Bayareagraphics's Weblog

Reducing Vendors Saves Time & Money

bayareagraphics — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:50:17 +0000

Now more than ever, Florida businesses need affordable web design and marketing services. With so many Florida graphic designers, website designers, printers and SEO companies to choose from, our clients tell us it was mind-boggling at best when they started looking for a marketing firm to hire.

If you think about what types of services are needed on a daily basis to maintain a small business, generally it involves hiring 4 or 5 vendors at a minimum. Need a logo designed– hire a graphic designer, now that you have that, you’re ready to hire a Tampa, Florida web designer– and you’ll need website updates and SEO– will you need to hire a company for this as well? New businesses need business cards and often times other marketing materials such as brochures, catalogs, postcards, mailing services— and let’s not forget about your company shirts. Keeping up with each vendor is doable, but it sure would save time and money to hire one firm that can take care of it all, and now you can.

Bay Area Graphics & Marketing offers just about everything a small business owner in Florida needs. From website design and web marketing to printing and graphic design we’ve developed a business model that truly makes it easy to get what you want, saving time, and money. Our SEO services have been proven successful for our clients, who are happy with obtaining search engine optimization services for their Tampa, Florida businesses “on the fly.” Affordable hourly rates for SEO and website updates, including fresh content for your websites makes it easy to get just what you need, nothing more or less. We don’t force you into a costly monthly marketing plan because quite simply, most businesses don’t need it. Good SEO techniques have good residual effects on organic ranking, so a little can go a long way, depending on your situation.

Many Florida graphic designers charge anywhere between fifty and over a hundred dollars and hour. Many businesses simply can’t afford that right now. We’ve been charging the same reasonable hourly rate for years— This helps the smallest mom and pop business to larger corporations obtain the same quality graphic design services, for the same affordable rate. All of our services are a la carte and there are no hidden fees, charges or gimmicks.

Since 2001 Bay Area Graphics & Marketing has been providing marketing and design services to Tampa, Florida and surrounding Florida counties. We’ve listened to what our customers want and need, kept our “humble” attitude– appreciating our customers, both new and old. Affordable marketing, web and graphic design services for Tampa, Florida businesses–with a whole lot of customer service. We serve small and large Florida businesses. To see if we can assist you, visit us at http://www.websitestampabay.com.

Ensure Website Marketing – Choosing a Web Designer in Tampa

bayareagraphics — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:53:53 +0000

Partnering with a web designer in Tampa who understands all aspects of marketing ensures added quality to your website design project. There are many creative, established Tampa Website Designers and your small business can gain more recognition by utilizing a firm who has marketing experience.

Prior to building your company website we will discuss website marketing strategies which will be incorporated into the initial web design. In other words, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) must never be an afterthought. Affordability is very important, as well. Getting more for your money often requires that your website designer have a good working knowledge of graphic design, web design and website marketing and it should come together to create a website that is effective on many levels. Planning should include provisions for rich content that we will incorporate into your website. Search engine optimization strategies and website marketing services will be offered at an affordable rate for your existing site. Ranking and marketing begins with the proper website design and balancing aesthetics that will be pleasing to your visitors with keyword rich content and structure that will help you rank on the search engines.

Bay Area Graphics & Marketing has been providing Tampa Bay business owners with professional, friendly and affordable web design and marketing services since 2001. Please visit our website at http://www.websitestampabay.com to see a list of services that we provide that will make your small business shine!

Always Right on Target!

Website Design Tampa, Most Affordable Advertising

bayareagraphics — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:39:29 +0000

If you are concerned with the success of your Tampa area small business you will have already learned which modes of advertising are successfull. Drawing attention to your small business ad is crucial. Are consumers really picking up those small local papers anymore to find local advertisements? If you are advertising in a local paper, you may think the readership for that local paper is sufficient, but can you truly determine the “open” rate? In other words, a smart business owner could utilize a service such as an online newsletter, E-zine or custom designed email marketing campaign to determine just how many people are… at the very least , opening your advertisement. What about the telephone book (yellow pages?) Are consumers using their telephone book to find your business or as a booster seat for their children or grandkids? All I can say is that the yellow pages serve as a pretty efficient booster seat in my home these days.

