We recently redesigned and launched a Builder Recruitment website for Wausau Homes, America’s trusted builder for over 50 years.  The redesign aimed to create a more user-friendly experience and further emphasize the benefits of becoming a Wausau Homes builder.

Benefits of being a Wausau Homes builder include:

• Increased profitability
• No franchise fees
• Less time building and more time selling
• Name brand credibility
• Increased home buyer trust

There’s nothing typical about becoming a Wausau Homes builder, and they have thousands of success stories to prove it.

Check some of them out at: http://www.wausauhomes.com/builders/

The American Osteopathic Association approached us about designing a holiday email to be sent to their members — a hefty list of Osteopathic Physicians and students of osteopathic medicine. As 2009 wraps up, they wanted to simply spread a positive holiday message and good wishes for the new year. Our interactive and creative teams had fun developing our stop action photography dove concept and the rest of us also had fun watching it take flight (tee hee). It’s a lovely little holiday e-card, well worth sharing! Check it out below (be sure to click through to the animated portion) and have a very happy, safe holiday!

We recently launched a new website for 101 Celsius, a leading distributor and installer of solar thermal evacuated-tube systems.  Solar thermal systems from 101 Celsius provide hot water and heat for industrial and commercial buildings, as well as power solar air conditioning systems. The benefits of these systems are significant – including improved cash flows, higher profits, reduced taxes, and a more environmentally-positive corporate image.

The process of building this particular website came with an added challenge: How do we turn highly technical and scientific information into a marketing message that is easy for people not familiar with this topic to understand?  Well, with a little extra blood, sweat and tears – and a few honorary PhD’s in Physics earned – envisionit media was able to get the job done!

Check it out! http://www.101celsius.com/

We recently launched a brand new site for Sterling Premium Building Systems to support the company’s new marketing efforts.  Based in Wausau, WI, Sterling Premium Building Systems has been one of the nation’s largest producers of custom homes for over 50 years.  Their expertise, unique building system, and reputation for quality are unequaled and this really shines through in their new site!  Hundreds of Builders rely on Sterling Premium Building Systems for guaranteed pricing, increased profits, shortened building timeframes, recognized quality, and engineering excellence!

Take a look! www.sterlingbldg.com

In addition to the new website, we recently launched HelpingBuildersShine.com, a microsite for Sterling Premium Building Systems builders! This site is a sales tool to help builders communicate the many benefits of Sterling Premium Building Systems.  By working with Sterling Premium Building Systems builders are able to offer their clients highly customizable homes, higher quality materials, the latest technology, and greener construction!

Check out the site at www.HelpingBuildersShine.com

Last (Thursday) when I got home, I sat down and turned on the TV. Everyone’s first move right? Well, while flipping through the channels, I found CNBC had a great segment on.

It’s called “Inside The Mind of Google”. Sounds pretty nerdy, but this segment really caught my attention. If you ever wanted to learn what capabilities are out there for your business that Google can offer, I recommend watching it.

It not only explained how their searches work, but it gave some great insight how to utilize their technology. From Google’s Search Engine, to Google Adwords, to Google Earth, to even their new operating system Android, it explains and demonstrates how we can use these tools for our own professional benefit. The segment dissected exactly what Google has to offer and what we can expect for the future.

If you’ve ever done a Google search, wouldn’t you like to know where that data goes?

Watch it

We recently launched a new website for {new} partners, a strategic political communications group based in Washington, DC. The team at {new} partners have extensive experience in helping a broad spectrum of political groups, nonprofits, electoral campaigns, and fundraising projects navigate the new political and economic landscape facing these groups today. Through a combination of diverse experience combined with their various core competencies including; strategic platform development, thorough research, and creative grass roots campaigns that {new) partners has paved the way for success after success. {new} partners was also instrumental in leading Barack Obama’s election strategy, and have played a part in many other political communications. They have even worked with Bono (cue “One Love” here)!

{new} partners also has offices in Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Seattle. Check out their site at www.newpartners.com and see a whole new approach to political fundraising.

