I can drive a car but I guarantee you no NASCAR team would want me behind the wheel. If I can drive safely and get from point A to point B, why shouldn't I be able to drive for a team?

Easy answer - because it's pretty much guaranteed that I would wreck, and 100% guaranteed that I would come in last if I could even finish. Plus, who in the heck would want to watch me race (other than for the laughs)?

Similarly, did you know that elements of your website can not only be wrecking your chances for good search engine ranking but can also be driving visitors away?

Across America, communities have become more vanilla over the past several decades due to the proliferation of franchises, chain stores, and chain restaurants.

People yearn for a connection to places and other people, and these desires are slowly helping rebuild the demand for local products.

Giving good feedback is key to a successful design project.

Regardless of what you're having designed - logo, website, Annual Report, brochure, etc. - your input is important and totally necessary for your project to be successful.

You're paying good money for your project and you want great results, but the onus is on you to give good feedback. After all, designers aren't mind readers. No one knows your business like you, and the magic happens when your knowledge comes together with your design team's skills and expertise.

Below are a few guidelines on how to provide effective feedback and, just as or more importantly, what not to do.

If you prefer reading to watching a video, a transcript is below.

Here at Glerin we like to keep things simple, so I want to share with you a short formula that can help improve your marketing.

We call it the Math of Perception.

Using a great automated marketing system is like having a larger staff who's willing to work 24/7, giving you time to relax and enjoy the rewards.

Contrary to popular opinion, automated marketing and email marketing are not the same thing. While email marketing is a part of automated marketing, AM is so much more.  Consider these game-changing things automated marketing can do that email marketing can't even pretend to do:

Positioning your brand well creates a path to success that is shorter and easier. It helps your customers know they should select you.

Think about this: if a prospect is comparing your product with a competitor's, what is there about yours that would make them choose it? If there's nothing to differentiate the two, you have a commodity that people will only choose based on price, and that's the last thing you want. Or, even worse, what if your prospects think something about your company or product that isn't true?