Helena, Montana | Edge Magazine | On Trend | In Demand

edgeON TREND/IN DEMAND

summer '12

HELENA/MONTANA

2 E D G E / I N D E M A N D • S U M M E R 2 01 2

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S U M M E R 2 01 2 • E D G E / I N D E M A N D 1

IN DEMAND

summer201202 WelcomeA new magazine has launched in Helena, bringing you up to date on this in-demand world.

04SeARcH eNGINeoPTImIZATIoNBeen hearing the term SEO lately? What does it mean, why should you care, and how do you get to the top?

07YoUR WeBSITe IS YoUR SToReFRoNTIt's inspection time! Make sure your website is just as welcoming as your store or office always is.

08 TecH PUlSeGet the downlow on technology trends for your business from local expert Duane Johnson.

10mARKeTING PRImeRNot sure where to start or where to turn to market your business? We're showing you what's working for our area.

12looKIN' GooD HeleNADon't let the national news get you down. Helena is holding strong and thriving in business and housing.

15PAY YoURSelF FIRSTWe're taking the guesswork out of retirement and breaking down the details in each issue. And where else to start but paying yourself first?

16THe cool TABleGadgets galore! Plus websites your tech-savvy self can't live without. We promise.


$ If I had a dIme for every tIme I heard that saying, well, I would have a lot of dimes. And it really is true in every facet of our lives today.

Step back and think how amazing that smartphone is. The IBM laptop was introduced just 26 years ago. It weighed in at a whopping 13 pounds, cost $2000, and its primary job was word processing. My smartphone weighs 5.47 ounces, cost me $49 and, with its constant connection to the internet, I possess the power to gather an insane amount of information in just seconds!

And as amazing as that is, how angry and frustrated do we get when it isn’t working properly, even if it is user error? Suddenly, the phone is a “piece of junk.” All because we want it to do what it is meant to do and we want it NOW.

Facebook lets us see what our friends and family are doing now. One look at Google Latitude and I can see where my husband is right now. I can see the pictures from my friend's honeymoon in Hawaii 30 seconds after she takes them. Remember those after dinner trips to Hastings? Get books, software, music, videos all on demand, without even getting up off the couch.

With all the information about all the new technology, ideas, websites, trends, products, services, around the world changing every day, it’s a full time job just to be aware of it, let alone put any of it to use. And let’s face it, even if you implement a new strategy or purchase a new piece of technology, it will be out of date next month anyway.- Deanna Satre, eDge WebmaSter

online flipbook

P: 406.996.1361 F: 406.996.1362www.helenaedge.com

1131 Poplar Street Helena, Montana 59601

Wandering Albatross Photographywww.wanderingalbatrossphotography.com

to advertise

www.edgemarketingdesign.com

a product of

cover photography

it's an in-demand worldwelcome to edge/In demand

In support of the local entrepreneurial spirit, the cover of Edge/In Demand features Lewis & Clark Brewing Company. Thank you for letting us utilize the inside and outside of

your building for the summer fashion photoshoot. We congratulate you on your recent silver medal at the World Beer Cup competition. The win is for the American-style wheat beer with

yeast category for their Miner’s Gold Hefeweizen, an unfiltered wheat beer with a citrusy flavor.

THANKSleWIS & clARK BReWING co.

edgeON TREND/IN DEMAND

summer '12

HELENA/MONTANA


5 West Broadway I Downtown Helena I 443-5360M - T 9:30am - 6pm I W - F 9:30am - 8pm I Sat 9am - 5pm I Sun 11am - 4pm

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Clothing, FootwearOutdoor Equipment

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Start Climbing to the Top

by Deanna Satre, Webmaster/OwnerEDgE MarkETing & DESign



an introductionstep 1

Seo IS AN AcRoNYm for Search Engine Optimization, which is the process of coding a website so that it can be easily found and indexed by search engines. If you have a website, you care about SEO.

Consider this: you just built a brand new retail store front to showcase your brand new state-of-the-art widgets. The big day is here; you unlock the doors and turn on the open sign. You go outside to take a picture of this momentous occasion. In all directions you see a field, spanning 100 miles in each direction. You have no sign and no phone number, and the only person who knows you are there is your mom. Odds are, your business is not going to see a lot of foot traffic.

The same thing happens to your website if people cannot easily locate it. Traffic volume, if it existed at all, slows to a crawl. Potentially valuable customers never even know you are there.

