The workshop will include training sessions and an expert panel, and one-on-one breakout sessions will focus on more concentrated market development opportunities. Prior to the workshop, each participant will complete an online assessment of their business expansion prospects.  Gaining a preliminary understanding of the markets of the participating businesses, the workshop facilitators can offer specialized consulting insights specific to their markets.  Executives and upper level managers from manufacturing and distribution companies are encouraged to attend.

The workshop facilitators will include representatives from the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), who will help participants with product marketing messages, design modifications, and international distribution channel development.  ECI Find New Markets will help participants with target customer identification and market research in both domestic and foreign markets.  The South Carolina Department of Commerce will update on the State’s international market opportunities.  The United States Department of Commerce will explain how it can help businesses connect with customers abroad through its global network of embassies and consulates in over 80 countries.  Strategic Marketing International (SMI) will present promotional strategies that include online marketing, direct marketing, and sales pitches to penetrate new markets and acquire new customers in new industries such as Aerospace and/or international markets.  The Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT) will present virtual simulations and 3-D modeling technology to help new potential customers understand how the participants’ products work and the associated benefits.

The February 22^nd event will take place at the York County Chamber of Commerce.  The address is 116 East Main Street, Rock Hill, SC  29730.  The cost is $25 per person and includes lunch.  The workshop begins sharply at 9:00 am.  Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 8:30 for networking.  To register for the event, call Teresa Kirby at 803-252-6976 Ext. 0.

Video demonstrating the power and benefits of using virtual reality for manufacturers. Training, sales and marketing, and market research are just a few ways that simulation can help manufacturers

Lakeside Steel and Machine specializes in heavy steel fabrication, critical engineering and problem solving, CNC machining, and general welding and machining.

South Carolina’s leading economic development engines along with statewide private consulting groups will host a Business Growth Workshop in Greenwood on January 25.  The workshop is designed to help businesses increase profitability by expanding into new markets.  Market development opportunities presented will include new industries (such as aerospace, medical devices, nuclear energy, and transportation, etc.) as well as new geographic markets both domestic and abroad.

The workshop will include training sessions and an expert panel, and one-on-one breakout sessions will focus on more concentrated market development opportunities. Prior to the workshop, each participant will complete an online assessment of their business expansion prospects.  Gaining a preliminary understanding of the markets of the participating businesses, the workshop facilitators can offer specialized consulting insights specific to their markets.  Executives and upper level managers from manufacturing and distribution companies are encouraged to attend.

The workshop facilitators will include representatives from the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP), who will help participants with product marketing messages, design modifications, and international distribution channel development.  ECI Find New Markets will help participants with target customer identification and market research in both domestic and foreign markets.  The South Carolina Department of Commerce will update on the State’s international market opportunities.  The United States Department of Commerce will explain how it can help businesses connect with customers abroad through its global network of embassies and consulates in over 80 countries.  Strategic Marketing International (SMI) will present promotional strategies that include online marketing, direct marketing, and sales pitches to penetrate new markets and acquire new customers in new industries such as Aerospace and/or international markets.  The Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT) will present virtual simulations and 3-D modeling technology to help new potential customers understand how the participants’ products work and the associated benefits.

The January 25^th event will take place at Piedmont Technical College in the James C. Self Conference Center.  The address is 620 N. Emerald Road, Greenwood, SC  29648.  The cost is $25 per person and includes lunch.  The workshop begins sharply at 9:00 am.  Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 8:30 for networking.  To register for the event, visit http://www.ptc.edu/coned/111-about-ce/610-ce-course-listing-professional-development .

- Dave Kroeger, President of Kroeger Marine Construction

Click here to find a TACC center near you or call Tim Sinclair at 803-206-3536.

In today’s competitive market, you need only look at some of the large retailers to determine what does and what does not work from a design and information architecture perspective (navigation and usability). They have spent a tremendous amount of time, money and resources so that you do not have to. When considering your navigation approach and information architecture, simply look at what the big guys (Overstock, Ebay, Amazon, Target etc..) are doing. Now, that is not to say that clever design elements, creative navigational layouts and Flash do not have a place. For certain businesses such as artists, designers, or digital agencies, the slick design elements can have a purpose from an aesthetics perspective. However, overall it is about function over form when trying to develop a user-friendly business tool.

Here are a few “Do’s” and “Don’ts” that you want to consider when beginning your web development project or website redesign:

DO NOT turn your web development project over to a web designer and assume they are well-versed in SEO best practices which are designed to make sure your site is found in the major search engines(Google, Bing and Yahoo). SEO is a completely separate discipline from web design, and if it is overlooked early on, you will be retrofitting the entire site down the road.

DO consult with a navigation/information architect expert to make sure that you have a functional website that is simple to use. Both humans and search engines likes to see content items grouped by common themes, so conducting some basic information architecture exercises will help guarantee you have a functional, easy to use website.

DO NOT allow your web developer to talk you into building a site entirely in Flash. Although Flash elements can serve a purpose, the negative far outweighs the benefits from a search engine optimization perspective. We have yet to find a website built in Flash that has good visibility in the search engines. This does not even consider the plug-in download/updates required and the usability problems with Flash websites.

DO ask for references from any design group you choose and actually follow up with those references. Ask them how the designer did with deadlines, if they exceeded expectations, and ask them to provide some feedback on how their recent redesign helped their business overall.

DO NOT let your “friend’s cousin” build your company’s website because he/she took a web design class in summer school and is going to “give you a deal.” Would you allow someone who took an entry level accounting class to prepare your company’s tax return? Our guess is probably not. You should approach your web development project with an understanding that you are hiring a professional to develop a quality business tool for your company.