With advertising dollars and marketing budgets being scrutinized more now than ever before, it makes sense to work with a reputable Tampa Website Design and Marketing Firm, one that will provide you with a professional, honest opinion as to how to make your small business website for your Tampa Bay business or organization work for you. And most importantly, how to do so at an affordable rate.

Common Sense vs. Dollars and Cents.

Let’s talk dollars and “sense”— that’s common sense. For less than a thousand bucks, you can have a website developed that provides you with an immediate internet presence. For a modest price of one-hundred-fifty dollars a year, you can keep your website hosted providing 24/7 information ads and content for your customers and prospects. That’s probably equivalent to dinner and drinks with friends.

You simply cannot get local print advertising for that amount of money with equal run time. Although some can’t comprehend it, it NEVER makes sense to shut down your website, whether you’re in Tampa, Florida or New York, N.Y. simply to save money. If you’ve shut down your business for good by all means, flip the switch on your hosting . Once you’ve paid a website developer to create and launch your Tampa website, it makes sense to keep it updated and working well for you.

Most business owners who are the wiser may be wondering why I would even blog about this subject. Trust me; you would be mortified to know how many Tampa Bay area small business owners who, having been faced with tough times (and even in brighter economic times) will take down their website in an effort to save fifteen dollars monthly in hosting fees.

Quite possibly, some still feel that we’ve really only been digital for a short time when you put it in perspective. Small businesses survived long before the internet was around, and many people still feel that surely they will survive without a website —if need be. Eventually, the competitor (everyone has one) who maintains their Tampa business website will surge ahead in sales, quite possibly putting their “website-less” (I know it’s not a word) competitor out of business, permanently.

Unless you’re in that very small percentage of folks who still use the telephone book to locate a local product or service –then justification of my theory regarding print and web advertising is supported by nearly everyone’s personal search habits. Who has time to browse a local paper anymore? Even if we have the time, most of us these days will choose the on-line version. Although I agree that reading the “paper” version of the newspaper is truly “a lost art.” Further I feel a certain sadness when realizing that the only purpose my phone book serves is to support the toddler who is sitting at my dinner table. Times have changed and online advertising has replaced print advertising for the obvious reasons.

Face it, if you need to find a Doctor in Tampa, Google it, need Pet Supplies, Furniture or a Nail Salon, Google it (or Bing it, Yahoo it, whatever.) Need a Web Designer in Tampa, Google it. As my 2 1/2 year old grandson says, “C’mon Peoples!” It just doesn’t make sense for any small business, no matter how small it is, to not have an online presence. Whether it’s a five page website or a 50 page website, it’s an advertisement that just about any business can’t afford not to have.

Search engine optimization and website content and updating services are highly affordable as well. In fact, we make it cheap and easy for Tampa bay business owners to obtain website design, SEO and website marketing services. It takes very little actually to boost your search engine ranking. Keep in mind, if you’ve recently hired a Tampa website design firm; be sure they develop your website with great content at the forefront.

For more information contact Bay Area Graphics & Marketing. We not only build great websites, we concentrate first and foremost on what it takes to build businesses online and off. We’re an affordable Tampa Web Design and Marketing firm and we’ve been growing businesses in the Tampa area since 2001.

Website Marketing Begins With Rich Content

bayareagraphics — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:49:32 +0000

Small business owners are looking for ways to market their websites. From ad-words to blogs to article marketing, website owners look to various SEO techniques to market their Tampa websites.

I am often hired to incorporate keyword rich content into existing websites to help boost rankings so I have the opportunity to work on websites that other website designers have created. I think that one of the single most important factors that is most overlooked is rich content. Some website design firms in Tampa are super talented when it comes to designing aesthetically pleasing websites however, when it comes to providing rich content many Tampa website developers are failing their clients.

It’s not cost efficient to hire a Tampa website designer to build a site that is barely optimized when launched. All websites should be optimized at the time of development–SEO shouldn’t be an afterthought. Certainly, there are SEO tasks that in most cases, will need to be fullfilled throughout the life of the site but getting off to a good start by launching an already optimized site is the key to successfull website marketing.

In short, it’s imperative to hire a local website design firm ( in this case, Tampa) that will implement relevant SEO tactics into your website design. Keyword rich content, proper internal linking and functional websites are only just a few things that Google and other search engines look for, yet it still boils down to beginning with original and relevant content.

