http://localhost/immerge/index.php en william@immergetech.com Copyright 2010 2010-04-03T21:53:22+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/quick_facebook_tips_for_businesses/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/quick_facebook_tips_for_businesses/#When:21:53:22Z While Facebook isn’t perfect for every business, I’ve got a couple of tips for you to get the most out of your Facebook fan page. 1. Have a Call to Action When making posts, be sure to have a call to action. Letting people know you are open for breakfast is important. Instead, post that customers who come in for breakfast and mention the Facebook announcement then the customer will receive 5 percent off of their meal.   2. Use Direct Share When you post to your fan page, your post appears in the news feed of your friends. This is good brand exposure. However, you can directly market to your friends for even greater impact since someone might miss your post in their feed. Now, don't abuse this! Be thoughtful and personal when using this feature. You're not just posting to the world anymore. You're sending right to a person's email. 3. Request Feedback Thinking about offering a new service or about carrying a new product? Ask your fans what they think! You might just receive valuable feedback. There are some pay-based poll/survey Facebook applications in the marketplace that you can setup quickly. But really, you can just post the question and a thread will be generated once someone comments. And all of the individuals that comment are notified when someone else comments. This is a great community builder and can provide invaluable insight for you as a business owner. 2010-04-03T21:53:22+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/improve_your_firefox_browsing_experience/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/improve_your_firefox_browsing_experience/#When:19:26:13Z Firefox is my preferred browser for 95% of my Web surfing. Firefox is typically the fastest browser for most users. One issue that most users may not know about is that every tab or new window you open uses more system resources from your computer. I’m going to share with you one way to improve your FireFox browsing experience. Firefox is my preferred browser for 95% of my Web surfing with Google Chrome and Internet Explorer making up the last portion. Firefox is typically the fastest browser for most users, though Google Chrome can load more feature-intense Web sites like your email client Google Mail (gmail). One issue that most users may not know about is that every tab or new window you open uses more system resources from your computer. You might think that just closing a window or tab in FireFox will release the resources back for other tasks on your computer. Well, actually it doesn't. You won't notice a problem if you regularly close your browser when you are done, but I know a lot of people who keep the browser left open, typically with a few of their favorite sites left open. Over time, this can really slow down your computer. So, before walking away from your computer, close all the tabs and windows that you are done using and just leave the ones open you want to come back to later. Then, go to File > Exit and select "Save & Quit" when the alert box displays. Next time you open FireFox, the tabs you left open will open automatically for you. You might see an alert box asking if you would like to "Restore Previous Session." Go ahead and select the restore option, and you are off to the races where you left off but with a faster browsing experience! 2010-03-28T19:26:13+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/sbdc_social_media_marketing_presentation/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/sbdc_social_media_marketing_presentation/#When:05:17:47Z After giving a shorter presentation on social media and online marketing, I am presenting a longer version with more information on how to create a social media strategy and communicate well online. The full presentation is in PDF format. JMU Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center and Immerge Technologies, Inc. partnered Tuesday March 23, 2010 to provide a 90 minute presentation on electronic marketing a.k.a. online marketing to Harrisonburg and valley businesses. Presentation Outline: What is E-Marketing Well Known Types of Online Marketing Case Studies: Restaurant Pennybackers & Quicken Loan Services Determine Your Online Marketing Strategy Tips for Communicating Online The presentation also covers some good tips for creating an appropriate corporate Facebook page, including how to setup your clean url for easier marketing. If you missed the presentation, you can view a PDF of the presentation. We're working to schedule another presentation with Augusta County. To join our mailing list about upcoming seminars, send an email to info@immergetech.com.   2010-03-23T05:17:47+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/chamber/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/chamber/#When:00:20:21Z Friday morning was the Harrisonburg Rockingham Chamber Business Smarts breakfast at National College presented with the JMU Small Business Development Center. I was the guest presenter on the topic of e-marketing. I’ve included a PDF version of the presentation in the full post. Just click read more. This business smarts presentation is a shorter version of the full presentation, which will be presented on March 23, 2010 from 8am to 10am at National College. This