Back before the internet, phone books were heavily used to research and locate the goods and services in a given area. Now, the given area is the world, and search engines are your phone book. Only being listed isn’t as easy as picking up the phone.

pIck a word, any wordBefore you even start optimizing your website, you have to first to decide what keywords or keyphrases you are optimizing it for. If you were searching for your product or service online, what would you search for?

Be specific and think about the competition for that key phrase. If you have a website about dogs, don’t optimize for “dog” or “dogs.” Very rarely will a user search for so broad a topic. Focus in on what the website’s focus is, like “dog obedience training” or “small dog breeds.” That will reduce the number of overall results and make your website more likely to rise to the top.

If you need help, there are keyword suggestion tools available online to get you started. They will look at the content of your site and suggest keywords based on what it views as most relevant, as well as tell you how many search results already exist.

the basIcsSearch engines work by constantly combing the internet and indexing the words. It takes a search engine about a month to re-index the entire internet and as soon as it finishes, it starts over again.

When talking about optimizing a website

for search engines, it is important to remember that the search engine “spiders” don’t see the internet the way the users do. While you look at a page and see images and text formatted in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to read (most of the time), search engines see code, instructions for displaying the page in that manner.

For example, your photo that is worth a thousand words to a person viewing the website is worth zero words to the search engine. Now that does not mean that you should remove all the photos from your site and just add pages and pages of text. It just means that you must be diligent about labeling each photo with a keyword rich alt attribute.

Whether you are coding

your site yourself or using a do-it-yourself website building service, making your content keyword rich is the key to SEO success. Including your keyphrases in the title, headings and bold text in your site will stress their importance to the search engines.

you're the expertSearch engines also look to other sites when deciding where to position yours on the search results. The more sites that link to you, the more the search engine perceives you as an expert in your field; the higher the rank of the referring site the better. For example, if you have a bait and tackle website, getting a link to your site on cabelas.com is going to do more for your ranking than a link on

budsworms.com.Search engines are

smart, though. It does almost nothing for you if you trade links. Reciprocal links, as they are known, will just cancel each other out. Link farms, which are just pages with links on them with the specific purpose of manipulating ranking, won’t get you anything either.

We have all been the frustrated web-surfer, randomly clicking on search engine listings attempting to find the specific thing we are looking for but just can remember the name. “What was that one restaurant called? The one on the east end of town?” Don’t leave your customers out in the rain just because they can’t remember your name. Optimize your website!

Why do you care about Seo?


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is your storefront

97% of consumers use the internet to research products

and services before they buy them in their local area.*

*http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/two-more-studies-confirm-people-research-online-buy-locally/2901/#ixzz1czVDOJs0

IF YOUR WEBSITE WAS DONE IN 1995 as your nephew’s senior project, you may want to think about what

sort of first impression you are giving to your potential customers. The design, content, and organization of your website

should provide an accurate representation of what someone would find if they walked in your store.

DeSIGN Is your store homey? Industrial? Fun for kids? Your website design should convey a similar feel.

oRGANIZATIoNThe importance of site organization increases as the amount of content does. If you are able to place your inventory on your website, organize it in the same way you organize the store.

coNTeNT

especially in a retail setting, making your entire inventory available to search online is nearly impossible for a small business. Try to be as detailed as possible in describing the services, products and brands you carry. If someone is looking for a specific shoe and they can see your store carries that brand, they are likely to visit your store before ordering it online.

by Deanna Satre, Webmaster/Owner, EDgE MarkEting & DESign

before: “Well...” after: “our food is delicious!”

WHAT IS your WeBSITe SAYING?CHECk OuT THIs rEDEsIGnED WEBsITE, www.montanacitygrill.com, BY EDGE MArkETInG & DEsIGn


$ Backup: You MUST have a backup option for your

computer. External backup hard drives are the best investment you can make. Your computer will FAIL – usually when you need it the most. If it crashes and you do not have some kind of current backup, you cannot replace documents, photos, tax returns, or other things you have created and saved.

$ antivirus software: Yes, you DO need

antivirus protection on your Android phone, tablet, laptop and desktop computer. If you do not have it, get some now! There are many good antivirus products that you can download for free. Although iOS products (iPads and iPhones) are remarkably virus-free, that does not mean you will never need antivirus software. Android phones and tablet devices are at higher

risk because they have the ability to download apps from unapproved sources that may contain a virus. In order to be available to the Mac, iPad, and iPhone users, iOS apps have to go through an approval process at Apple, so all apps are “pre-screened” for threats before you get them.