Additionally, my Tampa website design firm includes basic site submissions to search engines as well as other SEO/SEM services, even with our most basic website design services and packages.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.websitestampabay.comthen click on the SEO links provided.

Choices, Choices- Website Design & Marketing, Tampa

bayareagraphics — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:46:05 +0000

We recently asked a group of small business owners and entreprenuers who were seeking marketing services, what they consider to be the most attractive aspect of a Tampa area marketing and design firm.

Most small business owners most always searched for the most affordable Tampa area marketing services . A very small percentage however, opted to work with a marketing firm that had all of the glam and glitz of an NYC advertising giant. Those folks didn’t mind absorbing the costs of their website designer’s or marekting firm’s luxurious habits. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing because without those firms, smaller, more affordable firms would likely have more competition.

What if you’re the average small business owner or entrepreneur who is just starting a new venture or jump starting an existing business? I can only comment on website designers in the Tampa area, but I’m sure it’s the same all over. Small business owners that we spoke with, are looking for an affordable Tampa website design company and they want and need the following qualities that comprise the perfect graphics and web designer who has a proven track record in marketing small Florida businesses.

*Creative, Knowledgeable, Affordable, Reputable, Reliable
*Available, Flexible and Local Website Design and Marketing
*Freelancers with a Stable Work History are Acceptable
*Small Tampa Website Design & Marketing Firms are Preferable.

How Did Most Tampa Business Owners We Spoke With Choose a Website Designer or Marketing Firm?

With all of the choices available to the small business owner choosing usually boiled down to making one or two phone calls—then, it was generally hit or miss. Why? Most small business owners, first have limited time and most know nothing about the website design or website marketing process. They don’t know what questions to ask or how to ask them. Many (most) ended up hiring “on the fly” and then end up spending more valuable time doing damage control 6 months later. Once they got over the shame of it, they had to start the process all over again.

We heard many website design and marketing tales and it amazed me how often small business owners, who had the best intentions, ended up with such poor service. From designers who didn’t know how to execute simple requests and poor customer service, to using freelancers who ended up ripping their client off—the stories amazed me.

Yet, you can’t judge that business owner because how many times have you, as a consumer had the same thing happen? I admit that I know zero about many things so when it comes time for me to “consume” I do attempt to research and compare prices. But if I’m going to be honest, I have, against all better judgment jumped right into some purchases with “blind trust.” I don’t recommend it and I too have been disappointed after making such reckless decisions… but hey, it happens to the best of us.

Sluggish Economy Makes Way for Innovation

bayareagraphics — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Have you or are you thinking of launching a new business in the Tampa area this year? Many people are contemplating starting new businesses despite the sluggish economy and in many cases have done so only after having been forced to find innovative ways to survive.

I’ve always been a “glass is half full” kind of person and I would like to believe that although some of us are facing devastating times economically my motto stands firm. “Where there’s a will there’s a way.” This applies to one’s desire to start a business based on natural talents and/or innovation.

I’ve spoken with a few people recently who share in my sentiment. Having recently experienced a layoff after having devoted all of their time and efforts to a company who seemed stable—like many were railroaded. To be let go with no notice and little or no severance they found out how deep their “will” ran. Despite their predicaments, these folks decided to rely on their talents and abilities to find niches that will not only help sustain them financially but some have realized that they are much happier than previously perceived! I was so impressed with their motivation that enabled them to move forward and to take a chance on a new endeavors. I’ve learned much about human resilience and how to look within to find the strength to embark on something new in the midst of a trial. It is admirable to say the least. It’s tough to start over and to begin new ventures. It can nearly suck the life out of you at times (if you let it) but nine times out of ten, there’ll be no regrets.

Most said the biggest challenge in starting over was determining what type of small business they wanted to build. With little money for start up costs they had to take a good look at their financial picture and allocate monies to areas that would bring forth the largest return. With a huge leap of faith these brave entrepreneurs decided to take what they had and first and foremost get a websites up and running. Surely it would produce the most favorable outcome in time. In other words, they were taking their business ventures seriously and—they had done their homework. Service based businesses don’t require much in the way of product or inventory so luckily, there is more to invest into marketing. Selling product can require more of an investment and you still have to be conscientious of maintaining reserves to market that product. The key was to limit the product initially, then build on your inventory as online sales increase.