shorter presentation presents common media platforms and their uses. The full presentation will focus on creating a social media marketing strategy that fits your business. Download Electronic Marketing Business Smarts Presentation 3-12-10 (PDF) More than 40 people attended the shorter business smarts presentation. If you haven't registered for the full presentation, visit the JMU SBDC event page now. 2010-03-13T00:20:21+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/immerges_justin_creasy_and_united_way/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/immerges_justin_creasy_and_united_way/#When:15:56:10Z Immerge's own Justin Creasy has been spotlighted for his work with the United Way in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. View the PSA in the full blog post. Immerge's own Justin Creasy has been spotlighted for his work with the United Way in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. He and Immerge staff plan fundraisers like the annual Texas Hold-Em Tournament. If you haven't seen the United Way public service announcement commercials, then you are either not local or must have a dish. 2010-03-10T15:56:10+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/immerge_and_sbdc_launch_high_tech_low_cost_series/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/immerge_and_sbdc_launch_high_tech_low_cost_series/#When:16:25:17Z Immerge is launching a series of workshops and seminars in partnership with the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center. The series, titled “High Tech, Low Cost,” is an endeavor aimed at helping local businesses streamline their efficiency and cut costs through free or low-cost technology tools, electronic marketing and online business sense. Immerge is launching a series of workshops and seminars in partnership with the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center. The series, titled “High Tech, Low Cost,” is an endeavor aimed at helping local businesses streamline their efficiency and cut costs through free or low-cost technology tools, electronic marketing and online business sense.   When Immerge was founded in 2004, our owners immediately recognized the importance of using professional quality, yet affordable, technology to help maintain financial stability and organizational effectiveness. During these challenging economic times, we want to pass these tools on to other local businesses.   All series events will be held at National College at 1515 Country Club Road in Harrisonburg. The fee is $20 per workshop or $50 for the series. Event topics, dates and times are as follows:   February 4, 2010 (8-10 am): Technology Tools   March 23, 2010 (8-10 am): Electronic Marketing   April 13, 2010 (8-10 am): The Power of Email   Immerge will also be offering an abbreviated version of the Electronic Marketing workshop as part of SBDC’s “Business Smarts” series. The fee, which includes breakfast, is $10 for members or $15 for non-members.   March 12, 2010 (7:30-8:30 am): Electronic Marketing   For more information, please visit the Shenandoah Valley SBDC website or contact us.   Register for an event.       2010-01-21T16:25:17+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/new_staff_members_help_immerge_kick-start_the_new_year/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/new_staff_members_help_immerge_kick-start_the_new_year/#When:17:05:13Z Immerge is excited to welcome our two newest staff members, Catherine Creasy and Charlie Frank.   As Office Manager, Catherine provides administrative support to the project management, design and development teams as well as support for intern recruitment. Catherine received a bachelor’s degree in Music from James Madison University in 2005 and a master’s in music from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007. Before coming to Immerge, she was a project coordinator for Shencorp in Dayton and a legal assistant in Roanoke. She continues to work as a part-time adjunct horn instructor at Sweet Briar College.   Charlie Frank became an intern for Immerge last fall and will now serve as a programmer with our team. Charlie graduated from James Madison University in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Before coming to Immerge, he programmed sites for an online tutoring company as well as created ear-training software for musicians and built several Firefox add-ons.   To find out more about Catherine and Charlie, as well as the rest of the Immerge team, please visit our Team page. 2010-01-11T17:05:13+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/twitter_tips_for_your_business/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/twitter_tips_for_your_business/#When:19:32:35Z Twitter is an important marketing tool to consider when contemplating online marketing for your business. Twitter is playing an ever-increasing role in online marketing. The concept is simple: You type messages and people who are "follow"ing you see them. That's pretty much it. Figuring out how well your business can monetize a presence on twitter can be important in growing your web presence and marketing yourself on the web. I've come up three important rules to help get your business started on twitter. What will you tweet? You need to figure out what you're going to tweet. For some businesses this is very obvious, but for others it can be an interesting question. If you are running an online store your twitter should be dedicated to tweeting about new product lines and offerings - as