$ solid state hard drives: They are

recommended for most computers and increase the speed of data access and startup time. There really is no need to get a huge amount of storage space. If you are storing a large amount of data like photos and video, you should consider storing them on a server. Prices have dropped considerably for solid state hard drives lately so this fantastic upgrade is an affordable one for your aging laptop or desktop computer.

$ android taBlets and ipads: Both have

their place, depending on the user. If you are the techy type who likes to tinker with settings, custom screen layouts, options, colors, etc., an Android tablet may be right for you. If you just want it to work and be very intuitive from the start, the iPad is the right choice. Trying to decide if you need a tablet or iPad? If you are heavily paper-driven and use Word and Excel often, you may want to stick with a laptop because printing from tablets is still a little cumbersome. If you are on the go and primarily need email, entertainment, and internet access, the tablets are the bomb! To add a coolness factor, you can add a stylus (cordless pen) for taking digital notes and drawing or a Bluetooth keyboard so you do not have to type on the screen.

NEW TECHNOLOGY SEEMS TO BE POPPING UP DAILY.what can't MY Business live without?

TECH PULSElocal expert DUANE JOHNSON COMPANY: ALLWAYS ON I.T.

MuSt-havE apps

The all-in-one solution to making all your mobile devices talk to each other. evernote allows you to take notes, save web pages, share photos, categorize and access them all on all your android and ioS devices, laptops or desktop computers.

> KeeP eveRYTHING IN SYNc

> RememBeR THINGS YoU lIKe

> SAve FAvoRITe WeBPAGeS

> ReSeARcH BeTTeR

> WoRK WITH FRIeNDS AND colleAGUeS

> PlAN YoUR NeXT TRIP

eveRNoTe

The preferred news content gathering system for Android or ioS systems. Zite allows you to personalize your news content and not the rest of the garbage. It puts only the most relevant topic based information at your fingertips based on what you are into.

ZITe

have a Burning technologY question for us to answer in the next issue? 406.996.1361 / [email protected]

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wIth any advertIsIng, you need to make a plan. Once you make a choice to start a business, you usually follow with a logo, website, business cards, signs and other basic elements to start the marketing process. Along the way, be aware that just because something is priced right does not mean it is a good buy for your business. Always consider who you want to reach and what you want to accomplish before investing those dollars into any form of marketing. After all, the most expensive marketing is the kind that does not work.

Each business is unique and reaching the most people in your client base and getting them to buy is the ultimate goal. People tend to get clouded by the thought of “lots of people will see my ad so this makes it a good buy for me.” This is not necessarily the case. Even

though your name or logo is seen by hundreds or thousands of people does not translate into dollars to the business. The goal really should be getting people to buy, not to just see you.

For example, let’s say you pay to have an airplane fly all over town with a banner behind it that reads “TVS FOR SALE TODAY” with your logo. Granted, thousands of people will see it and even tell you that they saw it; but when the day is done, how many people bought a TV as a direct result of that banner?

Plan a media mix around what is good for your business and what will get people to buy. Always start close to home with a logo, a website that is optimized so people can find it and, of course, social media. Once you have that down, branch out into main stream media with a budget and goal in mind that works for you.

websIte and seoHaving a website is crucial to any business. It is a virtual storefront for shoppers and clients alike. everyone has a smart phone or a tablet these days. If people want to find you, they look online. If you don’t have a website, you are not an easy find. Keep in mind, not all websites are created equal. make sure people can find your business if they search online for the services you provide. A good website will have Search engine optimization (Seo) built into it. If yours does not have it or if you want to improve how your website shows up online, hire a company that specializes in Seo to give your site a makeover.

free classIfIed adshelena classifieds: This is a facebook group page. All free classifieds, all the time. currently there around 6000 members (and growing). go to: www.facebook.com/#!/groups/143870012364705

craig's list: lean and mean. This site is not pretty but it sure is effective! Buy, sell, giveaway, trade, you name it. make posts nationwide or choose your city. go to: helena.craigslist.org

maInstream medIaradio: There are several stations to choose from depending on your age group and genre. You can choose by time, by station, by demographic. choose from 30 or 60 second ads.

tv: In Helena we have several networks as well as cable. You can choose by station, by time, by show or by demographic. choose from 30 or 60 second ads.

billboards: choose from a digital billboard, highway sign, or in-town sign. Sizes vary depending on sign chosen.

print: This can be broken down into any print product. From newspapers and magazines to smaller commercial printing, such as rack cards, letterhead and business cards.

direct mail: Products that are printed and mailed to homes or businesses. From magazines to coupon books and everything in between.

marketinga where-to-start prImer for where you lIve

by kelly Fortune, Marketing Director/Owner, EDgE MarkEting & DESign

tools for this town

S U M M E R 2 01 2 • E D G E / I N D E M A N D 1 1

L

A microblogging service that enables

users to send text-based posts of up

to 140 characters.