What Every Small Business Needs, Bay Area Graphics & Marketing Has. Each one of the new small business owners recognized that they needed website design and graphic design services to start. Business Cards, Brochures and Postcards were next on their agendas and in small increments, they have obtained what they need to get off to a good start. With a lot of hard work and at times more faith they are succeeding. I know these new business owners will enjoy continued success in their local markets. Working for yourself is one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences you can ever have even if you’ve been “forced” into it.

About Bay Area Graphics & Marketing

Bay Area Graphics&Marketing; offers affordable services such as website design, graphic design and other marketing services– and clients can make just one call to obtain what they need to get started or to jump start their existing small business. Not all Tampa website design firms cater to small businesses but we do. We keep our prices affordable for everyone.

We offer just about everything a business owner would need to get their dreams off the ground and to keep it thriving. From logo design to SEO (Website Marketing)—we’ve got you covered.
If you’re starting a new business give us a call, we would be glad to provide you with a friendly, comprehensive quote for services. If you need affordable website marketing or printing services for your existing business we’ll offer you fast, affordable and friendly service. Visit www.websitestampabay.com for more information.

Tampa Website Marketing and Updates Easily Obtained

bayareagraphics — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:18:00 +0000

If you have a small or large business in Tampa and you’ve had difficulty obtaining website marketing services or updates from you original webmaster, then you’re not alone. Many of our clients who come to us to obtain website maintenance and updates for their websites have expressed their frustration with their former Tampa area website design firms. Most tell us that they were fairly satisfied with the design process but– once completed, it was either difficult or impossible to receive updates.

Often, cost was an issue and there was the issue of “communication breakdowns.” No call backs on requests for service was a huge problem. Tough as it is to believe… it’s true that many Tampa Bay area website design firms would rather make their money on designing websites and do not however make a priority of maintaining or updating the websites they’ve built.

Search engine optimization services usually come with a high price tag and often with mediocre results. So, what’s the solution to obtaining affordable small business website marketing and maintenance services in Tampa?

Choose a Tampa area website design and marketing company who is proven effective in offering above average customer service as this is in most cases, the key to success. There are more than enough talented website designers in the Tampa Bay area, and SEO (website marketing, search engine optimization services) seem to be easy enough to find as well. However, just because the talent is there, it doesn’t mean the service will be good. Website updates and website marketing is easy and affordable when you hire Bay Area Graphics & Marketing. Since 2001 we’ve been offering affordable web design, web maintenance and web marketing for Tampa area businesses. Visit our website at http://www.websitestampabay.com and read our reviews. Feel free to contact our clients for a reference or input and as always, contact us directly with any questions you have by calling (813) 948-1062 or email bagraphics@verzion.net.

Guide to Choosing a Website Designer in Tampa

bayareagraphics — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:21:00 +0000

With so many web designers to choose from in the Tampa area, how do you know exactly which one to hire to accommodate your small business website design needs?

Well, the answer is to take time to do some comparison shopping and to use a reputable website design and website marketing firm in Tampa, one that is established and who can provide you with good references. Pricing plays an important role in your decision making process. Most small businesses have a strict budget for their online business however, choosing the “cheapest” website designer isn’t always the best idea. Often times, using a Tampa web designer whose prices seem too good to be true, will often end up costing you more money in the long run. Fixing a poorly developed website, or correcting mistakes that challenge your website ranking, can end up costing a great deal more than you had planned. But how do you find a website designer in Tampa that can offer affordable website design and website marketing without forgoing quality?

Make a list of questions that you want to ask the prospective Tampa web designer. Some questions may be obvious and may include the cost of the website, how many pages will be included in your design, will your website include graphic design or hosting. You may want to know how edits, updates and changes to your website will be dealt with and the cost that will be involved.

Other questions may concern the writing of your website’s content. Is the designer an experienced writer with a background in website marketing? Can they initiate a call to action when writing your web content including page titles and descriptions? You should inquire as to how many clients the firm handles at any given time and always ask who will be designing your website and that person’s experience.

