Week 7 Group Member Facebook Page Visits

For Week 7, I provided commentary on the following group member Facebook Pages:

Elena Cohen – The photo of the sunset behind the pier is visually stunning.  Great work.

David Durham – I like the “hands free” capability of a poncho.

Peyton Jansma – The logo is captivating.... It arouses curiosity in me.

Guiliana Lopez – Your photo is well-suited for your business.  You give a vibe of a person that is very focused and listens carefully.

Lynne Stewart – I did not comment on this page because I couldn’t determine what it is trying to portray.

Engaging Your Customers

1.     US Foods

www.facebook.com/usfoods

I selected this company because they are a leading provider of food industry suppliers of raw and finished products.  As the company grows, it will be necessary to establish a business relationship with entities that can ensure an uninterrupted supply stream.

2.     SYSCO

www.facebook.com/SyscoCorporation/

I selected this company because they are a leading provider of food industry suppliers of raw and finished products.  As the company grows, it will be necessary to establish a business relationship with entities that can ensure an uninterrupted supply stream.

3.     The Knot

www.facebook.com/theknot

The Knot is a local wedding planning company.  I selected this company because I believe that my product can add value to the created memories of events like weddings by being part of the table arrangement.  Alignment with an event planner like this will ensure a continuous stream of customers who will have a positive association with my product.

4.     The Grand Tradition Estate

www.facebook.com/GrandTraditionEstate/

The Grand Tradition Estate is Business established for the hosting of extraordinary (over-the-top) weddings.  I selected this company because I believe that my product can add value to the created memories of events held here by being part of the table arrangement.

5.     The Fallbrook Village News

www.facebook.com/FallbrookVillageNews/

The Fallbrook Village News is a small local newspaper that serves Fallbrook, California and a parcel od smaller nearby communities.  It is intimate if not very focused on depth of content.  It does have loyal readership and I believe that as an advertising medium a relationship with them could help to grow my fledgling business.

6.     Pechanga Casino and Resort

www.facebook.com/pechanga/

I selected Pechanga Resort because it is a very large hotel that is close to my home and I believe would be an excellent place to help establish my product as a premium brand.  I envision distribution to high profile clients of the resort or as a table item for planned events as appropriate.

7.     Marine Corps Community Services Camp Pendleton

www.facebook.com/mccsCP

This entity was chosen as an opportunity to establish a relationship with a well-liked military community.  I foresee an opportunity to have my product associated with prestigious and memorable events such as high-level retirement ceremonies and changes of command.

Post Reach vs. Post Engagement

Post reach pertains to the actual number of views that your Facebook posting receives.  This is just a count of the actual viewing sans any additional activity.  Post engagement is all the additional activity that the viewer engages in while viewing your post to include but not limited to responses, clicks, and sharing.

It is important to know the difference between the two to correctly assess the effectiveness of your posting.  Post reach is important to have but post engagement is more critical.  Metrics gleaned from post engagement will help the savvy entrepreneur to improve interaction with actual and potential customers.

Facebook Insights is an online tool that allows businesses that use Facebook for marketing purposes to track posts engagement by customers and potential customers.  The data provided enables users to determine when and where their posts are most effective.  It tracks a wide variety of data points (likes, unlikes, sharings, demographics, etc.) but the entrepreneur can determine what metrics they consider most appropriate for their business.  The use of Facebook Insights is critical to a successful marketing campaign using Facebook.

WEEK 5, POST 2

Target Market for MoBetta Cookies.

The market targeted by MoBetta Cookies consists of any and all individuals seeking to purchase small quantities of gourmet cookies via the internet for personal consumption or for distribution as a gift to friends, family or others.

Week 5, Post 1 - Defining a Target Market

For my Week 5 Post 1 blog I reviewed the first set of websites that belonged to Armstrong Garden Centers and Myrtle Creek Gardens.

