Why do we live here?

It's coming to that time of the year when most Minnesotans ask themselves the question, why do we live here? After the Christmas holiday, there really isn't much to look forward to until spring, unless you get away for a period of time in the winter. It's so cold and time seems to slow down, in fact, we all seem to. There's something about intense cold that forces you indoors to stay warm and be less interactive. Do you know that most people in our neighborhoods up here, don't see each other much as everyone holes up? It's true. People are outside less and there is just less casual socializing across the back fence.

That's what I don't like about winter. It's not the cold so much as it is the lack of good interaction. When indoors as much as we are, it does give us time to be together with our families and get reaquainted. I often take this time to work on web marketing stuff as that gives a satisfaction of accomplishing something anyway. I take time to look over the website, see what might be changed or improved then make changes. It fits well with the winter attitude here in Minnesota. Stay warm, but don't stand still for too long.

Marketing for Minnesota business, RealWebMarketing.com

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People finding products online, buying offline.

There are more and more people who are checking out company websites before going into a store to shop. According to the linked article, 43% more people have done it over this last Christmas season. When you think about it, it's common sense. Why not look for what a store might carry before wasting your time going there and never finding it? This function of the web is a great time saver for shopping during the entire holiday season. I know that we did it here at our home, looking to see what was there before shopping.

This trend is making it important for retailers to really show what they have to offer online and offline. It's not enough to just say here's where we are and why you should do business with us. People want more and are making some buying decisions before they ever enter a store. The convenience of the web makes it a perfect vehicle for saving time and frustration. There are some people I talk to that don't even go to a store and just order online which is a viable way to handle the shopping dilemma. With information like this, it's essential for businesses to not only be online but to offer some assistance in finding what people want from their offering. Once again, convenience makes a marketing difference in retailing.

Answers to web marketing questions, RealWebMarketing.com

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Online shopping trends...

Here's an article from The Industry Standard that shows a little of what's been happening this year in online selling. There are many stats here which could be a little meaningless, but the trend in online shopping is clear. As people become more comfortable and have good experiences online, this trend will continue to some saturation point in the future.

Real ideas in web marketing, RealWebMarketing.com

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Merry Christmas and some thoughts on Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate Christmas this year I hope we all come away with the knowledge that God loves us. Jesus Christ came to deliver us from sin. It's amazing that God would come to us in the form of a little baby and that little baby Jesus would be the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the of each of us who believes!

As John 1:10-14 says:

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

I have experienced this grace, this forgiveness of sin, and that Jesus Christ is who He said He is. Don't miss out on this full life, something our culture or world can never deliver. If you have a question or would like to know more about who Jesus is, please e-mail me.

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The Mall of America, nice site, oversize mall.

I've visited the Mall of America website recently and what I notice about it is the fast loading, no nonsense way about informing visitors about the mall. After all, they're not interested in getting you to shop online, they want you to go to the mall. The focus is wonderful featuring all the shops and trying to get you to experience it in-person. For those of you who have never been to Minnesota's Mall of America, it's huge and very outlandish in it's preparations. I'm not a big fan of shopping like most guys, but many people enjoy it and make several trips a year there to get what they want mostly.

But go to the website and you'll see just a well done overview of what a potential visitor would experience. It's a good, focused, fast loading site that makes you want to know more about the mall itself.

Marketing for Minnesota business, RealWebMarketing.com

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Changes happen all the time in the search engines.

For many Minnesota companies, they see changes all the time in how they're being found online. Of course, this is not peculiar to Minnesota business, but it's something that's normal as search engines change. Many times a search engine will all of a sudden change the way rankings are listed and that can affect business for a small local company. The thing to remember is the search engine results are like water. They change all the time really and it's not good to focus only on your rankings. There is much more to look at when doing web marketing.

Be prepared for changes coming and how you might be affected. If rankings go down, do you have an alternate strategy for making up for lost business? If they go up, will you have the manpower to properly handle a new influx of business as well? But know this, changes in search engine algorithms happen constantly, so you can't count on a listing to stay that way forever. We help entities & companies insulate themselves from the ups and downs of the search engine roller coaster. With lots of changes happening right now, it's good to talk with an online marketing expert who can show you ways to maximize your online exposure.

Keeping it real for marketing, RealWebMarketing.com

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SalesCircular.com Minnesota, a good way to find sales.

I found this Minnesota website and felt it was something to talk about. It's SalesCircular.com Minnesota. I believe they do this for other States as well. It posts sales circulars or specials that various stores in the Minnesota area have right now. This is helpful because sometimes it's hard to find that newspaper ad for a product you saw. I'm going to be checking this one out further for accuracy of the specials and if it's truly updated.

This is a concept that is being tried on several levels in the online marketing world and more than just the State of Minnesota. It's good to make this kind of information available online for local Minnesota business because it stretches an offline medium onto the internet. This makes it go further and delivers more bang for the buck. I'm not sure if this is a paid service, but I'm sure it might be. Evidently you can suggest a site too. It looks like they're trying to make it a comparison shopping site with a local twist. They offer a store locator too.

I love it when Minnesota web marketing comes down to easily being able to find an offline store, because many people look for something online, then purchase at a store. People still like to shop in person!

Getting real results for Minnesota business, RealWebMarketing.com

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The Minnesota web marketing news is back for more.

After a short break from blogging on the state of Minnesota web marketing, I'm back to look at websites that make a difference for Minnesota businesses and how they do it. Marketing to a local area can be a little tricky but the online landscape is changing. Look forward to more about local Minnesota business and the way they go to market online.

It's the real deal for Minnesota marketing, RealWebMarketing.com

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