“Purple Nanny is a wildly-successful professional nanny hiring, screening and placement service here in Charlotte,” said Jay Joyce of The Idea People.  “Purple Nanny has 15+ years of in-home professional childcare experience and they are the Charlotte experts at hiring and placing professional nannies.”

The Idea People will develop a new national Purple Nanny website brand and standard for the professional nanny marketplace.  “In addition to the web design and social media marketing makeover, a large part of our project is to create a new social community for families and nannies to interact,” said Joyce.  “Obviously we can not give out too many details today, but this particular project will add fuel to the recent rise of new national dot-coms and large web-based businesses growing out of Charlotte.”

The new Purple Nanny website and social media community will feature a custom web application that will debut here in Charlotte during the Democratic National Convention in September 2012.  “Our goal is to showcase our vibrant and growing web technology community here in Charlotte by launching the Purple Nanny website, social community and web application for the world to see during the DNC,” added Joyce.

If your company would like to learn more about building technology-based websites, social communities and custom web applications, please call Jay Joyce with The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.

“We will be developing new social media touch points, creating and distributing custom content, and managing social media content to drive new volumes of traffic to the DealMed website,” said Jay Joyce, president with The Idea People.  “DealMed does business with over 7,000 physicians and more than 500 EMS agencies through providing quality medical supplies and inventory.”

DealMed’s online e-commerce website offers thousands of medical supply products from IV therapy to exam room supplies to pharmaceuticals to a complete line of diagnostic supplies.

“Social media marketing is emerging as a vital partner to growing e-commerce store customer referrals and new routes for sales,” says Joyce.  “As we develop a custom social media marketing plan for DealMed, we will emerge with an extremely focused and targeted social media channel to complement the company’s offline sales strategy.”

In addition to mainstream social media marketing channels like Facebook and Twitter, The Idea People will be introducing successful medical marketing social touch points like blogs, online forums, display advertisements, other websites, and public relations outlets.

“Our goal with a social media marketing campaign is to deliver a client’s content in a social manner and environment,” adds Joyce.  “Online consumers are smart and are looking to form social relationships with brands and companies that have their best interest at heart, and that is always our top mission when working with clients in social media marketing.”

If your company would like to learn more about creating and distributing targeted content through a social media marketing campaign, please call Jay Joyce with The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.

“Southeast Tubular is a very successful 10-plus year old manufacturing company that specializes in manufacturing pressure tubing, ornamental tubing, custom extrusion projects and alloys,” said Jay Joyce with The Idea People.  “Southeast Tubular has expanded their marketing and customer footprint across the south and southeast, and a new website, video and brand design is a top priority to continue this campaign.”

In addition to a new website redesign for Southeast Tubular, The Idea People will be creating a new company brand design and an overall marketing video that really reflects the company story and product offering.

“Website redesign is extremely important for companies needing to compete on the web,” says Joyce.  “And incorporating new marketing and branding elements within the website redesign are strategically vital because customer audiences are searching for content to become more educated and informed prior to purchases.”

If your company needs a website redesign, please contact Jay Joyce with The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.  Incorporating website redesign elements like new branding, stronger content marketing, and video production helps to tell a stronger and more focused story while building sales channels.

“It is only within the past several years that the topic of search engine optimization and targeted content development has surfaced in a mainstream manner,” said Jay Joyce of The Idea People.  “Google and their Panda updates have quickly evolved the manner in which really good and responsible web design companies, like The Idea People, work with clients in developing effective web design programs.”

Web Design with a 3-Pronged Approach

1.   Prong #1 – Creative Web Design – Creative strategy and design that makes sense.  The Idea People begin every client web design project with a creative strategy.  “We include not only the branding elements of colors, themes and logo assignments,” says Joyce.  “But we also include now-measurable elements like user comfort with the design and site flow, user trust levels, and the user’s ease of absorption for the site content and graphics.”  The web design must be user friendly and focus on a higher level of user experience and interactivity.  This encompasses the web site’s plan for expansion, video, audio, database elements, mobile and tablet platform displays.

