Xapsis

Do I Really Need a Blog?

If you want to increase traffic to your website, help others with your knowledge and boost your credibility in the online world, the answer is yes. You know your business like no one else, and the rest of us can benefit from your unique insight. You’ve most likely built on your expertise by listening to customers’ needs and solving their problems with just the right products or a bit of advice. Why not take what you’ve learned and offer it up to others who might be experiencing the same issues? They’ll love you for making their lives easier, and the search engines will reward you for providing fresh, high-quality content.

What else is in it for me?

Even if they’ve never dealt with you in person, readers are likely to return to your site to see what you have to say or sell. In addition, they may very well share your blog posts with others who might find them valuable. Besides gaining extra exposure, you’ve just made yourself look even better in the eyes of Google and other search engines. Social media sharing and frequent blog posts are great ways to rank higher on SERPs, or search engine result pages. By sharing your posts via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms, users are essentially offering up your words as proof of your site’s credibility.

How do I come up with blog topics?

Let your business be your guide. If you’re a plumber who gets a lot of emergency calls during certain times of the year, consider offering tips for avoiding the most common issues. Restaurant owners could address particular aspects of tipping etiquette or the histories of certain dishes. However, the more you can narrow a topic down, the better. Providing detailed information that solves a very specific problem is a valuable service. Of course, how-to advice isn’t the only way to attract loyal readers. Your insider’s perspective on hot topics in your industry – especially if you have a unique take on them – may attract social media interest. Even if your post doesn’t go viral, creating useful content adds to the user experience and increases the value of both your website and brand.

Stacy Calvert
Copywriter

Xapsis vs. Google: A Comparison

by Amy Kennard, Copywriter/Marketing Strategist

I like to think of Xapsis as the “Google of the Midwest.” OK, so, we can’t bring our pets to work (nor would I want to) and there’s not exactly a free concierge service or on-site daycare, but there are some striking similarities.

Here’s the comparison:

Free coffee!

Google: Free breakfasts, lunch and dinner for employees, with coffee and juice bars scattered throughout campus.

Xapsis: Weekly food days and first dibs on treats dropped off in the lunchroom since it’s right across from what we refer to as the “Xapsis Zoo.” Also, an awesome Easter Island coffee station.

Google: Employees can give each other "massage credits" for a job well done on projects. The massage credits can be redeemed for a free one hour massage on campus.

Free Nerf wars!

Xapsis: Though I’m sure not too many employees here would turn down a free massage, we prefer to express our kudos with a friendly Nerf war.

Google: Free fitness classes and gyms; on-site showers

Free exercise program!

Xapsis: A twelfth floor location and some less then reliable elevators make for some great workouts. And being downtown gives employees plenty of access to Riverfront walks. We also offer a small sink and loads of free paper towels for after-exercise cleanup.

Google: Free concierge service to handle errands such as oil changes, dry cleaning, car washes or haircuts.

Xapsis: Generous, one-hour unpaid break per day to handle errands such as oil changes, dry cleaning, car washes or haircuts.

Google: Exposure to amazing people and great thinkers. One Google employee said, “We are surrounded by smart, driven people who provide the best environment for learning I’ve ever experienced. I don’t mean through tech talks and formal training programs; I mean through working with awesome colleagues – even the non-famous ones.”

Xapsis: We couldn’t have described ourselves better if we tried.

Seems we’re more like Google than we first thought! The fact that we’re a great bunch of people in a fun work environment means we love what we do so we work that much harder at it. So contact Xapsis today if you’re ready to maximize your budget, minimize your worries and energize your brand’s presence. And you’ll get to work with some really cool people in the process.

Are eXtraterrestrials haunting Xapsis?

by Amy Kennard, Ghostwriter

Is it just this spooky time of year or are paranormal things really happening in the Xapsis world?

I’m kind of on the fence as to what I believe about “other beings” and the afterlife and whatnot. But I’m not gonna lie, when people start seeing and hearing things around here that NO ONE can explain, it does make me wonder if we’re not alone – at least at 331 Fulton.

Take the weird, cylindrical orb someone spotted above our building in downtown Peoria the other day. Too oddly-shaped to be a plane, too fast for a bird, too close to consider it a satellite. Multiple people witnessed this “UFO,” for lack of a better term. And as quick as it appeared, it was gone.

Then there was the glimpse of a grayish, alien-looking anomaly an employee actually captured on camera in the back stairwell. In fact, there have been numerous reports over the years of not only lurking shadow figures, but random banging noises and muted whisperings to the point that no one wants to go to the bowels of the basement alone.