A virtual pinboard that lets you organize and share all the

beautiful things you find on the web.

A video-sharing website popular for

user-generated content, video clips, and video blogging.

A business-focusedsocial network that connects you with

professionals you know or want to know.

A social network operated by Google with profiles, status

updates, circles, hangouts, and sparks.

A large social network where people create profiles, exchange

messages, and report status updates.

likeThis allows other

users to know if you appreciate a

particular post.

tiMelineA new kind of

profile that lets you highlight photos,

posts, and events.

tagMarks a person or video with text to identify a person.

@ / replYUse this to address a public message

to a user.

dM / direct MessageYou can only send

a direct message to someone who is following you.

# / hashtagUsed to categorize

tweets and keeps tweets grouped together.

likeYouTube users have the ability to vote videos up or down

with the like or unlike buttons.

viewUsually refers to viewer

count, which keeps a record number of

views a videoreceives.

connectionMade after you invite contacts to join your

personal network. Listed in first-, second-,

and third-degrees.

recoMMendationA comment written

by a LinkedIn user to advocate a colleague, business partner, or

provider of professional services, including those

who are not LinkedIn.

circleA categorization

system for friends and followers.

green/BlueWhen a post is marked with a green button, it is public; a blue buttonindicates it is only for people in your circles.

hangoutA group video chat feature for users in

your circle.

pinAn image added to

Pinterest, either from a website using the Pin It

button, or uploaded from your computer.

BoardA board is a set of

pins. It can be created on any topic.

followingA user’s pins on all their boards will be shown to

you in real-time.

Ability to quickly respond to clients

and customers.

Pinterest now drives more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+ and

LinkedIn combined.

One of the best venues to build your brand through video blogs and tutorials.

Growing rapidly, and has over 120 million

members representing over 200 countries.

Easy way to interact with clients and

customers. Can be integrated with other Google applications

Great for brandexposure and

customer relations.Now SEO-friendly.

Promotion must find a delicate balance

between content and spam. Large follower

drop-off rate.

Demographic is limited. Marketing with it is a

long-term commitment and only for the creative at heart.

Traffic is often limited to site and difficult to

redirect back to a primary website.

Can be time-consuming to set up profile.

Huge popularity in urban areas has yet to reach

small towns.

Administration is difficult and

small business owners find most clients don't

use Google+.

Must have a personal profile to set up business

page. Requires a fairly high time commitment

to maintain.

FAceBooK TWITTeR PINTeReST GooGle+ YoUTUBe lINKeD IN

PlATFoRm oveRvIeW

PRoS

coNS

THe lINGo

socIal medIa busInessforNew social media platforms are spriNgiNg up everywhere,

but these six are power players for the heleNa area to focus oN.

c i t y O F h E l E n a

business licenses

1/1/12 to 4/16/12

125 Total Licenses Purchased

77General Business Licenses Listed as Home Businesses

48 General Business Licenses

Listed with Storefront Addresses

Only three people applied from outside of Montana

c i t y O F h E l E n a

housingmarket

5/16/11 to 5/14/12

SOURCE: Moore Appraisal Firm

lookin' good, helena!


2011

4832012

473

Homes Listed for Sale

2011

1682012

206

Homes Sold

2011

1592012

161

Days on the Market

2011$189,400

2012$184,500

Median Price Sold


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websites. magazines (we did this one!). postcards. logos. brochures. rack cards. yard signs. table

tents. water bottles. stickers. photography. letterhead. envelopes. invitations. radio.

online ads. flash. action script. web-based applications. content management systems.

e-newsletters. branding. facebook. wordpress. posters. packaging. business systems. custom powerpoint. billboards. commercials. usage

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buying. search engine optimization. vehicle wraps. consulting. starburst removal. book covers. media strategies. web maintenance. ad sales. web-based

administration. and more! websites. magazines (we did this one!). postcards. logos. brochures.

rack cards. yard signs. table tents. water bottles. stickers. photography. letterhead. envelopes.

invitations. radio. online ads. flash. action script. web-based applications. content management

systems. e-newsletters. branding. facebook. wordpress. posters. packaging. business systems.

custom powerpoint. billboards. commercials. usage guides. slogans. campaigns. e-commerce.

direct mail. public relations. buttons. t-shirts. media buying. search engine optimization. vehicle wraps. consulting. starburst removal. book covers.