My initial observation of the Armstrong Garden Center (AGC) website indicated that I was about to delve deeper into a well-executed and very modern platform.  The AGC website is commensurate with formatting associated with Instagram® with its bright and colorful picture-laden display.  There appears to be careful and deliberate determination of prioritizing frequently used links within the website.  It is immediately clear that this website supports an organization that has multiple outlets to sell their products.

AGC emphasizes growing the capabilities of their customer base in a manner that should lead to additional business.  It appears to me that their defined customer base are home owners interested in DIY landscape projects.  The website indicates that AGC wants to ensure that their customers are in the best position be successful with their respective landscape ideals.  There are numerous calls for action that focus more on building confidence than pushing for sales.  Everything about the website indicates an extremely high level of technical acumen in its execution.

The website for Myrtle Creek Gardens (MCG) is commensurate with the community in which this business resides.  Fallbrook, California is something of a “throwback” to yesteryear town that shuns the big box stores routinely found in more urban municipalities.  MCG’s website appears to be dated but it is functional enough that the user will not have difficulty finding what they are looking for.  MCG emphasizes the experience of the surroundings over support for DIY projects.  There is a scarcity of calls for action, no pressure here, as MCG is whispering an invitation to you drop in, take a little walk, smell the roses, and when you’re done with all of that, drop into one of their little cafes and talk with us about your experience.

The website for MCG dances to the drumbeat of the Fallbrook community.  It’s slow, charming in its simplicity, and functional in its intended purpose.

Although both businesses sell gardening products there isn’t likely to be much crossover between their customers.  I would consider AGC to be a big box store that competes indirectly with Home Depot, Lowe’s, and other businesses in that genre.  MCG has a target audience that is focused on a more intimate experience that enables them to encounter old acquaintances, occasionally meet new ones, drink a glass of chi tea, and perhaps purchase a rake and some grass seed before leaving.

Postings Reviewed During Week 4

I reviewed postings this week by the following bloggers:

David Durham - https://csit155-sp19-durhamd.blogspot.com/

Mary Goulet - https://csit155sp19maryg.blogspot.com/

Peyton Jansma - https://csit155-sp19-peytonj.blogspot.com/

The blog format established by Peyton Jansma is truly exceptional.

Websites I Frequently Visit

MyPay - https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx

Craigslist - https://sandiego.craigslist.org/

MyPay is the Defense Finance and Accounting Service website utilized by active, reserve, and retired military service members along with Department of Defense civilian employee’s website that provides a secured accessible electronic database housing leave and earnings statement, tax records, and a host of other payroll related files.  Craigslist is an electronic “classifieds” website used for all the purposes associated with newspaper classified sections in items for sale, employment opportunities, and a host of others.

My primary purpose for the use of MyPay is to review documents associated with my military retired pay.  There are very few alternatives to this website to procure the information that I regularly seek regarding my retired pay.  None of the other available sites combine all of the elements related to military retired pay into a single secured website.

The MyPay website is devoid of personality and looks very much like standard government issue with little to no frills.  Form definitely follows function but the various elements are displayed in a logical sequence in a complete menu list.  There is a simplicity to the website that is appreciated by those who are directive communicators and do not require fluff.

I believe that MyPay is not as secure as it could be.  Like most secured websites that require the use of member names and passwords, MyPay requires user to provide a non-customizable list of responses to security questions like “What is your mother’s maiden name” or “What was the first concert you attended.”  However, if you inquire with MyPay and indicate that you do not know the password or the security question responses they will still enable you to have a new password sent to an email address you have on record with them.  If your email has been compromised, your MyPay account is extremely vulnerable.  A hacker could easily redirect your monthly electronic pay to an account of their choosing.

The Craigslist website is relatively simple but does have a bit of a learning curve to use efficiently.  It is not intuitive and there isn’t much logical sequencing in the steps.  It is close to bare bones in its appearance which seems to be by design to closely resemble a newspaper classified section.  It’s not the only game in town but it has emerged as the national industry leader in classified articles.