well as coupons and deals. A realtor would most likely want to tweet new real estate listings. Focus on what is important and don't bother tweeting every miniscule thing that happens to your business. If you can't fit your business into a small category of tweets like mentioned above, consider doing "news and updates" tweets and treat twitter as a microblog. You need to look good Credibility is very important on twitter. You want your followers to feel you are serious about who you are and what you offer. Design a good looking background for your twitter account that identifies with your businesses brand. Keep the style consistent. Make sure your links and text colors match your background. It sounds petty, but a stylish twitter profile is going to net you many more followers and much more business than the default look. Following the competition Follow your competition. Anything you put out on twitter is no secret to them anyways, so be a good sport. Tweeting to your comptetition shows how important and secure your business feels about itself and how serious it is about it's industry. Take part in discussions with rival businesses and do what you can to improve your relationships. Always remember to be respectful and business-minded. Your professional image is important to uphold. 2010-01-04T19:32:35+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/new_year_old_you_moving_forward_through_looking_back/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/new_year_old_you_moving_forward_through_looking_back/#When:23:21:22Z This year, Immerge decided to create an e-card to send to clients, partners and community members that would focus on the New Year. I thought it would be a great idea to incorporate this celebration of the future to create a retrospective of the Keezell Building, the historic structure that houses our offices. Each December, no matter how much has happened in a given year, I find myself flabbergasted that another 12 months have managed to pass by so quickly. And I think it’s true what “They” say, that this speed only increases as you grow older.   As such, come the week after Christmas, I can often be found staring wistfully out the window, reflecting on the past year and contemplating the future. The eve of 2010 is no exception.   Inspiration Through Exploration This year, Immerge decided to create an e-card to send to clients, partners, and community members that would focus on the new year. I was immediately attracted to this idea for several reasons (the first being my aforementioned penchant for reflection).   I enjoy the overall festiveness our culture places on a “new year, new you,” giving us all the opportunity for a fresh start, perhaps mixed with the wisdom we gained in the previous 365 days. I believe that this outlook, as well as general well wishing, can be an important part of personal and professional relationships alike.   The main reason why this particular project excited me did not come until I took a second look at the place in which I work every day. I walked into our office one morning and admired, as I normally do, the generous amount of sunlight streaming through our 10-foot windows.   However, this time I started thinking about the building itself. When was it built? Why were those windows so large? Who had been here to enjoy them before me? And wouldn’t it be an interesting exploration to incorporate into the New Year’s card? So I decided to embark on a little journey to the library.   I grew up in Rockingham County, about 10 minutes from downtown Harrisonburg, and I am absolutely in love with this area. I’ve been most recently captivated by the sheer abundance of history that can be found here. Two years ago, I took this interest and channeled it into a documentary I made about growth and development in the area. Since then, I’ve jumped at opportunities to continue to learn about the stories behind local places I see every day.   The Keezell Building intrigued me in much the same way. The more I researched it, the more I was struck by what a varied past it had. This also led me to consider how Immerge’s place in the building served as an apt representation of our own relationships in the community and our commitment to that community’s development and revitalization.       The Keezell Building: A Retrospective   Photo courtesy of Cheryl Lyon   Immerge Technologies was fortunate to move into the Keezell Building in 2006 and, in so doing, became a part of the rich history of the building, downtown family, and greater Harrisonburg-Rockingham community.   When considering the larger picture, however, Immerge is only a small and very recent part of the Keezell Building. The many businesses and organizations across years and industries that have called this place home lend a strong foundation to its present state.   Built in 1907 and now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the Keezell Building was a project undertaken by Virginia State Senator, and Rockingham County native, George B. Keezell to house the Harrisonburg Daily News (now the Daily News-Record).   Senator Keezell was an advocate for creating a knowledgeable citizenry in all its forms and was critically instrumental in having the Normal School (now James Madison University) located in Harrisonburg. Some may note that Keezell Hall on JMU’s campus is also named for this important figure.   