It’s that time of year again, time to put away the water wings and the Slip N’ Slide and begin your back to school shopping. Clothes, lunch boxes, backpacks and notebooks will be just a few of the items that top your list. But aside from the obvious things that children need for school, do you know how the back to school rush affects your business? Most businesses experience a sizable increase or decrease in sales during this time of year and knowing which way yours is going to go can make a big difference in how you handle your marketing.

If you know that you’re business usually drops of by about 15% this time each year, you can be proactive by increasing your advertising investment by 15% (or even more) to compensate for it. While your competitors are sitting around hoping their sales increase again soon, you’ve already made it happen for your company.

On the other hand, if you know that your sales usually increase this time of year you can be opportunistic by increasing your advertising investment and also starting your seasonal marketing just a little sooner than your competitors do. Now you’ve got the jump on them and you are creating more exposure than usual by increasing your investment.

If you don’t know how your business fares during this time of year compared to the rest of the year then you definitely need to find out. Look over your monthly sales over the last two or three years and look for any consistent increases or decreases. Then plan your marketing accordingly.

In an effort to further help our clients, Wildfire Marketing Group has started to offer discount full color printing as a stand-alone service. Full color printing makes a more powerful impact than black and white or single color printing and we feel that we can help more businesses grow and succeed by offering this service.

Be sure to take a look at our full color printing prices - we guarantee you’ll be surprised! If you’re looking for a product or quantity that’s not on the list feel free to call us at 800-718-9072.

The latest market research indicates that people searching with MSN are 48% more likely to buy than the average internet user, and those searching with Google are 42% more likely to buy than the average internet user. Following closely behind are those searching with Yahoo (31%), those searching with Ask Jeeves (17%), while those searching with AOL are a mere 3% more likely to buy.

There is also some degree of difference between which genders use a particular search engine. Google’s audience is primarily male (51%) while women hold a large percentage in Yahoo (50.3%), MSN (51%), Ask Jeeves (53.7%) and AOL (51.9%).

Additionally, more detailed search terms result in conversion more frequently than simpler search terms. In most cases, a search term that contains 3-4 words provides the best conversion ratio. This is an important fact when conducting keyword research and selection. Many people try to target keyword phrases based solely on the volume of monthly or daily searches without giving any consideration to competition or conversion.

Forbes Magazine has published it’s annual Best of the Web issue and this year’s focus feature is “Blogs That Matter” The magazine lists an editor’s choice of several blogs that are making a difference in 11 main categories, each with several sub categories.

The simple fact that a mainstream magazine such as Forbes is taking the time and effort to cover blogs is further evidence at the increasing impact that they are having on business. As blogs continue to become more commonly used by businesses of all sizes, they will become a necessary part of a company’s marketing rather than just an advantage over competitors.

TRUSTe today announced the first independent certification program that reassures consumers that they won’t be subjected to spam when they submit their email address online. The program allows certified e-mail senders to display a verifiable seal confirming that their e-mail practices conform to strict privacy and fair practices. Spam, commonly acknowledged as consumers’ top online privacy-related concern, adversely affects companies by limiting the effectiveness of legitimate, requested e-mail communication and inhibiting consumers’ willingness to participate in e-commerce.

Through this program, TRUSTe affirms, with a seal stating ?We Don’t Spam,? that the e-mail reputation and practices of the company have been thoroughly reviewed and have met strict standards that eliminate the threat of unwanted email from the seal holder. The seal is to be placed on the website where the seal holder collects e-mail addresses and related personal information. TRUSTe monitors sealholder email performance with a proprietary list seeding system and a consumer complaint mechanism to flag investigation. This program, by raising consumer trust in data collection practices, will help companies increase online customer registration rates. In a pre-release trial, one company found a seven-percent increase in registrations when using the seal.

?A survey last month found that two-thirds of Internet shoppers decided not to register with a website because the privacy policy was too complicated or unclear. This marks a difficult and worsening situation for businesses that rely on trusted digital communication,? said Fran Maier, executive director and president, TRUSTe. ?Companies need a way to declare simply, clearly and believably ?we don’t spam.’ Our seal lets them say that with confidence and consumers now can trust they won’t be receiving unwanted email from these companies.?

The seal program was created with technical and financial support from DoubleClick and Return Path. TRUSTe provides certification, monitoring and oversight for Return Path’s Bonded Sender Program.

?Solid permission-based policies and practices are critical to both email deliverability and email acquisition improvements,? said Matt Blumberg, president and CEO of Return Path. ?To combat spam, companies need to differentiate themselves by having a stellar email reputation. With TRUSTe?s position as the leading consumer privacy advocate, this ?no spam’ accreditation program will help companies boost email acquisition rates by proving they are one of the good guys in email.?

“The TRUSTe Email Privacy Seal plainly demonstrates the integrity of our email policies. We increased registrations by more than 7% with the seal, and helped boost our overall email campaign metrics,” said Ian Harrison, vice president of business development, AskMen.com. ?The Email Privacy Seal helps consumers make a comfortable and informed choice to hear from us on an ongoing basis.?

?While we have always said that the spam problem could only be solved by a combination of legislation, industry self-regulation, technology and consumer education, until now consumer education has not been a focal point in the industry,? said Ken Takahashi, vice president of strategic partnerships for DoubleClick. ?This seal brings consumer education front and center by bringing clarity and trust to the critical opt-in process.?