So, you’ve recently launched a website and you’re satisfied that business seems to be going about as usual, right? Wrong! Isn’t the whole point of a website to generate a larger consumer market? Business should be more then just usual. Your website, like any successful business, should continue to evolve. The launch of your website does not mean it’s finished—it is only beginning.

At envisionit media, our goal is to create a website that successfully interacts with your customers and clients. Your website must continue to evolve to complement its market. And one product that helps us achieve this goal is Clicktale.

Clicktale takes the world of web analytics to a whole new level. Originally, data that was gathered on consumer interaction with a website was limited to the amount of time a viewer spent from one page to the next. Clicktale has revolutionized how data is gathered by offering specific information about a viewer’s interaction within a webpage itself.

Clicktale is an expert data collection tool that we can apply to the websites we create and host. It works by recording a viewer’s mouse as the viewer interacts with the webpage. It then generates data on the viewer’s hovering and clicks in the forms of charts, graphs, maps and videos. We then analyze the data to track the flow of a website. What does the flow of a website mean? Think of the way you interact with any website: Sometimes you click on a link, sometimes you hover on a spot while reading, and sometimes you don’t scroll all the way down the page. Each of these interactions make up the flow of a website, and ultimately its success. By monitoring the flow we can determine what information is being overlooked and what information is attracting viewers.

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The other week a few members of our team participated in Windy City Social ‘s Fall Marketing Challenge. This year the challenge included notable ‘clients’ such as General Motors, Southwest Airlines and the Special Olympics. Attendees worked in teams of eight individuals to solve one of three marketing challenges presented by each client. Solutions ranged from social media strategy, web initiatives, and complete marketing plans.

The envisionit team took on General Motors’ Buick LaCrosse marketing case (in hopes that a free car was the grand prize…sadly, it was not). The Buick Team asked for ideas on generating a younger consumer audience to buy a Buick LaCrosse. Buick’s current image as an “old man car” is problematic, preventing its appeal to a wider demographic or generating sales. The following campaign was developed by envisionit media members and their team.

Buick Team Solution: A two-stage plan that focused on the experience of the Buick Lacrosse. To combat Buick’s image problem, the team created a ‘Tease and Reveal’ campaign. This would allow consumers to experience the vehicle first and then be pleasantly surprised it is a Buick.

Stage 1:
Execute a Teaser campaign (on and offline) that features the styling of the Buick LaCrosse without revealing brand name to build consumer buzz. Objective was to attract people with the impressive style and features of the car, without preset bias towards the Buick name.

Buick would then host ‘blind’ test drives at targeted public areas such as beaches, ski resorts, sports events, etc. Customers would experience the vehicle without the knowledge of brand. Customers would then simply be presented with a card that features a photo of the vehicle and the URL “www.whereisittakingyou.com”. Upon visiting the website, consumers learn that the wonderful experience came from Buick, and can participate with a “Where is it taking you?” social media campaign.

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According to a recent report from Pew Internet and American Life Project, a steady influx of adult users is flocking to social networking sites. The research group says that approximately 35% of online adults now have at least one profile on a social networking site. This number has quadrupled since February 2005, when it was only 8%.

While young adults and teenagers still outnumber adults 2-1 on these websites, adults still make up the bulk of the users. How does that add up you ask? Well adults make up a larger proportion of the U.S. population than teens, so the 35% represents a larger number of users than the 65% of online teens who use social networks. More importantly what this really means is that social networking sites have grown up.

MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook are no longer just sites for teenagers and college-aged kids to post information and meet but rather it is a forum for the entire public to interact with one another and share information. I remember when you had to belong to a valid high school or college network to join Facebook. However, in 2006 Facebook was opened to the public and allowed people of all ages to register. In the two and a half year span since, according to NetPop research, social networking sites have grown over 93% and Facebook has grown 500%.

Not Mixing Business with Pleasure

Oppose to professional sites like LinkedIn, adult users are networking on the aforementioned sites for personal reasons. The same report from Pew Internet says that 89% of respondents are on to keep up with friends and family, 57% to make plans with friends, and 49% to make new friends. Small cohorts of friends are using social networks to organize events, plan parties, or just share pictures and messages with each other.

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