2.  Prong #2 – Search Engine Friendly – “It’s amazing at how quickly the industry term of ‘SEO’ flew into our client’s conversations with us,” says Joyce.  “The industry focus went so far away from design and content toward scientific and technical skills literally over night.”  Technical search engine optimization skills are obviously important in the practice of designing our client websites to be user and search engine friendly.  Technical SEO skills are an integral part of how The Idea People develop and maintain client websites.  “While the SEO techniques that we use are implemented to make our client websites rank higher in organic search engine results, our primary focus is to make each page inside the website more search engine friendly,” says Joyce.  “We want high rankings for our client websites but only in a long-term, strategic and highly-appropriate manner.”

3.  Prong #3 – Content Development Strategy – “Now that we have designed a creative website presence and prepared it to be search engine friendly, we focus on the evolving element of each website, which is the content,” says Joyce.  “The Idea People have always believed in content, writing and messaging for our client websites, carried through since we began designing websites in 1994.”  Content is the element of the website that changes frequently.  Website content development and content management strategies are vital to maintaining a client’s customer’s and prospect’s attention.  Content feeds the search engines and helps rank websites.  Updated and fresh content keeps our client websites relevant in the eyes of users.  “Fresh and professionally-written content outlasts search engine algorithm changes and maintains an active and continuing relationship with our client’s target audiences,” says Joyce.

The Idea People can improve and change the way that your company website is indexed, perceived and absorbed by your customers, prospects and even the search engines.  Call Jay Joyce with The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com for a private appointment to discuss improving your company website performance.

“We are not seeking any entry-level or mid-level experts for any of these positions,” said Bill McCown, Chief Creative & Technology Officer with The Idea People.  “To say that we are searching for the best talent and minds in web development and mobile software development is an understatement.  We want the industry’s thought leaders and senior level developers.”

The Idea People are seeking experienced web and mobile software minds for these positions:

• Ruby on Rails Senior Developer
• Senior Web Developer & Web Team Motivator
• Android Mobile Software Designer
• iOS Mobile Software Designer
• UX Web Senior Designer

“Charlotte is emerging as a go-to city for companies searching for an incredible blend of creativity and technical ingenuity,” says McCown.  “The unbelievable level of web technology talent here in Charlotte is attracting outside interest, and as a leading web development company, we are quickly becoming one of the premier go-to web companies to bridge the offerings together.”

For qualified web professionals, please visit our Careers page to see our openings.  “Again, we only want to meet with the industry’s best web technology and mobile software minds,” says McCown.  “The clients and projects that we are developing require advanced levels of creativity and leading technologies so we can create applications and websites that have never been seen before.”

“When we were in Atlanta in 2000, our agency saw the meteoric rise and fall of the first dot-com era,” said Jay Joyce of The Idea People.  “The Internet business plans and ideas that we are seeing 10 years later are still brilliant in concept but very much separated from the VC-fueled frenzy  a decade ago.”

In part, the advances in both web-based technologies and mobile devices have rekindled the flame for business-savvy people to bring their Internet-based business ideas quickly to fruition.  The economy is also playing a role in people wanting to secure their own futures to either supplement their career earnings or replace them.

“Right now, we are meeting or working directly with 11 individuals who have presented their Internet-based business plans and ideas to The Idea People,” says Joyce.  “Each individual is in a different stage of idea development with three plans specifically funded and moving forward into development.”

Factors Pushing the Dot-Com Entrepreneurial Revival in Charlotte

1.  The Internet works well for niche-oriented concepts and ideas.  Charlotte has an entrepreneurial spirit that is helping to fuel people’s thoughts and inventions;

2.  The advances in technology, along with long-term, experienced digital companies like The Idea People, make speed to market a deciding factor to push forward with dot-com business ideas;

3.  The lower cost to market entry in 2012 makes it easier for individuals to self-fund Internet projects and not need to rely on venture capital like a decade ago;

4.  Dot-com entrepreneurs have a decade of exposure to all things Internet, web and technology, which makes them smarter and more-informed Internet business minds.  They can actually envision their idea or business model concept and create storyboards with desired technology and functionality;

5.  Product and service audiences are hungry for innovations, new Internet ideas, and web offerings that can increase their enjoyment, enrich their lives, and propel them to form new brand loyalties with online brands.