Participants in this seal program must meet the following requirements:

1. Prior consent standard for commercial email
2. At a minimum, pre-selected option for house files
3. Opt-in for 3rd party mailings
4. No 3rd party sharing without explicit permission
5. Clear and conspicuous notice describing use
6. Easy to use, responsive, persistent unsubscribe
7. Privacy statement fully disclosing email practices
8. Willingness to participate in dispute resolution and ongoing monitoring

TRUSTe, the online privacy leader, is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling individuals and organizations to establish trusting relationships based on respect for personal identity and information in the evolving networked world.

Founded in 1997, TRUSTe runs an award-winning global privacy certification and seal program. Its seal programs are considered Safe Harbors for the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the EU Safe Harbor Framework. Today, TRUSTe maintains the largest privacy seal program with more than 1,400 Web sites certified throughout the world including AOL, Microsoft, IBM, Nationwide and The New York Times. TRUSTe’s mission extends standards, certification and oversight into email with Bonded Sender. For more information on TRUSTe please visit www.truste.org .

Let’s face it, most people absolutely dread the idea of doing sales calls. Whether yours are done over the phone or face to face you probably get that feeling in the pit of your stomach as you get ready to begin. It’s understandable. Prospects can often be uninterested or worse yet, even rude! When you walk through the door their expressions seem to say “Not another sales guy. What does this one want to sell me?”

Did you ever stop and wonder why so many of them seem to have the same reaction? Are you ready for the cold hard truth? It’s you. Maybe not all the time, but more often than not, it is. When you walk into their office with a nervous look on your face and perhaps a slight quiver in your voice, you’re subconsciously communicating to them that you aren’t sure about your products, your services, your company or even yourself. For what it’s worth, much of this is a learned habit and therefor can be quickly unlearned.

By arming yourself with a few simple facts you can walk through the door with a new confidence and watch the productivity of your sales calls make astonishing progress.

Fact #1: Your prospects want your quality product or service . They are tired of dealing with the other guy - he always delivers late, poor quality and over priced products or services. They want you to show them how to work with you and turn the situation around!

Fact #2: Your prospect isn’t doing you a favor by purchasing with you, you are doing them a favor by allowing them to do business with you . You have the best there is to offer and they know that.

Fact #3: It’s not personal. If someone is rude when you walk into their office it’s usually got absolutely nothing to do with you. They could have had an argument with their spouse or got a speeding ticket that morning and took their frustrations out on you.

As many of you may already know, Microsoft has been developing a new version of their operating system called Windows Vista (formerly code named “Longhorn”) but you may not know how one of it’s new features will affect you, your company and your marketing.

RSS, or Really Simple Syndication has been incorporated into Internet Explorer 7 ( Longhorn RSS ) allowing users to display feeds right in their browser. This may not seem like a big deal, but it really is. Here’s why:

1. In the simplest terms, RSS opens up an entirely new channel for you to market your company through that most of your competitors, if any, will not be utilizing.

2. It allows you to provide information in a timely manner without any of the hassles associated with other methods such as email newsletters. RSS is never filtered out as spam because it is virtually impossible to use it for spamming.

3. Users will see your message every time they open their browser window. This gives you the ability to stay fresh in their minds.

4. The investment required to utilize RSS in your marketing is minimal and if you are already actively blogging then the investment is non-existant - yes, free!

So there you have it. Windows Vista + RSS allows you to use a marketing channel that most of your competitors don’t even know about, has no drawbacks and can be free! Too bad everything can’t be this easy.

Known as a technology leader in its category, the Hilton Garden Inn brand’s ESE is a 72-foot long, 67,000-pound, and 26-foot wide to-scale replica of a guestroom showcasing the evolution and future of Hilton Garden Inn guestrooms, featuring the brand’s latest offerings in technology and ergonomic comfort, including the Garden Sleep System? by VSS Sleep Systems?, a bed designed to promote a more restful sleep; the Herman Miller Mirra? chair; a 26? Philips flat screen, high-definition television; and an innovative alarm clock that allows travelers to play their MP3 or portable CD player.

These new amenities will be featured in new Hilton Garden Inn hotels beginning summer 2005, with all hotels offering the items by 2008.

?Stopping at WIRED NextFest makes perfect sense for the ESE,? said Mark Nogal, vice president of marketing for Hilton Garden Inn. ?WIRED NextFest showcases visionary companies and provides technology fans with an advanced look at the technology of the future ? so what better place to demonstrate the evolution of the Hilton Garden Inn guestroom and our commitment to giving our guests the latest in technology and comfort.?

Hilton Garden Inn has always tried to think ahead of its competitors, including being one of the first major hotel chains to offer complimentary high speed Internet access in all hotel guestrooms, as well as secure remote printing to the hotel’s 24-hour business center. We’re thrilled to add these new amenities, as we like to provide guests with everything they need, before they know they need it.?

When someone asks for your business card do you do like most people and simply hand it over? There’s a better way to do it that it can bring you more business without taking up anymore of your time. All you have to do is say “Do you mind if I give you a few in case you hear of someone else that may need my services?” You’ve instantly multiplied your potential for new business with one simple question.

A lot has been going on over the last few years in the search engine industry. Many of the optimization techniques that used to work exceptionally well in the past no longer work at all, or worse yet, can get your website banned. These changes have been a response to unethical website owners’ attempts to manipulate their ranking, often for keyword phrases completely unrelated to their website. In addition to that, there is a growing competition between the top three search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN) that is sure to foster some major innovation in the very near future.

We’ve already seen the release of Google’s patent and learned about TrustRank . We’ve seen the backlash over the beta of Google Print and Google Video. We’ve also seen both MSN and Yahoo begin to emulate many of Google’s practices with varying degrees of success. We’ve seen personalization begin to develop in all three of the top search engines along with a plethora of other features such as maps, blogging, and translation tools. We can only expect these efforts to expand and be fine tuned.