One of the most important questions to a prospective Tampa web designer is regarding the website design firm’s customer service policy. It may sound trivial a very high percentage of customers who switch over to Bay Area Graphics & Marketing after having been with another web designer or website design firm in Tampa, have sited poor customer service as a top reason why they found a new company to handle their website design and SEO/SEM needs for their Tampa small business. Ask if (yes, I did say if ) who– and when you will be able to speak to your designer directly with requests and concerns about your website as well as their policy for response times when you do have questions. You may wonder what this has to do with a good design but, experience shows us that poor communication is directly correlated with poorly designed websites. Additionally, inquire as to a completion date, if one will be provided and guaranteed. These are just some questions that should be asked however you will also want to have your own list handy based on your personal needs.

Website Marketing is usually not at the forefront of most of our client’s minds until after their site is built. That is why we address this matter at the start of development. Unfortunately, many Tampa website design companies will build eye catching websites that are unfortunately lacking good content, titles and descriptions. Why is this important? A website must be more than aesthetically pleasing and it needs a variety of qualities to rank organically, in other words based on content and proper linking. We believe that utilizing proper development techniques that address the issue of ranking should be discussed and initiated from the start of your website design project. Additionally, we submit to the major search engines as part of your website design package and additional website marketing services can be included at an affordable price either at the time of service or after your site has been developed.

Lastly, always make sure your website design firm is willing and able to provide you with at least three solid references. Do not rely solely on testimonials and examples of websites they’ve designed (from their site) but real people that will provide you with information about the service that was provided by that particular Tampa area website design company.

Website Design & Search Engine Optimization Tampa

bayareagraphics — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:49:00 +0000

Thanks Tampa Bay!

Running your own small business can often be hectic at best! Finding time to give proper thanks to our customers can be challenging! Tampa Bay is a great place to live, work and play and we all contribute wonderfully to our local economy and community.

So for that, we say “Thanks Tampa Bay!” We look forward to helping you continue to grow your business by providing you with afforable design and marketing services.

Website design, graphic design and search engine optimization services for Tampa small business are always one call away!

Greek Dressing www.farmerboygreekdressing.com
The Hungry Greek www.thehungrygreek.com
Marriage Counseling (Christian)www.victoryinjesus.net
Real Estate www.tampalots.com
Rentals&Investments;www.rentpasco.com www.renthernando.com
Weight Loss Doctor www.myhealthyweightsolution.com
Brand Name Clothing Re-seller www.theurbanexchange.com
Medical Billing www.medproanswers.com
Communications/ Telephone Systemswww.selfstoragephones.com
For a full list of our clients, visit our website at www.websitestampabay.com or http://www.websitestampa.com/websitedesigntampaclients.html

Do It Yourself Website Design Tampa, Fl

bayareagraphics — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:56:00 +0000

In Tampa, Florida, we’re seeing more people starting new small businesses. With fears brought on by economic suggishness, some Tampa area small business owners are attempting the “DIY” or “Do-it-Yourself” methods of website design and graphic design.

Unfortunately, in an effort to save money designing their own websites, logos, postcards, business cards, (etc.) what most have ended up with are websites and promotional products that leave much to be desired– and that lend no value to the branding of their business. Additionally, many end up with a website design that lacks functionality. Worse than that (if it can get any worse than that!) the majority of “DIY” websites include content that leaves much to be desired by the viewer as well as the search engines. Once realized, “DIY” website designers end up hiring us to perform their website re-designs for their Tampa small business. People are amazed at the quality of our affordable website design service and regret having not hired us to do it in the first place. Saving money on your Tampa Website Design does not mean having to compromise quality.

We understand the ins and outs of operating a business. The start up costs can be staggering. Since 2001 we’ve offered affordable website design for Tampa samll businesses. With any business comes investment and that includes and is emphasized with your on-line presence. Although you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a quality, custom small business website design for your Tampa area business, you should rarely attempt to “DIY!”

Don’t waste your time trying to save money only to have to start all over from scratch! Leave your Tampa website design and graphic design projects to a professional and spend that time using your time and talents building the other aspects of your Tampa area business. We want you to do what you do best, while we do what we do best— Website Design, Website Marketing and much more!

Visit us at www.websitestampabay.com or www.websitestampa.com for more information.