“2012 is an exciting time to be an experienced web, mobile and digital marketing agency, ” says Joyce.  “And to be here for the beginning of the second wave of dot-coms, remembering what we all learned back in 2001, creates an incredible opportunity for dot-com entrepreneurs and The Idea People to partner to create strong, vibrant, niche-oriented Internet business models that can be successful for the long run.”

If you have an idea or a plan for an Internet business model, and you would like to discuss it with a company that is deeply experienced with Internet entrepreneurs, please call Jay Joyce with The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.  The Idea People can take your concept and plan straight through to launch with experienced, strong on-going marketing support.

Imagine brochures, letters, advertisements or websites without content…it just makes no sense.  The written word is still the driving element to motivate and cause people to react (outside of video, of course).  And it is hard to find really good content developers who are also content marketers.  Content developers write content.  Content marketers write content and deliver it in the correct format to a targeted audience.

With the algorithm evolution at Google focused more on delivering relevant content to searchers, there will be a resulting boom in companies hiring their own content developers and content marketers.  And why not?  If the search engines are going to focus the delivery of search results based on the freshest, most relevant content, then companies will need to develop a content development and content marketing strategy…not only for the web, but for how the company delivers messaging across every medium.

Predictions for Content Marketing – from The Idea People

1.  Writing custom content for the web will continue to strengthen and grow in importance as the search engines take the lead from Google on delivering the freshest, most-relevant content to searchers;

2.  Digital agencies that can offer clients both a creative design and content marketing service (like we do at The Idea People) will be in high demand;

3.  Companies will begin to adopt content development and content marketing strategies…not only for the web but for all customer communication channels;

4.  We will see new job titles emerge at progressive and smart companies…Director of Content Marketing, Vice President of Company Content, Director of Content Communications;

5.  A tighter partnership between “creative web design” and “content development” will emerge as the search engines reward websites that “look and feel appropriate” matched with “fresh, highly-relevant” content.

“We have always supported the blending of creative design with custom content development and content marketing,” said Jay Joyce of The Idea People.  “Because we can offer both a professional creative design impact mirrored with custom content development in-house, we bring our clients a powerful opportunity to seamlessly evolve with better search engine results right along with Google.”

To learn more about custom content development and content  marketing, please contact Jay Joyce at The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.  We work with every client on custom creative design blended with focused content development across web, print, marketing, social media and video.

Outdoor living is a crowded marketplace, to say the least, in Charlotte.  Elements of Charlotte needed immediate impact  and attention in the marketplace to jump-start their new business.  “We came to The Idea People because of their strong business and marketing success track record here in Charlotte,” said Joseph Hawley, president, Elements of Charlotte.  “We told them that we needed impact, a strong brand, recognition and a sense that we have been in the Charlotte marketplace for a long period of time…a hefty order for sure!”

The Idea People researched brand names for the new company and locked-in with the name “Elements of Charlotte.”  The brand name and design is familiar, attractive, and represents a full-service spectrum of outdoor living offerings that Elements of Charlotte was going to offer.  “We were thrilled when The Idea People showed us the brand ideas and designs that they suggested,” says Hawley.  “We immediately loved the name and visual appeal of Elements of Charlotte and did not hesitate to move forward.”

The Idea People immediately started launching the social media and content-focused Blog posts into the Charlotte marketplace with an Internet marketing campaign prior to the website being designed and launched.  “Our goal with the early Internet marketing and social media campaign was to begin to deliver the brand name and service offering in early January for search engines and Internet browsers to begin to notice the offering,” said Jay Joyce with The Idea People.  “It has worked fabulously because the marketplace was practically dormant in January and February while our social media and Internet marketing plan took hold quickly.”

