Food Show. Either way, I’m going to be heading to lunch early today after reviewing some of my favorite food sites to seek out anything other than the lame sandwich I packed for lunch.

If you’re in the food industry, you’ve heard of the Summer Fancy Food Show that attracts established and aspiring specialty food companies. And the word ‘companies’ is used loosely because the show is known for attracting food entrepreneurs who make or bake in their own kitchens and are looking to become the next rags to riches story. Yes, the dreams of many will come true this year at the show. Hundreds of never-heard-of-them-before brands will be represented.

Do these small brands, who are big on passion but short on cash, have any chance of making it big against long-time food giants like Nabisco, Kellogg’s, Kraft and Heinz? Yes, some of them do thanks to the internet, social media and consumers growing appetite for the niche brands they discover and share.

What can these small start-up specialty food brands do to find success online?

Based on what’s worked for some of the specialty food brands we’ve worked with such as Robert Rothschild Farm, Just Pop In, Adelphia Seafood, and others, here are the five things you need to be successful online. Read the rest of this entry »

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When Facebook introduced the row of photos at the top of profiles, a display of the most recent five photos uploaded, users hopped into some amazingly innovative and creative uses. Brands, however, were left with a more interesting challenge. Randomness.

Unlike user profiles, which allow personal profiles to show the tiled images in order, the images on brand pages are displayed in random order. Read the rest of this entry »

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Manchester, NH – Ski NH, an association representing 37 alpine and cross-country ski resorts throughout New Hampshire, has selected its digital marketing and web design agency partner, Manchester-based SilverTech, Inc.

The partnership will begin with the redesign and launch of www.SkiNH.com for alpine resorts and a cross-country skiing website. The websites provide centralized hubs to power Ski NH’s dedication to statewide economic strength through promoting tourism. The new websites will feature snow report pages, interactive maps, a ticket ordering system and site search among other user centric features.

Like the resorts, the websites will shift activities with the summer months to promote mountain biking, zip lines, golf and other New Hampshire summer adventures.

The websites will also offer text messaging (SMS) and mobile-friendly versions for mobile users to connect, contact and collect exclusive ‘insider’s deals’.

SilverTech is also the digital marketing partner of the New Hampshire Department of Travel and Tourism’s Visit NH and the New Hampshire Grand, as well as Life is good® and The Common Man®.

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