The Keezell Building is not only a part of the Downtown Harrisonburg and greater Harrisonburg-Rockingham spheres, but is also a community unto itself. Over the past century, it has housed private residents, businesses, schools, and public, private, and governmental organizations, with the longest-term tenants being the Daily News-Record, Garber’s Shoe Store, and the public library.   The diversity in occupants is far reaching – across the spheres of education, politics, the arts, health and fitness, fashion, and charity. Among them are two schools of music and a business college; studios for music recording, art, and dance; a country grocery; two clothing boutiques; an animal adoption center; the city’s first Pilates and yoga studio; and most notably, the original offices for Rosetta Stone, as well as the first presidential campaign headquarters located in Harrisonburg (for the Barack Obama campaign of 2008).   The markings of this long past are evident in Immerge's offices today, perhaps the most obvious being our individual work areas. During various points over the course of the Keezell Building’s previous lives, interior walls were erected to cordon off smaller workspaces or living areas. Today, this division of space is perfectly suited to Immerge’s multiple programmers and designers maintaining their own creative environments.   But just as our predecessors did before us, so too will Immerge leave its own mark on this building’s history. We hope that you’ll join us on our journey.     Photo courtesy of the Massanutten Regional Library Archives     Keezell Businesses and Organizations (Past and Present) For a list of past and present Keezell occupants that I’ve been able to track down thus far, please see below. If you have corrections or additions, please contact me at nicole@immergetech.com.   1907-1941 Daily News-Record 1910 Imogen Avis Palmer’s School of Music 1927 Hartman’s School of Music 1927 Valley Book Shop (books, stationary, film processing) Garber’s Shoe Store (40 years) 1931-1951 Public library 1955 Harrisonburg Business College 1992 Fairfield Language Technologies (now Rosetta Stone) 2001 Norman’s Recording Studio 2001 The Mitten Gallery ?-2002 The ReSource Network Quillen Optical 2006 Tutwiler Virginia Country Store 2006 The Center: A Pilates and Yoga Studio 2006-2009 Larkin Art Studios 2006-present Immerge Technologies 2007 La De Da 2008 Barack Obama’s Harrisonburg Campaign Headquarters 2009 Greg Ward Productions  2009-present Cats Cradle 2009-present On the Turtle’s Back 2009-present Inner Goddess Studios   2009-12-30T23:21:22+00:00 http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/article/adventures_in_business_shen_valley_business_journal_qa/ http://immergetech.com/index.php/site/adventures_in_business_shen_valley_business_journal_qa/#When:05:53:05Z The following is a Small Business Q&A compiled for the Shenandoah Valley Business Journal. Their questions and my answers follow. The following is a Small Business Q&A compiled for the Shenandoah Valley Business Journal. Their questions and my answers follow. Describe your business, and tell us how long you've been running it:   Immerge Technologies, Inc. is a full-service web design and software development agency founded in 2004. We help a number of local businesses establish a Web presence. We also provide complete, custom software for clients, who include Rockingham County Schools, Staunton City Schools, JMU and the federal government.   What prompted you to open your own business?   The founders of the company are all JMU alumni. We were in classes together, and we enjoyed working together, so much so that we began to do undergraduate research together. Our work turned into one sale to another university, helping us with the capital we needed to start our business.     What has been the biggest lesson you've learned since then?   I have learned the importance of finding talented people to hire and delegate responsibility to. I have been working on inserting myself into situations only when needed to provide guidance or set standards. I want a business that lasts longer than my participation in it.     What has been the biggest obstacle you've encountered, and how did you overcome it?   Our biggest obstacle was that we did not have the real world experience to match what we were offering. We had come directly from academia. We spent the first 3 years of our business taking projects more for the reputation than for the profit. Now, we are seeing the payoff.     What agencies or organizations have been helpful resources for you?   Some of the best support has come from groups like JMU’s Small Business Development Center. The SBDC provides a series on QuickBooks for new businesses. The local Harrisonburg and Rockingham Chamber of Commerce provides good networking opportunities.     What effect has the national recession had on your business, and why do you think that is?   This year, we have had the fortune of government clients. We were able to provide more benefits to our employees and add new team members. Our typically strong base of small business clients decreased a bit. Those that we did work with knew the importance of building their marketing in a down economy.     What advice would you give someone considering opening their own business?   Find trustworthy advisors with experience in your industry. Make sure you hire an account early on to help establish good accounting practices, so that you can track your progress. Hire a small business lawyer to make sure you have strong contract templates, and be sure to define your terms of service. 2009-12-20T05:53:05+00:00