Craigslist does a good job of providing anonymity to its users and shields them from hackers.  However, the website could do more to provided warnings to users of the dangers associated with conducting business transactions with unknown persons in places that have higher degrees of vulnerability in potentially hostile conflict.

Principles of Good Social Media Design

For the Week Four Assignment, I will be discussing the positive and negative aspects of four websites.  I will initially discuss the positive content of two well-crafted websites, identify points of strength in their aesthetic appeal, and provide a bullet list of features of the website that I found appealing and effective.  Secondarily, I will discuss the negative content of two websites, identify potential problems for visitors, and then provide a bullet list of plausible steps to improve the website.  Finally, I will discuss how I was affected by the branding of each website reviewed.

The Good….

§  Toyota – https://www.toyota.com/

§  National Park Service – https://www.nps.gov/index.htm

Toyota and the National Park Service have developed websites that are equally highly functional and aesthetically appealing.  The first thing that jumps out at you when you click on the Toyota website is a very well displayed photograph of their latest offering.  On the middle side of each photo is a selectable arrow that will navigate you to the next model in their lineup.  Toyota forces you select a dealership in your area so that you see only those deals and model offerings available in your area.  The National Park Service takes advantage of high-level imagery to capture the attention of the viewer.  The initial image displayed is clearly designed to capture the attention of the viewer and draw the viewer into a deeper quest for information.  The single-click drop-down menu is exceptionally well-crafted and enables the viewer to remain partially focused on the initial imagery.  Placement of critical navigation elements fall naturally into standardized locations thus making them readily visible.

Appealing and effective elements….

·        Imagery – Excellent placement of products and dynamic display

·        Menu – Navigational ease

·        Format – Things are right about where you expect them to be 

The Bad….

§  Gates N Fences – http://gatesnfences.com/

Gates N Fences provides a website that suffers from information overload and from a heavy hand with technical jargon or “shop talk.”  It is not a terrible website but it can definitely benefit from a refinement process.  The website is not a secured site thus the information that the user provides to them is subject to tampering.  Users within the industry may not have too much difficulty with this website however we surfers that are not familiar with the industry will find it challenging to find what they are looking for.  The website has numerous grammatical errors and use of shop talk that may be alarming to viewers unfamiliar with this type of website.  The website suffers from information overload with far too much data on the initial display.

The website for Gates N Fences can be improved by the following processes:

·        De-clutter the cover page – reduce the informational content

·        Greater emphasis on their brand – business name should be a prominent display element

·        De-emphasize the use of brands whose products they sell and service

·        Secure the website  

The Ugly….

Jami Lin’s Passions – http://jamilin.com/

This was unquestionably the worst website for an active business that I have ever seen.  The website is shockingly littered with grammatical errors and misspellings.  It bespeaks a lack of professionalism that is inevitably associated with the Jami Lin brand.  This website is not salvageable and should be replaced by a professional rendering immediately.  The proprietor is clearly challenged with the English language and needs help with this.  It is not clear to me what is the product of emphasis.  Perhaps an anti-aging snake oil of some kind but your guess is as good as mine.

I cannot offer plausible solutions to improving this website.  It is tantamount to a stage four cancer patient with open serosanguineous wounds.  Deep six it and start from scratch.

Blog Post Week 3 Part 2

1.  Albertson’s

2.  https://www.albertsons.com/#1

3.  Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram are all readily visible.

