Areas of Expertise

Analytics and Measurement

Web analytics is a useful way to get information about your website visitors – relying on web traffic data instead of guesswork.

Large e-commerce companies have used web analytics to gain insight on their online users to refine e-mail and social media campaigns, or even to improve the look and content of their websites. Now, thanks to free and affordable analytics tools, non-profits and small businesses have access to information that can ramp up their online presence.

If you’re using Google Analytics (or another free tool) to track visitor page views, you may be surprised at the wealth of information you can find:

  • Where your most valuable web traffic is coming from (e-mail, search engines, social media – even print!)
  • What content “seals the deal” with your visitors (sales, donations) and what turns them off.
  • What sections of your website may be inadvertently costing you donations or sales.

We’ll give you the tools and know-how to create a winning online experience for your customers and supporters, even if you’re not a tech geek.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is a priority for any non-profit or small business looking to connect with their supporters online. A report from Forrester Research estimates that spending for online marketing will grow from 12 percent in 2009 to 21 percent by 2014. So with all the social media gurus, experts and ninjas out there, what makes The Web Farm different?

Rather than following trends or the “next big thing” we make sure our clients are making the most of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn (and yes, even MySpace) through content strategy and measurement.

We’ll introduce you to tools and tactics like:

  • Social media sentiment monitoring
  • User surveys and testing
  • Brand ambassador and street team marketing

We’ll help you identify and connect with your most valuable social media supporters in meaningful, effective ways and train you to integrate social media into your marketing strategy.

Usability and User Testing

Ever visit a site for the first time and for some reason you just know how to use it? Everything you’re looking for is right where you thought it would be, the search results get you where you want to go and you find what you’re looking for in minutes? That’s because whoever created that site knew a lot about how users interact with websites and how best to organize information.

It sounds like a no-brainer, but without clear knowledge of what your users want and how they interact with your site, your expensive website redesign could be a waste of time and money.

The Web Farm can help! One way to find out what people want from your website is to use web analytics to interpret what may or may not appeal to users. The other is user testing.

Here’s how user testing works:

  • We gather a group of your potential website users and ask them to complete certain common tasks on your site.
  • We ask them a set of questions and collect the answers
  • We watch their body language and actions in addition to verbal and/or written responses
  • Then, we take their feedback and make suggestions (some big, some small) to improve your overall website structure and design.

Sometimes, something as simple moving a search box to a different part of the page or creating a order confirmation page can make a HUGE difference. There are many levels of user testing: we can conduct an inperson series and record the sessions or we can use online testing methods. The moral of the story is: at least do some user testing. You might be surprised with the results!

Branding and Identity

Branding, quite simply, is the art and science of packaging your message in the words and images to make it look its best. In today’s marketplace, people not only buy your product or service, but the ideas and images surrounding that product. Making all of those ideas and images work together to make an impact to your specific audience is branding. It’s not a hard concept to grasp because you grasp it every day. We just need to recognize and name the pieces that create to a successful brand startegy.

What we teach is a step-by-step process for understanding the foundations of branding, how to think visually, and ideas to keep in mind for the future. From any of our branding courses, you will learn:

  • What branding is and how it works across marketing channels
  • What you need to know about your audience
  • How to scope out your competiton and find points of differentiation
  • How to create a visual guide (called a moodboard) to set the tone of your brand
  • How to work with a graphic designer or design firm

Content Strategy and Architecture

Content strategy is another approach used to create and optimize your website. The Web Farm will teach you how to:

  • Write snappy, fresh and useful content that appeals directly to your audience
  • Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to edit and organize content in a way to make it more relevant to Google, Bing, Yahoo, and more.
  • Choose a content management system that fits with your business goals and organizational structure
  • Integrate the messages of your website, email and social media
  • Organize all of your information based on audiences and business goals