Passive poltergeist or devious doppelganger? What’s up is anyone’s guess. “Not much is available on the actual history of the building, other than it dates back to the early 1900s,” says Fred Krueger, building maintenance man, who spends many nights working late and supposedly alone. “I’ve heard footsteps when I know for a fact there is no one else here. It’s definitely unnerving.”

We’ll keep you posted on any more signs or sightings from the other side…

Happy National Punctuation Day!

by Amy Kennard, Copywriter/Marketing Strategist

OK, so it’s probably not as celebrated as Groundhog Day or the start of Daylight Savings Time but to us grammar nerds, National Punctuation Day (September 24) is our time to celebrate all things that make us stop, pause, question, exclaim, interject or quote.

Most people take punctuation for granted. They assume that while they’re typing on the keyboard, the commas, hyphens, apostrophes and quotation marks will just flow from their fingers and drop right where they need to be.

Not always the case. Even a seasoned writer such as me has to make an occasional visit to the web to Google “em dash versus en dash” or to brush up on AP Stylebook versus Chicago Manual of Style. But it makes a difference. And if you don’t know the difference when you’re looking at your own marketing materials, then you should probably leave it to someone who does. Because nothing is going to shoot down your credibility or make your message misunderstood like a bunch of misplaced commas, run-on sentences or string of ellipses that leave you wondering, “AND???”

Consider how a simple comma can save a life:

Let’s eat Grandpa!

vs.

Let’s eat, Grandpa!

See how punctuation changes the meaning of a simple sentence, depending on the gender of the editor:

A professor wrote the following sentence on the board and asked his class to punctuate it:

Woman without her man is nothing.

The men in the class punctuated the sentence in the following way:

Woman: without her, man is nothing.

The women responded:

Woman, without her man, is nothing.

And readers probably skipped this recipe from Rachel Ray:

While these examples are humorous, having incorrect or non-existent punctuation puts your marketing materials at risk of being misunderstood or, worse yet, not being taken seriously. Xapsis has a team of copywriters and editors who will ensure that your website and other materials are punctuation perfect in order to get what you’re really trying to say across to your customers.

Make Your Dream a Reality

By Stacy Calvert - Copywriter at Xapsis Integrated Marketing

Ask any leader how to go about achieving a goal, and the answer will probably be that you must first clearly define the goal. Seems self-explanatory, but the truth is that most of us have no idea what our goals are beyond vague notions of being thinner, fitter, richer, more educated, etc. We may not know what those adjectives even mean to us; we just know we’re not there yet.

Without measurable goals, it’s pretty much impossible to know whether you’re on the right track. Beyond that, though, it’s a whole lot harder to visualize the end result when you don’t know exactly what that is. For example, you know you want to boost your website traffic, but you’re not sure what constitutes a reasonable expectation. Do a little research, create a measurable goal, and chances are you’ll find yourself more motivated to take the necessary steps to make it happen.

Once you have something tangible to work toward, you can actually begin visualizing the results. Attach sticky notes to your monitor, keep a journal, create an inspiration board – do whatever it takes to transition from the realm of fantasy to real-life possibility. Living with images of your goals makes them seem not only possible, but actually a part of your everyday life. It’s easier to stay motivated about a worthwhile goal than to toil away at something that seems like a pipe dream.

If you’re a business owner, don’t relegate your dreams of effective branding and a dramatically improved bottom line to the world of fantasy. Contact Xapsis today to find out how you can make your goals – whatever they may be – become reality.

Boost Sales by Providing a Unique Customer Experience

When trying to figure out what customers want, it can be tempting to assume that low price is the most important buying driver. While saving money is certainly important for most consumers, it isn’t always the deciding factor. Upscale grocery stores illustrate how a great shopping experience often trumps price in the battle for consumers’ grocery dollars.

Even when money is tight, people feel the need to treat themselves. This explains, in part, why shoppers sometimes choose pricier stores over budget-oriented options. Splurging on high-end chocolate or coffee costs far less than many other luxury purchases. But to keep customers coming back, these stores must do more than offer luxurious food products; they need to make shopping seem like an experience.

In addition to a wide selection of tasty treats, the retailer has to offer something shoppers can’t get at every store in town. The store itself must convey a sense of special-ness in its décor, atmosphere and service. That feeling must also exist in e-mail communications, sale flyers and other marketing materials. It’s essential for the customer to get the sense that the store occupies at least a little space in his or her life because it adds something of value.

This concept applies to all kinds of businesses. Your business has a personality all its own, as well as something special to offer those in need of your products or services. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar store, sell products online or offer services via traditional or online avenues, conveying the unique value of your business is crucial.

From Facebook posts to direct mail pieces, provide customers and prospects with a true experience. Contact Xapsis today to find out how we can unify your marketing efforts in a way that earns your business a space in customers’ lives.