Below is an excellent infographic with some great tips to help you design the perfect logo. 
Also, don't forget to research your competition so your logo doesn't resemble theirs! I see a lot of logos looking very similar, so do ensure yours is unique and different.

 My grandfather was a tulip grower during the last century and times were difficult in post-war Holland. They lived with 7 children - all girls - near a town that was bombed over 100 times during the war. But him and his brother managed to make a success of their business as they developed  half a dozen unique tulip varieties.

Now, some 65 years later, these beautiful tulips are still exhibited at the famous yearly Keukenhof Flower Show in Holland and are sold world-wide.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw this variety - Flaming Parrot - in a garden centre here in Queenstown, New Zealand. (I actually got tears in my eyes..). I planted them last autumn and this is the result. 
I have given these bulbs to several friends as a present - with the story of my grandfather who developed this variety. It makes it much more personal and my friends love them too..

By telling a story, you can add value to your product or business. Whether it's the history, the people or whatever the background, it adds an extra dimension, something to remember you by and an emotional connection. Just like with these tulips.

So, what are the stories you can tell about yourself and your business/products?

Till next week, Marijke

​Call to action buttons are an effective way for people to book, register, download or whatever you want them to do on your website. When you look at a website, your eye is automatically drawn to buttons that stand out.

Here are a 5 tips to ensure you have the best call to action buttons on your website:

1. Action-packed words. The words you use on your button will encourage people to click. Keep the sentence short, but ensure they have meaning (rather than just ‘click here’). A sense of urgency works well too. For example: 
- free 15-day trial
- reserve your seat now
- book now
- shop the 2-day sale
- download whitepaper
- take this course
 
2. Location  on your website. The location of the button is vital! The best location is at the top of the page or near the top. And ensure you have a call to action on each page!

3. Large and legible text. Use a simple, easy to read font.

4. Size of button. Ensure your button is large enough to stand out with a bit of white space around it. 

5. Colour of button. The best colours are green or orange. If these colours don’t work with your branding, just ensure you use contrasting colours so they stand out. 

So, spend a bit of time improving the action buttons on your website for improved sales!
Have a great weekend, Marijke

Do you check your emails on your mobile? Chances are you do. And so do the majority of people. You have a spare minute and quickly scan your emails to see whether any of them should be read now.

You see 3 lines (take your phone and have a look):

1. The top line has the name or organisation of the sender, or just their email
2. The second line is the subject line
3. The third line is the first line of the email text.
   
   

The emails you tend to open are the ones have:

• Name recognition: the sender’s name must be clear. Sometimes, people use ‘Office’ or ‘info’ as their name. These emails are more likely to be ignored. Ensure you have your own or business name as your email name (or both!)
• Relevance and timeliness: if the subject lines speaks to the interest of your audience, it gets opened.
  
• Urgency: nothing like a deadline gets people to open an email.
  
• Curiosity: how can you spark interest? Use sentences starting with: Did you know, top 10…, secrets of, how to… etc.
  
• Offers: aahh, everyone loves a deal! If you can spark interest with a limited time offer, people will open your email!
  

One more little tip re subject lines and mobile phones: when you look at your mobile phone, you only see the first six words or so of your subject line. Ensure the first few words have a strong punch!

So check your name is recognisable and ensure your subject lines attract the attention you want!

Click here for info on Mailchimp Email Marketing Courses in October 2017 in Te Anau and Queenstown, NZ- register now!

Till next week, Marijke