media strategies. web maintenance. ad sales. web-based administration. and more! websites. magazines (we did this one!). postcards. logos. brochures. rack cards. yard signs. table tents.

water bottles. stickers. photography. letterhead. envelopes. invitations. radio. online ads. flash. action script. web-based applications. content

management systems. e-newsletters. branding. facebook. wordpress. posters. packaging.

business systems. custom powerpoint. billboards. commercials. usage guides. slogans. campaigns. e-commerce. direct mail. public relations. t-shirts.

buttons. media buying. search engine optimization. vehicle wraps. consulting. starburst removal. book

covers. media strategies. web maintenance. ad

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edge series: NAvIgAtINg rEtIrEMENt

once you get Into thIs routIne, you'll see how easy it is to continue your investment-building strategy as time goes on. The main motivation will be the monthly statement that you receive, showing the steady increase in the amount of contributions going to work on your behalf.

After you feel comfortable investing

This article was authored by a third party. This article does not necessarily reflect the expertise of Mark A nicholson – senior Financial Consultant, or D.A. Davidson & Co., Member sIPC.

Pay Yourself

FirstAn important step in pursuing any

long-term financial goal is to employ an investment strategy that has

helped millions of individuals like yourself build wealth over time:

Develop a habit of setting aside a fixed dollar amount for investing before you even pay your monthly bills.

regularly, you may want to consider increasing the amount that you invest as your annual income increases. After all, the more money that you set aside, the greater your chances of achieving your goal. Increasing the amount that you invest may also help you reach your financial destination sooner than expected.

It's never too late to start an investment plan. But the sooner you start,

the sooner your money will enjoy one of the great benefits of investing: the power of compounding. Some people become wealthy through inheritance; others do it by building a business. Most Americans, however, rely on the power of compounding.

Compounding is what happens when you reinvest your earnings on principal, dividends and capital gains. Or to put it another way, it's the process that enables your interest to earn more interest. When you take advantage of compounding, your money can grow significantly over long periods of time.

For example, if you invest $200 monthly in an investment that earns 8% annually, you'd have $36,833 in 10 years and $300,059 in 30 years, thanks to compounding. Of course, the more you invest, the more of an impact compounding can potentially have on your portfolio. For example, if you added another $100 each month to the same investment, you'd have $55,249 in 10 years and $450,089 in 30 years, using the same assumptions above.

By paying yourself regularly, you will be taking advantage of another valuable benefit: dollar-cost averaging. This is a strategy whereby you invest the same amount of money regularly, such as monthly or quarterly, regardless of market and economic conditions.

With dollar-cost averaging, you buy shares at varying prices, purchasing more shares when the price goes down and fewer shares when the price goes up. Over time, dollar-cost averaging may actually lower your average cost per share.

Dollar-cost averaging combined with other key benefits, such as diversification and professional management, is arguably one of the best ways to build wealth for the long haul. What's the best way to employ your dollar-cost averaging investment plan? The answer is mutual funds because of their low investment minimum. Many mutual funds have investment minimums of $1,000 and subsequent investment minimums that are even less.

Here's how dollar-cost averaging might work with a mutual fund. Assume you invest $200 each

month in a particular fund. When you make your first investment, the fund sells for $10. Your $200 would buy 20 shares. When you make your next installment, the fund sells for $8. You would then purchase 25 shares. By the time you invest again, the fund's selling for $12. Your next $200 would purchase 16.6 shares.

After three months, you would own 61.6 shares (slightly more than if you invested the entire $600 when shares sold for $10) and your average cost would be $9.74 per share (slightly less than the mutual fund's average net asset value over that time period [$10 per share]).

Before establishing an investment plan, consult with your financial consultant for more information. He or she can familiarize you with the different types of investments available and the most appropriate strategy for your individual needs.

A periodic investment plan does not assure a profit and does not assure against a loss in declining markets. The investor should consider his/her financial ability to continue investing through periods of low price levels.


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the must-have gadgets

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edgeoN trEND/IN DEMAND

summer '12

HELENA/MONTANA

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for more!

1751 E Lyndale, Helena 449-4567 intermountainheating.com

Ductless, high efficiency air conditioning Over 300 units installed

Over 70 geothermal units installed since 2005

A local, family-owned business since 1994 · Brian, Debbie & Keven Patzer-Partners

Forced-air heating and air conditioning

state of montanaliquor store

Lowest Prices

Largest Selection

1609 11th Avenue • Helena(Next to Dive Bakery)

406.442.8545

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Helena, Montana | Edge Magazine | On Trend | In Demand