DO seek out professional, digital marketers who have web development experience. Even if you have a highly talented internal staff, it will benefit you greatly in the long run to have an objective, outside observer who can lead you down this path. A good digital marketing professional will have a clear understanding of how the search engines operate and how content should be structured and repurposed for the web.

DO conduct on-going usability testing. Usability testing is a discipline that is often overlooked and is extremely important. By implementing some pretty basic content organization exercises, usability testing will help your development team identify how/where users are being confused by your website. Then you can make those minor adjustments prior to launching your website. Keep in mind that poor usability not only affects the user, but also impacts the search engine bots’ ability to quickly crawl and learn about your website.

Follow these simple guidelines and you will help ensure a successful website launch or redesign for your organization.

Please contact SMI today to learn more about how we can assist you with your web development and digital marketing efforts.

Navigation is a key component of web design, relating directly to its success and profitability. I think Eric Miller makes a very good case for keeping navigation simple. You will often hear the SMI team make reference to this very critical piece of the puzzle. As digital marketers, we can push traffic all day long to a website, but if the user becomes confused by the navigation and hits the dreaded “Back” button, what have we really accomplished? Also, how information is organized within a chosen navigation framework is very important to both the search engines and the user. Search engines favor content that is highly organized and is “siloed” into themes. In other words, the search engines like to see information architecture that is clear and concise. This will impact both the visibility within the major search engines, and the user experience once they reach your website.

We recommend that you follow these basic guidelines, and you will avoid a lot of retrofitting down the road.

1. Navigation Should Be Easy to Find (Very Easy)
Web users are impatient, and they’re not going to hang around a site very long if they can’t find their way around. Navigation should be a prominent element of your design. Since it will often take up much less space than other elements, it should stand out enough so it doesn’t get lost amongst a sea of content. The most common location of a button bar is across the top of the page, as users should not have to scroll down to navigate further into your site.

2. Keep it Consistent
Site navigation should appear in the same location on every page of a site. It should also maintain the same style, type and colors. This will enable users to get used to a site and feel comfortable browsing it. If navigation were to jump from the top to the left, disappear, or change colors from section to section, frustrated visitors are more likely to go elsewhere.

3. Use Obvious Section Names
The section names of a site, especially as labeled in the navigation, should clearly state what lies behind them. Obscure, general words like “resources” and “tools” should be avoided when possible, as they only lead to users clicking on multiple buttons before finding what they are looking for. Stick to obvious button names such as “news” and “podcasts” to avoid confusion.

4. Less is More
Too many navigation buttons, while leading into more sections, may just leave a user with too many choices. A long list of options keeps the visitor from getting into the most important content areas of your site. Instead, consider drop-down menus that break down top-level buttons into sub-sections. Also be careful about too many separate navigation bars. It is common to have up to three options for member-based content-driven sites (such as one main navigation, one for user accounts, and one at the bottom for legal disclaimers). However, if they aren’t clearly defined the user won’t know where to look, or click, and three separate choices is already pushing too many. For simpler sites, such as a portfolio, stick to one.

5. Remind the User Where They Are
Once a user clicks into a site section, it’s a good idea to remind them where they are. Use a consistent method to highlight the section a visitor is in, such as a change in color or appearance. If the site has more than one page per section, be sure to leave the button clickable so users can use it to get back to the main page of that area.

Contact SMI today to learn more about information architecture and website navigation as it relates to online marketing and search engine optimization. Proper, prior planning is the cornerstone to our website development approach.

‘Champion of Change’ Helps US Rise to Challenge of 21^st Century

UEC Electronics President Rebecca Ufkes is being honored at the White House on Thursday for creating quality domestic jobs via innovative efforts.  UEC created a cost-saving electric power system that will help save lives of troops in Afghanistan.  The system, named GREENS, lowers the need for diesel fuel power by using solar and battery power to power laptops, tactical radios, tent lights, and battery charging.  By diminishing the need for diesel fuel delivery to unsafe areas filled with explosive devices and snipers, the GREENS system saves lives in addition to energy.  Current orders exceed $10 million, and an additional 5,000 units are expected to be produced over the next 5 years, creating jobs for the local community.  UEC President Rebecca Ufkes serves as a board member of the South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (SCMEP) and is heavily involved in local and state business initiatives.  Being honored as a ‘Champion of Change’ proves her commitment to her community by seeking innovative solutions that create energy savings and jobs in South Carolina.

UEC Electronics is a woman-owned small business founded in 1995 in Hanahan, South Carolina.  The company’s engineering expertise includes several disciplines: electrical, electronics, PWB/PCB layout, software development, mechanical, modeling, simulation and packaging. Manufacturing capabilities include complex electromechanical assembly, circuit card assembly, cable and wire harness assembly and system integration.  UEC’s quality management system is ISO 9001 and AS9100 registered, and the company’s Dunn & Bradstreet rating of 3A1 places UEC in the top one percent of all business in the D&B databank. Further, UEC has continued to experience steady and organic growth at an average, annual rate of 15 percent over the past 15 years.

“SCMEP is proud to be associated with UEC Electronics and Rebecca Ufkes as a board member and client.  Her commitment to commerce in the state of South Carolina is to be commended and celebrated” says SCMEP President John Irion.

For more information about UEC Electronics, visit their new website at http://www.uec-electronics.com/ .  For more information on how SCMEP can help your business, visit their website at http://scmep.org/.