4.  Albertson’s make extensive use of all their social media sites with excess of 1,000 users in all platforms.

5.  a. Facebook – February 9, 2019

     b. Snapchat – November 2, 2018

     c. Pinterest – Cannot determine without logging in

     d. Twitter – February 9, 2019

     e. YouTube – April 24, 2018

     f. Instagram – Cannot determine without logging in

6.  It appears to me that Albertson’s focuses heavily on Facebook and Pinterest more than the others.

1.  In-N-Out Burger

2.  http://www.in-n-out.com/

3.  Facebook

4.  In-N-Out Burger does not appear to make extensive use of social media to further their business agenda.

5.  Facebook – January 3, 2019

6.  Facebook is the only social media for In-N-Out Burger

1.  Volkswagen of Murrieta

2.  https://www.vwofmurrieta.com/

3.  No visible social media sites on their web page but Volkswagen of Murrieta does have a Facebook page.

4.  Volkswagen of Murrieta uses Facebook as an advertising platform.

5.  Facebook January 6, 2019

6.  Facebook appears to be the primary social media platform for Volkswagen of Murrieta.

1.  Al and Ed’s Autosound

2.  https://al-ed.com/

3.  Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and GooglePlus are all readily visible.

4.  Al and Ed’s Autosound makes extensive use of Instagram.  This is their primary social media platform.

5.  a. Facebook – December 10, 2018

     b. Instagram – Cannot determine without logging in

     c. Twitter – August 18, 2018

     d. YouTube – Non-specific date 10 months ago.

     e. GooglePlus – The URL for GooglePlus is inoperable.

6.  Instagram is the primary social media platform for Al and Ed’s Autosound.

Blog Post Week 3 Part 1(Glenn Mosely)

1.  Have you ever experienced difficulty communicating with a business?

Most definitely.  I am surprised by the manner in which some businesses will actually make it difficult for you to contact them in their endeavor to push customers and clients towards websites to obtain the information they seek.  These businesses assert that customers and clients will be able to navigate their websites with remarkable simplicity and be amazed by the ease.  I assume that they believe the cost savings gained by reducing the customer service footprint results in both higher profit margins and satisfied customers. SMH.

2.  Does social media make it easier to get noticed or get your problem solved?

Social media can be a very effective advertising platform for the savvy entrepreneur and help them get attention from potential customers.

3.  Have you ever had a positive experience communicating with a business through social media?

If it was your own business on social media, how would you respond to positive or negative comments?

Describe what made your experience negative or positive.  Break content into paragraphs.

I can only recall the use of YELP as a means to communicates with businesses via social media.  I have used YELP to provide feedback to businesses whose services or products I have used.  My responses reflected both positive and negative experiences.

As a prospective entrepreneur, I would give serious consideration to all feedback that I receive on social media.  I would be deliberate in ensuring that I show appreciation for positive feedback and explore opportunities to gain repeat business and new clients.  If I received negative remarks, I would be careful to not take the remarks personally.  I believe negative feedback provides the small business owner an opportunity to strengthen weaknesses in his venture.  Where drawbacks exist beyond the scope of my business I would seek to focus the customer on those benefits my business offers and do that which is reasonable to satisfy the needs of the customer.

I specifically recall that my most favorable impression of a business was with a local dentist named Charles White.  He is an exceptionally skilled craftsman with over 40 years of experience.  He has a well-trained a highly professional staff that work from a clean and well-organized office that is not a mill trying to push through as many people through as quickly as possible.  Dr. White has a wonderful since of humor; his wild stories are enough to make me look forward to going to the dentist.  I gave him 5 stars on YELP.

On the negative side, I recall the unfortunate experience of being sent by a prospective employer to United Healthworks for a physical exam.  The staff was very indifferent and the wait time was extremely long.  I was holding my bladder for an extended period to provide a required urine sample.  After approximately 90 minutes of waiting time, this situation was descending towards an emergency.  I asked the UH staff if I could be allowed to give my urine sample and then continue to wait to be seen by the licensed medical practitioner. They would not allow it!  After about another 30 passed I made an emergency trip to the toilet which did not go very well.  I had no choice but to leave after that little incident.  Since I did not provide the required urine sample while I was there, my application for employment was disqualified.  I gave UH the most scathing review on YELP that I could muster.

Blogs I Reviewed This Week

I reviewed and published comments on blogs belonging to Giuliana Lopez, David Vernon, and Michelle Jordan.