The Idea People drafted content-rich Blog and PR posts in January and February offering free incentives for pond maintenance customers to sign-up early with Elements of Charlotte for their spring pond cleanouts.  “The results have been absolutely amazing,” says Hawley.  “We were booking pond cleanouts and pond maintenance customers before our main website was even launched!”

A keyword and content-focused Blog and PR campaign can deliver quick search engine ranking results.  “Our website pre-launch strategy was to deliver focused content to the search engines via our social media and Blog posts to create a place-holder for when the main website launched,” said Joyce.  “In this specific case, it worked like a charm.”

“We have booked new pond cleanout jobs, pond design and build jobs, and landscaping jobs strictly from the Internet marketing, website and social media campaigns,” added Hawley.  “After our website launched, we dovetailed in with a direct marketing letter campaign that reinforced our messaging and service offering to homeowners in the Dilworth, Myers Park, and specific Charlotte neighborhoods.”

The key to a successful Internet marketing and social media campaign is focused content, consistent messaging, consistent delivery of fresh content, and extreme focus on one mission at a time.  “The Elements of Charlotte success story is one more reason to how every business should focus on developing and marketing custom content to their marketplace,” added Joyce.  “In addition to technical search engine optimization behind the scenes of the website, every business needs to focus on the delivery of fresh and highly-relative content to achieve the search engine rankings and sales goals that they need.”

If your business would like to learn more about competitive Internet marketing, custom content development and Social media success, please contact Jay Joyce at The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.  We look forward to working with you to develop a comprehensive approach to marketing your company and growing your new customer sales.

“RevMax is a Charlotte-based manufacturing company of performance torque converters, transmission rebuilt kits, and replacement valve bodies for cars and trucks,” said Jay Joyce of The Idea People.  “They are wildly successful and hired us to create a robust E-Commerce platform to extend their footprint in their vertical markets.”

The new RevMax website features a creative treatment  never before seen in the automotive and truck parts marketplace.  “We have developed a patentable web-based software tool that will allow an auto parts novice up to the street racing expert to seamlessly find and order their desired parts,” added Joyce.  “This new web app and web software will revolutionize the torque converter, transmission and replacement valve body marketplace.”

The RevMax website and E-Commerce web platform will launch in April 2012, including a massive social media and Internet marketing campaign.  “Be watching for the ‘animals’ to be cut loose and launch a fantastic surge for RevMax to dominate and own their vertical marketplaces,” added Joyce.

If your company would like to improve your E-Commerce or custom web software access to more online customers, please call Jay Joyce at The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.  The Idea People can replicate and automate internal manual processes to empower your customers to do business with your company via the Internet.

“Elements of Charlotte Outdoor Living is a full-service outdoor living company with an environmental twist on the four elements of water, earth, air and fire,” said Jay Joyce of The Idea People.  “They are a one-stop company that coordinates a customer’s pond, water feature, landscaping, new patio or retaining wall construction, and premium lawn care, plus everything that is outdoors.”

The new Elements of Charlotte Outdoor Living website was designed around the four outdoor elements of water, earth, fire and air.  Under water, the company provides pond and water feature design and build plus pond service and maintenance.  Under earth, the company provides landscaping, hardscaping, patios, retaining walls, lawn care and urban garden design and maintenance.  Under air, the company designs and builds outdoor living projects that grow into the air, like gazebos, pergolas, and popular butterfly gardens.  And under fire, the company designs and builds outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, and outdoor lighting.

“The Idea People have quite literally built our business from an idea that my wife, Maran, and I brought to them,” said Elements of Charlotte owner Joseph Hawley.  “They are incredible from the creativity to the marketing strategy to SEO and everything about the web.  Matter of fact, they have taken us to the top of our keyword string strategy in just one month!”

The Idea People can help your company create and grow brands like never before.  From web design to Internet marketing to custom web applications and social media, The Idea People can bring more impact to your business and drive new customers and resulting sales.  Call Jay Joyce at The Idea People at 704-398-4437 or email jay@theideapeople.com.  What we do works.  And we can make it work for your brand and your product or service!